Tag: d’andre swift

Watch: Lions RB D’Andre Swift scores 63 yard TD vs Rams

Swift off to a hot start today

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift is having a nice season in Detroit.

The former second round pick in the 2020 NFL draft has been producing all season, and is already off to a nice start early in Detroit’s game vs Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

Just three minutes into the contest, Swift took a screen pass from quarterback Jared Goff and took it 63 yards to the house.

Swift went to Detroit with 2020’s 35th overall pick after a productive career at Georgia, where he finished as UGA’s seventh all-time leading rusher (2,885) while adding another 666 yards receiving.

Lions vs. Rams: Final injury report for Week 7

4 Lions are questionable for Sunday’s game, including RB D’Andre Swift and TE T.J. Hockenson

The Detroit Lions head to Los Angeles to face old friend Matthew Stafford and the Rams with the healthiest unit the team has fielded since Week 1. No Detroit players were ruled out due to injuries in the week’s final practice report.

Four Lions are designated as questionable for Sunday’s late-afternoon kickoff at SoFi Stadium. All four were limited participants in the final practice session on Friday.

  • FB Jason Cabinda (hip)
  • OLB Trey Flowers (knee)
  • TE T.J. Hockenson (knee)
  • RB D’Andre Swift (groin)

Both Hockenson and Swift have been regulars on the questionable list but neither has missed a game.

For the Rams, only one player on the active 53-man roster is questionable with injury. Running back Sony Michel is questionable with a shoulder malady. No other players carry any injury designation into Sunday’s game.

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Lions injury update: Every player participates in Thursday’s practice session

Three players who missed Wednesday’s practice, including TE T.J. Hockenson, moved back to limited participation on Thursday

The Detroit Lions are getting healthier as they prepare to head to Los Angeles to face the Rams in Week 7. Every player who is eligible to practice was on the training field for at least part of Thursday’s practice session.

While all the players on the active 53-man roster did indeed take to the practice field, not all were full participants. Five Lions were limited in practice:

  • FB Jason Cabinda (hip)
  • OLB Trey Flowers (knee)
  • TE T.J. Hockenson (knee)
  • RB D’Andre Swift (groin)
  • DT Nick Williams (knee)

It’s still a step forward for Cabinda, Hockenson and Williams. All three were held out of Wednesday’s session in Allen Park.

A trio of Lions who were limited on Wednesday were full participants on Thursday. DE Michael Brockers (shoulder) joined OLB Charles Harris (hip) and S Will Harris (rib) in the full session.

One player missing: left tackle Taylor Decker. A day after head coach Dan Campbell talked about the possibility of shutting down Decker for the season with his injured finger, the veteran LT was not on the field. He is eligible to come off the IR, where he has spent the entire season. The Lions have less than two weeks to activate Decker or else he will spend the rest of the 2021 campaign on the injured reserve.

Lions Wire fantasy football weekly: 2021 Week 7 preview

Our Derek Okrie breaks down the best matchups and offers advice on being in fantasy leagues with friends

Often in fantasy football leagues, you are in a league with your good friends who you have known for years. You know their tendencies and strategies inside and out.

You have fun with those friends during the off-season and even during the draft, but then it turns to fierce competition when the real games start to be played and even ratchets up more when you play head to head.

Lions at Rams fantasy focus

The Detroit Lions find themselves in a bit of a fantasy matchup this week when they travel out to Los Angeles to play their former quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The current Lions quarterback Jared Goff is also in fantasy land as he is traveling back to play against the team he called for years in the Rams.

It feels similar to that matchup you often see in your fantasy league where two really good friends are playing each other, you know they both want to win badly, but on paper you can tell one has a distinct advantage over the other when it comes to the talent on their team which often is reflected in the final score.

Expect this one to be lopsided and for all of the Rams offensive players to be starting options in your fantasy lineup. Stafford should play well to help your fantasy team if he’s your starting quarterback, but will also probably show his former team some respect in the end by not running up the score too much.

Start

  • Matthew Stafford vs. Lions
  • Damien Harris vs. Jets
  • D.J. Moore at Giants
  • Jonnu Smith vs. Jets

Sit

  • Justin Fields at Buccaneers
  • Latavius Murray vs. Bengals
  • Henry Ruggs vs. Eagles
  • Robert Tonyan vs Washington

Top 3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks

  • Patrick Mahomes at Titans
  • Kyler Murray vs. Texans
  • Lamar Jackson vs. Bengals

Running Backs

  • Derrick Henry vs. Chiefs
  • Alvin Kamara at Seahawks
  • Darrell Henderson vs. Lions

Wide Receivers

  • Davante Adams vs. Washington
  • Cooper Kupp vs. Lions
  • Tyreek Hill at Titans

Tight Ends

  • Travis Kelce at Titans
  • Darren Waller vs. Eagles
  • Mark Andrews vs. Bengals

Team Defenses

  • Cardinals vs. Texans
  • Buccaneers vs. Bears
  • Patriots vs. Jets

Kickers

  • Justin Tucker vs. Bengals
  • Matt Prater vs. Texans
  • Daniel Carlson vs. Eagles

Waiver wire options

  • Jameis Winston (QB Saints)
  • Tyrod Taylor (QB Texans)
  • D’Ernest Johnson (RB Browns)
  • Rashaad Penny (RB Seahawks)
  • Sterling Shepard (WR Giants)
  • Rashod Bateman (WR Ravens)
  • Pat Freiermuth (TE Steelers)
  • O.J. Howard (TE Buccaneers)

Intriguing games and players in Week 7

(Week 7 Bye Weeks: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers) 

Denver at Cleveland, Thursday 8:20 PM, EST

  • DEN: Courtland Sutton (WR), Melvin Gordon (RB)
  • CLE: Austin Hooper (TE), Odell Beckham Jr (WR)

Cincinnati at Baltimore, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • CIN: Joe Burrow (QB), Tee Higgins (WR)
  • BAL: Marquise Brown (WR), Mark Andrews (TE)

Kansas City at Tennessee, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • KC: Tyreek Hill (WR), Patrick Mahomes (QB)
  • TEN: A.J. Brown (WR), Anthony Firkser (TE)

Atlanta at Miami, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • ATL: Calvin Ridley (WR), Kyle Pitts (TE)
  • MIA: Myles Gaskin (RB), Jaylen Waddle (WR)

Detroit at LA Rams, Sunday 4:05 PM, EST

  • DET: D’Andre Swift (RB), Jamaal Wiliams (RB)
  • LAR: Matthew Stafford (QB), Darrell Henderson (RB)

Chicago at Tampa Bay, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST

  • CHI: Justin Fields (QB), Allen Robinson (WR)
  • TB: Tom Brady (QB), Mike Evans (WR)

Indianapolis at San Francisco, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST

  • IND: Carson Wentz (QB), Michael Pittman Jr (WR)
  • SF: Brandon Aiyuk (WR), Deebo Samuel (WR)

New Orleans at Seattle, Monday 8:15 PM, EST

  • NO: Alvin Kamara (RB), Adam Trautman (TE)
  • SEA: Tyler Lockett (WR), Gerald Everett (TE)

Bottom Line

Having a great fantasy football league with your friends is an awesome way to compete and enjoy football together, but at times it can also be complicated.

Trades are made, high stakes are on the line between friends when they play against each other, and at the end of the day you both just really want to win.

Lions safety Tracy Walker said it best during a recent press conference, “When I’m on that field you aren’t my teammate, you aren’t my friend but after the game, it is all love.”

The interesting matchup for the Lions this week will be one to remember or maybe one to forget when it’s all said and done. Enjoy your fantasy leagues with good friends, but when it’s time to play them there is only one objective and that is to win.

Lions injury update: T.J. Hockenson among 3 players out on Wednesday

Hockenson is expected to play in Los Angeles but did not practice on Wednesday

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The first official injury report from the Detroit Lions in advance of the Week 7 trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams shows three Detroit players who sat out Wednesday’s practice. The most prominent name on the list is Pro Bowl TE T.J. Hockenson.

It’s the second week in a row that Hockenson, who is battling a knee injury, did not practice at all on Wednesday. Hockenson played in Week 6 and indicated after practice that he expects to be in the lineup in Week 7, too.

The other two Lions who missed practice are DT Nick Williams and FB Jason Cabinda. Williams hurt his knee in the loss to the Bengals, while Cabinda is down with a hip injury.

In addition to that trio, five players were limited participants:

  • DT Michael Brockers (shoulder)
  • EDGE Trey Flowers (knee)
  • EDGE Charles Harris (hip/oblique)
  • S Will Harris (hip)
  • RB D’Andre Swift (groin)

The Lions will update the injury status again before the team leaves for Los Angeles and a meeting with former QB Matthew Stafford.

Lions vs. Bengals: 3 ways the Lions can win in Week 6

Here are some ways the Lions can snap the 10-game losing streak and beat the Bengals

Still looking for their first win of the 2021 season, the Detroit Lions welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to Ford Field for a Week 6 matchup. The Lions have lost 10 games in a row, five this season and the final five of last year.

It won’t be easy to break the losing string. The Bengals are 3-2 and bring one of the NFL’s top passing offenses into the game.

Here are some ways the Lions can snap the losing streak.

Lions vs Vikings: Studs and Duds for Week 5

The Detroit Lions suffered another heartbreaking loss this time to the Minnesota Vikings, but amongst the duds, there were some studs today.

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In a game where most thought the Detroit Lions would have no business being in, they made it a game till the very end. After going up late in the game, the victory was snatched away by another long field goal to seal the 19-17 victory for the Minnesota Vikings.

Like the first time against the Ravens, this is just as equally heartbreaking. The Lions’ defense kept the Vikings mostly at bay throughout the game, giving them a shot to steal it from their division opponent. Unfortunately, due to miscues, costly turnovers, and yet again questionable play-calling, the Lions are walking away with their fifth straight loss of the season.

It is hard not to feel for a team you are leaving it all on the field, especially the way they were able to come back right up until the end in an all-familiar fashion. It would be wrong not to highlight the few studs this week but also putting salt in the wound for the dud section.

Lions inactive player list for Week 5: Hockenson, Swift among the actives

Lions inactive player list for Week 5: T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift among the actives

After a scary week where several prominent starters were either limited in practice or missing altogether, the Detroit Lions wound up getting fortunate on the health front. That luck is reflected in the team’s inactive player list for the Week 5 meeting with the Minnesota Vikings.

All the players who were questionable with injury are active for the game. That includes Pro Bowl TE T.J. Hockenson and both RBs, D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.

The Lions inactive player list:

DL Eric Banks

DE Jashon Cornell

RB Jermar Jefferson

WR Tom Kennedy

OLB Jesse Lemonier

CB Daryl Worley

During the week, coach Dan Campbell offered an assessment that Jefferson could get on the field with improved special teams play in practice, but that apparently did not happen fast enough. It’s somewhat surprising to see Worley inactive with the rash of injuries and inexperience in the defensive backfield.

Lions Wire fantasy football weekly: 2021 Week 5 preview

Our Derek Okrie brings you the breakdown for Week 5 fantasy football options

This past Sunday the Detroit Lions just didn’t do the simple things needed to win. Is that same thing true for your fantasy football team?

Don’t tell me you decided to not play a top star and that player put up big points on your bench. Did you let an injured player sit on your roster too long and not replace them using your waiver wire privileges?

This past week we saw stars such as Tyreek Hill (WR Chiefs), Saquon Barkley (RB Giants), and Ezekiel Elliott (RB Cowboys) all put up those game-changing statistics you need to win in fantasy football. Please promise you did the basics and played those guys leading to fantasy success – right?

Lions at Vikings fantasy focus

One of the basic things the Lions didn’t do well was featuring their top offensive weapons. Their top fantasy targets, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift, didn’t see many targets. They will need to be the focal point this week in a rowdy dome in Minnesota when they face the Vikings.

Sleeper wide receiver options for the Lions appear to be Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus. Other than those options though, it will be tough for the Lions to be potent on offense from a fantasy football perspective.

The Minnesota Vikings got Dalvin Cook back on the field last week and he always gives the Lions issues when they face-off. Kirk Cousins the Vikings quarterback is another player that always plays well against Detroit.

With injuries across the board, the Lions are in a tough spot this week. They have to find a way to score points in a tough stadium to play in with offensive line issues at multiple spots. While doing all that, they also have to prevent the Vikings from stressing their young defense in a multitude of ways. Expect to play most of your Vikings fantasy players and sit many Lions in this one.

Start

  • Matt Ryan (QB Falcons)
  • Zach Moss (RB Bills)
  • Allen Robinson (WR Bears)
  • Jonnu Smith (TE Patriots)

Sit

  • Ben Roethlisberger (QB Steelers)
  • Darrell Henderson (RB Rams)
  • Courtland Sutton (WR Broncos)
  • Eric Ebron (TE Steelers)

Top 3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks

  • Josh Allen (QB Bills)
  • Tom Brady (QB Buccaneers)
  • Kyler Murray (QB Cardinals)

Running Backs

  • Dalvin Cook (RB Vikings)
  • Derrick Henry (RB Titans)
  • Alvin Kamara (RB Saints)

Wide Receivers

  • Cooper Kupp (WR Rams)
  • Davante Adams (WR Packers)
  • DK Metcalf (WR Seahawks)

Tight Ends

  • Travis Kelce (TE Chiefs)
  • Darren Waller (TE Raiders)
  • George Kittle (TE 49ers)

Team Defenses

  • Raiders
  • Patriots
  • Buccaneers

Kickers

  • Justin Tucker (K Ravens)
  • Harrison Butker (K Chiefs)
  • Daniel Carlson (K Raiders)

Waiver wire options

  • Mac Jones (QB Bengals)
  • Taylor Heineke (QB Washington)
  • Jamaal Williams (RB Lions)
  • Damien Williams (RB Bears)
  • Josh Gordon (WR Chiefs)
  • Donavon Peoples-Jones (WR Browns)
  • Zach Ertz (TE Eagles)
  • Anthony Firkser (TE Titans)

Intriguing games and players in Week 5

(Week 5 Bye Weeks: None) 

LA Rams at Seattle, Thursday 8:20 PM, EST

  • LAR: Matthew Stafford (QB), Robert Woods (WR)
  • SEA: Russell Wilson (QB), Tyler Lockett (WR)

Detroit at Minnesota, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • DET: D’Andre Swift (RB), Trinity Benson (WR)
  • MIN: Dalvin Cook (RB), Adam Thielen (WR)

Miami at Tampa Bay, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • MIA: Jaylen Waddle (WR), DeVante Parker (WR)
  • TB: Mike Evans (WR), O.J. Howard (TE)

Denver at Pittsburgh, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • DEN: Melvin Gordon (RB), Noah Fant (TE)
  • PIT: Ben Roethlisberger (QB), James Washington (WR)

New Orleans at Washington, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • NO: Alvin Kamara (RB), Adam Trautman (TE)
  • WFT: Antonio Gibson (RB), Terry McLaurin (WR)

Cleveland at LA Chargers, Sunday 4:05 PM, EST

  • CLE: Nick Chubb (RB), Baker Mayfield (QB)
  • LAC: Mike Williams (WR), Kennan Allen (WR)

San Francisco at Arizona, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST

  • SF: Trey Lance (QB), Brandon Aiyuk (WR)
  • AZ: DeAndre Hopkins (WR), Christian Kirk (WR)

Buffalo at Kansas City, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST

  • BUF: Josh Allen (QB), Stefon Diggs (WR)
  • KC: Travis Kelce (TE), Mecole Hardman (WR)

Indianapolis at Baltimore, Monday 8:15 PM, EST

  • IND: Michael Pittman Jr (WR), Johnathan Taylor (RB)
  • BAL: Mark Andrews (TE), Rashad Bateman (WR)

Bottom Line

Don’t hurt yourself this week in fantasy football. Those mistakes of starting the wrong players, forgetting to substitute out an injured player, or playing a top player with a horrible matchup can cost you.

Often you hear NFL players say we have to focus on the fundamentals. Those basic essentials in fantasy football would be paying attention to the weekly projections, matchups, and managing injuries with timely waiver claims. Focus on the fundamentals and give your fantasy team the best chance to win in Week 5 of the National Football League.

Lions PFF grades: Best and worst players against the Bears from Week 4

The Detroit Lions PFF grades reflect the continued struggles in the secondary and average showing from the offense against the Chicago Bears

The Detroit Lions seemed to be on the up and up competing against the top-tier teams this season. Heading into Week 4, you had to believe they were feeling good against the Chicago Bears team that gave up nine sacks the previous week. The only kicker was they competing against the Bears and themselves, turning to be their downfall.

With poor execution, sub-par defensive play, and the constant shot footing, the Lions could not get anything figured out until it was too late. Also, to add injury to insult, the Lions lost their best defensive player, Romeo Okwara, for the season, making a poor defense much weaker in the long run.

There weren’t too many stellar players this week, and it reflected in this week’s PFF grades for the Lions.