PITTSBURGH – Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett breaks down the Detroit Lions‘ 16-16 tie to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and looks at players who helped and hurt their stock Sunday at Heinz Field.
Stock up
RB D’Andre Swift: Swift had a career-high 33 carries and 130 yards rushing Sunday, the first time he said he can ever remember having that many carries at any level of football. The Lions can’t have Swift getting that many touches every week, but on a day when Jamaal Williams wasn’t available and Jermar Jefferson left with an injury, Swift proved capable of being a workhorse back.
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OT Penei Sewell: After starting the first eight games of the season at left tackle, Sewell made the transition to right tackle look easy — and against one of the game’s best pass rushers, T.J. Watt, no less. Sewell helped key the Lions’ season-high 229-yard rushing performance and did not allow a sack in 29 Jared Goff dropbacks. Whether he plays left or right tackle in 2023 and beyond, he looks like a keeper on the offensive line.
OT Matt Nelson: Nelson was odd man out on the Lions’ offensive line with Taylor Decker making his season debut after September finger surgery and Sewell moving to the right side, but he excelled in a jumbo tight end role. The Lions played six offensive linemen most of the day and Nelson had perhaps his best blocking day of the season.
Stock down
Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn: Lions coach Dan Campbell handled offensive play-calling duties Sunday for the first time this season. Sure, Lynn still helped coordinate the offense, and Campbell insisted the play calling was a collaborative effort. But OCs who lose their play-calling duties don’t tend to last long in their role, and Lynn’s future is now clearly in doubt.
QB Jared Goff: I hesitate to put Goff on this list because he suffered a strained oblique Sunday and dealt with awful weather, but the Lions simply could not move the ball through the air. Goff underthrew an open Kalif Raymond on what should have been a touchdown and he had minus-1 yard passing in the first quarter and 54 through regulation. Those type of performances reinforce the Lions’ need for a new quarterback in 2022.
CB Jerry Jacobs: Jacobs had two pass breakups Sunday, so it wasn’t an entirely poor performance. But the rookie cornerback took a poor angle on one third down conversion and seemed to be at fault for the Steelers’ first touchdown, when he followed the wrong receiver out of a bunch formation at the line of scrimmage. Jacobs left with a groin injury, and with Ifeatu Melifonwu due back soon, could find himself out of a starting role before long.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.