Tag: Ifeatu Melifonwu

Vikings vs. Lions: 4 offensive keys for week 18

One last shot. Can the offense help keep the Minnesota Vikings’ slim playoff hopes alive?

One last chance. The Minnesota Vikings have one last chance to cash in on their slim playoff hopes as they face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at noon CST.

The Detroit defense has been a solid unit, but not a dominant one. They are a good complement to their gound-and-pound offense with their physicality and focus on stopping the run.

Minnesota’s offense has been a whirlwind of change, starting three different quarterbacks in the last four games, including now-starter Nick Mullens, who was benched in favor of rookie Jaren Hall after the last meeting against the Lions. Now, with the season on the line, Mullens is back in charge and hoping to lead the Vikings to that final wild-card spot.

To do that, he will need to follow these four keys to success.

Best and worst PFF grades for the Lions loss vs the Cowboys

The best and worst PFF graded players for the Detroit Lions in their loss against the Dallas Cowboys

Even after a night’s rest, the sting lingers from the Detroit Lions’ 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, a defeat that can only be described as tough in every sense of the word.

Considering the competitiveness between two playoff-caliber teams, there were pivotal moments in the game where execution could have been different for the Lions. Unfortunately, the conversation now revolves around the referee error that nullified the potential game-winning two-point conversion for the Lions. Overcoming such challenging situations is tough, but this resilient team is poised to move forward, gearing up to face the Minnesota Vikings next week.

While some Lions delivered masterful performances last night, others may hesitate to review the tape. Here are the best and worst PFF grades for the Lions against the Cowboys.

The Lions drought is over and it feels so good

The Lions drought is over and it feels so good, from Russell Brown

The Detroit Lions did something that we haven’t seen in this town for three decades. Some of my colleagues were graduating high school, while others like myself, were just figuring out how to walk when the Lions last won a division title. So much time has passed that gas prices have nearly tripled since 1993 and the division has been renamed from the NFC Central to the NFC North.

Since it became the NFC North in 2002, the division has been primarily dominated by the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The Packers have won the crown 12 times since then and the Vikings have done it five times. But the drought is finally over for Detroit.

On Christmas Eve, the Lions beat the Vikings 30-24 to win their first NFC North title. Despite intercepting Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens four times, the game was closer than it felt like it needed to be. In fact, it took a last minute interception from Lions defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu to secure the win.

While the Vikings were driving in the closing minute of the fourth quarter, I got on my knees and legitimately started to pray. It felt like the Vikings were knocking on the door but the Lions did what they needed to do to shut that door and all of our prayers were answered.

I jumped to my feet and celebrated with friends and family. Tears filled my eyes and I just felt relieved that the Lions accomplished something that I had never seen in my life before. We got to watch our team put on the hats and shirts that read ‘2023 NFC North Champion.’ We get to look at the playoff graphics that read ‘clinched division’ under the Lions logo.

But the wight being lifted off our shoulders as fans is nothing to how it must have felt for these Lions players. Especially some of the longest tenured members of the team such as Taylor Decker, Tracy Walker and others. These players have been through it all during their tenure but their patience, hard work and dedication paid off.

For much of this season, I’ve said it publicly and privately that this is just a different team. Watching this Lions football team makes me feel a different way every week. But one thing that remains the same is that I like their chances against anyone they play.

If they play their game, they can beat anyone. Offensively, they can run with any team. Defensively, there are lapses in coverage but the “bend don’t break” mentality they seem to have adopted is enough to get it done. Most importantly, the Lions playoff push will have at least one home game.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen some playoff games for the Lions but they’ve all been on the road. In a few weeks, the Lions change that and I’d expect Ford Field to be louder than it’s ever been.

There’s plenty of football left to play but it can end sooner than expected if the Lions don’t play their best as a team. I’m relieved of what has transpired this season and I’m excited about the direction were headed. The fan in me believes we can go the distance but I’ll save that conversation for a different day. For now, I’m going to sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16

Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16

Congratulations are in order for Lions safety Ifratu Melifonwu The young DB is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance in Detroit’s 30-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Melifonwu registered five total tackles, two sacks and a game-sealing interception in Detroit’s Week 16 victory in Minnesota. It was an amazing game in just his third start for Melifonwu. He’s come alive as an agent of aggression in Aaron Glenn’s defense and has helped lead the Lions to victories in the last two games.

It’s ht first time Melifonwu has won the award, and he’s the first Lions player to win the award in 2023.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson ‘close’ to playing against Dallas, per Dan Campbell

Campbell also noted it’s a “good problem to have” with Gardner-Johnson returning and Ifeatu Melifonwu playing great lately in that position

After winning two games in a row in impressive fashion and sewing up the NFC North division title, the Detroit Lions could be getting even better for the playoff push. Safety and emotional spark plug C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be back in the lineup for the Week 17 matchup with the Cowboys in Dallas on Saturday night.

Gardner-Johnson has been out since tearing a pectoral muscle in Week 2. The veteran has been designated to return and was at practice last week, but wasn’t quite ready for action. Head coach Dan Campbell was more optimistic about “Ceedy Duce” being ready for Saturday’s big game.

“C.J.’s close. He’s close,” Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket in his weekly interview. “We’ve got to decide what we’re going to do there and just how close is ‘close.’”

As for what happens to Ifeatu Melifonwu when Gardner-Johnson returns? It’s a great problem to have, according to Campbell. Melifonwu has been fantastic in the last two games, racking up 14 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble after having 50 tackles and one-half of a sack over his first 30 games with the Lions.

“We’re going to have a good problem to have when ‘Ducey’ comes back here. It just brings another playmaker to the mix,” Campbell said.

Editor’s note: Gardner-Johnson said he has legally changed his name to Ceedy Duce, but the Lions and the NFL officially still list him with his old name. Until the team makes the change, we are obligated to refer to the player by the name officially listed. 

Studs and Duds for the Lions division-winning victory over the Vikings

The Detroit Lions have clinched the NFC North with a win over the Minnesota Vikings and here this week’s Lions Studs and Duds.

Today marks a historic moment as the Detroit Lions secure their first division title in three decades, triumphing over the Minnesota Vikings with a hard-fought 30-24 victory. Despite the hurdles faced, this win epitomizes the resilient spirit of the Lions.

While the victory may not be characterized as flawless, with several self-inflicted mistakes threatening the outcome, the Lions demonstrated remarkable composure and determination to secure the division. The defense faced formidable challenges from key Vikings players, yet unexpected contributors stepped up when needed, while the offense relied on its stars to seize crucial moments and propel them to victory.

In light of this division-clinching triumph over the Vikings, let’s take a closer look at the Studs and Duds for the Lions this week.

Listen: Dan Miller calls the Lions game-clinching INT

Listen to voice of the Lions Dan Miller call Detroit’s game-clinching INT

Dan Miller has been the radio voice of the Detroit Lions for a long time. Like the fans, he’s suffered through a lot of losing football over the years.

So who better to call the team’s first division title in 30 years than Miller? The longtime broadcaster and iconic voice couldn’t hide his excitement when Ifeatu Melifonwu picked off the Minnesota Vikings’ last-gasp pass to seal Detroit’s 30-24 victory on Christmas Eve.

The Lions shared Miller’s play-by-play call of the clinching interception, Detroit’s fourth of the afternoon.

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Quick takeaways from the Lions harrowing road win over the Vikings

Quick takeaways from the Lions harrowing road win over the Vikings that seals Detroit’s first-ever NFC North title

The Detroit Lions are the NFC North champions. I repeat: the Detroit Lions are NFC North champions!

It took a harrowing, exciting win over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve to seal the franchise’s first division title in 30 years. Detroit held on for a 30-24 win when Ifeatu Melifonwu picked off Vikings QB Nick Mullens near the goal line to end a very scary threat by the home team to ruin the holiday spirit for millions of Lions fans everywhere.

Here are my quick takeaways from watching the Week 16 triumph in real time.

Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens had an unprecedented reaction after a sack

Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens reacted to a second-quarter Lions sack in a way I’ve never seen before.

Nick Mullens is the Minnesota Vikings’ fourth quarterback this season, following Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, and Jaren Hall. He’s been up and down during Minnesota’s Sunday game against the Detroit Lions, with big plays for both teams, but I found this reaction to a sack from Detroit safety Ifeatu Melifonwu late in the second quarter… because I have never seen a quarterback do this before. Melifonwu got home free on an overload blitz, sacked Mullens, and then Mullens… bowed to his opponent.

No, really.

Because I’m a nerd, I went back and watched all of Mullen’s sacks this season, and he’s never done THAT before. Perhaps Mullens was binging “Karate Kid” movies this week, but I’m not sure that’s acceptable behavior in that particular dojo.

Film room: Lions aggressive defense against the Broncos helps set the tone

Film room: Lions aggressive defense against the Broncos helps set the tone

Over the last several weeks, I’ve had some criticism towards the Detroit Lions defense. It was all warranted. They weren’t playing up to par and were getting torched on just about every possession. To fix it, the Lions had to make some tough decisions. They had to bench veteran players such as Jerry Jacobs and Tracy Walker.

This opened the door for players such as Khalil Dorsey, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kindle Vildor. Love it or hate it, the defensive moves were needed. It appears to have provided a spark and hopefully, it’s one that wakes up other defenders that tend to sleep walk through some of these games.

One of the key adjustments the Lions needed to make on defense was to become more aggressive. Against the Broncos, they did just that. Russell Wilson went 18-for-32 with 223 passing yards and a touchdown.

But the pressure got to him as he was sacked twice and he was marked with four bad throws, per Pro Football Reference. In addition to that, Wilson was blitzed 15 times in this game and it led to 22 total pressures for the Lions defense. Let’s jump into the tape and take a look at some of the blitzes the Lions dialed up against the Broncos on Saturday night.

Starting with one of the biggest plays of the game, we direct our attention to the play above. The Broncos come out with their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends). To respond to it, the Lions defense have a single-high safety over the top of their defense and they’ve got a safety down in the box.

The safety down in the box is Ifeatu Melifonwu and the moment the ball is snapped, he fires up-field on a blitz. As quarterback Russell Wilson fakes the hand-off to the running back, he begins to roll to his right. Before he can even get his eyes downfield to try and find a receiver, he’s met by Melifonwu.

This blitz was designed perfectly and not only did Melifonwu hit Wilson for the sack, he also knocked hte ball out. This led to a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs. Even though the Lions offense weren’t able to put up any points after this turnover, it was a much needed play for the Lions defense. They needed to make a stop with the Broncos threatening to score. Additionally, this was a play that I’m sure helped build confidence for the Lions defense.

Next, I want to highlight another blitz made by safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. The Broncos come out in their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end) but they’re in a condensed set with a slot receiver and tight end aligned near the tackles.

Once the ball is snapped, you can see how the Lions defensive backs rotate into what appears to be a Cover-2 look defensively. This gives them a two-high shell on both sides of the field but the key is Melifonwu. Once the ball is snapped, he flies towards the quarterback and his pressure forces Wilson out of the pocket. With good coverage by the Lions secondary, Wilson is forced to throw this ball away and the Broncos have to punt the ball away.

In this game, Melifonwu played a season-high 62 defensive snaps. He had one of the most productive days of his career. He had 9 total tackles, one sack and two pass deflections for a Lions defense that desperately needed a spark.

The last play I want to focus on is a blitz from defensive back Brian Branch. On the play above, the Broncos come out in a 2×2 set out of a shotgun formation. Aligned in the slot at the bottom of the screen is Brian Branch and he’s going to get a good pressure on this play.

Once the ball is snapped, the Lions send a 6-man pressure with Branch and Anzalone blitzing. Meanwhile, the Lions play man coverage on this and despite a miscue in the secondary (see the WR 17 on the bottom), the pressure from Detroit is real and it causes a bad throw.

As Branch blitzes, Wilson locks onto Jerry Jeudy on his right and is intending on taking a shot downfield. However, Branch delivers a shot to the back of Wilson and it causes this ball to float into the air and ultimately land incomplete. This forces the Broncos into a 3rd down but it’s good to see that despite being up 25 points, the Lions defense still has their foot on the gas.

With the Lions pushing for a division title and a shot at the playoffs, this defense will need to continue to be aggressive. Blitzing and putting trust in having good coverage downfield is one of the key ways this defense can keep the opposition at bay. It’ll be interesting to see what changes the defense continues to make with three games left in the regular season. One thing is for sure, they took a step in the right direction against the Broncos and hopefully soon, we’ll see Gardner-Johnson and McNeill back in the lineup too.