Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Rising/Falling Detroit Lions: Week 16

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Each week, we’ll take a look at who or what might be rising or falling with the Detroit Lions.

RISING:

Safety Glover Quin: The man who went off on Pro Bowl voting a week ago continues to put up a season worthy of Pro Bowl consideration. He picked off his sixth pass of the season Sunday, including one for third straight game. He may not have the name recognition of Ndamukong Suh or the tackle numbers of DeAndre Levy, but the 2013 free agent signing from Houston is a crucial piece to Detroit’s defense.

Lions playoff chances: This is as close as Detroit has been to the playoffs since 2011. The scenarios, most of which are outlined here, are simple. Win Sunday at Chicago and the Lions are in the playoffs. Win Sunday and the NFC North title and a potential first round playoff bye -- and the home game that goes with it -- would also be in play. That’s big for a Lions franchise that isn’t in the playoff picture every season.

Running back Joique Bell: By snap count and yardage, Bell has become Detroit’s lead back. The 28-year-old has career highs in carries (197) and yards (726) with two games left in the season. While he likely won’t become Detroit’s second 1,000-yard back in as many seasons, he has established himself as the Lions’ main back of the present and immediate future. For his age, Bell also has remarkably fresh legs. He’s only played in 53 career games and had 445 career rushes. This bodes well for his future.

FALLING:

Running back Theo Riddick: Once Reggie Bush came back from injury, Riddick’s snaps and role in the offense decreased exponentially. Known primarily as a pass-catching running back, Riddick hasn’t run a route since Week 13 against Chicago, when he had six catches for 54 yards. In the past two weeks, Riddick played one offensive snap -- the first one against the Vikings. Other than that, he’s only been seen on special teams.

Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle: The second-year pro had an injury-riddled season come to a close after a knee injury against the Vikings on Sunday. It finished off a season where he played in 10 games but suffered two concussions, a calf injury, an ankle injury and now the knee injury. This offseason will be big for his healing.

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