Lions Report 09/28/25

Lions Report: Overall, the game against the Cleveland Browns was a ho-hummer. After another slow start on defense, the Lions clamped down and won a game they should have won. However, there was good and bad in the game. Let’s play Me (No) Likey.

The Lions held Joe Flacco to 16 completions on 34 pass attempts, with no touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a rating of 39.3. Me likey.

The Lions defense also allowed the opposition to score a touchdown on their opening drive. Again. Even after Kelvin Sheppard said they were going to focus on it. Me no likey.

The Lions only had 6 penalties for 44 yards in the game. Overall, penalties on Dan Campbell’s team are generally held to a minimum. Me likey.

However, the timing on a lot of their penalties is really bad. They cost us field position last week at Baltimore, and they cost us a turnover today. Terrian Arnold is a penalty machine. He’s got the hands of a high school freshman out on his first date. Very grabby. And Brian Branch is not far behind. Listen, I love the aggressiveness of Branch but he needs to clean it up. Me no likey.

The Lions sacked Joe Flacco three times and pressured him on a number of other attempts. Me kind of likey.

Cleveland was missing their two offensive tackles and Flacco is 40 years old. The Lions defense should have had more sacks. They struggled to get to him in the early parts of the game. Me no likey.

Khalif Raymond returned a punt for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Me likey.

Jake Bates was 2 of 2 on field goal attempts, one from 48 yards and the other from 58 yards, with no mixed extra points. There are a lot of teams struggling with their kickers right now. We are not one of them. Pulling this kid out of the USFL was a great move by Brad Holmes. Me likey.

In the end we won the game handily against a very good Cleveland defense. The Packers lost to them, I’m looking at you Doug Lyon, so I’m feeling pretty good about the win. Me likey.

On to Cincinnati next week, with no Joe Burrough. I’m not going to say it.