Lions inactives for the NFC Championship game: James Houston will play
James Houston is active for the NFC Championship game. No sense in burying the lead story.
For the first time since breaking his ankle in Week 2, Lions EDGE James Houston is active for a game. He is poised to take the field for Detroit in San Francisco against the 49ers.
The Lions had two players previously ruled out on the final injury list with injuries in left guard Jonah Jackson and wide receiver/return specialist Kalif Raymond. Third-string QB Hendon Hooker is also inactive but listed as the emergency QB option. Hooker was questionable with a tooth malady.
The healthy scratches feature several of the usual suspects:
CB Steven Gilmore
DT Brodric Martin
S Tracy Walker
EDGE Charles Harris
For the 49ers:
#49ers inactives: QB Brandon Allen WR Willie Snead LB Jalen Graham T Matt Pryor WR Ronnie Bell CB Sam Womack LB Curtis Robinson
That means LB Oren Burks (shoulder) is active for the game.
There are quite a few connections between the Lions and Cowboys at multiple levels
In a pivotal game for the NFC playoff picture, the Detroit Lions are set to face the Dallas Cowboys in the primetime of Saturday Night Football.
It’s hard to go into this game as a Lions fan without remembering the picked-up pass interference flag during the Wild Card game in 2014, or the four straight losses to Dallas that have happened since.
With that being said, there are a few connections on both the rosters and coaching staffs for these two teams that will make this game much more special.
A former Lion
Detroit Lions safety Jayron Kearse warms up before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Nashville, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
There is one former Detroit Lion who is now playing for the Cowboys: defensive back Jayron Kearse.
Kearse signed with the Lions in the spring of 2020, but his tenure in Detroit was not one worth remembering. Kearse was immediately suspended by the league and had to miss the first three games of the regular season. Upon his return, he immediately was put into action on defense.
Kearse appeared in 11 games for Detroit, starting seven of them at strong safety. In that span, he recorded 59 tackles and a forced fumble.
Kearse was benched near the end of the season for violating team rules, and waived one week later. He was subsequently picked up by the Ravens, and signed with Dallas the following season.
He has started at safety for the Cowboys since joining them and is currently having the best stretch of his eight-year career.
The former Cowboys
Dec 22, 2019; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper (70) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive lineman Dan Skipper has been an unsung hero for the Lions over the past two seasons, but many don’t know that his career started with the Dallas Cowboys.
Skipper signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and competed for a reserve lineman role during their training camp. He was waived after the preseason and signed back to their practice squad.
A few weeks later, he was let go once again by the Cowboys and signed to Detroit’s practice squad. Over the years, he would bounce around the league but always managed to find his way back to the Lions. Skipper, in his seventh NFL season, is on his fourth stint with the Detroit Lions.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 12: Jake McQuaide #43 of the Detroit Lions gives the game ball to Riley Patterson #36 of the Detroit Lions after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Long snapper Jake McQuaide had a bit of a more prominent career with Dallas. He served as the Cowboys’ long snapper for most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons but missed some time due to injuries.
McQuaide joined the Lions in 2023 but was waived before the season began. He later re-joined the team after another Cowboy-turned-Lion long snapper got injured.
Dec 11, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly (47) walks on the field before the start of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
That’s right, Detroit has two former Dallas long snappers on the roster. Scott Daly was the incumbent that McQuaide was brought in to compete with. After a season-ending injury, Daly was placed on injured reserve and McQuaide rejoined the team to replace him.
Daly signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and joined the Cowboys in 2018. He only stayed in Dallas for the preseason of the 2018 season and went to the AAF and XFL before finding a home in Detroit.
Offensive lineman Matt Farniok, who is on Detroit’s practice squad, played for the Cowboys from 2021 to 2022. He started two games for Dallas last season.
Brotherly love
Detroit Lions cornerback Steven Gilmore (24) warms up before the game between Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
There is one set of brothers who are poised to face off against each other for the first time in their football careers. While they share the same parents, their careers couldn’t be more different.
Stephon Gilmore of the Cowboys was a first-round draft pick in 2012. He has a Super Bowl ring, was named Defensive Player of the Year, is a two-time All-Pro, and has been voted into five Pro Bowls.
His younger brother Steven, nine years his junior, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The younger Gilmore brother had to fight tooth and nail in order to make Detroit’s roster to begin the season. As an undrafted rookie in his first preseason, he shined with six pass breakups, two interceptions, and a touchdown.
Steven Gilmore has only appeared in three games as a Lion and will likely not be active for this game against his older brother.
Coaching connections
Oct 23, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit’s coaching staff has two former Dallas Cowboys players in head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Before Campbell took charge of the Lions, and even before he played for them, he was a starting tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Campbell played there for three seasons, primarily as a blocking compliment to Jason Witten.
Glenn played two full seasons for Dallas from 2005 to 2006, recording 54 tackles and five interceptions over that span.
Cowboys’ wide receivers coach Robert Prince held the same position in Detroit for a long time. He joined the program in 2014 and worked with players such as Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Anquan Bolden, and Danny Amendola. Most notably, Prince had to step in as head coach for one game in 2020 when interim coach Darrell Bevell and several other coaches came down with Covid-19.
When CJGJ, Alim McNeill, James Houston and others (potentially) return, the Lions will have to make some cuts to free up roster space and these players are the most vulnerable.
There are a few players who are poised to come back to the Detroit Lions in the coming couple of weeks after missing time with injuries.
With the returns, it means some players currently on the active 53-man roster will need to be cut to make room. Kicker Riley Patterson was the first victim, as he was waived for Hooker to get activated. Michael Badgley is the new kicker, though he remains (for now) on the practice squad. That’s another roster spot that will eventually need to be freed up, too.
Who are the unfortunate likely candidates to be waived when guys like McNeill and Gardner-Johnson return? Remember–all players are subject to waivers from now through the end of the season, so there has to be some strategy involved here.
Lions inactive players for Week 2 include DTs Isaiah Buggs and Brodric Martin vss. the Seahawks
Lions fans will have to wait a little longer before seeing the Detroit debut of third-round pick, Brodric Martin. The defensive tackle is one of five Lions who are inactive for the Week 2 matchup in Ford Field with the Seattle Seahawks.
Martin and Isaiah Buggs, who was projected to be the starting nose tackle for most of the offseason, are both inactive. The beefy duo was also inactive in the Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
With left tackle Taylor Decker and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley already ruled out with injuries, there was only one other player who needed to be inactive. The Lions coaching staff chose undrafted rookie CB Steven Gilmore.
Defensive lineman Josh Paschal and cornerback Khalil Dorsey were placed on I.R. on Saturday, so they are not inactive declarations for Sunday’s game.
The latest player additions for the Detroit Lions have decided on their jersey numbers, as well as number switches from last season.
The Detroit Lions have finalized their 53-man roster and practice squad, but as we all know, this could change at any moment. The roster now includes a mix of new and old players, and we’re excited to see what jersey numbers they’ll be wearing this season. Some players have even decided to switch their numbers from last year.
Below is the list of jersey numbers for the new players, as well as the players who have switched their numbers for this season.
Teddy Bridgewater takes over No. 10, previously held by Nate Sudfeld
Jerry Jacobs previously was 39 but switched to No. 23.
Steven Gilmore switched to No. 24 after sporting 36 through the preseason
Michael Badgley goes back to No. 17, which he held last season.
David Blough will be No. 18 this year. He previously was 10 when he was with the Lions before.
Zonovan Knight will hold No. 28 after the departure of Jermar Jefferson
Raymond Johnson will be No. 52 after the release of Christian Covington
Michael Niese will take over No. 62 with the departure of Ryan Swoboda
Darice Fountain will hold No. 84, which was previously held by Avery Davis
Quinton Bohanna will be No. 90 after Cory Durden was waived
The Detroit Lions have released their initial 53-man roster and here are 5 of the biggest surprises stemming from the reveal.
The Detroit Lions have finally released their initial 53-man roster. There had been weeks of speculation on which players would make the cut and which ones would not. During the preseason games, many players put in impressive performances, especially given that the Lions rested their starters. This allowed the management to take a closer look at the players and determine who would be the best fit for the team.
Upon reviewing the final roster, there were a few surprises that caught my attention. Here are the five decisions that were the most unexpected to me with the initial roster release.
These 12 players from the Lions’ final preseason game roster should make the team’s 16-man practice squad
One of the first orders of business for the Detroit Lions following the conclusion of the roster cutdowns and initial waiver claim period is to form the 16-man practice squad. Teams can start signing players to the practice squad after Wednesday, August 30th at 12 p.m. ET.
Most teams prefer to stock the practice squad with players who were on the roster for the final preseason game. The Lions did that last year and are expected to do so once again.
Here are 12 Lions expected to be cut by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline who should make the practice squad.
With the preseason in the books, here are this week’s Studs and Duds for the Detroit Lions preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers
The Detroit Lions have wrapped up their preseason with a 26-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers. As most of the Lions’ top players sat out, the coaches and management had the opportunity to closely observe the players who are on the brink of making the final roster. It will be intriguing to see which players the Lions choose, as many of them performed exceptionally well, making the decisions more difficult. Unfortunately, some players did not perform at their best and may have fallen behind in the roster selection.
Here are the Studs and Duds for the Lions in their preseason win against the Panthers.
Who helped and hurt themselves this week? Here are this week’s Stud and Duds for the Lions preseason loss against the Jaguars
The preseason is an opportunity for teams to assess their players, and the Detroit Lions relied on their backup players during their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, they were unable to perform well and lost 25-7 in their second preseason game.
Since the starters were resting, we were able to observe the players who needed to prove themselves to secure a spot on the team. Although the offense was not performing at its best and the defense had some weaknesses, some players stood out, while others struggled.
Here are the Studs and Duds for the Lions in their game against the Jaguars this week. In this week’s edition, I focused on players who are right at the borderline of making the roster. I know Cominsky, Campbell, Walker, and Houston all had fantastic games, but we all know they are sticking around.
Lions UDFA CB Steven Gilmore comes down with an excellent INT with an assist from Tracy Walker
There wasn’t much in the way of Detroit Lions highlights in the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason contest with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Undrafted rookie cornerback Steven Gilmore made sure the Lions had a fun won, however.
Gilmore, starting on the outside as the Lions rested all the regular starters, made an impressive interception off a savvy deflection from safety Tracy Walker. C.J. Beathard’s throw was initially set to be picked off by Walker, who ranged over the top beautifully.
Jaguars wideout Kevin Austin made a nice play to prevent Walker from cleanly catching it, but Gilmore was right there to clean up the play and make the takeaway.
Just like his big bro.
Steven Gilmore snags his first INT of the preseason! @toofyegilmore
