For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Lions walked out of the weekend still thin at cornerback, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. Too much went sideways, and the D+ is the honest tally.

The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September. Small wins on the phones, but wins all the same.

It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.