Lions' First-Quarter Offensive Grades
The Lions have not been consistently productive on offense through the first four weeks of the season.
And at the forefront of the issues on that side of the ball has been the team's franchise passer Matthew Stafford.
While he hasn't been the primary reason for the franchise's 1-3 start, he hasn't done enough to give Detroit a shot to win on a weekly basis.
Without further ado, here are my grades for Stafford and the entire offense after one quarter of the season.
Quarterback
Through the first four weeks of the 2020 campaign, Matthew Stafford has not looked like the 2019 version of himself.
The 12th-year passer is on pace for his lowest completion percentage (60.6) since completing just 60.3 percent of his passes in 2014.
His numbers through four games this year also pale in comparison to his numbers through four games a season ago.
Through four contests last year, the now 32-year-old had completed 62.41 percent of his passes, had thrown for 1,122 yards and had recorded a passer rating of 102.6.
In contrast, through four contests in 2020, the longtime Lions franchise passer has completed under 61 percent of his passes -- 29th in the league among 33 qualified quarterbacks -- has thrown for 1,017 yards and has recorded a passer rating of just 93.8.
He's thrown behind and underthrown receivers far too often, and has thrown a pick in each of Detroit's three losses this season.
Sure, he's not the biggest culprit for the organization's struggles in 2020, with how poorly the defense has performed on a weekly basis.
However, he's not far behind, which is the reason for the low grade he's receiving for his performance through the first quarter of the campaign.
Grade: C-
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford
© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Running backs
Through four games, the Lions' backs are gaining 4.1 yards per carry -- good for 20th-best in the NFL.
It's a decent amount, but it also remember can be largely attributed to veteran running back Adrian Peterson's 4.5 yards per attempt.
D'Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson, meanwhile, have rushed for just 3.5 yards a carry and 3.4 yards a carry, respectively.
And a common gripe regarding both -- and a valid one -- has been that they haven't been featured enough as part of Detroit's ground game on a weekly basis.
This is especially the case with Swift, a rookie who was taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and who is coming off a 5.5 yards per carry performance against the Saints in Week 4.
Yet, he only had four carries in the contest, and has rushed no more than five times in a single game thus far.
That's a problem, and Lions offensive play-caller Darrell Bevell should do everything in his power to get the Georgia product involved more on the ground the rest of the way this season.
If Bevell doesn't, the selection of Swift will start looking more and more like a wasted pick, especially with how poorly the defense has performed through four games.
Collectively, Detroit's backs have been decent through the first quarter of the season.
But, much like Stafford, still not good enough to help the franchise consistently win games.
Grade: C
Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson
Billy Hardiman, USA TODAY Sports
Wide receivers/tight ends
The development of second-year tight end T.J. Hockenson, who leads the team in catches and reception yards, and the explosiveness of Swift as a pass-catcher have been the biggest bright spots for the team's pass-catchers through four weeks.
Kenny Golladay has also carried over his solid play from a year ago (leads the team in receiving yards per game with 59.5), although he has played in just two games due to injury.
Sure, I wish 2020 fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus was more involved in the passing attack by this point.
And I certainly don't like the fact that Marvin Jones Jr. has been targeted only five times the past two weeks, including just twice this past Sunday against the Saints (finished with a measly one reception for nine yards).
However, Detroit's collection of receivers has been far from the team's problem so far in 2020.
And with Golladay back in the fold, expect this group of players -- coming off the bye week -- to be even more productive in future games.
Grade: B-
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson
Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports
Offensive line
The offensive line, despite its obvious weak links with offseason acquisition Halapoulivaati Vaitai and reserve lineman Oday Aboushi, has been more good than bad through the first quarter of the campaign.
It's worth noting that the O-line has put together its worst performances of the season the last two weeks, according to my weekly grades, and its worst performance came in Week 3 against the Cardinals when it allowed four sacks. Vaitai, to no surprise, was responsible for two of the sacks in the contest.
The standout performers have been center Frank Ragnow and left tackle Taylor Decker, while Jonah Jackson, who has enjoyed a decent start to his rookie campaign, has arguably been the third-most productive performer on the line.
Meanwhile, Tyrell Crosby, despite clearly being a backup-quality offensive lineman, hasn't looked horrible.
The Lions could surely use some upgrades along the line. But, all in all, it's not a position group that has been horribly constructed by general manager Bob Quinn.
Grade: C
© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Get the latest Detroit Lions news by joining our community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our SI All Lions page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @detroitpodcast
