The Detroit Lions Aren’t Getting Enough Out Of Tyleik Williams
The Detroit Lions find themselves in a perilous position heading into the final two weeks of the NFL season, facing potential elimination from playoff contention after a crushing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the team’s collapse has been a collective failure, the struggles of rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams have highlighted a broader issue within a defense that has lost its edge at the worst possible time.
Detroit Lions Rookie Growing Pains on Display
In a game where the Detroit Lions desperately needed reliability in the trenches, Williams struggled to make a positive impact. According to grades released by Pro Football Focus (PFF), the rookie interior defender earned a discouraging 46.8 overall defensive grade against Pittsburgh.
This performance placed Williams among the bottom of the roster for the week. He was the second-lowest graded defender on the team who played a minimum of 10 snaps, finishing just ahead of safety Avonte Maddox (41.3). For a defensive tackle tasked with clogging running lanes and disrupting the interior, such a low grade is indicative of the difficulties he faced against a physical Steelers offensive line.
A Defensive Collapse
Williams’ struggles were a trend of a defensive unit that completely collapsed against the run. The Lions surrendered a season-worst 230 rushing yards, the most the franchise has allowed in a single game since 2022.
The inability of the interior defensive line to hold their ground allowed Steelers running back Jaylen Warren to break free for two devastating 45-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. When rookie contributors like Williams fail to win their matchups or maintain gap integrity, it creates the seams necessary for opposing backs to reach the second level untouched, leading to the kind of explosive plays that doomed Detroit on Sunday.
Playoff Hopes Hanging by a Thread
The timing of these defensive woes could not be worse for Detroit. The Lions have now dropped two consecutive games and are in serious danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2022. Once considered a lock for the playoffs, the team is now fighting for its life with a defense that appears to be regressing.
For the Lions to have any hope of salvaging their season in the final two weeks, they will need significantly better production from their young defensive core. As the team stares down elimination, the development—and immediate improvement—of rookies like Tyleik Williams will be scrutinized heavily as Detroit tries to stop the bleeding.
