ALLEN PARK — In terms of pass protection, the Detroit Lions had their worst statistical outing of the season during Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, allowing quarterback Jared Goff to be sacked five times and pressured on 47.6% of his 42 dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats.
That’s the highest rate Goff has been pressured since Week 7 of 2024, when the Vikings once again got after the QB, pressuring him 51.7% of the time. Most of Sunday’s pressure came from the interior, where the Vikings schemed up issues for Detroit’s front.
To make matters worse, the Lions lost a starter on the interior for the foreseeable future. Left guard Christian Mahogany broke a bone in his left leg in the fourth quarter, an injury that’ll sideline him until at least late December, according to head coach Dan Campbell’s early estimates. Mahogany on Wednesday was placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss, at minimum, the Lions’ next four games.
How do the Lions plan to best replace Mahogany, in hopes of ensuring they don’t have a repeat performance against the Washington Commanders on Sunday?
Campbell plans to leave no stone unturned.
“I’ve considered everything,” Campbell said this week, when asked if moving center Graham Glasgow to left guard and inserting veteran Trystan Colon in Glasgow’s place could be an option. Colon has been repping as Detroit’s backup center, and he has 261 snaps at the position over his six-year career.
But when presented with Campbell’s comments on Wednesday, Glasgow said he hadn’t heard that option pitched to him, though he’s “interested in whatever” the team needs. Glasgow started 15 games at LG last season. It’s a position he’s capable of playing, but one that isn’t his first choice.
What the Lions are more likely to land on, and what they plan to try out first during their preparations for the Commanders, is simply doing a one-for-one swap at left guard, substituting Kayode Awosika in for Mahogany. Awosika has been with the Lions since 2022, and he’s been one of their top depth pieces each season. He’s started eight games in his time with the Lions, including the 2023 NFC Championship.
“Yode’s been in this building almost the same time I have, so there’s ultimate trust in that guy,” right tackle Penei Sewell said. “When he comes in, no one skips a beat.”
A similar sentiment was shared by left tackle Taylor Decker, who Awosika would be playing next to, after the Vikings game: “We’ve played a bunch of games (together). I have the utmost confidence in him being able to go out there because he’s put it on tape. He’s shown that he can do it. It’s not just because I want it to happen. He’s shown that he can perform out there. He’ll be just fine.”
That doesn’t mean, however, that Colon won’t be ready. The veteran has been making sure to remain on top of his preparation in practice. For example, when Glasgow is identifying aspects of the defense at the line of scrimmage with the first-team offense, Colon will do the same on the sideline “because I think the hardest part of being a backup, truthfully … is to make sure it’s cohesive for the rest of the offensive line. Making sure everybody still hears the same calls, it’s not different communication, it’s not a different fit.”
“It’s the NFL. As a backup offensive lineman in the NFL, you’ve always got to be ready,” Colon said. “Linemen get banged up every year. … When guys start going down and backups have opportunity to play, you always have to stay ready to go.”
The Lions stood pat at Tuesday’s trade deadline, opting against making a trade to beef up their offensive line. They’re betting on the options they already have in the building, from Awosika to Colon to Kingsley Eguakun, who also earned mention by Campbell on Monday.
Sunday’s matchup in Washington will be the reserves’ first opportunity to prove the team right.
“Everyone knows that Sunday wasn’t up to our standard, at all,” Sewell said. “It was one of our worst performances. We’ve just got to be better, in terms of throughout the week, communication wise and game plan wise. We’ve just got to come together at the end of the day and be on the same page.”