Individuals are always looking for immediate success and instant gratification, so patience surrounding the Detroit Lions rebuild has come with some frustration and turmoil, considering how the last few weeks have gone. However, even though it was only one win, this one seemed different when the Lions defeated their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, to a tune of 15-9 with the help of one of their defensive performances in some time.
The most fulfilling part of the whole endeavor was seeing the young guns blooming right in front of our eyes. With how the team is built, the Lions have to rely on a slew of young players, and, at times, they make questionable mistakes, but with the right guidance and coaching, they perform admirably, and that was what was shown against the Packers. If they continue their trajectory, the sky is the limit for the Lions young core.
As such, this week’s PFF grades have many of their young players sitting right on top, assuring that what we saw was not just a mirage.
Top Offensive Performers
- TE James Mitchell: 84.8
- RT Penei Sewell: 79.5
- RB Justin Jackson: 79.1
- C Frank Ragnow: 76.1
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: 74.8
When the Lions traded T.J. Hockenson, it would be curious how the Lions would employ their tight ends. Even though Mitchell only saw 13 snaps, he made the most of them by catching the go-ahead touchdown. Sewell continues to prove he is one of the top tight tackles in the league by consistently performing masterfully, he did give up three pressures, but his run blocking continues to be his strongest asset. Jackson also saw only 13 snaps but churned out 27 rushing yards on only four carries and posted solid pass-blocking numbers.
Just like Sewell, another solid performance from Ragnow, as we have grown to expect every week. Across the board, he was solid across the board paving running lanes, and kept Jared Goff clean. With a depleted receiving corp, Goff leaned on St. Brown, targeting him nine times and sporting 55 yards on four catches. For a Lions offense, who are still overcoming injuries on offense, St. Brown will continue to be a staple to hold the offense together.
Lowest graded Offensive Players
- TE Brock Wright: 46.4
- QB Jared Goff: 48.0
- WR Tom Kennedy: 50.6
- LG Jonah Jackson: 57.1
- RB Jamaal Williams: 60.8
Surprisingly, the lowest-graded players were nothing egregiously awful. Wright saw the most snaps in Hockenson’s absence, mostly as a blocker, as he only saw one target through the week. Due to the nature of his usage, he didn’t have much to lean on and graded poorly as a pass blocker which drove down his grade. Goff did have an interception that he had no business throwing, but with a depleted offense, the Lions mostly leaned on their run game to keep the offense moving.
Kennedy’s offensive usage was split down the middle from route running to run blocking, which drove down his grade as a poorly graded run blocker. Jackson allowed two pressures this week, but besides that, he was average in all other facets. Other players graded worse than Williams, but Williams finds himself on the list due to snap counts. He was probably the main focal point for the offense rushing for 81 yards, but his pass-blocking cost his grade by giving up one pressure.
Top Defensive Players
- S Kerby Joseph: 90.1
- S C.J. Moore: 87.4
- CB Jerry Jacobs: 83.3
- LB Derrick Barnes: 76.1
- LB Julian Okwara: 72.1
Well, this shouldn’t shock anyone who watched the game; Joseph was an absolute menace in the secondary and continues to rise above expectations. Joseph is currently lighting the league on fire with his impressive performances, which continued this week as he led the Lions in tackles, grabbed two interceptions, and broke up a touchdown-saving pass. Moore took over for Joseph when he was taken out by friendly fire and picked up where Joseph left off as he was instrumental in sealing a Lions victory at the end.
Jacobs is returning with a vengeance and locking down receivers, as he didn’t allow a catch on four targets and made two stops in the process, providing a solid option opposite of Jeff Okudah. Barnes probably had his best game of the season and stepped up when Malcolm Rodriguez went down, recording the Lions lone sack and graded as the Lions top run defender. Okwara also put together a strong performance until he was taken out by friendly fire as well, recording three tackles amongst his 26 snaps.
Lowest graded Defensive Players
- CB Will Harris: 50.5
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez: 51.8
- DT Isaiah Buggs: 57.3
- LB Alex Anzalone: 58.7
- DT Benito Jones: 60.2
The Lions put up a great defensive performance, and just like the offensive, there wasn’t anything terrible that stood out. Harris had an average game amongst the grading scale; he was targeted the most and only allowed three catches for only 26 yards, but did miss a tackle. Rodriguez’s day ended prematurely, but where he got docked in run defense, where he missed two tackles for the day. Buggs was graded as the second-lowest run defender behind Rodgriguez, but that’s where you would see your defensive tackles perform the best.
Anzalone tackling was a strong highlight this week, but once again, what did him in was his run defense, and that is what would happen when you let Rodgers run for days. Jones was just a victim of circumstance when you have strong performances from everyone else, which ultimately landed him at the bottom, but one would hope for better containment to close rushing lanes and collapse the pocket.
