Lions News

[CGVT]

It's the sort of move I expected from Holmes. He wasn't going to spend prime draft capital this time around. I think, despite what he may say, he knows this team is really one more solid offseason away before he should push the chips all in looking for that one final piece. A late round flyer on a guy in a rough situation who might have something is exactly in Holmes's wheelhouse.

^^^^^ Exactly.

[whatever_gong82]

Jahmyr Gibbs breakout game ignites Detroit Lions past Las Vegas Raiders, 26-14



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Jahmyr Gibbs turned to the locker next to him and asked Craig Reynolds how many carries he had Monday night.

"Fourteen," Reynolds said as Gibbs repeated the number in disbelief.


"Dan told us we were going to run the ball 40 times," Gibbs said. "He wasn't lying."


Gibbs set career-highs with 26 carries for 152 yards and Reynolds added 74 yards on his 14 rushes as the Detroit Lions won their first home prime-time game in five years, beating the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-14, at Ford Field.

Making his second straight start in place of the injured David Montgomery, Gibbs touched the ball eight times on the game’s opening drive and ignited a Lions offense that had struggled to run the ball for two straight weeks.


He added five catches for 37 yards to finish with 189 yards from scrimmage and scored on a 27-yard run in the third quarter as the Lions did the one thing head coach Dan Campbell set out to do with his game plan this week.

“I told the team the most important thing about this game was us getting our identity back, and that was what all the work that we put in this week was about," Campbell said. "The whole focus was about getting back to what we do and that was the most important thing and that really showed through today. Was it perfect? It wasn’t perfect but ultimately we got what I wanted to get out of it and you come away with a win."





The Lions finished with 486 yards of offense and held the Raiders to 157 net yards. They nearly doubled up the Raiders (3-5) in time of possession and dominated play much as they were dominated by the Baltimore Ravens last week.

At 6-2, the Lions are off to their best start since 2014 and sit comfortably alone in first place in the NFC North entering their bye. They lead the Minnesota Vikings (4-4) by two games in the division, and have the second-best record in the NFC behind only the Philadelphia Eagles (7-1).


The Vikings lost starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon in their win Sunday over the Green Bay Packers.

"It’s a good spot to be in," Campbell said. "Wins are hard to come by in this league and anything is up for grabs in the NFC right now and our focus right now is our own division and so we get another win, and we help our own cause. And then now we got a chance to heal up, we’re going to get some guys back after the bye that are important to us, important pieces."




Playing in front of a raucous crowd Monday and on a night when former offensive tackle Lomas Brown was inducted into Pride of the Lions, the Lions jumped to a 9-0 lead on three Riley Patterson field goals and never trailed despite three turnovers and persistent struggles in the red zone.

Gibbs vs Raiders_10-30-2023.jpg

Jared Goff gave the Lions a 16-7 lead just before halftime on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta, and Gibbs scored his second touchdown in as many weeks on the Lions’ first possession of the second half, then celebrated by jumping over the wall in the end zone and into the crowd.


"I didn't know he could jump that high," offensive guard Colby Sorsdal said. "He came to the sideline and he's like, '40-inch vert, dude. What are you doing?' And I'm like, 'All right.' He got up there. I was going to go celebrate and then I was like, 'All right. Yeah, I'm not going to get up there.'"

Goff finished 26 of 37 passing for 272 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown, playing through flu-like symptoms, had 108 yards receiving on six catches. And the Lions had their best rushing day of the season despite being down two starters on their offensive line and starting their seventh different combination up front in eight games.


Sorsdal made his first NFL start at right guard, Kayode Awosika played left guard until he left with cramping in the second half, and Graham Glasgow moved from guard to center.

Josh Jacobs scored Las Vegas’ lone offensive touchdown on a 3-yard run, and the Raiders got a 75-yard interception return for touchdown by Marcus Peters, Goff’s former teammate with the Los Angeles Rams.


The Lions scored just one touchdown on five trips to the red zone against a Raiders defense that entered 30th in the NFL in that category. Patterson made field goals of 31, 33, 44 and 52 yards, but missed a 26-yard kick in the fourth quarter, and Reynolds lost a fumble inside the 5-yard line.

Josh Reynolds also lost a fumble in the first quarter, but Kerby Joseph picked off Garoppolo in the end zone on the next play.


"It was good minus the turnovers," Goff said. "And again, that’s the critical thing. Yeah, we overcame them and our defense was a big part of the reason why, and we scored 26, whatever we ended up scoring, but felt like it should’ve been about 40 or so. But our defense really kept us in that game and played well.”

Garoppolo finished 10 of 21 passing for 126 yards for the Raiders, who have yet to score more than 21 points in a game this year.


Catch the "Carlos and Shawn" show after every Lions game, on demand on freep.com/podcasts or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).



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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions give Ford Field fans plenty to cheer about in win, and even join them



Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press



You’ve heard of a Lambeau Leap.


Well, this was way better.

This was spontaneous. This was wonderful. This was a prime-time celebration – Motor City style.


This was just so dang fun. Because it felt like an entire fan base embracing a team.

Quite literally.



On Monday Night Football.

After Jahmyr Gibbs ripped off a 27-yard touchdown — this rookie running back is simply electric and looks like he could break one at any moment — he flew into the front row, a young Superman taking flight, landing in a group of Detroit Lions fans and he stood there like he was one of the fans in an alternative universe. Dressed up for Halloween. In a Lions uniform. Looking back on the field.



Call it whatever you want: The Lions Den Leap.


Or The Flying Ford Field Front Row Hug.

Because Gibbs ended up in the arms of a woman with blonde hair and a grey shirt. She hugged him and he hugged her back and everybody around them hugged him and patted him on the back and it felt like the entire stadium was hugging these Lions.


Penei Sewell, the Lions right tackle, looked up at Gibbs and held an imaginary camera, clicking away, one of the highlight moments of the Lions' 26-14 win over the Raiders.

Goodness, this was fun.


It wasn’t perfect — the Lions had drops and several missed opportunities.

But it was a win. And that’s all that matters.


Still stuff to improve


This game started with one massive question: How would the Lions respond after a horrendous performance at Baltimore?


Let me tell you: It was like it never happened.

No, maybe that’s not the right perspective.


Let’s put it better: they acted like they learned from it.

Because the Lions came out and simply dominated the Raiders, pushing them around and shutting them down.



Only there was a teensy problem.

They couldn’t get into the dang end zone and they had to kick three field goals, taking a 9-0 second quarter lead.



OK. So they gotta get better in the red zone.


More things to learn. More things to improve and tweak.

So be it.


We never said this was a finished product.

And that's the best part.



So many fine performances


Jacobs and Joseph_10-30-2023.jpg


But there were so many things to like about this game for the Lions.


Like how Gibbs ran with power and electricity — with David Montgomery out, the Lions needed a huge performance from Gibbs and they got it.

Like how Kerby Josephy finally got his first interception.


Like how Jared Goff didn’t freak out after throwing a pick-SIX. He simply went back to work.

Like how Sam LaPorta has turned into such a strong, impressive weapon.


Like how Cam Sutton came flying up and tackled Hunter Renfro — an aggressive, decisive play, that essentially killed a drive.

Like how the the offense got the lead and then the defense turned into sack monsters.


Here came Alex Anzalone.

Here came Alim McNeill.


Here came Anzalone again.

The crowd was going crazy, and the defense was celebrating, and the crowd was singing — yes, singing — and lights were pulsing, and goodness, after all these years of pain, this is what it feels like.


This is what it looks like.

This city has a fun football team.



A dangerous football team.

A winning football team. One that is headed to the playoffs. That's clear.


One that can respond from disappointment.

One that doesn’t freak out when things don’t go right.


One that learned from a bad day. One that is tough and gritty.

One that knows how to have fun, whether it’s doing the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance or celebrating after a sack.


Or flying into the stands.

Goodness, this team is fun.


Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff

[CGVT]

Detroit Lions give Ford Field fans plenty to cheer about in win, and even join them



Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press



You’ve heard of a Lambeau Leap.


Well, this was way better.

This was spontaneous. This was wonderful. This was a prime-time celebration – Motor City style.


This was just so dang fun. Because it felt like an entire fan base embracing a team.

Quite literally.



On Monday Night Football.

After Jahmyr Gibbs ripped off a 27-yard touchdown — this rookie running back is simply electric and looks like he could break one at any moment — he flew into the front row, a young Superman taking flight, landing in a group of Detroit Lions fans and he stood there like he was one of the fans in an alternative universe. Dressed up for Halloween. In a Lions uniform. Looking back on the field.



Call it whatever you want: The Lions Den Leap.


Or The Flying Ford Field Front Row Hug.

Because Gibbs ended up in the arms of a woman with blonde hair and a grey shirt. She hugged him and he hugged her back and everybody around them hugged him and patted him on the back and it felt like the entire stadium was hugging these Lions.


Penei Sewell, the Lions right tackle, looked up at Gibbs and held an imaginary camera, clicking away, one of the highlight moments of the Lions' 26-14 win over the Raiders.

Goodness, this was fun.


It wasn’t perfect — the Lions had drops and several missed opportunities.

But it was a win. And that’s all that matters.


Still stuff to improve


This game started with one massive question: How would the Lions respond after a horrendous performance at Baltimore?


Let me tell you: It was like it never happened.

No, maybe that’s not the right perspective.


Let’s put it better: they acted like they learned from it.

Because the Lions came out and simply dominated the Raiders, pushing them around and shutting them down.



Only there was a teensy problem.

They couldn’t get into the dang end zone and they had to kick three field goals, taking a 9-0 second quarter lead.



OK. So they gotta get better in the red zone.


More things to learn. More things to improve and tweak.

So be it.


We never said this was a finished product.

And that's the best part.



So many fine performances


Jacobs and Joseph_10-30-2023.jpg


But there were so many things to like about this game for the Lions.


Like how Gibbs ran with power and electricity — with David Montgomery out, the Lions needed a huge performance from Gibbs and they got it.

Like how Kerby Josephy finally got his first interception.


Like how Jared Goff didn’t freak out after throwing a pick-SIX. He simply went back to work.

Like how Sam LaPorta has turned into such a strong, impressive weapon.


Like how Cam Sutton came flying up and tackled Hunter Renfro — an aggressive, decisive play, that essentially killed a drive.

Like how the the offense got the lead and then the defense turned into sack monsters.


Here came Alex Anzalone.

Here came Alim McNeill.


Here came Anzalone again.

The crowd was going crazy, and the defense was celebrating, and the crowd was singing — yes, singing — and lights were pulsing, and goodness, after all these years of pain, this is what it feels like.


This is what it looks like.

This city has a fun football team.



A dangerous football team.

A winning football team. One that is headed to the playoffs. That's clear.


One that can respond from disappointment.

One that doesn’t freak out when things don’t go right.


One that learned from a bad day. One that is tough and gritty.

One that knows how to have fun, whether it’s doing the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance or celebrating after a sack.


Or flying into the stands.

Goodness, this team is fun.


Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff

Wow! You might want to back away from the Kool-Aid, Jeff.

Ha!

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions fans 'deserve' chance to celebrate win, Jahmyr Gibbs breakout game on MNF



Jared Ramsey
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions took down the Las Vegas Raiders 26-14 in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football thanks to a breakout performance from rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

The No. 12 overall pick from the 2023 draft made the most of David Montgomery's absence for the second straight week, finishing with 26 carries for 152 yards, one rushing touchdown and five catches for 37 yards.

Gibbs' strong performance outweighed three costly turnovers — two fumbles and a pick-six ― from the Lions offense that kept the game close all night. His touchdown late in the third quarter helped the Lions pull away for good after Goff's pick-six to Marcus Peters briefly made it a one-score game.


The defense had a stifling performance to compliment Gibbs' coming-out party. Kerby Joseph set the tone early with a first quarter interception that led a Thriller celebration. The Lions held the Raiders to 157 total yards of offense and sacked Jimmy Garoppolo six times in his return from injury.

The Lions delivered the strong performance in style Detroit wore their new blue alternate helmets along with their steel-gray color rush uniforms in the win in front of a raucous, sold-out Ford Field crowd.

Here's what Lions fans and the NFL world is saying online after Detroit's decisive victory and the return to Monday Night Football.

If you want a prime example of the strength and grit of the Motor City, look no further than the woman sitting front row who hoisted Gibbs by his shoulder pads into the stands after his 27-yard touchdown run. It was the perfect celebration between Detroit faithful and the young rookie during his breakout performance.

Lions fans and NFL writers are now hoping that some of the Raiders' stars do not leave the city ahead of tomorrow's NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m.. The two main names that were suggested were pro-bowlers Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby.

It was also a good night for the Detroit Red Wings, who completed an overtime comeback against the New York Islanders midway through the fourth quarter at the same time the Lions were closing out the Raiders. The Detroit Pistons were also in action, but lost by 12 to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

[dsred]

What are you talking about? Those young guys are going to improve this year. I wouldn't mind taking on either Young or Sweat, but the Redskins gave those guys away before they start the prime of their career. Why is that? . I know you like to parrot the Valenti line, but he was complaining that they didn't go out and upgrade over Anzalone. He is a talk radio show host who wants big splashes and it doesn't matter if it works or not.

I listened all day today and I don't recall him talking about Anzalone once. He did however talk about a cheap pass rushing DE... and he's right.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions grades: Excellent night for RBs, LBs reflected in win over Raiders



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions in their 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday:

Quarterback

Jared Goff made one horrendous throw, on the third quarter interception his former teammate, Marcus Peters, returned for a touchdown, but played excellent football the rest of the game. Goff did a great job recognizing pressure and getting rid of the ball so as not to take negative plays. He grounded a pass to Jahmyr Gibbs after ID’ing a linebacker blitz off a run-action fake, then hit Jahmyr Gibbs for a 6-yard gain on third-and-4 a couple plays later on another hot read. Goff stood firm in the face of pressure, taking a big hit from Jerry Tillery on his 44-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and used his legs to extend plays, like when he rolled right after Maxx Crosby looped inside on a stunt on the same drive. Goff’s lone touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta was a dime just past the outstretched arm of linebacker Robert Spillane, and he finished 26 of 37 passing for 272 yards. Grade: A-minus


Running backs

Jahmyr Gibbs shouldered a heavy workload with David Montgomery out, carrying 26 times and catching all five of his pass targets for 189 scrimmage yards. Gibbs has been better than expected between the tackles given his size. He hits holes at full speed and showed excellent vision Monday when he cut across field for a 13-yard gain on a screen pass late in the first half. Craig Reynolds (14 carries, 74 yards) had a big hand in the Lions’ 222-yard rushing day, though he did lose a fumble in the red zone. Dan Campbell said it was important for the Lions to re-establish their identity as a physical run team, and Gibbs and Reynolds did that Monday. Grade: A

Receivers/tight ends

St. Brown topped 100 yards receiving for the fifth time in six games despite playing with flu-like symptoms. He caught six passes on nine targets, with five of those receptions coming in the first half. St. Brown did have one minor slip-up, when he caught a lateral from Goff and took a sack instead of passing to a wide open Kalif Raymond in the end zone. LaPorta (eight catches, 57 yards) got tossed aside by Crosby on one block in the second quarter, but had the key block on Crosby to spring Gibbs on a 17-yard run inside the 5 just after halftime. The receiving corps did have some sloppy moments. Josh Reynolds lost a fumble on his only catch of the game trying to fight for extra yards, Jameson Williams had another drop — his third of the season and the sixth of his career — on a second-and-11 pass late in the first quarter, and LaPorta had a drop in the second half. Grade: B-minus



Offensive line

The Lions started their seventh offensive line combination in eight games and it was a surprise interior grouping of Kayode Awosika at left guard, Graham Glasgow at center and Colby Sorsdal at right guard. Glasgow made two blocks and Sorsdal took out linebacker Amari Burney on Reynolds’ 11-yard run on the game’s opening drive, and Glasgow had two more blocks on Gibbs’ TD run. Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker held the disruptive Crosby without a sack, though Crosby was credited with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Decker was flagged for holding in the red zone on a play that wouldn’t have gone anywhere after Williams missed a block on the outside, and Sorsdal had a holding penalty that wiped out a Raiders’ horse collar penalty just before halftime and gave up the pressure to John Jenkins that flushed Goff from the pocket on his interception. Grade: A-minus


Defensive line

The Raiders had one drive where they ran the ball down the Lions’ throat, going 75 yards on 10 plays (eight of them runs) for a touchdown, but had little success running otherwise (39 yards rushing on their 10 other possessions). Alim McNeill had sacks after being pushed around on that touchdown drive. He beat Greg Van Roten on a bull rush and spin move on third-and-5 late in the third quarter and beat two defenders to throw Jimmy Garoppolo for an 11-yard loss in the fourth. Julian Okwara had a sack on a six-man blitz and another pressure that gift-wrapped a sack for Alex Anzalone. Aidan Hutchinson (one tackle) had a quiet night, but made a few plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet like when he beat a block to force Josh Jacobs to cutback into Brian Branch’s arms for no gain on the opening drive. Grade: A-minus



Linebackers

Anzalone had another big night with two sacks and a third tackle-for-loss among his team-high seven stops. He made two big plays on the Raiders’ opening drive, closing in on Jacobs to force a dropped pass on the second play of the drive and chasing a scrambling Garoppolo down to stop him just short of the sticks two plays later on a third-and-10 scramble. Anzalone’s first sack came on a blitz he disguised so well Garoppolo didn’t see it coming. Derrick Barnes forced a fumble the Raiders recovered and Jack Campbell had four tackles but was penalized for a low hit on Garoppolo with the Raiders backed up near their own end zone. Grade: A



Defensive backs

Garoppolo completed just 10 of 21 passes for 126 yards but missed two deep shots to open receivers on busted coverages. Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs held Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams to one 11-yard catch, though Adams dropped a would be third down conversion when he shook Sutton off the line. Sutton made a big tackle on a hutch to Hunter Renfrow, when he beat a block by Adams at the line of scrimmage. Jacobs got flagged for a personal foul for hitting a Raiders lineman below the knees outside the tackle box and may have got away with a pass interference on a fourth-and-2 play late in the first quarter. Tracy Walker had his first sack of the season and he and Brian Branch tied for second on the team with six tackles. Grade: A-minus


Special teams

Riley Patterson made four of five field goals with a long of 52 yards that just cleared the crossbar, though he missed from 26 yards wide right. The Lions mostly avoided Raiders return man DeAndre Carter, but when Carter mishandled a squib kick, Khalil Dorsey and Ifeatu Melifonwu were there to tackle him at the 2-yard line. Jack Fox hit his only punt 48 yards, and Dorsey didn’t have much room to run on his two kick returns (for 31 total yards). Grade: B



Aaron Glenn and Cameron Sutton_10-30-2023.jpg
Coaching

The Lions needed a bounce-back after a poor showing against the Ravens and got it in just about every facet Monday. They came out intent on running the ball and never strayed from that plan, and they forced the Raiders to try and win offensively through Garoppolo, which he looked incapable of doing. Ben Johnson will be kicking himself over the offense’s red zone struggles, and while there are some plays he’ll want back, a penalty by Decker and missed opportunity by St. Brown proved costly. Give Johnson and offensive line coach Hank Fraley credit for getting the most out of a patchwork front, while Aaron Glenn had his defense dialed in after a rough week. Grade: A-minus


Catch the "Carlos and Shawn" show after every Lions game, on demand on freep.com/podcasts or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).


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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' win creates a rare moment in time: Everything lines up perfectly for them


(Note that this was posted before today's trade deadline.)

Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press


On Monday evening, I parked in a garage and walked to Ford Field, coming across one of the wildest scenes I’ve ever seen before a Detroit Lions game.

The streets were jammed with cars — nobody was moving. It was like everybody was stuck in the excitement. The sidewalks were filled; and it might have been the rowdiest, craziest, well-lubricated, jacked-up pregame crowd I’ve ever seen.


Finally inside Ford Field, the "Monday Night Football" theme music blared, and the opening video played on the scoreboard. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the ABC/ESPN crew, were up in the booth and the crowd was going crazy.

“It’s going to be a fun night — they are pretty jacked up,” Aikman said.


And then?

America got to see the real Lions in a 26-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.



The Lions might have flaws and make some mistakes, but they are fun and explosive. Determined and dangerous. They don’t get rattled, not even after Jared Goff threw a pick-six, or they fell apart in the red zone (1-for-5), or missed a field goal.

It didn’t matter. They don't get rattled. They were built to overcome.


That debacle in Baltimore? Forget it. This team learned from it. Bounced back from it. Shook it off.

“I told the team the most important thing about this game was us getting our identity back,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “And that was what all the work that we put in this week was about, the whole focus was about getting back to what we do and that was the most important thing and that really showed through today. Was it perfect? It wasn’t perfect but ultimately we got what I wanted to get out of it and you come away with a win.”


Set up for a fun run


We are way past wondering if this team is real. Now, it’s safe to look down the road and take a look at the big picture. The Lions are 6-2 for the first time since 2014 and have a two-game lead in the NFC North Division. Minnesota just lost Kirk Cousins to an Achilles injury; and the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are awful.



Everything is setting up perfectly for the Lions. They are entering a bye week at a perfect time and have a chance to get healthy.


They could even add another piece at the trade deadline — I’d vote for a pass rusher or defensive back.

The playoffs seem inevitable. It’s not crazy to think this team has a shot at the No. 1 seed.


The Lions have the talent to make a deep run — with an improved defense and playmakers on offense — but it all starts with a Rubik’s Cube of an offensive line. No matter how you twist them, no matter what combination you put together, it seems to work.

Graham Glasgow, a Swiss Army knife of an offensive lineman, started at center. Colby Sorsdal, a rookie, started his first NFL game at right guard and Kayode Awosika started at left guard.


“Sorsdal and Yode (Awosika) and Skip (Lions OL Dan Skipper) all battled in there at guard,” Campbell said.


Then, they had Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell handling Maxx Crosby, the Raiders’ feared sack machine, holding him to just a quarterback hit but no sacks.

“I thought Decker and Sewell did an outstanding job against a premiere player on the perimeter," Campbell said. "So, I just thought the guys bounced back. They played with confidence and they were ready to go.”


How many times has that combination worked together on the offensive line in practice? Never.

And it didn’t matter.


Because the Lions still ran the ball 43 ties for 222 yards — a whopping 5.2 yards per carry.

That’s the identity of this team — establish the run because Goff is so good at play-action passing.



Gibbs getting better each game



After the game, Jahmyr Gibbs sat at his locker with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He was electric on Monday, running 26 times for 152 yards and a touchdown.


“I mean, it's part of the plan,” Gibbs said. “Ben (Johnson) told us he was on the ball 40 times.”

He turned and looked at Craig Reynolds.


“How many carries you have?” Gibbs asked.

“Fourteen,” Reynolds said.


That was 40 between them.

Behind a makeshift offensive line.


Just amazing.

Gibbs finished with 189 scrimmage yards, tied for the sixth-most scrimmage yards in a game by a rookie in franchise history.


McNeill sacks Raiders QB_10-30-2023.jpg

He proved he can run up the middle with power but also bust out with his speed and fly into the stands to celebrate.

“We’ve never felt like he was just an outside back," Campbell said. "Here’s what the allure of some of the outside stuff is his speed, but I mean sometimes you can use his speed to go downhill right now, it’s a little bit quicker to go here than it is here and then turn back up, so no we don’t feel like he’s some finesse back. That’s not his deal and he runs on his tippy toes, and we think he can do it all, we think he’s a pretty good gun runner, but certainly, he can run out of the dot (I formation) so no, we feel like he’s pretty versatile that way.”



Only getting better


After the game, I kept thinking about the crowd.


Because these fans feel a part of this.

This crowd isn’t some outside entity.


This crowd felt part of this team, as if the game and the scene could not be separated.

“It was one of the best home crowds we’ve ever played in front of and they’re doing a hell of a job for us on defense, being loud and hard on (the opponents), and it was fun," Goff said.



It’s like the crowd is feeding off the players and the players jack up the crowd.

It all works together. The crowd and the team. The passing game and the running game. The offense and the defense. The pass rush and the secondary. The Lions held the Raiders to 80 yards on the ground and got six sacks.

But this team isn’t finished.


"There’s so much meat on the bone for us offensively," Goff said. "And I think that’s why you kind of — you get a win, but you kind of wish you could’ve done a little bit more to feel real good about it. But a win’s a win and we’ll move on.”


Yes, they will move on.

After taking a well-earned break.


Rest up, folks.

This is about to get wild.


Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions game balls: Jahmyr Gibbs unveils just 'the tip of the iceberg' in victory



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field:

Game balls


RB Jahmyr Gibbs: Gibbs gets a game ball for the second straight week after a second straight hugely impressive performance.

The rookie carried 26 times for 152 yards Monday, scored the game-clinching touchdown on a 27-yard run and added five catches for 37 yards. He has 315 scrimmage yards the past two weeks while making fill-in starts for David Montgomery and on Monday helped the Lions re-establish their identity as a run-first offense that out-physicals its opponents.



“We wanted to get Gibbs going,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We wanted to be able to establish the run, and you could tell he was feeling it. … Every week he’s just gotten a little bit better and a little bit better and I thought last week was his best game, and this week certainly surpassed that. And I think the more he gains his own confidence in his own abilities in this league, he’s just going to continue to grow, and I think this was kind of the tip of the iceberg, if you will, for what he is able to do and going to be able to do.”



OL Graham Glasgow: Glasgow has been one of the Lions’ best lineman this year, and he’s done it while making starts at three different positions. The team’s starting right guard in Weeks 3-6, Glasgow moved to left guard last week against the Baltimore Ravens, when Halapoulivaati Vaitai made a short-lived return to the lineup, and he keyed the Lions’ 222-yard rushing day while playing center Monday.

Signed as a do-it-all insurance piece for the interior line this spring, Glasgow has brought peace of mind to a room that’s been wrought by injuries all year. Both left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow should return after the bye, when Glasgow joked he’ll ready to play tackle just in case.


“It’s not easy going from spot to spot, but you just kind of have to do it, unfortunately,” Glasgow said. “I mean, it’s worked out decently, so I can’t really complain.”



LB Alex Anzalone: The Lions held the Raiders to 157 yards of offense Sunday and gave up one offensive touchdown, and Anzalone had as big a hand as any defensive player in the performance. He made a team-high seven tackles, had two sacks and made a huge play on the opening drive when he hit Jimmy Garoppolo just short of a first down on a third-and-10 scramble to set a defensive tone for the night.




As much as Campbell talked about the Lions’ regaining their offensive identity by running the ball, Anzalone made sure the defense did the same with his physical play.

Goats

Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo: The Raiders are blessed with two of the NFL’s best offensive skill players in Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, but they have one of the league’s most inept offenses — they’re averaging 15.8 points through eight games — because of a quarterback who can’t get them the ball.

Anzalone sacks Raider QB_10-30-2023.jpg

Garoppolo was 10 of 21 passing for 126 yards Monday. He seemed slow processing what the Lions were doing on defense, he overthrew Adams on two deep shots that could have been touchdowns and he tossed a costly pick in the end zone one play after a Josh Reynolds fumble.

The Lions faced some of the NFL’s worst starting quarterbacks this season — Desmond Ridder, Jordan Love, Bryce Young — and Garoppolo is right up there near the top of the list.


Catch the "Carlos and Shawn" show after every Lions game, on demand on freep.com/podcasts or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).



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

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Who is Donovan Peoples-Jones? What to know about new Lions WR and Michigan native



Austin Curtright
USA TODAY NETWORK


Donovan Peoples-Jones is coming home.

The Detroit native, Michigan star and former Cleveland Browns receiver was traded to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. In return, the Lions will send a sixth-round pick to the Browns.

Peoples-Jones has deep roots in Michigan: He not only played college ball for the Wolverines from 2017-19, but also attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit. There, he became one of the top players in the state of Michigan and, indeed, the country.



In four NFL seasons, Peoples-Jones has caught 117 passes for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns. He was heavily involved last season with 61 receptions for 839 yards and three scores, but has seen a drop in usage so far this season: He has only eight catches for 97 yards.

The 6-2, 204-pound receiver effectively replaces Marvin Jones on the Lions' 53-man roster after the latter was released last week. With that, here are five things to know about Detroit's new receiver:


Donovan Peoples-Jones was a 5-star recruit


Peoples-Jones is Michigan's eighth highest-rated recruit of all time as a five-star in the 2017 recruiting class. The Detroit native was also the second five-star recruit to sign under Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure following Rashan Gary in 2016.

According to 247Sports' Composite rankings, Peoples-Jones was the 12th overall recruit, No. 1 player in the state of Michigan and the top receiver of the 2017 recruiting class.



Donovan Peoples-Jones aspired to be in sports medicine


Peoples-Jones, an academic All-Big Ten selection in 2018, not only excelled on the gridiron, but also was also a standout student. In high school, he aspired to be a sports medicine physician.


Peoples-Jones' dad, Eddie Jones, is an orthopedic surgeon in Illinois. On a recruiting visit to Ann Arbor, Peoples-Jones even visited and shadowed a surgeon on campus.

"While in high school, Donovan held a 3.9 GPA with aspirations to become a sports medicine physician," his family wrote on his Michigan player profile. "He is an active volunteer in the community, packing boxes for Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners Food Banks, working the United Auto Workers Neighborhood Cleanup and participating with Never Ever Give Up Children Foundation while also taking time to lead youth camps in the offseason."


Donovan Peoples-Jones won a Michigan Division 1 State Championship


As a senior at Cass Tech, Peoples-Jones led his squad to a perfect 14-0 record and was named the State Championship game MVP after its 49-22 win over Novi Detroit Catholic Central. The five-star recruit finished his senior season with 60 receptions for 1,071 yards and 17 touchdowns.


Donovan Peoples-Jones 40-yard dash


Peoples-Jones ran an official 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He also recorded the highest vertical jump (44.5 inches).

Peoples-Jones was selected in the sixth round with the 187th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Donovan Peoples-Jones stats prior to 10-31-2023 trade.jpg

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Detroit Lions trade for WR Donovan Peoples-Jones from Cleveland Browns



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions made a minor move to upgrade their roster at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, acquiring wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

A sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2020, Peoples-Jones had eight catches for 97 yards this season.

With less than an hour to go before the 4 p.m. deadline, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said he likely is done making deals for the day.



The former Detroit Cass Tech star takes the roster spot left vacant when the Lions released veteran receiver Marvin Jones last week.

The Lions joined a host of NFC title contenders in making roster moves at the deadline, though their deal caused less fanfare some of the other trades that went down Tuesday.

The San Francisco 49ers traded a third-round pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Chase Young, and the Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals to replace Kirk Cousins, who tore his Achilles tendon on Sunday.

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Social media likes Donovan Peoples-Jones trade for Detroit Lions, but wanted more



Andrew Birkle
Detroit Free Press



The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and while the Detroit Lions may not have made the big splash that some fans were hoping they would, they weren't completely quiet.

The Lions made a deal to bring former Michigan football wide receiver and Detroit Cass Tech graduate Donovan Peoples-Jones over from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft selection.

Wide receiver was certainly a need for the Lions, especially after Marvin Jones left the team for personal reasons, but some fans on social media were left disappointed since the team did not address the defensive line or any other positions, especially after the San Francisco 49ers traded for Chase Young and Philadelphia Eagles added Kevin Byard.



The Lions are heading into their bye week with a 6-2 record after dominating the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, outgaining them 486-157 in their 26-14 win. While the defensive front wasn't an issue against the Raiders with the Lions racking up six sacks, the pass rush has been inconsistent week-to-week, most notably against the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks when the Lions allowed a combined 75 points.



Of course there were a fair amount of naysayers, as there always are with the Lions, but there were also those on social media who thought the Lions did more than enough. Here is a look at how the social media world felt about the Lions trade deadline moves (or lack thereof).

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Why Detroit Lions passed on splashy moves at NFL trade deadline: 'We have a plan in place'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



If the Detroit Lions are going to make a run to the Super Bowl this year, it’s going to be largely with the players who brought them here.

The Lions made a minor move at the NFL trade deadline Tuesday, acquiring wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.


Peoples-Jones had eight catches for 97 yards in seven games this season and should play a rotational role at the back end of the Lions’ receiving corps.

“I think you always feel like you’re one injury away and that was a position that we felt like if we can find a steady, reliable guy that fits us, that can play outside, that was something that we wanted to look and see if we can acquire,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “And DPJ out there we felt like really fit us. We feel like he fits our style and he’s smart and he can play multiple positions. He plays everything for them out there, so we just feel like he’ll be a good fit for the team and the room.”

Donovan Peoples-Jones 10-25-2020.jpg

While fellow NFC title contenders the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks made splashy moves to acquire big-name defensive players in recent days, the Lions opted for a more low-key addition that did not cost them much in the way of future draft capital.


The Eagles, who currently have the best record in the NFL, traded safety Terrell Edmunds and two Day 3 draft picks to the Tennessee Titans for safety Kevin Byard last week.

The Seahawks acquired defensive tackle Leonard Williams from the New York Giants for a second-round pick on Monday; the Giants took on most of Williams’ $10 million salary to facilitate the deal.


And the 49ers made the biggest move Tuesday, adding pass rusher Chase Young from the Washington Commanders for a third-round pick.

The Lions were not believed to be heavily involved in trade discussions for Young or fellow pass rusher Montez Sweat, who the Chicago Bears acquired for a 2024 second-rounder.


Like Peoples-Jones, Young, Sweat and Williams are on expiring contracts.

“Ultimately, we said, Brad (Holmes) and I said from Day 1, we have a plan in place that we don’t want to alter, we don’t want to mess with that,” Campbell said. “And we’re in Year 3 of this right now or beginning of Year 3 and everything had to be right. I just go back, it had to be the right player, it had to be the right fit and it had to be the right price. All three of those, and that’s not an easy thing to do. That’s how we look at it, and so you know what? We found one.”



Asked for his reaction to other top NFC teams loading up on defense at the deadline, Campbell said, “Good for them.”

Holmes said he scoured the NFL looking for roster upgrades for a Lions team that’s off to its best start in nine years.


At 6-2, the Lions are two games ahead of the Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North and tied with the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars for the second-best record in the NFL.



“We look at every position,” Holmes said. “A lot of these names that you might see pop up, they look good in the media, and they are names, but that’s often — it’s not reality. Those same names you see pop up, when you start getting into conversation, it just doesn’t work out for the best for us. So every team has a different plight, every team is in a different place, different direction, different phase in their team building. But no, there’s nothing that we leave unturned or ignored or anything. We look at every position, we look at everything and this was the best one for us.”

Holmes said Peoples-Jones essentially fills the backup receiver spot left open when the Lions cut Marvin Jones last week. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond are the Lions’ starting receivers, and Jameson Williams and rookie Antoine Green have played as their top backups.

Donovan Peoples-Jones 8-31-2019.jpg

A former Detroit Cass Tech star who went in the sixth round out of Michigan in the 2020 draft, Peoples-Jones has 117 catches for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns in 50 career games.


He finished second on the Browns with 61 catches last season, but was fifth on the team in targets this year behind receivers Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, tight end David Njoku and running back Jerome Ford.

“He brings versatility,” Holmes said. “He’s a big guy, he’s got good contested-catch skills. He can play outside, he can play inside. He’s a very smart player. He’s been very, very durable. He just, he fits everything that we’re about, so I think he’ll fit in just fine. He’s just another flavor that we’re adding to our mix. And so it’s a lot of things that he can do for us and we’ll just see how quickly we can get him acclimated.”

In other deadline deals Tuesday, the Vikings acquired quarterback Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals to replace injured starter Kirk Cousins, sent guard Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick, and the Green Bay Packers traded cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills.



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

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The Detroit News' 2023 Detroit Lions midseason grades: Offense



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Allen Park — We've essentially reached the midseason mark, and the Detroit Lions have the week off to recharge, recover and recenter. At 6-2, and out to a two-game lead in the NFC North, they're in as good of a position as anyone could have hoped at the break.

With a little time to reflect on what has happened through the first eight games, we're here to offer up our annual midseason report card. We'll be breaking it into two parts this year, starting with the offense and a couple specialists.


Quarterback Jared Goff

Goff has proved his renaissance, which started in the second half of last season, is legit. Through eight games, he's completing a career-best 68.3% of his throws and is top five in passing yardage. If there is a notable downside to his first-half performance, it's been the re-emergence of some ball security woes. He's thrown five picks, mostly the bad-decision variety, but he's still below his career interception rate on the year. Grade: A-

Running back David Montgomery

Prior to a rib injury, Montgomery was delivering as the envisioned bell cow the Lions inked to a three-year deal in free agency. His 4.1 yards per carry isn't going to excite, but his 2.66 yards after contact and 22 broken tackles show he's effective at maximizing what's being blocked for him. On the downside, he's put the ball on the ground twice, already matching a career worst for fumbles in just five appearances. Grade: B+


Running back Jahmyr Gibbs

Even when he was taking a back seat to Montgomery for touches, the first-round draft pick was steadily producing. But in the games the starter has been sidelined, Gibbs has been able to truly showcase his game-breaking ability. Going beyond his nearly 200 yards from scrimmage in Detroit's final game before the bye, he's averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has caught 28 of the 33 passes thrown his way. He's as fast as advertised and a tougher runner than many might have expected. His subpar pass blocking is the only thing limiting his three-down potential. Grade: A-


Running back Craig Reynolds

After a pedestrian preseason, Reynolds has been everything the Lions have needed and more as a No. 3 running back. He's averaging a respectable 4.4 yards per carry and has hauled in every ball thrown in his direction in the pass game. Whenever his number is called, which has been a little extra to start this year with both Montgomery and Gibbs missing time, Reynolds has answered the bell. And he was rewarded with his first career touchdown for those efforts. Grade: B+



Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

Entering the year as Detroit's most reliable offensive weapon, St. Brown continues to deliver weekly. Despite missing an early-season game with an injury, he still ranks among the top seven in the league in both receptions and receiving yardage. And while he hasn't morphed into a vertical threat in Year 3, he is doing a little more damage downfield, resulting in his yards per catch ticking upward a third consecutive year. Grade: A


Wide receiver Josh Reynolds

Following the offseason departure of DJ Chark and the early-season suspension for Jameson Williams, the reliable Reynolds stepped up to fill the production void. Among the league leaders in yards per catch, averaging 18 yards per grab, his production might oscillate week to week, but he has fully formed chemistry with Goff dating back to their days with the Rams. If Reynolds can stay healthy, he's easily in line for the best year of his career. Grade: B+


Wide receiver Kalif Raymond

With Williams' suspension, Raymond has probably been used less than many of us expected. A continued cultural measuring stick whose impact extends beyond the playing field for the franchise, it doesn't hide that his production is slightly down in 2023, both as a pass-catcher and return man. He's a year removed from being named an All-Pro in the latter category, and his 10.4 average on punts is solid, but it's also well behind league leaders. The sample size is enough that everything could all change with one big game, but until it does, his midseason mark is muted. Grade: C+

Wide receiver Marvin Jones

A feel-good story from the offseason, the reunion just didn't work out. Jones struggled in the season opener, putting a couple balls on the ground he typically hadn't through his career, and he wasn't able to re-establish himself as a factor in the offense the next five weeks before taking a leave of absence to attend to a personal matter. That break ultimately resulted in the two sides going their separate ways. Even though he went out like a lamb, it doesn't diminish all the great seasons Jones had as a Lion. Grade: F


Wide receiver Jameson Williams

Are 111 snaps enough to avoid an incomplete grade? We think so. The second-year speedster continues to be a conundrum coming off his four-game ban for violating the league's gambling policy. Getting separation will likely never be an issue, but Williams' hands remain a massive concern. He's been targeted 15 times and dropped a third of them. The big-play potential is so exciting, but what the Lions need out of him far more at the moment is reliability. Grade: D


Tight end Sam LaPorta

How good has LaPorta been? Well, it's only been eight games and he's already set the franchise's rookie record for receptions for his position. And he's a legitimate threat to break Keith Jackson's NFL mark of 81 for a first-year tight end. His early reliability is beyond impressive at one of football's most complicated spots to adjust to straight out of college, including a blocking performance that has exceeded any and all reasonable expectations given his frame. Grade: A


Tight end Brock Wright

The Lions like Wright's combination of effort and athleticism, but he's struggled in a complementary role this season. As a pass-catcher, he's not making much of a dent on the stat sheet, averaging fewer than 6 yards per game, although he deserves credit for securing every pass thrown his way. The bigger disappointment has been his inability to consistently execute as a run blocker, an area he excelled at coming out of Notre Dame. If he can't turn it around in the second half, TE2 becomes an obvious area for the Lions to shop for upgrades next offseason. Grade: D-


Center Frank Ragnow

Despite a chronically injured toe, Ragnow continues to perform at a Pro Bowl level. He's allowing a touch more pocket pressure this year compared to last, but he hasn't been faulted for a sack, putting him on track to accomplish that feat across a full season for the third time in four years. Grade: A-


Offensive tackle Penei Sewell

Sewell continues to be one of the game's best young offensive tackles, and it's probably time to drop the age qualifier in that statement. Where he's truly elevated his performance in his third season is in pass protection. After allowing 20 pressures a year ago, he's only allowed Goff to be hurried from his right side five times through eight games, without surrendering a sack. About the only flaw you could point out with Sewell is some higher-than-average penalty numbers. His five flags, including four holds, are the second most on the roster. Grade: A


Offensive tackle Taylor Decker

Decker suffered a high ankle sprain in the opener and has been gutting through pain and discomfort since returning to the lineup in Week 4 against Green Bay. He was a little shaky that first game back, but he has been delivering some stellar blindside performances in recent weeks, including against Baltimore, where little went right for the Lions. He often gets taken for granted when contrasted against Sewell's freakish talent, but Decker remains one of the most underrated performers at his position in the league, as well as a stabilizing component to Detroit's consistently banged-up offensive line. Grade: A-


Guard Jonah Jackson

Jackson has been sidelined the past three weeks with his own ankle issue. Prior to going down, he had been playing good, not great, allowing 12 pressures and a sack in protection, both elevated rates from previous career standards. He should be back after the bye, giving him an opportunity to finish strong in this contract year. Grade: B-

Guard Graham Glasgow

Glasgow lost a tightly contested training camp competition to be the starting right guard, but injuries have allowed him to start the past six games at three different positions. And even though this past week's performance at center wasn't as good as his previous work at guard — in part because he had to compensate for inexperience on either side of him — he has been exactly what the doctor ordered. He's been so much more than reliable depth, playing at a career-best level regardless of where he's lining up. Grade: A-

Kicker Riley Patterson

The scouting report on Patterson coming into the season was he was reliable from 45 yards and in, and a question mark beyond that. And while he hasn't had many opportunities to showcase his improved leg strength, he has shown he's a better player than during his last stint in Detroit. For the season, he's made 11 of his 13 field goal attempts. We can easily excuse the miss from 52 yards in gusty conditions against Tampa Bay, but the shanked 26-yarder against Las Vegas was less explainable. Grade: B+


Punter Jack Fox

While he might not rank among the league leaders in gross or net punting, Fox is having a successful season with his 42.4-yard net average on pace to be the second-best mark of his career. He's pinned opponents inside their 20 on nearly half of his 27 punts and has only allowed just one boot to bounce into the end zone for a touchback. On top of that, he's been highly effective executing coordinator Dave Fipp's weekly plan on kickoffs, often putting the opposition in uncomfortable spots. Opponents are averaging just 20.4 yards on their 14 returns. Grade: B+


Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

Johnson's status as a top head coaching candidate hasn't been derailed during his second season calling plays. He continues to put many of his players, particularly Goff, in good positions to have success, while sprinkling in just enough creativity to keep the opposition off balance. Detroit's offense has lagged behind in the red zone and early in the second half in 2023, and the Lions are just middle of the pack on third downs, meaning there's still plenty of room for improvement. That all shows up in the discrepancy between yardage, where the Lions rank second, and points, where they're eighth. Grade: B+


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

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Detroit Lions' James Houston on track for December return; long snapper Scott Daly to IR



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



The Detroit Lions could get one of their best pass rushers back late in the regular season.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday linebacker James Houston remains on track to return from the fractured fibula he suffered in the team's Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

"I think so," Campbell said. "I mean, we’ll see. That’s another one, some of these guys that (we have) on IR, it’s just part of the rehab process."

Campbell said Houston suffered a "pretty clean" injury, which helps with his rehab and recovery.


A sixth-round pick out of Jackson State last spring, Houston had eight sacks in seven games while playing a situational pass rush role as a rookie. He was injured while covering a kick against the Seahawks.

"If it’s happening, we’re talking about December, so we’ll see," Campbell said.


The Lions placed long snapper Scott Daly on injured reserve Tuesday. Campbell said Daly needs surgery for the knee injury he suffered in Monday night's win over the Raiders.

"It’s a tough one to lose," Campbell said. "You don’t talk about the long snapper unless something bad happens and we hadn’t talked about Daly, really since (former Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach) was gone, which that was the one where I screwed that one up.


"And Daly, man, just grew from there. He took the challenge and just grew. And he’s been, I mean just a steady rock for us. And he’s improved every year. He was having the best year that we’ve had and just — and so, it hurts. It’s going to hurt to lose him. He’s been really good for us, but we’ll figure all that out and we’ll move forward."


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