Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions returned home and, with a raucous Ford Field crowd behind them, completely took the wind out of the sails of their NFC rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They now head into their bye week riding high and due for some much-needed rest and recovery.
In what was expected to be a high-scoring affair—with an eye-popping betting total of 54.5—the story of the night turned out to be Detroit’s defense. Despite being without their top four starting defensive backs, Kelvin Sheppard’s unit threw together arguably its best game plan of the season. The preparation, execution, and relentless disruption made for a miserable Monday night for Baker Mayfield.
Sheppard’s defense allowed just nine points—the Buccaneers’ lowest total since Week 3 of last season and only the second time since the start of 2024 they’ve been held under 20. Even more impressive, Tampa Bay’s 31.8% offensive success rate was their lowest since the Tom Brady era (Week 2, 2022). The 3.8 yards per play was their lowest mark since Week 10 of last year, and the 51.9% pressure rate was the highest allowed since Week 11 of 2023.
It was one of the finest defensive performances of the NFL season, and fittingly, this week’s stock report is filled with risers on that side of the ball—along with a few offensive sparks who helped fuel a victory by more than two touchdowns.
Stock up: Nick Whiteside II, CB
While the Lions brought in more proven NFL veterans at cornerback—Tre Flowers (three snaps) and Kendall Fuller (practice squad, not elevated)—it was recent St. Louis Battlehawks standout Nick Whiteside II who stepped in and logged the most outside cornerback snaps (40) opposite Amik Robertson. Whiteside rotated early with Rock Ya-Sin, who later exited with an injury, before taking over in the second half and delivering a statement performance. He registered three pass breakups in the fourth quarter alone—two in the end zone—plus a fourth that denied Tampa Bay’s two-point conversion attempt.
Matched up for much of the night with Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Emeka Egbuka, Whiteside’s sticky coverage held the young receiver to zero catches on four targets, despite Egbuka leading all Buccaneers receivers with 53 snaps. As Detroit gets healthier at cornerback over the coming weeks, they may have uncovered a genuine depth gem in the player Dan Campbell has dubbed “Ironside.” Given how he’s performed, the Lions might need to think twice before trying to sneak him back to the practice squad.
Stock up: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Gibbs was the explosive stick of dynamite the Lions needed to counter Todd Bowles’ well-coached, blitz-happy Buccaneers defense. In one of the best performances of his young career, he accounted for a career-high 218 total yards—a whopping 57.5% of Detroit’s offensive output.
He delivered the longest run of his career, a 78-yard touchdown where he hit 22.23 mph, but his impact went beyond the ground game. After entering the night with just 112 receiving yards through six games, Gibbs reignited his role in...
