What the Lions’ Week 1 Snap Counts Tell Us After Wild 31-30 OT Win

The final score tells us the Detroit Lions survived the New Orleans Saints, 31-30 in overtime.

The snap counts help tell us how they did it — and perhaps why things became so difficult late.

Detroit played 77 offensive snaps and 90 defensive snaps in its Week 1 victory. Several players carried massive workloads, while injuries and personnel decisions gave us an early look at how the Lions plan to deploy their roster this season.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways.

Detroit’s Offensive Line Was Forced to Adjust Early

Four Lions offensive players were on the field for all 77 snaps, including quarterback Jared Goff and offensive linemen Penei Sewell, Tate Ratledge and Juice Scruggs.

But the most important offensive line number may be 66.

That’s how many snaps Ben Bartch played after Christian Mahogany’s afternoon was cut short.

Mahogany played just 11 snaps (14%) after twice being slow to get up during Detroit’s first-quarter touchdown drive. He eventually went to the medical tent, forcing the Lions to adjust.

Bartch responded by playing 86% of Detroit’s offensive snaps.

That’s significant considering Goff praised the offensive line following the game and said Detroit’s running game was close to where the team wants it.

The Lions will obviously want Mahogany healthy, but Bartch getting through that much work after being called upon early is encouraging for Detroit’s offensive line depth.

Jahmyr Gibbs Is Already Carrying a Major Workload

There shouldn’t be many questions about whether Detroit intends to feature Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gibbs played 57 of 77 offensive snaps — 74%.

And he made them count.

Gibbs scored Detroit’s first two touchdowns, including the one-yard score that capped the Lions’ impressive 15-play first-quarter drive and another one-yard touchdown following Derrick Barnes’ interception to begin the second half.

Dan Campbell called Gibbs’ Week 1 performance promising afterward — while also making an interesting point that Gibbs still isn’t where he needs to be, in a good way.

In other words, Detroit believes there’s another level coming.

That’s an exciting thought considering the workload Gibbs received immediately in Week 1.

Isaac TeSlaa’s 68% Is Worth Watching

Here’s perhaps the most intriguing offensive number:

Isaac TeSlaa — 52 snaps, 68%.

That’s not a limited rookie package.

That’s a legitimate role in Detroit’s offense.

Amon-Ra St. Brown led the receivers with 69 snaps (90%), while Jameson Williams played 65 (84%). TeSlaa was next at 52.

It will take more than one week to establish exactly what his role will become, but playing more than two-thirds of Detroit’s offensive snaps in Week 1 is a strong indication the coaching staff is comfortable putting him on the field.

That’s something we’ll be tracking closely over the next several weeks.

LaPorta Is Back in a Featured Role

Sam LaPorta played 62 snaps (81%), and his impact was especially noticeable during Detroit’s first touchdown drive.

LaPorta repeatedly gave Goff an option when plays began breaking down and helped Detroit sustain what became its best possession of regulation.

After how much Detroit missed having a healthy LaPorta available last season, seeing him immediately command more than 80% of the offensive snaps is encouraging.

Backup tight end Brock Wright also had a substantial role with 39 snaps (51%), while Tyler Conklin played 10.

The Defense Had a Massive Workload

This may be the most important takeaway from the entire snap-count report:

New Orleans forced Detroit’s defense to play 90 snaps.

That provides some valuable context when examining how the Saints managed to rally from 21 points down.

Jack Campbell played every single one of them.

Campbell: 90 snaps — 100%.

Starting cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and D.J. Reed played 89 apiece — 99%.

Avonte Maddox wasn’t far behind at 85 snaps (94%).

Those are enormous Week 1 workloads.

Detroit’s defense was outstanding early, generating turnovers and pressure while helping the Lions establish a 21-0 advantage. But New Orleans began finding explosive plays and sustained drives later in the afternoon.

Fatigue doesn’t excuse the breakdowns, but 90 defensive snaps absolutely belongs in the conversation when evaluating the late-game performance.

Alim McNeill’s Usage Jumps Off the Page

One number might be even more surprising than Campbell’s 90.

Alim McNeill: 83 snaps — 92%.

That’s a tremendous workload for a defensive lineman, particularly an interior defender.

McNeill still had enough left in overtime to record an important sack as New Orleans attempted to answer Detroit’s touchdown.

Aidan Hutchinson also carried a heavy workload at 75 snaps (83%) and finished with two sacks.

Derrick Barnes played 77 snaps (86%) while producing one of Detroit’s biggest performances of the afternoon with an interception and a sack.

Detroit leaned heavily on its top defensive players.

Chuck Clark Made His Opportunities Count

Chuck Clark played only 41 defensive snaps (46%), but one of those snaps resulted in a major turnover.

With Kerby Joseph unavailable, Clark intercepted Tyler Shough during the first half as New Orleans attempted to operate at a faster tempo.

That’s exactly what Detroit needed from its veteran safety.

Clark didn’t have to play every snap to make his presence felt.

What About Derrick Moore?

Another number we’ll be watching:

Derrick Moore — 18 snaps (20%).

Campbell had spoken positively about Detroit’s defensive front coming out of camp and indicated Moore could receive more opportunities.

Week 1 shows there is still plenty of room for that role to expand.

With Hutchinson playing 83% of the defensive snaps and the Lions’ defense being forced onto the field for 90 plays, finding ways to effectively distribute some of that workload could become important as the season progresses.

MCSN Takeaway

Detroit’s Week 1 snap counts reinforce several things we saw during the game.

Gibbs is going to be heavily featured. TeSlaa already has a real role. Detroit trusts LaPorta to be a major part of the offense again. Bartch provided important depth when Mahogany went down.

Defensively, however, the workload deserves attention.

Campbell played 90 snaps. McNeill played 83. Barnes played 77. Hutchinson played 75. Both starting corners essentially never left the field.

Detroit’s defense deserves criticism for allowing New Orleans to erase a 21-0 deficit, particularly the explosive passes surrendered late.

But it also spent an extraordinary amount of time on the field.

That makes Campbell’s postgame message even more relevant.

There’s plenty to clean up on both sides.

For the offense, sustaining more drives would accomplish more than simply putting additional points on the board.

It would also give a defense that just played 90 snaps in Week 1 a chance to breathe.