Tag: Mohamed Sanu

Lions Week 12 Studs and Duds: Matt Patricia’s coaching style falters again

Reviewing the Detroit Lions Studs and Duds from their Week 12 loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day.

The Detroit Lions invited the Texans over to Ford Field for Thanksgiving, and Houston feasted.

It’s hard to put the blame of this embarrassing loss on any individual players or coaches given how poorly Detroit played overall. Nevertheless, some people still managed to stand out in this 41-25 blowout.

Here are the 2020 Thanksgiving studs and duds:

Dud: Matt Patricia

The biggest dud of all is Detroit’s head coach. For a man whose job is on the line, it sure doesn’t look like he wants it.

This game was the combination of all of his faults throughout his tenure in Detroit. There were excessive turnovers, failed run plays, clock, and blown coverages on defense in this absolute embarrassment of a loss on the national stage. It’s clear that Patricia and his staff have not learned from any of their mistakes over the last three years.

Stud: Run defense

The run defense started strong and didn’t tone it down too much throughout the day.

Danny Shelton, John Penisini, and Nick Williams put up a stout defensive interior to hold the Texans’ running backs to just 49 yards. Especially when compared to the rest of the defense, these run stuffers excelled in their roles.

Dud: Desmond Trufant

The veteran cornerback’s drive-ending pass deflection wasn’t enough to keep him off of the duds list.

Trufant was beat early and often, allowing two receptions on the Texans’ opening drive. He struggled, especially in man coverage, throughout the first half before leaving with an injury.

Stud: Adrian Peterson

Despite starting the game with two carries for one yard, the future hall-of-famer gained 54 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 runs.

Dud: Johnathan Williams

Williams’ first career run as a Lion looked solid until he fumbled the ball and Houston capitalized with a touchdown in the following drive.

Stud: T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson earned the Lions two first downs on their first offensive drive and continued to be a safety net for Stafford throughout the rest of the game. The second-year tight end finished the game with five receptions for 89 yards.

Stud: Mohammed Sanu

Sanu stayed quiet for most of the game until the fourth quarter came around. Once this game was out of reach for the Lions, Sanu came through with four receptions for 32 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion.

The veteran receiver was signed to the active roster this week and could end up being a reliable replacement for Kenny Golladay if he misses more of the season with his injury.

Lions place OL Hal Vaitai on I.R., add WR Mohamad Sanu to 53-man roster

The Detroit Lions announced that they have placed offensive lineman Hal Vaitai on injured reserve and added wide receiver Mohamad Sanu to 53-man roster in a corresponding move.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have placed offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai on injured reserve and added wide receiver Mohamad Sanu to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move.

Vaitai has been dealing with a foot injury for the better part of the month and was pulled from last week’s game just before halftime. The Lions did not list him as being injured during the game, but coach Matt Patricia did acknowledge that Vaitai was “pushing through some things that have restricted him a little bit.”

Foot injuries can be tricky for NFL players and even the simplest of injuries can negatively impact a player’s performance. Unfortunately, the only way to fully heal is to rest the foot until it’s better — which is the direction the Lions have taken here.

Vaitai will be eligible to return after Week 14, as long as he is healed and capable of returning to the active roster. In the interim, Oday Aboushi and Joe Dahl will battle it out for the starting job at right guard.

Sanu signed with the Lions three weeks ago and they have thought enough of him to protect him each of those weeks. Last week, Sanu was elevated to the roster and played 15 snaps with zero stats earned.

The Lions now have seven wide receivers on the active roster, but with the rate that this position group has been injured this season, this isn’t an overly surprising move — especially with Kenny Golladay still unable to play.

Detroit Lions protect 3 practice squad players in Week 12: Mohamad Sanu, Dee Virgin, and Albert Huggins

The Detroit Lions have protected three practice squad players in Week 12: cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin, wide receiver Mohamad Sanu, and defensive lineman Albert Huggins.

The Detroit Lions have protected three practice squad players in Week 12: cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin, wide receiver Mohamad Sanu, and defensive lineman Albert Huggins.

Virgin has been protected every available week this season and has been elevated to the active roster just once, in Week 2. With Mike Ford — one of the Lions’ starting gunners — likely to be ruled out this week with a concussion, the Lions may be tempted to elevate Virgin once again.

Sanu signed with the Lions three weeks ago and has been protected in each of those weeks. Last week, with Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola out, Sanu was elevated to the roster and played 15 snaps with zero stats accumulated. Amendola’s health is improving, but if he is not ready to return to action, Sanu would be available.

Two weeks ago, Nick Williams missed a game and Frank Herron was called up to replace him on the game-day roster. Last week Williams returned but Da’Shawn Hand missed the game and Herron was elevated once again. This week, Hand has still yet to practice, and with Herron’s elevations exhausted, the Lions protected Huggins as insurance for the defensive line.

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.

Detroit Lions elevate Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron for Week 11

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers.

With injuries along the defensive line and at wide receiver, the Lions proactively protected Sanu and Herron earlier in the week in case they were needed — which is very much the case.

On Friday, the Lions declared starting wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola OUT with hip injuries. Marvin Jones will continue to start and Marvin Hall will start for Golladay for the second week in a row, while Jamal Agnew will likely replace Amendola, and Quintez Cephus will fill in at multiple spots. Beyond those four players, the receiver depth chart on the active roster is empty.

Enter Sanu, an eight-year veteran who spent the first four years of his NFL career working the field alongside Marvin Jones. Sanu will likely only be needed as a fifth receiver, and will likely only see a handful of snaps — barring injury — but he is a valuable option to be able to bring off the bench. Don’t expect big numbers from him this week, but he is more than capable of making an impact play or two.

Last week, with Nick Williams unable to play, Herron was called up to fill in at defensive tackle. Williams is healthy this week, but Da’Shawn Hand was downgraded to OUT today, so once again Herron was elevated to the active roster. Like last week, another 20 snaps could be in order.

This is the second time Herron has been elevated from the practice squad, meaning he has exhausted his opportunities for the remainder of the season. If the Lions need to lean on him again, they will need to sign him to the active roster — similarly to what happened with Isaac Nauta earlier this season.

Lions protect practice squad newcomer Mohamed Sanu, 3 others for Week 10

Sanu signed with the Lions late last week

Mohamed Sanu was on the street for anyone to sign for several weeks before the Detroit Lions signed the veteran wide receiver to the practice squad. Apparently the Lions like what they’ve seen from Sanu.

They made the wideout one of the four players protected on the practice squad for Week 10. Joining Sanu on the protected list are three familiar members: DT Frank Herron, CB Dee Virgin and OL Marcus Martin.

Martin was elevated for the Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and reverted to the practice squad on Monday. Virgin has been a fixture on the Lions’ protected practice squad all season.

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Detroit Lions sign WR Mohamed Sanu to the practice squad

The Detroit Lions announced they have signed veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to the practice squad.

The Detroit Lions announced they have signed veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to the practice squad.

“Sanu most recently played for the San Francisco 49ers, appearing in three games and making one reception for nine yards with the team this season,” the Lions said in a press release. “Originally selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Rutgers, Sanu has appeared in 121 career games (92 starts) with the Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and 49ers. He has career totals of 404 receptions for 4,516 yards (11.2 avg.) and 26 touchdowns.”

Sanu was part of the same Bengals draft class that also brought them Marvin Jones Jr. and the pair — along with Chad Johnson — had four successful years in Cincinnati.

After trying out for the Lions on Monday, Sanu has already been able to pass through the COVID-19 onboarding process and he has joined the team for Friday’s practice.

With wide receivers Kenny Golladay, and possibly Jamal Agnew, having to miss this weekend’s game due to injury, Sanu may be elevated to the active roster for Sunday’s game as a fifth wide receiver. His veteran experience should help ease the transition to the field if they need to rely on him.

The Lions did not need to make a practice squad roster move in order to make room for Sanu, because they opened up a spot after placing Jalen Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday.

Lions try out free agent WR Mohamed Sanu

Sanu caught one pass in 3 games for the 49ers this year

There was but one entry on the NFL’s official tryout list for Monday. The Detroit Lions held an audition for veteran free agent wide receiver, Mohamed Sanu.

Sanu has been on the market since being released by the San Francisco 49ers last month. He played three games for the 49ers this year, catching one pass.

In 2019, Sanu split time between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. New England sent the Falcons a second-round pick a year ago to acquire Sanu, but he managed just 207 receiving yards in eight games with the Patriots.

Sanu, 31, spent four years with the Falcons and four seasons before that with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a teammate and draft classmate of Lions WR Marvin Jones with the Bengals.

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Titans should kick the tires on WR Mohamed Sanu

Sanu won’t be able to help the Titans this week, but he could be an asset the rest of the season.

The Tennessee Titans are five days (including Friday) away from a potential Tuesday Night Football matchup with the Buffalo Bills — and the roster is thin, particularly at the wide receiver position.

Wideouts Corey Davis and Adam Humphries have been added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list due to an outbreak of the virus and it isn’t clear if either will play on Tuesday or when they’ll be back after that.

Star receiver, A.J. Brown, has been sidelined by a knee bruise he suffered in Week 1. His status for Week 5 is currently unknown. Best-case scenario: Brown is ready to go versus the Bills, but depth is an issue behind him.

Wide receiver Kalif Raymond has been excellent taking the top off of defenses, and while he’s a good route-runner, I don’t expect the load to fall on his shoulders.

That leaves undrafted free agent wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as the only other active receiver on the roster. The Titans also have Cody Hollister and Chester Rogers on the practice squad.

Enter veteran wideout Mohamed Sanu, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers on October 6.

It’s unknown how much Sanu has left in the tank after playing only three games in the bay area. However, Sanu would offer a veteran presence in the locker room and a large target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill given his 6-foot-2 inch, 215-pound frame.

Of course, getting Sanu into the building in time for the Week 5 game would be almost impossible, but he could provide much-needed depth moving forward in a season that has already thrown the Titans a ton of curveballs and exposed their lack of depth at the position.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel has mentioned looking for a big-bodied receiver as a priority in the past, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team make a move for Sanu for the rest of the season.

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Giants should kick the tires on WR Mohamed Sanu

The New York Giants should consider working out WR Mohamed Sanu, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday.

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The San Francisco 49ers announced the release of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on Tuesday, which comes less than three weeks after the Rutgers product was originally signed.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanu appeared in three games for the 49ers this season, but hauled in just on reception for nine yards. That came in a Week 3 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Originally a third-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft, Sanu has also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.

In 121 games (92 starts), the New Brunswick, New Jersey native has hauled in 404 receptions for 4,516 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’d added an additional 223 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries, 223 yards and four touchdowns on eight pass attempts (seven completed) and 56 yards on 10 punt returns.

Although Sanu has seen his production dwindle a bit in recent years, the Giants are in desperate need of quality receivers and particularly those who are a bit on the taller side.

Sanu is just two years removed from his best season (66 receptions for 838 yards and 4 touchdowns) and has said he simply “wasn’t the right” fit in New England. That obviously applies to San Francisco as well, who simply used him as a bridge until their healthy players returned.

Given the Giants’ struggles at wide receiver, Sanu would represent a low-cost, low-investment option. He could also play a variety of other roles and give the team a wildcard option on offense where they are in desperate need of a spark.

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