Tag: D’Andre Swift

3 Lions Stars of the game: Marvin Jones shines in loss to Titans

The Detroit Lions lost against the Tennessee Titans, but this week’s 3 stars did the best they could to pull off a victory.

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In Week 15, the Detroit Lions got a dose of what could’ve been if everything went according to plan.

Instead, they got to witness the Tennessee Titans run up and down the field with ease on their Lions, and walk away with an easy 46-25 victory.

Matthew Stafford put up an admirable performance, dealing with rib and right thumb injuries. There were a few points where you could see the rib injury was affecting him, but he managed to steer the Lions’ offense in the right direction, keeping them competitive.

Sadly, it was the same story different chapter for the defense. They were unable to make key stops allowing Titans to covert nine of 11 third-down attempts and score on every trip to the red zone. Missed tackles, poor angles, and not being in the right spot, the Lions made plenty of mistakes leading to five Ryan Tannehill touchdowns.

It is challenging to highlight the good in a loss like this, but they’re a few players who balled out yesterday and deserve some recognition.

Here are this week’s Lions Wire 3 stars of the week:

1st Star: Marvin Jones Jr.

With Kenny Golladay out yet again, the Lions relied on Marvin Jones and he came away with one of his better performances this season. With a team-leading 10 catches on 12 targets, he produced 112 yards and a touchdown.

Due to his sure hands and deep-ball ability, Jones has turned into one of Stafford’s more reliable targets. With Jones’ future in Detroit up in the air after this season, these performances might be the last we see from him, so make sure you take time to appreciate what he can do.

2nd Star: D’Andre Swift

Detroit’s rookie class is slowly developing, but if there is one rookie the Lions can hang their hand on it’s Swift.

Outside of the games he missed due to injury, he has been a dependable cog in the offense. Today, he was able to gain 67 yards on the ground at 4.5 yards per clip. Even though he fumbled at the goal line, he more than made up for it with his two touchdowns. He also added 15 receiving yards to bolster his performance.

Most rookies have their struggles, and Swift is no different, but it is hard to ignore his athletic ability on the ground and in the air. He processes the game with vision and patience, allowing the play to develop, and when the time is right, he attacks the gap with speed and power. With a rebuild coming, Swift will be a block the Lions will look to build around.

3rd Star: Romeo Okwara

With the defense looking like shambles once again, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any good that came out of it. Luckily, the Lions have Romeo Okwara, who continued his breakout season this week with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack that resulted in a safety.

Okwara picked the right season to ball out with free agency on the horizon. Even though it may only be in spurts, he has been the Lions’ most reliable defensive player. Next year, expect the Lions defense to have a whole new look, but hopefully, the Lions can find a way to keep Okwara in Detroit.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 70 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points

Next week doesn’t get any easier for the Lions, having to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Lions officially eliminated from the playoffs, there isn’t much to play for the last couple of weeks — except pride, which they will need against a tough opponent.