Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell addresses the media after the 26-17 loss to the Bengals on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, in Cincinnati. Video by Dave Birkett/DFP
CINCINNATI — With their season on the line Sunday, the Detroit Lions played one of their sloppiest games of the year.
The Lions committed nine penalties in the 26-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, including six in the fourth quarter.
Offensive guard Don Barclay, who started at right guard in place of T.J. Lang, had three penalties in the final 12 minutes, and two of the Lions’ best defensive backs – Darius Slay and Quandre Diggs – were flagged to extend the Bengals’ go-ahead field-goal drive.
It was their most penalized game since a Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
"Too many," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “It was just both sides of the ball we had them. Guys offsides, guys jumping offsides offensively. Just not sharp. When you don’t play well, you got to own it. You got to be – I’m responsible for that, so just not our best day.”
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Barclay was flagged for offensive holding and a false start on the Lions’ second-to-last drive, when they failed to pick up a first down and found themselves in a third-and-28 situation before punting out of their own end zone.
He was called for another false-start penalty earlier in the quarter, when the Lions lined up to go for a fourth-and-1.
![Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) stands on the]()
1 of 71![Lions running back Tion Green (38) falls in for a touchdown]()
2 of 71![Lions coach Jim Caldwell reacts during the first half]()
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4 of 71![Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones (11) is brought down]()
5 of 71![Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) escapes a]()
6 of 71![Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) reacts to the]()
7 of 71![Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (left) swaps jerseys]()
8 of 71![Lions defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson (91) tackles]()
9 of 71![Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, left, greets Bengals]()
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11 of 71![Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap (96) sacks Lions]()
12 of 71![Lions middle linebacker Nick Bellore (43) and Bengals]()
13 of 71![Lions running back Tion Green (38) rushes for a 5-yard]()
14 of 71![Bengals running back Giovani Bernard jumps into the]()
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16 of 71![Bengals running back Tion Green runs with the ball]()
17 of 71![Lions coach Jim Caldwell looks on against the Bengals]()
18 of 71![Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is hit after throwing]()
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20 of 71![Lions running back Theo Riddick runs with the ball]()
21 of 71![Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is sacked by the]()
22 of 71![Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) tackles Bengals wide]()
23 of 71![Bengals cornerback Josh Shaw (26) breaks up a pass]()
24 of 71![Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is pushed out]()
25 of 71![Lions kicker Matt Prater (5) walks back to the bench]()
26 of 71![Lions running back Ameer Abdullah runs with the ball]()
27 of 71![Lions WR Kenny Golladay runs with the ball after a]()
28 of 71![Lions WR Marvin Jones makes a catch defended by Bengals]()
29 of 71![Bengals WR A.J. Green breaks a tackle from Lions CB]()
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31 of 71![Lions RB Tion Green runs with the ball against the]()
32 of 71![Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) is sacked by Lions]()
33 of 71![Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85) catches a touchdown]()
34 of 71![Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) attempts an interception]()
35 of 71![Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks]()
36 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57)]()
37 of 71![Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) looks to]()
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39 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) misses]()
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41 of 71![Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85), defended by]()
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43 of 71![Detroit Lions cornerback Teez Tabor (30) knocks the]()
44 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) carries]()
45 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) carries]()
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48 of 71![Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambles]()
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50 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton throws during]()
51 of 71![Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks]()
52 of 71![Golden Tate (15) of the Detroit Lions takes the field]()
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54 of 71![A Cincinnati Bengals fan looks on prior to the game]()
55 of 71![AJ McCarron (5) and Andy Dalton (14) of the Cincinnati]()
56 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) throws]()
57 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) during]()
58 of 71![Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) catches]()
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60 of 71![Ezekiel Ansah (94) of the Detroit Lions sacks Andy]()
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62 of 71![Glover Quin (27) of the Detroit Lions tackles Brandon]()
63 of 71![898086208.jpg CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 24: A.J. Green]()
64 of 71![Vontaze Burfict (55) of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts]()
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67 of 71![Head coach Jim Caldwell of the Detroit Lions looks]()
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The penalty pushed the Lions back to fourth-and-6, but the Bengals bailed Barclay out when Jordan Willis was called for running into punter Sam Martin.
The Lions went for it again on fourth-and-1, and Tion Green converted with a 12-yard run.
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Green’s touchdown gave the Lions a short-lived 17-16 lead, but Diggs was called for defensive holding on third-and-12 on the ensuing drive to give the Bengals a first down, and Slay followed up two plays later with a pass-interference penalty.
The Bengals didn’t pick up another first down, but Randy Bullock made the go-ahead field goal from 51 yards away.
"We just got to be better,” Barclay said. “The false start, you’ve just got to mentally be better. There’s really nothing more (to say)."
'I screwed up'
While Bullock made his long kick, Matt Prater uncharacteristically missed a 50-yarder in the same direction for the Lions.
“I screwed up,” Prater said. “Didn’t hit it good. I just didn’t hit it good and it obviously didn’t go in. Disappointing, anytime you miss a kick, especially in a close game.”
Prater, who’s now 7 for 11 on 50-plus-yard field goals this year, said his second-quarter miss had “something (to do) with the technique.”
"It was just kind of weird," he said. “I got to watch it. It was kind of weird cause it felt like my plant leg kind of buckled, which I don’t know why. Kicked the ground instead of the ball, so just got to see what the hell happened and go from there.”
Conservative Caldwell
Caldwell defended his conservative play-calling after the game.
On four different occasions in the first three quarters, the Lions punted or attempted field goals on fourth-and-short.
Martin kicked short punts on fourth-and-1s near midfield in the first and second quarters, Prater made a 23-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 on the Lions’ opening drive of the second half, and his long miss came on a fourth-and-2 play on the Lions’ next series.
"Early on in the game you’re talking about, I think we were up one situation, there was another that was fourth-and-2 or somewhere close," Caldwell said. "And when it got down to it and we knew we obviously had to go after it, we went after it. And our guys came through, took it down the field and scored. But you make your decision on that. You don’t get it in that situation and obviously it turns into a different game where it doesn’t have to be at that particular point in time. So you have to weigh and measure those things out."
The Lions converted their only fourth-and-short attempt in the fourth quarter, on Green's run.
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!
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