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From M-Live http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/09/grading_the_detroit_lions_san_1.html#incart_river
QUARTERBACKS: D
Quarterback Matthew Stafford started off strong, spreading the ball around with accuracy, but as the game wore on he withered in the San Diego heat.
Stafford threw a pair of bad interceptions, showing poor awareness and making questionable decisions under pressure. And that pressure is partially Stafford's fault. He's responsible for calling his protections, so if a rusher comes completely free, it was either a bad call or poorly communicated at the line of scrimmage.
RUNNING BACKS: A-
Rookie Ameer Abdullah is as good -- no, better -- than advertised. He blasted up the middle for a 24-yard touchdown run on his first carry and had a couple other nice runs. He also added a 36-yard reception on a swing route after a bobbled snap.
Joique Bell got the start and didn't do much, gaining 41 yards from scrimmage on eight touches. Theo Riddick was a no show until late in the fourth quarter when he caught a couple passes, including a touchdown with a little more than a minute remaining.
WIDE RECEIVERS: C
Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate surprisingly struggled to get separation against San Diego's small but extraordinarily athletic cornerbacks. Both receivers had some early yards, but were essentially invisible in the second half.
There were also some noticeable communication issues between Stafford and Tate as the quarterback twice put balls in different spots than where the receiver was expecting them.
TIGHT ENDS: C+
Eric Ebron dropped a third-down throw in the first quarter that would have resulted in a new set of downs had he made the grab. Instead, the Lions were forced to punt. He made up for it in the second quarter, snagging an 18-yard touchdown down the seam on play action.
Like Tate and Johnson, Ebron disappeared during the middle of the game, but added a couple late grabs to lead the team in receiving.
OFFENSIVE LINE: B
The group up front did some nice work opening up holes for Abdullah and also getting out in front on screen passes to the backs and receivers. In pass protection they mostly held their own as Stafford was sacked once and hit just two other times, both because of aforementioned communication issues.
DEFENSIVE LINE: D+
The pass rush might have been a little better than expected, but it still wasn't good enough. As for the run defense, which was the strength of the group last season, it wasn't nearly as dynamic as the Chargers gained 95 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns with some decent-sized running lanes.
The group also faltered twice on hard counts, jumping at Rivers' cadence and giving the Chargers two free first downs on third-down plays in the first half.
LINEBACKERS: D-
The coverage in the middle of the field was exposed by Rivers on crossing routes as Detroit's linebackers were often out of position. Josh Bynes, filling in for DeAndre Levy, was arguably the best among the group. Stephen Tulloch, coming back from last season's ACL tear, struggled. He got swallowed up by blocks and finding himself out of place in coverage all game long.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: D
The interceptions by Darius Slay and Glover Quin were nice. The free safety, as he did so often last season, found himself in the right place at the right time. He snagged a tipped ball and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Slay's pick, on a poorly thrown back-shoulder fade, came in the end zone right before the half.
Otherwise, the back end struggled. Rashean Mathis had an awful day. The veteran had no answer for Chargers No. 1 wide out Keenan Allen. He finished with 15 grabs for 166 yards, most of which came against Mathis.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A-
Abdullah flashed on kickoffs and giving Golden Tate a go at punt return proved to be an effective strategy. The coverage units also performed well, keeping Chargers return man Jacoby Jones in check.
Kicker Matt Prater didn't attempt a field goal, but made all four of his extra points. Punter Sam Martin wasn't at his best, but did pin the Chargers inside their 20-yard line three times on five boots.
COACHING: D-
The offense came out with excellent balance, but as the game wore on, it became apparent the Lions were failing to use two of their best weapons enough -- Abdullah and Johnson.
Defensively, Teryl Austin couldn't find a schematic answer for San Diego's screen passes and crossing routes. San Diego racked up 483 yards of offense, and had they not had the unforced turnovers, the Chargers probably hang at least 40 on the Lions.
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Grades from
Josh Katzenstein, The Detroit News.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford looked sharp early, going 7 of 12 for 94 yards with one touchdown in the first half, but in the second half, he was lousy and there was little sense that he’d be able to dig the Lions out of the surprising hole in which they found themselves. Overall, Stafford’s statistics were fine — 19 of 30 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — but the second interception was a poor throw to Golden Tate and set the Chargers up for a touchdown drive that reduced what was once a 21-3 lead to just 21-20. Stafford’s best drive was in desperation, and his apparent lack of trust in Calvin Johnson — four targets, two receptions and 39 yards — was shocking.
Grade: D
Running backs: The Lions actually ran the ball OK when they were committed to it, but too often their first-down runs didn’t work out. Ameer Abdullah was the star, gaining 50 yards on seven carries including a 24-yard touchdown on his first NFL run. The rookie added four catches for 44 yards. Joique Bell struggled on the ground — six carries, 14 yards — but had two catches for 27 yards. And Theo Riddick added two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: B
Wide receivers: While the coaches and quarterback deserve some blame, Calvin Johnson is certainly at fault for his lackluster performance as he had just two catches for 39 yards. He struggled to get open against cornerback Brandon Flowers, who frequently had help from a safety. Golden Tate had four catches for just 24 yards, and he and Matthew Stafford didn’t appear to be on the same page. The best play by a receiver was Lance Moore’s 22-yard catch to convert a third down.
Grade: C
Offensive line: It’s hard to tell how much the protection issues were a problem of new center Travis Swanson or Matthew Stafford, but in the second half, the Lions didn’t have nearly enough time to pass the ball. The first half was strong, though, particularly on the ground, but the Chargers exposed the backups playing on the right side of the line.
Grade: C
Defensive line: Like many of the other positions, this group started well, sacking Philip Rivers twice in the first half and forcing him to make a quick throw that resulted in the first interception. Against the run, the line was fine overall, limited the Chargers to just 3.2 yards per carry, and San Diego’s quick passing attack in the second half limited what the pass rushers could do.
Grade: C
Linebackers: Coach Jim Caldwell said DeAndre Levy’s absence wasn’t an excuse, so it won’t factor into the grade. Stephen Tulloch looked lost several times, especially in coverage. Josh Bynes also got fooled on a screen that produced a big play, though he did have eight tackles. Travis Lewis and Tahir Whitehead combined for just one tackle, and much of tight end Ladarius Green’s 74 receiving yards was on the linebackers.
Grade: D
Secondary: Chargers receiver Keenan Allen looked like an unstoppable force with 15 catches for 166 yards, and Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis never looked like he had a chance to cover him. Cornerback Darius Slay was OK and had an interception, and free safety Glover Quin was great and had a pick-6. Like Mathis, though, strong safety James Ihedigbo struggled, and the rotating nickel cornerbacks didn’t do much to slow Stevie Johnson, who had 82 receiving yards.
Grade: D
Special teams: With so many problems elsewhere, this was actually the best unit for the Lions. Sam Martin downed three of his five punts inside the 20. Ameer Abdullah had a 48-yard kickoff return, and Golden Tate averaged 17 yards on his two punt returns.
Grade: B
Coaching: With so many months to prepare for this game, the amount of issues the Lions had rest mostly on the shoulders of the coaches. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin failed to make necessary adjustments as his side gave up 483 yards. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi seemingly had no plan of how to get the ball to Calvin Johnson or Golden Tate. And Jim Caldwell said he didn’t go for a fourth-and-1 late in the third quarter at the Detroit 40 because the Lions had the lead. There are plenty of reasons not to, but that’s not a good one, especially since the Chargers had scored the last 17 points.
Grade: F
QUARTERBACKS: D
Quarterback Matthew Stafford started off strong, spreading the ball around with accuracy, but as the game wore on he withered in the San Diego heat.
Stafford threw a pair of bad interceptions, showing poor awareness and making questionable decisions under pressure. And that pressure is partially Stafford's fault. He's responsible for calling his protections, so if a rusher comes completely free, it was either a bad call or poorly communicated at the line of scrimmage.
RUNNING BACKS: A-
Rookie Ameer Abdullah is as good -- no, better -- than advertised. He blasted up the middle for a 24-yard touchdown run on his first carry and had a couple other nice runs. He also added a 36-yard reception on a swing route after a bobbled snap.
Joique Bell got the start and didn't do much, gaining 41 yards from scrimmage on eight touches. Theo Riddick was a no show until late in the fourth quarter when he caught a couple passes, including a touchdown with a little more than a minute remaining.
WIDE RECEIVERS: C
Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate surprisingly struggled to get separation against San Diego's small but extraordinarily athletic cornerbacks. Both receivers had some early yards, but were essentially invisible in the second half.
There were also some noticeable communication issues between Stafford and Tate as the quarterback twice put balls in different spots than where the receiver was expecting them.
TIGHT ENDS: C+
Eric Ebron dropped a third-down throw in the first quarter that would have resulted in a new set of downs had he made the grab. Instead, the Lions were forced to punt. He made up for it in the second quarter, snagging an 18-yard touchdown down the seam on play action.
Like Tate and Johnson, Ebron disappeared during the middle of the game, but added a couple late grabs to lead the team in receiving.
OFFENSIVE LINE: B
The group up front did some nice work opening up holes for Abdullah and also getting out in front on screen passes to the backs and receivers. In pass protection they mostly held their own as Stafford was sacked once and hit just two other times, both because of aforementioned communication issues.
DEFENSIVE LINE: D+
The pass rush might have been a little better than expected, but it still wasn't good enough. As for the run defense, which was the strength of the group last season, it wasn't nearly as dynamic as the Chargers gained 95 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns with some decent-sized running lanes.
The group also faltered twice on hard counts, jumping at Rivers' cadence and giving the Chargers two free first downs on third-down plays in the first half.
LINEBACKERS: D-
The coverage in the middle of the field was exposed by Rivers on crossing routes as Detroit's linebackers were often out of position. Josh Bynes, filling in for DeAndre Levy, was arguably the best among the group. Stephen Tulloch, coming back from last season's ACL tear, struggled. He got swallowed up by blocks and finding himself out of place in coverage all game long.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: D
The interceptions by Darius Slay and Glover Quin were nice. The free safety, as he did so often last season, found himself in the right place at the right time. He snagged a tipped ball and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Slay's pick, on a poorly thrown back-shoulder fade, came in the end zone right before the half.
Otherwise, the back end struggled. Rashean Mathis had an awful day. The veteran had no answer for Chargers No. 1 wide out Keenan Allen. He finished with 15 grabs for 166 yards, most of which came against Mathis.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A-
Abdullah flashed on kickoffs and giving Golden Tate a go at punt return proved to be an effective strategy. The coverage units also performed well, keeping Chargers return man Jacoby Jones in check.
Kicker Matt Prater didn't attempt a field goal, but made all four of his extra points. Punter Sam Martin wasn't at his best, but did pin the Chargers inside their 20-yard line three times on five boots.
COACHING: D-
The offense came out with excellent balance, but as the game wore on, it became apparent the Lions were failing to use two of their best weapons enough -- Abdullah and Johnson.
Defensively, Teryl Austin couldn't find a schematic answer for San Diego's screen passes and crossing routes. San Diego racked up 483 yards of offense, and had they not had the unforced turnovers, the Chargers probably hang at least 40 on the Lions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades from
Josh Katzenstein, The Detroit News.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford looked sharp early, going 7 of 12 for 94 yards with one touchdown in the first half, but in the second half, he was lousy and there was little sense that he’d be able to dig the Lions out of the surprising hole in which they found themselves. Overall, Stafford’s statistics were fine — 19 of 30 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — but the second interception was a poor throw to Golden Tate and set the Chargers up for a touchdown drive that reduced what was once a 21-3 lead to just 21-20. Stafford’s best drive was in desperation, and his apparent lack of trust in Calvin Johnson — four targets, two receptions and 39 yards — was shocking.
Grade: D
Running backs: The Lions actually ran the ball OK when they were committed to it, but too often their first-down runs didn’t work out. Ameer Abdullah was the star, gaining 50 yards on seven carries including a 24-yard touchdown on his first NFL run. The rookie added four catches for 44 yards. Joique Bell struggled on the ground — six carries, 14 yards — but had two catches for 27 yards. And Theo Riddick added two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: B
Wide receivers: While the coaches and quarterback deserve some blame, Calvin Johnson is certainly at fault for his lackluster performance as he had just two catches for 39 yards. He struggled to get open against cornerback Brandon Flowers, who frequently had help from a safety. Golden Tate had four catches for just 24 yards, and he and Matthew Stafford didn’t appear to be on the same page. The best play by a receiver was Lance Moore’s 22-yard catch to convert a third down.
Grade: C
Offensive line: It’s hard to tell how much the protection issues were a problem of new center Travis Swanson or Matthew Stafford, but in the second half, the Lions didn’t have nearly enough time to pass the ball. The first half was strong, though, particularly on the ground, but the Chargers exposed the backups playing on the right side of the line.
Grade: C
Defensive line: Like many of the other positions, this group started well, sacking Philip Rivers twice in the first half and forcing him to make a quick throw that resulted in the first interception. Against the run, the line was fine overall, limited the Chargers to just 3.2 yards per carry, and San Diego’s quick passing attack in the second half limited what the pass rushers could do.
Grade: C
Linebackers: Coach Jim Caldwell said DeAndre Levy’s absence wasn’t an excuse, so it won’t factor into the grade. Stephen Tulloch looked lost several times, especially in coverage. Josh Bynes also got fooled on a screen that produced a big play, though he did have eight tackles. Travis Lewis and Tahir Whitehead combined for just one tackle, and much of tight end Ladarius Green’s 74 receiving yards was on the linebackers.
Grade: D
Secondary: Chargers receiver Keenan Allen looked like an unstoppable force with 15 catches for 166 yards, and Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis never looked like he had a chance to cover him. Cornerback Darius Slay was OK and had an interception, and free safety Glover Quin was great and had a pick-6. Like Mathis, though, strong safety James Ihedigbo struggled, and the rotating nickel cornerbacks didn’t do much to slow Stevie Johnson, who had 82 receiving yards.
Grade: D
Special teams: With so many problems elsewhere, this was actually the best unit for the Lions. Sam Martin downed three of his five punts inside the 20. Ameer Abdullah had a 48-yard kickoff return, and Golden Tate averaged 17 yards on his two punt returns.
Grade: B
Coaching: With so many months to prepare for this game, the amount of issues the Lions had rest mostly on the shoulders of the coaches. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin failed to make necessary adjustments as his side gave up 483 yards. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi seemingly had no plan of how to get the ball to Calvin Johnson or Golden Tate. And Jim Caldwell said he didn’t go for a fourth-and-1 late in the third quarter at the Detroit 40 because the Lions had the lead. There are plenty of reasons not to, but that’s not a good one, especially since the Chargers had scored the last 17 points.
Grade: F
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