PFF grades are in for the Lions.
Malcolm Rodriguez ranked third among all defenders against the run in Week 2, so far. Chris Board, John Cominsky, Will Harris top 3 graded Lions defenders.
Taylor Decker ranked 3rd among all tackles. Evan Brown drew rave reviews for pass pro.
PFF grades: Lions CB Will Harris delivers in relief of Amani Oruwariye
DETROIT -- Detroit Lions cornerback Will Harris didn’t have a perfect game, getting beat downfield for a 40-yard catch, but he did more good than bad in relief of Amani Oruwariye.
Harris has taken his lumps through his four seasons in Detroit. But he’s continued to show a better grip at cornerback than he did at safety through his first two years and change around these parts. Pro Football Focus ranked Harris as the team’s second-best defender and top-ranked defensive back. Harris was tied for the team lead with eight tackles, adding one for loss and a key interception in the team’s 36-27 win against the Washington Commanders.
PFF credited Harris for allowing three catches on six targets in coverage for 45 yards and one touchdown. He allowed only three yards after the catch, with Carson Wentz averaging a passer rating of 75.0 when throwing his way. He was strong across the board, slotting fifth against the run, third in tackling and tied for ninth in coverage. As things stand, the analytics site ranks him seventh among cornerbacks with enough snaps to qualify for Week 2.
Harris made a diving interception after Wentz’s pass for tight end Logan Thomas was too high. It was a heads-up play, with the ball ricocheting off safety Tracy Walker, with Harris ready for the bounce. Washington had the ball at Detroit’s 47-yard line in a 22-7 game in the third quarter at the time of the takeaway. Jeff Okudah said that’s a play they know Harris can make, adding that it sent energy through their room of cornerbacks.
“Huge. Huge. Listen, one of the big things we talked about and put another emphasis on, you know, you emphasize it, you emphasize it, and it’s like all right, we got to emphasize it a different way,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “It was about turnovers, and we got that. I mean, look, the sack fumble, essentially in the end zone, that’s a turnover. I mean, you know we get two out of it, and then Will Harris. Yeah, they were getting a little momentum and to get that, I felt like kind of reset us a little bit. Gave us a chance to breathe and it proved to be a big play. It really did. And look, I said going into this game, man, I wanted to do something. I wanted us to be the team that forced somebody to make the critical error, and we did that. We did that on the extra point. So, however, you want to cut it, man, we made the plays that we had to, to win this.”
-- Malcolm Rodriguez ranks third among all defenders against the run in Week 2 before Monday night’s games. The sixth-round rookie was the team’s highest-graded defender in the season opener. Rodriguez slotted fourth on Detroit’s defense against the Commanders, per PFF. But his work against the run will sit among the elite from the weekend. Rodriguez was tied for the team lead with eight tackles, adding one quarterback hit. The “Rodrigo” hype train steamrolls ahead into Week 3.Alex Anzalone played 91% of the defensive snaps, while Rodriguez handled 73%. That’s a tighter rotation, with Chris Board coming on for only 16 reps.
-- D’Andre Swift led the backfield in snaps while playing through an ankle injury. Swift had 31 plays, with Jamaal Williams (21) and Craig Reynolds (nine) working into the rotation. Williams had 12 carries for 53 yards. Swift ran five times for 56 yards, adding two catches for 31 yards and one touchdown. Reynolds made the most of his looks, with three attempts for 16 yards and one catch for 13 yards. PFF ranked Swift 23rd among all running backs in Week 2.
-- Taylor Decker was a rock for the team’s banged-up offensive line. He’s ranked third among all tackles this week so far. His run blocking is ranked sixth, and his pass protection slots third. He was credited with allowing one pressure and one hit against the Commanders’ stout defensive line. Evan Brown picked up where he left off last year in relief of Frank Ragnow. He was strong in pass protection, not allowing any pressure from the inside. He ranked fourth among all centers in that department. Logan Stenberg’s pass-blocking grade improved from 0.0 to 4.0 this week. He was docked for allowing six pressures, three hits, two hurries and one sack. Makeshift guard Dan Skipper received solid marks on the ground -- as seen on Swift’s 50-yard run -- while allowing three pressures, two hurries and one sack.
-- John Cominsky has proven to be a reliable hand for the defensive line rotation. He’s the team’s second-highest-ranked defender out of this victory, with strong all-around grades. “The Commish” was credited with a whopping seven pressures created and one sack across 31 snaps.
-- Jared Goff’s PFF grade wasn’t elite by any means. But he’s tied for sixth overall and ranked eighth in the passing department. The quarterback averaged 7.0 completed air yards per attempt, with 8.6 intended air yards per attempt. He had only one turnover-worthy play, with two big-time throws. T.J. Hockenson was docked for two drops, while Swift had one too.
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