The Detroit Lions have one of the NFL’s best starting offensive tackle tandems in LT Taylor Decker and RT Penei Sewell. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and head coach Dan Campbell like to augment the strong tackles by often adding a third tackle to the mix.
Matt Nelson plays an unusual amount for a reserve tackle that isn’t pressed into injury-relief duty. The Lions have used an extra tackle on 38 plays through the first five games. Only the Cleveland Browns, another run-heavy offense, have deployed a sixth OL more often (54) than the Lions in total plays. The Las Vegas Raiders creep just ahead of the Lions in the percentage of plays using six linemen, where Detroit ranks third at 11.4 percent.
