Lions News

[chemiclord]

I think at some point Moseley needs to accept it's time to walk away rather than continue to tear up his body.

[ghandi]

That stinks, though I did have concerns about how the db depth chart was gonna shake out with all the new additions. Guess that answers that

Injuries in the NFL seem to fix alot of things (complicate some too)....I dont know if anyone was really counting on Moseley or not...He just cant stay healthy.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions joint practice observations: Cooler heads prevail until late melee; offense rebounds with turnover-free day

Justin Rogers
Aug 06, 2024

East Rutherford, N.J. — Here are some observations from Tuesday’s joint training camp practice between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants.


● After a bunch of scuffles during the first practice between the teams, the second session was far more businesslike through the first 80 minutes or so. But it only takes one moment to unleash a tidal wave of emotions and frustrations, and that’s what happened during a red-zone rep between New York’s first-team offense and Detroit’s top defensive grouping.

It was a highlight moment for rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold, who broke up an end zone shot to Malik Nabers. Despite not getting his head around and locating the ball, Arnold was able play the hands of Nabers, getting an arm in between the receiver’s for the PBU.

But as Nabers jogged back to the huddle, he was irked by something Lions safety Kerby Joseph was saying, so the first-year receiver threw a pawing jab into the face of Joseph. That sent the defender into a frenzy of windmill haymakers, causing both sidelines to clear.


Things stayed chipped the rest of the way, with defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike getting into it with Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, rookie safety Morice Norris throwing a punch at wide receiver Gunner Olszewski and cornerback Khalil Dorsey going after the much bigger Kayvon Thibodeaux along the Giants sideline.

And, for what it’s worth, Joseph continued to agitate during a special teams segment, although the sides were separated before it could swell into another melee.

Norris got pulled off the field by coach Dan Campbell for his actions, while both the rookie and Joseph stayed long after practice running laps, presumably as a punishment. Joseph declined interview requests coming back into the Giants facility, saying he needed to go work out.


● After zeroing in on the defense Monday, I turned my attention to Detroit’s offense for day two. While I didn’t see it firsthand, other reporters in attendance shared that the unit had struggled the first practice, including multiple turnovers.

Generally speaking, those struggles weren’t repeated, and the Lions didn’t turn the ball over once on Tuesday.


● In one-on-one pass rushing drills, Detroit’s starting offensive linemen were largely solid, particularly the veteran guys along the interior. If there was one guy who struggled, it was offensive tackle Taylor Decker against Brian Burnes.

The speedy defensive end bent around Decker on one rep and got through him with a push-pull on another. But it wasn’t a series shutout as Decker stymied a spin move before driving Burns past the pocket on another matchup.

Among the backups, offensive tackles Dan Skipper and Connor Galvin had some promising snaps, while I really liked the initial kick slide and anchor by Gionvanni Manu, although the raw rookie wasn’t as clean with his transition to the rusher’s counter move.


● The Lions continue to hammer home work to Jahmyr Gibbs in the passing game, looking to expand his contributions in that area this upcoming season. But the second-year back’s best plays were on carries. He turned on the jets to get around the left edge of his formation on one and had a smooth cutback heading right without losing speed as he hit the hole for an explosive gain on another.

Note: Burns was in the backfield on that second run and would have had a shot to drop Gibbs for a loss before the back reaches the lane.


● A little more on the fringes of the roster conversation, it was easy to like what Kaden Davis accomplished in this practice, outproducing guys like Daurice Fountain, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green.

Davis even got a handful of looks with the first-team offense, catching a long touchdown down the middle from Jared Goff. Of course, closer inspection of that snap shows the throw would have never come out of the QB’s hands after the offensive line failed to pick up the blitz of linebacker Isaiah Simmons.


● The sides worked kickoffs for the first time and Kalif Raymond and rookie Sione Vaki were once again the top pairing of return men for the Lions. The Giants did a nice job on coverage, overall, but Raymond popped the first one for a long gain that potentially goes to the house, depending how much an arm tackle attempt would have slowed him down during a live return.

Also getting kick return reps for Detroit were Isaiah Williams, Jalon Calhoun, Jermar Jefferson, Gibbs and Tom Kennedy.


● Jake Bates got a chance to work on field goal and things remained maddeningly inconsistent for the roster’s lone kicker.

My angle admittedly wasn’t great to record snap placement, so I might be a yard or two off on the lengths here, but he opened with makes from 34, 37, 41 and 44 yards, before missing three of the next four from 46, 50 and 50. He also made a 50-yarder during that stretch, before closing with a booming conversion from 53 yards that would have been good from well over 60.


● Both full rosters came together on one field for some red zone work late in practice. It was the aforementioned segment where Joseph and Nabers got into it.

After that commotion, the Lions offense switched on and scored on their first play, just like they did the day before. This time it was David Montgomery running a slick wheel route and hauling it in despite tight coverage down the right sideline.


● With the second units, Detroit’s defense got off to a strong start with a pair of run stops by linebacker Ben Niemann before the secondary let receiver Allen Robinson come wide open in the end zone on a designed play-action rollout on third down.

The only thing of note from the Lions’ second-team offense was a fluid, one-cut run by Jermar Jefferson that netted a nice chuck behind the blocking of the right side of the line.

Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[froot loops]

I wouldn't write off Moseley yet. Campbell was pretty positive that he will be healthy by the end of the year.

[Cody_Russell]

That sucks for Moseley. Feel bad for him.

A little more on the fringes of the roster conversation, it was easy to like what Kaden Davis accomplished in this practice, outproducing guys like Daurice Fountain, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green.

Davis even got a handful of looks with the first-team offense, catching a long touchdown down the middle from Jared Goff. Of course, closer inspection of that snap shows the throw would have never come out of the QB’s hands after the offensive line failed to pick up the blitz of linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

lol … O/U WRs making the initial 53 could be 3.5 at this rate. St. Brown, Jamo, Raymond, and … Green? It might make sense to test and see if any other team would claim off waivers.

Can foresee Gibbs’ passing production taking off in 2024 though.

[whatever_gong82]

Pressers and scrums: The unappreciated joy of a distraction-free training camp

Justin Rogers
Aug 06, 2024

East Rutherford, N.J. — Like many football fans, I’ve been keeping tabs on the drama surrounding San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. For me, the reporting of the story has been the most fascinating part, with budding Twitter/X legend “Pretty Rickey” going toe-to-toe with national insiders for the scoop on a potential Aiyuk trade.

If you’re not familiar with Rickey, let me tell you, he’s a character. He posts anonymously while using a photo of the old Bud Light mascot, Spuds MacKenzie, as an avatar. He calls himself “The People’s Insider,” and even though his hit rate isn’t 100%, he’s come out of nowhere to break a lot of big NFL stories the past year.

For the past week, Rickey has reported Aiyuk is getting dealt. And when challenged on the information, specifically stated the star receiver is getting shipped to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The traditional media has seemingly been playing catch up, but it’s looking more and more likely Rickey will end up right. Even if he doesn’t, I’m invested in the drama. Who is this guy? How is he getting these scoops? I have some guesses, but no evidence to justify saying them out loud.



If none of that introduction interests you, I’m sorry. I felt compelled to share, and I was going somewhere with it. The Aiyuk situation — a key player being unhappy with their contract situation — isn’t uncommon. We similarly saw it with Jordan Love’s brief holdout in Green Bay that ended with the quarterback securing a record deal.

The Lions have managed to avoid all that. They got megadeals done early with their trio of star players — Jared Goff, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown — as well as veteran left tackle Taylor Decker in the early stages of camp. Additionally, based on comments made by general manager Brad Holmes in recent weeks, it’s easy to believe something is coming sooner than later for Alim McNeill.


The point is the Lions are earning high marks on the happiness index with the roster, and it’s allowing them avoid distractions as the franchise prepares to make a Super Bowl run. But even if the Lions run into one of these contract situations, which coach Dan Campbell believes is inevitable, he feels the organization is in a good position to handle it.



“Yeah that always helps,” Campbell said when I asked about the blessing of being free of distractions. “You’d always love for that to be the case, but that doesn’t necessarily mean — look, we may have one at some point.

“Every team does go through this, and it doesn’t mean that one side is being ridiculous, or the other side, it’s just part of the way it goes,” Campbell said. “So yeah, it feels good. It helps. It does eliminate those distractions, but also, if it does happen, and it happens down the road …we’ll get it worked out. We’re pretty transparent on our end, and as long as the agent is (too), we’ll figure out a way to get it done.”



● Giants coach Brian Daboll seems like a nice enough guy, and his relationship with local reporters could be much different than what the public sees during his press conferences, but having participated in his media sessions ahead of joint practices the past two years, it’s a reminder of how easy we’ve got it in Detroit covering Campbell.

Daboll keeps his answers short and lacking meaningful detail. Worse, he delivers responses with a flat inflection reminiscent of Bill Belichick, who Daboll worked under for several years in New England. His press conferences, which can help set a tone for a daily story idea, offered borderline unusable quotes, almost certainly by design.

Campbell is the opposite, which makes his media sessions worthwhile. He regularly offers thoughtful responses and honest insight, frequently wrapped in an entertaining or humorous anecdote.

A good journalist shouldn’t need to rely on a coach’s press conference, but having someone who doesn’t act annoyed by the profession obligation isn’t just a service to the media, but to the fans.



● One thing Daboll did talk about on Tuesday was his frustration with Levi Onwuzurike. The coach was irked by the defensive lineman swatting at quarterback Daniel Jones’ hand during the previous day’s practice.

"The big thing is we want to keep the quarterbacks clean,” Daboll said. “It's hard enough to play in this league, and you want to practice the right way. That's why we choose to practice. We got a lot of respect for one another, and at times it got a little heated yesterday, but we still respect each other. The guys respect each other. We just want to stay away from the quarterbacks.”

It’s a fair point. While it might seem over the top to criticize a defender for doing his job, imagine if that swipe during Jones’ throwing motion caused a jammed wrist or broken/dislocated finger? What if the scenario was flipped and it was Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jared Goff? A injury to a QB can derail a season faster than one at any other position, so you can appreciate a coach being extra cautious, protective and defensive about their guy.



● Campbell provided a positive update on a shoulder injury suffered by right guard Kevin Zeitler Monday, indicating there are no long-term concerns. That said, the veteran didn’t practice on Tuesday, opening the door for an extended opportunity with the first-team offense for Michael Neise.

Neise wasn’t a guy many were talking about coming into camp, but with Christian Mahogany sidelined by an illness, and Colby Sorsdal moving back to offensive tackle, a path has opened to winning a roster spot.

All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell was impressed with what he saw from Neise the past two days.

“I was with Niese "The Beast" out there,” Sewell said. “It's been great working with him. I think he responded well as a man looking for a job should. I was really proud of the way he worked, came in and not only knew what he was doing, but did it at a high level.”



● One of the hidden benefits of joint practices is getting looks at stuff your team doesn’t run, schematically. Alex Anzalone mentioned that to me during a brief conversation Monday, when the Giants offense tested the Lions defense with a particular draw play they hadn’t previously seen this camp.

Bigger picture, the amount of shotgun the Giants utilize challenged the Lions in an important way with the regular season fast approaching.

“It’s the first time we’ve faced, this year, a significant amount of gun — gun action, gun runs,” Campbell said. “Some of these things where they’re creating some two-back (looks) out of 11 personnel, it’s just a little different. And Daboll’s got some wrinkles here offensively that are really good for us. Some of it are things that we’ve kind of seen from our offense, but they’re different.”





Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[chemiclord]

I wouldn't write off Moseley yet. Campbell was pretty positive that he will be healthy by the end of the year.

I suppose it's nice he'll be available for like 3 snaps in Week 17 before his right arm falls off or something.

[wcfwtf]

I suspect Stafford will be in gun at least 75% of time.

[CGVT]

I suppose it's nice he'll be available for like 3 snaps in Week 17 before his right arm falls off or something.

Nice! Ha!

[whatever_gong82]

Six roster thoughts following Lions' joint practices with the Giants

Aug 07, 2024
Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network




East Rutherford, N.J. — Joint practices are a lot, especially on the road, where you’re initially unfamiliar with the setup and the restrictions. You try to take in as much as you can, with the understanding you can’t see everything.

By the end of the two days, I had 10 pages of hastily scribbled, shorthand notes and a few dozen videos on the phone, trying to process what happened in that roughly four-hour viewing window, which had been broken up by more than a dozen scuffles.

The point of the week is preparation and evaluation. It provides a break from the camp routine to accelerate what the team needs learn about itself. As a reporter, you’d like to think you walk away with a clearer picture, as well.

With that in mind, here are six thoughts bouncing around my brain heading into the preseason opener between the Lions and Giants. A reminder: That matchup will be watered down because many of the meaningful contributors for both teams are expected to sit out after getting their necessary work in during the joint sessions.



Taking it up a notch

Throughout the first couple weeks of camp, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has been playing at a noticeably higher level. Nearing the point of needing to pay rent in the backfield, it’s easy to believe he’s on the verge of making the difficult jump from very good to elite.

After finishing near the top of the league in quarterback pressures a year ago, the slightest improvements could be enough to flip some of those hits and hurries into sacks. That’s what it will take to close the production gap with the league leaders in that defining stat for his position.

But Hutchinson isn’t the only Lions lineman looking primed to take their game to another level. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill — you know, the next man up for a potential contract extension — has been nothing short of a force of nature. His ability to dominate one-on-one matchups showed up more than any other Detroit defender this week.

When the Lions selected McNeill in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, they thought they were getting an athletic nose tackle. Now, entering his fourth season, and second playing the 3-technique full-time, he’s fully settled into his slimmer frame, and is more consistently causing problems for interior blockers with his rare combination of power and quickness.

Still a top-tier run defender, McNeill looks intent on taking his pass-rush impact up a notch one year after tallying career-highs in pressures (34) and sacks (5.0).



A fortuitous decision

When Brad Holmes negotiated an offseason trade for Carlton Davis III, the Lions general manager did so believing he’d likely lose the ability to also add free-agent target Amik Robertson, who the team had been negotiating with at that time. But, as coach Dan Campbell shared at the owners meetings this offseason, Robertson wasn’t deterred by the added competition, pushing to get a deal across the finish line.

Robertson’s confidence to come in and make an impact regardless of the obstacles in his way is a big part of his appeal. So even when the Lions added a couple more cornerbacks in the first two rounds of the draft, the veteran never blinked.

Through his first offseason in Detroit, Robertson has performed well, showing strong route anticipation as he battled for the team’s slot corner job with Emmanuel Moseley and rookie Ennis Rakestraw. On Monday, the blessing of Robertson’s push to come to Detroit became even more important after the devastating loss of Moseley to a long-term injury, reported to be a torn pectoral.

The injury doesn’t mean the nickel job will now be handed to Robertson, but it’s fair to say it’s his to lose. And even if he falls short in his competition with Rakestraw or hybrid defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, the depth, attitude and intensity Robertson adds to the roster will be an asset in 2024.



Makeover dividends

Last year’s backfield makeover couldn’t have been much more of a success. The incoming tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for a combined 1,960 yards (4.9 YPC), while scoring 23 touchdowns on the ground. For good measure, they added another 433 yards and a score on 68 catches.

That’s a lofty production bar, but there looks to be more juice to squeeze from the duo, especially in the passing game. Working against the Giants, the Lions continued to heavily feature Gibbs as a receiver, while Montgomery reminded everyone he’s also got plenty of skill coming out of the backfield, scoring an 18-yard touchdown on a slick wheel route.

On top of the receiving ability, Gibbs looks as electric as ever as a ball carrier, running with patience, vision and burst that allows him to explode into the second level. It’s why he’s a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.

If he stays healthy, I’d set the over/under at 1,500 yards from scrimmage.



Veteran lineman impressing

An unheralded offseason addition, defensive tackle Kyle Peko, is tracking toward earning a roster spot. The veteran journeyman has pushed his way into first-team reps the past week, where he’s filling the nose tackle role while DJ Reader continues to rehab his way back from a torn quad.

Part of what led Peko to Detroit was his connection with defensive line coach Terrell Williams. The two worked together during a pair of short stints for the lineman in Tennessee. But that relationship doesn’t matter if you can’t prove your value on the field.

Peko has been impressing teammates with his ability to eat blocks and shut down the run. Linebacker Alex Anzalone told me this week there have been recent practices where he feels he didn’t have to take on an offensive lineman once because Peko was absorbing blocks so well, freeing the second-level defenders to fly to the ball unencumbered.



You never know

Kevin Zeitler has been remarkably durable during his career, appearing in at least 15 games each of the past nine seasons. He was asked about that run of good health during a media session last week.

"I would say it has a lot of luck to it,” Zeitler said. “There is a lot of luck. I take body prep very seriously over the years, and I really do think that's helped transfer over in terms of people falling into me — be flexible and learning how to fall myself."

Luck is the key word. No matter your history or your level of preparation, every football player is susceptible to misfortune. And Zeitler provided a reminder of that when he exited Monday’s practice with a shoulder injury.

The good news, in this instance, is he avoided something serious. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back on the practice field next week. Regardless, this is why depth is so important. Holmes has stockpiled talent at so many spots, including guard, but that’s been depleted by some of those unforeseen situations, including rookie Christian Mahogany indefinitely sidelined by an illness.



Help wanted

It’s too aggressive to say the Lions need to cut Jake Bates, but after continued struggles with consistency, the team should be looking to add another kicker to the roster for the sake of competition at such a critical spot.

Coming off a brutal practice last week in Detroit, Bates was a little better against the Giants, but ran into some trouble between 46 and 51 yards on Tuesday, missing a third of his attempts overall.

Bates’ talent, in particular his leg strength, is apparent. And the Lions are taking the same approach with him as they do with nearly every player on the roster under Holmes and Campbell, providing a decently long leash to work through struggles and prove your value.

That said, the position is too important to not bring in another option, preferably one more proven, to hopefully push Bates more quickly over some of his developmental hurdles.


Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/07/detroit-lions-bud-light-can-2024/74704657007/

[whatever_gong82]

Paywall article from yesterday's Freep.

Why Penei Sewell is fired up about Lions after heated practices with Giants

Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jameson Williams sprinted past the entire New York Giants defense and caught a touchdown pass. Then he dropped one over the middle a few plays later.

Jahmyr Gibbs found a crease and scored in the red zone. Then got tackled for a loss.

The offensive line gave Jared Goff time to throw. Then gave up a sack.

Goff threaded throws into tight spaces. Then didn’t see a safety and threw a pick.


This was how it went the first day of joint practice, where the Detroit Lions offense looked potent, rusty, explosive, and a bit inconsistent, which shouldn’t be a surprise given the context.

As right tackle Penei Sewell said Tuesday after the second joint practice:

“I go against Hutch (Aidan Hutchinson) every day and at times you lose your progress because you’re going against the same guys (for what) feels like a couple months now.”


Not that Sewell was diminishing the importance of training camp. Obviously, it’s critical. He was just pointing out that after a couple weeks of lining up against the same couple players — Sewell also faces rush end Marcus Davenport at times — it gets hard to gauge progress.

Not much surprise in the technique and abilities of a player after facing him for nine straight days. So, when Sewell was suddenly lining up against Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, two talented edge rushers, he was facing a different kind of test.


The same was true for every player on the offense, and it showed in the occasional lack of crispness. By Tuesday, the Lions were getting used to new patterns, and a higher level of intensity.

It showed.

In the first play of red zone work when Goff hit David Montgomery in stride for a touchdown, and on the 7-yard run for a score by Gibbs, who took the handoff, paused a beat, spotted the hole, and bolted.


As Sewell noted, Gibbs came into the league with rare gifts of speed, quickness, balance and acceleration after a change of direction. He needed to learn the playbook and get a feel for the difference between college and pro defenders.

Gibbs looked more decisive Tuesday than Monday. Again, this isn’t shocking.

“His work is between the ears (right now),” said Sewell. “I don’t know if anyone knows, but that guy is physically gifted.”


He was joking, I think. Dry humor and all. But here was the rest of his thought:

“That guy can do things not a lot of people can do.”

And?

“The game is slowing down for him.”




This will come week to week this fall, no doubt. But coach Dan Campbell wanted to supercharge the growth of Gibbs, and the rest of his (mostly) young team by breaking up camp and heading east, for all the reasons Sewell said, of course, and for reasons Campbell has said.

Like upping the pressure. And playing in front of someone else’s fans. New Yorkers aren’t a monolith, clearly, and I’d hate to say anyone who cares about the Giants in this region is likely to tell Frank Ragnow he is a bum from a few feet away, as a bold youngish fan did Tuesday.

Dan Campbell watching practice 8-6-2024.jpg

But the stereotype of football fans — heck, any fan — out here exists for a reason, and those fans could be heard loudly the past couple days. The dynamic inside the Quest Diagnostics Center wasn’t the lovefest these Lions feel every day back in Allen Park.

That’s what Campbell wanted — for his guys to feel a bit more discomfort. The heat helped, too. Oh, and the humidity. The factors combined for a sticky mess.



“Finally fun to go against someone else,” said Amon-Ra St. Brown, who did his usual sorcery of finding open spaces in the Giants secondary when there didn’t seem to be much. “Pretty physical two days. But we needed it. Little hot.”

A little?

"Feel like your heart rate is going a little faster. You get tired a little quicker. But it was good work.”

Amon-Ra St. Brown 8-6-2024.jpg

Ok, then. That’s more like it.

So was this: “(Tuesday) we had a little better day than we did (Monday),” St. Brown said.


Sewell said more or less the same thing. If you asked Campbell, he would say the same. It helps that there are options, even with Sam LaPorta sidelined the past two days as he recovers from a hamstring issue.

“Amazing to see,” St. Brown said of the playmakers that share the huddle with him. “Been like that two years now ... knowing what it’s like, (that) you don’t have to make every play. Knowing that one of us will make the play though. It might not be you for two drives, but you always have to be ready. It’s nice to know that you’re not the only guy that out there that has to make a play to help the team win. You've got a bunch of guys that are explosive, make guys miss, and can get touchdowns.”


Even though this is the second year the huddle offers so many options, it still takes time to reconnect the pieces. Training camp helps and will continue to help. So do joint practices. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that the running game looked better Tuesday, and that the protection looked better, and thus, the passing game looked better.

That it all looked better has another potential benefit as well. When asked what lesson he takes from his two days in north Jersey, Sewell was quick to answer.

“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is we have the ability to bounce back," he said. "We didn’t have the best first day and we were able to come out here today and be better. That's what I like to see, and it’s promising.”



Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him@shawnwindsor.

Make "Carlos and Shawn" your go-to Detroit sports podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).

[whatever_gong82]

A primer for the NFL's new kickoff rule ahead of Lions' preseason opener

Justin Rogers
Aug 8



East Rutherford, N.J. — One of the most exciting components of Thursday’s preseason opener between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions is getting an early look at the NFL’s revamped, “dynamic” kickoff.

The play was overhauled this offseason, borrowing heavily from a version previously used in the XFL. The league’s aim is to safely encourage more kick returns as the former setup was becoming increasingly useless.

Here are the basics of the new design:


The setup

The ball will continue to be kicked from a team’s 35-yard line (or the 20-yard line following a safety). The remaining 10 players on the kicking team will line up on the opposing 40.



The majority of the receiving team, nine players total, will initially line up in a 5-yard area between the 30- and 35-yard lines. This is known as the setup zone. A minimum of seven players must have one foot on the 35-yard line —also known as the restraining line — when the ball is kicked. The remaining two from that group of nine must line up outside the hash marks.

The final two players from the receiving team are the returners. They operate in the “landing zone,” which is between the goal line and the 20-yard line.

The zones do not change with penalties, only where the ball is kicked.



The mechanics


Only the kicker and two returners can move before and immediately after the ball is kicked. The 10 coverage players and nine blockers in the setup zone are prohibited from moving until the ball has either hit the ground or been fielded by a returner.

The movement rules for that group aren’t as strict as they are for offensive players before a regular snap. They can move their head to locate the ball and arms to signal their teammates. Officials have been trained to focus on players’ feet for early, illegal movement.

After the kick, the kicker is not permitted to cross midfield until the ball bounces or is fielded by a returner.


All kicks must make it to at least the 20-yard line. Any kick that bounces before the 20, or strikes a player in the setup zone, is blown dead and treated as out of bounds, starting the offense at the 40-yard line.

Players in the setup zone are allowed to try and deflect a low kick, as long as their feet remain on the ground.


Additional changes


● Fair catches are no longer permitted and there are two types of touchbacks. A touchback on a kick that reaches the end zone on the fly comes out to the 30-yard line. But if a kick hits inside the landing zone before the goal line and bounces into the end zone, the touchback only comes out to the 20-yard line.

All balls that hit inside the landing zone and remain in the field of play are live and must be physically downed by the returner to register the touchback.

● Onside kicks are the biggest loser with these changes. The new alignments eliminate surprise onside attempts. Those kicks are now permitted only in the fourth quarter, when a team is trailing, and the attempt must be declared before the attempt. The formation rules for onside kicks remains unchanged.

● If weather conditions are causing the ball to fall off the tee, the kicking team may use a 12th man as a holder. That player must immediately leave the field once the ball is kicked.


Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

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© 2024 Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network
jrogers@detroitfootball.net

[whatever_gong82]

Pride of Detroit Direct by Jeremy Reisman



The offseason officially gives way to the preseason Thursday night, which means we’re just that much closer to what could be a historic Detroit Lions 2024 season. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of the preseason, that symbolic step toward the season is worth celebrating alone. And our debut preview newsletter of Pride of Detroit Direct Season 2 will get you ready for Lions vs. Giants.

Not only will I help guide your watching experience for Thursday’s game, but we’re also bringing back our First Byte podcast with a Giants guest who will break down everything that happened this week at joint practices!


Welcome back to football season, y’all. It’s going to be a great one.



How I’ll be watching Lions vs. Giants–and you should be, too

With a couple of joint practices this week, it’s a near certainty that nearly all of the Lions starters will not be playing on Thursday night against the Giants. For many, that takes the intrigue out of the game, but I don’t feel the same way. For those obsessing over the roster–and chances are that if you’re subscribed to this this, you are–the preseason game affords you the opportunity to both see where the roster stands right now, and give your own assessments of how each player is playing.

So consider this post a guide on how to navigate a preseason game without starters. I’ll tell you where to keep your focus on, key positional battles, and biggest questions that need to be answered Thursday night.



Watch the rep order

The Lions released an unofficial depth chart, but that is created by the Lions media department, not coaches. Detroit’s true depth chart will be revealed by which players are out there against the Giants and in which order.

So when the Lions take the field on Thursday, get out a notepad and take notice on which players are out there with the “first-team” offense and defense. That’s quite literally what I’ll be doing. And I’ll do it when the Lions appear to shift to their second team and third teams. It’s not a completely fool-proof plan. Oftentimes we see someone repping late in the fourth quarter crack the roster. But the Lions want their best players competing against the Giants’ best players, so if they’re playing in the first half, that’s a good sign.



Specific areas of focus:

Who will be on the offensive line with top reserve guard Kayode Awosika likely out with injury?

If Carlton Davis/Terrion Arnold sit, who are the top outside cornerbacks to start?

With Emmanuel Moseley’s injury, who will be the top reserve nickelback behind Amik Robertson?



Focus on special teams

If I’m the one telling you to watch special teams, you know it’s actually important this time of year. Without a doubt, the final 5-7 roster spots will be determined by special teams value, and that is especially true this year.

We got to talk to NFL official Shawn Smith last Friday, and we discussed the new kickoff for several minutes. Most notably, he said that the kickoff return rate last year was under 22 percent. Given that fair catches will no longer be allowed and the kicking team has been de-incentivized to kick it out of the end zone, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that number quadruple in 2024 (it was 97% in the XFL last year). That’s a huge spike in active plays, and we know Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp won’t take that lightly.



But what should I be watching for?

Great question, alter-ego. On the kickoff, your focus should be two-fold: the positions the Lions are favoring, and the returner job.

Detroit will have to make tough roster decisions at the end of the month, and how they treat the kickoff could be the defining decision. Camp battles are often framed as position battles, but when you get down to the bottom of the 53-man roster, it’s truly a battle across positions. Will they opt to keep an RB5, a TE5, a CB7, LB6, S5? So as it pertains to the kickoff, are the Lions prioritizing fast, elusive positions like DBs and RBs? Or are they focusing on players that can block and shed blocks like linebackers and tight ends? Both sets of players will likely be on the unit, but pay attention to the numbers of each position used. Yes, football is math.

As for the returner job, the important thing to remember here is that the Lions are likely to deploy two kick returners to ensure the ball doesn’t hit the ground. Kalif Raymond seems destined to be one of them, but who will the other one be? Detroit has several legitimate options: Sione Vaki, Jermar Jefferson, Craig Reynolds, Maurice Alexander, and Khalil Dorsey, among others. That’s a lot of candidates, but there likely won’t be a ton of opportunities. Who Detroit puts out there must make the most of their opportunity.



Don’t forget punts

When it comes to evaluating the punt/kick coverage teams, my focus moves to three positions: the personal protector, the gunners, and jammers.

The personal protector is the player on the punting team closest to the punter. It’s a hugely important position, as it’s the last line of defense to stymie potential punt blockers, and when it comes to fake punts, they’re often the guy who receives the direct snap. That position was held by Jalen Reeves-Maybin last year, but C.J. Moore thrived in that role too. Moore is on the roster bubble, so if he gets reps there, it’s likely a good sign for him.

For the gunners and jammers–the players on the very outside of the formation–it’s one of the most important positions in all of special teams. The performance of these players is often the difference between a huge return vs. a fair catch. For the gunners (on the punting team), look for speed, the ability to break through jams at the line, and the awareness to down punts, if necessary. For the jammers (return team), look for that first, physical punch and the will to not give up on a play when the gunner eventually gets by them. Also… NO BLOCKS IN THE BACK!



Camp darlings when the lights come on

Every year, a handful of players separate themselves during training camp. Typically it’s a wide receiver who has become a favorite target of the backup or a pass rusher who is just constantly beating a reserve offensive lineman. But those players often fade into the background when it’s actually game time. Sometimes going up against a different team or being placed in a game situation takes some of the shine off these exciting young players.

So here are some training camp darlings I’ll be keeping an extra eye on to see if their potential has legitimate merit to it: WR Daurice Fountain, WR Kaden Davis, DL Isaac Ukwu, EDGE Mitchell Agude, LB Malik Jefferson, CB Steven Gilmore, DB Morice Norris.



Position battles

It’s the most obvious one, but also probably the most important. Detroit has several camp battles they need to settle, and Thursday night marks one of the most important data points for that battle. The WR3 job between Fountain, Davis, Antoine Green, and Donovan Peoples-Jones is the most interesting. But don’t overlook TE3/4 between Shane Zylstra, James Mitchell, Parker Hesse, and Sean McKeon. Or the depth DB battle between guys like Kindle Vildor, Steven Gilmore, C.J. Moore, Morice Norris, and Brandon Joseph.

 
VIDEO: First Byte returns! Ed Valentine recaps joint practices, talks about Giants players to watch in preseason


I promised y’all some exclusive joint practice content, even though I wasn’t able to attend them this year. Thankfully, Ed Valentine, the producer and Giant beat writer for Big Blue View, was there for both practices and was nice enough to join myself and Ryan Mathews for the return of our First Byte podcast. He shares his thoughts from both practices, talks about some overall takeaways, and helps us preview the preseason game. And, yes, we make some PRESEASON PREDICTIONS with the “One thing we think we know.”



Also, if you haven’t already, check out the joint practice observations offered by Big Blue View here:


Day 1:

Takeaways

Things I think


Day 2:

Takeaways

Things I think


Enjoy the podcast!


 

 

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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/12/levi-onwuzurike-detroit-lions-nfl-training-camp/74761396007/