Tag: Detroit Lions

David Blough’s NFL career got off to a perfect start on Thanksgiving

Detroit’s rookie third-string QB threw a 75-yard TD for his first career completion.

A quarterback matchup between Chicago’s Mitch Trubisky and undrafted rookie third-stringer David Blough was expected to induce Thanksgiving Day naps long before the turkey hit the table, but Thursday’s Bears-Lions game featured two touchdowns in the first four minutes of the game.

After Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for a 10-yard touchdown on Chicago’s opening drive, Blough took the field for his first career series as an NFL quarterback and delivered the longest play from scrimmage the Lions have produced all season. On 3rd-and-10, Blough hit Kenny Golladay for a 75-yard touchdown.

NFL Twitter was blown away.

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WATCH: Bears offense scores on opening possession vs. Lions

The Bears offense did the impossible and scored on their opening possession for just the second time this season.

One thing that the Chicago Bears offense has struggled to do this season was get off to a quick start. They managed to do just that against the Detroit Lions.

The Bears drove 50 yards in six plays to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead over the Lions. Mitchell Trubisky was 4-for-4 for 31 yards on the drive, which culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Allen Robinson.

Return man Cordarelle Patterson cranked off a 57-yard return to open the game, which set the Bears up at the 50-yard line.

Chicago scored on their opening possession for just the second time this season.

The Bears and Lions are tied 7-7 early in the first quarter.

Bears Week 13 Inactives: Taylor Gabriel, Ben Braunecker among inactives vs. Lions

The Bears released their inactives against the Lions, which includes the absences of Taylor Gabriel, Ben Braunecker and Sherrick McManis.

The Chicago Bears released their inactives ahead of today’s game against the Detroit Lions, and there are no real surprises considering Wednesday’s practice report.

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, tight end Ben Braunecker, right tackle Bobby Massie, cornerback Sherrick McManis, tight end Adam Shaheen, linebacker Danny Trevathan and defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson are all inactive for this Thanksgiving Day game.

With Gabriel’s absence, wide receiver Riley Ridley is active for the second time in his career and figures to get some action today.

The Bears are thin at tight end with Braunecker and Shaheen being inactive, which leaves them with Jesper Horsted and JP Holtz at tight end.

On the offensive line, Cornelius Lucas will start for the injured Massie, who is expected to be out for a few weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Rookie offensive lineman Alex Bars is also active for the Bears.

Here are the Lions’ inactives, who will be without Matthew Stafford, Jamal Agnew and Damon Harrison.

Lions Week 13 inactives: Damon Harrison OUT, Tracy Walker and Da’Shawn Hand ACTIVE

Detroit Lions Week 13 inactives include Damon Harrison being ruled out, while Tracy Walker and Da’Shawn Hand are active.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) have announced their inactives ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Chicago Bears (5-6) on Thanksgiving day at Ford Field.

Let’s take a closer look at the seven inactives for each team:

Lions Week 13 inactives

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
IOL Beau Benzschawel
OG Oday Aboushi
NT Damon Harrison (knee)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
CB Michael Jackson
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Stafford, Melvin, and Agnew were ruled out on Wednesday and will be replaced in the starting lineup by Jeff Driskel at quarterback, Amani Oruwariye at outside corner, Ty Johnson on kick returns and Danny Amendola on punt returns.

Marvin Hall (foot) was also originally ruled out on Wednesday but was later placed on injured reserve with a foot injury in order to make room for Chris Lacy on the active roster.

Harrison is the surprise inactive today. After dealing with a groin issue for over a month now, a knee and calf injury popped up this week, with the knee being listed as the problem on Friday. On a short week, he was apparently not able to heal up enough.

Benzschawel, Aboushi, and Jackson are back on the inactives list after being on the active roster last week due to injuries.

Bears Week 13 inactives

WR Taylor Gabriel (concussion)
TE Ben Braunecker (concussion)
TE Adam Shaheen (foot)
RT Bobby Massie (ankle)
DL Abdullah Anderson
LB Danny Trevathan (elbow)
S Sherrick McManis (groin)

Gabriel, Braunecker, Shaheen, Massie, and Trevathan were slated for starting roles and will nee dot be replaced.

Lions Week 13 comprehensive depth chart

A comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions depth chart as they prepare to host the Chicago Bears in Week 13 on Thanksgiving day at Ford Field.

In this comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions roster, we will be examining not only the positional depth chart but also looking at who coaches will turn to in specific situations, including who will step up in case of injury.

Here’s a look at how the Lions roster sets up for their Week 12 matchup in Washington.

Note — you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles.

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford (9) — Ruled out
Jeff Driskel (2) — Questionable, may be active but will not start
David Blough (10) — Lions announced Blough will start
TE Logan Thomas (82) — Emergency QB

Running back

Bo Scarbrough (43)
J.D. McKissic (41)
Ty Johnson (31)

Third down back

J.D. McKissic (41) — Change of pace
Jamal Agnew (39) — Gadget option

H-back/Fullback

Isaac Nauta (89)

Wide receiver

Kenny Golladay (19)
Marvin Jones Jr. (11)
Danny Amendola (80)
Chris Lacy (15) — promoted on Wednesday

Slot receiver

Danny Amendola (80) 
T.J. Hockenson (88)

Tight end

T.J. Hockenson (88) — Questionable
Jesse James (83)
Logan Thomas (82)
Isaac Nauta (89)

Starting offensive line

Taylor Decker (68) — LT
Joe Dahl (66) — LG
Frank Ragnow (77) — C — No longer listed with an injury designation
Graham Glasgow (60) — RG
Rick Wagner (71) — RT

Reserve offensive line

Kenny Wiggins (79) — RG, LG — Not listed with an injury designation
Tyrell Crosby (65) — LT, RT
Graham Glasgow (60) — C
Oday Aboushi (76) — RG, LG
Beau Benzschawel (63) — Emergency IOL

Interior defensive line

Damon Harrison (98) — NT — Questionable
A’Shawn Robinson (91) — 3T
Da’Shawn Hand (93) — DDE, 3T, NT — Questionable
Mike Daniels (96) — 3T
John Atkins (99) — NT

Defensive end

Trey Flowers (90) — DDE, 3T — Questionable
Romeo Okwara (95) — DDE, JACK, 3T

Pass rushing linebacker

Devon Kennard (42) — JACK
Christian Jones (52) — SAM, JACK
Jahlani Tavai (51) — SAM, JACK

Off-the-ball linebacker

Jarrad Davis (40) — MIKE, WILL
Christian Jones (52) — WILL, MIKE
Jahlani Tavai (51) — MIKE, WILL
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — MIKE, WILL
Miles Killebrew (35) — WILL, Hang Safety
Steve Longa (54) — MIKE, WILL

Cornerback

Darius Slay (23)
Justin Coleman (27)
Rashaan Melvin (29) — Ruled out
Amani Oruwariye (24)
Mike Ford (38)
Jamal Agnew (39) — Ruled out
Dee Virgin (30)
Michael Jackson (28)

Slot cornerback

Justin Coleman (27

Safety

Tracy Walker (21) — Questionable
Tavon Wilson (32)
Will Harris (25)
C.J. Moore (49)

Third-safety

C.J. Moore (49)
Miles Killebrew (35) — WILL, Hang Safety

Kicking team

Matt Prater (5) — placekicker 
Sam Martin (6) — punter, kickoffs, holder — Not listed with an injury designation
Don Muhlbach (48) — long snapper

Kick returns

Jamal Agnew (39) — punt and kick returner — Ruled out
Danny Amendola (80) — reserve punt returner
Ty Johnson (31) — reserve kick returner
J.D. McKissic (41) — reserve kick returner

Kick coverage

C.J. Moore (49) — gunner
Dee Virgin (30) — gunner
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — five-phase specialist
Steve Longa (54) — five-phase specialist

Teams final injury reports

Lions’ injury designations — Matthew Stafford ruled out, Frank Ragnow in

Injury update: The Lions will start David Blough with Jeff Driskel nursing a hamstring injury

Injury update: Lions place Marvin Hall on injured reserve, promote Chris Lacy

Bears’ injury designations — 6 ruled out

Lions Wire game prep articles/media

Barry Sanders will be Lions honorary captain

Rookie expectations: Amani Oruwariye preparing for another start

5 Bold predictions for the Lions on Thanksgiving

Listen: Erik Schlitt on The Detroit Lions Breakdown Podcast: Episode 130

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down the Thanksgiving Day matchup with Bears Wire

NFL picks against the spread for Week 13 Thanksgiving games

Thanksgiving is mostly about the underdogs in these football games.

Week 13 of the NFL kicks off with three games on Thanksgiving. As always, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys will play at home. The nightcap will be an NFC South showdown between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.

Here are our picks for each of those games, based on the point spread and point totals.

All odds come from BetMGM.

Chicago Bears (-2.5) at Detroit Lions

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

ATS pick: Bears -2.5

Over/under: UNDER 39.5

The Lions have lost four in a row and now will have their third-string quarterback, David Blough, under center, as Jeff Driskel hurt his hamstring on Sunday. That combined with the Bears’ very tough defense will mean an ugly early Thanksgiving game.

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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears in Week 13 on Thanksgiving Day

Everything you need to know about how to watch the Detroit Lions vs the Chicago Bears in Week 13 on Thanksgiving.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) will host the Chicago Bears (5-6) in Week 13 on Thanksgiving at Ford Field and the Lions are still hoping to get their first victory with Jeff Driskel under center.

Here’s everything you need to know for how to watch or listen to this week’s game.

How To Watch

When: Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Referee: Jerome Boger

Vegas Watch: Bears -2.5, Over/Under 39.5

TV: FOX

Broadcast crew: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (field reporter), and Kristina Pink (field reporter)

Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)

How to listen

Detroit area radio: WJR 760 AM radio

  • Announcers: Dan Miller, Lomas Brown

National radio: Westwood One:

  • Announcers: Ryan Radtke, Ross Tucker, Hub Arkush (field reporter)

SIRIUS: 82 (Chi), 83 (Det)

XM: 225 (Chi), 226 (Det)

Teams final injury reports

Lions’ injury designations — Matthew Stafford ruled out, Frank Ragnow in

Injury update: The Lions will start David Blough with Jeff Driskel nursing a hamstring injury

Injury update: Lions place Marvin Hall on injured reserve, promote Chris Lacy

Bears’ injury designations — 6 ruled out

Lions Wire game prep articles/media

Barry Sanders will be Lions honorary captain

Rookie expectations: Amani Oruwariye preparing for another start

5 Bold predictions for the Lions on Thanksgiving

Listen: Erik Schlitt on The Detroit Lions Breakdown Podcast: Episode 130

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down the Thanksgiving Day matchup with Bears Wire

5 Bold predictions for the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving

Four bold predictions for the Detroit Lions as they host the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day.

The Detroit Lions are preparing for their second bout with the Chicago Bears this season, hoping for a much better outcome than last time.

Detroit has had quite the season so far, holding a lead in each of their 11 games but sitting at the bottom of their division at 3-7-1. With an injury-plagued roster and some recent struggles on defense, can the Lions turn it around in their prime time matchup?

Here are my bold predictions for this week’s game:

Quarterback change-up changes nothing

With rookie David Blough getting his first career start while both Matthew Stafford and Jeff Driskel deal with their injuries, don’t think that we’ll see anything new on offense.

Driskel’s tenure as the Lions’ starting quarterback wasn’t exactly noteworthy, with four touchdowns and just as many interceptions in three games. While he and Blough are very different passers, don’t think that this will change things up on offense.

Blough is an undrafted rookie who’s first regular-season action comes in a major prime time game. Though he has been with the team since the beginning of the season, don’t think his play will be any better than what we’ve seen in recent weeks.

While we’ll see a much different style of play from Blough than the other two Lions quarterbacks, don’t expect anything new.

Amani Oruwariye will make another interception

In his first game as a starter, filling in for the injured Rashaan Melvin, Oruwariye proved to be more capable than many expected. In the loss to Washington, the rookie pulled off an impressive interception on a pass from Dwayne Haskins.

Bears’ quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has thrown six interceptions so far this season and will be down three offensive weapons on Thanksgiving Day. I think the rookie will be able to keep the momentum going from last week and capitalize on this opportunity.

There will be a dearth of yellow flags

There were 20 flags thrown the last time these two teams faced each other, but that may not be the case this time around.

Jerome Boger and his crew will be officiating this game. This is a crew that hasn’t called more than 12 penalties in a game in 2019, so this could bode well for the Lions. Detroit only committed six penalties last week, so it appears that some of their discipline issues have been resolved.

Hockenson will re-emerge in the offense

After a fairly quiet season, Hockenson may be able to rediscover his place in the passing game. He had three receptions for 47 yards against Chicago earlier this year.

Can he put on a similar performance this week? I hope so.

The Detroit Lions will come out with a win

Usually, predicting a victory isn’t considered a bold prediction, but that’s not the case for this team.

Detroit is itching for a win amidst a four-game losing streak. The Bears aren’t in a much better situation at the moment, so this game could be an interesting one.

The Lions defense has shown some improvement since their last game against Chicago. Their run game has been revived with the emergence of Bo Scarborough. The only liability is the quarterback situation. If the defense and the offensive line can hold up, the Lions will be able to overcome and snap their losing streak.

Week 13 NFL picks: Who are the experts picking in Bears vs. Lions?

The Bears and Lions will face-off for the 2nd straight Thanksgiving as Chicago looks for its second straight win. Are the experts confident?

The Chicago Bears (5-6) will travel to Detroit to face the Lions (3-7-1) for the second straight Thanksgiving. They’ll be looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over a struggling Lions team.

The experts are feeling confident about the Bears’ chances against a struggling Lions team as 77 percent of experts polled believe the Bears will beat the Lions on Thanksgiving, according to NFL Pick Watch.

The Bears offense is looking to establish a rhythm earlier than the third quarter against a defense that struggled against the Washington Redskins last week.

The Lions will start third-string quarterback David Blough, an undrafted rookie out of Purdue, in place of backup Jeff Driskel, who is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Can the Bears’ offense find a way to finally get off to a quick start? Will the Bears’ defense fare well against Blough? Can the Bears keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a win?

We’ll see today when the Bears and Lions kick things off at 11:30 a.m. CT on FOX.

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Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: Week 13 Preview

Lions Wire’s weekly examination of what happened in fantasy football last week and a look forward at what to watch in the upcoming week.

As fantasy football owners we all have a multitude of things to be thankful for. Maybe you are thankful for drafting Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, or Michael Thomas high in your fantasy drafts. Or, maybe you took some sage advice (wink-wink), waited to draft a quarterback and then snagged Lamar Jackson with one of your late-round picks.

Hopefully, you are thankful when you look at the standings in your fantasy league and you have more wins than losses. If you haven’t been derailed by injuries or bad roster moves, please be thankful.

As we turn the page to Thanksgiving and the fantasy playoffs, let’s take a look at Week 13 in the National Football League.

Bears at Lions fantasy focus

Football at 12:30 pm on Thanksgiving is a tradition in Detroit. Often it doesn’t matter what the Detroit Lions record is headed into this game they often seem to play well on this big day where they have the national stage. I don’t see this year being any different.

The Lions have had a tough season and have been riddled by injuries all year. They are starting their backup quarterback, a running back they found a couple weeks ago, and a defense that has been missing key pieces all year as well. For all these reasons, I feel they will come out and play one of their better games this season. They will give us something to cheer about right before the turkey comes out of the oven.

Fantasy players to watch in this one are Bo Scarbrough (RB Lions), Allen Robinson (WR Bears), Danny Amendola (WR Lions), David Montgomery (RB Bears), and Tarik Cohen (RB Bears). Don’t be surprised if the Lions pull out a couple of trick plays and change up their defensive schemes to try to get a win in this game that we are all so thankful to have in Detroit.

Start/Sit

Start
Sam Darnold (QB Jets)
Saquon Barkley (RB Giants)
Julio Jones (WR Falcons)
Jack Doyle (TE Colts)

Sit
Carson Wentz (QB Eagles)
Chris Carson (RB Seahawks)
Tyler Lockett (WR Seahawks)
Kyle Rudolph (TE Vikings)

Top-3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Jameis Winston, Buccaneers

Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys

Wide Receivers
Michael Thomas, Saints
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
Davante Adams, Packers

Tight Ends
George Kittle, 49ers
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Darren Waller, Raiders

Team Defenses
Panthers
Bears
Steelers

Waiver wire options

Dwayne Haskins (QB Redskins)
Devlin Hodges (QB Steelers)
Rashaad Penny (RB Seahawks)
Jonathan Williams (RB Colts)
Mecole Hardman (WR Chiefs)
Deebo Samuel (WR 49ers)
Jack Doyle (TE Colts)
Mike Gesicki (TE Dolphins)

Intriguing games and players in Week 13

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, Thursday 12:30 PM, EST

  • CHI: Tarik Cohen (RB), David Montgomery (RB)
    DET: Danny Amendola (WR), Bo Scarbrough (RB)

Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday 4:20 PM, EST

  • BUF: Josh Allen (QB), Devin Singletary (RB)
    DAL: Ezekiel Elliott (RB), Michael Gallup (WR)

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, Thursday 8:20 PM, EST

  • NO: Alvin Kamara (RB), Tre’Quan Smith (WR)
    ATL: Matt Ryan (QB), Julio Jones (WR)

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • CLE: Kareem Hunt (RB), Nick Chubb (RB)
    PIT: Vance McDonald (TE), Benny Snell (RB)

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • SF: Tevin Coleman (RB), George Kittle (TE)
    BAL: Lamar Jackson (QB), Mark Ingram (RB)

New England Patriots at Houston Texans, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST

  • NE: Tom Brady (QB), Julian Edelman (WR)
    HOU: Deshaun Watson (QB), Kenny Stills (WR)

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks, Monday 8:15 PM, EST

  • MIN: Dalvin Cook (RB), Kirk Cousins (QB)
    SEA: Rashaad Penny (RB), Josh Gordon (WR)

Now What

This might be the final week you have to either make or miss the playoffs. If so, do all you can to score one more point than your opponent and hope you don’t have a crucial injury that costs you the week. Do all you can to win, as that is all that matters, but also enjoy these last few weeks of fantasy football.

I hope you enjoy this great holiday. Family, food, and football. It doesn’t get much better than that. We all have many things to be thankful for. Be thankful if you didn’t draft Odell Beckham (WR Browns), Joe Mixon (RB Bengals), and Kerryon Johnson (RB Lions) in most of your leagues like I did.

In all seriousness though, this is the time of year where we all count our blessings and remember to be grateful. Please cherish the time you have with those close to you this Thanksgiving. Indulge in homemade food and as always please enjoy both your football and fantasy football this holiday season.