We graded every Lions player from the Cardinals win, and Penei Sewell and Jahmyr Gibbs did something nobody had done yet

Sewell and Gibbs became the first Lions to reach the 50-point ceiling, while Keith Abney made a strong impression on defense and a few surprising grades landed much lower.

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Oct 11, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas

The Detroit Lions took care of business against the Arizona Cardinals with a 45-21 win, and this week’s M.O.O.N. Grades reflect it. For the first time this season, two Lions players hit a perfect 50.

For those who don’t remember, the M.O.O.N. Grades are our Measure of On-Field Net Impact. Quarterbacks start at 20 points, and offensive linemen and everyone else start at 25. Players gain or lose points based on their performance. The goal is to reach 50, which is the ceiling. Until this game, nobody had managed it.

Let’s break it down.

Remember, you can click on each player and see how their grades broke down for this game

Offense

Lions Offense M.O.O.N. Grades

Measure of On-Field Net-Impact · Week 5 · Lions at Arizona Cardinals · Oct 11, 2026

PlayerPos.SnapsGrade
Penei SewellLT6350/50
Jahmyr GibbsRB4650/50
Christian MahoganyLG6641/50
Jameson WilliamsWR5941/50
Tate RatledgeRG6339/50
Sam LaPortaTE5938.5/50
Amon-Ra St. BrownWR5733/50
Jared GoffQB6333/50
Larry BoromOL829/50
Brock WrightTE4427.5/50
Tay MartinWR325/50
Miles FrazierOL325/50
Sione VakiRB2325/50
Blake MillerRT6625/50
Tyler ConklinTE825/50
Isaac TeSlaaWR2625/50
S.McLaughlinC323/50
Juice ScruggsC6318/50
J.DobbsQB3—/50

Tap a player to see the grade breakdown. M.O.O.N. Grades combine impact plays, charted performance and playing time on a 50-point scale.

Penei Sewell: 50. Lions right tackle Penei Sewell earned 26 points on top of his starting 25. He picked up 12 points for an 86.3 pass-blocking grade, 10 points for an 82.4 run-blocking grade, and four points for keeping Jared Goff clean in pass protection. This was an unbelievable game from Sewell, and it’s the exact type of performance Detroit is used to getting from him.

Jahmyr Gibbs: 50. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t lose a single point. He had six explosive plays, which in our M.O.O.N. Grades means plays of 15 or more yards. He also added nine first downs, two touchdowns, and five receptions, and he gained yardage on 22 of his carries. Gibbs earned 61.5 points in this game. That probably feels like it should be worth more than 50, but 50 is as high as the scale goes. He earned every bit of it.

Jared Goff: 33. This was the grade that surprised me the most because I thought quarterback Jared Goff had a great game. He got six points for a 125.8 passer rating, two points for reaching 100 passing yards, and three more for reaching 200. He came close to hitting 300. Goff also picked up 12 points for three touchdown passes and two points for his rushing touchdown, and he received credit for one big-time throw.

The problem was a fumble, which counted against him even though the Lions recovered it. His pressure-to-sack rate also sat at 50%. All of that came in the first quarter, and things got much better from there, but it still cost him nine points. I’d still call it a very good game.

Juice Scruggs: 18. Interestingly enough, the lowest-graded Lion on offense was offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. Remember, offensive linemen start at 25. It’s harder for them to add points, but they earn big points for the things they can control. Scruggs lost two points for a poor pass-blocking performance, gained nothing in the run game, and lost five points for allowing a sack. That’s not the best we’ve seen from him.

Defense

Lions Defense M.O.O.N. Grades

Measure of On-Field Net-Impact · Week 5 · Lions at Arizona Cardinals · Oct 11, 2026

PlayerPos.SnapsGrade
D.J. WonnumDE3637/50
Keith Abney IICB5935.5/50
Aidan HutchinsonDE6635/50
Alim McNeillDL5233/50
Derrick BarnesLB6031/50
Skyler Gill-HowardDL3531/50
D.J. ReedCB7229/50
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.CB3526.5/50
Tyler LacyDL2626/50
Jalen MillsDB2225.5/50
Derrick MooreDE2025.5/50
Devin WhiteLB1625.5/50
Trevor NowaskeLB925.5/50
Jack CampbellLB7325/50
Tyleik WilliamsDL3525/50
Eric O'NeillDE325/50
Malcolm RodriguezLB2324.5/50
Levi OnwuzurikeDL1622/50
Chuck ClarkS7215.5/50
Roger McCrearyCB7314.5/50

Tap a player to see the grade breakdown. M.O.O.N. Grades combine impact plays, charted performance and playing time on a 50-point scale.

D.J. Wonnum: 37. Defensive end D.J. Wonnum was Detroit’s highest-graded defender. He got two points for two plays in which he made a tackle and five points apiece for his two sacks. That added up to 12 points and a really strong performance.

Keith Abney: 35.5. Cornerback Keith Abney is the guy who really stands out here. His interception was worth eight points, and his 5.5 tackles added another 5.5. He allowed just one completion, which cost him three points, and he didn’t give up any explosive plays. Abney definitely showed up, and I’m curious to see where this goes for him.

Roger McCreary: 14.5. This is where I disagree with the model, even though I built it. I expected Chuck Clark to finish at the bottom, but cornerback Roger McCreary landed there instead. He earned 11.5 points from two pass breakups and 5.5 tackles. He also allowed eight completions, one explosive play, and a touchdown, and he missed a tackle. All of that took 22 points away from him.

Here’s the context. McCreary got targeted 16 times and allowed eight catches. I’m not saying he looked great, but I thought he held his own for a guy Arizona went after that often.

Chuck Clark: 15.5. Safety Chuck Clark lost points for allowing five catches and one explosive play, plus two missed tackles. You just can’t have that.

What’s next for the Lions and the M.O.O.N. Grades

Detroit heads into its bye week before facing Green Bay. During the break, we’ll put out a quarterly M.O.O.N. Grades piece that looks at what every player has done so far this season. That covers the good, the bad, and the ugly.

For now, this was a nice performance by the Lions, and a lot of guys graded well. We’ll see where it goes from here.

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