Before the Detroit Lions break for their bye week, they face off in a huge NFC matchup on “Monday Night Football.” The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in town and they sport the conference’s best record at 5-1 through six games.
The Buccaneers are led by one of the best offenses in football, currently averaging the sixth-most points per game (27.5). Their offense is defined by a downfield attack led by a strong wide receiving corps and outstanding quarterback play from Baker Mayfield. The Bucs quarterback currently ranks seventh in passer rating (108.5), eighth in QBR (71.1), and ninth in PFF grade (82.6). And with the latest news that the Buccaneers expect to have both Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka active in this game despite injuries, Tampa could be an even more dangerous team to face.
The Lions counter with an even stronger statistical offense. The Lions average 31.8 points per game (second), while Jared Goff ranks second in passer rating (120.6) , seventh in QBR (73.7), and 17th in PFF grade (74.1).
However, the story entering this game may be Detroit’s depleted secondary. They’ll be without both starting outside cornerbacks and both starting safeties. While the Lions may be able to sport starting-calibre cornerbacks in Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin, the depth there is filled with unprovent talent or newly-added bodies. The situation is a little more dire at safety, where Thomas Harper is expected to make just his sixth NFL start and first with Detroit. Next to him is a bit of a mystery, but the options—Erick Hallett, Loren Strickland, or Jammie Robinson—have a combined two starts to them.
Can the Lions show off their resilience once again and enter the bye week with a big win? Stick right here to find out. This post will provide live score updates, highlights, and the latest news during the Monday night matchup. Simply come back here at kickoff (7 p.m. ET) and refresh as the game continues.
The Detroit Lions offense was up first after the Bucs won the coin toss and deferred. That allowed Detroit to take an early lead thanks to a couple of explosive pass plays. The first was a simple flair to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who made a couple Bucs defenders miss to gain 30 yards.
After an illegal contact penalty kept Detroit’s drive alive on third down, Jared Goff made them pay by hitting Amon-Ra St. Brown on a 27-yard touchdown pass. 7-0 Lions.
Detroit’s defense played some complementary football to start, forcing the Bucs offense into a quick three-and-out. Baker Mayfield stumbled his way into a sack on second down (credited to Jack Campbell), and after getting flushed from the pocket on third down, the Bucs quarterback hit Sterling Shepard well short of the first down.
The Lions hit yet another explosive pass to St. Brown for 24 yards, but the drive would end three plays later when YaYa Diaby strip sacked Goff and Tampa recovered.
But, again, the Lions defense was up for the challenge. Despite good field position, the Bucs could not manage their first first down of the game. On third-and-7, Jack Campbell blew up a wide receiver screen for a loss of 2 yards.
The Lions put together a strong drive to get out of their own zone. It was highlighted by a swing pass to Gibbs that went for 24 yards and another 16-yard gain from St. Brown. However, when they got into the red zone, the offense struggled. Ultimately, they faced a fourth-and-2 from the Bucs’ 15-yard line and opted to go for it. Goff took a deep shot to Isaac TeSlaa, but the throw was out of the rookie receiver’s reach, and Detroit turned the ball over on downs.
Tampa finally earned a first down via a pass interference penalty on Rock Ya-Sin that moved the ball 23 yards downfield. But that was it for the Bucs that drive thanks to Alim McNeill. The Lions defensive tackle battled through a double team and knocked down a Mayfield pass attempt on third down to force Tampa’s third straight punt.
Detroit’s offense still failed to add to their lead. While their drive started promisingly with a screen to David Montgomery for 15 yards, their struggles in the run game had the fighting the sticks. A -2 yard run from Montgomery was followed by a false start. While Detroit was able to work their way back into a third-and-5, Goff was sacked—leading to another punt.
Tampa would punt again after picking up just a single first down. On third-and-6, Mayfield tried to target Mike Evans, but Ya-Sin did a great job forcing the receiver out of bounds before he could get a second foot in.
Just as it looked like the Lions were about to go three-and-out due to a couple of penalties to start the drive, an illegal contact penalty on the Bucs moved the chains on third down. On the very next play, Jahmyr Gibbs took a handoff 78 yards untouched for the huge touchdown. 14-0 Lions.
The Lions defense continued its dominant half with another forced three-and-out. Mayfield appeared to hit Evans on a deep shot, but upon landing it appears the Bucs receiver lost consciousness and dropped the ball. Evans was immediately ruled out with a concussion and shoulder injury. On third down, Derrick Barnes picked up a sack thanks to strong coverage from Detroit’s secondary.
But Tampa would get one more shot in the first half after the Lions offense went nowhere. A questionable offensive pass interference penalty on Jameson Williams put the Lions behind the sticks, and a third-down pass was batted down at the line.
With good field position (own 38) and 2:52 left, the Bucs immediately squandered it. Shepard caught a quick pass from Mayfield, but Amik Robertson punched the ball out and Aidan Hutchinson recovered.
Detroit quickly found themselves in a third-and-5, and Goff’s attempt to Williams was low, forcing a long field goal attempt. Jake Bates’ 55-yard attempt went wide left, giving Tampa yet another chance before the half.
But, YET AGAIN, the defense came up with a huge play. On a overthrown ball from Mayfield, Arthur Maulet wrestled the ball away from Cade Otton for an impressive interception.
But the comedy of offensive errors continued. After getting backed up from a sack, Jared Goff threw a terrible ball into coverage and it was easily picked off by Jamel Dean.
That gave Mayfield 21 seconds and three timeouts to finally get on the board. After two completed passes, the Bucs were in field goal range, and Chase McLaughlin drilled a 53-yard kick to make it 14-3 Lions at halftime.
Tampa looked to quickly cut the game to a one-score deficit, and they did with a long, sustained drive. And 18-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka got the Bucs moving early. But the key play was a fourth-and-2 in Lions territory. Rachaad White converted with a 4-yard run in the teeth of the Lions defense. Two plays later, Mayfield hit Tez Johnson on a wide receiver screen the rookie took for a 22-yard touchdown.
Tampa’s two-point conversion failed, making it 14-9 Lions just over six minutes into the second half.
With the pressure back on the Lions offense, Detroit appeared to wake up. After going just 1-for-6 on third downs in the first half, they immediately picked up their first attempt with a 14-yard play action pass to Brock Wright. Then another screen to Gibbs earned 31 yards down to the Buccaneers 5-yard line, where Gibbs crashed in for the touchdown and a 21-9 Lions lead.
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