Lions practice squad strategy is a reflection of Dan Campbell’s roster vision

The Lions practice squad strategy is a reflection of Dan Campbell’s roster vision, and he’s proud of it

All NFL teams carry a 53-man active roster. Teams also get a 16-person practice squad, which can serve in a variety of capacities depending on the team.

For Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions, that practice squad is effectively an extension of the 53-man roster. The Lions routinely elevate players from the practice squad to the active roster for games, and have liberally utilized the practice squad to bolster depth with veterans.

Several times over the years, Campbell has indicated that he considers those vets on the practice squad as being on the actual roster. He reinforced that view on Sunday.

With the Lions adding veteran safety Jamal Adams to the practice squad and signing three vets off other teams’ squads to fill out Detroit’s injury-ravaged defense, Campbell put the Lions money where his mouth is on the practice squad front.

“We say it every year but they’re an extension of the roster. They really are a part of the roster,” Campbell said emphatically. “It’s just a different way to get them on your team because you’re going to need them, you’re going to have to use them, and I think having the right balance of vets who have been able to – they’ve played in this league, they understand it, it’s not too big for them, plug and play, serve a role, a purpose, you know exactly what they can do, and you appreciate that about them. I think it’s big.”

Detroit’s practice squad composition reflects Campbell’s attitude toward the unit. It’s stocked with veterans like Adams and fellow safety Kaevon Merriweather, wide receivers Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tom Kennedy, offensive tackle Jamarco Jones and tight end James Mitchell — all who have years of NFL experience.

Many teams use the practice squad more as a developmental tool for younger players. The Lions have some of that, too. Undrafted rookies Isaac Ukwu, Kinglsey Eguakun and Morice Norris are learning and growing with every practice. But that’s quite divergent from other teams who use the practice squad as a repository for unproven and developmental players. As an example, the Packers have 11 rookies on their practice squad and just one player who was in the NFL before 2022 amongst their 16-man unit.

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Lions sign LB Kwon Alexander to help after more injuries hit Detroit’s defense

Lions sign LB Kwon Alexander from the Broncos practice squad to help after more injuries hit Detroit’s defense

The hits keep coming for the Detroit Lions defense this season. In addition to losing starters such as Aidan Hutchinson and Alex Anzalone, it was confirmed today that linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez tore his ACL. The injury occurred on Thursday against the Chicago Bears, and it will be a season-ending injury for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez had earned a bigger role on the Lion’s defense due to injuries to linebackers Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone. This season, Rodriguez had played in 10 games and started in 6 games for the Lions defense. It’s resulted in him registering 43 tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks.

With Rodriguez being out for the rest of the season, the Lions will need to remain creative with their defense. More than likely we will see them use more of linebackers David Long Jr and Ezekiel Turner. In addition to that, it was announced today that the Lions signed linebacker Kwon Alexander.

Prior to signing with the Lions, Alexander was on the Denver Broncos practice squad for most of this season. However, he has played in 3 games with 2 starts with the Broncos this season.

Last season with the Steelers, he suffered a torn Achilles against the Packers in Week 10, and it forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Fortunately, he did find his way back onto the field with the Broncos this season. His most recent start came in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Overall, Alexander is an experienced defender who was a 4th-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his career, he has played in 107 career games with 90 career starts between the Buccaneers, Saints, 49ers, Steelers, Jets and Broncos. The hope is that he can help provide some consistency to a Lions defense that is in desperate need of experience and talent after all the injuries this season.

Jameson Williams apologizes to Lions for his taunting penalty

Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated that WR Jameson Williams apologizes to the team for his costly taunting penalty

One of the contributing factors in the Lions’ underwhelming second-half performance in the Thanksgiving win over the Chicago Bears was a costly penalty against Detroit wide receiver Jameson Williams. “Jamo” flipped the ball into the face of a Bears player on the Chicago sideline, earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The infraction stymied any Lions momentum at a time–just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter–when the Lions desperately needed some. The penalty pushed the Lions back from near the 30-yard line to the Bears 44 and created a 2nd-and-22. The drive stalled, and kicker Jake Bates missed his first goal of the season.

After the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked about several things that needed to get cleaned up after nearly blowing a 16-0 halftime lead. Williams’ penalty was prominent in his mind. Campbell credited Wiliams for owning his mistake.

“Yeah, and look, I’ll be honest with you, that’s already cleaned up. It’s already cleaned up,” Campbell said in his press conference. “So, we’re good. And as a matter of fact, Jamo got right in front of the team a minute ago, unsolicited, and wanted to apologize to his teammates. That’s big, that’s growth. So all good.”

Williams was a big part of the Lions offense in the win over the Bears. He was targeted on seven passes, catching five for 29 yards, while also running twice for 18 yards. That included a spectacular hurdle over a Bears defender.

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Detroit Lions Podcast: Bisch and Brown preview the Lions and Bears on Thanksgiving

Detroit Lions Podcast: Bisch and Brown preview the Lions and Bears on Thanksgiving

The Detroit Lions are fresh off their 9th straight and 10th win of the season! On Sunday, they beat the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24 – 6 but it sure felt like that the Lions could have won by more. To break that game down, Russell Brown and Scott Bischoff are back for another episode of Bisch and Brown on the Detroit Lions Podcast!

On this episode, the guys discuss the following:

  • Lions beat the Colts 24 – 6 but doesn’t it feel like the Lions left some meat on the bone after this one?
  • Injuries are piling up for the Lions. What’s the latest with Taylor Decker, Carlton Davis, David Montgomery and others?
  • Lions vs. Bears Preview on Thanksgiving!

The guys get into all that and more! You can rate, review and subscribe to the Detroit Lions Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcast platforms!

Dan Campbell sees Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell taking on bigger roles

Lions coach Dan Campbell sees Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell taking on bigger roles with Alex Anzalone’s injury

As the season continues, the Lions defense seems to be getting thinner and thinner amid injuries. The trend continued last week when linebacker Alex Anzalone broke his forearm against the Jaguars; he will be out 6-8 weeks.

The Lions now have to fill a hole at linebacker, and Dan Campbell calls upon Malcolm Rodriguez.

“Yeah, it’s very important. I mean, he really does become somewhat the next man up,” Campbell said.

Rodriguez, a third-year man out of Oklahoma State, has made a name for himself in Detroit, becoming a fan favorite. So far throughout the season, he has tallied 16 solo tackles and two sacks in seven games after missing time with an injury of his own.

Alongside Rodriquez, Campbell looks to another young linebacker,  Jack Campbell, to take on a bigger role as well.

“I mean, he and Jack (Campbell) are going to take on the – Jack’s been playing with Alex in a heavy load, but it’s really Jack and Malcolm. I mean, those are the two that are – they’re going to take on the heaviest load of that whole room,” Campbell said.

It will be interesting to see how the two youngsters step up to the occasion and it is clear that Dan Campbell has high expectations for Rodriguez.

“He’ll be big for us and he’s going to be big the rest of the season, it doesn’t matter who we get back, we’re going to use him. He helps us there on defense and he helps us on special teams,” Campbell said.

Dan Campbell explains why he won’t ever pull starters before the fourth quarter

Lions head coach Dan Campbell explains why he won’t ever pull starters before the fourth quarter, even in blowouts like Week 11 vs. Jaguars

During the Detroit Lions runaway 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Dan Campbell kept his key starters in the game into the fourth quarter. The outcome had long been decided, but Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Brian Branch, Alim McNeill and other prominent starters were still out there running wild and free over the hapless Jaguars.

Campbell took some criticism for that decision. In a game where the already injury-ravaged Lions defense lost starting LB and captain Alex Anzalone to a broken forearm, there was consternation that leaving the important players in was too much of an injury risk.

When asked about that in his weekly appearance on 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday, Campbell pushed back hard at that notion. He explained his rationale for leaving starters in, even with the lopsided margin.

“Well you want to win the game. That’s number one,” Campbell told hosts Jim Costa and Jon Jansen. “What you don’t want to do is you get in one of those and you’re up, and then you decide you’re gonna let off the gas and, ‘Let’s get the starters out,’ and then they mount a comeback.”

The coach noted that it’s important to him to make sure the momentum doesn’t end. The Lions were playing excellent football and Campbell wanted to keep that sharpness and positivity going.

“You want to make sure you end on a good note,” Campbell explained. “You’re playing good, efficient football, the guys feel good about it, you’re in a rhythm, I think it bleeds into the next week and I think that’s important, so we did that.”

And then Campbell bluntly rejected the idea of pulling players before the fourth quarter out of fear of injury.

“If you’re able to pull them out in the early fourth, great, and we were able to do that,” Campbell explained. “But if you’re asking me to pull somebody out in the third quarter, or pull somebody out in the second quarter before Anzalone gets hurt, I’m never gonna do that.”

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David Long: What the Lions are getting in their new LB

Breaking down the game film and scouting report on new Lions LB David Long, signed to the practice squad to help replace Alex Anzalone

Despite demolishing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Detroit Lions did receive some bad news regarding linebacker Alex Anzalone. It was confirmed yesterday that Anzalone will miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken forearm.

The injury occurred while Anzalone was making a tackle on Jaguars running back Travis Etienne with 2:32 left in the second quarter. As Etienne was getting near the sidelines, his left arm got caught between the running back and his teammate Brian Branch.

Fortunately, it does sound like Anzalone could return for the playoffs as he’s expected to only miss 6 – 8 weeks. To fill the void, the Lions will need players such as Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell to step up for the defense. In addition to that, the Lions signed linebacker David Long to their practice squad.

Rated as one of the best linebackers in football in 2023, Long being available was somewhat surprising last week. However, Long had lost his starting job on the Dolphins defense and he ended up being released on November 13, 2024.

Prior to playing a season and a half with the Dolphins, he had spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Originally, he was drafted by the Titans in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. Let’s dive into some film to see what the Lions are getting with linebacker David Long!

 

Starting with where I think Long could be best suited for Detroit and that would be whenever blitzing. As we know, the Lions have had to get creative in generating pressure with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Using different blitzes and line stunts, the Lions could get creative to get Long in the backfield.

Looking at the play above, you can see a clear blitz from Long (LB 11). He times the snap well and blitzes through the B-gap. In the process, he slips under the right tackle, who is trying to pull and kick him out. However, Long does a great job ripping underneath and making a tackle in the backfield.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Long was ranked 3rd in PFF’s tackle-for-loss rate database. In 65 run-defense snaps, he had earned a 6.15% tackle-for-loss rate. The hope for Detroit is that they can tap into some of what he was doing so well to start the season.

 

Staying with Long’s performance against the Bills from earlier this season, we go to my favorite play from him on tape. Through the four games that I watched, there were certainly some head scratching reads and plays from Long. However, the play above is a perfect example of Long playing with conviction and violence.

Looking at the play above, Long (LB 11) is aligned in a ’10’ (between guard and center) and he makes a great read. As he begins to trigger downhill, he’s met by Bills LT 73 Dion Dawkins. Rather than waiting for Dawkins to get square and seal him off, Long shocks and sheds the blocker.

As he creates separation, he’s able to see on either side of the blocker. Once he sees the running back make his cut, he slips underneath and makes a terrific tackle at the hole. This was textbook from Long, and the hope is the Lions can get him back to playing like that.

 

While the previous play was a great highlight, I do want to reiterate that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when watching Long play. There are times that he looks hesitant, plays too slow or too fast or he simply just makes the wrong read.

When you’re a younger player, you can get away with that. However, when you’re a 6-year veteran and ranked as one of the top run defenders in the league over a period of time, it’s hard to justify bad performances when they stack up. That happens to be the case for David Long.

For example, when you look at the two clips posted above, we’ll start with the first one against Arizona. Long reads the zone blocks being executed by the Cardinals offensive line but as the play continues, he gets impatient and gets burned. Assuming that the running back is going to cut back, Long would have looked like a stud.

Instead, he looks somewhat foolish for trying to get around 3 players. He then goes for the tackle but instead of a good form tackle, he arm tackles and the running back continues up field from there.

Lastly, the second clip is against Jacksonville. Aligned in a ’20’ (head up over the guard), you can see Long’s initial steps go to his right. Much of that is due to him falling for the “eye candy” that is the pulling right guard. Fortunately, he recovers nicely due to his ability to change direction, get over the top and meet the running back in the C-gap.

So as you can see, there’s some pretty good play from Long and then there’s some head scratching plays. That tends to be the case for any player who ends up getting released during the middle of the season.

Early in the year against the Jaguars and Bills, it’s evident that Long was playing like his old self. However, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Seattle Seahawks in week 3 and he hasn’t looked right ever since. That could be causing him to play with that hesitation or that could be why he just looks slow on tape at times.

Fortunately, Long comes to a place like Detroit where they just get the best out of their players. They made it work with Charles Harris for two years. Defensive lineman John Cominsky looked like he was on his way out of the league but he’s been with the Lions for three seasons. It’s just how this team is coached and you better believe that David Long will be held to a high standard.

The Lions play the Indianapolis Colts this week and then have a quick turnaround to play the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. If I had to guess, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Long play for the Lions during those two games. However, we could see him suit up against the Green Bay Packers in three weeks or potentially the Buffalo Bills the game after that. Regardless, it’ll take some time for him to get adjusted to the Lions defensive scheme.

While the Lions continue to battle through injuries on defense, they still push forward to the best record in the NFL and NFC. By adding David Long, the Lions could certainly use him for that late season push.

Lions score 52 points for second time in 2024 against AFC South foe

The Jaguars were destroyed by the Lions. They have company as the Titans were, too.

The Detroit Lions are 3-0 against the AFC South. Let’s focus on the games against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

They feel like college games. You know, the cupcake type where teams get a big check for playing their foe.

The Lions downed the Jaguars 52-6 on Sunday.

That means they pummeled the Titans and Jaguars to the tune of 104-20.

Against the Jaguars, the Lions outgained Doug Pederson’s sorry squad 645-170.

That would be an NFL team allowed 645 yards.

The passing damage was 449-129. On the rushing side, it was 196-41.

Detroit had 38 first downs to Jacksonville’s 10.

This was all done despite the Jaguars only having one turnover.

Against the Titans and Jaguars, the Lions had 1,081 total yards.

They reached double-figure points in six of the eight quarters.

 

 

Key Matchups: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions

Key Matchups: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to pull off a significant upset as they travel north to take on the Detroit Lions in a matchup with plenty of disadvantages.

Jacksonville enters Week 11 with the projected No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon. The Jaguars are 2-8 and coming off a defensive slugfest of a loss against Minnesota without franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is out again this week with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Head coach Doug Pederson will not have a ton of edges against the Lions. Jaguars Wire looks at a few key matchups that will be critical against the Lions on Sunday afternoon.

Jacksonville WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Detroit’s secondary

This is a big moment for the rookie receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. has been one of the better wide receivers in the league this year, an impressive feat for a rookie. Now demanding double-coverage, per Pederson, Thomas will face an uber-talented Lions secondary that will likely continue that trend this weekend.

Thomas’ strength is his vertical game but he is much more than that as a receiver. He has developed into an all-around playmaker who threatens all three levels of the field with his speed, agility, fluidity and route running.

The challenge in Detroit will be taking on cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Terrion Arnold and safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.

There is an argument that Branch has had a defensive player-of-the-year-worthy season. And while Detroit’s defense has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game (244.2) in the NFL this season, it also gives up the third-fewest passing touchdowns per game (0.8).

If Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor manufacture touches for Thomas, the Jaguars could find themselves in scoring positions more often. Thomas is bound for his true workhorse game and this week could be the one.

Jacksonville DE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Detroit OT Taylor Decker

Despite last week’s loss to Minnesota loss, Jacksonville edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen got the better of former teammate Cam Robinson, tallying eight pressures and forcing quarterback Sam Darnold into some rough decisions with the football.

According to Next Gen Stats, Hines-Allen leads the Jaguars in pressures and will line up opposite Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, whose pressure rate ranks in the bottom ten among players at his position at 10.6%.

This is one of the few Achilles heels on Detroit’s offense and there aren’t many of them. Decker is an overall sound tackle but arguably the weak link on the best offensive line in the NFL.

Hines-Allen has been a handful this season and has been continuously worthy of the contract extension that secured him as a true franchise cornerstone on a lowly team. A big day from the former Kentucky standout could keep this game a competitive one through all four quarters.

Jacksonville’s coaching vs. Detroit’s coaching

If you have watched any football between these two teams, it is clear there is a sizeable advantage. If not, this game features a Lions coaching staff that has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Ben Johnson, and a defensive coordinator who has his defense playing competitive football in Aaron Glenn.

Not to mention, Detroit is led by Dan Campbell, one of the most respected head coaches in football. It would be fair to expect him to get the most out of his players.

The Jaguars have been under a microscope for most of the season. After entering the season with playoff expectations, those expectations aren’t likely to be met unless they pull off a miraculous run in the final seven games.

If Pederson and the rest of his staff want to tone down the noise about their futures in Jacksonville, they must coach the best games of the season or at any point of their Jaguars tenure.

Last week, there were glimpses of the Jaguars generating more pressure with more blitzes. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen must coach a perfect game in this instance and find a way to force Lions quarterback Jared Goff into bad decisions for the second straight week.

Offensively, as stated in the aforementioned key matchup, having the game plan around getting the ball to Thomas is critical. Travis Etienne Jr.’s return to health helps with the loss of Tank Bigsby. Leaning on Thomas and Etienne will ease the pressure on backup quarterback Mac Jones.

It may seem like a tall task against one of the best coaching staffs in the league headed by Campbell, but the Jaguars have pulled off miracles under Pederson before. They could do it again in Detroit.

Dan Campbell on Za’Darius Smith: ‘He’s going to help us big-time’

Lions head coach Dan Campbell on new EDGE Za’Darius Smith: ‘He’s going to help us big-time’

Nearly two weeks after being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Browns, defensive end Za’Darius Smith will take the field wearing Detroit Lions colors. Smith will make his Lions debut on Sunday in Week 11 against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.

Smith didn’t play in the Week 10 win in Houston, though the veteran EDGE was prominent on the Detroit sideline. Head coach Dan Campbell gave him the bye week he would have had while with Cleveland. Campbell is now ready to unleash his new defensive weapon–but with some limitations.

“Yeah, we’ll work him in, we’ll make sure that we use him appropriately,” Campbell told reporters about Smith before Friday’s practice. “Look, he’s going to play on all downs, but we’re going to maximize what he’s got in the tank to help us. I guess, if you – pitch count, yes, somewhere in there we’ll get him some.”

As for Campbell’s expectations of Smith? It’s clear the Lions aren’t asking the 32-year-old Smith to become Aidan Hutchinson.

Campbell noted how well Smith is blending in with fellow linemates Josh Paschal and Alim McNeill, as well as his attention to detail beyond just rushing the passer 1-on-1. He then warned fans not to expect gaudy sack production like Hutchinson was producing,

“So, would I love to see six sacks? Yeah, absolutely, but no, so don’t come out of this game being like, ‘Well, he didn’t get six sacks. I mean, what are we doing?’ He’s going to help us and that’s going to be evident. That was good to see him yesterday, he’s going to help us big-time.”