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Top rookie: OT Penei Sewell

With an injury to LT Taylor Decker, the seventh overall pick was moved back to his college position, offering solid protection for QB Jared Goff. He had an 88.1% pass block win rate in Sunday's loss to the 49ers. That was 23rd among 61 qualified offensive lineman in Week 1. 49ers DE Nick Bosa was very open about how Sewell looked at left tackle compared to the right. "He's more comfortable on the left and I could tell," Bosa said. -- Eric Woodyard

The Lions deserve credit for clawing their way back against a superior 49ers team -- no small feat considering Detroit trailed by as many as 28 points in the second half. But the Lions were also overmatched enough to fall behind by four touchdowns in their own building, as sure a sign as any that this will be the developmental year in Detroit that we all anticipated. That trust-the-process outlook took an ugly hit in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Jeff Okudah suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Okudah, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, never got his feet under him as a rookie, and now sees his second season wiped away before it ever really began. Trying times in the Motor City.

They made it interesting against the 49ers, but they are still an undermanned team. The fact they fought back is a good sign for first-year coach Dan Campbell.

Dan Campbell's charges showed there'd be no quit in them ... hard as it must be to stay engaged when you've surrendered at least 30 points in seven consecutive games.

Overreaction: Yikes, Jared Goff. Falling behind so quickly to the 49ers might have taken the Lions away from their designed offensive game plan, but they cannot survive with Goff attempting 57 passes. He's too limited, and the Lions just don't have the receiving personnel to play that way, no matter how much fight they might have shown late. -- Jones

Reality check: This was the deceptive final score of the week. Detroit was down 24 with two minutes to play. That defense still has a long way to go, and Detroit will do it now without starting cornerback Jeff Okudah, out for the season with a ruptured Achilles. -- Auman