Check out your movers after the Lions’ victory over the Colts in this week’s stock report.
The Detroit Lions continue rolling through every opponent they face, this time taking down the Indianapolis Colts on their home turf. It wasn’t a pretty start, but the Lions quickly found their footing and outlasted a young Colts team that was bound to start making mistakes. All in all, if your off day is a double-digit win on the road, that’s a good sign. Here are your movers for the week.
Stock up: Jack Campbell, LB
Stats: 9 tackles, 2 passes defended
Campbell has quietly progressed a lot this season, and he’s passing his litmus test with flying colors. When Alex Anzalone missed Week 3 with an injury, the second level of the Lions defense didn’t miss a beat against a Cardinals team that’s formidable on the ground. Now, with Alex Anzalone set to miss prolonged time on IR, Campbell is the leader of the linebacking corps.
The early results on Sunday were promising. The defense held Johnathan Taylor to 3.2 yards per carry and Campbell led the team in tackles. Campbell rounded out his stat sheet with some solid pass defense as well. Even more telling is that Malcolm Rodriguez played one of his best games alongside Campbell. We often talk about how elite players make those around them better. I’m not ready to use the e-word with Campbell just yet, but he and those around him are looking really good, even without their veteran leader in Anzalone.
Stock up: Za’Darius Smith, EDGE
Stats: 1 tackle, 2 QB hits
Smith is showing great early returns for the Lions. Plus, he just looks happy to be here. He’s drawing a lot more attention than the stat sheet will give him credit for. His lone tackle on the day was playing an outside run all the way near the sideline, and his pass rush forced a holding penalty from the Colts offense.
One play that stood out to me was on a stunt move to the inside, where Smith bull-rushed Quentin Nelson into Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s lap. That’s no easy feat against one of the best guards in the league. It’s also the kind of play that doesn’t result in a sack, but collapses the pocket and allows the rest of the defensive line to do cleanup duty. That’s the kind of complementary pass rush the Lions have talked about having for years.
Stock down: Kindle Vildor, CB
Stats: 3 tackles
It was a rough day for Vildor in his first extended action in a while. If the Colts got chunk yardage, chances are Vildor was somewhere in the vicinity. It didn’t matter if he covered Alec Pierce or Michael Pittman Jr., if it was a short pass or a deep ball down the sideline, if it was a contested catch or a wide-open ball, Vildor was a step behind all afternoon. The Lions still found a way to keep the Colts out of the end zone, so I’m optimistic Aaron Glenn will find a way to get Vildor more support heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Bears.
Stock up: DJ Reader
Stats: 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit
Reader quietly plugged the entire interior of the defensive line Sunday. The Colts marched down the field on the opening drive almost exclusively on outside runs. As the game progressed and they reverted to inside handoffs, they found absolutely no luck thanks to Reader’s presence. Reader also generated an impressive amount of pass rush on Sunday, a notable feat for a guy whose primary role is in run defense.
Stock down: Ben Niemann, LB
Stats: 1 tackle
Niemann continues to look out of place both in run and pass defense. His tackles in run support are often well into the second level, and he’s consistently blown out of his position by blockers to open up running lanes for the offense. The Lions are obviously thinning out at linebacker and that’s why Niemann is seeing so much action, but if the Lions have to depend on Niemann down the stretch it could prove to be a key vulnerability in the defense.
Stock up: Jared Goff, QB
Stats: 26/36, 269 yds; 2 rush, 0 yds; 1 fumble
Goff continues to look sharp, but this stock up is for what he’s doing with his feet. In years past, we’ve seen Goff try and fail to navigate the pocket with spin moves. However, as he’s gotten hot this year, he’s using the extra time and space in the pocket to work on his mobility and it’s showing. The last several weeks, he has evaded what would have normally been a couple of sacks. Against the Colts in particular, Goff looked as comfortable as I’ve ever seen him delivering throws on the run. It’s great to see him still growing in year nine. If he can develop his pocket navigation into a strength, it will be huge for his long term development to solidify himself in the upper echelon of quarterbacks.
Quick hits
Stock up
Malcolm Rodriguez, LB: Rodriguez filled in for Anzalone without any hiccups. The game is clearly slowing down for him this year and he’s sustaining a high level of play as his role expands.
Loren Strickland, CB: Strickland had a key block on a punt return in the first half to open up a lane for a few extra yards for Kalif Raymond. As a fringe roster guy, that’s how you stick around.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB: Gibbs continues to flex his speed, but the real fun is seeing him put his head down and break tackles, as David Montgomery usually does. Gibbs is proving he can do it all.
David Long Jr., LB: Long saw very limited snaps, but looked good in run support as well as on the occasional blitz. As he learns the defense in the coming weeks, look for him to see an increased snap share if he continues this level of play.