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 3 Stars of the game: Marvin Jones continues dominance over Vikings

The Detroit Lions lose to the Minnestoa Vikings to end the season, but this weeks 3 stars did the best they could to end the season better

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It was a fitting end to what would ultimately be one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Detroit Lions, dropping their season-ender to the Minnesota Vikings 37-35.

The Lions’ offense looked in peak form with Matthew Stafford at the helm.  He dropped dimes all over the field and the rushing attack mustered up 129 yards. However, the defense continued to struggle with tackling and gave up several chunk plays that led to points.

Even though the Vikings defense faced similar struggles, their offense overcame those issues, totaling 508 yards of total offense and doing enough to squeak out the victory.

Even though the Lions couldn’t end their season on a better note, some stellar performances this week deserve some recognition. Here are Lions Wire’s 3 stars of Week 17:

1st Star: Marvin Jones, Jr.

No one knows exactly why Marvin Jones seems to find major success against the Vikings, but he flexed his dominance once again this week. Jones hauled in eight catches on 11 targets for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He shouldn’t have a third one, but the refs made another controversial call determining he did not fully control the ball when going to the ground.

Jones also made Lions history hauling in 36 touchdowns in his Detroit career, good for third-most in team history. He has been a wonderful acquisition to the Lions when they needed him the most. Now a free agent, it will be hard to tell if the new regime will want to bring in back or not. Either way, he has been amazing to watch, and we at Lions Wire hope the best for him and his family.

2nd Star: Matthew Stafford

There is no way around it; Stafford is the heart and soul of this team. It would take an act of God to keep him from play football, and even then, that may not stop him. Lingering around with a thumb, rib, and ankle injuries, Stafford slung the ball for 295 yards and three touchdowns — and probably should have had more if not for ill-timed drops and head-scratching ref calls.

He did have a bad interception when he eyed Marvin Jones too long, but other than that, he was the vintage quarterback we have come to love.

With the season closing and a regime overhaul headed to Allen Park, Stafford’s status with the team has come up on numerous occasions with talks of a full rebuild.

No one can doubt this man’s heart for this city, and he will always take care of his team and community. It is hard to say what the new regime will do with the veteran quarterback, but Stafford has earned the right to have a say in Detroit’s future.

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3rd Star: Kevin Strong Jr.

With numerous injuries along the defensive line, Strong found his way back on the Lions roster after he was cut earlier in the season. Strong ended the season with enough good game film to warrant a look from the new coaching staff. In Week 17, he tallied three total tackles (two solo) with two quarterback hits and his first career sack.

Strong is a fringe player, but with a position group struggling to find healthy bodies, he showed why he belongs on the football field. It’s too early to tell if he will find his way back on the team next year with the several changes on the horizon, but he is proven to a rotational depth piece, and every team needs those players.

Star standings after Week 17:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Jack Fox: 80 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Romeo Okwara: 50 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Jamal Agnew: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points
  • Kevin Strong Jr.: 10 points

It has been a tough season for everyone involved. With new ownership taking the search for a new GM and head coach very seriously, we will likely see significant changes on the horizon and create a culture that is best suited for the Motor City.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire for a full season recap of the 2020 Detroit Lions 3 Stars.

Week 17 Studs and Duds: Marvin Jones makes Detroit Lions’ history

Identifying the Detroit Lions studs and duds from their Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings, wrapping up the 2020 season.

In the most fitting end to a season ever, the Detroit Lions lost a close one to the Minnesota Vikings 37-35.

This may have been the most complete game that Detroit has played all season, and it could have ended differently if it weren’t for some questionable calls by the officials.

Nevertheless, some players had career days, and others had ones that they’ll hope to forget.

Stud: Romeo Okwara

In what feels like the first time in forever, a Lions defender has recorded double-digit sacks in a season.

Okwara made it clear that he’s ready for a big contract as he prepares for free agency with an easy sack against Vikings’ right tackle Brian O’Neill to get his tenth sack of 2020.

Stud: Marvin Jones

In what could be his last game as a Detroit Lion, Jones decided to have himself a career day.

The veteran receiver hauled in four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in the first half and began the second half with another 26-yard score.

Not only did he have a great showing, but he got his name in the Lions’ history books as well with the third-most receiving touchdowns (36) in team history.

Dud: Jahlani Tavai

The former second-round pick is not playing as he’ll be in the league next season. Missed tackles have plagued his career and this game was no different. Even when he was able to get his hands on a Vikings player, he was rarely able to bring them down.

He showed flashes of potential as a rookie, but this year has made it clear that Tavai is not a franchise linebacker in Detroit.

Stud: Quintez Cephus

As the only wide receiver under contract going into next season, Cephus provided some much-needed optimism for Detroit.

The fifth-round rookie played in a fairly limited role against Minnesota but was still able to make a spectacular catch in coverage for his second career score. He hasn’t made too big of a splash this season, but it sure looks like he’s ready for a bigger role in 2021.

Dud: Duron Harmon

In what might be the most embarrassing defensive play for Detroit in the 2020 season. Harmon found himself moseying around as backup Vikings receiver Chad Beebe found the endzone.

Beebe easily broke out of a tackle, another Lions defender missed, and Harmon was there, just standing and staring at the young receiver.

While Harmon has had an overall successful tenure in Detroit so far, this play was one that will haunt him.

Dud: Mohamed Sanu

Twice in this game, Sanu found himself in the position to make a big play but couldn’t come up with the ball.

On what could have been one of the best throws of Stafford’s career, Sanu dropped a would-be 52-yard touchdown pass in double coverage. He later dropped another pass that would have moved the sticks for Detroit.

Contract status of every Detroit Lions player heading into the 2021 offseason

Examining the contract status of every Detroit Lions player heading into the 2021 offseason, with position group is broken down into detail.

The Detroit Lions 2020 season is over and that means we’re on to the offseason.

Here, we will examine the contract status of every Lions player as the team heads into the 2021 offseason in order to get a better understanding of the team’s depth and needs.

Key Terms:

  • UFA = Unrestricted Free Agents are free to sign with any team come free agency
  • RFA = Restricted Free Agents can receive offers from other teams but the Lions hold the rights to match the offer or potentially receive compensation for losing the player
  • ERFA = Exclusive Rights Free Agents are only allowed to negotiate contracts with the Lions unless the team chooses to let them explore free agency
  • SFA = Street/Other Free Agents are players who were signed to any NFL franchise’s roster in 2020, but not on the active roster at season’s end. For this exercise, players on the Lions’ practice squad, who have seen their contracts expire, are now eligible to sign a Futures Deal with any team.
  • Of note: a futures deal is a contract — typically the league minimum with no guarantees — that allows younger players to be offered an early spot on a team’s 90-man roster, but their salary doesn’t impact the team’s salary cap until the league’s new year begins — in March when the unrestricted free agency period opens.
  • 2021 Cap Hit = This won’t always equal the amount of money a player is paid for the season, but it is an account of how much he will count against the team’s salary cap if he is on the 2021 roster.
  • Guarantees remaining = this is the remaining guaranteed money owed to the player over the remainder of his contract, not just 2021. If the Lions move on from a player with guaranteed money, that amount will count against the Lions cap, even though the player is no longer on the roster.

Players are grouped by position, with the starters bolded.

Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: 2020 Week 16 preview

Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: 2020 Week 16 preview

With it being the holiday season it is time to look at some of the best gifts under the fantasy football tree this year. The biggest present under the tree was one of the biggest running back in the NFL and that is Derrick Henry (RB Titans). Probably the best gift in all of fantasy football is a league winning type running back and Henry helps provide that by getting a heavy workload each week, rushing yards often in the high triples figures consistently, and plenty of touchdowns.

Most times kids at Christmas want the newest and shiniest type of toys under the tree. In fantasy football, those new toys are the rookies that enter the league each year and get fantasy owners very excited. The top rookie gifts this year have been Justin Jefferson (WR Vikings), Jonathan Taylor (RB Colts), Joe Burrow (QB Bengals), and D’Andre Swift (RB Lions). These rookies along with others have been good fantasy players this season and have bright futures ahead.

Lions vs. Buccaneers fantasy focus

Fantasy owners in 2020 continued to hope for the gift of a Kenny Golladay return, but that still hasn’t come since he left the field in early November. Kenny is looking for a large gift in the form of a new contract either from the Detroit Lions or some other team after this season is over. He played great for the limited time he played during this football season, but Kenny and fantasy owners alike will hope for much better gifts for him and from him next season when he hits the field again.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers skill players have had an up and down year throughout this season. Tom Brady (QB Buccanneers) has been a bit inconsistent at times and brilliant at other moments. Chris Godwin (WR Buccaneers) was poised for another breakout year until hand, finger, and other injuries forced him to miss multiple games. Mike Evans always seems to be dealing with multiple nagging injuries in between the tremendous catches he often makes on the football field. With all of that being said though the team is in prime playoff position and Antonio Brown (WR Buccaneers) seems to just be rounding into shape too.

The Detroit Lions have enjoyed having D’Andre Swift (RB Lions) back at running back, Marvin Jones (WR Lions) has impressed at wide receiver once again, and T.J. Hockenson (TE Lions) was named as the NFC Pro Bowl starting tight end after his second season in the NFL has been a great showing in a multitude of ways for the former Iowa prospect. The talk about the Lions centers around the toughness and quality play of quarterback Matthew Stafford in recent weeks though. Stafford has been playing great and again is showing he’s a top-quality fantasy quarterback that you can win with.

This game is on Saturday between the Buccanneers and the Lions at 1:00 PM EST inside of Ford Field. Expect all Buccanneers to have big days on offense. Tom Brady will throw it early and often to all of his skilled wide receivers and tight ends with Ronald Jones (RB Buccanneers) still dealing with injuries. Play everyone from Tampa Bay and expect big dividends, and play some of the Lions stars in hopes for quality return at least in fantasy football. This game will be a bombastic and boisterous win by the Buccanneers against the Lions.

Start
Justin Herbert (QB Chargers)
Darrell Henderson (RB Rams)
Terry McLaurin (WR Washington)
Dallas Goedert (TE Eagles)

Sit
Phillip Rivers (QB Colts)
Le’Veon Bell (RB Chiefs)
Marquise Brown (WR Ravens)
Tyler Higbee (TE Rams)

Top 3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Tom Brady, Buccaneers
Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Running Backs
Alvin Kamara, Saints
Derrick Henry, Titans
Dalvin Cook, Vikings

Wide Receivers
Davante Adams, Packers
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
Stefon Diggs, Bills

Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Darren Waller, Raiders
George Kittle, 49ers

Team Defenses
Ravens
Browns
Bills

Kickers
Justin Tucker, Ravens
Harrison Butker, Chiefs
Greg Zuerlein, Cowboys

Waiver wire options

Mitchell Trubisky (QB Bears)
Marcus Mariota (QB Raiders)
Tony Pollard (RB Cowboys)
Darrell Henderson (RB Rams)
Chad Hansen (WR Texans)
Russell Gage (WR Falcons)
Jordan Akins (TE Texans)
Cameron Brate (TE Buccanneers)

Intriguing games and players in Week 16

(Week 16 Bye Weeks: None) 

Minnesota at New Orleans, Friday 3:30 PM, EST

  • MIN: Dalvin Cook (RB), Irv Smith (TE)
  • NO: Drew Brees (QB), Alvin Kamara (RB)

Tampa Bay at Detroit, Saturday 1:00 PM, EST

  • TB: Tom Brady (QB), Antonio Brown (WR)
  • DET: T.J. Hockenson (TE), D’Andre Swift (RB)

San Francisco at Arizona, Saturday 4:30 PM, EST

  • SF: Raheem Mostert (RB), Brandon Aiyuk (WR)
  • AZ: Kyler Murray (QB), Dan Arnold (TE)

Miami at Las Vegas, Sunday 8:15 PM, EST

  • MIA: Matt Berida (RB), Tua Tagovailoa (QB)
  • LVR: Brian Edwards (WR), Josh Jacobs (RB)

Atlanta at Kansas City, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • ATL: Matt Ryan (QB), Todd Gurley (RB)
  • KC: Demarcus Robinson (WR), Travis Kelce (TE)

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • IND: Michael Pittman (WR), Jonathan Taylor (RB)
  • PIT: JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR), Ben Roethlisberger (QB)

LA Rams at Seattle, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST

  • LAR: Jared Goff (QB), Darrell Henderson (RB)
  • SEA: Russell Wilson (RB), Rashaad Penny (RB)

Tennessee at Green Bay, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST

  • TEN: A.J. Brown (WR), Derrick Henry (RB)
  • GB: A.J. Dillon (RB), Allen Lazard (WR)

Buffalo at New England, Sunday 8:15 PM, EST

  • BUF: Devin Singletary (RB), Zach Moss (RB)
  • NE: Sony Michel (RB), Damien Harris (RB)

Bottom Line

The big question is do you or will you have a new bright shiny championship under your tree this year? After a year full of injuries, COVID-19, game reschedules, and many other unique factors it has been a fantasy football season like no other.

When it is all said and done though it is all worth it if you get to unwrap the bragging rights and all the other glorious gifts that come along with being named the reigning, defending, undisputed fantasy football champion of the world in your league.

With football Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday this week – have a Merry Fantasy Football Christmas everybody!

3 Lions Stars of the game: Marvin Jones shines in loss to Titans

The Detroit Lions lost against the Tennessee Titans, but this week’s 3 stars did the best they could to pull off a victory.

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In Week 15, the Detroit Lions got a dose of what could’ve been if everything went according to plan.

Instead, they got to witness the Tennessee Titans run up and down the field with ease on their Lions, and walk away with an easy 46-25 victory.

Matthew Stafford put up an admirable performance, dealing with rib and right thumb injuries. There were a few points where you could see the rib injury was affecting him, but he managed to steer the Lions’ offense in the right direction, keeping them competitive.

Sadly, it was the same story different chapter for the defense. They were unable to make key stops allowing Titans to covert nine of 11 third-down attempts and score on every trip to the red zone. Missed tackles, poor angles, and not being in the right spot, the Lions made plenty of mistakes leading to five Ryan Tannehill touchdowns.

It is challenging to highlight the good in a loss like this, but they’re a few players who balled out yesterday and deserve some recognition.

Here are this week’s Lions Wire 3 stars of the week:

1st Star: Marvin Jones Jr.

With Kenny Golladay out yet again, the Lions relied on Marvin Jones and he came away with one of his better performances this season. With a team-leading 10 catches on 12 targets, he produced 112 yards and a touchdown.

Due to his sure hands and deep-ball ability, Jones has turned into one of Stafford’s more reliable targets. With Jones’ future in Detroit up in the air after this season, these performances might be the last we see from him, so make sure you take time to appreciate what he can do.

2nd Star: D’Andre Swift

Detroit’s rookie class is slowly developing, but if there is one rookie the Lions can hang their hand on it’s Swift.

Outside of the games he missed due to injury, he has been a dependable cog in the offense. Today, he was able to gain 67 yards on the ground at 4.5 yards per clip. Even though he fumbled at the goal line, he more than made up for it with his two touchdowns. He also added 15 receiving yards to bolster his performance.

Most rookies have their struggles, and Swift is no different, but it is hard to ignore his athletic ability on the ground and in the air. He processes the game with vision and patience, allowing the play to develop, and when the time is right, he attacks the gap with speed and power. With a rebuild coming, Swift will be a block the Lions will look to build around.

3rd Star: Romeo Okwara

With the defense looking like shambles once again, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any good that came out of it. Luckily, the Lions have Romeo Okwara, who continued his breakout season this week with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack that resulted in a safety.

Okwara picked the right season to ball out with free agency on the horizon. Even though it may only be in spurts, he has been the Lions’ most reliable defensive player. Next year, expect the Lions defense to have a whole new look, but hopefully, the Lions can find a way to keep Okwara in Detroit.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 70 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points

Next week doesn’t get any easier for the Lions, having to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Lions officially eliminated from the playoffs, there isn’t much to play for the last couple of weeks — except pride, which they will need against a tough opponent.

Detroit Lions Week 15 Studs and Duds: D’Andre Swift scores twice

Identifying the Detroit Lions Week 15 Studs and Duds following their loss to the Tennesse Titans.

The Detroit Lions lost a tough one against the Tennessee Titans. In this high-scoring matchup, the Lions missed some opportunities and could not overcome Tennessee’s offense.

This was not a pretty game by Detroit’s defense by any means, but the offense sure did put their best effort into this one.

Sitting now at the bottom of their division, there’s not a lot to be optimistic about with the Lions and it feels like there’s plenty of blame to go around. Still, there were some stellar performances by some players in the 46-25 loss.

Stud: D’Andre Swift

Don’t let his goal-line fumble make you think that the rookie running back had a bad game. Swift more than made up for that error by punching in two other short-yard runs for touchdowns.

His vision and patience in the backfield was a nice change of pace for the offense and supplemented Stafford and the passing game well.

The rookie had 67 yards on the ground and another 15 in the air against Tennessee.

Dud: Duron Harmon

Harmon struggled in coverage and then failed on a horrendous tackle attempt, causing Tennessee’s Corey Davis to make a 75-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown on the first snap of the Titans’ second offensive drive.

The veteran safety looked lost pre-snap, and even after he got his footing, he still struggled to cover Davis.

Stud: Hunter Bryant

The undrafted rookie’s first career catch will be one to remember.

From the slot, the tight end out of Washington ran a beautiful route and made quite the catch over a Titans defender for a 44-yard gain and helped set up the Lions in good field position.

Dud: Alex Myres

The second-year cornerback was elevated from the practice squad for this matchup and struggled hard in the second quarter. Playing at the cornerback spot opposite Amani Oruwariye — after a Mike Ford injury –, the young defender committed a costly pass interference penalty that gave the Titans excellent field position. A few plays later, karma came his way when he took a brutal stiff arm from Derrick Henry.

His entire career has been spent on practice squads, and Myres did not have a nice welcome to the NFL in this game.

Stud: Romeo Okwara

After a heartbreaking fumble at the goal line by D’Andre Swift, the Titans had the ball up 21-7 with a few minutes before the half.

Ryan Tannehill took the snap and stepped back into the endzone, and defensive end Romeo Okwara was able to blow past the left tackle and take Tannehill down for Detroit’s first safety of the year.

It may have not been a game-saving play, but it sparked some new life into the defense and gave them some extra rest on the sidelines before halftime.

Dud: Matt Prater

Prater has not looked like himself this season, and his missed extra point following D’Andre Swift’s first-half touchdown added to his list of struggles in 2020.

Stud: Marvin Jones

Jones was the most impressive of Stafford’s weapons in this game. The 30-year-old receiver made some big plays throughout the first half, bringing in seven receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: 2020 Week 15 preview

Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: 2020 Week 15 preview

In fantasy football there often is a difference between the best players and the player with the best statistics. Derrick Henry (RB Titans) leads the league in rushing statistics, but most fantasy owners would probably put Saquon Barkley (RB Giants), Christian McCaffrey (RB Panthers), Alvin Kamar (RB Saints), and Dalvin Cook (RB Vikings) ahead of him if they all were healthy and if we were drafting tomorrow.

The same can be said at other positions as well. The key to fantasy football is being able to identify the top players while also keeping your finger on the pulse of what fantasy players are putting up the best statistics that particular year in order to be in contention for your championship in seasonal leagues. Dynasty leagues are a different story; the quality of the prospect is almost always the top factor to consider.

Lions at Titans fantasy focus

The Detroit Lions will face one of those top players in 2020 and a physical specimen in Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. This guy is 6-foot-3 and 247 lbs, and the Lions run defense has been one of the many liabilities on their team this year. The Lions will have to find a way to slow down the opponent’s run game and the Titans have a stud in wide receiver A.J. Brown too.

D’Andre Swift returned last week to help Detroit’s backfield. He’s a dynamic running back, but with him just coming off the injury list last week it is hard to determine how much he will be used. The Lions have been hurt by injuries to other top fantasy skill players and on defense throughout the season.

This looks like a mismatch for the Titans. Tennessee has a physical, nasty team and the Lions are very beat up physically along with them not playing hard-nosed football on the defensive side of the ball consistently in 2020. Play all your Titans, and limit the Lions you play especially if Matthew Stafford is unable to play at quarterback due to a rib injury.

Start
Jalen Hurts (QB Eagles)
Cam Akers (RB Rams)
A.J. Brown (WR Titans)
T.J. Hockenson (TE Lions)

Sit
Tua Tagovailoa (QB Dolphins)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB Chiefs)
Laviska Shenault Jr. (WR Jaguars)
Jordan Reed (TE 49ers)

Top 3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks
Josh Allen, Bills
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Running Backs
Derrick Henry, Titans
Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Austin Ekeler, Chargers

Wide Receivers
Davante Adams, Packers
Stefon Diggs, Bills
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs

Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Darren Waller, Raiders
T.J. Hockenson, Lions

Team Defenses
Steelers
Rams
Ravens

Kickers
Graham Gano, Giants
Younghoe Koo, Falcons
Rodrigo Blankenship, Colts

Waiver wire options

Derek Carr (QB Raiders)
Mitchell Trubisky (QB Bears)
Jeff Wilson (RB 49ers)
DeAndre Washington (RB Dolphins)
Keke Coutee (WR Texans)
Tim Patrick (WR Broncos)
Irv Smith (TE Vikings)
Cole Kmet (TE Bears)

Intriguing games and players in Week 15

(Week 15 Bye Weeks: None) 

LA Chargers at Las Vegas, Thursday 8:20 PM, EST

  • LAC: Justin Herbert (QB), Austin Ekeler (RB)
  • LVR: Josh Jacobs (RB), Nelson Agholor (WR)

Buffalo at Denver, Saturday 4:30 PM, EST

  • BUF: Josh Allen (QB), Zach Moss (RB)
  • DEN: Drew Lock (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR)

Carolina at Green Bay, Saturday 8:15 PM, EST

  • CAR: Mike Davis (RB), D.J. Moore (WR)
  • GB: Allen Lazard (WR), A.J. Dillon (RB)

Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • TB: Tom Brady (QB), Mike Evans (WR)
  • ATL: Matt Ryan (QB), Hayden Hurst (TE)

New England at Miami, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • NE: T.Y. Hilton (WR), Jonathan Taylor (RB)
  • MIA: DeAndre Washington (RB), Mike Gesicki (TE)

Detroit at Tennessee, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • DET: T.J. Hockenson (TE), Jamal Agnew (WR)
  • TEN: Derrick Henry (RB), A.J. Brown (WR)

Kansas City at New Orleans, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • KC: Patrick Mahomes (QB), Demarcus Robinson (WR)
  • NO: Michael Thomas (WR), Taysom Hill (QB)

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Monday 8:15 PM, EST

  • PIT: James Conner (RB), Diontae Johnson (WR)
  • CIN: Tee Higgins (WR), Gio Bernard (RB)

Bottom Line

Elite players are often elite. Statistics are often statistics. The key in fantasy football is to draft and identify elite players that put up the top statistics in your particular fantasy league. Easier said than done. Don’t let statistics blind you from top prospects. Also, don’t be afraid to cut ties or bench someone in a seasonal league for other players that are having great statistical seasons that particular year. As Bruce Lee once said, “Be water, my friends”.

 

Aaron Rodgers, Packers congratulated Marvin Jones for his great catch that was mistakenly ruled incomplete

It was plainly obvious to everyone but the replay official that Jones got both feet down

Marvin Jones knows he caught it. Anyone watching the broadcast of the game knows Marvin Jones caught it. It turns out the Green Bay Packers all know Jones did indeed make the spectacular toe-tap catch in Sunday’s loss to the Packers.

The only people who didn’t believe it are the replay officials for the game. Sadly, their mistaken opinion is the only one that matters.

Jones and coach Darrell Bevell were mic’d up for the game, and the Lions released the video of the mic’d up experience on Wednesday. And it’s abundantly clear to everyone that Jones caught the ball.

The reactions captured on video tell it all.

The play with the catch begins at the 6:00 mark of the video provided via the Lions’ YouTube channel. The discussion with the officials is also included after the catch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqh914Zdk-Q&feature=emb_logo

At the end of the video, which captures the end of the game, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams and head coach Matt Lafleur all approach Jones and congratulate him for his “hell of a catch”, in Rodgers words. They all were dismayed that it was not ruled a catch.

That has been the pervasive theme across all media platforms. From the NFL Network to Pro Football Talk, from Sirius XM NFL Radio to 670 AM The Score in Chicago, it’s almost universal that Jones made the great catch cleanly and inbounds. The NFL has yet to comment.

Marvin Jones: ‘I knew I had it’ on controversial incompletion

Jones was mic’d up and claims some officials told him it was a catch

Marvin Jones extended as high as he could to snag Matthew Stafford’s deep throw down the left sideline in the fourth quarter of the Detroit Lions’ Week 14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. His hands snatched the ball cleanly from the air.

There is also pretty darn clear photographic and video evidence that Jones had both feet on the Ford Field turf inbounds as that happened. It only lasted for a brief moment before Jones crashed out of bounds, the ball still firmly in his secured possession.

The officials on the field didn’t see it, however. The booth review, ordered by a smart challenge from Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell, also failed to see it, despite the FOX broadcast crew and rules analyst Dean Blandino all insisting the call would be overturned.

As for Jones, he knew he made a great catch. And he knows a couple of the officials thought so, too.

“Well, I knew I had it,” Jones said via Zoom after the game. “Once I caught the ball, obviously when I caught the ball my feet were down, so when I got up and he said it was incomplete, yeah, it threw me for a loop. Especially when I saw it on the big screen, I mean, both of my feet were down when the ball was in my hand.

You know, I don’t know if I can say too much without getting in trouble or something like that, but I definitely think it was a catch. I was actually mic’d up and there were a couple of refs that thought it was a catch, too, so I’ll just leave it at that.”

Bevell also thought it was a catch.

“Yeah, I saw just that. I thought Marvin (Jones Jr.) made a really good attempt at the ball, I saw the ball in his hands,” Bevell said in his own postgame Zoom. “It was a play worth challenging. It gave us an opportunity to be down there at the one or the two (yard line) or in the end zone, so a big play there.”

The Lions did score on the drive, but it took several more plays and resulted in quarterback Matthew Stafford suffering an injury in the process.

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