Pride of Detroit
Things were grim for the Detroit Lions after a week from hell that included the unretirement of Frank Ragnow, an in-game injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown, more officiating blunders, an injured reserve int for Terrion Arnold and Brock Wright, and multiple losses for the Pride of Detroit rooting guide.
Thankfully, a game against the Dallas Cowboys proved to be a much-needed cleanse. Not only are the Lions back in the playoff hunt, but things are looking up. The offense has seemingly turned a corner for the better, while the defense finally made some game-changing plays at pivotal moments. Sprinkle in some big plays on special teams, and it was an overall excellent night for the Lions.
Let’s examine some winners and losers.
Colon had a decent performance last week at center in relief of Graham Glasgow, and with Kayode Awosika out this week, he slotted into the left guard spot… for the first two drives. The veteran was getting bombarded by the Cowboys’ pass rush, giving up four pressures on just seven drop-back attempts across the opening quarter. Colon was replaced by rookie Miles Frazier soon after, and it looked like his night was done.
Instead, the benching was just the reset that Colon needed. He returned to the lineup late in the second quarter. immediately blowing open a running lane for David Montgomery on his 35-yard touchdown scamper. Best yet, his pass protection went from a significant liability to dominant. Interestingly enough, however, Frazier re-entered the lineup late in the third quarter despite Colon’s turnaround [Editor’s note: Coach Dan Campbell later noted they pre-planned to get Frazier some work]. On the ensuing drive, Frazier got beat by Kenny Clark on a near-sack, then committed his second false start of the game. Colon later rotated back in and helped spring Jahmyr Gibbs on his third touchdown of the day on a rumbling pull.
Goff had struggled in recent weeks due to interior pressure, yet the trio of Colon, Glasgow, and Tate Ratledge held up well against the Cowboys from the second quarter onward. Going forward, it could be an open competition between Colon, Awosika, and Frazier for the starting left guard position. Right now, I think it should be Colon’s spot to lose.
The Lions’ pass rush had been AWOL over recent weeks, with only a smattering of sacks coming from Aidan Hutchinson, Roy Lopez, and Brian Branch. Against the Cowboys, Hutchinson was the clear point of focus for the Cowboys’ offensive line, but that left Al-Quadin Muhammad a ripe opportunity to dominate.
On a night in which the Lions added five sacks, it was Muhammad who led the way with three (the remaining two coming from Jack Campbell on a near-safety and Alim McNeill). Muhammad’s first sack was arguably a gift, as the left tackle, Nate Thomas, inexplicably did not look at Muhammad out wide and let him rush by for a quick and easy sack. His next two...
