Snap counts, PFF grades: Tough showing for Detroit’s loaded O-line in loss

ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- If it seemed like the Dallas Cowboys were bursting through Detroit’s interior offensive line at a dangerous clip, then that feeling was accurate.

The Lions and their vaunted offensive line allowed 17 pressures in the 20-19 loss to the Cowboys. Offensive guards Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson were graded as two of their worst offensive players on the day.

Glasgow was the top-graded offensive lineman in the league last week, and has been on an absolute tear this season, so this was a blip on the radar.

The offensive line allowed 17 pressures in the loss, with Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow ranked among the five lowest players on the day for the offense. Jackson has had a tough stretch, dealing with injuries and inconsistencies. He received the worst overall grade of the season, not to mention the second-worst pass-blocking grade of his career against the Cowboys, allowing four pressures and two hits in the loss.

It was much cleaner for tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, not to mention center Frank Ragnow. But there were struggles on the ground, with Dallas pouncing on Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield in the blink of an eye a couple of times.

The Cowboys sacked Goff only once. But they hit the quarterback eight tackles, adding seven tackles for loss in the process.

“I would say that we had a lot of opportunities early in the game, and we didn’t play clean enough offensively,” Decker said. “Hats off to our defense, they played a hell of a game. Definitely want to give those guys credit. Ultimately, when it came down to it, we tried to make all the plays we could and we just came up one short.”

See below for more observations from PFF’s grades and the snap counts before digging into observations and a full rundown:

Five highest-graded defenders (with at least 10 snaps): EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (87.7), LB Derrick Barnes (77.1), DB Brian Branch (76.1), DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (70.8), LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (64.4)

Five-lowest graded defenders (with at least 10 snaps): DL Benito Jones (38.9), CB Cam Sutton (41.3), EDGE Bruce Irvin (42.4), DL Tyson Alualu (49.3), CB Kindle Vildor (55.1)

Five highest-graded offensive players (with at least 10 snaps): WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (89.0), OT Taylor Decker (78.2), QB Jared Goff (75.7), TE Sam LaPorta (70.3), RB Jahmyr Gibbs (68.7)

Five lowest-graded offensive players (with at least 10 snaps): TE James Mitchell (33.3), OG Jonah Jackson (43.4), OG Graham Glasgow (45.5), WR Josh Reynolds (55.7), WR Kalif Raymond (61.2)

-- The Lions kept a tight offensive rotation, with tight end Sam LaPorta and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown logging 100% of the snaps with the usual suspects. And that makes sense, with the Lions relying on practice squad signings and elevations in this one. It’s the first time for LaPorta and St. Brown to not leave the game this season. And before his ankle injury, Jameson Williams was on track to play a season-high clip, with 44 reps and a 63-yard catch in the process against the Cowboys.

-- The outside cornerback rotation was trimmed to two players unlike in previous weeks. Cam Sutton didn’t come off the field and Kindle Vildor logged 98% of the defensive work, leaving the field for only two snaps. On that note, Sutton and Vildor were two of the five-worst graded defenders on the day for the Lions.

Sutton actually led the team with 10 tackles. But the veteran corner got hit with allowing nine catches on nine targets in coverage for 113 yards. And Vildor was the player falling in the background of CeeDee Lamb’s 92-yard touchdown catch and run. Vildor was credited with allowing two catches on four looks for 96 yards. The recently-signed cornerback has been great on the ground, for those looking to leave on an optimistic note.

-- After those two quiet games to open the month, St. Brown has been back on a tear for the Lions. He was once again the offense’s highest-graded player from the analytics site. It was his third straight game in the positive, with two of those three above PFF’s elite 89.0 mark. Lions quarterback Jared Goff averaged a perfect passer rating (158.3) when throwing to the Sun God. And unlike the rest of the offense, St. Brown was consistent from start to finish in Arlington.

OFFENSE

QB Jared Goff -- 69 (100%)

OG Graham Glasgow -- 69 (100%)

OG Jonah Jackson -- 69 (100%)

OT Taylor Decker -- 69 (100%)

OT Penei Sewell -- 69 (100%)

C Frank Ragnow -- 69 (100%)

TE Sam LaPorta -- 69 (100%)

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown -- 69 (100%)

WR Josh Reynolds -- 50 (72%)

WR Jameson Williams -- 44 (64%)

RB Jahmyr Gibbs -- 43 (62%)

RB David Montgomery -- 27 (39%)

TE James Mitchell -- 19 (28%)

WR Kalif Raymond -- 19 (28%)

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones -- 3 (4%)

OL Dan Skipper -- 2 (3%)

DEFENSE

S Kerby Joseph -- 65 (100%)

S Ifeatu Melifonwu -- 65 (100%)

CB Cam Sutton -- 65 (100%)

LB Alex Anzalone -- 65 (100%)

CB Kindle Vildor -- 64 (98%)

EDGE Aidan Hutchinson -- 57 (88%)

LB Derrick Barnes -- 46 (71%)

DL John Cominsky -- 43 (66%)

LB Jack Campbell -- 40 (62%)

DL Josh Paschal -- 38 (58%)

DB Brian Branch -- 36 (55%)

DL Tyson Alualu -- 32 (52%)

DL Benito Jones -- 30 (46%)

DL Isaiah Buggs -- 23 (35%)

EDGE Bruce Irvin -- 18 (28%)

LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin -- 12 (18%)

EDGE Romeo Okwara -- 9 (14%)

EDGE Charles Harris -- 4 (6%)

CB Jerry Jacobs -- 1 (2%)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Jalen Reeves-Maybin -- 23 (88%)

Anthony Pittman -- 23 (88%)

Khalil Dorsey -- 23 (88%)

Will Harris -- 23 (88%)

Craig Reynolds -- 19 (73%)

Malcolm Rodriguez -- 19 (73%)

Jerry Jacobs -- 18 (69%)

Tracy Walker -- 14 (54%)

Jack Campbell -- 14 (54%)

James Mitchell -- 13 (50%)

P Jack Fox -- 12 (46%)

Anthony Firkser -- 12 (46%)

LS Jake McQuaide -- 8 (31%)

Romeo Okwara -- 8 (31%)

Benito Jones -- 7 (27%)

Derrick Barnes -- 5 (19%)

Kerby Joseph -- 5 (19%)

Donovan Peoples-Jones -- 5 (19%)

K Michael Badgley -- 4 (15%)

Kalif Raymond -- 4 (15%)

Josh Paschal -- 4 (15%)

John Cominksy -- 4 (15%)

Ifeatu Melifonwu - 4 (15%)

Colby Sorsdal -- 3 (12%)

Dan Skipper -- 3 (12%)

Kayode Awosika -- 3 (12%)

Graham Glasgow -- 3 (12%)

Penei Sewell -- 3 (12%)