Tag: Penei Sewell

How Lions fared in NFL Honors voting

How Lions fared in NFL Honors voting, including Jared Goff, Dan Campbell and Kerby Joseph

The biggest awards and honors were handed out Thursday during NFL Honors New Orleans. The Lions were well-represented throughout the honors and the voting, from winners to getting a vote or two. Here’s a quick rundown of how the Lions did in the various categories.

Former offensive coordinator and now Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson easily won the award for Assistant Coach of the Year. Former defensive coordinator and now New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn finished third in voting.

Safety Kerby Joseph finished sixth in voting for Defensive Player of the Year (won by Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II), just missing out on being named a finalist. He finished just three points behind Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (63-60). Joseph did received a first-place vote from Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports (and formerly of Touchdown Wire).

Two Lions wide receivers received votes for Comeback Player of Year, which was won by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Tim Patrick, perhaps surprisingly, saw three first-place votes (Rich Gannon, Mark Craig, Bruce Murray) and Jameson Williams received a fourth-place vote.

Four Lions players received votes for Offensive Player of the Year, won by Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Leading the way was running back Jahmyr Gibbs (one second-place vote, six 4th and one 5th). Quarterback Jared Goff had a 4th and a 5th, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell each had two fifth-place votes.

Head coach Dan Campbell fell short of winning Coach of the Year. He had 19 of the 50 first-place votes, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell won the award thanks to receiving 25 first-place votes.

Goff was also in the running for MVP, finishing fifth in voting. In a close vote, Bills quarterback Josh Allen (27 first-place votes, 383 total points) edged out Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (23 first-place votes, 362 points) to take home his first career MVP award.

Taylor Decker named to Pro Bowl, replaces Penei Sewell

Lions LT Taylor Decker named to Pro Bowl, replaces Detroit teammate Penei Sewell

From one Lion to another in Orlando this week. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker was named to the Pro Bowl roster this week. Ironically, he’s replacing his teammate Penei Sewell.

Decker started 14 games this season and was among the top vote-getters from fans in Pro Bowl voting but was left off the initial roster. Sewell, Lane Johnson (Eagles) and Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers) were the initial three tackles.

Decker is replacing Sewell, who has an undisclosed injury. He was not on the injury report leading up to the Divisional Round against the Washington Commanders and played every snap in that game.

The three offensive tackles for the NFC are now Decker, Wirfs and Brian O’Neill (Vikings). O’Neill is replacing Johnson after the Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LIX following their 55-23 rout of the Commanders.

Joining Decker from the Lions in Orlando are QB Jared Goff, C Frank Ragnow, S Brian Branch, P Jack Fox, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Lions postgame injury report after season-ending loss to Commanders

Lions postgame injury report after season-ending loss to Commanders, with updates on Amik Robertson, Penei Sewell and more

Defensive injuries were a major issue for the Lions this season. Unfortunately, that bad luck continued in the playoff game vs the Commanders.

An early injury to Amik Robertson hurt a secondary that was already missing Carlton Davis. Later on, the loss of Ifeatu Melifonwu forced the Lions deep into the LB depth chart possibly directly contributing to a self-immolating 12-men-on-the-field penalty.

Fortunately, none of these injuries should impact next season.

Here are the injuries I saw during the game along with suspected diagnoses:

Jared Goff – concussion evaluation, 2q 5:19

Goff took a hard blow to his facemask during the pick-6. The helmet shake appeared to absorb much of the force, and his head fortunately did not whiplash into the ground.

There were no obvious signs of concussion on video such as loss of consciousness, ataxia, or dazed appearance. He presumably passed the concussion check on the sideline and returned to the game after missing a few plays.

Penei Sewell – left knee, 2q 7:44

Sewell gets bent over on a flexed knee. He finished the game wearing a left knee brace. Hopefully, this is just a mild patella or quad tendon strain, and there is no joint involvement like cartilage damage.

Assume he’ll get an MRI and hope for no surprises.

Amik Robertson – left humerus fracture, 1q 13:10

A direct blow to the left upper arm resulted in a visible deformity. He was sent to the hospital and has already had surgery for the humerus fracture. The mechanism here was very similar to Alex Anzalone’s fractured forearm where the arm took a direct blow from a teammate and was trapped.

Hopefully, this is an isolated mid-shaft bone fracture that does not involve the elbow or shoulder joint. If there is joint damage, that would prolong recovery.

An early report by Tom Pelissero states that he likely will be ready for OTA’s which hopefully implies no complications such as neurovascular damage or joint damage. He is signed with the Lions through next season.

Ifeatu Melifonwu – right hamstring strain, 3q 6:38

Melifonwu pulled up and reached briefly for the hamstring. He stayed in for another play before leaving the game for good.

He should be ready for OTA’s but likely not with the Lions as he is an unrestricted free agent.

Brian Branch – calf cramps, 3q 5:59 & 1:53

Branch missed a play as he was getting his calf leggings cut off. He appeared to be getting his right calf stretched by a trainer later in the quarter. Likely this was just simple cramps as he finished the game looking fine.

Of note, there have been visible signs at many points during the second half of the year that there may be a chronic/recurrent right leg injury. He was officially listed with a calf injury after week 15.

Jack Campbell – hit to head, 4q 8:18

Campbell took a hard hit to the right side of his head during a tackle. He was down very briefly and appeared to bounce up quickly. He stayed in the game and seemed to be fine. A stinger or concussion are possible. Hope for no delayed concussion symptoms.

Gimme Him: One player the Commanders would steal from the Lions

The Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions face off on Saturday and there is one player Washington would love to steal from Detroit.

The Washington Commanders head north on Saturday to face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in the divisional playoff round. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium last Sunday, the Commanders are amped up and ready to take on their next foe.

However, their next foe is formidable. The Lions ended the regular season at the very top of the NFL, earning themselves a bye for Wild Card Weekend. The Commanders would love to give themselves a leg up this weekend by stealing offensive tackle Penei Sewell to suit up in burgundy and gold.

Now, this wasn’t an easy choice because it’s hard to ignore Jahmyr Gibbs’s game-changing ability. However, Jayden Daniels wouldn’t be the Commanders’ leading rusher if he didn’t get flushed out of the pocket so often. Sewell is a much better option in this game because quarterback protection is a must against a team as complete as the Lions.

If the Commanders could actually acquire Sewell, even for one game, they’d have two options: Put him at right tackle or move Brandon Coleman to right tackle and line Sewell up on the left. Andrew Wylie has struggled of late, so he would take a back seat in this instance.

Since he was drafted in 2021, Sewell has not missed a single game. He has taken every single snap for the Lions over the last two season, and Jared Goff has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL. As Goff isn’t much of a scrambler, this highlights the offensive line strength in Detroit.

The Commanders would love to have that same protection for Daniels, even though he is a capable runner, he shouldn’t have to put that kind of strain on his body on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the Commanders can’t actually steal Sewell from the Lions, but it would be really cool if they could!

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Breaking down how the Lions fared in AP’s All-Pro voting

Breaking down how the Lions fared in AP’s All-Pro voting, which saw 13 different Lions get at least one vote

The Lions ended up being well-represented on this season’s Associated Press All Pro teams. Four Lions were named to the First Team, including wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, right tackle Penei Sewell, safety Kerby Joseph and punter Jack Fox.

Plenty more Lions either made the Second Team or at least received some votes towards All Pro. We’ll take a look here at how all the Lions that received votes fared. The full voting results can be found here.

Starting at wide receiver, St. Brown was one of the three wide receivers to make the First Team, along with Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. St. Brown received 40 out of 50 first-place votes and totaled 130 points. First-place votes received three points with second-place votes worth one point. Fellow wide receiver Jameson Williams also received one second-place vote.

Frank Ragnow was named Second Team All Pro at center. Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was selected to the First Team. Ragnow received four first-place votes and 35 total votes. Humphrey ran away with the vote, getting 44 first-place votes.

Kevin Zeitler finished fourth among right guards with 26 points (six first-place votes). Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was named to the First Team with 74 points and 22 first-place votes and Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom was named to the Second Team with 60 points and 15 first-place votes.

Sewell is the First Team right tackle after scoring 119 points and 35 first-place votes, beating out Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson, who landed on the Second Team with 76 points and 15 first-place votes.

Despite only playing five games this season, Aidan Hutchinson received one second-place vote at edge rusher. Hutchinson was dominant in those five games, recording 7.5 sacks, including 4.5 in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. Myles Garrett (Browns) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) were named to the First Team with T.J. Watt (Steelers), Nik Bonitto (Broncos) and Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings) on the Second Team. Bonitto and Van Ginkel finished tied with 18 points, so they both were named to the Second Team with Watt.

Two linebackers earned votes. Jack Campbell scored 16 points and earned two first-place votes. Alex Anzalone, despite missing most of the second half of the season, also garnered a second-place vote. Zack Baun (Eagles), Fred Warner (49ers) and Roquan Smith (Ravens) earned First-Team honors, while the Second Team linebackers are Frankie Luvu (Commanders), Bobby Wagner (Commanders) and Zaire Franklin (Colts).

Joseph led all safeties with 120 points and 37 first-place votes to land on the First Team with Packers safety Xavier McKinney. Kyle Hamilton (Ravens) and Budda Baker (Cardinals) were named to the second team. Brian Branch ended up the first safety out, finishing fifth among the position with 19 points. Baker had 38 points and seven first-place votes, for reference.

Fox just beat out Jaguars punter Logan Cooke for the First Team honors at punter. Both received 15 first-place votes, so it came down to second-place votes. Fox received 17 to Cooke’s 13.

Kalif Raymond, even with missing time due to injury, landed on the Second Team at kick returner, scoring 60 points and 11 first-place votes. Marvin Mims Jr. of Denver earned First-Team honors with 114 points and 35 first-place votes.

Last but not least, Hogan Hatten earned a second-place vote at the long snapper position. Not bad for an undrafted rookie!

Penei Sewell headlines 4 Lions earning 1st-team All-Pro honors in 2024

Penei Sewell headlines 4 Lions earning 1st-team All-Pro honors in 2024, with two more Lions also earning 2nd-team nods

There are a lot of end-of-season awards and honors lists around these days. The one that matters the most, the one the NFL itself utilizes in its official records, is the Associated Press All-Pro voting results.

The 50 AP voters around the country voted following the end of the 2024 regular season, with the results being released on Friday. Four Detroit Lions players earned first-team All-Pro honors:

Right tackle Penei Sewell

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

Safety Kerby Joseph

Punter Jack Fox

In addition, two Lions earned second-team All-Pro recognition. Center Frank Ragnow and punt returner Kalif Raymond captured that honor.

Penei Sewell earns special honor of Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year

American Samoa-born Penei Sewell earns honor of Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year for 2024.

Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell is likely set to take home a number of honors this year for his stellar play up front this season. One of those honors came Wednesday.

Sewell was named the 2024 Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year.

“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors, we congratulate Penei on a remarkable season,” said Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jesse Sapolu. “He stands as a true source of pride for the Polynesian community.”

Sewell is of Samoan descent, having been born in American Samoa. He has become one of the best tackles in the entire league and will likely be named to the All-Pro team very soon.

Sewell will formally be given the award on January 18 at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner and will also be recognized at the Polynesian Bowl on January 17 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Seven Lions named to 2025 Pro Bowl roster

Seven Lions named to 2025 Pro Bowl roster, more than any other NFC team

The Detroit Lions are well-represented on this year’s Pro Bowl roster in Orlando, Florida. Seven players were named to the roster, which was announced Thursday morning. Only the Baltimore Ravens (9) had more players selected.

The list starts at the top with quarterback Jared Goff, who was also named the starting quarterback for the NFC. Goff will be joined by Jayden Daniels (Commanders) Sam Darnold (Vikings) on the roster.

Goff is now a four-time Pro Bowl selection, having also gone following the 2017, 2018 and 2022 seasons. It’s his second Pro Bowl selection in three seasons in Detroit. Goff is second in the NFL with 4,398 yards and fourth in the league with 36 passing touchdowns.

Jahmyr Gibbs is now 2-for-2 in reaching the Pro Bowl. Gibbs has 1,759 scrimmage yards and 16 total touchdowns this season. Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley will be the starting running back and Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs will also be on the roster.

Amon-Ra St. Brown will be one of the two starting wide receivers for the NFC, along with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. This is the third Pro Bowl selection for the Sun God, who is fourth in the NFL with 1,186 yards and is tied for second with 12 receiving touchdowns. The other player with 12 touchdowns, Terry McLaurin of the Commanders, is also on the roster as is Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb.

The offensive line had a lot of love in fan voting, but only two are on the initial roster. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow are not only on the roster, but were named starters up front. It’s the third selection for Sewell and the fourth for Ragnow. Lane Johnson will start along with Sewell at offensive tackle. The starting guards are Landon Dickerson (Eagles) and Tyron Smith (Cowboys).

On defense, the Lions have one selection and it is not Kerby Joseph. It is fellow safety Brian Branch, who is going to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Branch has 103 tackles, four interceptions, 15 passes defended, one sack and a forced fumble. Budda Baker gets the start at strong safety for the NFC.

Only one free safety was selected, which squeezed Joseph out. That spot went to Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney.

The last Pro Bowler, at least for now, for the Lions is punter Jack Fox. Fox is second in the NFL with a 51.0 punting average. Perhaps more importantly, he leads the league with a 46.3 net average. He’s the only punter with a net average above 45.

As a reminder, while these players were named to the Pro Bowl, their goal is to reach the Super Bowl. Players that reach the Super Bowl end up not playing in the Pro Bowl, as they’ll be preparing and traveling for the big game. Being selected to the Pro Bowl is certainly an honor, but the Lions ultimately want to end up in New Orleans, not Orlando.

Lions postgame medical report following win over the 49ers

Lions postgame medical report following win over the 49ers

The Lions appear to have survived a second straight game without any significant injuries. There were some minor issues seen, but I’m not expecting anything major to come out of them.

Brian Branch – right leg 2q 9:20

Branch got up gingerly with a slight limp of the right leg. He stayed in and finished the game without obvious issues.

While this could be nothing, it’s notable because he’s visibly had discomfort in his right leg multiple times in the past month and was listed with a calf two weeks ago. I’m suspecting he has been playing through some kind of soft tissue strain over the past few weeks.

Here is video from the Bills game two weeks ago and the Packers game three weeks ago:

 

Amon-Ra St. Brown – left knee 3q 14:30

St. Brown got up after this reception grabbing at his left knee with a heavy limp. He stayed in and finished the game without any visible problems.

Video looked like he landed on his left patella which could have caused a contusion or a simple abrasion. A PCL sprain is possible but seems unlikely with how he landed. I’m expecting him to be fine.

Jahmyr Gibbs – left cheek laceration/abrasion 3q 6:07

On video, it’s not clear how he got this wound. Pressure was applied on the sideline to stop bleeding. Presumably, the wound was superficial and no suture repair was necessary. He returned to the game with a bandage and will be fine.

Jake Bates – left leg 4q 12:00

I usually don’t post NSFW videos but this is for science. Bates appeared to be working something out in his left upper leg. There is a possible muscle issue going on here. He did miss an extra point later in the game, so this is something to keep an eye on in the next game.

Penei Sewell – thumb

Sewell only missed a single snap which was the kneel-down to end the 1st half. He had gone into the locker room early for a thumb issue. I reviewed all his plays in the 1st half and didn’t see anything with his thumbs. It’s always possible he came into the game with it. Good news that it doesn’t seem to be anything serious.

NOTABLES

Jaylon Reeves-Maybin was active for the first time since hurting his neck in week nine. It looked like he played with a neck roll which wasn’t present prior to the injury. He played 62% of snaps which was third on the team (Jack Campbell, Trevor Nowaske) and is a good sign going forward.

Penei Sewell has a strong message for those now doubting the Lions

Detroit All-Pro RT Penei Sewell has a strong message for those now doubting the Lions

The Detroit Lions are 12-2 and still in control of their own playoff destiny, both in the NFC North and the entire conference. It can be tough for folks to remember that in the wake of a string of injuries and a very public loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.

Penei Sewell wants everyone to know that the Lions aren’t going anywhere. The All-Pro right tackle issued a warning to anyone who thinks otherwise.

“That’s why I don’t really concern myself with the talk,” Sewell told MLive’s Korey Woods. “The real ones know we’re gonna find a way at the end of the day. If you want to keep questioning, just go ahead and hop off. You’ll see what happens.”

It’s a pretty stern admonition from Sewell, who has taken on more leadership in his fourth season. It echos the sentiments of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who earlier chastised the “doom and gloom” some of the fanbase and media have taken toward the Lions after Week 15.