Tag: James Mitchell

Lions postgame injury update: Bad news for 2 players

Lions postgame injury update: Bad news for 2 players after the win over the Buccaneers

The Detroit Lions advanced to the NFC Championship game next weekend with a 31-23 home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, head coach Dan Campbell indicated after the game that two members of the Lions offense are unlikely to make the trip to San Francisco to play in that game.

Tight end Brock Wright, who made a critical catch and run in Sunday’s win, will be out with a broken forearm. Wright initially told Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News that he suffered the broken arm later in the game. Campbell confirmed the injury in his postgame press conference.

Campbell also didn’t have good news on starting left guard Jonah Jackson, who left the game in the first half with a knee injury. Jackson did not return.

“Doesn’t look really good for next week,” Campbell said of the injuries. “But we’ll see,” he added.

Kayode Awosika filled in for Jackson for the remainder of the game. He figures to be the replacement against the 49ers.

As for Wright and tight end, the Lions have Anthony Firkser behind rookie Sam LaPorta, who showed no ill effects from his Week 18 knee injury. Reserves James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra are on injured reserve. Expect the Lions to add a tight end to the mix during the week, as they don’t currently have any on the practice squad.

Lions re-sign two from the practice squad in playoff roster moves

Lions re-sign two from the practice squad, place two others on I.R. in playoff roster moves

The day before a Detroit Lions game is always full of some roster tweaking. That’s true with the Lions in the postseason too.

A day ahead of Detroit’s first-ever playoff game in Ford Field, the Lions made some moves to handle some injury situations on the active roster.

Two players were placed on injured reserve, as expected. Cornerback Jerry Jacobs and tight end James Mitchell were both already ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams with injuries.

The Lions signed two players from the practice squad to replace them on the 53-man active roster. Both CB Chase Lucas and TE Anthony Firkser had been on the Lions’ active roster earlier in the season but had been waived and then added back to the practice squad.

Detroit also elevated DT Tyson Alualu and fullback Jason Cabinda from the practice squad for the wild card game.

James Mitchell has surgery on his hand

Lions TE James Mitchell has surgery on his hand and looks like he’s done for the year

Lions tight end James Mitchell went from being a full participant in Wednesday’s practice to now ruled out for Detroit’s wild card game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. He suffered a hand injury during Thursday’s practice session.

Thanks to his social media, it’s clear Mitchell’s injury was not a minor one.

Mitchell’s partner posted on her Instagram story a picture of Mitchell in his hospital bed. His left hand is heavily wrapped after the surgery. Mitchell shared the story on his own social media channels.

It looks like Mitchell will be heading to the injured reserve when the Lions announce their roster moves later on Saturday.

Lions final injury report for wild card weekend

Lions final injury report for wild card weekend: Sam LaPorta questionable for matchup with the Rams

The final Detroit Lions injury report for wild card weekend is one featuring two surprises at the tight end position. One of them is positive, while the other is an unfortunate development.

The good news: rookie Sam LaPorta is listed as questionable. The rookie tight end is making excellent progress from a knee injury that saw LaPorta leave the field on a cart in the Week 18 win over the Vikings. He participated fully in Friday’s practice.

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On the bad news side, James Mitchell has been ruled out with a hand injury. Mitchell went from full participant on Wednesday to limited on Thursday and then no practice on Friday.

Two other players were ruled out. Cornerback Jerry Jacobs (thigh/knee) and wide receiver Kalif Raymond (knee) will not play. Jacobs is expected to head to the injured reserve list on Saturday, when coach Dan Campbell indicated the team will make transactions.

One of those transactions was expected to be the activation of EDGE James Houston from the injured reserve. Houston is currently listed as out, however.

The only other player with an injury designation is defensive lineman John Cominsky.  No. 79 is questionable with an undisclosed illness. Cominsky was inactive for the Vikings game with the illness.

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Lions Thursday injury report: James Mitchell added, 3 OL return to action

Detroit Lions Thursday injury report: TE James Mitchell added, 3 OL return to action ahead of Sunday’s playoff game against the Rams

The penultimate Detroit Lions injury report for wild card week came out after Thursday’s practice session. Tight end Sam LaPorta and wideout Kalif Raymond were both still out with injuries suffered in the Week 18 win over Minnesota.

They were joined as non-participants by cornerback Jerry Jacobs (thigh/knee) and backup QB Teddy Bridgewater, who was out for personal reasons.

The only other player who wasn’t a full go was tight end James Mitchell, who was listed as limited with a hand injury. Mitchell was a full participant on Wednesday.

During Wednesday’s practice, offensive linemen Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow all sat out with veteran rest designation. They were all back on Thursday.

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.

Lions rookie report: How they fared vs. the Packers on Thanksgiving

Lions rookie report: How they fared vs. the Packers on Thanksgiving

The game against the Packers on Thanksgiving was one that fans would like to forget. For the team, it could either serve as a breaking point or an important lesson on the way to a playoff run.

The biggest cog in the machine that is the Lions season, however, remains the rookies.

Some made big impacts in what was a less-than-ideal game all around, but the majority were folded into the rest of the forgettable day. Sam LaPorta found the endzone, and Jahmyr Gibbs had some touches, but on defense, the rookies couldn’t have had less of an impact.

It was a rare bad day for a rookie class that has carried a lot of the weight for the team this season. Perhaps trusting this young group of players may prove to be the downfall of the season or it could be the ultimate “pressure makes diamonds” scenario. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have shown they can find talent and grow it, time for the rookies to learn from this bad day on a national stage to finish the season strong.

Best and worst PFF grades from the Lions win over the Packers

Breaking down the best and worst PFF grades from the Detroit Lions in their Week 4 win over the Packers

First place in the division feels pretty nice. It’s been six years since the Detroit Lions laid claim to the lead in the NFC North, a spot they secured with a 34-20 whooping of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.

The Lions physically dominated their Green Bay counterparts for most of the game. That domination is largely reflected in the Pro Football Focus grades for the game for both the players and the team itself.

 

Lions vs Giants: Best and worst PFF grades from Detroit’s preseason win

Here are the standout performances from this week’s best and worst PFF performers for the Detroit Lions against the New York Giants.

The Detroit Lions kicked off their season with a 21-16 victory over the New York Giants in their first preseason game. Despite many of the team’s key players sitting out, the Lions’ management was able to evaluate potential roster candidates.

The game started off slowly, with the offense struggling, but the defense saved the day by repeatedly stepping up to the challenge and shutting down their opponents. Although some areas showed promise, others may require further evaluation by the Lions’ management.

Here are the standout performances from this week’s best and worst Pro Footbal Focus (PFF) performers, highlighting those who impressed and those who fell short in their bid for a coveted roster spot.

Detroit Lions Training Camp Battles: Tight Ends

Breaking down the ongoing Detroit Lions training camp battle at tight end

While we enter the days of training camp, it’s already been interesting for the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Jameson Williams suffered a minor injury and should miss a few days. Meanwhile, they suffered an injury scare when defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a knee injury.

Fortunately, the injury for Gardner-Johnson has been defined as minor and is considered day-to-day.

While both players will be worth monitoring, there’s still plenty to follow when it comes to each position group during training camp. One of the main positions to follow is the tight end position.

Last season, the Lions tight end room changed drastically when they traded away T.J. Hockenson. Fortunately for the Lions, they made it work with players such as Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra.

As we enter the off-season, we knew that their was a need for an upgrade at tight end in Detroit. However, we didn’t know if the Lions were going to sign one or draft one. As it unfolded, we saw the Lions select Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta in the 2nd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

By selecting LaPorta, the Lions get a clear upgrade at the position. During training camp, we should see LaPorta be a step ahead of every other tight end on the roster. Much of this is due to the route running and athletic ability that he possesses. With that skill-set, it should allow the Lions the ability to consistently run between 12 and 21 personnel and they should find plenty of success.

Players such as Zylstra and Wright are experienced and are familiar with the scheme being ran under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. For Brock Wright, he had 591 snaps on offense last season and recorded 18 receptions for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns.

As for Shane Zylstra, he could be on the outside looking in and his performance during training camp could be crucial on if he makes the roster or not. Last season, he had 227 offensive snaps but he did score 4 touchdowns off just 11 receptions. What we’ve seen from himis very similar to what we saw in 2013 and 2014 from Joseph Fauria. We’ll see if Zylstra only plays two seasons for the Lions like Fauria.

The determining factor for Zylstra could be based off three things:

  • Can LaPorta handle the role of being the top tight end
  • Is James Mitchell ready to take another step?
  • Do the Lions carry three or four tight ends on the roster?

We know the Lions selected James Mitchell in the 7th Round of the 2022 NFL Draft but he was coming off a torn ACL. However, he played well in 14 games last season. He had 11 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. But it’s unclear on what his progression from year one to his second season looks like.

Ultimately, I’d expect Sam LaPorta to be the top option for the Lions at the tight end position. He should get the majority of the first-team snaps, but it looks like he’s got a good supporting cast behind him and an even better supporting cast around him at the other positions. The Lions could carry four tight ends this year, but I think they’ll go with three of them. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out during training camp, but the projected three tight ends I have for the Lions are Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and James Mitchell.