Tag: Jamal Agnew

Film notebook: What I learned from the 1st 4 games of the 2019 rewatch

Film notebook: What I learned from the 1st 4 games of the 2019 rewatch, from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

I’m now a quarter of the way through my 2019 Detroit Lions rewatch project. Going back to review every snap of every game with both the broadcast and All-22 feeds from NFL Game Pass, I’m hoping to get a clearer picture of who did what for Detroit in the 2019 season.

The individual game breakdowns are here:

Week 1 vs. Cardinals

Week 2 vs. Chargers

Week 3 vs. Eagles

Week 4 vs. Chiefs

Through the first four games, here’s what I’ve learned. These are general observations spanning the four games, not necessarily indicative of what happened in one individual game performance.

Matthew Stafford

The QB has been mostly good, occasionally great and sporadically off target. Stafford is consistently at his best in the fourth quarter. There is a tangible difference in urgency with Stafford in these games when he’s playing with a lead versus needing to make a play in the clutch, and he’s much more consistently effective in the latter.

Offensive line

Outside of two notable plays, Taylor Decker has been solid at left tackle, particularly given the context of playing with a back injury that sidelined him in Week 2. Outside of facing Chris Jones of the Chiefs, center Frank Ragnow has been the Lions’ best player on offense.

I now have a better understanding of why coach Matt Patricia is a believer in the rotation at guard. It worked, by and large. I’ve been more impressed with Kenny Wiggins than I remember back in real-time, and less so with Graham Glasgow–especially in the passing game. Wiggins has shown more mobility and quickness to engage at second-level targets through the first four weeks, too. Joe Dahl is wildly inconsistent but tended to play better with Wiggins on the field, though that could definitely be a coincidence.

Rick Wagner’s play at right tackle has declined every week. Teams are figuring out how to attack him and he hasn’t been able to respond well. Tyrell Crosby’s game replacing Decker at left tackle was an unmitigated disaster.

Running game

Kerryon Johnson had the best rushing game of his career in Week 4, aggressively slicing through the Eagles. But in Week 1 he couldn’t find the holes and ran tentatively. It’s a microcosm of why the Lions still value him so much but also spent considerable resources to draft D’Andre Swift.

The sprinkling of J.D. McKissic on gadget plays has been refreshing. Ty Johnson got more work than I recalled and proved he could handle himself in the passing game. Nick Bawden at fullback has by and large been a massive disappointment as a lead blocker.

Receivers/TEs

Marvin Jones is the straw that stirs the drink thus far. When Stafford needs a hit, he invariably looks to No. 11. He’s outplayed his statistical impact. The opposite is true of Kenny Golladay. The TD receptions have been great, but his complete inability to separate from CBs that proved over the course of the season to be largely dreadful is very disturbing. He did play his best against the Chiefs in Week 4 and working the middle of the field more, which is encouraging.

T.J. Hockenson came out with a bang in Week 1 and also was a major receiving asset in Week 4. In between he was invisible as a target. His blocking is high-effort but low effectiveness. Defenses do definitely react to his presence though.

Outside of an impressive Week 2 against the Chargers, Jesse James has been brutal. He’s not an assertive or strong blocker and has no vitality whatsoever as a receiver.

Marvin Hall had a nice game in Week 4 replacing Danny Amendola’s snaps as the No. 3 receiver. His speed lifted the safety off helping on Jones/Golladay. Amendola and Stafford were developing better chemistry through the first three games before Amendola got hurt. Amendola’s blocking tenacity stood out more than it did back during the season to me.

Defensive line

A’Shawn Robinson has been the most consistent of the rotating cast along the defensive front. He played very well against the Chargers. There is a definite point of diminishing returns with his snap count, something that’s also readily evident with Damon Harrison.

“Snacks” has not played well in any game. When the Lions use a straight 3-man DL, Harrison is adequate. In the 4-man or 2-man fronts, he’s woefully miscast and asked to do too much.

Trey Flowers is progressing by the week. There is little complexity to his game but he’s very good at what he does, working the outside in with power and then quickness. He was very good against the mobile QBs on the docket at playing contain and stifling keeper opportunities. What really stood out was his ability to contain rush Wentz and Mahomes, getting pressure while also not ceding a clear escape path.

The rest of the line has been largely irrelevant. I know Mike Daniels, Kevin Strong and Romeo Okwara have played a lot but they’re all losing more reps than they’re winning. Okwara had two great series vs. the Eagles in Week 3 as a saving grace.

LBs

One of my strongest takeaways is how much better Christian Jones played than I noticed in the fall. He’s been very effective and versatile. Like Flowers, a lot of what he does really well doesn’t show in the stat sheet through these four games. It’s now much easier to digest why the Lions gave him a contract extension midseason.

Devon Kennard has no creativity. He’s a very smart player though and that football IQ keeps showing up. Really the entire defensive front 6/7 shows a low level of schematic creativity and the in-play dynamics keep getting more vanilla by the week. Kennard’s run defense, outside of a couple of bad reps, has been strong.

Jarrad Davis missed the first two games. That allowed for trial by fire for Jahlani Tavai, who acquitted himself nicely as a pass rusher but thus far looks limited to being in the box and needs to work on shedding blocks. Davis probably should have kept sitting based on how he’s played thus far. He’s had a bullseye on his No. 40 jersey in coverage in both games, and rightfully so from an enemy perspective.

Secondary

I’ve been very excited to study Tracy Walker more and the excitement was justified. He’s been the best player on the defense outside of Flowers, notably when he’s playing as an extra LB or marking a flexed TE in man coverage. His coverage work against Kelce in Week 4 was very impressive.

It has not been a good start for Darius Slay. Philip Rivers picked on the Pro Bowl CB mercilessly and it worked. Slay did get his “Big Play” in the end to salvage an otherwise awful first two games by his standards. He was clearly bothered by injury in Week 3 and sat out Week 4.

Justin Coleman has played well all-around. His run support has been dynamic if not always effective. Rashaan Melvin looked good in Week 1 but has fallen off in coverage. Like Coleman, he’s much more integrally active in run defense than expected.

It’s hard to recall Tavon Wilson doing much in any of the games other than finishing off a lot of clean-up tackles. Quandre Diggs has wildly missed a couple of crucial tackles, but thus far his coverage range and diagnostic skills remain strong. Will Harris was woefully in over his head as the single-high safety against the Chiefs in his first extended duty. His lack of instincts, or perhaps confidence in his reads, was egregious. Prior to that, he’d performed capably in spot duty for a rookie.

Special teams

So many errors punctuate the first quarter of the season. Outside of Sam Martin being exceptional on directional punts and kickoffs, and the punt/kick coverage units led by Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Dee Virgin, it’s been a nightmare. Matt Prater has been shaky. Don Muhlbach hasn’t been perfect with his snaps. Blocking has been inadequate on placekicks and punts.

Jamal Agnew is in the midst of a maddening early campaign. He’s the direct culprit for why the Lions did not win in Week 1 and Agnew got bailed out from another massive, game-altering error in Week 2 thanks to a Chargers penalty. Yet they don’t beat the Eagles in Week 3 without his opening kickoff TD.

Coaching

As the offense gets more comfortable under new coordinator Darrell Bevell, it’s getting exciting. Bevell’s plan of attack is growing more suited to Stafford and Kerryon Johnson by the week. It’s creative, it’s balanced and it’s doing a great job keeping the opposing defenses off-balance overall.

The defense is going in the opposite direction. One of my biggest takeaways is that the success the team had in dropping eight into coverage against the Eagles in Week 3 was a devastating false-positive outcome. It worked for a half against Mahomes and the Chiefs but they figured it out. While I haven’t rewatched beyond these games yet, I absolutely see the snowball rolling down the mountain of futility that’s coming.

Lions 2019 rewatch: Week 3 notes from Detroit’s win over the Eagles

Jeff Risdon’s notes from the Lions’ 27-24 win in Philadelphia after rewatching the coach’s tape

The first two weeks of the 2019 season left the Lions at a respectable 1-0-1 mark. Week 3 brought a trip to Philadelphia to face the highly-touted Eagles, which is where our season rewatch project takes us next.

I went back and watched the broadcast feed of the game, followed by the All-22 coach’s tape courtesy of NFL Game Pass. This was an entertaining game full of twists and turns, capped off with Matthew Stafford and the Lions coming up big in the clutch for the second week in a row.

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Notes and observations from the Lions’ 27-24 win in Philadelphia.

Pregame

The only Lions regular player who was out with injury was DL Da’Shawn Hand. The Eagles were missing starting WRs Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson as well as DT Timmy Jernigan. Jarrad Davis makes his season debut, while Taylor Decker is back after missing Week 2.

Lions wore blue pants with the white jerseys.

First quarter

The defense starts hit-and-miss. A Trey Flowers encroachment penalty on 3rd-and-3 extends the drive. Carson Wentz foils a good rush on the very next play and catches a communication error between CB Darius Slay and S Quandre Diggs for a big gain. Slay bit up on a short route–it looks like he was expecting the rush to force the throw–and Diggs never rotated over. If Wentz throws a better pass it’s six points.

Another 3rd down penalty, an iffy holding call on Justin Coleman, sets up a short field goal. The Lions DL had no problem controlling the middle of the formation against the run. Eagles up 3-0

Fun time! Jamal Agnew takes the ensuing kickoff to the house, 101 yards for the TD. Great blocks from Will Harris and Dee Virgin helped out, but Agnew made two guys miss and ran through another tackle. Matt Prater nails the conversion and it’s 7-3 Lions without an offensive play for Detroit yet.

Noting for future Lions reference: Eagles bring in Hal Vaitai as an extra tackle and run behind him. He blatantly holds LB Jahlani Tavai but gets away with it on an 11-yard run by Jordan Howard. On the very next play–the Eagles leave him in for several reps–he falls down trying to get a reach block on Romeo Okwara. They run behind him three times in four plays and the third one is a beautiful edge seal block on the right side on Devon Kennard to spring a 3rd-down conversion run from Miles Sanders.

Lions are consistently rushing four or five but Wentz has little issue avoiding the pressure. A huge scramble on a Jarrad Davis blitz sets up an easy TD plunge, 10-7 Eagles. Former Lions LB Chris Spielman is on the broadcast call and he’s rightly apoplectic about the defense abandoning the middle of the field against a mobile QB.

Detroit’s first offensive drive features mostly 12 (1 RB, 2 TE) and 22 (RB, FB, 2 TE) personnel and it works well. The OL, notably LG Joe Dahl, clears nice holes for Kerryon Johnson and the methodical drive caps with a Johnson TD from a yard out. Taylor Decker had a great block on the TD. 14-10 Lions very quickly into the second quarter.

Second quarter

No creativity to the Lions pass rush. It’s four guys trying to bull their way to Wentz. Flowers does an improvised twist after he’s initially stymied on an effort but that’s it. Downfield coverage is very good from Slay, Rashaan Melvin and Justin Coleman.

Sam Martin continues to have an outstanding season punting. Great directional punt pins the Eagles deep after the teams trade bad possessions. It leads to an interesting series for Jarrad Davis at LB.

Davis sat the prior series in lieu of Tavai. He missed being in the right place with his assignment two plays in a row but redeems himself with a fantastic punch-out of the ball to force the turnover. It was the second forced fumble against Miles Sanders on the drive after Okwara ripped it out a couple plays earlier. Okwara is working Vaitai, who is now in the game full-time at LT. LG Isaac Semualo is not playing well against Damon Harrison and Okwara either, and it very much feels like it’s that and not the Lions defenders playing great.

Love the gadget play reverse to J.D. McKissic coming right off the turnover. Aggressive call and it catches the Eagles overpursuing, something their LBs have shown all game. The drive stalls thanks to good red-zone coverage from the Eagles (Golladay has zero space) but Prater’s FG extends the lead to 17-10. Stafford was quick to throw the ball away rather than buy time and try to force things, playing conservatively for the FG.

Trend alert: The Lions continue to load up the line of scrimmage when the opposing offense goes to an empty backfield. They did this against the Chargers in Week 2 as well, primarily with six guys on the line. In this case, as happened against L.A., the LBs cannot drop fast enough to cover the middle of the field throw.

The Lions catch a huge break when Nelson Agholor fumbles shortly after making a catch on a quick-hit throw. Slay was right there but didn’t cause the fumble; Agholor just lost it. Slay picks it up and scampers into the red zone. Surprised the replay official didn’t overturn it as Agholor had the ball a lot less than what Calvin Johnson did no several of his overturned catches. Also, props to Wentz for hustling and making a nice touchdown-saving tackle on Slay. I can think of a few QBs who wouldn’t have done that…

The Lions offense gets too cute and has to settle for a field goal. Decker is progressively getting more upright in his base stance as the game progresses, a sign the back injury that kept him out of Week 2 is impacting him.

Last play of the half, the Lions rush three with Davis rushing in and Flowers dropping. Good blitz and Davis forces Wentz to flee to his left with all his WRs on the right. Flowers closes in and gets the sack. Side note: Wentz has already taken several cringe-worthy hits if you’re an Eagles fan. He does not protect himself nearly as well as Stafford does. Lions up 20-10 at the half

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Exploring how Jamal Agnew’s position switch to WR impacts the Lions roster

Exploring how Jamal Agnew’s position switch from defensive back to wide receiver impacts the Detroit Lions 2020 roster.

Speculation about Detroit Lions Jamal Agnew possibly making a position switch came to the surface in a Pro Football Talk’s Peter King report on Monday. And now today, Dave Birkett of the Free Press is reporting that Agnew is indeed making a position switch from defensive back to wide receiver.

“Agnew has been attending virtual meetings with both the wide receivers and cornerbacks this spring,” Birkett said, “but the Lions plan to transition him exclusively to offense when they return to the field this summer.”

While Agnew is primarily known for his special teams return ability — he was the only player in the NFL to have a punt and kick return for a touchdown in 2019 — he has been featured on offense as a gadget player a handful of times (32 total) over his three-year career.

Last season Agnew saw 16 snaps on offense — 10 in the final week of the regular season — and all at wide receiver. The Lions apparently liked what they saw because according to Birkett, “the Lions approached him about making the conversion full time this spring.”

Agnew has shown the ability to be a weapon on special teams, but with the league moving away from special teams in the name of player safety, Agnew needed to show he can do more to get on the field.

If he can also perform as a reliable gadget option — as well as an emergency defensive back — he will make himself very valuable to a team who prioritizes versatility.

So how does Agnew’s switch impact the roster?

The first name that jumps to mind is fifth-round pick Jason Huntly, as he and Agnew are capable of being gadget players in the backfield, as well as slot options at wide receiver. But there are three things that cause me to pause in saying these two are in a pure head to head matchup. First, they play different positions, second, the Lions are desperate for speed on offense, and third, they planned on switching Agnew in the spring and still drafted Huntley, indicating they may have a plan for both.

The next name that comes to mind is the Lions other fifth-round pick wide receiver Quintez Cephus. While Agnew and Cephus play the same position, they are very different players and win in different ways — there’s also point three from above that still remains true.

But if Agnew is going to make the Lions 53-man roster on offense, it’ll be an offensive player that will have to be squeezed out.

In my latest 53-man roster projection, I examined the benefits of keeping a sixth wide receiver versus a fourth tight end and came away with undrafted rookie Hunter Bryant as my winner — based on the fact that he was an offensive weapon in the slot.

If Agnew can also prove to be an offensive weapon in the slot, while also contributing on special teams, he would push ahead of Bryant in my eyes.

With Bryant off my projection and Agnew switching sides of the ball, that creates a slot on defense — and this is an easy choice for me — as it now opens the door for safety/gunner C.J. Moore to jump back in the 53.

The opportunity is there for Agnew to expand his role and solidify a spot on the 53-man roster — now he just has to execute the plan.

Jamal Agnew sitting in on WR virtual meetings, per Peter King

Detroit Lions cornerback and returner Jamal Agnew may be expanding — or switching — positions per a Pro Football Talk’s Peter King report.

Detroit Lions cornerback and returner Jamal Agnew may be expanding — or switching — positions per a Pro Football Talk’s Peter King report.

The Lions are currently in Phase 2 of their Spring offseason program, which means teams can begin installing the playbook and handing out assignments to players. Wide receiver’s coach Robert Prince is trying to make the most of his two-hour “virtual classroom” sessions by explaining the nuances of route concepts in the Lions playbook.

King was allowed access to (at least) one of these meetings and a picture of a meeting was taken, which he published in his piece:

Photo credit to Peter King and Pro Football Talk.

Prince can be seen in the highlighted yellow box, as are all 11 of the Lions wide receivers, with Agnew (second row, far right) also in attendance.

The Lions including Agnew in this meeting isn’t overly unusual as they have used him as an offensive gadget player since he was drafted in 2017, including last year when he saw an additional 16 offensive snaps all coming at wide receiver.

But what stood out in the King piece was that he identified Agnew as “converted DB” — suggesting he was switching to the offensive side of the ball on a more permanent basis.

Now this could just be speculation by King, or maybe he is privy to some behind-the-scenes information of Agnew indeed making a position switch, but unfortunately, we likely won’t get a clear answer until fall training camp.

Regardless of his position title, Agnew’s inclusion in this meeting is notable as it points to the Lions — and Agnew — looking to find ways he can contribute this season.

Establishing the 53: Projecting the Lions’ DBs

Examining the Detroit Lions defensive backs and project who and how many players they will keep on the 53-man roster.

It’s never too early to examine and speculate about the Detroit Lions roster. Currently, the Lions have 90-players on their roster, and come September, there will likely be some difficult decisions to make when determining their final 53-players.

Previously, in this series of articles at Lions Wire, we rounded out the running backs group, declared a winner in the fullback versus H-back competition, added an offensive weapon, narrowed down the offensive line,  broke down the defensive line, established the top options at linebacker, and in this piece, we will project the Lions’ defensive backs — with 11 spots open on the 53-man roster.

Setting the table

While there are clearly defined starting roles on defense, the defensive backs are grouped together as their positional reserve roles do have some crossover, especially on special teams.

On defense, the Lions deploy five defensive backs in their base set, relying on two outside corners, a JOKER safety, a free safety, with the slot role alternating between a nickel corner or third safety. When they expand to six defensive backs, they typically keep both slot options on the field at the same time. The Lions also have defensive sets that use seven defensive backs in obvious passing situations.

Because of all defensive combinations and the frequency at which they deploy three corners and/or three safeties, it’s important to identify all six players as starters — even if they are not officially identified as such.

Identifying starters at corner

At corner, there has been a two-thirds overhaul among the starters with only Justin Coleman returning. Coleman has the potential to play both inside and out, but he takes roughly 75-percent of his snaps out of the slot.

The Lions were aggressive in landing free agent Desmond Trufant, and after seven years starting for the Falcons, it is assumed he will take a starting role on the outside. Trufant will turn 29-years-old when the season starts and the Lions are likely hoping he can hold down the CB1 role while their top 2020 draft pick acclimates to the league.

Jeff Okudah was drafted third overall for a reason and even general manager Bob Quinn has acknowledged that he is expecting him to start in 2020. Okudah has the talent level to win the CB1 job outright, or make claim to the role by the end of the season.

Erik’s take: Okudah, Trufant, and Coleman are clear Day 1 starters.

CB depth battle

After the trio above, the next notable name at corner is Amani Oruwariye. Oruwariye flashed skills in training camp, showed development throughout the year and should be considered the top reserve option. He is an outside corner only — and that’s probably not changing — but there is a need for a reliable third option at this spot.

Challenging Oruwariye on the outside will be Darryl Roberts — a two-year starter with the Jets — and third-year undrafted corner Mike Ford. Both players have plenty of speed and can contribute on multiple special teams units. Roberts has the experience edge, while Ford has shown the ability to step up when his number was called for the Lions in the past.

The options in the slot are not as strong with special teamers Jamal Agnew and free agent Tony McRae challenging to backup Coleman. The need here isn’t as pressing due to the third safety, but the Lions would benefit from at least one of these players stepping up their ability to play on defense.

Erik’s take: Lock Oruwariye in here based on upside alone, but beyond that, special teams will likely be the deciding factor.

Identifying starters at safety

Tracy Walker’s star is shining brighter with every passing day and he plays one of the most critical spots in the Lions’ scheme: the JOKER safety role. The JOKER is the most flexible player on the field, and Walker will split his time between the box (linebacker level), over the slot (covering tight ends, slot receivers, and running backs), and at deep safety.

Walker is reliable as a deep safety valve, but he can be most impactful when he lines up closer to the line of scrimmage — which is why the Lions traded for Duron Harmon.

Harmon will take over the single-high free safety role and will be the first natural centerfielder the Lions have had since Glover Quin. His experience — and success — in the scheme makes him an instant starter, and his ability to flex between positions will allow him and Walker to disguise coverage intentions.

The battle for the third safety role (the old Tavon Wilson role) will come down to second-year safety Will Harris and free agent acquisition Jayron Kearse.

Harris was drafted in the third round of the 2019 draft with the intention of developing him into this role. Last year he cross-trained at all three safety spots but was noticeably more successful when lining up over the slot and in the box. He should be the front runner for the job, but Kearse’s skill set offers a new range of skills. Kearse is big (6-4, 216), long (34.25″ arm length), and can cover, which will make him very appealing when the Lions want to play matchup football.

Erik’s take: Walker and Harmon are locked in starters, while Harris should get the early nod for the third-safety role based on his scheme experience.

Safety depth battle

Kearse should be an easy addition to the trio above, giving them four players they should feel comfortable putting on the field.

Beyond those four, the group is rounded out with four undrafted players: C.J. Moore in 2019 and three more added this offseason in Jalen Elliott, Jeremiah Dinson, and Bobby Price.

If the Lions keep a fifth safety, which one will likely come down to how they perform on special teams.

Erik’s take: Kearse is in. A fifth safety is still an option. 

Special teams battles

With 11 spots open for defensive backs, we have filled eight of them with four corners and four safeties — leaving three spots remaining.

After being benched in Week 2, Agnew bounced back in a big way, scoring touchdowns on both a punt and kick returns, the only player to do that in the NFL last season. He will be challenged by fifth-round pick, Jason Huntley — who had five kick return touchdowns in college — but Agnew has been a weapon on special teams and, at this time, should be expected to secure a spot on the 53.

That leaves the Lions with two spots remaining — and no gunners.

When the Lions signed McRae, I specifically broke down how that impacted the gunner competition. To summarize my conclusion, McRae’s relationship with new special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs should give him a leg up for one of the gunner roles, leaving Dee Virgin, Moore, and Ford battling it out for the final spot. Roberts — who wasn’t on the roster when I wrote the article — should also be in consideration here. Elliott, Dinson, and Price will also get a shot in camp but until I see them compete in person I can’t consider them options.

Based on the information available to me at this time, the final gunner role will likely come down to Virgin, Moore, Ford, and Roberts. Any of these four could make a push for a spot, but Virgin and Moore — the Lions’ starting gunners last year — lack Roberts and Ford’s ability to contribute on defense, which could be a difference-maker.

Erik’s take: The final three spots go to Agnew, McRae, and Ford for now, but all of their roles are in jeopardy come training camp.

Conclusion

In this projection, the Lions wrap up their defense with 11 players, who will play in the following roles:

  • Outside corners: Okudah, Trufant, Oruwariye, Ford
  • Nickel/dime corners: Coleman, Agnew, McRae
  • Position versatile safeties: Walker, Harmon, Harris, Kearse
  • Kick/punt returner: Agnew
  • Gunner: McRae, Ford
  • 4-phase special teams contributors: Kearse, Harris

6 notable Lions from 2019 now on the roster bubble

New additions in free agency and the draft have pushed several Lions who played big roles in 2019 onto the roster bubble

The welcomed influx of new talent into the Lions’ den means some established players will have to find a new NFL place to rest their helmets. Several players who were starters or played significant roles for Detroit in 2019 are now precariously on the team’s roster bubble after the draft, free agency and UDFA signings.

The team has already said goodbye to some, notably free agents Graham Glasgow, Sam Martin, A’Shawn Robinson. The Lions also dumped veterans like Rick Wagner and Damon “Snacks” Harrison. Which recognizable Lions from 2019 could be next?

Jamal Agnew

The team’s primary return specialist for the last three seasons is more in danger because he’s never developed into an NFL-caliber player as a cornerback, his regular position. After a terrible start to 2019, Agnew bounced back with some solid games at the end of the season. His punt return TD against Denver was the first glimpse of the dynamic All-Pro returner Agnew was as a rookie in 2017 since that first year.

With no role on defense and facing viable challenges for his return gig from sixth-rounder Jason Huntley and depth receiver Marvin Hall, Agnew will have to quickly prove he’s worthy of the roster spot.

John Atkins

Atkins isn’t the most recognizable name, but the defensive tackle did start six games last season. He logged 20 total tackles in 12 games, double what Mike Daniels contributed in his woebegone year. His 40 percent of total snaps at nose tackle in 2019 weren’t impressive enough to keep him safe.

The Lions signed Danny Shelton to be the new starter. Fifth-round pick John Penisini is a younger, more versatile option as a reserve.

Joe Dahl

Detroit’s primary starting left guard in 2019 has seen several shots across his roster bow this offseason. The team brought back nondescript veterans Kenny Wiggins and Oday Aboushi, signed former first-rounder Josh Garnett, and then drafted Joshua Jackson in the third round and Logan Stenberg in the fourth.

If the team believed in Dahl, they have a funny way of showing it by drafting two players at his exact position and also seeing the need to re-sign underwhelming vets. Even if the coaching staff opts to continue with the rotational nature at guard, Dahl appears to be in trouble.

Ty Johnson

Johnson played well as a rookie running back. The sixth-rounder from Penn State led the Lions with a 4.3 yards per carry average (min. 50 carries) and also caught 24 passes on 31 targets. He played well enough to prove he’s an NFL RB.

Yet the Lions drafted Jason Huntley as a direct challenger to Johnson in the role of speed/receiving back. GM Bob Quinn even said so in his post-draft press conference. It’s hard to see the Lions keeping both in a suddenly crowded backfield unless one of them also wins the return specialist gig.

Miles Killebrew

Killebrew has done little outside of contributing solid work on special teams in his four seasons in Detroit. He’s played just 87 total snaps on defense the last two years despite being healthy.

Signing Jayron Kearse as a free agent and inking some promising undrafted players who can fill his reserve safety role might be the end of Killebrew’s time in Detroit.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin

The team’s fourth-round pick in 2017 is coming off his most impactful season. Reeves-Maybin started three games at linebacker and recorded a career-high 37 tackles. But his future is in peril.

Reeves-Maybin is no higher than fifth on the LB depth chart behind Jamie Collins, Jarrad Davis, Christian Jones and Jahlani Tavai. With the depth and talent bumped up at safety, there figures to be less room for extra linebackers in what appears to be a more firm 4-man front in new coordinator Cory Undlin’s defense. Newcomer Reggie Ragland better fits what coach Matt Patricia wants from his LBs in a reserve role, too.

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 injury designations: Matthew Stafford ruled out, Frank Ragnow in

The Detroit Lions have released their Week 13 injury designations and declared quarterback Matthew Stafford, while center Frank Ragnow has been cleared from the league’s concussion protocol.

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

The Lions have 13 players listed on the injury report, with four being ruled out, another six listed as questionable and three not being listed with a designation.

Ruled out

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Stafford is working hard to return to the field but is still not medically cleared. Maybe the extra rest ahead of the next game will give him the time he needs to heal up, or maybe the team will look ahead to the future and shut him down for the season. Only time will tell.

Hall was in a walking boot after the last game and unsurprisingly won’t play in this game. The Lions only have three healthy wide receivers active right now, so a roster move may be made before tomorrow’s game.

Melvin was a game-time decision last Sunday, but his rib injury is apparently more significant than what was originally thought. Amani Oruwariye will most likely get the start as the third Lions corner in his place.

Agnew is still not ready to play, meaning the Lions will turn to Ty Johnson on kick returned and most likely Danny Amendola on punt returns — as Hall, the second in line on punt returns, is also out.

Questionable

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)

Driskel was limited in all three practices this week, nursing a hamstring injury, but expectations are he will give it a go on Thursday and start the game. If Driskel can’t play or aggravates his injury the Lions would turn to undrafted rookie David Blough.

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Hockenson was limited to start the week but was upgraded to full on Wednesday and is expected to be fine to play.

Flowers saw limited work on Tuesday and a full practice on Wednesday suggesting he only needs medical clearance from an independent doctor to pass the league’s concussion protocol. If he does, he will start.

Harrison is going through his standard limited week and expectations are he will be good to start. It’s possible he will see fewer snaps, but he should play.

Hand and Walker saw limited practices all week after not being able to practice the week prior. Both will likely be game-time decisions. If either play, it will be a big boost to the Lions defense.

Not listed with an injury designations

C Frank Ragnow (concussion)
OG Kenny Wiggins (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Ragnow is not listed with an injury designation, meaning he is expected to start on Thursday. It has not yet been confirmed if he has passed the medical stage of the concussion protocol, but if he hasn’t, him being listed in this section suggests the team expects him to.

Wiggins’ knee doesn’t appear to be an issue as he was listed as having full practices all week.

Martin was upgraded to a full practice on Wednesday and does not carry an injury designation into the game. He’s good to go.

Lions Week 13 injury report: Frank Ragnow, Trey Flowers progressing through concussion protocol

Detroit Lions Week 13 injury report sees linemen Frank Ragnow and Trey Flowers progressing through concussion protocols.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) are hosting the Chicago Bears (5-6) for a Week 13 Thanksgiving day matchup at Ford Field.

The Lions did not hold a practice on Monday, so yesterday’s injury report was a estimations only. Today, the Lions only slightly increased their practice level, holding a walkthrough.

With the Lions eliminating the physical aspect of the first two practices of the week, they are allowing their players to rest up and heal, but at the same time, it limits the full understanding of player’s abilities to overcome their injuries.

Keeping in mind that things could change between now and tomorrow’s report, let’s take a look at where things stand on Tuesday.

Missed practice

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Maniacal efforts or not, Stafford doesn’t look like he is going to play this week.

Melvin, Agnew, and Hall being ruled out for a practice that was only a walkthrough is not a good sign for their status on Thursday.

If Melvin is unable to play it could mean more time for Amani Oruwariye at corner, while Agnew missing time means more Ty Johnson on kick returns. Hall would normally take over on punt return duties, but if he is also out, it likely means Danny Amendola will be back on punt return duties. Additionally, Hall’s absence may mean the Lions could be looking for a fourth wide receiver and that may mean the promotion of a practice squad player like Chris Lacy or Travis Fulgham.

Limited

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion) — upgraded
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Driskel is still very sore but improving according to Patricia. Most expect him to play on Thursday, including Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano:

Flowers was upgraded on the injury report but is confirmed to still be in the NFL’s concussion protocol by coach Matt Patricia at his afternoon press conference. It’s unclear which stage he is currently at, but based on this designation he may be in the final stages. His status for Thursday is still very much an unknown but a full padded practice tomorrow would go a long way.

Hand and Walker have now had two practices where they were expected to be active (but limited) participants. This is a positive step in the right direction.

Hockenson is still dealing with a shoulder injury that popped up Saturday night but he managed to play last Sunday and expectations are he will see the field again on Thursday.

Harrison and Martin have been talking rest days for some time now, this isn’t overly concerning at this time.

Practiced in full

C Frank Ragnow (concussion) — upgraded
OL Kenny Wiggins (knee)

Ragnow is also still in concussion protocol, and with no contact during today’s practice, he likely was unable to pass the last few requirements. He will have a chance to do that tomorrow, which should help him continue moving through the process.

Wiggins was an expected full participant again, meaning the Lions are optimistic he will be available to play.

Lions Week 13 estimated injury report: Jeff Driskel limited, Matthew Stafford still out

The Detroit Lions Week 13 estimated injury report includes quarterbacks Jeff Driskel as a limited participant and Matthew Stafford as out.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) are hosting the Chicago Bears (5-6) for a Week 13 Thanksgiving day matchup at Ford Field.

The Lions are required to produce three injury reports a week, and with a Thursday game on the schedule, that means they must declare injuries on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Because they are coming off a game yesterday, they did not actually practice on Monday, so today’s injury report is only estimated listings.

Reminder: all participation levels are all estimates

Would have missed practice

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Despite Stafford being maniacal in his efforts to return to the field, he is still not ready to practice, and on a short week, he is not expected to play.

Flowers still being listed as unable to practice due to a concussion is concerning for his potential to play on Thursday. He’ll need to get on the field tomorrow or he won’t be able to pass the league’s protocol this week.

Melvin and Agnew still unable to practice are concerning for their status for Thursday.

Hall was injured in yesterday’s game and was seen in the locker room in a walking boot and with crutches. Early expectations are he won’t be available for Thursday and the Lions will be on to their third punt returner — which has previously been veteran wide receiver Danny Amendola.

Upgraded to limited

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
C Frank Ragnow (concussion)
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Driskel played every snap yesterday but may have overworked his hamstring in the process. Coach Matt Patricia said at today’s press conference, Driskel “ran a lot” yesterday and is a bit “tight”. This could provide some light on why the Lions were inquiring about current XFL quarterback Josh Johnson, as they could use another fully healthy quarterback for practice and as insurance.

Ragnow being an estimated limited participant speaks to him moving through the league’s concussion protocol. He still has a few more steps to move through but is headed in the right direction.

Hockenson was added to last week’s injury report late Saturday night and in yesterday’s game, he appeared to be limited on the field, both in snaps and performance.

Harrison has been nursing a groin injury for some time now but being limited isn’t unusual for him at this point in the week.

Hand and Walker being estimated as limited is an upgrade from where they have been in recent weeks. If either is able to play this week, it would be a major upgrade on defense — both in performance and schematic versatility.

Martin, since injuring his abdomen, has been limited on the first practice following a game. While this isn’t unusual, a short week could be mildly concerning.

Projected as a full participant

Kenny Wiggins (knee)

Wiggins missed seven snaps in yesterday’s game and a knee injury appears to be the cause. The Lions listing him as a full participant is a strong indicator they aren’t overly concerned about it limiting him this week.