Detroit Lions: Studs and duds from dramatic walk off win vs. Falcons

Stud: Defensive Line

The Detroit Lions defense backed up last week’s performance with another strong performance. They limited Todd Gurley to only 63 yards. This was another impressive outing for the defensive front. It had been a major concern before the by week as they couldn’t stop the run and were repeatedly gashed on the ground.

Since the bye, they have been good, and it has been underpinned by the impressive play of rookie John Penisini. He is a short, powerful nose tackle who is demonstrating great ability at clogging up running lanes. Penisni and Danny Shelton are forming a strong partnership when it comes to blocking the run allied with the continued improvement of Romeo Okwara, who notched a strip-sack on Matt Ryan, which was recovered by Trey Flowers.

This defensive line is starting to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and allows the rest of the defense to have an easier time. The coaching staff repeatedly stress that stopping the run is the best way to generate pressure, and they did that today.

Dud: Offensive Line

The offensive line has been impressive so far this season. On Sunday, however, they had a difficult time, specifically when it came to run blocking. There were several missed blocks and some running plays got blown up behind the line of scrimmage. Any time that happens, it is the responsibility of the line.

They played a talented unit against the run; Grady Jarrett and Keanu Neal are outstanding run-stopping players. The Detroit Lions offensive line has been excellent, and maybe we can chalk this up to just having a bad game and the opposition having a strong game in this area.

It’s worth noting that Frank Rganow was not fully fit and rookie Jonah Jackson was bound to have a mediocre game eventually. But they can not let it become a habit; they take on a very talented Colts defensive front next week and need to be at their best.