Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

I just signed up with the paid version of PFF, so I'm still learning the website.

Here is what they show the Detroit Lions currently at prior to Sunday's night game in Houston:

PFF_points prior to 11-10-24 games.jpg PFF_points prior to 11-10-24 games_Lions highlighted.jpg

[Iron Lion]

Liking our new guy Z, looks like he will fit in. I'll never forget Van Noy's "Toilet Bowl to the Super Bowl" quote, because like all such quotes, the true ones really sting. But now MCDC has fully flipped that around, like he has with everything.

[El Axe]

In post-game, Campbell thought LaPorta just had a shoulder sprain and might be able to play next week, but if not shouldn't be out long.

[Tom]

Skipping the Jags game shouldn’t be a big deal.

[whatever_gong82]

Locker room buzz: Davis gains back respect, Houston finding confidence, Skipper 'tanked,' origin of celebration and more

Justin Rogers
Nov 11


Houston — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 26-23 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.



Earning respect

Carlton Davis III became the first Lions cornerback to intercept a pass this season when he secured not one, but two in the third quarter of the victory. It turns out he had carried a little extra motivation to make a play in this game than most realized.

In 2023, while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis had one of the worst games of his career. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered seven receptions on eight targets, including three touchdowns. For context, he only gave up two touchdowns in the other 11 games he played.


Davis noted the third score against Houston was also a game-winner.

Now, you see, Davis is a man who believes in earning respect. And after that performance against the Texans, he was convinced the opponent had no reason to respect him. He needed to earn it back.


“It was probably one of the worst games I've ever had my any life here,” Davis said. “…I wanted to get payback. Honestly, it's never personal for me, but I did feel that in my heart. When we were losing, I just told myself, ‘Bro, we got to make a play. I'm not going out sad to these guys twice.’”

“They're a great team, well-coached guys, but at the same time we are too,” Davis said. “The emotional state just kind of took over, and I was like, ‘I'm making a play regardless.’ I couldn't leave this stadium twice two years in a row not being able to say I'm a winner and not being able to overcome this team.”


Davis’ first interception came on the first play of the second half, when he relied on his film study from the week of preparation to reveal a tendency where he could capitalize.

“If you watch film, I jump out (routes) all the time,” Davis said. “If you watch the film, I'm in good position on every out. I know this team. They like to run out, run out, and then go double-move. When they ran the two outside, I didn't play it too hard and they were completing it. I knew coming out of halftime that they were going to go back to that because they're a team that loves to repeat successful plays. When they went back to it, they gave me the set that I was looking for and we were in the right call, I knew I would jump it.”


How’d it feel to get some respect back on his name. You already know.

“It feels f______ good,” Davis said. “It was still a close game, and whether you win or lose that game kind of (shapes) how you feel after the game. If we lose, it's like, 'f___, I got two picks, but f___ it, we lost.' You win, it's like, 'Let's go!'“


Feels like home

The last time James Houston sacked a quarterback was Jan. 1, 2023. But the third-year pass rusher snapped that streak Sunday after dropping in coverage and coming up to stop Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud on a third-down scramble in the first half that forced the Texans to settle for a field goal.


“It just feels like home,” Houston said. “I needed to get back to that feeling.”

It’s been a rough stretch for Houston, who missed most of last season due to injury and has been in and out of the lineup this season, only earning a role back when Marcus Davenport and Aidan Hutchinson suffered season-ending injuries.


Houston also came up huge in the fourth quarter when pressure he generated off the edge started a chain of events that ended with Stroud fumbling, ending another Texans drive.

“The first thing was getting off on the ball,” Houston said. “I kind of beat the tackle out of his stance, hit the dip move, cleared him, just have to finish next time.”


Houston said he’s done the best he can at shutting out the outside noise during this up-and-down stretch of his career. He's hoping this performance will be a launching pad toward getting back on track.

“After being out for a year and it's been almost two seasons since I've had a sack, I think it will definitely help build some confidence,” he said.


QB undeterred

Despite a career-worst five interceptions, neither Jared Goff nor coach Dan Campbell were disappointed with the performance, feeling it was more a series of unfortunate circumstances than poor play.

“I honestly didn't feel like I was playing all that bad, and I was seeing things well,” Goff said. “I was throwing it well. I had some unfortunate things there early, but I've been through a whole lot worse than that. I've been to the bottom. Mentally, I've been to the bottom. Some unlucky plays aren't going to throw me off my game.”


“…I think, ultimately, I never lost confidence because I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do on most of those plays,” Goff said. “Our defense really bailed us out. They really did all day. The guys stuck with me on offense, and I'm telling them, ‘Hey, man, I'm good, just hang in there, and I'm good, I'm going to have this thing figured out’. They stuck with me.”

Campbell agreed.


“Forget the one right before halftime,” Campbell said. “That was a Hail Mary. We were just trying to get it up, hope and a prayer. Didn't work out. So now you're down to four. …The rest of those, it just kind of was circumstance. There're some things that happened. The one to (Sam) LaPorta, it was a good throw. That's what we tell him to do. LaPorta was a little late getting his head around and then he didn’t quite get himself to the ball. But the timing says, rip that ball. We were a little off.

“He and ‘Jamo’ (Jameson Williams), Jamo should be a little higher angle,” Campbell continued. “There are just these little circumstances that come into play. For me I'm not going to tell him anything because I don't feel like this is, ‘Oh, man, what are you doing?’ These weren't ill-advised throws. It wasn't our day. When it's not your day and you can still win, that's a sign of a good team.”



Everyone believes in Bates

Talking to most of his teammates after the game, no one really seemed to doubt Jake Bates would make the 58 and 52-yard kicks to tie and win the contest. In fact, linebacker Alex Anzalone said the team didn’t make an effort to get the last try closer because Bates seems more comfortable from a longer range.


I made the comparison to a three-point shooter who loses his touch a bit when he's a few feet inside the arc.

But Campbell gave a much more specific example of why he was confident: Practice.


On Thursday, the team had run an end-of-game scenario, giving the offense the ball at their own 40-yard line with six seconds remaining, one timeout, needing a field goal to win it.

With one snap, Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 17-yard gain, setting up a 61-yard kick for the win with one second remaining. With the wind in his face, Bates stepped up and drained the try.


Campbell said this is the most confident he’s been in a kicker during his tenure as Detroit’s coach.

“I had a lot of confidence in Badge (Michael Badgley),” Campbell said. “I really did, but I think probably at this point, yeah, I would say that's a fair assessment. We're getting some pretty long kicks here. I don't particularly like to do that all the time, but sometimes you need it when you get in a game like that. He's (Bates) answered the bell.”


Long day at the office

Dan Skipper has been in the NFL since 2017, but somehow Sunday was the first game he started as an offensive tackle, replacing the injured Taylor Decker on the blindside.


“It's kind of a surreal moment,” he said.”

Skipper was all smiles after the win but admitted he was exhausted.


“I'm blown up,” Skipper said. “I don't know what way to put it other than I'm f______ tanked. …I've always had a s___ ton of respect for Deck and Penei (Sewell). It's up tremendously. I had a lot of help from my friends today. Coach (Ben) Johnson did a great job keeping them off balance and taking advantage of how they were rushing me.”

Skipper specifically highlighted Johnson calling for a screen pass to running back David Montgomery that took advantage of a way defensive end Danielle Hunter had beaten Skipper the play before.


“I had got beaten on the play-action on that screen the play before and goes right to the screen,” Skipper said. “It was like, 'Oh, I can do what I did on the last play (on purpose) and it's a good thing."

Skipper praised Hunter, saying he’s worth whatever he’s paid.


Home on the road

Detroit’s fans were all over the city of Houston this week and had an impact in the game, chanting “Let’s go Lions,” which contributed to a false start penalty against the Texans.

“I was saying that earlier,” defensive tackle Alim McNeill said. “It doesn't feel like we ever have a true away game. To get a call like that, it's crazy and it helps. I can't complain.”


Tight end banged up

Sam LaPorta had to get x-rays after the game for a shoulder injury he suffered in the second half. When he came back to the locker room, after it had otherwise cleared out, he had his arm in the sling.

That would usually be cause for concern, but Campbell alleviated some of those fears with information on the initial prognosis.


“I don't know how significant it will be,” Campbell said. “It's not something like he's going to be out four weeks, whatever. He might miss this (next) week, we'll see. He's got a little sprain in here (pointing to shoulder), kind of the AC joint. He tried to go back in and it just didn't quite feel right.”

LaPorta had one of his best games this season before exiting with the injury. He led the team with a season-high 66 receiving yards, including a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter.


Celebrations origins

After LaPorta’s touchdown, several Lions joined him in on the celebration where they laid on their stomachs, with their feet in the air and chins resting their hands, almost like a high school girl posing for her senior photos.


Adorable, I know.

As the unofficial celebration coordinator, I asked St. Brown where the idea came from.


“Jamo (Jameson Williams) actually came up with that. He sent (it to) us in the group chat,” St. Brown said. “He sent us a video of some guy, I don't know what it was, in a flag league and he scored and the whole sideline came and did it while a guy was flipping in front. Jamo is like, 'If we do it, I'm going to flip.'“

Unfortunately, Williams wasn’t in on the play, and even though he came in late to participate, any flips were out of the question.


Another sackless streak halted

Pat O’Connor waited seven years to make his debut with the Lions after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. He’s seen close to 20 snaps per game since getting elevated off the practice squad last month, but Sunday’s win was special because he recorded his first solo sack since 2021 when he dropped Stroud for a 12-yard loss in the second quarter.

O’Connor has found himself in the backfield a handful of times during the past few games but has just missed out on making the big play. His sack was initially ruled an incomplete pass before replay assist changed the call because Stroud’s knee was on the ground before the ball left his hand. That came with a sigh of relief for the veteran defender.


“They tried to take it away,” O’Connor said. “It's exciting. Don't count my plays, make the plays count. Whenever I have an opportunity to get in there, I try my best not to miss it. More often than not lately, I've been overdoing it. It was definitely exciting. One of the better feelings I've had.

“It was exciting to put it all together and get him down,” O’Connor said. “Getting a sack is hard enough, but missing one puts a lot of stress on your head.”


Rebounding at the right time

It wasn’t rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold’s best day. He was out of position on an early touchdown run, got flagged for a long defensive pass interference for making contact with the intended receiver too early, and got beat on a seemingly critical third-and-6 late in the game.

But Arnold was able to get credit for a pass breakup on a third down a few snaps later, leading to a 58-yard field goal try the Texans missed, setting up Detroit’s game-winner.


“At corner, I just have to give all credit to my teammates, Aaron Glenn, (secondary coach) Deshea (Townsend) and JO (defensive assistant Jim O’Neal)." Arnold said. ?"“When that third-and-6 happened, I'm a very competitive person and I felt like I let my teammates down.

“Then another third down came up and in my head, I'm like, 'I'm the rookie. I know they're coming at me,’” Arnold said. “That's kind of how it's been all season. My coaches are like, 'Terrion, you play man all the time. It's going to happen.' It's me having these ups and downs, just growing, I feel like I'm trending in the right direction as we're making this run.”


New addition thrilled

I caught Za’Darius Smith heading to the bus before the locker room officially opened. As he passed me, I said, ‘Hell of a first game with this team, huh?'

“Tell me about it,” he said with a quick handshake before repeatedly singing, 'We got the dub. We got the dub.’



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Be warned: The language is a bit salty, to say the least:

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/11/10/sam-laporta-injury-update-detroit-lions-tight-end-questionable-shoulder/76183869007/

[-Deborah-]

What about Alim McNeill? Is his jaw okay?

[chemiclord]

What about Alim McNeill? Is his jaw okay?

He's day to day. Trending in the right direction. He's questionable.

[mason reese]

Update on James Houston…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-14070087/amp/detroit-lions-james-houston-denies-accident.html

[-Deborah-]

He's day to day. Trending in the right direction. He's questionable.

Sarcasm?

[chemiclord]

Sarcasm?

Kinda? That just tends to be what Campbell says about any injury unless it's like IR-worthy.

[edindetroit]

FB_IMG_1731371605805.jpg

[edindetroit]

I'll be content with 3-2 over the next 5, shoot for 4-1.

Wow, 4 of our next 5 are close to a murderer's row. 4 of our 5 toughest road games. If we go 2-3, it wouldn't be terrible.

@ Dallas
@ Minny
Tennessee
@ GB
@ Houston

A clean sweep!

Lions 47 Dallas 9
Lions 31 Vikings 29
Lions 52 Titans 14
Lions 24 Packers 14
Lions 26 Texans 23

[maxw3ll]

Need to keep it up next 5.