INSIDE SLANT

NFL Team Report - Detroit Lions</h2><br>Lions offense continues to struggle<p></p> The Detroit Lions officially fell out of playoff contention with last Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, but first-year head coach Matt Patricia said he won't change his message to players at all over the final two weeks.<p></p> "Obviously the playoffs are, that's the goal and that's what you're shooting for every single week," Patricia said. "The thing that's different, I think, is that every week you don't walk into the room and talk about playoffs. You just kind of walk in and talk about the game that week and what you need to do to get ready to prepare and try to win and the opponent coming up and all the stuff.<p></p> "In the end, you hope that all of it works its way out. If you take care of your business, then it usually does. In this situation, obviously a little bit different, because that is the reality of where we are in the season."<p></p> The Lions are 5-9 with two games to play and in danger of having their first double-digit loss season since 2012. They're staring at a likely top-10 draft pick, and potentially an offseason of major change as offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter's job could be in jeopardy.<p></p> Cooter said this week that he and Patricia have a "very good" working relationship, but the Lions have underachieved on offense and Matthew Stafford - who was Cooter's biggest champion last winter - has regressed at quarterback.<p></p> Patricia said he wants to wait until the end of the season to take stock in what went wrong this year, but while his defense has improved steadily as the year has gone on, the offense has struggled more and more each week.<p></p> Some of the Lions' issues on offense are personnel related. Top running back Kerryon Johnson, last year's leading receiver, Marvin Jones Jr., and guard T.J. Lang, the team's best offensive lineman, are all on injured reserve, and the Lions traded away Stafford's long-time security blanket Golden Tate.<p></p> But the Lions still have had too much trouble scoring in the second half of the season - they've averaged just 15.9 points over their last eight games - and been blown out of far too many games.<p></p> Stafford, for his part, said it's "frustrating" to once again be home for the playoffs and be left to play out the string in an underachieving season.<p></p> "You play this game for the opportunity to play in the playoffs and a chance to win the whole thing," he said. "So any time that gets taken away from you, either right now or in the championship game, whatever it is, it's disappointing."<p></p> SERIES HISTORY: 115th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 73-39-2. The Vikings beat the Lions in Week 9 this year when they sacked Matthew Stafford 10 times. One memorable meeting in this series came in 2007, when the Lions snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Vikings as Roy Williams had 111 yards receiving and Jason Hanson made the game-winning field goal in overtime. </div> <div class="flex gap-2"> <div class="font-bold text-gray-600">The Sports Xchange</div> </div> <div id="comments" class="pt-6"></div> </div> </div> <div class="py-6 space-y-6"> <div class="space-y-4"> <h2 class="md:col-span-2 lg:col-span-3 font-bold text-xl text-gray-800">Recent Stories</h2> <a href="/feature/testing-buffalo-bill-page" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">Testing Buffalo Bill Page</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> Joe Horrigan knows the Buffalo Bills </div> </div> </a> <a href="/feature/06e3032cec6e442ab60a7fd8ae1b3701" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">Steelers positional analysis: Kenny Pickett stands alone in QB room</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> 2/17/2024If the Steelers were concerned about the uncertain future at quarterback when Ben Roethlisberger retired, the outlook at the position might not be any more ... </div> </div> </a> <a href="/feature/07f24b7086b24e9e83c29e8bf9cd913b" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t deserve criticism since Super Bowl</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> Globe StaffUpdated February 17, 2024, 9:38 a.m.Kyle Shanahan has been on the defensive all week following the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in the Super ... </div> </div> </a> <a href="/feature/2ae9263e12c74de88c5fb4aa552a1f3e" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">New Raiders GM expected to be aggressive in search for top QB</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> February 17, 2024 - 4:19 PMIf Tom Telesco’s past offers clues about his future, expect the Raiders’ new general manager to be aggressive in bringing in a top-level ... </div> </div> </a> <a href="/features?skip=22" class="group flex items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg shadow px-3.5 py-2.5 text-gray-800 hover:text-gray-700 font-medium"> <span>Read More Stories</span> <span class="transition-transform group-hover:translate-x-1 motion-reduce:transform-none"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-right"></i></span> </a> </div> <div class="space-y-4"> <h2 class="md:col-span-2 lg:col-span-3 font-bold text-xl text-gray-800">Latest Player Notes</h2> <a href="/note/65f70668f166e2567ab51b31" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> <span class="font-light"> </span> Mar 15, 2024 Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ... </div> </div> </a> <a href="/note/65f70667f166e2567ab51b24" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day</h3> <div class="text-gray-600 group-hover:text-gray-500 line-clamp-6"> <span class="font-light"> </span> Mar 15, 2024 Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ... </div> </div> </a> <a href="/note/65f70667f166e2567ab51b11" class="group flex flex-col bg-gray-100 hover:bg-white transition rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow"> <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-6"> <h3 class="font-bold text-lg text-gray-800 group-hover:text-gray-700">How can UW recruit its best class ever? 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