Which Detroit players are in the penthouse, doghouse?
The Lions looked the best they have all season long on Sunday in Jacksonville, playing a complete game for the first time in 2020.
There weren’t many flaws on either side of the ball, resulting in a myriad of players being deserving of taking a trip to the “Penthouse” this week.
However, not everything was pretty the whole entire game, and consequently, Detroit had a couple individuals deserving of spending time in the “Doghouse” after the contest.
Here are my Penthouse and Doghouse selections after the Lions’ decisive Week 6 victory against the Jaguars.
Penthouse
RB D’ANDRE SWIFT
Swift’s standout performance put him on the map on a national level.
He f inished Sunday with a career- high 14 rushes for a career-best 116 yards and two touchdowns.
In recording those numbers, he became the first Lions rookie runner to produce 100-plus yards on the ground and to rush for two TDs since Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders did so in 1989 against the Chicago Bears (26 carries for 120 yards and two scores).
Swift’s day was good enough to warrant him being the No. 1 back in Detroit’s backfield the remainder of the season.
The onus subsequently is now on Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell tomake it a reality, starting with the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
LB JAMIE COLLINS
The veteran leader of Detroit’s defense and by far the team’s best linebacker put together an extremely productive performance in Week 6.
He played a pivotal role in the Lions allowing Jacksonville to accumulate just 44 rushing yards on the afternoon.
His final stat line included seven total tackles, 0.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one quarterback hit, good for a Pro Football Focus grade of 89.8.
He also was a standout performer in pass coverage, finishing with a PFF coverage grade of 85.7 for the week.
The Lions direly need Collins to come through with more of these types of games, if they want to start showing signs of consistency on defense moving forward.
DE TREY FLOWERS
A standout performance by one of the leaders on Detroit’s defense.
Flowers’ performance Sunday earned him his highest PFF grade in the last 12 months.
His strip- sack in the second quarter diminished any momentum that Jacksonville was developing on offense.
For a defensive line that had struggled against the run, holding James Robinson to less than 100 yards on the afternoon was an impressive accomplishment.
Doghouse
STRACY WALKER
Walker had a rough day in coverage.
He got beat by Jacksonville receiver Keelan Cole on a 51-yard pass play in the third quarter, which cornerback Jeff Okudah, in Walker’s defense, was also in on and misplayed.
Walker also blew a tackle on a third-and-3 play involving receiver Laviska Shenault in the first quarter.
he third-year pro will have to bemore effective in coverage, if the Lions’ secondary wants to performat its highest level the rest of the way this season.
KMATT PRATER
The Lions didn’t have a ton of players deserving of being put in the Penthouse on Sunday, leading to Prater getting the nod, despite the fact he made two of his three field goal attempts and all of his extra points (four- of-four).
As for why he’s been placed here, it’s because he missed a 57-yard field goal at the start of the second quarter and now has missed all three of his 50-plus-yard attempts on the season.
It could be a sign that the 36-year- old is slowing down a bit.
And it also means that Matt Patricia & Co. might have to be more selective in future weeks when it comes to allowing Prater to attempt such kicks.