Lions' Week 17 Studs and Duds
A cold, rainy day in Seattle spelled doom for Detroit.
The Lions' offense sputtered out of the gate, while the defense was bulldozed by Seattle’s rushing attack.
Without several contributors on offense in a hostile environment, the Lions fell to the Seahawks, 51-29, Sunday in Seattle. With the loss, Detroit is now 2-13-1 heading into its season finale at Green Bay.
Here are Sunday’s studs and duds.
STUD: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
If the end of the Lions’ season is memorable for anything, it will be because of the mark left on it by St. Brown. The rookie from USC continues to put on a clinic, as the season races toward its end. Sunday was no different, too, as he finished with eight receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Additionally, he had a 26-yard touchdown run to get Detroit on the board in the second quarter. After his receiving touchdown, St. Brown punched in the two-point conversion to complete the drive.
According to ESPN, St. Brown is the first rookie in NFL history to record at least eight catches in five straight games.
DUD: Tim Boyle, QB
With starter Jared Goff sidelined for the second straight week, Boyle got another opportunity to showcase his capability of playing in the NFL. After showing signs of improvement in last week’s matchup with Atlanta, he struggled against the Seahawks' defense amid poor weather conditions.
He finished 22-for-37 for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He made an impressive throw to wideout KhaDarel Hodge that went for 42 yards. However, he also threw three interceptions, including on back-to-back pass attempts in the fourth quarter.
Boyle’s first interception was a forced throw, coming after he fumbled a snap, on the first play of the second half. His second pick was tipped into the air, while his third was a bad read. The 29 points scored by the offense were the most with Boyle as the starter, but the turnovers remain an issue.
On the season, Boyle now has three touchdown passes and six interceptions.
Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY Sports
STUD: KhaDarel Hodge, WR
Without Josh Reynolds, Hodge stepped into a top role, and made the most of it Sunday afternoon. Picked up off waivers from Cleveland following the preseason, he had a career day against the Seahawks.
The most impressive play of the day came from Hodge, who dove to make a 42-yard catch, setting up the Lions’ second touchdown of the day. He finished with five catches for 76 yards, both career-high marks.
After spending most of the season as a backup playing on special teams, Hodge has proven to be worthy of increased reps as the season has progressed.
DUD: Penei Sewell, OT
The rookie offensive tackle had some nice moments, but was penalized for holding twice on one drive. After the Lions recovered a key onside kick, Sewell was flagged for holding on the first play of the drive. This negated a 16-yard pass from Boyle to Hodge.
Later in the drive, Detroit moved into the red zone, but was forced to slide back 10 yards after Sewell wrapped up his defender (on a toss to Jamaal Williams). The first call was questionable, but the second was less in doubt.
Sewell rebounded to have a better effort late in the game, but two penalties on one drive served as unnecessary setbacks to an already struggling offense.
STUD: Austin Bryant, DE
Bryant has shown improvement over the course of the season, and had another nice game Sunday. He had the team’s only sack, and finished with five tackles, two of which were solo.
He now has a sack in back-to-back games, and has totaled 4.5 sacks on the season. Without Michael Brockers and Trey Flowers, Bryant stepped up to help anchor the defensive line. For most of the afternoon, Detroit was beaten up by Seattle offensively.
Yet, Bryant was a bright spot with his effort. With his showings late in the season, the Clemson product has shown he is worthy of sticking around next season.
DUD: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB
Without Amani Oruwariye and Jerry Jacobs, Melifonwu has been forced to get a plethora of reps against good receivers during the Lions’ stretch run. He has drawn tough assignments, but none has been tougher than Seattle’s DK Metcalf.
Seattle’s physical second-year wideout torched the secondary, mainly beating Melifonwu. The rookie from Syracuse was beaten on a fade for Metcalf’s second touchdown of the afternoon, with the first coming on a go-route during which Metcalf beat Will Harris.
Melifonwu was also beat on a key third down in the third quarter, after the Lions cut Seattle’s lead to 16 points. Playing Cover 2 man, the rookie corner allowed Metcalf to get inside leverage and make the catch to convert on a drive that resulted in a touchdown.
Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY Sports
