The Detroit Lions Week 1 game with the Arizona Cardinals ended with a thud and left fans desperate for answers. By examining the snap counts from that game it can give a glimpse into what the Lions game plan was, what went right and what went wrong.
Here are the main takeaways from this week snap counts:
100-percent (88) snaps on offense
Matthew Stafford, QB
Taylor Decker, LT
Rick Wagner, RT
Frank Ragnow, C
No real surprises here, as most weeks these four players should see 100-percent of snaps baring injury. Speaking of injuries, Ragnow’s ankle looks to be in good shape after not needing a rest yesterday.
Guard rotation
Joe Dahl, LG — 76 snaps, 86-percent
Graham Glasgow, RG — 76 snaps, 86-percent
Kenny Wiggins, R/LG — 24 snaps, 28-percent
Here’s where things got a bit surprising. After an entire offseason, the Lions still haven’t settled on which two players they want starting at guard on a regular basis.
It’s unclear if rotating Wiggins in at both right and left guard was a planned move — it looked that way — or if it was performance-based, but either way, this seems like an unnecessary burden on the unit as a whole.
Running back rotation
Kerryon Johnson — 50 snaps, 57-percent
C.J. Anderson — 26 snaps, 30-percent
Nick Bawden — 22 snaps, 25-percent
Ty Johnson — 8 snaps, 9-percent
J.D. McKissic — 5 snaps, 6-percent
Like it or not, the Lions are likely going to keep Kerryon Johnson’s snaps around this level moving forward, so they can protect him against injury. Anderson, as the veteran, is likely to be next man up, while Ty Johnson and McKissic will be situational options.
Bawden will likely see his snaps fluctuate on a week to week basis, but based on what we have seen this offseason, he is going to be a part of the mix each game.
Golladay sees WR1 snaps
Kenny Golladay — 86 snaps, 98-percent
Marvin Jones — 71 snaps, 81-percent
Danny Amendola — 47 snaps, 53-percent
Chris Lacy — 3 snaps, 3-percent
Last season, after trading Golden Tate, Golladay and Jones’ roles were flipped, but this sure looks like it’s Golladay’s show now. Amendola seeing around half the snaps should be a minimum each week and he could see his snap counts rise as Bawden’s declines.
Hockenson leads tight end group
T.J. Hockenson — 64 snaps, 73-percent
Jesse James — 51 snaps, 58-percent
Logan Thomas — 7 snaps, 8-percent
Hockenson set an NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in his first NFL game and he is already one of the best weapons the Lions have on offense. If Decker continues to struggle, don’t be surprised if James sees his snaps increase as he is used more in a complimentary blocking role.
Top 5 DBs see minimum 96-percent of snaps
Tracy Walker, S — 89 snaps, 100-percent
Quandre Diggs, S — 88 snaps, 99-percent
Darius Slay, CB — 88 snaps, 99-percent
Rashaan Melvin, CB — 87 snaps, 98-percent
Justin Coleman, NB — 85 snaps, 96-percent
Last year the Lions were in sub-packages over 80-percent of the time, but to guard against Arizona’s Air Raid scheme the Lions were in sub-packages the entire game.
The rest of the DBs
Jamal Agnew, CB — 21 snaps, 24-percent
Will Harris, S — 15 snaps, 17-percent
Tavon Wilson, S — 15 snaps, 17-percent
Mike Ford, CB — 1 snap, 1-percent
When the Lions deployed six or more defensive backs, Agnew was the preferred option at corner, while Harris and Wilson fluctuated as third safety options. If Harris and Wilson are splitting reps this early in the season, it seems like only a matter of time before Harris takes over this role completely.
EDGE Rushers show positional value
Devon Kennard, JACK — 81 snaps, 91-percent
Romeo Okwara, DE — 57 snaps, 64-percent
Trey Flowers, DE — 53 snaps, 60-percent
Flowers is still getting his game legs and 60-percent of snaps will likely be his lowest output of the season, but his ability to play the 3-technique will keep providing Okwara with opportunities to see the field.
It’s no surprise Kennard got the green dot — the sideline communication helmet — with him receiving nearly all the available snaps.
3 Off-the-ball linebackers see over 50-percent of snaps
Christian Jones — 64 snaps, 72-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 63 snaps, 71-percent
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 52 snaps, 58-percent
Jones and Tavai illustrated their ability to rush the EDGE and play off the ball which will keep their snap counts high. Reeves-Maybin should continue to see reps while Jarrad Davis is sidelined, and if he plays well, he can earn a spot in the rotation.
Interior defensive line see under 50-percent of snaps
A’Shawn Robinson — 39 snaps,44-percent
Mike Daniels — 31 snaps, 35-percent
Damon Harrison — 27 snaps, 30-percent
Kevin Strong — 23 snaps, 26-percent
These snap counts were low across the board and the fact that they were still getting gassed late in the fourth quarter is troublesome. Health likely played a factor here, but this unit is the catalyst for this defense and they need to find more endurance quickly.
Rookie safeties dominate special teams snaps
C.J. Moore, S — 34 snaps, 85-percent
Will Harris, S — 34 snaps, 85-percent
Miles Killebrew, LB — 29 snaps, 72-percent
Nick Bawden, FB — 29 snaps, 72-percent
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB — 28 snaps, 70-percent
Dee Virgin, CB — 27 snaps, 68-percent
Logan Thomas, TE — 27 snaps, 68-percent
Mike Ford, CB — 21 snaps, 52-percent
Chris Lacy, WR — 21 snaps, 52-percent
Tavon Wilson, S — 18 snaps, 45-percent
Justin Coleman, CB — 17 snaps, 42-percent
Jamal Agnew, CB — 15 snaps, 38-percent
Ty Johnson, RB — 14 snaps, 35-percent
The Lions had three primarily special teams only players: Moore, Killebrew and Virgin — each saw a minimum of 68-percent of snaps. The rest of the snap counts were as expected, with the one notable comparison worth making being Harris’ 34 snaps vs Wilson’s 18. Again, if they’re battling for playing time, Harris appears to have more value early.
Specialists
Sam Martin, P — 20 snaps, 50-percent
Don Muhlbach, LS — 13 snaps, 32-percent
Matt Prater, K — 5 snaps, 12-percent
