Detroit Lions Week 10 Stock Report

The bye week serves the same purpose as Thanksgiving.

Fans, at first, think it's nice to have a reprieve, especially from a team that finished the first half of the season slated for the top overall pick in the 2016 draft.

But admit it. You missed it.

Whether it's the simple excuse of being able to watch football unbothered by those pesky people you live with and are probably related to, or if you enjoy hate-watching things, you missed the Detroit Lions.

So now is a great time to be thankful for their return, even if it is in the team's "Dungeon of Doom."

Stock Down: LB DeAndre Levy

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

This was supposed to be DeAndre Levy's team.

He had inked a lucrative four-year contract extension, was coming off a second-team All-Pro season and wouldn't be overshadowed by Ndamukong Suh. Life was good.

Then a mysterious hip injury cropped up a couple of weeks prior to the season opener. He missed the entire first month but was set to return against the Arizona Cardinals.

Finally, the defense would have its most consistent playmaker back. The ship would be righted or at least steered slightly away from the waterfall that lay ahead.

That start is his only listed statistic on the NFL's website. After 17 snaps, he left the field, never to return in 2015 again as he was officially moved to the IR one day prior the front office reshuffling.

Levy can't be faulted for getting hurt, and there's nothing to suggest he won't bounce back to his incredible form next season. But for now, his stock has to take a hit by virtue of his lost season.

Stock Up: Martha Firestone Ford

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

So many of the euphemisms for audacity slant toward the male gender, so suffice it to say that Martha Firestone Ford has chutzpah.

Where her late husband held loyalty, Firestone Ford holds logic. She doesn't wait for things to work themselves out, at least if last week was any indication.

Detroit's owner swept through the Allen Park offices like a winter storm, filling every untouched area with an apprehension of how to deal with the blanket of ice that has the franchise frozen in place until the offseason thaw.

Bully for her, though. Her statement was rather drab, but it did make clear that mediocrity will not be overcome by some sense of allegiance. And that's a radical paradigm shift that is long past due.

Stock Down: OT LaAdrian Waddle

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

The nadir of LaAdrian Waddle's season happened overseas.

His performance has been trending down since his rookie year when he didn't allow a single sack in eight games. That number jumped to five in his sophomore campaign despite playing only eight more snaps.

This year has been much worse, however. Waddle gave up three sacks against Kansas City alone.

He's also responsible for six quarterback hits and 24 hurries this season, so the damage hasn't been limited to one week. The way things have progressed—excuse me: regressed—Waddle may get the change of scenery next season that his career requires.

Stock Up: DE Devin Taylor

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

Not all of 2013's freshman class has foundered.

Devin Taylor has been flying under the radar all season. Aside from his inexplicably being left off the active roster against Minnesota in Week 2, he's left a mark on every game on the schedule.

Well, aside from the Arizona debacle. The only marks left that Sunday were the cleat marks on the Lions' collective backside.

Anyway, Taylor has bounced back from his second-year slump. Pro Football Focus has credited him with four sacks and eight quarterback hurries, along with 10 defensive stops (plays that constitute an offensive failure), which shows he's excelling in both phases of the game.

Detroit's defensive line hasn't been the reason for the lost season. With Taylor continuing to ascend and Ezekiel Ansah fulfilling expectations, it could instead be the catalyst for a quick turnaround in 2016.

Stock Down: DC Teryl Austin

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

While the defensive line has had a few solid individual performers, the defense as a whole has been dreadful.

Detroit ranks dead last in points allowed (30.6 PPG), third to last in rushing defense (133.8 YPG) and 26th in yards allowed per game (385.8 YPG). That's a far cry from last year's unit.

And it all falls directly in Teryl Austin's lap.

The second-year defensive coordinator has made quite a few questionable decisions this year. From forcing linebacker Josh Bynes to chase slot receivers from across the formation to giving Kansas City's questionable passing game plenty of cushion, the calls have been odd at best.

To make matters worse, he's not adjusting to what an offense is doing, which is why Alex Smith was able to run all over Detroit in London.

Austin may get a pass from some because of the personnel losses both in free agency and in the training room. Yet there's plenty of blame to go around, and it's imperative that Austin bring a better scheme to the second half of the season, or he could be following the rest of the coaching staff out the door come January.

All advanced statistics, positional rankings and grades 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.