The Detroit Lions suffered their second consecutive loss yesterday, and now have a quick turnaround before their Thanksgiving game against division rival Chicago. The Lions simply looked overmatched; quarterback Matthew Stafford completed just 39% of his passes and the team failed to get the ball into the end zone.
No team in the NFL is outplaying the Patriots right now, as the team has won seven games in a row including wins over some of the league’s best. They have taken each of their past four games by at least 20 points, and have the inside track for the top seed in the AFC.
Here are some of the notable performances from the game.
Detroit Lions– Performances of Note
Ndamukong Suh, DT: +3.7
Breakdown: Suh was a monster in run defense, earning a season-best +4.0 grade in that department after registering four run stops, three of which were tackles for loss. Suh also added four hurries and a hit as a pass rusher, as Patriots guard Ryan Wendell had his worst game of the season (-3.2) trying to contain him.
Signature Play: The Patriots’ second drive of the game was a three and out, and Suh was the biggest reason for it. After stopping Shane Vereen 5 yards in the backfield on first down, Suh landed a huge hit on Tom Brady on 3rd-and-15 to help end the drive.
Cornelius Lucas, LT: -3.5
Breakdown: Starting LT Riley Reiff lasted just one snap before leaving the game with a knee injury, and Lucas struggled in backup duty. Lucas earned negative grades in pass protection, run blocking (-1.2) and committed two penalties.
Signature Stat: Lucas surrendered a sack, two hits and two hurries, a game-worst five total pressures allowed.
Calvin Johnson, WR: -0.4
Breakdown: Johnson was covered by Brandon Browner (+2.6) with safety help for most of the game, and he struggled to get open. Stafford was 3-of-7 for 46 yards when targeting Johnson vs. Browner, including a dropped pass by Johnson and two passes defensed from Browner.
Signature Stat: Overall, Stafford was 4-of-9 for 58 yards, including just 11 yards after the catch, when targeting Johnson.
New England Patriots – Performances of Note
Darrelle Revis, CB: +5.0
Breakdown: This was Revis’ highest-graded game since the 2011 season, and he has a cumulative grade of +12.7 over his past four games. Only four cornerbacks have a higher grade over the entire season. Revis spent most of the game shadowing Golden Tate, and held him to two catches for 41 yards on seven targets.
Signature Stat: Stafford was 2-of-10 for 41 yards when targeting Revis, including three passes defensed.
Tom Brady, QB: +4.0
Breakdown: Outside of the rare red zone interception in the third quarter, Brady was excellent in a game where the plan was to pass the ball against the Lions’ top-ranked rushing defense. Brady and the Patriots continued to dominate the middle of the field; Brady earned a +5.0 grade on passes thrown between 0-19 yards and between the numbers.
Signature Stat: Brady has a positive grade in every Patriots win this season, and a negative grade in both losses.
Dont’a Hightower, LB: +4.4
Breakdown: Hightower continued his breakout season, and now leads all inside linebackers with a +18.4 overall grade. Hightower is excelling in all phases of the game, and earned positive grades in both pass rushing and run defense for the third game in a row.
Signature Stat: Hightower had three run stops in addition to a hit and three hurries rushing the passer.
PFF Game Ball
Darrelle Revis’ best game as a Patriot earns him the game ball.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.