Toonstruck 1 » Lions - Patriots Week 3 snap count observations

Lions DBs steal the show Here are the snap counts for the Detroit Lions’ Week 3 win over the New England Patriots. Offense:QuarterbacksMatthew Stafford: 74 (100%)Running backsKerryon Johnson: 33 (45%)LeGarrette Blount: 26 (36%)Theo Riddick: 21 (28%)FullbacksNick Bellore: 4 (5%) — 17 special teams snaps (68%)Tight endsLuke Willson: 40 (54%) — 9 (36%)Levine Toilolo: 37 (50%) — 6 (24%)Hakeem Valles: 6 (8%)Wide receiversMarvin Jones Jr.: 67 (91%)Kenny Golladay: 65 (88%)Golden Tate: 55 (74%)TJ Jones: 13 (18%) — 1 (4%)Offensive tacklesTaylor Decker: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Rick Wagner: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Guards/centersGraham Glasgow: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)Frank Ragnow: 74 (100%) — 6 (24%)T.J. Lang: 74 (100%) — 4 (16%)Kenny Wiggins: 3 (4%) — 6 (24%)Observations:Kerryon Johnson continues to garner the most snaps among the running backs Detroit Lions Womens Hoodie , but this time, it wasn’t due to an injury or ejection to Blount. He still isn’t considered the starter yet, but it’s only a matter of time.Hakeem Valles took Michael Roberts’ place on the field this week, but didn’t do much of any work with the offense.A very minor note: T.J. Lang didn’t play in all of the special teams snaps he would normally play in. That suggests he may not be 100 percent healthy from his back injury. Hopefully he didn’t reaggravate anything, but the fact that he played every offensive snap is enough to think he’ll be fine. Defense:Defensive endRomeo Okwara: 40 (83%) — 1 (4%)Da’Shawn Hand: 23 (48%) — 2 (8%)Defensive tackleA’Shawn Robinson: 20 (42%) — 4 (16%)Sylvester Williams: 16 (33%) — 2 (8%)Ricky Jean Francois: 15 (31%) — 2 (8%)LinebackersDevon Kennard: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Jarrad Davis: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Christian Jones: 24 (50%) — 7 (28%)Eli Harold: 21 (44%) — 3 (12%)Jalen Reeves-Maybin: 11 (23%) — 15 (60%)Marquis Flowers: 0 (0%) — 12 (48%)CornerbacksQuandre Diggs: 48 (100%) — 5 (20%)Darius Slay: 48 (100%) — 6 (24%)Nevin Lawson: 48 (100%) — 12 (48%)Jamal Agnew: 22 (46%) — 9 (36%)DeShawn Shead: 13 (27%) — 6 (24%)Teez Tabor: 0 (0%) — 15 (60%)Dee Virgin: 0 (0%) — 14 (56%)SafetyGlover Quin: 48 (100%) — 2 (8%)Tavon Wilson: 22 (46%) — 7 (28%)Tracy Walker: 13 (27%) — 17 (68%)Miles Killebrew: 0 (0%) — 17 (68%)Charles Washington: 0 (0%) — 17 (68%)Observations:There’s a ton to digest here, but look at those defensive line numbers. Outside of Romeo Okwara (which... wow), everyone saw a pretty significant decrease in their roles Sunday night, especially the defensive tackles. Sylvester Williams and Ricky Jean Francois barely played, as the Lions elected to go very linebacker/defensive back heavy.Speaking of the linebackers, the importance of Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard to this team cannot be overstated. Both haven’t come off the field for a single snap in the past two weeks. Meanwhile with Ezekiel Ansah injured and Kerry Hyder a healthy scratch, Eli Harold saw a significant bump in playing time (along with Okwara).The Lions secondary had a phenomenal game Sunday night, and part of it was likely due to the stability of the defensive backs. Four players never left the field: Quandre Diggs Womens Customized Detroit Lions Jerseys , Nevin Lawson, Darius Slay and Glover Quin. Speaking of defensive backs the Lions utilized DeShawn Shead and Tracy Walker effectively, especially when it came to neutralizing Rob Gronkowski for most of the night. Special teamsSam Martin: 15 (60%)Don Muhlbach: 8 (32%)Matt Prater: 6 (24%)Defenses & Dragons: Week 4 Detroit Lions fantasy player of the week It may be about four weeks too late, but there is probably some need for clarity regarding the phrase “Fantasy Pick/Player of the Week.” There really is no sense in identifying or predicting the highest point-getter among the Lions each week, as that becomes boring and repetitive and really does not provide much value.Instead, Defenses & Dragons is about identifying the player who is most likely to exceed expectations—a player who is being overlooked or undervalued by the general public. By looking at current trends of the opposing defense, astute fantasy owners are able to uncover key factors that will lead them to the best lineup decisions. Hopefully one of those factors will be Kerryon Johnson, who is the Week 4 Defenses & Dragons Player of the Week.FantasyPros Ranking: RB21 (0.5 PPR)FanDuel Pricing: RB38 ($5700)The Lions made all of the headlines last Sunday, among them the infamous 100-yard-rusher drought that finally ended. Johnson was slated to be the one to break the streak from the moment he was drafted, and it was very encouraging to see him succeed in only his third professional game. All of the attention is on him now in both the NFL and fantasy communities. Despite this, the national perception is still hesitant to completely buy in. While consensus expert ratings have Johnson as a low-end RB2, daily fantasy pricing sees him as a flyer at best. This discrepancy likely comes down to one thing: carry distribution.Though Johnson was the one to break 100 yards www.lionscheapshop.com , he still evenly split carries with LeGarrette Blount. Until he takes over the workload, he will have a limited ceiling in fantasy. However, his involvement in the passing game and impressive efficiency metrics should naturally tip the scales in his favor. Against the Patriots, it became clear who the better rusher is.Assuming the Lions recognize this truth, Johnson could be in for a big game against Dallas. Although Detroit features a trio of deadly receivers, the Cowboys have been much more vulnerable against the run this season, and the vast majority of fantasy points have come from opposing running backs.Through the first three weeks of 2018, teams’ top running backs have been much more productive against the Cowboys than their top wide receivers. The trio of Devin Funchess, Odell Beckham Jr., and Tyler Lockett averaged just 7.8 fantasy points against Dallas, while Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley Detroit Lions T-Shirt , and Chris Carson put up 15.9 fantasy points on average.This is a trend the Lions should look to exploit. With the absence of Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee, the breakout of Johnson last week, and the solid play of the offensive line, everything is in place for the rookie rusher in Week 4. He will not get 100 percent of the carries, but he will see enough action to have a more-than-serviceable afternoon.Prediction: 12 carries, 55 yards, 1 touchdown; 4 receptions, 30 yards; 16.5 fantasy points