It was hard not to feel bad for Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith Thursday while Tom Brady and the Patriots abused him repeatedly in the second half. (If not then, Rex Ryan’s jab the following day did the trick.)
Watching the game, you understood why the Broncos gave up on Smith despite paying a heavy price to get him in the second round of the 2010 draft. Smith at least faced the music after the game.
“I take full responsibility,” Smith said. “I’m a thumb pointer. I’m a guy I’m never going to point any fingers because the reality of the situation was I pretty much gave the Patriots the whole game. . . . I cost the entire city a celebration today because I’m pretty sure everyone was going to celebrate.”
Smith was hardly the only Lion to make a mental mistake Thursday. For all the progress that Detroit has made, they still commit a ridiculous amount of penalties and turn the ball over too much.
Smith is just one of many Lions players that have struggled in the secondary. But he blames himself for gambling too much in hopes of an interception.
“It’s unfortunate for myself because I know I’m smarter than that and I’m not a selfish guy,” Smith said. “But today I was selfish.”