Quick takeaways from the Lions Week 5 shutout loss to the Patriots

There are so many examples of how poorly the Lions designed and executed the offensive attack against the Patriots that it’s hard to know where to begin. So we’ll zero in on the fourth downs. All six of them, none of which gained a successful conversion.

One in particular stands out. Midway through the third quarter, 4th-and-2 from the Patriots’ 34-yard line. Jared Goff rushes the snap count to try and catch the Patriots flat-footed. But the Patriots baited Goff expertly here. Knowing Goff would look for Amon-Ra St. Brown, they feigned a little off-coverage on No. 14. But the Patriots quickly just abandoned covering the outside option and had two defenders closing on St. Brown before he caught the ball — on a zero-yard route that required run-after-catch to succeed.

The Patriots knew what was coming way too often. The Lions, be it OC Ben Johnson or Dan Campbell or Goff at the controls, did not adjust to the Patriots’ film adjustments. That’s embarrassingly superior coaching by the Patriots over Campbell’s Lions.