The Detroit Lions secured their first victory of the season against the Washington Commanders with the help of impressive performances in every facet of the field. The grit and fight that the players showed were nothing short of inspirational.
Amon-Ra St. Brown put on a clinic on offense setting NFL records left and right, turning in the Lions top playmaker. Hutchinson secured his first three sacks of his short NFL career so far, while Rodriguez continues to impress for a sixth-round rookie. The coaches are designing and scheming to allow their players to succeed, especially when injuries wreaked havoc on certain areas. Still, they overcame as a team and walked away as the victors.
Here are this week’s best and worst PFF performers for the Lions in Week 2.
Top Offensive Performers
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: 87.7
- LT Taylor Decker: 81.8
- TE Brock Wright: 73.5
- WR Josh Reynolds: 68.5
- C Evan Brown: 68.4
What else is there to say about St. Brown’s game against the Commanders? He put on a masterful show grading out as not only the Lions best receiver but rusher as well. You can’t help but walk away impressed by his performance and how dynamic the Lions offense is with him. With how decimated the offensive line was, the Lions were going to rely on their stability with their tackles, and Decker provided that. He graded above average in all facets, pass and run blocking, while only allowing one pressure.
Only playing 22 snaps, Wright made the most of it by providing extra security for the offensive line while catching a 25-yard pass to keep the drive moving. Even though he was average in pass blocking and below in run blocking, he is a nice outlet to have for the offense. Reynolds is a do-it-all providing blocking to spring run but has turned into Goff’s No.2 receiver catching all three of his targets for 38 yards and hauling in a toe-dragging touchdown. Stepping up for Ragnow, Brown continues to show his value with another impressive game, leading the Lions in pass blocking and keeping Goff clean throughout the contest.
Worst Offensive Players
- RG Logan Stenberg: 43.6
- WR D.J. Chark: 47.0
- TE T.J. Hockenson: 50.1
- RB Jamaal Williams: 54.0
- D’Andre Swift: 60.2
Note: Matt Nelson, Shane Zylstra, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus were in the bottom, but Nelson and Zylstra only registered ten snaps, while Raymond and Cephus only saw six snaps.
Stenberg has stepped up mightily after being thrust into the starting lineup, but he continues to struggle in pass blocking, giving up six pressures, leading to three quarterback hits and a sack. Where he shines in run blocking, but hopefully, with more reps, he will be able to refine and clean up. Chark has been quiet so far and continued this week, failing to catch any of his four targets. He will continue to be part of the offense, but when is it time to start to worry?
Hockenson did sustain a blow early in the game, leading to speculation if he was ailing throughout the game, considering his performance. He did have a spectacular catch late in the game, but he only caught three of his seven targets and had two drops. Williams and Swift provide a nice thunder-and-lightning combo in the backfield while providing strong pass protection, only grading behind Decker and Brown. While splitting snaps with Williams, Swift was nursing an injury, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. Considering how effective the run game has been this season, it is hard to get to speak ill of their performance.
Top Defensive Players
- LB Chris Board: 79.5
- ED John Cominsky: 78.9
- CB Will Harris: 76.5
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez: 74.2
- S Tracy Walker: 71.2
Board’s speed was on full show this week, providing an element to aid in the pass rush grading out as the Lions second-best pass rusher while only coming with two stops while only giving up 18 yards on two catches in coverage. Cominsky has been a sneaky good pick-up for the Lions, giving them another effective pass rusher in their arsenal. Even though all eyes were on Hutchinson, Cominsky quietly led the Lions with seven pressures, giving offenses another player they have to worry about. Walker is a staple to the defense, providing strong top cover, especially with some inexperience on the outside, and also dishing out in pass rush on some points.
Harris has battled adversity and position changes since he was drafted with the Lions, but he seems to be figuring it out, starting this game for the injured Amani Oruwariye. He did give up a touchdown, but he only allowed three catches on six targets for 40 and hardly any yards after the catch while hauling in his first career interception. Rodriguez continues to show teams why they were wrong for not drafting him earlier. He graded out the Lions best pass rusher and run defender, notching six tackles with three stops, and was in on the intentional grounding penalty.
Worst Defensive Performers
- ED Charles Harris: 49.8
- DT Benito Jones: 52.7
- S DeShon Elliott: 53.3
- Isaiah Buggs: 57.7
- ED Aidan Hutchinson: 57.7
Harris caught me off guard as he graded out above average in pass rush and tackling, as he had three pressures for the day, but where he sank was in run defense. Also, you cannot fault him on the touchdown he gave up; it was a good play design from Washington, creating the mismatch. Jones was subbed mostly in pass-rushing situations, was quiet in the middle, grading poorly in tackling, and below average in pass-rushing. Elliott was used utilized as a defensive weapon making turns on pass rush and grading very well in that department, but where he ran into issues was coverage allowing all three targets to be caught for 47 yards.
Another big man on the list, Buggs, ends up at the bottom mostly due to his grades as a pass rusher, only with one tackle for the day. However, he is essential in run defense and plugging up the necessary gaps. Sure, Hutchinson had three sacks for the day with six pressures, but that was all in the first half. In the second half, he was dealing with a charlie horse that slowed him, and he was virtually quiet for the rest of the game.
