Getty Penei Sewell on the field during Lions training camp in 2021.
Penei Sewell made his much-anticipated debut for the Detroit Lions against the Buffalo Bills on Friday, August 13, and during the game, things didn’t go exactly as planned for Sewell.
From nearly the start, Sewell was under the gun thanks to Gregory Rousseau, the first-round defensive lineman of the Bills. Rousseau managed to get the best of Sewell early on, and that one play made the rounds on social media causing an uproar amongst many NFL fans.
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Naturally, in the snap-judgement social media driven society which is the norm in 2021, folks didn’t want to let Sewell or Lions fans hear the end of the fact that the youngster struggled right away. It became a huge topic of conversation during the game, and every Sewell rep was strictly analyzed from that point forward.
Folks need to take a step back and realize that Sewell is not a finished product. He’s been hyped for his preparation and his potential thus far, but in terms of his actual play, it could be a while before he dominates on the field. Expecting that domination from day one might be a fool’s errand for fans considering the difficulty level the lineman is dealing with.
For Detroit fans, it’s a simple request. Ignore the internet noise and hive Sewell some time to adjust and learn before deeming him a failure.
Penei Sewell Explained Difficulty of Right Tackle Transition
Sewell becoming an elite right tackle might happen in due time, but the adjustment from then until now might take a bit of perfecting to work out the kinks, especially at game speed. A few months back during Sewell’s introduction to Detroit’s OTA and minicamp sessions, the former left tackle got work in on the right side where he expects to play during his time in Detroit. So how can such a move be described? According to Sewell, much like being asked to write with your non-dominant hand.
As the tackle explained during his media session to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News on May 27, making the move might not be something that will happen fast or overnight knowing this fact.
Sewell on switching from left to right tackle: “It is not that easy.” Compares it to being right-handed and being asked to write his name full speed left-handed. Says it’s going to be an adjustment.
Sewell will have plenty of time to learn on the job in the weeks and months ahead, and that start played out in real-time on Friday night. Clearly, the youngster is blessed with the ability to understand that there will be peaks and valleys within his development. With this in mind, fans shouldn’t be the ones hammering down the panic button so early on after a bit of a bumpy start.
Pro Football Focus ‘Not Panicking’ Over Sewell’s Debut
One such site that would agree with the patience sentiment over Sewell would be Pro Football Focus. After the first week of preseason action, the site broke down some rookie report cards, and while writer Anthony Treash admitted Sewell looked rusty by his own definition and struggled at times, he cautioned folks to not to read too much into what played out during the contest, because this was the first game Sewell had played since 2019, plus his first game at right tackle in his career.
All things considered, this is the right approach to take, and notable coming from a respected site like PFF. Sewell has time to learn and grow, and anybody coming out with a hot take about his performance might be forced to eat those words if he is able to become elite as he gets comfortable.
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Why Penei Sewell’s Start No Reason for Lions Fans to Panic