The Detroit Lions (8-5) returned to their winning ways, winning 44-30 in Week 14 to cool down the hot winning streak of the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1). The Lions are dealing with some injuries and will need to make several roster changes to be at their best. They also adjusted their personnel usage slightly to help free up the pass rush on defense, which could be a sign of things to come.
Let’s take a look at how the Lions adapt to all the changing parts of the lineup by exploring how they utilize personnel in Week 14 against the Cowboys.
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Quarterback:
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Jared Goff: 62 steals (100%)
Goff stayed calm in the pocket, took what was there, didn’t turn the ball over and finished another game with over 300 yards passing and a passer rating of over 110.0+.
Running back:
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David Montgomery: 19 (31%)
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Jacob Saylors: 2 (3%) — 19 special teams snaps (56%)
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Sione Varkey: 0 (0%) — 19 (56%)
The Lions maintained the same form as they have in recent weeks, relying on their man Gibbs to allow Montgomery to rest and perform at his best when given the chance. While Gibbs will grab the end with his three-touchdown performance, this was Montgomery’s best game in quite some time, gaining 60 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. Sellers found his niche in the Lions’ winning formation and on special teams. Varkey appears to have aggravated his thumb on a kick return and will be something to watch next week.
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Wide Receiver:
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Amon-La St. Brown: 57 (92%)
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Jameson Williams: 57 (92%)
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Tom Kennedy: 5 (8%) — 9 (26%)
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Dominic Lovett: 2 (3%) — 1 (3%)
St. Brown took the bull by the horns and not only performed well in this game, but also contributed in key moments. Williams, meanwhile, continued his development and had another dominant game, overturning a couple first losses and proving his current worth. With the Lions using more 11 personnel amid tight end injuries, TeSlaa’s role was elevated, and the rookie’s hard work paid off with another touchdown. He has found the paint on four of his eight catches this season, including each of the last two games.
With St. Brown back, Kennedy finds himself in a reduced role on offense, but his performance on special teams has been absolutely stellar. Kennedy looked like he was born for the NFL’s new special teams lineup, returning three kicks for 120 yards (averaging 40 yards per return) and also returning a punt for 21 yards.
Lovett saw the winning formation on the field, while Cunningham, the former Louisville quarterback, rushed out of the Wildcat formation.
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Tight end:
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Anthony Filkser: 35 (56%) — 19 (56%)
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Dan Skipper: 23 (37%) — 9 (26%)
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Ross Deverley: 18 (29%) — 17 (50%)
While Deverley is the more advanced tight end among the remaining reserves, Philxer is the better pass catcher and therefore more balanced, which may be why he takes on a larger role this week. Skipper’s use at tight end could result in record usage for the Jumbo package (six offensive linemen).
Fun fact: All three of Gibbs’ touchdowns occurred in giant formations:
Offensive Line:
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Tate Rutledge: 62 (100%) — 9 (26%)
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Penny Sewell: 62 (100%) — 8 (24%)
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Graham Glasgow: 62 (100%) — 1 (3%)
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Tristan Colon: 36 (58%) — 9 (26%)
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Myles Frazier: 26 (42%) — 9 (26%)
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Michael Ness: 0 (0%) — 9 (26%)
With Awosika being demoted hours before tipoff, the Lions opted to rotate at left guard, with veteran Colon starting and rookie Frazier coming in after the first two series. Colon had a rough start, especially in pass protection, but he managed to reposition his bases as the game went on and was impressive as a runner. Frazier was more up-and-down in his first career NFL start, but the Lions were hoping to gain some experience, and he certainly got that against a strong Dallas front.
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Additionally, Sewell was the best baserunner in the game, but not even close, period.
Defensive end:
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Aidan Hutchinson: 77 (94%)
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Marcus Davenport: 39 (48%) — 6 (18%)
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Quentin Muhammad: 38 (46%) — 8 (24%)
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Tyrus Wheat: 7 (9%) — 22 (65%)
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Shepard is demanding better performance from his pass rushers and vowing to make changes to make that happen. After four games totaling four sacks, the Lions’ pass rush finished with 20 pressures and five sacks against the Cowboys.
An impressive 10 of those pressures came from Hutchinson, who sees his role unchanged, while Davenport feels his chances have improved as he continues to adapt. The real change came from Muhammad — who hadn’t cracked 40 percent of defensive snaps in a month — who doubled his snaps from the previous week (from 19 to 38). Once he was allowed to put his ears back and rush, Muhammad flourished, producing four pressures and three sacks, bringing his season totals to 42 pressures and nine sacks, according to Next Gen Stats.
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Defensive tackle:
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Aleem McNeil: 60 (73%) — 6 (18%)
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Tyreke Williams: 22 (27%)
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Roy Lopez: 23 (28%) — 5 (21%)
As opportunities increase for edge rushers (and linebackers, we’ll get to that later), Shepard reduces his role as an interior defensive lineman. He’s reduced his use of 4i — and the recent trend of using McNeil in that role — and instead placed his defensive tackles in more traditional roles. As a result, McNeil, Redd and Williams all took more than 20% of their shots, while Lopez’s shots dropped by about 8%.
Defender:
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Jack Campbell: 82 (100%) — 8 (24%)
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Derrick Barnes: 58 (71%) — 2 (6%)
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Trevor Novak: 14 (17%) — 25 (74%)
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Malcolm Rodriguez: 2 (2%) — 25 (74%)
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Grant Stuard: 0 (0%) — 25 (74%)
Campbell and Anzalone continue to play nearly every snap on defense, while Barnes has played about 70 percent of the defensive snaps over the past few weeks. We did see a significant uptick in Novask’s usage, primarily using him as an interior pass rusher and trying to use his athleticism to exploit the Cowboys’ backs. Rodriguez will also be used in short rushing situations when the Lions deploy two inside linebackers on defense.
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Another schematic strategy Shepard implemented was that he blitzed his linebackers (and defensive backs) on second down instead of the traditional third down. This seemed to catch Dallas a bit off guard and led to a more challenging third down. Dallas only converted 6 of 15 third downs (40% success rate).
Cornerback:
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Lok Yassin: 47 (57%) — 15 (44%)
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Khalil Dorsey: 0 (0%) — 17 (50%)
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Nick Whiteside: 0 (0%) — 1 (3%)
Reed finally fully reacclimated and was able to see snaps throughout the game again. Robertson continues to play outside on both sets of cornerbacks and inside at sub-package, while Yassin takes over at outside. With Terrion Arnold out for the season, the trio will be asked to play similar rep roles down the stretch, although it’s fair to wonder if Ya-Sin deserves more chances due to his recent stellar form.
Safety:
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Avante Maddox: 80 (98%) — 2 (6%)
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Daniels Thomas: 8 (10%) — 25 (74%)
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Thomas Harper: 2 (2%) — Injured (concussion)
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With Harper suffering a concussion on his second defensive play of the game, Maddox was asked to take over Joseph’s role at free safety. The savvy veteran has performed extremely well in a short period of time and should give Lions fans confidence that he’ll be ready moving forward.
Unfortunately, Maddox will likely be called up sooner or later, as reports surface that Branch suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which will end his season. This is cruel news for the Lions defense, which will be forced to deal with these issues while they wait for Joseph and Harper to return to form. While it’s certainly going to take a hit, the Lions’ secondary could survive if either Joseph or Harper (or both) can return soon.
expert:
Despite the blocked field goal attempts, the Lions’ special teams were solid throughout the rest of the game. Kennedy is a strong kick returner who stays in the lane and stays in coverage while also placing his kicks well.