The Detroit Lions faced their first loss of the season on September 15, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-16. An NFL analyst has criticized the Lions’ coaching staff harshly for their performance in this game.

At the end of the first half, with 17 seconds left and the Lions at the Tampa Bay 17-yard line, quarterback Jared Goff completed a pass to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Lions intended to spike the ball to stop the clock, but the field goal unit was already on the field.

This mistake led to a “too many men on the field” penalty, which resulted in the clock running out and the end of their field goal opportunity.

In a September 16 article for Pride of Detroit, NFL analyst Jeremy Reisman gave the Lions’ coaching staff a failing grade of “F” for their handling of this situation.

Reisman criticized the lack of preparation and communication, stating that the team had ample time to plan for what to do if St. Brown’s pass was completed and in bounds.

Reisman also pointed out that despite head coach Dan Campbell taking full responsibility for the blunder, it didn’t absolve him of fault. Additionally,

Reisman criticized the offensive game plan, noting an imbalance in play calling—Jared Goff threw 55 passes compared to only 27 rushing attempts, which he deemed an “inexcusable imbalance.”

He also attributed the team’s red-zone struggles, where they converted just 1 out of 7 opportunities, to coaching failures.

Reisman observed that the plays called seemed ineffective, although he acknowledged that Detroit has been strong in the red zone historically under Ben Johnson.

In another September 16 piece for SideLion Report, NFL writer Brad Berreman labeled Campbell as one of the “losers” of the game.

Berreman argued that converting a field goal at the end of the first half would have altered the final drive’s dynamics, potentially changing the game’s outcome.

Despite Campbell’s full accountability for the loss, Berreman believes his leadership qualities are still evident.

Berreman also criticized offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, noting that the Lions’ offense has been out of sync in the first two games.

He attributed this in part to starters not playing in the preseason, which has affected Jared Goff’s performance.

Berreman suggested that Johnson might need to adjust his strategies, as the current performance raises questions about whether opponents have figured him out.