A look at Detroit’s Week 11 Studs and Duds
Another close loss for the Detroit Lions.
Once again, there was gritty effort from the defense and little life from the offense. Playing with backup quarterback Tim Boyle, the Lions could get little going on the offensive side of the ball.
Aaron Glenn’s defensive unit forced two turnovers, and did enough to give the team a chance to win. However, that chance never materialized. The end result was just like every other in 2021 — with the exception of Week 10 against Pittsburgh — a loss.
The Lions lost to the Cleveland Browns, 13-10, Sunday. Here are three studs and duds from the performance.
STUD: D’Andre Swift, RB
Detroit’s best offensive player did what he does week-after-week: provide the offense with a shot of life. He provided the team with its only touchdown, a 57-yard dash in which he made multiple defenders miss with an excellent cut in space.
After a fifth scoreless first half, Swift took a handoff from quarterback Tim Boyle and ignited the Lions as he dashed into the open field. And, three plays before that, he broke off a 19-yard run.
He finished the day with 14 carries for a gamehigh 13 yards. For the second straight week, he set a new career-high in rushing yards.
DUD: Tim Boyle, QB
Making his first career start, Boyle struggled to
find a groove. His inexperience and lack of chemistry showed, as he threw an interception on the second drive when Swift cut in on a route.
He finished 15-for-23 for 77 yards, averaging just 3.3 yards per attempt. In the NFL, with the league so focused on downfield passing, this is a feat that is hard to achieve. The passing play calls were very limited, so he was unable to show off his arm strength for most of the afternoon.
On the Lions’ one deep shot, Boyle was picked off by Denzel Ward.
STUD: Ryan McCollum, C
In a unique twist of events, starting center Evan Brown went down with an injury. This meant the Lions
needed McCollum, picked up from Houston’s practice squad, to hop in and take over.
McCollum responded with a quality performance, setting the offense up for success with good drive and combo blocks from the center position. While Boyle couldn’t do much through the air, McCollum anchored an offensive line unit that ultimately kept the quarterback on his feet.
DUD: Josh Reynolds, WR
Reynolds was claimed off waivers from Tennessee to help the Lions’ passing offense. In his debut, he got three targets, but did not record a catch. More than that, he made mistakes that hurt the unit.
On a screen to AmonRa
St. Brown that put the team deep in Cleveland territory, Reynolds was called for holding, negating the big gain. He had a drop, and didn’t compete for the deep ball that wound up being intercepted by Ward.
STUD: Penei Sewell, RT
If there’s one thing to be confident about, it’s this rookie. Sewell has proven he belongs in the pros, despite being the youngest active player in the league. Sunday was no different, as he held his own against a good Browns defensive line.
Additionally, he was playing with swagger. Continuously, the rookie from Oregon was seen jawing with Cleveland players and talking smack. For a player so young, Sewell is well beyond
his years when comes to confidence.
DUD: Amani Oruwariye, CB
Yes, the Penn State product did reel in an interception on a poorly thrown ball by Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield. It was that kind of day for the Browns through the air, as their banged-up quarterback struggled to connect with receivers. However, what lands Oruwariye on this list is his pair of penalties that led to what wound up being the game-winning touchdown on an 11-play, 76-yard drive that lasted 6:54.