The Detroit Lions are sitting pretty at 6-2 after taking down the Dolphins in Miami this past Sunday, and what a grind it was. It wasn’t just another win though, quarterback Jared Goff tied Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne for the second-most wins in Lions history with 54. Only Matthew Stafford has more with 74. Goff sealed this one with a clutch quarterback sneak, even if it wasn’t his sharpest game. This team had to get creative, finessing the roster because of a bunch of Week 8 injuries and a shock benching on the offensive line. Let’s peel back those snap counts and see what’s really cooking.
The Offense Got It Done, But Who’s Getting Touches?
Goff played every single offensive snap, 59 of them, 100%. Josh Dobbs? DNP. Out of the backfield, Jahmyr Gibbs saw 40 snaps, 68% of the offensive plays, touching the ball on about half of those. They scaled back his touches a bit this game, though, giving Sione Vaki 19 snaps (32%), who also had 15 special teams snaps (62%). Jabari Small was elevated to RB3 to cover for the injured Jacob Saylors, playing 2 offensive snaps (3%) and returning two kicks for an average of 26 yards a pop on 6 special teams snaps (26%).
At wide receiver, the top three stayed pretty consistent: Jameson Williams with 49 snaps (83%), Amon-Ra St. Brown on 44 (75%), and Isaac TeSlaa getting 31 (53%). We also saw Tay Martin grab 2 snaps (3%) and a catch on a fake punt, plus 15 special teams snaps (62%). DeAndre Carter logged 2 snaps (3%) and secured his first catch of the season, plus 7 special teams snaps (29%). The tight ends were busy, with Sam LaPorta on 53 snaps (90%) and Brock Wright with 37 (63%) and 11 special teams snaps (46%). Tyler Conklin also got 14 snaps (24%). The Lions clearly loved those heavy two-tight end looks, running a mix of 12 and 13 personnel, even rushing out of a “sidecar” full-house backfield.
O-Line Shake-Up and a Surprise Benc hing
The offensive line played every single snap, but there was a huge curveball. Left guard Christian Mahogany, the starter, was benched! Coach Dan Campbell put it plain and simple: “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 stepped in at left guard for all 59 snaps, and it was a rough start, especially in the first half. Penalties, quick beats , he had a tough go of it. But give him credit, he settled down in the second half and clearly got some valuable experience. Penei Sewell, Miles Frazier, Juice Scruggs, Tate Ratledge, and Blake Miller all played 100% of the offensive snaps. Larry Borom came in for 1 offensive snap (2%) as a 6th OL, and all of them (Frazier, Scruggs, Ratledge, Miller, Borom, plus Christian Mahogany, who didn’t play offensive snaps) saw 5 special teams snaps (21%). Seth McLaughlin was a DNP, and Cade Mays was inactive due to injury.
This team is showing it can win even when things get wild. That O-line situation is definitely something to keep an eye on as we move forward and those depth chart hierarchies get solidified.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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