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One Unexpected Lion Leads Detroit’s Top Five PFF Grades Against the Vikings
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- One Unexpected Lion Leads Detroit’s Top Five PFF Grades Against the Vikings
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Despite earning a victory over the Minnesota Vikings and handing them their first loss of the season, the Detroit Lions managed to score just 19 points. This marks the lowest offensive point total Detroit has put up all season. Jared Goff also threw his first interception of the year after wide receiver Jameson Williams slipped on his route, resulting in a Vikings takeaway.
Despite the relatively quiet offensive performance, several Lions players still managed to put together impressive performances according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) . Let's take a look at Detroit's five highest-graded offensive players against Minnesota.
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1. Sione Vaki – 92.3
Vaki had the best performance of his career, earning the highest offensive grade on the team with a 92.3. He also recorded an 83.0 pass-blocking grade and a 90.1 rushing grade.
Vaki is quickly starting to grow on me. He was excellent in pass protection, picking up numerous blitzes while making the most of his opportunities as a runner. He finished with 11 carries for 65 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry with a long run of 12 yards.
With the injury that has kept Isaiah Pacheco out for the entire season so far, Vaki has taken advantage of his increased opportunities. It will be interesting to see how Detroit handles the backfield rotation once Pacheco is healthy, especially with Vaki continuing to make a strong case for himself.
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2. Penei Sewell – 90.3
Despite being charged with four penalties, Sewell still finished with the second-highest offensive grade on the Lions, earning a 90.3 overall grade and a 93.9 run-blocking grade.
I will say that at least one, if not two, of these penalties appeared particularly questionable. One was called for a false start on a play where Sewell did not appear to move.
Regardless, this was Sewell's best run-blocking performance of the season, and it showed on the field.
After making the switch to left tackle, Sewell has been outstanding. He currently ranks as PFF's highest-graded tackle with a 91.1 overall grade. He also owns the best run-blocking grade among all tackles at 93.2. Through 481 snaps, Sewell has allowed just one sack.
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3. Jahmyr Gibbs – 82.2
Gibbs had another outstanding performance, rushing for 153 yards on 23 carries. This marked his highest rushing yardage total of the season, along with his best yards-per-carry average at 6.7.
Gibbs broke off a brilliant 30-yard touchdown run and continues to look like one of the most explosive players in the NFL. He is currently on pace to finish with over 2,000 total yards this season.
Gibbs also recorded his best overall rushing grade of the season with an 83.6. However, pass protection was a different story, as he earned a 54.2 grade, his third-lowest performance of the season.
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Currently, Gibbs holds an 89.9 overall offensive grade, ranking third among 47 running backs. His 90.7 receiving grade ranks first, while his 83.8 rushing grade ranks ninth.
4. Jared Goff – 73.1
Despite throwing his first interception of the season, Goff still managed to earn a respectable 73.1 overall offensive grade and a 67.3 passing grade.
This was Goff's third-lowest overall offensive grade of the season. However, his production throughout the year has remained impressive. He currently holds an 82.7 overall offensive grade, ranking sixth in the NFL, along with an 81.8 passing grade, which ranks fourth.
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Against Minnesota, Goff completed 18 of 25 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown. He also finished with an 88.1 passer rating.
While the interception was unfortunate, particularly given that it came after Jameson Williams slipped on his route, Goff still did enough to help Detroit secure the victory.
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown – 68.1
St. Brown nearly came away with a long touchdown in the first quarter, but the play was ultimately overturned by the officials. It certainly looked like he had control of the ball in the end zone, making it a frustrating missed opportunity for Detroit.
After scoring five touchdowns through the first three weeks of the season, St. Brown has now gone several games without finding the end zone.
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Against Minnesota, he recorded seven receptions on eight targets for just 46 yards. He also added one rushing attempt for 10 yards on an incredible play design from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka that looked very much like something out of the CFL.
St. Brown also received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which ultimately hurt Detroit. He will need to be smarter moving forward, especially as officials appear to be cracking down on celebrations across the league.
Despite the quieter performance, St. Brown remains one of Detroit's most important offensive weapons. The Lions will need to get him more involved as they prepare for their matchup against Miami.
