The Detroit Lions opened up their 2019 season with a very Detroit Lions way of (basically) losing a football game. They let the Cardinals come back from the dead with one terrible, no good, very bad quarter that left even the most seasoned Lions fan baffled and stunned.

Up 15 with under 15 minutes to play, the Lions somehow collapsed into themselves and allowed Arizona to take the game into overtime. After trading field goals, no more points were scored, and the Lions tied one of the worst teams in the league in week one. Needless to say, that one hurts.

Here are the studs and duds from the meltdown.

Stud: T.J. Hockenson

We’ll always have that moment when Hockenson caught his first touchdown of his career to put the Lions up 24-6. That pure, unadulterated moment capped a brilliant first game for the rookie.

Hockenson was impressing everyone at training camp, flashed his skills briefly in the preseason, then dominated in his first regular-season game. Ending with six catches for 131 yards and the aforementioned touchdown, Hockenson set a rookie tight end record for yards in his first game.

Besides the big plays in the passing game, he also showed off his blocking prowess early and often. On the touchdown pass early in the 2nd quarter, Hockenson was tasked with pulling from the right side to block a free rushing Terrell Suggs on the left and succeeded enough to give Stafford time to find a wide-open Danny Amendola for the score.

Hockenson gives the offense so many more options due to his do-it-all nature, and he should only improve from here.

Dud: Jamal Agnew

Maybe it was the injury, but Agnew has little to none of his decisiveness and explosion that he showcased his rookie year.

He had a golden opportunity on his first punt return to make a big play, but was indecisive and was taken down by the first gunner after he already had him beat. Things only got worse from there. Agnew muffed a punt near his own endzone that, had the defense not held in impressive fashion, could have swung the game much more than it did.

The Lions have a few options like J.D. McKissic or Danny Amendola, that have experience and they could easily make a switch if need be. One more game like today and that’s probably the case. Let’s hope he can re-capture his All-Pro form soon.

Stud: Defensive line

In what’s likely to become a recurring theme in Lions games this season, the defensive line was the strength. At least for the first three quarters – and we’ll get to the reason behind that later – the Cardinals offense had little running room, Kyler Murray had no lanes to scramble and they created pressure on most pass plays that required more than a second or two.

Devon Kennard notched three sacks, rookie Jahlani Tavai recorded the first of his career and pressure forced Murray into his first interception that Tracy Walker picked off. The line has been talked up all offseason and they’ve proven that they hype was real. And Da’Shawn Hand hasn’t even suited up yet.

Dud: Taylor Decker

Decker is not going to get a major — or any — contract extension playing like he did against the Cardinals.

Trying not to pile on Decker here but this is easily his worst game in a Lions uniform — ty (@Finchty) September 8, 2019

Granted, the 4th year tackle was going against one of the best edge-rushing duos in the league in Chandler Jones and Terrell Suggs, but that doesn’t excuse his massively disappointing day. Decker had four penalties called against him and gave up two sacks, and that’s not mentioning the myriad of poor snaps and hurries he allowed. He needs to be much better and I’m sure he would be the first to tell you so.

Stud: Rashaan Melvin

Melvin came into the game a bit banged up but did not show any signs of an injury. I counted at least three pass breakups for the first year Lion. He routinely blanketed his receiver and made fans breathe easier when thinking about who lines up opposite Darius Slay, so long as his injury he re-aggravated is not serious.

Dud: Matt Patricia

We need to find a way to erase the term “prevent defense” from coach Matt Patricia’s mind. I know the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is fictional, but, can we at least check?

This loss is 100% on the coaches, and the buck stops at Matt Patricia. His team dominated the first three quarters and the Cardinals had no business being in the game, let alone coming all the way back and take the game to overtime. Patricia played scared, gutless, banal football after the first three quarters and allowed Kyler Murray, who looked like a lost puppy on a wet, rainy night for the first 45 minutes, to transform into the next coming of Randall Cunningham.

This is all without mentioning the ultra-conservative nature that allows him to call multiple punts from 4th and short inside the opposition half without fail. This team has the traits to have a successful season and Patricia is neutering them.

This horrific tie is squarely on the shoulders of Patricia.