Bob Wojnowski

Seahawks 32, Lions 20: Only time will help woeful Lions

Bob Wojnowski / The Detroit News

Seattle

Ah, for the Lions, it's only a matter of time, always.

It's only a matter of time before they find another inventive way to lose. It's always a matter of more time as they wait for someone to give them any indication it'll be different.

This one was different, considerably different, for a while. And then, sadly, it was the same, as Matthew Stafford showed how much time he needs, tossing five interceptions in a 32-20 loss to the Seahawks.

The Lions were making big plays, forcing turnovers, grabbing a 17-0 lead, but in the end, the difference was at quarterback. This was the ugly game you fear from a rookie. In future years, the Lions should have the edge there, because that's why they drafted Stafford No. 1. But on this day, veteran Matt Hasselbeck calmly picked apart the Lions' tattered defense, taking precisely what was offered.

Stafford reached for more and got burned. His final two interceptions in the closing minutes were deep, desperate heaves, the last picked off by Josh Wilson and returned 61 yards for the clinching score. It was almost as if Stafford was so excited to have his big-play receiver, Calvin Johnson, back from injury, he tried to force things.

Stafford not so good

This was a crusher, an absolute crusher, and no one was more devastated afterward than Stafford. He answered some questions in curt bursts, and turned away from others. Hey, he knew there'd be days like this, when his aggressiveness was used against him and the Lions (1-7) ended up dropping their 16th straight road game.

"I didn't play well, I just made some poor throws," said Stafford, 22-for-42 for 203 yards. "I was aggressive sometimes. Obviously, I can't throw the ball like that."

It's too bad, because early, Stafford was seizing opportunities, throwing a perfect 29-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson. It all fell apart, and it wasn't all because of Stafford.

In Seattle's short-tossing offense, Hasselbeck completed 39 of 51 passes for 329 yards, and after a rough start, avoided the mistakes that plagued his 21-year-old counterpart.

In a somber Lions dressing room, it was clear this defeat hit harder than most. I suppose that's good to know, that a team with 30 losses in its last 32 games, could still feel the pain. Maybe it's because it was fresh pain, and a unique way to lose.

Asked if Stafford took a step back, coach Jim Schwartz couldn't deny it.

"I guess in some parts, yeah," Schwartz said. "Matt made some decisions I'm sure he'd like to have back, but it's not all on him. We had other breakdowns in protection and catching the ball."

If the Lions truly are to grow, they can't pin everything on Stafford and hope he gets better, quicker. They can't just wait around for Calvin Johnson to come in and energize them.

This was a chance for the Lions to show they actually have a few other pieces. We sometimes lose perspective because this franchise has lost so much, but this is how the NFL works. With Tampa Bay's victory over Green Bay, there are no winless teams left halfway through the season, which again highlights how astonishing 0-16 was.

Lions fans have been waiting a long, long time for signs of something, and the problem is, that's all anyone can do is wait -- wait for Stafford to develop, wait for another influx of draft picks and free agents. At least Schwartz and his staff aren't eager to wait. Whatever you think of the Lions, they are trying to push things. They bench guys who struggle, such as receiver Dennis Northcutt. They won't just keep handing the ball to Kevin Smith if he doesn't find a way to break a few more runs.

And speaking of pushing it, Schwartz tossed Stafford in right from the opener, a risky choice that should pay dividends in future seasons. Anyone that expected big early results is clueless. Stafford makes rookie mistakes but he's not reluctant to take his shots, and early in this one, he was sharp.

Defense lets down

Of course, if you thought it was a safe 17-0 lead, you're new to our area. But the Lions tried different plays and different players, using rookie runner Aaron Brown more. Stafford's two first-half touchdowns went to rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew and Bryant Johnson.

The Lions have few playmakers on defense, so it was only a matter of time before Hasselbeck's dinking and dunking would dink them. He completed 18 straight at one point, and the Lions were backpedaling much of the afternoon.

Everything about this franchise is a matter of time now, starting with Stafford, who's doing OK halfway through his first season, but is hard to assess because he's surrounded by so little.

That doesn't give him a free pass. It just means it's silly to overreact to anything, even when he throws bad interceptions. One step forward, seven steps back. That's the Lions' record, and with a rookie quarterback, there's no easy remedy, no real remedy but time.

bob.wojnowski@detnews.com