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"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken L -
I give Patricia credit - if he hadn’t sucked so bad and been such a douche, maybe Sheila doesn’t clean house and look for a complete new way to run things and a coach that is a leader of men. So, thanks Matt!Comment
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Your comment deserves a like, but I can't bring myself to like a MP articleOriginally posted by whatever_gong82 View PostComment
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"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Ben Johnson must listen to The GM Shuffle podcast. Mike Lombardi talks about this all the time.
This is exactly what the Lions did when they hired Holmes and Campbell. You figure out why you failed in the past.Comment
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Off topic question. I’m a season ticket holder. Last night, a guest of other season ticket holders showed up. Over 6’5 and 400 lb. I couldn’t sit in my seat. I did not fit. At halftime went to customer service, and they got me new seats, way worse. I was pissed so I went back to old seats. Guy was now sittin in the middle of my seats. We wanted to watch game, so we went back to crappy seats.
Ticket rep today said there’s nothing they can do. I showed him picture of what happened and he said I could have fit. There’s no way. Didn’t offer me any help or solutions, blamed me. Basically said they can’t kick some one out because of size. I didn’t fight. I wasn’t an ass. But why should I lose my seat!
Honestly, how should this be handled?Last edited by Bwolf2216; December 6, 2024, 05:23 PM.Comment
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"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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How a dream came true for unheralded vet Pat O'Connor in Lions win over Packers
Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News
Detroit — Lions defensive lineman Pat O’Connor has played seven years in the NFL. He won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But by his own admission, he never thought he’d have a moment in the league like the one he experienced Thursday night at Ford Field.
In front of a raucous crowd of 63,987, O’Connor — who played his college football down the road at Eastern Michigan and was a seventh-round pick by Detroit in the 2017 NFL Draft — heard his name called during pregame introductions for the first time.
“Honestly, I never thought I was going to do that, especially with how far I am in my career,” O’Connor said. “To have the opportunity like that is so nice and I never thought about ever doing that. I always think when you see (Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson) come out, it’s probably the coolest thing ever and then to actually experience that for the first time is basically a dream.”
Lions defensive end Pat O'Connor (95) tries to get to Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) being blocked by offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (76) in the third quarter. Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit on December 5, 2024. Lions win, 34-31.
O’Connor is one of many players on the Lions' defense who’ve suddenly gone from depth to starting. Detroit’s defensive line has been a revolving door since the start of the season, and on Thursday night, the roster was as thin as it’s ever been after defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and DJ Reader were all ruled out with injuries.
O’Connor, for his part, did a little bit of everything — including coming out for the coin toss as an honorary gameday captain. "It was my turn, apparently," he said. He came off the edge as a pass rusher; he kicked inside the right tackle; he even played a little bit of nose tackle, something he’s done on very few occasions in his career.
“It’s a tough job,” O’Connor said of playing nose tackle. “You’ve got to be a grinder in there, especially if you just watch DJ, you know, he makes a lot of money doing what he does, he’s done it for a long time, and being able to work with him every day and watch him to kind of try to emulate how he plays — man, just got to hang in there sometimes. Hang in there.”
In that role, O’Connor — a lifelong special-teamer — didn’t show up much on the stat sheet. He finished with one tackle. But he did some things that won’t show up, like when he flushed Packers quarterback Jordan Love from the pocket on third-and-5 in the opening quarter, leading to Lions rushers Ezekiel Turner and Za’Darius Smith hitting Love while he let go of an incompletion.
And before most snaps, he could be seen trying to make a difference by pumping up the crowd.
“It doesn’t take much to show emotion and I just always think that’s awesome whenever you do that and you just hear the crowd, and then you see everyone else around you start doing it, and it just kind of gets everyone’s juice going before the play even starts,” O’Connor said. “So just little things like that kind of help you get you mentally prepared to snap into the play.”
O’Connor was a two-time first-team All-MAC selection during his time at Eastern Michigan. Detroit drafted him with the 250th pick in the 2017 draft but waived him before he ever played a snap for the Lions.
Back in the place where his career started, he’s continuing to make his dreams come true.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Tim Patrick makes right on a pregame promise, scores twice to help Lions drop Packers
Richard Silva
The Detroit News
Detroit — Tim Patrick called his shot.
The veteran receiver was feeling rather self-assured in warmups when he spotted some Detroit Lions fans in the front row with a sign encouraging players to do a Lambeau Leap — scratch that, a Lions Leap — if they were to score a touchdown during Thursday night's game against the Green Bay Packers.
Patrick, for some reason he couldn't explain, was feeling "very confident." He approached the spectators and assured them he'd soon be paying them a visit.
"Yeah, I've got y'all," Patrick said.
His words became reality in the fourth quarter, when he hauled in a touchdown catch over the middle — his second of the evening — to give the Lions a lead in a game they'd eventually win, 34-31. He took a few steps after his score before remembering his pregame promise and vaulting himself into the crowd at Ford Field.
The two-touchdown outing was a long time coming for Patrick, who suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries while still a member of the Denver Broncos in 2022 (torn ACL) and '23 (torn Achilles). He hadn't found the end zone in more than 1,000 days, and he hadn't done so twice in the same game since December 2020.
"I trusted coming here," Patrick said following his big performance, reflecting on the reasons he signed with the Lions in August. "I knew it was going to be rough in the beginning, but I knew it had the ability to be really special if I am the player who I thought I was. It's turning out as planned, so very thankful."
Patrick is Detroit's fourth-leading receiver this season with 349 yards, serving as the perfect complement to the three-headed attack of Amon-Ra St. Brown (863), Jameson Williams (710) and Sam LaPorta (445). Patrick has no issues fitting in around those pieces and carving out a niche role for himself.
But when a chance to excel arrives — like it did against the Packers — he intends to capitalize.
"He's a savvy vet, man," cornerback Amik Robertson said. "He comes to work every day, he takes care of his body. His opportunity came tonight, and he took advantage of it. But Tim Patrick — he's made plays in this league, so we don't expect nothing else. I was just happy for him. I'm just happy that he's part of this team."
Patrick, who has more than 2,000 yards in his career and was one of the NFL's most underrated receivers before getting hurt, can look back on the injuries that kept him out for two seasons in a different light. They helped lead him to Detroit, where he's contributing in a meaningful way for one of the league's best offenses.
"It just made me thankful," Patrick said of his time sidelined. "... Honestly, I just know that I can overcome anything because I've been through everything. ... When things happen, I just know, 'All right, how fast am I going to get out of this?' I knew after the second (injury), 'All right, you've got to go for it again and be ready.' You don't know what the future holds, but all you can do is work hard and hope things fall in the right place."
So far with the Lions, things have fallen correctly.
"I dream about these moments; I daydream about these moments," Patrick said. "I'm just thankful I'm living in the moment now."
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Niyo: Dan Campbell's creed: Go fourth and prosper
John Niyo
The Detroit News
Detroit — There’s a math to the madness.
But that can be hard to understand, at times, especially when the Lions’ Dan Campbell appears to throw caution to the wind and keeps his offense on the field for another fourth-down try.
Take the one Thursday night, late in the third quarter of Detroit’s exhilarating 34-31 win over Green Bay at Ford Field. Facing fourth-and-1 from his own 31-yard line, Campbell opted against punting the ball away with his team leading by a field goal. Instead, the Lions ran a play and the Packers’ defense blew it up, stuffing running back Jahmyr Gibbs for a 1-yard loss. Green Bay took advantage of the short field and scored a touchdown four plays later to retake the lead, 28-24, while social media melted down over Campbell’s seemingly reckless decision. Never mind that the analytics strongly suggested he’d made the right call in going for it. It bucked conventional wisdom, and it failed.
Fast forward to the end of the game, though. The Amazon Prime broadcast crew sounded aghast that Campbell was choosing not to attempt a go-ahead field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Packers’ 21-yard line with 43 seconds left. But David Montgomery’s 7-yard run on the ensuing play allowed the Lions to burn the remaining clock before Jake Bates booted the game-winner as time expired. On that one, analyst Ben Baldwin’s popular “Fourth Down Bot,” which weighs fourth-down decisions based on “win probability added,” considered it a bit of a toss-up, with a slight recommendation to kick on fourth down.
Right or wrong, Thursday’s emotional roller coaster was just another example of Campbell’s aggressive nature, which stands out even in a league where coaches have increasingly embraced data-driven gameplay over the last decade or so. Not every decision has worked, as Campbell is quick to point out himself. But for every fourth-down decision that has backfired — from a field-goal try that left him in tears after a loss to Minnesota in 2021 to gambles that busted in the NFC Championship collapse in San Francisco — there's a consistency in his conviction.
“I think he’s done a really good job of deciding when to go and when not to go,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said after Thursday’s win clinched a playoff berth and kept Detroit on top in the race for the NFC’s No 1 seed in the postseason.
“Certainly, because it worked, everyone is going to say, ‘Great call.’ And if it didn’t work, you guys would be crushing him. That’s the game he plays and that’s why he’s the guy with the big stones — and we trust him.”
And while Campbell certainly trusts his gut, he also trusts his players as well as his play-caller, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. More often than not, they’ve rewarded him for that.
Here’s a handful of highlights from Campbell’s tenure as the Lions’ head coach:
Dec. 5, 2021: Lions 29, Vikings 27
Looking back, it’s fitting that the Lions’ first win under Campbell came courtesy of a fourth-down call, and three years ago to the day from Thursday night’s drama, no less. At 0-10-1 in early December 2021, Detroit was the only winless team remaining in the NFL. The Lions hadn’t won a game in 364 days, and they weren’t going to beat the Vikings at Ford Field, either, unless they scored a touchdown on fourth-and-2 from Minnesota’s 11-yard line with 4 seconds left.
The Lions were trailing 27-23 largely because Campbell’s fourth-down gamble from his own 28-yard line on Detroit’s previous possession ended with a sack-fumble by Goff that set up the Vikings for the go-ahead score.
But with the game hanging in the balance, Goff found rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown in front of a pair of Vikings defenders in the end zone for the win as time expired. As St. Brown said afterward, “Jared saw it and the rest is history.”
Dec. 18, 2022: Lions 20, Jets 17
The Lions won this one by running back a play they’d used a week earlier in a win over Minnesota. Only this time, instead of Goff throwing a pass to Penei Sewell masquerading as a tight end, the target was tight end Brock Wright, who’d been elevated to a starting role after the T.J. Hockenson trade. And instead of third down, this came on fourth-and-1 from midfield, with the Lions trailing 17-13 at the 2-minute warning of the fourth quarter.
Goff faked a handoff to Justin Jackson, then looked right in St. Brown’s direction — that’s essentially the route Sewell had run against the Vikings — before turning the other way where Wright, who’d dropped a pass to start that drive, was uncovered in the left flat. He hauled in Goff’s pass this time, turned upfield and rumbled 51 yards largely untouched for what proved to be the winning touchdown.
Jan. 8, 2023: Lions 20, Packers 16
The Lions punctuated their statement win at the end of the 2022 season with another fourth-down success.
On a night where the visitors spoiled the Packers’ playoff hopes and ultimately ended Aaron Rodgers’ career in Green Bay, they finished things off by playing keep-away. The Lions ran the final 3:27 off the clock in the fourth quarter, aided by Campbell’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Packers’ 15-yard line with 1:15 to play.
A field goal would’ve made it a 23-16 lead, but Campbell kept his offense on the field and Goff took a shotgun snap, rifled a quick pass to DJ Chark between a pair of Green Bay defenders and then the Lions got to celebrate with a final kneel-down snap. St. Brown waved goodbye to the Packers fans as they headed glumly for the exits.
Nov. 12, 2023: Lions 41, Chargers 38
Campbell went for it on fourth down five times in this shootout in Los Angeles. And it was another bold decision in the final two minutes that would ultimately win it for the Lions.
Facing fourth-and-2 from the Chargers’ 26-yard line with 1:47 to play in a tie game, Campbell opted against trying the go-ahead 44-yard field goal. As Goff joked later, “With our guy, I kind of lean toward, ‘We’re going’ until he tells us we’re not.”
In this case, they were, though Goff had to wait and wait some more before finding tight end Sam LaPorta for a 6-yard reception that allowed the Lions to bleed the remaining clock before Riley Patterson kicked the 41-yard field goal to win it. Said Goff of his coach: “Yeah, he’s got big b---, and he showed it there.”
Jan. 15, 2024: Lions 24, Rams 23
LaPorta wasn’t sure he’d even be able to play in the Lions’ first home playoff game 30 years last winter. But after fighting back from a knee injury to get his shot, he made the most of his opportunity in Detroit’s 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
And he had his lone practice day that week to thank for it, because the Lions’ red-zone work on the Friday before the playoff game included some “what-if” discussions with his coaches about a route concept that paid huge dividends.
In a game that started fast — the Lions and Rams combined to score on their first six possessions — Campbell opted for a fourth-down touchdown try rather than a field goal midway through the second quarter. And Goff hit LaPorta as he ad-libbed his way to the back of the end zone to put the Lions up, 21-10.
Gamblin’ Man
The Lions have been among the NFL leaders in fourth-down conversion attempts since Dan Campbell became head coach in 2021.
▶ 2021: 21-for-41 (51.2%)
▶ 2022: 20-for-37 (54.1%)
▶ 2023: 21-for-40 (52.5%)
▶ 2024: 15-for-22 (68.7%)
john.niyo@detroitnews.com
@JohnNiyo
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Welcome Bwolf!Originally posted by Bwolf2216 View Post
I'm not sure if any on our board can help you. We're all just fans. Personally, I agree with you that they should have handled it differently. If they don't have a policy for exceptionally large people, they need one because I'm sure that this is not a one-time occurrence. Maybe contact the stadium directly and ask about why they don't have such a policy? Maybe they'll give you some comp tickets or something?Comment
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HUGE problem. I'm familiar with The Big House house and those seat designations are small. A large person, such as yourself, can easily take up two spots. The team doesn't want to give up a "designation" in order to keep the "Biggest stadium in the country" moniker and the monies that come with it by making the seat designations bigger. Sucks for all fans. My thoughts are they should have a section with wider seat designations or part of each section. That ain't going to happen though for reasons mentioned.Originally posted by Bwolf2216 View PostGO LIONS "24" !!Comment
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Our Pastor brought up #53 Trevor Nowaske a couple of weeks back. Starts at 5:20
"Your division isn't going through Green Bay it's going through Detroit for the next five years" - Rex RyanComment
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Dan Campbell si taking alot of heat for going for it on fourth down late in the game while inside FG range, but i think alot of it had to do with him willing to take the chance rather than give the ball back to GB with a 3 point lead and time on the clock.....With this patchwork defense, one that had surrendered 24 points in the second half already, i just dont think he wanted any part of GB on the field with a chance to win the game. Sure the risk was there, and they had already failed going for it at their own 30. Someday it will most likely bite them, but so does playing it safe...There are no guarantees of anything in the NFL.Comment
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