After a gut-wrenching and controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, the Detroit Lions are moving forward. Everything they can accomplish in the playoffs is still available to them, and if nothing else the defense has really stepped it up lately.
There are sure to be more postgame narratives to hit in the next few days after the loss to the Cowboys. But let's go to a simple thing to review- playing time dispersal.
Here's a look at the Week 17 snap counts for the Lions.
Detroit Lions Week 17 snap counts
Offense (69 snaps)
Quarterbacks
QB Jared Goff (69)-100 percent
As usual, Goff played every snap.
Offensive Line
Taylor Decker: 69 (100 percent)
Jonah Jackson: 69 (100 percent)
Frank Ragnow: 69 (100 percent)
Graham Glasgow: 69 (100 percent; 3 special teams snaps-12 percent)
Penei Sewell: 69 (100 percent; 3 special teams snaps-12 percent)
Dan Skipper 2 (three percent; 3 special teams snaps-12 percent)
Kayode Awosika: 0 ; 3 special teams snaps-12 percent)
Colby Sorsdal: 0; 3 special teams snaps-12%)
As usual, the Lions front five played every snap, with Skipper on the field twice as an extra lineman (reporting as eligible or not).
Running Backs
Jahmyr Gibbs: 43 (62 percent)
David Montgomery: 27 (39 percent)
Craig Reynolds: 0; 19 special teams snaps-73 percent)
The tilt toward Gibbs over the last month continued, with roughly a 60-40 split over Montgomery for the third time in the last four games.
Wide Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 69 snaps (100 percent)
Josh Reynolds: 50 (72 percent)
Jameson Williams: 44 (64 percent)
Kalif Raymond: 19 (28 percent; 4 special teams snaps-15 percent)
Donovan Peoples-Jones: 3 (four percent; 5 special teams snaps-19 percent)
St. Brown never left the field. Williams' ankle injury after catching the 63-yard pass from Goff kept him from playing a season-high in snaps, and opened the door for Reynolds to fill the void as the WR2.
Tight Ends
Sam LaPorta: 69 (100 percent)
James Mitchell: 19 (28 percent;13 special teams snaps-50 percent)
Anthony Firkser: 0; 12 special teams snaps-46 percent)
LaPorta played every offensive snap, as the Lions tightened their offensive rotation. With Brock Wright out again, Mitchell got the work as the No. 2 tight end.
Defense (65 snaps)
Edge
Aidan Hutchinson: 57 (88 percent)
John Cominsky: 43 (66 percent; 4 special teams snaps-15 percent)
Josh Paschal: 38 (58 percent; 4 special teams snaps-15 percent)
Bruce Irvin: 18 (28 percent)
Romeo Okwara: 9 (14 percent; 8 special teams snaps-31 percent)
Charles Harris: 4 (6 percent)
Hutchinson continues to rarely leave the field, and be very productive. He had three sacks against Dallas, and per Pro Football Focus he's got a legit chance to get 100 pressures for the season in Week 18.
Defensive Tackle
Tyson Alualu: 34 (52 percent)
Benito Jones: 30 (46 percent; 7 special teams snaps-27 percent)
Isaiah Buggs: 23 (35 percent)
Alualu was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad for the first time, and he promptly led the Lions' defensive tackles in snaps. Overall, this group had a reduced role as the Lions tilted toward having more athleticism on the field.
Linebackers
Alex Anzalone: 65 (100 percent)
Derrick Barnes: 46 (71 percent; 5 special teams snaps-19 percent)
Jack Campbell: 40 (62 percent; 14 special teams snaps-54 percent)
Jalen Reeves-Maybin: 12 (18 percent; 23 special teams snaps-88 percent)
Malcolm Rodriguez: 0;19 special teams snaps-73 percent)
Anthony Pittman: 0; 23 special teams snaps-88 percent)
Barnes and Campbell both saw some work at the MIKE linebacker and SAM linebacker spots, and they were both on the field with Anzalone a lot.
Cornerbacks
Cam Sutton: 65 (100 percent)
Kindle Vildor: 64 (98 percent)
Brian Branch: 36 (55 percent)
Jerry Jacobs: 1 (2 percent; 18 special teams snaps-9 percent)
Khalil Dorsey: 0; 23 special teams snaps-88 percent)
Will Harris: 0; 23 special teams snaps-88 percent)
The outside cornerback rotation was tightened to Sutton and Vildor, with Jacobs taking the one snap Vildor did not play. Sutton and Vildor were also two of the five lowest-graded Lions defenders in the game by Pro Football Focus.
Safeties
Kerby Joseph: 65 (100 percent; 5 special teams snaps-19 percent)
Ifeatu Melifonwu: 65 (100 percent; 4 special teams snaps-15 percent)
Tracy Walker: 0; 14 special teams snaps-54 percent)
Melifonwu has started the last four games, and he continues to be one of the Lions' best defensive players.