The Detroit Lions eked out their first win Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in a thriller. There were plenty of bright spots to celebrate, but first, our game ball standings for the season:
Week 1 Game Ball winner: Penei Sewell
Week 2 winner: T.J. Hockenson
Week 3 winner: D’Andre Swift
Week 4 winner: Kalif Raymond
Week 5 winner: Tracy Walker
Week 6 winner: Derrick Barnes
Week 7 winner: Dave Fipp
Week 8 winner: T.J. Hockenson
Week 10 winner: D’Andre Swift
Week 11 winner: D’Andre Swift
Week 12 winner: Amani Oruwariye
Oruwariye hauls in just the second defensive game ball on the season. Let’s look at this week’s candidates:
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Stats: 10 catches, 86 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 rush, 2 yards
PFF Grade: 71.5
This one doesn’t need an explanation.
Charles Harris
Stats: 2 tackles, 2 sacks
PFF Grade: 78.5
Charles Harris is continuing his career revival in Detroit this week with a huge game against Minnesota. The former first-round pick notched two sacks and seven pressures against the Vikings, putting him at a total of six sacks with five games left in the season. That total almost matches his 6.5-sack career over the four years prior.
(2nd Quarter) Jared Goff
Stats: 25/41, 296 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
PFF Grade: 59.1
Goff’s stat line was by no means eye-popping when looked at as a whole. However, compared to the Goff of the rest of the season, it was quite the performance. If you zoom in even more to the second quarter, Goff had one heck of a performance. Props to Jeremy for the stats:
Jared Goff’s 2nd quarter:
11-of-13, 167 yds (12.8 Y/A), 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 158.3 passer rating (perfect)
Goff’s other 3 quarters combined:
14-of-28, 129 yards (4.6 Y/A), 1 TD, 1 INT, 60.0 passer rating.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) December 6, 2021
If not for that stellar second quarter, the Lions do not have a fighting chance down the stretch. The Vikings managed to surmount the Lions’ two-possession halftime lead, and only then was Goff able to revert to his old self and dink-and-dunk the Lions to the end zone.
Riley Patterson
Stats: 3/3 field goals, 2/2 PATs
PFF Grade: 69.5
Patterson stepped up admirably in his first field goal action with the Lions against his former team. It’s dangerous to draw conclusions from this game given the week-to-week variability of special teams, but it was very reassuring, especially given the way the kicking game has been for the Lions all season.
Penei Sewell
PFF Grade: 76.7
Sewell continues his hot streak and did not budge one bit against a team missing their two best pass rushers. Sewell went from a rocky start to the season to now being one of the finest tackles in all the league.
Since Week 6, Penei Sewell has been the 2nd best offensive tackle in football, per @PFF. (86.6 PFF grade)
Only behind 8x Pro Bowler Trent Williams.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) December 6, 2021
Who’s your pick for this week’s game ball? Vote below:
Poll
Who gets this week’s game ball?
69%
Amon-Ra St. Brown
(316 votes)
9%
Charles Harris
(44 votes)
13%
2nd Quarter Jared Goff
(63 votes)
3%
Riley Patterson
(15 votes)
455 votes total
Vote Now
