Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
On Matt Patricia, Trey Flowers, Jeff Okudah and the respect for Matthew Stafford
The Detroit Lions wrapped up the virtual offseason program last week. It was a modification from the normal series of OTAs and minicamps due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The team did a good job keeping the media looped in via frequent Zoom teleconferences. With everyone working remotely, it was difficult to coordinate bringing everyone together.
Here are a few things I picked up about the team from the virtual offseason program.
Lions 2019 rewatch: Week 8 notebook from the win over the Giants
The 2-3-1 Detroit Lions welcome the 2-5 New York Giants to Ford Field for a Week 8 NFC matchup.
Detroit was coming off a rough patch, losing two NFC North games in six days. The Week 7 loss to Minnesota was the worst defensive performance of the year and wasted a career day from WR Marvin Jones, who scored four TDs in the defeat.
New York had lost three in a row, including a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7. Other than their Week 4 win over Washington, the Giants had allowed at least 27 points in every game and ranked 32nd in passer rating allowed entering this matchup.
Pregame notes
Da’Shawn Hand made his season debut along the defensive line for the Lions. Darius Slay and Mike Daniels missed the game with injuries. Starting safety Quandre Diggs was traded during the week and is replaced in the lineup by rookie Will Harris. Kerryon Johnson was placed on I.R. During the week as well, replaced by Tra Carson. The Giants were without WR Sterling Shepard, the only regular the visitors were missing as inactive. Scott Novak and crew officiated.
First quarter
It’s obvious from the very first Giants drive that both teams are focused on RB Saquon Barkley. Jarrad Davis is deployed as a Barkley spy right away and provides great man coverage on a designed wheel route. The Lions are in a straight 4-man front with Devon Kennard playing with a hand in the turf as a traditional DE.
Nice tackles on Barkley by Damon Harrison on an interior run and Mike Ford on a safety-valve outlet pass force the punt. Devon Kennard got pressure on QB Daniel Jones twice during the drive, both off 4-man rushes.
Tra Carson immediately impresses at RB by running aggressively downhill. No jump step, no delay, he attacks the hole. Good blocks from Frank Ragnow and Graham Glasgow create a couple of nice gains.
Matthew Stafford quickly gets into a rhythm with Danny Amendola. They connect three times in four snaps, with the fourth being a coverage sack of Stafford when he can’t find Kenny Golladay down the field. One of the worst throws Stafford has ever made ends the first drive. He forced the ball downfield to Marvin Jones, who was blanketed in bracket coverage. Stafford underthrew the ball under no real pressure. Awful decision and Janoris Jenkins makes him pay for it. He had Ty Johnson open across the field on the backside of the play.
Daniel Jones apparently takes Stafford’s terrible play as a challenge to do worse. And the rookie delivers nicely. After two impressive Barkley runs, the second ended on a potential TD-saving tackle by Tracy Walker, Jones gets absolutely spooked by Davis on a beautiful delay A-gap blitz. He flings the ball in the general direction of Barkley, but it’s a backward pass. Devon Kennard plucks the ball off the turf (Barkley quit on the play) and charges into the end zone for a TD.
Matt Prater’s conversion is nearly blocked but goes through and the Lions are up 7-0. Jalen Reeves-Maybin makes one of the best kick coverage tackles you’ll ever see on Slayton and the Giants take over inside their own 15.
Walker nearly picks off Jones’ next throw but he can’t quite get both feet inbounds on the leaping grab. Outstanding range and instincts in coverage from Walker nonetheless. For good measure, on the next play Walker makes a very nice open-field tackle on a scrambling Jones just shy of the conversion mark to force the punt. Very nice 3-and-out series from the Lions defense, notably Walker and Tavon Wilson.
Sometimes the broadcasters deserve credit. This is one such instance. Kenny Albert notes that the Lions bring in Marvin Hall as a speed option to stretch the defense and that Stafford seems anxious to look deep. This was the magnificent result:
Matthew Stafford goes deep to Marvin Hall for a @Lions TD! #OnePride @bigplayhall_A2N #NYGvsDET
đź“ş: FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/a16R5wPShJ pic.twitter.com/BgX6kF8AgR— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019
Second quarter
Walker is playing in front of the LBs whenever the Giants have a TE in-line. The Lions clearly don’t respect Jones nearly as much as they fear Barkley running the ball. Davis continues to be a Barkley spy on every pass play and it’s working. But the Giants are learning and adapting…
Great play call by New York. Give them credit. Knowing Davis will mark Barkley, they split the RB wide right. The defensive shuffle reaction winds up with exactly the matchup the Giants want: Golden Tate covered by Will Harris. Two plays earlier Harris was very late to react to a route and now the Giants smell blood. It’s a big gain and sets up the Giants well into Detroit territory.
Jones finds Slayton for a touchdown from 22 yards out after a couple of well-blocked Barkley runs. Slayton easily wins the jump ball at the 2 over an unaware Rashaan Melvin and the pair falls into the end zone before Walker can get there. It’s not a good throw and Trey Flowers got decent pressure by splitting a double-team, but bad CB play costs Detroit and it’s 14-7.
The Lions first offensive play makes me want to throw my cat at the TV. It’s a shotgun handoff to a static RB in Paul Perkins, who might have the slowest acceleration of any RB in the league at that time. It’s a slow-developing run play to a runner who is standing completely still when he gets the ball. This is Jim Bob Cooter’s trash offense and I hope it never rears its ugly head again.
Thankfully Stafford finds T.J. Hockenson on a nice crosser to redeem the dreadful 1st down. Hockenson blew past Jabrill Peppers in coverage. Another nice throw to TE Logan Thomas over the middle gets the Lions into FG range. A chop block call on Hockenson (good call, it was obvious) stalls the drive. To make things worse, Prater pushes the 53-yard FG attempt wide right. The snap was not great but Sam Martin’s hold was excellent.
The Giants score another TD on almost exactly the same play as their first, just on the other side of the field. Hand gets nice pressure up the gut on Jones but he still feels confident enough to float a should-be jump ball to Slayton on Melvin. Once again, Melvin never figures out that the ball is up for grabs. Slayton catches it and lands in the end zone before Harris and Wilson can get there. Ruins an otherwise solid series from the Lions defense, notably Hand. He played a very good series on the shaded nose.
Fortunately the Giants miss the extra point to keep the Lions in front, 14-13.
Nice play design from the Lions offense. They align in bunch formation, trips right. Golladay drags across behind and deeper up the field than Amendola and Stafford slings it in. The throw is a bit behind Golladay but he makes a nice catch. If the pass is out in front Golladay easily goes for another 10-15 yards.
Every run play now is an absolute gift for the Giants defense. The New York LBs are sitting on it and swarming the box with more than the Lions can block. Stafford gets sacked again, another coverage sack. He didn’t come off his first read fast enough and the backside slot CB blitz catches him.
Martin acts his way into extending the Lions possession. A Giant dives into the general vicinity of his feet and Martin sells it well. The Lions keep the ball and up-tempo drive into FG range, no thanks to poor play from Decker at LT (well-earned holding penalty and a QB hurry allowed). Stafford just missed a wide-open Ty Johnson down the right sideline on 3rd down. Prater makes the FG and the Lions go up 17-13.
The Lions dodge a bit of a bullet when Slayton drops a nice throw from Jones on New York’s next play, which could have encouraged them to keep driving and try to score. Instead they kneel out the half.
“It’s not wrong to not know, it’s wrong to not want to know”.
Lions defensive end Trey Flowers is typically a man of few public words. But Flowers was compelled to address the ongoing protests and the death of George Floyd that are dominating the nation right now. He titled his address “It’s not wrong to not know, it’s wrong to not want to know”.
In his nearly 10-minute video post on his Instagram account, Flowers described how the messages being transmitted and received often resemble the “telephone game”, where it gets progressively diluted and distorted the more people get involved in the chain of conversation.
“Try listening” was Flowers’ impassioned plea to folks who are upset with the protest movement. It’s worth the time to watch–and listen–to what Flowers has to say.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBBivzRFAkP/?igshid=1pspxx8w71vw1
Lions 2019 rewatch: Week 6 notes from the Lions vs. the Packers and the officials, who decided Green Bay was supposed to win
The 4-1 Green Bay Packers host the 2-1-1 Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football in Lambeau Field. First place in the NFC North and ongoing bragging rights for Detroit, which had beaten the Packers four straight times entering the game.
Pregame notes
This was the Lions return from their bye week. Detroit wore road blue jerseys with the silver pants accented with blue piping stripes. Temp was 43 degrees at kickoff and the field was somewhat slick after it had rained during the day.
Starters Quandre Diggs, Da’Shawn Hand and Mike Daniels were all out for Detroit. The Packers were missing top WR Davante Adams and starting safety Darnell Savage.
First quarter
The Lions come out firing with a flea-flicker that works perfectly. Kerryon Johnson sells the run fake before flipping the ball back to Matthew Stafford. Kenny Golladay pulls away from Kevin King in man coverage with the safety sucked up to defend the run. Golladay eventually gets caught from behind at the Packers’ 11-yard line. Nick Bawden sold the run fake beautifully too. Huge play.
The very next snap, Bawden brushes into Stafford as he drops back for a handoff to Johnson. Stafford falls on the ball but it’s a wasted down. The Packers have very good coverage on the next two plays and force a short Matt Prater field goal. None of the Lions’ targets (WR or TE) do anything to try and get free after their initial route is covered while Stafford buys time. Pass protection is good enough that Stafford slips and falls down but still can get up and deliver a throw. 3-0 Lions.
Trey Flowers is playing right DE outside the OT’s shoulders and he blows up a nice misdirection run. Justin Coleman helps break up a contested-catch opportunity for WR Geronimo Allison on third down. Jahlani Tavai had a nice zone coverage drop, taking away the underneath route Aaron Rodgers wanted on the play.
The Lions next play is another deep strike, this time from Stafford to Marvin Hall. Kerryon Johnson has a great pass protection pickup and it allows Hall to run past Kevin King (recurring game theme) in coverage. Perfect throw that travels 48 yards in the air.
Kerryon Johnson eventually scores on a goal-line dive play where he barely broke the plane. The run blocking through the first two drives is consistently terrible, exacerbated by the Packers loading up the line and the box without worry of being beaten in single coverage outside. All the momentum remains with the visiting Lions, up 10-0 after less than five minutes off the clock.
A’Shawn Robinson ends the next Packers drive with a brilliant strip tackle that Christian Jones recovers. Lambeau Field is in shaken silence.
Second quarter
Stafford remains red-hot, the run game remains ice-cold. The drive stalls in the red zone as (recurring theme) the Packers load the box and middle-of-field and the Lions’ uncreative receivers cannot get any room without the threat of the deep ball. Graham Glasgow is getting worked at right guard, LT Taylor Decker cannot sustain his blocks either. All three TEs (Jesse James, T.J. Hockenson, Logan Thomas) have been worthless in the run game thus far. Hockenson dropped a difficult contested catch in the zone on this one, too. Another Prater FG makes it 13-0.
To recap: the Lions get 1st-and-goal inside the Packers 8-yard line on all three possessions but come away with just 13 points. Johnson has five carries for three yards in the red zone and was contacted behind the line on every attempt.
Sam Martin’s kickoff goes out of bounds and the Packers finally string together some positive plays. It’s aided by some terrible officiating; on the very first play, Romeo Okwara is held, facemasked and deliberately tripped all in very plain and obvious view but doesn’t get a flag. Twice the umpire reaches for his flag but decides against it.
Lions are playing more zone defense in coverage, showing man and sugaring the box pre-snap but then dropping into Cover-1. Rodgers burns it with a perfect throw to an uncovered Aaron Jones (Christian Jones and Jarrad Davis mix-up) on an RB wheel but the pass hits Jones in the face and falls incomplete in the end zone. Everything is coming up Lions!
A sketchy defensive holding call on Tracy Walker extends the Packers drive. The coverage is holding up well but the run defense keeps getting gashed, as the Packers smartly keep attacking the hole where Davis and/or Tavai show their rush before dropping. Running right at a dropping LB is a prudent strategy but the Lions maintain the look on every rep.
Eventually a Lions illegal substitution penalty (a good call) on 4th down overcomes a poor series from Rodgers and the Packers cash in for a touchdown to cut it to 13-7. Tavon Wilson misses a potential tackle for loss, Jarrad Davis badly overruns the point of attack on the touchdown shovel pass/jet sweep.
The right side of the Lions OL (Wagner/Glasgow) foils a drive with genuine ineptitude. Packers methodically drive for a field goal just before the half to tighten the score to 13-10. The Lions downfield coverage is excellent once again, the up-the-gut run defense remains terrible.
The Detroit Lions hired Cory Undlin as their new defensive coordinator this offseason and Trey Flowers is “very excited” to work with him.
The Detroit Lions hired Cory Undlin as their new defensive coordinator this offseason and Lions’ prized defensive end Trey Flowers is “very excited” to work with him.
“He’s a fiery guy,” Flowers said about Undlin. “He worked well with coach Patricia at the (New England) Patriots and I can tell that he’s about the same principals, he’s about winning, he’s about getting the job done, and he’s about it being about the players going out there making plays, regardless of the scheme.”
The Lions scheme is expected to go through some minor changes during training camp — we at Lions Wire have theorized the addition of Jamie Collins points to more positional fluidity at linebacker — and general manager Bob Quinn has pointed to Undlin’s “blend of systems” experience as a way of helping the Lions’ “make improvements in their defense”.
For the time being, the Lions are in phase two of their virtual Spring camp and aren’t diving too deep into scheme — only working on the basics per Flowers — but when they do get back out on the field, Flowers is looking forward to working more with Undlin.
“I’m very excited,” Flowers said about working with Undlin, “looking forward to it. I know he’s got high expectations, he sets a high standard, and anytime you got a coach like that — that gets the most out of guys, demands highly if guys — it’s always good to work with (coaches like him).”
Lions DE Trey Flowers isn’t afraid of the risks of coronavirus enough to keep him off the playing field
Trey Flowers joined a conference call with local reporters on Wednesday. He wasn’t local, however; Flowers was at his home in Alabama instead of being in Detroit working out with teammates in the Lions offseason activities. Such is life in the time of COVID-19.
The Lions defensive end was asked about if he had any worries about getting back on the field once the NFL and NFLPA give the go-ahead. Flowers didn’t hesitate one bit.
“If they give the OK of playing football, we’ve got to go out there,” Flowers said. “I’m not one that plays with fear because you’re out there risking your life anyway just running into guys, risking injury, risking a lot of things. … If they give us the OK, I wouldn’t have any concerns or any hesitation about going out there wondering if it’s safe or not. We play a dangerous game already.”
Flowers sees no issue with taking proper precautions to protect the players from coronavirus, however. He trusts the NFLPA leadership and the league to make those correct decisions.
“But I feel as though there has to be a lot of precautionary measures in place. I feel as though the NFL, the NFLPA can kind of figure that out about what it needs to be a safe environment for the players.”
Some NFL teams have been able to open up facilities to a limited number of players and staffers. The Lions are prevented from doing so by Michigan’s quarantine restrictions.
Flowers echoes the sentiment from quarterback Matthew Stafford, who told reporters a week earlier in his own Zoom call,
“If they told us we had to start the season tomorrow and I had to fly to Detroit and put the pads on, I’d be happy to go do it.”
Examining the Detroit Lions defensive linemen and debating who and how many players they will keep on the 53-man roster.
It’s never too early to examine and speculate about the Detroit Lions roster. Currently, the Lions have 90-players on their roster, and come September, there will likely be some difficult decisions to make when determining their final 53-players.
Previously, in this series of articles at Lions Wire, we rounded out the running backs group, declared a winner in the fullback versus H-back competition, added an offensive weapon, narrowed down the offensive line, and in this piece, we will shift to the other side of the ball and focus on the Lions defensive line — projecting who and how many will make the 53-man roster.
The Lions defensive line primarily operates out of a three-man front, deploying a down defensive end (the DDE lines up on the offensive tackles outside shoulder, but will also shift inside to the 3-technique), a nose tackle (the NT splits time evenly between the 1- and 3-technique) and a defensive tackle (the DT lines up from the 3- to the 5-technique). In this set, the Lions will also line up a pass-rushing JACK linebacker opposite the DDE — for this exercise, the JACK will be discussed further in a linebacker article.
Because this is a hybrid front, the Lions will also operate with four defensive linemen, substituting a back-7 player (linebacker or defensive back) in favor of a big defensive end (BDE). The BDE will line up at the 7- or 9-technique (outside the tight end) in four-man fronts but will also rotate through at DT in three-man fronts.
For a frame of reference, last year the starters at these spots were:
Despite losing two starters on the defensive line, the Lions front-four starters for 2020 are clear. Flowers will resume his role at DDE, Hand returns to his role at BDE/DT, while Harrison and Robinson were replaced in free agency by Danny Shelton at NT and Nick Williams at DT.
In three-man sets, expect Hand and Williams to rotate through the DT spot equally, regardless of who technically starts.
Erik’s take: You can write these four names in pen on your depth chart.
After seeing over 53-percent of snaps last season, Romeo Okwara appears destined to resume the reserve DDE once again in 2020.
Jonathan Wynn runs third on the depth chart here but unless an injury happens the odds are against him. Add in the fact that JACK linebacker Austin Bryant can also flex to the DDE position and Wynn’s most optimistic outlook could be the practice squad.
Erik’s take: Okwara in, Wynn to the practice squad.
Last season the Lions kept four players at DT/BDE — Robinson (who has been replaced by Williams), Hand, Mike Daniels (who is still a free agent), and Kevin Strong. One of the reasons the Lions rolled with four players was due to Hand’s injury, but if he is healthy heading into this season, they may elect to keep only three players at this spot.
Strong returns to the roster, and as things sit right now, he appears to be the front runner for the third DT role. His primary competition will be seventh-rounder Jashon Cornell, a converted DE who shined last season at Ohio State after pushing inside to the 3-technique. Frank Herron, who was added to the Lions roster for the final month of the season, rounds out the group but he is staring at an uphill battle.
Erik’s take: Strong gets the nod in this projection, but he’ll be looking over his shoulder at Cornell who is headed to the practice squad. Herron is out.
Like at DT, this is another three-person battle between a returner, a draft pick, and a late addition to the roster.
After going undrafted in 2018, John Atkins has seen action each of the last two years, playing in 14 games and starting six down the stretch last season. His primary competition will be sixth-round pick John Penisini who has received a tremendous amount of praise for his upside in this type of NT role. Olive Sagapolu received a futures deal with the Lions last January, but like Herron, he lost his leverage once the Lions drafted a player at his position.
Erik’s take: Penisini is a perfect fit for this role and my gut feeling is he passes Atkins in the final weeks of the preseason, earning a spot on the 53. Atkins could push Strong for a deep reserve role but he’s more than likely headed to the practice squad. Sagapolu is out.
No real big surprises here, and while things can definitely shakeup during camp amongst the reserves, here’s where the depth chart stands in this projection:
Several Lions earned roster bonuses and guarantees on Friday, the third day of the NFL league year for 2020
Friday, March 20th marked the third day of the 2020 NFL league year. That’s an important date for contractual purposes for many players, including some Detroit Lions.
Many NFL contracts are structured so roster bonuses get paid and guaranteed on the third day of the league year. It’s also when contracts also get guaranteed for the next year in some cases. The Lions who got some roster bonus money on Friday include:
DE Trey Flowers: $10 million of his $14.5 million base salary in 2020 is now guaranteed.
TE T.J. Hockenson: $810,965 roster bonus.
DE Romeo Okwara: $150,000 roster bonus.
CB Justin Coleman: $1.9 million of his $6.95 million salary for 2020 is guaranteed.
PK Matt Prater: $200,000 roster bonus.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Trey Flowers gives fans a behind-the-scenes peek at his offseason training program.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Trey Flowers is generally a private person, but as is often the case with high-profile players, there is an expectation from teams that they give fans a peek at who they are and what they do off the field.
The Lions’ media department does a terrific job of bridging the gap, allowing players to share at their comfort level, while also making entertaining videos fans want to watch.
In their latest video, the Lions’ media department and Flowers give fans a behind-the-scenes look at his offseason training program. Here are some of the highlights.
The video opens with Flowers inviting fans into the Phase 3 Fitness training facility to watch him workout. He explains how after the season, he takes a few weeks off to allow his body to heal, then starts back up with core training and lighter weights.
Flowers continues to explain how as a veteran he has learned how to prioritize warming up as not to aggravate or cause injury, as well as building strength without sacrificing flexibility. He goes on to explain that during the season, players work to maintain strength, and why they need to rely on the offseason to get healthy and gain strength.
You can watch the entire five-minute video below:
After a less than ideal NFL combine for Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa, the Detroit Lions could possibly land him in the second round
The NFL combine is an excellent place for a prospect to shine among NFL scouts, but on the flip side, if you flounder, it is magnified, and that is the case for Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa.
Before the combine, it was hard not to find Epenesa landing nearly in the top half of the draft, and thinking the only way the Lions could land the Iowa standout was trading down in the draft. However, with a showing that left many scratching their heads, his draft stock is taking a significant blow.
Epenesa was being garnered as one of the best edge prospects in this draft who has strength for days, and not only brings intense pressure against the quarterback, but has sound gap techniques leading to his sheer presence in the run game.
If Patricia could build a player in a lab, Epenesa would be the finished product who has drawn comparisons to Lions’ own Trey Flowers, which isn’t far off the mark, but the tipping point would be the weight between the two which accounts for the difference in athleticism.
A.J. Epenesa vs. Trey Flowers: pic.twitter.com/ZEheDL8bh4
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 1, 2020
The problem that people are running into with Espenesa is the lack of athleticism he showcased at the combine bringing into the question how effective he could be as an edge defender, but if anyone has watched Espenesa that is not his calling card. He wins with brute strength and technical ability, unlike a traditional edge rusher who makes their money with speed and straight athleticism like former Lion Ziggy Ansah.
Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to how the Lions view players and Epenesa falls in line with other Lions defensive linemen. They often look for players who can fill multiple roles and are not tied to a singular position like a pure edge rusher. Pulling numbers from current Lions Trey Flowers, Da’Shawn Hand, and Romeo Okwara, Epenesa falls right in line with what the Lions look for — potentially filling a role similar to Flowers with some Hand-like responsibilities sprinkled in.
| PLAYER | 10-YD SPLIT | VERTICAL JUMP | BROAD JUMP | 3-CONE DRILL | SHORT SHUTTLE |
| A.J. EPENESA | 1.78 | 32.5 | 9’9″ | 7.34 | 4.46 |
| TREY FLOWERS | 1.63 | 36.5 | 10’1″ | 7.34 | 4.40 |
| DA’SHAWN HAND | 1.70 | 31.5 | 9’3″ | 7.98 | 4.62 |
| ROMEO OKWARA | 1.73 | 33 | 10′ | 7.38 | 4.53 |
Kent Lee Platte wrote an article for Pro Football Network that highlights that maybe not is all is lost for Epenesa. He compares Epenesa to the likes of ZaDarius Smith and Arik Armstead, who have gone on to have successful careers playing a similar approach as Epenesa.
8. #Iowa DL A.J. Epenesa will be the ultimate test of “trusting the tape” because of his combine performance. Opinions are a bit all over the place on him right now because of not really knowing his position and being a player that doesn’t rely on athleticism.
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) March 1, 2020
Epenesa is one of those prospects where you have to trust the tape versus judging him only from his combine showing. If you watch the tape, you have a player who wins on multiple levels showcasing his superior strength and technical refinement instead of his athleticism. Some of his combine numbers were a little less than ideal, but he is a player who is impactful at multiple spots on the defensive line and shouldn’t be treated as exclusively an edge rusher.
Even though the potential of landing Chase Young is looking more feasible, the Lions need all the help they can get on the defensive line. With the potential losses of A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels to free agency, the release of Damon Harrison, along with Da’Shawn Hand healing for an injury-riddled season, they need resources on the line. We saw how much the defensive line was affected by injuries and poor play, and Epenesa would fit perfectly in the versatile multiple schemed defense the Lions love doing.
The combine was not friendly to Epenesa’s draft stock. Because he is not a pure edge rusher, teams may be hesitant to take him high in the draft leading a potential draft-day tumble to a point the Lions could snag him in the second round, which would be a dream scenario for the Lions. If he is still there come the Lions’ second-round pick, they need to run that ticket to the podium and not give a second thought.
