Here's how bad the Lions were in the first half vs. Bucs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter. Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Here's how bad the Lions were vs. the Bucs in the first half

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 12/26/20

The Detroit Lions were definitely up against it facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, but even under the circumstances, it was shocking to see how bad they were in the first half.

The Lions trailed at halftime 34-0 as they were consistently torn apart by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense. In total, it was the worst first-half performance by any NFL team from a defensive standpoint in a decade.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 410 net yards of total offense in the first half at Detroit – the most by any team in the NFL since 2010 (Philadelphia Eagles, 425 yards on 11/15/10 vs. Washington).

The 410 yards of total offense are also the most in a single half in team history.

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 26, 2020

There are games where teams don’t get 410 yards of total offense, much less halves. Things were so lopsided that the Buccaneers simply sat Brady in the second half, bringing in Blaine Gabbert to see out the rest of the game while resting some regulars.

While few would have predicted it would get this bad, the Lions being flat isn’t exactly a shock. The major figures on their coaching staff are missing due to COVID protocols, and the team is looking ahead to 2021. That doesn’t excuse the performance, but there’s some context to how bad it is.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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