Lions' Tyleik Williams Dillema Isn't Going Away After Performance in Week 11
The days leading up to the Detroit Lions’ showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles were eventful for Tyleik Williams. The Lions’ first-round pick from last April’s draft began his week with Dan Campbell suggesting he needed to pay his dues and learn from the veterans in front of him before getting on the field. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard sang a different tune, suggesting Williams could see the field more beginning with Sunday night’s game.
Whatever conversations Campbell and Sheppard had regarding the rookie must have gone in the defensive coordinator’s favor. Williams turned in one of his best overall efforts of the season in the 16-9 loss to Philadelphia and could have earned more opportunities moving forward.
While the rookie's stock appears to be going up, it could come at the expense of Alim McNeill, who may have opened the door for Williams to steal more snaps and continue the dilemma for the coaching staff as they try to figure out how to get everyone involved.
Williams Reshaping Lions’ D-Line Rotation After SNF Showing vs. Eagles
The Lions are happy to have McNeill back as he returned quickly from a torn ACL suffered last December. While his return drew plenty of enthusiasm from Campbell, he hasn’t been able to reacclimate himself to the field, posting overall Pro Football Focus grades of 39.0 in a Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and a 45.4 overall grade in a Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders.
McNeill didn’t lose any of his snaps in Sunday’s game against the Eagles, but there’s an argument that the Lions should have held him back. A 63.2 overall grade was his highest since he made his debut in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was also inefficient in the pass rush, generating just one pressure on 32 pass-rushing snaps.
While Williams didn’t have more luck as a pass rusher with one pressure on 12 snaps, he made a big impact in the running game with a pair of run stops and a season-high 74.7 grade on 24 snaps.
Part of Williams's usage could have been due to the opponent, as the Eagles have a run-heavy offense featuring running back Saquon Barkley and dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. But it’s also notable as his 36 total snaps were more than the past two weeks combined, and his most since he played 39 snaps in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns
With Roy Lopez and DJ Reader also in the rotation, Williams made a case to stay there moving forward. While the Lions would probably like to keep using McNeill prominently, it makes more sense to get Williams more involved.
Having more bodies along the defensive line can only help the Lions moving forward and could provide the depth they didn’t have when their playoff run ended one season ago.
‘One Of The Most Ridiculous Plays I’ve Ever Seen:’ Analyst Blown Away By Darnell Washington’s Viral Moment
The NFL is full of incredible athletes who can do things most people only dream of doing. But even among NFL players, there are some you might call unicorns. They’re special, even for NFL players. And Pittsburgh Steelers TE Darnell Washington just might be one of the craziest unicorns we’ve seen in a while.
There are those, including NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who believe Washington’s best position is actually offensive tackle, and that he’d be the Steelers’ best tackle right now. But against the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington reminded people why he’s a tight end.
Because offensive linemen don’t get much of a chance to do something like this.
“It was one of the most ridiculous plays I’ve ever seen in my life,” Sam Monson said Monday on Check The Mic. “It’s just artwork. The third guy goes for a Peanut Punch right at the end, just to see if he can knock the ball out, and Darnell Washington just lowers his face and runs through him like Juggernaut from the X-Men. It’s utterly ridiculous watching him play football.”
Some people paint with watercolors. Others with oil paint. Darnell Washington paints turf with the bodies of NFL defenders. And seeing a man that size move the way he does reminds Monson of another viral moment from a game years ago.
“Every time he catches the ball, it’s like Dan Connolly… Who got the monster kick return, almost took it for a touchdown,” Monson said. “Every time Darnell Washington catches the ball, it looks like Dan Connolly finally got his opportunity on offense.”
For those of you who may not remember, Connolly was a New England Patriots offensive lineman. Back in 2010, Connolly and the Patriots faced off against now-Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. With just over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Packers attempted a squib kick that found its way to Connolly. And Connolly stumbled, bumbled, and rumbled all the way down to inside the Packers’ 5-yard line.
A memorable game.
An even more memorable kick return.
Watch 313-pound @Patriots OL Dan Connolly RUMBLE.
Now, Darnell Washington actually looks like he can run, which Connolly looked like he was struggling to do in that clip. But I understand Monson’s sentiment here. Washington looks every bit the part of an offensive lineman. Except once he gets the ball in his hands things go incredibly badly for opposing defenses. We’ve seen him hurdle players, run through them, and stiff-arm them. It truly is art to see Washington with the ball in his hands.
The Steelers ought to get Darnell Washington even more involved in the passing game. He’s seventh on the team in targets. But he averages 11 yards on 18 catches. And it’s just really hard for defenders to get Washington to the ground. Plus, he’s got such a size advantage on defenders that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith equates him in the red zone to Shaquille O’Neal in the post during his prime. The Steelers should get him the ball at all points on the field. It makes for a better offense.
Plus, we all would love even more viral moments like the one against the Bengals. As Monson’s co-host, Steve Palazzolo, said during Check The Mic, Darnell Washington “turned into Derrick Henry” on that play. And it’s not the first time Washington looked like an impossible player on the football field.
