Here are this week’s PFF best and worst performances for the Detroit Lions week 10 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers
It wasn’t exactly the performance the Detroit Lions were hoping for coming out their bye. Still, after one of the most unappealing, uncompetitive games you will ever watch, the Lions mustered out a 16-16 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If there was ever a game where neither team deserved to claim victory, it was most certainly this one where each team was doing everything in their power to lose this week. The Lions offense became predictable real quick, and once the Steelers were able to solve that issue, it was all over for them. On the flip side of the defense, they did put in a solid effort, but when you are facing Mason Rudolph on the other side, it can be difficult to judge how well the players are performing.
The performances speak for themselves, and with the latest PFF grades from this matchup, it almost lines up with how you would anticipate from this week.
Pittsburgh was already without QB Ben Roethlisberger, who tested positive on Saturday.
One day after playing the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has tested positive for COVID-19, per Kimberley Martin of ESPN.
Coming on the heels of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger missing the Week 10 matchup after testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, it’s a concern that the outbreak amongst the Steelers could become an issue for the Lions. Fitzpatrick played all but one of the Steelers defensive snaps in the tie on Sunday.
It is unknown if Fitzpatrick’s diagnosis comes with any correlation to Roethlisberger, whose sudden absence on Saturday night forced the Steelers to start Mason Rudolph at quarterback. As of now, no Lions players have tested positive for COVID-19 after the trip to Pittsburgh.
Source: #Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick tested positive for COVID @ESPNNFL
Snap count notes: Lions leaned heavily on using extra OL in the Week 10 tie with the Steelers
On a week where the Lions unceremoniously waived No. 2 tight end Darren Fells, the Detroit offense leaned heavily on replacing Fells’ old role in an unconventional way. Detroit used a sixth lineman as a de facto blocking tight end extensively in the Week 10 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Between Matt Nelson (18 snaps) and Will Holden (10), the Lions leaned heavily on the “heavy” package. The 28 combined snaps were more than Fells played in any game through the first eight weeks. Nelson, the team’s starting right tackle the first eight games, left the game with an injury, which led to Holden’s reps.
With the starting offensive line all playing in each of the team’s 71 snaps, the Lions OL was busy. So was tight end T.J. Hockenson, who played in 67 reps. the new No. 2 TE, Brock Wright, was on the field for 36.
At running back, it was almost exclusively the D’Andre Swift show. Swift played a career-high 66 snaps. Without regular starter Jamaal Williams, the Lions gave three early reps to rookie Jermar Jefferson as the between-the-tackles runner. Jefferson suffered an injury of his own at the end of his 28-yard touchdown run and did not return. Godwin Igwebuike played just four snaps on offense, though he did play a season-high 27 special teams reps.
On defense, two Lions never left the field: LB Alex Anzalone and CB Amani Oruwariye. They both played all 87 snaps.
The cornerback reps after Oruwariye were jumbled by injuries. Jerry Jacobs left after playing all of the first 57 snaps. Former Steelers practice squad CB Mark Gilbert played the remaining 30 as the other outside CB opposite Oruwariye in his first defensive action in Detroit.
Along the defensive line, Da’Shawn Hand played the most. Hand played 68 reps. That’s significantly more than the next DEs on the list, Nick Williams (39) and Michael Brockers (38). Second-round rookie Levi Onwuzurike played just 26. Detroit didn’t use the nose tackle as much as normal vs. Pittsburgh, with third-round rookie Alim McNeill playing 15 and John Penisini in for 14.
The Detroit Lions finally had their bookend offensive tackles in place in Week 10. Taylor Decker’s return at left tackle allowed the Lions to go forward with the plan of installing first-round rookie Penei Sewell at right tackle. Both played well in the 16-16 tie under terrible field conditions and bad weather in Pittsburgh.
Sewell has thrived all season in run blocking. That translated pretty easily from the left side to the right on Sunday. Detroit ran the ball for 229 yards and two touchdowns, the first time the Lions have topped 200 yards on the ground in three years.
The run-heavy game plan certainly suited No. 58.
“As an O-lineman I love a game plan that’s going forward more than backward,” Sewell told reporters after the game.
As impressive as the run blocking was, and not just from Sewell but the entire line, the rookie’s work in pass protection was even better. Sewell did not allow a single QB hurry or hit the entire game per Pro Football Focus.
That’s quite a feat against any NFL team for a rookie. Doing it against Pittsburgh and T.J. Watt, who went heads-up vs. Sewell most of the time before the All-Pro left with an injury late, is even more impressive.
The low-key Sewell explained how he did it, with a nod to the temporary switch to the left side.
“It felt real comfortable,” Sewell said after the game. “It was really a testament to all that work that happened in training camp, when I was getting comfortable with that position, and also, playing left tackle kind of helped with the transition, weirdly.
Sewell is getting more consistent with his technique by the week. Changing sides didn’t cause the problems that many fretted might pop up. Sewell chalked that up to growing up on the job.
“Having those first eight games (under) my belt helped tremendously. I know the speed of the game and everything that comes along with an NFL game.”
After an abysmal showing from the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers ending in a 16-16 tie, here are this week’s studs and duds.
Between the weather and the execution from the teams, it was about as messy and clumsy example of football you’ll ever see in this Week 10 matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game ended everyone’s misery with a 16-16 tie.
Each team had a plethora of opportunities to seal the victory, but each time it was squandered with inept play or boneheaded mistakes that made it a tough watch. For that matter, the Lions play calling seemed to be taken straight out of a high playbook, where it was downright frustrating to muster any energy into the game. This was one of those games where neither team deserved to walk away with a victory.
There were a few moments that gave the Lions some life against the Steelers, but then there were others you could tell were going to be the death to any hopes of a win. That turned out to be the case in this week’s studs and duds.
Now that it’s over, here’s everything we know in the immediate aftermath of the tie between the Lions and Steelers
It can no longer be said of the 2021 Detroit Lions that they have lost every game. No, they still haven’t won a game, but coach Dan Campbell and the Lions managed to avoid a loss in a 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10.
The neutral outcome ended a bitterly underwhelming display of offensive football from the two teams. The dreary, rainy weather and atrocious condition of the overused Heinz Field turf did not help, but bad quarterback play and ponderous play-calling from both teams were far more culpable.
Now that it’s over, here’s everything we know in the immediate aftermath of the tie.
The Lions and Steelers play to a 16-16 tie in a display of awful football from both teams
It took a full extra period of some unsavory football, but the Detroit Lions did not lose in Week 10. The Lions and Steelers played to a 16-16 tie in soggy conditions in Pittsburgh.
It was not pretty. In fact, it might have been one of the ugliest displays of football from both teams in an NFL game in a long time. The tie moves the Lions record to 0-8-1, while the Steelers now stand at 5-3-1.
Detroit had a chance to win with four minutes remaining in overtime, but replacement kicker Ryan Santoso badly missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. Pittsburgh followed that up with a very quick 3-and-out aided by an errant snap that went some 10 yards over QB Mason Rudolph’s head.
Pittsburgh had another chance and moved the ball into Detroit territory, but Lions safety Will Harris forced a fumble and OLB Trey Flowers recovered. A final gadget play by the Lions came up well short.
The Lions did do some things well. Led by D’Andre Swift and his 130 yards on the ground, Detroit topped 200 rushing yards in a game for the first time in three years. The defense made some key plays, from Harris’ forced fumble to nine defended passes off Rudolph and his limp noodle arm.
Rudolph threw the ball 50 times to net just 242 passing yards. Yet that still dwarfed the utter ineptitude of Detroit’s passing offense with Jared Goff, who finished 14-for-25 for 114 passing yards. Consider that 22 of those came on the final play, and another 28 on the play that set up Santoso’s terrible miss, in a game that had an extra quarter.
The tie will prevent the Lions from finishing a season with only losses. And tying the Steelers in Pittsburgh is an outcome that many Lions fans would happily have accepted before the kickoff. But it still feels unsatisfying and hollow. Watching a truly poor exhibition of football for almost four hours will do that to anyone.
Lions rookie expectations for Week 10: Penei Sewell at right tackle, bigger role for Jermar Jefferson
Coming off of their bye week, the Detroit Lions head to Pittsburgh with the hopes of earning their first win of the season.
The Lions have 11 rookies on their active roster and a good portion of that group will be major contributors for the team against the Steelers.
First-round pick Penei Sewell could be shifting to right tackle with the return of Taylor Decker. Decker is currently listed as questionable to appear in the game against Pittsburgh. Sewell had started all eight games at left tackle while Decker was on injured reserve. Throughout training camp and the preseason, the rookie out of Oregon had been taking first-team reps on the right side of the line despite never playing the position in college. Sewell has committed six penalties and allowed four sacks so far this season.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
On the defensive side of the ball, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill have been used as rotational linemen throughout the first half of the season. Onwuzurike’s share of snaps has risen steadily throughout the year but he has yet to make a significant impact for the Lions. The 2021 second-round pick has 13 total tackles and one quarterback hurry on the season. He will get in the defensive line rotation at the 5-technique/defensive end role.
As for McNeill, he will share his reps at nose tackle with John Penisini. The third-round rookie has started four games there for Detroit and has been a reliable lineman for the team. He is averaging two tackles per game, so expect limited production from the rookie against Pittsburgh.
(AP Photo/Al Goldis)
One of the weakest position groups for the Lions is their wide receiver corps. Even with no clear number-one receiver and minimal talent at the position, rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown still has yet to reach his full potential with this offense. He is currently averaging just 31 yards per game and has yet to record his first NFL score. With the addition of Josh Reynolds, St. Brown may have even less of a role on offense.
(AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Linebacker Derrick Barnes has seen a more increased role since the release of Jamie Collins earlier this season. He has since had three starts at inside linebacker and has 34 tackles on the year. Barnes is expected to start alongside veteran Alex Anzalone as the MIKE linebackers.
Running back Jermar Jefferson has the best chances of any rookie to have an increased role against the Steelers. With starter Jamaal Williams ruled out, the Lions will have to rely on Jefferson to be the downhill compliment to D’Andre Swift. Jefferson has 29 total yards and one touchdown thus far, but those numbers could see a heavy increase as Pittsburgh has allowed over 100 rushing yards per game this season.
The Lions have two undrafted rookies who are expected to start in the secondary. Jerry Jacobs will start at outside cornerback alongside Amani Oruwariye while AJ Parker is expected to reprise his role as the starting nickel cornerback. While it is not usually seen as a positive to have two undrafted rookie starters at cornerback, Jacobs and Parker have been pleasant surprises for Detroit’s defense.
Tight end Brock Wright has been used sparingly in the two games he’s been active for. Now with the release of Darren Fells and his promotion to the active roster, Wright is the only other tight end other than starter T.J. Hockenson. Expect him to be a non-factor in the receiving game, but used primarily as a run-blocker instead.
Undrafted rookies Ryan McCollum and Mark Gilbert have not made much of an impact this season for the Lions. If they are active against the Steelers, they will not see much of the field outside of special teams.
Fresh off the bye week, the Detroit Lions head to Pittsburgh in search of their first victory of the season. And in a late development, the Steelers will be without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger after the veteran was placed on the reserve/COVID-19.
Detroit Lions (0-8) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
When: Sunday, Nov. 14th at 1 p.m. ET Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Referee: Land Clark
The game will be shown regionally on FOX. If you live in any of the yellow markets on the map, the game will be on your local FOX affiliate. For the fourth time this season, the Lions draw Chris Myers and Daryl Johnson on the broadcast call.
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit is the flagship station. The full list of over 30 radio affiliates is here.
Sirius XM Radio: The Lions audio feed featuring Dan Miller is on channel 226. The national broadcast is on channel 88.
Money line: Lions +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | Steelers -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Lions +6.5 (-108) | Steelers -6.5 (-112)
Over/Under (O/U): 40.5 (O: -117 | U: -103)
The dynamic has changed since that was published on our brother site. With Roethlisberger out, the line has dropped to 5.5 points as of 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Pittsburgh has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series with the Lions
Sunday’s meeting in Heinz Field will be the 33rd time the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers have met since 1934. And while the lifetime series is close, the Steelers have dominated the matchup of two of the NFL’s oldest teams.
Pittsburgh has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series. The Lions one win over the Steelers since 1986 came in 1998 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Despite Barry Sanders managing to rush for just 33 yards on 20 carries — a total that includes a 21-yard gain — Detroit still prevailed when Jason Hanson nailed his fourth field goal of the game to lift the Lions to a 19-16 overtime win.
The last meeting came in Pittsburgh in 2017 with the Steelers winning, 20-15. In that game, Matthew Stafford passed for 423 yards but the Detroit offense settled for just five Matt Prater field goals.
Many of the games have been close. The 2001 game is the exception. Pittsburgh was 11-2 and the Lions stood at 1-12 entering that one, and the Steelers proved the records were legit in a 47-14 whooping where the Lions managed just 11 first downs with Mike McMahon under center.
Detroit does have a lopsided victory of its own in the series. Back on Thanksgiving in 1983, Eric Hipple threw two TD passes to Ulysses Norris as part of a 45-3 spanking of the visiting Steelers. Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks completed just 11 of their 33 pass attempts and the Lions intercepted five of those errant throws.
The wins in 1983 and 1998 are the only two by Detroit in the Super Bowl era, with Pittsburgh winning the other 12. The Lions did win the first four meetings back in the 1930s and also went on a 6-0-1 run from 1950 to 1962, an era where the Steelers were consistently the inferior team to Detroit.
