Penei Sewell has a strong message for those now doubting the Lions

Detroit All-Pro RT Penei Sewell has a strong message for those now doubting the Lions

The Detroit Lions are 12-2 and still in control of their own playoff destiny, both in the NFC North and the entire conference. It can be tough for folks to remember that in the wake of a string of injuries and a very public loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.

Penei Sewell wants everyone to know that the Lions aren’t going anywhere. The All-Pro right tackle issued a warning to anyone who thinks otherwise.

“That’s why I don’t really concern myself with the talk,” Sewell told MLive’s Korey Woods. “The real ones know we’re gonna find a way at the end of the day. If you want to keep questioning, just go ahead and hop off. You’ll see what happens.”

It’s a pretty stern admonition from Sewell, who has taken on more leadership in his fourth season. It echos the sentiments of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who earlier chastised the “doom and gloom” some of the fanbase and media have taken toward the Lions after Week 15.

 

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Lions in Week 15

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Lions in Week 15

The Buffalo Bills will play the Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field in Week 15.

The Bills (10-3) are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week, while the Lions (12-1) are riding an 11-game win streak.

The Lions are favored by 2.5 points in Week 15. The two teams haven’t met since Thanksgiving Day in 2022 when the Bills won in dramatic fashion, 28-25.

The Lions are at the top of most power rankings ahead of Sunday. Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to pick up its eleventh win of the year.

With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 15:

Attack the Lions’ man coverage

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The Lions are a defense that stays true to who they are. According to Pro Football Focus, they currently rank first in the NFL in man coverage rate (42.4%) and dead last in zone coverage rate (53.2%). And, they rank in the top three in defensive success rate while in man coverage. They will line up man-to-man and make opposing receivers win their matchups.

Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady has provided quarterback Josh Allen with simple looks to beat man coverage this year. If Allen can take advantage of the one-on-one matchups, it will be a long day for the Lions’ secondary. Look for Allen to lean on Amari Cooper against man, and if Keon Coleman (wrist) can play, he is usually a mismatch one-on-one with his athletic ability.

Better performance from the D-line

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The Bills’ defensive line had a rough outing against the Rams They couldn’t generate a pass rush and they were getting pushed around against the run. They will need to step up considering their opponent. The Lions have arguably the best offensive line in football when healthy. Penei Sewell is their best player, as his 88.5 overall PFF grade leads all tackles this year.

Buffalo defensive coordinator Bobby Babich called out the defense following their lackluster performance in Week 14, saying it was a “conglomeration of people not doing their jobs at a high level.”

Babich did note that he has to be better, but it will be interesting to see how the defense responds in a tough environment at Ford Field.

Get out to a fast start

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The Bills are 6-0 in home games this year, but just 4-3 on the road. And, it mostly boils down to the fact that they have put themselves in a hole early in away games. In five of the seven road games, the Bills fell behind early and had to claw back into the game. The only road games where they started fast were blowouts at the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.

If the Bills can set the tone with some early stops on defense and scores on offense, it would be a huge momentum boost. Ford Field is a difficult environment to play in, and it would become much more difficult to play from behind.

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Lions offensive line has 3 of the best linemen at not losing on plays

The Lions offensive line has 3 of the best linemen at not losing on plays, including the best center and tackle in blown block/pressure rate

By this point of the season, it’s well established that the Detroit Lions have one of the best overall offensive lines in the NFL. Many analysts and analytics label the Lions line as No. 1 in the league.

One of the reasons why is the consistency of performance. Every lineman is going to have a bad play here or there, but the Lions are very good at having a lot fewer than normal. Three Detroit linemen in particular rank in the top eight in the entire league in blown block rate.

Center Frank Ragnow checks in at No. 2 in the rate of fewest blown blocks and pressures allowed, as determined by FTN Advanced NFL Stats data. Only perennial Pro Bowler, guard Brandon Scherff of the Jaguars (and formerly the Commanders) tops Ragnow’s 1.19 percent combined metric.

That rate is the best among centers, with Ragnow tied with Steelers rookie Zach Frazier. Ragnow has one blown block and eight pressures allowed in 758 snaps.

Lions right tackle Penei Sewell has the top blown/pressure blocking rate amongst all tackles at 1.54 percent. Sewell is the only tackle in the top 20 listings. He’s No. 7 overall, one spot ahead of Lions teammate Kevin Zeitler, who plays to Sewell’s inside shoulder at right guard.

These metrics are all subjectively determined, so the actual figures aren’t as important as the place in the overall pantheon of blocking. And the Lions have three of the eight most consistent at getting their job done, including the best center and tackle in the league.

Penei Sewell stiff-arming a Bears defender on a trick pass summed up the Lions’ first-half Thanksgiving dominance

Penei Sewell’s stiff arm was great symbolism for the Lions’ dominance.

If you thought the Chicago Bears had a chance at playing spoiler to the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving party, one early sequence from Lions All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell quickly put that talk to rest.

Let’s head to the early first quarter from Thursday’s early-slate holiday game on CBS.

With the Lions driving on their first possession, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a trick pass that had Sewell acting as the de facto quarterback. As the big offensive lineman scanned the field looking for a receiver, Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn tried cutting Sewell down in the open field.

Sewell responded by brutally stiff-arming Sanborn before a host of Chicago defenders brought Sewell down for a loss.

And after the Lions took a 16-0 lead into the halftime break — where the margin felt a lot worse — this Sewell broken play became the perfect symbol for how hard the Bears would have to work just to force the Lions into a negative situation:

Here’s how stark it got between the Lions and Bears through one half of play:

  • The Lions’ offense generated 19 first-down plays. The Bears had 19 total plays.
  • After struggling to generate any rhythm for most of the early afternoon, the Bears finally got their first first-down conversion … with just a few minutes left in the first half.
  • The yard differential was 279 for the Lions and a paltry 53 for the Bears.
  • Overall, the Lions had over 22 minutes of possession, and were never really stopped by the Bears defense, as they scored points on each of their four extended drives.
  • By gaining just two first downs in a half, the Bears became the first NFL team to manage such a “feat” in nearly a quarter-century.

As you can see, it was complete dominance for the NFL’s premier team.

Oh, wait, there’s still some good comedy here. Sewell is so good as a pass-blocker that he might have become the first NFL lineman ever to get sacked himself before allowing a sack in a season. I mean, that has to be a record, right?

It’ll get lost in the shuffle, but don’t let the symbolism of Sewell’s initial brute power over the inept Bears be forgotten.

Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell is sacked by Bears on opening drive

How did the Chicago Bears sack the Lions’ OT Penei Sewell?

THe Detroit Lions got tricky on their opening Thanksgiving drive. It didn’t exactly backfire but it didn’t work either and led to the most bizarre sack of 2024.

Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson called a play that resulted in the ball ending up in the hands of offensive tackle Penei Sewell.

The plan was for Sewell to throw the football but no one was open. He made the smart play and put the football away.

However, the gang tackle by the Bears turned into a loss of almost five yards.

The stats got involved here and ruled it officially a sack. Jack Sanborn and Austin Booker each received credit for half a sack on the play.

The Lions continued on the drive and wound up with a field goal by Jake Bates to take a 3-0 lead.

Lions Monday medical report – post-week 11 injury updates

Lions Monday medical report – post-week 11 updates on injured Lions players including Carlton Davis, Alex Anzalone and more

Another week, another injury to a Lions front-7 player. This time it’s a forearm fracture to Alex Anzalone. Fortunately, this injury will allow him to return this year and probably stronger than ever as I explain in my feature article.

Pending concerns include Shane Zylstra’s neck and Allen Robinson’s possible concussion. Many other players went down during the Jaguars game but most of those injuries appear to be minor.

On Monday, Dan Campbell gave a pessimistic update on Ifeatu Melifonwu saying “something came up…. he won’t be ready for a while… this is a different injury”. This may be due to Melifonwu’s new finger injury last week.

Here is the list of what I saw in the Jaguars game along with suspected diagnoses:


Amik Robertson – 1q 10:00 left thigh contusion

At the end of the first drive, he appeared to be hit in the left thigh which may have caused a simple charley horse. I didn’t see anything with the ankles or knees. He limped off but returned the next nickel package which was during the 3rd drive. He played the rest of the game with no noticeable effects.

Amik’s dad confirms that he is just fine.


Jahmyr Gibbs – 1q 1:50 mild abdominal contusion

Gibbs landed on the ball which could have caused an abdominal contusion, rib cartilage injury, or just wind. He left after the play but returned the same drive and finished out the game.


Frank Ragnow – 2q 9:19 left elbow/forearm contusion

Ragnow took a helmet directly to his left elbow/forearm area and came up grimacing. He didn’t miss a play. He finished the game without any kind of elbow wrap or pad which is reassuring. Likely, he just had a mild contusion.


Alex Anzalone – 2q 2:36 left forearm fracture

See my full article for details. Anzalone should be back within 6-8 weeks with no long-term concerns.


Carlton Davis – left thumb fracture earlier in week

Davis didn’t play in the second half but this presumably was a precaution for the left thumb fracture he suffered in practice a few days ago. Dan Campbell stated on Monday that during the game “he didn’t feel quite right”, so this is something to monitor this week.

Here is the cast/splint he was playing with:


Za’Darius Smith – 2q 00:45 right torso/ribs contusion

Smith took an elbow to the right torso which could have caused a rib or abdomen injury. He was in visible pain on the ground for a while but only missed one play. Likely this is just a contusion with the worst case being a rib fracture.


Penei Sewell – 3q 1:12 torso strain

Video was obscured but he did get his torso crushed by Ragnow. Two plays later, Sewell landed hard on his torso which may have aggravated the initial issue. He didn’t miss a play and finished the game in good shape.


Allen Robinson – 4q 5:18 possible concussion

Robinson takes a hard blow to the head here and also bangs his head on the ground. He is slow getting up which is concerning for a concussion. He tried to stay in for the next play but was sent off for a concussion evaluation. Presumably he has passed the evaluation since there has been no news. Delayed symptoms are possible and we should know that by Wednesday.


Shane Zylstra – 4q 6:22 neck

Zylstra pulled himself out after this play and was officially listed as a neck injury. He did not return to the game. I reviewed all his plays in the 4th quarter and nothing jumped out. Neck injuries often don’t show much on video as we saw with Saivion Smith’s temporary paralysis in 2022. Hopefully, this is just a simple cervical muscle strain.

Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans

The Detroit Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans if the veteran LT can’t play

The Detroit Lions appear poised to overcome some more injury-related adversity in the team’s Week 10 trip to Houston. Left tackle Taylor Decker is unlikely to play for Detroit in the Sunday night game after not practicing all week with a shoulder injury.

“I don’t see him practicing today,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Decker in his Friday morning press conference. “It’s about how he heals up. I don’t feel like this is something major, but we need to really see how he feels overthe next 48 hours.”

That’s not a promising sign for Decker’s availability against the Texans. If Decker is indeed out, the Lions lose a bedrock starter at left tackle for a game against one of the more aggressive defenses in the league.

Any Decker absence would require some serious scrambling for the Lions offensive line. With both starting guards, Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler, being exclusively interior players, that means one of the depth tackles would get the nod.

Moving Penei Sewell from right to left

Switching All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell from his normal side to the left is one potential solution. It’s what the Lions did in Weeks 2 and 3 of the 2023 season when Decker was sidelined.

It’s not a perfect solution. Sewell had two of his three lowest-graded games of his career by PFF while playing at left tackle. He hasn’t taken a known practice rep on the left side since the summer of 2022 other than those weeks, as well.

The Lions would need to decide if it’s worth getting weaker at right tackle by moving Sewell to the left side, where he hasn’t been as effective. Especially in run blocking, the Lions lean heavily on Sewell being the best right tackle in the league.

Dan Skipper

Typically the Lions extra tackle and 6th lineman in heavy formations, Skipper has been the only other tackle active on game days for the vast majority of the season. His preseason and training camp playing left tackle specifically was a mixed bag.

The 6-foot-9 Skipper tends to play too tall in pass protection, a real issue against more athletic and smaller pass rushers. That’s not a major issue against Houston, which tends to play bigger ends outside of Will Anderson — whose status for Sunday is up in the air due to injury, too.

Interestingly, Skipper has performed better at right tackle than left throughout his career in preseason and brief opportunities in the regular season. If Sewell kicks to the left side, Skipper’s relative struggles on the right side could be exacerbated.

Colby Sorsdal

Now in his second season, Sorsdal has been a healthy scratch most of 2024 and has only played on special teams when active. The 2023 fifth-round pick repped exclusively at right tackle in training camp and preseason, stepping in when Sewell needed rest or else repping with the second- and third-team offenses.

Sorsdal did not have an encouraging summer, consistently struggling with the speed of the Lions defense in practices and the speed of the game in preseason matchups against Pittsburgh and Kansas City. Simply out of familiarity with the right side, Sorsdal would likely be the starting option there if Sewell flips sides.

Jamarco Jones

The veteran Jones is on the Lions practice squad after joining the team in preseason. He played well at left tackle in the exhibition matchup against the Chiefs and does have some limited NFL regular-season experience starting on the left side, though he’s primarily played right guard in his stops with the Seahawks and Titans.

Jones also has some live-game experience playing as an extra tackle, which could come in handy if Skipper is required to play as a starter. If he avoids penalties, which has been a struggle for him going back to his college days, Jones is the most effective pass blocker of the reserve options.

Giovanni Manu

Manu was drafted in the fourth round with the implicit knowledge that he was not ready, nor would be ready to play in 2024. That’s been made clear by multiple coaching comments.

The giant Canadian collegian has been a healthy scratch all season and was one of PFF’s lowest-graded pass blockers in the preseason. Those low grades passed the eye/sniff test based on the very technically raw Manu from what we witnessed in practices, too. He should be considered an emergency-option only.

 

Lions Monday medical report after wet Lambeau Field victory

Lions Monday medical report and injury analysis after wet Lambeau Field victory in Week 9

The Packers game appears to have been a generally healthy one for the Lions, and we might have the rainy weather to thank for that. Slow conditions can decrease injury risk given Newton’s second law of motion (force = mass x acceleration).

The slipperiness of the field may have also helped Jahmyr Gibbs avoid a serious ankle or knee injury as explained below.

In Dan Campbell’s Monday press conference, he was not asked and did not comment about any injuries.

Here are the injuries seen on initial watch along with possible diagnoses:


Jahmyr Gibbs, left ankle sprain or right knee bone bruise – 3q 11:00

Gibbs had his left foot dangerously trapped which can cause a high ankle sprain or fracture. While this wasn’t a hip-drop tackle, the mechanism of injury is the same. On video, there is a slight external rotation of the ankle which may have caused a mild high ankle sprain. Gibbs’ foot is able slip out to avoid a more serious injury.

On the subsequent step, the right leg extends outward and plants hard which put him at risk for a knee hyperextension. The slippery field may have helped prevent a more serious injury as his right foot is able to slide just a bit. Fortunately, the video did not show any knee deformity, although a knee bone bruise is still possible.

Gibbs was limping later in the drive but was still able to end the drive with a touchdown. He didn’t play much after that although he did return to the game in the 4th quarter which is reassuring. I expect him to be fine for the Texans game but we’ll see what the Wednesday injury report brings.


Jalen Reeves-Maybin, left shoulder – 4q 13:01

His left arm appears to be slightly tugged by the Packer player’s bent legs during the tackle. The main concern is a subluxation of the shoulder joint. He was nursing his left arm during the next play and went to the bench after that. Good news is that he did return to the game late for the onside kick.

He’ll likely get imaging on the shoulder to check for any damage like a labral tear. Hopefully, the results are negative and this is just a mild shoulder sprain.


Carlton Davis, right shoulder/arm – 4q 10:34

Davis’s right arm or shoulder was bothering him after the play. A stinger is possible as his neck was torqued to the left and he was flexing his fingers afterwards which could indicate tingling or sensation loss. Also possible is a contusion due to the direct impact to the right shoulder.

The unlikely worst-case scenario would be a pec tear which can happen when a runner breaks away while a tackler is wrapping up. We saw this earlier in the year with Kyle Peko.

Davis missed some plays but returned to the game later which is reassuring. We should know by Wednesday whether there is any significant concern.


Penei Sewell, right low ankle sprain – 4q 3:42

Sewell’s ankle appeared to suffer a mild inversion which can cause a low ankle sprain. I didn’t see anything more concerning than that although the video was partially obscured. He was able to finish out the rest of the game. A mild low ankle sprain would be a good outcome and would not affect his availability for the Texans game.

Sewell suffered a mild right ankle sprain back in week one which is likely healed at this point, but an aggravation of that injury is a possibility.

Gimme Him: One player Titans would steal from Lions

The Tennessee Titans need some help at offensive tackle, making this an easy target to grab off the Detroit Lions’ roster.

The Tennessee Titans will be back on the field Sunday when they face the Detroit Lions in Week 8 action. 

That, of course, provides those of us here at Titans Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Lions’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades.

The Titans are struggling, coming off an embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills, and need talent across the board. The Lions are on a completely different spectrum and have many players who could upgrade the Titans’ roster. 

There are many players on the Lions roster who are intriguing names for this exercise, and would make a ton of sense. There is no doubt that QB Jared Goff would be an upgrade over either Will Levis or Mason Rudolph. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, and TE Sam LaPorta would all be amazing as well.

However, the Titans’ offense will continue to struggle until the gaping hole at right tackle is filled, and the Lions’ Penei Sewell is one of the best in the league. 

A first-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft from Oregon has been a standout since entering the league and is one of the catalysts in revitalizing the Lions franchise. At 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, he is an explosive run blocker and, most importantly, an outstanding pass blocker and consistently grades near the top of the Lions’ PFF rankings.

After signing a four-year, $112 million extension in early 2024, he would also be a long-term bookend to JC Lathan at tackle, transforming the Titans offensive line from a severe weakness and liability to potentially one of the better units in the league. 

What are your thoughts, Titans fans? Would you pick Penei Sewell or steal an entirely different player from the Detroit Lions?

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Ben Johnson says Lions still have more tricks up their sleeve after Dallas game

Ben Johnson says Lions still have more tricks up their sleeve after Dallas game

The Lions dominated the Dallas Cowboys Sunday by a score of 47-9. That game included a touchdown that came from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s bag of tricks.

The play started with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown in motion. Quarterback Jared Goff took the snap, then handed off to RB David Montgomery. Monty then handed off to St. Brown who tossed it back to Goff. Goff then launched deep and found TE Sam LaPorta for a 52-yard score that helped give the Lions a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.

You might think the bag is empty for the Lions and Johnson, but as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

“Oh yeah,” Johnson said when asked if there are trick plays from games they did not use. “Each and every week we stock up, and so that’s been constant. It just so happened last week that we wanted to unload them.”

That was just one of a handful of trick plays the Lions tried against the Cowboys. They also tried throwing a pass to OT Taylor Decker, ran a hook a ladder to OT Penei Sewell and had OT Dan Skipper run routes as a wide receiver.

Johnson had this to say about preparing all those trick plays: “It was one of the things that we talked about last week, what is our identity, and one of those three was being detailed, and that’s something springtime, training camp, up until now that we are very demanding out of our players. Really every position group and so when we are like that, you get into a game week, and we have more volume, or we have nuances that maybe we don’t get a ton of reps on. They have to decipher it and handle it, and they do a great job of it. That combined with some of them are for premier looks and if we don’t get that look, we get out of it. I mean, go back a couple weeks ago when we called the pass to Jared (Goff), I want to say Houston ran the same play but it wasn’t quite a premier look in my opinion, and so – I think (Texans WR) Stefon Diggs had to run for the touchdown when they did it. So, we do have some elements of that where we have to get the right look. We’re not just calling plays to call plays because we think they look cool. It’s really by design and intent and then our guys carry it the rest of the way.”

The Lions tried using Decker as an eligible receiver during last year’s meeting in Dallas, but according to the officials, Decker never reported as eligible, wiping out the two-point conversion attempt. Detroit got their revenge and then some. And while those plays are now on film, Johnson is not worried.

“This game’s been around for a long time and our challenge as a coaching staff,” Johnson said. “And I say it to the offensive staff quite a bit, is we can run a million different types of plays and because of that, I don’t like to run the same one twice. I don’t like to do it within a game, I don’t like to do it within a season. We certainly do have some staples that I will repeat at times, but we’re charged with let’s have a little creativity. Defenses, they’re doing their film study, they’re looking at things, they’re finding, ‘Hey out of this formation, they’re doing this, that and the other.’ And we try to mix it up. So, from that regard, I’m not worried about putting things on tape. If anything else, it’s just going to help set up the next thing down the road, and yeah, the well is deep in terms of the thoughts.”

The Lions could very well break out another fun play this week in what is now a huge divisional game against the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North.