Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Matthew Stafford's stock continues to rise and rise for Lions

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- A look at who and what is moving up and trending down with the Detroit Lions this week.

Moving up:

QB Matthew Stafford: Every week, Stafford seems to be getting a little better. Last week, he led his fourth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter this season, posted his third straight game with over a 100 passer rating (103.5) and second straight game with a QBR over 85 (86.8). While he hasn’t had a 300-yard game since Week 3, his efficiency continues to be on point.

OG Graham Glasgow: The rookie is now a starter after passing Laken Tomlinson on the depth chart at left guard. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Glasgow did “OK” in his second start and while it’ll be a transition for him both to the starting lineup and from center to guard, he seems to be handling himself well. Glasgow last played guard at Michigan in 2014 and as long as he continues to improve, he should hold down the spot for years to come.

DE Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah: He looked much closer to his usual self against Washington after playing a limited role against Los Angeles. He may not have recorded a sack against Washington, but he had three quarterback hits, two tackles and generally appeared to be a nuisance in the backfield. He could be in line for a big game against Houston on Sunday with Brock Osweiler at quarterback.

Trending down:

OG Laken Tomlinson: The former first-round pick has officially lost his starting job and is now the utility lineman who can play either guard spot along with rookie Joe Dahl. The Lions can slide in Tomlinson at either guard spot and Detroit might be hoping that watching for a bit could help Tomlinson down the road, but this has to be concerning for a player Detroit invested money and a high pick in last season.

Jim Caldwell’s hot seat: By the virtue of three straight wins, the Lions coach has removed himself from the coaching hot seat -- for now. Two road losses over the next two weeks, though, could place Caldwell right back where he was at the start of October. If he splits the next two games, the talk around the Lions will be more about a playoff push than Caldwell’s potential replacement.

LB Thurston Armbrister: This isn’t as much about Armbrister as it is the Lions going back to rookie Antwione Williams at linebacker. Technically this is a job switch, but Armbrister has always been better cast as a special teams player -- and he’s done well there this season for Detroit. Both will likely head to the bench whenever DeAndre Levy returns to the lineup, but it’s worth noting there seems to have been a change in the third linebacker spot for Detroit for now.

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