Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions (8-5) got back to their winning ways, emphatically cooling off the Dallas Cowboys’ (6-6-1) hot streak with a 44-30 win in Week 14. The Lions were dealing with a handful of injuries and needed to make several roster adjustments to operate at their maximum. They also slightly adjusted their personnel usage to help unlock the pass rush on defense, which could be a sign of things to come.
Let’s take a look at how the Lions adjusted to all the moving parts on their roster by exploring how they utilized their personnel against the Cowboys in Week 14.
Goff was poised in the pocket, took what was there, didn’t turn the ball over, and wrapped another game with over 300 yards passing and a passer rating over 110.0+.
The Lions kept their split the same as it’s been in recent weeks, leaning on their stud in Gibbs and allowing Montgomery to be rested and at his best when given an opportunity. While Gibbs will steal the headlines with his three-touchdown performance, this was Montgomery’s best game in quite some time, registering 60 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. Saylors found the field in the Lions’ victory formation and on special teams. Vaki appeared to have aggravated his thumb covering a kick return and will be worth monitoring next week.
St. Brown defied the odds and not only played in this game, but also produced in critical moments. Meanwhile, Williams continues his developmental ascent and put in another dominant game, converting several first downs and proving his worth in the moment. TeSlaa has seen his role increase as the Lions use more 11 personnel while they deal with injuries at tight end, and the rookie was rewarded for his hard work with another touchdown. Of his eight catches on the season, he’s found the paint on four of them, including one in each of the last two games.
Kennedy saw his role on offense reduced with St. Brown returning, but he was absolutely stellar on special teams. Kennedy simply looks like he is made for the NFL’s new special teams formations and returned three kicks for 120 yards (an average of 40 yards per return), as well as returning a punt for 21 yards.
Lovett saw the field in victory formation, while Cunningham—a former Louisville quarterback—took one direct snap out of a Wildcat formation.
