Rough start all too familiar for Lions

With Monday loss to Green Bay, Detroit off to 0-2 start for third time in four seasons

Dan Campbell saw on Monday what many head coaches of the Detroit Lions have witnessed before him.

The Lions show flashes as a team that can hang with anyone in the NFL, but can't put it all together for a full game and come away with a victory.

Playing under the spotlight of Monday Night Football in Green Bay for the Packers' home opener, the Lions matched the opposition snap-for-snap in the first half and held a three-point edge. Outscored 21-0 in the second half, the Lions came crashing back to Earth in a 35-17 loss.

“We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot there,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “We had a good thing going in the first half and looked how we expected to look, really. Yeah, just kept shooting ourselves in the foot in the second half.”

For the third time in the last four seasons, the Lions are off to an 0-2 start.

“I'm not a negative person,” Campbell said. “I'm all about going to work. I want guys who are resilient, that are willing to go to work. They love ball. They're going to clean up mistakes. Those are the guys I'm looking for. I'm not a sulker. You're not going to get me down.”

With new management and a new head coach, the Lions knew they were moving in a different direction this season. Win or lose, Campbell is moving forward and wants players to get on board or be left behind.

“I want guys who are looking for solutions,” Campbell said. “You know, we're going to fix our mess because we put ourselves in this mess. That's what I'm looking for. I think we're going to be just fine. We're going to be upbeat.”

Campbell gave his players Tuesday off with things getting no easier for the Lions. The team has a Sunday matchup at home against the Baltimore Ravens, who rolled up 481 yards in beating Kansas City on Sunday.

“They're going to need a couple of days to recover,” Campbell said Tuesday about his team.

“So, (Wednesday) we'll work that way and then the day after will be really a normal Thursday practice and we'll go full speed and then be on track.

“They've got to be mentally honed in. You don't get as much physical work as you want, but mentally we've got to be sharp.”

And some of that was missing in the second half against Green Bay. The Lions had a fumble, an interception, gave up three sacks and took nine penalties in the game for 78 yards.

“It should sting,” Campbell said of the loss. “I hope it does sting. It stings me and that's OK, but that doesn't mean you have to be negative or kick the dirt or anything else, and I don't want those types of guys around here.”

Along with the loss, the Lions are dealing with another injury in the secondary. After losing Jeff Okuda to a season-ending injury in the season opener, Ifeatu Melifonwu could be lost for several games with a thigh injury.

“I feel bad for him,” Campbell said. “He's going to be down for a significant amount of time, and so we certainly won't have him for at least a couple of weeks, if not more. So, we'll see where this goes, but, yeah, we're not going to have him.”