While the Detroit Lions weren’t able to hold on to their lead against the Minnesota Vikings, several players on the team had noteworthy performances that should not go unrecognized.
Here are three players of the game for Week 3:
Offense: RB Jamaal Williams
Williams was the biggest contributor to the Lions’ offense today as he found the end zone twice. He netted 107 total yards against Minnesota, with 87 on the ground and 20 receiving. He averaged nearly five yards per touch as he became the go-to running back while D’Andre Swift was dealing with an injury.
Another 2️⃣ touchdown day for @jswaggdaddy!#DETvsMIN 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/UgLvKo7MmD
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 25, 2022
Williams also helped convert a fourth down for Detroit that eventually drove the team to their second touchdown of the day.
Defense: LB Alex Anzalone
Leading the team in tackles was linebacker Alex Anzalone. The veteran linebacker showed something that the Lions defense hasn’t seen in a while: the ability to make plays in coverage. On a pass attempt to tight end Irv Smith, Anzalone was able to force an incompletion.
Celebrate birthday on Thursday ✅
Get after the QB on Sunday ✅#DETvsMIN 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/15lqXAXpJy— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 25, 2022
His play of the game came in the second half, where he had a wide-open lane to Kirk Cousins and was easily able to bring him down. Anzalone ended the day with 10 tackles and the lone sack.
Special teams: P Jack Fox
While Fox did have a spectacular day punting, his name appears here more so because kicker Austin Seibert and long snapper Scott Daly didn’t have the best performances of their respective careers.
Fox punted three times for an average of 44.7 yards per punt. Two of those punts landed inside the opposite 20-yard line, putting the Vikings in suboptimal field position.
