Tag: Jalen Reeves-Maybin

Studs and duds from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals

The Detroit Lions pulled a convincing victory over the Arizona Cardinals through strong contributions from a handful of studs this week

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY!!!

In a game where the Detroit Lions were already slated by many to lose before the season started, they managed to pull off a convincing upset victory over the potential playoff contender, the Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, to secure their second victory of the season.

In this David vs. Goliath matchup, the Lions played spoilers to keep the Cardinals from securing their playoff spot and put together one of the complete games from this squad in quite some time. The offense string drives together with a strong rushing attack and an efficient aerial assault. The defense brought relentless pressure and shutdown coverage, and special teams were the cherry on top of this delicious sundae.

Typically I come away with the studs and duds after the game. But this week after taking down one of the top teams in the NFL, we will stay positive and highlight the good that came away from this week’s victory.

Jared Goff showed strong pocket presence and had strong throws, especially with his touchdown throws to Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was going so well he found Jason Cabinda for the first touchdown of his career. Speaking of St. Brown, the rookie has become Goff’s favorite target seeing a team-high eleven passes his way catching eight for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The offensive line put together a very strong effort keeping Goff clean and imposing their will on the Cardinal’s defensive line opening up lanes for the rushing onslaught from Craig Reynolds. Last week, Reynolds nearly eclipsed 100 yards but came up short. Reynolds would not be denied against Arizona, recording 112 yards on the ground giving the Lions every reason to keep him even when D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams return.

A couple of low lights on the Lions offense was Brock Wright and Godwin Igwebuike. Wright missed a couple of his assignments, including the St. Brown touchdown, but Goff was able to step up and deliver a beautiful touch pass. Igwebuike fumbled the ball away when the Lions were driving, which could’ve ended up shifting momentum in the Cardinals favor.

Shifting to the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Glenn is making his case to be a strong head coach candidate in the upcoming season. With quite a few key players missing, he can put together a strong game plan and get the most out of each one of them. When you have Will Harris playing cornerback, and it wasn’t the kiss of death like everyone thought it would, you have some high praise.

The Cardinals did have a couple of big gains on the ground, but all in all, the defensive line was able to contain them for the most part and contained Kyler Murray limiting his effectiveness. The one who got the better of Murray was Charles Harris, who managed to make Murray’s life a long one this week after sacking him 1.5 times while leading the team in 12 tackles and three for loss.

The Lions coverage unit keeps the Cardinals’ aerial attack ineffective with only 293 yards between Murray and Colt McCoy. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was playing like his hair was on fire, batting down two passes and leading the Lions defense after Alex Anzalone went down. After Igwebuike, Amani Orwuyarie was able to turn the tides around, picking off Murray and nearly returning it himself but set up Cabinda’s touchdown instead.

Knock on wood, but the Lions might have found their kicker in Riley Patterson. He had another perfect day hitting all six of his kicks, three field-goal attempts, and three extra-point attempts. Punter Jack Fox did what Fox always does and was able to flip the field in the Lions favor pinning the Cardinals deep. Also, the coverage was able to keep the returns attempt to a minimum.

As you can see, there were strong contributions from every part of the team that played roles in the win this week. Dan Campbell and his team can get the most of their players and put up a fight no matter what who they play against. Draft position aside, it is amazing to see the Lions come out on top of this one and pull off a very convincing victory.

Lions vs. Vikings: Best and worst PFF grades from Week 5

Detroit Lions best and worst players through PFF shows the highlights and struggles against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5

Another kick to the heart for the Detroit Lions after the Minnesota Vikings stole the victory right out of the Lions’ grasp with a last-minute field goal to drop the Lions record to 0-5 to start the season.

On top of another loss, the Lions lose yet another player, WR Quintez Cephus, to a potentially season-ending injury, making everyone wonder how the Lions can have this much bad luck. But you can tell the players are fighting to the last second and giving their all, making these losses so tough it brings Dan Campbell to tears.

It will only be a matter of time before the Lions get their first victory, and many of these players will be out to help achieve that win.

Here are this week’s PFF’s best and worst players for the Lions in Week 5.

Detroit Lions are seeing early dividends from improved pass rush

The Detroit Lions are seeing a vast improvement in pass-rushing production to start the season. Can they continue against the Bears?

The Detroit Lions may still be winless heading into Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, but it is easy to see some improvements from last year. One big improvement is the pass rush. It was easy to notice in the matchup against the Ravens, where the Lions defense could keep Baltimore off balance throughout the game and picked up four sacks in the process.

While Matt Patricia was riding the ship, he valued the art of containment with big men swallowing gaps over athleticism needed to create pressure, and it bit them royally. If the Lions could not generate any noise of pressure from the four men on the line, the quarterback could binge watch his favorite show while sipping on some coffee and still have time to find an open receiver. It was extremely frustrating to watch weekly and one of the areas that led to his demise.

Last year, the Lions had 24 total sacks, ranking near the bottom of the league. Even worse was the 112.4 passer rating the defense allowed which was good for dead last in the league. So, in a nutshell, the opposing offense could dictate what they wanted to do, and the Lions had no idea to slow it down.

With the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime in place, the Lions placed a premium on athleticism. You can point to any number of the moves made in the draft and free agency that proves that notion. From the re-signing of 2020 sack leader Romeo Okwara, drafting of Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, and the low-cost acquisition of Charles Harris, all helped. You can point at any of these moves and see what they are trying to build on defense, and through three weeks of the young 2021 season, it has been paying dividends.

So far, the Lions have recorded eight sacks, with Harris leading the charge with two. Harris might’ve had his best game last week, but you can see what he can bring to the table. Do you know how long it took the Lions to get to eight sacks in 2020? Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Also, PFF is noticing the improved Lions pass rush as well. Currently, they sit seventh overall in pass rushing in the league, and if you dig deeper into the players, you can see why.

Now Julian Okwara has only been brought on a situational front, with only 14 snaps so far. Still, the Lions currently have three players, the Okwara brothers and Harris, in the top 20 in pass rush PFF grading amongst edge rushers, most in the league. With the players up front playing at a high level, the Lions are also seeing pass-rushing production from linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Alex Anzalone. Also, with Jamie Collins not getting in the way anymore, they should see a boost in production.

Also, with PFF’s pass rushing productivity, the Lions have four players in the top 25, with Austin Bryant included. Julian Okwara and Bryant are seeing limited snaps, but it’s showing they make most of the small snaps they have received. Both of them of dealt with injuries and the coaching staff has shown they would rather get the player healthy instead of rushing them on the field. As long as both of them can stay healthy, they can give a nice dose of youth and athleticism on defense.

The season is young and anything can happen, but you have to be pleased with the improvements made to the pass rush. Between defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, linebacker coaches Mark DeLeone and Kelvin Sheppard, and defensive line coach Todd Wash has made tremendous strides in pulling the potential out of these players.

The Bears suffered a punch to the gut when their swiss cheese offensive line and lack of gameplan from their coaches, saw their rookie quarterback Justin Fields abused by the Cleveland Browns with nine sacks. Now the Lions don’t have the players on the defensive line like the Browns, but after seeing what they could do against the Ravens, you have to think they can pull out a few stops against the Bears.

Glenn has shown he can dial up a strong defensive game, especially when other NFL coaches calling you on how he did it against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. You better believe he has a plan lined up against whoever the Bears put behind center in hopes of notching that elusive first win of the season against one of their division rivals.

The Lions announce their 5 team captains for 2021

Newcomers Jared Goff and Alex Anzalone earned captaincy honors in voting by their Lions teammates

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Congratulations are in order for the five Detroit Lions players selected by their teammates as team captains for the 2021 NFL season.

The Lions selected two newcomers to the team as captains, with QB Jared Goff and LB Alex Anzalone earning the honor and respect from their peers.

Goff will serve as one of the two offensive captains, along with Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. On defense, Anzalone joins DE Trey Flowers with the captaincy. Jalen Reeves-Maybin takes over the special teams captain role after the team parted with longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach.

Lions top performers from PFF vs Colts and preseason recap

With PFF’s grades released, here are the top performers for the Detroit Lions against the Colts as well as the preseasons top players

The Detroit Lions finished their preseason winless after dropping to the Indianapolis Colts 27-17. However, in a game where coach Dan Campbell decided to rest a fair amount of starters, it gave players fighting for a roster spot one last chance to make an impression.

Pro Football Focus has released grades for the top offensive and defensive performers for the Lions against the Colts. PFF gives you a general feel on how well some of the fringe roster players performed.

Offense:

  1. TE Darren Fells: 92.8
  2. OT Dan Skipper: 76.1
  3. WR Geronimo Allison: 74.4
  4. RB Dedrick Mills: 72.0
  5. OG Logan Stenberg: 69.2

It is nice to see a rebound from Fells after the debacle against the Steelers, considering how thin the Lions are at tight end with disappointing performances from Alize Mack and Brock Wright. It was unfortunate to see Skipper (wish him well) carted off because he had a solid game especially run blocking. It might be too late for Allison, but you can’t say he is not putting up a fight. Stenberg should slot in as a reserve guard, but his status is up in the air without knowing the severity of his injury.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. DT Bruce Hector: 90.3
  3. EDGE Austin Bryant: 90.1
  4. OLB Rashod Berry: 81.5
  5. S Dean Marlowe: 80.1

Elder saw his roster chances diminish after getting pushed down the depth chart. Still, he made the most of his last opportunity to make an impression by securing the only Lions interception this preseason. Hector was thought of as nothing more than a camp body, but he has made a chances count and put his name into considering as a depth defensive tackle. Bryant has been a force on the edge, and if he can stay healthy, he will give the Lions good depth on the outside. Berry provided good pressure against the Colts, but it is hard to see him slotting out a role as a late addition. With the safety group questionable, it is good to see Marlowe performing well in hopes of providing a solid presence down the field.

Noteworthy players:

Penei Sewell is not having a preseason as he hoped for, finishing as the lowest graded offensive player vs. the Colts and near the bottom for the entire preseason. With the transition to right tackle and not having seen a lick of football in nearly two years, he is obviously still getting his feet under him.

Thankfully the Lions got ahold of Derrick Barnes or talked about how bad the inside linebacker corps is. Once again, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Jahlani Tavai finish as the two worst defensive players against the Colts. It’s hard to see Tavai making the team, and if it weren’t for Reeves-Maybin’s special team’s abilities, it could see that fate as well.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here are the top performers over the entire preseason.

Offense:

  1. RB Craig Reynolds: 86.0
  2. RB Dedrick Mills: 81.7
  3. QB Jared Goff: 80.1
  4. TE Darren Fells: 79.5
  5. WR Javon McKinley: 79.2

In one of the most heated battles this preseason, Reynold and Mills finish as the top two offensive performers. They have given the coaching staff plenty to think about in the roster construction. Goff finishing this high should tell you how well the Lions backup quarterback position has gone this preseason.

Fells did have a hiccup against the Steelers, but other than that, he has been solid as the second tight end behind T.J. Hockenson. McKinley has had a rollercoaster of a preseason, and he may fall short for a roster spot, but he should be destined for the practice squad.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. S Dean Marlowe: 84.7
  3. DL Levi Onwuzurike: 84.5
  4. LB Derrick Barnes: 83.8
  5. DL Miles Brown: 82.4

Elder only played one game this preseason, but he did make it count and could provide a veteran presence behind A.J. Parker. Marlowe has been the lone bright spot in the safety group and should look on as a steady contributor meaning the deep part of the field.

Onwuzurike proved to be as advertised after returning from his injury as a powerful force on the defensive line and gave the offense a nice punch in the mouth. Barnes has been the single biggest breath of fresh air with the linebacker corps and should look to contribute immediately behind Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone. With the hype surrounding Bruce Hector and Kevin Strong, Brown has flown under the radar providing a stable body up the middle. With the number of injuries surrounding a few players on the defensive line, he could be a sneaky addition.

5 Lions players with the most to gain in the preseason game vs. the Colts

Here are the 5 Lions players who stand to gain the most from a strong performance against the Colts in Detroit’s final preseason game. 

Jobs are on the line when the Detroit Lions host the Indianapolis Colts on Friday night in Ford Field (7 p.m. ET). With nearly all the starters from both teams sitting out the exhibition season finale, it’s a chance for some players on the Lions’ roster bubble to step up and prove they belong.

Here are the five players who stand to gain the most from a strong performance against the Colts in Detroit’s final preseason game.

8 thoughts about the Lions roster entering the preseason finale

Rookie LB Derrick Barnes is the ‘truth’ for the Detroit Lions defense

The Detroit Lion linebackers have been playing, they needed a star in the making and they don’t have to look any further than Derrick Barnes

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On the third day in the draft, right after drafting Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions general manager Brad Holmes pulled an unexpected move. He traded up to select the highly athletic Purdue linebacker Derrick Barnes. It was a different change of pace than what Lions fans had grown accustomed to during the Patricia/Quinn regime, where they opted for 1980’s thumper-style linebackers.

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Unfortunately for the previous regime, the NFL has adapted to a faster-paced game, and those types of backers look to have to feet stuck in cement against bigger and faster players. It caught up to them and the Lions put out one of the worst defenses in history last year because they were outgunned in every facet of the word.

With Barnes, it was a sigh of relief because, at that point, you could tell the Holmes/Campbell regime values athleticism to the highest degree when it comes to their linebacker. Along with the previous linebackers leftover from last year, many of them have dropped significant weight to find a way to stick with the squad.

When Jahlani Tavai entered camp, many were impressed with how slim he looked, leaning towards most, thinking that he might be able to move quickly without that extra weight. The coaching staff is trying to make it simpler for the player to opt for a more reactive style defense than an over-analytic style.

So far through the first two preseason games, it has become apparent Tavai is not suited for this defense and still is stuck in his ways. You cannot say all parties involved did not try to make it work, but it is clear Tavai is more of a liability than an asset.

Tavai is now on the outside looking in when it comes to a roster spot, leaving on the inside track for Barnes to make meaningful contributions but potentially becoming one of the Lions’ defense cornerstones.

Barnes did not get off on the right foot in dealing with injury through the first part of training camp, leaving the possibility that he could look in with lost reps on the outside, especially with his rookie status. However, the coaching staff has been taking extra precautions with player injuries so far through camp. The staff opted for a more gentle approach and eased Barnes back into training camp with Barnes looking to have a significant part.

Most thought he would fall behind, and it would take longer for him to catch up to grasp the defensive scheme. So far, that has been the case for Barnes has taken this role by the horns.

He has easily been one of the best Lions defenders through preseason so far. It isn’t really close by any stretch of the imagination, especially in the linebacking corps. Barnes only did play eight snaps against the Bills, but he made those snaps count, tallying two tackles and quarterback pressure. In the  Steelers matchup, the coaching staff gave him a significant play boost with a healthy 25 snaps in the second half.

The starting linebackers, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Tavai, against the Steelers were abysmal, and it was obvious right from the start with the severe coverage issues and the lack of hustle between them. The tight ends had their day with them, and it seemed they could not find a way to get off the field in the first half

There was nowhere to go, but thankfully Barnes was rearing to get on the field up for the Lions linebackers, and he made his presence known. With his strong tackling and coverage skills, he ensured no one got behind him and made the plays upfront. He recorded six tackles, one sack, and two passes defended through his limited play, which is quite impressive.

Fellow rookie and defense mate, Levi Onwuzurike, recognizes the potential greatness in front of him.

Surely the coaching staff would like to develop the rookie further and not rush him on the field on Sundays, but it is hard to contain the excitement Barnes brings with his hard hits and superior athleticism. With how murky the inside linebacker depth is behind Jamie Collins Sr. and Alex Anzalone, Barnes is head and shoulders above the rest and shows he belong on the field.

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Taylor Decker is now the longest-tenured Lions player

Don Muhlbach’s departure ends any Lions legacy players from before 2016

With this week’s surprising release of longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach, the Detroit Lions got decidedly less experienced. In fact, Muhlbach’s departure leaves no remaining traces of the Matt Millen or even Martin Mayhew eras.

Muhlbach had been with the Lions since 2004. Now the longest-tenured member of the team is Taylor Decker. The left tackle was Detroit’s first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the first-ever selection by Bob Quinn as the team’s GM. None of the free agents signed by Quinn that offseason remain in Detroit, so Decker earns the honor of being the longest-tenured Lion.

Decker is entering his sixth season in Detroit, but that gives him a full year on the next-longest Lion: linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Offensive tackle Dan Skipper and tight end Darren Fells were both on the 2017 Lions, but they’ve been on other rosters (including a year together in Houston) since that season.

Muhlbach’s departure ends any Lions legacy players from before 2016. Based on the team’s history, that’s probably a good thing.

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Jalen Reeves-Maybin returns, Darius Jennings signed in Lions roster moves

The Detroit Lions make a couple of roster moves with Jalen Reeves-Maybin returning, the signing of Darius Jennings, and Drake Jackson cut

Heading into Week 3 of training camp, the Detroit Lions have made a few changes to the roster. Jalen-Reeves Maybin has been removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list, along with the signing of WR Darius Jennings and the release of center Drake Jackson.

Reeves-Maybin was looked upon as a player who may benefit from the regime change as his style of play is better suited in this scheme where athletic linebackers are coveted versus Matt Patricia’s, where he preferred big-bodied linebackers.

He landed on the COVID-19 listing right before training camp, slowing down his progress in the new-look defense. Due to this fact, he has lost out on valuable reps to fringe players who know are making some noise with the advantage of the extra playing time like Shaun Dion-Hamilton and Anthony Pittman.

It is hard to say how far behind Reeves-Maybin, but the curve has become higher for him due to other players showing out during camp. Even though he is a solid special teamer, that may not be enough for him to hang his hat on. He has a short time to put his horse ahead, or otherwise, it might be a long road ahead for him.

On the flip side, the Lions brought Jennings to help alleviate the receiver depth after most of the receiver corps was out for Saturday’s scrimmage, Tyrell Williams with a groin injury, Breshad Perriman with a hip issue, and Quintez Cephus with a head injury.

Jennings was undrafted coming out of Virginia and has bounced around between the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Tennesse Titans, and the Los Angles Chargers on various practice squads. He is the biggest guy on the field, but where he made the most impact was kick returns, where he set the Titans franchise record with 31.7 yards per return. He will have a long road ahead coming late in camp and probably a camp body to supplement, but never shut the door.

Jackson was brought in as an undrafted free agent this year, and some believed he had a legit shot at making the team as center depth behind Frank Ragnow with his superb play at Kentucky. Unfortunately for Jackson, due is short arms; he was probably just a center-only prospect holding back the possibility of moving him to guard. Also, with Evan Brown returning from the Non-Football Injury list last week, it ultimately made Jackson expendable since Brown can play anywhere on the interior.

Lions place Jalen Reeves-Maybin on reserve/COVID-19 list to start training camp

The Lions also placed IOL Evan Brown on the active/non-football injury list

The Detroit Lions made a couple of roster announcements to start training camp in Allen Park on Wednesday morning.

Detroit placed veteran linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the reserve/COVID-19 list and reserve guard/center Evan Brown on the active non-football injury (NFI) list.

Reeves-Maybin will have to sit out camp until he clears the required NFL COVID-19 protocols. It is unknown if he tested positive or was exposed to a positive person and isn’t vaccinated.

Earlier in his initial press conference to kick off camp, head coach Dan Campbell stated that over 80 percent of the Lions players were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

This article was updated to reflect Reeves-Maybin’s status

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