Trevor Nowaske – Syndication Server

Lions snap count notes: Dan Campbell rode his starters heavily vs. Texans

Lions snap count notes: Dan Campbell rode his starters heavily in the Week 10 win over the Houston Texans

Injuries across the Detroit Lions roster forced head coach Dan Campbell to ask a lot of his healthy regular starters, and also more than expected from several reserves. It wasn’t always pretty of confidence-inducing, but the Lions delivered in a thrilling 26-23 comeback win.

The snap counts from Detroit’s Week 10 trip to Houston reveal just how strapped for healthy bodies the Lions were in a few spots. It starts on the defense.

Nine defensive starters played at least 58 of the 68 snaps in the game. That includes five iron men:

Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch
Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell
Cornerback Terrion Arnold

Cornerback Carlton Davis missed three plays after leaving briefly with a minor injury.

Linemen Josh Paschal, Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike all played an absurd amount of snaps for big men thanks to the myriad injuries around them. Paschal was on the field for 61 snaps, with McNeill at 59 and Onwuzurike at 58. That’s over 85 percent for each.

In the third LB vs. third CB snap rate–the Lions almost always have one or the other, but not both, on the field–SAM Trevor Nowaske played more than nickel/slot Amik Robertson, 33 to 29.

The Lions only used No. 4 CB Kindle Vildor on three plays–the ones Davis sat out. No other corners played beyond special teams. Joseph and Branch were the only safeties who played. Reserve Brandon Joseph only played on special teams, while rookie Loren Strickland was inactive in Week 10.

On offense, the starting line and QB Jared Goff all played all 65 snaps. Veteran Dan Skipper got the nod at left tackle with Taylor Decker inactive due to a shoulder injury.

Jamarco Jones made his Lions debut with one official snap as an extra tackle (Skipper’s normal role), though he had two other plays that were negated due to penalties. No other linemen played outside of special teams.

The ever-popular running back splits saw Jahmyr Gibbs getting 60 percent of the workload to David Montgomery’s 40 percent. The Lions had one or the other in on every snap, but never played more than one. Gibbs and Montgomery were the only RBs who played on offense, with Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki very busy on special teams.

Jameson Williams returned from his two-game suspension and quickly resumed his WR2 role. He played 48 of the 65 offensive snaps, followed by Tim Patrick (32), Kalif Raymond (16) and Allen Robinson (4). Third TE Shane Zylstra got 19 snaps, behind Sam LaPorta (39) and Brock Wright (37), showing the Lions’ need for auxiliary blocking with Decker sidelined.

Lions snap count notes vs. Vikings: How Detroit replaced Aidan Hutchinson in Week 7

Week 7 marked the first time the Detroit Lions were forced to play without Aidan Hutchinson. Knowing Hutchinson’s league-leading pass-rush production cannot possibly be replaced by one player, the Lions attacked the Minnesota Vikings with a barrage of options at EDGE.

Josh Paschal and Isaac Uwku earned the starting roles, as the Lions continue to adapt to also not having starter Marcus Davenport. Paschal, who bagged the first of Detroit’s four sacks of Vikings QB Sam Darnold, played the most with 52 of 60 snaps. Ukwu, elevated from the practice squad for the second straight week, was next at 34, followed by Levi Onwuzurike at 26, freshly signed Pat O’Connor with 12, rookie Mekhi Wingo 11 and James Houston on the field for 9 reps.

The defense featured five iron men, Lions who played all 60 defensive reps:

S Kerby Joseph
S Brian Branch
CB Carlton Davis
CB Terrion Arnold
LB Alex Anzalone

Paschal might’ve attained that too, if not for having to exit twice for attention from trainers.

Detroit’s defense also opted for more 3-LB looks than normal. Third LB Malcolm Rodriguez played over half the game, getting 32 reps. Jack Campbell played 47 and Trevor Nowaske, the new SAM, repping 14 snaps. Jalen Reeves-Maybin also played 10, and that doesn’t count the (abysmal) fake punt in the first quarter.

Other notes

The starting offensive line, including fill-in RG Kayode Awosika, all played all 57 snaps. Detroit did not use an extra lineman at any point in this game.

The RB snap splits: Jahmyr Gibbs 33, David Montgomery 22, Craig Reynolds 2.

Rookies Ennis Rakestraw (CB) and Sione Vaki (RB) only appeared on special teams.

TE Shane Zylstra, elevated from the practice squad in favor of healthy scratch Parker Hesse, played three offensive snaps and 21 of a possible 31 special teams reps.

Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys

Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys in Week 6

The Detroit Lions lost SAM backer Derrick Barnes in the Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Rather than looking outside the organization to replace the unique skills Barnes brought to the role, the Lions gave the first crack at replacing him to young Trevor Nowaske.

Nowaske, reclaimed earlier this year after being poached from Detroit by the Arizona Cardinals a year ago, filled in for Barnes in a very limited duty against Seattle. His role expanded quite a bit in Detroit’s Week 6 blowout win over the Cowboys in Dallas.

Nowaske played 29 snaps in Dallas of a possible 69 defensive reps. I watched all 29, focusing on No. 53 and how he performed on each. I evaluated Nowaske on every snap, giving him a plus for a positive play and a minus for a poor one. Not every play earns a plus or minus. Here’s what I took away from Nowaske against the Cowboys.

Nowaske didn’t play in the first two defensive series as the Cowboys were almost exclusively in 10 (1 RB, no TEs) or 11 (1 RB, 1 TE) personnel packages; the Lions defense typically never uses the SAM (the 3rd LB) against those groupings. Dallas opened its third drive with 13 personnel (3 TEs), and that brought Nowaske onto the field.

Nowaske didn’t earn any mark on this play, a run that went to the other side of the formation. He did shed the block from the outside TE and got involved in the pileup after the tackle was already made, a good effort but not a consequential one for the play outcome.

The first plus came well into the third quarter, after Aidan Hutchinson’s unfortunate injury. Nowaske lined up in Hutchinson’s role as a stand-up EDGE against Cowboys RT Terrence Steele and immediately beat No. 78 with a bull move that he pulled off and shed to wrap up a fleeing Dak Prescott. It’s a clean-up sack, with Nowaske finishing what pressure DJ Reader and Isaac Ukwu started, but No. 53 did a great job here.

Nowaske earned his first minus on his next pass rush attempt, this time from the other side of the formation. He was easily nullified by Tyler Smith and didn’t do much with his hands or shoulders to try and break free.

The very next play was the Brian Branch “punchout” forced fumble, and Nowaske should have drawn a holding penalty on Smith on this one. Tough to rush the passer when the tackle has his full hand inside your shoulder pad under your jersey…

In an unexpected twist, Nowaske later earned a plus for his hustle and blocking on the Brian Branch interception that was nearly returned for a pick-six. Nowaske had a pass rush win on the play and then nicely got in the way of the Cowboys pursuit of Branch.

Overall tally for Nowaske

In the 29 snaps, Nowaske earned five plusses and three minuses. Nearly all of his grade-worthy action game while playing as the LDE in the base defense once Hutchinson left. The game was well in hand for the Lions by that point, for context.

In the run game, Nowaske earned one plus and one minus. Dallas barely ran the ball, so that’s not much of a sample size.

As a pass rusher, Nowaske picked up four plusses and two minuses. The plusses includes his sack and another QB pressure. His one rep in coverage was inconsequential.

I’d like to see Nowaske play with better pad level when setting the edge on the run. As a pass rusher, he did a pretty good job of not offering the blocker a clean target and generally (but not always) fought well to shed.

Dan Campbell ‘fired up’ at the Lions new SAM linebacker

Dan Campbell ‘fired up’ at the Lions new SAM linebacker, local product Trevor Nowaske

Now that it appears the injury to Detroit SAM linebacker Derrick Barnes could very well be a season-ender, the Lions are working on filling Barnes’ considerable shoes in the defensive front. The bye week helped head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions identify their top replacement.

No, it’s not from the outside. The Lions are planning on filling the hole internally with Trevor Nowaske, who was claimed off waivers at the roster cutdowns from the Arizona Cardinals.

Nowaske played in Detroit in 2023 as an undrafted rookie from D-II Saginaw Valley State, but the Cardinals poached him when the Lions had to finagle a roster move during the season. Detroit returned the favor in reclaiming the athletically superb Nowaske, a Detroit-area (Canton) native.

Campbell seems quite intrigued and excited by the prospect of Nowaske stepping into Barnes’ role.

“Yep, we like Now,” Campbell enthused before Wednesday’s practice ahead of Week 6. “We were fired up to get him back here. And certainly, that’s the role that we see him in is that SAM linebacker, some of the X on the third down position. So, I think yes there’s a place for him there and we just keep working with him. That’s the best way to say it.”

Campbell continued,

“He’s still a young player, he’s a developing player, and I think the best way to answer – we’re going to need all those guys and we’re going to use everything in our arsenal, especially in the linebacker room.”

Nowaske got a taste of action in the Lions’ Week 4 win over the Seahawks, playing 11 snaps–all in the basic Barnes role of SAM backer. That’s a specialized role in Aaron Glenn’s defense that primarily involves rushing the passer from a stand-up LB position, but also coverage drops and run blitzes/fills. It requires athleticism and quick reactions, two things Nowaske has shown in brief chances with both the Lions and Cardinals.

Snap count notes: How Detroit replaced the injured Lions in Week 4

One of the questions regarding the Detroit Lions entering Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks was, how will the Lions coaches replace the players lost to recent injuries?

The snap counts from the game reflect some pretty clear answers.

Detroit played just 53 total offensive snaps, a total that is normally on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Jared Goff not throwing a single incompletion and the big plays that produced quick touchdowns held back the play count on the offense.

Graham Glasgow switched from left guard to center and played every snap. Kayode Awosika slid into the LG spot and also went the whole way.

Extra tackle Dan Skipper was on the field for four snaps. All four of those came as part of a “jumbo” package that also included No. 3 TE Parker Hesse, who saw seven total reps. Top TE Sam LaPorta had no issues in playing 47 snaps, the same number as WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.

At receiver, Tim Patrick has run away with the No. 3 role. He played 21 snaps to just six for Kalif Raymond. Running back saw Jahmyr Gibbs out rep David Montgomery, 30-21, with No. 3 back Craig Reynolds playing the final two kneeldowns. Sione Vaki didn’t rep on offense in this game.

With so few offensive plays, the defense was on the field a lot. Detroit’s defense had 90 snaps, the highest of any team that’s won a game all year. Keep in mind that plays negated by penalty don’t count, so the Lions defense was out there for 99!

Replacing EDGE Marcus Davenport was a group chore. Levi Onwuzurike got the lion’s share with 56 reps, though he moved around the formation. Josh Paschal was on the field for 53, which seems a very high total until looking at Aidan Hutchinson playing 78–an 87 percent snap rate. James Houston had his biggest outing of the season with 14 reps.

The LB reps from injured Derrick Barnes divvied up across Malcolm Rodriguez (31), Ben Niemann (23), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (18) and Trevor Nowaske (8). Alex Anzalone was the only defensive player on the field for all 90 snaps in his return from missing Week 3 with a concussion.

Safety turned into the Joseph and Joseph show without injured Brian Branch. Both Josephs, Kerby and Brandon, played 89 of 90 snaps at safety. Undrafted rookie Loren Strickland only played on special teams.

At cornerback, Amik Robertson played 52 snaps as the slot corner. Kindle Vildor (5) and rookie Ennis Rakestraw (1) only saw action when starters Terrion Arnold (84) and Carlton Davis (88) had brief interruptions.

A couple of Lions players have officially changed their jersey numbers

A couple of Lions players have officially changed their jersey numbers, both on defense

One of the things that invariably happens at the end of every training camp is jersey number changes. Players who made the 53-man roster get a chance to change things up and snatch a number that was worn by a player that didn’t make the team, or make a deal with another player to swap rights to a specific number.

The Detroit Lions have a couple of players who appear on the Week 1 roster listed with different jersey numbers than what they donned over the summer. Both of the changes come on the defensive side of the ball.

Brandon Joseph has switched from 40 to 12. The reserve safety took the number previously worn by WR Daurice Fountain.

Undrafted rookie safety Loren Strickland swapped into No. 24. He was wearing 28. Steven Gilmore previously had the No 24 jersey.

In addition, recently added LB Trevor Nowaske will wear No. 53 in his second tour of duty in Detroit.

Lions bring back local LB on a successful waiver wire claim

The Cardinals waived Nowaske and the Lions claimed him, after Arizona did that to the Lions last year

The NFL’s waiver claim process was completed at 12 p.m. ET on August 28th, a day after the initial 53-man roster cutdowns completed. This is a chance for teams to claim other players with less than four years of NFL service who were waived in the past days.

The Detroit Lions landed one player on a waiver claim. It’s a familiar one: linebacker Trevor Nowaske. The Saginaw Valley State alum was on the Lions last year as an undrafted rookie before being claimed off waivers midseason by the Arizona Cardinals.

Holding the No. 29 spot in the waiver wire, which is based on the pre-trade NFL draft order from April, left the Lions as longshots to land anyone with claims. Even if the Lions put in a claim on an eligible player, any of the 28 teams above them in the claim order would get that same player over Detroit if they also put a claim on him.

Detroit was the first team in the line who put in a claim on Nowaske, who joins a crowded LB room in Detroit.

There were a total of 26 players claimed around the league.

Trevor Nowaske claimed off waivers by the Cardinals

The Lions hoped Nowaske wouldn’t get claimed but the Cardinals were one of several teams that placed a waiver claim

The Lions knew they were risking a personnel loss when they waived linebacker Trevor Nowaske on Thursday. That unfortunate possibility became a reality when the Arizona Cardinals claimed the undrafted rookie from the waiver wire.

Nowaske will be on the Cardinals’ 53-man roster for the remainder of the season, and Arizona controls his rights beyond the 2023 campaign. The Detroit-area native was a feel-good story, earning a spot on the Lions as an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State. The Lions added him to the active roster earlier in the season when another team attempted to poach him off the practice squad.

He played extensively on special teams in the last two games but did not appear on defense.

Cornerback Chase Lucas cleared waivers and is expected back on the Lions practice squad.

Lions activate FB Jason Cabinda, waive two defenders

Lions activate FB Jason Cabinda from I.R. and waive two defenders ahead of Week 17

Jason Cabinda is back on the Detroit Lion’s active roster. The team formally activated the veteran fullback from injured reserve on Thursday.

Cabinda has not played since getting injured in Week 3. He was designated to return from I.R. last week and will play against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. Fellow I.R. returnee designation C.J. Gardner-Johnson remains out for another week.

To make room for Cabinda, the Lions waived two young defensive players. Cornerback Chase Lucas and rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske were each waived and are subject to waiver claims. If they clear waivers, the Lions can add them back to the practice squad.

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The second opening figures to go to kicker Michael Badgley, who is still on the practice squad. Badgley has already utilized two of his maximum three roster elevations, and the team has not worked out any kickers since making Badgley the starter in Week 15. The Lions will announce the practice squad elevations for the week prior to Saturday night’s game in Dallas.

Candidates for the Lions to cut to make room for players returning from injuries

When CJGJ, Alim McNeill, James Houston and others (potentially) return, the Lions will have to make some cuts to free up roster space and these players are the most vulnerable.

There are a few players who are poised to come back to the Detroit Lions in the coming couple of weeks after missing time with injuries.

It will be a real boost for the Lions to potentially get back players like Alim McNeill, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jason Cabinda and James Houston. The process already started with the activation of rookie QB Hendon Hooker from the non-football injury list on Tuesday.

With the returns, it means some players currently on the active 53-man roster will need to be cut to make room. Kicker Riley Patterson was the first victim, as he was waived for Hooker to get activated. Michael Badgley is the new kicker, though he remains (for now) on the practice squad. That’s another roster spot that will eventually need to be freed up, too.

Who are the unfortunate likely candidates to be waived when guys like McNeill and Gardner-Johnson return? Remember–all players are subject to waivers from now through the end of the season, so there has to be some strategy involved here.