Category: Lions News

Lions are now officially eliminated from playoff contention after loss to the Bears

It’s the earliest the Lions have been eliminated since 2010

With Thursday’s turkey of a loss to the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions have officially been eliminated from postseason contention. It’s a mathematical confirmation of what has been the working reality over the last few weeks.

The loss dropped Detroit to 3-8-1. Both Green Bay and Minnesota have already topped 8 wins on the season in the NFC North, meaning the Lions have no chance of catching them; the best Detroit can finish is 7-8-1.

The strength at the top of the NFC shatters any longshot dreams. Seattle and San Francisco have also already surpassed the 8-win barrier in the NFC West. There is no mathematical possibility of the Lions finishing with a better record than either team, and that ends the Wild Card chase.

Washington has a worse overall record than Detroit at just 2-9, but the Redskins can still win the NFC East. Dallas’ loss in the late afternoon game on Thanksgiving drops the first-place Cowboys to 6-6. That’s how Washington remains alive despite being worse in the standings.

This is the earliest the Lions have been eliminated from postseason contention since 2010.

[lawrence-related id=34299]

1st half of the Thanksgiving game reminds us why we’re Lions fans

1st half of the Thanksgiving reminds us why we’re Lions fans

It’s been a rough season to be a Detroit Lions fan. Many in the OnePride nation are ready to throw in the Honolulu Blue towel and just be ready for it to end. Based on comments and social media, more wanted the Lions to lose to Chicago on Thanksgiving than for the home team to beat a hated rival on Thanksgiving.

The first half changed that for some. If you call yourself a Lions fan but aren’t inspired by what you saw from David Blough and a spirited Detroit team in the first 30 minutes of football, you might want to reconsider your fandom.

The Lions in the first half were fun. That’s not something they’ve been in a few weeks, not since the 2-0-1 start had everyone clamoring for Matt Patricia to be Coach of the Year and for GM Bob Quinn to get a lengthy contract extension for his awesome work.

Blough was electric in his first career snaps, let alone his first start. His 75-yard pitch-and-catch with Kenny Golladay was a welcome big play from an offense largely devoid of them since Matthew Stafford broke his back.

The defense brought some swagger. Granted it’s Mitchell Trubisky and the bizarrely coached Bears, but we’ll take it as Lions fans. Matt Prater’s bank-shot onside kickoff that the Lions recovered?! Yes, please!

The 17-10 lead was entertaining. It was inspiring of pride. It was darn near impossible to not stand up and cheer for the Lions. Be thankful for those morsels of enjoyment as a Lions fan in this otherwise rotten season.

How to watch the Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears in Week 13 on Thanksgiving Day

Everything you need to know about how to watch the Detroit Lions vs the Chicago Bears in Week 13 on Thanksgiving.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) will host the Chicago Bears (5-6) in Week 13 on Thanksgiving at Ford Field and the Lions are still hoping to get their first victory with Jeff Driskel under center.

Here’s everything you need to know for how to watch or listen to this week’s game.

How To Watch

When: Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Referee: Jerome Boger

Vegas Watch: Bears -2.5, Over/Under 39.5

TV: FOX

Broadcast crew: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (field reporter), and Kristina Pink (field reporter)

Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)

How to listen

Detroit area radio: WJR 760 AM radio

  • Announcers: Dan Miller, Lomas Brown

National radio: Westwood One:

  • Announcers: Ryan Radtke, Ross Tucker, Hub Arkush (field reporter)

SIRIUS: 82 (Chi), 83 (Det)

XM: 225 (Chi), 226 (Det)

Teams final injury reports

Lions’ injury designations — Matthew Stafford ruled out, Frank Ragnow in

Injury update: The Lions will start David Blough with Jeff Driskel nursing a hamstring injury

Injury update: Lions place Marvin Hall on injured reserve, promote Chris Lacy

Bears’ injury designations — 6 ruled out

Lions Wire game prep articles/media

Barry Sanders will be Lions honorary captain

Rookie expectations: Amani Oruwariye preparing for another start

5 Bold predictions for the Lions on Thanksgiving

Listen: Erik Schlitt on The Detroit Lions Breakdown Podcast: Episode 130

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down the Thanksgiving Day matchup with Bears Wire

Report: Lions to start David Blough on Thanksgiving

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning to start David Blough on Thanksgiving Day in a Week 13 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning to start David Blough on Thanksgiving Day in a Week 13 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

With Matthew Stafford ruled out with a fracture in his back and reserve quarterback Jeff Driskel listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, the Lions were utilizing third-stringer Blough on the first team all week during practices.

Blough entered the league via Purdue and caught the Lions’ attention at the East-West Shrine Game, but after going undrafted Blough signed with the Cleveland Browns. Blough went 25 of 43 for 271 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the preseason.

The Lions acquired Blough from the Browns after trading for him at the 53-man roster cutdowns — swapping seventh-round draft picks in the 2021 draft.

If the Lions were to lose Blough during the game on Thursday, the team would turn to tight end Logan Thomas who was a quarterback at Virginia Tech and tried his hand under center in the NFL before making the position switch.

Logan Thomas would be the Lions’ emergency QB

Thomas has a crazy stat line form his brief time at QB for the Cardinals in 2014

Matthew Stafford has a broken back. Jeff Driskel has a hamstring injury. David Blough is the only healthy quarterback on the roster, and he’s an undrafted rookie who has never taken an NFL snap.

What happens if Driskel can’t play and Blough gets hurt in the Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears?

The obvious answer is tight end Logan Thomas, who was a collegiate QB at Virginia Tech and even competed as a quarterback at the 2014 Senior Bowl. Lions coach Matt Patricia was asked about Thomas’ possible emergency role in his press conference.

“We have a couple emergencies out there just in case,” Patricia said Tuesday. “We always do that anyway. Just when you activate only two for the game, just in general, you make sure that you always kind of have a third in mind from that standpoint… Obviously Logan with his background, is a pretty good possibility in there too from that standpoint. But really you do that on game days just in general in case something happens.”

Thomas posted one of the craziest stat lines in NFL history during his (very brief) time as a quarterback for the Cardinals back in 2014. He completed 1-of-8 passes for 81 yards and a TD. Thomas was also sacked twice in the 41-20 loss to the Broncos. He did complete his one pass attempt in 2018 as a Buffalo Bill on a gadget play. That’s his entire NFL passing log.

In college, he was a dual-threat QB with a huge arm but not a lot of accuracy. Thomas completed just 55.5 percent of his passes in his three years as a starter for the Hokies, tossing 52 TDs and 39 INTs.

Here’s hoping the Lions don’t have to break that emergency glass open…

David Blough getting 1st team reps at QB for the Lions

Both Matthew Stafford and Jeff Driskel are saddled with injuries, leaving Blough as the next man up

With the Thanksgiving matchup against the Chicago Bears just two days away, the Detroit Lions quarterback situation remains up in the air. With Matthew Stafford almost certainly ruled out with his broken backbones and backup Jeff Driskel slowed with a hamstring injury, David Blough could be the man under center on Thursday.

Blough took reps with the first-team offense for the first time in Tuesday’s practice, the last full team session on the short week. If Driskel’s hamstring doesn’t improve, the undrafted rookie from Purdue will get his first career action as a starter on national television.

[lawrence-related id=27732]

Blough came to Detroit via a trade with the Cleveland Browns at the roster cutdown deadline, in part because he played well against the Lions in the preseason matchup between the two teams.

 

NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Lions heading towards the bottom of the league

The Week 13 national NFL Power Rankings have been released and the Detroit Lions are headed to the bottom of the league.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) appear to be nearing rock bottom and their Week 13 national NFL Power Rankings reflect that. After yet another disastrous loss — this time to a bad Washington team — the current situation in Detroit has left a sour taste in the mouths of analysts.

Let’s take a look at where the Lions stand in the national eye.

USA Today: 30 (Previous: 28)

“Why wouldn’t they shut down Matthew Stafford? Maybe that comes next week, when they’ll likely be officially eliminated from playoff picture.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 27 (Previous: 22)

“In NFL history, only one non-strike team has held the lead in each of its first 11 games, and won three or fewer — the 2004 Chiefs. That Chiefs team started their season 3-8 and wound up with a 7-9 record, so we suppose head coach Matt Patricia could tell his team that the 2019 Lions, who have now joined that short list, are capable of going on a nice run. However, the opposing arguments are comprehensive. Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel was completely lost against the Redskins’ defense (which is a severe indictment in and of itself), completing 20 of 33 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Detroit’s run game is nonexistent, and its man-based pass defense has fallen apart in a relative sense this season. This franchise fired Jim Caldwell as its head coach after the 2017 season because two straight 9-7 seasons weren’t good enough. What does the Ford family make of Patricia’s 9-17-1 mark through almost two seasons?” — Doug Farrar

NFL: 28 (Previous: 25)

“A season that begin with promise has descended into ugliness. A 19-16 loss to the lowly Redskins is the seventh defeat in eight games for Detroit, which has gone into a nosedive with Matthew Stafford out of the lineup with a back injury. Jeff Driskel had some positive moments early in his stint as Stafford’s understudy, but he had a bad game against Washington, throwing interceptions in each of Detroit’s final possessions to seal the loss. And while the defense wasn’t the culprit on Sunday, this remains a unit that has given up nearly 29 points per game over the last eight games. Throw in some poor special teams, and Matt Patricia appears to be in a fair bit of trouble. The second-year coach probably needs a strong finish for a chance at another season on the sideline. A playoff stakes-free Thanksgiving matchup against the Bears is up next.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 22 (Previous: 21)

“What they’re thankful for: WRs Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. Even in a lowlight of a season, Golladay and Jones are showing to be a potent receiving duo. Both receivers have a chance to top 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019 — remarkable considering Matthew Stafford has been out the past three weeks. The Lions have both players, as well as Stafford, under contract in 2020, so there is something to build on offensively in Detroit, even in a season going nowhere.” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 29 (Previous 23)

“Without Matt Stafford, they just aren’t good team. Is Matt Patricia safe? Should he be?” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 28 (Previous: 24)

“Remember when this team was “better than their record indicated?” Yeah, sorry about that. No Stafford didn’t help, backup Jeff Driskel threw three picks, the defense went home halfway through the fourth quarter and Matt Patricia’s bunch is officially punched out for 2019.” — MMQB staff

Sporting News: 26 (Previous: 23)

“The Lions can think about what could have been the past three weeks had Matthew Stafford been able to continue his career-best play, but as they’ve found something with their defense and running game, they’ve been let down by Jeff Driskel’s play. Will that be enough to give Matt Patricia a free pass in Year 2?” — Vinnie Iyer

Matt Patricia has taken over some of the Lions’ defensive playcalling

Patricia’s defense played pretty well in Washington considering they were without four injured starters

While it’s still unclear exactly how often it’s happening, Lions head coach Matt Patricia admitted after Sunday’s loss in Washington that he has taken over at least some of the team’s in-game defensive playcalling.

In one of the first questions of his postgame press conference, Patricia stated he has taken over calling the defense during certain points of the game from coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.

“I have a lot of different roles on game day,” Patricia said. “Certainly from that standpoint, I’m very active in the communication from all phases of the game – all three phases – and so there’s going to be plays out there that I can call. There’s going to be plays [Pasqualoni]’s calling. There’s going to be plays out there that certainly are just automatic for us.”

Earlier this season, Patricia insisted Pasqualoni was the one, and the only one, making the in-game defensive calls. How much is Patricia calling?

“I don’t know,” Patricia responded when asked the percentage he’s calling. “I’m not going to get into that stuff. Again, I’m not really going to get into the details. It changes week by week.”

Other than the final scoring drive by the Redskins, Detroit’s defense played well in Washington. The Skins managed just 13 first downs and 230 total yards. That’s not exactly a prime accomplishment, however; Washington started rookie QB Dwayne Haskins and ranked in the bottom five of just about every offensive statistical metric entering the game.

Lions fans vent frustration on Twitter after dreadful loss to the Redskins

Because sports talk radio isn’t available until Monday…

Detroit Lions fans are not happy, not one bit. Losing to a lousy Washington Redskins team in a sloppy, mistake-filled game will raise anyone’s blood pressure. Doing that for the team’s fourth loss in a row and seventh defeat in eight games will bring out the anger.

Many fans vented their frustrations on Twitter, where yelling into the social media abyss is a rite of passage for the disgruntled.

A lot of times the reaction is apathy. That level of acceptance has yet to hit with the freshness of the foolishness that the Lions called football on Sunday.

Some of the best reactions:

There were many fingers to point in the loss. Here are a few choice ones…

How to watch the Detroit Lions at Washington in Week 12

Everything you need to know about how to watch the Detroit Lions at Washington in Week 12.

The Detroit Lions (3-6-1) will travel to Washington (1-9) in Week 12 and the Lions are hoping to get their first victory with Jeff Driskel under center.

Here’s everything you need to know for how to watch or listen to this week’s game.

How To Watch

When: Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET

Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

Referee: Bill Vinovich

Vegas Watch: Lions -3.5, Over/Under 42.5

TV: FOX

Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)

Broadcast crew: Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber

Broadcast map courtesy of 506 Sports, Detroit versus Washington viewing audience is highlighted in Yellow.

How to listen

Detroit area radio: WJR 760 AM radio

Announcers: Dan Miller, Lomas Brown

Teams final injury reports

Matthew Stafford ruled OUT

Lions’ injury designations — six players listed as OUT

Washington injury designations — Vernon Davis OUT, Daron Payne Doubtful

Lions Wire game prep articles/media

4 reasons why the Lions will beat Washington in Week 12

The Honolulu Blueprint: Keys to a Lions victory over Washington

Listen: Erik Schlitt on The Detroit Lions Breakdown Podcast: Episode 129

Listen: Jeff Risdon joins Detroit Lions Podcast

Roster update: Rookie tight end Isaac Nauta promoted to the active roster