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  • #16
    No worries for us, but wouldn't he have earned a lot more $$$$ if he had been named to the squad?
    #birdsarentreal

    Comment


    • #17
      Aaron Glenn knows why Lions star Kerby Joseph was snubbed from Pro Bowl

      In what was easily one of the biggest snubs in recent memory, Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph did not make the 2025 Pro Bowl roster despite being arguably the best player at his position in the NFL this season.

      All the numbers back that up. Joseph leads the league in interceptions with nine, two more than the guy who beat him out for the Pro Bowl nod, Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney. Joseph's 12 passes defensed rank tied for second behind teammate Brian Branch at the safety position.

      Then, there's the Pro Football Focus numbers: Joseph ranks first in overall and coverage grade, and 13th in run defense grade. Joseph's completion rate allowed (59.3%) and passer rating (74.8) rank second and seventh, respectively, among safeties who have played at least 80% of their team's coverage snaps.

      Joseph's snub didn't even come from the fans, as he ranked first in voting among free safeties in that portion of the vote, which counts as one-third. Where Joseph fell short was in the players and coaches portion, each of which counts as one-third, also.

      So, that begs the question: how did the people who are supposed to know ball the most not vote for Joseph, who is clearly having an elite season? Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn knows the answer.

      "I think we all know that, but it is what it is," Glenn said, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.

      As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out, Glenn is referring to the idea that Joseph is considered a dirty player, a label he has been given by some after injuring tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Tyler Higbee last season.

      Joseph was also labeled a dirty player by former Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who called the safety "dirty as [expletive]" right after the hit on Higbee.

      Hockenson, who was once teammates with Joseph in 2022, has since stated that he doesn't believe Joseph was intentionally trying to hurt him.

      "I know Kerby pretty well. I've played with him. I don't necessarily think it was [intended to injure]," he said back in April. "You go back on the tape and you see what happened. I don't think it was [intentional]. I just want to make sure it wasn't and that's why I'm using my voice here. Players protect players. That's in any facet of the league. You don't want a defensive guy head-hunting or knee- hunting, and the same thing for an offensive guy."

      Can we totally confirm that Joseph did not make the Pro Bowl because of the label he has seemingly picked up? No, but with his snub being so egregious, and with the view coming from Glenn, it certainly holds at least some weight.

      https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...49ad75b21&ei=8
      #birdsarentreal

      Comment


      • #18
        Hopefully the Lions are in the Super Bowl anyway and it is all moot.

        Comment


        • #19
          After sluggish start, Lions' LaPorta rediscovered groove during highly productive December

          Justin Rogers
          Jan 3


          Allen Park — The problem with setting a high bar is future expectations are forever set against your own, lofty standards.

          In Detroit Lions history, there have been just five seasons where a tight end has topped 700 receiving yards. With 37 more in the season finale, Sam LaPorta will become only the second Lion to do it twice.


          But admit it, you expected more. We all did after LaPorta's record-breaking rookie year where he reset several franchise marks while making a mockery of the idea that his position is one of the most difficult college-to-pro transitions.


          It became evident early in the season that LaPorta wouldn’t be able to clear the bar he had set. Through six games, he had 14 receptions for 224 yards. That’s respectable production for the position, just not a record-breaking pace.

          He’d never accept the excuse, but an offseason hamstring injury that sidelined him a good chunk of training camp was almost certainly a factor in the slow start. And right when it looked like he was on the cusp of rediscovering his groove — with three grabs for a season-high 66 yards against Houston — a shoulder injury knocked him from the game early in the second half, sidelining him the next week, as well.


          When he returned in Week 12 against Indianapolis, it was like the beginning of the season all over again. That game and the next he caught six passes, but they accounted for just 25 yards.

          It was starting to feel like it might be one of those seasons for the ultra-talented Iowa product. He felt it, those who drafted him in fantasy football certainly did too, but with the Lions' offense scoring the most points in the league without him at his best, the pill was a bit easier to swallow for player and team.


          But the tide started turning on Thanksgiving. LaPorta managed just 6 yards on three grabs that day, but two went for touchdowns. After the game, coach Dan Campbell offered a positive prognosis for the future.

          “I feel like this is the healthiest he’s been in a while during the season,” Campbell said. “He’s in good shape. Sometimes, I don’t want to say you take it for granted, but you forget, you forget all that he does for us. And man, he really helps us in the run game, as well as what you see in the pass game. He’s a good player, and honestly, he makes the offense better.”


          As the calendar flipped to December, LaPorta came on stronger than Christmas music. He caught five of seven targets against Green Bay, racked up a season-high 111 yards against Buffalo, and hauled in a combined 10 passes against Chicago and San Francisco, scoring in each game.

          The LaPorta we saw in December was the player we expected coming into the year. If we pace those four games out over a full season, we’re talking 94 catches, 1,156 yards and eight touchdowns.


          Asked what has been clicking the past month, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was a little mystified as to why it took as long as it did.

          “I’ll have to go back at the end of the year and look at why it didn’t click sooner,” Johnson said. “I really felt like early in the year we were going to have some of the games that he’s had over the last few. I know he’s feeling as healthy as he has all year long, he’s playing confident football right now. I know (quarterback) Jared (Goff) has a lot of faith in him. I certainly felt that way earlier in the year too, so I can’t tell you why it’s different now than it was before but we’ve always seen him as an integral part of what we do in the passing game and the ball seems to just be finding it’s way there right now.”


          When LaPorta is asked the same question, he echoed his coordinator’s sentiments.

          “I feel like some more plays have been coming my way the last couple of games,” LaPorta said. “As to why, I can't exactly put a finger on it. The amount of options that we have on offense is what's brought guys success all year long. …I think the versatility and the amount of guys that can produce is what makes it so hard for a defense to key in on us. So yeah, the last couple of weeks, plays have been coming my way and I'm making them. I'm happy with that and, hopefully, some more of that is coming down the stretch here.”


          Detroit’s loaded arsenal and a shift to leaning more heavily on the ground game are as good as any reason for LaPorta's production decline. More of the team’s touches have gone to running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs this season. Combined with the emergence of Jameson Williams as a viable threat, there have been fewer targets to spare.

          LaPorta isn’t the type to gripe about a diminishing share, especially when the team is winning with record-breaking offensive production. Still, it’s a little sweeter to win while stuffing the stat sheet.


          “When, I don't want to say when the spotlight is on you because I consider myself to humble — to have humility is everything, I think — but it does feel good when you're making plays and the guys rally around you and they're happy for you. But it feels just as good when you see other guys do their job and succeed at a really high level.”

          And while it doesn’t move the needle the same way outside the building, LaPorta has been improving and contributing even when the ball hasn’t been coming his way. He's unlikely to ever be considered an elite blocker, given his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame, but the tape reveals more consistent execution in that critical component of his role.


          “I believe it has, with sustaining blocks for sure,” LaPorta said. “I wouldn't say last year I was being hidden in the blocking schemes, but I feel this year I've done a better job executing (my assignments), sustaining my blocks, throwing my hands, creating movement for our backs to run off of by creating gaps for them.”

          LaPorta said getting his hands into defenders quickly is critical at his size. He’s quick to credit position coach Steve Heiden for the strides in that area.


          “He was a fantastic blocker,” LaPorta said. “He played 10, 11 years (in the NFL). When he was playing the position, it was a little different back then. He and (coach) Dan (Campbell), they were both like 280 (pounds) playing tight end. They learned the tricks of the trade and passed those down to me, so I appreciate that.

          “I would say the receiving aspect of my game comes a little more naturally than the blocking,” LaPorta said. “Fortunately, blocking is just about toughness and hard work, in my opinion. If you have enough there, you can usually work with it. Throwing my hands has been my greatest leap from last year. We go against a lot of long defenders, 6-foot-6 guys, the Montez Sweats of the world, in practice as well. Those guys, when they get their hands in on you, it's not a good recipe for success as a tight end.”




          Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

          X: Justin_Rogers

          Bluesky: Justin-Rogers
          "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
          My friend Ken L

          Comment


          • #20
            ‘He’d be a hell of a Yooper’: MSU’s Izzo with big praise for Lions’ Dan Campbell

            Connor Earegood
            The Detroit News


            Paywall article.



            East Lansing — Almost 22 years ago, Steve Mariucci was in the midst of taking over as head coach of the Detroit Lions. His good friend and former roommate, Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, gave him some advice.

            “The one thing I absolutely love about Detroit,” Izzo said Wednesday. “... Detroit, Michigan is a football town like no football town. They were packing the place when we were 5-11. I mean, it's unbelievable. And I often said, if you could ever win here.”



            Izzo, unsurprisingly, is a big fan of the Detroit Lions’ turnaround under head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions have broken a franchise record for wins this season, one game away from potential back-to-back NFC North titles after dealing with a slew of injuries all season. But Izzo’s praise runs deeper than wins and losses. What Izzo sees is a coach who sticks to his identity and leads a team, and that’s meaningful to someone who’s been running the Michigan State men’s basketball program for 30 years.

            For example, Izzo points to Dan Campbell’s fourth-down conversions. When conventional wisdom might tell him to punt or kick a field goal, Campbell sticks with his offense. And he believes in the decision, too.



            In the 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 6, Campbell went for it on fourth down five times and got the first on four of them. On Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the Lions failed on a first-half conversion attempt, but then stuck to their guns in the second half for two key conversions in the 40-34 win. In Izzo’s eyes, Campbell’s fourth-down aggression might have won the Lions two or three games this season.



            Izzo understands that people might get mad at Campbell and his team if those decisions don’t pan out. Even he was among those questioning the aggressive calls early in Campbell’s tenure. But now that it has worked, and now that he sees how the decisions embody the belief of Campbell and his players, he gets it.

            “I just love what he’s done,” Izzo said. “You talk about a guy that doesn’t care what anybody says. … I mean he believes in what he believes in. That’s what you gotta do as a coach.”



            It’s something Izzo knows well as the face of Michigan State basketball. His teams’ identity year after year comes down to rebounding and defense, two areas that paid off especially well in the late ‘90s, early 2000s “Flintstones” era that led to the only national championship under his tenure in 2000.

            “I'll use the example when we started going four to the boards way back in the Mateen (Cleaves) and Charlie (Bell) era — you know, that wasn't normal,” Izzo said. “And I believed that we’d score more and weren't very good offensively, and I believed that they would put more pressure on the defense so teams that ran started having to come in. So you don't understand what all the other factors would be.”



            The same applies to those gutsy fourth-down calls — how they can demoralize an opponent and energize Campbell’s own.

            Izzo also sees how Campbell’s identity fits Detroit — both the football team and the city — like a glove. His grit, his enthusiasm, his belief all mean something to a city whose identity ties back to the auto industry and manufacturing. Campbell’s Lions hustle and work, and they don’t give up. They’re lunchpail guys, and Campbell brings that out of them. Even Izzo gets hyped up watching Campbell’s press conferences, sharing the sound bites with his players as motivation and instruction.



            “He’d be a hell of a Yooper, man,” Izzo said. “He could go down 100 feet into those mines, and I'm telling you, the rats would be coming out of there. He'd be still down there.”

            As for that football town Izzo praised from the beginning, he’s seen it come alive under Campbell. He joked that he has to call his banker to see if he has the money for standing-room tickets, because Lions tickets are the hottest in town.



            For Sunday night’s NFC North-clinching game against the Minnesota Vikings, standing-room tickets run about $380 before fees. A good seat can run in the $500 to $600 range. Pretty steep, but unsurprising from a team that has been packing Ford Field even at the team’s lowest points.

            “I'm happy, because I’ve said it all along, when our pro sports in our state or any of us are doing well, it helps our whole state,” Izzo said. “And Dan's been a treat to watch.”



            cearegood@detroitnews.com

            @ConnorEaregood


            "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
            My friend Ken L

            Comment


            • #21
              Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown described the playoff situation as "crazy" between Lions and Vikings and he wouldn't mind seeing a rule change.
              "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
              My friend Ken L

              Comment


              • #22
                Ahead of 2024 season finale, a look at the personal bests and franchise records Detroit Lions have or could set

                Justin Rogers
                Jan 4



                Allen Park — On the eve of the most important regular season game in franchise history — a never-before-seen matchup between two 14-win teams, with the conference’s No. 1 seed hanging in the balance — it’s worth revisiting what the Detroit Lions have accomplished, individually and as a team, to set the table for this historical moment.

                The 2024 season has been filled with personal-best performances, the rewriting of sections of the franchise record book, and the threat of making some league history that extends beyond the game’s result.


                Personnel bests

                Quarterback Jared Goff

                The former No. 1 pick put has put an exclamation point on his career renaissance, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection while staying on the fringes of the MVP conversation through the finale.


                Entering Sunday’s game against Minnesota, Goff has already thrown for his most touchdowns in a season. His 36 through 16 games top the 32 he tossed in 2018 with the Rams. And if he manages to post his fourth five-touchdown performance of his career, Goff could also match Matthew Stafford’s single-season franchise mark, set in 2011.

                Goff has also safely secured the best completion percentage (71.7%), passer rating (113.6) and QBR (67.1) of his career.


                The quarterback remains within striking distance of resetting his best yardage total. He needs 291 yards on Sunday to surpass the 4,688 yards he racked up in 2018. Additionally, although less likely, 45 completions would give him another personal best, surpassing his 2023 total.

                If the finale comes down to the wire, Goff has an opportunity to secure his fifth fourth-quarterback comeback and game-winning drive. With four apiece in 2024, he’s already matched his late-game heroics from 2018.



                Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

                St. Brown has seen a production dip from his All-Pro campaign in 2023, but he can still re-establish some bars this season.

                With 11 grabs against the Vikings, he’ll hit a new PR for receptions. He’s also six first-down catches and two touchdowns shy of his previous set bests.

                Where St. Brown has been better than ever in his fourth season is with his efficiency. Fueled by a streak of catching 31 consecutive passes, the receiver has hauled in 81.3% of the throws his direction, better than the 75.6% he had as a rookie.


                Running back Jahmyr Gibbs

                While hardly unusual to set production bars in your second season, Gibbs’ numbers still merit mention. Entering the finale, he’s rushed for 1,273 yards at 5.6 yards per carry, adding 486 yards as a receiver, for a whopping 1,759 yards from scrimmage. With that last figure, we’re talking about a number only Barry Sanders and Billy Sims have touched among Detroit running backs.

                Interestingly, given the comps based on how Detroit structured its backfield, Gibbs has racked up more yards from scrimmage in 2024 than New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara has in any season of his career.



                Wide receiver Jameson Williams

                Similar to Gibbs, it’s no surprise Williams has posted the best numbers of his career in what has essentially been his first full season. The former first-round pick has already more than doubled his reception total from a year ago and he’s knocking on the door of a 1,000-yard campaign. He needs 34 receiving yards to cross the barrier on Sunday.


                Wide receiver Kalif Raymond

                His recent stint on injured reserve likely hurts his chances for postseason honors, but Raymond has had a better season as a punt returner than when he was named a second-team All-Pro in 2022.

                Despite appearing in 11 games, Raymond has the most punt return yards of his career thanks to a personal-best 14.4-yard average, besting the 13.2 yards from that All-Pro campaign.



                Safety Kerby Joseph

                Joseph’s resume has been in the news this week after he was snubbed for the Pro Bowl. He's obviously smashed his previous career-high with nine interceptions through 16 games, the most by a Lions defensive back in more than 40 yards.

                With six tackles, Joseph will set another best. What won’t show up in any record books, since it’s not an official stat, is his efficiency as a tackler. After whiffing 26 times during his first two seasons, he’s missed just five in 2024.


                Safety Brian Branch

                The versatile Branch did earn Pro Bowl recognition, building on his strong rookie season in 2023 with improvements in interceptions (four), pass defenses (15) and tackles (103).



                Defensive tackle DJ Reader

                Signed for ability to anchor the middle of the defensive front as a run-stuffer, Reader gave the Lions a little more than expected as a pass-rusher in his first year with the franchise. The veteran nose tackle secured a career-high with 3.0 sacks when he dropped Bears rookie Caleb Williams twice on Thanksgiving.


                Linebacker Jack Campbell

                In his second season out of Iowa, Jack Campbell has tallied 125 tackles, establishing a baseline of expectation. Since tracking of the stat began in 1978, only Chris Spielman and Ernie Sims have recorded that many tackles in one of their first two seasons with the Lions.



                Punter Jack Fox

                Earning Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career, Fox is set to have bests in gross and net punting, as well as the percentage of his punts that result in the opponent’s possession starting inside the 20-yard line.

                Look for more on Fox later in this post.


                Individual franchise records


                Quarterback Jared Goff

                Not only is Goff set to establish personal bests for completion percentage and passer rating, but both numbers should easily end up franchise marks. Goff’s 67.3 completion percentage last season is the current standard, as is Stafford’s 106.0 passer rating from the 2019 season.


                Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

                Since tracking began in 1992, St. Brown’s 81.3 catch percentage would top the previous best rate (minimum 25 targets), set by Raymond last year (79.5)

                Expanding beyond a single season, St. Brown needs two receptions against the Vikings to have the most by a Lions receiver across two years. He already has the mark for most catches across three- and four-year spans, topping Moore’s 333 catches from 2006-08 in last week’s win over San Francisco.


                Running back Jahmyr Gibbs


                Gibbs is one touchdown away from matching and two from topping Barry Sanders (1991) and Jamaal Williams (2022) for the most by a Lions player in a season.

                All 17 of Williams’ scores came on the ground, while Sanders had one receiving touchdown to 16 rushing. Gibbs currently has 13 rushing and three receiving scores.


                Kicker Jake Bates

                In last week’s game against San Francisco, Bates surpassed Jason Hanson for the most points scored in a season. He has also rewritten the franchise mark for extra points with 60.

                Bates matched Hanson for the longest attempted field goal by a Lion, missing a 65-yarder in Chicago. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the current kicker also owns the longest make. He’s converted from 58 in his first season with Detroit, a yard shy of Matt Prater’s franchise record.


                Punter Jack Fox

                Fox’s net and gross punting average, as well as punts resulting in drives starting inside the 20-yard line, would also be franchise-bests.


                Coach Dan Campbell

                With two playoff wins, Campbell would have the most by a Lions coach in franchise history.


                Team franchise records


                *- Most wins in franchise history

                *- Longest winning streak. The Lions won 11 consecutive games this season, topping a 10-game streak to open the 1934 season.


                *- Most points and touchdowns scored. With 33 points on Sunday, the Lions would have a top-three scoring offense all-time. They’d need to score 42 to crack the top 10 in points per game.

                *- The team’s +200 point differential is on track to easily top the +179 set by the 1934 team. The franchise’s best in the Super Bowl era is +145 in 1970.


                *- The 2024 Lions were the first in franchise history to go undefeated on the road (8-0).

                *- A win over Minnesota would give the team consecutive division titles for the first time in the Super Bowl era.


                NFL records

                Punter Jack Fox

                It won’t be easy, but Fox is threatening the league’s net-punting average mark. A stat since 1976, the record is held by one of Fox’s favorite players growing up, Johnny Hekker, who averaged 46.0 in 2016.

                Fox is at 45.8 yards on 43 punts. If he punted twice against the Vikings, he’d need to average 53 net yards on those boots. That's obviously influenced by field position, and is a steeper challenge after a season-ending injury to top gunner Khalil Dorsey.


                Quarterback Jared Goff


                Goff has shots at some quirkier records:

                If he posts a passer rating more than 140.0 or 150.0 against the Vikings, he will have the most such games in a season in NFL history. He’s had three above 150.0 this year and a fourth top 140.0

                Goff has completed at least 75.0% of his passes in eight games this year, matching Tom Brady’s single-season mark from 2007.



                Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

                X: Justin_Rogers

                Bluesky: Justin-Rogers



                "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                My friend Ken L

                Comment


                • #23






                  "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                  My friend Ken L

                  Comment


                  • #24




                    "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                    My friend Ken L

                    Comment


                    • #25


                      "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                      My friend Ken L

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Could Lions and Rams meet again in playoffs? 3 potential matchups for No. 5 seed

                        Nolan Bianchi
                        The Detroit News


                        Paywall article.


                        As you might've heard, the Detroit Lions' Week 18 season finale against the Minnesota Vikings (8:20 p.m., NBC) is a big game.

                        The winner will get the No. 1 seed and a nice week of rest and relaxation, a free pass to the Divisional round and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The loser will get the No. 5 seed, immediately head on the road for Wild Card weekend and likely won't get a home playoff game (barring a series of upsets).

                        Going into the final weekend of the NFL regular season, the 5-seed has three potential opponents: The Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. Let's take a look at how each of those matchups might come together.

                        Former Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, now quarterback with the Rams wait to come out for the game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on September 8, 2024.


                        Seeding and matchups entering Week 18


                        ▶ 1. Detroit Lions (14-2), first-round bye

                        ▶ 2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

                        ▶ 3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (11-5)

                        ▶ 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)


                        Matchups to watch in Week 18


                        ▶ Carolina Panthers (4-12) at Atlanta Falcons (8-8) — 1 p.m., CBS

                        ▶ New Orleans Saints (5-11) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) — 1 p.m., FOX

                        ▶ Seattle Seahawks (9-7) at Los Angeles Rams (10-6) — 4:25 p.m., FOX

                        ▶ Minnesota Vikings (14-2) at Detroit Lions (14-2) — 8:20 p.m., NBC


                        If the Lions do end up losing to the Vikings on Sunday Night Football and end up with the 5-seed despite a 14-win season, here's how their playoff matchup will be decided.


                        Lions at Rams: How it can happen

                        ▶ Rams lose + Buccaneers win

                        Though there's only one path to this game, it feels like the most likely scenario entering the weekend. The Buccaneers need a win over a bad Saints team to hold off the Falcons for the NFC South title, while the Rams (6.5-point underdogs) are resting most of their starters in their finale over the Seahawks.

                        It'd be Lions and Rams, Round 3, with the Lions having to go to SoFi Stadium this time around. Los Angeles started the season 1-4 after losing to the Lions, 26-20, at Ford Field in its season opener but finished the season as one of the NFL's hottest teams, winning nine of its final 11 games to top the NFC West.

                        The Lions snapped a three-decade drought without a playoff win by beating the Rams, 24-23, at Ford Field in last year's Wild Card round, one of the most memorable games of the NFL season.

                        The Rams' home record entering Week 18 is 5-3.


                        Lions at Buccaneers: How it can happen

                        ▶ Buccaneers win/tie + Rams win

                        ▶ OR Buccaneers lose + Falcons lose

                        ▶ OR Buccaneers tie + Falcons win

                        Like the Rams, Tampa Bay also had its season ended in Detroit last year and would love to return the favor.

                        But they already did get some form of revenge on the Lions when they handed them their first loss of the season in Week 2, 20-16. The Buccaneers have also weathered some harsh injuries, including a season-ender to wide receiver Chris Godwin and recent hits to their secondary.

                        The Buccaneers' home record entering Week 18 is 4-4.


                        Lions at Falcons: How it can happen

                        ▶ Falcons win + Buccaneers lose

                        Quiet as it's kept, going to Atlanta would be the most ideal first-round matchup for Detroit if it does end up with the 5-seed. The Falcons face the scrappy Panthers at home while needing a loss from the Buccaneers to get in.

                        While the Falcons have talent at the skill positions, bringing it together falls on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who will be making just his third career start this Sunday after Atlanta benched veteran Kirk Cousins.

                        The Falcons' home record entering Week 18 is 4-4.


                        What is the Lions' road record this season?

                        The silver lining if the Lions do get the 5-seed is that they've been perfect on the road this season. Detroit finished off the 8-0 record — becoming just the 10th team in NFL history to win all of its away games — with a 40-34 win in San Francisco against the 49ers on Monday night.



                        nbianchi@detroitnews.com

                        @nolanbianchi


                        "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                        My friend Ken L

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Bad timing on this, but I need to come up with a top-6 most popular Lions today

                          Here is my list
                          1) Hutch
                          2) Goff
                          3) ARSB
                          4) Sewell
                          ​5) Gibbs
                          6) Jamo

                          Monty, LaPorta, Branch & Ragnow were the ones just missing

                          Agree?

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Dan Campbell's upbringing and NFL career taught him importance of resilience, treating everyone equally, building talent. It's working as Lions coach.


                            Shelia Ford Hamp took over as principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions in 2020. Here's what to know about her, including her net worth.




                            "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
                            My friend Ken L

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by El Axe View Post
                              Bad timing on this, but I need to come up with a top-6 most popular Lions today

                              Here is my list
                              1) Hutch
                              2) Goff
                              3) ARSB
                              4) Sewell
                              ​5) Gibbs
                              6) Jamo

                              Monty, LaPorta, Branch & Ragnow were the ones just missing

                              Agree?
                              Good list, depending on the context. LaPorta edges out Jamo in some cases (like pro bowl votes).
                              #birdsarentreal

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Was watching a Daniel Radcliff wired interview from 3 years ago and learned that his girlfriend, Erin Darke, is from Detroit and graduated from UM-Flint.

                                The reason I bring it up is that because of that, he is a Lions fan -- and when you consider this was B.C. (Before Campbell), he's not a bandwagon fan.



                                Skip to 2:25 to see him talk about it.

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