Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions game balls and goats: Lions could be losing both coordinators next year


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Ford Field:

Game balls

OC Ben Johnson

Aaron Glenn got a game ball last week for the Lions’ dominant defensive effort against the Packers. This week, it’s offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s turn.

Down two of his best weapons in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, Johnson cobbled together a creative offensive game plan that helped the Lions score a season-high in points. He dialed up a reverse flea-flicker for a touchdown after one Panthers turnover and hit Carolina with a between-the-legs direct snap to David Montgomery for another key first down.

Johnson turned down a chance to coach the Panthers after last season because he felt he wasn’t quite ready to succeed as a head coach. He’ll be in high demand again this offseason, and there’s a good chance the Lions will lose both him and Glenn this time around.


RB David Montgomery

Montgomery might have been the best free agent signing of the entire NFL offseason. Had had 19 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown Sunday and has 51 carries and four scores the past two weeks.

With Gibbs out with a hamstring injury, the Lions rode Montgomery hard again Sunday and the physical back delivered. He scored on a 42-yard run on the Lions’ third offensive play and was so effective he got most of the fourth quarter off.

Montgomery said he’s built for the workload he’s shouldered so far: 88 carries (and another five catches) in four games, with one game missed due to injury. And the Lions look ready to ride him into the winter.


LT Taylor Decker

Decker made his 100th career start Sunday and talked emotionally about his time with the Lions afterwards. He’s been a part of some bad teams in Detroit — the Lions have not made the playoffs since his rookie year in 2016 — but the franchise’s longest-tenured player is now an anchor on one of the league’s best offensive lines.

“Nobody wants to be a loser,” Decker said. “You are going to be what your record says you are and I’ve always felt personally like I’m a winner, but I wasn’t. Because that’s not what the record said. But again, it’s one of those instances where you don’t have any choice but to keep showing up. You’re not going to quit, you just have to keep showing up.”


Goats

Panthers QB Bryce Young

The Lions played too good an all-around game to have any goats, but they got plenty of help from Young. The No. 1 pick of last year’s draft, Young threw two interceptions in his own territory in the first half to put the Panthers in a big hole.

Young did some good things evading pressure and finished a respectable 25 of 31 passing for 247 yards on the day. He has a promising future that will only get brighter once Carolina gets him some help. But on Sunday, at least, his careless play cost his team a chance at victory.


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

[-Deborah-]

lol.. damn bro that’s cold blooded.

Not trying to be cold but isn't it odd that he's torn both his ACLs now? He should look into whether there's something bigger going on. Autoimmune disease or something.

[-Deborah-]

I think his previously injured knee was never right. He had to get a 2nd surgery on it. Then tweeked a hammy to stall his return. I think he's been compensating for the knee and that caused him to slip and get the other knee.

What a mess.

[ghandi]

Moseley out for the season with torn ACL....how frustrating must that be for an athlete to blow out your ACL for the second time in a year on the second play of your season? Im guessing that ends his lions career before it really even began.....We've always said you can never have enough DBs and WRs.....they are always injured.

[froot loops]

Bad new on Moseley. I don't expect a trade. I'm much higher on Jacobs and Harris than most. But if they could swing a deal, I would endorse.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions CB Emmanuel Moseley tears right ACL 1 year after suffering same injury in left knee: Source




By Colton Pouncy and Jeff Howe
19m ago

Playing in just his first game back after recovering from a left ACL tear suffered in Week 5 of 2022, Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley tore his right ACL in Week 5’s win against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, a league source confirmed Monday. Here’s what you need to know:

*- Moseley played just two snaps in the Lions’ 42-24 win over the Panthers.

*- The 27-year-old joined the Lions on a one-year, $6 million deal last offseason.

*- He spent the previous five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, tallying four interceptions.


Moseley’s season ends in heartbreak


Really tough break for Moseley, one of Detroit’s key free-agent additions last offseason. He was a projected starter in Detroit, but the team knew he’d need more time after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee on Oct. 9, 2022. Almost exactly a year later, after a lengthy rehab process and just two snaps in his Lions debut, Moseley tore his ACL in his right knee on Oct. 8. Just an unfortunate story for a player who was excited to be back in action, and one the Lions were counting on. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer


How will the Lions replace him?


The Lions have started CB Jerry Jacobs in place of Moseley, as he recovered from his injury. Jacobs has been up and down in coverage this season, but his three interceptions — all in the last two games — are tied for the league lead through five weeks. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable as the season progresses and should remain a starter from here on out barring a trade. The Lions should be monitoring the cornerback market for depth. Behind Cameron Sutton and Jacobs, the room is a bit thin.

Will Harris is a player the coaching staff trusts, but he might be better at nickel than outside corner. Same with Chase Lucas, a special teamer. After that, there’s undrafted free-agent rookie Steven Gilmore, who impressed in the preseason but hasn’t been a factor during the regular season. Cornerback depth is suddenly something worth addressing.

We’ll see how GM Brad Holmes handles things. — Pouncy

[-Deborah-]

Crazy to see it laid out this way.

Screenshot_20231009_115846_Facebook.jpg

[Iron Lion]

Crazy to see it laid out this way.

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I'm on it. Making my tinfoil hat as I type this.

[-Deborah-]

Ha!

[whatever_gong82]

Three-and-out: Lions proving to be injury-proof, plus the unique duality of the offense


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Detroit — Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions' 42-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Roster resiliency

Next man up. As a football fan, how many times have you heard the phrase? It's a mantra born out of necessity because injuries are a fact of life in the NFL. It's not a matter of whether the injury bug is going to bite, but how big the infestation will be.

For the Detroit Lions in 2023, they've been anything but fortunate. Each week, they're having to enter a matchup missing multiple key pieces. They've already played games without their starting running back, No. 1 receiver, blind-side tackle, both starting safeties and star rookie nickel back. Meanwhile, the team's injured reserve houses playmaking defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson — a prized free-agent acquisition who emerged as something between the soul and the hype man of the defense throughout the offseason — plus two key depth pieces along the defensive line and two of their top special-teams performers.


The team's offensive line, the engine that makes offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's car go, has been the walking wounded. Taylor Decker missed two games because of a high-ankle sprain, Halapoulivaati Vaitai has sat the past three because of a knee injury and Jonah Jackson came out of yesterday's game wearing a walking boot. It's enough to make you forget center Frank Ragnow's chronic toe issue that has to be managed weekly.

In years past, the Lions would have withered in the face of such adversity. And while there's too much pride to use injuries as an excuse — because, as mentioned, everyone deals with them — it wouldn't have stopped us on the outside from using the woes as an excuse for them. Or, at the very least, offering it up as a valid reason for falling short of expectations.


But not these Lions. These Lions are different, and this is one of the more obvious signs. Next man up hasn't been a mantra, it's been a successful way of life. Gardner-Johnson goes down; Tracy Walker steps in. Kerby Joseph misses a couple of games; Ifeatu Melifonwu steps up. Amon-Ra St. Brown is sidelined, and every other pass catcher picks up a little bit of the slack, and the Lions still hang 42 on the Panthers.

I asked Dan Campbell about it to open his postgame press conference Sunday night.

"Look, we’ve been doing it for three years, so I guess at some point, you get good at it — or get better at it, I should say," Campbell said. "I think this was something we talked about, really after 2021 — it was we have to assume we’re going to lose a significant amount of our starters every year. That’s the assumption and now what do we do with the guys that we have on this roster and how do we utilize them, but yet still have enough to produce against the opponent? And so look, we’re doing a good job of that. These guys who are being asked to step up are making plays for us. We’re not getting any drop-off, and when we need someone to show up, they show up for us."


Credit for the reliability of Detroit's depth is shared. It starts with general manager Brad Holmes and his staff, who have built a roster full of those pieces. It also goes to the position coaches, who prepare those guys for the moment when they're called upon to fill a void. And finally, to the coordinators, who have been able to tweak the game plans to account for absences, hide weaknesses and accentuate strengths, preventing a noticeable dip in performance.

It doesn't mean there won't be bumps in the road ahead, but what the Lions have been able to overcome the first five weeks says a lot about the team's depth, and also a lot about its character. There is no woe-is-us sentiment. It all goes back to something Campbell colorfully expressed during a team meeting that was captured on the HBO documentary series "Hard Knocks."


"It doesn’t matter if you have one ass cheek and three toes, I will beat your ass," Campbell said.

This is who these Lions are showing us they are. No matter who is sidelined, whoever is banged up, their fight is going to be the same.


Impressive duality

We often talk about identity with football teams. It's our way of understanding what they do well, or at least what they want to do well. But what's been fascinating about Detroit's offense this year is its identity is amorphous. Johnson has constructed a scheme that can be both a sports car or a bulldozer, depending on the situation.

Johnson has taken his sports car for a spin in the opening halves of the past two games. Against Green Bay two weeks ago, the unit had five explosive plays in the opening quarter, as they pounced on the Packers early. And it was much of the same facing the Panthers, when the Lions opened up with a pair of passes netting 39 yards, setting up David Montgomery's 42-yard touchdown romp.


Or how about the flea-flicker out of a wide receiver-reverse motion that cashed in for a 31-yard touchdown the play after a turnover? The Lions unquestionably possess one of the league's most potent attacks because Johnson has removed the shackles of traditional football, this persistent feeling you need to run the ball on first and second down and set up third-and-manageable.

Instead, the coordinator told his offensive linemen ahead of Sunday's game against Carolina they were going to take some shots on first down and needed to be prepared for a long day of pass protecting if those calls didn't work as expected.

But, they are working as expected. The Lions entered the day No. 3 in the NFL in yards per first down play, averaging 7.1 yards on those snaps. That opening of the playbook early in drives and on early downs keeps defenses honest and allows for balance when you do want to run the ball.

And nowhere do the Lions want to run the ball more than to close out games. That's when Johnson parks the sports car in the garage and lets the big fellas up front eat.


Sometimes, it can be easy to lose sight of the trees when you're in the forest. Covering the Lions, I don't get a lot of time to consume other NFL games, but after the team played Thursday night last week, there was an opportunity to watch a good chunk of the Sunday slate. And what I saw was a reminder of how hard it can be to close out games in this league.

That drove home the point of how special Detroit's four-minute offense has been. They slammed the door shut on Green Bay with a 14-play drive, with most of the damage down on the ground. And although it wasn't exactly that deep into the fourth quarter against Carolina, Detroit's offense was able to put the final nail in the coffin with five straight Craig Reynolds runs that generated 53 yards and the running back's first career touchdown.

To be able to have that kind of success playing two very different styles of football is rare and special.


Veteran tests

There has been a theme with Detroit's opponents during this three-game winning streak. Atlanta, Green Bay and Carolina all had young, inexperienced offenses, particularly at the quarterback position. And Detroit's defense was able to capitalize on that inexperience. Without banked reps, young QBs typically process a tick slower and are more susceptible to mistakes, often because they haven't seen a particular coverage look or pressure package enough to know how to respond.

But, remember what Geno Smith did to the Lions in Week 2? The defense got a ton of pressure on Seattle's quarterback, but it never felt like it, because his experience and preparation allowed him to know where to go with the football when the Lions blitzed. It's a big reason the Seahawks won that game.

That's why the next three weeks will tell us a little more about these Lions and where they're improving. Up next is a resurgent Baker Mayfield, who is stylistically similar to the last three QBs the Lions faced, particularly his mobility inside and outside the pocket, but with an experience level closer to Smith's.


That matchup will be followed by the Ravens' Lamar Jackson, who had a lot of success with the deep ball the last time he faced the Lions, and the Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo, an efficient veteran who has won more than 68% of his career starts.

Much like the offense has shown that they can be as versatile as needed, the Lions' defense needs to prove they can be equally effective against different types of quarterbacks, whether style, experience or both.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

[Mainevent]

Burns actually played that well, but that was one of the most pathetic tackle attempts you'll ever see.

[chemiclord]

Bad new on Moseley. I don't expect a trade. I'm much higher on Jacobs and Harris than most. But if they could swing a deal, I would endorse.

I expect we'll see SOME kind of move, if for no reason than to get more depth at the position.

And I'm much lower on Jacobs and Harris than most. I think they're both fine in spot duty, but if you're relying on them to be week to week starters, it's only going to end in tears. Their value is in their versatility to be able to cover holes for short periods. If the Lions expect Jacobs to be their CB2 the rest of the season, it will only end in disappointment when he becomes burnt toast against any high level wide receiver.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions in wait-and-see mode with injured starting guard and rookie defensive back


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Allen Park — It's a little too early in the week to tell, but the Detroit Lions could be missing some key pieces for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay. On the flip side of that equation, the team is on the cusp of getting a pair of contributors back in the fold.

Of immediate concern is another injury along the team's offensive line. Left guard Jonah Jackson suffered a left ankle injury against Carolina that had him leaving the locker room after Sunday's game in a walking boot. He'll be closely monitored through the week to determine his status against the Buccaneers.


"I mean it's obviously a little tender today," Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday. "And those are always hard. You know, you're taped up and he was able to finish the game. Then, when you take the tape off, you get some swelling in there. So it's just a matter of how much we can get all that down — the swelling, the pain and what he can deal with."


If Jackson can't go against Tampa Bay, Campbell said the team is confident with its depth along the interior of the offensive line. After missing the previous two games with a knee injury, Halapoulivaati Vaitai was active Sunday against the Panthers, but didn't log a snap. Campbell said the veteran could have played, if needed, and he will be an option if Jackson is sidelined, presumably with Graham Glasgow shifting to the left guard spot.

Campbell also praised the two other guards on the roster, Kayode Awosika and rookie Colby Sorsdal, as being prepared to play bigger roles.


"I feel like the interior of the O-line is where we feel pretty good about our options right now," Campbell said.

Among the players who missed the Carolina game, Campbell said it's also too early to say whether defensive back Brian Branch will have enough time to clear the remaining hurdles to return to action. He's also nursing a sprained ankle, which he suffered in the team's win over Green Bay in Week 4.


"It's tough to say," Campbell said. "I really don't know. Basically today, it looked a little bit better, but a couple things when he moves a certain way going this direction, it's still (not right). It's just tough. It's how quick can he heal."

Making positive progress toward a return are two Lions players who spent the past month on injured reserve. Defensive lineman Josh Paschal (knee) and cornerback and core special teamer Khalil Dorsey are both eligible to practice this week and play Sunday against the Buccaneers.


"I would say they're both close," Campbell said. "If I was to pick one, it would probably be Dorse before Paschal, but they're both really, really close."

The Lions will hold their first practice of the week on Wednesday.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Jim Harbaugh 'proven right': Detroit Lions' Aidan Hutchinson deserved No. 1 NFL draft pick



Gabriela Carroll
USA TODAY NETWORK


Aidan Hutchinson is already one of the NFL's best defensive players — in Year 2 of his career.

Detroit Lions fans won't begrudge his draft spot after he fell to No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, after the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Georgia's Travon Walker No. 1.

But Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh has kept receipts. He reminded everyone Monday, one day after Hutchinson made an athletic interception against Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, that his former star defensive end deserved to be the top pick in the draft.


“I did comment that Aidan Hutchinson should be the No. 1 pick in the Draft," Harbaugh said. "I think I was right on that one as well. Did you see that interception he made on the screen pass? That one-hander? Wow! So proud of him and the amazing job he's doing. Statistics reflect very well, too, in what he's added to the Lions. Darn exciting to be a football fan in Michigan right now.”


The Lions' edge rusher ranks first in the NFL with 35 quarterback pressures and has 4½ sacks to start this season. Hutchinson's four career interceptions are second-most by a Lions defensive lineman all-time, and he's one of just four players to log 10 sacks and four interceptions over his first two seasons.


Hutchinson, a former Dearborn Divine Child star, has been a key part of the Lions' ascension the past two seasons, just as he was for the Wolverines in 2021, when U-M reached the College Football Playoff for the first time. Despite Harbaugh's feeling that Hutchinson deserved to go No. 1 overall, he said pre-draft on the HUTCH podcast that he was rooting for him to stay home in Detroit.

“It’s great to have him in our home state,” Harbaugh said in May 2022, just after the draft. “The thing I love about him, and it’s so rare — Aidan Hutchinson should have a big head, and you would not blame him if he did. But he’s the kind of guy that doesn’t when he should. That’s just really awesome when you see that in an athlete or any person, really.”