Snap counts: Back-7 still searching for answers vs. Panthers

The Detroit Lions suffered yet another disappointing loss on national television, their second of the season, this time falling to the Carolina Panthers 32-26 on "Sunday Night Football." Let's look at the snap counts from this game and see what they mean for the depth chart hierarchy and what we can ascertain moving forward.

Goff threw for 412 yards in this game, but like several other players on this roster, came up short in some critical moments. In a game where the defense was so bad that he needed to be near perfect to keep the Lions competitive, this time he came up just a bit short.

Sione Vaki: 12 (17%) — 18 special teams snaps (60%)

With the Lions trailing most of the game and by double digits in the second half, the Lions tried to keep Gibbs on the field as much as possible, and he saw an uptick in his usage—even though his production resulted in the lowest output of the season.

The switch flipped for Williams in this game, and he showed signs of the player we saw in training camp, giving some hope that in future games he can help open things up for the offense. St. Brown's eight receptions on 11 targets might be the quietest productive game of his career. TeSlaa remains a situational big-play threat, while the reserves are simply special teamers.

With the Lions trailing, we saw more 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in this game, and as a result, a big dip in the tight ends' reserve snap counts. Wright saw his snaps scaled back around 40%, while Meeks didn't see the field on offense at all.

LG Christian Mahogany: 71 (100%) — 6 (20%)

Only two Jumbo (6th OL) sets in this game, which isn't overly surprising considering one of the two snaps was completely ineffective. The offensive line as a whole was solid in pass protection, sporadic in run blocking, and took far too many penalties—six for the group—especially in critical moments.

3T Skyler Gill-Howard: 32 (43%) — 6 (20%) — 1 offensive snap (1%)

The Lions defensive line was the bright spot of the defense, and even they took a step back from previous week's production. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was quick and efficient with his throws, and even in situations where the Lions' interior created push, the ball was out before they could get home. McNeill was arguably the Lions' best defender on Sunday, registering another sack, two quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss.

Rush End Eric O'Neill: 0 (0%) — 19 (63%)

Big End Ahmed Hassanein: DNP ( INACTIVE )

The role opposite Hutchinson remains a rotation between Wonnum and Lacy, and the pair saw a near-even split in this game, unlike previous games where one side got heavy snaps. Fans are still waiting on Moore to see significant playing time, but the second-round rookie has been relatively quiet, save a play where he stunted and pressured Young up the middle.

WILL Malcolm Rodriguez: 28 (37%) — 9 (30%)

WILL Amen Ogbongbemiga: 0 (0%) — 24 (80%)

The third linebacker role was once again a rotation of Rodriguez—who has started the last two games—and Nowaske—who has outsnapped Rodriguez both times. Rookie Rolder is still getting his feet wet after returning from a training camp hamstring injury, but he registered three tackles on the day. This group has been stretched thin with the defensive line pass rushing and the secondary struggling; they're starting to make mistakes, looking overwhelmed, trying to do too much, or hesitating.

NB/CB Roger McCreary: 75 (100%) — 6 (20%)

CB Rock Ya-Sin: 0 (0%) — 9 (30%) — injured during game

The Lions stuck with their starters from last game—in both base and subpackages—and the results were disastrously the same… the problem is: I'm not sure there's a better option right now. Barring a trade, or some drastic improvements in their fundamentals—both in man and zone coverages—this unit is going to cripple the Lions' chances of winning on a weekly basis.

NB/S Christian Izien: 73 (97%) — 6 (20%)

After a terrific Week 3 performance, Izien came back to earth against the Panthers, as both he and Clark looked vulnerable in coverage and saw their weaknesses exposed. The return of Brian Branch would certainly go a long way to stabilizing this unit, but the safeties group has dealt with far too many injuries, is being asked to cover the corners' mistakes, and, in turn, is making mistakes of their own.