Lions-Packers snap counts: Zach Zenner assumes workhorse back role

Here is a look at the official snap counts for the contest between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers.

Offense:

Observations

• The Lions partially learned from last week, after puzzlingly diminishing Zach Zenner's role in the second half after his best first half against the Cowboys. This week, the Lions kept Zenner as the premier back for the entire game. No other backs even had a single offensive snap. Now about getting the ball in his hands in the final two quarters...
  
  
• With Travis Swanson and Riley Reiff out, the Lions did some shuffling along the offensive line. Corey Robinson and Laken Tomlinson were the replacement starters on Sunday, but Joe Dahl and Cornelius Lucas saw some time with the offense, suggesting those two were--and continue to be--on short leashes.

• The Lions must like what they're seeing out of Matthew Mulligan, because he's still pulling in nearly one-third of offensive snaps.
  

Defense:

Observations

• The first thing that jumps out at me is the amount of snaps for the defense. They faced 75 defensive snaps all game (their highest total of the year) while the offense had just 66. That may not seem like much, but it's a huge difference. 
  
  
• DeAndre Levy has finally assumed the second-most snaps among linebackers. Josh Bynes is officially on backup duties in nickel formation.
  
  
• Speaking of nickel formation, the Lions' secondary was a mess when they needed a third cornerback out there. Asa Jackson suffered a serious injury early in the game, while Crezdon Butler, Johnson Bademosi and Don Carey all missed time due to injury. But for the time being, it looks like the Lions will use Carey as their primary slot corner.
  
  
• Ezekiel Ansah and A'Shawn Robinson saw diminished roles this week, as the Lions went with a deeper rotation both at defensive tackle and defensive end.