To get a better sense of the Detroit Lions’ strategy against the Los Angeles Rams in their 26-20 overtime victory, let’s take a closer look at their personnel choices.

Here’s a detailed look at the team’s Week 1 snap counts for the 2024 season.

Offense

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff: 70 (100%)
Hendon Hooker: DNP

Goff stayed healthy, allowing Hendon Hooker to spend the game logging mental reps and enjoying the crazy Ford Field environment.

Running backs

Jahmyr Gibbs: 31 (51%)
David Montgomery: 30 (49%)
Sione Vaki: 2 (3%) — 18 special teams snaps (69%)
Craig Reynolds: 0 (0%) — 18 (69%)

Given how good Montgomery was, it may be a bit surprising to see Gibbs outsnap him in this game, even if it was only by one. However, expect this to be the norm going forward. Detroit loves both backs because they both offer something completely different.

Also interesting to see Vaki get a couple of offensive snaps. On both occasions, he motioned to fullback. The first, he was initially the second back next to Goff in shotgun. The other snap, he motioned into the backfield after lining up out wide.

Tight ends

Sam LaPorta: 48 (79%)
Brock Wright: 30 (49%) — 4 (15%)
Parker Hesse: 9 (15%) — 14 (54%)

I expect this to be a pretty normal split from the Lions’ three tight ends. Nothing too out of the ordinary, as Parker Hesse remains the team’s primary fullback. Seven of his nine snaps were at that position.

Wide receivers

Amon-Ra St. Brown: 60 (98%)
Jameson Williams: 52 (85%)
Kalif Raymond: 37 (61%) — 9 (35%)
Tom Kennedy: 4 (7%) — 6 (23%)

Unsurprisingly, Williams received the most playing time in his young career, now that he’s clearly WR2. It’s also wasn’t surprising to see that Raymond was their preferred WR3, although it’s a bit shocking to see that he didn’t garner a single target in the passing game. His lone contribution with the ball in his hands on offense was an 11-yard run to kick off overtime.

Tom Kennedy’s elevation from the practice squad was mostly for insurance. He doesn’t play much on special teams and he only contributed four offensive snaps. It will be interesting to see if one of the other three practice squad receivers gets called up for Week 2.

Offensive line

Taylor Decker: 61 (100%)
Penei Sewell: 61 (100%) — 4 (15%)
Frank Ragnow: 61 (100%)
Kevin Zeitler: 61 (100%) — 4 (15%)
Graham Glasgow: 61 (100%) — 4 (15%)
Dan Skipper: 2 (3%) — 4 (15%)
Kayode Awosika: 0 (0%) — 4 (15%)
Michael Niese: 0 (0%) — 4 (15%)
Colby Sorsdal: INACTIVE
Giovanni Manu: INACTIVE

Always love to see the Lions’ starting five in there for 100% of the snaps. Only two jumbo formations with Dan Skipper this week, and everyone else was relegated to special teams duties.

It was certainly interesting to see Niese active over Sorsdal, particularly given Sorsdal’s versatility to back up both guard and tackle. However, Sorsdal did struggle in training camp and the preseason with his move back to tackle, so it’s clear the Lions believe he needs more development.

Defense

EDGE:

Aidan Hutchinson: 70 (90%)
Marcus Davenport: 49 (63%)
Josh Paschal: 22 (28%)
James Houston: INACTIVE

If there was anyone out there who believed the Lions may try to scale Hutchinson back from his high usage last year to keep him fresh, it doesn’t appear that’s in the plans. The third year defensive end continues to have a high motor and doesn’t seem to slow down throughout the entire game, seeing as his final play was a sack. In fact, 70 snaps is actually a career high for Hutchinson.

Speaking of highs, Davenport’s 49 snaps was the sixth-highest in his career, with only two games in the past four years reaching that mark. He’s clearly going to be a big part of this defense, and he proved his worth with four quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford and a half-sack.

Paschal had just a small rotational role, while Houston appeared to be a healthy scratch—indicating how low he is on the totem pole right now.

DT:

Alim McNeill: 68 (87%) — 4 (15%)
Levi Onwuzurike: 50 (64%) — 4 (15%)
Kyle Peko: 37 (47%)
Chris Smith: 8 (10%)
Mekhi Wingo: 6 (8%) — 4 (15%)
DJ Reader: INACTIVE

More career highs here, as McNeill’s ridiculous 68 snaps is 10 more than his previous high. And what an accomplishment for Onwuzurike! Not only was this his first career start, but his 50 snaps was two more than his previous high and well above his typical average of about 20 snaps per game.

Linebackers

Alex Anzalone: 78 (100%)
Derrick Barnes: 64 (82%) — 12 (46%)
Jack Campbell: 44 (56%) — 9 (35%)
Malcolm Rodriguez: 14 (18%) — 22 (85%)
Jalen Reeves-Maybin: 3 (4%) — 22 (85%)
Ben Niemann: 0 (0%) — 18 (69%)
Trevor Nowaske: INACTIVE

This is pretty interesting and a bit unexpected. Anzalone playing every snap is not a surprise, but seeing Jack Campbell—in his first year taking over the MIKE linebacker position full-time—limited to just 56 percent of snaps was surprising. Both Malcolm Rodriguez and Derrick Barnes often took his spot in the defense in subpackages.

That said, maybe we shouldn’t have been all that surprised when it comes to Barnes’ eye-popping 64 snaps. The coaching staff has been talking him up all offseason (again), and while he was seemingly focused on the SAM linebacker position, we know he can thrive at MIKE, as well.

Cornerbacks

Carlton Davis: 77 (99%)
Terrion Arnold: 76 (97%)
Amik Robertson: 36 (46%)
Ennis Rakestraw: 3 (4%) — 11 (42%)
Khalil Dorsey: 0 (0%) — 16 (62%)
Kindle Vildor: 0 (0%) — 15 (58%)

Last time the Lions played the Rams, Brian Branch—who was playing nickel—played 98 percent of the snaps. This time around, the Lions were in nickel less than half the time, as evidenced by Amik Robertson’s 36 snaps. That’s a drastic change in strategy, and it speaks to their confidence in their front seven to roll with just four defensive backs for most of the game. Detroit managed to keep the offense in front of them, so the strategy arguably worked.

Rookie Ennis Rakestraw only saw the field a few times, serving as an injury replacement in short spurts.

Safety

Brian Branch: 78 (100%) — 9 (35%)
Kerby Joseph: 75 (96%) — 9 (35%)
Brandon Joseph: 0 (0%) — 9 (35%)
Ifeatu Melifonwu: INACTIVE
Loren Strickland: INACTIVE

No surprises here, other than maybe Branch and Joseph logging special teams snaps. However, once Melifonwu and/or Strickland come back, I would imagine those extra duties will be taken off Branch’s and Joseph’s plates.

Special teams

Jake Bates: 9 (35%)
Jack Fox: 8 (31%)
Hogan Hatten: 8 (31%)

Special teams happened, too.

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The owner of the historic Michigan Theatre, the same building where Eminem’s hit movie “8 Mile” was filmed, is facing a lawsuit from the city of Detroit.

In the lawsuit, the city says the building, located at 220 Bagley Street, is falling apart with multiple blight violation including one that they say is a public safety issue.

“I’ve seen rocks fall off this building,“ said Tony Gardner, who lives in the area. “And the way it hits the ground, it could really hurt somebody or kill somebody, technically.”

Falling debris is just one of the many blight violations the city of Detroit cited in the lawsuit that was filed back in May.

According to the lawsuit, multiple emergency orders were issued before due to the public complaining about rocks falling off the building.

The city’s attorney, Conrad Mallet, says the era of lawlessness in the city of Detroit has come to an end.

“The Michigan Theatre building — 220 Bagley — has 58 blight violations,” he said. “Five of them for unsafe conditions — two that in fact say that we are imminent danger and the danger is sufficient enough that we want the building completely shut down to all public access.”

The building is historic for many reasons. Part of the building used to be a theater before it was converted into a parking garage, where events and films have been made like the movie “8 Mile.”

Today, the building is occupied on the sixth floor by a business and it is still open for events.

Businessman Dennis Keffalinos is the current owner of the space. The city says Keffalinos has a history of blight violations for the many properties that he owns.

“There is not a Dennis Keffalinos redevelopment project that I can point you too,” Mallet said.

But according to a spokesperson for Keffalinos, the city has it wrong.

“The truth for a lot of the buildings that he (Keffalinos) owns in the city, they were purchased in a neglected state,” Niko Matasmakis said. “And he’s just been putting money into them trying to restore power to these buildings, trying to restore structural integrity to the buildings and really just trying to maintain and preserve historic architecture in the city of Detroit.”

Matasmakis says Keffalios does not deny the public safety issues with the falling debris and they are fixing it but there is nothing else wrong with the building.

Officials say they still think the building is not in compliance with the city’s ordinance.

“As long as we have available resources, we are going to in fact do everything we can to enforce our ordinances,” Mallet said.

The Detroit Lions defensive line made a statement Sunday night against a battered Los Angeles Rams offensive line and are in line to add D.J. Reader back into the mix.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday the team still wants to get Reader back into the fold this week. This has been the team’s plan for Reader’s recovery from a torn quad muscle since they took him off the physically unable to perform list just before the start of the season.

“I think the plan was, ultimately, if we couldn’t get D.J. up last week, or just we didn’t feel quite there, that Tampa was always the target,” Campbell said. “So, providing there is no setbacks, we’d like to get him going. This week, he looked pretty good in practice.”

Reader has been out since Week 15 of last year with a torn quad he suffered as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal to anchor the defensive line as a hole-stuffing nose tackle to play alongside the Lions’ other young defensive tackles, Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike. McNeill said he is excited to see the space he clears taking on double-teams on the interior.

“He’s going to have to take up some double teams so I can get some one-on-ones,” McNeill said with a smile. “He has to take some double teams on because he destroys centers. That’s just what he does and that’s what he did when he was in Cincy.”

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He will re-join a defensive line that was one of the standout position groups for the Lions in the 26-20 overtime win over the Rams on Sunday. The Lions recorded just two sacks, but constantly lived in the backfield against the Rams’ beat-up offensive line with backups across the board. Matthew Stafford was getting rid of the ball as fast as possible while absorbing hit after hit. He took 12 quarterback hits and only three of his 34 completions traveled more than 10 yards down the field, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

“Just about every one of them had a winning performance up front,” Campbell said. “I thought they played big. I thought they played physical. And we feel like we have a good defensive line.

“And I know that it’s game one but just since the spring and training camp and seeing where we are at, it’s the right mix. It’s the right balance of length, power, size, aggression. And that’s just game one. We got so much room to grow in there too.”

Aidan Hutchinson led the way as a destructive force, caving in the Rams offensive line wherever he lined up while Marcus Davenport crashed in from the opposite edge in a productive Lions debut. Hutchinson had one sack, five tackles (one for loss) and four hits on Stafford’s drop backs. Davenport linked up with Onwuzurike on the team’s first sack and also chipped in four hits on Stafford.

“I thought Hutch and Davenport on the perimeter, all day long, were a force,” Campbell said.

According to Pro Football Focus’ postgame analysis, Hutchinson graded out as the Lions’ best performer on offense or defense with a score of 94.0 on a 0-100 scale. He caused issues for whoever the Rams had at left tackle, whether it was Joe Noteboom or A.J. Arcuri, with his power moves to the inside or his patented spin move to win with speed.

Onwuzurike played a career-high 50 snaps and had the half-sack, two hits on Stafford and two total tackles. The performance was what his teammates and coaches expected after he had a fully healthy offseason into a strong training camp.

“That’s the type of player he is,” McNeill said. “He’s worked and got himself back in that position to be Levi again. He’s comfortable. You saw him, he got a sack last night. So, he’s doing great.”

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Lions defense steps up in big moments

The Lions came up with two defensive stops to give their offense a chance at a comeback after the Rams took a 20-17 lead with 17 unanswered points.

The Lions gave the ball back to LA with 4:10 left and an opportunity to salt the game away, but the Lions forced a punt to get the ball back with just over two minutes. The offense executed well enough to get the game-tying field goal, then closed regulation with Hutchinson’s sack on what ended up being the defense’s final snap.

The defense’s effort was well-rewarded by the offense’s game-winning touchdown drive in overtime that kept Stafford and the Rams’ offense off the field.

“Y’all have heard that word 1,000 times but that right there is the definition of grit,” Onwuzurike said.

The Lions also held the Rams to 20 points on six trips inside Detroit’s 25-yard line, including pulling in an interception and forcing a turnover on downs. It was far from a perfect performance, McNeill said, since they still gave up more than zero points, but did what found a way to get stops with their backs against the wall. Onwuzurike said the emphasis on the red zone is a key pillar of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s approach, which proved effective Sunday.

“He talks about how that’s how you win games — in the red zone,” Onwuzurike said. “So, we take that serious. We’ll see guys like Hutch, BB (Brian Branch), Anzo (Alex Anzalone), all these guys, kind of look us in the eye and say ‘we gotta lock in here. This is how we win games.’”