Tag: Tyrell Crosby

Detroit Lions Week 15 injury report: Matthew Stafford misses practice again on Thursday

Examining the Detroit Lions Week 15 Thursday injury report as the team prepares to take on the Tennessee Titans.

The Detroit Lions (5-8) were practicing indoors again on Thursday as they prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans (9-4) in Week 15, and outside of upgrading a handful of limited players to full practices, not much has changed from yesterday’s report.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Rib/Right Thumb No Practice No Practice
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice
Frank Ragnow Throat No Practice No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Ankle No Practice No Practice
Darryl Roberts Hip No Practice No Practice

Stafford missed another day of practice, as expected, and interim coach Darrell made a point of mentioning the Lions have had no talks of shutting him down for the season. He is still in play for Sunday and a decision could come down to the wire.

Golladay is still not ready to practice.

Ragnow’s throat fracture received some more clarity today, with Bevell pointing out that the injury is in the vocal cord cartilage, not the bone. The plan for Ragnow is to rest his vocal cords, then reevaluate on Friday to determine if playing on Sunday is an option. Bevell wouldn’t disclose who would start in Ragnow’s absence at center, but did say he was “confident with the plan that we’ll have going forward.”

Of note: Joe Dahl, the most likely candidate to replace Ragnow at center, said today that he feels very comfortable at the position.

Crosby continuing to miss practices is also an indicator the Lions may need to keep his replacement options at the ready. Matt Nelson filled in the last game and a half, but Vaitai is practicing and could be an option.

Hand missing practice is a statement Lions fans have become all too familiar with. He’s an important member of the defensive line and a valuable player at getting inside pressure — but he needs healthy.

Roberts missing another practice is concerning as it leaves the Lions with only three healthy corners, with the fourth option being 10-year Tramaine Brock, who the Lions just signed to the practice squad.

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
John Penisini Shoulder Limited Practice Limited Practice

Penisini getting in back to back limited practices after not missing a snap last week is a good sign for his availability on Sunday.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Adrian Peterson Forearm Limited Practice Full Practice
Jason Cabinda Illness No Practice Full Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Full Practice
Tracy Walker Shoulder Limited Practice Full Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle Full Practice Full Practice

Peterson, Cabinda, Bryant, and Walker all being upgraded to full practices meaning they are likely headed towards full availability this weekend. Moore appears to be on track to play as well.

Titans’ Report

This section will be updated when info becomes available.

Detroit Lions Week 15 injury report: Matthew Stafford, Frank Ragnow, Kenny Golladay not practicing Wednesday

Examining the Detroit Lions Wednesday injury report as they prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 15 of the 2020 season.

The Detroit Lions (5-8) are taking on the Tennessee Titans (9-4) in Week 15, and like most weeks near the end of the season, Wednesday’s practice was a mixed bag of positive and negative results.

Frank Ragnow surprisingly showed up with a horrific injury, while Matthew Stafford and Da’Shawn Hand were downgraded with new injuries after last week’s game.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve

Vaitai has begun practicing this week, and with several injuries on the offensive line, his return can’t come soon enough.

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Rib/Right Thumb No Practice
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice
Jason Cabinda Illness No Practice
Frank Ragnow Throat No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Ankle No Practice
Darryl Roberts Hip No Practice

Stafford reportedly suffered a rib cartilage injury on Sunday, and while things are not off to a great start on Wednesday, Interim coach Darrell Bevell isn’t ruling him out from playing this week: “I’m totally comfortable with him not practicing and playing in the game, I’ve seen him do it.”

“I’m not counting myself out,” Stafford said of his status for the weekend.

As The Athletic’s Chris Burke pointed out, this is day 45 of being out for Golladay, and while reports continue to be very positive on his recovery, his inability to get on the field is concerning.

Ragnow suffered an unimaginable fractured throat — technically called a Laryngeal Fracture — last Sunday and his status is still being determined by doctors. He seems very vulnerable to miss this week’s game and if he does the Lions will likely turn to former starting guard Joe Dahl, currently starting guard Jonah Jackson, or look to promote a practice squad center in either Marcus Martin or Evan Brown.

Crosby being unavailable further complicates things for the Lions’ offensive line. If Crosby misses another game, and Vaitai is unable to return from injured reserve, the Lions will once again lean on Matt Nelson to start and may have to sign protected practice squader Dan Skipper to give them at least one healthy reserve tackle.

Hand only saw 30-percent of the Lions defensive snaps last Sunday and it’s worth noting that he no longer has a groin injury but is being listed as having an ankle injury. He was not identified as having an injury issue during the game, so it’s unclear when this happened.

Roberts went down in last week’s game and was not able to return. With Okudah also unavailable, the Lions only have three healthy corners, Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Mike Ford.

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Adrian Peterson Forearm Limited Practice
John Penisini Shoulder Limited Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice
Tracy Walker Shoulder Limited Practice

Peterson and Walker were not tabbed as being injured during the game, so hopefully, these are not significant injuries and just management.

Penisini and Bryant were able to play through their injuries last week, so limited practice is a good sign for their availability for this weekend’s game.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
C.J. Moore Ankle Full Practice

Despite getting in limited practices, Moore missed last week’s game with an ankle injury and was replaced on special teams by Bobby Price. A full practice is a very positive sign for his availability this week.

Titans’ Report

Detroit Lions Week 14 inactives: D’Andre Swift is ACTIVE

The Detroit Lions have declared their game-day inactives for their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

The Detroit Lions have declared their game-day inactives for their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

After placing Everson Griffen on the COVID-19 list, the Lions roster was reduced to 52-players. But, in addition to elevating OT Dan Skipper and DE Kareem Martin, the Lions used an elevation replacement option to also elevate S Bobby Price, bringing the roster up to 55-players.

Additionally, because the Lions kept eight offensive linemen on their active game-day roster, they are now eligible to expand their roster from 46- to 48-players, meaning they need to declare seven of their 55-players inactive.

Here are those seven players.

Lions inactives list

  • WR Kenny Golladay (hip) — Ruled OUT
  • RT Tyrell Crosby (ankle) — Ruled OUT
  • CB Jeff Okudah (shoulder) — Ruled OUT
  • S C.J. Moore (ankle) — was questionable entering this game
  • QB David Blough
  • RB Jonathan Williams
  • DT Frank Herron

When Golladay was out last week the Lions turned to Mohamad Sanu as their starting WR-X position. Rookie Quintez Cephus has proven he deserves more looks and will likely push Sanu for time.

Crosby will be replaced at right tackle by Matt Nelson, and with the practice squad elevation of Dan Skipper on Saturday, he and Joe Dahl will be the only remaining options if the Lions suffer another injury at offensive tackle.

No Okudah means the Lions will enter today’s game with just four corners: Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Darryl Roberts will start, while Mike Ford will most likely be in line for plenty of snaps as a fourth option.

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Moore was questionable entering this game and he will be replaced on special teams by Price — who as noted above, was elevated for this game.

With Stafford’s thumb not bothering him noticeably, and Chase Daniel healthy, the Lions did not need to keep Blough active on the roster this week.

With D’Andre Swift healthy, Williams was not needed, and the Lions will roll with three running backs: Swift, Adrian Peterson, and Kerryon Johnson

Similarly, with Ds’Shawn Hand healthy, the Lions had four interior defensive linemen healthy — Hand, John Penisini, Nick Williams, and Kevin Strong — and Herron was deemed inactive.

Packers’ inactive list

  • QB Jordan Love
  • CB Ka’dar Hollman
  • LB Jonathan Garvin
  • G Simon Stepaniak — ruled OUT
  • WR Malik Taylor
  • TE Jace Sternberger — ruled OUT

Detroit Lions Week 14: Comprehensive depth chart vs Packers

Examining the Detroit Lions depth chart as they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 14.

In this comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions roster, we will be examining not only the positional depth chart but also looking at who coaches will turn to in specific situations, including who will step up in case of injury.

With Darrell Bevell now in charge, things are still a bit unpredictable, but based on last week’s game versus the Chicago Bears, this is our best guess at this time.

Here’s a look at the Lions depth chart as they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 14.

Note: Starters will be listed in BOLD and you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles.

Quarterback

  • Matthew Stafford (9) — Questionable, expected to play
  • Chase Daniel (4)
  • David Blough (10) — INACTIVE

Running back

  • D’Andre Swift (32) — Questionable
  • Adrian Peterson (28)
  • Kerryon Johnson (33)
  • Jonathan Williams (41) — INACTIVE

Third Down back

  • Kerryon Johnson (33)
  • D’Andre Swift (32)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)

Fullback

  • Jason Cabinda (45)

Wide receiver

  • Kenny Golladay (19) — Ruled OUT
  • Marvin Jones Jr. (11) 
  • Danny Amendola (80)
  • Mohamad Sanu (12)
  • Quintez Cephus (87)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)

Slot receiver

  • Danny Amendola (80)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)
  • Hunter Bryant (86)

Tight end

  • T.J. Hockenson (88)
  • Jesse James (83)
  • Hunter Bryant (86)

Expected starting offensive line

Reserve offensive line

  • LT – Joe Dahl (66), Dan Skipper (70) — elevated for Week 14
  • LG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • C – Joe Dahl (66), Jonah Jackson (73)
  • RG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • RT – Dan Skipper (70), Joe Dahl (66)

Interior defensive line

  • John Penisini (91), NT — Questionable
  • Nick Williams (97), DT
  • Da’Shawn Hand (93), Big DE, DT — Questionable
  • Kevin Strong (92), 3T, Big DE
  • Frank Herron (75), 3T, Big DE — INACTIVE

EDGE Rushers

Off-the-ball linebacker

  • Jamie Collins (58), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Jahlani Tavai (51), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Christian Jones (52), JACK, WILL
  • Reggie Ragland (59), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Jarrad Davis (40), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44), MIKE, WILL
  • Miles Killebrew (35), Hang

Cornerback

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Slot cornerback

  • Justin Coleman (27)
  • Darryl Roberts (29)
  • Mike Ford (38)

Safety

  • Duron Harmon (26), Single-high, JOKER
  • Jayron Kearse (42), JOKER
  • Tracy Walker (21), JOKER, Single-high, Nickel CB
  • Will Harris (25), JOKER, Single-high
  • C.J. Moore (49), Single-high — Questionable — INACTIVE
  • Miles Killebrew (35), JOKER
  • Bobby Price (47), JOKER — Elevated for Week 14

Third-safety

  • Tracy Walker (21)
  • Will Harris (25)

Kicking team

  • Matt Prater (5) — placekicker
  • Jack Fox (3) — punter, holder, kickoffs
  • Don Muhlbach (48) — long snapper

Kick returns

  • Jamal Agnew (39) — kick returner and punt returner
  • Danny Amendola (80) — reserve returner

Kick coverage

  • Tracy Walker (21) — gunner
  • Bobby Price (47) — gunner
  • Mike Ford (38) — reserve gunner
  • Miles Killebrew (35) — five-phase specialist
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — five-phase specialist
  • Jason Cabinda (53) — five-phase specialist
  • Will Harris (25) –five-phase specialist
  • C.J. Moore (49) — Personal Protector (PP)

Teams final injury reports

Injured reserve/COVID-19

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury designations: Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, Jeff Okudah ruled OUT

The Detroit Lions (5-7) injury designations ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers (9-3) and Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah have been ruled OUT.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) have declared their injury designations ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers (9-3) and three starters have been ruled out: Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Ruled OUT

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT

This has been trending in this direction all week.

Golladay will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by Mohamad Sanu, while rookie Quintez Cephus has proven he is capable — and deserving — of a larger role in the offense moving forward.

Crosby will be replaced at right tackle by Matt Nelson, and with a depth deficiency at tackle, expect a practice squad elevation of Dan Skipper on Saturday. Skipper, or possibly Joe Dahl, will be the only remaining options if the Lions suffer another injury at offensive tackle.

With Okudah out, the Lions will continue to roll with Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Darryl Roberts at corner, with Mike Ford as the fourth option, backing up all three spots.

Questionable

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Right Thumb Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice Limited Practice Full Practice Questionable
John Penisini Shoulder Not Listed Not Listed Limited Practice Questionable
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable

Stafford should be ready to roll once again.

With Swift’s illness being identified as migraine headaches, there has been speculation swirling around his original concussion diagnosis that unexpectedly popped up a few weeks back. Bevell did his best to explain the situation — while trying to maintain Swift’s privacy publicly — at his morning press conference, but there is a fine line of difference between the two ailments.

As far as Swift’s availability/playing time this weekend, Bevell continues to say Swift is “trending in the right direction”, but also doesn’t plan on relying on him to jump back into a full-time role.

Penisini showed up on the injury report as limited today and was given a questionable designation. He will likely be evaluated on Saturday to see how his shoulder is progressing, and if he is not downgraded, there’s a good chance he will play on Sunday.

Hand and Bryant continue to string together limited practices, but will either finally return to action this week? It still looks like a coin flip.

Moore getting back on the field after injuring his ankle last Sunday and missing practice on Wednesday is a good sign, but he’s not out of the woods yet. His status will likely be decided during warmups on Sunday.

No Injury Designation

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice Full Practice Full Practice No Designation
Everson Griffen Non-injury related Not Listed Not Listed No Practice No Designation

Johnson looks fully ready to play, and with no injury designation, he should get a full complement of snaps on Sunday.

Griffen missed today’s practice with a non-injury, so this listing is just a formality — he’s good to go.

Injured reserve

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report: No practice for Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, or Jeff Okudah on Thursday

Updating the Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report after their Thursday practice.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) took the practice field on Thursday, preparing to host the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14. Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah remain sidelined, while D’Andre Swift got in a second limited practice in a row, and Kerryon Johnson was upgraded to full participation.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve

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No Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice No Practice

“There’s a lot of working on the side, and there’s times that we’ll see him out there on the field trying to get work,” Darrell Bevell said of Golladay. “But he’s doing everything that he can to get back. Just as far as the timeframe, I can’t give you enough information on that.”

It doesn’t seem like Golladay will be ready for this weekend.

Crosby also missing a second practice means the Lions will likely be leaning on their fourth option at offensive tackle in Matt Nelson.

“I think the groin’s been one that he’s been battling,” Darrell Bevell said of Okudah. “He also had the shoulder from — I think it was the Carolina game if I remember correctly. That thing’s kind of subsided, but as we were doing other things, the groin kind of became more of an issue. That’s what we’re working with right now.”

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Right Thumb Limited Practice Limited Practice
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice Limited Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice Limited Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Limited Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice Limited Practice

Stafford continues to roll along.

“I thought yesterday was one of the better days that he had,” Bevell said of Swift. “So, I liked where he was at.” While they’re happy with his progress, Bevell also noted that they’re going to continue taking it slow with him and that his potential level of participation in the game will be determined by how much he participates in practice.

Hand and Bryant getting in back-to-back limited practices is encouraging, as is Moore being upgraded to limited participation, but until any of them sees a full practice, they all remain firmly on the fence.

Full Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice Full Practice

Johnson getting in a full practice on Wednesday, and based on Bevell’s approach to the position, he should be able to return to his regular spot in the rotation on Sunday.

Packers’ Report

This section will be filled in once the Packers release their injury report for the day.

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report: Golladay still unable to practice, Swift returns

Updating the Detroit Detroit Lions (5-7) are hosting the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14, and like most weeks near the end of the season, Wednesday’s practice was a mixed bag of positive and negative results.

Starter Kenny Golladay and Jeff Okudah remained sidelined to open practice this week, while D’Andre Swift and Da’Shawn Hand were able to get in some work.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) are hosting the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14, and like most weeks near the end of the season, Wednesday’s practice was a mixed bag of positive and negative results.

Starter Kenny Golladay and Jeff Okudah remained sidelined to open practice this week, while D’Andre Swift and Da’Shawn Hand were able to get in some work.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve

Okwara began practicing last week and Flowers has been seen working with trainers on the sidelines of practice, which is typically an indicator a player is getting ready to return to practice. When asked about the possibility of Flowers returning in 2020, interim coach Darrell Bevell said, “He’s progressing that way, I think that’s his mindset, which is probably the most important thing, and we’re looking forward to that day.”

No Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice

Golladay continues to get positive reports from Bevell, yet he remains absent on the field.

Crosby injured his ankle, had to leave the Bears game early, and was unable to return. With Hal Vaitai on injured reserve, Crosby was replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Nelson, who appears to be in line to start this week if Crosby is unable to play. Offensive tackle Dan Skipper has been protected on the practice squad as insurance.

Okudah’s shoulder injury is no more, but now he is listed with a groin injury. Suffering a soft tissue injury while trying to recover from another separate injury is a common occurrence for young players.

Moore also injured his ankle in last Sunday’s game and was replaced in the lineup by Bobby Price on special teams. Price has also been protected on the practice squad this week.

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Thumb Limited Practice
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice

Stafford’s injury appears to be a non-issue. Move along.

At his morning press conference, Bevell suggested they would be taking it slow with Swift as he re-acclimates to practice. “When you take that much time off and you’re not out there running around full speed, (you) don’t want to give him full go and then have him have a soft tissue injury or anything.”

Bevell also suggested they would also take their time with Johnson, but he would go through his typical routines. “We’re still going to continue to treat him like we normally do. He’s a veteran player, so we’ll continue to monitor him during the week. On Wednesday, we’re usually a little bit lighter and then kind of ramp him up as the week goes. We’ll continue to do that, and there’s really no change in his status.”

Hand and Bryant have both missed the last several weeks and a limited practice for both is encouraging. Bryant got in a week’s worth of limited practices last week before being downgraded on Saturday and eventually out on Sunday. He seems further along than Hand who is just seeing the field for the first time today since injuring his groin.

Full Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
No Players Full Practice

There are no players listed in this section at this current time.

Packers’ Report

This section will be updated once the Packers report their injuries.

The Honolulu Blueprint: Keys to a Lions victory over the Bears

The Detroit Lions will look to hand the Chicago Bears a sixth straight loss and this week’s Honolulu Blueprint lays out key areas to win.

The Detroit Lions (4-7) are on the road this week to face their division rival Chicago Bears (5-6), where one game separates the two teams in the division cellar.

After the Lions Thanksgiving slaughter, principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp decided to clean house and fired both Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. In their stead, Darrell Bevell was named the interim head coach, while the GM duties are made up of a slew of front office personnel.

It’s difficult to anticipate how different the Lions will look this week, but Bevell has said he wants the players to work hard but have fun in the process. On the flip side, mixed signals have gone out about the defense, but it’ll be interesting to see if the issues were mostly due to Patricia or these coordinators should share some of the blame.

The Bears were handed their own massacre on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers, getting pummeled 41-25. Coach Matt Nagy was embarrassed by the performance and expected a whole lot more from the players.

The Bears started hot to begin the season, but they have fallen into the dark abyss, and have dropped their last five games — bringing into question if they are on the verge of purging their coach and GM as well.

It’ll be interesting to see how well the players have responded to the coaching situations this week, and with playoff hopes all but shot, for both teams, this game may determine the rest of their seasons.

Here are the key areas in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint the Lions need to focus on to secure victory.

Detroit Lions Week 8 snap counts: Shifts in the trenches couldn’t save the Lions

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.

Detroit’s offensive line is suddenly the least of the Lions worries

The Lions might be 0-2 but don’t blame Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker and the Detroit offensive line

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The offensive line is always a sore spot for the Detroit Lions with their fans. In many years both distant past and recent vintage, it’s been a justified beef. The Lions have had some explosive skill position groups watered down by ineffective line play over the years.

Not this year. The Lions might be 0-2 and the offense sputtering, but don’t blame the guys up front. Through the first two weeks, the offensive line is the best part of the Detroit attack.

Left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow, both former first-round picks, have played very well. Decker had a so-so Week 1 against the Chicago Bears but looked dominant against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. His run blocking was as good as it’s ever looked and he didn’t have any breakdowns in pass protection. His 80.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus topped celebrated Packers counterpart David Bakhtiari, who had the advantage of going against Detroit’s feckless defense.

Ragnow was the only Lion to grade higher than Decker in Week 2, and the PFF score reflected the eye-test excellence from the third-year center. He is PFF’s No. 2-graded center on the year and deservingly so.

Rookie right guard Jonah Jackson has also performed well. The third-round pick from Ohio State looks like he belongs, and he has nicely paired with Ragnow to create some huge holes in the run game. It’s not their fault the running backs aren’t consistently hitting them or that the tight ends have been dreadful in the blocking department. For a point of reference, Jackson has a higher PFF grade than the man he’s replacing, Graham Glasgow, has racked up in the Denver Broncos’ two losses. And he’s doing it for almost a 90% lower salary than what Glasgow got to leave Detroit.

Even Tyrell Crosby has performed acceptably at right tackle despite the fact he’s not supposed to be playing. With Halapoulivaati Vaitai missing the first two weeks, Crosby the backup has stepped up nicely. He’s right at the league average in overall PFF grade but only four right tackles have a better run blocking score.

Alas, there is still one other spot. Left guard is a massive hole with regular starter Joe Dahl on injured reserve. Oday Aboushi shouldn’t ever see the field again after his inept performance in Week 2 that included a crushing personal foul penalty that helped key the Packers huge surge. Dahl looked fine in Week 1 and he could return as soon as Week 5, thankfully. With rookie Logan Stenberg also in the mix, the Lions might have the answer in-house already.

Matthew Stafford has been sacked five times in the two games, but that’s more on the QB than it is on the line. Stafford took an awful sack late against Chicago that was 100% on him for not throwing the ball away. That was true twice in Green Bay, too; Stafford is on the hook for three of his own five sacks for holding the ball too long or not escaping avoidable pressure.

Football Outsiders ranks the Lions offensive line second overall in pass protection through two weeks. They adjust for difficultly of schedule and competition, something PFF does not account for. Based on what we’ve seen through two weeks, it’s deserved praise for coach Hank Fraley in his first years as the man in charge of the O-line.