Category: Lions News

Barry Sanders wants in on the Lions epic first half in Green Bay

Hall of Famer Barry Sanders wants in on the Lions epic first half in Green Bay

The first half of Thursday night’s game in Green Bay was so lopsided in favor of Detroit that a Lions legend wanted back in to get a piece of the action.

Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders saw the easy success Lions RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were having on the ground and posted on social media that he wished he was still playing. Getting 121 rushing yards in the first half in Green Bay is a statement, and the man with a statue in front of Ford Field really appreciated it.

Sanders is now 55 and retired 25 years ago, but the legend isn’t wrong–the Lions offensive line is dominating the Packers.

Lions inactive players for Week 4 vs. Packers

The Detroit Lions inactive players for Week 4 vs. Packers on Thursday Night Football

The Lions will face the Packers in Green Bay without starting safety Kwrby Joseph. The second-year safety is one of the team’s inactive players for Week 4.

Joseph was questionable with a hip injury.  He is joined on the inactive list by CB Emmanuel Moseley, who was ruled out earlier in the day from making his Lions debut.

Starting RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai and fullback Jason Cabinda were previously ruled out with injuries.

Also on the inactive list:

Rookie DT Brodric Martin

RB Zonovan Knight

Lions make roster moves to reinforce the blocking for Week 4

Lions make roster moves ahead of Week 4, including Matt Nelson to I.R. and some practice squad elevations

The Detroit Lions made a series of roster moves ahead of Thursday’s matchup in Green Bay with the Packers. Injuries to the offensive line forced the changes.

As head coach Dan Campbell indicated would happen earlier in the week, reserve offensive tackle Matt Nelson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He will be out a minimum of four weeks.

Replacing Nelson on the active 53-man roster is tight end Darrell Daniels. A blocking specialist, Daniels has been on the Lions practice squad. This move was previously reported by Daniels’ agent.

Finally, the Lions elevated two undrafted rookies from the practice squad to the active roster. Offensive tackle Connor Galvin and safety Brandon Joseph earned the promotions with injury issues on the roster.

 

 

 

Lions vs. Packers: Last-minute thoughts and score prediction

Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for Week 4 between the Lions and Packers

As the Week 4 kickoff between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers nears on Thursday night, it’s time for a few last-minute thoughts about the game, as well as a final score prediction.

Why I think the Lions will win

  • The matchup of record-setting rookie TE Sam LaPorta against the Packers, who will be minus their top coverage LB in De’Vondre Campbell, is a major advantage for the Lions.
  • The return of Taylor Decker at left tackle moves Penei Sewell back to the right side. For a team that likes to run to the right, getting Sewell–perhaps the best run-blocking RT in football–into his normal spot is a huge boost. He’s also much more capable than any of his reserves in handling Packers EDGE Rashan Gary, who is off to a very good start to the season.
  • Green Bay is playing without starting LT David Bakhtiari and LG Elgton Jenkins. While their depth hasn’t looked bad, it’s not the same. For an inexperienced QB like Jordan Love, offensive line uncertainty is a big problem.
  • The Packers offense averages 3.06 yards per carry on first downs, 28th in the league. The Lions defense allows just 2.78 yards per first-down carry, good for second in the NFL. Take out QB runs and the Detroit defense allows 1.6 yards per first-down carry through three games. That means Green Bay’s offense is likely to play behind the sticks, which allows the Detroit pass rush to get into attack mode early and often.
  • There is something of a “been there, done that” sense of accomplishment and organizational inertia from the Week 1 win in Kansas City on Thursday night. These Lions shouldn’t be fazed by the bright lights or big-game feel. Winning in Green Bay in Week 18 last year doesn’t hurt, either.
  • It sure feels like the Lions coaching staff learned their collective lesson from the Week 2 loss. From Dan Campbell’s game management to Aaron Glenn’s scheming with his defensive front and coverages and Ben Johnson’s read on the opposing defense, Week 3 represented a very impressive turnaround from the coaching debacle that was the Seahawks game. I think they’re capable of maintaining that positive coaching influence, even on the road.

What worries me about Green Bay

  • Green Bay’s inexperience across the offense, from Love at QB to a very youthful cast of receivers, is difficult to plan for. There aren’t a lot of data points on film to study tendencies or learn how they’ll react to different situations. There is real talent on that Packers offense, at least on paper. It’s not necessarily an advantage to be so green on offense, but it does indeed make them more difficult to prepare for, notably on a short week.
  • The Lions ball security has not been great. Five giveaways in three games is not good enough. Detroit lost to Seattle directly because of two big negative plays: David Montgomery’s fumble to start the second half and Jared Goff’s pick-6 on a miscue with Jahmyr Gibbs. Green Bay only averages one takeaway per game, but they have some defensive players who can make things happen. As Week 2 showed, it might only take one or two to give a game away.

Final prediction

It’s never easy to go into Green Bay and expect to win if you’re any team, let alone one with the Lions’ history. But the Lions are favored, and I see more paths to victory for Dan Campbell’s team than I do the Packers at home.

Watch the first drive of the second half. If the Lions have a lead of seven or more after that drive, they’re cruising to a 34-17 win. If they’re within a field goal or behind, the Lions will execute the comeback and win 24-21.

Lions keys to victory against the Packers in Week 4

Execute these concepts from Lions Wire’s Andrew Harbaugh and Detroit should come home with a W

Not often do the Detroit Lions play in high-stakes games to start the season, but that is exactly where they find themselves on Thursday. They head to Lambeau Field to battle Jordan Love as he looks to carve out his career as a Packer with the NFC North lead up for grabs between the two teams.

The Lions have a chance to end September with a 3-1 record if they can get a win in familiar territory to them from the end of last year. They dashed away the Packers playoff hopes with a win to end the regular season and ended the Aaron Rodgers era on a sour note.

Now the Packers will be looking for revenge while the Lions focus on going 1-0 on another week. Here are the keys to the Lions ending September on a run.

Report: Taylor Decker and David Montgomery both out vs. Packers

The report goes the opposite direction from the expectations for both players

The questionable status for Detroit Lions starters Taylor Decker and David Montgomery led to considerable optimism for both standouts to return to action in Thursday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers. However, a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero from gameday morning throws a cold shower onto the excitement.

Neither Decker nor Montgomery are expected to play, according to Pelissero.

“There was some optimism early in the week, but I am told Montgomery is not expected to play tonight,” Pelissero stated early Thursday. Montgomery missed the Week 3 win over Atlanta with a thigh bruise.

The same was true of Decker, Pelissero said thereafter. Decker has been out since Week 1 with a high ankle sprain. That flies in the face of the genuine optimism head coach Dan Campbell showed for both players in press conferences during the week.

One bit of good news from Pelissero’s morning spot: cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is now expected to make his Lions debut in Green Bay.

If Decker cannot play, as Pelissero indicated, Penei Sewell will remain as the left tackle and rookie Colby Sorsdal appears in line to get his first NFL start while taking over Sewell’s regular right tackle position.

Update: Pelissero admitted he got the information incorrect. Kudos to him for owning it.

 

The Packers rule out 3 starters for Week 4, with 5 players questionable

Detroit is banged up entering Week 4, but the Packers have some injury issues of their own

The short rest period between Week 3 and Week 4’s Thursday night matchup leaves the banged-up Lions with a lot of injury-related questions and issues. The same is true for their foes, the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay ruled out four players from Thursday night’s game, including two starting offensive linemen. Left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins are both out. So is starting linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and reserve safety Zayne Anderson.

In addition to the quartet ruled out, several key Packers are listed as questionable. Most notable is standout RB Aaron Jones, who also missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. Wideout Christian Watson (hamstring), starting right tackle Zach Tom (knee), starting CB Jaire Alexander (back) and his top backup, Carrington Valentine (arm) are all questionable as well.

[lawrence-related id=96325]

Just as with the Lions and the five starters Detroit listed as questionable for the game, all of the Packers with that designation were limited participants in Green Bay’s simulated practices this week.

 

Lions final injury report for Week 4: 3 players ruled out, 5 starters listed as questionable

Lions final injury report for Week 4: 3 players ruled out, 5 starters listed as questionable

The final Detroit Lions injury report and game status for the short Week 4 preparations has ruled out three players. Along with the trio ruled out by the training staff, several others are listed officially as questionable for Thursday night’s matchup in Green Bay with the Packers.

Offensive linemen Matt Nelson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai are out with their knee injuries. It’s also a knee injury that will sideline fullback Jason Cabinda, who was listed out after suffering the injury in the first practice of the week.

Five players are listed as questionable. All are projected starters when healthy:

Jackson was the only one of the questionable players to see action in the Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

[lawrence-related id=96297]

Lions to sign TE Darrell Daniels from the practice squad

Lions to sign TE Darrell Daniels from the practice squad to the active roster, though he might not play TE

The Detroit Lions are set to make another roster move. This one is not a move that was anticipated earlier in the week.

Per his agent, the Lions are signing tight end Darrell Daniels from the team’s practice squad to the active roster. Daniels has been with the Lions since training camp and was quickly signed to the practice squad following the final roster cutdown.

His positional designation might be a little misleading here. Daniels is expected to take the spot currently held by fullback Jason Cabinda. The veteran FB was downgraded from a limited participant in Monday’s practice to out on Tuesday with a knee injury.

While Daniels has primarily played tight end in his six-year NFL career, he has done some fullback/H-back duty in his years with the Arizona Cardinals. Daniels is something of a blocking specialist; he has just 13 receptions in 61 career games, including 18 starts.

The Lions already have three active tight ends: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and James Mitchell. With Mitchell only getting two offensive snaps in each of the last two weeks, there doesn’t appear to be a need for an extra body at tight end. Daniels has extensive special teams experience and performed well on kick and punt units in preseason.

It remains to be seen if Cabinda, who has played a total of 26 snaps in Detroit’s first three games, will be placed on injured reserve. The Lions currently have two spots open on the 53-man active roster.

Aidan Hutchinson wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors

It’s the second time in 20 career games Hutchinson has won the award

Congratulations to Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. No. 97 has been honored as the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.

Hutchinson captured the honor with a two-sack game in Ford Field. The second of those sacks also created a game-sealing fumble, which Hutchinson recovered himself. He also broke up one pass and unofficially got a finger on a second one of Desmond Ridder’s throws, too.

It’s the second time in his 20-game career that Hutchinson has won the award. He also earned it back in Week 11 a year ago in Detroit’s win over the New York Giants.

[lawrence-related id=96378]