Lions Scored 45 Points, But One Awful Stat Tells You Why Campbell Is Still Fuming

The Detroit Lions just rolled over the Arizona Cardinals with a 45-21 win, heading into their bye week looking good on paper. But for head coach Dan Campbell, there is still one massive concern lurking even after dropping 45 points: those infuriatingly slow offensive starts. This isn’t just a minor blip; it’s a pattern that could seriously haunt them later in the season.

That Offensive Slump Is Real

Listen, getting 45 points on the board is fantastic. But ESPN points out those slow starts on offense are a real problem that continued against the Cardinals. The unit went three-and-out on its first three drives of the game! You can’t be doing that week in and week out. Sure, they exploded for 24 points in the second quarter to take control, which is impressive, but that early struggle? It’s a pattern we’ve seen. Detroit has only scored *one* touchdown on 13 drives that ended in the first quarter this season. That’s a measly 7.7% rate, which ESPN Research says is the fifth-lowest in the entire NFL. You can get away with that against the Cardinals, but against much better teams, that’s a recipe for disaster. Campbell knows it.

Defense Finally Stepped Up

Thankfully, the defense gave fans something to cheer about this week. After a rough start to the season, they finally had a breakout game against Arizona. After giving up that unfortunate touchdown on the Cardinals’ opening drive, the defense settled in hard. They only allowed 14 points until a late touchdown when the game was already basically wrapped up. That’s a huge step in the right direction and the kind of performance this unit needs to deliver all season long if they want to hang with the big dogs.

Now, with the bye week ahead, the big question is whether they can fix those offensive kinks and keep that defensive momentum rolling. Because a 45-point win is awesome, but those slow starts? They will catch up to you fast.

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Originally reported by The Sporting News.