Romeo Okwara didn't fill up all the boxes on the defensive stats sheet for the Detroit Lions in Sunday's 46-25 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
He just had check marks in more key categories than any other Lions defender.
What we learned from a second look at Okwara's performance is that it's common for him to be the leader in the defense's production. Sunday's game was just another example of that.
Among the other things we learned include the following: The Lions have actually done something good on their schedule, but it has been overshadowed by something bad; the last two quarterbacks the Lions faced looked like all-time greats – and only one really is; and Jamal Agnew's versatility helped him put up surprisingly big stats that went unnoticed.
We start with Okwara.
His most obvious contribution came late in the second quarter when he sacked Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the end zone for a safety. The two points awarded to the Lions on the play cut the Titans' lead to 21-9.
The Lions cut the deficit further to 21-15 with a touchdown on D’Andre Swift's two-yard run to cap a 55-yard drive after the ensuing kickoff after the sack.
The Lions were back in the game with the eight points they got from that series of plays – the safety on Okwara's sack, Swift's touchdown and Matt Prater's missed extra point kick.
Okwara had other big plays to go with the sack/safety. He had four solo tackles, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit.
He has been the Lions' most productive defensive player by a wide margin. He leads the team with eight sacks, 16 hits and 10 tackles for loss. He also blocked a punt and a field goal.
Road wins: The Lions wound up with a 4-4 record in road games with the loss to the Titans. It's their best road record since 2017, when they were also 4-4 on the road and finished 9-7 overall.
The Lions have been unable to take advantage of playing at Ford Field. They are 1-5 at home with two home games left – against the Tampa Bay Bucs Saturday and the Minnesota Vikings in the season finale Jan. 3.
That is not a recent problem. They have not had a winning record at home since going 6-2 in 2016. Since then they've gotten steadily worse at home from 2017 to this year – 4-4, 3-5, 2-6 and however they finish this year.
Agnew's day: He had 135 total yards Sunday – most of it on special teams – and while it isn't the same as gong over the 100-yard mark rushing or receiving, it is still a noteworthy achievement.
Agnew had a seven-yard run from scrimmage, a 13-yard reception, four kickoff returns for 116 yards – with a long return of 43 yards – and a one-yard loss on a punt return.
Rodgers vs. Tannehill: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the top contenders to win the MVP Award, and he played like it against the Lions two weeks ago.
Rodgers passed for 250 yards and three TDs, ran for a score and had a passer rating of 133.6.
The Titans' Ryan Tannehill is not in the MVP discussion, but he played like a leading candidate against the Lions.
Tannehill threw three TD passes, ran for two scores and had a passer rating of 145.8.
What we learned is that on any given day, any quarterback can look like an all-time great.
