Detroit Lions Week 8 Stock Report

Things are looking up!

For three Detroit Lions they are. And that may be it for a franchise that's more closely associated with a dumpster fire than a football team. Although perhaps tire fire is more appropriate. The toxic plume from burning rubber lingers in the air and coats everything in sight.

With offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi no longer on staff, the onus will shift back to the players, where it belongs, but we'll be focused mainly on the defense here. If for no other reason than the fans' sanity since that side of the ball boasted at least a few competent players this week.

Stock Up: DT Caraun Reid

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Detroit's disintegration on offense not only took away any opportunity for a win, but it also stole the shine the defensive line so justly deserved.

And second-year defensive tackle, Caraun Reid, in particular.

Reid was a thorn in Minnesota's side all day. He penetrated well, even when tasked with fighting off double teams, beating one to rack up a quarterback hit. He finished with a sack as well, per Pro Football Focus.

He was also an integral part of a run defense that limited Minnesota to just 65 yards on 34 carries outside of Adrian Peterson's 75-yarder. You can't dismiss that long gain, but it does show that the defensive line carried the day in the trenches more often than not.

Stock Down: S Glover Quin

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Detroit's secondary, however, did not perform anywhere near the standard set upfront.

Teddy Bridgewater was able to rectify his formerly negative touchdown-to-interception ratio by lighting up the Lions for 316 yards and a pair of scores. His passer rating came in at a ridiculous 118.3, which was actually lower than Matthew Stafford's 126.4.

Rashean Mathis played a large role in the wreckage, but he hasn't been on the positive side of the ledger here for a while. That's why we've shifted focus to safety Glover Quin.

Quin wasn't able to cover up the mistakes made in front of him. And he made plenty of his own, failing to get over the top of receivers when the coverages dictated so.

There was also the brutal missed tackle on 3rd-and-12 that set up the final field goal that put the game out of reach. Clearly, the 2014 Pro Bowler wasn't good in any facet of the game, and it cost Detroit the small chance it had.

Stock Up: DE Ezekiel Ansah

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Is there any way Ezekiel Ansah didn't impress you?

Was it his lack of effort when he breezed by a group of defenders who had clearly given up on Adrian Peterson's 75-yard run and were willing to part with the seven points? That tackle ended up frustrating Minnesota's offense, and the Vikings had to settle for a field goal.

Perhaps you didn't like his pass rush? He apologizes for only notching a single sack. He was too busy piling up three quarterback hits and three hurries.

It certainly couldn't have been his contributions against the run. Aside from the tackle cited above, he set the edge with gusto and kept the Lions alive deep into the fourth quarter.

Stock Down: The Offensive Line

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To be fair, it's tough to determine how much of the blame falls on the offensive line for its terrible performance against Minnesota.

The scheme, at one point, asked center Travis Swanson to get all the way out to the left side to take out a defensive end. And the Vikings made things difficult, walking seven or eight guys to the line of scrimmage, making it impossible to discern where the pressure would originate.

But there's no dancing away from seven sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. You have to own that in order to improve, and the promotion of Jim Bob Cooter to offensive coordinator isn't going to wash away the stain.

Cooter must simplify the protection schemes. It's probably too difficult of a task to do this week, considering the travel to London, but the first game on the other side of the bye—against Green Bay, no less—must show serious improvement on this front.

Stock Up: DE Jason Jones

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Defensive end Jason Jones has been asked to do a lot since the departure of Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley.

There are his normal duties, which include setting the edge and stuffing the run. He's been remarkably solid there, with only a couple of missed tackles keeping him down.

He's also been tasked with creating more pressure. Nobody has stepped into former reserve defensive end George Johnson's pass-rushing specialist spot, so Jones has picked up his play in that area, including three quarterback pressures against Minnesota.

And some of his extra pressures have come from the inside. That versatility has allowed defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to get creative with his schemes, which has led to improved play by the defensive line the past two weeks.

But sadly, the defensive line's best is nowhere near enough to keep the rest of the team afloat.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter @BrandonAlisoglu.