Tag: Darrell Bevell

Report: Detroit Lions have 4 GM and 3 coaching interviews scheduled this week

Multiple sources are reporting that the Detroit Lions are aggressively interviewing general manager and coaching candidates this week.

MMQB’s Albert Breer and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport have reported several interviews this week for the Detroit Lions general manager and coaching vacancies.

In total, the Lions reportedly will interview four general manager and three coaching candidates over the next five days, as well as two more coaching interviews set up for next week.

At a glance interview schedule

Monday Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs’ OC (source)
Tuesday Darrell Bevell, Lions’ OC (source) Terry Fontenot, Saints’ Asst. GM, VP Pro personnel (source)
Wednesday Brad Holmes, Rams’ Dir. College Scouting (source) Geroge Paton, Vikings’ Asst. GM (source)
Thursday Robert Saleh, 49ers’ DC (source)
Friday Jeff Ireland, Saints’ Asst. GM, VP college scouting (source)
Next Week Arthur Smith, Titans’ OC (source) Dan Campbell, Saints’ Asst. Head Coach, TE coach (source)
TBD John Schneider, Seahawks’ GM (source)

Bieniemy, Saleh, and Smith were all identified and profiled in Lions Wire’s Top-10 coaching options for the Lions, and fans should be familiar with Bevell as he was the Lions OC over the last two seasons, but this is the first time we have discussed Dan Campbell.

Campbell is a former NFL tight end, spent three seasons (2006-08) with the Lions, and began coaching in 2010 with the Miami Dolphins. After five years as their tight ends coach, he was promoted to interim coach in 2015 but was let go after the season. He joined the Saints the next season as their tight ends coach and also carried an assistant head coach (to Sean Payton) title.

Paton and Ireland were candidates identified and profiled in Lions Wire’s Top general manager candidates, we also profiled Holmes last week, then Schneider over the weekend, and while we have mentioned Fontenot in other articles, we haven’t profiled him yet.

Fontenot, like Ireland, is an assistant general manager with the Saints, but while Ireland is focused on the college scouting side of the front office, Fontenot deals with their pro personnel department. Fontenot has been with the Saints’ organization for 16 seasons, beginning his career as a scout, and overseeing the pro scouting department for the last six seasons.

Lions completed GM interviews:

Lions completed coaching interviews:

Names the Lions are reportedly interested in but nothing set up yet

Darrell Bevell ‘loving every minute’ of being the Lions’ interim head coach

Bevell appreciates the opportunity and knows it’s not worth worrying about the future

Darrell Bevell is rapidly approaching the end of his tenure as the interim head coach of the Detroit Lions. Bevell and the rest of the coaching staff are prepping for Sunday’s season finale against the Minnesota Vikings with the knowledge that it’s likely the last time they will do anything as an employee of the Lions.

Bevell has been grateful for the opportunity to lead the team since head coach Matt Patricia was sent packing after Week 12. The audition to remain hasn’t exactly gone as well as hoped for Bevell. The Lions have won once under Bevell, the first game against the Chicago Bears.

The interim coach remains appreciative of each moment he gets in his first-ever head coaching opportunity.

“I’ve been pouring everything into this week. Obviously, I wasn’t even in the building last week, so it gives you that moment to kind of step back where you know how special these moments are, so I want to be in it,” Bevell told reporters on Friday. “I’m living this moment day to day, I’m talking to the players day to day, loving every minute of this opportunity. The future happens in the future. If we worry about that, we can lose track. So, I’m just excited about this day.”

Last Sunday’s lifeless loss to Tampa Bay was one of the lowest points for the franchise. It was a game Bevell and several assistants watched remotely after being deemed close contacts to a positive COVID-19 case. It gave him a quick minute to appreciate the experience,

“I appreciate the opportunities that I’ve had to learn each and every one of these experiences. It’s just been a whirlwind of five weeks.”

Matthew Stafford’s multiple injuries lead to delayed Detroit Lions betting line in Week 17

With Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford’s game status undetermined, due to multiple injuries, BetMGM is waiting to set a bet line for their Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford entered Week 16 dealing with a partial ligament tear in his right thumb (his throwing hand) and a painful rib cartilage injury from two weeks prior. One series into last week’s game and Stafford suffered yet another injury, this time to his right ankle, and was unable to finish the game.

With his status for the Lions’ Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings up in the air, the good folks over at BetMGM have elected to hold off introducing the betting line for this game until Stafford’s status can be determined.

This has been a theme for the Lions over the last month, as Stafford has dealt with multiple injuries, and on most week’s BetMGM will set a betting line once injury declarations have been declared on Friday.

Despite the uncertainty, Stafford insists he wants to play if he is able.

“If I’m good, I want to be out there,” Stafford said. “I want to play. Doing everything I can to get there toward the end of the week, and kind of have to figure it out as we go day-to-day just to see how it responds to treatment and all that. But, hopefully, I can get it good enough to go and be out there.”

Interim coach Darrell Bevell echoed Stafford, suggesting the team is preparing to take the same approach.

“As far as the game goes,” Bevell said of Stafford, “we’re going to take it exactly as we always do. Obviously, it will be health-based, we’re not going to put him out there if he can’t protect himself, or if he’s got a chance of something major happening from the injuries that he already has. But as I said, the guy’s tough as nails. The guy respects the game, he loves his teammates, he wants to be out there. Obviously, he gives us the best opportunity to be able to win a game when he is out there. I know he wants it.”

Stay tuned to Lions Wire for updated betting odds as they become available.

Report: Robert Prince to replace Darrell Bevell as interim coach in Week 16

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that wide receivers coach Robert Prince will replace Darrell Bevell as interim coach in Week 16.

Due to a COVID-19 exposure, the Detroit Lions will need an interim coach to replace their interim coach.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that wide receivers coach Robert Prince will replace Darrell Bevell as interim coach in Week 16.

Bevell is “deemed a high-risk close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19”, Rapoport said, and “won’t coach this Saturday vs the Bucs, sources say. The first head coach to miss a game due to COVID protocols this season.”

Prince, a senior member of the Lions staff that has been with the team since 2014, is highly respected by the players due to his intelligence, energy level, and personality. Prince is familiar with the Lions offensive scheme, but with 30-years of coaching experience, he has experiences that extend beyond just offense.

Prince’s leadership style is highly energetic and infectious, and he is someone the players can rally behind.

Rapoport also reported that quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, who is considered an offensive coordinator in waiting, will take over offensive play calling in Bevell’s stay. Ryan and Matthew Stafford have built a trusting relationship over the last two seasons and there should be little lag in their ability to produce on offense this week.

Lions coaching staff for Saturday’s game in real question after COVID-19 contacts

Darrell Bevell and others might not clear COVID-19 protocols in time

When the Detroit Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, there could be some unusual absences and gaps on the coaching staff. The positive test for COVID-19 that occurred on the coaching staff, which shuttered the team facilities on Tuesday, is having a major impact on the ability for the coaches to work this week or be on the sidelines for the game.

Ian Rapoport from NFL.com tweeted out the crux of the issue, one that has been echoed by several other outlets on Wednesday morning. Availablity is a real urgent problem for the Lions coaches, it seems:

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press adds this note to the chaotic situation,

It’s unknown which coaches specifically have been impacted or who tested positive, but the uncertainty casts a long shadow on preparation for the Buccaneers. Stay tuned for updates on the coaching availability for the unusual Saturday game.

Video: Why the Lions needed to fire special teams coach Brayden Coombs

Jeff Risdon and Chris from Detroit Lions Podcast break down why the Coombs firing had to happen

Special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs was fired by the Detroit Lions on Monday, a day after he undermined interim head coach Darrell Bevell by running a fake punt against the coach’s orders during the team’s 45-26 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The move, orchestrated by Bevell and approved by team president Rod Wood, has caused quite the social media ruckus. In an attempt to cut through the bluster and consternation, I joined with Chris from the Detroit Lions Podcast to record a short (15 minutes) video breakdown of why it was the right move and why the fan vitriol needs to stop.

This video contains no profanity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2vXe08ftbM

Darrell Bevell explains why Brayden Coombs was fired

Darrell Bevell explains why Brayden Coombs was fired

The move to terminate special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs has met with quite the controversy for interim head coach Darrell Bevell and the Detroit Lions. Coombs was a popular young coach seen as a rising star.

Bevell’s press conference on Monday afternoon was dominated by the move and the ins and outs of why it was done.

He termed the fake punt that Coombs called in spite of Bevell’s wishes to punt the ball away “not a correct decision” and reflected upon how he didn’t respect having his authority as the head coach undermined.

Bevell noted, “There are clear lines of communication, there’s basic protocols that we use each and every game. Going into a game we have meetings to determine parameters fo what we want to do in a game.”

Bevell explained that Matthew Stafford getting hit hard on consecutive plays made him want to “flip the field” and work with the defense and the three remaining timeouts to try and win the game.

When asked directly if he told Coombs to go with the punt and Coombs then went with the fake on his own, Bevell affirmed it with a simple, stern “yes”.

He later elaborated on the point,

“I think it’s important that I have a philosophy and I have a belief in things that I’m trying to instill in the team, instill in the coaching staff and instill in the program. When things happen outside that are outside of it then there needs to be something that happens. If something doesn’t happen then really you lose some credibility.”

Bevell continued,

“I tell our coaches all the time ‘we need to do what we say we’re going to do'”, and that was not something he felt happened with Coombs.

Bevell acknowledged he made the decision and it was approved by team president Rod Wood. When asked if new special adviser Chris Spielman had input, he deferred from answering the question.

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Bevell: No talk of shutting Matthew Stafford down for the season

Bevell: No talk of shutting Matthew Stafford down for the season

Matthew Stafford will not practice on Thursday, and the injured ribs the Lions quarterback suffered in the Week 14 loss to Green Bay could very well force him to miss Sunday’s matchup with the Titans in Tennessee. But the Lions have not even discussed the possibility of shutting down Stafford for the rest of the season according to interim head coach Darrell Bevell.

In his Thursday press conference, Bevell shot down any notion that the Lions were planning on pulling the plug on Stafford for the remaining three games.

“That has not been talked about yet,” was Bevell’s full, direct answer to the question when asked if the team has discussed shutting down Stafford due to his rib injury and the team’s near-elimination from the playoffs.

Bevell also quelled any notion that Stafford would sit if center Frank Ragnow cannot play due to his broken throat.

 

Darrell Bevell tries to explain D’Andre Swift’s concussion and illness

Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell tries to explain D’Andre Swift’s concussion and illness

Lions running back D’Andre Swift has missed the last three games with a concussion. Or at least the Lions believe it was a concussion.

Interim head coach Darrell Bevell, perhaps unwittingly, cast some doubt on the nature of Swift’s absence in his press conference on Friday. After noting that Swift “had another good day” on Thursday and is trending towards playing, Bevell was asked directly if Swift did indeed suffer a concussion or if the rookie RB was dealing with migraine headaches.

“Yes, I think it’s safe to say there is a fine line there. I don’t think it’s for me to be able to comment on his health to the public. But yes, there is a fine line and things there that we were looking at, yes,” Bevell explained.

Swift was cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol last week in plenty of time to play against the Bears on Sunday, but an undisclosed illness kept him out of practice for the rest of the week. Swift has passed all COVID-19 tests. A common side effect of migraines, in speaking from personal experience, is uncontrollable nausea and vomiting, which could certainly be construed as an illness.

Bevell was pressed on if the team could confirm Swift ever suffered a concussion.

“I cannot say that,” Bevell admitted, anxious to get to the next question.

Swift’s status for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers has yet to be determined.

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Marvin Jones speaks of ‘different feel’ and freedom to have fun under Darrell Bevell

Via Michael Silver, Jones offered some telling quotes about Bevell vs. Patricia

“Watch what happens now that the dictator is gone”.

Quite a statement from a Lions assistant coach, who related that tidbit to Michael Silver of the NFL Network. He wasn’t the only Lion to celebrate the departure of head coach Matt Patricia.

Silver laid out the details of a conversation he had with veteran Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones in a segment on the network.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a while,” Silver quotes Jones as saying when he asked when the last time he had as much fun playing football as he did in Sunday’s win over Chicago.

“It’s a different feel, there’s no way around it.”

He noted how Jones talked up the “juice” on the sidelines, how “everyone was engaged the whole game”, two things that simply did not happen under Patricia’s authority in Detroit.

Jones credited interim coach Darrell Bevell for the sea change in attitude.

“Keep doing what you’re doing … do it with passion,” was Bevell’s message at halftime instead of the typical browbeating from Patricia. It worked; the Lions staged an improbable comeback and knocked off the Bears.

That Jones was willing to put his name on the quotes for Silver and not snipe at Patricia anonymously speaks volumes about how the locker room felt under the fired coach.