During the offseason, it seemed like we could not go through a single day without an article popping up somewhere (including here) that the Detroit Lions would have a Top 5 offensive line in the NFL in 2022 if the entire unit could stay healthy.
Well, the Lions did not even make it to Week 1 before they lost 20% of their starting offensive line as RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai was placed in Injured Reserve, meaning he will miss a minimum of four weeks. In addition, center Frank Ragnow was “questionable” for Week 1 with a groin injury so he is clearly less than 100%.
In order to replace Vaitai, head coach Dan Campbell considered multiple options, including moving RT Penei Sewell to RG, which did not seem like a very good idea at all.
Ultimately, Campbell and the Lions coaching staff made the decision to roll with Logan Stenberg at RG for their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and to say things could have gone better would be an understatement.
Not only did Stenberg have back-to-back false starts in the opening quarter, but according to Pro Football Focus, he had a 0.0 grade for pass blocking and a run-blocking grade of 53.5 throughout the game, which is not good at all.
Predicting the Detroit Lions starting RG for Week 2
Because of Stenberg’s struggles, some have asked the question about whether or not the Lions should make a change for their Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders.
In my opinion, the answer to that question is pretty obvious.
Absolutely not.
Yes, Stenberg was horrendous against the Eagles but it is also important to remember that it was his first ever start in the NFL (10th game total).
Stenberg had a solid camp, which is why he ended up making the 53-man roster and Dan Campbell is not the type of head coach who is going to give up on a player after one bad outing.
In my opinion, Stenberg should, and will, get the start on Sunday against the Commanders and I fully expect him to play much better this time around.
What do you think? Should Logan Stenberg get the start for the Detroit Lions against the Washington Commanders?
