Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' Campbell explains why team promoted Nowaske and early plan for new WR Peoples-Jones



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — The Detroit Lions admittedly didn't need another linebacker on their roster, but coach Dan Campbell had an explanation for why the team signed undrafted rookie Trevor Nowaske off the team's practice squad late last week.


"Yeah, he was being poached, potentially," Campbell said. "We didn't want to lose him. We felt like we had the flexibility to make that move. We felt like we're going to need him before it's all said and done."

Nowaske, a local product who played for Salem High School (Canton) before going on to Saginaw Valley State, spent the entire offseason with the Lions, logging more than 100 defensive and special-teams snaps.


“He's a guy that is intriguing on special teams as a core player, and then in the meantime, he continues to grow at linebacker, so he's doing good," Campbell said back in August.

The numbers game proved too much to overcome when it came to making the team's initial 53-man roster, but Nowaske was quickly added to the practice squad after clearing waivers, where he's spent the duration of his rookie season. Per NFL rules, practice squad players are permitted to be signed by another team at any time.

Detroit Lions coaching staff likes Trevor Nowaske.jpg

The addition of Nowaske gives Detroit seven linebackers on the active roster. The group is led by captain Alex Anzalone, first-round draft pick Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes. Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman serve as depth, while all having significant roles on special teams.

Still, the Lions didn't want to let Nowaske walk.



"We like where he's going," Campbell said. "He's another young guy that we've got on this roster that's really developing and growing. That's a good room, all seven of those guys, counting him. It's an outstanding room, between what they're able to do defensively, but (also) special teams. We rely on them for a lot. So, he was a guy we didn't want to lose."


Welcome aboard


Less than an hour before the NFL's trade deadline, the Lions shipped a future, late-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.


During the bye week, the team got Peoples-Jones into town — hardly a challenge, since he's from Detroit — simply to give him a lay of the land at the team's Allen Park facility. They'll spend this week acclimating him as much as possible with the playbook, in hopes of getting some early contributions out of the fourth-year receiver.

"We'll get him up to speed with the playbook here, make sure he's good and healthy and just see where he is," Campbell said. "Certainly, we acquired him because we think he can help us, but I also want to make sure he's ready, mentally and physically, he's 100% ready before we do that. This week will be big for him. He was out there today, and tomorrow, we'll see where it's at, just kind of take it day-to-day."


For what it's worth, the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder hasn't appeared on an injury report once this season. At the time of the trade, his 439 offensive snaps led the Browns' receivers.

The production unfortunately didn't match the playing time, which partially explains why he was available for such a low cost. He has just eight catches for 97 yards through the first seven games this season. But in 2022, he caught 61 balls for 839 yards and three scores.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Eyeing improvement after strong start, Lions' Dan Campbell shares 4 areas team aims to fix



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell never was going to publicly reveal everything he learned from a bye-week self-scout of his team, but he identified four key areas needing improvement Monday with the ultimate goal of having the Lions playing at their best by next month.

"I know this, by December, we need to be playing our best football, collectively," Campbell said. "(This Sunday against) the Chargers, we need to play our best football game. We still have left so much out there. As good as we've played to get six wins — we've been able to complement each other, but I would say we have not played our best football, collectively, offense, defense and special teams."



The Lions are coming off a game that embodied Campbell's early-season concerns, beating the Las Vegas Raiders handily, but struggling to be efficient in one phase. In this case, it was the offense, which only scored a single touchdown with its five trips to the red zone, while turning it over three times in the contest.


Dan Campbell says Detroit Lions need to be good in December.jpg


Not surprisingly, red zone and turnover woes were two of the four areas Campbell wants to see improvement down the stretch.

A year ago, the Lions offense was one of the best in the league in the red zone, scoring a touchdown 66.2% of trips inside the 20-yard line. This year, they rank 24th at 48.2%, anchored by a dreadful 1-for-8 in their past three games.



Defensively, for all the improvements the Lions have made from a year ago, the red zone has continued to be problematic. They're allowing opponents to convert 65.4% of their trips into touchdowns, which ranks 26th.

Offensively, Campbell said the team needs to do a better job on early downs to avoid third-and-long situations, while defensively, they have to more consistently capitalize when they get opponents in third-and-long.


"Really both sides, (the problems) are self-induced," Campbell said. "That's the tough part of it, but it's also the encouraging part. We can clean all these things up."

In terms of the turnover ratio, the Lions are even through eight games, having both forced and given the ball away 10 times. As for the other areas Campbell wants to see immediately improvements, it's producing better at the start of the second half and providing All-Pro punt returner Kalif Raymond better blocking.




Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has previously expressed his frustration with the team's slow starts in the third quarter. The Lions are averaging 3.5 points in the third frame, which checks in among the bottom half of NFL teams, well behind the league-leading Miami Dolphins' 8.4 points per third quarter.


With Raymond, he's actually not far off his 2022 production, when he managed 13.2 yards per return. He's still averaging better than double-digits at 10.4 yards per try, but the midpoint film study told Campbell the number could be much better.

"We've been close, but man, we're one block away," Campbell said. "We're close, but we've got to start breaking some of these with him in the return game."



Campbell expects to learn how well his team is ready to meet the challenge as it prepares for its annual stretch of three games in 11 days, concluding with a Thanksgiving matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 23. His messaging this week will center around finishing strong, because that's what good teams do.


"We’ve gotten a little bit better, but we need to be playing our best football because those are the teams that are going to make a push," Campbell said. "I mean, you see what Minnesota does, I’m not surprised by that. They just keep winning. They’re playing good football.

"...Every team that is going to make a run here are the teams that start to clean it up, and they just get a little bit better, a little bit better," Campbell continued. "And some of the teams that stay the same are going to begin to lose, and they’ll be jockeying, going on here November into December. So we’ve got to keep playing good ball and we’ve got to clean our own issues up."



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Some musical tweaks would give Detroit Lions a crazy advantage at Ford Field



From yesterday's Freep.

Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press


The vibe in Ford Field has been incredible this season — yes, winning helps.

But it can be better.

The Detroit Lions are having a special season — this entire organization is on a rocket — that needs just one thing: A freakin’ theme song.


Not just any song. This has to be something that will unite fans and players, and get everybody singing and jumping and screaming their brains out.


Wisconsin football has “Jump Around,” a seismic tradition that literally shakes Camp Randall Stadium. Philadelphia Phillies fans go crazy to “Dancing on My Own,” and the Boston Red Sox have “Sweet Caroline.”

But the coolest tradition has to be when the Virginia Tech football team walks into Lane Stadium to “Enter Sandman.”



Yes, give me more of that, especially for the Lions. Give me something that gets everybody going crazy — something the fans keep singing even when they stop the music.

Granted, it doesn’t have to make sense.


“Mr. Brightside,” The Killers' song about jealousy and paranoia, does not exactly scream: Go wild, Michigan Stadium! But this segment riles up the Big House every time: "She’s touching his chest now./He takes off her dress now./Let me go.”

Why shouldn't the Lions get that, too?

So, for several weeks, whenever I've had spare time, I've polled the Lions locker room, asking several players what their choice would be.



“Maybe an Eminem song,” linebacker Anthony Pittman said.

All right, a vote for Eminem. Solid choice.

“Lose Yourself,” Pittman said.

And it’s perfect because he’s a huge fan.



A glimpse inside the locker room


As I talked to players, something cool happened: They started to reveal how important music is in their lives.

“I know exactly what you are talking about, teams got songs,” Jameson Williams said.


He smiled.

Raymond Johnson, a defensive lineman next to him, jumped into the conversation.


“Hey,” Johnson said. “In Michigan, we got Motown down here.”


“Yep,” Williams nodded.

“You could put up a Motown or a Michael Jackson song,” Johnson said.


Tons of Motown songs would work.

“Motown, bro!” Johnson repeated.


“We should!” Willliams said.

A few days later, “Billie Jean” was blaring in the locker room.


Not the Aidan Hutchinson version — I’m talking Michael Jackson's original.

Guys started singing as they walked to the shower, and it became contagious. I glanced around the room and at least 10 guys and one reporter were singing, or at least mouthing the words. Yes, that’s what this team needs.


Forward down the ... what?


The Lions do have a fight song but few know the words after the first line — y'know, "Forward down the field!" — and it feels so old and outdated. It’s fine for after the game, for nostalgia, but it doesn’t exactly get anybody jacked up.


Back in the day, the Lions were linked to “Another One Bites the Dust”; that was back when Billy Sims was running wild in the Pontiac Silverdome.

But this team needs something new, something that sums up the spirit of this team — which means it's time to bring head coach Dan Campbell into the conversation.


“There is no light at the end of the tunnel,” Campbell said on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks.’ “There’s a song Metallica has, ‘No Leaf Clover,’ and it says man, when it comes to the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, it’s just a freight train coming your way. If you see a (expletive) light, it’s just a freight train. Just put your head down and go to work. It’s about to be fun, man. It’s about to be fun.”

Amen.

Dan Campbell and Alim McNeill.jpg

I love the message, and it fits the mentality of this team, but it’s not exactly a song that is easy to sing.

“I like Trick Daddy’s ‘Let’s Go,’” defensive lineman Benito Jones said. “You ever hear that song?”


“Not sure,” I said.

“As a matter of fact, a lot of people play that song in their stadium,” Jones said and then started singing the words: “If you want, you can get it. Let me know.”




He started playing it on his phone.

“Oh, sure,” I said. “I know that.”


“Yeah, that would be a good song,” he said.


“How important is music to an athlete?” I asked.

“I think is really important,” Jones said. “Certain songs for certain players, it gets them going, especially when it talks about some of the things they experienced in life.”



What the Lions listen to before games



Somebody told me to talk to Chase Lucas, a cornerback who is the music guy in the locker room.

“I love music,” he said. “But I don't got no clean music.”


“That's OK,” I said.

Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” is not exactly church music, not when you read the rest of the lyrics.


“There's an artist from Detroit,” Lucas said. “He's called Sada Baby and there's a song called 'Aktivated.' So I feel like that needs to be our song because he's from Detroit.”


Lucas paused for a second, thinking about some lyrics.

“I don't think everybody can sing it,” he laughed, starting to sing the words, most of which would need to be beeped out. “I think that would be the best song for us. We play it before we go out for the game.”


“You serious?” I asked.

I couldn’t help but smile. All I did was ask some guys about a team song, and suddenly we were getting an inside glimpse into a pregame locker room.




“Yeah, we play it on the speakers,” he said.

One of his teammates pulled out his phone and started playing the song and they started dancing and singing.


“Can you imagine everybody in Ford Field singing that?” Lucas asked.


“How jacked up would you guys get?” I asked.

"I would go crazy!" he said. “I love it. I'm telling you. That's the one we got to get.”


And the answer is ...


On Monday night, between the third and fourth quarters, the Lions played “We Will Rock You” by Queen. The overhead lights dimmed, the the LED ribbons ringing the second deck of Ford Field glowed the coolest color of blue and lights pulsed in the stands.

It was a seriously cool moment. But it didn’t have everybody standing up, arm in arm, singing or jumping. It was more manufactured by the in-game production unit.


But it was close.

The Lions need something that makes people stand up and sing together.


Just like in the Lions locker room, a few weeks ago, when the guys were signing “Billie Jean.”

Come to think of it, that song might be perfect. Everybody knows the words, and you can't help but sing along.



When Hutchinson sang it on "Hard Knocks," it became a special moment because of how his teammates reacted. They were all singing together, smiling and laughing and clapping, high-fiving and screaming even louder.

That song represents the moment when this team was not quite good, but no longer bad anymore, coming together, getting better, starting to believe in each other, unafraid to take risks while grabbing the national attention.



Which sounds like the perfect anthem for this team right now.


Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.


Next up: Chargers

Matchup: Lions (6-2) at L.A. Chargers (3-4).

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Nov. 12; SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.

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

[whatever_gong82]

Dan Campbell: Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs will 'get his touches' even after David Montgomery return



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



David Montgomery is expected back from rib injuries for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell indicated Monday that rookie Jahmyr Gibbs could see an uptick in work in the Lions' backfield rotation in the second half of the season.

"I don’t think necessarily, talking to you right now, that I see Gibbs getting 65 plays. I don’t see that," Campbell said. "But he’s going to get his fair share now. We know what we can be and he’s growing, so I think it’ll be a little bit by committee and make sure we get those guys touches. Gibbs’ll get his touches."



Gibbs, the No. 12 pick of April's draft, set career-highs with 26 carries and 152 yards rushing in the Lions' Week 8 win over the Las Vegas Raiders before last week's bye.



Montgomery missed that game and the Lions' Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with injuries he suffered in an Oct. 15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gibbs and Montgomery have played together in just three of the Lions' eight games this season, with Montgomery handling the bulk of work in those contests.


The veteran running back had 21 carries to Gibbs' nine touches (seven rushes, two receptions) in a Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, 17 touches to Gibbs' 14 the next week against the Seattle Seahawks, and 34 touches to Gibbs' 12 in a Week 4 win over the Green Bay Packers.


Gibbs leads the Lions with 399 yards and a 5.3-yard-per-carry average this season, and is third on the team with 28 catches. He is averaging 11.7 touches in games that Montgomery has played, and 23 touches in games where he's been the featured back.

Montgomery, who is averaging 24 touches in games both he and Gibbs have played, has 94 carries for 385 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns this season.


"I think certainly we know what David can do, but we know that Gibbs has gotten better every week," Campbell said. "We’re going to ask those guys to do things they do well and that help our offense move the football."

David Montgomery watching warmups_10-30-2023.jpg

Campbell said he is optimistic Montgomery, left guard Jonah Jackson (ankle) and center Frank Ragnow (calf/toe) will play Sunday against the Chargers after all three "moved around today" in the Lions' light, hourlong practice coming off the bye.

Jackson has not played since Week 5 because of a high ankle sprain, while Ragnow missed the Raiders game with a calf injury. If both players return this week, the Lions will have their starting offensive line together for just the second time this year).



"We’ll see tomorrow when we pad them up, but they’ve been trending the right way now for a while so, certainly hopeful (they all will play against the Chargers)," Campbell said.


No poaching


Campbell said the Lions signed linebacker Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to avoid losing him to another team.

"He was being poached, potentially, so we didn’t want to lose him and we felt like we had the flexibility to make that move," Campbell said. "We feel like we’re going to need him before it’s all said and done. We like where he’s going. He’s another young guy that we’ve got on this roster that’s really developing and growing."


Nowaske, an undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State, was one of the Lions' best special teams players this preseason. He could contribute in the kicking game with fellow linebackers and special teams standouts Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Malcolm Rodriguez and Anthony Pittman.


Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell are in the playing rotation at linebacker.

"That’s a good room right now," Campbell said. "All seven of those guys counting him, it’s an outstanding room between what they’re able to do defensively but special teams, too. We rely on them a lot. So yeah, he was a guy that we didn’t want to lose."


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

[chemiclord]

I'm not sure how good the Vikings are but they should be playing for double digit wins by the last game against the Lions. Their next 4 games are the key:
Saints
@Broncos
Bears
@Raiders

At worst I think they split that, but they could feasibly sweep those 4 games. I guess it depends a lot in Dobbs.

No matter what some Lions fans want to believe, at the very least Week 15 is going to be a game that matters. It is highly unlikely the Lions are going to have a 4-game lead in the division by the time that game comes around.

[El Axe]

A team tried to steal a player from the Lions practice squad last week
MIKE PAYTON
UPDATED:21 MINUTES AGO
ORIGINAL:22 MINUTES AGO
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions were on a bye week last week. That's why it was a little strange that on Thursday they did a practice squad elevation out of nowhere. The team signed undrafted rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske to their 53-man roster.

We now know why they made that move, it's because he was about to get poached by another team.

"Yeah, he was being poached potentially." Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell said Monday. "We didn't want to lose him. We felt like we had the flexibility to make that move. We feel like we're gonna need him before it's all said and done and we like where he's going. He's another young guy that we've got on this roster that's really developing and growing. And it's a good room right now. All seven of those guys counting him. It's an outstanding room between what they're able to do defensively but special teams too. We rely on them for a lot. So yeah, he was a guy that we didn't want to lose."

Nowaske really showed up near the end of camp and in the preseason. He was someone that many of us writers pegged as a guy that could make the Lions 53-man roster over special teams ace Anthony Pittman.

I wouldn't expect to see much of Nowaske on the field with the defense this year, but you should see him on the special teams unit when he's active on game day. This is a player to watch after the season. If I had to make a prediction, the Lions will probably look to lock him down with a futures deal and see what he can do for them in camp next year. Teams don't always make moves like this to protect an undrafted rookie. They see something there.

It's not known which team tried to poach Nowaske away at this time. If that information comes out, we will update this piece to reflect that.

I'm glad they want to keep Nowaske. He's physically a stud. His D2 tape is crazy, looks like a man among boys. His RAS is elite.

Anyway, how does a team know that a practice squad player is about to be poached? Is there a formal notification, or do they just have to somehow hear rumors?

[whatever_gong82]

[LightninBoy]

Anyway, how does a team know that a practice squad player is about to be poached? Is there a formal notification, or do they just have to somehow hear rumors?

Good question.

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' rush, led by Hutchinson, looking for more consistent sack production out of bye



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — The Detroit Lions are coming off their best pass-rushing performance of the season, racking up six sacks and generating pressure on 71.4% of the Las Vegas Raiders' dropbacks. That's the highest pressure rate recorded by the league's NextGenStats since the service debuted in 2018.

That's a positive way to enter the bye, but the Lions have struggled to maintain their pass-rush momentum from week to week through the first half of the season. The showing against the Raiders marked the third time this year they'd recorded at least five sacks, but in the other five games, they've managed to drop the quarterback no more than once.

That's been part of a challenging process of adapting to how teams are switching up their weekly blocking plans.

Detroit Lions pass run_10-30-2023.jpg


"I think some of it is, particularly, maybe the scheme that we've got or what they were doing," Lions defensive line coach John Scott Jr. said. "When you get bunches of sacks, sometimes in the game, people change up completely what they do and what they've shown on tape, and you've got to adjust, or people try to come after your best rusher and things like that. The consistency of that is us just continuing to find more ways just to continue to get our best rushers in the best position, and us adapting (to changes) in the game."


The Lions are certainly seeing those adjustments with how teams are trying to take away edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Despite making significant improvements in his second season, Detroit's leading sacker is similarly struggling to consistently add tallies in the category. All 4.5 of his sacks this season came during a three-game stretch, and he's now gone three games without one.

That type of mini-drought is uncommon among the league's elite pass rushers. Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt each have at least a half-sack in six of their teams' eight games this season, with only Parsons getting shut out on the stat sheet in consecutive weeks.


Regardless, Scott isn't worried about Hutchinson. The coach expects a breakthrough sooner than later.

"I know that's his mentality and his attitude," Scott said. "You're not going to find a guy that works any harder at it or that puts the time in. This guy is texting late at night, saying, 'Hey, coach, I can do this, I like this matchup' or whatnot. You're not going to find anybody else that's going to put more time in it or work at it than he will.




"...I think with Hutch, the way he works and prepares, it's gonna continue to come," Scott said. "I know what you guys are saying, it's been three games, but when you go back and look at the tape, how many times had he affected the quarterback? Or how many times has he drawn a holding call or taken two guys, allowing somebody else to go get a sack? I get things are measured in numbers, but when you really look at the tape as a coach, through a coach's eyes, you see what the impact that he's having ...It's just a matter of time before it's, boom, here it goes again. You just keep working at it, man. I really mean that."

Hutchinson's 46 quarterback pressures, as registered by Pro Football Focus, are tied for third in the NFL this season, behind only Las Vegas' Maxx Crosby and Parsons. The Lions' second-year standout will look to convert at least one of those pressures into a sack, snapping his personal skid, against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Despite vastly different roles and production, Lions pleased with both of their tight ends



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — Despite carrying up to four tight ends on the roster, two men have handled the bulk of the offensive snaps for the Detroit Lions this season: rookie Sam LaPorta and third-year veteran Brock Wright.


LaPorta has met and exceeded all reasonable expectations as a second-round draft pick, threatening both franchise and NFL records for first-year production at the position, all while holding his own as a blocker. He's earned so much trust from the coaching staff that he barely leaves the field, logging a season-high 94.2% of the team's snaps in their most recent game.

"Yeah, he does a good job, just instinctively knowing how to play the game," position coach Steve Heiden said. "I think that's the best way to put it. I would say he has IQ, football-wise, but like any rookie, there's things to learn. He processes fast. He's done a nice job. (His football IQ) is probably as good as I've seen from a rookie."


The Detroit Lions' tight ends led by Sam LaPorta.jpg

Supplementing LaPorta's role in the offense is Wright, who has seen 278 snaps through eight games. That's more than running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Kalif Raymond.

Wright has had a limited role in the passing game, hauling in seven passes for 45 yards, with nearly two-thirds of his playing time dedicated to blocking. And there's been some obvious inconsistencies in that department, as well. Pro Football Focus ranks him 77th out of 82 qualifying tight ends as a run blocker.


But when asked if the team needed more out of the No. 2 spot on its depth chart, Heiden quickly dismissed the suggestion.

“Do I need more? No, I think they’re giving us everything that we need," Heiden said. "They’ve done a really good job. Brock has consistently gotten better with technique things. He’s as mentally tough as they come. He’s smart, he’s always in the right place, you can throw him in at any position. He’s there for you. I think we’re getting exactly what we need from our No. 2."



Practice report


Every player on the active roster was on the field for the brief portion of practice open to the media Tuesday afternoon. That included starters Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow and David Montgomery, who all missed the team's Oct. 30 game against the Las Vegas Raiders because of injuries.

Also practicing was recently acquired receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who will wear the No. 19 uniform in Detroit.

The team isn't required to release an official practice report until Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' O-line finally getting healthy at the right time: 'The feast is about to start'



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have started seven different offensive-line combinations in the first eight games, but they are poised to have a starting group composed of their five best linemen for Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. And given the strength of the opposition, that news couldn't come at a better time.


The Chargers are a top-10 defensive against the run, allowing fewer than 90 yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry, and are tied for second in the league with 31 sacks. So, the anticipated returns of center Frank Ragnow and Jonah Jackson are beyond welcome.

"We're finally back," Jackson said. "It's time to put on a show. It's as simple as that."

Jonah Jackson is back practicing for the Detroit Lions.jpg

Jackson has missed the past three games because of a high-ankle sprain. On Tuesday, he shared how the injury occurred, when 320-pound defensive tackle Derrick Brown came crashing down on the back of Jackson's legs on the sixth snap of the team's Week 5 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

Jackson gutted out the rest of the performance, riding a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety of letting his teammates down, but the ankle predictably swelled the day after the contest and shut him down for three weeks.


The ankle sprain was just another injury for a unit that's been snake-bitten the past two years, but the team's depth responded to the challenge, as Graham Glasgow, Kayode Awosika and rookie Colby Sorsdal shuffled into different spots to keep things afloat.

"They were holding it down while I was out, so it's time for me to come back in and hold up my end of the bargain," Jackson said.


Even with multiple injuries up front, the Lions have still managed to average 25.0 points per game. But with red-zone woes and some turnover issues, there's a belief throughout the locker room that the offense can be much more productive.

"I feel like we're still hitting our stride," Jackson said. "We're just getting started. The feast is about to start."


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Hendon Hooker 'around 90%,' Detroit Lions not ready for rookie QB to practice yet


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



Hendon Hooker said he is "around 90%" recovered from the knee injury he suffered last November, but the Detroit Lions aren't quite ready to have the rookie quarterback start practicing with the team.

"We’re not there yet," Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday. "I mean, he’s getting better and we’ll make that decision when we feel like it’s ready to go, but we’ve certainly discussed him. The only way he’s going to get practice is if you put him on the roster, so we know that’s the obvious, it’s just a matter of when we do it."


A third-round pick in April out of Tennessee, Hooker is about a year removed from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee on Nov. 19, 2022.

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker.jpg

He told the Free Press last week while making a promotional appearance for Bush's Beans that his rehab was going "great," but he was not sure when he'd be cleared to practice.

The Lions placed Hooker on the nonfootball injury list at the start of training camp, with the expectation he would return at some point this fall.


"We’re just playing it by ear and continuing to strengthen my legs and whole body," Hooker said. "That’s the whole goal right now moving forward, and then we’ll just play it week by week."


The Lions are set at the quarterback position with Jared Goff enjoying one of the best seasons of his career and Teddy Bridgewater entrenched as his backup. But the team would like to get Hooker on the practice field both to give him reps and evaluate his progress before next season.

Hooker was the Heisman Trophy frontrunner before his injury, but he operated in a spread offense in his two seasons at Tennessee and faces a big learning curve in the NFL.


He detailed some of that process in his interview with the Free Press last week.

"Really just understanding a lot of different nuances in the game of just being a pro quarterback and different responsibilities you have at the line of scrimmage, that it’s typical football but it’s always good to just hear those things being communicated, knowing what language that we’re speaking, that’s the biggest thing," he said. "The verbiage. Learning that and then translating that to your own and developing your own thoughts and your own creativity of plays, and just the way of dissecting defenses in a whole new way from college to the NFL. So that’s been the biggest thing for me, just understanding what we’re all trying to communicate to each other."

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker_7-23-2023.jpg

Hooker has been a regular in position and team meetings during his time on NFI and he spent training camp running through his own play script with trainers after practice.


He said he is doing a lot of change-of-direction work in his rehab now with a focus on "absorbing the power that I’m putting into the ground."

"I feel pretty good right now," he said. "I’d say I’m probably around 90%."


The Lions are in good shape health-wise coming off the bye, but do not need to rush Hooker back to the 53-man roster in case they need room for reinforcements during their playoff push.

Once he returns to practice, the Lions will have 21 days before they have to move Hooker to the active roster.


No matter when that happens, Hooker said this year will be a valuable learning experience that should help him in the future.

"I think it’ll be good," he said. "Whenever I’m on the field it’s going to be a surreal moment for sure, but I think that if I'm out there then it’s always good just to get reps whenever you can and every rep is valuable so any time that I do get to spend playing, it’s a blessing."


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

[whatever_gong82]

Levi Onwuzurike no longer in DL rotation, but Detroit Lions insist, 'It'll come for him'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press




Levi Onwuzurike was a healthy scratch the past two games and largely a nonfactor the six weeks before that, but Detroit Lions defensive line coach John Scott insists he still is bullish on the third-year defensive tackle's future.

"With Levi I think we sometimes forget, Levi basically missed a year and a half of football," Scott said Tuesday. "That’s a huge learning curve when you’re not able to get out on the field, so Levi's another guy that he has some great talent and we see progression every day."


A second-round pick out of Washington in 2021, Onwuzurike missed most of training camp as a rookie and all of the regular season last year with a back injury that seems to have zapped his ability as a pass rusher.


He has two tackles and no quarterback pressures in 66 defensive snaps this season, and has not played since the Lions' Oct. 15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



"It’ll come for Levi, he has to continue to work and he has to continue to show it in practice, which he’s doing," Scott said. "And better yet, when you get that opportunity, you have to show that in the games as well, cause ultimately as you guys all know, that’s the ultimate measuring stick. People want to see wins and losses and how you perform on that stage, so those are all the things that he’s working at."

Levi Onwuzurike of the Detroit Lions.jpg

The Lions have juggled personnel on their interior defensive line behind Alim McNeill and Benito Jones all season.

Onwuzurike, 25, opened the season as the No. 3 interior lineman, but did not record a tackle in the Lions' first three games. Isaiah Buggs has been the team's most impactful backup interior lineman with two tackles for loss and one sack in five games. Rookie third-round pick Brodric Martin made his NFL debut in the Lions' last game before the bye against the Las Vegas Raiders.



The Lions (6-2) are committed to getting Martin more reps to speed his development, but Scott said there still is room for Onwuzurike in the playing rotation.

"Again, I am pleased at where he is," Scott said. "It’ll come for him."



Briefly


Running back David Montgomery, left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow all took part in the open portion of practice Tuesday and are on track to return Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Montgomery has missed two games with multiple rib injuries, Jackson sat out three weeks with a high ankle sprain and Ragnow did not play against the Raiders because of a calf injury. The Lions will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday.


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

[jaadam4]

Yes! That’s great news right there. Having a tandem to not put major miles on 1 back is fantastic