Lions Fall to Steelers in Chaotic Finish, But the Real Issues Ran Much Deeper
The final play will be the one everyone remembers - the lateral, the touchdown, the flag. But if you’re pointing to that moment as the reason the Detroit Lions dropped a 29-24 heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers, you’re missing the bigger picture.
This wasn’t about one controversial call. This was about a team that gave itself too many chances to lose - and the Steelers took every single one of them.
Let’s break it down.
A Comeback That Came Too Late
Detroit’s rally in the fourth quarter was impressive. Down 12 late, Jared Goff led a furious charge that had Ford Field on the edge of eruption.
He threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, doing everything he could to steal a win. But the Lions were playing uphill all night, and the climb started long before the final drive.
Two 45-yard touchdown runs by Jaylen Warren - yes, two - flipped the game. Warren gashed the defense for a career-high 143 rushing yards, and each of those long scores didn’t just hurt on the scoreboard. They were gut punches that shifted momentum and exposed Detroit's defensive gaps.
And while Goff kept Detroit in it through the air, the Lions couldn’t muster anything on the ground. Just 15 rushing yards.
That’s not a typo. That kind of imbalance doesn’t just limit your offense - it makes you predictable.
And predictable teams lose in December.
Offensive Line: From Anchor to Anchor Weight
This was supposed to be a strength. Instead, the offensive line played like it was still on the bye week.
Christian Mahogany returned from IR, but his comeback couldn’t have gone worse. On the opening drive, he missed a key assignment that led to a sack and killed early momentum.
Later, in the third quarter, he failed to pick up a stunt - and that mistake turned into a safety. In a game decided by five points, giving two away like that was brutal.
Tate Ratledge didn’t fare much better. He struggled to pass off defenders in protection, allowing pressure right up the gut.
That A-gap leakage made the run game a non-starter. And when the Lions needed a clean drive late, Ratledge jumped early for a false start that derailed everything.
The box score says 15 rushing yards. The tape says it could’ve been worse.
Anzalone Targeted and Exposed
Linebacker Alex Anzalone is usually one of the emotional leaders of this defense - a high-motor guy who flies to the ball. But on Sunday, Pittsburgh made him the bullseye.
He was picked on in coverage all game long. According to in-game tracking, he gave up seven catches for 103 yards.
One of the worst moments came on a single sequence - a long reception allowed, followed immediately by a defensive pass interference flag. It was a backbreaker.
Anzalone looked a step slow, a step late, and out of sync. Whether it was tight ends or backs, the Steelers found ways to isolate him and exploit mismatches.
It wasn’t just a bad game. It was one of the most difficult outings of his Lions tenure.
Jahmyr Gibbs: A Night to Forget on the Ground
The Lions' electric rookie back had a rough one. It started with an unforced fumble on one of his first touches - Detroit recovered, but the tone was set.
His first four carries? Negative four yards.
Yes, the offensive line didn’t do him any favors, especially near the goal line where he was stuffed twice. But Gibbs also looked tentative at times. His reads weren’t sharp, and he struggled to find daylight even when there was a sliver.
Late in the game, when Detroit needed to lean on the run to balance the offense, Gibbs lost three yards on a key carry. That was the moment the Lions gave up on the ground game entirely.
He did manage to make an impact as a receiver, scoring a touchdown through the air, but the damage was done. When your run game disappears, defenses pin their ears back - and that’s exactly what Pittsburgh did.
Amik Robertson: Picked On All Day
The Steelers didn’t just find a weak link in the secondary - they circled it in red and went after it. Amik Robertson was in the crosshairs all game long.
No matter who he lined up across - DK Metcalf, Scotty Miller, Darnell Washington, Adam Thielen - the ball kept heading his way. And more often than not, it ended in a first down.
Robertson wasn’t necessarily out of position on every snap. But he struggled to finish plays, especially at the catch point.
Pittsburgh used timing routes to control the tempo, and Robertson couldn’t disrupt them. In a game where Detroit needed someone in the secondary to win a matchup, he just couldn’t deliver.
The Final Play Wasn’t the Problem - It Was the Result
Yes, the ending will be replayed endlessly. The lateral.
The touchdown. The flag.
But the truth is, Detroit didn’t lose because of that one moment. They lost because too many things went wrong for too long.
They lost because the offensive line collapsed in key spots. Because Alex Anzalone was exposed in coverage.
Because Jahmyr Gibbs couldn’t get going. Because Amik Robertson was targeted all afternoon.
Jared Goff did enough to win. The rest of the supporting cast didn’t.
This was a game Detroit could’ve had - maybe even should’ve had. But in December, when playoff positioning is on the line, teams don’t get to make this many mistakes and walk away with a win.
The Lions didn’t get robbed. They got beat. And they’ll need to do some soul-searching heading into the final stretch.