ALLEN PARK -- Tyleik Williams’ shrinking playing time has been a focus for the Detroit Lions this week.
After playing 21-plus snaps in each of his first seven games, Williams has only seen the field for 19 plays across the last two games combined. Earlier this week, Dan Campbell challenged the team’s first-round rookie defensive lineman to “elevate his game” to put himself at the front of the rotation.
Kelvin Sheppard, the team’s first-year defensive coordinator, said Williams understand the deep room he was joining when he got drafted. This was a defensive line highlighted by DJ Reader, with Alim McNeill expected back in the season. McNeill’s return has led to a decreased role for the rookie, as has Roy Lopez’s strong recent performances.
“We’re completely transparent here,” Sheppard said. “It’s no knock against him. But I would like to see Tyleik play more with what he was doing early in the year. Now, I’m not saying he’s Warren Sapp or anything by any stretch. It’s a lot of growth with him and he knows where I need him to continue to grow and strive. But he should be playing more than eight to 10 snaps and we’ll make sure that happens.
“But at the same time, you don’t want to just start keeping rep counts and tally sheets -- that’s what I tell everybody, don’t get into that business. We’re going to go with the guy that’s kind of hot that day.”
The hot-hand aspect of what Sheppard said is that has been Lopez’s play and how he’s made the most of his looks in recent weeks. Lopez was the team’s highest-graded defender from Pro Football Focus in the win over the Washington Commanders.
“We don’t try to please anyone,” Sheppard said.
“We’re going to please this team and do right by this team and that’s going with the best guy on that day.”
Lopez played only 12 defensive snaps, but the free-agent defensive lineman was third on the team with five tackles, got home for a sack and added two tackles for loss. He added three run stuffs against the Commanders, showcasing his ability to gain leverage on the interior defensive line.
Lopez also posted three tackles and two pure run stops across only 11 defensive plays in the game before the bye week, as well.
Sheppard said Lopez has been on his radar since the Lions played the Arizona Cardinals last season. When former All-Pro center Frank Ragnow and offensive line coach Hank Fraley couldn’t stop talking about Lopez’s work as nose tackle that day. Lopez had three tackles across 41 defensive snaps against the Lions in Week 3 last season.
“Kind of a guy that we’d never heard of. If I’m being honest, I never really knew much about Roy until we played the Cardinals,” Sheppard said. “And when I heard Hank Fraley and Frank Ragnow say, ‘That dude’s real and that’s one of the best noses I’ve gone against this year.’ And it’s like, ‘Whoa, who are they talking about?’
“He doesn’t get the credit that he deserves as far as his athleticism and his first step quickness I think that you guys got to see on display in Washington. But, yeah, he’s been phenomenal and you’re talking about ultra-team guy, selfless. He doesn’t care if he plays one or 50 snaps, he’s going to make the most of his opportunities.”
Some of the team’s run-stopping statistics with Williams on the field are hard to ignore, though. With the first-round rookie on the field, the Lions allow a league-best 3.4 yards per rush and a 32.7% run-stuff rate. Without Williams on the defensive line, the Lions allow 4.7 yards per attempt (23rd) and a league-worst 8.9% run-stuff rate.
“Tyliek’s just a young guy, continuing to get better (and) growing,” Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket of Williams earlier this week. “There’s just a little inconsistency, at times, but that’s not out of the norm. (He just needs to) correct it, get a little bit better, and move on.
“ ... so, all he needs to do is elevate his game, and then he’ll be in front of them.”
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