Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions OLB Julian Okwara returns to practice from injured reserve



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Detroit Lions outside linebacker Julian Okwara returned to practice Monday, starting his 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve.

Okwara injured his arm in the Lions' preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers and spent the first four weeks of the regular season on IR.

Okwara, 25, was considered on the roster bubble at the time of his injury, but could earn a backup role once ready for game action.


Charles Harris remains the starting strongside linebacker, but backup James Houston broke his fibula in the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and could miss the rest of the year. The Lions have used Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes in a pass rushing role at outside linebacker on some occasions, with Campbell seeing time in both base and sub packages.


Okwara has never played more than 13 games in a season because of injury. He had two sacks in 10 games last season and a career-high five sacks in 2021. He was the No. 67 overall pick by the Lions in 2020.


The Lions have until Oct. 23 to activate Okwara to their 53-man roster, cut him or put him on IR for the rest of the season.

The Lions also re-signed receiver Trey Quinn to the practice squad Monday, and received a roster exemption for Jameson Williams in his return from suspension. Williams could make his season debut Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.



Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him@davebirkett.

[-Deborah-]

[-Deborah-]

[-Deborah-]

[jaadam4]

Pay the man.

[jaadam4]

Imagine if we'd have drafted Jalen Carter. That DL would have been even better.

[jaadam4]

Not sure about you guys but I seriously can't wait for the MNF game against the Raiders with the alternate helmets. Those blue helmets are going to look so dope.

[El Axe]

Imagine if we'd have drafted Jalen Carter. That DL would have been even better.

Maybe, but without Gibbs, LaPorta and Sorsdale, our offense would take a huge hit and we'd be a worse team. There's a decent chance we'd be 1-3 or even 0-4 right now without those guys. I doubt Carter would have helped us beat Seattle, so we'd still be just 3-1. It was definitely the right play to make that trade.

Carter has more red flags than a Chinese parade and it was never about his on-field production. He was drafted by the team that practically built its roster around giving him support and put him in the best possible situation -- and even with that, the real concerns will be viewed with what he does with tons of free time, no big brother teammates around and too much money this offseason and going forward.

[wcfwtf]

Sign some of the core players to long term contracts and then sign Carter when his rookie deal is over, if you can, then we’ll be good for the next 10 years.
Done respond to this it’s just me talkin to myself and texting at the same time.🙂

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Alim McNeill enjoys benefits of weight loss; Emmanuel Moseley set to debut



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Alim McNeill overhauled his diet and reshaped his body this spring, and the third-year Detroit Lions defensive tackle is reaping the rewards from those changes now.

"I feel like I am seeing the time and the work that I put in," McNeill said Monday. "But still haven’t done nothing. It’s still very early. We have a lot more season, a lot more games, a lot more plays to make. But I am seeing it. I notice a difference on the field, just watching myself personally."

McNeill has two sacks among seven tackles through four games and has been one of the most consistent players on a Lions defense that ranks fourth in the NFL in yards allowed.

He looks quicker, thanks to his weight loss. He's playing more three technique this season in a change that began last fall. And along with already matching his career-high in sacks, he has emerged as the anchor of the league's stingiest run defense at 60.8 yards per game.


"(His presence has) been big, it really has," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "We don’t take that for granted and I think some of what you’re seeing, I feel like it’s really — (Aidan Hutchinson) is disruptive you feel like every week. You can see how just he’s relentless in his craft and what he’s able to do. But I feel like it’s really coming even more to light because of Mac, too. Mac being able to be a force inside is making a difference."


McNeill dropped 22 pounds this summer after cutting most red meat and candy out of his diet and by taking a more wholesome approach to healthy living. He's more conscious about getting enough sleep and managing his hydration, and he said he spent the summer honing his technique, too.

This summer, McNeill attended a defensive line summit run by defensive line guru Pete Jenkins, now an assistant at LSU. Former Lions Michael Brockers and Nick Williams also attended the summit, and McNeill said working out with those and other pros gave him the chance to bounce ideas off and learn from more seasoned vets.



"I learned a lot actually that obviously carried over with me to the season," McNeill said. "Not to get into specifics, cause there was actually a lot I learned, just different things. Hand placement, different type of steps you can take, different stances, reading different things. Stuff like that."


One area in particular McNeill said he's improved is his punch step, his first step off the line when he strikes an offensive lineman with force.

Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes said McNeill's dominance has contributed to his strong start to the season.

"Everybody knew he could be a star in this league and just having him up front, knowing you’re protected as a linebacker, that’s a guy you want to play in front of you and he’s going to continue to progress," Barnes said. "He shocked guys last game, he’s going to continue to shock people so I’m excited for this journey for him."


Moseley set to return


Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is trending towards making his Lions debut Sunday against the Carolina Panthers after missing the past four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Moseley pulled his hamstring in his first week of practice in September after returning from offseason knee surgery.

He is expected to start at cornerback eventually, though Campbell indicated Jerry Jacobs will retain that job for now.

"He’s another guy we’d like to see if we can get going this week," Campbell said. "There again, if he does, he’s a guy that we don’t feel like it’ll be smart to play him 60 plays, either. But he’s certainly somebody that we feel like, all right, let’s get a look at this week, we feel like the time’s right and he’ll get a little bit. Jerry’ll still certainly would take the load, but I think the plan is to get E-Man worked in."


Injury update


Campbell said he thinks left tackle Taylor Decker will be good to play this week against the Carolina Panthers after playing through a high ankle sprain last week against the Green Bay Packers, but he said it's too early to know about the status of defensive backs Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.


Branch injured his ankle in the third quarter of the Lions' win over the Packers, returned at the start of the fourth quarter only to aggravate the injury and leave again Joseph has missed two straight games with a hip injury, but was listed as questionable on the Lions' injury report last week.

"I can’t really give you one way or the other," Campbell said. "I think Deck will be OK and it’s hard to say with the other guys."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

NFL power rankings: Detroit Lions the class of the NFC North after 4 weeks



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Dan Campbell correctly noted after the Detroit Lions’ blowout of the Green Bay Packers last week that there truly is no quarter pole in the NFL season anymore.

“I’m not great at math,” Campbell said. “But it’s hard to quarter things now with 17 weeks.”

Indeed it is, so rather than wait till a quarter of the way through the Lions’ fifth regular season game Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, I figured I’d use this week’s power rankings to take stock of the NFC North.

The Lions are the best team in the division by a wide margin, even if their lead right now over the Packers is a single game.


They have the division’s best defense, best quarterback, best running game and best special teams. They have the best coaching staff in the North and they’ve already played (and beaten) the best team on their schedule.


It’d be an upset if the Lions don’t win the division at this point, and a rash of injuries is about the only thing I can see preventing that from happening.

The second-best team in the division is a toss-up between the Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have the better quarterback and the game’s best receiver; their offense will be able to score points as long as Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson stay healthy. But Green Bay has the better overall roster.


The Packers looked awful last week against the Lions, and Jordan Love leaves lots to be desired at quarterback. Green Bay is lucky to be 2-2 right now; the Packers beat the lowly Chicago Bears in Week 1 and needed an 18-point comeback in Week 3 to beat a New Orleans Saints team that lost its starting quarterback during the game. The Packers get the edge, though, because they have the more favorable schedule with two winnable road games against AFC West opponents sandwiching a bye in the next three weeks.

The Vikings play two of the NFL's best teams in the next three weeks but have a winnable stretch of games after that. They sit eight spots behind the Packers in my power rankings, but both are part of the NFL’s large middle class, capable of making the playoffs but no threat to do any real damage if they get in.


As for the division’s fourth team, the Bears, they’re the worst team in the NFL. Their offensive line is a sieve, they have no playmakers on defense and their quarterback is a running back who the coaching staff is trying to make throw the ball.

They’ll be lucky to win three games, which makes them the favorite to land USC quarterback Caleb Williams, a potential franchise changer, as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft in Detroit. The Bears have been awful on the field, but they do have one important thing going for them: They also own the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2024 – and Carolina and Chicago are the only two winless teams remaining in the NFL.


NFL power rankings entering Week 5


1. San Francisco 49ers (4-0)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (3-1)

4. Buffalo Bills (3-1)

5. Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

6. Miami Dolphins (3-1)

7. Detroit Lions (3-1)



8. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

9. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)

11. Cleveland Browns (2-2)

12. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)

15. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)

16. Houston Texans (2-2)

17. Green Bay Packers (2-2)


18. Washington Commanders (2-2)

19. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)

20. New Orleans Saints (2-2)

21. Tennessee Titans (2-2)

22. Los Angeles Rams (2-2)

23. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

24. New York Jets (1-3)



25. Minnesota Vikings (1-3)

26. Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)

27. New York Giants (1-3)

28. New England Patriots (1-3)

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)

30. Denver Broncos (1-3)

31. Carolina Panthers (0-4)

32. Chicago Bears (0-4)



Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him@davebirkett.

[CGVT]

I don't see how the Lions can be ranked higher than Seattle, but...

The real question is: Where are the Green Bay packers in froot loops power ranking?

[jaadam4]

The real question is: Where are the Green Bay packers in froot loops power ranking?

Gotta be top 5 for sure. Everyone else is just little guys yapping

[whatever_gong82]

How the Lions look after 4 games: Best rookies, team MVP, toughest remaining tests


By Colton Pouncy
Oct 3, 2023


The Detroit Lions are 3-1, alone atop the NFC North standings and riding high after a hot start to the season. They look like the best team in the division, and one of the better teams in the NFC through four weeks.

Just don’t tell that to Dan Campbell.


“Our focus still has got to be we’re not hunted, we’re still on the hunt,” Campbell said last week following the Lions’ 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers. “I said this back in training camp, if you’re hunting us, you don’t have to look far. We’re going to be on your front porch when you open the door.”

That’s the mindset he wants his team to keep, even as it navigates newfound success after four weeks. Time will tell how good these Lions ultimately are, but in the meantime, we have enough data to reflect back on the month that was, and how the Lions have been able to get it done.


Where the offense ranks


Whenever an offense has success, the question the following offseason is simple: How do we do it again?

You want to avoid regression. You don’t want to become stale or stagnant. You can’t have defenses figuring you out. All easier said than done, of course, but so far, the Lions have all the answers to the test. (All stats, unless otherwise noted, are from TruMedia.)

They rank eighth in total offense through four weeks at 386.3 yards per game. They’ve been remarkably balanced, throwing for the eighth-most yards per game (249.8) and rushing for the 10th-most yards (136.5). They’re eighth in scoring at 26.5 points per game. And they’re tied for third in the NFL in plays of 20 or more yards, with 20 through four weeks.

Ben Johnson’s unit is looking like another top-10 unit across the board. And yet, it still doesn’t feel like this offense has reached its ceiling or even played its best football.

Case in point: The Lions ranked third in expected points added per play last year. This year, they’re 15th. Their score percentage ranked third in 2022 at 43.18, but it’s 14th through four weeks this season at 36.96. The Lions were the fourth-most efficient team in the red zone last season, scoring touchdowns on 67.8 percent of their drives inside the 20. This year, they’re 19th at 53.3 percent.

So, some work to do to get back to last year’s levels. We haven’t seen the same efficiency, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s nice to have something to work toward, especially when a team knows what it’s capable of, as the Lions do. The fact that the Lions are still top 10 in traditional stats shows just how good they are. As they welcome key players back from injury and work in more of their young skill players over time, this offense can be even more dynamic.


Where the defense ranks


Here’s a stat that’s worth a double take: The Lions rank fourth in total defense through four weeks. Just go ahead and re-read that for a second. I’ll wait.

Detroit is allowing just 280.5 yards per game. It trails the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. That’s it. It’s been a remarkable turnaround, for myriad reasons.

First things first, it starts with the run defense. You might recall that loss to the Panthers in December, when the Lions allowed 320 rushing yards. That feels like years ago. The Lions have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the league so far — an average of 60.8 yards per game. And they’ve done it against some pretty good backs.

The Lions have the fifth-highest pressure rate in the NFL (40.7 percent), with the third-lowest blitz rate (15.9 percent). Last year, the Lions had the ninth-highest pressure rate, but paired that with the seventh-highest blitz rate. Detroit is getting production in terms of pressure, without having to go all-out with the blitz. As a result of this increased productivity, the Lions are tied for sixth in the league in sacks with 13. A massive area of growth.


The secondary has been better, too. The Lions have allowed 219.8 passing yards per game. That ranks 17th, about middle of the pack. Here’s why that’s good: The Lions ranked 30th in this category a year ago. They’re expected to get cornerback Emmanuel Moseley back soon, perhaps as early as Sunday at home against the Panthers. If healthy and producing the way he did with the 49ers a year ago, he could take this passing defense to another level opposite Cam Sutton.

It’s early, but there’s a ton to like about Detroit’s revamped defense. We’ll see if the Lions can sustain it.


Team MVP: Aidan Hutchinson


It’s hard to find many Lions who’ve had a better individual season so far than Hutchinson. The second-year edge is tied for the league lead in total pressures with 27, alongside Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby at the top. He’s ahead of names like Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt. His pass-rush win rate of 20.9 ranks ninth among qualified edge rushers (minimum 30 pass-rush snaps). And his 3 1/2 sacks are tied for 10th among his position.

That’s the kind of company Hutchinson has kept this season. He’s been disruptive in all facets and the numbers back it for the 2022 No. 2 pick.


Best rookie(s): Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta


Cop out by choosing two guys, I know. But I couldn’t justify one over the other. Also, I’m making the rules here. The answer is Branch and LaPorta.

Through four weeks, it’s not a stretch to say Branch has been one of the better defenders in the NFL — not just rookies. He’s one of two cornerbacks whose PFF coverage and run grades are each above 80.0. He leads all DBs in stops with 14. He allows 7.6 yards per reception, which ranks 19th among qualified corners (minimum 40 coverage snaps) and his three PBUs are tied for ninth. He covers like a defensive back and hits like a linebacker. Branch is the prototypical NFL nickel, and it’s not a stretch to say he’s one of the most important players on this defense.

LaPorta, meanwhile, has been equally impressive — if not more, considering the position he plays. It’s hard to find success as a rookie tight end. You have to know the responsibilities of the run game and the pass game. Blocking is a required art. And yet, LaPorta looks like a seasoned vet.


The Iowa product ranks first in receiving yards (242) and third in receptions (22) among tight ends. He ranks first in contested catches (6), second in yards after the catch (107), second in first-down receptions and tied for sixth in missed tackles forced. He looks like the real deal.

Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell have been solid in their own ways, but they have veterans in front of them who are playing well. Branch and LaPorta have been the clear best rookies on the team, and two of the best in the league.


Key player who needs to improve: Jameson Williams


Obviously, we haven’t seen Williams this season. In that respect, it’s a bit unfair to place him here. But Williams is healthy for essentially the first time in his career. He’s no longer suspended after the NFL changed its gambling policy and reinstated him after four weeks instead of six. He’ll need time, reps and a ramp-up period, but after that, it’ll be time to see what he can do.

The Lions drafted him 12th overall for a reason. It sounds like a broken record, but Williams’ speed is something defensive coordinators have to game plan for, and it could create a pick-your-poison scenario whenever he lines up. If teams don’t pay attention to him over the top, he can run right by corners and safeties. He’s also fast enough to turn intermediate passes over the middle into large gains. As for others, Williams’ speed could open things up underneath. No matter whether he lives up to his draft status, there’s value in him being available.


We’ll learn more in these final 13 games of the season.


Toughest remaining games: at Bucs, Ravens, Chargers, Cowboys


The Oct. 15 game at Tampa Bay is looking tougher than expected. The Buccaneers are 3-1, and while their wins have come against teams with a collective 3-9 record, they’re playing a respectable brand of football led by a defense that’s giving up just 17 points per game — sixth in the NFL — and is tied for second in takeaways with 10.

A week after that, the Lions head to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and a Ravens team that ranks third in total defense (260.8 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (14.5 points per game). The Chargers have their own issues, but Justin Herbert’s arm remains a potent threat. And finally, the Lions will head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys and their league-leading scoring defense (10.3 points per game) on Dec. 30.


That’s not to say there aren’t other challenging contests. The Packers come to town on Thanksgiving and could figure some things out by then. The Vikings don’t appear to be as bad as their 1-3 record suggests and have an offense that can score with the best of them. It’s never easy to win in New Orleans, and the Lions will head there in early December. But the schedule largely allows for some success.


There’s been a collective mindset in Detroit that the time is now. You can tell by the way coaches speak, how players carry themselves. They know they’re good. They know they’ve assembled a team capable of lining up and competing for 60 minutes against damn near anyone. The defense has made strides. The offense remains potent. It’s all starting to come together.

There will be slip-ups along the way, of course, but the Lions have gotten off to this start by showing up to work and taking care of business. They don’t want that to change.

“We want to win this division and we’ve done nothing yet,” Campbell said Friday. “We’re on course, we like where we’re at, but man, we’re still hungry and I think we have to approach every game that way. … There’s got to be a hunger.”


Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy


Deb, I did the video and Twitter stuff correctly this time. I'll have remember this from time to time.

[whatever_gong82]

Jameson Williams has rust to knock off, 'brings different element' to Detroit Lions



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

Jameson Williams couldn't talk to, text or have any other form of communication with Antwaan Randle El during his four-game suspension for gambling, so when Williams saw his wide receivers coach in the hallway for the first time Monday, he couldn't contain his excitement.

"He was like, ‘Coach El!’" Randle El said Tuesday in Allen Park. "He was just excited, so we chopped it up, it was real good. It’s good to have him back."

Randle El urged the NFL to change its rules preventing coaches from having contact with players during suspensions.

"It was the worst thing," he said.


And now that Williams is back, Randle El said the second-year receiver has the potential to have a major impact on the Detroit Lions' potent offense.

"We know our offense and putting him back in the mix, how much further we can go," Randle El said. "And again, I always make sure everybody understands the humbleness part of it. It’s not that he’s the fix all, be all, from that standpoint, but he brings a different element that us and many other teams don’t have just in terms of his speed and the way he runs down the field."


Williams, whom the Lions traded up for at No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft, played sparingly as a rookie in his return from a college knee injury, missed time this past training camp with hamstring injuries in both legs and will be used in a supporting role when he makes his season debut, likely Sunday against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field.

He has battled drop problems so far in his short career and has rust to shake off after sitting out the past six weeks — four on suspension and the two before that because of injury. On Tuesday, in his second practice back but the first open to reporters, Williams let a ball sail past him on his first route in position drills, before catching the final three thrown his way.



Like Lions coach Dan Campbell, Randle El offered up modest expectations for Williams this season.

"I’m expecting him to know it," Randle El said. "You’ve been off, like get in here and know it. You had time to study, and that’s what I would venture that’s what’s going to show up for him, in terms of being where he’s supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be there. Now, when that takes place in terms of him playing, we’ll see what that looks like, but he’s got to get his legs under him and all that stuff and we’ll see what it leads to."


The Lions' hope is Williams' return leads to big things for an offense that ranks eighth in total yards and points and third in yards per pass play.


Williams won't surpass Amon-Ra St. Brown as the Lions' No. 1 receiver, and might stay behind Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the pass game pecking order. But his deep speed gives the Lions (3-1) a true vertical threat and should open more room for quarterback Jared Goff underneath.


Randle El compared the impact Williams could have to something he experienced playing alongside the speedy Mike Wallace during Randle El's final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Wallace averaged 21 yards per catch that season, on 60 catches, and the Steelers went 12-4 and reached the Super Bowl.

"If you’re the safety and the corner, you can’t blink because the faster they get on, you the deeper you got to get out and now it opens up lanes for everybody else," Randle El said. "And if you don’t get back then ball’s up, it’s over the top and it’s six points. And it’s not just the deep ball. It’s, 'Hey, I can catch a shallow route and hit a seam and they got to catch me.'"


Williams showed his game-breaking ability in small doses last season. His only catch went for 41 yards and a touchdown, he had one carry for 40 yards, and he got behind the defense a handful of other times on plays that didn't connect.


For now, Williams' focus is on fine-tuning his game, but Randle El expressed confidence he'll be a factor in the game plan before long.

"(His speed) certainly translates over to the game and it’s certainly going to help us," Randle El said. "Again, it’s just back to how quick can we get him ready to be back on the field."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him @davebirkett.