Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I have to admit that after 7 straight Thanksgiving losses (3 to the Bears) I wanted a win in the worst way. And that's pretty much what I got.
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2024 Detroit Lions 11-1: Lions slip past Da Bears (23 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Jameson Williams reportedly got in front of the team and apologized for his taunting penalty without being asked, per Eric Woodward.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Yeah he needed to own that.
Antwaan was in his ear after the play.
Cowboysfan8
Footballguy
Always something with this guy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Locker room buzz: Backups step up, Sewell talks trick play, Jamo apologizes and Bates' perfect run ends
Justin Rogers | Detroit Football NetworkNov 28
Detroit — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Next man up steps up
When you have as many injuries as the Lions do on defense, you need someone unexpected to step up. On Thursday, that man was defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad.Not only did the veteran edge rusher come up with his first sack since Oct. 22 on the game’s final drive, he added pressure on a third down that led to a throwaway, and drew a holding call that helped kill another first-half drive.
According to NFL Next Gen stats, Muhammad racked up a stellar seven QB pressures on the day.
“I thought Muhammad played big for us,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It was good to get him back in the lineup. He’s a relentless player, gives you all he’s got.”
Early in the week, Muhammad got charged up by some motivation from teammate Za’Darius Smith.
“When he found out at the beginning of the week he was going to be up, I said, 'Give them a reason to not send you back down,’” Smith said. “As you see, he did that today.”
Smith and Muhammad didn’t know each other before Smith came over in a trade from Cleveland at the deadline, but they’ve formed a fast bond. Muhammad acknowledged the advice resonated.
“It's super valuable,” Muhammad said. “That's my dawg. We're really tight. We feed off each other, we're always talking to each other. Man, sometimes, he puts things into perspective. We know how this game goes, it's performance-based. You have to show up and you have to perform. I already know certain things, but having him in my ear like that gives you an extra push.”
The Lions, who lost starters Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport to season-ending injuries earlier in the campaign, were also without Josh Paschal most of this contest after he suffered a knee injury.
Additionally, defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, who has slid outside in a pinch, was sidelined for the second half with a knee injury, further necessitating Muhammad’s contributions.
Injury update
Campbell wasn’t certain about the extent of Paschal or Onwuzurike’s injuries, but expressed more concern about the knee injury that removed linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez from the lineup.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think Rodrigo is the one that could be the worst,” Campbell said. “And I don’t know how significant it’ll be just yet, but he’s the one I fear a little bit could be down.”
The Lions also had to deal with a pre-game injury when cornerback Emmanuel Moseley had something crop up with his hamstring. That resulted in him being inactive for the contest.
“We just didn’t feel good about him being able to go, having enough to really go full speed,” Campbell said. “And that’s really what that came down to. So, obviously, we came out of this game without him getting any worse.”
From neighborhood game to starting on national TV
The Lions went into the game planning on using a cornerback rotation to take some of the load off rookie Terrion Arnold, who missed last weekend’s matchup with the Colts due to a groin strain.
Moseley was expected to be part of that rotation but was replaced by Khalil Dorsey, who got the starting nod ahead of Arnold. It was Dorsey’s first start of the year and third in two seasons for the Lions.
“This was crazy,” Dorsey said. “You know how you play football with your neighbors (on Thanksgiving). That's what I was doing two years ago. I was back home. The guy who called me, his name is (former Nebraska cornerback) Josh Mitchell. We went to Roosevelt High School (California). He said, 'Hey man, you should come out, talk to the kids, bring some inspiration.'
"That was fun, but coming into this environment, with this team, with them believing in me in every aspect, it just feels different.”
Dorsey nearly came up with an interception on a back-shoulder fade. He was in an excellent position on the throw in the red zone. He told me he recognized the call, which included a fake bubble screen, from his film study ahead of the game.
Additionally, in his usual role as punt gunner, Dorsey downed Jack Fox’s fourth-quarter effort at the 1-yard line, which factored into the Bears being outside of field goal range in the game’s closing moments.
“He's been unbelievable for me, all year,” Fox said. “I think he's one of if not the best gunner in the NFL. Even on plays where he's not making the tackle, he's the reason they have to fair catch it. On that one, the ball hits the ground because he's down there so fast and in the returner's face. His effort on every play is unbelievable. I'm lucky to have him.”
Run of perfection comes to an end
Jake Bates’ run of perfection is over.
Detroit’s first-year kicker made his first three field goal tries against the Bears, pushing him to 19-for-19 on the season before sending a 45-yard effort wide right in the fourth quarter.
“Yeah, it just stayed straight on me,” Bates said. “I knew it right off my foot.”
I asked Bates if it was a blessing in disguise, removing the pressure that comes with maintaining a perfect season.
“Yeah, I'm human, so I've had that in the back of my head,” Bates said. “I never want to miss. Missing is never easy, it sucks regardless of how many you've made. I'm just really happy it didn't come back to bite us in the butt. The offense saved me, the defense saved me. If I'm going to miss, at least we won.”
To make matters worse, Bates was randomly selected to be drug tested after the game. Happy Thanksgiving.
Checking one off the bucket list
The vision, by the end of this season, is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans. But a turkey leg on the field after a Thanksgiving win? That was another Jared Goff goal, apparently.
“Yeah, it’s the best,” Goff said. “I was just talking about — in your NFL career, you have these bucket list items. You know, holding the Lombardi is obviously number one, but the whole eating the turkey after the Thanksgiving win is up there, too, and that’s something that I’ll never forget.
“It was actually pretty good. The stuffing was good,” Goff said. “We were having a good time. It’s awesome. It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”
Manning up after mistake
With the Lions trying to fend off the Bears’ rally in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Jameson Williams was flagged for taunting after throwing the ball in the face of Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson on the sideline.
The 15-yard infraction derailed a drive, leaving the Lions to settle for the field goal Bates missed.
Williams got yanked from the game after the play and was shown on the broadcast getting chewed out by position coach Antwaan Randle-El.
After the game, Campbell and Goff acknowledged being impressed by Williams getting in front of the team and apologizing for the blunder.
“It’s already cleaned up,” Campbell said. “We’re good. And as a matter of fact, Jamo got right in front of the team a minute ago, unsolicited, and wanted to apologize to his teammates. That’s big, that’s growth.”
Goff echoed the sentiment.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” he said. “He’s right where he needs to be. He’s doing a good job. I know that was a mistake by him, but I’m proud of him, the way he handled it, the way he stood up and took responsibility. We’ll move on, there’s no problems there.”
Sewell bummed by missed opportunity
Ben Johnson dug deep into his bag of tricks once again, calling for a pass play for offensive tackle Penei Sewell. Lining up at tight end, Sewell took an end-around handoff, looking to throw downfield.
Unfortunately, the intended target was covered, leaving Sewell to tuck and run. He was contacted well behind the line of scrimmage but fought his way to a loss of just 1 yard, much to the delight of the home crowd.
“He made two or three guys miss on the tackle and I was kind of giggling the whole time watching it,” Goff said.
I asked Sewell about the discipline to not force the throw, given the opportunity may never come again. He turned it around and said he actually made a selfish decision.
“To do the right thing there was probably throw it away,” Sewell said. “I selfishly kept it because I wanted to do something with it. Like you said, knowing I won't get many opportunities (like that).”
Sewell has been casually throwing passes during drills in practice for more than a month, and this play call, nicknamed “Mighty Duck” (Sewell went to Oregon) has been something the Lions have been cooking up for some time.
He said it would have been his first pass attempt in a game at any level.
“We were pumped it got called,” offensive tackle Dan Skipper said. “We thought it was going to score.”
Thankful for friends like Teddy
Before getting the call to rejoin Detroit’s practice squad a few weeks ago, wide receiver and return man Maurice Alexander was down in Florida, training with retired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and coaching a Pop Warner team in Florida City.
“It's definitely a blessing to have coaches who genuinely love their players,” Alexander said. “I felt like I was always going to get another chance, I just had to be ready to take advantage of it.”
Alexander had a good day after muffing his first try near the sideline. He averaged 10.5 yards.
I asked Alexander if he had heard from Bridgewater and he showed me text messages of support before, during and after the game. In reference to Alexander’s 23-yard return in the second half, Bridgewater wrote, “'Almost. 24 owes you,” suggesting a better block from rookie Loren Strickland might have sprung Alexander for a touchdown.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Vildor gets last laugh
Part of Thursday’s cornerback rotation, Kindle Vildor had a rebound performance after struggling the week before in Indianapolis.
Vildor said he hadn’t expected to start against the Colts, only learning he would the day before while acknowledging he probably wasn’t as prepared as he could have been.
“Knowing I was going to be out there today, I felt more prepared,” he said. “I felt I was able to go out there and battle, be there for the guys who weren't out there.”
Although Vildor played tough all day, many will remember a controversial call for defensive pass interference at the end of the game, on a fourth-and-15 play, which briefly put the Bears in range for a game-tying field goal.
“I didn’t have a problem with the coverage,” Campbell said. “That’s probably the best way to say it. I thought those guys were competing for the ball, and I liked his coverage there. …It’s why Vildor’s here. We love the way he competes.”
Vildor was bewildered by the call after it was made. After the game, the official who made threw the flag offered him an explanation.
“I couldn't believe it,” Vildor said. “From the (snap), I quick-jammed him, so he wasn't really able to get into his route. Once he went down the field, I was right there trailing him. Shoot, once the ball came out, I went to the ball. I was confused.
“The ref said he thought I grabbed him when I was going to the ball,” Vildor said. “That's what he told me after the game."
In the end, it didn’t matter. Vildor thought the way things ended was a little bit of karma.
“God was on our side,” Vildor said. “He knew that (call) was wrong. It's all good. We got that dub.”
Part of Thursday’s cornerback rotation, Kindle Vildor had a rebound performance after struggling the week before in Indianapolis.
Vildor said he hadn’t expected to start against the Colts, only learning he would the day before while acknowledging he probably wasn’t as prepared as he could have been.
“Knowing I was going to be out there today, I felt more prepared,” he said. “I felt I was able to go out there and battle, be there for the guys who weren't out there.”
Although Vildor played tough all day, many will remember a controversial call for defensive pass interference at the end of the game, on a fourth-and-15 play, which briefly put the Bears in range for a game-tying field goal.
“I didn’t have a problem with the coverage,” Campbell said. “That’s probably the best way to say it. I thought those guys were competing for the ball, and I liked his coverage there. …It’s why Vildor’s here. We love the way he competes.”
Vildor was bewildered by the call after it was made. After the game, the official who made threw the flag offered him an explanation.
“I couldn't believe it,” Vildor said. “From the (snap), I quick-jammed him, so he wasn't really able to get into his route. Once he went down the field, I was right there trailing him. Shoot, once the ball came out, I went to the ball. I was confused.
“The ref said he thought I grabbed him when I was going to the ball,” Vildor said. “That's what he told me after the game."
In the end, it didn’t matter. Vildor thought the way things ended was a little bit of karma.
“God was on our side,” Vildor said. “He knew that (call) was wrong. It's all good. We got that dub.”
kutta
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Did anyone notice the countless times Goff had to change the play call at the line of scrimmage? It's like the bears defense was reading Ben Johnson's mind.
It's in the Dan Campbell thread.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
It was only a matter of time before all the injuries start impacting the defense. No NFL team can sustain the losses on D the Lions had and stay at the level they were at. Really need these extra days off right now to hopefully get some guys healthy. Not having Davis out there really hurt. The D line is decimated right now. Need Paschal and Levi to get healthy, plus Smith limped off a couple times so hopefully he is OK.
I was at the game yesterday..it was so strange that when walking out of Ford Field you would have thought Lions lost as the crowd was subdued compared to other wins. After the bogus PI call I really thought there was a good chance Lions could lose, but for sure looking at OT.
Only beef I had is when Lions had it down low early and passed on first down after pounding the ball on the ground at will. That kept Da Bears mentally in the game at half.
But again this is the NFL and a W is a W. The Chiefs only have one loss and have won on the last drive 5-6 times this year.
I was at the game yesterday..it was so strange that when walking out of Ford Field you would have thought Lions lost as the crowd was subdued compared to other wins. After the bogus PI call I really thought there was a good chance Lions could lose, but for sure looking at OT.
Only beef I had is when Lions had it down low early and passed on first down after pounding the ball on the ground at will. That kept Da Bears mentally in the game at half.
But again this is the NFL and a W is a W. The Chiefs only have one loss and have won on the last drive 5-6 times this year.
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Smith said he had cramps. Thank goodness. He was a monster yesterday.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
This is why I pay the subscription; Justin Rogers is the best beat writer around.
Glenn vs. attrition
OK, the injury situation on defense is getting ridiculous. Let’s recap, just to have it all in
front of us.
On injured reserve: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Derrick Barnes, Alex Anzalone, Kyle Peko, John Cominsky, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Ennis Rakestraw
Ruled out this week: Carlton Davis III
Injured in pre-game warmups: Emmanuel Moseley
Lost to injury during the game: Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, Malcolm Rodriguez
That’s up to six projected starters, plus several key reserves. It's left the Lions to dig deep for replacements. Against the Bears on Sunday, the team’s No. 4 and No. 5 cornerbacks entering the year, Kindle Vildor and Khalil Dorsey, rotated at one of the starting spots. Linebackers Ezekiel Turner and David Long, who weren’t on the roster a month ago, combined for 34 snaps, just shy of the 31 played by Trevor Nowaske, who hadn't logged a single rep as an undrafted rookie last year. And up front, another mid-season addition, Al-Quadin Muhammad, played 43.
Like we said, it’s all kind of ridiculous. And before anyone starts in on a cliched rant about Detroit’s training staff needing to be investigated by the F.B.I., consider the randomness of most of those injuries. No training staff is responsible for Hutchinson’s leg snapping, Anzalone’s arm getting crushed, Barnes taking a helmet directly to his knee, Davenport’s elbow getting chopped or Davis’ cleat getting stuck in the turf. The strained joints/muscles on that list are normal by professional football standards, the Lions have just had some bad luck.
Yet through it all, Detroit has remained one of the top defenses in the NFL. That might be the most ridiculous aspect of this ridiculous situation.
The patchwork crew continued to exceed all reasonable expectations through the first half on Thursday. After keeping the previous three opponents out of the end zone for 10 consecutive quarters, the Lions extended that streak to 12, preventing the Bears from putting a dent in the scoreboard by the half. Not only that, the Lions didn’t surrender a single first down until the final minute of the second quarter.
Whether it was attrition, execution, or a combination of the two, the team had a post-Shaboozey hangover down the stretch. Yes, there were some blown coverages, missed tackles and flags that allowed the Bears to climb back into the game before they aided in their own demise with penalties, missed blocks and egregious clock management.
It admittedly wasn’t the highest note for the Lions to end the win, but taken in totality, it was the fifth time in six games they’ve held the opposition to 20 or fewer points. So even though five games remain on the schedule, providing plenty of time for the conversation to shift given the emphasis on how teams finish vs. how they start, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has earned frontrunner status for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award, which was introduced in 2014.
Glenn vs. attrition
OK, the injury situation on defense is getting ridiculous. Let’s recap, just to have it all in
front of us.
On injured reserve: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Derrick Barnes, Alex Anzalone, Kyle Peko, John Cominsky, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Ennis Rakestraw
Ruled out this week: Carlton Davis III
Injured in pre-game warmups: Emmanuel Moseley
Lost to injury during the game: Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, Malcolm Rodriguez
That’s up to six projected starters, plus several key reserves. It's left the Lions to dig deep for replacements. Against the Bears on Sunday, the team’s No. 4 and No. 5 cornerbacks entering the year, Kindle Vildor and Khalil Dorsey, rotated at one of the starting spots. Linebackers Ezekiel Turner and David Long, who weren’t on the roster a month ago, combined for 34 snaps, just shy of the 31 played by Trevor Nowaske, who hadn't logged a single rep as an undrafted rookie last year. And up front, another mid-season addition, Al-Quadin Muhammad, played 43.
Like we said, it’s all kind of ridiculous. And before anyone starts in on a cliched rant about Detroit’s training staff needing to be investigated by the F.B.I., consider the randomness of most of those injuries. No training staff is responsible for Hutchinson’s leg snapping, Anzalone’s arm getting crushed, Barnes taking a helmet directly to his knee, Davenport’s elbow getting chopped or Davis’ cleat getting stuck in the turf. The strained joints/muscles on that list are normal by professional football standards, the Lions have just had some bad luck.
Yet through it all, Detroit has remained one of the top defenses in the NFL. That might be the most ridiculous aspect of this ridiculous situation.
The patchwork crew continued to exceed all reasonable expectations through the first half on Thursday. After keeping the previous three opponents out of the end zone for 10 consecutive quarters, the Lions extended that streak to 12, preventing the Bears from putting a dent in the scoreboard by the half. Not only that, the Lions didn’t surrender a single first down until the final minute of the second quarter.
Whether it was attrition, execution, or a combination of the two, the team had a post-Shaboozey hangover down the stretch. Yes, there were some blown coverages, missed tackles and flags that allowed the Bears to climb back into the game before they aided in their own demise with penalties, missed blocks and egregious clock management.
It admittedly wasn’t the highest note for the Lions to end the win, but taken in totality, it was the fifth time in six games they’ve held the opposition to 20 or fewer points. So even though five games remain on the schedule, providing plenty of time for the conversation to shift given the emphasis on how teams finish vs. how they start, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has earned frontrunner status for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award, which was introduced in 2014.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
I think Shabooozy was hungover too,,he did not dance or move around much like I had seen in his previous stops..low energy.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
The official closest to it saw all that, in context he didn’t throw the flag. The guy across the field threw the flag.
The apology meant a lot to Campbell & Goff, I don’t think anyone on the team is pointing fingers. They don’t play that b.s. It’s like that game Monty had the 4th quarter fumble. Doesn’t matter, it’s done, you have to over come it. Don’t make excuses.
Dumb & selfish by Jamo but hopefully he learns from it.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
The Bears have fired Matt Eberflus.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
The beat goes on. LB Rodriguiz torn ACL.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Looking ahead I don't see him getting another HC job. Probably go back to DC, which seems to be his best fit. If Glenn leaves to be a HC, he might even be considered here. After all DCs aren't the guys in charge of late game clock management.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Was hoping to land Salah if Glenn gets a HC job but Green Bay scooped him up as a consultant.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Saleh would be a pretty big paradigm shift in philosophy. By design, Robert prefers to focus on pass rushers and having an elite DB. He is fine with having a mediocre run defense, just doesn't think. that should be emphasized with where the league is at rn.
Whereas AG wants the run defense to setup the pass defense. You earn the right to rush the passer by stopping the run first and getting into favorable down/distance. His rules are completely different philosophically from what the 49ers and Jets run. Gap responsibility and rush lanes are critical, the Safeties get latitude to be playmakers but everyone else has an interdependent role. If an ED or LB starts freelancing the whole premise falls apart - you have to maintain your gap/lane responsibility.
Coverage wise, they couldn't be more different. The 49ers/Jets emphasize covers who can mirror. Detroit has physical corners who try to body receivers. Glenn has Detroit in Cover 2 34% of the time. The Jets are at 0.0% (they play a lot of Cover 1 and Cover 3.0.) They're both aggressive in coverage, neither Glenn or Saleh likes quarters, never going to see them play a Fangio style shell that gives up underneath stuff, but the types of DBs they covet and the ways they use them are pretty far apart.
IMO. For Dan Campbell, he's more apt to stay within the Parcels-Payton lineage or has a similar philosophy on how to play defense. BUT it's going to be very interesting to see how MCDC does with the staff rebuild after this year.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
So how would Eberflus fit, which philosophy is he closer to as a coordinator?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Stand-offish executive who is the visionary in the boardroom but doesn't really interact with the peasants.
Sorry....um, drop 7 into Cover 2 zone, make the offense matriculate down the field, essentially play passively but don't give up any splash plays.
Whatever the opposite of AG's aggressive style is, that's Eberflus. Very vanilla. Requires superior athletes at the 3--tech and all 3 LB positions. Think about the kind of defenses Tony Dungy ran in the 00s. It's a bit old fashioned but with the right personnel it can work out.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Justin Rogers | DFN (substack)
Overreaction Monday Friday
With the win on Thursday, the Lions snapped a seven-game losing streak on Thanksgiving, while simultaneously matching the franchise’s longest winning streak at 10.What a time to be a Lions fan.
Still, sifting through comments, social media messages and emails last night, you might think Detroit lost the game. Maybe we've unearthed a subconscious correlation between tryptophan and the Same Old Lions attitude that lingers deep within the fan base.
“They didn't deserve to win, Justin,” one emailer wrote, within seconds of Caleb Williams’ game-ending heave falling incomplete. “With Green Bay, Minnesota and Buffalo coming up, they'll be lucky to win the division.”
Look, I’m not promising you the Lions will win the NFC North. For all the injury-related reasons highlighted above, it won’t come easily. Despite an 11-1 record, Green Bay and Minnesota are still nipping on the Lions' heels.
But let’s put things in perspective. Many fans have seemingly gone from not knowing what it’s like to have success to not knowing how to handle it. Yes, most weeks this roster has made it look easy. They’d won six of the previous eight games by double-digits, including a handful of blowouts. But regardless of the point spread, a win is simply never guaranteed in this league. That’s doubly true against divisional opponents.
That red-hot Bills team we mentioned earlier nearly lost to the Jets last month, the Broncos took the Chiefs to the limit a few weeks back, and the Ravens were upended by the Browns. Plus, look no further than the Bears, who went toe-to-toe with the Vikings and Packers the previous two weeks before falling short in both games just like they did Thursday.
You can’t blow out everyone and a single-game sample size is indicative of next to nothing in professional sports.
The Lions are one of the best red-zone teams in the NFL. On Thursday, they had an off day in that department. They entered the day the league's best third-down defenses. In the second half, they had their share of hiccups in those situations. Still, isn't a season’s worth of data more meaningful than a below-average afternoon?
The Lions aren’t a perfect team, but what they’ve proven time and time again this season is they know how to win, and they know how to win multiple ways. They’re one of the league’s most mentally tough squads. It wouldn’t hurt for fans to get on the same wavelength.
The bad man can’t hurt you anymore
Speaking of mental toughness, yours is going to be tested this week. You see, the last time the Lions played a Thursday primetime game immediately after Thanksgiving, it was also against the Packers.I can already sense the hairs sticking up on the back of your neck and your blood boiling. With an untimed play after a questionable face mask call against the Lions, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dropped back and heaved a Hail Mary pass that was hauled in by tight end Richard Rogers for a 61-yard, game-winning score.
Whether you like it or not, it's an iconic moment and one surely to be replayed multiple times this week. But for all the anger you felt in the aftermath, both at the officiating and the horrendous defensive scheme the Lions deployed on the play, none of those emotions are worth revisiting.
Those were the days of the Lions living in the hamster wheel of mediocrity. Jim Caldwell was a good coach, one who squeezed a lot from a roster lacking depth of talent, but those teams were going nowhere.
Up until the moonshot left Rodgers' hand, we were trying to convince ourselves the 2015 Lions could climb out of the 1-7 hole they dug themselves and make an unprecedented run to the playoffs because they'd won three in a row. But even if they had beaten the Packers and gone on to run the table, did anyone really believe they would make noise in the postseason?
You would have been lying to yourself.
The following year, Detroit needed an NFL record number of fourth-quarter comebacks — some exceedingly improbable — to go 9-7 and squeak into the postseason where they were predictably overwhelmed by a superior opponent.
Those Lions needed everything to break their way to barely finish above .500. They weren’t winning divisions. They certainly weren’t Super Bowl contenders. You understandably hate it because it was Aaron Rodgers delivering the blow, but that Hail Mary was a mercy killing of an inferior team in a long line of them for this franchise.
When you see that replay this week, you can shrug because it’s not applicable to today, or you can appreciate it for being part of the rocky road that’s brought you to these unprecedented times of prosperity.
CalBear
Footballguy
Go Bears.
Wonder if there's ever been another successful Hail Mary thrown and caught by players from the same school.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I love my wife (and her family would never), but if this did actually happen I would divorce her so fast …
x.com
x.com
I saw that on Reddit last night
FTN
My oldest sister tried that crap back in the 80s - It was between Sims and Sanders, the awful years with Darryl ("What's a guy have to do to get fired around here?") Rogers.
Everyone was miserable the whole day. She wanted us to have conversations instead of getting upset over our loser football team. People were going outside to smoke so they could check their car radio for the score. This was back when, incredibly, smokers thought it was OK to smoke anywhere and non-smokers happily supplied guests with ashtrays. For real, that was a thing. Heck the non-smokers were like "I'll go with you, I need some fresh air" - it was cold af and there was snow on the ground.
Momma Layne told her "You don't understand. That's how the men bond with each other. You take that away from them, they're not gonna sit around and talk about what they're thankful for....are you out of your ever living goard?"
She never hosted again to my knowledge. And we never, ever, had another Thanksgiving without football.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Would trade losses for health at this point, getting a bit ugly on the D side and not the time of year you can make up for it. Lucky to get a victory this last week against a marginal team. Breathing into the brown paper bag and trying to remain calm.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Yep. So bummed about Rodrigo. Thursday games suck, an NFL game is equivalent to a high speed auto crash…4 days is an insufficient recovery time.
IDK that there’s strong linkage between short weeks and injury but to me it’s just indicative of how little they care about player health & safety. I’m sick of TNF - the prep sucks, the quality of play hurts the brand, it’s not good for anyone.
Except for the billionaire owners.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Those that believed and bet on Campbell/Holmes from the beginning have been rewarded (despite the most recent game being an ATS loss). ATS regular season results by year:
2021: 11-6
2022: 12-5
2023: 12-5
2024: 9-2
Postseason: 2-1 ATS
2021: 11-6
2022: 12-5
2023: 12-5
2024: 9-2
Postseason: 2-1 ATS
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Dan Campbell confirms LB Malcolm Rodriguez is out for the season. He’s now the 4th LB to be put on IR.
DL Mekhi Wingo is done for the season too and will probably need surgery.
DL Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike both suffered injuries Thursday…
Paschal has a better shot than Levi at progressing faster, but Campbell isn’t too hopeful about either of them.
CB Emmanuel Moseley should be good to go after a flare up in warmups Thursday.
DL Mekhi Wingo is done for the season too and will probably need surgery.
DL Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike both suffered injuries Thursday…
Paschal has a better shot than Levi at progressing faster, but Campbell isn’t too hopeful about either of them.
CB Emmanuel Moseley should be good to go after a flare up in warmups Thursday.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
The Lions announced several roster moves today:
- Waived WR Maurice Alexander.
- Placed LB Malcolm Rodriguez and DL Mekhi Wingo on Reserve/Injured.
- Signed DL Myles Adams (From SEA Practice Squad), LB Kwon Alexander (from DEN Practice Squad), and DL Jonah Williams (from LAR Practice Squad) to the Active Roster.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I know the LB and DL groups are gutted with injuries, but the secondary seems to be getting closer to full strength?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Yeah the corners played well last week, but uncharacteristically BB & Kerb had meh games.
Saw a Q&A on BlueSky (or Substack) - someone asked Colton Pouncey what was the plan for the DL vs GB, he replied “How’s your pad level?”
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rockaction
Footballguy
I posted this in the Gibbs thread, but the spotlight is brighter here. I went from it being stupid to a nothingburger to back to really stupid because I remember two of the names after the quickest and most unserious of looks at the photo. I did not put those names together with their scheme, but that should take another minute and not much more. Those are pretty distinct names and contain pretty sensitive information. I do not know (because I am not a professional coach nor DL) how much it all matters to the DL that they know the offense’s blocking scheme. Probably matters a bit at least, and in a league where any edge can be vital, you certainly don’t want to be giving the other team anything that might benefit them.
So I’d say it was pretty dumb, although you have to balance the information given vs. the amount of time the other team will be willing to spend on memorizing those names. It’s something the DL of the Packers would be well-advised to look at on the flight, and it’s something the Lions would be well-advised to go over and change. An therein lies how stupid it was of him to post that. When even a blurry photo of an already-used draft board is considered a big slip, taking a clear picture of plays and schemes with the names you’re calling out to signal them and uploading that photo it to social media can’t be good. It’s not good.
rockaction
Footballguy
That said, the Lions’ bigger worry has got to be their linebacking corps and their DL. Losing Hutchinson is one thing, but the injuries are now seriously mounting. David Long and Kwon Alexander are interesting signings. Long was the worst-graded linebacker (82 of 82 per an article I read) in PFF’s grading this year. Alexander, coming off of a torn achilles last year, got graded out at a 92.5 in his only start of this year for Denver, after which he then reverted to the practice squad to be signed weeks later by the Lions. Denver has a stout defense and probably just couldn’t keep him numbers-wise. I’d look for him to start later in the year after Long plays and falters a bit. Long went from wearing the green dot to being waived by Miami for performance reasons—I saw him miss angles big time this year on tackles (although he is fast, and if he puts it together is productive).
Trevor Nowaske, Ben Niemann, and Ezekiel Turner are also kicking around and have been with the Lions, so they might get their shot also. I know I’m adding Alexander in an IDP league and letting the others go by the wayside. (I’d add Long and Nowaske also, but I have a limited budget that is really up against it.)
I know you probably don’t care about my leeg, but I have to follow it to stay with it and it’s relevant to you guys and the thread. Thought I might chime in about what to expect in the upcoming weeks. Peace.
Alexander is listed at 6’1” and 227 lbs., which the article I read called undersized, although not drastically so.
Long is listed at 5’11” and 225 lbs., so undersized a bit also by that article’s standard.
For perspective, Malcolm Rodriguez is 5’11" and about 235 lbs.
Zeke Turner is 6’2” and 214 lbs.
Ben Niemann is 6’2” and 235 lbs.
Trevor Nowaske is 6’3” and 237 lbs.
Nowaske was in the game a bunch last week after Rodriguez went down, so maybe he’s next man up before Long and Alexander. Long saw fewer snaps than Nowaske by about a 3:1 margin.
Just so you know what to look out for at LB in the upcoming weeks.
Trevor Nowaske, Ben Niemann, and Ezekiel Turner are also kicking around and have been with the Lions, so they might get their shot also. I know I’m adding Alexander in an IDP league and letting the others go by the wayside. (I’d add Long and Nowaske also, but I have a limited budget that is really up against it.)
I know you probably don’t care about my leeg, but I have to follow it to stay with it and it’s relevant to you guys and the thread. Thought I might chime in about what to expect in the upcoming weeks. Peace.
Alexander is listed at 6’1” and 227 lbs., which the article I read called undersized, although not drastically so.
Long is listed at 5’11” and 225 lbs., so undersized a bit also by that article’s standard.
For perspective, Malcolm Rodriguez is 5’11" and about 235 lbs.
Zeke Turner is 6’2” and 214 lbs.
Ben Niemann is 6’2” and 235 lbs.
Trevor Nowaske is 6’3” and 237 lbs.
Nowaske was in the game a bunch last week after Rodriguez went down, so maybe he’s next man up before Long and Alexander. Long saw fewer snaps than Nowaske by about a 3:1 margin.
Just so you know what to look out for at LB in the upcoming weeks.
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The Lions IR defense is almost as good as the current defense
DL: Hutch, Davenport, Cominski, Peko, Wingo
LB: Barnes, Anzalone, Maybin, Rodrigo
CB: Rackstraw
S: Iffy
The LB room is definitely better and the DL room is better on the edges.
The injuries have been devastating, but there is some hope. This is some of what I have heard.
Possible Returns:
Hutch: probably out til next season with remote chance of returning by NFCC or SB.
Anzalone: possible week 17 or 18 return.
Kalif: possible week 17 or 18 return.
Cominski: could be ready for playoffs.
Barnes: possible return late into the playoffs.
Rodrigo: October next season
Davenport: done
Peko: next season.
Iffy: uncertain, but could return
DL: Hutch, Davenport, Cominski, Peko, Wingo
LB: Barnes, Anzalone, Maybin, Rodrigo
CB: Rackstraw
S: Iffy
The LB room is definitely better and the DL room is better on the edges.
The injuries have been devastating, but there is some hope. This is some of what I have heard.
Possible Returns:
Hutch: probably out til next season with remote chance of returning by NFCC or SB.
Anzalone: possible week 17 or 18 return.
Kalif: possible week 17 or 18 return.
Cominski: could be ready for playoffs.
Barnes: possible return late into the playoffs.
Rodrigo: October next season
Davenport: done
Peko: next season.
Iffy: uncertain, but could return
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I posted this in the Gibbs thread, but the spotlight is brighter here. I went from it being stupid to a nothingburger to back to really stupid because I remember two of the names after the quickest and most unserious of looks at the photo. I did not put those names together with their scheme, but that should take another minute and not much more. Those are pretty distinct names and contain pretty sensitive information. I do not know (because I am not a professional coach nor DL) how much it all matters to the DL that they know the offense’s blocking scheme. Probably matters a bit at least, and in a league where any edge can be vital, you certainly don’t want to be giving the other team anything that might benefit them.
So I’d say it was pretty dumb, although you have to balance the information given vs. the amount of time the other team will be willing to spend on memorizing those names. It’s something the DL of the Packers would be well-advised to look at on the flight, and it’s something the Lions would be well-advised to go over and change. An therein lies how stupid it was of him to post that. When even a blurry photo of an already-used draft board is considered a big slip, taking a clear picture of plays and schemes with the names you’re calling out to signal them and uploading that photo it to social media can’t be good. It’s not good.
Justin Rogers asked Dan Campbell about it yesterday - last Q of the Saturday presser
Dan has seemed pretty exhausted this week, at least by his own manic standards.
some Reddit nerds had a pretty good breakdown of what's on the board and why it's a bit of a nothingburger
not ideal obviously but also NBD - IMHO, maybe I'm offbase here
Reeves maybin is eligible to return in another week or so, and would help a lot.
Brodrick Martin is going to have to step up and play significant snaps until reinforcements arrive.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
FYI - Brodric is now wearing #96 as he sold #99 to Za'Darius for a small fortune.
Handy reference for Thursday (will update the FNGs as the #s become known):
NFL Jersey Numbers - @nfl_jersey_num
Whatever. As Coach Dan said, "Does it really matter who is available? Really, at the end of the day? Because whoever can go, then that's who we have, that's who we'll get ready to play the Packers with on Thursday."
#noexcuses
Handy reference for Thursday (will update the FNGs as the #s become known):
- #66 Myles Adams - DL we signed off Seahawks practice squad
- #10 Kwon Alexander - LB former Pro Bowler signed off the Broncos practice squad
- #43 David Long LB - signed after Dolphins released him, play 12-13 snaps his first two games with Detroit
- #4 Emmanuel Moseley - injured in warmups on Thanksgiving, hopefully able to go versus GB
- #69 Al-Quadin Muhammad - 6 pressures v IND (49 snaps), 5 pressures 1 sack v CHI (43 snaps)
- #53 Trevor Nowaske - 2nd UDFA from Saginaw Valley State, averaging 33.6 snaps last 6 weeks & doing OK
- #47 Ezekiel Turner - 6th year guy, practice squad call up who saw 22 snaps v CHI
- #78 Jonah Williams - signed off the Rams practice squad, started 16 g for McVey last year
- #25 Jamaal Adams - former Pro Bowler signed to the practice squad
NFL Jersey Numbers - @nfl_jersey_num
Whatever. As Coach Dan said, "Does it really matter who is available? Really, at the end of the day? Because whoever can go, then that's who we have, that's who we'll get ready to play the Packers with on Thursday."
#noexcuses
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
[schefter]
Former Pro-Bowl safety Jamal Adams is signing with the Lions practice squad with the idea that he’ll be elevated to Detroit’s roster, per source.
Adams had been eyeing an opportunity with a playoff contender.
Former Pro-Bowl safety Jamal Adams is signing with the Lions practice squad with the idea that he’ll be elevated to Detroit’s roster, per source.
Adams had been eyeing an opportunity with a playoff contender.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Coach Campbell says it will come down to the wire for Taylor Decker
Two questions wrt Gibbs & the leaked whiteboard, terse "no comment" to both
LOL
Air Wamo
NFL fined Seahawks CB Coby Bryant $6,594 for Marshawn Lynch tribute after pick-6 vs. Cardinals
Took $20K from Jamo for the same thing
No fine for Branch this week
With the Seahawks' win, the Lions will not clinch a playoff spot this week.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are currently on pace to become just the sixth running back duo to both rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Montgomery: 1,015
Gibbs: 973
Since joining the Lions in Week 11, Za'Darius Smith is tied for the lead in pressure (17)
**Although he's played one more game over that span than all but 7 other teams so far**
For the season, he is 11th in the NFL in pressures; Hutch is still 10th lol
Two questions wrt Gibbs & the leaked whiteboard, terse "no comment" to both
LOL
Air Wamo
NFL fined Seahawks CB Coby Bryant $6,594 for Marshawn Lynch tribute after pick-6 vs. Cardinals
Took $20K from Jamo for the same thing
No fine for Branch this week
With the Seahawks' win, the Lions will not clinch a playoff spot this week.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are currently on pace to become just the sixth running back duo to both rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
- Gibbs on pace for 1,378
- Montgomery: 1,020
Montgomery: 1,015
Gibbs: 973
Since joining the Lions in Week 11, Za'Darius Smith is tied for the lead in pressure (17)
**Although he's played one more game over that span than all but 7 other teams so far**
For the season, he is 11th in the NFL in pressures; Hutch is still 10th lol
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Well as par for the course, nobody did us any favors today. I guess we used up all of our luck allotment on Thanksgiving. 
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
“The race is on.”
- MCDC 12/1 presser
Gonna have to earn every piece of it
All four of the new defensive guys were at the walk through today
- MCDC 12/1 presser
Gonna have to earn every piece of it
All four of the new defensive guys were at the walk through today
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Packers, Lions contrasting pictures of health heading into Thursday matchup
Justin Rogers
Dec 01, 2024
Allen Park — Each week during the 2024 season, we’ve updated you on what’s new with the upcoming opponent, but there’s seemingly little to share about a divisional rival the Detroit Lions played a month earlier.
But attempting to set the table for Thursday night’s back half of the home-and-home with the Green Bay Packers, let’s take a look at how the makeup of the matchup has shifted.
The conversation unquestionably centers around injuries. The Lions have lost a handful of key pieces since their Week 9 victory, while the Packers are slightly healthier than they were for the previous meeting.
Detroit's guaranteed absences from the lineup between the games are linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, rookie defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo and return man Kalif Raymond. Additionally, the status of offensive tackle Taylor Decker, cornerback Carlton Davis III and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike are up in the air. Decker and Davis missed the team’s Thanksgiving Classic with knee injuries, while Onwuzurike exited during the first half of that contest, also with a knee concern.
The Lions also lost linebacker linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and Josh Paschal to injury on Thanksgiving. Rodriguez, who had been backfilling the majority of Anzalone’s snaps, is done for the season with a torn ACL. Paschal can be counted among the group of unknowns for this upcoming Thursday, but he and Onwuzurike aren't likely to be ready according to coach Dan Campbell. But unlike the players above, Rodriguez and Paschal both missed the previous game against the Packers with unrelated ailments.
With the mounting injuries, several players who saw minimal or no defensive snaps — and in some cases weren’t even on Detroit’s roster — could see time in this contest. That group includes linebackers Ezekiel Turner, David Long, and the freshly signed Kwon Alexander, a pair of defensive linemen poached off practice squads this week, Myles Adams and Jonah Williams, as well as cornerbacks Kindle Vildor, Emmanuel Moseley or Khalil Dorsey, depending on Davis’ availability. According to Campbell on Saturday, the starter is day-to-day and questionable.
If Adams and Williams aren’t aren't able to get up to speed this week, the Lions could turn to their practice squad to bolster the defensive front’s depth, particularly on the edges. That potentially opens the door for someone like Isaac Ukwu, Isaiah Thomas or Mitchell Agude to get a temporary promotion.
For the Packers, they should be in better shape than they were in Week 9. That begins with quarterback Jordan Love, who was battling a groin strain that week, which appeared to affect his performance in the inclement conditions. Now healthy, Love has been playing at his peak level during the team’s three-game winning streak, completing 69.1% of his throws and posting a 120.8 passer rating.
He’s also taken just three sacks during that stretch, dropping back behind an intact starting offensive line. When the two teams played previously, Packers center Josh Myers was sidelined, forcing a shuffling of the deck up front.
Defensively, the Packers will have outstanding rookie safety Evan Williams back after he was shelved by a strained hamstring the last time. What’s unclear is if No. 1 cornerback Jaire Alexander will suit up. He missed the Week 9 matchup, as well as the past two weeks, with a knee injury.
Another piece that may or may not play with a lingering injury is rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He missed Green Bay’s Thanksgiving game against Miami with a pulled hamstring.
Beyond the injuries, both teams made deadline moves at defensive end. The Lions acquired a key piece in Za’Darius Smith while the Packers shipped out his former teammate Preston Smith.
For the Lions, Za’Darius Smith has provided a much-needed boost to the pass rush after the early-season loss of Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson. In his first three appearances with Detroit, Smith has tallied 3.0 sacks and 17 QB pressures.
As for Preston Smith, he was a poor scheme fit for Green Bay’s newly installed attacking front and requested a trade. He was shipped to Pittsburgh in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
The now-former Packer logged three tackles with 21 defensive snaps in Week 9. His playing time has been replaced by a combination of an increased workload for Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr., who was a healthy scratch for the first nine games of the season.
The Packers have won seven of their last eight with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Lions, 24-14, at Lambeau Field. During a three-game winning streak since that defeat, they’ve averaged 29.3 while allowed just 15.3 during that stretch.
Justin Rogers
Dec 01, 2024
Allen Park — Each week during the 2024 season, we’ve updated you on what’s new with the upcoming opponent, but there’s seemingly little to share about a divisional rival the Detroit Lions played a month earlier.
But attempting to set the table for Thursday night’s back half of the home-and-home with the Green Bay Packers, let’s take a look at how the makeup of the matchup has shifted.
The conversation unquestionably centers around injuries. The Lions have lost a handful of key pieces since their Week 9 victory, while the Packers are slightly healthier than they were for the previous meeting.
Detroit's guaranteed absences from the lineup between the games are linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, rookie defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo and return man Kalif Raymond. Additionally, the status of offensive tackle Taylor Decker, cornerback Carlton Davis III and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike are up in the air. Decker and Davis missed the team’s Thanksgiving Classic with knee injuries, while Onwuzurike exited during the first half of that contest, also with a knee concern.
The Lions also lost linebacker linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and Josh Paschal to injury on Thanksgiving. Rodriguez, who had been backfilling the majority of Anzalone’s snaps, is done for the season with a torn ACL. Paschal can be counted among the group of unknowns for this upcoming Thursday, but he and Onwuzurike aren't likely to be ready according to coach Dan Campbell. But unlike the players above, Rodriguez and Paschal both missed the previous game against the Packers with unrelated ailments.
With the mounting injuries, several players who saw minimal or no defensive snaps — and in some cases weren’t even on Detroit’s roster — could see time in this contest. That group includes linebackers Ezekiel Turner, David Long, and the freshly signed Kwon Alexander, a pair of defensive linemen poached off practice squads this week, Myles Adams and Jonah Williams, as well as cornerbacks Kindle Vildor, Emmanuel Moseley or Khalil Dorsey, depending on Davis’ availability. According to Campbell on Saturday, the starter is day-to-day and questionable.
If Adams and Williams aren’t aren't able to get up to speed this week, the Lions could turn to their practice squad to bolster the defensive front’s depth, particularly on the edges. That potentially opens the door for someone like Isaac Ukwu, Isaiah Thomas or Mitchell Agude to get a temporary promotion.
For the Packers, they should be in better shape than they were in Week 9. That begins with quarterback Jordan Love, who was battling a groin strain that week, which appeared to affect his performance in the inclement conditions. Now healthy, Love has been playing at his peak level during the team’s three-game winning streak, completing 69.1% of his throws and posting a 120.8 passer rating.
He’s also taken just three sacks during that stretch, dropping back behind an intact starting offensive line. When the two teams played previously, Packers center Josh Myers was sidelined, forcing a shuffling of the deck up front.
Defensively, the Packers will have outstanding rookie safety Evan Williams back after he was shelved by a strained hamstring the last time. What’s unclear is if No. 1 cornerback Jaire Alexander will suit up. He missed the Week 9 matchup, as well as the past two weeks, with a knee injury.
Another piece that may or may not play with a lingering injury is rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He missed Green Bay’s Thanksgiving game against Miami with a pulled hamstring.
Beyond the injuries, both teams made deadline moves at defensive end. The Lions acquired a key piece in Za’Darius Smith while the Packers shipped out his former teammate Preston Smith.
For the Lions, Za’Darius Smith has provided a much-needed boost to the pass rush after the early-season loss of Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson. In his first three appearances with Detroit, Smith has tallied 3.0 sacks and 17 QB pressures.
As for Preston Smith, he was a poor scheme fit for Green Bay’s newly installed attacking front and requested a trade. He was shipped to Pittsburgh in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
The now-former Packer logged three tackles with 21 defensive snaps in Week 9. His playing time has been replaced by a combination of an increased workload for Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr., who was a healthy scratch for the first nine games of the season.
The Packers have won seven of their last eight with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Lions, 24-14, at Lambeau Field. During a three-game winning streak since that defeat, they’ve averaged 29.3 while allowed just 15.3 during that stretch.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Getting to know Detroit's four late-season defensive additions
Justin Rogers
Dec 01, 2024
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions went on a late-season shopping spree this weekend. They would have rather not, but mounting injuries forced the Lions to pluck three players off other teams’ practice squad on Saturday, and on Sunday, they piqued interest by adding a former All-Pro to the practice squad.
I caught up with three of those four players in Detroit’s locker room on Sunday. Here’s some extensive background on all four and what the three had to say about their opportunity to contribute down the stretch for the NFC frontrunners.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander
Career stats: 10 seasons, 107 games, 90 starts, 639 tackles (54.0 for a loss), 13.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 34 pass defenses, nine interceptionsComing out of LSU in 2015, the 6-foot-1, 227-pound Alexander was considered undersized but highly athletic, posting elite measurements in the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jumps, as well as the short shuttle.
A 2014 first-team All-American for the Tigers, Alexander was selected in the fourth round by Tampa Bay. He played four seasons for the Buccaneers, racking up a career-high 145 tackles in 2016 and earning his lone Pro Bowl selection in 2017.
Alexander has battled injury issues most of his career, playing every regular season game just twice during his first nine seasons. The list of injuries includes a torn ACL, two ruptured Achilles, a torn pec, and a torn bicep.
After Tampa Bay, Alexander played parts of two seasons in San Francisco, parts of two seasons in New Orleans — where he overlapped with Lions coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn — and one season with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh.
Alexander, now 30, has spent this season on Denver’s practice squad, appearing in three games for the team. A versatile defender, he’s primarily lined up as an off-ball outside linebacker during his career, but has seen his fair share of reps manning the Mike, lining up along the line of the scrimmage and even covering the slot.
Despite the litany of injuries, Alexander still has the requisite speed to cover, and despite his size, he’s aggressive coming downhill, with a high rate of efficiency as a situational blitzer, peaking at 17 pressures on 85 rushes with the Saints in 2021.
Never a captain during his 10-year career, he’s still viewed as a strong leader. On Saturday, Campbell specifically highlighted Alexander’s energy.
“Kwon will bring a whole ‘nother energy,” Campbell said. “He's all energy. He is a relentless player, he is an aggressive player. And he can run and hit. He'll fit that room nicely and bring us a little something different.”
Alexander said he’s confident it won’t take him long to acclimate to his new situation, and he intends to utilize his former teammate in New Orleans, Alex Anzalone, while navigating the transition.
“I know he knows ball. I'm praying for him with his injury, but we're going to hold it down for him,” Alexander said." “I'm just going to try to make everything better. My plan is to go out there and get the ball as much as I can.
“…It ain't going to take me that long,” Alexander said. “It's kind of simple. It's just about getting out there, working with the guys, getting the chemistry and all that right.”
Defensive lineman Jonah Williams
Career stats: Four seasons, 48 games, 22 starts, 80 tackles (5.0 for a loss), 2.5 sacks, 32 QB pressuresThe Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, Williams was scouted and recruited as an undrafted free agent by Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes when he served as the Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting.
“All I was told is he was involved in bringing to the Rams,” Williams said.
At his pro day, Williams posted eye-popping measurables that would have been among the best at his position at that year’s combine in multiple drills, including the 40, vertical jump, bench press and three-cone drill.
The 6-foot-5 Williams played at 270 pounds in college, but bulked up to 280 for his pro day, trying to prove to teams he could play inside and outside. As a rookie, the Rams asked him to get to 295 for the role they envisioned for him. He initially found it hard to keep on that much weight, but now sits comfortably between 287-290.
His role also steadily grow with the Rams after spending the entirety of his rookie year on the team’s practice squad. He went from a modest eight appearances and 96 defensive snaps in his second season to a 16-game starter logging nearly 600 defensive snaps and another 165 on special teams last year.
Similar to Josh Paschal and John Cominsky's usage in Detroit’s defensive scheme, Williams is a large-framed edge defender, who should situationally slide inside on passing downs. In 2013, more than 80% of his snaps were logged at edge alignments.
“It was good last year just being able to specialize in a role,” Williams said. “Before that, it was who was down, that's where I was playing. I was playing nose tackle, I was playing every position on the line. Last year, I specialized kind of as that big end, that 4i position. That helped me take that next step.”
In Los Angeles, Williams’ primary job was supporting future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Here, he’s looking for the opportunity to show he can be more.
“That's what's cool about this opportunity is (playing more on the edge),” Williams said. “With the Rams, it was more about being support staff for AD, letting Aaron Donald go to work, and making sure the formation was contained. That was the majority of my job. I like playing on early downs, I like playing 4i, 5, 6 (alignments). I like those positions on early downs.
“...I was getting ready to go to practice with the Rams and Detroit calls and says, 'Hey, we've got some injuries and we need you to play. We need you to play quite a bit.' When you're on practice squad, you have to take those opportunities. You're not making up any ground being on practice squad. Here, I can play and show the world (what I can do).”
Former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford offered some brief encouragement as Williams prepared to leave the Rams’ facility.
“It was quick,” Williams said. “He said, 'Good luck and do great out there.' He just said he loved the place.”
Like Alexander, Williams doesn’t expect to take long to get up to speed.
“I don't think very long, not with how they run the defense here,” he said. “If I had to make all the adjustments, all that stuff on my own, maybe a little longer, but we've got good linebackers and people communicating with us, so it's not going to take me long.”
Williams, 29, is older than his draft year would suggest because he took part in a two-year Mormon mission (to Sau Paulo) before enrolling at Weber State.
Defensive lineman Myles Adams
Career stats: Four seasons, 26 games, one start, 30 tackles, 1.0 sack, 14 QB pressuresA 12-game starter and captain at Rice in 2019, Adams is a high-character player who was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell award, given to the player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.
He told me he chose Rice for the academic opportunities. He’s from a driven family and his mother, Valarie, works as a finance coordinator for one of the United State’s largest management consulting companies.
Adams has several connections in Detroit’s locker room, including two from his time at Rice. He was teammates with punter Jack Fox, while assistant defensive line coach Cam Davis was a graduate assistant at the school for two of Adams’ seasons.
Initially signed as an undrafted free agent by Carolina, Adams has been with the Seahawks since December of his rookie season. His biggest workload came during the 2022 campaign when he logged 190 defensive snaps.
Adams played a season-high 20 defensive snaps against the Lions when the Seahawks came to town for a Monday night game early in Week 4.
“I played pretty well, probably my best game this season,” he said.
Like Williams, Adams can play both inside and out up front but he has primarily worked interior alignments as a pro. Yet in his initial practice with the Lions, new position coach Terrell Williams had him doing a little more work on the edge.
“They had me out there today,” Adams said. “I did it more in college. In the NFL, it's been more 3-technique, 4i.”
Also like Williams, Adam got the call to join Detroit on Friday, after the Lions assessed their needs after several players suffered injuries during a Thanksgiving win over the Chicago Bears.
“We were about to leave for New York to play the Jets,” Adams said. “I came in on Friday to lift, they had just put me on practice squad. I got the call from my agent after the lift and he said, 'Don't get on that plane. I've got a different flight for you.'“
Knowing it’s unlikely most Detroit fans had heard about him before Saturday, I asked Adams what he wants them to know.
“What Detroit can expect from me is consistency, hard work,” he said. “I'm going to clock in and give a hard day's work while being a great teammate to my guys. Whatever they ask me to do, I'll do. I'm here for a reason and I want to use my body and my mind to the best of the team's ability.”
