The Detroit Lions suffered a painful 32-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night, wasting another strong offensive performance.

Jared Goff threw for 412 yards, but Detroit’s defense struggled to get enough stops on the night. After the game, Aidan Hutchinson admitted he expected the Lions to win when the offense got the ball back with two minutes left.

Brad Galli shared Hutchinson’s comments on X/Twitter, where the Lions star pointed to the pressure the defense had placed on the offense.

“We were just putting a lot of stress on [the offense]… really from the first quarter and on. We gotta find a way to get stops before the fourth quarter,” Hutchinson said.

That assessment captures the frustration behind the defeat. Detroit kept asking its offense to answer, yet the defense could not create enough stops to close the game.

The defensive end’s comments showed why the late opportunity ultimately went to waste.

Detroit Lions’ defensive issues continue to put pressure on the offense

The problem has become difficult to ignore after Detroit allowed 32 points in the loss. The defense struggled to consistently get off the field, leaving the offense with little margin for error.

Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions’ defensive front generated pressure, but those moments did not produce enough stops. Jared Goff and the offense carried too much responsibility despite producing enough yards to keep Detroit within reach.

The Lions now have a clear issue: the defense must give the offense more breathing room.

Written by

Sayantan