Category: Preview

Lions vs. Jaguars: Detroit roster bubble players to watch in the preseason matchup

With the starters sitting for Detroit, it’s a big chance for these Lions on the roster bubble to prove they belong on the team

The second preseason game for the 2023 Detroit Lions will go a long way in determining which players wind up comprising the back half of the team’s 53-man roster. With head coach Dan Campbell indicating that pretty much every important Lions player will sit out Saturday’s matchup with the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s showtime for the depth.

Position battles will dominate the conversation for the Lions against the Jaguars. Here are a few combatants who can help sort things out with their play against the visiting cats from Jacksonville.

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10 Lions to watch closely in the preseason opener vs. the Giants

It’s going to be a big night for several Lions, including these 10 Detroit players

The Detroit Lions host the New York Giants in the 2023 preseason opener for both teams. After two days of joint practices in Allen Park, the teams take their action to Ford Field for the kickoff of exhibition season.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell refused to indicate if the regular, established starters would play. Even if they do, it’s almost certainly on a very limited basis; the preseason isn’t about the starters.

It’s about the reserves and the position battles and the rookies getting their first taste of NFL action. Here are 10 Lions who wear at least one of those hats who will be important players to focus upon against the Giants.

Podcast: Lions training camp preview with Prime Sports Network

Detroit Lions training camp preview podcast with Prime Sports Network and Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

In conjunction with the Prime Sports Network, we offer up a fast-paced preview for the Detroit Lions training camp.

Host Greg Depalma and I do a quick look at each position group, from quarterback to special teams. Which players at each position are locks to make the roster, and who could surprise? It’s a good trip around the Lions depth chart and spotlights the upcoming camp battles.

Note that this was recorded on July 19th before the trade for Denzel Mims and the release of kicker Michael Badgley.

The audio-only version is available below or via your favorite podcast provider.

5 thoughts about what will and won’t happen for the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL draft

The best attempt to answer a few questions about what will happen with the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL draft

We are one short week away from the 2023 NFL draft. The entire Detroit Lions nation is abuzz about what GM Brad Holmes and his staff are going to do with the team’s nine selections, including two picks apiece in the first and second rounds.

I’d love to tell you I know what’s going to happen with not just the Lions, but the entire draft around Detroit too. But that’s simply not the case. Nobody has yet produced the almanac for Biff Tannen from the future to know things ahead of time. However, I have a few thoughts about what the Lions will do and won’t do in the 2023 NFL draft.

Last year’s version of this particular column:

4 thoughts about what will and won’t happen for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL draft

 

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

Lions vs. Packers: Last-minute thoughts, keys to the game and final prediction for Week 18

It’s already a strange Sunday. Normally this particular pregame ritual gets written around 9 a.m. and then the buzz carries into the 1 p.m. kickoff. But today is different.

The Lions face the Packers in Green Bay in Week 18 in primetime. It’s Detroit’s first night game of the season, and it comes with much on the line. Depending on the outcome of the Rams vs. Seahawks game, the Lions could be playing for a postseason berth. Even if they’re eliminated before the kickoff, they’re still playing for a winning record on a season that began at 1-6 and also for a 5-1 finish in the NFC North to set the table for 2023.

4 bold predictions for Lions vs. Packers

Max Gerber offers up four bold predictions for the Lions Week 18 matchup with the Packers

With playoff hopes still on the line, the Detroit Lions will take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football to close out the regular season.

The Lions’ postseason fate will be decided before their game kicks off, but this matchup is a must-win regardless of how the Rams/Seahawks game goes.

This game is sure to be an entertaining one, so here are four very bold predictions for how things will go on Sunday Night Football:

Jameson Williams gets more involved

The first-round draft pick has not been having the successes that many expected him to have in his first few games. Williams has one reception for 41 yards and a touchdown as well as a 40-yard carry. He has been targeted seven other times, one of which was dropped while the others were inaccurate passes.

What makes things different this time around?

The last time the Lions faced the Packers, Williams was not on the active roster. Detroit’s receiving corps was made up of starter Amon-Ra St. Brown, backup Kalif Raymond, and practice squad receivers Tom Kennedy, Stanley Berryhill, and Shane Zylstra.

With Williams now in the lineup and Josh Reynolds and DJ Chark healthy, Green Bay’s secondary has a lot more to worry about. Their focus will likely be on playmaker St. Brown and deep-threat Chark, leaving Williams to get more involved on offense.

Lions lose the turnover battle, Goff throws two picks

Jared Goff has not turned over the ball since his last time facing Green Bay, so it’s only fitting he does it again this time around.

As mentioned earlier, Goff has more weapons in his arsenal on offense than he did in the previous game against the Packers. This could mean he will be throwing the ball more than he did before, increasing the odds of an interception happening at some point in this game.

The Packers as an offense have also been good at not giving away anything to opposing defenses. It seems likely that Detroit does not come away with more turnovers than Green Bay.

DeShon Elliott picks off Aaron Rodgers

It would be poetic justice for safety DeShon Elliott to catch an interception from Aaron Rodgers after being very vocal about the Packers quarterback’s comments about the Lions.

Rodgers hasn’t been too prone to throw to opposing defenders, but Elliott seems determined to make the veteran quarterback eat his words for speaking ill about this Lions defense.

Lions win 41-31

This will be a high-scoring game between two of the league’s hottest offenses. The Lions have so much more to play for in this situation and it seems like the kind of game we’ve been waiting to see from Dan Campbell.

It will be a very hard-fought matchup as these divisional rivals go head-to-head on Sunday night. Expect some big plays on offense from both of these teams.

The Lions 1st win over the Packers sparked some major stat turnarounds for Detroit

The Lions’ before-and-after splits from the 1-6 start to the current 8-8 are radically different, and it started with the Week 9 win over the Packers

The first time the Detroit Lions faced the Green Bay Packers was back in Week 9. Those Lions were 1-6, owners of the worst record in the league. Coming off a collapse against the Miami Dolphins and searching for anything positive, it was a dark time to face the Packers in Ford Field.

The Lions rose up and prevailed, of course. That first Packers game was the catalyst for Detroit’s epic turnaround from the poor start to the season. Detroit won 15-9, kicking off a run to 8-8 and a potential winning season on the line in the Week 18 rematch.

These Lions are a very different team than the one that prevailed in Week 9. Of course, the Packers are too; the first matchup dropped their record to 3-6 and they’ve risen to 8-8 as well. That’s why Sunday night’s matchup figures to be a big challenge for Dan Campbell’s resurgent team.

Here are a few of the significant measuring sticks for the Lions from before and after the first Packers game.

Scoring defense

The season-long scoring defense total isn’t very impressive for the Lions. Detroit ranks 29th in points per game allowed at 25.7. But the Packers game was a definite demarcation point.

In the first seven games, the Lions surrendered an average of 32.1 points per game. Detroit didn’t give up less than 24 in any game.

The nine points they held the Packers to remains the lowest total the Lions have allowed. In the nine games since the 1-6 start, the Lions have allowed just 20.7 points per game. That figure would tie the Lions with the Broncos for 10th over the course of a full season.

Sacks

One big reason the scoring defense got better was the pass rush. Detroit bagged 12 sacks in the first seven games. Adding in dynamic rookie James Houston and the return of healthy linemen John Cominsky and Josh Paschal spiked the sack production.

The Lions have 25 sacks in the last nine games. As with the scoring defense soaring up the charts from the bottom, Detroit’s sack production starting in Week 9 would rank in the top 10 if the average played out over the full season. The 2.8 sacks per game in the last nine would tie the New York Jets average for the season, ranking seventh.

Turnovers

Here’s one where the Lions offense and defense have worked in tandem to get a lot better.

After the Week 8 loss to the Dolphins, Detroit had a turnover ratio of -5. Only the Colts had a worse ratio at that time. The Lions had 11 offensive giveaways and six takeaways on defense in the first seven games.

Both units have improved immensely.

The Lions are +11 in turnover margin in the last nine games. Detroit’s offense has just four giveaways in those nine games, the lowest total in the league. On defense, the 14 takeaways since Week 8, a surge they jumpstarted by creating three takeaways in the first matchup with Green Bay.

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Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast recaps Bears win and preps for the Packers

This week’s episode wraps up the dominant win over the Bears, previews the Packers matchup and much more

It’s not every year that the Detroit Lions are playing for a potential playoff berth in the final week of the season. Frankly, it’s been way too long.

The Detroit Lions Podcast featuring Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon celebrates the rapid ascension and the team playing do-or-die football in January. This week’s episode recaps the dominant win over the Bears in Week 17 and how it silenced the “SOL” crowd.

Do the Lions have a chance in Green Bay? The numbers, and Jared Goff’s history, say Detroit can win this weekend. There’s a breakdown of how Dan Campbell’s Lions can pull off the win in Wisconsin. Coach Campbell’s rousing speech from Hard Knocks takes center stage as well.

There’s also some draft need conversation, thoughts on Ben Johnson’s coaching fate this offseason and a whole lot more.

The audio-only version of the show is available here or via your favorite podcast provider.

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Week 17 with Bears Wire

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Detroit’s Week 17 against Chicago with Bears Wire editor Alyssa Barbieri

Sunday is a huge game for the Detroit Lions. It’s the team’s final home game of the 2022 season, even though it will take place on the first day of 2023.

The Chicago Bears head to Ford Field to try and snap an 11-game losing streak. One of those losses came in the first matchup between the two teams back in Week 10 in Chicago. The Lions won that game, 31-30, by having the better kicker in a comeback win.

Quick takeaways from the Lions comeback win over the Bears in Week 10

To get caught up on what’s going on with the Bears since the last meeting, I exchanged questions and answers with Bears Wire editor Alyssa Barbieri. She offered some goo insight on the Bears and the matchup.

4 Lions who need to have good games vs. the Bears

The Lions are looking for some rebound games from a few key cogs in Week 17 after rough outings vs. the Panthers

The Detroit Lions look to even the season record at 8-8 and sweep the series with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears in Week 17. It’s the final game of the season at Ford Field for Dan Campbell’s Lions, a matchup they must win to keep the playoff flame flickering.

Recovering from the 37-23 loss in Carolina, a terrible all-around effort from the Lions in a meaningful game, is imperative. To make that happen, a few players need to step up at home against a Bears team that has won once since Week 3.

The theme here is rebounding. All the Lions here need to prove they can bounce back from substandard performances in Week 16.