Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is sacked by Ram's Cory Littleton, with former Lions, Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finishing it up in the first quarter of the 30-16 loss to Los Angeles at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.
A pass intended for Ram's Brandin Cooks goes over his head as well as over the hand of Lions Darius Slay but waiting is Lions' Quandre Diggs who makes the interception in the second quarter. NFL Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.
Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia in the second quarter.
Rams' Robert Woods pulls in a reception in front of Lions' Darius Slay down the sidelines in the first quarter.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is sacked by Ram's Cory Littleton, with former Lions, Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finishing it up in the first quarter.
Rams running back Todd Gurley II works the ball up field in the second quarter, but a Rams penalty calls the play back.
Rams running back Todd Gurley II works the ball up field in the second quarter, but a Rams penalty calls the play back.
Rams' Robert Woods pulls in a touchdown reception under Lions' Darius Slay in the second quarter.
Rams' Cory Littleton gets by Lions' Theo Riddick and sacks Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in the second quarter.
A pass intended for Ram's Brandin Cooks goes over his head as well as over the hand of Lions Darius Slay but waiting is Lions' Quandre Diggs who makes the interception in the second quarter.

Buy Photo

A Lions fan shows some faith early in the 30-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Buy Photo

Rams quarterback Jared Goff looks for a receiver downfield in the second quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams running back Todd Gurley II works the ball up field in the second quarter, but a Rams penalty calls the play back.

Buy Photo

Rams running back Todd Gurley II on a long first down run with Lions' Darius Slay defending in the second quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford fumbles the ball as he sacked by Rams' Cory Littleton with Los Angeles recovering but after an officials reviewed Stafford was ruled down with Detroit retaining possession in the second quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams quarterback Jared Goff throws with pressure from Lions' Jarrad Davis in the second quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions running back Theo Riddick is upended after a run in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams' Ndamukong Suh gets a horse-collar penalty bringing down Lions running back Zach Zenner in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams' Ndamukong Suh gets a horse-collar penalty bringing down Lions running back Zach Zenner in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams' Ndamukong Suh gets a horse-collar penalty bringing down Lions running back Zach Zenner in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions running back Theo Riddick can't pull in a reception near the end zone in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' T.J. Jones pulls in a reception in front of Rams' Marcus Peters but is is waved off on an offensive interference call on Jones in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions A'Shawn Robinson works on Rams' Rob Havenstein in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions running back LeGarrette Blount is stopped by the Rams defense in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions tight end Levine Toilolo pulls in a first down reception in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions tight end Levine Toilolo is upended by Rams' Marcus Peters after a first down reception in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

On a trick play, Lions wide receiver Bruce Ellington throws into the end zone after catching a lateral from quarterback Matthew Stafford but is incomplete in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions fans celebrate a touchdown by Detroit's Taylor Decker in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams quarterback Jared Goff throws in complete with pressure from Lions' Ezekiel Ansah and the defense in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions tackle Taylor Decker runs into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Taylor Decker throws his touchdown ball into the crowd after scoring in the third quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Eli Harold sacks Rams' Jared Goff in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams' Aaron Donald gets around Lions' Frank Ragnow and sacks Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's fumble bounces past Frank Ragnow and Rams' Aaron Donald with Los Angeles eventually recovering in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Frank Ragnow and Matthew Stafford sees Staffords fumbled football but can't get to it with the Rams recovering in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Rick Wagner and Matthew Stafford watch the replay of Stafford's fumble, with Los Angeles recovering in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Rams' Marcus Peters is called for pass interference on a pass intended for Lions' Kenny Golladay in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Matthew Stafford is pressured out of the pocket by Ethan Westbrooks and the Rams and is sacked, but off-setting penalties, forces both teams to replay the down in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Matthew Stafford is pressured out of the pocket by Ethan Westbrooks and the Rams and is sacked, but off-setting penalties, forces both teams to replay the down in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Matthew Stafford is pressured out of the pocket by Rams' Ethan Westbrooks and John Johnson III and is sacked, but off-setting penalties, forced both teams to replay the down in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Matthew Stafford is pressured out of the pocket by Ethan Westbrooks and the Rams and is sacked, but off-setting penalties, forced both teams to replay the down in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambles out of the pocket, with pressure from Rams' Ndamukong Suh, but throws an incompletion in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambles out of the pocket but throws an incompletion in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Instead of running into the end zone, Rams running back Todd Gurley II runs along the goal line, burning off time on the clock, late in the fourth quarter. Gurley and the Rams scored on a following play.

Buy Photo

Lions' Kenny Golladay pulls in a reception along the sidelines but is ruled he stepped out of bounds in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions' Levione Toilolo pulls in a reception over Rams' Nickell Robey-Coleman late in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford walks off the field after throwing an interception, turning the ball over to the Rams who ran out the clock late in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford walks off the field after throwing an interception, turning the ball over to the Rams who ran out the clock late in the fourth quarter.

Buy Photo

Former Detroit Lions, Los Angeles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh leaves the field after warmups before Detroit takes on the Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.

Buy Photo

Lions' cornerback Darius Slay and former Detroit Lions, Los Angeles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh chat as they leave the field before Detroit takes on the Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.

Buy Photo

Former Detroit Lions, now Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh warms up on the field before the game at Ford Field.

Buy Photo

Lions' cornerback Darius Slay and former Detroit Lions, Los Angeles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh chat as they leave the field before Detroit takes on the Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.

Buy Photo

Lions' cornerback Darius Slay and former Detroit Lions, Los Angeles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh chat as they leave the field after warmups.

Buy Photo

Former Detroit Lions, Los Angeles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh leaves the field after warmups before Detroit takes on the Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 2, 2018.

Buy Photo

Former Detroit Lions, now Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh leaves the field after warmups.

Buy Photo

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Detroit — Detroit Lions defensive back Quandre Diggs is tired of answering questions about arbitrary moral victories.

His second-quarter interception on Sunday doesn’t matter if the visiting Los Angeles Rams score 30 points. His monster hit on Robert Woods that jarred a deep ball loose late in the first half is unimportant if Woods and Jared Goff connect for an 8-yard touchdown pass later in the drive.

And was Diggs content with holding Goff to 207 yards through the air on 17 of 33 passing?

“We lost, man,” Diggs said.

It appears not — and nobody in the Lions’ locker room seems to be feeling any different.

Detroit has now dropped five of its last six games. Its last two — a one-score Thanksgiving Day loss to the Chicago Bears and Sunday’s 30-16 loss to the Rams — both appeared to be winnable games against division leaders at home.

But each time, Matthew Stafford has turned the ball over inside Lions’ territory during the fourth quarter of a one-score game.

More: Justin Rogers’ Lions grades: Defense battled, offense rattled

More: ‘Pretty damn cool’: Lions’ Decker relishes first career touchdown

On Sunday, Los Angeles All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald bullied Lions center Graham Glasgow on his way to a strip-sack of Stafford, a turnover that led to a 10-point deficit on the ensuing Rams drive.

“That’s probably the worst part of (the loss),” Glasgow said. “Being so close there and us having the ball with the chance to go up, and then having a miscommunication deal that caused a strip-sack.”

The “little things,” as linebacker Eli Harold referred to them, are the reason why this 4-8 football team can’t walk away thinking about the bright side of close losses against the NFL’s top contenders.

On the Los Angeles possession prior to Stafford’s fumble, Harold and defensive end Romeo Okwara each swatted throws by Goff on consecutive passes inside the Rams’ 20.

“Knowing that you could have changed the game with a specific play always hurts,” Harold said.

Okwara got both hands on the ball with nobody between him and the end zone before the ball fell to the turf.

“Dropped it,” he said. “I have to make a play, so I didn’t make it. So, it is what it is.”

Keeping Goff grounded in a 14-point loss feels like a microcosm of Detroit’s frustrating season on the defensive side of the ball; one where every defeat seems to showcase a newfound defensive strength and feature a different Achilles’ heel that makes each addition to the loss column sting like a fresh wound.

Harold recycled a familiar refrain of weeks’ past when asked why the Lions came up short on this particular Sunday.

“We just gotta figure out what’s hurting us… and try to put a whole game together,” he said.

And when pressed about it, he admitted that the team’s biggest problem is not being able to figure out where their key deficiencies lie.

“It’s the unknown, man,” Harold said. “It’s just what it is. That’s just how it’s playing out, and no one knows.”

The Lions have road games coming up with the Arizona Cardinals (3-9) and Buffalo Bills (4-8), who both sit third in their respective divisions.

For the next two weeks, there’s no such thing as a moral victory — no potential postgame questions about whether there’s any solace in defeat.

The Lions will either detail how they found their way, or come up empty again while trying to explain how they could be so lost.

And at this point, either scenario is entirely possible.

Nolan Bianchi is a freelance writer.