"Why in the world did guard Miles Frazier get the start against the Miami Dolphins?"
It was a question that flooded social media as fans watched the Detroit Lions' ugly 19-9 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. Christian Mahogany had been phenomenal at left guard this season, looking like a Pro Bowler at worst. Why deviate from the hot hand?
According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell during his postgame presser, Mahogany didn't play for disciplinary reasons.
"That was team rules, you know Mahogany, it was really that simple." Campbell added, "Miles deserved his opportunity, and he got it."
Mahogany didn't speak to the media after the game, leaving the locker room before he could be asked, but Frazier said he learned he was starting within the past two days, per Detroit Football Network's Justin Rogers.
Campbell didn't elaborate further on what team rule Mahogany broke, and he was noncommittal if the lineup "stays that way" going forward. Nevertheless, Frazier got his first career NFL start on Sunday and it showed.
Detroit Lions paid for their decision to bench Christian Mahogany for Miles Frazier
Leading up to Sunday, there was no indication of an injury, as Mahogany never appeared on the injury report. He even suited up on Sunday, making an appearance on a Jake Bates field goal attempt.
The only thing the broadcast gave Lions fans during the game was that it was a "coach's decision."
No matter how they got there, the Lions decision to play Frazier was a disastrous one.
According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier only allowed one pressure on 29 pass-blocking snaps, but he was overpowered and couldn't set an anchor in multiple instances in pass protection, setting rookie right tackle Blake Miller out to dry with two pressures including a sack allowed on the afternoon.
It resulted in a disappointing afternoon for an offensive line that entered the day with the No. 1 ranking in PFF's offensive line rankings, but it also continued Detroit's offensive struggles coming out of their bye week.
Lions offense struggles for the third consecutive week
After leading the way on offense in the first five weeks, the Lions have come out of the bye sluggish. The offense, which was averaging 32.8 points per game before the bye is now averaging 19.33 in the three games since, with a high watermark of 20 points.
Quarterback Jared Goff, whose 30-game touchdown streak came to an end Sunday, has as many touchdowns as turnovers (three) in that time.
This drop off on offense has coincided with changes to the offensive line. In the wins against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, Cade Mays got his first two starts of the season at center, although he was injured fairly early in the Vikings game.
Goff has been sacked seven times with Mays or Frazier on the field, and all of them have occurred in the first half. That's weirdly consistent with how the O-line has played before the bye week, taking time to get settled in.
The difference now is that the passing game has struggled to recover from these slow starts. This week saw Frazier frequently getting beat by Dolphins defenders throughout the game, helping turn would-be TD drives into field goals.
That could also be the defenses the Lions have played. The Packers, Vikings, and Dolphins have given up 30 points a combined four times all season.
However, the recent changes to the O-line can't be helping the chemistry of a unit that as gotten new pieces this offseason, including a rookie. Frazier's inclusion today ended up doing more harm than good for the offense, but without knowing the specifics of Mahogany's benching, it's tough to tell if starting Frazier was the correct call.
But as the saying goes, "a win is a win." The Lions are on a four-game win streak heading into the trade deadline, and their defense and special teams have done enough to mitigate the suddenly quiet offense. If nothing else, these past few weeks have made it clear who should, and shouldn't, be starting on the O-line the rest of the way.
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