Tag: Will Harris

4 Lions who must have good games vs. the Jaguars for the Lions to win in Week 13

Four Detroit Lions who need to win their matchups and have good games for the team to beat back the Jaguars.

A pair of 4-7 teams get together in Ford Field in Week 13 when the Detroit Lions host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Detroit aims to get back in to the win column after a heartbreaking home loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving. The Jaguars hope to keep riding the lightning that led them to a shocking upset over the Ravens in Week 12.

4 Lions who must have great games vs. the Bills

If the Lions are to pick up their fourth win in five games, they’ll need some strong performances from a few key players. Here are some Lions who need to win their matchups and have good games for the team to beat back the Jaguars.

Lions PFF Grades: Young core graded high in victory over Packers

The Detroit Lions relied on their young core to bring them home against the Green Bay Packers and PFF grades reflect the strong performances

Individuals are always looking for immediate success and instant gratification, so patience surrounding the Detroit Lions rebuild has come with some frustration and turmoil, considering how the last few weeks have gone. However, even though it was only one win, this one seemed different when the Lions defeated their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, to a tune of 15-9 with the help of one of their defensive performances in some time.

The most fulfilling part of the whole endeavor was seeing the young guns blooming right in front of our eyes. With how the team is built, the Lions have to rely on a slew of young players, and, at times, they make questionable mistakes, but with the right guidance and coaching, they perform admirably, and that was what was shown against the Packers. If they continue their trajectory, the sky is the limit for the Lions young core.

As such, this week’s PFF grades have many of their young players sitting right on top, assuring that what we saw was not just a mirage.

 

Kerby Joseph: Breaking down the Lions rookie safety in Week 8

Breaking down the performance of Lions rookie safety Kerby Joseph in the team’s Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins

This week’s game film spotlight is on Lions rookie safety Kerby Joseph. The third-round pick from Illinois has emerged as not only a full-time starter but one of the leaders of the defense in just his seventh NFL game.

Joseph played all 68 snaps against the Miami Dolphins in the Lions’ Week 8 loss at Ford Field. I watched every single one of them from both the broadcast feed and the All-22 coach’s tape and took fastidious notes on what I witnessed.

Jeff Okudah: Breaking down the Lions CB’s Week 1 performance vs. the Eagles

Malcolm Rodriguez: Breaking down the Lions rookie LB in Week 2

Film review: Breaking down Aidan Hutchinson’s performance vs. the Seahawks in Week 4

Film review: Breaking down Penei Sewell’s Week 5 game vs. the Patriots

Josh Paschal: Breaking down the Lions rookie DE in his Week 7 debut

The methodology here is pretty simple. Plays where Joseph wins his individual matchup or performs the role on the play correctly earn a plus; plays where he loses his matchup or does the wrong thing get a minus. Not every play earns a mark. For a safety playing predominately single-high formation starting most plays 15 yards deep, most of those plays with no marks are on runs or short/quick passes — plays where Joseph should be inconsequential unless the players in front of him don’t do their jobs.

Joseph did not have a great start to the Dolphins game. He earned two marks on the opening Miami drive, both minuses. One was for getting beaten over the top–the cardinal sin for single-high safeties. The other was for a poor pursuit angle to a tackle where the rookie was fortunate Alex Anzalone made a very nice play or else Joseph would’ve been in serious trouble.

(sidenote–this was Anzalone’s best game in a Lions uniform)

Joseph got his head into the game quickly thereafter. He finished the first half with six plusses and three minuses, a figure that includes the two from the first drive.

One of those six plusses came on a fantastic play. Joseph forced a fumble with a big, clean hit where he properly attacked the ball without sacrificing good tackling position. This is beautiful:

Joseph also earned a plus with his one pass rush, a play where he forced Tagovailoa to throw the ball a count earlier than expected.

He kept up the strong play after the half, even as the secondary around him (looks at Amani Oruwariye and AJ Parker) played some truly awful football. In the second half, Joseph picked up eight more plusses against just two minuses. His savvy work in bracket coverage on speedy Tyreek Hill was very good. One of the minuses came in coverage, a play where he lost Jaylen Waddle on a deep seam route after Parker inexplicably turned him loose.

I wanted to give Joseph another minus for not intercepting a bad overthrow on Miami’s final drive of the third quarter, but the reverse angle of the play showed it was an impossible catch to make. Alas, his last minus came at a very bad time. Joseph was too passive and stayed deep too long on Miami’s final third-down conversion that sealed the game. That might have been by coaching design — Aubrey Pleasant did get fired after the game, after all — but his primary mark on the play was helping Will Harris cover Hill and he did not do that.

Overall

For the full game, Joseph earned 14 plusses and five minuses. Given the speed of the Miami receivers and the poor CB play around him, that’s a very impressive outing for a rookie in his fourth career game. Joseph showed solid instincts and very twitchy reactions in most situations.

One thing that really stood out was the lack of wasted motion or energy. Joseph almost never took a false step, and when he comes forward there isn’t a “bucket” step needed to launch him. Very promising effort and performance from No. 31.

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Lions snap count notes from Week 8 show a few schematic changes

Lions snap count notes from Week 8 show a few schematic changes on both sides of the ball

Looking at the snap counts from a game can reveal some things about a team that aren’t always obvious during the live game action. That was true of the Detroit Lions in their Week 8 home loss to the Miami Dolphins.

A couple of examples right off the top stand out. It begins with running back, where D’Andre Swift returned from missing three weeks with shoulder and ankle injuries. Despite getting just five carries to Jamaal Williams’ 10, Swift was on the field for 33 reps to Williams playing 22. The popular notion that the Lions would keep Swift on a snap limit proved inaccurate.

The reps also tell a story at tight end. Specifically, the use of multiple tight ends. Brock Wright played 23 of the Lions’ 60 offensive snaps, with starter T.J. Hockenson on the field for 52. Rookie James Mitchell even saw the field for five reps, including his first NFL reception on the opening drive. Detroit used two TEs in the formation (12 personnel) a season-high 19 times, almost 30 percent of snaps. The Lions typically use 12 personnel just 16 percent of the time and that’s almost always in red zone and short-yardage situations.

On defense, the Lions covered for injuries in the secondary by rotating Will Harris and AJ Parker as the fifth DB. CB Amani Oruwariye and S Kerby Joseph were the only defenders to play all 68 snaps, with CB Jeff Okudah and S Juju Hughes on the field for all but one apiece. Harris played 39, Parker 23 and C.J. Moore filled in for just two. Detroit played three LBs in this game more than they had all season, 10 of the 68 snaps (14 percent).

CB Jerry Jacobs did not play on defense as the Lions continues to ease the second-year DB back from his knee injury. LB Chris Board played four snaps, all as the third LB in the formation.

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Lions have options to replace injured S Tracy Walker

The Lions have some in-house options but none have much NFL experience

With the unfortunate news that Lions safety and team captain Tracy Walker has a torn Achilles and will miss the rest of the season, the attention turns to how Detroit can replace Walker. The Lions have a few options for the next man up.

The most likely solution is the one Detroit turned to after Walker’s injury on Sunday: Juju Hughes. The veteran stepped into the Walker role and played acceptably in his 63 defensive snaps in Minnesota. Hughes has primarily played on special teams through his two prior NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, but he earned his spot in the defensive rotation with a solid training camp and preseason. His ability to play single-high in Aaron Glenn’s defense makes Hughes the natural choice.

Third-round rookie Kerby Joseph could be in line for a major uptick in playing time. Joseph played exclusively on special teams in the first three weeks even after Walker suffered the injury early in Week 3. The rookie from Illinois offers range and coverage ability but had some struggles with the strength and diversity of the NFL this summer.

Converted cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu has missed the first three games while dealing with a hamstring injury. The injury has slowed his transition, unfortunately, leading the second-year DB to be inactive on Sunday despite finally not carrying an injury designation into the game. Before his injury, Melifonwu was working primarily as a slot safety in big nickel packages, a role Walker typically has not aligned in this year.

Will Harris started next to Walker at safety for most of the last three seasons before Harris moved to outside CB this season. The Lions like Harris more at corner, and no small part of that is because Harris was consistently one of the worst safeties in the league. It would be surprising to see Harris move back unless the other options flop first.

Should the Lions choose to bring in a veteran free agent, there are a couple of notable names in Landon Collins and Jaquiski Tartt. But neither appears to be any better of an option than what the Lions already have in the younger, cheaper players. Collins has been a liability in coverage for several seasons and misses his fair share of tackles.  For his part, Tartt sure sounded content with not playing anymore in a recent interview. It would be quite surprising to see GM Brad Holmes spend money that usurps potential in-house player development on vets who might not be better than what Detroit already has.

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Lions vs Commanders: Best and worst PFF grades from Week 2

Here are this week’s best and worst PFF Week 2 performers for the Detroit Lions against the Washington Commanders.

The Detroit Lions secured their first victory of the season against the Washington Commanders with the help of impressive performances in every facet of the field. The grit and fight that the players showed were nothing short of inspirational.

Amon-Ra St. Brown put on a clinic on offense setting NFL records left and right, turning in the Lions top playmaker. Hutchinson secured his first three sacks of his short NFL career so far, while Rodriguez continues to impress for a sixth-round rookie. The coaches are designing and scheming to allow their players to succeed, especially when injuries wreaked havoc on certain areas. Still, they overcame as a team and walked away as the victors.

Here are this week’s best and worst PFF performers for the Lions in Week 2.

Lions vs. Commanders: Quick takeaways from Detroit’s Week 2 win

Lions vs. Commanders: Quick takeaways from Detroit’s Week 2 win in Ford Field

The Detroit Lions made the home fans happy with the 36-27 victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 2. An absolutely dominant first half turned into an uneasy battle in the second half, but the Lions made enough plays on both sides of the ball to secure the victory.

Given all the injuries and the defensive lapses that plagued the team in the Week 1 loss to the Eagles, the win is a sweet one for head coach Dan Campbell. Evening the record at 1-1 avoids a catastrophic start to the season that would potentially lose confidence from the players, something Campbell’s mentor, former Saints head coach Sean Payton, noted after the game.

Here are some quick takeaways from watching the Lions victory in real-time.

Dan Campbell names Jeff Okudah the starting CB opposite Amani Oruwariye

Campbell effectively gave the job to Okudah while praising Will Harris’ versatility in a reserve role.

The Dan Campbell postgame press conference following his Detroit Lions’ preseason-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t have the bombastic soundbite many were looking for. But it did bequeath the answer to one of the most critical questions that has surrounded the Lions all summer.

Campbell would not bite on repeated efforts to get him to say anything definitive on the backup quarterback front, but he did effectively anoint Jeff Okudah as the winner of the starting CB battle with Will Harris.

“I thought he did some good things,” Campbell responded when asked about Okudah’s performance. “I feel like he’s been trending in the right direction now for two weeks. So I would say he finished up strong and he’s going in the right direction.”

Okudah did play well in the first half, a stanza where the Lions defense performed pretty impressively despite the wildly ineffective offense repeatedly making things difficult for them. Okudah finished with two tackles and did not allow a completion.

Campbell then turned the follow-up question on Okudah into a declaration of a position battle won.

The coach was asked directly if it was fair to say Okudah is the starting cornerback.

“Yeah I would say that,” Campbell quickly affirmed. “I would say it’s looking like that. There’s nothing after these two weeks that would tell me that’s not his job right now.”

Later in the extended answer, Campbell concluded by saying of Okudah, “He earned the spot.”

Okudah’s competition, Will Harris, was guilty of a bad pass interference penalty in Pittsburgh. He also earned some praise from Campbell, who said,” Now Will’s done a good job out there as well.”

Campbell then laid out Harris’ value as a utility back, one capable of playing outside, in the slot and on special teams.

“His versatility is something we really value as well,” Campbell said of Harris, which definitely came across as further admission that Okudah will be the starting outside CB across from vet Amani Oruwariye.

It’s a positive validation for Okudah, who missed all but the first half of Week 1 in 2021 before tearing his Achilles in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft struggled as a rookie, between a sports hernia and poor personality fit with then-coach Matt Patricia.

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Lions DC Aaron Glenn breaks down the CB battle between Jeff Okudah and Will Harris

Aaron Glenn breaks down the CB battle between Jeff Okudah and Will Harris, noting that both will have big roles

One of the few starting position roster battles in Detroit Lions training camp is for the outside CB role opposite Amani Oruwariye. Jeff Okudah and Will Harris have gone back and forth all offseason trying to secure the gig.

The man primarily responsible for making the decision is Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. He still hasn’t made up his mind, but Glenn feels very good about both Okudah and Harris entering the final game of the preseason and conclusion of camp.

“I do like the battle. I would say this, and man, I’m not just saying this just to be saying it, but both of those guys have been showing some really good things on the field, in practice and in games,” Glenn said before Tuesday night’s practice.

Coach Glenn continued,

“This is an ongoing battle and it will be an ongoing battle. Man, I wish I could sit here and tell you exactly when we can say, ‘OK, here’s the stamp. Here’s the guy that’s going to be the starter.’ But I will say this, both of those guys will have a role within our defense and we’re going to try to do everything we can to make sure that we put those guys in a situation where they’re going to be successful. So, they’ve been doing a good job.”

Okudah got the starting nod in the second preseason game, though both he and Harris played 16 snaps in the game. In Tuesday’s practice–the final padded practice of camp–Okudah again took the first 1st-team reps outside. Harris also had some run with the starters and there were some sets where both Okudah and Harris were on the field with the ones and Oruwariye sitting.

It’s abundantly clear both Okudah and Harris are going to play significant roles at cornerback, as Glenn noted. Harris looks comfortable and confident as he transitions from safety to outside CB, a move that began late last season. Harris has excelled in red zone drills. Okudah appears faster than ever and continues to (mostly) impress with his awareness in coverage and run defense.

Okudah has sprinkled in some reps at slot CB, where starter AJ Parker is less secure at his position than either Okudah or Harris are outside. Veteran newcomer Mike Hughes has been used primarily outside and has performed better there than inside throughout camp. Rookie seventh-rounder Chase Lucas is also in the mix inside but not outside. Second-year Jerry Jacobs, the team’s most reliable coverage man in 2021, is poised to return from December knee surgery soon and has been working on learning the slot position.

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5 things to watch in the Detroit Lions preseason opener vs. the Falcons

The Detroit Lions take on the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason opener and these are the 5 things you should be on the watch for

Heading into the second year of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime, there is a lot of hype surrounding the Detroit Lions, who will be looking to start off on the right foot against the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason opener.

Coach Campbell mentioned we should expect the starters to play the first quarter, then afterward we should expect a nice healthy dose of players who are trying to make a name on the Lions roster. There are plenty of questions surrounding the depth chart, and hopefully, throughout the game, we will gain some insight.

Here are the five things to watch for as the Lions take on the Falcons to open their football season.