Detroit Lions OL coach: Halapoulivaati Vaitai 'earned' starting RG job
They couldn't go wrong, unless they revived their ill-conceived guard rotation from 2019, and no one wanted that.
So in the end, the Detroit Lions used Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right guard in last week's win over the Kansas City Chiefs, crowning him the winner of a coin-flip training camp battle with Graham Glasgow for the starting job.
"He earned that spot, he earned the right to be there, but Graham also had a great camp," Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said Tuesday. "We are very blessed to have six guys, seven guys — really that whole room you can count on, especially Graham. We just, it’s hard to play with six O-linemen. You’re not really threatening the ball down the field."
Vaitai played all 70 offensive snaps at right guard against the Chiefs in his first game action since he suffered a back injury last August. Vaitai missed all of the 2022 season following back surgery, and the Lions did not use any of their top six linemen in preseason games.
He ranked as the Lions' highest-graded offensive player against the Chiefs, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Solid," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "I thought he stepped up in there. That was the most plays he had since the injury. I thought he handled them well. I would say it was a positive, It was positive. He’s got things to clean up as we all do, but it was a positive showing for him. It’s encouraging to see him back out there."
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Vaitai and Glasgow, who did not play an offensive snap against the Chiefs, spent the summer rotating with the first-team offense at right guard.
Glasgow opened training camp with the unit, but split his time between guard and center as the Lions gave Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow regular rest in his return from a toe injury.
Vaitai, who initially joined the Lions as a free-agent replacement for Glasgow in 2020, restructured his contract to stay in Detroit this offseason. He's started just 27 games since 2020, missing time with an assortment of injuries.
Last week, the Lions ran for 118 yards and Vaitai teamed with right tackle Penei Sewell on a double-team block that helped David Montgomery score the go-ahead touchdown on an 8-yard run with 7:06 to play.
"It was good to see him back," Fraley said. "It’s good for him to go out there and each week he’s going to build more and more confidence, too. I think coming in, in training camp that’s what it was about. OTAs, those are baby steps and then for what he did out there and to play at the level he did, it was nice to see. It wasn’t perfect. He’s got to keep his cool on some of that stuff, but it was good to see him out there. Him and Penei working together’s fun to watch. Those are two massive human beings and it’s fun to watch those guys work."
Injury update
Taylor Decker did not practice Tuesday as he continues to rest the ankle injury he suffered against the Chiefs. Decker played all 70 snaps in the game, but left Arrowhead Stadium in a walking boot. Campbell downplayed Decker's injury on Monday, saying the left tackle was "all right."
If Decker can't play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Sewell could move from right to left tackle, as he did in training camp, with swing tackle Matt Nelson moving into the starting lineup at right tackle.
Briefly
The Seattle Seahawks, dealing with injury problems of their own on the offensive line, signed veteran Jason Peters to the practice squad Tuesday. Peters, 41, spent 10 games with the Dallas Cowboys last season and was a perennial Pro Bowler early in his career. Seattle lost both starting tackles, Charles Cross (toe) and Abe Lucas (knee), to injuries last week.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions OL coach: Halapoulivaati Vaitai 'earned' starting RG job
