Lions film spotlight: Breaking down the replacement guards, Dan Skipper and Kayode Awosika, in Week 12

Lions film spotlight: Breaking down the replacement guards, Dan Skipper and Kayode Awosika, in Week 12 against the Bills

The Detroit Lions played the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving without both regular starting offensive guards. Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson was sidelined with a concussion, while right guard Evan Brown sat with an ankle injury.

Those unfortunate injuries thrust two relative unknowns into the starting lineup. Veteran Dan Skipper took over on the left side for Jackson and Kayode Awosika filled in on the right side. Skipper had experience playing at RG before but the left side was a new experience. Awosika had played all of eight NFL snaps in two seasons prior to this game.

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This week’s film spotlight is on the replacement guards. The criteria are simple: I watch every snap and give a plus for a positive play or a minus for a negative play. Not every play earns a mark. Prior week spotlights started with Jeff Okudah in Week 1 and carried through Alex Anzalone in Week 10.

Jeff Okudah: Breaking down the Lions CB's Week 1 performance vs. the Eagles

Film review: Breaking down Lions LB Alex Anzalone in the Week 10 win over the Bears

The Lions didn’t hesitate to test the replacement guards. On the very first play from scrimmage, it was an outside run to the right with both Skipper and Awosika pulling in front and leading the blocking. Skipper moved very well and held his point of attack to the point where RB D’Andre Swift had to choose his option. Awosika got outside capably but struggled after initial contact with the Bills defender who eventually made the tackle on Swift. Skipper didn’t hold the backside of that well either.

The first couple of drives were clearly a feeling-out period for the Bills defense, especially with Awosika on the right side. Buffalo DTs Tim Settle and Jordan Phillips played it pretty straightforward with their rushes. I had Skipper for two minuses in pass protection on those drives–both losses to his outside shoulder where the DT beat him with quickness. He earned one plus as a run blocker, on Jamaal Williams’ TD run to cap the second drive.

Awosika had one minus in pass pro, a designed bootleg where he was too quick to turn his blocking mark loose. He had one plus and one minus in the run game.

The next drive, Bills DT DaQuon Jones beat Awosika with a pretty basic outside swim-over move for an easy sack on Jared Goff. One play later, the final snap of the first quarter, might have been Skipper’s best of the day; the LG didn’t bite on a stunt and stonewalled Settle with excellent balance on a pass pro rep.

The first half ended with this tally:

Awosika – 3 plusses, 7 minuses

Skipper – 3 plusses, 6 minuses

Two plays, one run and one pass, saw both guards earn minuses at the same time. That’s (obviously) very bad.

The second half saw the Bills try a few more gimmicks — overloaded lines, twists, LB gap blitzes. They got Skipper cleanly twice for quick pressures off those. Awosika handled his business in the run game better, though his range just isn’t there. The Bills defense figured out to attack the gap between Skipper and LT Taylor Decker with Decker’s attention held outside by a wide rush. Skipper just didn’t show the quickness to handle rushers with a two-way go option.

It wasn’t all bad. Skipper was at his best run blocking in short-yardage and red zone reps, and he was legitimately good there. But the safety was on Skipper’s ledger, though Goff deserves some blame too; Skipper held on long enough to give Goff an escape route but the QB didn’t take it.

Awosika got away with some serious holding, an unexpected positive for a greenhorn. His biggest area for improvement is in “look for work” situations, where he doesn’t have anyone immediately to block on a play. The Bills got savvy to this and let him uncovered in run situations quite a bit, and it worked for Buffalo. Awosika’s inexperience showed in being unable to find targets in those reps.

The final tally, with both players on the field for all 71 offensive snaps:

Skipper – 7 plusses, 13 minuses. The run/pass splits: 5/3 in the run, 2/10 in pass protection

Awosika – 6 plusses, 15 minuses. The run/pass split was 2/7 in the run and 4/8 in pass pro

All things considered, it could have been a lot worse. But Jackson and Brown both need to return quickly for the Lions offense to perform better.

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What we learned from the Bills’ win over the Lions

What we learned from the #Bills’ win over the #Lions:

Here are three things we learned from the Buffalo Bills’ 28-25 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 12:

Lions vs. Bills was the most-watched early-afternoon Thanksgiving game ever

The game attracted the highest streaming audience and was CBS Sports’ most-watched game of the year as well

If you’re a Lions fan, chances are you watched the team’s Thanksgiving game. It seems millions of folks who aren’t Lions fans also tuned into the early game on Thursday afternoon.

The matchup from Ford Field between the Lions and the Buffalo Bills was the most-watched football game CBS Sports has broadcast all year. The official ratings show over 31.6 million viewers for the Bills’ win in Detroit.

Factoring in streaming, the game had a peak viewership of just under 42 million people. Lions vs. Bills was also the most-streamed game ever for Paramount+. It was the most-watched early-kick Thanksgiving game ever, regardless of network.

From the Paramount+ press release,

CBS Sports’ presentation of the Bills’ victory over the Lions delivered the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game on any network on record (since 1988). The game averaged 31.627 million viewers, up +12% from last year’s comparable game window, and is CBS’ most-watched game of the season.

The Lions play in the early-afternoon Thanksgiving window every year.

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Top photos from the Lions vs. Bills on Thanksgiving

Check out some of the top game photos from the Lions vs. Bills matchup on Thanksgiving in Ford Field

Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving day game in Ford Field did not disappoint the sellout crowd. Even with the Lions eventually falling to the Buffalo Bills, 28-25, it was a fun game full of compelling action and big plays.

Here are some of the best shots from inside the stadium at the game between the Lions and Bills in NFL Week 12.

 

Dan Campbell, Jared Goff have no regrets about the controversial late 3rd down call

Campbell and Goff both defended the play call with Goff acknowledging he needed to make a better throw

In a Thanksgiving game featuring many critical plays and decisions, there is one Detroit Lions offensive call that stood out as the biggest play of the game.

The scene: 3rd-and-1 from the Buffalo Bills’ 33-yard line with 32 seconds left on the game clock. Buffalo leads by three points. The Lions had just lost a potential first-down conversion to an official review reversing the spot of the ball on an Amon-Ra St. Brown reception.

The play call: Jared Goff gets an iso look on the right outside with speedy WR DJ Chark in one-on-one coverage and decides that’s the best option. Chark gets open over the top but Goff misses him badly. Now it’s fourth down and the clock is dead, giving MVP candidate Josh Allen and the Bills offense over 20 seconds to answer Michael Badgley’s game-tying field goal — a kick that barely squeaked inside the right upright.

Allen proved why he’s an MVP candidate in quickly leading the Bills down the field for what proved to be the game-winning field goal.

After the game, Campbell was asked if he regretted the call, and also if he would have considered going for it on fourth down.

“Could have done that. Certainly could have done that,” Campbell stated.  “No, we like the play call. Didn’t work out; kicked the field goal.”

It’s a very similar call and play to what Campbell drew up in Week 8 against the Dolphins in almost the exact same situation. Goff missed Josh Reynolds down the left sideline in that one, another throw that wasn’t even close to being completed. In Week 3, Goff and Chark weren’t even close to connecting on the exact same play call, just to the left side of the formation.

It’s a very similar play and route to one Goff attempted earlier in this game against Buffalo, a throw where he badly overshot Kalif Raymond. In short, it’s not a play with much chance of success based on the Lions personnel on the field.

That didn’t dissuade Campbell, who acknowledged, “Chark, I’m not
sure if he really ever saw it until it was real late. I just don’t think he saw it. So, obviously they weren’t on the same page.”

It’s an aggressive call, a high-risk/reward decision to try and win a game the Lions weren’t supposed to against one of the NFL’s best teams. If that play hits, Detroit absolutely doesn’t lose the game in regulation. The Lions either score a touchdown on that play, get 2-3 red zone shots to score a touchdown or kick a short field goal as time expires.

But it didn’t work, and the Lions lost.

For his part, Goff admitted he made a poor throw. The veteran QB liked the call and the opportunity.

“I wish I had thrown a different ball,” Goff said after the game. “I thought the play-call was great and had some options what to do there, and yeah, if you had to do it again, do you do something differently? I don’t know, maybe, but if I throw a better ball, it might not matter. But yeah, unfortunately, that’s going to be the play that gets focused on, but there’s a lot of plays that could have gone either way today as well.”

Goff is right on both counts. If he proves capable of making what should be an expected NFL thrown, one he keeps missing, it’s a great call. And there were many other plays that also swung the outcome. Detroit’s defense was in absentia on Allen’s final drive. There were several pivot points throughout the game. But everyone will focus on Goff’s failure on the last critical play for the Lions offense.

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Quick takeaways from the Lions loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving

Here are a few quick takeaways from watching the Lions loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving

The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills treated a sellout crowd in Ford Field and a national television audience to an entertaining and highly competitive game to kick off Thanksgiving. The Lions took the heavily favored Bills down to the wire but ultimately fell short in a 28-25 loss.

The undermanned Lions had their chances. Dan Campbell’s team largely punched above its weight class, but they weren’t quite sharp enough to score the upset knockout. It’s both a very frustrating end to the three-game win streak but also an indication that the Lions are quickly improving into a team that should be taken seriously.

Here are a few quick takeaways from watching the game in real-time.

 

Lions rookie report: James Houston has a great day in first NFL game

Lions rookie report: DE James Houston has a great day in his first NFL game

In a nail-biting Thanksgiving Day loss, the Detroit Lions put in their best effort against the Buffalo Bills.

Despite the loss, there was a lot to like about the Lions’ performance. The most notable player of the game was an unlikely one: sixth-round pick James Houston, who was elevated from the practice squad just two days ago.

Houston was drafted by Detroit after impressing at Jackson State as a pass rusher. He was used in multiple roles throughout training camp and the preseason, getting time with both the linebackers and defensive linemen throughout practice. He was waived as the team trimmed the roster down to 53 but was brought back to the practice squad immediately after.

In his first career NFL game, Houston showed up in a big way. His first notable play of the day was a fumble recovery after Detroit’s punt returner Kalif Raymond lost the ball in the first quarter. The heads-up play by Houston on special teams kept the drive alive and the Lions were able to capitalize on it.

He then showed off the pass rush skills that got him drafted. Houston took his first defensive snap at the end of the first half and managed to beat the Bills’ offensive line and get to Josh Allen for a sack on a third-and-10.

In the second half, he did it again on third down. Houston shook off two blocks and managed to take Allen down by his ankles to force a Buffalo punt.

Houston is still a member of Detroit’s practice squad, but that shouldn’t be the case for much longer.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez also had a decent game, especially compared to how he did last Sunday. He defended two passes, one of which was tipped and intercepted by teammate Alex Anzalone. He finished the day with six tackles, one of which went for a loss of yardage.

Safety Kerby Joseph’s stats tell a different story than the quality of his play. The secondary was ravaged by injuries, which made things that much harder for the rookie free safety when defending against Josh Allen and his talented receiving corps. Joseph had six tackles, but many came after getting beat in coverage. He is a talented young player with plenty of potential, but he couldn’t keep up with Buffalo’s offense.

First-round pick Aidan Hutchinson was a non-factor all day. He did not record a stat on defense, but did help apply some pressure on Allen.

Tight end James Mitchell was not used much, but did produce a 22-yard catch-and-run that kept a drive going for Detroit.

Seventh-round cornerback Chase Lucas played in his first game in weeks and recorded one tackle on special teams.

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Lions prove they belong but can’t quite beat the Bills on Thanksgiving

The Lions came close but fell short in a 28-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving provided the first exposure of the 2022 Detroit Lions for most of the national football audience. Playing against AFC darling Buffalo, the Lions were decided underdogs despite winning three games in a row.

The Lions went toe-to-toe with one of the NFL’s top teams. They looked like they belonged. More than that, Dan Campbell’s Lions acted like they belonged. Alas, a good effort came up short with the Bills winning 28-25 on a game-ending field goal from Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass with under five seconds remaining.

Detroit played well, but not quite well enough to win. A handful of crippling mistakes proved just a little too costly for the Lions. A missed field goal, a safety on Jared Goff, a Jamaal Williams fumble, a D’Andre Swift drop in the red zone — the self-inflicted wounds cut just a little too deep.

The Lions don’t quite have the level of talent or margin for error to make so many errors and beat a team like the Bills. They are closing that gap quickly, but it wasn’t quite there on Thanksgiving.

The game was back-and-forth all day. Detroit’s defense largely contained the Bills aerial attack for most of the game. Big plays from Alex Anzalone, James Houston and Jerry Jacobs provided real defensive lifts from unexpected sources. Jamaal Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown played like the Pro Bowlers they deserve to be.

Detroit had one last chance to seize a potential victory, but a last-minute drive with some questionable clock management and play-calling stalled. Michael Badgley uncomfortably made a game-tying field goal, but 23 seconds still stood on the clock.

That was enough for MVP candidate Josh Allen to quickly move the Bills into field goal range, and Bass delivered.

With the tough loss, the Lions fall to 4-7. Buffalo improves to 8-4. The Lions now get an extended break before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars a week from Sunday.

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Lions inactive players for Week 12 includes just one healthy scratch

Lions inactive players for Week 12 includes just one healthy scratch

The Detroit Lions revealed their inactive players for the Thanksgiving matinee against the Buffalo Bills. With five players ruled out on the short week due to injuries, there wasn’t a great deal of suspense.

The quintet of injured Lions who were ruled out on the final injury report:

  • CB Jeff Okudah
  • LG Jonah Jackson
  • RG Evan Brown
  • DE Charles Harris
  • DE Josh Paschal

Detroit promoted C Ross Pierschbacher and DE James Houston from the practice squad to help manage the injury attrition.

The only healthy scratch is veteran DL Michael Brockers. He’s been in that status for most of the last month, though Brockers did play in Week 11.

That means wide receiver Josh Reynolds is active for the game. Reynolds was listed as questionable on the final injury report.

Lions final injury report for Week 12: 5 regular starters are out

Rhe Lions final injury report for Week 12 rules out several key Detroit players on Thanksgiving

The final injury report for the Detroit Lions for Thursday’s matchup at Ford Field against the Buffalo Bills is not good news for the upset-minded Lions.

The combination of a physically taxing win over the New York Giants and a short week to recover took its toll. Both starting guards, Evan Brown and Jonah Jackson, will miss the game with injuries. So will top CB Jeff Okudah, who is out with a brain injury suffered in New York.

The defensive side will also be shorthanded. Rookie DE Josh Paschal and veteran DE Charles Harris are both out for the second game in a row.

One other player, wide receiver Josh Reynolds, is questionable with a back injury. Reynolds was designated a full participant in practice on Wednesday.

Wideout DJ Chark is among four Lions who carried an injury status during the week but have no designation for Thursday’s game. That list also includes C Frank Ragnow, RB D’Andre Swift and LB Malcolm Rodriguez.