In Week 9, the Detroit Lions moved to 6-2 after beating the Dolphins in Miami. The Lions had to finesse their roster for this game, as they managed several player injuries from Week 8 and a surprise benching along the starting offensive line.
Let’s look at the snap counts from this game and see what they mean for the depth chart hierarchy and what we can ascertain moving forward.
Quarterback
- Jared Goff: 59 (100%)
- Josh Dobbs: DNP
It wasn’t Goff’s cleanest game, but he got the job done when they needed him to, including executing a quarterback sneak
to seal the game. With this win, Goff ties Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne for the second-most wins (54) in Lions history, trailing only Matthew Stafford (74).
Running back
- Jahmyr Gibbs: 40 (68%)
- Sione Vaki: 19 (32%) — special teams snaps 15 (62%)
- Jabari Small: 2 (3%) — 6 (26%)
- Jacob Saylors: Inactive (injury)
Gibbs touched the ball on half his offensive snaps, but the Lions appeared to scale back his touches a bit in this game and gave Vaki a few more opportunities. Small was elevated to fill in for Saylors as RB3 and starting kick returner. While Small wasn’t needed on offense, he returned two kicks and averaged 26 yards per return.
Wide receiver
- Jameson Williams: 49 (83%)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 44 (75%)
- Isaac TeSlaa: 31 (53%)
- Tay Martin: 2 (3%) — 15 (62%)
- DeAndre Carter: 2 (3%) — 7 (29%)
Not much changed among the top three receivers’ snap distribution, but Martin continues to get a handful of opportunities—including catching a pass on a fake punt—and Carter was able to secure his first catch of the season.
Tight end
- Sam LaPorta: 53 (90%)
- Brock Wright: 37 (63%) — 11 (46%)
- Tyler Conklin: 14 (24%)
- Jackson Meeks: DNP (Inactive)
The Lions continued to deploy their heavy two tight end looks, and found a way to incorporate a variety of 12 and 13 personnel sets, including rushing out of another “sidecar” full-house backfield.
Offensive line
- LT Penei Sewell: 59 (100%)
- LG Miles Frazier: 59 (100%) — 5 (21%)
- C Juice Scruggs: 59 (100%) — 5 (21%)
- RG Tate Ratledge: 59 (100%) — 5 (21%)
- RT Blake Miller: 59 (100%) — 5 (21%)
- LT/6th OL: Larry Borom: 1 (2%) — 5 (21%)
- LG Christian Mahogany: 0 (0%) — 5 (21%)
- C Seth McLaughlin: DNP
- C Cade Mays: Inactive (injury)
The big surprise amongst the offensive line group was the benching of starting left guard Christian Mahogany following a violation of team rules, per coach Dan Campbell:
“That was team rules (for) Mahogany. It was really that simple. Miles deserved his opportunity, so he got it. Doesn’t mean it stays that way, but that was the way it was going to be today.”
Miles Frazier got the start, and it was a rough first outing, especially in the first half with multiple penalties and quick beats, but he settled in the second half and gained valuable experience. Mahogany has clearly been the better player, so let’s hope the team can move forward with him back in the starting lineup.
Interior defensive line
- 3T Alim McNeill: 45 (79%) — 4 (17%)
- 3T Skyler Gill-Howard: 28 (49%) — 4 (17%) — 1 offensive snap (2%)
- DT Tyleik Williams: 26 (46%) — 4 (17%)
- DL Levi Onwuzurike: 11 (19%)
- 3T Mekhi Wingo: DNP (Inactive)
The interior defensive line has settled into a groove and are splitting their snaps in a very similar way week to week. Gill-Howard (who continues to get some usage as a fullback on offense in goal-line sets) and Williams are rotating through snaps opposite McNeill, with Onwuzurike supplementing the group. The group is finding a lot of success with this split, so there’s no reason to change it.
EDGE
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson: 51 (89%)
- Rush End Derrick Moore: 33 (58%) — 4 (17%)
- Big End Tyler Lacy: 22 (39%) — 5 (21%)
- Rush End Anthony Lucas: 12 (21%)
- Rush End Eric O’Neill: 0 (0%) — 14 (58%)
- Rush End DJ Wonnum: Inactive (injury)
- Big End Ahmed Hassanein: DNP (Inactive)
With Wonnum unavailable, Derrick Moore stepped into the starting rush end role, and he rewarded the team with five pressures and the first two sacks of his career. Moore, like Wonnum, split snaps opposite Hutchinson with Lacy, and Lucas—a practice squad elevation who saw his first snaps of NFL action, registering one pressure on nine pass-rushing reps, per PFF, but surprisingly saw no special-teams snaps.
Linebacker
- SAM Derrick Barnes: 57 (100%) — 4 (17%)
- WILL/MIKE Malcolm Rodriguez: 55 (96%) — 4 (17%)
- WILL/SAM Trevor Nowaske: 30 (53%) — 19 (79%)
- MIKE Joe Bachie: 0 (0%) — 15 (62%)
- WILL Amen Ogbongbemiga: 0 (0%) — 15 (62%)
- MIKE K.J. Britt: 0 (0%) — 12 (50%)
With Jack Campbell on injured reserve, Rodriguez was promoted to a starting role alongside Barnes (who now wears the green dot play-call relayer helmet), and the pair split linebacking roles throughout the game. Nowaske continued to operate in his LB3 role, while Bachie, Ogbonbemiga, and Britt only played on special teams.
Cornerback
- CB/NB Roger McCreary: 56 (98%) — 4 (17%)
- CB Rock Ya-Sin: 38 (67%)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw: 20 (35%) — 3 (12%)
- CB Khalil Dorsey: 17 (30%) — 15 (62%)
- CB Nick Whiteside: 6 (11%) — 3 (12%)
- CB D.J. Reed: Inactive (injury)
With Reed out due to a hip injury, Ya-Sin returned to the starting lineup, slotting in opposite McCreary. Rakestraw found the field on the outside in subpackage sets, while Dorsey continues to see situational work. Whiteside, who was just signed off the practice squad over the weekend, got some reps late in the game.
Safety
- S Brian Branch: 57 (100%)
- S Chuck Clark: 57 (100%) — 4 (17%)
- DB Keith Abney: 6 (11%) — 9 (38%)
- DB Christian Izien: 0 (0%) — 13 (54%)
Since Branch returned to his starting role, the Lions have been rotating Clark and Abney at the opposite safety spot. However, the coaches love Clark’s veteran savvy and increased his playing time considerably in this game, and he rewarded them with an interception. Abney did find the field in three-safety sets, but that formation was only used sparingly.
Specialists
- K Jake Bates: 11 (46%)
- P Jack Fox: 7 (29%)
- LS Hogan Hatten: 7 (29%)
Jack Fox has an arm that would make most backup quarterbacks jealous.
