Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Lions notes: LaPorta shows dual-threat potential; Vaitai shines in return to action





Justin Rogers


The Detroit News


Allen Park — When the Detroit Lions drafted Sam LaPorta in April, it was understood what kind of passing-game weapon the team was getting, after he averaged 56 catches for 664 yards in his final two years at the University of Iowa. It's also fair to say less was expected of the rookie tight end as a blocker.

But in his debut for the Lions, LaPorta delivered on both fronts, catching all five of his targets and delivering some eye-catching blocks, including a key one on Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton to help pave the path for David Montgomery's go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

"I thought he did some really good things, and honestly, he blocked well," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "It’s some of the best blocking I’ve seen out of him, even through camp, so that was encouraging."


Not only did LaPorta get the start in the opener, but he also played significantly more snaps than the team's other two tight ends. The rookie ended up logging 58 offensive snaps (83%) compared to Brock Wright's 27 and James Mitchell's six. And by proving competent in a three-down role, there's little reason to believe LaPorta's role will be reduced going forward.




"Hats off to (tight ends) coach (Steve) Heiden, but really LaPorta has come in here and he's really taken the playbook by storm. He's all ears," Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said. "...Coach Heiden has done a great job with that in the run game and stuff. Shoot, that's what he did when he played. He had to run-block. He didn't catch too many balls, let's be honest. So, he can teach 'em. He did a great job. People who have been around here, even in the past, our tight ends, we ask a lot of them in the pass game, protection, run game. He's done a great job with it."



Flying under the radar



With Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games, and Amon-Ra St. Brown commanding extra defensive attention as Detroit's No. 1 receiving threat, the team was looking for someone to step up to help lift the passing game against the Chiefs. That performance came courtesy of Josh Reynolds, who paced the team with 80 yards and had two critical grabs on the game-winning drive.


"Hats off to (tight ends) coach (Steve) Heiden, but really LaPorta has come in here and he's really taken the playbook by storm. He's all ears," Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said. "...Coach Heiden has done a great job with that in the run game and stuff. Shoot, that's what he did when he played. He had to run-block. He didn't catch too many balls, let's be honest. So, he can teach 'em. He did a great job. People who have been around here, even in the past, our tight ends, we ask a lot of them in the pass game, protection, run game. He's done a great job with it."


In some ways, Reynolds has been an afterthought on the outside, following St. Brown's emergence and Kalif Raymond's steady play, which earned the latter a new, two-year contract this offseason. But Reynolds has also been a consistent contributor since the Lions claimed him off waivers in 2021, helping the team down the stretch that first year before having one of the best seasons of his career, despite battling multiple injuries a year ago.

"He does kind of fly under the radar," Campbell said. "I kind of tell him all the time, it’s like man, ‘The more you can do, the harder it is on you.’ And he’s a guy who, he’s got a ton of versatility and we ask him to do a lot. He plays the X, he plays the Z; he can play in the heavy packages. We do a lot and so he’s very reliable, mentally and productive-wise. He does a lot, so we needed somebody to step up in that game in that receiver room, and he really did."



Reynolds played 49 snaps against the Chiefs, the second-most among Detroit's receivers behind only St. Brown's 66.




Welcome back


After missing all of last season because of a back injury that required surgery, right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai made a triumphant return to the lineup in the opener, providing big push up front on Montgomery's game-winning touchdown.



"Good for him to go out there, and each week he’s going to build more and more confidence, too," Fraley said. "I think coming into training camp, that’s what it was about. OTAs, it was baby steps. From what he did out there and play at the level he did, it was nice to see. It wasn’t perfect. He needs to keep his cool in some of that stuff, but it was good to see him out there. Him and Penei (Sewell) working together is fun to watch. Those are two massive human beings, and it’s fun to watch those guys work."

It might not have been perfect, but it was pretty good. So good, in fact, that Vaitai was Detroit's top-graded offensive player by analytics website Pro Football Focus. They gave him stellar marks as both a run-blocker and pass-protector, where he didn't surrender a single quarterback pressure.

"I thought he stepped up in there," Campbell said. "It was the most plays he’s had since the injury. I thought he handled them well. ...He was another one of those players that helped us win that game, especially in the critical moment."




Practice report


The Lions had near-perfect attendance during Tuesday's practice with only left tackle Taylor Decker sidelined. The starting left tackle is nursing an ankle injury he suffered in the early going of last Thursday's game, although he was able to finish that contest.

More will be known about Decker's status later in the week, but if it's determined he can't go, he'd be replaced in the lineup by Matt Nelson. He started 11 games for the Lions as an injury replacement in 2021. When previously filling in for Decker, the Lions shifted Sewell to left tackle and played Nelson on the right side.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

New training staff helped Detroit Lions C Frank Ragnow escape 'dark place' with toe injury






Dave Birkett



Detroit Free Press


Brett Fischer has a running joke with Frank Ragnow inside the Detroit Lions training room, only it might not be a joke at all.

“He tells me he thinks more about my toe than he does his wife sometimes, which is tough,” Ragnow said Monday. “I feel bad about that, but he really puts forth his best effort every single day trying to think about how to put me in the best positions and I’m very, very grateful for that.”

Fischer, the Lions’ first-year director of player health and performance — and a private Arizona-based rehab guru who worked with dozens of NFL players before coming to Detroit — has led a team effort to take care of Ragnow’s feet that the Lions hope will pay big dividends this fall.

Ragnow made his second Pro Bowl last season despite battling a painful turf toe-type injury all year.



He initially hurt his foot early in the 2021 season, missed the final 13 games that year after undergoing surgery, then re-aggravated the injury in the Lions’ season opener last fall.



Ragnow said this spring his injury was inoperable because there was “no healthy tissue left,” and he referred to the injury Monday as a “chronic” one that still causes pain with even though he’s in a good spot now.



“It’s going to be something that I have to deal with, but we have different breakthroughs and different — it’s hard to explain,” Ragnow said. “It’s kind of above my head, to be honest, I just do what they tell me. But a lot of different exercises and activations and everything that goes with it that really helps.”

Ragnow played all 70 snaps in last week’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs and earned high marks from Lions coach Dan Campbell for his performance. He helped pave the way for David Montgomery’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and was part of an offensive line that helped the Lions rush for 118 yards while allowing just one sack.

The Lions managed Ragnow’s workload this summer, giving him regular days off from practice to ensure he stayed healthy for the regular season, and Ragnow said that plan will continue this fall.


Last week, Ragnow sat out the Lions’ Tuesday’s practice, which was akin to what a Friday practice will be during normal games weeks in the regular season.

“So maybe the people tweeting at me (about) donating your toe (to me), I’m OK,” Ragnow said. “If you guys can put that out there, I don’t need anyone’s toe. But going forward (I’ll sit out once a week) more than likely.”


Fischer joined the Lions this offseason as part of a larger training staff overhaul. Along with his private practice in Arizona, he worked as a physical therapist consultant for the Arizona Cardinals in 2008-23.

The Lions also hired Mike Sundeen from the Denver Broncos as their new head athletic trainer and Corey Smith and EJ Hibbler as assistant strength and conditioning coaches.




“That was a big overhaul for us this spring,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in early September. “It’s truly an all-hands-on-deck group effort.”

Ragnow said the staff has taken a wholistic approach to managing his toe injury, with time spent strengthening his toe, hip and everything in between. He’s found some flexibility in his toe after previously having “nothing there,” and increased strength and endurance in the digit.



“He’s referred to it like it’s the foundation of the house,” Ragnow said of Fischer. “You got to make sure it’s all in order and he’s done that.”

The Chiefs game marked the first time the Lions have had their starting offensive line together since they built the group in its current configuration in 2021.



Left tackle Taylor Decker (foot) and right guard Hal Vaitai (back) also received periodic rest days this summer, and Decker played through a sprained ankle he suffered Thursday.

Ragnow said it “felt good” to finally get that group on the field, and he’s determined to stay a part of it as long as possible this season.

“I was in a dark place, I’m not going to lie, with this toe,” he said. “And they’ve been able to make me see the light and it’s been hands down a lot better so I’m very grateful for them. And then Dan, Brad, everybody kind of, it’s hard as a player not practicing with your guys, and that’s the part that sucks but understanding that for the long run and for Sundays, it’s going to help me a lot, and they’ve been doing — not just with the rest days, just the rehab and everything they’ve been doing has been great.”




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

[whatever_gong82]

I can’t recall ever putting Detroit Lions higher in my NFL power rankings





Dave Birkett


Detroit Free Press


The AFC still has the NFL’s best quarterbacks, but the NFC might have the NFL’s best teams.

With one week of games in the books, that’s my way-too-early impression of the NFL in 2023. The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys had the best debuts of any team, turning in dominant all-around performances against wild-card contenders, while the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills — two teams expected to contend for the AFC crown — suffered disappointing road losses to fellow AFC divisional opponents.

The Bills stumbled against a good New York Jets team in overtime, and while there’s no shame in that, Josh Allen committed four turnovers and the Bills couldn’t take advantage of a Jets team playing almost the entire game without Aaron Rodgers.



As for the Bengals, Joe Burrow played what probably will go down as his worst game of the season, and Cincinnati has struggled against its in-state rival, the Cleveland Browns, in the past. Still, anyone who picked them to win the conference — and I’m looking in the mirror here — had to be kicking themselves Sunday.




My power rankings are both a snapshot in time and my sense of how each team stacks up as a Super Bowl contender. It’s splitting the baby, if you will, but that’s why the Washington Commanders still rank near the bottom of the list despite their 1-0 start (when they needed a fourth quarter rally to beat the lowly Arizona Cardinals), and that’s why the Kansas City Chiefs still rank ahead of the Detroit Lions.




The Lions did something no NFC team has done since the Green Bay Packers in October of 2019: beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead. There's no asterisk to that win, no matter what some on television might say. But with the Super Bowl five months away, I still like a fully healthy Chiefs team's chances of getting there better than the Lions.



The Lions debut at No. 6 in this week’s rankings and are No. 4 among NFC contenders, neck-and-neck with a Dallas Cowboys team they’ll play later in the season in a game that could determine playoff positioning.

I can’t recall ever putting the Lions higher in my power rankings, and I do still see plenty of room for improvement.


This week’s power rankings


1. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

4. Miami Dolphins (1-0)


5. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)

6. Detroit Lions (1-0)

7. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

9. Cleveland Browns (1-0)

10. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

11. Buffalo Bills (0-1)

12. Green Bay Packers (1-0)

13. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)

14. New York Jets (1-0)

15. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)

16. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)



17. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

18. New Orleans Saints (1-0)

19. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

20. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)

21. New York Giants (0-1)

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

23. New England Patriots (0-1)

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

25. Washington Commanders (1-0)

26. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

27. Chicago Bears (0-1)

28. Denver Broncos (0-1)

29. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)


31. Houston Texans (0-1)

32. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)


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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions OL coach: Halapoulivaati Vaitai 'earned' starting RG job


Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


They couldn't go wrong, unless they revived their ill-conceived guard rotation from 2019, and no one wanted that.

So in the end, the Detroit Lions used Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right guard in last week's win over the Kansas City Chiefs, crowning him the winner of a coin-flip training camp battle with Graham Glasgow for the starting job.

"He earned that spot, he earned the right to be there, but Graham also had a great camp," Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said Tuesday. "We are very blessed to have six guys, seven guys — really that whole room you can count on, especially Graham. We just, it’s hard to play with six O-linemen. You’re not really threatening the ball down the field."


Vaitai played all 70 offensive snaps at right guard against the Chiefs in his first game action since he suffered a back injury last August. Vaitai missed all of the 2022 season following back surgery, and the Lions did not use any of their top six linemen in preseason games.


He ranked as the Lions' highest-graded offensive player against the Chiefs, according to Pro Football Focus.

"Solid," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "I thought he stepped up in there. That was the most plays he had since the injury. I thought he handled them well. I would say it was a positive, It was positive. He’s got things to clean up as we all do, but it was a positive showing for him. It’s encouraging to see him back out there."




Vaitai and Glasgow, who did not play an offensive snap against the Chiefs, spent the summer rotating with the first-team offense at right guard.

Glasgow opened training camp with the unit, but split his time between guard and center as the Lions gave Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow regular rest in his return from a toe injury.

Vaitai, who initially joined the Lions as a free-agent replacement for Glasgow in 2020, restructured his contract to stay in Detroit this offseason. He's started just 27 games since 2020, missing time with an assortment of injuries.



Last week, the Lions ran for 118 yards and Vaitai teamed with right tackle Penei Sewell on a double-team block that helped David Montgomery score the go-ahead touchdown on an 8-yard run with 7:06 to play.

"It was good to see him back," Fraley said. "It’s good for him to go out there and each week he’s going to build more and more confidence, too. I think coming in, in training camp that’s what it was about. OTAs, those are baby steps and then for what he did out there and to play at the level he did, it was nice to see. It wasn’t perfect. He’s got to keep his cool on some of that stuff, but it was good to see him out there. Him and Penei working together’s fun to watch. Those are two massive human beings and it’s fun to watch those guys work."



Injury update


Taylor Decker did not practice Tuesday as he continues to rest the ankle injury he suffered against the Chiefs. Decker played all 70 snaps in the game, but left Arrowhead Stadium in a walking boot. Campbell downplayed Decker's injury on Monday, saying the left tackle was "all right."



If Decker can't play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Sewell could move from right to left tackle, as he did in training camp, with swing tackle Matt Nelson moving into the starting lineup at right tackle.


Briefly


The Seattle Seahawks, dealing with injury problems of their own on the offensive line, signed veteran Jason Peters to the practice squad Tuesday. Peters, 41, spent 10 games with the Dallas Cowboys last season and was a perennial Pro Bowler early in his career. Seattle lost both starting tackles, Charles Cross (toe) and Abe Lucas (knee), to injuries last week.




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

[whatever_gong82]

Brad Holmes latest Lions draft gem burst onto national scene. It's no longer a surprise.


Shawn Windsor


Detroit Free Press



Let's take a quiz. No? Fine.

Then how about a game? Better? Good.

Let's play guess the player from a Brad Holmes quote. Here goes:

"He just plays the game how we play it and the style of how we want to play.”

I’ll give you a hint: Holmes, the Detroit Lions general manager, said this on draft night.



Not narrow enough?

OK, here’s another Holmes quote about the same player:


“You can just feel that he wants to be great. That put it over the top for me.”

Still, no?

Fine, how about this: “He’s very instinctive. Very physical … very athletic. The guy can bend, change directions. He’s got good size.”



Tired yet? Me, too. We’re talking about almost every player Holmes has drafted. This is how he talks about them. These just happen to be some of the things he said about rookie defensive back Brian Branch.

He also said this of Branch when he drafted him in the spring:



“What stood out about Brian was really just, if you just had 'FOOTBALL PLAYER' in caps, (in) just black and white, that’s what he is, just the way that he plays the game.”

Actually, this isn’t the first time Holmes has said this about a player he’s drafted, either. But this last draft might be the last time folks roll their eyes when they hear this phrase or hear how excited Holmes and his front office were that a player was still on the board long past where they thought the player should’ve been drafted.



Or: Hear that so-and-so is just a football player.

I think it’s getting easier to see what that means, and to see what Holmes, and Dan Campbell, his partner in the rebuild, are talking about when they describe, using the same few words, what kind of football players they seek, and what they mean when they say he’s a football player.




Well, Branch is a football player. That was easy to spot Thursday night in Kansas City.

Not just because of the pick-six, a 50-yard swing of momentum that changed the game, but the way Branch showed “bend” as he hauled in the interception.

He was sprinting to his left, slightly behind the play, a security blanket for Jerry Jacobs, the cornerback who’d been chasing Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney across the field. When Branch saw the ball hit Toney in the hands, he’d sped toward him to tackle him, and knew he’d get there in time to back up Jacobs and tackle Toney before the first-down yard marker.




He figured Kansas City was about to punt.

But the ball ricocheted off Toney’s hands and into the air. Branch slowed, opened his right shoulder, and reached back with his right hand to snag the ball. There was the bend.

There was also the instinct, and the speed; Branch clocked the fastest speed of the night on the return. And there was the “football player,” which in Branch’s case meant a talent for finding the ball.


Or anticipating where it’s going, which is the first job of the nickelback, the fifth defensive back who often lines up in the slot and always has to be ready to diagnose where the football is headed.

Branch struggled with that several times last Thursday night. Of course, he did. It was his first NFL game. He was supposed to struggle — at least some.



“I did OK in my eyes,” he said Monday afternoon from Allen Park. “Like Coach Dan said, I do have a lot of corrections that I need to correct.”

Yet?

“It was a good first start. Just got to fix those (mistakes).”


Darn straight it was a good start, even if you forget the pick-six for a moment. Because in stretches, the rookie was everything Holmes said he would be. For that matter, so were the other three rookies who played most of the game:




Jahmyr Gibbs. Sam LaPorta. Jack Campbell. They look like football players, too.

On opening night, Branch made the play of the game. Then heard about it in the postgame locker room from his teammates.



“BB!” they hollered. “BB!”

“That was a very proud moment,” said the youngster who still seethes that he fell so far in the draft — the Lions took him at No. 45 in the second round. “I’ve just got to keep proving them wrong.”



No, not his teammates, but the folks who run the other 31 teams, who perhaps didn’t imagine Branch returning an interception for a touchdown in his first game off a ball thrown by the incomparable Patrick Mahomes.

It may not have been Mahomes’ fault, but that won’t matter when Branch recalls the story a couple decades from now. He picked off Patrick Mahomes on national television. No wonder he’s watched the replay “at least 100 times.”



You would, too.

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@shawnwindsor.


Next up: Seahawks



Matchup: Lions (1-0) vs. Seattle (0-1).

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sept. 17; Ford Field, Detroit.

TV/radio: Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: Lions by 5½.

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Seahawks at Lions: What to expect after last year’s offensive explosion


By Colton Pouncy and Michael-Shawn Dugar



The Lions and Seahawks, two teams on similar trajectories, will meet once again Sunday in Detroit.

The last time they played each other, in Week 4 last year, the result ended up having serious playoff implications for two of the NFC’s surprise teams. But neither the Seahawks nor Lions will be sneaking up on anyone this year. The Lions are 1-0 after a stunning 21-20 win over the Chiefs. The Seahawks are 0-1 following a 30-13 loss to the Rams.


Each team feels it has enough. The Lions, enough to earn a playoff spot and compete. The Seahawks, enough to return and make some noise.

Sunday should be a good test. The Athletic’s Seahawks writer Michael-Shawn Dugar and Lions writer Colton Pouncy discuss.



Colton Pouncy: So, Mike, we were on hand for last year’s 48-45 Seahawks win over the Lions. Looking back, that game served as the tiebreaker that ultimately vaulted the Seahawks into the playoffs and kept the Lions out.

Two questions: Did the Seahawks send the Lions a gift basket for beating the Packers in Week 18? And what are the expectations in Seattle now compared to last year?

Michael-Shawn Dugar: A few days after the Lions beat the Packers last year, Quandre Diggs said he’d buy dinner for some of his ex-teammates. Knowing Diggs and how he is about his money, that dinner promise probably ended up turning into a simple “appreciate you, big dawg” text, but I still like to imagine a scenario where the entire Lions secondary went to dinner and then sent Diggs a six-figure Venmo request.



Last year, Seattle embraced being the hunter, not the hunted, and took on an “us against the world” mindset. After a nine-win season, a Pro Bowl campaign from Geno Smith and re-signing Bobby Wagner to a defense that has multiple Pro Bowlers, Seattle comes off as a more confident club and less like the Little Engine That Could. The Seahawks genuinely feel like they can be contenders.

Pouncy: I’ll have to ask some of those guys about that dinner in the locker room. As for the Lions, it almost feels like missing the playoffs a year ago set the tone for the season ahead. The Lions received so much buzz this offseason and became the NFC North favorites, in part, because of their 8-2 finish down the stretch last year. But the leaders in charge were often able to point back to a 9-8 team that missed the playoffs as motivation. They’re still operating in the prove-it phase.



Both the Lions and Seahawks found themselves with a little extra draft capital from trading their former franchise quarterbacks. Mike, how did the Seahawks use theirs?

Dugar: The Seahawks got a haul for Russell Wilson. In 2022, they used the No. 9 pick on Charles Cross, their left tackle of the future, and the No. 40 pick on outside linebacker Boye Mafe, a contributor last year who is now a starter. This year, they used the No. 5 pick on cornerback Devon Witherspoon (set to make his debut against Detroit) and outside linebacker Derick Hall, who is basically in the same position as Mafe last year as a rotational piece. The additional second-round picks in the last two drafts also afforded Seattle the luxury to take running backs Ken Walker III (41st, 2022) and Zach Charbonnet (52nd, 2023). The rookies still need to prove themselves, but early returns on the 2022 class were excellent.



Pouncy: I have a feeling Witherspoon might’ve been Detroit’s pick at No. 6 — a pick they received from the Matthew Stafford trade — had he been there. He fits the mold of what they look for in a cornerback. Instead, GM Brad Holmes traded the No. 6 pick for what turned into Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Iowa TE Sam LaPorta, a pair of rookies who look like they’ll be key contributors this year and beyond. The total haul the Lions got for Stafford looks something like this: QB Jared Goff, Gibbs, LaPorta, WR Jameson Williams, DE Josh Paschal, DT Brodric Martin and DB Ifeatu Melifonwu. Much like Seattle’s haul, it’s the kind of package that can propel a franchise forward.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

OK, let’s talk about these quarterbacks. Always a hot topic. The Seahawks and Lions have guys under center who’ve had to reinvent themselves a bit. They’re now leading teams with playoff expectations. How was Smith able to turn things around and secure himself an extension?



Dugar: It’s interesting because Seattle basically entered last season planning to emulate the offense Sean McVay crafted for Goff in Los Angeles (Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson used to work for McVay). They wanted that under-center zone running game to set up play-action shots to its receivers. Only instead of a bunch of digs and in-breaking routes, Seattle was going to use a lot of deep posts, over routes and go routes.

Smith quickly demonstrated he was better in a shotgun-heavy scheme that allowed him to survey the defense and pick it apart. He was able to do this while leading the league in completion rate (69.8) and still pushing the ball downfield without jeopardizing accuracy or ball security. Seattle had no choice but to pay him after that.



Pouncy: Goff wasn’t the journeyman Smith was before his breakout season, but his career was at a crossroads when he arrived in Detroit. That first year with the Lions was rough and it led to questions about his future, but Goff has proved resilient and capable of leading this team to a winning record.



He’s worked directly with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, pulling concepts from his time in L.A. to help him feel comfortable in the offense. It led to arguably the best season of his career, as he threw for 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. His efficient play down the stretch in 2022 was one of the main reasons the Lions were able to go on that run. Dating back to last year, Goff has thrown 359 pass attempts in a row without an interception, the third-longest streak in NFL history. The Lions will have a decision to make with Goff, much like the Seahawks did with Smith. But if he repeats his 2022 success, there’s a path forward between the two sides.

One thing we know about these teams: They love to run the football and will never apologize for it. The Lions drafted a running back (Gibbs) at No. 12 and gave another one (David Montgomery) $18 million in free agency. The Seahawks selected running backs in the second round in each of the last two drafts. What’s that about?



Dugar: My goal in life is to love something as much as Pete Carroll loves running backs. The league can favor passing all it wants, but Carroll, who has been coaching for more than 50 years, will always believe that an effective run game makes life easier for the guys playing the game’s hardest position (quarterback) and consistently keeps the ball away from the opponent. Carroll swears by having a positive point differential, and he believes rushing attempts to be inherently safer than passes. So, when he finds a good running back (or two) to carry out that vision, he’s willing to use whatever draft pick it takes to get them on the roster, regardless of how the league views the position.

Carroll was asked about his affection for running backs this week.



“If you want to run the football, it’s great to have guys that you can really count on that can make things happen, and make your line better and your whole team better,” he said. “We just really value them.”



Pouncy: More of the same in Detroit. The Lions run one of the most diverse rushing offenses in the NFL and received solid production from their duo of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams last year, but they wanted to upgrade the position. Swift couldn’t be trusted to stay healthy, and his vision was somewhat limited. Williams, meanwhile, was a great locker-room presence but didn’t have much wiggle in his game. The Lions felt like they could upgrade via free agency and the draft, and they now have Gibbs and Montgomery leading the way. Montgomery’s ability to break tackles at the second level paired with Gibbs’ versatility as a pass catcher have the Lions feeling good about their run game — positional value be damned.



Going back to last year’s matchup, defense was … optional in that game. And much of the season. How has Seattle worked to improve defensively?

Dugar: Including the outside linebackers, Seattle had five starters up front in that win over the Lions. Only one (OLB Uchenna Nwosu) is going to start on Sunday. Seattle has made other defensive changes — signing safety Julian Love, re-signing Wagner and drafting Witherspoon among them — but overhauling the front line is the most significant. They allowed 150 rushing yards per game, which was third-most in the league last season. The whole front seven needed to look itself in the mirror after that. Wagner, nose tackle Jarran Reed and new defensive tackles Dre’Mont Jones and Mario Edwards Jr. are tasked with revamping the front seven. Holding the Rams’ running backs to 2.2 yards per carry in Week 1 was a good start.


Pouncy: The Lions felt their biggest issue was their secondary, and it’s hard to disagree. Detroit ranked 30th in passing yards allowed in 2022, so it added free-agent DBs Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and drafted Alabama DB Brian Branch in the second round. Three of those dudes are starters, and Moseley should join them in the starting lineup when he’s healthy. Even though they just went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, I feel like Seattle will be a bigger test. Those wideouts are legit and had their way with the Lions a year ago. That’s the battle to watch, in my opinion.

All right, we all know the narrative about teams that start 0-2. Meanwhile, the Lions are looking for their first 2-0 start since 2017. Is this a sneaky compelling early-season matchup? What’s your read on things?



Dugar: I love the similarities between these two clubs. The on-field products embody the personalities of their head coaches. And those head coaches will lose their minds (in a good way) over a well-blocked running play. The offenses are explosive, led by two quarterbacks who were given up by their previous teams (multiple teams, in Smith’s case). The defenses have something to prove after being train wrecks last season. Last year’s matchup was so entertaining and featured so many explosive plays that it should have been in prime time. The Lions have already proven they’re worthy of the national spotlight. If the Seahawks play like they’re capable, this should be another superb showdown.

Pouncy: This really feels like two teams staring in a mirror. In so many ways, the Lions and Seahawks feel like they’re on similar trajectories, which should make for an intriguing game Sunday. I expect a hungry Seattle team hoping for a rebound, and a Detroit team that can’t wait to play in front of its home crowd coming off the emotional high of beating the defending champs. Should be a fun one. See you in Detroit, my guy.

[wcfwtf]

Ironic that Carroll loves running the ball except when it’s at the goal line in the Super Bowl with the most capable back to do it.

[jaadam4]

Ironic that Carroll loves running the ball except when it’s at the goal line in the Super Bowl with the most capable back to do it.

NE had stacked the box pretty well on that play but Beastmode was almost unstoppable that year in short. Coulda woulda shoulda

[Iron Lion]

NE had stacked the box pretty well on that play but Beastmode was almost unstoppable that year in short. Coulda woulda shoulda

It's the goal line. Anywhere you line up is inside the box.

[jaadam4]

I’d have put the ball in his hands but at the same time you have an all NFL QB as well. They have a ring anyway so I’m not crying for them

[Iron Lion]

I was shocked when they threw it. You don't throw it there when you have Beastmode. A loaded "box" is already guaranteed no matter who is playing who.

[Whitley]

It was the right call but the decision to throw where Wilson threw was the wrong one/

[Iron Lion]

Why was throwing it the right call?

[wcfwtf]

Because he’s bored and it’s the off season.
I mean in between games.