Detroit Lions' Week 13 Stock Report

Christmas came early for Detroit Lions fans when the home team thrashed the Philadelphia Eagles 45-14 on Thanksgiving.

If stockings were the same as stock, everyone in Honolulu Blue would be hung high this year.

I apologize. The lady of the house has the entire place decked out in red and green, which can bleed into the brain quickly if you're not paying attention.

Anyway, it was a great week for the Lions. Many players and coaches should be lauded for their improvements. And before there are cries for defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, each received much more than a slide within the past few days.

Stock Up: C Travis Swanson

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

A lot of young players have been stepping up for the Lions lately.

Third-year running back Theo Riddick has been the offense's rock. Sophomore and rookie cornerbacks Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs have provided the soldiers to Darius Slay's "big play" generalship.

But Travis Swanson's recent emergence raised the offense's ceiling immensely.

He's allowed only two quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus, without a single hit or sack to his "credit." While some of this is due to the simplified blocking schemes, he's also playing with more certainty, as evidenced by him and Larry Warford perfectly shutting down a twist early against the Eagles.

Lastly, Swanson is even recovering well, riding penetrating defenders away from the pocket instead of giving up a free lane to the quarterback. This doesn't mean he's good, but it does mean he's improving.

His availability for Thursday's tilt against the Green Bay Packers is unknown because of an ankle injury, though. If he can't go, Manny Ramirez will likely handle his duties, and that may actually be a step down for the offensive line now.

Stock Down: HC Jim Caldwell

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Finding goats during a three-game winning streak is difficult.

But then head coach Jim Caldwell opened up about former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, indicating that he had "no regrets [about] waiting to fire Lombardi," as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press put it.

To be fair, Caldwell said, "It's not that easy. It's a difficult transition what we're going through right now, even just in terms of our offensive system and how it's functioning. It's an unusual change."

Caldwell was likely doing his best to avoid the question because there's no good way for him to throw Lombardi under the bus.

However, there is no doubt about it: Lombardi's handling of the offense should have been addressed earlier.

Stock Up: WR Calvin Johnson

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

There's an easier case to be made for Calvin Johnson on the positive side of the ledger than for his head coach on the negative.

Johnson was the main beneficiary of Jim Bob Cooter's aggressiveness against the Philadelphia Eagles with 14 targets. And he repaid his offensive coordinator with eight catches, three of which went for touchdowns.

The 30-year-old wide receiver abused rookie defensive back Eric Rowe in single coverage, ensuring that future opponents won't be so brave—or foolish—in the future. That should leave Golden Tate free to work on whomever is left.

As he approaches the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh time, Johnson is reminding his coaching staff that it's best to get him the ball in the red zone. Detroit must keep going to that well instead of taking field goals if it hopes to pull off an improbable postseason run.

Stock (Slightly) Down: Detroit's Playoff Chances

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Speaking of which, that playoff chance took a hit Sunday afternoon.

Russell Wilson went off for the Seattle Seahawks, throwing for 345 yards and five touchdowns in a 39-30 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That game represented a much-needed possible loss from Detroit's perspective. The Seahawks are the only team that has a surefire tiebreaker over the Lions, save for the Vikings, so it's important that they rack up the losses. And the Steelers were one of Detroit's best chances, as only two of Seattle's remaining opponents have winning records.

The team's playoff odds can take heart from Matthew Stafford. If he was able to survive the early season beatings he endured, then maybe one of those incredibly rare, everything-went-right moments will happen for the Lions. 

Stock Up: QB Matthew Stafford

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Matthew Stafford picked up the conversation about whether the Lions should keep him and dropped a mic on it.

Opponent	Comp/Att	Percentage	TDs	Passer Rating
Philadelphia Eagles	27/38	71.1%	5	137.8

The coaching handcuffs have come off, and Stafford is back to slinging with cautioned abandon, as proved by his one interception in the past three weeks.

His placement has also been better, as he's consistently hitting receivers in stride. He has also executed back-shoulder throws and darts along the sidelines that only the intended receiver could catch.

In short, he's done whatever his team has needed the last few weeks.

If Stafford continues to make the right decisions—including scrambling when the opportunity arises—his Lions have a decent chance of cracking .500 this year.

All advanced stats 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.