Defense
Run defense: 3.5/5 stars
The Jaguars maintained a strong clip of five yards per carry on Sunday, but that number was inflated by Trevor Lawrence running for 32 yards on his four attempts. The rushes from the Jaguars’ signal caller were scrambles as opposed to designed runs, so the Lions’ defensive front gets a partial pass for that.
The Lions held Travis Etienne to 54 yards on the ground, and the Jaguars’ run game was a non-factor in the game. Part of that was the game script, and part of it is the Lions’ defense doing its job early in the game.
Pass defense: 4.5/5 stars
The Jaguars had one player who was able to do any sort of damage to the Lions’ defense in this game. Wide receiver Christian Kirk ended the game with 104 yards, which accounted for over 60 percent of the Jaguars’ passing offense. Every other player was completely shut down.
The secondary has clearly been clicking a lot better since Brian Duker was promoted to oversee the entire secondary after defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant was fired. The Lions have begun to figure out what was their biggest weakness throughout the first half of the season.
Best defensive player: DE John Cominsky
Cominsky continues to be the most underrated piece of this Lions’ defense. Cominsky did it all against the run and as a pass rusher. He even chipped in a batted ball at the line that he nearly intercepted himself.
Cominsky does a lot of the dirty work on the defensive line, which frees up guys like Aidan Hutchinson to rush more freely. Cominsky has been a very valuable asset, and when he was out injured earlier in the season his absence was notable.
Worst defensive player: No one
Much like the offense, no one really stood out in a negative way on the Lions’ defense Sunday. Every player on the field contributed to an overall dominant performance.