Even in victory, the Detroit Lions raised some serious questions for Stephen A. Smith, and he wasn’t about to pretend otherwise. The Lions walked out of Ford Field with a 31-30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints, but the path to that victory was anything but reassuring. At one point, Detroit had everything under control, sitting on a 21-0 lead in the third quarter. Then, as if the entire script flipped, the Saints started clawing back, and suddenly the Lions were hanging on for dear life in a game they had dominated. For Smith, this wasn’t just a close call. It was a symptom of something deeper, something he couldn’t ignore. He voiced that unease clearly, explaining on “First Take” that this Lions team needs Thursday night’s win against the Buffalo Bills even more than the Bills do. That’s a heavy statement, especially when you consider Buffalo’s own pressure and expectations. But Smith wasn’t trying to be kind. He was being honest. “I’m very, very concerned about them,” he said. “Yeah, you know what, you won the game. But you were up 21-0. You gave up that lead.” Those words hung in the air because they captured exactly what so many fans were feeling beneath the surface of their relief. This wasn’t the kind of victory that builds belief. It was the kind that leaves you staring at the ceiling, wondering what this team really is.
The worry only grows when you look at the numbers. Smith was especially bothered by what the defense did at Ford Field, and the stats back up every ounce of his concern. The Lions surrendered 469 total yards to a Saints offense that, frankly, wasn’t supposed to do that to a team with Super Bowl aspirations. It wasn’t just the yardage, either. It was the way those yards came. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough looked like an elite passer as he led a valiant comeback attempt, throwing for 410 yards while carving up Detroit’s secondary again and again. Third downs, the critical moments that define a defense, were a nightmare. New Orleans converted more than half of their third-down attempts, keeping drives alive and slowly draining the life out of the building. For anyone watching, the collapse was familiar in the worst way. The Lions didn’t just give up a lead. They gave up their identity for stretches, looking passive and unsure at the exact moments they needed to be aggressive and confident. Smith didn’t sugarcoat any of it. He kept it simple and blunt: “I’m looking at you giving up 469 yards,” he said. “I’m looking at them converting more than half of their third-down conversions. I’m saying Detroit’s defense is a huge, huge concern for me. They’re one-dimensional as far as I’m concerned.” That word, one-dimensional, probably stings more than anything else for a team that prides itself on toughness, grit, and balance. But there’s truth to it. If the offense has to score 30 or 40 points every week just to keep pace, something is fundamentally broken on the other side of the ball.
To understand why Smith is so worried, you have to look at what happened to Detroit’s coaching staff over the past couple of years. The Lions were once the NFL’s most exciting story, a team built in the image of head coach Dan Campbell, full of fire, fearlessness, and a belief that they could beat anyone. A lot of that confidence came from their two brilliant coordinators. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson turned the Lions’ offense into one of the most explosive and creative units in the league. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn brought the same kind of energy to the defense, taking a group of hungry players and turning them into a physical, opportunistic force. Together, they made Detroit look like a team that could not only win the division but actually win it all. Then, as success often does, it attracted opportunities elsewhere. Johnson left to become a head coach. Glenn left as well. And now, despite Dan Campbell still leading the charge, the Lions haven’t looked quite the same. They won on Sunday, but the defense that was once proud and aggressive ranked 29th last season without Glenn’s steady hand. The offense, even without Johnson, still has stars and scheme, still ranks high and produces yards and points. But in Smith’s eyes, the balance that made Detroit so dangerous is gone. “Their offense is still potent without Ben Johnson. Their defense has fallen off, as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “At least it did last year. Without those two coordinators, Detroit hasn’t looked the same under the stewardship of Dan Campbell. They got to show us that they can be what we thought they were a couple of years ago.”
That’s the crux of it, really. Expectations have changed faster than performance. A couple of years ago, the NFL world was looking at this emerging Detroit team with wide eyes, saying, “This is the future champion.” The Lions hit hard, played loose, and carried themselves with a swagger that felt earned. They were not just a playoff team. They were the kind of team you dreaded facing. And now? Now there’s a sense of uncertainty hanging over everything. People aren’t asking whether the Lions can roll through the NFC. They’re asking whether this team can win the division, whether they can even make the postseason, whether the magic has faded. That might seem harsh after just one shaky opening-weekend win, but the concerns predate Sunday. They come from a full season of watching a defense struggle, watching close games slip away, watching a team that used to close its jaws around opponents suddenly settle for hanging on. Smith believes this moment matters more for Detroit than for Buffalo, and he isn’t wrong. The Bills are used to carrying the weight of high expectations. For them, a Thursday night loss in September is frustrating, but it doesn’t change who they are. For the Lions, though, a loss would feel like proof that the doubters are right. It would be a signal that the old magic is gone, that the coordinators were the secret sauce, and that Dan Campbell’s message alone isn’t enough to push this team over the top. That’s an enormous weight to carry into a hostile road game in one of the most difficult stadiums in football.
Thursday night in Buffalo is as big a test as the Lions could face this early in the season. The Bills are a powerful team with a dynamic roster, a raucous home crowd, and a quarterback who can change a game with one throw. They don’t lose easily at home, especially under the lights. The Lions will need more than a decent offensive outing. They will need to prove that last week’s collapse was an anomaly, not a warning sign. The defensive backs will need to communicate, tackle, and show up in the biggest moments. The pass rush will need to get home, to make the quarterback uncomfortable, to force mistakes instead of waiting for something lucky to happen. The coaching staff will need to adjust and adapt, showing that they can learn from the mistakes made against the Saints. It’s not about scoring 30 points again. The offense can score. The question is whether the defense can step up, get a third-down stop, and protect a lead when it matters. Smith wants to see proof that this Lions team is still what they were. He wants to see them play with that old edge, that refusal to let foot off the gas, that identity that made them darlings of the league. More than anything, he wants the Detroit Lions to remind everyone what they looked like before the world started doubting them. This game is a chance for them to do exactly that. Because right now, with the smoke still clearing from that strange overtime win, “they can win it all” feels like ancient history. Right now, people are just wondering if they can survive a Thursday night in Buffalo.
But here’s the thing about football, and about this Lions team specifically: it’s too early to bury them, and it’s also too early to crown them. Sunday’s win was ugly, uncomfortable, and more than a little concerning, but it was still a win. The Lions didn’t panic the way the old Lions might have. They found a way, even when it seemed like the game was slipping away. That counts for something, even if it doesn’t ease every fear. Dan Campbell’s teams are built on resilience, and there’s a version of this season where the defense grows, the offense keeps cooking, and people look back at this moment as the turning point. But there’s also a version where the problems get worse, where the defense remains a liability, and where the big dreams fade into a fight just to sneak into the playoffs. That uncertainty is what makes Thursday night so compelling. It’s not just a regular September game. It’s a statement game for a team that still has a lot to prove. Stephen A. Smith is concerned, and he has every right to be. But concern doesn’t mean the story is over. It just means the next chapter is a test. For a franchise desperate to finally chase a championship, this is the moment to show that they’re still the team everyone believed in. And for the fans who have been through so much, who still remember the pain and disappointment of all those losing seasons, they’re not looking for the perfect team. They’re looking for one that fights, that learns, that refuses to quit. That’s the dream Dan Campbell sold them. Thursday night is the chance to prove it’s still real.
