San Diego — The pass went sailing past, another one earmarked for the turf inside a noisy, not-yet-condemned Qualcomm Stadium.
And no one seemed to know what went wrong. Not Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who’d delivered the ball. Not tight end Eric Ebron, who’d finished his route near the visitors’ sideline. And not Golden Tate, who stood downfield with his hands on his hips, a portrait of frustration, long after the play had been blown dead.
It was that kind of day for the Lions, who began this season opener in sunny San Diego looking rather comfortable but ended it looking utterly confused.