Mitchell led a Detroit offense that included running back Barry Sanders and receivers Herman Moore and Brett Perriman. However, in 1994—his first season as a starter for the Lions—Mitchell struggled. In a loss to the Green Bay Packers, Mitchell went down with an injury, and was replaced by backup quarterback Dave Krieg, who led the team to the 1994 playoffs. Offensive tackle Lomas Brown, on ESPN program "First Take" later admitted to purposefully missing a block that resulted in this injury, as he was upset over Mitchell's poor play. However, a review of game film and play-by-play logs of the game by football historian Andy Barall fails to corroborate Brown's recollection of what occurred. Mitchell regained his starting position the following year.