Lions @ Seahawks
Final Score: Seahawks 51, Lions 29
Writer: Erik Smith (@ErikSmithQBL on Twitter)
The Seahawks jumped out early in this one on the continued hot streak from Rashaad Penny as the running game opened things up for the play-action game. D.K. Metcalf produced a monster three-touchdown game, as the Seattle offense is finally starting to wake up down the stretch. Seattle went into the half leading 31-7, and after Detroit scored to get within 38-15 early in the third quarter, the Lions successfully recovered an onside kick. They would score on the next drive to bring the game within 16 points, but that was as close as they would get. D’Andre Swift managers were left in the cold in his first game back from injury, while Amon-Ra St. Brown managers likely rode the rookie receiver to a championship.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Tim Boyle: 22/37, 262 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT | 1 carry, 14 yards
Tim Boyle struggled in his second-straight start filling in for Jared Goff. Boyle had a near-fumble on 3rd and 8 when he was hit as he threw, but was called an incomplete pass after review. Boyle missed on multiple short passes while under pressure early on, often throwing high and behind his intended target. The Lions sputtered to multiple three and outs in the first half, scoring just seven points.
Boyle threw an awful interception to start the second half, on literally the first play, where he dropped the shotgun snap and quickly picked the ball up and fired it to a covered receiver. The pass was batted into the air and intercepted. Boyle showed nice touch on a touchdown pass to offensive lineman Taylor Decker off of play-action as the Lions tried to claw back in the game, but it was too little too late.
🚨🚨BIG MAN TD 🚨🚨#DETvsSEA | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/g1cbRsKsvP
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 2, 2022
Boyle began to move the ball once the game was out of reach as the Seahawks backed off and he was more easily able to check the ball down. However, after a touchdown drive, Boyle was intercepted on a poor pass late in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. Boyle’s very next play on the next drive was an even worse interception, as he threw downfield while backpedaling in a clean pocket and off of his back foot.
Keep putting the ball in the air and we'll keep getting it. @D7_Reed with his second INT of the day.
📺 #DETvsSEA on FOX pic.twitter.com/SQqg9Rt458
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 3, 2022
Boyle looks destined to be a career backup, at best.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 4 carries, 32 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards
Jamaal Williams: 11 carries, 22 yards, TD | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards
Craig Reynolds: 4 carries, 4 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
D’Andre Swift returned to action today, and his fantasy managers had reason to be optimistic after positive comments from head coach Dan Campbell leading up to the game. Swift managers knew they were in trouble right away, however, as Swift was the third running back in the game on the first drive.
Swift received his first carry on the second drive of the game but was on the field for just one of the Lions’ plays before the three-and-out punt. Swift’s first meaningful play was a draw to start the Lions’ drive with under 30 seconds left in the first half, where he broke it for a nice 31-yard gain and looked to be plenty healthy. He even stayed on the field the next play and caught a short pass.
In the second half, Swift saw a downfield target that could have been a first down, but Boyle underthrew him. Later that drive, Swift just missed a rushing touchdown on first and goal as he was flipped into the air and landed just short of the goal line. Jamaal Williams would get stuffed on the next play, and after a Lions false start, Amon-Ra St. Brown scored his second touchdown of the game through the air. Swift was later stuffed on a 3rd and 3 toss play through no fault of his own and was still playing late in the fourth quarter. Swift ended up leading the backfield in snaps after taking the pass-catching role in the second half but played just about half the offensive snaps overall. It was a tough scene for Swift managers that counted on him in fantasy championships.
Jamaal Williams was in for the first play of the game and received a screen pass, and was involved throughout. At one point, Williams was stuffed on consecutive plays to end a drive with the Lions needing one yard to gain. Williams got the first shot on most of the Lions’ early drives and soaked up a lot of the between the tackles work, but was less involved as they trailed in the second half. Williams scored a late touchdown from in close to further frustrate Swift managers.
Craig Reynolds was the second running back in on the second play of the game, and the backfield usage followed a similar pattern on the second and third drives of the game. Reynolds played in some two-back sets at times in the passing game, but saw the fewest snaps of the three running backs.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 11 targets, 8 receptions, 111 yards, TD | 2 carries, 23 yards, TD
KhaDarel Hodge: 10 targets, 5 receptions, 76 yards
Trinity Benson: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards
Taylor Decker: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
Tom Kennedy: 3 targets
Matt Nelson: 1 target
Amon-Ra St. Brown continued to impress as the only dependable option in the passing game against Seattle. St. Brown converted Detroit’s first third-down conversion and was the recipient of a play-action pass on the very next play for another first down. St. Brown caught a first down over the middle on the Lions’ first scoring drive and then was stuffed on an end-around shortly after. But on 3rd and 10 from the 26, St. Brown lined up in the backfield and was given a straight handoff on a draw play. St. Brown broke a tackle in the backfield and made a beautiful cut upfield, missing a defender and breaking out of another tackle, and took the handoff into the end zone for his first touchdown of the day.
.@amonra_stbrown just doing Amon-Ra St. Brown things!#DETvsSEA | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/Ohx14rQeta
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 2, 2022
St. Brown had a 20-yard reception over the middle where he was wide open early on in the second half. He would finish that drive with his second touchdown of the day, where he lined up in the slot from the seven-yard line and the Seahawks for some reason had a linebacker on him, who he quickly found room against. St. Brown would additionally chip in a two-point conversion on a shovel pass on the next play.
Second touchdown of the day for @amonra_stbrown!#DETvsSEA | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/fmMYdy2Anu
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 2, 2022
After the onside kick recovery, St. Brown had another huge reception on 4th and 3 that he broke upfield for a 31 yard gain. Almost none of St. Brown’s work was true garbage-time work, and this was a very impressive performance from the rookie, who looks to be a threat with the ball in his hands.
Much of KhaDarel Hodge‘s work came in the second half. Hodge had a big play shot down the field that he made an excellent catch on, falling just short of the endzone. He also saw a screen for 15 yards where the Lions held on the play. Hodge will likely go back to a less utilized role when Josh Reynolds returns to the field.
The Lions only had one active tight end on the roster, so they gave a target to two different offensive lineman, and Taylor Decker converted his look for a red zone touchdown.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Russell Wilson: 20/29, 236 yards, 4 TD, 1 sack | 6 carries, 24 yards
Russell Wilson started the game with a quick three and out, and was under pressure on 3rd and 7 and had no chance. It was all good from there, however, as Wilson and the Seattle offense ran lots of play-action to complement the running game, and they moved the ball well against a poor Detroit defense. The Seahawks also ran a nice uptempo offense in the first half. Wilson was finally able to regain his connection with DK Metcalf, and the results were clear for his fantasy managers. Metcalf’s three touchdowns came on all different types of plays, and Wilson hit him on a nicely thrown fade down the sideline for a pass that should be available often in this offense.
Wasting no time. Two players after the turnover, it's @dkm14 in the end zone again!
📺 #DETvsSEA on FOX pic.twitter.com/KLdYDft8qZ
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 2, 2022
Wilson missed a rushing touchdown by just a yard on a scramble in the fourth quarter and would hit Metcalf for a touchdown on the next play, off of play-action yet again. Wilson was still coming out firing from play-action mid-fourth quarter on first down up 16, so Wilson got a full game of production here. Overall, he looked generally back to the old Wilson we are used to seeing, although Detroit certainly had a hand in that as well.
Running Back
Rashaad Penny: 25 carries, 170 yards, 2 TD | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards
Travis Homer: 6 carries, 27 yards
DeeJay Dallas: 1 carry, 1 yard
Things started slowly for Rashaad Penny, but he began to roll in the middle of the first quarter when he broke a tackle in the backfield and sped upfield for a 20 yard gain. Penny would finish the drive with a 15-yard touchdown that showed nice patience and vision.
Just walk right in, @pennyhendrixx!
📺: #DETvsSEA on FOX pic.twitter.com/vxb5ZYIMqv
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 2, 2022
Penny took advantage of huge holes in the Detroit defense early on, but he also showed good speed and vision, knifing through the line without hesitation. Penny chipped in his second touchdown after a big reception by Swain got the Seahawks in close.
The Lions began to slow Penny down late in the second quarter, until he suddenly burst through the line and broke the run out wide downfield for a huge gain, once again showing off his speed for a 37 yard gain, his third run of 20+ yards in the first half. Penny missed that red zone series as he caught a breather.
Penny was still out there up 19 points late in the fourth quarter and was finally taken off the field on Seattle’s final drive, as Travis Homer took the game’s last carries.
DeeJay Dallas was the first back in behind Penny but played just two offensive snaps. Dallas primarily returned kicks for the Seahawks.
Travis Homer filled in later after a long Penny run and took a red zone run down to the two for a nice gain. Lockett would score on the next play, but Homer was in the game and was the clear backup in this game.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DK Metcalf: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 63 yards, 3 TD | 1 carry, 6 yards
Tyler Lockett: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 24 yards, TD | 1 carry, 7 yards
Freddie Swain: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 65 yards
Gerald Everett: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 36 yards
Colby Parkinson: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards
Will Dissly: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
Dee Eskridge: 3 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards | 1 carry, 30 yards
Penny Hart: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
D.K. Metcalf was the recipient of multiple targets in the first half, including shorter routes to get him into the flow of the game. Metcalf had a target on a slant in the red zone that was behind him and went incomplete, but two plays later Metcalf ran a slant and go up the middle for a short touchdown.
Just perfect execution 👌@DangeRussWilson ➡️ @dkm14 for 6!
📺: #DETvsSEA on FOX pic.twitter.com/R1NsTPAo81
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 2, 2022
Metcalf scored his second touchdown on a classic fade from just outside the ten-yard line to start the second half.
Metcalf later had a big catch over the middle on 3rd and 8 as the Lions tried to claw back into the game. Metcalf would catch his third touchdown of the game on a play-action pass from the one-yard line. It was the type of monster game that we have been waiting for over the past few weeks, and it came without the classic deep ball we are so used to.
Tyler Lockett was less involved than Metcalf but still flashed his skill. Lockett beat his man deep down the left sideline on 3rd and 6 for a big gain, and if the pass hadn’t led him out of bounds it could have been a long touchdown. Lockett’s receiving touchdown was essentially a handoff, as Wilson hit him with a forward toss on a jet sweep from the two-yard line. With the targets funneling to Metcalf and the running game firing on all cylinders, there just wasn’t enough to go around for a monster Lockett game.
Gerald Everett had a 3rd and 10 conversion over the middle to pick up a first down in the first quarter but later dropped a would-be first down on 2nd and 6. Everett ran the third-most routes on the Seahawks.
Freddie Swain had a huge play off of play-action on the backside of the formation when he was uncovered, but was otherwise uninvolved.
Dee Eskridge took an end-around for 30 yards down to the one-yard line for the game’s final play and looked elusive, though the play came in garbage time where Detroit was likely expecting straight handoffs.
— Erik Smith(@ErikSmithQBL on Twitter)