ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- It's the thing on the field no player wants to see, yet those yellow flags have been there every game for the Detroit Lions. And throughout the course of this season, penalty flags have been there in bunches.
Penalties have nullified Lions touchdowns and first downs on offense. They've extended drives that have led to opponent points on defense. And overall, they've been one of the primary reasons the Lions are 1-3 a quarter of the way through the season.
The Lions are the third-most penalized team in the NFL this season, racking up 39 accepted penalties of 42 actual flags thrown.