Lions hit with dose of reality in loss to Pats

ALLEN PARK, Michigan, Aug 28, (AP): There’s nothing like a matchup with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to provide a little more clarity during the preseason.

For the Detroit Lions, it was a reality check.

After solid performances in their first two exhibition games, the Lions went up against the defending Super Bowl champions Friday night and lost 30-28, but the final score wasn’t indicative of Detroit’s struggles. The Patriots led 24-0 after one quarter, and it wasn’t until the second half that the Lions really began to rally against New England backups.

Quin made an analogy to his experience coaching youth baseball. His son made an All-Star team and went to a tournament, where the team won the first game.

Detroit won preseason games against Indianapolis (with Andrew Luck out) and the New York Jets, but the Patriots were on a different level — and Brady didn’t need much time to establish that. He went 12 of 15 for 174 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Although it’s only preseason, this pattern is a familiar one for the Lions, who have made the playoffs two of the past three seasons but have struggled to beat top competition. Detroit was 9-4 last year before losing its final three regular-season games to the Giants, Cowboys and Packers. Then the Lions lost their playoff opener to Seattle.

The Lions were able to pressure the quarterback against the Colts and Jets despite their defensive line being below full strength. They did not have a sack against New England on Friday.