The Detroit Lions shocked the league when they managed to pull out a win against Washington Commanders, and much of the credit for their win can go to members of their rookie class.
Aidan Hutchinson was the star of the show with his three-sack performance on Sunday afternoon.
.@Lions DL @aidanhutch97 has recorded 3.0 sacks for a loss of 15 yards in the first half.
Hutchinson is the first Lions rookie to record 3.0 sacks in a game.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/PWlL8HAsBF
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) September 18, 2022
While he didn’t shine in Week 1, Hutchinson reminded everyone why he was worthy of being drafted second-overall. The Detroit-area native managed to accumulate all three of his sacks on Carson Wentz in the first half of the game.
The rookie came away with six total tackles against Washington. While he had a stellar first half, he did suffer a very minor injury that had him sidelined for a few plays. Though he did get back into the game, he had a noticeable limp and his high level of play started to simmer down.
.@aidanhutch97 caused a scene 🕺#WASvsDET 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/qkRPky9mTO
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 18, 2022
Helping Hutchinson put pressure on the Commanders’ offense was sixth-round pick Malcolm Rodriguez. The rookie linebacker made waves early on as he was able to take some of the heat off of Hutchinson and let him make plays.
He had a decent day in coverage as well. He struggled to defend against one pass from Wentz late in the game but overall was not the reason why any of Washington’s big plays occurred.
Rodriguez finished the day tied for first in tackles with eight. He also had one quarterback hit early.
It’s rare that a team can find such a talented player in the sixth round, let alone a starting linebacker. The only way is up for Rodriguez this season.
Rookie defensive backs Chase Lucas and Kerby Joseph were active for this game but did not take the field on defense or record a single stat on special teams.
