Royal Oak Tribune

Recap: Who’s in the penthouse, doghouse?

- By Vito Chirco www.si.com/nfl/lions

Can things really get more ugly for the Lions than what just happened in Week 11?

The organizati­on suffered a 20- 0 loss at the hands of the lowly Carolina Panthers, a team that had only three wins on the season prior to the contest.

It was also Detroit’s first shutout loss since Matthew Stafford’s rookie campaign in 2009.

Yet, there were still a couple players that deserved a room in the “Penthouse” after their performanc­es this past weekend.

Here are those individual­s, along with the two players that will have to endure a stay in the “Doghouse” this week.

Penthouse

CB AMANI ORUWARIYE

The second-year corner was the bright spot of the Lions’ secondary Sunday.

He recorded a few nice open-field tackles (five total tackles), and also grabbed an intercepti­on in the end zone on a third-and-goal play at the start of the second quarter.

He finished the afternoon with an overall grade of 91.6, according to Pro Football Focus.

It was a performanc­e more than good enough to earn him a seat at the table in the Penthouse for Week 11.

DT JOHN PENISINI

The rookie defensive lineman accumulate­d his first sack of the season when he sacked Carolina’s P.J. Walker in the second quarter.

It was Detroit’s only sack of the afternoon, in a disappoint­ing day overall wise for the D-line.

He also proved to be fairly stout against the run Sunday, producing four total tackles along the way.

Detroit’s 2020 sixth-round selection has impressed all season long, and he finally had himself a performanc­e that landed him a spot in the Penthouse.

Doghouse

CB JEFF OKUDAH

The rookie corner was burnt all day long by Panthers speedster DJ Moore.

He got beat by Moore on a deep route down the sideline in the first half, and was consistent­ly torched by him on slant routes, as well.

Moore ended up finishing with seven receptions for a game-high 127 yards, and a significan­t portion of his productivi­ty was due to the ineffectiv­eness of Okudah in covering him.

To make matters worse for Detroit’s 2020 first-round pick, he exited the contest in the fourth quarter with a shoulder ailment.

It was far from a good day for the former Ohio State standout, and it earned him a room in the Doghouse for Week 11.

RB ADRIAN PETERSON

Peterson was Pro Football Focus’ worst-graded running back for Week 11, with an overall mark of 39.5.

He received the start in place of the injured D’Andre Swift, and logged just 18 yards on seven carries, equating to a dismal yardsper- carry average of 2.6 yards per rush.

Additional­ly, his longest run of the day was just four yards.

It was a highly disappoint­ing performanc­e from the future Pro Football Hall of Famer, as he did nothing to aid Stafford and the passing game.

And it earned A.P. a spot in the Doghouse for the week.

This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrate­d/All Lions. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

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