Coaches always say when it gets to this point in the season, rookies aren't really considered rookies any longer. A number of Detroit's first-year players now have 13 games under their belts and have either been key starters or depth contributors in their first season.
Tate Ratledge has started every game at right guard for the Lions with four of his top six graded performances from Pro Football Focus this season coming in the last five weeks (Washington, New York, Green Bay, Dallas).
Detroit's first-round pick in this year's draft, defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, has also been playing some pretty good football over the last month and half. Lions run game coordinator and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said Friday that's corresponded with the return of veteran Alim McNeill into the lineup.
"To be a rookie, I think, he's really, really trending in the right direction," Rodgers said. "When you're a rookie and you go out there for the first time, you're kind of thrown to the fire. Now with Alim back it's like, 'That's the way you're supposed to do it.' Rather than learning in the fire, he is learning behind the fire, so to speak, and I think that's helped him and made him more comfortable."
Williams' two best graded performances this season by PFF have come in the last two weeks.
Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa started the season off nicely with a touchdown in his first game against Green Bay, but now he's playing more reps consistently and has settled in nicely as Detroit's No. 3 receiver. He's got a touchdown catch in each of Detroit's last two contests.
Offensive lineman Miles Frazier is in a little different boat having missed training camp and the start of the season rehabbing a knee injury but he made his NFL debut last week playing 26 snaps rotating in at left guard.
"When you don't get any training camp and you've only gotten limited practices, I mean that's not easy to do," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this week of Frazier. "But it's where we're at. We need to get a look and we need a little help and so let's throw him out there. And he got some valuable experience, and he's going to learn and grow from it. He'll be better because of it. So, that's a good thing."
Seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett has been a year-long contributor on special teams mostly on punt return and punt coverage.
It's the stretch run of the season and it will be the most football any of these rookies have ever played in a single season when it's all said and done. Detroit's gotten key contributions from several newcomers, a lot of whom are currently playing some of their best ball of the season. That will need to continue down the stretch.
INJURY SETBACK
All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph hasn't played since Week 6 in Kansas City because of a nagging knee injury and there's a chance his 2025 season could be done because of it.
"Kerby had a setback," Campbell said Friday.
"We're at the backend of the season now, so anything – even if it's not technically long-term, becomes long-term because we don't have many games left."
Thomas Harper (concussion) returned to practice this week and the hope is he clears return-to-play protocol before Sunday's game in Los Angeles.
Veteran Avonte Maddox stepped in last week and played well, so Campbell said he's not worried about the safety position having already lost Brian Branch to an achilles injury.
"I hate losing either one of those players, they're great players, they're great teammates," Campbell said. "But as far as worried, I'm really not worried. I really do trust the guys that are going back there for us, I do, man. What you lose in a couple areas, you may gain in other areas having some of these guys back there. So no, I'm good."
ST. BROWN UPDATE
Last week Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was a game time decision to play against the Cowboys due to an ankle injury suffered the week prior. 10 days between that win over Dallas and Sunday's matchup in Los Angeles has that ankle feeling pretty good.
"It was a little sore after the game, but it wasn't too bad," St. Brown said Thursday. "It's getting better every day so that's good. I feel like hopefully, it's behind me now."
St. Brown didn't show any ill effects of the injury against the Cowboys, playing 57 of a possible 62 offensive snaps. He finished with six catches for 92 yards.
COMMUNITY MVP
Wide receiver Jameson Williams was named the Week 15 NFLPA Community MVP. The recognition is given to a player each week who exemplifies making a positive impact in their hometown or team city. Williams will receive a $10,000 donation to his foundation or charity of choice.
"I'm excited to be selected as the NFLPA Community MVP. I do things in the communities that I am connected to because it is important to me that young people are able to see they can make something of themselves with hard work too," Williams told the NFLPA website. "It also is important to me to help families that are less fortunate because you never know how much of a difference that one thing I do might help them."
