Lions' 2021 Season Awards
With the season over, it’s time to hand out some awards.
Though the Detroit Lions finished the season a measly 3-13-1, there were indeed bright spots and solid performances worth celebrating.
For that reason, here are SI All Lions’ superlatives from the 2021 season.
Offensive Player of the Year: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
Stats: 90 catches, 912 yards, six touchdowns
Though his start to the season was quiet, St. Brown put together a stellar finish that has created immense optimism heading into 2022.
The rookie from USC finished his season by setting the Lions record for single-season receiving yards by a rookie. With injuries depleting the receiving corps, St. Brown emerged as a solid and reliable option out wide for quarterback Jared Goff.
He’s the "Offensive Player of the Year" because of his impact late in the season. There were certainly other options, but St. Brown never missed a game and became the first rookie receiver in NFL history to have at least eight catches in six consecutive games.
Finalists: RB D’Andre Swift, Goff, TE T.J. Hockenson
© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Player of the Year: Amani Oruwariye, CB
Stats: 57 tackles, six interceptions, one fumble recovery
Needing everything they could get from their secondary, the Lions have to be pleased with what they got from their third-year corner in Oruwariye.
As the season went on, Oruwariye proved to be one of the best young corners from a pass-coverage perspective, picking off six passes before his season ended prematurely due to injury.
The Penn State product should go into 2022 as Detroit’s top corner, and will be a big part of opposing gameplans. How teams attack him, knowing his skill set, will be interesting to see.
Finalists: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, S Tracy Walker III, LB Alex Anzalone
Rookie of the Year: St. Brown
An obvious choice, St. Brown wins this award running away with his performance. However, he wasn’t the only rookie who performed admirably in his debut season.
Offensive tackle Penei Sewell, picked seventh overall in 2021, also had a good season in his first year in Detroit.
Sewell emerged as one of the best rookie tackles in the league. He played both right and left tackle due to injuries on the offensive line. However, he struggled at times, and was penalized on occasion.
St. Brown’s offensive impact warrants him the award over his fellow rookie counterpart.
Finalists: Sewell, DT Alim McNeill, CB Ifeatu Melifonwu
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Most Improved Player: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Stats: 82 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery
After holding mainly special teams duties in his first four seasons, Reeves-Maybin earned increased playing time as the season progressed because of his effort. He became a mainstay in Detroit’s linebacking corps.
In two separate situations, the Tennessee product forced fumbles that allowed the Lions a chance to win games late in the fourth quarter. Neither game resulted in a win, but the playmaking ability of the fifth-year backer gave his team a chance.
Reeves-Maybin started his first game in Week 5, holding the starter duties through the end of the season. He became the Lions’ defensive play-caller, following Alex Anzalone’s season-ending injury in Week 15, and showed plenty of capability in the role.
He is due to be a free agent. So, the Lions will have a decision to make this offseason regarding his future.
Finalists: C Evan Brown, Goff, DE Julian Okwara
Assistant Coach of the Year: Tight ends coach Ben Johnson
Johnson began the year as the team’s tight ends coach, but ended it in a far bigger role. When head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties in Week 10, Johnson began to oversee aspects of the team’s passing game.
By the end of the season, the Lions’ offense began to rack up yards, finishing the season with a 404-yard performance in a win over Green Bay. Campbell credited Johnson with certain areas of progress within the offense, specifically in the passing game.
With offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn fired after one season, conversations have begun about the possibility of Johnson taking his place. How he would perform over the course of an entire season is intriguing, but his showing late in the year warrants a mention in the conversation.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn finishes a close second.
The first-year coordinator performed admirably with the talent he had at his disposal, but the defense was gashed without response in blowout losses to Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Seattle.
Finalists: Glenn, AHC/RBs coach Duce Staley, OL coach Hank Fraley
Moment of the Year: Goff leads game-winning drive to snap winless streak
Winless heading into a Week 13 matchup with the Vikings, the Lions looked to get out of the cellar at home. A fast start gave the team a 20-6 lead heading into halftime.
Yet, that lead quickly evaporated when Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins rallied his troops. Two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from the former Michigan State Spartans QB gave the Vikings a 27-23 lead, with 1:50 remaining.
Facing an uphill battle, Goff and the Lions marched relentlessly down the field. He hit Godwin Igwebuike for 13 yards to convert a third-and-10, followed by Hockenson for 10 yards on a third-and-6.
After a spike, short completion and incompletion, the Lions faced a fourth down, with the game on the line. Goff and company weren’t fazed, as the quarterback hit St. Brown for an 11-yard touchdown, as time expired, to give the Lions their first win of the season.
The score, which was the first of St. Brown’s career, sent Ford Field into a frenzy. Campbell and Goff embraced, as players rushed the field in celebration. It was a euphoric moment, as Detroit and its fans celebrated a long-awaited moment.
Finalists: Beatdown of Arizona, win over Green Bay, trickery against Los Angeles
