Lions' offensive line issues may push them to address a new trade deadline need

The Detroit Lions struggled offensively off their bye week against the Minnesota Vikings, failing to get into any kind of rhythm and sustaining a difficult 27-24 loss as a result.

While the defense was stung early by special teams struggles, the more glaring problems were on offense. Detroit's running game was abysmal, totaling only 65 yards with one touchdown. Worse yet, Jared Goff was sacked five times and had pressure in his face most of the day.

During the game, Taylor Decker, Tate Ratledge, and Penei Sewell were all dinged up. Christian Mahogany exited on a cart with an injury that could cost him significant time. The backups did not fare well, which was the biggest issue as the game wore on. Simply put, the offense didn't go without strong protection.

Dan Campbell was well-aware of this dynamic, and pointed to the fact that the Lions struggled on early downs and couldn't run the ball as the primary culprits for offensive stagnation.

"When something bad happens, normally we can get out of some of those. We make a play at the right time that gets us going. We get the next first down. The fact we had 17 third-downs, that's crazy. That's a high amount of third-downs. Our first and second down efficiency has to be better. We didn't run the ball well. 3.3 (yards per-carry) average isn't good enough. If you can't run it, it's hard to be an explosive offense because now you're a sitting duck. You'll sit back there in shotgun and everybody knows you're passing and they just pin their ears back and go after you."

Those problems were on full display for the Lions, who didn't have enough to complete the comeback. Had things been right early on, however, a comeback might not have been necessary. That proves why the Lions could use a key move to boost their offense.

Lions may need to target offensive line help first during trade deadline

Detroit's issues up front were unfortunate, but they may have come at an ideal time. The Lions could certainly address the most serious problem on their offense by making a trade at the deadline on Tuesday.

Adding some extra help on the interior could be a smart idea. While defensive help is important up front and on the back end, solidifying the offensive line might be the most important move Detroit could make. Without an elite offense, the Lions' hopes for a playoff run could be sunk.

Sunday's game against Minnesota showed what happens when the Lions can't protect. Suddenly, nothing looks right. Finding an addition for the middle of the line could be important, especially when Campbell conceded there is likely to be trouble on the horizon.

"(Christian) Mahogany is going to be out for a while. A long time probably. We'll see where (Taylor) Decker's at and (Penei) Sewell. (Tate) Ratledge came back in, but we'll see. We've got some guys in the hopper. (Dan) Skipper played for us. We got (Tristan) Colon. Kayode (Awosika). (Michael) Niese on vet squad. So we got some guys. We'll do what we have to do. We'll fill in and those guys have to be ready to go."

In spite of the fact that the Lions have these players, they might not inspire confidence outside of the building. Making a move for a veteran guard like Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns could make plenty of sense to quietly fortify the front.

Keeping the offense strong revolves around the line playing well. If the group is dinged up and struggling, it's going to be a tall ask to keep things rolling the rest of the year. That could mean the Lions need to act soon to keep things on track.