Lions News

[edindetroit]

Sudfeld is ass.

Failed the audition.

[Iron Lion]

Love this!

Normally I'd be against inducting an O-lineman who admitted to whiffing on plays in an attempt to get the QB injured. But said QB was Scott Mitchell, so I side with Brown on that one.

[-Deborah-]

Normally I'd be against inducting an O-lineman who admitted to whiffing on plays in an attempt to get the QB injured. But said QB was Scott Mitchell, so I side with Brown on that one.

Start around the 12:00 mark.

[edindetroit]

[TheLondonLion]

The Lions D Line looked nasty last night. It was a joy to watch. Just dogs coming downhill play after play and depth all the way down. 2 yards per carry and Captain Jack, Barnes and even Branch mopping up.

James Houston showed he can be more than just a situational pass rusher. He set the edge nicely and was lively in the backfield including a big TFL. He thinks he can do it all (beyond obvious passing downs) and he may be right.

I read he’s fighting for a roster spot with Julian Okwara - he should be an absolute lock for the roster. The guy is a game wrecker.

[-Deborah-]

Tracy Walker exposes Matt Patricia for ‘Eighty-nine and one' mantra that ruined Detroit Lions

According to Tracy Walker, entering the professional football scene under former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia was far from welcoming. In an explosive interview with Tyler Dune of Go Long, Walker reminisces on Patricia's oppressive style, constantly reminding players of the mantra “Eighty-nine and one.”

Walker told Dune that Patricia's “Eighty-nine and one” mantra pertains to the coach’s zero-tolerance attitude: if any of the 90 players during the training camp didn’t adhere strictly to his rules, they were shown the exit. Walker's account indicates that Patricia’s approach wasn’t just strict; it was dictatorial. Anyone who dared to speak up, regardless of their status on the team, faced repercussions.

“He’d be like, ‘To hell with you. Go (expletive) yourself. This is the way we do it. If you don’t like it, hit the (expletive) road,’” Walker says. “He didn’t shy away from telling you how he felt. If you got 89 that are all on-board and you’ve got one guy who isn’t? Well, ‘(expletive)' this one guy. We’ll bring another guy in.’ But everyone can’t be replaced. That philosophy is why we were put in a lot of bad situations and why we lost a lot of bad games.

“We played a lot of bad ball around here — because of that reason.”

Notable figures like Quandre Diggs and Darius Slay were shown the door, with Walker suggesting that Patricia’s leadership even pushed some, like Glover Quin, into premature retirement.

“All the guys who said something, they got out of here. Literally. That ‘89 and 1’ was a real thing,” Walker says. “This is what I mean by ‘Do what I say or you’re gone. Hit the highway. I will find another place for you. I don’t care how good of a player you are.’”

Walker said he once hated coming to work, but that has changed now that Patricia is long gone.

“I (expletive) hated coming in,” he says. “Guys used to hate it here.”

Bottom Line – A Coach's Playbook: More Than X's and O's

While strategy and discipline are integral to a football team’s success, the heart and soul of any team remain its players. The Detroit Lions’ experience under Patricia serves as a poignant reminder that a coach’s playbook should go beyond tactics. It should encapsulate the art of managing people, understanding their needs, and creating an environment where they feel valued and motivated. After all, in the game of football, as in life, it's not just about directing players; it's about leading them

[Iron Lion]

Start around the 12:00 mark.

Wow Deb, wow. Thanks for this. I watched from the start to 22 minutes so far and subbed. I'm glad to hear they're all still friends. Scott Mitchell is way more of a cool guy than I ever knew and turns out he was right to strongly dislike that quitter Bobby Ross. As a kid watching Mitchell in the 90s in SoCal I had no way of knowing any of this kind of stuff, no way to get to know players, extremely anemic internet access and so literally the only info like this available was the pre-game stuff on Fox but that was like 5 minutes (if that) on the Lions as they move on to the other teams. As a kid the Philly wildcard game was the first Lions game I ever saw and so the Mitchell hate was pretty baked in, and eventually we transitioned to Charlie Batch who was my first favorite QB. Mitchell made some good points and honestly I'm letting the Scott Mitchell hate go now. It's firmly been placed on Fatty Matty Patty's shoulders. I don't see anything redeeming like this happening for that turd and he ruined the Lions much more than Mitchell ever could've. Who knows what Caldwell could've done with the last few viable years that Stafford had left. I was shellshocked that we lost Stafford and super pissed but now it's looking like that trade benefitted us even if we didn't get the picks because it turned the clock back on the QB position by over a decade. Sorry, rambling now, but thanks for this again, great watch.

[ghandi]

The Lions D Line looked nasty last night. It was a joy to watch. Just dogs coming downhill play after play and depth all the way down. 2 yards per carry and Captain Jack, Barnes and even Branch mopping up.

James Houston showed he can be more than just a situational pass rusher. He set the edge nicely and was lively in the backfield including a big TFL. He thinks he can do it all (beyond obvious passing downs) and he may be right.

I read he’s fighting for a roster spot with Julian Okwara - he should be an absolute lock for the roster. The guy is a game wrecker.

I felt Houston did enough to earn the starting spot this year....He was a huge reason why the team won all those games late in the season...I dont know why they are even messing with him saying he's a backup right now.....While he didnt get the sack, he blew up several pass plays last night...play the man!

[wcfwtf]

I think they feel he’s gifted in one area of the game and would get exposed playin all the time.
Also listening to his interviews about college and pro expectations he sounds like he is a starting linebacker.
Thats what he wants to do, but his college coaches and the Lions don’t see it happening.

[TheLondonLion]

They’re moving him to SAM linebacker where he could potentially be a 3 down backer if he gets it.

I think he’s getting unfairly pigeon holed as a situational pass rusher. He’s raw and has stuff to learn but watch the series where they got stopped short on 4th down and he blew up a run play in the backfield and set the edge perfectly on 4th down for Campbell to mop up in his gap.

He’s so explosive I could see him playing the run on the way to the pass. Watch this space with him. Either way he should be a roster lock.

[froot loops]

Their base coverage is nickel, there's not too many snaps are going to have a true 4-3 with a SAM. A lot of these defensive end/linebacker players are going to be situational pass rushers because that's the role they need to fill.

[jaadam4]

My hate for Patricia continues to grow. How the f did they think that guy would work?

[Iron Lion]

My hate for Patricia continues to grow. How the f did they think that guy would work?

Detroit Patriots
last place
last place
last place
fired

Tompa Bay Patriots
win Super Bowl
win division
win division
retired

[froot loops]

The short answer is the Lions hired Bob Quinn and he didn't know anyone around the league besides Matt Patricia. People around the league thought maybe he was another Belichick.

I've said this before, but the Belichick tree as head coaches has been a disaster when they go out on their own. The only thing they take away from Belichick is being an ass because anybody can be that. It's harder to replicate finding talent and making game plans. That my way or the highway works if you win. Players will put up with a lot if they are winning, if you're losing that schtick will lose you the team in short order.

[JGSpartan]

Except for Vrabel. One success out of many is pretty bad odds though.