Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
On Matthew Stafford’s brilliance, bad Lions run defense, OL play and more
The Lions knocked off the Chicago Bears in a thrilling comeback victory in Week 13. Detroit balled out for interim coach Darrell Bevell in upsetting the division rivals and finally beating Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, the most celebrated foil of now-fired coach Matt Patricia.
There was a lot to discover from the all-22 coach’s film of the game. After poring over the coach’s film and another viewing of the broadcast feed, here are a few things I picked up on the Lions.
It was also Stafford’s most improbable completion of the season
Quintez Cephus caught his first career touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford in Sunday’s comeback win over the Chicago Bears. It turned out to be one of the best plays of the entire weekend of action and one of the best Lions’ plays of the season.
Stafford’s pass to Cephus traveled 58 yards in the air. That’s the longest air yards of any completion in Week 13 (through Monday) per Zebra Technologies and Next Gen Stats. The pass also had a completion probability of just 20.1 percent, based on the coverage, throwing angle and separation at the time of throw.
The high degree of difficulty makes it the most improbable completion of the entire season for Stafford, again per Next Gen Stats.
Matthew Stafford & Quintez Cephus' 49-yard TD had a completion probability of 20.1%, Stafford's most improbable completion this season.
➤ Air Distance: 58.0 yards
➤ Receiver Separation: 1.3 yards
➤ Sideline Distance: 2.0 yards#DETvsCHI | #OnePride pic.twitter.com/6X5dFBAnwX— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 6, 2020
[lawrence-related id=55738]
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass-Rush | TD |
| Derek Carr | 381-5 | 4 |
| Baker Mayfield | 334-5 | 4 |
| Ryan Tannehill | 389-0 | 3 |
| Matt Stafford | 402-0 | 3 |
| Sam Darnold | 186-26 | 3 |
| Running Backs | Rush Receive |
TD |
| David Montgomery | 17-72 4-39 |
2 |
| Dalvin Cook | 32-120 6-59 |
0 |
| Aaron Jones | 15-130 3-18 |
1 |
| James Robinson | 18-78 6-30 |
1 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 13-91 3-44 |
1 |
| Wide Receivers | Receive | TD |
| Corey Davis | 11-182 | 1 |
| Davanta Adams | 10-121 | 2 |
| Justin Jefferson | 9-121 | 1 |
| Marvin Jones | 8-116 | 1 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 8-110 | 1 |
| Tight Ends | Receive | TD |
| Darren Waller | 13-200 | 2 |
| Mike Gesicki | 9-88 | 1 |
| Dan Arnold | 2-61 | 2 |
| T.J. Hockenson | 7-24 | 0 |
| Travis Kelce | 8-136 | 1 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Jason Sanders | 1-4 | 0 |
| Cody Parker | 5 | 2 |
| Younghoe Koo | 1 | 3 |
| Nick Folk | 6 | 1 |
| Harrison Butker | 1 | 5 |
| Defense | Sack-TO | TD |
| Patriots | 3-2 | 2 |
| Dolphins | 6-2 | 0 |
| Jaguars | 2-4 | 1 |
| Packers | 7-1 | 0 |
| Giants | 5-2 | 0 |
QB Brandon Allen – Chest
QB Philip Rivers – Foot
QB Carson Wentz – Benched
RB C Edwards-Helaire – Illness
RB Frank Gore – Concussion
RB Joshua Kelley – Ankle
WR Tyler Boyd – Ejected
WR Devante Parker – Ejected
Chasing Ambulances
Fortunately, not a lot of injuries and none expected to be serious.
QB Brandon Allen – The Bengals replacement for Joe Burrow only managed to complete 11-of-19 for 153 yards and one lucky 72-yard touchdown that was all thanks to Tyler Boyd. Allen left the game with a chest injury and was sacked five times by the Dolphins. Ryan Finley may be tabbed to face the Cowboys next week, but it is still a situation to avoid.
RB Frank Gore – Had a concussion after just one carry and the Jets – gasp! – ran better with non-37-year-old running backs. Josh Adams gained 74 yards on eight carries while ex-Lion Ty Johnson took over with 22 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown. He even added two receptions for 13 yards. Expect Johnson to be a hotter waiver wire pick-up this week and the Jets head to Seattle where Wayne Gallman just gained 135 yards in the Giants’ upset win. Johnson deserves to start even if Gore ends up healthy but the weekly practices should indicate what to expect.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Did not practice with a stomach virus but was active for the matchup with the Broncos. He never played and HC Andy Reid said that CEH had lost weight and had not practiced, so they opted to not use him despite that he was active and dressed for the game. He is expected to be back to health for the trip to Miami this week.
QB Jalen Hurts – Carson Wentz played halfway through the third quarter and was benched after he completed 6-of-15 for 79 yards at the Packers. Hurts was sent in and while he only threw 5-of-12, they went for 109 yards and a touchdown. He offered some spark. HC Doug Pederson said he has not decided on a starter for Week 14 versus the Saints. It is telling that he didn’t dismiss the chance.
QB Philip Rivers – Was disclosed that Rivers has a plantar plate rupture – a more severe version of turf toe. He will need surgery to fix it but intends to play with the injury. Rivers has been more productive in recent weeks despite the pain, so no reason to expect any changes.
RB Alvin Kamara – His stats were in free-fall once Taysom Hill took over but at least this week, he ran for 88 yards and one score on 15 carries. He only caught two passes for nine yards which limits his most dangerous skill, but at least he was better than the five fantasy points from Week 12.
RB Todd Gurley – Troublesome that the Falcons primary back was held to only 26 yards on eight rushes in Week 11 in New Orleans and then missed Week 12 with a knee issue. He was active this week, but only gained 16 yards on eight carries versus the Saints (again). Gurley has been very touchdown-dependent this year and he’s not looked nearly as spry in recent weeks. He’s a hard one to start right when fantasy playoffs kick-off.
WR Quintez Cephus – The Lions’ fifth-round rookie has been a part of the offense from Week 1 but usually one for one or two catches as the No. 4 wideout. With Kenny Golladay still out, the Lions wanted to take a longer look at the rookie Cephus. He caught two passes for 63 yards that included a 49-yard touchdown on the Bears’ secondary.
RB David Montgomery – The Bears’ running back ran for 72 yards on 17 carries and scored twice, plus caught four passes for 39 yards. The Bears brain trust still opted to give special-teamer Cordarrelle Patterson ten carries and the Lions presented the worst rushing defense. But the Bears lost the game and Montgomery’s best situation of the season still saw him lose ten carries to a gimmick kick returner.
WR T.Y. Hilton – It only took the Colts No. 1 wideout ten games to get in synch with Philip Rivers. He had been consistent with around 40 yards per game and then caught four passes for 81 yards and a score versus the Titans in Week 12. On Sunday, he led the Colts with eight receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown against the Texans for his best performance of the season.
WR Keke Coutee – Facing a formidable Colts defense, Brandin Cooks was limited to only 65 yards on five catches. But Keke Coutee lead the team with eight catches for 141 yards replacing the suspended Will Fuller. The next two weeks are tougher – road games at the Bears and Colts. But Coutee showed the same form he had in 2018 when he produced two 100-yard performances and then did little else until this week.
WR Chad Hansen – He sent many people to their game programs to figure out who the wideout was with five catches for 101 yards against the Colts vaunted secondary. Hansen was a fourth-round pick by the Jets in 2017 who had nine catches as a rookie and then none while he drifted on and off the rosters of the Patriots, Titans, Broncos and Saints. His 101 yards was more than double the 94 career-yards he had coming into the game and his first action in three years. He was promoted off the practice squad and made a splash. Both he and Keke Coutee can thank playing with Deshaun Watson for their success, but anyone with a 100-yard game late in the year is worth noting.
WR DeVante Parker – The Dolphins lead receiver was held to only 38.9 yards per game playing with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback. He hurt his thumb and missed Week 12 when Ryan Fitzpatrick completed eight passes for 119 yards at the Jets. Tagovailoa returned and Parker returned to only four catches for 35 yards. When he plays with Fitzpatrick, he averaged almost 80 yards per game.
WR Collin Johnson – The Jaguars are another team trying out new players and the 6-6, fifth-round pick out of Texans showed up with 96 yards and a score versus the Browns last week. On Sunday, he led the Jaguars with four receptions for 66 yards while DJ Chark was held to only two catches for 41 yards by the Vikings.
WR Henry Ruggs – The Raiders picked the first wideout in the NFL draft and came away with Ruggs who has been “uneven” as a rookie. But the Raiders found themselves on the Jets’ 46-yard line with only 19 seconds left. They trailed the winless Jets 24-28 but DC Gregg Williams opted to call up a total blitz on the third-down play. That meant Ruggs, drafted 1.12 and running a 4.27/ 40-time, was one-on-one against CB Lamar Jackson, an undrafted rookie. Expect much talk about that play this week.
RB Cam Akers – The Rams’ rookie ran for 72 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and added a 22-yard catch. Darrell Henderson would also score on his 38-yard breakaway run but only handed three carries in all. Notable is that Akers 21 rushes in one game are more than any other Rams’ running back this year.
RB Wayne Gallman – He was on a five-game scoring streak after taking over as the primary back in Week 7. While he failed to reach the endzone this week in Seattle, Gallman ran for a season-best 135 yards on 16 carries.
RB Sony Michel – He was on injured reserve and while he was active last week, he had no carries. With Rex Burkhead gone, the Pats only used Damien Harris and James White in Week 12. Michel finally saw use on Sunday when he ran ten times for 35 yards and added a catch for 23 yards. Michel only ran four times over the first three quarters and then saw most of his use late in the already-decided game.
Darren Waller – Not often that the highest-scoring fantasy player for a week is a tight end. Even rarer that it wasn’t Travis Kelce. Waller ended with 13 catches for 200 yards and two scores versus the Jets this week and while Henry Ruggs caught the winning score, Waller was the only reason that play mattered.
Salute!
| Comedy | Yards | TDs | Tragedy | Yards | TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Sam Darnold | 186-26 | 3 | QB | Justin Herbert | 209 | 0 |
| RB | Ty Johnson | 22-104 2-13 |
1 | RB | Miles Sanders | 31 | 0 |
| RB | Alfred Morris | 8-39 2-13 |
2 | RB | Derrick Henry | 15-60 1-9 |
0 |
| WR | Rashard Higgins | 6-95 | 1 | WR | Devante Parker | 4-35 | 0 |
| WR | Henry Ruggs | 3-84 | 1 | WR | Keenan Allen | 5-48 | 0 |
| WR | D. Peoples-Jones | 2-92 | 1 | WR | Nelson Agholor | 4-38 | 0 |
| TE | Dan Arnold | 2-61 | 2 | TE | Evan Engram | 4-32 | 0 |
| PK | Cody Parker | 5 XP 2 FG | PK | Mike Badgley | zip | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 160 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 50 | ||||||
Now get back to work…
The former Badger makes an incredible first career NFL TD catch
Something that Wisconsin fans saw all year long in 2019 just happened in Chicago. Rookie Detroit Lions WR Quintez Cephus secured his first NFL TD on a 49-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford late in the second quarter. The rookie Badger has arrived in Detroit:
Go deep indeed, @QoDeep_87‼️
49 yards from Stafford to Cephus for the rook's first career TD.#DETvsCHI | 📺 FOX | #OnePride pic.twitter.com/AC1MqTaQGN
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 6, 2020
Cephus has two grabs for 63 yards and the touchdown with his Lions trailing the Bears 23-13 at halftime in the windy city.
With injuries and opportunities rising, the Detroit Lions are leaning on late-round rookies Quintez Cephus and John Penisini to start.
The Detroit Lions are headed to Soldier Field short-handed to play the Chicago Bears in Week 13.
This marks the first game without coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn running the team and interim head coach Darell Bevell has a tough assignment ahead of him, as injuries plague the roster and the Lions sit with a losing record.
So how will all of this impact Detroit’s 2020 rookie class? Here’s what to expect from the rookies:
The third-overall pick in 2020 has been ruled out once again this week as he deals with a lingering shoulder injury. Expect veteran Darryl Roberts to take his place as the second outside cornerback alongside Amani Oruwariye, with Justin Coleman primarily in the slot.
The Lions’ star running back has had his rookie season hindered by injuries. Over the last two weeks, he has sat out of multiple practices due to a concussion (when has cleared) and illness. His official status for this game is ‘doubtful’ so don’t expect Swift to see the field in Chicago.
Overall, the Lions’ offensive line has been a bright spot on an otherwise struggling team.
Jackson will continue to start for Detroit at left guard. So far, the rookie out of Ohio State has committed just two penalties and allowed four sacks while playing as both right and left guard. Jackson may catch a break this week as several of Chicago’s starting defensive linemen have been sidelined from practices with various injuries.
Stenberg is on the back end of the Lions’ offensive line depth chart. He may be active this week due to the number of injured players on the active roster, but don’t expect the rookie to see the field.
Cephus could be primed for a much bigger role this week following the release of wide receiver Marvin Hall.
While the rookie has seen more work in the slot, he should now take over as Detroit’s third or fourth receiver and could be used in the deep-threat role that Hall had before his release.
The rookie has 12 receptions for 174 yards on the season but has yet to find the endzone. With Kenny Golladay out and Marvin Hall no longer on the roster, Cephus could end up being the number two guy in Detroit behind Marvin Jones.
Expect a handful of receptions and a score from the rookie receiver against the Chicago Bears.
His role has already been increasing from week-to-week, and starting nose tackle Danny Shelton going to the injured reserve, Penisini will now assume the starting role for Detroit’s defensive line.
The rookie nose tackle has outperformed his draft position and shown versatility as a run stuffer and someone who could provide pressure form the interior of the line.
Against a struggling Chicago offensive line, expect big things from this rookie.
Bryant recently got brought back to the active roster after a stint on injured reserve. The much-talked-about undrafted rookie impressed enough during training camp to make the initial roster and now will see his first action as an NFL player.
His role will be limited as he sits behind T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James, but the rookie could still see the field in certain offensive situations and could make his first career reception against the Bears.
Another undrafted rookie who could make his debut as a pro against Chicago, Price was elevated from the practice squad for this game. While he could provide depth at the safety position, but he is more likely to see the field on special teams.
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.
Setting rookie expectations for the Detroit Lions rookie as they prepare to face off with the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day.
The rookies of the Detroit Lions should be feeling thankful as they prepare to play in their first prime time game of their professional careers.
Today, the Lions will face the Houston Texans for the team’s annual Thanksgiving Day game, hoping to bounce back from their shutout loss last Sunday.
Here’s what to expect from the rookies this week:
The Lions’ first-round pick was ruled out due to a shoulder injury that he suffered from a brutal hit in last week’s matchup against the Panthers.
Swift, who has been in concussion protocol for over a week, is questionable to play in this game. The rookie running back returned to practice earlier this week but has had a limited workload as part of the league’s protocols.
It’s still unclear if he will play on Thanksgiving Day.
Jackson will be active despite finding himself on the injury report earlier this week — he does not carry an injury designation into this game.
The rookie offensive lineman has been a bright spot as Detroit’s starting left guard this season, and will continue to play in that role. Houston’s defense has amassed 21 sacks so far this season, albeit most have not come from defensive linemen. Still, Jackson and the rest of the line will have their work cut out for them this Thanksgiving.
As for the other rookie guard, don’t expect too much. Logan Stenberg has been inactive for most of the season, even when Detroit was faced with multiple injuries along the offensive line. Despite Halapoulivaati Vaitai moving to injured reserve a few days ago, Stenberg will still be the last offensive lineman to be called to the field for the Thanksgiving Day matchup.
Due to the number of players already ruled out, Stenberg will likely be active as the eight offensive lineman for the game, but don’t expect much from the fourth-round pick.
Cephus could be primed for a bigger role as the Lions face a slew of injuries to the wide receiver position — both Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola will be out again this week.
The rookie will backup Marvin Jones and Marvin Hall on the outside and serve as Detroit’s fourth or fifth option at receiver, depending on how the team plans to use veteran Mohammed Sanu.
Cephus had just one reception for nine yards last week while staying on the field for 30-percent of offensive snaps. His snap count should stay about the same against the Texans, and hopefully his production will be better.
Penisini has quietly been Detroit’s best interior defensive lineman throughout the 2020 season. After rising up the depth chart and seeing his snap counts increase from week to week, the rookie earned his first career sack against Carolina last Sunday and should get the start today.
The big-bodied lineman was originally thought to just be a backup nose tackle behind Danny Shelton but has proved to be more versatile and capable of a bigger role on the defense. His athleticism shined on his sack on Carolina’s P.J. Walker, where he chased down the speedy quarterback despite weighing over 100 pounds more than him.
Expect a solid game from Penisini against Houston.
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.
Examining the expectations for the Detroit Lions rookies in Week 11, as they take on the Carolina Panthers.
The Detroit Lions have headed down south to take on the 3-7 Carolina Panthers in the hopes of breaking even on the season, moving to 5-5.
The injury report was lengthy this week, with five players ruled out and four more listed as questionable to play. While injuries are never a good thing, this does mean that a few players from the 2020 rookie class may see expanded roles.
Here’s what to expect from these rookies against Carolina:
Okudah has seen a dramatic drop in his snap counts over the last two weeks since both Desmond Trufant and Amani Oruwariye have been healthy. With no injuries at the cornerback position this week, the rookie first-round pick will be the Lions’ primary backup at the outside and inside cornerback positions.
Okudah should get a handful of tackles in this game. So far this season, he has missed five tackles and has allowed almost 80-percent of passes against him to be completed. The rookie has some big strides to make before he is ready to be a full-time starter.
After a stellar performance last week, the rookie would have gotten the start against Carolina if it weren’t for a brain injury he suffered in practice earlier this week. Due to NFL rules, he is still in concussion protocol and would not be able to play this week regardless of the severity of his injury. Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson will be relied upon to fill his role.
Jackson has emerged as one of the best players on Detroit’s offensive line. Serving as the team’s starting left guard for the last seven games after starting two in the right side, Jackson has only committed two penalties and allowed just two sacks.
Carolina’s defensive line has only gotten 11 sacks so far this season, so Jackson has a chance to play well and keep the pressure off of Matthew Stafford.
For the other rookie lineman Logan Stenberg, don’t expect much. Stenberg has yet to see the field this season and has spent most games as a game-day inactive. Expect the same for the rookie out of Kentucky again this week.
Cephus is primed for a much larger role on offense with two of the Lions’ starting receivers ruled out for the game against Carolina.
With Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola out, Cephus will move slightly up the depth chart. Marvin Hall is expected to fill Golladay’s role as the team’s primary deep threat and Jamal Agnew should take over for Amendola in the slot, but Cephus could easily back up both roles and fill in as Detroit’s fourth receiver.
The rookie has amassed 138 yards on nine receptions but is also credited with three drops.
The rookie defensive lineman saw a more limited role last week, though his snap counts had been on the rise all season prior to that. Despite fewer snaps, Penisini still had one of his more productive games with three tackles.
Stats don’t tell much of the story for interior defensive linemen, especially backup nose tackles like Penisini. The rookie has done fairly well at stuffing the run and creating pressure up the middle.
With Da’Shawn Hand and Austin Bryant ruled out for this game, the Lions will have to move some guys around on the defensive line. This could bode well for Penisini if Danny Shelton gets moved out to the 3T spot.
Examining the Detroit Lions rookie roles as they enter their Week 01 matchup with the Washington Football Team.
The Detroit Lions are hosting the Washington Football Team in Week 10 of the 2020 regular season and with injuries at key positions, the Lions rookies will look to benefit in playing time.
Let’s take a closer look at those opportunities.
The rookie cornerback was dealing with ankle and groin injuries earlier this week, but was a full participant in practice late in the week, and is not listed with an injury designation.
The Lions opted to start Okudah over Amani Oruwariye last week alongside Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman. Even before Okudah went down with an injury, the team did begin to rotate out their cornerbacks depending on the defensive situation.
Okudah should get the start today against Washington, but it’s certain that he’ll split his reps fairly evenly with Trufant and Oruwariye.
Washington does not rely on their receivers too often, instead opting to use running backs and tight ends, so the only real threat that Okudah may cover is their young and up-and-coming Terry McLaurin, who made some plays against Detroit in their matchup last season.
Even when factoring in his lower production over the last few weeks, Swift may be in for a very quiet game.
The Football Team has done a good job at smothering running backs in the passing game, with the most receiving yards by a running back against them being just 38 yards.
Washington has also allowed an average of almost 129 rushing yards-per-game. Given that the Lions are only averaging 101 yards on the ground each week, things do not bode well for Swift.
Jackson will likely reprise his role as the team’s starting left guard and with Hal Vaitai inactive, Joe Dahl will hold down the right guard position. Both should be backed up by Oday Aboushi.
Stenberg is once again inactive.
With Kenny Golladay and Jamal Agnew inactive, Cephus is expected to be active again serving as the Lions’ primary backup at wide receiver behind Marvin Jones and Marvin Hall.
The rookie was on the field for 41-percent of offensive snaps last week and gained 31 yards on both passes that came his way. He also made a huge contribution on special teams last week, picking up a blocked punt and bringing it inside the Vikings’ five-yard line.
Penisini has continued to see his role increase on the defensive line from week to week. Unfortunately, he and the rest of the line struggled to contain Dalvin Cook last week.
Still, the rookie will likely see significant time at the nose tackle position, especially with defensive tackle Nick Williams inactive. He should be good for a pair of tackles in this game while adding some pressure from the interior.
