Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Notes and observations from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon on the final day of Detroit Lions minicamp
The final day of the Detroit Lions three-day mandatory minicamp took place at the team’s training facility on Thursday. The team packed in some situational football and positional drills in a fast-paced session to wrap up the week.
Here are some quick notes on what we saw and heard on the final day of Lions minicamp.
The Detroit Lions Podcast went live to talk all about minicamp, expectations for the team and more
The first day of Detroit Lions minicamp is in the books, and we broke down everything you need to know about Tuesday’s action in Allen Park on the Detroit Lions Podcast. The live video stream from Tuesday night’s show i now available to watch on YouTube.
Among the concepts we covered:
Several questions from the live chat get tossed around as well.
The audio-only version of the show is available via your favorite podcast provider.
Romo will compete with Michael Badgley for the placekicing job in Detroit
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The Detroit Lions have added some competition at place kicker.
After his weekend tryout with the Lions, Detroit has signed free agent kicker John Parker Romo. He was in Detroit on a tryout basis with the rookie minicamp.
Romo comes from the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, whose season recently ended. Romo converted 17 of his 19 field goal attempts for the Brahmas, including a 57-yarder.
He will challenge Michael Badgley in training camp. Badgley was the Lions kicker for most of 2022 and re-signed as a free agent early in the offseason.
The Lions bring in an XFL kicker for rookie minicamp tryout
Right now, the Detroit Lions only have one kicker on the 90-man roster. Michael Badgley is currently unchallenged in his quest to be the full-time kicker in 2023 after performing well after taking over midway through the 2022 season.
Badgley is clearly the favorite to be the Lions kicker. However, the team is auditioning a potential challenger with some professional experience at this week’s rookie minicamp. Per Aaron Wilson, the Lions have invited John Parker Romo of the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas to join the team on a tryout basis.
Romo, 25, has made 17 of his 19 field goal attempts for the Brahmas this season. He’s 9-of-10 from beyond 40 yards, with a 57-yarder as his longest successful kick. Romo lost his training camp battle with the New Orleans Saints last summer.
Badgley made 20 of his 24 field goal attempts in 12 games for Detroit in 2022. His longest success was 53 yards, but his 20 percent touchback rate on kickoffs was among the worst in the league.
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We have a tight one here.
We still don’t have an idea of who will win this tight contest between Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. All we know is the Irish won’t be able to afford many mistakes if they want the victory. One critical mistake late in the third quarter means they find themselves behind, 22-21.
The Hokies’ offense came out firing to begin the second half, facing only two third downs over a six-minute drive. It nearly resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tayvion Robinson, but an ineligible-receiver penalty wiped that out. The Irish’s defense held firm in the red zone after that. John Parker Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal, so the Hokies still were able to get the lead out of their first drive of the half.
Tyler Buchner nearly threw an interception on the ensuing Irish drive, but it was dropped. Jay Bramblett punted the ball 52 yards, pinning the Hokies at the 17-yard line. Three plays later, TaRiq Bracy intercepted Braxton Burmeister to set up show at the 29. The Irish needed only four plays to find the end zone and retake the lead, which happened on a 10-yard Kyren Williams run in which three Hokies defenders missed tackles.
The Hokies failed to get out of their own territory on their next drive, but their bigger concern was Burmeister grabbing his right shoulder after hitting the turf hard after a run. There is no word yet on whether Burmesiter will play in the fourth quarter. In the meantime, the Irish had to start their next drive at their own 2 after a 53-yard punt from Peter Moore. That field position turned out to be important when Jermaine Waller picked off Buchner and ran 26 yards for a touchdown.
The Irish had the last word on that misfortune when they intercepted the two-point conversion pass. Still, they let the Hokies grab momentum again in the waning moments of a quarter. And if that wasn’t enough, Mitchell Evans was ejected after the final play of the quarter for targeting. None of that will get it done.
Progress has been made.
The second quarter went much better for Notre Dame. It was able to make a key stop and get on the board before Virginia Tech completely took over the game. Next thing you knew, they were ahead on the scoreboard shortly before halftime. The Irish gladly will take a 14-13 lead into the locker room.
The second quarter began with the Hokies continuing to march on a drive that began in the first. They got into the red zone, then to the Irish’s 1-yard line on a 15-yard reception by Tre Turner. The Irish pulled off the goal-line stand by stuffing Raheem Blackshear, then forcing two incomplete passes. The Hokies had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from John Parker Romo.
The Irish went to their third quarterback in four drives when Tyler Buchner was called upon. This time, the offense looked like a well-oiled machine, getting the ball to midfield on runs before Buchner hit Kevin Austin for a 46-yard completion. Two plays later, Buchner ran 3 yards for the Irish’s first touchdown.
The Irish’s defense then forced a three-and-out. The highlight came when Isaiah Foskey sacked Braxton Burmeister for a 10-yard loss on third down. The offense couldn’t respond on the next drive as it also failed to pick up a first down. It could have happened but for Chris Tyree dropping a short pass from Buchner right by the marker.
After another Hokies drive went almost nowhere, the Irish had one more chance to get points on the board before the half. When Buchner completed a 37-yard pass to Avery Davis, that possibility became very real. Aided by a defensive holding call, the Irish quickly got themselves in the red zone. They then quieted Lane Stadium completely when Buchner hit Kyren Williams with an 8-yard touchdown pass.
With time running out in the first half, the Hokies made a final desperate attempt to get the lead back or at least chip into their new deficit. They were able to get across midfield and then into field-goal range. Only three seconds remained after that, so they only had time for Romo to attempt a 52-yard field goal. The kick was successful, so the message was sent that this game is not going to be won easily by either team.
