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2025 Detroit Lions: 0-0 HOF Game on tape, as DC said..."We got work to do" (93 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
Mr.Blonde
Footballguy
That's how I used to refer to it back in the day.....
Defensive linemen on IR:
Aiden Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Kyle Peko
Mekhi Wingo
John Cominsky
DJ Reader, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzurike will miss at least this week.
That's 8 of our top 9 defensive linemen. Only Alim McNeill is healthy.
Linebackers on IR:
Alex Anzalone
Derrick Barnes
Malcolm Rodriguez
Jalen Reeves-Maybin
That's 4 of our top 5 linebackers. Only Jack Campbell is healthy.
Insane.
Aiden Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Kyle Peko
Mekhi Wingo
John Cominsky
DJ Reader, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzurike will miss at least this week.
That's 8 of our top 9 defensive linemen. Only Alim McNeill is healthy.
Linebackers on IR:
Alex Anzalone
Derrick Barnes
Malcolm Rodriguez
Jalen Reeves-Maybin
That's 4 of our top 5 linebackers. Only Jack Campbell is healthy.
Insane.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Offense is healthy outside of Decker, and Skip will be fine - just need to have the RB or TE chip on their way out
Top 5 DBs are the healthiest they've been in awhile
Lot of doom and gloom but honestly I think these guys just don't ****ing care
Who we got that can go? OK, that's the deal, let's get 'em ready
I think AG is going to execute a good game plan Thursday
That man should be Assistant Coach of the Year; definitely deserves his own gig next year (hearing maybe will get the Saints job)
They don't care and i don't care. Line up and go.
I think we'll be ok. Offense should be ready to roll. And it's nice to have Jack Fox in a game like this. Make them go long distances.
TartanLion
Footballguy
Packers have succeeded recently by running the ball. Felt like last time around our run D and run O got the better of them and wore them down, it’s a worry that Reader is now gone as well as him and Alim together bottle other teams up so well and I simply don’t think this patchwork line is going to hold up what has been the Packers strength. We’ve lost our advantage here. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a really close game
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Think Love was dealing with a groin injury last time around, def seemed like an off night for him. They had their bye the following week and he's been healthy since.
Lions won the middle 8 in the first matchup. Was a close game, 7-3. Bates hit a FG with under a minute left, and then Kerby got the pick 6 on a blitz to completely swing the game. Came out in the 2nd half and went 70 for a TD to go up 24-3 early in the 3rd. Punted the next 3 possessions, it was already out of reach.
IIRC Jacobs ran pretty well versus Detroit Week 9. Not sure he is 100% but they are def a run first team, and with Reader + most of the LBs out, I expect LaFleur to stick with the running game.
Lions need some long, time consuming drives to keep our depleted defense well rested.
Definitely a challenging game for AG, but I think people are going to be surprised how well this duct taped Red Green defense plays.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah who is playing on the DL tomorrow? Our front 7 is basically a practice squad
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
God bless Tyrell Williams
Lions WK1 DL:
NT: DJ Reader, Kyle Peko
DT: Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike
DE1: Aidan Hutchinson
DE2: Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal
Lions WK14 DL:
NT: Pat O'Connor, Brodric Martin
DT: Alim McNeill, Myles Adams
DE1: Za'Darius Smith
DE2: Al-Quadin Muhammad, Jonah Williams
AQ will start opposite Z
Big Boy Brodric next to Alim?
Let’s see what we got
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Highest PFF Season Graded Linebackers (Min. 60 snaps):
1. DEN/DET Kwon Alexander - 90.6 (65 snaps)
2. PHI Zach Baun - 89.6
3. SF Fred Warner - 88.4
4. WAS Bobby Wagner - 83.3
11. DET Jack Campbell - 76.4 (651)
20. DET Malcolm Rodriguez - 74.4 (318)
25. DET Derrick Barnes - 71.8 (120)
51. DET Alex Anzalone - 66.8 (544)
62. DET Ben Niemann - 63.0 (74)
67. DET Jalen Reeves-Maybin - 62.5 (111)
122. DET David Long Jr - 35.5 (307)
out of 123 qualifying players
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
God bless Tyrell Williams
Lions WK1 DL:
NT: DJ Reader, Kyle Peko
DT: Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike
DE1: Aidan Hutchinson
DE2: Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal
Lions WK14 DL:
NT: Pat O'Connor, Brodric Martin
DT: Alim McNeill, Myles Adams
DE1: Za'Darius Smith
DE2: Al-Quadin Muhammad, Jonah Williams
AQ will start opposite Z
Big Boy Brodric next to Alim?
Let’s see what we got
I remember watching the play Levi pulled his hammy. Saw this big lineman going balls out chasing Williams not knowing who it was at first and thought "This guy is going to pull a hammy" because he was chasing for too long, too fast for a lineman that big. I thought it was McNeil at first.
Hopefully Baby Huey Martin will finally show he was worth trading up for.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
For the first time in franchise history, the Lions have won offensive, defensive and special teams POTM Awards in a single season.
Defensive POTM - Aidan Hutchinson (September)
Offensive POTM - Jared Goff (October)
Special Teams POTM - Jake Bates (November)
#OnePride
Defensive POTM - Aidan Hutchinson (September)
Offensive POTM - Jared Goff (October)
Special Teams POTM - Jake Bates (November)
#OnePride
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Among all NFL players this season, Lions WR Amon-Ra St Brown ranks:
- t-1st in receiving first downs (49)
- t-2nd in receiving TDs (9)
- t-3rd in contested catches, per PFF (15)
- 4th in receptions (76)
- t-1st in receiving first downs (49)
- t-2nd in receiving TDs (9)
- t-3rd in contested catches, per PFF (15)
- 4th in receptions (76)
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
On this day 3 years ago
ARSB scored his first NFL touchdown.
The walk-off TD from Jared Goff with 0:00 on the clock gave Dan Campbell his first win as Lions Head Coach.
After starting 0-10-1, they would finish the season 3-3.
ARSB scored his first NFL touchdown.
The walk-off TD from Jared Goff with 0:00 on the clock gave Dan Campbell his first win as Lions Head Coach.
After starting 0-10-1, they would finish the season 3-3.
I'll never forget how excited I was.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Let’s hope the OL takes their normal 100% of snaps, eh.
Depth tonight is Mahogany at guard, Niese at center and Sorsdal at OT, guys who have only been active a handful of times between them. Mahogany & Sorsdal have 0 snaps, Niese has 34 snaps in 4 blowouts.
Depth tonight is Mahogany at guard, Niese at center and Sorsdal at OT, guys who have only been active a handful of times between them. Mahogany & Sorsdal have 0 snaps, Niese has 34 snaps in 4 blowouts.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
next
Preview of LIX?
65 days to go
| 15 | 12/15 | Buffalo Bills | 4:25p | -2.5 | 52.5 |
Preview of LIX?
65 days to go
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Jared Goff is now the only QB in franchise history to throw for 25+ TD passes in three-straight seasons.
The Lions are 11-0 in games in which David Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs both produce a TD.
The Lions are 9-2 (.818) in prime time games under Head Coach Dan Campbell.
The Lions have clinched a postseason berth in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1994-95.
Jahmyr Gibbs: "OK.... " [shrugs] "that's nice."
The Lions have tied the franchise record for most wins in a season with 12 (4 games left to improve on it.)
First 11-game winning streak in franchise history (95th season, 91st in Detroit).
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs has produced his first-career 1,000-yard rushing season.
He becomes the 9th Lions player to produce a 1,000-yard rushing season.
Jared Goff has thrown 2 or more TDs in 5 straight games at Ford Field.
Sonic & Knuckles are the first RB duo in Lions history to produce two 12-TD seasons in the same year.
Montgomery joins Billy Sims and Barry Sanders as the only RBs in Lions history to produce two seasons with 12 or more rushing TDs.
Jared Goff ended his postgame press conference by giving the defense their flowers.
The Lions are 11-0 in games in which David Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs both produce a TD.
The Lions are 9-2 (.818) in prime time games under Head Coach Dan Campbell.
The Lions have clinched a postseason berth in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1994-95.
Jahmyr Gibbs: "OK.... " [shrugs] "that's nice."
The Lions have tied the franchise record for most wins in a season with 12 (4 games left to improve on it.)
First 11-game winning streak in franchise history (95th season, 91st in Detroit).
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs has produced his first-career 1,000-yard rushing season.
He becomes the 9th Lions player to produce a 1,000-yard rushing season.
Jared Goff has thrown 2 or more TDs in 5 straight games at Ford Field.
Sonic & Knuckles are the first RB duo in Lions history to produce two 12-TD seasons in the same year.
Montgomery joins Billy Sims and Barry Sanders as the only RBs in Lions history to produce two seasons with 12 or more rushing TDs.
Jared Goff ended his postgame press conference by giving the defense their flowers.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Locker room buzz: Lions defense leans on 'savages' to upend Packers
Justin Rogers | DFN
Detroit — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
All hail the Northern Savages
The biggest story coming into the game was the number of new additions the Lions were incorporating into their defense. Despite surrendering 31 points because they were saddled with some short fields, the patchwork group held the Packers to fewer than 300 yards of offense and under 100 yards rushing in the win.“(Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG said it best,” defensive tackle Brodric Martin said. “We already had savages here and we just brought in more savages. That's how we do it. We're built one way. We're coached one way, that's to be savages, to be dominant at what we do.”
Coach Dan Campbell elaborated in his postgame comments that the nickname they’d been using to describe the defensive line this week was “Northern Savages.”
Martin isn’t new, but he was new to the lineup. A 2023 third-round pick, he’d played just 30 career defensive snaps before being asked to start on Thursday.
Another player seeing a far bigger role than usual was Pat O’Connor, who was announced as part of the pre-game introductions, joined the captains at midfield for the coin toss, and logged the most defensive snaps of his seven-year career.
“I'm always prepared to do anything. I just appreciate (defensive line coach Terrell Williams) T, (assistant defensive line coach) Cam (Davis), AG for having the confidence to put me in there when it counted. I took advantage of the reps. …Make the plays count, don't count the plays.”
The unit absorbed another hit when defensive tackle Alim McNeill was forced from the lineup in the second half with a concussion. That resulted in a bigger workload for two players signed late last week, Jonah Williams and Myles Adams.
“I think the initial plan was to have me and Jonah play the big end position,” Adams said. “But I did learn (defensive) tackle at the beginning of the week, so it wasn't anything I wasn't prepared for.
“…I was talking to Jonah, I felt young again,” Adams said. “I felt hungry, like a rookie. We got in Friday, had to learn a playbook, then get out there and play on a Thursday night primetime game. What else could you ask for as an NFL football player?”
Adams praised how well the coaching staff had prepared him for the workload, despite the short turnaround.
“Honestly, I think they did a great job with the onboarding process, if you can call it that. It was smooth,” he said. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Near misses frustrating
Cornerback Carlton Davis had an interesting night, which started with a forced fumble the Lions recovered and turned into points.“I was just really playing ball, for real,” Davis said. “I seen him put the ball out like this and I just struck the ball.”
The cornerback also nearly had an interception in the first half, but it was called back due to teammate Terrion Arnold getting flagged for pass interference before Davis corralled the deflection.
he second half didn’t go nearly as well for Davis. He got beat on a deep ball to open the third quarter and gave up not one, but two completions where he undercut the route and made a diving effort to deflect it away, only for the ball to sneak past his fingertips into the waiting hands of the intended target.
That left Davis frustrated beyond belief.
“That s___ sucked,” Davis said. “That s___ f______ sucked, bro. It's a game of inches, but f___ man, it's a hard pill to swallow. It's a hard pill to swallow.
“I thought I played (them) good,” Davis said. “I f______ played it right. I just have got to get my hand through. I had on a big-*** cast, I don't know, whatever, I don't want to make excuses.”
Davis has been playing with a cast on his hand since breaking his thumb last month.
Not getting too comfortable
That fumble Davis forced was recovered by linebacker David Long Jr., another of several defenders who recently landed in Detroit.“What's crazy is it was man coverage and I fell off my man,” Long said. “I was hoping he wouldn't throw it to him. I just stayed in the play and hustled to the ball. They say when you hustle to the ball, good things happen. The ball ended up coming out and I was right there.”
In addition to the fumble recovery, Long delivered a punishing hit in the fourth quarter that knocked Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks from the game. Long’s violent striking feels like an ideal fit for what the Lions ask for their defenders.
He’s felt that immediate connection, but after recently being released in Miami, he’s not allowing himself to feel at home.
“Yeah, most definitely, but you can't get too comfortable in this league,” Long said. “I've learned that throughout the years. I'm just taking this one day at a time, one moment at a time. I'm just enjoying the moment.”
Delivering in opportunities
As detailed in a Detroit Football Network feature about the linebacker, Ezekiel Turner left a cushy gig as a special teams standout in Arizona in search of a bigger defensive role. He’s found that in Detroit and with it he delivered one of the game’s biggest plays, securing an open-field tackle of quarterback Jordan Love on third down that forced the Packers to settle for a tying field goal in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
“It was surreal,” Turner said. “I knew I was trusted with a big role and in that critical situation. And the standard is the standard. No matter who is in there, we know, we play how we play in Detroit. I knew I had to bring my A-game and do my job to the best of my ability. That's what I was trying to do.”
On the tackle, Turner said he was put in conflict between sticking with his assignment or trusting his instincts.
“If you look at the play, the (running) back was right there, too,” Turner continued. “That's technically who I had (in coverage), so I had to make a decision. If left the back and he dumped the ball off to the back — it's like, is he running or is he not? I made a quick decision, he turned into a runner, so I was like, tackle and get him to the ground.”
Deflecting praise
You’d think kicker Jake Bates has been doing this for a decade with how nonchalant he's been about his wild season. Coming over from the UFL, after never kicking field goals in college, he’s been nearly perfect in his debut season for the Lions, making 21 of his 22 field goal tries, including his third game-winner on Thursday.After some prodding, Bates acknowledged how crazy things have been while clutching a game ball awarded to him by coach Dan Campbell.
“Absolutely, it's crazy,” Bates said. “I say it all the time, I have so much gratitude in my heart for where I'm at, the people who are around me, and the people who have been with me for so long. My parents, they're behind the scenes and don't get a lot of credit, but they deserve a lot more credit than they get and more credit than I'm getting. They deserve it all.”
“It's really cool to see the way this game has brought together my family and they get excited for football games,” he said. “It's not the Cowboys anymore, it's the Lions.”
I asked Bates if he planned on giving away his growing collection of game balls to his parents.
“Maybe that's their Christmas present,” he said with a smile.
Non-athletic athleticism
Jared Goff was able to laugh about it once the game was over, but it wasn't funny in the moment, as he was stumbling to the turf after getting his feet tangled with left guard Graham Glasgow during a fourth-and-1 handoff in the closing minute.Campbell called it an athletic play, but the quarterback scoffed at that idea.
“Yeah, real athletic to fall down on a routine handoff, but I’m glad we made it happen,” Goff said.
The quarterback said his initial thought while tumbling was to pitch it to running back David Montgomery, before realizing he was close enough to execute the handoff from his knees.
“Bad feeling when you’re a quarterback,” Goff said. “Not the first time that’s happened in my career. You try to like stretch out and give it to them, I was even probably going to flip it to him if I couldn’t hand it to him but made it happen, made it work, and David did the rest.”
Packers coach irked
Packers coach Matt LaFleur and a handful of Packers players were involved in a verbal altercation with a Lions fan during pregame activities.“Yeah, I’ve never been a part of something like that,” LaFleur said. “He was talking junk to our players, giving them the throat slash sign, and you’re trying to de-escalate it and then he gets in my face.
“I thought it was pretty unsportsmanlike,” he continued. “I’ve never seen that. I’ve been on many fields and usually they police that much better. I just thought it was an arrogant fan that wanted to get a part of the action and just — I would like to see security or something step in there and get them out of there.”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
[continued from previous post]
A quiet debut
Late in the first quarter, right guard Kevin Zeitler had to exit the field to tend to an injury. That required rookie Christian Mahogany to sub in for the first offensive snaps of his career.
As the next interior lineman on the depth chart, Mahogany was mentally prepared to go in, but when the Packers challenged the previous play, causing a lengthy delay between snaps, the rookie lineman got in his head.
“They just said, 'Hey, Christian!' and I kind of blacked out,” Mahogany said. “I ran in there and then they called a challenge. That really got my heart racing. I wanted them to call the play and just go. The longer I had to wait, the more nervous I got.”
The Lions wound up punting three plays later when a third-down run was blown up in the backfield. Zeitler returned to action for the next series.
It’s been a strange debut campaign for Mahogany, who missed all of training camp and the first several weeks of the season after being diagnosed with mono. The sixth-round pick recently passed Kayode Awosika on the depth chart to become the first guard off the bench. Before Thursday, his playing time had been limited to special teams.
A quiet debut
Late in the first quarter, right guard Kevin Zeitler had to exit the field to tend to an injury. That required rookie Christian Mahogany to sub in for the first offensive snaps of his career.As the next interior lineman on the depth chart, Mahogany was mentally prepared to go in, but when the Packers challenged the previous play, causing a lengthy delay between snaps, the rookie lineman got in his head.
“They just said, 'Hey, Christian!' and I kind of blacked out,” Mahogany said. “I ran in there and then they called a challenge. That really got my heart racing. I wanted them to call the play and just go. The longer I had to wait, the more nervous I got.”
The Lions wound up punting three plays later when a third-down run was blown up in the backfield. Zeitler returned to action for the next series.
It’s been a strange debut campaign for Mahogany, who missed all of training camp and the first several weeks of the season after being diagnosed with mono. The sixth-round pick recently passed Kayode Awosika on the depth chart to become the first guard off the bench. Before Thursday, his playing time had been limited to special teams.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Pregame baloney between an out-of-control Lions fan & Coach LaFleur
I don't know the context but looks like some white trash stuff to me, that can't happen - that can't be who we are.
LaFleur talked about the incident postgame
Coach is right here, that's garbage.
It's a players game. Fans should NOT be allowed to be getting in that close with opposing teams pregame.
This is their livelihood. You're a fanatic. Nobody came here to see you, moron.
Not cool.
I don't know the context but looks like some white trash stuff to me, that can't happen - that can't be who we are.
LaFleur talked about the incident postgame
Coach is right here, that's garbage.
It's a players game. Fans should NOT be allowed to be getting in that close with opposing teams pregame.
This is their livelihood. You're a fanatic. Nobody came here to see you, moron.
Not cool.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
GB trails the Lions by 3 games with 4 left to play, and their NFC North record is 1-3.
They're a game up on WAS in the battle for the 6th seed, and 2.5 games up on ARI, LAR & TB.
LaFleur came into the season 22-8 versus the NFC North, 18-2 in December, and 2-4 versus Dan Campbell.
Update: 23-11, 18-3, and 2-6.
They're a game up on WAS in the battle for the 6th seed, and 2.5 games up on ARI, LAR & TB.
LaFleur came into the season 22-8 versus the NFC North, 18-2 in December, and 2-4 versus Dan Campbell.
Update: 23-11, 18-3, and 2-6.
TartanLion
Footballguy
Amazing to pull out the W there boys, I’m struggling today didn’t manage to get back to sleep very well after that one spent about an hour on my phone online reading stuff afterwards. Woke up at 3.15am on my bed thinking I’d been passed out for only around an hour. It was actually over 3 hours 
instantly got the game on on my phone, was just into the 3rd quarter, glad I managed to get myself awake and watch it !!
instantly got the game on on my phone, was just into the 3rd quarter, glad I managed to get myself awake and watch it !!
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Amazing to pull out the W there boys, I’m struggling today didn’t manage to get back to sleep very well after that one spent about an hour on my phone online reading stuff afterwards. Woke up at 3.15am on my bed thinking I’d been passed out for only around an hour. It was actually over 3 hours
I'm just getting over a bout of Covid, went back to work yesterday but gonna call out sick again today.
Wiped out, couldn't sleep much + have an acting gig the next two days that pays more than my job lol.
Gonna chillax at home and hopefully recover enough to perform the next two nights.
TartanLion
Footballguy
Amazing to pull out the W there boys, I’m struggling today didn’t manage to get back to sleep very well after that one spent about an hour on my phone online reading stuff afterwards. Woke up at 3.15am on my bed thinking I’d been passed out for only around an hour. It was actually over 3 hours
I'm just getting over a bout of Covid, went back to work yesterday but gonna call out sick again today.
Wiped out, couldn't sleep much + have an acting gig the next two days that pays more than my job lol.
Gonna chillax at home and hopefully recover enough to perform the next two nights.
Good luck ! I had Covid back in June and tried to work through it, took me weeks to recover
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
St Brown IG Story (reposted on X)
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
What a game. I am looking at the defense names and thinking "Who are these guys??" and then McNeil goes down too.
They played with so much energy. The INT and the failed 4th down basically gave GB 2 scores other wise they help up pretty good. The one pile driver tackle on Love in the open field was a game saver. The no-names played tough football.
Waiting for Bobbys stat line and hoping I am wrong but Baby Huey Martin did not seem to get any push, and got pushed around himself a few plays. Again watching with emotion is different that what is actually happening.
When they lined up on that last play my wife said "What are they doing??" I said "No way they are going for it , they are just trying to draw them offsides" I was shocked when the ball was snapped, and then saw Goff get tripped"
They played with so much energy. The INT and the failed 4th down basically gave GB 2 scores other wise they help up pretty good. The one pile driver tackle on Love in the open field was a game saver. The no-names played tough football.
Waiting for Bobbys stat line and hoping I am wrong but Baby Huey Martin did not seem to get any push, and got pushed around himself a few plays. Again watching with emotion is different that what is actually happening.
When they lined up on that last play my wife said "What are they doing??" I said "No way they are going for it , they are just trying to draw them offsides" I was shocked when the ball was snapped, and then saw Goff get tripped"
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Happy for Patrick. Seems like a humble guy who really did not want to talk much there.
Looks like Goff found his new Reynolds.
TartanLion
Footballguy
That first stat, I’m amazed Stafford didn’t do that so had a look. 2015-17 he went 32,24,29
4 weeks to go and only one team in our way for the division title and only one other team in the way of the #1 seed in the conference.
Atl @ Minn.....early game
Car @ Philly....early game
Atlanta is good enough to challenge Minnesota.
Carolina at 3-9 you would think would be no match for Philly. But Carolina has played good football the last 4 weeks.
Any given Sunday.
TartanLion
Footballguy
It’s nice to daydream about a Cousins revenge game this coming Sunday but he just looked so trash last week
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
are we sure?
man, from reading a lot of threads just now, seems like the Packers still do. their fans are having a hard time accepting it's not them any more.
#hatetoseeit #lovetoseeit
Ardbeg4ever
Footballguy
Reading a few threads today, I realized it's a helluva lot more fun being a fan of a team who wins, than a fan of team who loses but can find questionable calls that went against them.
#cheeseonthenotherfoot
#cheeseonthenotherfoot
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
relatable
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Three and Out: A defense defying odds, the value of belief, and a comeback’s crescendo
Justin Rogers | DFN
Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Defying odds and expectations
After the Lions had regained the lead for the second time in the second half, midway through the fourth quarter, the defense came onto the field with the task of holding it.
The unit took the field with five defenders along the line of scrimmage — safety/linebacker Jamal Adams, defensive lineman Myles Adams, defensive tackle Pat O’Connor, defensive lineman Jonah Williams and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Of that collective, only O’Connor has been here since the summer, but not even he made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp.
Football doesn’t stick to a script. Injuries are part of life in the NFL, and you need to plug in new pieces and keep moving. But this was a car with a rebuilt engine, being test-driven for the first time. Hell, Adams, Adams and Williams hadn’t even been in Detroit a week.
In all, defenders not on the Week 1 roster combined to play 233 snaps or 42.3% of the team’s total workload on the evening. More than a quarter of the snaps went to players who weren’t in the building at the start of October, and 12.5% to guys who were somewhere other than Detroit the previous week.
The influx of fresh-faced personnel was why faith in a team that had won its 10 previous games wavered among the fan base. Sure, the Lions had previously managed to overcome injuries to starters Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Marcus Davenport in recent weeks, but this was a different monster. Plus, the Packers were coming to town red hot, having hung 68 points on their previous two opponents.
And, to Green Bay’s credit, they did manage to score at least 30 for the third straight game, but it wasn’t the same. They did it with fewer than 300 yards of total offense. They did it without topping 100 rushing yards for the first time in six games. They did it with a passing game that faced far more pressure than could have been reasonably expected from Detroit's patchwork crew.
We’ve seen games littered with replacement players before, probably more than we'd like to remember, but this wasn't another one of those times. This isn't another team limping across the finish line just trying to go home for the offseason.
No, this is a Super Bowl contender that refuses to lower its standard even if there wasn’t enough time to fully explain that standard to a handful of the guys being asked to uphold it.
Experience is a great teacher, success is a great motivator, and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is both. The job he’s done this season has transitioned from remarkable to unbelievable.
It genuinely cannot be believed.
No one would have accepted knowing the Lions had suffered this many injuries, had to play this many castaways, and were still thriving. That the franchise would have a new record winning streak and that the team had clinched a playoff berth three weeks before Christmas.
Manifestation of belief
Complementary football is a theme with all great seasons.
There have been weeks where it's been Detroit's offense, defense or special teams that have carried the team to victory.
Ahead of Thursday, the messaging in the building was it was the offense’s turn. For all the faith the team put into Glenn’s ability to maximize the talent he was afforded, it was on quarterback Jared Goff and company to alleviate some of the pressure.
And that partially manifested in the team’s fourth-down strategy.
The Lions went for it on fourth five times, converting four of them, including one to run the remaining time off the clock ahead of Jake Bates’ game-winning kick.
Individually, each of the decisions was debatable. The first, before the half, came from the 3-yard line when a field goal would have given the Lions a six-point lead at the break. Instead, they found the end zone and those four points were the difference.
They also went for it twice on another touchdown drive, including a fourth-and-1 at midfield and another fourth-and-goal from the 3.
The only misfire was a stuffed toss to running back Jahmyr Gibbs on fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line at the end of the third quarter. It was a bridge too far, even considering coach Dan Campbell’s long-established bend toward aggression. The Packers turned the stop into seven points, which was the opposite of complementary, putting the defense in an unnecessary predicament after the unit had stepped up and procured a three-and-out the previous possession.
But this is who the Lions are, never afraid to push the pedal to the metal. In 2021, the Lions set the franchise record for fourth down tries because they lacked talent and needed to steal possessions. They do it now because they can.
Whether it’s going for it on fourth down, sending a blitz while playing press-man coverage on third down, or going back to a receiver who dropped a pass the previous play the way the Lions did with Jameson Williams in the first half on Thursday, the coaching staff is constantly demonstrating its faith in the roster.
It’s why, when their backs are against the wall and the odds are stacked against them, the Lions' heart rate stays level. The players believe because they’re believed in.
So while you or I might question or criticize individual decisions in a vacuum, and we might be temporarily proven right when those decisions fail, they’ve accumulated into a hardened mentality that’s fueling this franchise. And who are we to argue with that?
A perfect match
It’s easy to take Tim Patrick’s season for granted because he wasn’t here while traversing his lowest points.
Highly productive in his third and fourth seasons, Patrick’s career was derailed by back-to-back season-ending injuries. In 2022 he tore his ACL and the following offseason he ruptured his Achilles.
Now on the wrong side of 30, those blows could have easily been career-ending. Yet he battled back, showing some promising flashes of his former ability during this preseason before his former employer, the Denver Broncos, opted to go in a different, younger direction.
Denver’s approach wasn’t wrong, just a harsh reality of the business. Regardless, the end of that relationship has spawned a new, beautiful one with Detroit, where Patrick has experienced redemption rooted in grit and determination that meshes perfectly with the city and franchise he now represents.
When Patrick first arrived in late August, days before the start of the season, I asked him about a touchdown catch he had in the preseason, and how meaningful the score had been even if the game didn’t count.
“My vision isn't just I'm going to come back and score a touchdown and I'm back,” he said. “I've got real goals set. That was just another stepping stone to get to where I need to be.”
Patrick didn’t share those goals, but it’s hard to imagine he’s not fulfilling many of the expectations he had for himself. After missing two years of football, he’s been a key cog for the Lions, appearing in 12 games, starting six and closing in on 500 offensive snaps.
Teammates and coaches have raved about his fit, from his playing style to his selflessness — he’s equally enthusiastic to throw a block for a teammate as he is to catch a pass. That mentality made Thursday’s crescendo of his late-career revival all the more special.
For the first time in more than 1,000 days, Patrick found the end zone in a game that counted. And then he did it again.
No one in the organization openly stated the importance of getting Patrick into the end zone but they’ve clearly been looking his way more and more in recent weeks when in the red zone.
Patrick was an unexpected answer to a prayer when a No. 3 receiver failed to emerge for the Lions this offseason. On Thursday, he led a parade of unsung heroes, which included offensive tackle Dan Skipper, stepping in for injured starting left tackle Taylor Decker and allowing just one quarterback pressure. Or linebacker Ezekiel Turner, one of those late additions to the defense, who stopped a Jordan Love scramble in the open field to limit the Packers to a tying field goal instead of a go-ahead score in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
In a team filled with superstar talent, it never ceases to amaze how often the background actors end up in featured roles.
Justin Rogers | DFN
Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Defying odds and expectations
After the Lions had regained the lead for the second time in the second half, midway through the fourth quarter, the defense came onto the field with the task of holding it.
The unit took the field with five defenders along the line of scrimmage — safety/linebacker Jamal Adams, defensive lineman Myles Adams, defensive tackle Pat O’Connor, defensive lineman Jonah Williams and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Of that collective, only O’Connor has been here since the summer, but not even he made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp.
Football doesn’t stick to a script. Injuries are part of life in the NFL, and you need to plug in new pieces and keep moving. But this was a car with a rebuilt engine, being test-driven for the first time. Hell, Adams, Adams and Williams hadn’t even been in Detroit a week.
In all, defenders not on the Week 1 roster combined to play 233 snaps or 42.3% of the team’s total workload on the evening. More than a quarter of the snaps went to players who weren’t in the building at the start of October, and 12.5% to guys who were somewhere other than Detroit the previous week.
The influx of fresh-faced personnel was why faith in a team that had won its 10 previous games wavered among the fan base. Sure, the Lions had previously managed to overcome injuries to starters Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Marcus Davenport in recent weeks, but this was a different monster. Plus, the Packers were coming to town red hot, having hung 68 points on their previous two opponents.
And, to Green Bay’s credit, they did manage to score at least 30 for the third straight game, but it wasn’t the same. They did it with fewer than 300 yards of total offense. They did it without topping 100 rushing yards for the first time in six games. They did it with a passing game that faced far more pressure than could have been reasonably expected from Detroit's patchwork crew.
We’ve seen games littered with replacement players before, probably more than we'd like to remember, but this wasn't another one of those times. This isn't another team limping across the finish line just trying to go home for the offseason.
No, this is a Super Bowl contender that refuses to lower its standard even if there wasn’t enough time to fully explain that standard to a handful of the guys being asked to uphold it.
Experience is a great teacher, success is a great motivator, and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is both. The job he’s done this season has transitioned from remarkable to unbelievable.
It genuinely cannot be believed.
No one would have accepted knowing the Lions had suffered this many injuries, had to play this many castaways, and were still thriving. That the franchise would have a new record winning streak and that the team had clinched a playoff berth three weeks before Christmas.
Manifestation of belief
Complementary football is a theme with all great seasons.
There have been weeks where it's been Detroit's offense, defense or special teams that have carried the team to victory.
Ahead of Thursday, the messaging in the building was it was the offense’s turn. For all the faith the team put into Glenn’s ability to maximize the talent he was afforded, it was on quarterback Jared Goff and company to alleviate some of the pressure.
And that partially manifested in the team’s fourth-down strategy.
The Lions went for it on fourth five times, converting four of them, including one to run the remaining time off the clock ahead of Jake Bates’ game-winning kick.
Individually, each of the decisions was debatable. The first, before the half, came from the 3-yard line when a field goal would have given the Lions a six-point lead at the break. Instead, they found the end zone and those four points were the difference.
They also went for it twice on another touchdown drive, including a fourth-and-1 at midfield and another fourth-and-goal from the 3.
The only misfire was a stuffed toss to running back Jahmyr Gibbs on fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line at the end of the third quarter. It was a bridge too far, even considering coach Dan Campbell’s long-established bend toward aggression. The Packers turned the stop into seven points, which was the opposite of complementary, putting the defense in an unnecessary predicament after the unit had stepped up and procured a three-and-out the previous possession.
But this is who the Lions are, never afraid to push the pedal to the metal. In 2021, the Lions set the franchise record for fourth down tries because they lacked talent and needed to steal possessions. They do it now because they can.
Whether it’s going for it on fourth down, sending a blitz while playing press-man coverage on third down, or going back to a receiver who dropped a pass the previous play the way the Lions did with Jameson Williams in the first half on Thursday, the coaching staff is constantly demonstrating its faith in the roster.
It’s why, when their backs are against the wall and the odds are stacked against them, the Lions' heart rate stays level. The players believe because they’re believed in.
So while you or I might question or criticize individual decisions in a vacuum, and we might be temporarily proven right when those decisions fail, they’ve accumulated into a hardened mentality that’s fueling this franchise. And who are we to argue with that?
A perfect match
It’s easy to take Tim Patrick’s season for granted because he wasn’t here while traversing his lowest points.
Highly productive in his third and fourth seasons, Patrick’s career was derailed by back-to-back season-ending injuries. In 2022 he tore his ACL and the following offseason he ruptured his Achilles.
Now on the wrong side of 30, those blows could have easily been career-ending. Yet he battled back, showing some promising flashes of his former ability during this preseason before his former employer, the Denver Broncos, opted to go in a different, younger direction.
Denver’s approach wasn’t wrong, just a harsh reality of the business. Regardless, the end of that relationship has spawned a new, beautiful one with Detroit, where Patrick has experienced redemption rooted in grit and determination that meshes perfectly with the city and franchise he now represents.
When Patrick first arrived in late August, days before the start of the season, I asked him about a touchdown catch he had in the preseason, and how meaningful the score had been even if the game didn’t count.
“My vision isn't just I'm going to come back and score a touchdown and I'm back,” he said. “I've got real goals set. That was just another stepping stone to get to where I need to be.”
Patrick didn’t share those goals, but it’s hard to imagine he’s not fulfilling many of the expectations he had for himself. After missing two years of football, he’s been a key cog for the Lions, appearing in 12 games, starting six and closing in on 500 offensive snaps.
Teammates and coaches have raved about his fit, from his playing style to his selflessness — he’s equally enthusiastic to throw a block for a teammate as he is to catch a pass. That mentality made Thursday’s crescendo of his late-career revival all the more special.
For the first time in more than 1,000 days, Patrick found the end zone in a game that counted. And then he did it again.
No one in the organization openly stated the importance of getting Patrick into the end zone but they’ve clearly been looking his way more and more in recent weeks when in the red zone.
Patrick was an unexpected answer to a prayer when a No. 3 receiver failed to emerge for the Lions this offseason. On Thursday, he led a parade of unsung heroes, which included offensive tackle Dan Skipper, stepping in for injured starting left tackle Taylor Decker and allowing just one quarterback pressure. Or linebacker Ezekiel Turner, one of those late additions to the defense, who stopped a Jordan Love scramble in the open field to limit the Packers to a tying field goal instead of a go-ahead score in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
In a team filled with superstar talent, it never ceases to amaze how often the background actors end up in featured roles.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I realized that, in the grand scheme of things, the Bills game may not matter. That's because both Philly and Minnesota both have two in-conference losses, so if Detroit's second loss is out-of-conference, they would still hold tiebreakers.
Obviously, Detroit is going to go in with a mindset of winning every game, but it's really starting to look like they will need to beat the Vikes in Week 18 to clinch the division/No. 1 seed.
Only thing I'm not sure about: in a scenario where all three teams win out until Week 18, and then the Vikings win, Detroit would still hold a tiebreaker over them based on common opponents (specifically, Detroit beat the Rams and Vikings lost to them). But I'm not sure who would win a tiebreaker between Detroit and Philly, since they both lost to the Bucs.
Anyway, probably not worth obsessing over for now. Lot of games to still be played. Just keep on winning and everything will take care of itself
Obviously, Detroit is going to go in with a mindset of winning every game, but it's really starting to look like they will need to beat the Vikes in Week 18 to clinch the division/No. 1 seed.
Only thing I'm not sure about: in a scenario where all three teams win out until Week 18, and then the Vikings win, Detroit would still hold a tiebreaker over them based on common opponents (specifically, Detroit beat the Rams and Vikings lost to them). But I'm not sure who would win a tiebreaker between Detroit and Philly, since they both lost to the Bucs.
Anyway, probably not worth obsessing over for now. Lot of games to still be played. Just keep on winning and everything will take care of itself
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Now 12-1. Considering how many starters were out an amazing job so far. Also kudos to Brad Holmes and his staff for finding last minute replacements parts.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Jack Campbell recorded an 85.4 PFF Defensive Grade in Week 14 against the Packers. Highest individual game grade of his career (Prev: Week 7 @ DAL - 79.2).
He recorded one QB hurry, three defensive stops, and no catches allowed.
He’s PFF’s 9th best LB with a 79.3 Season Grade.
He recorded one QB hurry, three defensive stops, and no catches allowed.
He’s PFF’s 9th best LB with a 79.3 Season Grade.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
When I see interviews with Campbell. That guy is no nonsense about everything. I can see him being very coachable and he has a mean streak.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Aaron Glenn is using the entire “roster” to push the Lions to new heights
All 22 Films breaks down the unsung heroes of the Week 14 win over the Packers.
Amazing job by AG & his defensive assistants getting the team ready with a squad of practice squad players who literally just joined the team.
All 22 Films breaks down the unsung heroes of the Week 14 win over the Packers.
Amazing job by AG & his defensive assistants getting the team ready with a squad of practice squad players who literally just joined the team.
Mt. Man
Footballguy
Playoff Machine says that Vikings would be eliminated first from common opponents, then Detroit would advance over the Eagles thanks to strength of victory. Lions are currently +183 to Philly's +102, but obviously it's not set in stone that Detroit would still have the edge after Week 18. Like you said, though, time to worry about that later, if necessary.
