Tag: 3 stars

3 Stars from Cowboys’ nail-biting loss to Buccaneers

The Dallas Cowboys lost a close game to the Buccaneers in Week 1. Even in defeat, there were three players that stood out for them. | From @StarConscience

Exciting, thrilling, and breathtaking. Those are just a few of the adjectives that can be used to describe the show that the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers put on to kick off the 2021 NFL season on Thursday night. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the game was snatched from them with two seconds left by a Ryan Succop 36-yard field goal.

Even in defeat, there was some great football played by several members of the Cowboys. It was tough to narrow it down to just a few but here are the three stars of the game for Dallas.

 

3 Stars: Backup defensive linemen steal show in Cowboys 2nd exhibition

The Cowboys’ defensive line was a major problem in 2020, but early preseason returns are providing some hope that there is talent beyond DeMarcus Lawrence. A look at who stood out against the Cards. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line received a massive overhaul in the offseason. After having one of the worst rushing defenses in team history while not generating much of a pass rush will cause front offices a lot of consternation. Part of the overhaul was replacing defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and line coach Jim Tomsula. In came Dan Quinn and Aden Durde and the new bodies and returning players are making major strides.

Against the Arizona Cardinals, without star defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, the Cowboys front had a big impact on the game. Veteran Justin Hamilton checked in with a snap. Second-year DE Bradlee Anae had three QB hurries. Sixth-round rookie Quinton Bohanna had some nice presence as well. In a sloppy contest, the play of these three players stood out above the rest.

Detroit Lions 3 Stars of the game: Marvin Jones continues dominance over Vikings

The Detroit Lions lose to the Minnestoa Vikings to end the season, but this weeks 3 stars did the best they could to end the season better

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It was a fitting end to what would ultimately be one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Detroit Lions, dropping their season-ender to the Minnesota Vikings 37-35.

The Lions’ offense looked in peak form with Matthew Stafford at the helm.  He dropped dimes all over the field and the rushing attack mustered up 129 yards. However, the defense continued to struggle with tackling and gave up several chunk plays that led to points.

Even though the Vikings defense faced similar struggles, their offense overcame those issues, totaling 508 yards of total offense and doing enough to squeak out the victory.

Even though the Lions couldn’t end their season on a better note, some stellar performances this week deserve some recognition. Here are Lions Wire’s 3 stars of Week 17:

1st Star: Marvin Jones, Jr.

No one knows exactly why Marvin Jones seems to find major success against the Vikings, but he flexed his dominance once again this week. Jones hauled in eight catches on 11 targets for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He shouldn’t have a third one, but the refs made another controversial call determining he did not fully control the ball when going to the ground.

Jones also made Lions history hauling in 36 touchdowns in his Detroit career, good for third-most in team history. He has been a wonderful acquisition to the Lions when they needed him the most. Now a free agent, it will be hard to tell if the new regime will want to bring in back or not. Either way, he has been amazing to watch, and we at Lions Wire hope the best for him and his family.

2nd Star: Matthew Stafford

There is no way around it; Stafford is the heart and soul of this team. It would take an act of God to keep him from play football, and even then, that may not stop him. Lingering around with a thumb, rib, and ankle injuries, Stafford slung the ball for 295 yards and three touchdowns — and probably should have had more if not for ill-timed drops and head-scratching ref calls.

He did have a bad interception when he eyed Marvin Jones too long, but other than that, he was the vintage quarterback we have come to love.

With the season closing and a regime overhaul headed to Allen Park, Stafford’s status with the team has come up on numerous occasions with talks of a full rebuild.

No one can doubt this man’s heart for this city, and he will always take care of his team and community. It is hard to say what the new regime will do with the veteran quarterback, but Stafford has earned the right to have a say in Detroit’s future.

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3rd Star: Kevin Strong Jr.

With numerous injuries along the defensive line, Strong found his way back on the Lions roster after he was cut earlier in the season. Strong ended the season with enough good game film to warrant a look from the new coaching staff. In Week 17, he tallied three total tackles (two solo) with two quarterback hits and his first career sack.

Strong is a fringe player, but with a position group struggling to find healthy bodies, he showed why he belongs on the football field. It’s too early to tell if he will find his way back on the team next year with the several changes on the horizon, but he is proven to a rotational depth piece, and every team needs those players.

Star standings after Week 17:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Jack Fox: 80 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Romeo Okwara: 50 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Jamal Agnew: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points
  • Kevin Strong Jr.: 10 points

It has been a tough season for everyone involved. With new ownership taking the search for a new GM and head coach very seriously, we will likely see significant changes on the horizon and create a culture that is best suited for the Motor City.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire for a full season recap of the 2020 Detroit Lions 3 Stars.

3 Lions Stars of the game: Marvin Jones shines in loss to Titans

The Detroit Lions lost against the Tennessee Titans, but this week’s 3 stars did the best they could to pull off a victory.

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In Week 15, the Detroit Lions got a dose of what could’ve been if everything went according to plan.

Instead, they got to witness the Tennessee Titans run up and down the field with ease on their Lions, and walk away with an easy 46-25 victory.

Matthew Stafford put up an admirable performance, dealing with rib and right thumb injuries. There were a few points where you could see the rib injury was affecting him, but he managed to steer the Lions’ offense in the right direction, keeping them competitive.

Sadly, it was the same story different chapter for the defense. They were unable to make key stops allowing Titans to covert nine of 11 third-down attempts and score on every trip to the red zone. Missed tackles, poor angles, and not being in the right spot, the Lions made plenty of mistakes leading to five Ryan Tannehill touchdowns.

It is challenging to highlight the good in a loss like this, but they’re a few players who balled out yesterday and deserve some recognition.

Here are this week’s Lions Wire 3 stars of the week:

1st Star: Marvin Jones Jr.

With Kenny Golladay out yet again, the Lions relied on Marvin Jones and he came away with one of his better performances this season. With a team-leading 10 catches on 12 targets, he produced 112 yards and a touchdown.

Due to his sure hands and deep-ball ability, Jones has turned into one of Stafford’s more reliable targets. With Jones’ future in Detroit up in the air after this season, these performances might be the last we see from him, so make sure you take time to appreciate what he can do.

2nd Star: D’Andre Swift

Detroit’s rookie class is slowly developing, but if there is one rookie the Lions can hang their hand on it’s Swift.

Outside of the games he missed due to injury, he has been a dependable cog in the offense. Today, he was able to gain 67 yards on the ground at 4.5 yards per clip. Even though he fumbled at the goal line, he more than made up for it with his two touchdowns. He also added 15 receiving yards to bolster his performance.

Most rookies have their struggles, and Swift is no different, but it is hard to ignore his athletic ability on the ground and in the air. He processes the game with vision and patience, allowing the play to develop, and when the time is right, he attacks the gap with speed and power. With a rebuild coming, Swift will be a block the Lions will look to build around.

3rd Star: Romeo Okwara

With the defense looking like shambles once again, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any good that came out of it. Luckily, the Lions have Romeo Okwara, who continued his breakout season this week with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack that resulted in a safety.

Okwara picked the right season to ball out with free agency on the horizon. Even though it may only be in spurts, he has been the Lions’ most reliable defensive player. Next year, expect the Lions defense to have a whole new look, but hopefully, the Lions can find a way to keep Okwara in Detroit.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 70 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points

Next week doesn’t get any easier for the Lions, having to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Lions officially eliminated from the playoffs, there isn’t much to play for the last couple of weeks — except pride, which they will need against a tough opponent.

3 Lions Stars of the game: Adrian Peterson scores a pair of TDs

The Detroit Lions lost at the hands of the Houston Texans, but this week’s 3 stars did their best to keep them in the game.

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With the Detroit Lions suffering yet another 41-25 blowout loss, this time at the hands of the Houston Texans, this season is about done as much a leftover turkey.

The offense was able to gain some traction early on, but the same story/ different game drove them down in a deep grave. Between the ill-timed turnovers and the frustrating conservative plays, it left everyone in the building and at home scratching their heads and wondering what exactly are they trying to accomplish.

Between Deshaun Watson and Will Fuller, the defense could not slow the Texans high powered passing offense and look totally unprepared. With the broken coverages and assignment misreads, they were able to punch the ball down the field with no issues. When you leave the best receiver on the field wide open, you know today is just not your day.

This may be the final nail in the coffin for this regime, and it’s not just a matter of if, but a matter of when they move on from these individuals who are driving the team.

There isn’t much good to take away from this game, but a few players did their best to keep the Lions in the game.

Here are this week’s LionsWire 3 stars of the week.

1st Star: Adrian Peterson

Peterson has been given a lot of grief for a while now this season due to his ineffectiveness and the emergence of D’Andre Swift, but today he was able to shoulder some of the burdens. He started the game slowly, but the Lions went to him as their power back, scoring two touchdowns in the first half and finishing the day with 55 yards with 3.7 yards per attempt.

Regrettably, the Lions were unable to take full advantage of a disastrous Texans run defense, but Peterson did his best to keep the Lions within striking distance. The Lions leaned on Peterson with five straight runs to get them in Houston territory to start off the second half but only saw three points out of the drive. Swift looks to be on the mend, so it will be interesting to see how the Lions will use Peterson going forward, especially if the Lions decide to go a different direction.

2nd Star: Kerryon Johnson

Johnson has been sitting patiently to get his chances this season, and this was by far his best game of the season, bringing into question why he isn’t getting more opportunities. While splitting snaps between Peterson and Jonathan Williams, he was able to contribute on the ground and in the air with 98 total scrimmage yards and continued to show off his pass blocking ability.

Johnson was able to fully take the next man up mentality, especially with the sheer amount of injuries surrounding the team. Even though Johnson coughed up the ball, Stafford continued to look his way to get the ball in his hands. Hopefully, the Lions liked what they saw for Johnson and continue to go his way. With the season going the way it is, why not see what the young man can do the rest of the way.

3rd Star: T.J. Hockenson

After being announced as the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter among tight ends, Hockenson continued to make his case why he should make his first Pro Bowl. With Danny Amendola missing his second straight game, Stafford found his favorite target five times for 89 yards and had his longest catch and this beautiful trick play.

Not only was his catching ability on display today, but he also had a perfect block that sealed the gap for Peterson to score on his second touchdown. It would be nice to see Hockenson find the endzone more often, but one has to be happy with how much progress the second-year tight end has made and looks to a building block for this organization.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 90 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 50 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 30 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points

The Lions look to be in the middle of the crossroads and have some major decisions on the horizon. Going into this week, there was almost zero hope and excitement for the Lions against the Texans, and that is not a good thing to have, especially with the number of questions that need answering.

With a long week ahead for the Lions, they will have an ample amount of time to prepare for their division game against the Chicago Bears on the road. Now, who knows how this team will look by then, but hopefully, they come more prepared than they have been the last few weeks.

3 Lions Stars of Week 6: D’Andre Swift left Jaguars in the dust

The Detroit Lions landed their second victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the performances of this weeks 3-star winners

The Detroit Lions made quite a few adjustments during the bye week and it showed in their victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With a new looked defense and an efficient running game, the Lions road to a 34-16 victory.

From start to finish, the Lions controlled the tempo of this game either with dialed up blitzes leading to turnovers or key runs on offense. The Lions victory was a straight team effort, and all facets seem to be in sync with one another. Now there are some areas to look over this coming week, but there are plenty of areas you can hang your hat and work with.

With multiple players showing up this week, there are plenty who deserve this week’s LionsWire three-star honors, but here are the three stars for this week.

1st Star: D’Andre Swift

It was the D’Andre Swift show today.

After seeing his snaps limited against the Cardinals, and featured more against the Saints, Swift was used heavily in the offense this week. And he didn’t disappoint, churning out 116 yards on the ground, averaging 8.3-yards per carry, and becoming the Lions’ first 100-yard rusher of the young 2020 season.

On top of that, he found the endzone twice to add for good measure.

Swift has landed on the first star honors two weeks in a row now, and he seems to be putting it all together to start the second quarter of the season. Expect the Lions to continue their heavy usage of Swift after back-to-back impressive performances.

2nd star: Trey Flowers

If anyone needed to step up on defense, it was Flowers, and he stepped up in a big way this week. The run defense was able to hold the Jaguars to only 44 yards, and it was due in large part to Flowers containing and closing any gaps that might’ve been open.

He finished the day with five total tackles and a strip-sack where his fellow defensive end Romeo Okwara recovered.

He also occasionally dropped in coverage, and on one play, he made a hit that rung D.J Chark bells so bad Flowers made him contemplate if he wanted to continue with the abuse.

Flowers was able to bring consistent pressure, making Gardner Minshew uncomfortable all day, and didn’t allow James Robinson to run over them. His leadership was on display, and the defensive line rallied behind him and he showed up in a big way against the Jaguars.

3rd star: Jonah Jackson

The final choice was between Jackson and Kenny Golladay, but ultimately I went with Jackson due to his presence being missed when the Lions opted to go back to their guard rotation.

The Lions started hot in the running game due largely to Jackson’s mulling ability and opening up gaps for Swift to strike.

Afterward, the Lions went to a guard rotation, and you could tell the offense was sorely missing his presence on the field. The Lions put him back either due to some injuries or the coaching staff wising up.

Jackson has quietly been the Lions’ best rookie so far this season, and if the Lions learn anything, he needs to stay on the field the whole game.

Star standings after Week  4:

  • D’Andre Swift: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 40 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 30 points
  • Matt Prater: 30 Points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 20 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points

The big question following this week’s win is: Is this the Lions learning from their lessons, or is it just another week to have high hopes for next week’s matchup. We will see when the Lions hit the road to face the Atlanta Falcons who secured their first victory by beating the Minnesota Vikings. Hopefully, it’s the former, but we will have to wait and see.

3 Lions Stars of Week 3: Prater comes out clutch in Week 3 victory

The Detroit Lions were able to upset the Arizona Cardinals on the road and some of the players deserved to earn a spot on the 3 stars list

After falling 0-2 to start the season, the Lions were able to get that pesky monkey off their back. In the final minutes, they drove down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal securing their first victory of the season, beating the Arizona Cardinals 26-23.

Even though some areas the Lions need to clean upon, the defense looked good by holding the Cardinals below the season average in rushing yards, only allowing 109 yards. The offense had their moments and looked a lot better with Kenny Golladay back in the lineup.

Let’s take a look at the players who earned this week’s 3-star honors.

1st Star: Matt Prater

For the second week in a row, the top star goes to a special teamer, but this time to the ageless wonder Matt Prater. Even though he hasn’t been as effective in long kicks to start the season, he showed today why he is one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL today.

Prater not only kicked the game-winning field goal, but he went 4/4 on field goals and 2/2 on extra points. The Lions are not only comfortable leaning on Prater’s leg; he enjoys these types of situations. It looked like he was smiling when he was coming on the field to kick the game-winner showing he was calm, relaxed, and collective with the game on the line and came up clutch like usual.

2nd Star: Kenny Golladay

You could tell the Lions were sorely missing their primary weapon, and having Golladay back in the lineup is what the doctor ordered for the Lions’ offense. He led the Lions in catches (6), tied in targets (7), and yards (57), and scored an acrobatic touchdown using every inch of his frame in this contest.

It has been a while since Stafford and Golladay have played on the same field, and it took a minute before Stafford start targeting Golladay, but once that started, it was like they picked up where they left off last season. Golladay gave Stafford a big target down the field and in the red zone and was able to take some of the pressure off some of the other receivers. It was good to have Golladay back

3rd Star: Jamie Collins, Jr.

It took a few games, but this is what we expected from Collins after the Lions signed him this offseason. It seemed Collins was covering the field, either making the play or putting other players in position to make the play. He recorded six total tackles, one solo, two passes defended, one QB hit, and an interception. Not a bad day’s work.

Collins was able to tag Murray for his second of three interceptions, reading his eyes every step of the way and breaking at the last second to snag the ball from the receiver. It looks like Collins is finding his stride in the defense, and it could only get better from here, providing a formidable player on the defense.

Star standings after Week 2:

  • Adrian Peterson: 30 points
  • Jack Fox: 30 points
  • Matt Prater: 30 Points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 20 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 20 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 20 points
  • Trey Flowers: 10 points

The Lions will hope to ride this victory into Week 4’s matchup against a high octane New Orleans Saint team at home. The Saints are currently 1-1 with their Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers still in progress this week. It is up in the air if the Saints’ star receiver Michael Thomas will play or not, but they will be kept busy with Drew Brees slinging the ball and Alvin Karma on the ground.

For now, Lions’ fans, let celebrate this victory!

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