Tag: Kerryon Johnson

Detroit Lions Week 14: Comprehensive depth chart vs Packers

Examining the Detroit Lions depth chart as they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 14.

In this comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions roster, we will be examining not only the positional depth chart but also looking at who coaches will turn to in specific situations, including who will step up in case of injury.

With Darrell Bevell now in charge, things are still a bit unpredictable, but based on last week’s game versus the Chicago Bears, this is our best guess at this time.

Here’s a look at the Lions depth chart as they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 14.

Note: Starters will be listed in BOLD and you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles.

Quarterback

  • Matthew Stafford (9) — Questionable, expected to play
  • Chase Daniel (4)
  • David Blough (10) — INACTIVE

Running back

  • D’Andre Swift (32) — Questionable
  • Adrian Peterson (28)
  • Kerryon Johnson (33)
  • Jonathan Williams (41) — INACTIVE

Third Down back

  • Kerryon Johnson (33)
  • D’Andre Swift (32)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)

Fullback

  • Jason Cabinda (45)

Wide receiver

  • Kenny Golladay (19) — Ruled OUT
  • Marvin Jones Jr. (11) 
  • Danny Amendola (80)
  • Mohamad Sanu (12)
  • Quintez Cephus (87)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)

Slot receiver

  • Danny Amendola (80)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)
  • Hunter Bryant (86)

Tight end

  • T.J. Hockenson (88)
  • Jesse James (83)
  • Hunter Bryant (86)

Expected starting offensive line

Reserve offensive line

  • LT – Joe Dahl (66), Dan Skipper (70) — elevated for Week 14
  • LG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • C – Joe Dahl (66), Jonah Jackson (73)
  • RG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • RT – Dan Skipper (70), Joe Dahl (66)

Interior defensive line

  • John Penisini (91), NT — Questionable
  • Nick Williams (97), DT
  • Da’Shawn Hand (93), Big DE, DT — Questionable
  • Kevin Strong (92), 3T, Big DE
  • Frank Herron (75), 3T, Big DE — INACTIVE

EDGE Rushers

Off-the-ball linebacker

  • Jamie Collins (58), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Jahlani Tavai (51), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Christian Jones (52), JACK, WILL
  • Reggie Ragland (59), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Jarrad Davis (40), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44), MIKE, WILL
  • Miles Killebrew (35), Hang

Cornerback

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Slot cornerback

  • Justin Coleman (27)
  • Darryl Roberts (29)
  • Mike Ford (38)

Safety

  • Duron Harmon (26), Single-high, JOKER
  • Jayron Kearse (42), JOKER
  • Tracy Walker (21), JOKER, Single-high, Nickel CB
  • Will Harris (25), JOKER, Single-high
  • C.J. Moore (49), Single-high — Questionable — INACTIVE
  • Miles Killebrew (35), JOKER
  • Bobby Price (47), JOKER — Elevated for Week 14

Third-safety

  • Tracy Walker (21)
  • Will Harris (25)

Kicking team

  • Matt Prater (5) — placekicker
  • Jack Fox (3) — punter, holder, kickoffs
  • Don Muhlbach (48) — long snapper

Kick returns

  • Jamal Agnew (39) — kick returner and punt returner
  • Danny Amendola (80) — reserve returner

Kick coverage

  • Tracy Walker (21) — gunner
  • Bobby Price (47) — gunner
  • Mike Ford (38) — reserve gunner
  • Miles Killebrew (35) — five-phase specialist
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — five-phase specialist
  • Jason Cabinda (53) — five-phase specialist
  • Will Harris (25) –five-phase specialist
  • C.J. Moore (49) — Personal Protector (PP)

Teams final injury reports

Injured reserve/COVID-19

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury designations: Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, Jeff Okudah ruled OUT

The Detroit Lions (5-7) injury designations ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers (9-3) and Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah have been ruled OUT.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) have declared their injury designations ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers (9-3) and three starters have been ruled out: Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah.

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 Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice No Practice No Practice OUT

This has been trending in this direction all week.

Golladay will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by Mohamad Sanu, while rookie Quintez Cephus has proven he is capable — and deserving — of a larger role in the offense moving forward.

Crosby will be replaced at right tackle by Matt Nelson, and with a depth deficiency at tackle, expect a practice squad elevation of Dan Skipper on Saturday. Skipper, or possibly Joe Dahl, will be the only remaining options if the Lions suffer another injury at offensive tackle.

With Okudah out, the Lions will continue to roll with Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Darryl Roberts at corner, with Mike Ford as the fourth option, backing up all three spots.

Questionable

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Right Thumb Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice Limited Practice Full Practice Questionable
John Penisini Shoulder Not Listed Not Listed Limited Practice Questionable
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable

Stafford should be ready to roll once again.

With Swift’s illness being identified as migraine headaches, there has been speculation swirling around his original concussion diagnosis that unexpectedly popped up a few weeks back. Bevell did his best to explain the situation — while trying to maintain Swift’s privacy publicly — at his morning press conference, but there is a fine line of difference between the two ailments.

As far as Swift’s availability/playing time this weekend, Bevell continues to say Swift is “trending in the right direction”, but also doesn’t plan on relying on him to jump back into a full-time role.

Penisini showed up on the injury report as limited today and was given a questionable designation. He will likely be evaluated on Saturday to see how his shoulder is progressing, and if he is not downgraded, there’s a good chance he will play on Sunday.

Hand and Bryant continue to string together limited practices, but will either finally return to action this week? It still looks like a coin flip.

Moore getting back on the field after injuring his ankle last Sunday and missing practice on Wednesday is a good sign, but he’s not out of the woods yet. His status will likely be decided during warmups on Sunday.

No Injury Designation

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice Full Practice Full Practice No Designation
Everson Griffen Non-injury related Not Listed Not Listed No Practice No Designation

Johnson looks fully ready to play, and with no injury designation, he should get a full complement of snaps on Sunday.

Griffen missed today’s practice with a non-injury, so this listing is just a formality — he’s good to go.

Injured reserve

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report: No practice for Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, or Jeff Okudah on Thursday

Updating the Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report after their Thursday practice.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) took the practice field on Thursday, preparing to host the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14. Kenny Golladay, Tyrell Crosby, and Jeff Okudah remain sidelined, while D’Andre Swift got in a second limited practice in a row, and Kerryon Johnson was upgraded to full participation.

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

Injured reserve

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No Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice No Practice
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice No Practice

“There’s a lot of working on the side, and there’s times that we’ll see him out there on the field trying to get work,” Darrell Bevell said of Golladay. “But he’s doing everything that he can to get back. Just as far as the timeframe, I can’t give you enough information on that.”

It doesn’t seem like Golladay will be ready for this weekend.

Crosby also missing a second practice means the Lions will likely be leaning on their fourth option at offensive tackle in Matt Nelson.

“I think the groin’s been one that he’s been battling,” Darrell Bevell said of Okudah. “He also had the shoulder from — I think it was the Carolina game if I remember correctly. That thing’s kind of subsided, but as we were doing other things, the groin kind of became more of an issue. That’s what we’re working with right now.”

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Right Thumb Limited Practice Limited Practice
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice Limited Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice Limited Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice Limited Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice Limited Practice

Stafford continues to roll along.

“I thought yesterday was one of the better days that he had,” Bevell said of Swift. “So, I liked where he was at.” While they’re happy with his progress, Bevell also noted that they’re going to continue taking it slow with him and that his potential level of participation in the game will be determined by how much he participates in practice.

Hand and Bryant getting in back-to-back limited practices is encouraging, as is Moore being upgraded to limited participation, but until any of them sees a full practice, they all remain firmly on the fence.

Full Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice Full Practice

Johnson getting in a full practice on Wednesday, and based on Bevell’s approach to the position, he should be able to return to his regular spot in the rotation on Sunday.

Packers’ Report

This section will be filled in once the Packers release their injury report for the day.

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Detroit Lions Week 14 injury report: Golladay still unable to practice, Swift returns

Updating the Detroit Detroit Lions (5-7) are hosting the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14, and like most weeks near the end of the season, Wednesday’s practice was a mixed bag of positive and negative results.

Starter Kenny Golladay and Jeff Okudah remained sidelined to open practice this week, while D’Andre Swift and Da’Shawn Hand were able to get in some work.

The Detroit Lions (5-7) are hosting the Green Bay Packers (9-3) in Week 14, and like most weeks near the end of the season, Wednesday’s practice was a mixed bag of positive and negative results.

Starter Kenny Golladay and Jeff Okudah remained sidelined to open practice this week, while D’Andre Swift and Da’Shawn Hand were able to get in some work.

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

Injured reserve

Okwara began practicing last week and Flowers has been seen working with trainers on the sidelines of practice, which is typically an indicator a player is getting ready to return to practice. When asked about the possibility of Flowers returning in 2020, interim coach Darrell Bevell said, “He’s progressing that way, I think that’s his mindset, which is probably the most important thing, and we’re looking forward to that day.”

No Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
Kenny Golladay Hip No Practice
Tyrell Crosby Ankle No Practice
Jeff Okudah Groin No Practice
C.J. Moore Ankle No Practice

Golladay continues to get positive reports from Bevell, yet he remains absent on the field.

Crosby injured his ankle, had to leave the Bears game early, and was unable to return. With Hal Vaitai on injured reserve, Crosby was replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Nelson, who appears to be in line to start this week if Crosby is unable to play. Offensive tackle Dan Skipper has been protected on the practice squad as insurance.

Okudah’s shoulder injury is no more, but now he is listed with a groin injury. Suffering a soft tissue injury while trying to recover from another separate injury is a common occurrence for young players.

Moore also injured his ankle in last Sunday’s game and was replaced in the lineup by Bobby Price on special teams. Price has also been protected on the practice squad this week.

Limited practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Matthew Stafford Thumb Limited Practice
D’Andre Swift Illness Limited Practice
Kerryon Johnson Knee Limited Practice
Da’Shawn Hand Groin Limited Practice
Austin Bryant Thigh Limited Practice

Stafford’s injury appears to be a non-issue. Move along.

At his morning press conference, Bevell suggested they would be taking it slow with Swift as he re-acclimates to practice. “When you take that much time off and you’re not out there running around full speed, (you) don’t want to give him full go and then have him have a soft tissue injury or anything.”

Bevell also suggested they would also take their time with Johnson, but he would go through his typical routines. “We’re still going to continue to treat him like we normally do. He’s a veteran player, so we’ll continue to monitor him during the week. On Wednesday, we’re usually a little bit lighter and then kind of ramp him up as the week goes. We’ll continue to do that, and there’s really no change in his status.”

Hand and Bryant have both missed the last several weeks and a limited practice for both is encouraging. Bryant got in a week’s worth of limited practices last week before being downgraded on Saturday and eventually out on Sunday. He seems further along than Hand who is just seeing the field for the first time today since injuring his groin.

Full Practice

Player Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Designation
No Players Full Practice

There are no players listed in this section at this current time.

Packers’ Report

This section will be updated once the Packers report their injuries.

Detroit Lions Week 13: Comprehensive depth chart

Examining the Detroit Lions depth chart as they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 13.

In this comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions roster, we will be examining not only the positional depth chart but also looking at who coaches will turn to in specific situations, including who will step up in case of injury.

With Darrell Bevell now running the team, there’s a lot of things that could potentially change, but based on the personnel available, this is our best guess at this time.

Here’s a look at the Lions depth chart as they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 13.

Note: Starters will be listed in BOLD and you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles.

Quarterback

  • Matthew Stafford (9) — Questionable, expected to play
  • Chase Daniel (4)
  • David Blough (10) – INACTIVE

Running back

Third Down back

  • Kerryon Johnson (33)
  • D’Andre Swift (32)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)

Fullback

  • Jason Cabinda (45)

Wide receiver

Slot receiver

  • Danny Amendola (80)
  • Jamal Agnew (39)
  • Hunter Bryant (86)

Tight end

Expected starting offensive line

  • LT — Taylor Decker (68)
  • LG — Jonah Jackson (73)
  • C — Frank Ragnow (77)
  • RG — Oday Aboushi (73)
  • RT — Tyrell Crosby (65) 

Reserve offensive line

  • LT – Tyrell Crosby (65), Matt Nelson (67)
  • LG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • C – Joe Dahl (66), Jonah Jackson (73)
  • RG – Joe Dahl (66), Logan Stenberg (61)
  • RT – Matt Nelson (67), Joe Dahl (66)

Interior defensive line

EDGE Rushers

  • Romeo Okwara (95), DDE, 3T, JACK
  • Everson Griffen (98), DDE, 3T
  • Austin Bryant (94), JACK, DDE — Doubtful (thigh) – INACTIVE

Off-the-ball linebacker

  • Jamie Collins (58), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Reggie Ragland (59), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Christian Jones (52), JACK, WILL — No injury designation
  • Jahlani Tavai (51), WILL, JACK, MIKE
  • Jarrad Davis (40), MIKE, WILL, JACK
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44), MIKE, WILL
  • Miles Killebrew (35), Hang

Cornerback

Slot cornerback

  • Justin Coleman (27)
  • Darryl Roberts (29)

Safety

  • Duron Harmon (26), Single-high, JOKER
  • Jayron Kearse (42), JOKER
  • Tracy Walker (21), JOKER, Single-high — Questionable (Paternity)
  • Will Harris (25), JOKER, Single-high
  • C.J. Moore (49), Single-high
  • Miles Killebrew (35), JOKER
  • Bobby Price (47), JOKER — Elevated for Week 13

Third-safety

  • Tracy Walker (21)
  • Will Harris (25)
  • C.J. Moore (49)

Kicking team

  • Matt Prater (5) — placekicker
  • Jack Fox (3) — punter, holder, kickoffs
  • Don Muhlbach (48) — long snapper

Kick returns

  • Jamal Agnew (39) — kick returner and punt returner
  • Danny Amendola (80) — reserve returner

Kick coverage

  • Jamal Agnew (39) — gunner
  • Mike Ford (38) — gunner
  • Bobby Price (47) — reserve gunner
  • Tracy Walker (21) — reserve gunner
  • Miles Killebrew (35) — five-phase specialist
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — five-phase specialist
  • Jason Cabinda (53) — five-phase specialist
  • Will Harris (25) –five-phase specialist
  • C.J. Moore (49) — Personal Protector (PP)

Teams final injury reports

Injured reserve/PUP list

Bob Quinn’s 10 worst decisions as the Lions GM

Ranking the 10 worst moves from Bob Quinn as the Detroit Lions GM

The Bob Quinn era is over in Detroit. After five years of increasingly disappointing outcomes, the Lions fired the general manager after Thursday’s humiliating loss to the Houston Texans on national television.

Quinn had some positives during his reign, to be sure. But he’s out of Detroit because the negatives outweighed them, quite dramatically in some cases.

With some input from fellow Lions Wire editor Erik Schlitt, here are the 10 worst decisions Bob Quinn made during his run as the Lions GM.

 

3 Lions Stars of the game: Adrian Peterson scores a pair of TDs

The Detroit Lions lost at the hands of the Houston Texans, but this week’s 3 stars did their best to keep them in the game.

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With the Detroit Lions suffering yet another 41-25 blowout loss, this time at the hands of the Houston Texans, this season is about done as much a leftover turkey.

The offense was able to gain some traction early on, but the same story/ different game drove them down in a deep grave. Between the ill-timed turnovers and the frustrating conservative plays, it left everyone in the building and at home scratching their heads and wondering what exactly are they trying to accomplish.

Between Deshaun Watson and Will Fuller, the defense could not slow the Texans high powered passing offense and look totally unprepared. With the broken coverages and assignment misreads, they were able to punch the ball down the field with no issues. When you leave the best receiver on the field wide open, you know today is just not your day.

This may be the final nail in the coffin for this regime, and it’s not just a matter of if, but a matter of when they move on from these individuals who are driving the team.

There isn’t much good to take away from this game, but a few players did their best to keep the Lions in the game.

Here are this week’s LionsWire 3 stars of the week.

1st Star: Adrian Peterson

Peterson has been given a lot of grief for a while now this season due to his ineffectiveness and the emergence of D’Andre Swift, but today he was able to shoulder some of the burdens. He started the game slowly, but the Lions went to him as their power back, scoring two touchdowns in the first half and finishing the day with 55 yards with 3.7 yards per attempt.

Regrettably, the Lions were unable to take full advantage of a disastrous Texans run defense, but Peterson did his best to keep the Lions within striking distance. The Lions leaned on Peterson with five straight runs to get them in Houston territory to start off the second half but only saw three points out of the drive. Swift looks to be on the mend, so it will be interesting to see how the Lions will use Peterson going forward, especially if the Lions decide to go a different direction.

2nd Star: Kerryon Johnson

Johnson has been sitting patiently to get his chances this season, and this was by far his best game of the season, bringing into question why he isn’t getting more opportunities. While splitting snaps between Peterson and Jonathan Williams, he was able to contribute on the ground and in the air with 98 total scrimmage yards and continued to show off his pass blocking ability.

Johnson was able to fully take the next man up mentality, especially with the sheer amount of injuries surrounding the team. Even though Johnson coughed up the ball, Stafford continued to look his way to get the ball in his hands. Hopefully, the Lions liked what they saw for Johnson and continue to go his way. With the season going the way it is, why not see what the young man can do the rest of the way.

3rd Star: T.J. Hockenson

After being announced as the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter among tight ends, Hockenson continued to make his case why he should make his first Pro Bowl. With Danny Amendola missing his second straight game, Stafford found his favorite target five times for 89 yards and had his longest catch and this beautiful trick play.

Not only was his catching ability on display today, but he also had a perfect block that sealed the gap for Peterson to score on his second touchdown. It would be nice to see Hockenson find the endzone more often, but one has to be happy with how much progress the second-year tight end has made and looks to a building block for this organization.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 90 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 50 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 30 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points

The Lions look to be in the middle of the crossroads and have some major decisions on the horizon. Going into this week, there was almost zero hope and excitement for the Lions against the Texans, and that is not a good thing to have, especially with the number of questions that need answering.

With a long week ahead for the Lions, they will have an ample amount of time to prepare for their division game against the Chicago Bears on the road. Now, who knows how this team will look by then, but hopefully, they come more prepared than they have been the last few weeks.

Week 11 snap counts: Lions fail in attempt to replace injured players

Examining the Detroit Lions Week 11 snap counts following their 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The Detroit Lions entered Week 11 with several injuries, including five starters missing the game: running back D’Andre Swift, wide receiver Kenny Golladay, slot receiver Danny Amendola, defensive end Trey Flowers (injured reserve), and defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.

Make no mistake, this is not an excuse for the embarrassing 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, because this team is supposed to have the depth to overcome the long grind of an NFL season. This is merely an observation that the Lions current team did not have any answers when it came to adjusting to and overcoming difficult circumstances.

Unfortunately, this has been a calling card of this coaching staff over the last three seasons. Smart preparation at the beginning of the week, but when a wrench gets thrown into the works, they flounder when it comes to adjusting.

On most weeks, the difficultly adjusting happens on game day, but this week, this game may have very well been decided on Thursday when Swift was forced out of action with a concussion and Golladay was downgraded at practice.

Instead of readjusting their game plan for a Swift-less offense, it appeared the Lions instead decided to plug ahead with the same game plan and replace Swift with Kerryon Johnson and leaning on Adrian Peterson slightly more. That’s a tough spot for Johnson, as his and Swift’s skill sets don’t exactly lineup.

At wide receiver, expecting Marvin Hall and Quintez Cephus to be able to do what Golladay does is also wishful thinking. This is not a knock on Hall or Cephus either. They are all capable players in their own ways, but they also need to be put into the right circumstances to succeed.

This is the major flaw in thinking that the “next man up” can just jump into another player’s role without adjusting the game plan. And this flaw is the biggest reason no coach in the NFL is sitting on a hotter seat than Matt Patricia.

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

3 things I, Shea Brennaman, want to see from Auburn in last 4 games

Shea Brennaman doesn’t ask for much but is requesting these three things out of Auburn in the Tigers last for games.

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What a week for a bye week am I right?

We’re more than halfway through this abbreviated college football season. As it stands right now, Auburn sits third in the SEC West behind Alabama and Texas A&M who the Tigers conveniently play back-to-back at the end of their schedule. The Tigers are 4-2 and seemingly turned a corner offensively this past weekend against LSU. Can they hold on to that momentum when this bye week concludes?

With only four games remaining on Auburn’s schedule there are a few things I would like to see to ensure the Tigers finish on a high note.

1. Continuous improvement in third-down and passing defense

Through the first six games of this season, Auburn has allowed opponents an average of 236 yards per game. Sure that’s doable, but three of the four teams remaining on Auburn’s schedule are averaging well over 236 yards per game. Here are Auburn’s future opponents and where they currently stand in passing offense:

  • Mississippi State – ranked 18th overall, averaging 318.6 ypg
  • Tennessee – averaging 188.2 ypg
  • Alabama – ranked 3rd overall, averaging 380 ypg
  • Texas A&M – ranked 40th overall, averaging 252.2 ypg

In the Tigers’ last two games the passing defense shut down two top 20 passing offenses in both LSU and Ole Miss. Auburn only allowed LSU (who averages 338 passing ypg) 315 yards and forced three turnovers. The Tigers allowed Ole Miss (who averages 325.3 ypg) only 161 yards and forced two turnovers.

It would appear that at this point in the season the Tigers are coming along nicely in passing defense, but goodness gracious they have to get off the field on third down against both Alabama and Texas A&M.

The Tigers are ranked 103rd overall in third-down defense and its opponents are 49/94 on third down. Both Alabama and Texas A&M are ranked in the top five on third-down conversions. This next topic may assist the Tigers on defense in a multitude of ways, however.

2. The return of KJ Britt

The All-SEC linebacker had thumb surgery following the Georgia game and has not played since, but is expected to return for both Alabama and Texas A&M. In his first two games this season he recorded 23 tackles. The defense has managed well in his absence, but Britt’s leadership and experience will be impactful when he returns.

3. KEEP RUNNING THE BALL

Auburn is outrushing opponents by an average of 15.6 yards per game. The Tigers have scored 10 rushing touchdowns and average 4.67 yards per rush. This is obviously in huge part to freshman stud Tank Bigsby. In six games Bigsby has rushed for 503 total yards and five touchdowns.

Is it doable for Tank to become Auburn’s next 1,000 yard rusher? Probably, but he’ll have to put in absolute work in Auburn’s remaining games. After Kerryon Johnson’s string of injuries in 2017 I live in fear of the Tigers running their star RB into the ground, so I really want to see other backs in the rotation here.

DJ Williams was limited after the Georgia game and did not play this past weekend against LSU. I would love to see him return soon. Another back who has been missing in action this season is Shaun Shivers. Shivers missed the Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas games due to an undisclosed injury but returned to action just in time to deliver a Shivers’ hit to LSU star defensive back Derek Stingley Jr.

I want to see more of both of them in the backfield rotation.

Auburn I know I don’t ask for much, but if you give us these three things the possibilities could be endless. Take the bye week to think about it if you must.

How every former Tiger performed in Week 8 of the NFL

While Cam Newton and the Patriots continue to struggle the Tampa Bay Bucs have emerged as a serious title contender.

While Cam Newton and the Patriots continue to struggle, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have emerged as a serious title contender.

The Bucs’ offense is certainly part of the reason why, but the defense led by Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean is one of the top units in the NFL and deserves some recognition.

Here is how every former Tiger played in Week 8 of the NFL season.