The Lions fell to the New Orleans Saints, 35-29, Sunday to drop their record to 1-3 heading into their bye week.
Teams usually like to have their bye week more toward midseason, but this might be just the right timing for a Lions team left with more questions than answers about the state of their football team after a third loss this season after leading by double digits.
It might be good timing on the injury front as well.
Starting cornerback Desmond Trufant left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury after missing Detroit's previous two games with the same injury. It's unclear if it's the same hamstring, but Trufant never returned to the game.
Defensive tackle Nick Williams also left Sunday's game with a shoulder injury and did not return. The Lions don't have a lot of depth along their defensive line, so the bye comes at a good time for Williams.
Detroit could certainly use the bye both from a mental and physical perspective to make corrections and get healthy after putting themselves in a hole to start the season.
View photos from Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints Week 4 game at Ford Field on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit
Detroit Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye (24) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions defensive lineman John Penisini (91) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions cornerback Jamal Agnew (39) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions cornerback Desmond Trufant (23) before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) warming up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift (32), Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. (11), and Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) celebrate after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift (32) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
The Detroit Lions during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions safety Jayron Kearse (42) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara (95) sacks New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson (28) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions cornerback Jamal Agnew (39) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah (30) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Frank Ragnow (77) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. (58) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson (33) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions defensive back Tracy Walker (21) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) kicks off during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) and Detroit Lions fullback Jason Cabinda (45) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift (32) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions longsnapper Don Muhlbach (48) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Williams (97) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
The Detroit Lions during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) punts during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions linebacker Christian Jones (52) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson (33) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Detroit. (Detroit Lions via AP).
TWO-POINT CONVERSION
Running back Adrian Peterson scored on a 5-yard touchdown for the Lions with three minutes and 40 seconds left in the game to trim the Saints' lead to 35-27. Instead of kicking the extra point and trimming the lead to seven points, Lions head coach Matt Patricia opted to go for two points.
"The situation is you look at those from if you decide you're going to go for two, and you can do that, or decide that before the first touchdown, then you can go for it and give yourself two chances to get it in for the two-point conversion," he said.
The Lions converted the two-point play when quarterback Matthew Stafford found tight end T.J. Hockenson in the back of the end zone.
FINDING THE RIGHT MIX
There are still plenty of situations on defense where the Lions are rotating in players and trying to find the right mix of skill sets.
Rookie Jeff Okudah mixed in some at cornerback in place of Amani Oruwariye Sunday. The Lions rotate their linebackers and veteran Jarrad Davis into the mix in certain packages. Detroit's still looking to get safeties Tracy Walker, Duron Harmon, Jayron Kearse and Will Harris involved in the game to some degree.
"Yeah, we definitely have some players out there that we want to get out in certain situations," Patricia said. "We are trying to get them out there and obviously just looking for the consistency and trying to get guys to settle in and play consistent. So, from that aspect of it, we still have some inconsistencies."
EXTRA POINTS
- Jack Fox had another pretty good day punting the football. He averaged 54.5 yards on four punts, though his net average of 46.3 was down a bit from what we've seen the first three weeks, and it brought his season net punting average below 50.0 (49.9) for the season.
- Hockenson leads the Lions in receptions (15), yards (180) and touchdowns (2) after four games.
