Lions squander late chances, fall to Buccaneers, 20-16

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions let one slip away.

A lack of success in the red zone and one too many poor decisions from Jared Goff spoiled a 4.5-sack game from Aidan Hutchinson, as the Lions dropped to 1-1 after a 20-16 loss to the Tampa Buccaneers on Sunday at Ford Field.

As it turns out, the third time was the charm for the Buccaneers, whom the Lions beat twice last season, including 31-23 in the Divisional playoff round.

Detroit got the ball back with 5:12 left in Sunday's game but couldn't convert on a potential go-ahead drive, as Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped short of the sticks on fourth-and-8 with 53 seconds left in the game.

The Lions defense quickly forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 33 seconds left on the plus side of the field after a solid punt return from Kalif Raymond, but it was simply too steep of a hill to climb, as Goff's heave from the 27-yard line to end the game fell incomplete.

Goff threw two interceptions, including one after the Lions reached the red zone in the fourth quarter — reminiscent of his late interception against the Rams a week prior — and finished 34 for 55 for 307 yards and two interceptions with no touchdowns.

Detroit was 1-of-7 on red-zone opportunities.

An operational error blew the Lions' chance to get a field goal at the end of the first half, which made all the difference on their final drive. Instead of being able to win the game with a field goal, Detroit trailed by four, requiring the Lions to go for it once they got in the red zone with 1:17 re-maining after a 23-yard, fourth-down run by Gibbs to extend the Lions' chances.

Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had a bounce-back performance with 11 catches for 119 yards and Gibbs had 84 rushing yards on 13 carries, but it wasn't enough to avoid the loss.

Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold was flagged for another costly defensive pass interference on the opening drive, giving the Buccaneers first-and-goal at the 5-yard line of Detroit. But after a short run by Rachaad White, the Lions defense stood tall with a Brian Branch pass breakup in the end zone and a strip-sack from Aidan Hutchinson that forced a 30-yard field goal and 3-0 Buccaneers lead just 3:29 into the game.

The Lions had a turnover on the first offensive play from scrimmage. Jameson Williams was bumped off the top of his route by Christian Izien, and the ball sailed right through the window and into the arms of Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum.

Hutchinson and Levi Onwuzurike teamed up for another sack that forced the Buccaneers into third-and-very-long on the ensuing Buccaneers possession, holding Tampa to a 55-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to make it 6-0 with 9:00 left in the first quarter.

Goff went right back to Williams on the first play of the next drive, connecting on a deep ball that picked up 50 yards. After the Buccaneers hit Goff late, drawing a roughing-the-passer penalty, the Lions' drive stalled inside the 10, bringing up a 22-yard field goal from Jake Bates to make it 6-3, Buccaneers, at 7:13 in the first quarter.

To end the ensuing Buccaneers drive, Hutchinson tied his career-high in sacks (three) in the opening 9:23 when he brought down Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield to force a punt.

Godwin put the Buccaneers back on top with a three-catch, 69-yard drive that ended with him catching a 41-yard touchdown to give Tampa a 13-6 lead with 9:08 left in the second quarter.

The Lions extended their next drive with a fourth-down fake where Jack Fox threw a completion to rookie Sione Vaki. Soon after, the Lions went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 45 and again picked it up, this time with a three-yard run by David Montgomery. But the Lions couldn't move the chains again and were forced to punt from midfield.

Just before halftime, the Lions committed a massive blunder that prevented them from getting points after Branch Mayfield at the Detroit 44-yard line with 1:52 left in the second quarter.

Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a ball over the middle with about 12 seconds left and Detroit ran to the line to spike it — only problem was, their field-goal unit had already run out onto the field. By the time Goff got his spike off with eight seconds left, the Lions had about 20 players on the field — and without a timeout in their pocket, were forced to accept a 10-second run-off that sent the two teams into the locker room.

Detroit got the ball to start the second half and moved it quickly downfield but were again stymied in the red zone and were held to a 32-yard field goal by Bates that cut into the Buccaneers' lead, 13-9.

Hutchinson added his fourth sack of the game, topping a career-high in both college and the pros, to help the Lions get the ball right back. Detroit put together its best drive of the game, moving down the field in eight plays to take a 16-13 lead, its first of the game, with 3:26 left in the third quarter.

The Buccaneers marched right back the other way, however, and had the start of their next drive aided by a 15-yard face-mask penalty on Arnold. After Mayfield gave Tampa a first-and-10 at the 11-yard line of Detroit with a crucial third-down scramble, the Buccaneers called his number again and Mayfield took a designed run up the gut — with nobody in the vicinity — for an 11-yard rushing touchdown to make it 20-16, Buccaneers, with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

With the Buccaneers trying to add to their lead early in the fourth quarter, Hutchinson again got ahold of Mayfield on third down, his fifth sack of the game, to give Detroit the ball back and a chance at the go-ahead score. But the Lions stalled in the red zone for a fifth time as a holding penalty on Frank Ragnow was followed by a very poor throw from Goff that was intercepted by Izien, his second pick of the game, at 7:34 in the fourth quarter.

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