Jared Goff admitted what Lions fans were thinking the entire game vs. Bucs

The way Monday Night Football opened for the Detroit Lions, this fan base might have thought it was about to be over just as quickly as it began. Don't get it twisted. The Lions won this game and won it handedly. But, it should have been by a much wider margin.

Detroit came out with an opening drive touchdown and their short-handed defense set the tone early on.

Yet, as the game went on, a contest that felt as if it should really be a three or four-score game was nowhere near the blowout it could have been. After the game, quarterback Jared Goff commented on what fans were likely thinking throughout the entire night:

"There was a lot that we left out there."

"We should have blown that game open, really, and we didn't," he said.

That's an understatement.

The Lions' Week 7 win over Tampa Bay didn't feel as satisfying as it should have

First of all, this was a game that was built up to be a high-scoring affair; maybe the game of the week, if we're being honest. But, that's not how the night unfolded.

After Detroit's opening touchdown drive, their offense ended the next three with a fumble, a turnover on downs and a punt before ultimately scoring for the second time in the game.

All the while, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense punted five times to start the game and then followed those drives up with a fumble and an interception on the next two. Seven drives, two turnovers and zero points for the Bucs.

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But, the Lions could only muster up two scores of their own. The fact that Tampa Bay brought it to 14-3 at halftime felt like they had taken a lead, to be frank. Once the Bucs scored on their opening drive of the second half, the game felt completely out of whack.

This never had any business being a 5-point game -- not at any stage. The Lions shockingly dominated the Buccaneers with a defense that was made up with several scout team players. It was a flat-out statement from Kelvin Sheppard's group. The Bucs looked inept, lost and never found a rhythm offensively.

So, sure, the win is cool. But, Goff knows that this offense was capable of far more than what they showed. While it's hilarious to say that on a night when Jahmyr Gibbs went for 218 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns, it's also a matter of fact.

The Lions are better than what they showed, and Goff knows it. The fans know it.

That's not a bad thing, either. The rest of the league should be terrified for when it all comes together.