Lions News

[froot loops]

Josh Reynolds also blocks two players on that St. Brown TD, albeit a little more quietly.

[LightninBoy]

Josh Reynolds also blocks two players on that St. Brown TD, albeit a little more quietly.

Yeah, he made a smart decision to let one guy go and focus on other guys more downfield.

Bucs #31 made an awesome athletic move to not be totally obliterated by Craig's block on #24. But that slowed him down enough for St Brown to run past him.

[Cody_Russell]

Need to work on a Josh Reynolds extension too! Mr. Reliable.
The broadcast mentioned that all but one of Reynolds’ catches went for a 1st down or touchdown. The one catch that didn’t went for 9 yards and setup a 2nd & 1 situation.

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

Three-and-out: Lions' Jared Goff might have to shoulder load again vs. Ravens



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 20-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.


Shouldering the burden

A week ago, Jared Goff had one of the best statistical performances of his career, but what he did against the Buccaneers was arguably more impressive. Lacking the security blanket of an effective ground game, which also hinders the quarterback’s bread-and-butter, play-action attack, Goff put the offense on his shoulders and carried it across the finish line against a very good Tampa Bay defense.

I did a radio interview toward the end of last week and was asked about Goff’s ability to perform on the road. There was merit to the question. In 2022, Goff threw 22 touchdowns against just three interceptions at home, compared to a six-to-four ratio in the team’s eight road matchups. But I countered that he and the offense were seemingly operating at a different level this year, referencing his reliable showing in a win at Lambeau last month. Still, I didn’t anticipate him needing to throw it 44 times on Sunday, against a blitz-happy defense, while delivering in the manner he did.



Goff set season-highs for both completions (30) and yardage (353). He was particularly impressive on third down, completing 9-of-13 for 131. In terms of big plays, the passing attack was responsible for eight gains of 19 or more yards as Goff attacked all depths of the field, like he’s done all season, leaving the notion he’s a check-down quarterback so far in the rear-view mirror we can hardly remember that narrative.

Sure, the Lions would prefer to be a balanced offense each week. Goff will readily tell you as much because the absence of a run game makes his life far more difficult. But knowing the team can count on his arm when the rushing attack isn’t there, simply gives Detroit’s multi-faceted offense another way to win games. That was emphasized with how the team still managed to drain seven minutes off the clock while leaning on the pass during a fourth-quarter drive, which significantly hampered Tampa Bay’s hopes of staging a comeback.


Regarding Detroit’s ground game, it’s in rough shape. Not so much the execution, which likely just had a down week against a formidable front seven, but physically. David Montgomery exited in the second quarter with a rib injury and was unable to return. And even with his well-known ability to play through injury, there’s a good chance this issue causes him to miss at least one game.

This is in addition to a hamstring strain that’s had rookie Jahmyr Gibbs on the shelf the past two games. And even though he was making steady, positive progress at the end of last week, it would be risky to ask him to shoulder a heavy, between-the-tackles load with a type of injury that can easily be aggravated, chancing it becoming more of a long-term issue.


That could leave the Lions to rely more heavily on Craig Reynolds for next week’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Playing 43 snaps following Montgomery’s injury — the most of Reynolds’ five-year career — he delivered some huge plays, including the key block on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 27-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, and a 28-yard screen catch that converted a third down. But as a runner, he struggled, mustering a measly 15 yards on 10 carries. And he’s never been particularly dynamic in that regard, averaging 4.1 yards per carry for his career.


The Ravens are similar to the Buccaneers in the sense they can make an opponent one-dimensional by taking away the run. But they’ve also been better defending the pass than almost anyone in the NFL, thanks to a rush that’s generated a league-best 24 sacks. The way things are setting up, the Lions are going to look to Goff to carry things again next week. That will be another opportunity for him to continue to defy expectations and silence lingering critics.


Time to tighten up

It doesn’t matter the opponent, holding a team to six points is worthy of praise. And it marks the second time this season the Lions have kept the opposition out of the end zone. The Lions are now allowing 18.8 points per game, good enough to crack the top-10 in scoring defense. And when you look under the hood at down-by-down efficiency, they’ve been even more impressive. The unit's turnaround from a season ago continues to be a driving force behind the team's success.

But if we’re being honest, they got away with some notable lapses against the Buccaneers, which could have resulted in a much closer game and potentially a different result. Early in the matchup, Isaiah Buggs batted a pass at the line of scrimmage — a point of emphasis for the defense according to the defender — which resulted in an interception. Had the deflection not occurred, star receiver Mike Evans was wide open with nothing but green grass in front of him after Kerby Joseph bit a little too hard on play-action.


Then, late in the first half, receiver Trey Palmer got beyond the top of the defense, blowing past deep safety Tracy Walker, only for quarterback Baker Mayfield to miss his target long. If that connects, we’re talking about a tie game at the half instead of a seven-point Detroit advantage. And Mayfield missed an open Palmer long again with a little less than 11 minutes remaining, when a rally was still in play.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a little lucky. It’s not like the Lions have been reliant on it during this 5-1 start, a record that accurately reflect the team’s overall performance. Still, it puts emphasis on the race to improve the coaching staff constantly references.


That’s especially true with the Ravens on deck. They have a quarterback in Lamar Jackson who loves to take deep shots to counter extra defenders hovering close to the line of scrimmage to counter his game-altering, dual-threat ability. It was a different time, obviously, but during the last meeting between these teams, in 2021, Jackson feasted on long balls, besting Detroit’s secondary for six completions of 20+ yards, with three going longer than 35.


Jackson’s mobility almost certainly will put Detroit’s secondary in a steady state of conflict next Sunday, but they can’t let Baltimore’s receivers behind them like they did against Tampa Bay or they’re liable to pay a steep price.


Kicking into the unknown

Throughout the offseason, I expressed concern with kicker Riley Patterson. After watching him at different stages the past three years, it felt like the résumé was established: He is reliable, borderline automatic from inside 45 yards, but a potential liability beyond that distance. Through five games, that opinion wasn’t tested, but on Sunday, with his first attempt beyond 40 yards this season, Patterson sent the effort wide right.


But if we’re being fair to the situation, that miss didn’t really give us enough to raise alarm. What was encouraging is Patterson had plenty of leg on the 52-yard boot, it just faded hard right at the end of its flight path in the gusty conditions. Beyond that miss, Patterson has fulfilled every expectation, making his other seven field goal attempts and all 21 extra points.


That said, until we see Patterson bang home a couple from 50 yards and beyond, he remains a question mark. And there’s going to come a point when the Lions need him to execute in that situation, potentially in the closing seconds with a game on the line. The good news is eight of Detroit’s remaining 11 games are indoors, which takes wind and like variables out of play.

Watching Kansas City last Thursday, you’re reminded what kind of weapon a reliable kicker with a strong leg can be with Harrison Butker knocking down 52- and 60-yard field goals against Denver. With a long of 38 yards on the season, we still don’t know what level of weapon Patterson can be for the Lions.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Alex Anzalone right at home in leading Detroit Lions' charge to change their story



Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press


TAMPA, Fla. — The easiest distance they’ve traveled in years was surely the couple dozen rows they navigated to get to their son at the edge of the field Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium. Alex Anzalone’s parents, Sal and Judy, had only gotten back to the U.S. a few days earlier after a harrowing trip to Jerusalem.

“Scary,” Anzalone said when asked what it had been like for him and his family.


And fortunate. Not to mention eye-opening.

And if the Detroit Lions linebacker were looking for perspective, he found some when he saw a couple of his parents' photos with rockets overhead. He thought about that as he listened to a choir sing a gorgeous rendition of the national anthem before his Lions beat the Buccaneers Sunday. Thought enough about where he was standing and where his parents recently stood to lean over to his defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn, and talk about gratitude.


“It puts life in perspective,” said Anzalone after playing arguably his best game as a Lion. “There are some tough things going on around the world and it’s just a blessing to be here in America.”

Being with family is a blessing, too, along with being healthy and relatively safe, no matter where you are. For Anzalone and his parents, that place just happened to be on the edge of the field within an NFL stadium, where he tracked them down after the Lions' 20-6 win.


“It was definitely a crazy week for me,” he said. “(My parents) were able to enjoy the game. The best thing was (being) able to give them a hug and a kiss after the game in the stands. It was a memorable moment.”


Anzalone is playing the best football of his career. And while he still gets labeled with words like “smart” and “tough” and “savvy” — and those descriptions are all true — he isn’t manning the “Will” linebacker spot because of his grit and determination.

He is skilled and swift, as well. He can run, too. And when he gets to where he’s going, which is darn quick these days, he arrives with authority.


“You’d be hard-pressed to find a 'backer playing better than him right now,” said his head coach, Dan Campbell.

Campbell is guilty of calling him "smart." On Sunday, he added “bell cow,” a football cliché usually reserved for running backs that carry heavy loads.


“He is playing as physical as I’ve ever seen him,” said Campbell.

Anzalone agreed.

Why?


Time and confidence. Oh, and freedom.

Before this season, he primarily played in the middle of the defense — the “Mike” spot, as it's known — a position that involves a bit more diagnosing and caution. The move to the outside has liberated him.


“Though I feel like I can play both, (the Will) suits me best. That's how I feel, you know, just flying around making plays, playing free. It's a credit to the guys around me, too. Allows me to play at a high level.”

Add in experience — this is his seventh season — the confidence that comes with that experience, and that he’s at the apex of his physical prime (he’s 29) and you’ve got a player that not only anchors a defense, and not only directs it, but commands that side of the locker room.


“Hitsville,” said Tracy Walker, when he ducked into the circle of reporters talking to Anzalone outside the Lions locker room Sunday.

What?


“That’s what we call him. That’s what we call our defense.”

Anzalone is a magnet like that. A leader, Campbell said. Someone to whom the rest of the defense looks up.


“It’s been fun to watch,” Jared Goff said. “Seeing him grow and seeing him play as well as he is right now … it’s the best I’ve ever seen him play. He's certainly the igniter over there on defense. He's a helluva leader; he’s a helluva dude. He comes to work with a smile no matter what. (During) some of the hard times, he always had a positive outlook.”


Ah, there are those character words again. And, again, they ring true. Teammates and coaches don’t keep using them for no reason.

Besides, they matter. Perhaps as much as raw talent. Though without talent? Not as much. Asked why the defense is so much better this season, Anzalone doesn’t hide from the truth.


“We’ve got some missing pieces we’ve needed,” he said.


Translation: talent. The Lions have more of it, and Anzalone has been thrilled to help guide and lead that young talent. Not just on defense, either, which is why he sprinted — yes, he can sprint — to Jameson Williams after the receiver caught his first touchdown of the season, a 45-yarder on which he had to twist and turn and twist back again to nab.

“That's my guy,” Anzalone said of Williams. “He's right near me in the locker room. I feel he’s ‘Mr. Misunderstood.’ It's just so great to see him make that play. I hear the outside noise for him. It just makes me so proud to see him do that.”


Anzalone talks about that noise with Williams. Tries to help him through it and maybe even shield him from it. He’s protective that way. Just as his parents tried to teach him about the world and, at times, shield him when they needed.


On Saturday night, three days after they returned from Israel, he joined them for dinner in the Tampa area. They were home. He was home, too, in a sense. He keeps an off-season house in Clearwater, a half hour from the stadium (depending on traffic).

He trains with some of the Buccaneers in the offseason. He went to school up the road in Gainesville, playing for the Florida Gators. Feeling the vibe, eyeing his parents periodically in the stands, knowing he had friends in the stands, too?


“There was no way I was going to play a bad game (Sunday),” he said.

Not even close, actually. He played his best game of the season, in a season in which he has played the best football of his life.


Can he keep it up?

There’s a lot of season left, he’ll tell you. And he wasn’t raised to thump his chest. And yet … there’s this narrative out there, and he and his defensive teammates are itching to tear it down.


“We definitely notice when guys talk about: ‘We’re a better offense than defense.’ We take that personal. We're starting to change the narrative in that regard.”

Indeed, they are. Tampa may not be the 1999 Rams, or even the 2023 Dolphins, but they’re plenty capable of scoring touchdowns, and they didn’t Sunday — not a single one. That’s the second time this season the Lions have pulled that trick.


Anzalone, once again, was in the thick of it all, leading the charge to change the story. Afterwards, all he had to do was hug his parents.

It was among the sweetest embraces of his life.


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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions game balls and goats: Amon-Ra St. Brown delivers; DBs need to be better


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


TAMPA, Fla. — Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium:

Game balls

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

Neither team had much going offensively Sunday, but St. Brown was the one constant. In his return from an abdominal injury, he caught 12 passes for 124 yards and scored a touchdown on a 27-yard catch-and-run late in the first half when he caught a short pass on third-and-13, sprinted across field and picked up a big block from Craig Reynolds on his way to the end zone.


“Listen, Saint’s a ballplayer now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He’s a big player for us and he’s a clutch player that shows up and always makes plays. He is as consistent a player as you’re ever going to find in this league and you can count on it and it’ll be there and he just does things right and he’s ultra competitive, so having him back is huge. It was huge. And he didn’t disappoint today.”


LB Alex Anzalone

Anzalone had a team-high nine tackles and two pass breakups Sunday to key another standout effort by the Lions defense. The Lions held the Bucs to 46 net yards rushing and kept an opponent out of the end zone for the second time this season.

For Anzalone, the game was a homecoming of sorts. He went to college at Florida, lives in the state in the offseason, trains with several Buccaneers in the offseason and his parents were in attendance Sunday after returning from war-torn Israel earlier this week.


“It’s crazy,” he said. “I mean, you think about it, they were in a hostile situation in a foreign country this time a week ago and just to have them here home, it’s just, it puts everything into perspective. I was talking to (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) I think right after the national anthem and just like, it puts life into perspective. There’s really some tough things going around the world and it’s just a blessing to be here in America.”


DT Isaiah Buggs

Buggs made the defensive play of the game Sunday, when he tipped a Baker Mayfield pass at the line of scrimmage that Will Harris intercepted.

Buggs was the odd man out of the Lions defensive tackle rotation to start the season, but he’s played well the past two weeks while splitting time with Benito Jones at nose tackle. He might not have played his best overall game Sunday, but he delivered a key play and deserves a game ball for his perseverance.

“(I’m) just buying into what these coaches have for me,” Buggs said. “Like I said before, whatever they have for me, that’s what they have for me and I’m going to do my best to execute.”


Goats

The Lions secondary

The Lions are tied for the best record in the NFL at 5-1, but they had some slip-ups in the secondary Sunday that might have cost them the game had they been playing a better quarterback.

Mayfield missed two throws to receivers who ran open behind Lions defensive backs, and had a third pass tipped at the line of scrimmage for an interception when Mike Evans ran past Kerby Joseph early in the game. Joseph and fellow safety Tracy Walker appeared to be at fault on two of the plays, and slot cornerback Will Harris got beat cleanly on the third.


Brian Branch is on the mend from an ankle injury, so there is help on the way. But Joseph and Walker are likely the Lions’ safeties going forward. Collectively, the group needs to be better if the Lions want to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions have clear path to securing homefield advantage throughout NFC playoffs



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Taylor Decker has seen enough football to know records don’t matter much in mid-October.

“If we end the season with five wins than nobody gives a shit about the first six games,” Decker told the Free Press on Sunday.

The Lions (5-1) are tied for the best record in the NFL six weeks into the season. They’ve won four straight games, all by double digits, sit comfortably atop the NFC North with one of the league’s easiest remaining schedules, and have a legitimate chance to be the No. 1 seed and get homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.


It’s premature for the Lions to start planning for the postseason, of course, but not for us to start talking about it. And coming off Sunday’s road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s time to acknowledge the Lions have a legitimate claim as the best team in football.


The San Francisco 49ers are still the Vegas favorites to win the Super Bowl, but the Lions have a better resume than the league’s four other 5-1 teams – the 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins – a third of the way through this 18-week regular season.

The Lions are undefeated on the road. They’re the only one of those teams with a win over another member of the league’s Fab 5 (Lions beat the Chiefs in Week 1). And they have proven they can win games in a variety of ways.


The Lions will enter next week’s showdown against the Baltimore Ravens – their last game against a team that currently has a winning record until Week 17 – with the league’s fourth-highest scoring offense and ninth-best scoring defense. They rank top 10 in rushing yards, passing yards and rushing yards against.


“I think kind of the mark of a legitimate team is competing week in and week out, and that doesn’t mean we’re going to win every single game, but as long as we compete for wins, then when you get games like this one, this was a big game,” Decker said “This is a very good team, we’re coming in on the road, they flexed the game (time) for us. You got to be able to win those games if you want to be a good team, if you want to be able to compete leading into later in the year, even the postseason. It’s just, you have to show up for those ones.

“So it’s been a great start for us, it’s put us in a good position leading into these next couple games and the bye week and hopefully we just keep it rolling.”


Decker was a part of the last Lions team to win four straight games, in 2016 when the Lions won five in a row in November and December, and were in control of the division until Matthew Stafford suffered a finger injury late in the year.

The Lions lost their final three games that season, including an NFC North title game at Ford Field against Green Bay, and limped into the playoffs. They were steamrolled by the Seattle Seahawks, 26-6, in a wild-card game.


Injuries are the league’s greatest equalizer, and the one thing that could derail the Lions this winter.

David Montgomery will miss time with the rib injury he suffered Sunday, and the Lions already have lost several starters: Montgomery (to a thigh bruise), Decker, Brian Branch, Jonah Jackson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kerby Joseph and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have missed a combined 13 games this season.


Gardner-Johnson could miss the rest of the year, though the Lions are holding out hope for a late-season return, and that list doesn’t include role players or potential starters who’ve missed time this season like Jahmyr Gibbs, Emmanuel Moseley, James Houston and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Moseley and Houston could be out for the season.


The Lions have done a commendable job navigating injuries so far, and coach Dan Campbell and his staff deserve credit for having their team ready to play every single game, a rarity in the NFL even for good teams.

The 49ers looked like a juggernaut before scuffling through Sunday’s loss to a Cleveland Browns team starting a backup quarterback. The Eagles broke character in their loss Sunday to the New York Jets, throwing the ball 45 times at the expense of the league’s second-best rushing attack despite leading most of the game. Even the Dolphins, who own the league’s most explosive offense, got stomped in their lone loss by a good Buffalo Bills team.


I don’t know if the Lions can beat the 49ers on a neutral field. I suspect the Chiefs, with Travis Kelce and Chris Jones healthy, will be the team no one wants to play come January because of all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes. And as good as the Lions' defense has been, I don’t think their secondary matches up particularly well with the Dolphins’ track team.


But I do know Jared Goff is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL right now, the Lions have a rabid fan base that can turn any stadium into a homefield advantage and there’s nothing this team can’t do – or thinks it can’t do, at least – on either side of the ball.


“We’ve played well for six weeks and I think it’s hard to play well all year, but that’s our goal,” Goff said. “At some point we’re going to hit some sort of adversity and have to fight through that. Right now, we’re playing well. That’s four in a row for us and it’s a pretty good feeling. Yeah, it certainly is. And we know who we are. I’ve said it a million times, we feel like we can go beat anyone right now, and yeah, we feel pretty good.”

The Lions can beat anyone, and soon enough, Campbell’s biggest challenge may be convincing his players they can lose to anyone, too.


Looking at the remaining schedules, there’s no reason the Lions shouldn’t at least be the two seed in the NFC. The NFC South will be lucky to have a team win more than nine games. The Eagles have a treacherous upcoming stretch where they play the Dolphins, Chiefs, Bills, 49ers and Dallas Cowboys (twice) before Christmas. And the Cowboys (3-2), the second-best team in the NFC East, play a similar slate: Dolphins, Bills, Lions and Eagles twice, after their Monday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers to close out Week 6.


The 49ers, the presumptive NFC West champs, have a more manageable final 11 games with tilts against AFC playoff contenders in the Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals, plus that December trip to Philadelphia, the hardest games left on their schedule. (Philadelphia and San Francisco both face a .540 combined winning percentage from their remaining opponents. The Lions' is .387, second easiest in the NFL.)

The Lions won't go undefeated from here on out. Baltimore will be a stern test Sunday. And like Decker, Campbell knows better than to start scoreboard watching after a 5-1 start.


But the Lions are a good football team and could conceivably host the NFC championship game Jan. 28 at Ford Field, with a trip to their first Super Bowl on the line.

“Listen, I’m happy we’re winning and I love where we’re at right now and the other (stuff) will happen when it happens,” Campbell said. “Right now it’s about trying to find a way to finish first in this division and right now we’re in a pretty good spot. We’ve got a lot of football left but I’m proud of our guys.”


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

[whatever_gong82]

Lions RB Craig Reynolds' block meant lights out for Bucs: 'He's the reason why I scored'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


TAMPA, Fla. - Amon-Ra St. Brown did everything wrong, but Craig Reynolds made sure it turned out all right.

Reynolds made the key block on St. Brown's momentum-starting touchdown Sunday as the Detroit Lions won their fourth straight game by double digits, 20-6, over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

St. Brown scored the first touchdown of the game on a 27-yard catch-and-run with 2:39 left in the first half, then celebrated by mobbing Reynolds on the sideline like Reynolds was the one who hit pay dirt.

"He's the reason why I scored," St. Brown said. "It was a big play for us. And I’m just glad. I mean, we teach blocking after the catch so much and it showed up big time for us when we needed it most, so hats off to Craig."


Reynolds, who took over for David Montgomery as the Lions' lead back after Montgomery injured his ribs on the first play of the drive, came running from behind the line of scrimmage to make a bone-rattling block 10 yards downfield on Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis and give St. Brown a clear path to the end zone.

On third-and-13 from the Tampa 27, Reynolds started the play in pass protection then leaked out to the right flat as an outlet for Lions quarterback Jared Goff.


Goff threw short to St. Brown over the middle, who caught the ball at the 21-yard line and was supposed to knife upfield for extra yards. With two defenders between him and the first down marker, St. Brown said he made a conscious decision to cut across field instead and try to score.

"So I cut across, boom, and I see 24 (Davis) and I see Craig come out of nowhere and I like kind of point at 24 and Craig just comes zooming, boom. Lights him up," St. Brown said.

Reynolds, who hit Davis so hard he sent the defensive back tumbling to the ground, said he worried he was going to get penalized as he was sizing Davis up for the block.

"I’m not going to lie, for a split second I was (thinking), 'What’s the rules as far as like a block like this?'" Reynolds said. "I’m literally running towards him, I’m like, 'I think if I’m going towards my goal line I'm OK,' and I just said, 'F it.' Like, 'If I get fined, I get fined.' Ooh, am I going to get fined for that?"



Reynolds finished with 10 carries for 15 yards Sunday one week after scoring his first NFL touchdown in a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers.

Goff called Reynolds' block "sweet" and said St. Brown "did everything wrong running sideways and still gets a touchdown, partially cause of what Craig did there."


Lions coach Dan Campbell said the block was another example of the selfless play that has endeared Reynolds to his teammates. A former undrafted rookie who played for three teams before finding a home with the Lions in 2021, Reynolds had 14 carries entering Sunday and had made his biggest contributions on special teams.

"It was outstanding," Campbell said. "That’s what he does. You talk about a guy who plays for the guys around him and just does things right. He shows up in critical times when not everybody sees him, and honestly, he does stuff like that all the time. And then for Saint to use it, he felt him and you saw him take that loop around and use that block and then find a way to take it into the end zone. That was just huge. That’s a couple players making plays for us is what that was."


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

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' Montgomery to be 'down for a bit,' while Gibbs tracking toward playing Sunday



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Allen Park — Running back David Montgomery came to Detroit with a reputation for being a tough and durable player. In four seasons, he missed just six games, with four coming during an injured reserve stint due to a knee injury in 2021.

During his career, he had never been sidelined by two different injuries during one season, but that's likely going to change this week. According to Lions coach Dan Campbell, medical testing revealed Montgomery suffered a rib cartilage injury in Sunday's victory and the back is expected to be "down for a little bit."


If he's absent from the lineup Sunday, it will be the second game Montgomery has missed this season. He also sat out the team's game against Atlanta with a thigh contusion last month. At this stage in the evaluation, Campbell said it's too early to say whether Montgomery will need a stint on injured reserve, which would sideline the veteran a minimum of four games.


When healthy, Montgomery has been the bell cow the Lions envisioned when they signed him to a three-year deal this offseason. He's pacing the team's rushing attack with 94 carries for 385 yards and six touchdowns.

The good news for Detroit's backfield is rookie Jahymr Gibbs is part of a group of players tracking toward returning to the lineup after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury.


"Yeah, feel a lot better about Gibbs this week," Campbell said. "He ran really well on Saturday before we left (for Tampa), and had another really good workout today. He, (tight end James) Mitchell and (defensive back Brian) Branch I thought all looked pretty good today, so I think they're trending the right way."

Even with Gibbs on the cusp of returning, the Lions feel the need to get creative with their backfield rotation. The team obviously has Craig Reynolds, who logged more than 40 snaps filling in for Montgomery on Sunday, as well as Devine Ozigbo on the practice squad. But if they feel like they need more juice, Campbell said they could look to another position group to contribute.


"Yeah, and I think if not, we've got other guys we can use on the roster at that position, probably in the receiver room is where that can come from," Campbell said. "We'll do what we need to do to make it through this if that's the case and all we have is those (guys)."

That could point to Amon-Ra St. Brown reprising a role from the previous two seasons, when he ran the ball 16 times for 156 yards.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' David Montgomery (ribs) out 'for a little bit'; Jahmyr Gibbs nearing return



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions will have to do without their leading rusher for this week's game against the Baltimore Ravens, and perhaps longer.


Lions coach Dan Campbell said running back David Montgomery will "be down for a little bit" with the rib injury he suffered in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Montgomery suffered a rib cartilage injury, Campbell said, when he was tackled from behind on a screen pass late in the first half.


"He’s got a little something in there," Campbell said. "I don’t know how long (he will be out). That’ll just be really how long it takes for this to ½ at his position that’s not an easy thing to deal with."

It's unclear if Montgomery will require a trip to injured reserve, and the Lions' schedule sets up so that he might only have to miss two games.


The Lions (5-1) visit the Ravens, owners of the NFL's seventh-ranked run defense, this weekend and host the Las Vegas Raiders in a Monday night game Oct. 30 before their Week 9 bye.


Montgomery has shouldered a heavy workload for the Lions this season, despite battling two different injuries. He sat out a Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a bruised thigh, then returned to amass 51 carries for 230 yards and four touchdowns the next two weeks in wins over the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers.

Montgomery leads the Lions with 94 carries, 385 yards rushing and six touchdowns. He had six carries for 14 yards before his injury Sunday, when the Lions played without rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs for the second straight game because of a strained hamstring.


Gibbs carried 17 times for 80 yards in Montgomery's absence against the Falcons, and Campbell said he ran "really well" in rehab Saturday and had "another really good workout" on Monday.

"He, (tight end James) Mitchell and (defensive back Brian) Branch I thought all looked pretty good today, so I think they’re trending the right way," Campbell said.


Mitchell and Branch sat out the Buccaneers game with hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.


If Gibbs can't play this week, Campbell said the Lions do not necessarily need to add anyone to a running back room that also features Craig Reynolds and Devine Ozigbo. Wide receiver Kalif Raymond got one carry out of the backfield against the Bucs, and Campbell said the Lions have "other guys we can use on the roster at that position."


"Probably in the receiver room is where that could come from," he said. "We’ll do what we need to do to make it through this," he said. "If that’s the case then all we have is those two, but I trust those two to be able to handle what we need to handle."


Big V update


Right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai has played only on special teams in his return from a knee injury the past two weeks, and Campbell acknowledged the Lions are in no rush to sit Vaitai's replacement, Graham Glasgow.

"It is hard to do that cause you don’t want to mess with the chemistry that’s going on right now, cause Graham is playing good, solid football for us," Campbell said. "But at the same token with Jonah (Jackson) out, Big V it’s just about, man, we want to make sure that he’s 100% comfortable with his own abilities with his knee coming back."



Vaitai injured his knee in the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, sat out the next two games and has played 11 total snaps the past two weeks on the extra point and field goal teams.

Kayode Awosika started at left guard in Jackson's place Sunday, and replaced Jackson for the Lions' final offensive series against the Panthers.


Campbell said Vaitai is "almost back to 100%," and he said Awosika had a "solid" showing against the Bucs.

"Big V is just steadily coming back from this," Campbell said. "He’s kind of been on the reserve, he was better this week than last week but we just want to make sure he’s 100% ready to go and then we’ll take it from there. But certainly what Yode did was encouraging and I have a lot of faith in him. He’ll only get better as well."


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

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Detroit Lions have many believers: Here's what NFL experts are saying



Jared Ramsey
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions bandwagon left the train station a long time ago and national NFL pundits are scrambling to hop on this week.

Detroit is tied for the best record in the NFL at 5-1 after another dominant win on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have a three-game lead in the NFC North just six weeks into the season and a top-10 offense and defense in terms of scoring so far to reach this point.

The four-game double-digit winning streak has turned every head toward Detroit with eager eyes to see what will come next. Fans are also matching the output on the field with weekly cross-country travel that is being admired from every corner of the NFL world.


Here's what national NFL reporters are saying about the Lions this Monday:


ESPN

The worldwide leader in sports started the morning hour of their flagship show, First Take, debating if the Lions were the best team in the NFC, unseating the Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco 49ers. Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken face of ESPN with Philly roots, emphatically declared that Detroit was the class of the conference and Jared Goff is playing at the highest level of any NFC quarterback.


"These guys are at 5-1 and 13-3 since Week 9 of last season, the second-best record in the NFL in that time behind the San Francisco 49ers," Smith yelled on national television. "I mean, Jared Goff — have you seen the way he's been balling?"

Smith's co-hosts, former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, said the Lions were still behind the 49ers but still firmly belonged in the conversation as one of the league's best teams.


NBC Sports


NBC Sports Columnist Peter King, who has covered the NFL since the 1980s, had high praise for the "physicality and selflessness" of the 2023 Lions in his weekly column.

"Let’s focus on Detroit," King wrote. "The win in Tampa was a perfect win for this edition of the Lions. Because it featured the perfect play. With 2:45 left in the first and the score tied at 3, Detroit had the ball at the Tampa 27-yard line. Jared Goff threw to Amon-Ra St. Brown over right end, and St. Brown turned upfield. It looked like cornerback Carlton Davis was fixing to drive St. Brown out of bounds in a pretty solid collision around the 18-yard line."

King then continued to detail the punishing and important block by running back Craig Reynolds that not only helped St. Brown get a first down, but also a touchdown.

"...To me, it said everything about the physicality and selflessness of the 2023 Lions, the team Dan Campbell has built to have both traits."

King awarded Reynolds with one of his honorary offensive players of the week for the devastating block as well as for filling in for the injured David Montgomery.


Fox Sports

Fox Sports columnist Geoff Schwartz began his weekly NFL stock report praising the Lions' overall effort in the win over Tampa and called the early success a testament to the team culture.

"They are winning because they know who they are and play to it," Schwartz wrote. "The Lions offense is led by their mauling O-line, while offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dials up the right throws for quarterback Jared Goff."

Schwartz said he could easily see a double-digit winning season for Detroit given the remaining schedule filled with struggling NFC North opponents.

The Ringer

Benjamin Solak, an NFL columnist for the Ringer, isn't 100% sold on the Lions if you want to find a contrarian. In his weekly NFL column, Solak listed the Lions under "the zag" portion, where he writes about a potentially unpopular take. He said he is positive the Lions are a playoff football team, but not sure if they can compete with the top of the NFC.

"When I look at the Lions, I see a coaching staff that is maximizing the talent that the team drafted and developed," Solak wrote. "But when I look for teams that are legit contenders, I’d also like to see star players who are powering a team’s success. To see that they have true takeover talent. And I’m not sure the Lions are there yet."


The Athletic

On Mondays, The Athletic writer Mike Sando anonymously interviews NFL executives about their opinion of the current state of the NFL. The anonymous executive praised the Lions for having a true identity and playing with it on a weekly basis. Sando wrote the biggest change for him is the defense, which held Tampa Bay to just two field goals Sunday.

"Detroit will win the NFC North and return to the playoffs, which will make this season successful no matter what happens from there," Sando wrote. "But we won’t find out until the postseason just how much better the defense might be, because the remaining schedule features so many weak offenses."

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Despite being active, Lions being safe with Vaitai; Glasgow's play making that easier



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Allen Park — Despite guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai being active for the second consecutive week, the Week 1 starter didn't see an offensive snap for the Detroit Lions. Even with left guard Jonah Jackson sidelined by an ankle injury, the team opted to go with reserve Kayode Awosika at that spot.

It marked the third start in two seasons with the Lions for Awosika. And coach Dan Campbell was pleased with the way the young veteran stepped in and performed against a tough, Tampa Bay defense.

"Look, I would say it was solid," Campbell said. "...That's a dang good unit, really good D-line, and there was some good and some that wasn't so good. But I think, all in all, man, he really competed in there and gave us a chance. I thought it was positive."



As for Vaitai, despite being active and available, he's still not 100% after suffering a knee injury in the team's Week 2 loss to Seattle. Campbell said they're being patient and not rushing him back into the lineup until he's fully prepared to handle the load.

"Big V is just steadily coming back from this," Campbell said. "He's kinda been on reserve. He was better this week than last week. But we just want to make sure he's 100% ready to go and then we'll take it from there. Certainly what 'Yode (Awosika) did is encouraging. I have a lot of faith in him. He'll get a lot better, as well."



The other reason the Lions don't feel the need to rush Vaitai back is Graham Glasgow has been thriving in his stead at right guard. According to Pro Football Focus, Glasgow has been the third-highest graded player at the position in the league this season.

"Yeah, it is (hard to remove Glasgow when he's playing like this)," Campbell said. "It is hard to do because you don't want to miss with the chemistry that's going on right now. Graham is playing good, solid football for us."



Once Vaitai has cleared the remaining hurdles in his recovery, the Lions could face an interesting lineup decision. Vaitai won the training camp competition between the two players and had also played well prior to his injury.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers