It's time to hand out a few game balls following the Detroit Lions' 12-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome:
Yes, there are actual game balls worth handing out for a change -- all of them on defense.
1. Leigh Bodden
As bad as he looked at times in the first four games this season, he looked that much better against the Vikings. The playmaker at cornerback the Lions thought they were getting in the offseason trade for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers finally showed up. He had four tackles, intercepted the team's first pass of the season, forced Adrian Peterson to fumble and recovered another fumble.
His breakthrough performance came largely as a result of the Lions letting him do what he does best -- matching up with receivers one-on-one on the outside and pressuring the quarterback on an occasional blitz.
In the Tampa Two system, Bodden has looked out of place at times. The zone coverage stuff just didn't take advantage of his finest skills. If he's allowed to practice more man coverage, he should be fine. He played with a whole new level of confidence against the Vikings.
And he sure didn't deserve that ridiculous pass interference penalty late in the fourth quarter that set up the game-winning field goal.
2. Daniel Bullocks
He led the team in tackles for the second time since being promoted to the starting lineup this season. The progress this second-year strong safety has made following reconstructive knee surgery last year is nothing short of remarkable.
He is a consistent playmaker for the defense and possesses the same sort of non-stop motor as teammates Ernie Sims and Dewayne White. He had a team-high 10 tackles and forced a fumble against the Vikings. He also had a team-high 12 in a loss against the Green Bay Packers in the home opener.
3. Jared DeVries
He's sort of the forgotten man on the front line. Yet, he still finds small ways to influence the game. He also has a non-stop motor. He had six tackles, a sack and blocked a field goal attempt against the Vikings.
He sure did his part to help put the Lions in a position to get their first win. He may not be a high-profile guy, but there is no one in the Lions locker room that doesn't respect him.
