Tag: Lions special teams

Jalen Reeves-Maybin voted 1st-team All-Pro on special teams by the NFLPA

Lions special teams captain Jalen Reeves-Maybin voted 1st-team All-Pro by the NFLPA

The NFL Players Association, or NFLPA, has released the results of the All-Pro balloting from the membership. One Lions player earned first-team honors in the NFLPA voting.

It’s linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who earned one of two spots as a designated core special teams player. Reeves-Maybin was outstanding in the role in his return to Detroit after a year away with the Houston Texans.

Center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell did not win the voting at their respective positions. The NFLPA only recognizes one player at each specific position on the offensive line.

Lions vs. Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions vs. Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for Saturday night’s edition of Monday Night Football

The Detroit Lions playing on Monday Night Football in the NFL’s penultimate weekend is pretty special, even though the MNF game will be played on Saturday night. It’s that oddity that swirls around the morning coffee mug as I anxiously await watching the NFC North champions play a de facto playoff game.

Or will it be a playoff game feel for Detroit? It certainly will for Dallas, what with the Cowboys playing for the NFC East title and the home playoff game(s) that comes with that. For the Lions? Detroit already wrapped up at least the No. 3 seed. The No. 2 and perhaps even No. 1 seed are still within reach, and that should be powerful enough motivation for Dan Campbell and his Lions players.

 

Why I think the Lions will win

  • The running game. It’s not just the combination of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, arguably the NFL’s best 1-2 punch at running back. It’s also not just Detroit’s intact offensive line, the top run-blocking unit (per PFF) in the league. It’s also the Cowboys being a defensive front that is designed to rush the passer and only rush the passer. They’re really freaking good at rushing the passer. Against the run? Dallas allows 4.98 yards per carry on 1st-and-10, 31st in the NFL. In the last five games, that figure balloons to 5.8. As long as Ben Johnson remembers to run, the Lions should thrive at it.
  • The run game, part two. Dallas is a league-average run offense. They’re 12th in yards per game and 15th in yards per carry. Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle aren’t a bad combo. But they’re not exceptional, and their offensive line hasn’t been up to typical Cowboys standards either. When Dallas has to run the ball, it’s not something they can reliably do. That’s especially true in the red zone, where the Cowboys are the NFL’s worst team at scoring touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line.
  • The Cowboys defense loves to take advantage of careless ball security and panicky quarterbacks to create takeaways. For most of the season, Jared Goff has been smart about avoiding calamitous plays like that. The Lions are tied for 20th in total fumbles, so it’s not a major issue for the offense, either.
  • For the first time in a long while, the Lions are the hunters in this game. The switch back to predator from being the prey should serve Campbell and the Lions well. The Cowboys don’t exactly have a recent history of handling the “big game” pressure all that well, either. Packers fans recall this about Mike McCarthy as the head coach, too.

What worries me about the Cowboys

  • Dak Prescott is the exact type of quarterback that gives the Lions defense fits. He’s a mobile QB who looks to throw down the field on the move more than he wants to run, though he can run, too. Prescott is having an MVP-caliber season, throwing with great accuracy and many fewer mistakes than he’s done in recent years. He used to be a guy that pressure would rattle into bad throws. This year, Prescott has learned the value of just taking the sack and living for the next down.
  • Prescott is one of the NFL’s best deep throwers, and he’s got some good downfield receivers in CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and even the best TE you’ve never heard of, Jake Ferguson. Detroit’s biggest defensive weakness is defending the deep pass — and that’s with top CB Cam Sutton healthy. Sutton is questionable with a toe injury, which could lead to downfield struggles even if he plays. Detroit’s black hole at outside CB opposite Sutton and issues with safeties understanding deeper coverage responsibilities are a very bad matchup against Dallas.
  • Micah Parsons and the Cowboys deep pass rush can make life miserable if the opponent has to throw. Quarterbacks like Goff, who lack mobility or quickness and savvy in the in-pocket movement department, typically don’t fare well against their quick pressure. It feeds into a playmaking secondary featuring Daron Bland, who has already set the NFL record for pick-sixes in a season. The Cowboys defense will gamble to try and get the big play, knowing that even if they give up a big play, their offense can usually cover up those misses. It’s wildly empowering for players like Parsons, Bland and dynamic young Markquese Bell, guys who live to make the highlight reel even if they don’t do the down-to-down play all that effectively.
  • The Cowboys special teams are fantastic, from dangerous return man Kavontae Turpin to stellar rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey, who is a perfect 33-of-33 on field goals. That includes 8-for-8 from beyond 50 yards. Punter Bryan Anger is having a stronger, more consistent year than Detroit’s Jack Fox, too — in part thanks to more reliable coverage units that do not blow assignments. If it comes down to a field position or field goal battle, Dallas has a major advantage over Detroit’s occasionally great but often average special teams.

Final score prediction

This is a tough one. Before the season, when going through the schedule, this was the easiest loss to predict on the entire Lions calendar. It still is, unfortunately. While the Lions’ strengths match up nicely with what Dallas doesn’t do well, the opposite is even truer in this matchup. Cowboys 33, Lions 28.

Lions special teams coordinator explains why the team made a change at kicker

Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp explains why the team made a change at kicker from Riley Patterson to Michael Badgley

Michael Badgley is the Lions’ new kicker. The change back to Badgley, the team’s primary kicker in 2022, took place last Saturday in Detroit’s win over the Broncos.

Badgley replaced Riley Patterson, who has since been released. The move had been in the works for some time, however. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp explained when their internal competition began and why the team switched back to Badgley in the season after Patterson had beaten him out over the summer.

“Internally, we had those guys competing in practice and so they would each get roughly six kicks a day and we’d kick them at least twice a week, so it was 12 kicks a week,” Fipp explained. “And over the course of six weeks, Badgley had been better, and we didn’t want to rush to make that decision right away. We felt like he deserved as fair of an opportunity as we could have given him, but it was clear at the end of the day that he was playing better.

Fipp continued,

“And so, ultimately, the way that I handle those decisions, I mean my job is to really have the best interest of the whole team in mind, or the whole locker room and all those players sitting in that meeting and it’s not just one person, but it’s really I have a responsibility to be fair to all them by playing whoever we think is the best player. And with a kicker it’s pretty clear. I mean makes and misses and percentages. And I do think that practice matters, and I do think that players trend towards what their practice stuff is.”

Fipp thought that the leg strength of the two are “very comparable”, but noted that Patterson missing two extra points in three games did play a factor.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin wins a rare honor for a Lions player

Reeves-Maybin became the first Lions non-specialist to win the Special Teams Player of the Week in almost 20 years

In a very deserving nod for a great game, Detroit LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 13. Reeves-Maybin had an outstanding effort on the punt and kick units in the Lions’ 33-28 win in New Orleans over the Saints.

The linebacker, who also played well in an expanded role on defense, recorded four tackles on special teams. That ties for the most by any player in a single game in 2023. Reeves-Maybin is the first non-specialist to win the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week this year.

In the process of winning the weekly honor, Reeves-Maybin becomes the first non-specialist to win the award in a Lions uniform in nearly 20 years. Safety Bracy Walker was the last Detroit player to win Special Teams Player of the Week without kicking or returning the ball, a feat he accomplished in Week 1 of the 2004 season.

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s Week 6 win

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s Week 6 win from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

Film review is always better after a victory. It’s a prevailing theme I am happily getting used to with the Detroit Lions.

Sunday’s win in Tampa Bay against a good Buccaneers team proved to be an interesting film study. In rewatching the broadcast feed and then poring over the All-22 tape, it was clear the Lions are a very good team, both talent and coaching.

Not every facet of the game was good for Detroit. Finding a way to overcome some negative aspects is a hallmark for a good team, and Dan Campbell’s Lions did just that in Week 6.

Here’s what stood out from the film review of Detroit’s 20-6 win:

 

 

4 Keys to a Lions victory against the Seahawks in Week 2

4 things the Detroit Lions need to do to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2

Momentum and hope are high coming off a hard-fought week in week one against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Detroit Lions hope to improve to 2-0 on Sunday with a victory against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks are coming off a very disappointing week one that was highlighted by their quarterback Geno Smith dealing with Aaron Donald and the Rams pass rush all game. After an offseason that saw them extend their quarterback and become one of the more complete rosters in the NFL, a loss to a bewildered Rams team in week one wasn’t on the table.

With the Lions looking to win against a Seahawks team attempting to prove their week one performance was a fluke, these keys to victory have extra importance.

Lions special teams ranked near the top in 2022

The Lions special teams ranked near the top in 2022 under coordinator Dave Fipp

Dave Fipp doesn’t typically get much attention as the special teams coach of the Detroit Lions. It’s understandable why, with so many recognizable former NFL players all over the coaching staff.

But Fipp has quietly emerged as one of the best special teams coaches in the league. His units have done very well in both of Fipp’s seasons in Detroit. The Lions special teams wound up among the NFL’s elite in 2022.

Longtime NFL analyst Rick Gosselin released his special teams rankings. It’s the 42nd year for Gosselin, a former Cowboys beat writer also known for his mock drafts, to compile his extensive special teams breakdown.

The Lions land at sixth in Gosselin’s rankings, which rank 22 different categories from 1-32 and tabulate the composite results. The fewer points, the better; Detroit finished with 292.5.

Interestingly, Gosselin notes the Lions had the fewest punts downed inside the opposing 20-yard line. Some of that is a function of head coach Dan Campbell’s aggressive nature in going for it on fourth downs near midfield.

The Gosselin rankings place the Lions lower than where Pro Football Focus graded Detroit’s special teams during the regular season. Fipp’s units earned the highest PFF overall special teams grade in 2022.

Assessing special teams involves some subjectivity, so when multiple evaluators come to the same conclusion, it’s a nice validation.

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Kalif Raymond wins NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Raymond is the fifth Lions player to win a Player of the Week award and the second to capture the Special Teams honor in 2022

Give it up for Lions wide receiver and return man Kalif Raymond. The hero of Detroit’s Week 15 win over the New York Jets won the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week honor for his efforts.

Raymond returned a punt for a 47-yard touchdown after the New York Jets’ opening drive, giving the Lions a 7-0 lead. His touchdown, Detroit’s first punt return TD of the season, held up in the end of the 20-17 win in New York.

It was the only time Raymond fielded the ball, but he also deserves credit for some saved yardage on another Jets punt. Raymond successfully diverted the coverage team away from a punt that should have been downed by the Jets inside the Detroit 5-yard line. It instead went for a touchback.

Raymond is the fifth Lions player to win a Player of the Week award this year. Kicker Michael Badgley also won the Special Teams Player of the Week award back in Week 13. Rookies Kerby Joseph and Aidan Hutchinson won Defensive Player of the Week awards, while wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown earned an Offensive honor back in Week 2.

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Lions coach Dan Campbell: Special teams are the tiebreaker in roster decisions

Campbell went into great detail about how important special teams are in making bottom-of-roster decisions

With roster cutdowns looming before Tuesday’s deadline, Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered some insight into the decision-making process on the roster bubble players.

“Always the tiebreaker is going to be special teams. That’s the first, and I mean if it’s close at all, it needs to be somebody we know can help us on special teams,” Campbell said before Friday’s practice. Campbell put special teams above dependability and trust in his pecking order.

Those words reinforced what Lions coaches have stressed all summer both on and off the record. The bottom-of-roster players must prove they can be assets on punting and kickoff units. Campbell and his staff devoted over a third of Tuesday night’s final padded practice to special teams blocking and coverage drills, and the players attacked it like their jobs depended upon it.

Campbell extrapolated on the value of special teams and positional importance with a later answer in the same press conference.

“The backup safety position is big right now. And as it relates to special teams, the backup linebacker, forget even these guys are jockeying for positions as starters, but also the backend of that, relative to the halfbacks. Who’s going to help us more on special teams? The receivers, relative to the DBs. The tight ends relative to the linebackers or running backs, like who’s going to give us the most bang for our buck on special teams plays a lot into it.

So that’s why I say – like there’s going to be some guys here potentially, I’m looking for a couple of guys on special teams to really – I want to see them light it up and if they do, it may not have anything to do with how good somebody does on offense or defense. Like if they show up the way I think they can on special teams, they’re going to earn a spot. So, that’s just, that’s kind of where we’re at. And that’s why a lot can happen between now and Monday or Tuesday.”

In other words, pay very close attention to the special teams units when the Lions play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final preseason game on Sunday afternoon. For some players (think Tom Kennedy, Justin Jackson, JuJu Hughes, Trinity Benson, Josh Woods among others) it means more than their contributions on offense or defense in terms of their Lions roster destinies…

Lions special teams thrived in 2021 season rankings

Lions special teams thrived in 2021 season rankings from Sports Illustrated’s Rick Gosselin

The Detroit Lions switched out two long-time special teams fixtures for the 2021 season. Based on the results, the team didn’t suffer much in the move to replace Matt Prater and Don Muhlbach.

The Lions remained in the top 10 of the special teams unit rankings from Sports Illustrated’s Rick Gosselin in his annual compilation of the top groups. Punter Jack Fox was joined by new long snapper Scott Daly and (eventually) rookie kicker Riley Patterson as real assets for the Lions’ special teams.

Detroit finished seventh in the rankings, well behind the top-rated Baltimore Ravens but comfortably ahead of all teams outside the top 10. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp led a unit that finished second overall in punting and third in opposing starting field position.

Gosselin notes one tidbit that helped the Lions in the rankings,

Only four teams did not suffer any negative plays on special teams – no blocked kicks, turnovers or return touchdowns: Detroit, the New York Giants, Seattle and Tampa Bay.

As we all witnessed in Green Bay’s divisional round loss to the 49ers, negative special teams plays can be catastrophic for a team. Detroit’s return game wasn’t great, but the Lions didn’t give the ball away.