The Lions’ Offensive Line Showed the World Who Fuels Detroit’s Success
Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
The Detroit Lions’ climb toward a championship reached another high point on Sunday night. They had just defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 and earned the No. 1 seed — securing the home field advantage that comes with it — in the NFC. The celebration was on. Chants of “Jared Goff” rang throughout Ford Field as loudly as ever and Detroit assumed control of their own destiny in pursuit of a Super Bowl.
But as flashy as players like Jahmyr Gibbs were, it was undeniable that a grittier foundation set the tone for the night. The Lions’ offensive line just finished doing the dirty work in the trenches, and their effort on Sunday night was a masterclass against a tough Vikings defense. Just as Detroit had always planned.
Detroit’s rise to relevance was built on top of this line. In the spring of 2021, Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes took over a franchise that was a wreck in the final years of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. They vowed to eat a steady diet of kneecaps, but the new front office needed to find a way to have that mantra translate to the field.
For almost any other front office, setting that tone means drafting a quarterback. The new regime had acquired Goff as almost a throw-in for the Matthew Stafford trade, but few bought into the idea of him being a franchise quarterback. Sitting at No. 7 overall, Detroit had the option to take highly-touted signal-callers in Mac Jones and Justin Fields, but the Lions went a different route selecting Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick.
Some fans may have rolled their eyes seeing Campbell, Holmes, and the rest of the war room go crazy after selecting Sewell. But this wasn’t a publicity stunt. This was part of a deeper plan that would help solidify the Lions.
Of course, the Bob Quinn Era had already done a lot of the legwork in building this offensive line. Quinn had selected Taylor Decker with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 Draft, then doubled down on the O-Line by taking Graham Glasgow in the third round. The Lions added another anchor when they grabbed center Frank Ragnow with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 Draft.
While that group didn’t see immediate success due to the poor infrastructure around them, having the Campbell/Holms regime add Sewell to that mix was like giving Thanos the final Infinity Stone. From there, the Lions began to dig, as they went 4-19-1 in their first 24 games. But all the while, the offensive line’s continuity allowed them to gain strength.
The learning curve paid off when the Lions won eight of their final 10 games to close the 2022 season. Sewell ranked 13th among offensive linemen with a 79.8 overall PFF grade during that stretch, while Decker (78.8) and Ragnow (76.1) ranked inside the top 30.
That trend continued as the Lions reached the NFC Championship Game the following year as Sewell, Ragnow, Decker, and Glasgow all posted PFF grades over 75 in 2023. But there was still a piece missing at right guard. Jonah Jackson, Kayode Awosika, and Colby Sorsdal each split time at the position, but the Lions went all-in on the O-Line by signing Kevin Zietler to a one-year, $6 million contract last spring.
In a lot of ways, the Lions offensive line is similar to where it was a year ago. Sewell, Zeitler, and Ragnow have all posted PFF grades over 80, and Decker remains effective with a grade of 77.0. While Glasgow has regressed (57.9), the performance of the teammates surrounding him made that a non-issue.
The group was a force throughout the regular season, ranking fifth in PFF’s offensive line rankings heading into Sunday night’s game. And while their overall body of work speaks volumes, so did their performance against the Vikings.
Goff performed well, posting an 89.2 passer rating under pressure on Sunday night. Not that the line allowed Goff to feel the heat often, allowing a 37.1 percent pressure rate against Brian Flores’s defense. While it took a while for them to wear Minnesota down on the ground, their physicality eventually softened the Vikings up in the fourth quarter. Gibbs racked up 82 of his 139 rushing yards in the final frame, caught a 14-yard reception, and scored a pair of touchdowns to put Minnesota away in the final frame.
It was a fitting end to the Lions’ regular season. While big plays resulted in even bigger victories, the yeoman’s effort from the offensive line was what made everything come together. While the Lions still have work to do, their line is the type of foundation that will enable them to pound their opponents in the playoffs and help Detroit reach their final destination: a Super Bowl appearance in New Orleans.
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