It wasn’t used a prime excuse for an awful performance, but Detroit Lions players lamented the poor field conditions at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday.
When you’re beaten 37-23 (and it frankly wasn’t that close) as the Detroit Lions were outdone, outmaneuvered and simply outclassed by the Carolina Panthers on Christmas Eve, there can’t be many excuses.
Head coach Dan Campbell told Panthers head coach Steve Wilks just as much right afterward at their postgame handshake, and took accountability for not having his team ready for a game that was critical to win if the Lions are going to maximize their playoff chances.
Saturday’s game was the coldest in the history of Bank America Stadium, with a kickoff temperature of 20 degress and wind chill to make it feel like 9 degrees. A tough environment to play in, indoor team like the Lions or not.
It’s important to note no one on the Lions used anything other than poor play as an excuse for their awful showing against the Panthers.
But multiple players lamented the field conditions.
Detroit Lions lament Bank of America Stadium field conditions, one offers perfect metaphor
Center Frank Ragnow, who has of course been dealing with a foot injury all season, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.
Yeah, that field was tough,” “I don’t want to make excuses, but it was pretty hard, man. It’s tough to brace with the toe and everything. It was tough.”
Bank of America Stadium switched to artificial Field Turf this year, after using natural grass for years. Quarterback Jared Goff noted that change in his comments (also via Meinke).
I thought the field conditions were below NFL-level standard, specifically pregame,” “I know it warmed up a bit as the game went on, but I don’t know what the deal is here. They need to make the turf not feel like cement. I don’t know why that is. You said it was the coldest game (here), so maybe it has something to do with that. It got better as the game went on, but pregame it was in no condition to be played on. Happy guys came out of this one relatively injury free.”
Finally, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson offered a perfect metaphor for the game when recalling his experience during pre-game warmups.
That was the most concrete field I’ve ever been on in my whole life,” rookie pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson told MLive. “I didn’t think that was actually legal to play on. Warming up, you’re trying to turn the corner, and literally in warmups, I fell in my first one-on-one rep right on my face.
I don’t know if there is a standard you have to meet for turf, but I think it got better later in the game, so it wasn’t too much of a factor. But, I mean, it was very concrete-like for sure.”
Hutchinson falling flat on his face immediately during pre-game warmups foreshadowed what was to come, particularly for a big chunk of the game as it relates to the Lions’ defense.
There has been a lot of talk about seemingly preventable (as much as injuries can be prevented) non-contact injuries taking place on artificial surfaces in NFL stadiums this season. The Lions escaped Saturday’s game without adding major injury to major insult, which has to be considered a small victory.