The Detroit Lions' defense struggled to contain the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's 41-31 loss in Week 2.

This prompted Lions head coach Dan Campbell to deliver a blunt assessment of the defense as he pointed to several costly breakdowns during the game.

Detroit struggled to keep Bills QB Josh Allen in the pocket on second-and-long situations. Campbell said the Lions got caught inside on several pass-rush games, allowing Allen to escape and create plays with his legs.

The secondary also endured multiple coverage busts that led to touchdowns. Detroit's run defense faced similar issues, with players fitting the wrong gaps and two defenders sometimes occupying the same gap.

Campbell summed up the defensive problems bluntly:

“And then defensively, we gave up too many explosives.”

He then pointed to the Lions' own execution as another major problem:

“And it was already a tall task, much less when you don't handle your own business, your own job. So, we'll clean it up.”

The Lions' defensive execution will now face close scrutiny as the team turns the page from Buffalo.

Lions must clean up defensive breakdowns before Week 3

The Lions must address several defensive issues before their next game against the New York Jets.

Dan Campbell specifically highlighted communication and assignment discipline as areas that needed attention.

Detroit must improve its ability to contain mobile quarterbacks. The defense also needs to eliminate coverage busts and improve its run fits after Buffalo repeatedly found openings.

Campbell said the Lions have time to study the performance and determine where they can improve. The focus now shifts toward correcting the mistakes that contributed to the Week 2 loss.

Written by

Sayantan