Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' injury list short coming out of Monday night, but team faces long-snapping concern



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Detroit — The Detroit Lions had minimal injury issues during Monday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Three players exited the contest in the second half, with guard Kayode Awosika dealing with cramping and special teamers Khalil Dorsey and Scott Daly suffering knee injuries.

There were no immediate updates on either of the knee injuries, but a long-term issue for Dorsey or Daly would be a blow for the Lions. Dorsey, who missed four games while dealing with a rhabdomyolysis, a serious muscle condition, has been playing on multiple special teams groups since his return to the lineup, including working as the team's kickoff returner.

Daly, meanwhile, plays the critical long-snapping role. He got rolled up on during a field goal late in the fourth quarter and will require additional medical testing to determine the extent of his injury. If serious enough to land him on injured reserve, he would need to be replaced following the team's bye week.

Daly's injury occurred late enough in the game where the team didn't need a long snapper. Had it happened earlier in the contest, he believes either defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or linebacker Alex Anzalone would have been called upon as the emergency replacement.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions in the market for new long snapper; Houston still in play to return this season


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Allen Park — The Lions are in the market for a new long snapper.

Scott Daly, who was in his third season handling those responsibilities for the Lions, needs surgery for the knee injury he suffered in Monday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was injured on a field goal late in the fourth quarter when a player rolled up on the back of his leg.


"It's a tough one to lose," Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday. "I'm glad you brought him up because nobody really talks about Daly, right? You don't talk about the long snapper unless something bad happens. We hadn't talked about Daly since Mule (Don Muhlbach) was gone.

"Daly, man, just grew from there. He took the challenge and just grew. He's been just a steady rock for us and he's improved every year. He was having the best year he's had. So it hurts. It's going to hurt to lose him. He's been really good for us."

Daly, who went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2017, came to Detroit in 2021 after stints in the AAF and XFL, stunning everyone when he beat out the team's longtime long snapper Muhlbach for the job early in training camp.

This offseason, it was Daly who had to fend off a contender in camp. Despite being pitted against former Pro Bowler Jake McQuaide, Daly was able to emerge victorious in the competition.

"It intensifies things, for sure," Daly said in August. "You definitely try to keep the same mindset, regardless if someone is in the building or outside the building. I'm always trying to push myself to my standard and trying to reach that standard each or every day if someone else is here or not.




"I just try to look at the bright side. It's definitely helped me, definitely kept me on my toes and made me a better snapper overall, both mentally and physically. I'm grateful for it. Competition makes everyone better. We're all trying to go to the same place and push ourselves to our very best."

As the Lions consider alternatives during the bye week, McQuaide is presumably an option. The veteran remains a free agent following his release from Detroit.


Houston a return candidate


Lions edge rusher James Houston has been on injured reserve since Week 2 after suffering a broken ankle on a kickoff, but Campbell remains optimistic the second-year defender can return before the end of the season.

"We'll see," Campbell said. "What he had was pretty clean, so the rehab to it, the healing with it should be pretty clean. There again, if it's happening, we're talking about December."

Houston, a sixth-round pick out of Jackson State in 2022, exploded onto the scene after a midseason promotion from the Detroit's practice squad. In seven games, he recorded eight sacks and a forced fumble.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[El Axe]

I wonder if the injury to Dorsey played a factor in picking up DPJ. Even if Dorsey were healthy, I like the pickup but even more so in light of that concern.

edit: I wonder x2 if Jack McQuaid is willing to come back?

[whatever_gong82]

Battered Lions offensive line passes test in win over Raiders



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Detroit — There’s nothing like Monday night.

So when Detroit Lions rookie lineman Colby Sorsdal woke up Monday morning, he was understandably a little amped. Sorsdal, a fifth-round draft pick out of William & Mary, was preparing for his first NFL start after the entirety of Detroit’s interior offensive line was ruled out with injury.


The results were immaculate: Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 152 yards on 26 carries (5.8 yards per carry), Craig Reynolds had 74 on 14 and the Raiders were limited to just one sack while the Lions’ pass protection held up for a majority of the game in Monday's 26-14 win.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said they "did a heck of a job" kickstarting the run game and credited offensive line coach Hank Fraley with preparing yet another first-time starting combination.


"We know Sorsdal can run off the football, he's shown that. (Awosika) can play with good pad level and has some power," Campbell said. "Have we ever worked that combination together? No, but you got to try, and they got it going."

Sorsdal got the start at right guard, while veteran Graham Glasgow started at center for the absent Frank Ragnow (toe/calf) and Kayode Awosika at left guard for Jonah Jackson (ankle). While it was Sorsdal’s first start, it wasn’t his first NFL appearance: He was asked to sub in at right tackle during the team’s Week 3 win over Atlanta after Matt Nelson and Dan Skipper were knocked out of the game. Skipper got playing time later Monday night as Awosika left with cramping.


“I definitely felt a lot looser coming out, ready to go. When you know you’re playing, it’s just a little bit different,” Sorsdal said. “I can’t really describe it.”

Perhaps the best part about Sorsdal’s first NFL start came long before the game kicked off. Sorsdal and his dad went out to dinner Saturday, before it was public knowledge he was starting.


“We were getting dinner and I was like, ‘Hey, you know, something’s on my mind, like, I gotta tell you something. I’m starting Monday night,’” Sorsdal said. “He was like, ‘What?’ He freaked out, so it was really cool.”

One one hand, the start for Sorsdal represented life being born into an NFL career. For Glasgow, the man next to him, it represented one of the “ups” of a long journey.

Glasgow — who arrived at the game dressed as an emo punk rocker — was drafted by Detroit in 2016 and was a starter at several positions for the Lions before spending two seasons with the Denver Broncos. He suffered a season-ending injury in his first season with Denver before being released in March, 2022.


Glasgow was brought back by the Lions this offseason as a depth option but has come in clutch as a starting-caliber reserve. Through the first eight weeks, he’d played 86 snaps at center, 75 at left guard and 294 at right guard. He said postgame he thinks he’s playing the best football of his career at 31 years old.

“It feels good. It feels good, but I mean, this game is very humbling in a lot of ways. I think that it’s nice — everybody’s career has ups and downs, a roller coaster,” Glasgow said.


“But it feels good to have some ups.”

It probably feels good to lend a helping hand along the way. Sorsdal said Glasgow is a wealth of information for him.


“I feel like a lot of my improvement from the spring is because of him and the vets in the room,” Sorsdal said. “Playing next to Graham was really cool, because he just helps me out if I don’t know stuff.

“I mean, I know the stuff, but sometimes there’s a freaky look where I’m like, ‘Graham, what the heck is going on?’ He’s awesome. He’s been a great role model for me.”


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown has huge day despite 'flu-like symptoms' vs. Raiders



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Detroit — It's not often that Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is overshadowed by an offensive performance from his own team.

But that was certainly the case in Monday night's 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, as Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs scooped up 189 yards from scrimmage.


St. Brown, meanwhile, quietly had a game-high six catches for 108 yards — just a few days after saying it was "kind of embarrassing" that he only racked up 102 yards on 19 targets against the Baltimore Ravens. Monday night, he set a new franchise record for most 100-yard receiving games (11) through a player's first three career seasons.

The efficiency from St. Brown was mighty impressive, but he almost didn't play at all. The third-year receiver was a late addition to the injury report because of an illness, and it was revealed by ESPN's Lisa Salters during the broadcast that St. Brown had developed "congestion, sore throat, flu-like symptoms."



Lions head coach Dan Campbell said, "That was not the best he’s felt but like a true warrior he just sucked it up and he went."

Almost all of St. Brown's production came in the first half. He had five catches for 94 yards in the first two quarters and caught his last pass of the game with just under 10 minutes to go in the third quarter.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Niyo: Not a ‘Thriller’, but Lions’ defense came to play




John Niyo
The Detroit News



Detroit — The choreography still could use a little work.

Aidan Hutchinson would be the first to admit that after the Lions’ 26-14 drubbing of the Los Vegas Raiders on Monday night.



But while the performance art might’ve lacked some polish, he and his teammates more than made up for it with enthusiasm. And in the end, this was exactly the kind of curtain call the Lions’ defense needed, bouncing back from a disastrous showing last week in Baltimore with a dominant effort to head into the bye week on a high note.


“I mean, we were ready,” Hutchinson said after Detroit held the Raiders to just 157 yards Monday and sacked quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo six times. “We were ready. And that's what good teams do: They bounce back. Some games aren’t your best, and some games are a little better. This was a good performance by us.”

A much better one than what we saw a week ago, when Lamar Jackson & Co. racked up more than 500 yards of offense in a 38-6 rout of the Lions.



These Raiders are a far cry from those Ravens, obviously, and Monday’s debacle in Detroit extended their streak of games scoring 21 points or less to nine games, one shy of a franchise record. You could see the frustration boil over on the sideline in the fourth quarter, too, as star receiver Davante Adams, who finished with one catch on seven targets, threw down his helmet in disgust after another possession came up empty. Josh McDaniels' seat has to be getting warm out in Vegas.


Still, the Lions’ defense certainly did its part to turn up the heat, much to the delight of a frenzied Ford Field crowd that was reveling in the Monday Night Football spotlight for the first time in five years. Aside from one 60-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter, the Raiders managed just five first downs total the rest of the game. Las Vegas finished 1-for-12 on third- and fourth-down conversions Monday, averaged 3.5 yards per play and lost the time of possession by a 2-to-1 margin.

“I thought our defense played outstanding,” head coach Dan Campbell said afterward. “Outstanding. I mean, you play defense like that, you can beat anybody.”


Campbell gave a game ball in the postgame locker room to defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. He in turn gave it to cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs, who had a hand in Garoppolo’s brutal final stat line: 10-of-21 for 126 yards and an interception.

And it was that interception by safety Kerby Joseph midway through the first quarter that helped set the tone for the night. A Josh Reynolds fumble after a reception gave Las Vegas the ball at Detroit’s 26-yard line with the Lions leading 3-0, but on the very next play, Joseph turned a poor decision by Garoppolo into a turnover as well.


Then came the first big celebration of the night, a pre-planned Halloween dance routine of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” by the entire Lions’ defense in the end zone. Hutchinson said he’d sent his teammates a video tutorial Sunday to prep for it, but when the time came to perform, “I actually forgot about it.”

“I see all the boys in the end zone so I come sprinting over,” he laughed. “I'm the ringleader. And I’m like, ‘All right, 5-6-7-8 …’”

He hadn’t seen the replay yet, or gotten any reviews from his family and friends who were in attendance Monday night, though he was well aware it probably came off more like a dress rehearsal.

“Yeah, I don't know how it looked,” he said, smiling. “I could see it in my peripheral that we were so out of sync. … I don’t know what's going on behind me.”

Still, he added, “When you're playing good football, man, you just go out there and have fun and celebrate with your teammates.”

This was fun, no doubt. The Lions hounded Garoppolo all night, pressuring him on 71.4% of his dropbacks Monday, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. That’s the highest pressure rate by any defense in a game since 2018.

And it wasn’t just the defensive line that was responsible for that. Alim McNeill had two sacks, and Julian Okwara added another. But linebacker Alex Anzalone also had a pair of sacks, while safety Tracy Walker got one as well. That was part of Glenn's plan coming in, and it was executed with the kind of ruthlessness we’d seen fairly consistently in that four-game winning streak before the embarrassment in Baltimore.

“Last week was a tough game,” Anzalone said. “But, you know, it woke us up. Not that we necessarily needed it. But it humbled us a little bit. And the good thing is, there's still stuff to clean up on film.”

Including that dance routine. But as long as they keep adding to that win total — 5, 6, 7, 8 … — they’ll have plenty more opportunities to get those steps down.


john.niyo@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @JohnNiyo

[CGVT]

I find it interesting and a bit irritating that the Lions don't get any sympathy for their injuries from the national talking heads.

Lots of "The 49rs are banged up" talk, but nobody mentions the Lions rash of injuries other than in passing.

This team has three O linemnn that are not playing and two starting CBs out for the year.

Not a peep.

[mason reese]

If Sweat and Young weren't traded at all, that last sentence might have some merit. But Young was traded to an extremely successful team with an extremely successful GM. It was not just message board warriors talking about moves - it was GMs with more success than Holmes actually making the moves.

That said, I agree Holmes has earned some benefit of the doubt.

Aren’t both Sweat and Young at the end of their contracts? My guess is Holmes didn’t want to burn a draft pick for possible one year rentals.

[whatever_gong82]

Wojo: Lions unleash Jahmyr Gibbs, who dazzles with prime-time show



Bob Wojnowski
The Detroit News



Detroit — The Lions were grinding along, kicking field goals and kicking themselves, trying to escape the Raiders’ sloppy grasp. Their offensive line was patched together, their quarterback was under pressure, the huge Halloween Eve crowd was shrieking for something.

And then here he came, ahead of schedule and right on time. Rookie back Jahmyr Gibbs had been waiting his turn, looking for an opening, and when he found it, the result was breathtaking. These Monday night showcases are made for unveilings like this, and the Lions needed every bit of it.


Gibbs ran outside, inside and all over the field, resetting the Lions’ bullish mentality in a 26-14 beating of the Las Vegas Raiders. With a reshuffled line, and without starter David Montgomery, the Lions went back to what they know, with a young player that fans are getting to know. Gibbs rushed for 152 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown, and caught five passes for 37 more yards, a blur of excitement in a mistake-splattered contest.


The Lions had to have this one, before a slip became a slide. They were coming off their worst performance of the season and took a while to shake it off. Once Gibbs sparked the offense, the defense took over, sacking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo six times, each thumping eliciting a louder roar from the Ford Field sellout of 66,774.

These are the games that contenders must win, against lesser opponents, to confirm their standing. The Lions like where they stand now, 6-2 and in first place in the NFC North as they head into their bye. The trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m., and while the Lions won’t make decisions based on one game, two concerns at least were lightened. They ran the ball with force and sacked the quarterback repeatedly, and outgained the Raiders by a staggering 486-157.


It was important to see, in the Lions’ first Monday night home game in five years. They are indeed looking more and more ready for prime time, with their fourth consecutive prime-time victory.

“The most important thing about this game was us getting our identity back, getting back to what we do,” Dan Campbell said. “Was it perfect? It wasn’t perfect, but ultimately we got what I wanted to get out of it.”


Technically it was far from perfect, but dominant nonetheless. The Lions committed three turnovers, including an interception by Jared Goff that Marcus Peters returned 75 yards for a touchdown. Craig Reynolds also lost a fumble at the Raiders’ 3 midway through the third quarter, with the Lions clinging to a 16-14 lead.

But through eight games, this is how the Lions handle trouble. Goff shook off his gaffe and was 26-for-37 for 272 yards. The Lions shook off injuries to their offensive line, starting a seventh different combination that included rookie Colby Sorsdal at right guard, but were able to pile up a season-high 222 yards rushing. The caveat is, the Raiders have one of the league’s worst run defenses and fell to 3-5.


With Montgomery still sidelined by a rib injury, Gibbs took over, and not by accident. He had been getting more and more action, and actually had his best game in that 38-6 pummeling by the Ravens last week. The Lions drafted him 12th overall out of Alabama for a reason and this was it, to be an all-around back who can run whichever way you need him, with power or speed. Or both.

“His workload has kind of been on the field, off the field, on the field, off the field,” Goff said. “This was just, we’ll keep giving you the ball and you could see him start to feel the holes a little bit better. And he can do some pretty special things in space.”


Gibbs showed it when the Lions had to see it. After they lost the fumble, their defense held, and Gibbs unleashed. He scooted around the right side and hit the pedal for a 27-yard touchdown that made it 23-14. They needed it because they couldn’t quite kick their place-kicking habit, settling for four Riley Patterson field goals (he missed one from 26 yards), and that can’t become a habit.

Handing the ball to Gibbs? That can become a habit. When Montgomery returns, the Lions should have a powerful punch out of the backfield.


“The more reps you get, you’re going to get more comfortable in the league,” Gibbs said. “I feel like in the beginning I was playing too fast, I was a little bit nervous and stuff.”

This was a night when the Lions honored one of their great offensive linemen from the past, Lomas Brown, who was inducted into the Pride of the Lions. Barry Sanders was there too, and if you squeezed your eyes tightly, you could channel some of Barry’s moves through Gibbs’ churning legs.


(Note from author: I am not comparing Gibbs to Barry Sanders, even if it looks that way. I am saying he has some of his scintillating traits.)

“I think this was kind of the tip of the iceberg for what he’s going to be able to do,” Campbell said. “We don’t feel he’s some finesse back that runs on his tippy toes. We think he can do it all.”


Again, this wasn’t the ideal game to judge because the Raiders are a mess. The gap between the teams was reflected in graphic ways, including the first down totals (29-12).

But it only takes a couple big mistakes to tighten an NFL game that shouldn’t be tight. And then it only takes a couple big plays to untighten it.


Another rookie, tight end Sam LaPorta, was impactful again, catching an 18-yard touchdown pass. Amon-Ra St. Brown was his ho-hum terrific self with six catches for 108 yards. And that pass rush that Lions fans have been fretting about? Linebacker Alex Anzalone was maniacal all game and had two sacks, as did tackle Alim McNeill.

Questions were raised last week in Baltimore. They were quelled at least for two weeks, until the Lions travel to face the Los Angeles Chargers. Dismayed by the miscues, Campbell was heartened by the response.


“We have guys that don’t get frazzled, the wheels don’t fall off,” Campbell said. “I feel like we’re pretty composed, like even after (mistakes) happened, there was more anger than frustration. … Our identity didn’t show through last week. That was not us.”

This certainly looked more like them, with a fresh look at running back. Maybe Gibbs and Montgomery become interchangeable. Maybe the Lions have the talent and depth to keep shuffling the offensive line. Can’t say for sure just yet, but it was the type of response that legitimate contenders are required to make.


Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @bobwojnowski

[dsred]

The Lions do a lot.of.miximg and matching with the ends, linebackers and tackles They have been using a lot more three linebackers formations. And with that they are using Barnes and Campbell in rush positions. They also should have Houston coming back. As it is the front 7 has at least two healthy scratches.

I would like having either Young or Sweat but I don't think it was going to be a huge upgrade. I think the Lions believe the current crew they have is going to get better as the young players get more experience.

That's the future. What about this year while the window is fortuitously wide open? A send or a third is a nothingburger in the grand scheme of things.

[froot loops]

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

[whatever_gong82]

Three-and-out: Lions' offense still leaving so much meat on the bone



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Detroit — Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions' 26-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.


Meat on the bone


Look, there's no hiding the fact Monday's 12-point margin of victory wasn't reflective of how thoroughly the Lions dominated this matchup. The defense more than held up its end of the bargain, but Detroit's offense hasn't been clicking on all cylinders for nearly a month.


Against the Raiders, the Lions worked into the red zone five times, but came away with only a single touchdown on those possessions. In the last three games, only the Zach Wilson-led New York Jets have been less efficient than the Lions at translating trips inside the 20-yard line into six points.

Additionally, the three turnovers were a season-high, with one coming while the Lions were on the Raiders' doorstep. And there was also Riley Patterson's missed 26-yard field goal, which, of all the woes, is the one we can most easily chalk up to being an anomaly.


I asked coach Dan Campbell what it said about his team that it could still cruise, despite that dreadful inefficiency on offense. In an unbreakable good mood after securing a victory, he quipped: "It says let’s not do that again."

In the red zone, the Lions are clearly missing David Montgomery, and his pending return should help. The veteran might lack Jahmyr Gibbs' sizzle, but there's value in that ability to consistently fall forward for an extra yard. But the passing game has to find a better rhythm in that area of the field, which extends to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's play calls.


There's simply no reason, with the weapons the Lions possess, they should be under 50% in the red zone on the season. Sure, it's easier to finish the job with a mobile quarterback like Baltimore, Buffalo or even Chicago possesses, but teams like New England and Washington are both north of 60%. For the Lions to truly be elite offensively, they really need to be closer to converting two-thirds of the red-zone opportunities the rest of the way.



That's far from unreasonable. Remember, they had a 66% success rate a year ago.

As for the turnovers, it's another area for needed improvement. Quarterback Jared Goff, in particular, needs to get back to the sound decision-making that allowed him to post the franchise's longest streak of consecutive passes without a pick.

That's not suggesting Goff has to be perfect, but there's no excuse for the throw he made Monday, which cornerback Marcus Peters was able to easily snag and return 75 yards for a touchdown. That's the kind of big, unforced error that plagued the veteran QB earlier in his career, and the Lions can't afford for that guy to re-emerge as the franchise chases its aspirations.



Meaningful adjustments


A week ago, the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson ate Detroit's secondary alive. A theme from that performance was how open the Ravens' receivers were running, in part because of how much cushion the Lions' defensive backs were giving them.

In his comments after the game, Campbell suggested the cushion didn't reflect the game plan. There wasn't supposed to be that much respect given to Ravens receivers, but clearly, the threat of Jackson doing damage with his legs can result in a repeated lapse in fundamentals.


Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo shares no such trait, which allowed the Lions to be more aggressive in coverage and regularly pressure and press the opponent's pass-catchers at the line of scrimmage. That was huge for Cam Sutton, who drew the added task of shadowing six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams.


Admittedly, Sutton has had success against Adam before, holding him to one catch on seven coverage snaps in a pair of matchups the past two seasons. Impressively, the Lions were able to replicate that 1-for-7 stat line on Monday night, largely behind Sutton's performance, even if it involved a little luck, in the form of a drop and an overthrow.

In terms of the bigger picture, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's schematic flexibility, specifically his ability to adjust when something isn't working, is becoming more refined with experience as a coordinator and play-caller. Yes, the Raiders were a bad offense, having yet to score 20 points in a game this season, but the seven points their offense mustered was a season-low.


Moxie matters


In his postgame comments, Campbell talked about the week's emphasis on re-establishing the team's identity following the drubbing at the hands of the Ravens. For the coach, that's being a gritty, tough team that will win at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

But to me, one of the defining traits of this Lions team is their poise. They can manage to shoot themselves in the foot — sometimes repeatedly, like they did Monday night — and not flinch. When Goff threw that pick-six in the third quarter, allowing the Raiders to slice the lead to two, followed by running back Craig Reynolds losing a fumble at the 4-yard line on the ensuing possession, unquestionably, there were fans thinking they'd seen this script before.


That's because they have, countless times.

Mental toughness has never really been the Lions' thing. When faced with in-game adversity, they've historically wilted. And in a league where so many games are decided by one score — Detroit's last six games notwithstanding — you can't afford to let your mistakes beat you twice, once physically and again mentally. The margin for error is simply too thin.


These Lions, they almost never do. It's part of their DNA, which is why they're on the path they're on, heading into their midseason bye with a 6-2 record.

"Ultimately, good teams don’t do that consistently; they don’t have multiple turnovers," Campbell said after the game. "But when they do, they’re able to overcome them. And I do feel like we got the right — we just have guys that don’t get frazzled. The wheels don’t fall off. I do feel like we’re pretty composed. Even after that happened, I think there was more anger than frustration."


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Dan Campbell: Why Lions' Week 9 bye is 'perfect timing'



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Allen Park — After eight weeks, the Detroit Lions are exactly where they want to be — and that includes the part where they don't have to play a game this upcoming Sunday.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell on Tuesday said the team's Week 9 Bye is "perfect timing," due to not only the nature of Detroit's injury problems, but also the fact it's situated smack-dab in the middle of the NFL season.


"Here we are after eight weeks, and then if you count training camp, we're talking about 13 weeks, somewhere in there, so it couldn't come at a better time," Campbell said.

The Lions coach is hopeful his team will come back with a few more horses in the stable when they line it up to play at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10.


Left guard Jonah Jackson (ankle), center Frank Ragnow (toe/calf) and running back David Montgomery (ribs) represent a few of the key missing pieces who've avoided injured reserve but haven't played in recent weeks and should benefit from the additional rest.

Campbell said he plans to remain in the building through Wednesday, when he plans to do a self-scout for the first half of the season, and then will "try to get out for a little bit here and be back for the weekend."


"I've got the coordinators on that right now," he said. "I think we always try to take a look at where we're at for the last week. You enter Week 5, you've looked at those last five (weeks) ... but everything has to happen so fast that sometimes you're trying to see that, but you're also trying to get the next opponent."

Campbell said the bye week offers a rare opportunity to look "at everything," as opposed to being limited by the previous game and the one after it.


"What do we really look like? What do we do really well?" Campbell said. "Here are eight weeks, what is something that we can hang our hat on? What's the best spot for our players? Is there somebody we're missing that needs to get an opportunity at a different spot? Should we move somebody, defensively or offensively, to another position or ask them to do a different type of thing, have different responsibilities?"


The Lions had an earlier bye week last season, breaking for Week 6 with a 1-4 record. Detroit lost its first two games out of the bye — at Dallas, 24-6, and home to Miami, 31-27 — but rebounded to finish the season 8-2 down the stretch and narrowly miss the playoffs. This season, it's a much different outlook: Detroit is 6-2 with a two-game lead on the Minnesota Vikings, which just lost its starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

But though Detroit's situation now is worlds apart from what it was then, Campbell said it won't impact the process of the bye.


"We were going in and we'd lost a few in a row, but you're still going through, looking at yourself, 'What are we really?'" Campbell said. "So I think it's still the same process. Most importantly, you want to know what you do well, but you also want to know, the opponents, when they look at us, what do they think we do well? What do they see? What are our weaknesses?

"I think that's where you really get the benefit of it."


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

[-Deborah-]

I probably read past this earlier, but I didn't realize the pick is for 2025.

FB_IMG_1698797210225.jpg

[chemiclord]

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