Tag: detroit lions news

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.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell provides an injury update on QB Hendon Hooker

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell provides an injury update on QB Hendon Hooker and his concussion

During the Detroit Lions 14 – 3 loss to the New York Giants last Thursday, they saw potential backup quarterback Hendon Hooker go down with injury. The injury he sustained was a concussion and it’s unclear of exactly when that injury occurred. Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Hooker play in the Lions second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Today, Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media about the performance from certain players against the Giants and he provided injury updates for numerous players.

One of the players he discussed was Lions backup quarterback Hendon Hooker. Speaking to the media, Campbell had this to say when talking about Hooker and the concussion he sustained:

“Yeah, honestly, we don’t know. We don’t know where he’s gonna be. He’s not gonna be out there today. We probably won’t have him tomorrow. It’s looking less likely that we’ll have him in practice this week. Until Friday, uh, getting ready for the Chiefs. And that’s not a guarantee. Until, you know, he clears the concussion protocol. We’re on a hold with him right now.”

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Campbell did talk highly of what he saw from Hooker during the two drives he played against the Giants. When talking to the media today, Campbell had this to say about what Hooker did offensively.

“As you guys saw, there was some encouraging things in there. You know, he was able to move the offense down the field. Saw a couple of things. Had a hot throw. Did a good job on one of his progressions, kicking it back out to the back. Had a couple of runs there. So for the limited snaps that he was in there, with a very limited package offensively, you know, it was promising.”

Additionally, Campbell said, “…there wasn’t a lot of reps, we don’t know until he’s ready to go. We’re on hold with him, really.”

Against the Giants, we saw Hooker finish 5-for-9 with 36 yards passing. Adding to that, he had 4 carries for 34 yards and one of his runs was capped off with him trucking a defender in the open field.

Listening to Dan Campbell, it feels unlikely that we’ll see Hooker play against the Chiefs this week. However, he still has a chance if he clears the concussion protocol. That said, I’d expect to see more of Nate Sudfeld and potentially someone else next week.

 

On this day: Barry Sanders announced retirement 25 years ago

On this day: Barry Sanders announced his retirement 25 years ago

Yesterday marked 25 years after Barry Sanders announced his retirement from the NFL. It shocked the Detroit Lions fan base and certainly football fans everywhere as Sanders was only 31-years old when he retired. I still remember being 8-years old and crying about it as I read the front page of the sports section in the Detroit News that day.

At the time of his retirement, Sanders was one season removed from being the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and had ran for over 2,000 yards. Additionally, he was ranked second all-time in career rushing yards with 15,269 rushing yards and was sixth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 99 rushing touchdowns. During his career, he set the following NFL records:

  • Most seasons with 1,500 or more rushing yards with five seasons.
  • 14 consecutive games with 100 or more rushing yards
  • 14 games with 100 or more yards rushing in a season
  • 150+ yard rushing games with 25.
  • 46 games with 150+ scrimmage yards
  • First running back in history to have two 80+ yard rushing touchdowns in a game.

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When he announced his retirement, Sanders had this to say:

“My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it. I have searched my hear through and through and feel comfortable with this decision. (I leave) on good terms with everyone in the organization. I am not involved in a salary dispute of any kind. If I had played this season, I would have earned a more than satisfactory salary.”

To this day, Sanders still remains in the top-3 of all-time for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing attempts. Regardless of where he ends up on the all-time rushing records, the fact remains that he was and is the greatest running back of all-time.

 

The Lions add another veteran TE to the roster

The Lions add another veteran TE to the roster by signing Sean McKeon, a free agent who was last with the Cowboys

One week after signing tryout player Parker Hesse, the Lions aren’t done adding depth to the tight end position. It was announced the the Lions signed tight end Sean McKeon.

To offset this move, the Lions waived tight end Isaac Rex. It was a short stint with the Lions for Rex. He was an undrafted free agent out of BYU from the 2024 NFL Draft.

As for McKeon, he’s entering his fifth season in the NFL. He was undrafted in 2020 out of Michigan and signed with the Dallas Cowboys. For the last four seasons, he’s played for the Cowboys. Throughout his career, he’s played in 45 games while recording 6 receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.

For the Cowboys offense, he was listed as a backup and primarily was used as a blocker and special teams player. Over his career, he’s played 570 snaps on special teams and last season, he received a 79.2 pass blocking grade, per PFF. Last season, McKeon spent the final 6 games on injured reserve due to an ankle injury.

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Lions fans should be familiar with McKeon as he spent four seasons at Michigan. This season, the Lions are expected to carry four tight ends on their roster as Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell return from injury. As of now, here’s what the Lions depth chart looks like at tight end:

  • Sam LaPorta (starter)
  • Brock Wright
  • James Mitchell
  • Shane Zylstra
  • Parker Hesse
  • Sean McKeon

It’ll be an uphill climb for McKeon to make the Lions 53-man roster. But anything can happen during training camp and the preseason. After all, this move creates competition and that’s exactly what the Lions want with their roster.

 

ESPN NFL expert predicts Chargers to be in Super Bowl LIX

The Chargers haven’t appeared in the Super Bowl since 1995.

ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum, an NFL front office insider, picked the Chargers to make Super Bowl LIX. Although Tannenbaum has the Bolts losing to the Lions, a Super Bowl appearance would be a huge feat, considering Los Angeles didn’t even make the playoffs this past season. 

The Lions will benefit from both coordinators returning to Detroit after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn each attracted head-coaching interest, and this time I expect the team to win the NFC Championship Game and win the Super Bowl. I see them holding off QB Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers in a close game.

Nevertheless, this is a not-so-far-fetched pick by Tannenbaum for a few reasons. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the franchise will continue to undergo several necessary transformations to become a winning team. Harbaugh is known for working his magic on struggling programs and guiding them to championships in short amounts of time. So that’s the first reason for defending Tannenbaum’s pick on the Chargers making next year’s Super Bowl. 

Any person who understands football knows quarterback Justin Herbert is talented. He is the face of the franchise, and quite frankly, he has never been the problem. Unfortunately, the talent around him, or lack thereof, is. 

The Bolts will need to make certain roster improvements at cornerback, offensive line and running back if they want to earn their trip to the Super Bowl. Los Angeles has the fifth overall pick in the draft, which could help bolster their roster to a championship caliber. As free agency approaches, the front office will need to make some smart decisions on which players to keep and which to be willing to move. 

The AFC needs a new top dog and it might be the Chargers’ time to fill that role. 

Jared Goff makes NFL history against the Rams

Jared Goff became the first QB to beat a team in the playoffs for whom he had won a playoff game in the past

Take away a misplaced pass to Josh Reynolds on third down and the panic toss to Brock Wright that lost 15 yards, and you could say Jared Goff was near perfection on Sunday night. While we can’t say he was perfect, he was the perfect guy for the moment that Lions fans have been savoring for decades.

Goff sure was clutch against his former team. He did that against the same team that kicked him to the curb. With that, he became the first quarterback to win a playoff game against a team for whom he had previously started a playoff game.

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On the night, Goff went 22-of-27 for 277 yards and one touchdown. When he was not pressured last night, he was 22-of-22 for 277 yards and a touchdown, per ESPN Stats and Info. According to Field Yates, that would be the most attempts without an incomplete pass in the playoffs since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009.

Just an unbelievable performance from Goff. One that Lions fans will remember forever. We’ll see what happens next Sunday, but I think we can all agree with Dan Campbell and his post-game speech. “You’re good enough for (expletive) Detroit, Jared Goff!”

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 10 loss to Lions

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the loss to the Lions.

In Week 10, the Chargers fell short to the Lions, 41-38.

Outcome aside, there were some standout performers and others that were duds.

With that being said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Note: To be more accurate, this is based on players who played at least 35% of the snaps on offense (72) or defense (66).

Top 5 Offense

WR Keenan Allen – 92.1

QB Justin Herbert – 83.6

OT Rashawn Slater – 72.4

TE Donald Parham Jr. – 66.7

RB Austin Ekeler – 66.6

Top 5 Defense

EDGE Khalil Mack – 78.8

EDGE Joey Bosa – 66.1

DT Austin Johnson – 65.3

S Derwin James Jr. – 63.4

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu – 63.1

Bottom 5 Offense

OL Jamaree Salyer – 61.1

WR Quentin Johnston – 59.7

OT Trey Pipkins – 56.9

C Will Clapp – 54.0

OL Zion Johnson – 53.0

Bottom 5 Defense

DT Nick Williams – 54.7

CB Asante Samuel Jr. – 46.3

S Alohi Gilman – 39.9

LB Eric Kendricks – 30.0

LB Kenneth Murray – 27.3

One of Lions’ weaknesses Chargers can expose in Week 10

The Lions have struggled in the red zone this season.

The Chargers are set to face the Lions, who are sharp in nearly every category. But that doesn’t mean they don’t come without their flaws.

While they’ve been efficient on defense, as they rank fifth in total defense, Detroit has struggled in the red zone. Their opponents have scored 65.38% of the time inside the 20, which ranks 26th.

On the flip side, Los Angeles’ red zone offense ranks 2nd in the NFL, as they’ve found the end zone on 69.23% of their trips.

Justin Herbert has been one of the best quarterbacks in the red zone, throwing 11 touchdowns, the fifth-most, to just one interception.

Furthermore, the Lions have struggled against tight ends, as they’ve allowed the eighth-most receiving yards (477) and are tied for the second-most touchdowns allowed to the position (4).

This could be the recipe for solid performances from Gerald Everett and Donald Parham. Everett has two touchdowns in the last four games, while Parham has four scores, all of which have come in the red zone.

If Los Angeles wants to keep pace with Detroit, they must score plenty of points. The red zone is where the magic could happen.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Lions stack up before Week 10 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Lions stack up statistically ahead of the Week 10 matchup.

The Chargers and Lions are set to square off this Sunday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Detroit stack up statistically ahead of the Week 10 matchup:

Detroit Lions rookie WR Chase Cota taking advantage of his opportunity

Cota has played well when given chances to show what he can do in Lions training camp and the preseason

The beauty of the preseason is the different backstories for each player that is fighting for their spot on the 53-man roster of an NFL team. From first-round draft picks to undrafted rookies, there’s so much intrigue with it all.

For the Detroit Lions, there have been a few intriguing names that have stood out for the team. But currently, nobody has been grabbing more attention than undrafted rookie Chase Cota. He’s a 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver out of Oregon. Prior to posting 36 receptions for 497 yards with the Ducks, Cota played at UCLA for four seasons.

His father, Chad, played at Oregon and was in the NFL from 1995 to 2002 with the Panthers, Rams, Colts and Saints. Also, Chase is first cousins with his Lions teammate Brady Breeze.

For Chase Cota, he’s taken advantage of every chance he’s been given so far for the Detroit Lions. In the first preseason game, he was the most productive Lions player on offense with 4 receptions for 60 yards against the Giants. He was tied for the team lead with 7 targets in that game.

In week two of the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cota saw his production totals slip from where they were a week ago. However, he still was able to produce a touchdown and he had an impressive 28-yard punt return after the Jaguars opening drive stalled due to a holding penalty. More importantly, Cota is seeing the field more than just about any receiver on the roster.

Looking at the graphic above from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Cota played 17 snaps, and he had 11 routes run. As you can see, the only player who had more snaps than him at receiver was 7th-round pick Antoine Green. Regardless, the consecutive weeks of production is a promising sign for the undrafted receiver out of Oregon.

During training camp, head coach Dan Campbell has been asked frequently about the wide receiver room in Detroit. He’s been very upfront about anyone and everyone in that room. He’s even said, “the wide receiver room is wide open. If you want a spot, go get it.”

Players such as Dylan Drummond, Trinity Benson and Chase Cota have all been players that have been named as guys that can go get a spot. After two weeks of the preseason, Lions fans may want to get familiar with Cota. He’s continued to impress from offense to special teams. He’ll get one last chance this Friday against the Carolina Panthers to earn his spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster. No matter the outcome, it sure looks like Chase Cota is taking advantage of every opportunity he’s gotten with the Detroit Lions.

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