Detroit Lions Week 14 Five Up: Joique Bell, Ndamukong Suh

The Detroit Lions made short work of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, dismantling their opponents in an easy 34-17 victory that could have easily been by a wider margin. Vincent Jackson went off for the Bucs with ten receptions for 159 yards, but the Lions secondary actually did a terrific job. They took full advantage of all the pressure Ndamukong Suh and Ziggy Ansah put on Josh McCown, and the Lions safety duo continues to be one of the most underrated tandems in the NFL.

1. RB Joique Bell

Joique Bell has just three games this season with at least 80 rushing yards, but all three of those games have come in the last four weeks. He struggled against the New England Patriots defense after averaging over six yards per carry in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, but he’s bounced back ever since with powerful displays against the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs run defense actually came to play, but Bell ripped off a 57-yard run and scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge.

He also added a receiving touchdown to bring up his TD total on the season to seven. With five receptions for 50 yards on five targets, Bell was flawless in the passing game, and it was his first five-catch performance since hauling in six passes back in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. The Lions are at their best when Bell is dealing in the running and passing game, and he was as solid as ever against Tampa Bay.

2. Safety duo of Glover Quin, James Ihedigbo

I mentioned them together in the first paragraph, and I might as well lump them together in the piece. Glover Quin played some good football last season, but he has upgraded that level of play to “great” here in his second season with the team. His nine passes defended already match last season’s total, and he has five interceptions to his credit. He added his fifth pick yesterday against McCown, finishing with a total of three passes defended. Quin was as steady as ever in coverage, and he’s one of the most reliable safeties in the game.

James Ihedigbo used to have a red target on him in coverage, but then-Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Teryl Austin got the former special-teamer and third safety to turn things around in 2013. He’s continued that improved play in 2014 under Austin, and he’s part of the Lions elite pass defense. Ihedigbo quietly turned in a strong performance on Sunday, as he recorded five tackles, picked off a pass, and allowed just one catch in three targets for a grand total of eight yards (per the Pro Football Focus).

3. Pass rush from Ndamukong Suh, Ziggy Ansah, DeAndre Levy

Ziggy Ansah has adjusted to life in the NFL much more quickly than expected, and he’s already one of the NFL’s best defensive ends. Few players are more explosive than him, and he hit McCown a whopping four times in a truly phenomenal display. His sack on Sunday put him up to 7.5 on the year, but what’s more impressive is the consistency at which the second-year BYU product is putting pressure on the quarterback.

DeAndre Levy continues to boost his All-Pro profile, as he picked up a couple of sacks. That said, it was Ndamukong Suh who had the best numbers of all of them, leading the team with six tackles and recording a sack, two additional tackles for loss, and three QB hits all on his own. Suh is playing his best football in a contract year, and his dynamic play in run defense has really stood out this season. He dominated as a pass rusher against the Buccaneers weak interior, and the Lions fearsome pass rush absolutely feasted on some incompetent blocking.

4. WR Calvin Johnson

He’s back, and he’s showing why there is no doubt that he is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Even though it came against one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses, Calvin Johnson still deserves plenty of praise for the brutal efficiency of his performance on Sunday. He needed just nine targets to put up eight receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown. Megatron makes it look easy at times, and being forced to cover him is simply unfair. Armed with Johnson and Golden Tate, the Detroit Lions have the best WR duo in the NFL, and they have plenty of other talented players on offense, such as Bell, to help them out.

5. QB Matthew Stafford

Don’t look now, but Matthew Stafford has thrown just ten interceptions this season, and he hasn’t thrown a multi-interception game since tossing two against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7. He had an easy time picking apart the Buccaneers weak secondary, looking sharp from the get-go and finishing with three touchdowns, no picks, and an average of 9.1 yards per attempt with a total of 311 passing yards. Stafford has bounced back from tough games against the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, as the Chicago Bears and Bucs have allowed him to get back on track statistically. The more mature Stafford will close out the season with three straight rivalry games, as the Minnesota Vikings and Bears are on tap next before a huge Week 17 showdown at Lambeau against the Green Bay Packers.

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