Lions' patchwork secondary shuts down Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers in 24-9 win

DETROIT — Cornerback Arthur Maulet, who’s been with the Detroit Lions less than two weeks, ran onto the field after quarterback Jared Goff threw an interception with 28 seconds left in the first half.

With Goff’s head drooping, Maulet stuck out his hand, as if to say, “We got you.”

If that was the message, he wasn’t lying — even if it was amusing to see a newbie reassure the Lions' franchise player.

While the Lions would ultimately give up a field goal before halftime on the drive after Goff’s interception, Detroit’s taped-together secondary — playing without its top two cornerbacks and two starting safeties — was the catalyst for a lights-out defensive showing in a 24-9 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on “Monday Night Football.”

After the Lions’ defense was put into a blender against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, many wondered how it would fare after losing safeties Brian Branch (due to suspension) and Kerby Joseph (held out with a knee injury).

How’s this: Baker Mayfield, the quarterback many considered to be the MVP front-runner entering Week 7, was just 28 for 50 for 228 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a passer rating of 66.1.

Their names are Maulet, Amik Robertson, Rock Ya-Sin, Erick Hallett II, Nick Whiteside and Thomas Harper. And every one of them had a hand in limiting the Buccaneers offense to 3.9 yards per attempt, including just 47 total passing yards in the first half.

Maulet ripped the ball away from Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton to secure an interception with 1:52 to go in the first half, Mayfield's second interception of the season.

Robertson punched the ball out from Buccaneers receiver Sterling Shepard with 2:52 left in the second quarter and stopped Shepard short of the chains on third down to end Tampa Bay's opening drive.

Ya-Sin had two pass breakups, both on passes to Mike Evans, including a third-down throw in the second quarter, when Evans caught the ball but was pushed out of bounds by Ya-Sin before he could get two feet in-bounds.

Whiteside, playing his first defensive snaps of the season — he had just 15 total defensive snaps in his 2024 rookie season — while in for the injured Ya-Sin, knocked away a critical 2-point attempt after the Buccaneers made it a one-score game in the third quarter.

To finish things off, Whiteside swatted away two more passes in the end zone as Tampa Bay trailed, 24-9, with under five minutes to go.

Hallett tied for the team lead with eight tackles and Harper added three with a pass breakup.

Of course, they got by with a little help from their front seven, too. The Lions had Mayfield under pressure from start to finish, resulting in four sacks, including a fourth-quarter strip-sack (Tyrus Wheat, who had 1 1/2 sacks) that was recovered by the Buccaneers. Even when the Lions didn't get to him, the pressure often made him inaccurate. Linebacker Derrick Barnes added a sack and a pass breakup.

In his long-awaited return from injury, Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill immediately made his presence felt. He registered a pressure on Mayfield's first dropback, leading to a sack by Jack Campbell. On the Buccaneers' second drive, he moved right guard Ben Bredeson like a blocking sled on wheels to force a quick incompletion from Mayfield. On Tampa's third possession, he swatted a third-down pass while being double-teamed, ending the drive.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had his best game of the season. He rushed the ball 17 times for 136 yards and caught three passes for 82 receiving yards with two rushing touchdowns.

The Lions started Monday night with the same miscue that sent last week's loss to Kansas City sliding in the wrong direction: an Amon-Ra St. Brown drop. But this time, Detroit rebounded, using a 30-yard catch-and-run by Gibbs to reach Buccaneers territory, where Goff connected with St. Brown on a crosser to give Detroit a 7-0 lead with a 27-yard score, St. Brown's league-leading seventh receiving touchdown of the season.

St. Brown finished with 86 yards on six receptions. Goff was 20 for 29 passing for 241 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The Lions' defense was on fire to start the game, forcing two three-and-outs. But Detroit wasted both opportunities, turning it over in opposing territory both times. The first drive ended when Goff was strip-sacked by Buccaneers defensive end Yaya Diaby, and the second concluded when Goff missed a throw down the sideline to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa on fourth-and-2 at Tampa Bay's 15-yard line.

Gibbs broke the game wide-open with 5:51 to go in the first half. The scoring drive started poorly, with two penalties (a false start on Taylor Decker and an illegal block in the back on Kalif Raymond) setting up first-and-17 from Detroit's 6-yard line. But just a few plays later, Gibbs took a handoff up the middle, untouched, for a 78-yard rushing touchdown to go up 14-0.

Kicker Jake Bates missed a 54-yard field goal attempt that could have put Detroit up three scores with under two minutes to go in the first half. But his kick missed, wide left, and Tampa Bay had a chance to cut into the lead before halftime.

Alas, a recent addition to the Lions' secondary ended the threat. Maulet, who signed with Detroit's active roster on Oct. 8, stole the ball away from Otton. Officials initially deemed it a catch but overturned it as an interception after replay.

The Lions couldn't make good on the gift, though. Goff threw a bad interception to Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean while trying to force the ball to St. Brown. The Buccaneers converted the opportunity, getting into the range of Chase McLaughlin for a 53-yard field goal that made it 14-3 at halftime.

The Buccaneers added to their point total out of halftime, executing an 11-play, 67-yard drive and getting into the end zone on a 22-yard touchdown reception by Tez Johnson. Whiteside knocked away the 2-point attempt, keeping the score at 14-9 with 8:49 to go in the third quarter.

Gibbs regained a two-score lead with his second rushing touchdown of the night. After moving Detroit down the field with a 15-yard run and a 28-yard reception, he gave the Lions a 21-9 lead on a 5-yard rushing touchdown with 4:39 left in the third quarter.

Controversy arose on the ensuing Buccaneers possession. Looking to convert fourth-and-4 from the Tampa Bay 37, Mayfield completed a throw to Otton that was initially ruled a first down. Lions coach Dan Campbell challenged the play, and officials ruled that Otton completed the process of the catch. But after a second review, it was determined Otton didn't reach the line to gain, thus reversing the call.

Detroit took over at the 40-yard line of Tampa Bay and kicked a 58-yard field goal to grab a 24-9 lead with 10:18 left in the game.

____