Jake

Bates

The Detroit Lions had every opportunity to walk away victorious from SoFi Stadium on Sunday night, but instead, they left with a devastating 41-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams—a defeat that falls squarely on their shoulders. While Matthew Stafford’s commanding performance and the Rams’ explosive playmakers deserve credit for an impressive second-half rally, the Lions cannot escape the reality that they constructed their own demise through a catastrophic defensive collapse and opportunistic offensive stagnation when it mattered most. At 8-6, Detroit’s playoff hopes have taken a significant hit, and the blame begins and ends with a team that simply failed to execute when championship-caliber execution was required.​