Tag: Penei Sewell

Lions injury update: 2 players sit out 1st practice of Week 16

Lions injury update: 2 players sit out 1st practice of Week 16 while 2 players on IR returned to practice action

The Lions have begun practices for the Week 16 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Two players who have not been on the injured list recently sat out the Wednesday practice session.

Cornerback Jerry Jacobs (hamstring) and tight end Brock Wright (hip) were listed as out with their injuries. Jacobs only appeared on special teams in the Week 15 win over the Broncos.

Two players currently on the injured reserve list were practicing. Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson (pec) and fullback Jason Cabinda (knee) have both had their return clocks started. Both players are now eligible to be activated anytime in the next 21 days.

Three players were limited participants:

LB Derrick Barnes (shoulder)

DL Levi Onwuzurike (knee)

RT Penei Sewell (shoulder)

The Lions practice again on Thursday and Friday.

3 Lions earn spots on PFF’s All-Improved team for 2023

3 Lions earn spots on PFF’s All-Improved team for 2023, one of which might really surprise fans

We’re getting to the time of the season when lists and honors for the full season start trickling out. One of the first comes from Pro Football Focus.

PFF revealed it’s “All-Improved Team” for 2023. Three Detroit Lions make an appearance, including one that might be a surprise.

Running back David Montgomery, right tackle Penei Sewell and defensive tackle Alim McNeill made the cut.

McNeill is no surprise. The DT changed his body, becoming more of an attacking interior presence in his third NFL season. He’s second on the Lions in sacks (5) and has been among the most disruptive tackles around the league.

Montgomery is a bit of a surprise, in that he was already an accomplished back for the Bears. PFF explained it nicely,

It helps that Montgomery is rushing behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, but his vision and ability to break off big runs have still improved. Montgomery is recording an explosive run on 28.3% of his rushing attempts, the highest mark of his career, and he has rushed for a career-high 10 touchdowns. Sometimes, a change of scenery can get the best out of a player, and Montgomery is having a career year in Detroit.

Then there’s Sewell, who had already established himself as one of the NFL’s best offensive tackles over the course of his first two seasons. He has indeed improved, especially before struggling a bit the last two weeks,

Sewell’s 90.0 overall grade is the best among all NFL tackles by a considerable margin — Tyron Smith is second with an 86.5 grade — and he has allowed just 12 pressures all season. He was already a rising star, but Sewell is going to be considered one of the best in the game for a long time.

It’s a nice recognition on a list that typically includes players more like McNeill — guys who leap from average to noteworthy impact players.

One curious omission: linebacker Alex Anzalone. The follically gifted backer is having a career year, and it’s reflected in his PFF grades. Anzalone has an overall grade of 76.6 and a coverage mark of 77.3, both of which are handily the best of his seven-year NFL career. He also has a career-high three sacks.

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Breaking down the Jameson Williams touchdown against the Saints

Breaking down the spectacular Jameson Williams touchdown for the Lions against the Saints

Just a few weeks back, things were looking bleak for Jameson Williams and his young career with the Detroit Lions. Drops were a concern and he was playing limited snaps. However, he’s done the little things over recent weeks and it’s earning him the opportunity to make big plays.

In fact, we’re getting to a point where it feels like Jameson Williams needs to be slotted as the permanent number two receiver for this offense.

The reason is that whenever he’s on the field, he’s making a key block or making a big play with the ball in his hands. Teams have to honor his speed, and it just feels like he gives this offense a different element that they didn’t have previously.

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This season, Williams has only played 271 offensive snaps but he’s only been active since week 5 of the season. Meanwhile, his offensive snap percentage has been 50% or higher since Week 9 against the Chargers. But if the Lions started playing him more, he would start taking snaps from receiver Josh Reynolds.

For Reynolds, he’s played 611 offensive snaps this season and has been averaging 64% or more snaps since week 9 against the Chargers. During that time, Reynolds has only recorded 6 receptions for 53 yards and a score. Despite playing less snaps, we’re seeing Williams produce better results. Since week 9, Williams has recorded 7 receptions for 124 yards and a score.

To me, it’s evident that the change needs to happen. Williams provides more of a spark for an offense that is already creative enough to get the ball into the hands of their play makers.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson showed that creativity with a double reverse that found Williams diving into the end-zone for a touchdown that extended the Lions lead to 12 points. Let’s breakdown this touchdown for the Lions talented first round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft!

Despite being up 21-0 on the Saints, the Lions found themselves in a much tighter ball game than expected. Entering the 4th quarter, it was 27-21 and it was starting to feel like the Saints were going to take the lead. However, Jameson Williams and the Lions offense had a better idea.

Looking at the play above, we’re just seconds into the 4th quarter and the Lions are faced with a 2nd-and-10 on the Saints 19-yard line. The Lions come out with Jared Goff under center with his 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) on the field.

Once the ball is snapped, Goff fakes the hand-off to David Montgomery in the backfield and while Goff is carrying out his fake to the running back, he hands the ball off to wide receiver Kaliff Raymond. This is due to Raymond looping around to the backfield on the reverse.

However, to spice it up, not only does Raymond get the ball from Goff, he ends up handing it off to Jameson Williams. What makes this play remarkable is that Williams almost goes about 15 yards into the backfield to get the ball and then his speed and acceleration after getting the ball is just so impressive.

With a clear lane to the end-zone, Williams puts his foot on the gas and doesn’t stop until he scores. Lost in the speed of Jamo, there were two key blocks downfield on this play.

The first one is Graham Glasgow getting out in space and kicking out the cornerback that is flying across the field to make the tackle. Additionally, Penei Sewell blocks downfield and gets up to the safety to close off any angle that defender has to the football. The speed of Jamo is just the cherry on top for this play.

Zack Baun’s first career sack should lead to a specialty role

Zack Baun had his first career sack Sunday. Rushing the passer was his specialty coming out of college. Maybe he could be used in that role in 2023:

New Orleans Saints linebacker Zack Baun registered his first career sack Sunday against the Detroit Lions, beating Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell off the edge for a clean takedown. It’s a sign of how he should be used more going forward. It’s kind of surprising he hadn’t registered a sack to this point in his career. Rushing the passer was his specialty in college, but in New Orleans he’s been an off-ball linebacker.

Baun registered his sack rushing against the right tackle. He only plays 23% of the defensive snaps, but he needs to be used as a pass rusher more frequently. It plays to his strengths and could revitalize his career in a pass rushing role, similar to Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick.

On a more short term note, Baun could help the Saints struggling pass rush. He would make the pass rush faster and more athletic. Using Baun as a pass rusher could help him and the Saints going forward.

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Strong core of young Lions ranked highly in ESPN’s All-Youngster team

Strong core of young Lions ranked highly in ESPN’s All-Youngster team, including two rookies

The Detroit Lions might not be the youngest team in the NFL any longer, but there is still a plethora of young high-end talent on the team. That bright future is reflected in the latest edition of ESPN’s “All Youngster Team,” which breaks down the top talents under 24 years of age across the league.

On offense, two Lions are evaluated as the top talents under 24 at their positions. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is a runaway choice, with analyst Matt Miller noting the 22-year-old LaPorta “has a strong case for already being a top-five tight end.”

Right tackle Penei Sewell, 23, is a first-teamer, too. He gets his position flipped to left tackle here to accommodate Bears RT Darnell Wright, who can only play on the right, whereas Sewell has experience on the left, too.

On defense, Aidan Hutchinson is a no-brainer first-team selection at EDGE. Interestingly, he’s joined by rookie LB Jack Campbell, who earned the first-team nod at off-ball LB. Campbell has had his rookie struggles, but analyst Matt Bowen notes,

“(Campbell) sees it fast here, with the ability to pursue the ball carrier. Plus, Campbell can play at depth in zone coverage, putting himself in a position to drive top-down on second-level throws.”

Rookie DB Brian Branch didn’t make the list, perhaps because he straddles the line between cornerback and safety rather than having one set roile.

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No ‘Sewell Bowl’ between Lions and Bears in Week 11

The Sewell brothers were set to play in Week 11, but Bears LB Noah was ruled out with a knee injury

The much-anticipated first NFL meeting between the Sewell brothers will have to wait a little longer. Detroit right tackle Penei Sewell and Bears LB Noah Sewell were set to face off in Week 11 in Ford Field, but an injury will keep it from happening.

The Bears ruled Noah Sewell, a rookie from Oregon, out with a knee injury. Big brother Penei, now in his third season with the Lions, will look to extend his impressive shutout streak in pass protection without having to block his little brother.

Noah Sewell has played sparingly as a fifth-round rookie. He’s been on the field for just 25 total snaps across 10 games. This will be the first NFL contest he’s missed due to injury.

The “Sewell Bowl” could still happen in Week 14 in Chicago, a game that the Bears will host after coming off their bye week. Their brother Nephi is a linebacker for the Saints as well; Penei and Nephi will square off in Week 13 if Nephi is active for the game. He was inactive when Noah’s Bears met the Saints in Week 9.

Film Review: Best run blocks from the Lions offensive line versus the Chargers

Film Review: Best run blocks from the Lions offensive line versus the Chargers

Ever since Dan Campbell became the head coach of the Detroit Lions, their offensive line has been the most consistent unit in football. Regardless of who they’ve had playing up front, the physical play from the group has become their identity. Led by players such as Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker, it has done wonders for this team.

Currently, the Lions are the 4th best rushing team in the NFL with 139.0 rushing yards per game. Overall, their 406.4 total yards per game are second best in the NFL. The only team with a better offense right now are the Miami Dolphins.

When watching the Lions against the Chargers in week 10, it was evident that their offensive line was playing some of their best football this season. Much of that is due to the return of Jonah Jackson at left guar , Frank Ragnow at center and Graham Glasgow cementing himself as a solid starter at right guard. Let’s jump into the tape from the Lions game against the Chargers to see why this offensive line is playing at such a high level.

One of the most underrated blocks from the entire game for the Lions was right here. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in 11 personnel (one tight end and one running back) with a condensed set on the left of the formation.

Prior to the snap, Jared Goff puts Amon-Ra St. Brown on a jet-motion to the right of the formation. As St. Brown hurries across, Goff snaps the football off to Jahmyr Gibbs. Looking at the offensive line, you can see how the entire offensive line steps hard to their left and reaches left. This indicates a zone run and in the process, you’ll see Graham Glasgow highlighted at right guard.

The reason for Glasgow getting highlighted is not for what he did on a brief combo block with Penei Sewell. Instead, it’s for the heads up play he made after he steps down and gets up to the linebacker. As the inside linebacker attacks downhill and looks to fill in the A-gap, Glasgow does just enough to force the defender out of the way. This clears a path for Gibbs to gain five yards and a first down. This play had disaster written all over it but Glasgow made it a positive gain.

Moving to the next play, the Lions have Jared Goff under center. Prior to the snap, he puts tight end Brock Wright in motion. After Wright gets past Goff, the ball is snapped and is tossed to Jahmyr Gibbs. Even though this is a great cut and overall gain from Gibbs, I want to focus on right tackle Penei Sewell.

Despite having Wright in motion, Sewell is able to fire out of his stance and pulls to become one of the lead blockers for Gibbs. As Sewell gets out there, he doesn’t play too fast. In fact, his play speed is perfect. Reason being, if he plays too fast, his angle to the defender will worsen. Meanwhile, he knows the defenders have to come to him because they’re trying to tackle the ball carrier.

As Sewell is on the move, he looks inside and finds the inside linebacker trying to scrape over the top. With great power and speed, Sewell sends the linebacker away from Gibbs and helps keep an open rushing lane for some additional yards.

Going to the next play, it was one of the biggest runs of the day from the Lions. It was a 35-yard run from Jahmyr Gibbs that setup the first touchdown of the day for Detroit. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) and Jared Goff is under center.

Prior to the snap, Goff puts a tight end in motion and once the tight end gets past him, he snaps the football. On a short toss to Gibbs, there’s two combo blocks that occur on this play. The first one is with Sewell (RT) and Glasgow (RG). They double the defensive end that is aligned as a 4-technique or head up on the right tackle. Meanwhile, look at the combo block from Jackson (LG) and Ragnow (C) on the nose tackle.

The blocks from the entire offensive line is terrific but seeing Ragnow and Jackson turn a defender and drive him 7 or 8 yards downfield is magnificent. It creates a huge rushing lane for Gibbs and he makes a terrific cut to run across the field and towards the end-zone.

It’s unfortunate that Gibbs was out at the one-yard line but on the very next play, he ended up scoring. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Gibbs gained at least three or four yards before any defender put a hand on him during this run. Per Pro Football Reference, the Lions average 2.7 yards before contact per attempt (tied for 11th best in the NFL).

The next run I want to showcase is perfect to describe the Lions and their identity as a team. The play above is the drive following the Kerby Joseph interception in the first quarter. Even though it’s 4th-and-5, it was decided by Dan Campbell that the Lions were going to roll the dice on this play.

Looking at the play, the Lions come out in a shotgun formation with 11 personnel (one tight end and one running back). On the play, they run a trap play where the left guard Jonah Jackson pulls to the play-side. As Jackson turns upfield, he meets a defensive tackle that is aligned as a 3-technique and is crashing inside.

Meanwhile, the right guard Graham Glasgow flips toward that same 3-technique aligned on his outside shoulder. This forces the defensive tackle to hesitate while trying to disrupt the backfield. This gives Jackson time to get into the A-gap and seal off the defensive tackle.

As for Glasgow, he gets out of the way and up to the second level to seal off a linebacker. This trap play is blocked perfectly by the Lions and the way it it’s blocked is key to the gain of six yards and a first down.

Lastly, I want to highlight one of my favorite plays from the entire game for the Lions. Looking at the play above, I simply want to highlight the combo block from Penei Sewell (RT 58) and Graham Glasgow (RG 60).

Once the ball is snapped, watch how they attack the defensive tackle aligned as a 3-technique between them. They drive this defender 10-yards downfield. Before the whistle, Sewell levels the defender into the dirt and looks for another person to hit.

While this wasn’t a massive gain, the block made from Sewell and Glasgow is a thing of beauty. Those types of blocks occur consistently from the Lions offensive line. The performance from this unit on Sunday against the Chargers was one of their best outings on the year so far.

Detroit Lions offensive line the top-ranked unit from PFF

The Detroit Lions offensive line is the top-ranked unit from PFF through Week 9

During the second half of last season, it was evident that the Lions offensive line was playing some of their best football together. The run game was working and Jared Goff was standing upright.

Going into this season, there was concern at right guard and who the starter was going to be for Detroit. However, the Lions have mixed and matched different combinations at both guard and center throughout the season and have been just fine.

Graham Glasgow has been able to play center and guard for Detroit and he’s played well. Meanwhile, rookie Colby Sorsdal earned his first career start against the Raiders and played 86 snaps. Additionally, he was part of the unit that paved the way for the Lions to run for over 220 yards on the ground against Las Vegas.

Even with injuries to Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Frank Ragnow and Jonah Jackson, they’ve made it work with Kayode Awosika and Dan Skipper as well. Much of the credit goes to players and the leadership from Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker but let’s tip the hat to offensive line coach Hank Fraley. He’s one of the most underrated coaches in the league and he’s got his unit clicking on all cylinders. It doesn’t matter who’s on the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Lions have the top ranked offensive line unit after nine weeks of football. They’ve had a steady grip on the number one spot due to their offensive line ranking third in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency. They’ve only allowed 72 pressures on 311 drop backs.

Adding to that, the Lions best player up front is Penei Sewell. The third-year tackle has earned an 82.4 overall grade and is ranked fourth among tackles. Whether he’s playing left or right tackle, Sewell is an absolute stud. Meanwhile, he’s always getting the team fired up before every game.

In the article, the projected offensive line starters for Detroit in week 10 are the following:

  • LT Taylor Decker
  • LG Jonah Jackson
  • C Frank Ragnow
  • RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai — Dan Campbell states Graham Glasgow has earned the right to start at RG.
  • RT Penei Sewell

This unit will have their hands full in week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. They’ll need to find ways to slow down Derwin James, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Tuli Tiupulota.

Fortunately, all of the projected starters for the Lions offensive line are expected to be back for this game. It will be interesting to see who starts at right guard as Dan Campbell spoke to the media today and suggested that Graham Glasgow has “earned the right to start at RG.” For the full article on the PFF OL Rankings, you can read it here.

 

Film Review: Jahmyr Gibbs has best game of his career against the Raiders

Film Review: Lions rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs has best game of his career against the Raiders

When the Detroit Lions selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it was no secret that the expectations were going to be high. Much like most first-round picks, those expectations tend to get put on players right away. Especially for running backs…

So far this season, Gibbs has been very consistent as a pass-catcher. He’s got 28 receptions on 33 targets that’s resulted in 165 yards. Against the Ravens, Gibbs was one of the lone bright spots for the Lions offense. He had 11 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. However, it’s felt like for some time that Gibbs was due for a breakout performance.

On Monday night football against the Raiders, he had that breakout performance. Against the Raiders, he had 26 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown. In addition to that, he had five receptions for 37 yards. He is showing that he can be a bell cow back; everything is pointing up for Gibbs and the Lions’ offense. Let’s jump into the tape from Monday night to showcase some of the best runs from Jahmyr Gibbs!

Starting with the play above, the Lions come out in a trips left formation but it’s a condensed set. As the center and left guard pull to the play-side, Gibbs takes the delayed hand-off from Jared Goff. In these tight areas, Gibbs shows quick feet, good burst and the ability to follow his blockers through the hole. Had he not got tripped up by the safety coming downhill, there’s a chance he would have taken this one to the end zone.

Moving to the next play, the play above was one of my favorite carries from Gibbs on Monday night. He shows terrific start-and-stop ability on this run. As he takes the hand-off from Goff, the original hole he was supposed to run through closes quickly. He bounces this run to the outside and shows terrific burst to hit the next opening. With great vision, effort and burst, Gibbs was able to make something out of nothing with this run.

Lastly, I want to cover the touchdown from Gibbs. It’s a perfect run, and it sums him up as the type of playmaker he can be for this Lions offense. On the play above, the Lions come out in 12 personnel and run a simple inside zone run.

As Gibbs takes the hand-off, he sees a defender pressing the line-of-scrimmage but he’s also able to see the slightest opening to his right. With a simple lateral cut, Gibbs cuts up-field and forces the initial defender to miss the tackle at the line-of-scrimmage. Getting through the opening, Gibbs has the explosiveness and burst to make defenders look silly. He does just that and once he makes another defender miss in the open field, he’s off to the races.

It was a career night for Gibbs with the 152 yards on the ground and the 37 yards through the air. He forced 11 missed tackles against the Raiders and 102 of his rushing yards came after contact.

As the Lions are on their bye week, Gibbs will get a much-needed break. However, I’d hope that he gets paired back up with David Montgomery in this Detroit backfield. Regardless, this type of performance should give the Lions and their fans reassurance that Gibbs can absolutely be one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL.

Best and worst PFF grades from the Lions loss to the Ravens

Best and worst PFF grades from the Lions loss to the Ravens

The Lions performance against the Baltimore Ravens was one of the more notable ones of the season. Not in the sense one could hope but that it may serve as a callback down the road when greener pastures are in front of them.

The Ravens cemented themselves as Super Bowl contenders, and the Lions still are as well. One bad week is something that every team goes through and upon looking deeper, PFF says there were some bright spots.

Offense, defense, and special teams all had their moments.

PFF and their deeper look allows for someone to find a silver lining in an otherwise abysmal display from the team. One of the major highlights, the offensive line. It wasn’t just them however, lots to like, and dislike, as one could expect.