Examining the Detroit Lions Week 11 snap counts following their 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Detroit Lions entered Week 11 with several injuries, including five starters missing the game: running back D’Andre Swift, wide receiver Kenny Golladay, slot receiver Danny Amendola, defensive end Trey Flowers (injured reserve), and defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.
Make no mistake, this is not an excuse for the embarrassing 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, because this team is supposed to have the depth to overcome the long grind of an NFL season. This is merely an observation that the Lions current team did not have any answers when it came to adjusting to and overcoming difficult circumstances.
Unfortunately, this has been a calling card of this coaching staff over the last three seasons. Smart preparation at the beginning of the week, but when a wrench gets thrown into the works, they flounder when it comes to adjusting.
On most weeks, the difficultly adjusting happens on game day, but this week, this game may have very well been decided on Thursday when Swift was forced out of action with a concussion and Golladay was downgraded at practice.
Instead of readjusting their game plan for a Swift-less offense, it appeared the Lions instead decided to plug ahead with the same game plan and replace Swift with Kerryon Johnson and leaning on Adrian Peterson slightly more. That’s a tough spot for Johnson, as his and Swift’s skill sets don’t exactly lineup.
At wide receiver, expecting Marvin Hall and Quintez Cephus to be able to do what Golladay does is also wishful thinking. This is not a knock on Hall or Cephus either. They are all capable players in their own ways, but they also need to be put into the right circumstances to succeed.
This is the major flaw in thinking that the “next man up” can just jump into another player’s role without adjusting the game plan. And this flaw is the biggest reason no coach in the NFL is sitting on a hotter seat than Matt Patricia.
Examining the numbers that led to the Detroit Lions 30-27 victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 10 of the 2020 season.
Examining the numbers that led to the Detroit Lions 30-27 victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 10 of the 2020 season.
1 – sack for Everson Griffen, his first as a Lion. He also led the team with 5 quarterback hits.
2 – forced fumbles by Jamie Collins. He is the first player in Lions’ franchise history to have 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 10 or more tackles (he had 13) — per Lions PR.
3 – Each team had 3 touchdowns (Lions were all passing TDs, Washington’s were all rushing TDs) and 3 field goal attempts. The Lions connected on all 3 of those attempts, while Washington only connected on 2.
3 – straight games Marvin Jones has caught a touchdown pass. He now has 32 TD receptions as a Lion and is tied with Cloyce Box for 6th All-time in franchise history.
4 – sacks by Romeo Okwara over the last 4 games. He also has a team-leading 20 pressures on the quarterback over that time, including 6 in Week 10.
4 – pressures allowed by the Lions offense.
5.0 – yards per carry for the Lions offense. D’Andre Swift averaged 5.1 over 16 carries, Adrian Peterson averaged 5.3 on 4 carries, and Kerryon Johnson averaged 3.0 on 1 carry.
6 – seconds left on the clock and the Lions were 25 yards away from field goal range when Chase Young’s 15-yard personal foul penalty put them in striking distance. Stafford would hit Jones on a quick 10 yard slant, setting up Matt Prater’s 59-yard attempt.
16 – seconds were left on the game clock when the Lions took over in a 27-27 tie game.
47.8 – yards per punt average for Jack Fox in Week 10. He continues to lead the NFL in yards per punt (52.4), net yards per punt (47.9), and hang time (4.76).
50/50 – percent man/zone coverage split this week. ESPN’s Michael Rothstein points out the Lions have won every game when their man coverage is under 60-percent and a breakdown by halves shows the Lions were man 30.4-percent in the first half and 62.9-percent in the second half, further illustrating that point.
55 – yard TD reception for Marvin Hall. It’s nice to see him and Stafford connecting on the deep ball again.
59 – yard game-winning field goal for Matt Prater was the longest in Lions history, tying a record he set in 2016. He also connected from 53 and 37, going 3 of 3 on the day. This is Prater’s 7th career game (100 games played) where he has kicked multiple field goals from at least 50-yards — an NFL record.
“Prater is 22-22 on game-tying or go-ahead FGs in the 4th quarter inside of or at (the) 2-minute warning in his career (16-16 in regulation, 6-6 in OT),” per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.
127.8 – passer rating for Stafford, the 16th time in his career he has exceeded 125. This was also his 37th game-winning drive (10th most All-time), per Lions PR.
149 – All-purpose yards for Swift, a career-high mark. It appears Swift has finally taken the running back reigns as he saw 73-percent of the Lions offensive snaps on Sunday.
In yesterday's win, @Lions RB @DAndreSwift joined RB Billy Sims (1980) as the only Lions rookies to produce a game with 80 rushing yards & 60 receiving yards.
He and Sims are the only Lions to produce 4 rushing TDs & 2 receiving TDs thru their first 9 career games.#OnePridepic.twitter.com/VVHqXAVxp0
The Packers-49ers game on Thursday night was ugly (except for Davante Adams owners) thanks to rampant injuries couple with COVID-19 defections stripping the 49ers of all recognizable starters. The Packers let them have 17 pity points, but the cold weather is just starting and already teams are having issues with fielding a full team. What is it going to be like in two months?
This is a year we won’t forget, no matter how hard we try. Onto six thinks worth watching heading into Week 9.
Cardinals backfield – Kenyan Drake is out with an ankle injury and Chase Edmonds moves up to the primary role. So far, only Drake and Edmonds have been used for the Cardinals backfield. Edmonds wavers between 20% to 40% of the touches, and this offense has never given 100% to the primary. Edmonds is a solid play this week at the Panthers facing the No. 31 defense against running backs.The No. 2 back this week is expected to be the 7.08 pick in the 2020 NFL draft of Eno Benjamin out of Arizona State. The 5-9, 207-pounder ran for over 1,000 yards the last two season and caught 82 passes in his three-year career. Edmonds won’t take every touch, so it’s always interesting to see the “next guy up.” Jonathan Ward may also see some work, but he’s only been a practice squad guy that works on special teams. Benjamin gets a chance to keep the team from looking elsewhere in 2021.
Notable too is that Edmonds gets to be the No. 1 against a soft defense. He is in his final contract year in 2021 while Drake will be a free agent next year unless re-signed. Edmonds could look like an option for 2021.
Lions Wide receivers – The passing lags the 2019 version when Matt Stafford played but showed life recently that could be promising. Stafford was stuck at moderate production but then passed for 340 yards and a score at the Jaguars and 336 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts for his best showing of the year. And that happened with Kenny Golladay on the sideline with a hip injury. Fourth-year player Marvin Hall came in and posted four catches for 113 yards in the second half of the loss to the Colts.Marvin Jones failed to make any difference this year until posting five catches for 80 yards in Week 7 and then three receptions for 39 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday. The Lions play at the Vikings this week and Golladay has not practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. He hasn’t been ruled out but isn’t trending well so far. Stafford has two straight games where the passing looked better and that was even without Golladay last week. Jones and Hall are worth watching and if Hall can again show up with the same impact, he can carve a bigger role for himself.
RB Christian McCaffrey (CAR) – He returned to practice a few days ago and looks likely to be activated to play against the Chiefs this week. That sends Mike Davis to the bench after richly rewarding his fantasy owners for the last six weeks. It will be good to see the No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts but just as notable will be his effect on how the rest of the offense plays. Remember, the Panthers are installing a new offense this year with HC Matt Rhule in his first season. And Teddy Bridgewater was also in his first games as a Panther when McCaffrey was gone for Week 3.Robby Anderson opened the year with back-to-back 100-yard games while McCaffrey was there while D.J. Moore turned in eight catches for 120 yards in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. McCaffrey’s return is great for fantasy owners, but it could also help Bridgewater, Moore and Anderson as well.
QB Jake Luton (JAC) – Gardner Minshew is out with fractures and ligament damage to his thumb and the Jags are turning to their 6.10 pick this year in Luton. The 6-6, 224-pounder from Oregon State threw 28 scores as a senior last year and he rushed for a net loss of 204 yards on 72 runs in college, so he’s not going to be stealing much from James Robinson as a runner. But he’s very tall and can throw very deep. The hope is that the Jaguars passing offense can connect farther downfield.Starting a rookie is rarely profitable at least for a few games. But Luton will at least bring a new element to an offense that has lost their last six games. D.J. Chark fell from 13.8 yards per catch in 2019 to only 11.2 this year. The rookie Laviska Shenault also averages 11.2 yards. That’s also lower than the 13.6 yards he averaged at Colorado last year. The schedule hits a few tough matchups in upcoming weeks, but Luton is worth watching this week to see if he can do anything with the underperforming Jaguars offense.
Miami Backfield – Myles Gaskin is on injured reserve because of his MCL sprain and Matt Breida would be positioned to become the new No. 1 running back but a bad hamstring has him missing Wednesday and Thursday practices. The Dolphins look like they have to rely on Jordan Howard and Patrick Laird. The Fins just traded to get DeAndre Washington for depth.Laird only totals three catches for 11 yards and no rushes. Howard scored three times over the four games he played, but only gained 14 yards on 18 carries which is why he only played four games. His one catch was a three-yard loss. All this while a rookie quarterback takes his second start. Gaskin is gone for at least a few weeks, so the Fins have to figure out whatever works the best. The matchup with the Cardinals this week is where they determine what they have to use.
WR Antonio Brown (PITOAKNE TB) – The Buccaneers signed Brown and he is on the active roster. That’s worth watching for so many reasons. Tom Brady wanted him and Tom Brady got him since his 20 passing touchdowns are No. 4 in the NFL and the Buccaneers are looking really improved. He hasn’t had any time to learn the playbook and his uniform still has creases. But he is expected to play this week. Chris Godwin has been limited in practices and his status isn’t certain.Brown already served his eight-game suspension and is clear to play. His only game of 2019 was Week 2 with the Patriots – and Brady – when he turned eight targets into four catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. If this works out, the Buccaneers are going to be scary good on offense. But… it’s never worked out for Brown the last few years.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay expected to miss Week 9 versus the Minnesota Vikings with a hip injury.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay expected to miss Week 9 versus the Minnesota Vikings with a hip injury.
Rapoport would go on to say that Golladay was week-to-week and a potential candidate for short-term injured reserve — now that the new NFL rules would only keep him out three weeks — but nothing was determined at this time.
After playing on just 18 first-half snaps on Sunday, Golladay pulled up on a route and immediately called to the sideline to be replaced. He would go into the locker room and not return for the remainder of the game.
[lawrence-related id=53131]
Golladay also missed the first two games of the season and was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Quintez Cephus. Cephus held his own but has been relegated to a healthy scratch the last two weeks as the Lions have opted for specialty players like Jamal Agnew and Isaac Nauta.
With Cephus out last Sunday, the Lions turned to Marvin Hall who saw 42 snaps and produced four catches on seven targets for 113 yards as the Lions “Z” wide receiver.
If Golladay does indeed miss this week’s game, or several thereafter, the Lions will have to decide if they want to go back to the rookie or give Hall another shot to replicate his outing.
Stay tuned to Lions Wire for more news on Golladay’s health as updates become available.
Examining the Detroit Lions Week 8 snap counts to identify which players coaches leaned on and how that impacted their game strategy.
The Detroit Lions entered their Week 8 contest with the Indianapolis Colts by trying to take away their biggest strengths and that meant adjusting their offensive and defensive lines.
The offensive line once again saw a shuffling of players up front, adding Joe Dahl back into the starting lineup — this time at right guard — pushing Hal Vaitai outside to right tackle and sending Tyrell Crosby to the bench.
On defense, the Lions used each of their four interior defensive linemen on over 53-percent of plays, something we haven’t seen during this coaching staff’s tenure.
The main goal: Establish the run on offense, take it away on defense.
The results were not in the Lions’ favor.
The Lions managed just 29-yards rushing, with only eight of those yards coming from their running backs group. On defense, they faired better, but after a rough fourth quarter, they finished the day allowing a total of 119-yards, more than their previous two games combined.
That, and more observations in this week’s review of the Lions snap counts.
Updating the Detroit Lions player participation report during the fifth day of their 2020 training camp.
During Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia’s Saturday morning press conference, he acknowledged concerns around soft tissue injuries with the shortened offseason, as we have seen some of that with Lions players so far in training camp.
“Certainly in general, high-injury-rate players in the NFL are rookies and younger players, plus older-injured vets,” Patricia said. “Those are kind of the two groups that we always keep track of as far as injury histories and things like that. Sometimes we’re a little bit cautious with those guys.”
Today, two more rookies appeared to suffer soft tissue injuries, though the severity of each looks a bit different.
Jeff Okudah
After stretching, position groups split up and began warm-up drills. After his first or second rep, Okudah pulled up and was called off the field. A trainer and Okudah had a discussion for a few minutes, then Patricia was called over and appeared to shut him down for the day.
Okudah remained on the sidelines, following the position group around and chatting with coaches and players but he did not participate. On the surface, this looks precautionary but soft tissue injuries can be tricky so we will have to wait and see where he is tomorrow.
Hunter Bryant
Bryant pulled up during a TE vs S one-on-one drill and grabbed his hamstring. He was seen and stretched out by a trainer but after several minutes he slowly left the field and did not return.
D’Andre Swift and Bo Scarbrough remain sidelined
Also during his morning press conference, Patricia acknowledged that both running backs D’Andre Swift and Bo Scarbrough would be held out of Saturday’s practice. He didn’t address the type of injuries they are dealing with but noted that due to the pace of Saturday’s practice he didn’t want to expose them to at this point.
Desmond Trufant sits again
Friday looked like a rest day for Trufant but he remained on the sideline and not participating again on Saturday, which is mildly concerning. This could be a “pace of practice” issue, or potentially something more — but the fact that he was present is encouraging.
Marvin Hall returns in full
Hall left the field on Friday and his limp looked worrisome. Fortunately, Hall returned to the field on Saturday, took his place with the second team, and didn’t miss a rep.
Victor Bolden and Matt Nelson getting light work
On Friday the extent of Bolden’s participation was riding a stationary bike, and while he did that again on Saturday, he also was with his position group on the field which is a step in the right direction to returning.
Nelson only ran on Friday, and on Saturday he saw reps at right tackle when the Lions rolled three offensive lines — which was only a few times.
Nick Bawden, Isaac Nauta, Beau Benzschawel
Bawden, Nauta, and Benzschawel are with their position groups but not mixing in yet. Mostly just doing stuff off to the side and learning from the sidelines.
Austin Bryant remains on PUP
Bryant remains on the Physically Unable to Participate (PUP) list with an undisclosed injury. He is eligible to be removed at any time once he is deemed healthy.
Updating the Detroit Lions player participation levels during their 2020 training camp, including rookie running back D’Andre Swift’s absence on Friday.
Updating the Detroit Lions player participation levels during Friday’s 2020 training camp practice.
D’Andre Swift, RB
According to Detroit News’ Justin Rogers, at Thursday’s practice, Swift required attention from a trainer after “working one-on-one routes and blocking assignments against the team’s linebackers”.
On Friday, he came out with the team for stretches, got some more time with a trainer, and wasn’t seen on the field for the rest of the day.
Bo Scarbrough, RB
On Tuesday, Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman noted that Scarbrough “got up slowly and didn’t appear to do much the rest of the day.” He was absent from practice on Thursday and again on Friday.
“I think we’re going to re-evaluate him right now,” coach Matt Patricia said at his morning press conference. “One thing for us to remember in all of this is that we’re continually trying to build on everybody’s back-to-practice workload. Just trying to be smart with some of those guys too, if there’s general soreness or tightness or things like that we need to keep an eye on.”
Nick Bawden, FB
Bawden was not known to have an injury at this time but he was not seen participating in today’s practice, only running off to the side and observing. He is coming off a second ACL injury in as many years and this may be part of the recovery process.
Isaac Nauta, TE/H-B
Iauta has apparently been limited since the beginning of camp was only seen doing conditioning work with trainers.
Marvin Hall, WR
Near the end of practice, Hall required attention from a trainer, left the field, and was unable to return before the session expired. We will have to wait and see if he is able to participate tomorrow.
Victor Bolden, WR
Bolden stretched with the team to begin the day but as they split off into positional drills, he shifted to the conditioning tent and rode a stationary bike for the better part of the morning.
Beau Benzschawel, IOL
Benzschawel continues to only participate in conditioning exercises with trainers.
Austin Bryant, EDGE
Bryant remains on the Physically Unable to Participate (PUP) list with an undisclosed injury. He is eligible to be removed at any time once he is deemed healthy.
Desmond Trufant, CB
From a distance, Trufant appeared to get a veteran rest day. He was not with trainers, followed his group around, and interacted with the younger corners. If he is not on the field tomorrow, there may be more to this story.
Bumps and bruises
Jamal Agnew and Jeff Okudah both required attention from trainers at different points but both remained on the field and participated in practice.
“I landed pretty awkwardly, Okudah said after practice. “Got up, shrugged it off. Pretty much just a football play. That happens over the course of a practice. The big thing was that I was able to come back and finish practice.”
Okudah would go on to make an interception a short time later — he’s fine.
PFF judges the Lions WRs 7th in the NFL entering 2020
Not everyone is so bullish on the Detroit Lions and their offensive skill position talent, but Pro Football Focus is high on the hog for the Lions wide receivers. PFF evaluated all 32 WR corps in the NFL for the 2020 season, and Detroit’s package landed in the top 10.
Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola qualify as the seventh-best WR group in the NFL. PFF also notes the battle for the No. 4 spot between newcomer Geronimo Allison, speedy Marvin Hall, big rookie Quintez Cephus and young Travis Fulgham, though they are largely inconsequential in the rankings here.
It’s a fair rating for the wideouts. Golladay took a big step forward in his third season, emerging as a better deep threat and leading the league in touchdown receptions. Jones is a steady performer, one of the most consistent producers on intermediate routes. Amendola quietly had one of the best seasons of any slot receiver in his first year in Detroit, too.
Dallas and Tampa Bay top the list, compiled by PFF’s Steve Palazzolo. The Patriots, Jets and Jaguars are the bottom three in the rankings.
Exploring the idea of the Detroit Lions signing wide receiver Taylor Gabriel as a speed slot/deep threat for the 2020 season.
This is the latest piece in a new series of articles at Lions Wire exploring the remaining 2020 free agent pool, looking for potential upgrades to the Detroit Lions’ roster.
In this edition, we examine the question: should the Lions sign WR Taylor Gabriel?
Let’s take a closer look at the biggest questions surrounding a Lions-Gabriel marriage and if it is in the best interest of both parties to get a deal done.
Why is Taylor Gabriel still a free agent?
Undrafted out of Abilene Christian, Gabriel jumped on the scene as a rookie in Cleveland but took a step back his sophomore year. He was released by the Browns and claimed by the Falcons where he parlayed his productivity into a big contract with the Chicago Bears in 2018.
After a career year in his debut season with the Bears, two major concussions (the third and fourth of his career) cost him almost half the 2019 season. Couple that with a career-low in production when he was on the field and it’s not overly surprising the Bears felt he wasn’t living up to his sizable contract, eventually releasing him in a cost-cutting move.
As with many NFL players with starting experience who are still free agents at this time, the COVID pandemic, and team’s inability to give extensive medical checks, likely played a factor in why he remains unsigned. In total, over his six-year NFL career, he has missed 11 games as a result of concussions, which has likely raised red flags.
How would Gabriel fit on the Lions roster?
Gabriel is an explosive receiver capable of lining up in the slot as a gadget player as well as a deep threat who can take it to the house on any given play.
The Lions offense relies on a vertical threat to stretch the field and last season Marvin Hall filled that role to perfection, averaging an insane 37.3-yards per reception in 2019. He will be the front-runner for this role in 2020 and will likely be challenged by recently converted wide receiver/All-Pro return man Jamal Agnew.
While the Lions have two terrific speedsters in Hall and Agnew competing, both have concerns. Hall’s season was cut short in Week 12 after suffering a season-ending foot injury, while Agnew has only minimal (32 career snaps) experience on offense.
Photo credit to Kent Platte @Mathbomb on Twitter
If the Lions were to go after the 29-year-old Gabriel, he would likely be competing as a role-playing WR4 working against Hall and Agnew, but not slotted to be a heavy contributing role.
What’s the anticipated price tag?
Gabriel’s contract with the Bears averaged $6.5 million a season, almost double the total amount he made his first four years in the league. But at this point in the offseason, Gabriel’s price has likely come down significantly, how much though is not clear.
As far as the Lions are concerned, there is little chance they would be willing to pay anything close to the contract Gabriel got with the Bears, especially when they have two in-house options making significantly less: Hall’s cap hit in 2020 is $825,000 and Agnew’s is $889,594.
The real unknown here is, would Gabriel be willing to sign a vet minimum deal that would put him in the same price range as Hall and Agnew, or is he planning on holding out for a bigger payday?
Should the Lions pursue Gabriel?
Stylistically yes, as Gabriel would fit into the Lions scheme very well and could potentially fill an important role in 2020.
The two big factors that would keep the Lions from inking him to a deal would be concerns surrounding his concussion history and what type of payday he is asking for.
Erik’s Conclusion
The Lions currently have a dozen wide receivers on the roster and while starters Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola, as well as rookie Quintez Cephus, seem like roster locks at this time, there is room for another impact skill player or two at the position.
If Gabriel can pass a medical exam and is willing to sign a deal close to the vet minimum, the Lions should absolutely bring him in as competition for Hall, Agnew, and others on offense.
The Lions largely outplayed the Chiefs, Stafford was better than MVP Mahomes, but Kansas City still won
The 2019 season rewatch project hits Week 4 with two undefeated teams clashing in Ford Field. The Kansas City Chiefs coming to Detroit is a great matchup and a fun game to revisit, even if the final outcome didn’t go Detroit’s way.
[lawrence-related id=45300]
Pregame notes
Darius Slay and Danny Amendola missed the game with injuries, the only regular starters out for Detroit. Both players left the second half of the Week 3 win in Philadelphia. The Chiefs were missing WR Tyreke Hill and LT Eric Fisher.
Lions wore the vintage uniforms with no logo on the helmets and plain blue jerseys/silver pants.
First quarter
Lions get the ball first and quickly march down the field. Kerryon Johnson is running decisively, getting downhill right away and attacking the hole. Matthew Stafford hits Kenny Golladay on a perfect pitch-and-catch up the seam for a big gain. Lions are using the pulling OL (usually RT Rick Wagner) effectively on the run. Great drive until it sputters inside the Chiefs 10. Stafford gets sacked on 3rd down, a coverage sack where he had over four seconds to pass but couldn’t find anyone. Matt Prater’s short FG puts the Lions up 3-0.
During that first drive, coach Matt Patricia challenged a spot on a Johnson run. The ruling on the field was upheld, creating a 3rd-and-1 instead of giving the Lions a first down. It’s an odd time for a challenge and the Lions picked up the first down on the next play anyway. In looking at the replay it’s clear Patricia was right in his assertion the spot was bad, but the officials don’t give that up very often and don’t here.
The Chiefs come out throwing and Patrick Mahomes is very good at choosing the correct option. Not all of his throws are pinpoint, but he hits third-string TE Deon Yelder twice on crossers and gets into field goal range.
Great pressure from Trey Flowers and A’Shawn Robinson on separate plays helps the defense hold eventually, and the Chiefs miss the FG attempt wide right. Mike Ford and Justin Coleman had nice drives in coverage. The broadcast feed of the crowd is as loud as I’ve heard a non-NFC North contest in Ford Field.
Stafford comes back firing too. Two defensive penalties help, but this is prime Stafford. He finds T.J. Hockenson on a sweet delayed-release route for a 5-yard TD. Marvin Hall’s speedy presence on the outside is impacting the safeties in the middle of the field and Stafford is happy to exploit it. Hall also drew a holding penalty on the drive. 10-0 Lions.
Second quarter
The Chiefs manage a field goal on a drive that spans the 1st and 2nd quarters, where Mahomes converted a 3rd down with a 26-yard run that probably could have gone for much more if really felt like risking his body a little. Two penalties helped the Chiefs too. Coleman makes a fantastic hit on Sammy Watkins in the end zone to physically separate him from a TD reception. It’s 10-3 Lions and the defense is showing confidence.
Outside of one pass (Watkins beating Coleman on a deep cross), the Lions coverage down the field remains very good. Safety Tracy Walker is consistently making the right read to deny Mahomes.
The Chiefs defense is settling in and attacking with more line gimmicks up front and it’s working. Stafford gets drilled on 3rd down as both Wagner and Dahl got beat cleanly. Jalen Reeves-Maybin strips the ball out on the punt return (great punt by Sam Martin too) but the Chiefs recover.
Lions defense opens the next drive in a 2-3-6 formation, with Tavai and Christian Jones playing EDGE and Davis the only real LB. Chiefs are in 11 personnel but TE Kelce is lined up wide. Mahomes misses a couple of open throws
Stafford gets walloped by three different Chiefs on the first play of the next drive. He fumbles but recovers. Wagner got badly beaten. Decker was the only lineman to win his battle. Golladay did land a nasty down block from his tight alignment that sent a Chiefs defender sprawling backward. The play gets negated by a defensive hold, but the Chiefs defense has figured something out here. Other than a nice Kerryon Johnson run–foiled at the end by Nick Bawden missing a block–this series is a disaster for the OL and the Lions offense. Even Frank Ragnow gets beaten badly twice, including a play where he’s (rightly) called for a hold.
First play for the Chiefs is a great run by LeSean McCoy. Lions are in a 2-man front again, this time with four safeties on the field. Both Tavon Wilson and Will Harris badly whiff on open-field tackles after a wicked cutback by McCoy. A run-heavy drive ends in a game-tying TD plunge by McCoy.
T.J. Hockenson is tasked with crossing the formation and cut-blocking the opposite EDGE/LB in the run quite a bit. He’s not good at it, diving too early. Chiefs EDGE Frank Clark is not happy with him and lets Hock know it.
The teams trade field goals to enter the half tied at 13. Kerryon Johnson continues to thrive. Mahomes hit Damian Williams on a simple RB wheel where Jarrad Davis was initially in great position but paused for a half-step and it created a window for Mahomes to throw a perfect strike.
