With a chance to put the game away against their 10-2 division rival, the Detroit Lions only had one offensive weapon they knew would be up to the task: Penei Sewell.
That’s right, the offensive tackle.
Detroit led by eight with two minutes left in regulation Sunday, needing to convert a third-and-8 to essentially seal the deal against the Minnesota Vikings. Naturally, they decided to call on No. 58 to get the job done. Not so natural was the play call, however. Instead of running a classic tackle eligible play, the Lions sent Penei Sewell out as a receiver — and even put him in motion — before Jared Goff delivered a soft ball for Sewell to secure and get first-down yardage.
It was a huge win for the Lions, who prevented the Vikings from winning the NFC North by beating them, winning their fifth game in the last six weeks in the process. Their offense continued to put up points, hanging 34 on Minnesota’s defense with an added boost from rookie Jameson Williams, who scored a 41-yard touchdown on his first career catch. His addition to a unit that already included Jamaal Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark and a surging Goff looks like it could be just what the doctor ordered for a playoff push.
The question still remains, why in the world did they throw it to a tackle?
Well, their head coach is Dan Campbell, which feels like sufficient enough reasoning at this point. The Lions will try to continue rattling off wins when they take on the New York Jets in Week 15.
