Tag: Bo Scarbrough

Bo Scarbrough still sidelined from Lions practice

Jonathan Williams has impressed while getting BoScar’s reps

Our Erik Schlitt is in the socially distanced media scrum in Allen Park today to report live from the action. One player Schlitt and the rest of the Lions won’t see on the practice field on Friday is running back Bo Scarbrough.

Coach Matt Patricia announced that the powerful RB remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Scarbrough has not practiced in full since Monday’s first session at the Lions training facility.

His extended absence helps explain why the Lions signed free agent Jonathan Williams earlier this week. Like Scarbrough, Williams is a power-based inside runner with a lengthy injury history of his own.

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2019 Lions rewatch project: Week 14 notebook from Minnesota

One of the weakest efforts by a Lions team in the post-Millen era

After a bit of extended rest following the Thanksgiving loss to the Chicago Bears, the Lions packed up their game and headed out west to Minnesota. The 3-8-1 Lions limp into the beautiful new home of the Vikings in a rematch of Detroit’s most lopsided loss of the season.

The 8-4 Vikings enter the game coming off a tough loss to Seattle. They’re chasing the 9-3 Packers in the NFC North while also trying to stay above the 7-5 Rams in the race for the final NFC Wild Card spot. Detroit was officially eliminated in Week 13.

Pregame notes

The Lions still have Matthew Stafford on the active roster but placed Jeff Driskel on IR. He’s replaced as David Blough’s backup by Kelly Sloter. CB/RS Jamal Agnew and DE Da’Shawn Hand are the only regulars who are inactive, though CB Rashaan Melvin is sitting out despite being active.

Minnesota is still without WR Adam Thielen, who injured himself catching a TD in the Week 7 matchup in Detroit.

Walt Anderson is the referee for the indoor game. The Lions are clad in their road white jerseys with blue pants, while the Vikings are in the purple tops and white pants.

Because this game was (spoiler alert!) never really competitive, I’m cutting back more on the play-to-play analysis and offering a more general vibe of who is playing well and what is/not working for Detroit.

First quarter

David Blough’s first two passes are batted down at the line of scrimmage. He’s sacked quickly on 3rd-and-10 when Jesse James flat-out fails in trying to block Danielle Hunter. Sam Martin’s booming punt is poorly covered, allowing a 17-yard return by Mike Hughes as both Tavon Wilson and Steve Longa got caught out of their lanes. The “uh-oh” feeling is already creeping up.

At least the Lions defense comes out sharp. Christian Jones nicely blows up a screen pass. A’Shawn Robinson smothers a stretch run where Jarrad Davis nicely sealed off the cutback lane. Darius Slay breaks up the final pass, a back-foot heave by Kirk Cousins who was under heavy pressure from a sweet A-gap blitz by Davis.

We see a bit of creativity on 2nd-and-10 during this drive. The Lions have all three DTs in the game–Damon Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson, John Atkins–all aligned right of the center and inside the tackle box. Devon Kennard is the lone EDGE on the left. Cousins simply rolls gently to his left and easily completes a short pass to TE Kyle Rudolph.

Another poor 3-and-out from the Lions offense. James again loses badly on a block, Blough misfires behind Marvin Jones.

The next Vikings drive is aided by Lions penalties. Slay gets flagged for holding (valid call) and later Tavai gets called for lowering the head to initiate contact as he ran into a scrum late. It’s a letter-of-the-law penalty and it sets up the Vikings TD.

The touchdown is a pass from Cousins to Bisi Johnson, who beat Amani Oruwariye in man coverage on a crosser in the back of the end zone. It’s not a great throw and the rookie CB gets a contest on it but Johnson hangs on and scores. Cousins had enough time to order a tea set in the pocket. The conversion makes it 7-0 Vikings.

The Lions finally get a first down on offense! A nice catch by Marvin Jones on a contested throw gains 18. Minnesota follows that up with a penalty to keep the chains moving but the Lions cannot capitalize. Receivers are not open and Blough has no time to throw, and it’s that way every snap.

Second quarter

I will not question effort, but I’ll just say this: the Vikings offensive line is not nearly as dominant as what the Lions defensive line is making them out to be. Watching Harrison, Mike Daniels and Robinson get pushed around and staying blocked in the run game is very frustrating. It’s especially notable on the first Vikings drive of the second quarter.

Robinson does make a nice TFL but it’s almost entirely RB Dalvin Cook’s own fault for ignoring the hole and bouncing the cut directly into big No. 91, with Wilson there to finish him. A similar thing happens on his next run; Cook tries to cut back inside and that gives a lining Harrison enough time to catch up and drop him at the line. If Cook keeps his line outside and follows his blocking he’s got a first down. That is where this game is at already–the only real Lions positives are when Vikings players screw up.

Scarbrough continues to be a bright spot. He gets nine yards on three carries on the Lions’ next 3-and-out. While that doesn’t seem successful, he’s maximizing yards. Isaac Nauta is in at fullback and on second down he throws a very nice cut block. The 3rd-and-1 is an uncreative nightmare. With 10 (10!) Vikings in the box and the Lions in a 3TE set, Scarbrough plows headlong into a scrum of bodies. Ragnow and Decker get push but the other OL-men are knocked backward. Easy stop on a bad offensive call.

Spotlight play on Jahlani Tavai: 2nd-and-8, 8:19 on the clock. Tavai is lined up as a JACK over left tackle but feigns (poorly I might add) a rush. He drops 3-4 yards deep and his assignment on the play is the RB Mattison, who holds in initially as a potential pass blocker and then released when Tavai doesn’t rush. Tavai is on top of it, flows well as Mattison starts to circle out to the left. But the rookie LB can’t take his eye off Cousins, who would have a wide open lane to run through between C and LG as the DL has been pushed aside. Tavai takes a full step inside to quell that notion, but it gives Mattison enough room to get free for the outlet pass. A diving Tavai cannot reach him to make the tackle, and Mattison rumbles for a first down, leaping over a terrible Wilson tackle attempt in the process. To make matters worse, Robinson gets injured while showing great hustle to chase the play down.

Cousins was never going to run. He wasn’t even thinking about it. When Tavai hedged inside, Cousins was looking for his TE down the middle (good bracket coverage by Jones and Will Harris here). If Tavai just stays on task with Mattison, this play almost certainly goes nowhere. Based on Cousins’ inside throw, Tavai might have even had a shot at an INT. Alas, none of that happened.

A nice red zone stand, aided by a Vikings penalty, keeps the damage to a field goal and it’s 10-0.

Detroit’s next drive is Minnesota’s chance to prove they can screw things up. Three separate defensive penalties, a great contested catch by Kenny Golladay and two nice Scarbrough runs behind Ragnow and Glasgow set the Lions up nicely in the red zone.

That’s where Blough shows his inexperience. On 3rd-and-2 from the MIN 15, Blough looks around from the shotgun. And looks. And looks. Nobody is even close to being open. After 4.4 seconds (I timed it twice) he gets sacked back at the 27. He has to throw the ball away. The lost yards prove critical when Prater slices the kick wide right. It would have been good from 33 yards but wasn’t at 45.

The Vikings pounce. Cousins finds Stefon Diggs deep against Slay. It’s been a pretty even battle on the day between these two but Diggs wins this one. It appears Slay played inside technique instead of outside, which nullified Harris’ over-the-top coverage help. The outside shoulder throw is where Slay should have been based on the help.

The 44-yard gain sets up a too-easy Cook TD off right tackle and it’s 17-0 hitting the half.

Third quarter

Both teams come out in the second half with the energy of a game that is already decided. The Vikings harmlessly and unaggressively run 3-and-out, and the Lions follow suit with a Jones drop on a low throw on third down. Then another 3-and-out for both teams, the Lions losing a conversion due to a (legit) Golladay illegal block penalty. The gnawing feeling that I should be doing something more constructive than watching these two teams go through the motions creeps in heavily.

We get some real action with a Blough interception. The rookie QB rolls to his left despite being under no real pressure and throws an off-balance wobbler over Golladay’s head. Easy pickings for Harrison Smith, who somehow injured CB Xavier Rhodes with a ninja kick while making the catch.

The Lions A-gap run defense continues to be a problem. The RB is getting to the second level too cleanly. Walker and Wilson are making first contact well past the line of scrimmage. The defense eventually holds when Harrison blows up a draw, forcing a 50-yard FG attempt. It’s good and it’s 20-0 at the end of the third, technically on the first play of the fourth quarter. This was Tavai’s best drive in weeks, including a devastating TFL where he perfectly shot the gap at the snap.

Fourth quarter

Blough and the Lions continue to try the quick-hit pass plays. He’s very accurate with his feet set on the short throws to the outside. THe drive stalls when Everson Griffen screams around Decker from a Wide-9 stance and sacks Blough untouched. Tyrell Crosby, in at right tackle, also got beaten badly on the play. After the play Decker and Ragnow discuss the protection like there was a miscommunication. At least Sam Martin’s punt is fantastic and pins the Vikings at their own 5.

Will Harris has generally had a strong game to this point, but he’s on the wrong end of the highlight reel on the ensuing drive. In Cover-3 zone, Harris closes too late on Laquon Treadwell, who makes the catch. Harris’ tackle attempt winds up with him being thrown to the ground after clinging to the big WR for 3-4 yards. Slay was within reach to help but just watched it happen.

Trey Flowers bags the Lions’ first sack by bulling right through ex-Lion Riley Reiff, now the Vikings’ LT. Really nice tight press coverage by Oruwariye forced Cousins to eat the sack instead of trying a throw.

It’s now the peak of garbage time and the Vikings defensive effort reflects that. With about five minutes to go, it’s clear the Lions want to avoid being shutout more than the Vikings care about shutting them out. Blough to Amendola on 1-2 read throws continues to move the chains. Decker and Joe Dahl at LT/LG make a couple of nice switch adjustments on rushes.

The Lions find the end zone when Blough zips a pass to a well-covered Golladay in the back of the end zone. CB Trae Waynes stumbled (Golladay got away with some pushing here) and it allowed Golladay to reach around him and catch it. Prater banks the extra point in off the left upright and it’s 20-7.

The onside kick–a good try by Prater–fails. So does the Vikings offense, inexplicably going for it on 4th-and-2 from near midfield. Robinson absolutely devours 4th-string RB Mike Boone in the backfield. The Lions get another shot.

Once again the first-read throws by Blough are very effective. The up-tempo offense finds first downs with completions to Golladay, Logan Thomas and Jones. Decker’s pass protection in obvious passing situations here deserves respect, he’s great on Griffen this entire drive. Blough gets greedy looking for Thomas up the seam and safety Andrew Sendejo picks it off in the end zone. Game over, thank goodness.

Good games

Tracy Walker, Bo Scarbrough, Danny Amendola (except for one drop), Taylor Decker (outside the miscue sack), Ty Johnson, Frank Ragnow, John Atkins, Amani Oruwariye in coverage, Jahlani Tavai vs. the run, Sam Martin

Bad games

David Blough, Marvin Jones, Matt Prater, Rick Wagner, Jesse James, Jahlani Tavai in coverage, Damon Harrison (mostly), Romeo Okwara, A’Shawn Robinson outside of two great plays, Kenny Golladay aside from his TD catch

If you’re down on Blough as the potential Lions backup QB, this is probably the game that you point to in validation. The rookie was very rough in his second start, taking coverage sacks instead of throwing the ball away and leaving some opportunities on the field. The line was a lot better than Blough made it appear in this one, too.

Lions 2019 rewatch: Week 13 notes from the Thanksgiving loss to Chicago

The David Blough era kicks off with a tough loss on national television

Thanksgiving 2019 marked the beginning of the David Blough era as the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Jeff Driskel had started the last three games, including a massive clunker of an effort in the Week 12 loss to lowly Washington. But Driskel is out for this one and in steps Blough, an undrafted rookie from Purdue acquired from the Browns after the preseason.

Blough’s performance in this matchup with the division rival Chicago Bears in the annual Thanksgiving national broadcast is the primary point of focus. We’ve reached the point of the season where the Lions, now 3-7-1, are playing more youngsters more frequently. It’s a chance to evaluate guys like Blough, RB Bo Scarbrough, CB Amani Oruwariye and TE Isaac Nauta in their more extensive playing time.

Pregame notes

Chicago enters the game at 5-6, having won two of its last three games. That includes the Week 10 win over Detroit in Chicago. The Bears defense is hot, allowing the 4th-fewest points of any team over the last six games.

In addition to Stafford and Driskel, starters Rashaan Melvin (CB), Jamal Agnew (RS) and Damon Harrison (DT) are all out with injuries. Chicago is missing regular starting RT Bobby Massie, replaced by ex-Lion Cornelius Lucas. Linebacker Danny Trevathan and wideout Taylor Gabriel are the other key missing Bears.

The Lions are in the all-silver color rush uniforms while the bears are in the road whites with blue pants

First quarter

You know you’re in for a turkey of a game when the opening kickoff has to get redone thanks to offsetting penalties. You really know it’s going to be a clunker when referee Jerome Boger points the wrong way when making the official calls on the penalties. Not a good start…

It doesn’t get any better once Chicago gets the ball. Cordarrelle Patterson blows past several Lions up the left sideline and returns Matt Prater’s kick to midfield. Mitchell Trubisky comes out throwing, and specifically throwing at Tavon Wilson. The safety makes the tackle on the first three plays, targeted twice in coverage and once on a terrible run fit by LB Christian Jones.

Allen Robinson scores the touchdown, beating Darius Slay on a simple slant he sets up beautifully with a false step outside. Slay steps in the bucket and it was all the room Trubusky needed to fit it in before Tracy Walker’s help could close in. Way too easy of an opening TD drive for Chicago.

Chris Lacy fields the Bears kickoff and kneels. It’s his first time back as the return man in place of the injured Agnew.

Blough comes out without fear. He’s overzealous on his first attempt, a worm-burner to T.J. Hockenson up the right seam where the TE has a step on the coverage. He did not miss on the next play, a 3rd-and-10:

That’s how to take advantage of a blown coverage! Prater’s knuckleball of a conversion ties the game at 7-7.

Jarrad Davis keys the Lions D on the ensuing 3-and-out possession. Two nice stops from the LB including an open-field corraling of shifty RB Tarik Cohen. Slay had perfect coverage on Robinson on the other play. No pass rush up front but still a nice series.

It didn’t even take two full drives before Blough demonstrates he’s a better passer and has superior pocket presence and field awareness than Driskel showed in his three starts. Strikes to Marvin Jones and Golladay move the chain nicely. Blough is stepping up in the pocket and climbing the ladder nicely, not panicking at pressure and keeping his eyes down the field.

Blough hits Jones on a well-designed inside crosser from a bunch formation from the 8-yard line for a TD. The Bears, notably Prince Amukamara once again, get lost in coverage. Great pass protection by the offensive tackles this entire drive. The extra point puts the Lions up 14-7.

Prater gets tricky with the ensuing kickoff. He drills a hard grounder to the shortstop and it strikes a retreating Bears blocker. Jalen Reeves-Maybin comes out of the scrum with possession. The spontaneous, exotic onside kick works! Lions ball inside Chicago territory.

The teams trade 3-and-outs with both QBs making poor choices into coverage. Dee Virgin gets a big thumbs up for his exceptional punt coverage on Sam Martin’s nice boot deep into Chicago territory.

Blough’s initial buzz wears off. He missed Hockenson on a well-covered out route and then makes a terrible choice in forcing a high throw to Danny Amendola in traffic. Had Blough held just a count longer he had Hockenson up the right seam uncovered but he opted to throw to the sticks on 3rd-and-5. The ball nearly got picked off when Amendola tries to tip it to himself, a poor choice for a short receiver in a crowd.

Second quarter

Controversy strikes on a play where Trubisky narrowly avoids a Devon Kennard sack and throws to WR Anthony Miller on the run. Miller catches the ball and then get popped by Justin Coleman. Several players from both teams fail to recover it before it winds up in a pile.

Two officials signal Bears ball. Two others signal Lions ball at various points. The initial call from Boger gave the ball to the Bears, but as FOX’s Joe Buck quizzically notes on the broadcast, “I guess they changed their mind.” Lions ball.

Not so fast. After a lengthy review–more than double the allotted time–Boger decides the pass was incomplete. It wasn’t, but that’s how a bad official covers his inept tracks. Oh yeah, Boger also missed an obvious blow to the head of Trubisky by Wilson that Boger is staring at from five yards away. Oy.

The level of play quickly descends to the level of officiating. Wilson badly misses an open-field tackle, another in-the-box attempt, and has an illegal contact penalty (he was guilty) declined. The Lions pass rush isn’t nearly as effective as Trubisky would have you believe it is, and his impatience and lack of accuracy bail out Oruwariye and Coleman in coverage on separate throws.

Troy Aikman’s not having a great game on as a color commentator, either. He enthusiastically notes that “this Bears offense is the same one Kansas City runs” and “they’re capable of scoring from anywhere”.  Going back to the Week 10 matchup, the Bears offense has gone 3-and-out on seven of its last 10 drives against the Lions defense, which entered this game ranked 30th. Chicago is 29th in scoring entering the game, 30th if you strip out defensive and special teams scores. He says the latter as it’s 1st-and-32 after two dumb penalties on the OL. But I digress…

The Bears opt to go for it on 4th-and-5 from the Lions 32, eschewing a 50-yard FG attempt. Trey Flowers surges past LT Charles Leno and Trubisky flings the ball at the feet of a receiver short of the sticks. The Bears also had an illegal formation but the Lions decline it and celebrate the nice stop. Davis was effective on a couple of A-gap blitzes on this drive and was in nice position in coverage on the final play too.

Some really nice run blocking from Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker gets the Lions rolling. Ty Johnson and Scarbrough are both effectively running downhill, not hesitating or dancing through the hole and it’s working. Boger’s crew once again interferes with the game with a truly baffling offensive pass interference call on Marvin Jones that wipes out an intentional defensive pass interference call against Buster Skrine on Golladay in the end zone (Skrine got beat and knew it). Boger quickly gives a make-up call, flagging (now Lions DT) Nick Williams for roughing Blough. It’s a flag that not even Aaron Rodgers gets most of the time.

The red zone offense sputters badly. Two Blough throwaways under pressure (rough set for Rick Wagner) and a pointless J.D. McKissic run smack into a stacked box stall the drive. The Lions kick a 25-yard field goal to surge out the lead to 17-7 with 3:00 to play in the half.

Poor containment on the kick return by Patterson sets the Bears up near their own 40, thanks in part to an egregious missed holding call on the player blocking Dee Virgin. The drive quickly becomes “let’s pick on Justin Coleman” as Trubisky targets him in coverage on his first three passes. Two are complete, the third (technically the first of the series) Coleman broke up nicely. Quick-hit completions on slants against Oruwariye (who missed the tackle too) and Slay set the Bears up in FG range.

Jarrad Davis is playing really well and there’s a play at the end of the drive here that needs appreciation. Trubisky takes off from the pass rush and is poised to get a first down with his legs. Davis explodes into the path Trubisky wants to take and it scares the QB enough that he veers sideways. That gives Walker time to close in and make a very nice open-field tackle. Davis doesn’t get any credit in the box score but he’s absolutely the reason the Bears’ drive fizzles and results in a field goal and not a TD. Lions lead 17-10 at the half.

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Senior RB Brian Robinson could shine in 2020

Alabama’s senior RB Brian Robinson is entering his final season with the Crimson Tide, what will he be able to make of it?

Brian Robinson is a senior running back for the Crimson Tide that has not seen his fair share of the spotlight. Alabama fans may have heard the name called a couple of times in-game, or may have even seen it when scanning the depth chart. As he heads into his final year in Tuscaloosa, will he be able to garner enough attention to earn a spot in the 2021 NFL draft?

In his three seasons, Robinson has made appearances in 28 games where he has amassed 878 yards off of 183 attempts and reached the end zone nine times.

Robinson was a four-star recruit in the 2017 class from Hillcrest high school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He received offers from other SEC powerhouses, such as Auburn and Georgia. According to the 247Sports composite, Robinson was the No. 8 best running back in the nation.

How would a top-ten running back in the country end up hidden on the depth chart for a majority of his time in college? He joined a program that had a loaded backfield consisting of Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs and entered at the same time as the nation’s top running back from the 2017 class, Najee Harris.

According to Maxpreps, the 6-foot-1, 226 pound running back ran for 781 yards and 14 touchdowns off 126 carries through 10 games as a high school senior. He also added 223 yards and a lone touchdown through the air off of 20 receptions.

When watching recent film on Robinson, he has the speed, elusiveness and acceleration that should be able to make him compete with any running backs that he’s shared the backfield with. Perhaps, the issue is that he has not been given enough of a chance to show what he can do in-game.

ESPN NFL draft analyst Jim Nagy believes that Robinson could possibly see success similar to that of Kenyan Drake and Josh Jacobs, two players who saw limited time in a starting role, but still had their presences felt.

Maybe the 2020 season is the year Robinson can get things going. All he really needs is some more time on the field for him to be able to showcase his skillsets.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Brian Robinson and what he is able to do in his senior season with the Crimson Tide!

Darrell Bevell shares thoughts on rookie RBs and why they give the Lions a ‘really competitive room’

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell shares thoughts on the teams’ rookie running backs and why they give them a “really competitive room”.

The Detroit Lions want to establish the running game and have spent much of their offseason resources dedicated to improving in this area.

When offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked with the media via video conference call last week, he shared his thoughts on the teams’ rookie running backs and why they give the Lions a “really competitive room”.

The Lions have tried not to get caught up in starter labels this offseason — especially with no Spring camp to help set a depth chart — but naming a starting running back may be a moot point anyway, as the Lions appear determined to deploy a running back by committee in 2020.

Kerryon Johnson, the incumbent starter, saw seven starts in 2019 before injury, Bo Scarbrough got five, while Ty Johnson and Wes Hills each received one, and all of them return to the Lions.

But despite returning four players with starter snaps under their belt, the Lions still drafted De’Andre Swift with the 35th pick in the draft and he has drawn praise and excitement from several teammates and coaches.

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“So, De’Andre Swift — we’re super excited to have him,” Bevell said in the Zoom meeting. “We feel like he is a really talented, well-rounded running back. A guy that you can feel like can handle the run game, but as well as that, he has the ability in the pass game where you can do some things with him there. So, really just a complete guy.

“To be able to add him in there with Kerryon (Johnson), with Bo (Scarbrough), such a good group there and there’s still other guys, Ty (Johnson) is there, (Jason) Huntley’s there. It’s going to be just a really competitive room and that’s what you’re trying to do at each and every position is get the room as competitive as you can and let the cream rise to the top and you’ll end up with a really good team when you’re doing that.”

Swift wasn’t the only running back the Lions selected this past draft, and while Huntley left a big impression on the Lions coaching staff due to his special teams work, he has the potential to be really special on offense.

“The biggest attraction first was his return ability,” Bevell said, “and the things he can do in the special teams game, we were trying to add to that. But then obviously as a runner, he more like a scatback style, same thing (as Jamal Agnew), you’ve got to get the ball in his hands, a dynamic runner with the ball in his hands, so that’s what you’re looking to.”

While general manager Bob Quinn has noted that Huntley “is going to be in competition with Ty Johnson”, the stylistic comparison of Huntley to Agnew by Bevell is something that shouldn’t be glossed over.

Agnew is making a position switch to offense and has been sitting in wide receiver meetings, but there is also no doubting he has the skill set to also directly compete with Huntley and Ty Johnson.

Kerryon Johnson and De’Andre Swift look locked into starter 1A and 1B roles, and Scarbrough should reclaim his role as a sledgehammer, leaving the main question centered around how many more spots can they afford to allocate to the position.

In my Establishing the 53 series of articles, I had the Lions keeping both Huntley and Ty Johnson, as well as Agnew as a receiver/returner because like Bevell said, when it comes to dynamic players: “You want those guys to have the ball in their hands because they can make plays for you.”

WATCH: Bo Scarbrough shares why he Alabama is cheat code to the NFL

Former Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough shared on the Alabama football twitter page why he chose to play for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide

Former Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough shared on the Alabama football twitter page why he chose to play for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As Scarbrough shares,

“The reason I chose Alabama was because I knew that Coach Saban would be here for the amount of the time I was here, I knew I was going to grow as a person, as a man, and as a player. Someone who can teach me how to be a man and a better person in life, and not just football.”

Scarbrough also shares how Alabama and the NFL are similar:

“I look at Alabama as a cheat code for the NFL. For example, Coach Matt Patricia up in Detroit, he runs the practices the same way Saban does, and as far as meetings, it was the same thing I was used to here (Alabama). They get you ready in so many ways and when you get there (NFL) you already know how to take care of your body, you already know how to workout, you know how to by physical, you know how to be a man, you know how to take care of responsibilities on your own, and it was like I was playing for Alabama all over again, just in a different system, different team, and different state. 

In his career at Alabama, Scarbrough recorded 1,512 yards rushing for 20 TDs. He also helped lead Alabama to two national titles while playing for the Crimson Tide in both 2015, and again in 2017.

Bo went on to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then the Seattle Seahawks, Scarbrough finally landed in Detroit where he joined the Lions in November of 2019. Last season, Scarbrough appeared in six games, and started five, while recording 377 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

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Establishing the 53: Rounding out the Lions’ backfield

Examining the Detroit Lions running backs room to determine how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

We are a long way from NFL training camps and even further from the regular season, but it’s never to early to examine and speculate about the Detroit Lions roster. Currently, the Lions have 90-players on their roster, and come September, there will likely be some difficult decisions to make when determining their final 53-players.

This article is the first in a new series of articles at Lions Wire called “establishing the 53”, where we will be examining a Lions’ position group, predicting the Lions’ strategy, and projecting the players who have an inside track for the regular-season roster.

In this piece, we will take a deeper look at the Lions’ running backs.

Easy decisions at the top of the RB group

The Lions have a clear 1-2 punch combo at the top of their running backs group after returning starter Kerryon Johnson and drafting D’Andre Swift in the second-round (pick 35 overall). The only debate involving these two will be over which one starts.

Erik’s prediction: Johnson and Swift make the 53, Johnson starts Week 1

1st down thumper

While K.Johnson and Swift are capable of playing on all three downs, the Lions want to rely on an early-down thumper, and the fact that they didn’t add one in the offseason, speaks volumes about how they feel about Bo Scarbrough. Unless his production falls off a cliff in the pre-season, the smart money is on him beginning the regular season as RB3.

Wes Hills will also challenge for this role but he is still rough around the edges and was outperformed by Scarbrough in 2019. He has NFL potential and his talent is worth continuing to develop but he may need more time.

Erik’s prediction: Scarbrough makes the 53, Hills to the practice squad

Will the Lions keep four or five RBs?

If the Lions only keep four running backs there will be a strong camp battle between last year’s sixth-round draft pick Ty Johnson and this year’s fifth-round draft pick Jason Huntley.

Let’s take a look at their athletic profiles:

Height Weight 40-yard-dash Burst score
Ty Johnson 5106 213 4.4 120.15
Jason Huntley 5084 182 4.4 132.65

Both can burn up the turf, catch passes, and are capable kick returners — something an RB4/5 needs to be able to do to make the back end of a roster.

The first big advantage for T. Johnson has over Huntley is his deceptive size. He has proven he can hold up in the NFL, his year experience (63 rushes and 24 receptions) cannot be undervalued, and his improvement as the season progressed is worth noting.

Meanwhile, Huntley is roughly the same size at J.D. McKissic but faster and more explosive. Huntley can step right into the role McKissic has last season as a jitterbug runner with dynamic pass-catching skills out of the backfield (he had 134 career catches at NMST), while also legitimately challenging Jamal Agnew for kick return duties (he had five kick off returns for touchdowns in college).

Erik’s prediction: Lions keep five backs, both T. Johnson and Huntley make the 53

Erik’s Reasoning

Five backs may seem like a lot but you don’t draft four running backs in three years — two in the second-round at that — unless you plan on using them. The Lions are also a team desperate to establish the run, have injury concerns with several of their top options, and Swift/Huntley’s elite pass-catching skills will allow the Lions to potentially go with fewer bodies at other offensive skill positions.

D’Andre Swift selection shows Lions’ shifting priorities away from the ‘Patriot Way’

D’Andre Swift selection shows Lions’ shifting priorities away from the ‘Patriot Way’

D’Andre Swift to the Detroit Lions at No. 35 overall was one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 NFL Draft. Few expected the Lions to take a running back so high in the draft with so many other glaring needs, and Swift was never linked to the team in meetings or virtual workouts.

It’s an interesting choice. Selecting Swift instead of addressing the anemic pass rush, the absence of a single wide receiver under contract beyond 2020 and significant holes in the defensive interior depth chart, the Lions rolled with the Georgia running back. It’s a sign that the Lions are zagging where everyone else zigs.

Drafting any running back so early instead of pass rush help, defensive line and wide receiver is a direct slap to the modern football analytical movement. It also defies what the Lions own experience running the ball lately has been; Bo Scarbrough walked in off the street and produced well (4.2 YPC) at the end of last season without the threat of the forward pass once Matthew Stafford was injured.

It’s also a sign that the Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia regime is further breaking away from the “Patriot Way”. New England has been a below-average running team for years, by design. They knew wins and losses came from being able to successfully throw the ball and playing to Tom Brady’s strengths. New England’s deemphasis on the running back position was obvious. The Patriots drafted just one single RB (James White, 4th round, 2014) between 2011 and 2018.

They rectified that with Sony Michel, Swift’s Georgia teammate, in the first round of the 2018 draft. He’s been less-effective than Detroit’s Kerryon Johnson, taken 12 spots later in the draft. Johnson has a higher yards-per-carry average (4.5 to 4.0) and caught more than double the passes (42 to 19) than Michel when he’s been able to stay on the field.

Meanwhile the Lions continue to pile up running back draft picks. Kerryon Johnson in 2018, Ty Johnson last year, now Swift. Scarbrough remains available. Ty Johnson was effective as a rookie (4.3 YPC, 24 receptions on 30 targets) in the old Theo Riddick role of perimeter scatback and receiver out of the backfield.

Swift leaps to the top of the heap. He’s a very talented all-around back. But putting so much emphasis on running the ball and having premium RBs is drifting even further away from what the Patriots have done. Matt Patricia is getting his own stamp, and it looks a whole lot more like Bill Parcells than Belichick. However, Parcells loved his pass rushers too, and that’s where Quinn and Patricia are really diverging from the Patriot Way and, frankly, the way almost every other team in the last decade has approached playing defense.

Ground and pound and the coverage sack. That’s the identity of the Matt Patricia Detroit Lions. It’s an interesting idea. Instead of fighting fire with water, the Lions have chosen the old salt route to try and capture the power of the flame. If it works, Patricia and Quinn will be lauded. If it doesn’t, their Lions house gets burned to the ashes next January.

How does D’Andre Swift impact Detroit’s running back rotation?

Examining how second-round pick running back D’Andre Swift impacts the Detroit Lions’ running back rotation.

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The Detroit Lions surprised many by selecting Georgia running back D’Andre Swift with the 35th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Swift was widely considered to be the top running back in the draft and mocked plenty of times in the first round, but fell to the Lions in the second.

Now in Detroit, Swift joins a crowded running back depth chart. Currently, the Lions are housing Kerryon Johnson, Ty Johnson, Bo Scarborough, Tra Carson, Wes Hills, and fullback Nick Bawden.

So what will Swift’s role be?

Swift is not, and has never been, a workhorse running back, meaning that the Lions will likely continue to take a committee approach with their running backs group with Kerryon Johnson and Swift splitting their carries evenly.

Despite his small frame, Swift runs with a lot of power and could complement Johnson nicely. He also is a strong receiver, and that skill set will help him earn some extra reps on offense. Swift may now be the strongest pass protector of the group as well. All of these skills could propel him to surpass Johnson later in the season, but they will likely share the starting role in Week 1.

The Lions generally carry four running backs and a fullback, so the remaining four players at the position will be fighting for two spots.

Ty Johnson will most likely get the nod as the Lions’ third-string running back, as he brings some more unique skills to the group. He is by far the fastest running back in the rotation and can also contribute as a return man on special teams. Scarborough, Carson, and Hills are all bigger-bodied running backs who can be an extra goal-line and short-yardage option in Detroit.

#OnePride Q/A: Exploring RB additions the Lions could consider

Check out and see how fans felt about the Detroit Lions RB corps. Can Devonta Freeman or Antonio Gibson help the Detroit Lions running back corps?

Throughout the week, we at Lions Wire presented the #OnePride Twitter fan base several questions, hoping to hear their voice on various topics concerning the Detroit Lions.

Through the use of Twitter polls, we were able to gauge the fan’s thoughts on a variety of topics, including what they believe the Lions are poised to do in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.

Confidence with Lions’ RB corps?

Zack’s take: Fans were split on how confident they felt with the current Lions’ running back corps, ranging from reasonably confident to not so sure. Kerryon Johnson is the Lions’ primary weapon, but he hasn’t played a full season since he was drafted. Bo Scarbrough saw a career rejuvenation with the Lions but was it a fluke or things to come? As a sixth-round rookie, Ty Johnson saw an increase in touches when the injury bug hit Detroit but is his roster spot guaranteed?

Based on the current group of running backs on the roster, I fall under the 50-60-percent confidence range. On the surface, it has the potential to be a solid rotation of backs, but the depth and injury questions surrounding this group are hard to ignore.

Free-agent to the rescue?

Zack’s take: Devonta Freeman was unable to live up to his contract with the Atlanta Falcons and he was released after averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per carry last season. With his impressive receiving skills, Freeman has the potential to still be an effective back, with his biggest obstacle being the cost to sign him. With how quiet his free agency market has been, I suspect the cost to acquire him wouldn’t be too high. If the Lions’ strikeout in the draft, Freeman would offer them solid depth and a veteran presence for the young runners.

I included Prosise in this poll because he played under Bevell in Seattle and would fit in the Lions’ offensive scheme. He has terrific receiving skills but has been injury-prone, only playing in 25 games since 2016. If he can prove healthy, Prosise could be an option in a similar way J.D. McKissic was last year.

Suitable round for a running back?

Zack’s take: I agree with the fans here, feeling the most comfortable taking a running back in the third or fourth rounds. There have been plenty of mock drafts projecting the Lions to draft a running back in the second round, but I can’t see them using another second-round selection on a running back.

Don’t get me wrong, it would be fun to see either J.K Dobbins or Jonathon Taylor in Honolulu blue, but the Lions have more pressing needs early in the draft. The mid rounds feel like the perfect range for the Lions to get a complement back like A.J. Dillion or Darrynton Evans, both who have been talked about extensively as potential targets.

Speaking of potential targets.

Potential draft prospects to help?

Zack’s take: Gibson ran away with this one and it’s easy to see why. He is a versatile playmaker with his beautiful blend of speed, size, and vision that make him an effective running back even though he was primarily used as a slot receiver at Memphis. Gibson was one criterion away — burst score — from being a full QIB qualifier. However, he was close enough that he should still be in the conversation as a potential running back option on the Lions’ draft board.

Utah’s Zack Moss was not in the poll but had quite a few comments within the post. He is a player to keep your eye on, considering the Lions have had multiple meetings with Moss and could be an option for them in the third or fourth round.

Keep your eyes open for future questions. We would love to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions you’d like to see answered, send a message, or leave a comment with your question. Thank you to all Lions fans and the #OnePride nation.