Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
There’s plenty of players to point to as underachievers, but these five Detroit Lions have offered practically nothing over the first eight weeks.
As the only winless team left in the league this season, no player is totally immune from criticism for the 0-8 Detroit Lions. In some respect, a Week 9 bye is coming at a good time to reset, re-evaluate and make some changes where it’s viable to do so.
In particular, head coach Dan Campbell has pointed to some changes, shy of a quarterback change that wouldn’t make things better anyway, to help a moribund offense. In a broader sense, shifting some playing time around on both sides of the ball can’t make things worse.
The Lions have plenty of improvement to do, from the coaches on down to players who aren’t going away in prominent roles. But these five players have offered almost nothing thus far, and they have to called out.
5 Lions players who have brought almost nothing to the table in 2021
5. FB Jason Cabinda
To be fair, there’s not much room for a fullback in an offense that has had two running backs on the field for 79 offensive snaps this season (15.4 percent, per Sharp Football). But Cabinda isn’t playing much more on special teams (65 offensive snaps vs. 112 special teams snaps in seven games played).
Among all Lions players with at least 50 snaps played thus far (h/t to Lions Wire), Cabinda has the fourth-worst Pro Football Focus grade (48.4). Given how little he’s played, and produced (one catch, three tackles), it’s eye-opening how bad that PFF grade is. The other Lions with bad PFF grades going into the bye week have at least played a lot, offering a larger sample to be analyzed.
In all honesty, there has to be a better use for Cabinda’s roster spot. Someone who makes a difference on special teams coverage/return units? An extra offensive lineman? Practically anything would work.