Tag: Jason Cabinda

Dan Campbell, Lions proud to finally play a complete team game

Dan Campbell and several Lions were proud to finally play a complete team game in the win over the Cardinals

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It was a long time coming for Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions. The team played its best, most complete game across all three phases of the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday’s shocking 30-12 win in Ford Field.

Getting the offense, defense and special teams all playing well at the same time is something Detroit has struggled to do for several years. On Sunday, Campbell’s crew finally pulled it off despite myriad injuries and COVID-19 absences.

Campbell mentioned it in his opening statement after the game.

“That was fun. So proud of our guys,” Campbell stated. “We knew what we had to do today and we did it, really in all three phases across the board. The minute it felt like something may go the wrong way, we were able to tilt it back into our favor. I was proud of those guys, golly. We showed next-man-up mentality. The next man up did a good job today across the board. But as a team, man I was proud of them.”

“I mean, how we played the game today is how we talked about playing it all week, left tackle Taylor Decker said after the game. “You know we’ve had spurts of where the defense will do what they need to do but then maybe the offense doesn’t, or the offense will, you know whatever. Special teams has been pretty damn good all year. But we just played a complete game. We wanted to dictate how the game was played. When we were able to start fast, we were able to do that.”

Fullback Jason Cabinda, who scored his first career touchdown, echoed the same sentiment.

“I think today was really a complete effort. We played well on special teams, we went out and covered punts, covered kicks, “Cabinda said. “Our defense held up so well. That’s an explosive offense. You guys see how many points they put up week in and week out. They got in the red zone and had to kick field goals, that was huge for us.

We kept them off the field because our offense was churning out first downs and keeping the ball, keeping possessions. We were running the ball really well. Craig (Reynolds) was running his freaking butt off. It was just a really good combination of a great team effort.”

Quarterback Jared Goff sang a similar refrain. Goff had an outstanding game, completing 21 of his 26 pass attempts, throwing three TDs and he did not turn the ball over once.

“It was a full-team win, a full-team win,” Goff said proudly. “All of the times we’ve talked about it this whole year, what it looks like, what it looks like, that’s what it looks like. We make a mistake, we have a fumble, Amani (Oruwariye) makes an interception and almost takes it back to the house, we score on the next play. That’s how good teams win in this league and we put it on display in all three phases today.”

WATCH: Former Penn State LB Jason Cabinda scores first career NFL touchdown

WATCH: Former Penn State LB Jason Cabinda scores first career NFL touchdown

The Detroit Lions pulled a major stunner in the NFL on Sunday with a blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions, winners of two games now, were dominant all game long against the 10-4 Cardinals, and they got a scoring contribution from a former Penn State Nittany Lion.

Jason Cabinda, who played linebacker at Penn State, scored his first touchdown in the NFL in the Lions’ blowout victory. But he did so on offense, as the Lions have him on the depth chart at the running back position. Cabinda caught a short pass from Jared Goff on a 1st-and-Goal midway through the third quarter, and he was able to stretch across the end zone for a touchdown.

Cabinda is listed as one of the fourth running backs on the Lions’ depth chart. The Lions were without starting running back D’Andre Swift, but who would have anticipated Cabinda would get this kind of opportunity for his first career touchdown? Entering the game, Cabinda had three rushing attempts this season and one reception for a total of 25 all-purpose yards.

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Jason Cabinda is the Lions nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award

FB Jason Cabinda is the Detroit Lions nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award

Congratulations are in order for Lions fullback Jason Cabinda. The veteran is Detroit’s nominee for the annual Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award as chosen by the team and the league.

It’s widely considered the most prestigious honor in the league for players. The Walter Payton award, named after the legendary Bears running back, honors NFL players for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

In a statement released by the team, a very gracious Cabinda talked about how important the honor is to him,

“Walter Payton’s legacy embodies so many things. He was one of the greatest running backs on the field, and he truly looked out for people that didn’t have a voice and gave them a voice. I think within my character, I hope to embody Walter Payton in the sense of wanting to look out for others and wanting to be somebody who gives back and be somebody who remembers their roots and where they came from. When you’re in this position, you can have such an impact on these communities. You can have an impact knowing that the person that is standing in front of them is a person that has been in their shoes and has been sitting in their seats.”

Among the reasons for Cabinda’s worthy nomination cited by the Lions:

  • Ongoing work with a Detroit elementary school promoting literacy, including coordinating book drives and reading with the kids
  • Providing Wal-Mart shopping sprees for needy families
  • Coordinating and donating both time and money to assist first responders in the Surfside (FL) building collapse
  • Spearheading the organization’s Detroit Lions Inspire Change initiatives and being a prominent voice for social justice among his teammates

Cabinda will wear a special decal for the rest of the season honoring his nomination. The winner will be announced the Thursday before the Super Bowl.

You can help Cabinda win the award and continue to assist in his off-field work. From the Lions,

Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s 7th annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee’s last name or Twitter handle. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most between Dec. 7 and Jan. 17 will receive a $25,000 contribution to his charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, all courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear. 

Lions inactives vs. Rams: Dean Marlowe a healthy scratch, Jason Cabinda out

Safety Dean Marlowe is a healthy scratch, fullback Jason Cabinda out with a hip injury

Three of the four Detroit Lions listed as questionable on the team’s final practice injury report this week are active for Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. The one who isn’t: fullback Jason Cabinda.

Cabinda is out with a hip injury. He will be replaced by tight end Brock Wright, who was called up from the practice squad for the trip to Los Angeles. OLB Trey Flowers, TE T.J. Hockenson and RB D’Andre Swift will all play despite being questionable with various maladies.

Cabinda and safety Dean Marlowe are the only notable scratches for the Lions. Marlowe is a healthy scratch at safety, being replaced by practice squad promotion Jalen Elliott. The veteran Marlowe has not played well in coverage recently, and the Rams potent passing offense made head coach Dan Campbell opt for a change on the back end.

The rest of the Lions inactives for Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff:

Lions injury update: T.J. Hockenson among 3 players out on Wednesday

Hockenson is expected to play in Los Angeles but did not practice on Wednesday

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The first official injury report from the Detroit Lions in advance of the Week 7 trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams shows three Detroit players who sat out Wednesday’s practice. The most prominent name on the list is Pro Bowl TE T.J. Hockenson.

It’s the second week in a row that Hockenson, who is battling a knee injury, did not practice at all on Wednesday. Hockenson played in Week 6 and indicated after practice that he expects to be in the lineup in Week 7, too.

The other two Lions who missed practice are DT Nick Williams and FB Jason Cabinda. Williams hurt his knee in the loss to the Bengals, while Cabinda is down with a hip injury.

In addition to that trio, five players were limited participants:

  • DT Michael Brockers (shoulder)
  • EDGE Trey Flowers (knee)
  • EDGE Charles Harris (hip/oblique)
  • S Will Harris (hip)
  • RB D’Andre Swift (groin)

The Lions will update the injury status again before the team leaves for Los Angeles and a meeting with former QB Matthew Stafford.

Jason Cabinda shows grit and determination through fullback transition

It was no easy feat for Detroit Lions Jason Cabinda to transition to fullback, but his grit and dedication has impressed so far through camp

In this day in the NFL, versatility has played a key part in roster management, especially on the back end of the roster. The players have to show they can play multiple roles on all three levels on the field or the ability to play on all three downs. Now playing in a different position in a pinch is one thing, but making a full-blown position change is a beast in itself, having to learn an entire different schematic view from scratch. Most use this has last-ditch effort to stay in the NFL, which was the case for Jason Cabinda, but now it looks like he found his new home and isn’t leaving anytime soon.

Last year, the Detroit Lions coaching staff asked Cabinda to transition from linebacker to fullback after the team lost fullback Nick Bawden to a season-ending injury. So, of course, moving from a position where he started at Penn State to a position he hasn’t played since high school came with a little hesitation on Cabinda’s part, but as a professional, he made the most of the change.

While learning as he goes, he appeared in all 16 games while playing 93 snaps on offense. He was mostly a blocker typical for a fullback, but where he shined the most was on special teams, where he instantly turned into one of the Lions’ top special teamers.

Now ingrained into the fullback position full-time, Cabinda had an entire offseason to improve his technique and mentality as a full-time fullback. Nevertheless, he gave a little insight into how he wanted to attack his development, considering he mostly learned on the fly last year.

“When I made that switch, I didn’t have those mechanics I kind of wanted when it came to an offensive perspective, going into this offseason, being able to focus on the offensive side of the ball completely, and crafting and catching and running routes and doing all those kinds of things, I mean, it’s helped me tremendously. I think the amount of speed training I’ve done to get faster and be able to hit holes, be more explosive, be lower, there’s a whole lot of things, body control, and be precise with the things that I do. You know, when you play linebacker, everything you do is reacting. When you’re on offense, you try to dictate. So the mindset is kind of different in that aspect. So everything, from the drills to the workouts I’m doing, got to change.”

Since he was thrown into the mix right off the bat, Cabinda tried to learn from the likes of Kyle Juszczyk, who is probably considered the best fullback in the league, and Atlanta Falcons Keith Smith during his transition. He mentioned just watching those two helped his approach play fullback and adopting certain traits from them and applying it.

The dedication to improving his craft through film study and offseason workouts has leaped off the page, making Cabinda one of the more impressive players so far in training camp. With his athleticism as a prior linebacker, he has gained respect from Coach Campbell as someone who has grit and comes to work every day. However, he viewed Cabinda as raw due to the fact he just made the transition last year. Still, Campbell can see something in him that can bring a new dynamic to the offense as a hybrid player who can play multiple offensive facets, opening many possibilities.

During Campbell’s press conference on the first day of padded practice, he told how Bill Parcells told him to start a fight as a rookie during their first padded practice. At this point, we all know Campbell was fired up and ready to get going, but he did nominate Cabinda to be that guy to slap that guy after the play. Cabinda wanted to make sure with everyone even though he is aggressive and physical, he doesn’t make a bad and knows when to flip the switch from the style.

Even though D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams will be the 1-2 punch in the Lions running game, Cabinda will be an integral part of the Lions backfield. He mentions he gains the satisfaction of being that lead block, hoping the hole and free up those two for them to churn out big gains and put them in a position to succeed. It shows Cabinda is not afraid to put in the grunt work to make the players around him successful because it is how the team performs at the end of the day.

Through training camp, Cabinda has been mightily impressive so far with the improvement in his all-around game, either be pass-catching, run blocking, or pass protection. It will be no surprise to anyone if he is used a little differently than what we first saw last year, opening up the playbook a little more, allowing the offense to be more creative in their mismatches. It was no easy feat making a move from linebacker to fullback, but Cabinda has taken this in full stride and looks to have a meaningful impact in hopes of inspiring others on and off the field.

Lions tender 3 exclusive rights free agents including Jack Fox

Lions tender 3 exclusive rights free agents including Jack Fox

The Detroit Lions have announced they have extended tender offers to three exclusive rights free agents.

Fullback/linebacker Jason Cabinda, punter Jack Fox and offensive tackle Matt Nelson were all extended the required offer prior to the March 17th deadline.

All the players are offered a one-year deal at the league minimum salary and the player cannot negotiate with other teams, hence the exclusive rights portion of free agency. It’s a designation for players with less than two full accrued seasons in the NFL.

Cabinda and Fox are starters, while Nelson emerged as a viable swing tackle option after converting from defensive end. Of note, the team listed Cabinda only at fullback and not linebacker for the purposes of the contract tender. All three players will become restricted free agents after the 2021 season provided they play for the Lions.

Ranking the Detroit Lions unrestricted free agents heading into the 2021 offseason

Ranking the Detroit Lions unrestricted, restricted, and exclusive rights free agents heading into 2021 offseason.

The Detroit Lions will enter the 2021 offseason with 18 of the 53-players on the active roster unrestricted free agents. They also have one restricted free agent and three exclusive rights free agents.

In this piece, we have separated the players into six ranked tiers based on the level of importance to the team and the role they would fill if they return next season.

Detroit Lions Week 15 injury designations: Matthew Stafford headed towards a game time decision

The Detroit Lions (5-8) have declared their injury designations for their Week 15 matchup with the Tennessee Titans (9-4).

The Detroit Lions (5-8) have declared their injury designations for their Week 15 matchup with the Tennessee Titans (9-4) and they will be without four starters, two on each side of the ball: WR Kenny Golladay, OL Tyrell Crosby, DL Da’Shawn Hand, and CB Darryl Roberts.

QB Matthew Stafford and C Frank Ragnow have not been ruled out at this time and both appear to be headed towards game-time decisions in Nashville.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Ruled OUT

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice No Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Ankle No Practice No Practice No Practice
Darryl Roberts Hip No Practice No Practice No Practice

The conversations surrounding shutting Golladay down for the season are coming. “We’re really trying to get him back,” interim coach Darrell Bevell said. “He really wants to play, he wants to be in there. But that’s a conversation that — where we’re at in the season — that it might come to that (shutting him down).”

Expect Mohamad Sanu and rookie Quintez Cephus to continue to split Golladay’s snaps in Tennessee.

Crosby will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Nelson, who, along with left tackle Taylor Decker, are currently the only healthy offensive tackles on the active roster. Expect a roster move on Saturday, either removing Vaitai from IR or signing Dan Skipper to the active roster (as he is out of practice squad elevations) for depth.

It’s worth noting that the Lions do have an open spot on the active roster after placing Okudah on IR earlier this week.

Hand was back for one game, suffered a new injury, and is missing another game. This opens the door for Kevin Strong to take on a bigger role this Sunday.

Roberts being ruled out leaves the Lions with just three healthy corners on the active roster — Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Mike Ford — with the fourth option being recently signed to the practice squad Tramaine Brock, who will likely be elevated on Saturday.

Questionable

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday
Matthew Stafford Rib/Right Thumb No Practice No Practice Limited Practice
Frank Ragnow Throat No Practice No Practice No Practice
John Penisini Shoulder Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice

Despite Bevell suggesting Stafford would miss practice on Friday, it appears he got in some work, testing out his rib injury. Stafford will travel with the team to Nashville, but will he play?

“You guys have seen it,” Bevell said. “You guys have covered this team way longer than I have been here, and you know what he’s done and what he’s played through. So I’m not putting him past it.”

Ragnow missed practice again, this time to see a specialist regarding his throat injury, and his status for the game will be the determining factor, per Bevell: “The communication from him (the specialist) will be able to tell us, is it safe for him to play, is it totally clear, all those types of things are what we’re looking for.”

Both Stafford and Ragnow look they’re headed towards a game-time decision.

Penisini was limited all week but played a full game last week, and despite being listed as questionable, he seems in a good spot to play.

No Injury Designation

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday
Adrian Peterson Forearm Limited Practice Full Practice Full Practice
Jason Cabinda Illness No Practice Full Practice Full Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Full Practice Full Practice
Tracy Walker Shoulder Limited Practice Full Practice Full Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle Full Practice Full Practice Full Practice

Back-back full practices and no injury designation for everyone in this group is a sign they should not be limited on Sunday.

Injured reserve

Detroit Lions Week 15 injury report: Matthew Stafford misses practice again on Thursday

Examining the Detroit Lions Week 15 Thursday injury report as the team prepares to take on the Tennessee Titans.

The Detroit Lions (5-8) were practicing indoors again on Thursday as they prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans (9-4) in Week 15, and outside of upgrading a handful of limited players to full practices, not much has changed from yesterday’s report.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Rib/Right Thumb No Practice No Practice
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice
Frank Ragnow Throat No Practice No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Ankle No Practice No Practice
Darryl Roberts Hip No Practice No Practice

Stafford missed another day of practice, as expected, and interim coach Darrell made a point of mentioning the Lions have had no talks of shutting him down for the season. He is still in play for Sunday and a decision could come down to the wire.

Golladay is still not ready to practice.

Ragnow’s throat fracture received some more clarity today, with Bevell pointing out that the injury is in the vocal cord cartilage, not the bone. The plan for Ragnow is to rest his vocal cords, then reevaluate on Friday to determine if playing on Sunday is an option. Bevell wouldn’t disclose who would start in Ragnow’s absence at center, but did say he was “confident with the plan that we’ll have going forward.”

Of note: Joe Dahl, the most likely candidate to replace Ragnow at center, said today that he feels very comfortable at the position.

Crosby continuing to miss practices is also an indicator the Lions may need to keep his replacement options at the ready. Matt Nelson filled in the last game and a half, but Vaitai is practicing and could be an option.

Hand missing practice is a statement Lions fans have become all too familiar with. He’s an important member of the defensive line and a valuable player at getting inside pressure — but he needs healthy.

Roberts missing another practice is concerning as it leaves the Lions with only three healthy corners, with the fourth option being 10-year Tramaine Brock, who the Lions just signed to the practice squad.

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
John Penisini Shoulder Limited Practice Limited Practice

Penisini getting in back to back limited practices after not missing a snap last week is a good sign for his availability on Sunday.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Adrian Peterson Forearm Limited Practice Full Practice
Jason Cabinda Illness No Practice Full Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Full Practice
Tracy Walker Shoulder Limited Practice Full Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle Full Practice Full Practice

Peterson, Cabinda, Bryant, and Walker all being upgraded to full practices meaning they are likely headed towards full availability this weekend. Moore appears to be on track to play as well.

Titans’ Report

This section will be updated when info becomes available.