Lions' Week 13 Offensive Grades: Matthew Stafford Allowed to Cook
Darrell Bevell in (as head coach). Winning ways begin.
Well, at least for now.
On Sunday, Bevell guided the Lions to their first win against the Chicago Bears since the 2017 campaign -- ex-Detroit head man Matt Patricia failed to beat them in five tries. And the play of Matthew Stafford and the offense was a big reason why.
Without further ado, here are the grades for Stafford and the entire offense after their Week 13 victory in Chicago.
Quarterback: A-
Stafford balled out, finishing with a season-high 402 yards, to go along with three touchdowns and a 109.4 passer rating.
The only blemish for the 12th-year passer Sunday was an interception he threw into the hands of Bears defensive lineman Bilal Nichols in the fourth quarter.
Chicago held a 30-20 lead at the time, and it looked like the Lions were done.
However, Stafford didn't let that be the case.
With 4:33 to play, he spearheaded a seven-play, two-minute-plus drive that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown pass from him to Marvin Jones Jr. It put Detroit within three, 30-27.
He got the Lions believing in their ability to pull off the come-from-behind victory, a feeling that was heightened after Romeo Okwara's strip-sack of Mitchell Trubisky on the Bears' next offensive possession.
Bevell & Co. weren't winning the contest without Stafford. And for that, he gets a high mark for his Week 13 performance.
Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports
Running backs: C
Veteran running back Adrian Peterson got the start once again in the place of the injured D'Andre Swift, and received the bulk of the carries.
He rushed the ball 16 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning, five-yard score with 1:37 to play.
Meanwhile, Kerryon Johnson rushed just three times for three yards, and cornerback-turned-receiver Jamal Agnew logged a carry that went for nothing.
Overall wise, Detroit's runners weren't very productive, amassing 60 total yards on 22 carries (two from Stafford), equating to a measly yards-per-carry average of 2.7 yards.
Ultimately, though, Peterson's game-winning TD bumps up the final grade for the backs this week.
Wide receivers/tight ends: A-
Big games from Jones (eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown) and T.J. Hockenson (seven catches for 84 yards) highlighted the positive day for Detroit's pass-catchers.
Rookie Quintez Cephus, with a career day, accentuated the high-level performance from the position group with a 49-yard TD reception in the second quarter.
Also, Jesse James added to the prolific day for the Lions' air attack with a nine-yard TD grab late in the third quarter.
Stafford & Co. needed every one of those catches in their come-from-behind effort Sunday, and Detroit's group of receivers ultimately came through with a big-time performance.
Offensive line: B
While the line didn't produce a lot of lanes for the running backs to run through, it did do an impressive job of keeping the Bears' Khalil Mack at bay.
It limited Chicago's pass-rushers to just two sacks on the afternoon, and kept Stafford clean in the pocket for the majority of the contest.
It contributed to Stafford throwing for 400-plus yards, and in doing so, the O-line aided in the team's successful comeback attempt.
The position group capped off its solid day by providing just enough push for Peterson to find the end zone on his game-winning score.
The play of the line, just like with that of Detroit's receivers group, was essential in the Lions pulling out the Week 13 win.
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