The Detroit Lions just got punched in the mouth on Thanksgiving. Green Bay walked into Ford Field and exposed familiar weak points. It was not a surprise. This matchup has been a bad fit for Detroit in recent seasons, from Week 1 to a prior holiday meeting. The result felt inevitable once the first few series played out. The Lions could not protect Jared Goff. They could not pressure Jordan Love. That two-lane problem defined the day in the NFL spotlight.

The Detroit Lions Podcast laid it bare. You could tell what kind of Goff game it would be almost immediately. Early heat rattled timing. Pocket noise forced hurried feet and tight-window throws. Meanwhile, Love operated in rhythm. Detroit’s front never got him off his spot. That is a losing formula, no matter the venue.

This loss was not about one player. It was the offensive line and the defensive line failing together. Pass protection broke down at critical moments. The run game could not steady the offense. Goff needs trust in his interior. He did not have it. On the other side, the pass rush never arrived. Edge wins were rare. Interior push was flatter still. With no heat, Love surveyed calmly and found answers against zones and match rules that never stressed him.

The Packers’ front presents unique challenges to this roster construction. That showed up again. When Detroit cannot dictate with its lines, the margin shrinks. Mistakes become touchdowns and field goals instead of punts. The Lions paid for it.

There will be noise about officiating. A missed timeout on a false start created a four-point swing. The Lions lost by seven. That stings, but it is not the story. Detroit’s issues were self-authored. Coverage busts and situational lapses fed Green Bay’s momentum.

The Wicks touchdown tells the tale. Brian Branch throttled down at the goal line. He looked at the quarterback instead of finishing the route. That is a cardinal sin for a defensive back. Eyes can find the ball, but the feet must stay alive. He admitted as much, and the tape confirms it. One pause, six points.

Add in missed pressures, soft landmarks, and leverage errors, and you have a defense that never dictated. Love picked it apart because he was allowed to. No disguised pressure. No hurry. No hits.

Detroit needs its identity back at the line of scrimmage. Protect Goff. Collapse the pocket on defense. Clean up the small stuff in coverage. The Lions have enough talent to fix this, but it won’t be solved by arguing flags. It comes from pad level, communication, and fundamentals. Start there. The next opponent will test those same stress points until the Lions prove otherwise.

Thanksgiving turned combative in living rooms across Michigan for a reason. The film matches the frustration. The path out is simple to say and hard to do. Win up front. Finish routes on defense. Give your quarterback clean answers. That is Detroit Lions football when it works.

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