Tag: Julian Okwara

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.

Lions PFF grades: Best and worst players against the Ravens

The Detroit Lions PFF grades are in and here are the best and worst performers against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.

The Detroit Lions were in the midst of nailing their first victory of the season until Justin Tucker did some nailing of his own, hitting a record-setting 66-yard field goal to give the Baltimore Ravens a 19-17 victory over the Lions. Even with the controversy surrounding the game, the Lions were able to contain a dangerous Ravens offense for the most part and seemed up to the battle against a potential Super Bowl contender.

Heading into Week 4 against division rival, the Chicago Bears, the Lions will look to build upon the foundations and mend the potential cracks before they get out of control.

Here are the Lions best and worst players from their Week 3 matchup against the Ravens.

Why Lions OLB Julian Okwara was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and could be again

Lions coach Kelvin Sheppard explains why OLB Julian Okwara was a healthy scratch in Week 1, and how Okwara can get back on the field

Julian Okwara was a healthy scratch for the Detroit Lions in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. It was a disappointing start to his second season for the 2020 third-round pick out of Notre Dame. However, his position coach, Kelvin Sheppard, explained why Okwara didn’t take the field at outside linebacker against the San Francisco 49ers.

“We’re sitting with five guys and when you get that type of unique situation, it builds competition,” Sheppard said after Thursday’s practice in Allen Park. “So to me, I take that on as if they understand that there’s only probably going to be four (active) on game day. So what does that do? It breeds excellence throughout the competition throughout the week.

Normally you have competition in training camp. Everybody thinks training camp — competition, competition, competition. Now, why does that have to stop once the regular season starts? You still want to get better week in and week out, day in and day out, so I think it’s making everybody in the room better.”

Okwara is behind his older brother, Romeo, who starts along with Trey Flowers at OLB. Veteran Charles Harris and energetic Austin Bryant got the nod as reserves in Week 1 over Julian.

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Sheppard emphasized the competitive nature of practices and how players must earn their spots. It’s something that a young player like Okwara must battle through.

“It’s predicated on, to be honest, the competitive nature throughout the week of who won the competition, and sometimes it is gameplan-based and gameplan oriented,” Sheppard said.

Okwara wasn’t a great matchup against the run-heavy 49ers. His run defense in the preseason was not good, and he missed two tackles in eight opportunities as well. Okwara must learn to handle in-your-face blocking and how to handle tight ends aligned inline to make sure he’s getting regular reps in games.

He could emerge as an active participant in Week 2 against the Packers, who are more pass-reliant than San Francisco. Harris did not play well in Week 1, registering just one QB pressure — on a play where he earned a roughing-the-passer penalty. Run defense isn’t his specialty, either.

The other area where Okwara can help himself is on special teams. That’s a part of the game where Bryant has thrived and a facet that keeps the oft-injured OLB in the lineup when he’s healthy. Okwara played just 30 snaps on special teams in his rookie campaign in 2020

Lions inactives for Week 1 vs. 49ers

The Detroit Lions inactives for Week 1 vs. 49ers includes Levi Onwuzurike and Julian Okwara

The new league year didn’t change the weirdly antiquated notion of declaring several players from the active roster ineligible to play each week. The Lions did their duty and ruled out the following players from the Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers:

  • WR KhaDarel Hodge
  • RB Jermar Jefferson
  • WR Tom Kennedy
  • OL Tommy Kraemer
  • OLB Julian Okwara
  • DE Levi Onwuzurike

Onwuzurike is the only injury-related scratch. The rookie DE was questionable with a hip injury.

Okwara is a bit of a surprise. The second-year pass rusher was productive in the preseason but is not one of the top OLB options against the run-heavy 49ers.

The 49ers also released their inactive player list:

Several former Notre Dame players gather after Steelers-Lions game

So many players who once wore the gold and blue in one place.

The NFL preseason can be a funny thing. Sidelines are more crowded than usual with players trying to fulfill their professional dreams. That also increases the chances of more players who came from the same school being around each other. Such was the case during Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions:

While the Steelers were the 26-20 victors in this fake football game, one of the real highlights occurred after the clock ran out. The above photos, posted in a tweet by former Notre Dame receiver Javon McKinley’s mother, are with several players who once wore the gold and blue. McKinley is on the same roster as Brock Wright, Tommy Kraemer, Jalen Elliott and Romeo and Julian Okwara. Two of the players on the opposing sideline were Chase Claypool and Jamir Jones.

During the game, McKinley scored his first touchdown in an NFL uniform, albeit one that won’t go down in the record books. That surely had to be his highlight of this game, but being with all of these brothers of his at the same time had to be a close second. That’s a bond that never can be broken.

Snap count notes: Breaking down the Lions reps in the preseason opener

The snap counts for the Lions in the preseason opener could be a clue to the final roster composition

One of the key factors to analyze following a preseason game is the snap count for players. Who played, how much did they play at their positions and what volume of reps did the roster bubble players get on special teams?

For the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener, 13 players sat out. Many were sidelined with injuries, including starting RB D’Andre Swift, second-round DE Levi Onwuzurike and nose tackle John Penisini. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and veteran DE Michael Brockers also sat it out, with head coach Dan Campbell not wanting to risk injury to his key performers.

Offense

The starters played two full series, 22 snaps in total. None of the regular starters, from QB Jared Goff to RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, reentered the game after those two drives.

Two backup offensive tackles, Dan Skipper and Darrin Paulo, topped the snap counts. Each played 47 snaps. Reserve lineman Matt Nelson played 30 at guard, though he’s generally expected to be both a guard and tackle. Second-year guard Logan Stenberg also played 30 and fared fairly well.

Tom Kennedy topped all skill position players with 36 snaps. Fellow wideout Sage Surratt played 30.

In the battle for the No. 3 TE spot, the Lions gave Alize Mack the first chance to prove himself. He played 23 snaps on offense and another 10 on special teams. His competitors:

  • Charlie Taumoepeau, 17 on offense and nine on special teams
  • Brock Wright, 15 and 13
  • Hunter Thedford, 12 and one

Mack had the only passing target, catching one throw for exactly one yard.

At running back, newcomer Craig Reynolds logged 14 snaps. That’s three more than seventh-round rookie Jermar Jefferson, who has been slowed by injury in practice recently. Dedrick Mills played 11 and Javon Leake, who served as the return specialist in the second half, was on the field for just two offensive snaps.

Defense

It felt like OLB Julian Okwara never left the field. In reality, Okwara was only on the field for 49 defensive snaps. That’s still the most on the Lions, who played the starters for the first two series exclusively as well. Romeo Okwara, Trey Flowers, Jamie Collins, Tracy Walker and the other regular starters played 11 snaps.

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New CB Nickell Robey-Coleman was on the field for 17 reps. Undrafted rookie A.J. Parker, who started as the nickel corner, topped that with 23 on defense and another 12 on special teams. The Lions coaches clearly wanted to see what Parker could do in a game. He was out-repped third-round rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu, who played 30 and 13. Another undrafted corner, Jerry Jacobs, also played 23, while Bobby Price played 17 in his first action at CB after moving from safety.

Rookie LB Derrick Barnes played just eight reps on defense, though he was quite active and visible on those snaps. Veteran Jalen Reeves-Maybin also played just eight on defense, but he logged 11 special teams snaps. Jahlani Tavai matched the special teams reps and was on the field for 22 defensive snaps.

Of note, LB Shaun Dion Hamilton did not play on special teams. It’s generally thought that he, Tavai and Reeves-Maybin are competing for the same spots. Undrafted rookie Tavante Beckett took Hamilton’s 11 punt and kick team reps. Second-year DE Jashon Cornell, expected to be a roster bubble player for the final 53, also did not play on special teams while logging 20 reps on defense.

Lions training camp notebook for Day 9: Back to the attack

Here’s some of what we saw on Day 9 of Detroit Lions training camp, including big days from A.J. Parker and Julian Okwara

Lions coach Dan Campbell used Thursday’s eighth practice session of training camp as a “green” day, a lower-intensity day after he “redlined” the team by working hot and hard the prior two days. Campbell stepped on the gas and amped the RPMs back up in a humid Friday morning practice.

With no customary pre-practice press conference, Campbell led the Lions players onto the field for an enthusiastic audience that enjoyed most of the reps being run on the field right in front of them.

Here’s some of what we saw on Day 9 of Detroit Lions training camp.

Lions rookie class of 2020 ranks among the NFL’s worst

Injuries and poor play kept the Lions rookie class near the bottom

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Among the many reasons for the Detroit Lions’ struggles in a last-place 2020 season is a lack of immediate impact from the rookie class. A team that needed an infusion of contributing talent from the draft picks didn’t get nearly enough in the first year.

In ESPN’s tally of the impact of the 2020 rookie classes, the Lions are above just two other teams. The commentary on why is a cold shot to the heart for Lions fans hoping for a sense of optimism.

Their prized pick — Jeff Okudah — generated the worst WAR of any non-quarterback in the 2020 class. The other two rookies who played the most, guard Jonah Jackson (No. 75 overall) and defensive tackle John Penisini (No. 197 overall), also generated negative WAR.

The “WAR” referred to is wins over replacement, a basic measure of the relative impact of a player at his position.

Obviously injuries to the top two picks, Okudah and RB D’Andre Swift, hampered the impact. Third-rounder Julian Okwara barely played due to his own injuries and that also hurt[jwplayer eNCqo5PI]. So did fourth-rounder Logan Stenberg being a healthy scratch all season despite myriad injuries to the offensive line. Cutting fifth-round RB Jason Huntley before the season didn’t help either, nor did final pick Jashon Cornell going on I.R. early in training camp.

Only the Jaguars, who swung and missed (as rookies) on first-round defenders C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chiasson, and the Broncos finished below the Lions.

It doesn’t mean the key pieces, namely Okudah, Swift and Okwara, can’t develop and emerge into bigger and better pieces as the Lions begin the rebuild under a new regime. But they did not get off to a good collective NFL start.

Detroit Lions Week 17 Rookie report: One last game to make an impression

There’s just one game left of the 2020 season, and the Detroit Lions’ rookie class is set to face off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.

There’s just one game left of the 2020 season, and the Detroit Lions’ rookie class is set to face off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.

With the team being eliminated from the playoffs, this is the time for these young players to get more playing time and get their final evaluations before the upcoming offseason.

The eight rookies remaining on the Lions’ roster have had very different seasons, but all could have a chance to make an impact on Sunday afternoon.

RB D’Andre Swift

Detroit is down to just three running backs and Swift is the clear number one as they prepare for Minnesota.

The rookie has struggled in recent weeks, due in part to the team going against some of the top defenses in the league. In each of the last two games, Swift had a fumble and has averaged 81 total yards from scrimmage.

Luckily for Swift, Minnesota is coming off a game where they allowed six touchdowns from a running back. This could open the door for the second-round pick from Georgia to have a big game.

OL Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg

Jackson had a spectacular start to the season and played well at both right and left guard on Detroit’s starting offensive line.

Much like Swift, he’s struggled in recent weeks, but still has only allowed four sacks on the year. At this point, it’s all but certain that Jackson remains as Detroit’s starting left guard for the foreseeable future.

Stenberg, on the other hand, has not had as great of a rookie season and is once again inactive for this game.

The fourth-round pick has only been active for two games and still couldn’t get any snaps on offense despite Detroit having more than their fair share of injuries to the offensive line.

EDGE Julian Okwara

Okwara returned from injured reserve last weekend and went on to record his first career stats.

Taking 20 defensive snaps against Tampa Bay, Okwara managed to make two tackles, one of which went for a loss of yardage.

He and Austin Bryant will serve as Detroit’s JACK linebackers against the Vikings. Expect about the same amount of production out of Detroit’s third-round pick in the final game of the season.

WR Quintez Cephus

Even with Kenny Golladay out, Cephus has not been able to capitalize on the extra offensive snaps that he’s been receiving.

Luckily for Cephus, he’s in a good situation to step up in this upcoming matchup. The rookie is the only currently active wide receiver under contract in Detroit past this season, meaning that the Lions may want to get some extended looks at him.

Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, and Mohamed Sanu all top the receiver depth chart, and all three are over 30 years old. This leaves a window open for the 22-year-old rookie to come in and make an impact on offense.

Cephus has 18 receptions for 298 yards and a score on the season and could record his second career touchdown on Sunday afternoon.

DL John Penisini

Penisini has anchored the defensive line as nose tackle for most of the season, but that could change now that top free-agency acquisition Danny Shelton is back on the active roster.

The rookie lineman took nearly three-fourths of the defensive snaps last weekend and recorded four tackles.

So far, the sixth-round rookie has exceeded expectations and has proven that he can be versatile from the interior of the defensive line. Penisini has four tackles-for-loss and a sack so far this season as well as one quarterback pressure and just one missed tackle.

Expect him to still have a bigger role on defense, but his snap counts will go down with Shelton back in the starting lineup.

TE Hunter Bryant

The undrafted rookie has one career reception for an impressive 44 yards. Right now, Bryant is the third tight end on the roster and is expected to have a very limited role.

S Bobby Price

With the release of Jayron Kearse, Price was signed to the active roster, but unfortunately, he was declared inactive for this game.

Week 16 snap counts: Finally healthy, Lions edge rushers get more playing time

Examining the Detroit Lions snap counts from their Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the Detroit Lions operating a skeleton coaching staff, dealing with a plethora of injuries, including losing Matthew Stafford after the first series, facing off against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team looking to clinch their first playoff appearance in over a decade, and led by arguably the best quarterback to ever set foot on the gridiron — the results were predictable.

An ugly 47-7 loss that featured almost no redeeming qualities, illustrated the fact that there is plenty of blame to be spread around the Lions organization.

The defense is currently getting most of the heat — allowing 47 points tend to do that — but the offense didn’t do them any favors. The offense’s inability to sustain drives afforded them only 53 snaps over 24-minutes, while the defense was forced to defend for 77 snaps over 36-minutes.

This imbalance pushed the Lions into situations where they needed to force the passing game, while also shifting to a more aggressive defense. Again, predictably, nothing worked.

With the Lions essentially telegraphing their gameplan, the Bucs merely adjusted accordingly, and Bucs coach Bruce Arians swiftly outmaneuvered the Lions’ inexperienced play-callers.

Looking forward, the Lions have one final game remaining in the 2020 season: at home against the Minnesota Vikings. If they hope to be competitive in Week 17, they will need significantly better output from their offense, while getting more efficiency out of their defense — specifically, their pass rushers, who are getting healthier and seeing more playing time.

That and more in this week’s snap count review.