Check out your movers in this week’s Lions stock report!
The Detroit Lions took it down to the wire in arguably their biggest game of the season. Heck, it was one of the most fun games of the season. The Lions had their fair share of blunders but found a way to win down the stretch—a trend we’re starting to see more of, and the hallmark of a good team.
Let’s check out your movers for the week:
Stock up: Tim Patrick, WR
Stats: 6 catches, 43 yards, 2 TD
Tim Patrick’s effect on this offense stretches well beyond the box score. He consistently opens up the intermediate part of the field for guys like Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and his presence is a huge part of why the rest of the offense has run so smoothly this season. On Thursday night, though, he got a heck of a box score too. Not only did Patrick get his first touchdown since the 2021 season, but he also got his second! It was a well-overdue celebratory night for a guy who has battled through so many injuries and stepped up to the plate in Detroit.
Stock down: Brodric Martin, DT
Stats: 1 tackle
The Brodric Martin experiment has not gone well. In his most important test to date, he flopped. Martin was pushed around from start to finish in the run game, which is an impressive feat for a man of his size. This play was one of multiple Packers rushing TDs where Martin finished the play three to four yards past the line of scrimmage:
cc: DJ Reader out.
When the NT gets knocked 4yds back into the endzone and turned around – it’s a job well done… pic.twitter.com/LPvz2PLCd9
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 7, 2024
I doubt the Lions had any plans of Martin seeing this many snaps at this point in his progression, but injuries have given them no choice. Regardless, well into year two, you’d like to see more out of a guy who has a fairly one-dimensional role on this defense.
Stock up: Ezekiel Turner, LB
Stats: 1 tackle, 1 QB hit
Turner didn’t have much to show for in the stat sheet, but he definitely did on film. He was stout in pass defense as well as the many creative blitzes the Lions sent. Most importantly, Turner had the tackle of the game, an open-field takedown of Jordan Love late in the fourth quarter to hold the Packers to a field goal. It was one of the best open-field tackles I’ve seen in recent memory. Turner has gone from a safety signing to a key player on this defense rather quickly.
“I was trusted with a big role in that critical situation, and the standard is the standard. So, no matter who is in there, we know (that) we know how we play here in Detroit.” — Lions LB Ezekiel Turner on his defining play on the Packers’ last drive. pic.twitter.com/ZMyENb3F2e
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) December 6, 2024
Stock down: Frank Ragnow, C
It wasn’t Frank Ragnow’s most memorable night against the Packers. On a night when the Lions were already down Taylor Decker, and Kevin Zeitler missed a few snaps, the Lions needed to lean on their anchors to power the run game. Unfortunately, Ragnow struggled too, and it was a large part of why the Lions rushing offense was so hit-or-miss all night. The Lions got first downs when it mattered most, but the team would finish with a 3.3 yards per carry average, well below the mark we’re used to seeing out of this offense. Ragnow will surely rebound, but it was a night to forget for him.
Stock up: David Montgomery, RB
Stats: 14 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 33 yards
David Montgomery continues to do David Montgomery things, but that’s not what we’re here to celebrate. On top of his ability to patiently find holes and put his head down for extra yardage, Montgomery’s best display on Thursday night was his pass protection. He puts his whole body on the line against often larger players, and that was most evident on the late 2nd-and-17 throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown to set up the game-winning field goal. Montgomery got blasted up the middle of the pocket, but he ate the hit and held off the defender just long enough for Goff to find ARSB and get a clean throw off. Hats off to Monty for this one.
Quick hits
Stock up
Jameson Williams, WR: Jamo continues to assert his importance to this offense, posting his third consecutive game with five receptions. He’s hitting his stride at the right time and proving to be a key complement to Tim Patrick in the intermediate game.
Stock neutral
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR: St. Brown had a productive day, but he misread a key block on the fourth down toss play deep in the Lions’ own territory, which proved costly.
