Dan Campbell needs to make a tough decision on Colon.
Detroit Lions center Trystan Colon (57) runs off the field at halftime against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
With their backs against the wall, the Detroit Lions have to make some tough decisions over their final three games. The Lions are currently sitting in eighth place in the NFC with an 8-6 record, but they’ll need to win out to have a chance to pass the Green Bay Packers for the conference’s final wild card spot.
When Dan Campbell looks at his team before the first leg of the final stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, he’ll have to address the interior of his offensive line. After Frank Ragnow’s comeback attempt failed, the Lions have leaned on Trystan Colon to cover for injured guard Christian Mahogany.
Mahogany is due back soon from a knee injury, but his status for Week 15 remains up in the air before the Lions hit the practice field for the first time on Wednesday. If Mahogany isn’t able to play, the Lions can’t afford to keep Colon on the field as their playoff lives may depend on it.
Lions Can’t Trust Trystan Colon Anymore with Season on the Line
Colon was seldom used throughout the first two-thirds of the season, playing just 33 snaps over the first 12 weeks. When Graham Glasgow went down with a lower leg injury that kept him out in a Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers, Colon stepped in at center and immediately tanked the performance of the offensive line.
While he’s played guard in place of Mahogany over the past two games, it hasn’t really mattered. According to Pro Football Focus, Colon has played 150 snaps over the past three weeks and posted a 44.2 overall grade that ranks 68th out of 71 qualifying offensive guards. Colon has also allowed pressure at an astounding 11.3% rate, and his 10 pressures allowed are tied for the fourth-most behind Ed Ingram of the Houston Texans (14), Anthony Belton of the Packers (12), and Mekhi Becton of the Los Angeles Chargers (12).
The Lions may feel that Colon could be their most experienced option, but with the season on the brink, he may not be their best option. Rookie Miles Frazier has gotten some playing time after missing training camp and the first part of the season with a knee injury. While his 25.8 overall PFF grade doesn’t look great, he showed plenty of improvement when playing 13 snaps at right guard in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, allowing just one pressure on 10 pass-blocking snaps and a 55.3 run-blocking grade.
It’s not going to make Lions fans forget about Ragnow or Kevin Zeitler, but giving Frazier the start at left guard may be a temporary fix until Mahogany is ready to return. Even then, Colon shouldn’t see the field again, as his deficiencies have become massive for a team that no longer has margin for error.
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