Snap counts: Aaron Glenn works magic rotating front seven, newcomers

Lions Week 14 snap counts reveal how defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn adjusted his front due to injuries and quickly acclimated their new additions vs. Packers.

Let’s take a detailed look at the Detroit Lions’ Week 14 snap counts from their 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers on “Thursday Night Football.” With a patchwork defense due to injuries, the Lions needed to lean on their offense to keep them in control of this game. As a result, they ran 30 more offensive plays than the Packers (80 to 50) and possessed the ball for over 36 minutes.

Here’s how things shook out.

Offense

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff: 80 (100%)
Hendon Hooker: 0 (0%)

Goff spread the ball around in this game and ended the game with a remarkable stat line, completing five or more receptions to six (!) pass catchers. An insane ratio that has never been done before in NFL history.

Running backs

Jahmyr Gibbs: 45 (56%)
David Montgomery: 36 (45%)
Craig Reynolds: 1 (1%) — 16 (57%)
Sione Vaki: 0 (0%) — 21 special teams snaps (75%)

Gibbs, who broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season, was back to taking the slight majority of snaps, but when the game was on the line, it was still Montgomery who got the rock. The backfield combination of these two continues to be sensational.

Reynolds and Vaki were the Lions’ primary kick returners in this game, though neither had the opportunity to attempt a return.

Tight ends

Sam LaPorta: 72 (90%)
Brock Wright: 49 (61%) — 12 (43%)
Shane Zylstra: 16 (20%) — 16 (57%)

LaPorta is back to looking like his old self and the Lions had plans to get their tight ends involved. Wright and Zylstra’s usage shot up in this game, and all three tight ends were on the field for David Montgomery’s final 4th down conversion that set up the game-winning field goal.

Wide receivers

Amon-Ra St. Brown: 68 (85%)
Jameson Williams: 55 (69%)
Tim Patrick: 53 (66%)
Allen Robinson: 5 (6%)
Maurice Alexander: 0 (0%) — 3 (11%)

With the heavier tight end usage, the Lions elected to rely mainly on their top three receivers and mainly used Robinson in blocking situations. Tim Patrick was the hero on the day, catching two touchdowns, his first touchdown in the last 1082 days, after two season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023.

Offensive line

Penei Sewell: 80 (100%) — 6 (21%)
Graham Glasgow: 80 (100%) — 6 (21%)
Dan Skipper: 80 (100%) — 6 (21%)
Frank Ragnow: 80 (100%)
Kevin Zeitler: 77 (96%) — 6 (21 %)
Christian Mahogany: 3 (4%) — 6 (21%)
Michael Niese: 0 (0%) — 6 (21%)
Colby Sorsdal: 0 (0%) — 0 (0%)
Taylor Decker: INJURED — INACTIVE
Kayode Awosika: INACTIVE
Giovanni Manu: INACTIVE

When Zeitler was forced from the game for a series, it was Mahogany who got the call to replace him at guard. Mahogany is a natural right guard, so he was the logical replacement, but it appears the rookie has passed Kayode Awosika on the depth chart, and it’s also entirely possible that he has also passed Michael Niese, who may be only operating as the team’s backup center.

Defense

EDGE

Al-Quadin Muhammad: 37 (74%) — 5 (18%)
Jonah Williams: 25 (50%) — 5 (18%)
Za’Darius Smith: 21 (42%) — 1 (4%)
Mitchell Agude: 9 (18%) — 13 (46%)
Levi Onwuzurike: INJURED — INACTIVE
Josh Paschal: INJURED — INACTIVE

Seeing Jonah Williams out-snap Za’Darius Smith was a bit surprising, but it’s worth noting that some of Williams’ numbers were inflated due to him kicking inside to cover for injuries. Of Williams’ 25 snaps, 19 were on the edge (mainly at the 4i and 5-technique) with the remaining six inside.

Despite the lower number of snaps, Smith did tie for the team lead with three pressures—Muhammad matched that output—and he also recorded the team’s only sack.

DT

Pat O’Connor: 41 (82%) — 18 (64%)
Brodric Martin: 23 (46%)
Myles Adams: 19 (38%)
Alim McNeill: 17 (34%) — 1 (4%)
DJ Reader: INJURED — INACTIVE

With McNeill being flagged for a concussion, the Lions had to adapt on the fly. That meant O’Connor shifted away from the nose tackle position (15 snaps) to make room for Martin (17 snaps at nose tackle), while also kicking Adams inside—a tough ask after preparing to play the 4i/5T role on a short week. In the end, Adams saw nine snaps on the edge and 10 snaps inside.

Linebackers

Jack Campbell: 50 (100%) — 3 (11%)
Trevor Nowaske: 32 (64%) — 20 (71%)
Ezekiel Turner: 17 (34%) — 22 (79%)
Kwon Alexander: 17 (34%)
David Long: 16 (32%) — 12 (43%)
Ben Niemann: 1 (2%) — 21 (75%)

The Lions had to get a bit creative with their linebackers this week (and will probably need to for at least another week to come). Campbell played at the MIKE, Nowaske continues to rep at the SAM (mainly rushing the passer but he did have a few off-the-ball reps as well), and then used a three-man rotation at WILL. Alexander got the technical start, Long recovered a critical fumble, and Turner made the game-altering open-field tackle on Jordan Love to hold them to a field goal on the Packers’ final drive.

Cornerbacks

Carlton Davis: 50 (100%) — 1 (4%)
Terrion Arnold: 50 (100%) — 1 (4%)
Amik Robertson: 17 (34%) — 2 (7%)
Khalil Dorsey: 0 (0%) — 21 (75%)
Kindle Vildor: 0 (0%) — 15 (54%)
Emmanuel Moseley: INACTIVE

Many wonder why Moseley was a healthy scratch in this game and the snap counts point to why. On defense, the Lions only deployed three cornerbacks and preferred to use Dorsey and Vildor over Moseley on special teams.

Safety

Kerby Joseph: 50 (100%) — 6 (21%)
Brian Branch: 45 (90%) — 1 (4%)
Jamal Adams: 8 (16%)
Brandon Joseph: 5 (10%) — 8 (29%)

The Lions needed Brandon Joseph to fill in for Branch on five snaps when the star was suffering from cramping and needed some time on the sidelines. Adams got his first opportunity to see the field in a Lions uniform, and was mainly deployed as a pass rusher and nickel corner vs. tight ends. Of his eight snaps, he spent seven in the slot playing matchup football.

Special teams

Jake Bates: 12 (43%)
Jack Fox: 8 (29%)
Hogan Hatten: 8 (29%

This trio came through in the clutch… again!