ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I f###ing love this guy. I don’t know if any team could overcome the number of injuries the Lions have suffered, but if anyone can, it would be a team led by Dan Campbell
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
2025 Detroit Lions: 0-0 Getting ready for camp. (27 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Dan Campbell on 97.1
- Losing to Bills was "exactly what we needed"
- We have plenty of defensive players
- We are going to find a way to get it done
- Reynolds and Vaki are going to be involved in the run game going forward
- Dan Campbell’s message to the players being called upon with all of the injuries to the Detroit Lions:
“If you’re somebody that’s been dying to get an opportunity, you’re about to get it.”
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
Just curious from Detroit homers, do you think playing on a turf field is an exacerbating circumstance in some of the injuries that Detroit is having or just bad luck. I know the Eagles in the 80s and early 90s dealt with terrible turf at Veterans Stadium.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
The last time Detroit lost consecutive games was late October 2022 - Week 7 (@ DAL) and Week 8 (MIA). After the latter they fired the DBs coach and traded TJ Hockenson.
Since then, their record is 34-10 (.773), 32-9 in the regular season, 13-2 vs NFC North.
Since then, their record is 34-10 (.773), 32-9 in the regular season, 13-2 vs NFC North.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I’d be surprised if that was the issue. Today’s synthetic turf is miles better than the “thin layer of carpet on top of concrete” we had in the ‘80s
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
They had slit film, which they replaced after the 2022 season. They actually moved the scheduled replacement up a year because players felt slit film was contributing to injuries.
A lot of injuries were pretty flukey - Hutchinson and Dorsey got leg whipped by their own guys, Anzalone got his arm caught between a teammate & the guy they were trying to bring down.
IIRC McNeill and Montgomery were both non-contact. Those two are legendary workout warriors - can’t imagine two guys more prepared for the rigors of an NFL game.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone laying blame on the training staff, facilities, or how they practice. But none of us are in Allen Park, who knows?
Random unfortunate series of events seems like the simplest explanation.
ChiefD
Footballguy
I really hope you guys can get this sorted out on defense. The last thing I want to see is Philly in the Super Bowl. Or the Vikings for crissakes.
Chiefs ain't making it so I really want to see the Bills v Lions. Two long suffering fan bases and one of them would finally get one. I'm just sick for Detroit's fans this year. You have "the team" to finally win it all and the injury bug is just killing you. Something you absolutely cannot control. That's not fair.
Chiefs ain't making it so I really want to see the Bills v Lions. Two long suffering fan bases and one of them would finally get one. I'm just sick for Detroit's fans this year. You have "the team" to finally win it all and the injury bug is just killing you. Something you absolutely cannot control. That's not fair.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
The good news is that we are accustomed to suffering as a fan base. We are a calloused bunch. If we do somehow overcome the hand we have been dealt it would make the journey all that more sweeter. Even with the injuries I think we have a 50/50 shot against anyone in the NFC, unless it is Philly at their place.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Meh, life’s not fair.
Marlo in The Wire understood. You want it to be one way, but it’s the other way.
Life is never about what happens to you. It’s always about how you respond to what happens to you.
Tragedy? Think you misspelled opportunity.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
TartanLion
Footballguy
Amen. Despite the annoyance/disappointment over the injuries, I definitely feel more comfortable in this territory with expectations tempered somewhat. It’s been a weird place to be these last 14 odd weeks, with the entire nation routinely discussing us as shoe ins to get to the Super Bowl and as the best team in the league. Bizzaro world that made me feel a bit uncomfortable to be honest.
As to the pitch who knows ? I’ve stood on that pitch ( in 2012 ) and I’ve also had to prematurely retire from a sport that was predominantly played on Astro turf mainly due to the wear and tear on the knee joints. I can’t speak to what it’s like now, but synthetic pitches definitely have less give in them which can wear down cartilage quicker. Thats more degenerative, but also quick turning and changing of direction on older surfaces anyway would have an increase of studs sticking or being caught and increase the chances of ligament damage. Again, can’t speak to the new surface.
Think I’ve said on here a few times, I kind of wish the Lions had long been an outdoor team and taken any advantage there is of having a hostile freezing cold venue that teams hate to travel to.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Campbell on the onside kick with 12 minutes left:
“Hindsight…probably should have tried it again with 8 minutes left.”
I love our coach.
“Hindsight…probably should have tried it again with 8 minutes left.”
I love our coach.
Campbell on the onside kick with 12 minutes left:
“Hindsight…probably should have tried it again with 8 minutes left.”
I love our coach.
But you can tell those kicks were not tried on a whim. Both Kicks by Bates were excellent. On the first kick, the Bills player had the height and athletic ability to jump up and tip and control the ball. He made a fantastic play, otherwise the ball would have landed in the arms of a Lion. On the second kick was straight a a Bills player who could not handle the ball and the ball moved around and could have been recovered by the Lions. Detroit works on those plays and puts a lot of attention to every detail, which gives them a much better chance of success vs. the average team....so yeah, it may seem crazy but the execution was top notch.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Probable playoff defense:
DE Paschal
DT Reader
DT Martin
DE Smith
+ AQ Muhammad, Patrick O’Conner, Levi Onwuzurike
LB Campbell
LB Anzalone
+ Nowaske, Reeves-Maybin
NCB Robertson
CB Arnold
CB Moseley/Rakestraw/Vildor
S Branch
S Joseph
+ Melifonwu
DE Paschal
DT Reader
DT Martin
DE Smith
+ AQ Muhammad, Patrick O’Conner, Levi Onwuzurike
LB Campbell
LB Anzalone
+ Nowaske, Reeves-Maybin
NCB Robertson
CB Arnold
CB Moseley/Rakestraw/Vildor
S Branch
S Joseph
+ Melifonwu
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions Film Review: Before the tape gets incinerated, let’s talk about what hapoened to the defense
Allen Park — A common saying in football is the film is never as good/bad as you thought, but the Detroit Lions defense challenged that notion with their performance in a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
In some ways, a deep-dive review revealed things to be even worse than the live viewing.
“That team played really well, but we couldn’t get out of our own way, either,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Just had a number of errors that had been uncharacteristic, and that tape speaks for itself. We’re going to learn from it, then we’re going to burn it, and then we’re moving on because that’s what we do.”
Obviously, no one is literally setting physical media ablaze. But before this one is mentally incinerated, we should review it to determine what in the hell happened. How were the Bills able to come to town and impose their will on a defense that had been playing reasonably well for months, despite an abundance of injuries.
You've been warned: This won't be pretty.
Running at will
Because the first priority of any defensive game plan is stopping the run, let’s start there. Detroit gave up a season-high 197 yards on the ground. Buffalo averaged 5.8 yards per carry, scored four times, and had nearly a 70% success rate when factoring in quarterback Josh Allen’s scrambles.
From the team’s opening offensive snap, the Bills revealed their preferred stylistic approach, spreading the defensive formation by not attacking a tight end to the offensive line, allowing their five linemen to operate against a light, six-man box, and utilizing pulling blockers, typically their tackles, to lead the back.
Watch how the right tackle overwhelms Josh Paschal (93) with a pulling block, giving running back James Cook the edge for a productive, 5-yard pickup on first down. The only thing preventing it from being a bigger gain is linebacker Kwon Alexander (10) quickly shedding the second-level block of left tackle Dion Dawkins (73) to make the stop.
The success with these designs culminated in the third quarter, when the 227-pound Alexander was overwhelmed at the point of attack by the pulling right tackle, creating the initial lane on the shotgun handoff to Cook. And in the second level, left guard David Edwards (76) was able to climb and block up middle linebacker Jack Campbell (46).
A hard cut behind Edwards’ block took away safety Kerby Joseph’s (31) angle, and it was off to the races for the Buffalo back.
Another area where the Bills had success was with designed runs for Allen, also behind pulling blockers. We got our first taste of this during the team’s second offensive possession. On the first, Campbell effectively shed a second-level block and drop Allen after 4 yards on a first-down run. But on the second, the QB scored, waltzing into the end zone untouched.
The design calls for Allen to read the frontside end (Paschal) before keeping it, going the opposite direction behind the pulling left tackle. Highlighting some of the communication woes that would plague the Lions throughout the contest, the puller wasn’t needed as linebackers Ezekiel Turner and Ben Niemann both followed the fullback into the right flat, leaving a gaping hole for Allen to skip across the goal line.
The Bills went back to the design for their next touchdown, but this time the frontside defensive end, Al-Quadin Muhammad, collapsed on Allen and the quarterback handed it off to Cook for the equally easy 6-yard score.
Fittingly, Allen had two key runs on Buffalo’s final offensive possession before taking a knee to end the game.
The first was another zone-read where he took advantage of a collapsing end (Paschal) to gain 21 yard around the left edge.
Then, on third-and-5 in the red zone, Allen took a shotgun handoff and sprinted around the right side with wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) somehow managing to block both Campbell and cornerback Kindle Vildor.
Coverage issues
Of course, Buffalo didn’t just move the ball on the ground effectively and efficiently. Allen also carved the Lions up through the air, completing 23-of-34 for 362 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s a very gross 15.7 yards per reception.
Of note, more than 43% of the passing production went to his running backs, mostly former Lion Ty Johnson, who caught five balls for a career-high 114 yards.
We’ll open the section there because Allen’s first attempt was a 33-yard completion to Johnson. It was second-and-five, and the Bills identified Detroit’s man coverage with pre-snap motion.
After faking an end-around handoff, Allen’s first read was Johnson, who lined up offset right in the shotgun formation and shot through a gap on a vertical route angled toward the left sideline. The coverage was good. Alexander recognized the route immediately, flipped his hips and ran stride-for-stride with the back, but the throw was perfect and indefensible.
Later in the series, Allen found Johnson again, this time for 26 yards on a scramble drill, highlighting the quarterback’s ability to do unscripted damage by extending plays with his feet.
Running against a Tampa-2 zone, a look that has a deeper-dropping middle-field defender between the split safeties, Allen didn’t like his early reads. As his pocket collapsed, he rolled to his right, buying time while trying to direct traffic.
When nothing initially came open, most QBs would throw it away, but Allen came back toward the middle of the field as Johnson broke free. At this point, Detroit’s zone had broken down as defenders matched receiving options. Based on field positioning, it appears cornerback Terrion Arnold (neon green shoes) should have stayed with Johnson, but he got caught looking at Allen as the back leaked deep into space.
Allen successfully found another running back, this time Cook, on a broken play to open the team’s second possession. With his pocket collapsing, the quarterback sprinted to his left.
Fearing a scramble, Niemann vacated his zone to pursue Allen.
Cook, who initially floated into the left flat as a check-down option, broke vertically as the pocket collapsed and then into the space formerly occupied by the linebacker, taking the throw on the move and rumbling for a gain of 28.
After giving up touchdowns with little resistance on Buffalo’s first two possessions, Detroit was in position to get a stop after forcing the visitors into fourth-and-2 near midfield, only for Allen to deliver another dagger to Johnson.
This time, a schematic decision deserves the blame for the execution. The Bills lined up with three receiving options to Allen’s right and the Lions countered by pressing up on all three at the line.
That poor spacing allowed Johnson, the inside man of the trio, to pick up a legal pick on the defender in coverage, Turner, before turning upfield on a wheel route down the right sideline for a 31-yard gain.
Johnson added one more explosive gain in the third quarter. On this one, Campbell got out of position in man coverage while trying to recover after initially helping reroute the tight end (bottom of the screen).
Johnson, who was initially knocked off balance providing a chip block, got vertical down the middle of the field and ran by Campbell for the 19-yard pickup after Allen was flushed from the pocket.
Communication and spacing plagued the Lions throughout the contest and were only magnified as Allen left the pocket. On the Bills’ final touchdown, after Hollins returned an onside kick down to the 5-yard line, Turner was again picked, this time by his own man, resulting in running back Ray Davis running free.
By the fourth quarter, the quarterback’s mobility was in Detroit’s heads enough that they left targets uncovered. A prime example was tight end Dalton Knox running free on a delayed release after Allen faked a handoff.
Concluding thoughts
● There were bright spots hidden in the trash heap. Unfortunately, two of them were Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III. Both were impactful before exiting with long-term injury concerns.
Additionally, nickel cornerback Amik Robertson was sticky (only allowed one completion), Vildor stepped in for Davis and handled his assignments well, David Long Jr. was easily Detroit’s best run-defending linebacker, and Josh Paschal had some promising rushes, particularly on stunts.
Long is interesting because he's extremely aggressive with his key reads, and in some of his earlier appearances, he overpursued, exposing his gap. In this one, he appeared to strike a balance with assignment and aggression, leading to multiple stops in the second half. There is still some workload fluidity between him and Alexander, who has better instincts and range, but not the size.
● With so many newcomers and moving parts, Detroit’s chemistry was exposed by the Bills through pre-snap coverage switches, rub routes, and, most obviously, during broken plays.
Scramble drills are tough enough for NFL defenders, but magnified by the lack of chemistry. The pass rush’s inability to keep Allen hemmed in the pocket was a huge issue.m
● Going forward, the biggest concern is the run defense. It feels like the Bills established something of a blueprint with how they spaced the Lions out and leaned heavily on pulling linemen to overwhlem Detroit's edge defenders. Of course, not every opponent has a QB that needs to be accounted for as a run threat, so it’s entirely possible what worked for them won’t work nearly as well for others.
The loss of McNeill will obviously be felt, but Davis' absence shouldn't be ignored. The veteran cornerback is outstanding in run support.
Allen Park — A common saying in football is the film is never as good/bad as you thought, but the Detroit Lions defense challenged that notion with their performance in a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
In some ways, a deep-dive review revealed things to be even worse than the live viewing.
“That team played really well, but we couldn’t get out of our own way, either,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Just had a number of errors that had been uncharacteristic, and that tape speaks for itself. We’re going to learn from it, then we’re going to burn it, and then we’re moving on because that’s what we do.”
Obviously, no one is literally setting physical media ablaze. But before this one is mentally incinerated, we should review it to determine what in the hell happened. How were the Bills able to come to town and impose their will on a defense that had been playing reasonably well for months, despite an abundance of injuries.
You've been warned: This won't be pretty.
Running at will
Because the first priority of any defensive game plan is stopping the run, let’s start there. Detroit gave up a season-high 197 yards on the ground. Buffalo averaged 5.8 yards per carry, scored four times, and had nearly a 70% success rate when factoring in quarterback Josh Allen’s scrambles.
From the team’s opening offensive snap, the Bills revealed their preferred stylistic approach, spreading the defensive formation by not attacking a tight end to the offensive line, allowing their five linemen to operate against a light, six-man box, and utilizing pulling blockers, typically their tackles, to lead the back.
Watch how the right tackle overwhelms Josh Paschal (93) with a pulling block, giving running back James Cook the edge for a productive, 5-yard pickup on first down. The only thing preventing it from being a bigger gain is linebacker Kwon Alexander (10) quickly shedding the second-level block of left tackle Dion Dawkins (73) to make the stop.
The success with these designs culminated in the third quarter, when the 227-pound Alexander was overwhelmed at the point of attack by the pulling right tackle, creating the initial lane on the shotgun handoff to Cook. And in the second level, left guard David Edwards (76) was able to climb and block up middle linebacker Jack Campbell (46).
A hard cut behind Edwards’ block took away safety Kerby Joseph’s (31) angle, and it was off to the races for the Buffalo back.
Another area where the Bills had success was with designed runs for Allen, also behind pulling blockers. We got our first taste of this during the team’s second offensive possession. On the first, Campbell effectively shed a second-level block and drop Allen after 4 yards on a first-down run. But on the second, the QB scored, waltzing into the end zone untouched.
The design calls for Allen to read the frontside end (Paschal) before keeping it, going the opposite direction behind the pulling left tackle. Highlighting some of the communication woes that would plague the Lions throughout the contest, the puller wasn’t needed as linebackers Ezekiel Turner and Ben Niemann both followed the fullback into the right flat, leaving a gaping hole for Allen to skip across the goal line.
The Bills went back to the design for their next touchdown, but this time the frontside defensive end, Al-Quadin Muhammad, collapsed on Allen and the quarterback handed it off to Cook for the equally easy 6-yard score.
Fittingly, Allen had two key runs on Buffalo’s final offensive possession before taking a knee to end the game.
The first was another zone-read where he took advantage of a collapsing end (Paschal) to gain 21 yard around the left edge.
Then, on third-and-5 in the red zone, Allen took a shotgun handoff and sprinted around the right side with wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) somehow managing to block both Campbell and cornerback Kindle Vildor.
Coverage issues
Of course, Buffalo didn’t just move the ball on the ground effectively and efficiently. Allen also carved the Lions up through the air, completing 23-of-34 for 362 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s a very gross 15.7 yards per reception.
Of note, more than 43% of the passing production went to his running backs, mostly former Lion Ty Johnson, who caught five balls for a career-high 114 yards.
We’ll open the section there because Allen’s first attempt was a 33-yard completion to Johnson. It was second-and-five, and the Bills identified Detroit’s man coverage with pre-snap motion.
After faking an end-around handoff, Allen’s first read was Johnson, who lined up offset right in the shotgun formation and shot through a gap on a vertical route angled toward the left sideline. The coverage was good. Alexander recognized the route immediately, flipped his hips and ran stride-for-stride with the back, but the throw was perfect and indefensible.
Later in the series, Allen found Johnson again, this time for 26 yards on a scramble drill, highlighting the quarterback’s ability to do unscripted damage by extending plays with his feet.
Running against a Tampa-2 zone, a look that has a deeper-dropping middle-field defender between the split safeties, Allen didn’t like his early reads. As his pocket collapsed, he rolled to his right, buying time while trying to direct traffic.
When nothing initially came open, most QBs would throw it away, but Allen came back toward the middle of the field as Johnson broke free. At this point, Detroit’s zone had broken down as defenders matched receiving options. Based on field positioning, it appears cornerback Terrion Arnold (neon green shoes) should have stayed with Johnson, but he got caught looking at Allen as the back leaked deep into space.
Allen successfully found another running back, this time Cook, on a broken play to open the team’s second possession. With his pocket collapsing, the quarterback sprinted to his left.
Fearing a scramble, Niemann vacated his zone to pursue Allen.
Cook, who initially floated into the left flat as a check-down option, broke vertically as the pocket collapsed and then into the space formerly occupied by the linebacker, taking the throw on the move and rumbling for a gain of 28.
After giving up touchdowns with little resistance on Buffalo’s first two possessions, Detroit was in position to get a stop after forcing the visitors into fourth-and-2 near midfield, only for Allen to deliver another dagger to Johnson.
This time, a schematic decision deserves the blame for the execution. The Bills lined up with three receiving options to Allen’s right and the Lions countered by pressing up on all three at the line.
That poor spacing allowed Johnson, the inside man of the trio, to pick up a legal pick on the defender in coverage, Turner, before turning upfield on a wheel route down the right sideline for a 31-yard gain.
Johnson added one more explosive gain in the third quarter. On this one, Campbell got out of position in man coverage while trying to recover after initially helping reroute the tight end (bottom of the screen).
Johnson, who was initially knocked off balance providing a chip block, got vertical down the middle of the field and ran by Campbell for the 19-yard pickup after Allen was flushed from the pocket.
Communication and spacing plagued the Lions throughout the contest and were only magnified as Allen left the pocket. On the Bills’ final touchdown, after Hollins returned an onside kick down to the 5-yard line, Turner was again picked, this time by his own man, resulting in running back Ray Davis running free.
By the fourth quarter, the quarterback’s mobility was in Detroit’s heads enough that they left targets uncovered. A prime example was tight end Dalton Knox running free on a delayed release after Allen faked a handoff.
Concluding thoughts
● There were bright spots hidden in the trash heap. Unfortunately, two of them were Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III. Both were impactful before exiting with long-term injury concerns.
Additionally, nickel cornerback Amik Robertson was sticky (only allowed one completion), Vildor stepped in for Davis and handled his assignments well, David Long Jr. was easily Detroit’s best run-defending linebacker, and Josh Paschal had some promising rushes, particularly on stunts.
Long is interesting because he's extremely aggressive with his key reads, and in some of his earlier appearances, he overpursued, exposing his gap. In this one, he appeared to strike a balance with assignment and aggression, leading to multiple stops in the second half. There is still some workload fluidity between him and Alexander, who has better instincts and range, but not the size.
● With so many newcomers and moving parts, Detroit’s chemistry was exposed by the Bills through pre-snap coverage switches, rub routes, and, most obviously, during broken plays.
Scramble drills are tough enough for NFL defenders, but magnified by the lack of chemistry. The pass rush’s inability to keep Allen hemmed in the pocket was a huge issue.m
● Going forward, the biggest concern is the run defense. It feels like the Bills established something of a blueprint with how they spaced the Lions out and leaned heavily on pulling linemen to overwhlem Detroit's edge defenders. Of course, not every opponent has a QB that needs to be accounted for as a run threat, so it’s entirely possible what worked for them won’t work nearly as well for others.
The loss of McNeill will obviously be felt, but Davis' absence shouldn't be ignored. The veteran cornerback is outstanding in run support.
Mt. Man
Footballguy
There's enough ACL/MCL (McNeill, Cominsky, Barnes, Rodrigo, Monty) related injuries that the question has some merit. Though I've got to be with Bobby here.
Pectoral (Peko), triceps (Davenport), broken arm (AA), fractured jaw (CD3), finger (Iffy), shoulder (Reeves-Maybin, DE Lynn, OL Muti). I don't know what force to chalk those up to other than bad luck.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions roster moves today:
Placed CB Carlton Davis, CB Khalil Dorsey and DL Alim McNeill on Reserved/Injured.
Signed LB Anthony Pittman to the Active Roster (from JAX Practice Squad).
Released DE Isaiah Thomas from the Practice Squad.
Signed CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver to the Practice Squad.
Kept Montgomery off IR, for now. Not sure if that's interesting or a prayer. No impact between doing it now or Saturday.
Thomas-Oliver is a former seventh-round pick, played in 25 games across three seasons for the Panthers, mostly on special teams. Above-average athlete for the position.
Placed CB Carlton Davis, CB Khalil Dorsey and DL Alim McNeill on Reserved/Injured.
Signed LB Anthony Pittman to the Active Roster (from JAX Practice Squad).
Released DE Isaiah Thomas from the Practice Squad.
Signed CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver to the Practice Squad.
Kept Montgomery off IR, for now. Not sure if that's interesting or a prayer. No impact between doing it now or Saturday.
Thomas-Oliver is a former seventh-round pick, played in 25 games across three seasons for the Panthers, mostly on special teams. Above-average athlete for the position.
From Dave Birkett, Lions beat writer for the Detroit Free Press:
Here's your Lions IR starting defense:
DL: Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Kyle Peko, Marcus Davenport
LB: Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez
DB: Carlton Davis, Ennis Rakestraw, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Khalil Dorsey
And your current Lions starting defense:
DL: Za'Darius Smith, D.J. Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal
LB: Jack Campbell, David Long, Ezekiel Turner
DB: Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph
Which would you rather have?
Here's your Lions IR starting defense:
DL: Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Kyle Peko, Marcus Davenport
LB: Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez
DB: Carlton Davis, Ennis Rakestraw, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Khalil Dorsey
And your current Lions starting defense:
DL: Za'Darius Smith, D.J. Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal
LB: Jack Campbell, David Long, Ezekiel Turner
DB: Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph
Which would you rather have?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Dan Skipper wikipedia page
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dan Skipper
Dan Skipper (born September 20, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Skipper is currently the tallest active player in the NFL.[1]
No. 70 – Detroit Lions Personal information Career information Career history Career highlights and awards Career NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2024
Skipper with the Lions in 2022Position: Wide Receiver / receiver Born: September 20, 1994 (age 30)
Arvada, Colorado, U.S.Height: 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Weight: 330 lb (150 kg) High school: Ralston Valley (Arvada, Colorado) College: Arkansas (2013–2016) Undrafted: 2017
- Dallas Cowboys (2017)*
- Detroit Lions (2017–2018)
- Denver Broncos (2018)*
- New England Patriots (2018–2019)*
- Houston Texans (2019)
- Detroit Lions (2019–2020)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2021)*
- Detroit Lions (2021–2022)
- Indianapolis Colts (2023)*
- Detroit Lions (2023–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only Roster status: Active
- Super Bowl champion (LIII)
- First-team All-SEC (2016)
- Second-team All-SEC (2015)
- Freshman All-American (2014)
Games played: 53 Games started: 11 Stats at Pro Football Reference
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Both. Hutch and Dorsey broke their legs in freak collisions with other players. Anzelone broke his arm on a tackle. Carlton Davis broke his jaw on a tackle. Raymond broke his foot on a punt return when someone landed on it.
Monty, McNeil and Rodriguiz all tore their knees up at Ford Field.
There is no doubt turf makes the game faster and more dangerous. Cuts are sharper, feet get caught in turf.
I remember I went to a Detroit Piston game when they played at the Silverdome. They only used a portion of the dome. When we were leaving we walked to where the turf was pulled back to set up the court. It was basically the fake turf and a 1/4 of padding on top of the concrete floor. I know they have improved it since but it still does not give.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions have used 3 IR-returns (Martin, Moseley Melifonwu) thus 7 remaining
Returning soon:
Early playoffs at best:
JOHN COMINSKY, MCL surgery - Initial estimate projected a January return at best.
Not expected to return:
- Anzalone gets 1
- Hutch likely has 1 reserved
- Raymond expected BUT there is a chance he is sacrificed for a defensive player
Cominsky, Davis III, Melifonwu, Rakestraw, and Reeves-Maybin are the54 most likely defensive options. Pretty sure Ifeatu will open his second window this week, so that would be 4 used, 6 remaining.- Maybe Montgomery was strategically not put on IR is being carried on active roster so they don't run out of IR-return slots. He was out at his winter coat drive last night and told Dannie Rogers "I hope so" when asked if there was any chance he could return. Said "there's some logistics involved." They are seeking a
secondthird opinion, but it's a torn MCL, not a strain - will need to be surgically repaired. - Still 3 games left so more injuries can happen. Currently 21 players on IR - David would make it 22 - with 16 of those on the defense, more than twice as many as the next most for any one team.
Returning soon:
- ALEX ANZALONE, left forearm fracture - Expect his 21-day practice window to open next week with a possible return to play in week 18 (Vikings).
- ENNIS RAKESTRAW, hamstring - Eligible to return this week vs the Bears. Keep an eye on if his 21-day practice window opens this week. If it doesn't open, that implies he is at least three more weeks away.
- KALIF RAYMOND, left foot - Expected by the start of the playoffs. His 21-day practice window should open after this week's Bears game.
- IFEATU MELIFONWU, left finger - Same situation as Rakestraw. Eligible to return this week vs the Bears. Hope for his 21-day practice window to open this week. If it doesn't open, that implies he is at least three more weeks away.
Early playoffs at best:
- JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN, neck - He is eligible to return anytime but has not had his 21-day practice window opened yet. This implies he is at least 3 weeks away. At this point, his earliest projected return would be in the playoffs. Dan Campbell on December 9 corroborated a multi-week timeline stating he's "better... There's a chance we could get him in a few weeks." While there are no details about his neck injury, this update is reassuring that it isn't anything overly serious.
- DERRICK BARNES, right MCL/PCL surgery - Unlikely to be back.
- CARLTON DAVIS, jaw fracture - Initial estimated recovery of 6wks puts him at the NFC championship game.
- AIDAN HUTCHINSON, left tib/fib fracture - Expecting very limited action in the Super Bowl although Jay Glazer reported that the NFC championship game is a possibility. Currently nine weeks from injury, the bone should be close to healed at this point. Hutchinson has significant expected atrophy in his legs so it all depends on how quickly rehab goes.
Not expected to return:
- JOHN COMINSKY, MCL surgery - Initial estimate projected a January return at best. Dan Campbell said 12/18 he’s unlikely to make it back.
- MARCUS DAVENPORT, left elbow (also reports he could be back for late playoffs but given his history I'd think not)
- KHALIL DORSEY, right ankle/leg fracture
- ALIM MCNEILL, right ACL
- KYLE PEKO, left pec
- MALCOLM RODRIGUEZ, right ACL
- MEKHI WINGO, right knee
Last edited:
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
They showed a clip of Hutch walking at Ford Field. Still limping pretty bad. Hard to see him healing 100% and then getting into football game shape this season. Going to need much more time to get legs strong again for an NFL game.
Almost forgot that Iffy and Rakestraw were on the team. Contributed nothing this season. After watching Broderick Martin a couple weeks ago I don`t see him being with the team next season. For his size he got zero push..and got pushed around. Right now he is a waste of a roster spot.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Atrophy is the biggest issue for Aidan. That leg has noticeably shrunk.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Bootleg football says the average playoff team since they went to 17 games had 6.8 players on IR.
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
Oh yeah, I was on the old Veterans Stadium turf, it was carpeted concrete.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Combing through Lions’ lengthy injury list searching for a common thread
Allen Park — It’s no secret that the Detroit Lions are banged-up, having suffered more serious injuries, many season-ending, than any team in the league.
Detroit has done a remarkable job overcoming its growing list of players on the shelf, but after surrendering 48 points to the Buffalo Bills in what many viewed as a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday, some are wondering if the Lions have hit a breaking point that will prohibit them from seeing their championship aspirations through.
Fans have sought to tie the teeming injured list to a theme. Is the training staff to blame? Are the Lions practicing too hard? Is this the residual impact from a shorter offseason? Would there be this many injuries if they played on grass?
Each question is reasonable, but do any offer a realistic explanation? Can we draw any conclusions based on the types of injuries Lions players have experienced? Let’s go through them one by one and see where we land.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone: Forearm
The veteran linebacker, who has a lengthy history of shoulder issues, had played in 33 of 34 regular-season games the past two years. He suffered a broken forearm against Jacksonville on Nov. 17.
A case of friendly fire, this was a bad break for the defensive captain, no pun intended.
Pursuing running back Travis Etienne to the sideline, Anzalone's arm got caught between the ball carrier and teammate Brian Branch, who was similarly trying to drive Etienne out of bounds.
Defensive lineman David Bada: Achilles
Signed in late July as part of the International Pathway Program, the German-born defensive tackle (No. 61) took an awkward, twisting step adjusting to a handoff in the preseason opener, tearing his Achilles.
The matchup was played at MetLife Stadium, which has an artificial surface that was last replaced ahead of the 2023 season.
Kicker Michael Badgley: Hamstring
Detroit’s kicker for parts of the past two seasons, Badgley tore his hamstring while warming up ahead of a late July training camp practice.
The injury occurred outdoors where the Lions have natural grass fields.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes: Knee
Rushing the quarterback from an edge alignment in Detroit’s Week 3 matchup against Arizona, Barnes was cut blocked by motioning, 273-pound tight end Tip Reiman.
Taking a helmet directly to his right knee, the linebacker's leg buckled, causing him to tear the MCL and PCL.
The surface at State Farm Stadium is natural grass.
Defensive lineman John Cominsky: Knee
Cominsky suffered a torn MCL during a late July training camp practice while participating in full-team work. The injury occurred outdoors, on the team’s natural grass practice field.
Cornerback Carlton Davis: Jaw
In Detroit’s Dec. 15 matchup against Buffalo, Davis made a diving run stop on rookie running back Ray Davis, taking a knee to the face while making the tackle.
Davis reportedly suffered a broken jaw on the play, which will potentially sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Defensive end Marcus Davenport:
While trying to collapse the pocket against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, second-year offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. chopped Davenport’s arm trying to break the edge rusher’s grip.
A normal football move for an offensive lineman, Davenport’s suffered a torn tricep from the action, likely shelving him for the remainder of the year.
Cornerback Khalil Dorsey: Leg
In Detroit’s Dec. 15 game against Buffalo, Dorsey collided with teammate Ezekiel Turner, suffering a broken right leg that required same-day surgery.
Offensive tackle Connor Galvin: Knee
Suffering a classic injury for an offensive lineman, Galvin had an opposing player fall on the back of his legs while run blocking in the preseason opener against the New York Giants.
The unfortunate incident resulted in Galvin tearing the MCL in his left knee.
Wide receiver Antoine Green: Head/neck
In the preseason opener, Green suffered head and neck injuries while throwing a block on safety Gervarrius Owens. The second-year receiver bounced hard off the defender, with the back of his neck snapping across the leg of running back Sione Vaki on the way to the ground.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson: Leg
Rushing the passer in Detroit’s Week 6 game against Dallas, Hutchinson’s leg whipped across teammate Alim McNeill, breaking both the tibia and fibula in Hutchinson’s right leg.
The injury required same-day surgery. There’s hope the third-year defender could heal in time to return for the Super Bowl, if the Lions make the championship game.
Defensive end Nate Lynn: Shoulder
The undrafted rookie suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason opener against the New York Giants. It’s unclear the exact time in the game the injury occurred, but it derailed a productive debut for the William & Mary product, who had a sack and five QB pressures in 22 snaps.
Defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu: Ankle/finger
Melifonwu started and played 38 snaps in Detroit’s second preseason game against Kansas City before landing on the shelf. Listed as an ankle injury, the Detroit Free Press reported it was tied to a nagging issue with his Achilles tendon that bothered him earlier in training camp.
The Lions hoped for an early season return, but eventually conceded the recovery was taking longer than expected, placing the defensive back on injured reserve in late September. Then, when on the cusp of being activated, he suffered a finger injury in practice that required a second stint on injured reserve.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill: Knee
Rushing the quarterback during the Lions’ Dec. 15 game against the Bills, McNeill overran the pocket and tried to course-correct. While reversing directions, he left his feet and came down with his entire 315-pound weigh on his right leg.
Running back David Montgomery: Knee
Montgomery hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but coach Dan Campbell didn’t sound optimistic about the running back’s chances of playing again this season.
It’s unclear whether the MCL injury occurred on the Dec. 15 pass-blocking effort shown below, where Montgomery visibly came up limping after the play, or during a carry the previous snap.
Either way, Montgomery powered through, never officially exiting the contest.
Guard Netane Muti: Pectoral
Injured the same day as Cominksy, Muti overextended his arm while blocking and tore his pec in late July. He had surgery and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the season with a projection of being full strength in February.
Defensive tackle Kyle Peko: Pectoral
Similar to Muti, Peko overextended his arm and tore his pec while trying to make a run stop against Dallas in Week 6.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw: Hamstring
Rakestraw initially suffered a hamstring injury during pre-game warmups in Week 2. He suffered a second strain during a late-week practice in November and was placed on injured reserve the following day.
It’s not known whether the second hamstring injury was an aggravation of the same one injured earlier in the season. Regardless, even though he hasn’t returned to practice, Campbell acknowledged the rookie is getting close.
Wide receiver Kalif Raymond: Foot
Raymond landed hard when returning a punt against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 24. He was spun around while being tackled with both feet leaving the ground. When the left hit reconnected with the turf, it folded awkwardly.
The current expectation is Raymond should be back for the postseason.
Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin: Neck
There was no obvious moment where Reeves-Maybin (42) suffered a neck injury during the team’s Week 9 game against Green Bay. He participated in both defensive and special teams reps early in the fourth quarter before it was announced he was being evaluated for a shoulder injury. He was quickly cleared and returned to the contest, finishing the game.
The only thing that looked remotely unusual on film was a punt early in the fourth quarter where there was a subtle snapping of his helmet into an oncoming rusher while blocking.
Reeves-Maybin didn’t practice the following week and was added to injured reserve on Nov. 9. He hasn’t resumed practicing.
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez: Knee
Rodriguez (44) suffered a torn ACL while picking up the running back in coverage during the team’s Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears. The linebacker’s knee appeared to buckle under the stress of coming to a hard stop while trying to change direction and mirror the running back’s route.
Defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo: Knee
While there wasn’t a clear moment Wingo suffered his season-ending injury on Thanksgiving, he did come up limping the play after he was driven back by a double team on the third-quarter run captured below.
He briefly exited the game but ended up playing another dozen defensive and special teams snaps. The exact ligament that was damaged wasn’t announced, but Campbell did note Wingo required surgery.
Allen Park — It’s no secret that the Detroit Lions are banged-up, having suffered more serious injuries, many season-ending, than any team in the league.
Detroit has done a remarkable job overcoming its growing list of players on the shelf, but after surrendering 48 points to the Buffalo Bills in what many viewed as a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday, some are wondering if the Lions have hit a breaking point that will prohibit them from seeing their championship aspirations through.
Fans have sought to tie the teeming injured list to a theme. Is the training staff to blame? Are the Lions practicing too hard? Is this the residual impact from a shorter offseason? Would there be this many injuries if they played on grass?
Each question is reasonable, but do any offer a realistic explanation? Can we draw any conclusions based on the types of injuries Lions players have experienced? Let’s go through them one by one and see where we land.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone: Forearm
The veteran linebacker, who has a lengthy history of shoulder issues, had played in 33 of 34 regular-season games the past two years. He suffered a broken forearm against Jacksonville on Nov. 17.
A case of friendly fire, this was a bad break for the defensive captain, no pun intended.
Pursuing running back Travis Etienne to the sideline, Anzalone's arm got caught between the ball carrier and teammate Brian Branch, who was similarly trying to drive Etienne out of bounds.
Defensive lineman David Bada: Achilles
Signed in late July as part of the International Pathway Program, the German-born defensive tackle (No. 61) took an awkward, twisting step adjusting to a handoff in the preseason opener, tearing his Achilles.
The matchup was played at MetLife Stadium, which has an artificial surface that was last replaced ahead of the 2023 season.
Kicker Michael Badgley: Hamstring
Detroit’s kicker for parts of the past two seasons, Badgley tore his hamstring while warming up ahead of a late July training camp practice.
The injury occurred outdoors where the Lions have natural grass fields.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes: Knee
Rushing the quarterback from an edge alignment in Detroit’s Week 3 matchup against Arizona, Barnes was cut blocked by motioning, 273-pound tight end Tip Reiman.
Taking a helmet directly to his right knee, the linebacker's leg buckled, causing him to tear the MCL and PCL.
The surface at State Farm Stadium is natural grass.
Defensive lineman John Cominsky: Knee
Cominsky suffered a torn MCL during a late July training camp practice while participating in full-team work. The injury occurred outdoors, on the team’s natural grass practice field.
Cornerback Carlton Davis: Jaw
In Detroit’s Dec. 15 matchup against Buffalo, Davis made a diving run stop on rookie running back Ray Davis, taking a knee to the face while making the tackle.
Davis reportedly suffered a broken jaw on the play, which will potentially sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Defensive end Marcus Davenport:
While trying to collapse the pocket against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, second-year offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. chopped Davenport’s arm trying to break the edge rusher’s grip.
A normal football move for an offensive lineman, Davenport’s suffered a torn tricep from the action, likely shelving him for the remainder of the year.
Cornerback Khalil Dorsey: Leg
In Detroit’s Dec. 15 game against Buffalo, Dorsey collided with teammate Ezekiel Turner, suffering a broken right leg that required same-day surgery.
Offensive tackle Connor Galvin: Knee
Suffering a classic injury for an offensive lineman, Galvin had an opposing player fall on the back of his legs while run blocking in the preseason opener against the New York Giants.
The unfortunate incident resulted in Galvin tearing the MCL in his left knee.
Wide receiver Antoine Green: Head/neck
In the preseason opener, Green suffered head and neck injuries while throwing a block on safety Gervarrius Owens. The second-year receiver bounced hard off the defender, with the back of his neck snapping across the leg of running back Sione Vaki on the way to the ground.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson: Leg
Rushing the passer in Detroit’s Week 6 game against Dallas, Hutchinson’s leg whipped across teammate Alim McNeill, breaking both the tibia and fibula in Hutchinson’s right leg.
The injury required same-day surgery. There’s hope the third-year defender could heal in time to return for the Super Bowl, if the Lions make the championship game.
Defensive end Nate Lynn: Shoulder
The undrafted rookie suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason opener against the New York Giants. It’s unclear the exact time in the game the injury occurred, but it derailed a productive debut for the William & Mary product, who had a sack and five QB pressures in 22 snaps.
Defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu: Ankle/finger
Melifonwu started and played 38 snaps in Detroit’s second preseason game against Kansas City before landing on the shelf. Listed as an ankle injury, the Detroit Free Press reported it was tied to a nagging issue with his Achilles tendon that bothered him earlier in training camp.
The Lions hoped for an early season return, but eventually conceded the recovery was taking longer than expected, placing the defensive back on injured reserve in late September. Then, when on the cusp of being activated, he suffered a finger injury in practice that required a second stint on injured reserve.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill: Knee
Rushing the quarterback during the Lions’ Dec. 15 game against the Bills, McNeill overran the pocket and tried to course-correct. While reversing directions, he left his feet and came down with his entire 315-pound weigh on his right leg.
Running back David Montgomery: Knee
Montgomery hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but coach Dan Campbell didn’t sound optimistic about the running back’s chances of playing again this season.
It’s unclear whether the MCL injury occurred on the Dec. 15 pass-blocking effort shown below, where Montgomery visibly came up limping after the play, or during a carry the previous snap.
Either way, Montgomery powered through, never officially exiting the contest.
Guard Netane Muti: Pectoral
Injured the same day as Cominksy, Muti overextended his arm while blocking and tore his pec in late July. He had surgery and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the season with a projection of being full strength in February.
Defensive tackle Kyle Peko: Pectoral
Similar to Muti, Peko overextended his arm and tore his pec while trying to make a run stop against Dallas in Week 6.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw: Hamstring
Rakestraw initially suffered a hamstring injury during pre-game warmups in Week 2. He suffered a second strain during a late-week practice in November and was placed on injured reserve the following day.
It’s not known whether the second hamstring injury was an aggravation of the same one injured earlier in the season. Regardless, even though he hasn’t returned to practice, Campbell acknowledged the rookie is getting close.
Wide receiver Kalif Raymond: Foot
Raymond landed hard when returning a punt against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 24. He was spun around while being tackled with both feet leaving the ground. When the left hit reconnected with the turf, it folded awkwardly.
The current expectation is Raymond should be back for the postseason.
Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin: Neck
There was no obvious moment where Reeves-Maybin (42) suffered a neck injury during the team’s Week 9 game against Green Bay. He participated in both defensive and special teams reps early in the fourth quarter before it was announced he was being evaluated for a shoulder injury. He was quickly cleared and returned to the contest, finishing the game.
The only thing that looked remotely unusual on film was a punt early in the fourth quarter where there was a subtle snapping of his helmet into an oncoming rusher while blocking.
Reeves-Maybin didn’t practice the following week and was added to injured reserve on Nov. 9. He hasn’t resumed practicing.
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez: Knee
Rodriguez (44) suffered a torn ACL while picking up the running back in coverage during the team’s Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears. The linebacker’s knee appeared to buckle under the stress of coming to a hard stop while trying to change direction and mirror the running back’s route.
Defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo: Knee
While there wasn’t a clear moment Wingo suffered his season-ending injury on Thanksgiving, he did come up limping the play after he was driven back by a double team on the third-quarter run captured below.
He briefly exited the game but ended up playing another dozen defensive and special teams snaps. The exact ligament that was damaged wasn’t announced, but Campbell did note Wingo required surgery.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Concluding thoughts
Needless to say, that’s a lot.
Let’s sort through things a little bit:
There are 22 players on the list — 21 on injured reserve and Montgomery, who wasn’t officially added on Tuesday as initially expected.
Hopefully, we’ll get more clarity on his situation this week.
Of those, at least four are dealing with broken bones. It’s possible that Melifonwu and Raymond also fall into that category, but that’s unknown at this time. Regardless, unless there’s an epidemic of early-onset osteoarthritis in Detroit’s locker room, we can chalk these up to general misfortune.
We can probably file Green and Reeves-Maybin’s neck issues under “freak” coincidence, as well.
That still leaves the roster with plenty of traditional football injuries. But many of those are explained away by the video evidence. A helmet to the knee on a cut block? A full-force chop across a locked arm? A defender falling on the back of your leg? An overextended arm while making a tackle? Individually, there’s nothing unusual about any of those conditions in professional football.
Where there’s a little bit of a concern is in the number of knee injuries beyond Barnes and Galvin. The Lions have lost five others, Montgomery pending, to knee issues.
Two of those five, Rodriguez and McNeill are known to have suffered torn ACLs. In 2023, 52 NFL players lost their seasons to an ACL injury, an average of 1.6 per team. So the Lions are actually well within normal range.
The MCL, on the other hand, is the most frequently damaged knee ligament in football, according to a multi-year study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2017. They were found to occur at a rate four times ACL injuries, with most suffered by offensive and defensive linemen, which tracks with the injuries to Galvin and Cominsky.
The injury was found to be far less likely in running backs, according to the study, but heavy weight lifting, quick change of direction, and hits directly to the knee are all risk factors, so maybe not all that surprising Montgomery, a noted weight room warrior, was impacted.
In terms of muscle concerns, the Lions have had minimal issues. The torn pecs were caused by unnatural overextension in the trenches, while Rakestraw had some noted durability concerns coming into the league. That leaves Badgley as an uncharacteristic outlier.
Individually, it's increasingly difficult to peg Detroit's woes on a single factor. Any idea the team's training staff might be at fault almost seems silly a year after they were lauded for improving overall team health, earning rave reviews throughout the locker room. Specifically, Frank Ragnow and Levi Onwuzurike credited the staff, led by Brett Fischer and Mike Sundeen, for helping alleviate their chronic pain and play at a high level. Onwuzurike has played 501 defensive snaps through the first 14 games in 2024 after logging 528 combined through his first three seasons.
In the debate of turf vs. grass, the Lions have certainly suffered their share of issues on turf. And there's no running from the fact players prefer grass surfaces. But the reality is the team plays almost every game, home and away, on artificial surfaces. Yes, Ford Field’s surface could have been a factor in recent knee injuries for Montgomery, Wingo and Rodriguez, but that's difficult to say with any certainty.
More and more, this truly looks like bad luck.
That’s a tough pill to swallow because it's easier when there’s an obvious explanation or something to blame. But the simplest explanation is football is a physically demanding and violent game with countless collisions each week.
Needless to say, that’s a lot.
Let’s sort through things a little bit:
There are 22 players on the list — 21 on injured reserve and Montgomery, who wasn’t officially added on Tuesday as initially expected.
Hopefully, we’ll get more clarity on his situation this week.
Of those, at least four are dealing with broken bones. It’s possible that Melifonwu and Raymond also fall into that category, but that’s unknown at this time. Regardless, unless there’s an epidemic of early-onset osteoarthritis in Detroit’s locker room, we can chalk these up to general misfortune.
We can probably file Green and Reeves-Maybin’s neck issues under “freak” coincidence, as well.
That still leaves the roster with plenty of traditional football injuries. But many of those are explained away by the video evidence. A helmet to the knee on a cut block? A full-force chop across a locked arm? A defender falling on the back of your leg? An overextended arm while making a tackle? Individually, there’s nothing unusual about any of those conditions in professional football.
Where there’s a little bit of a concern is in the number of knee injuries beyond Barnes and Galvin. The Lions have lost five others, Montgomery pending, to knee issues.
Two of those five, Rodriguez and McNeill are known to have suffered torn ACLs. In 2023, 52 NFL players lost their seasons to an ACL injury, an average of 1.6 per team. So the Lions are actually well within normal range.
The MCL, on the other hand, is the most frequently damaged knee ligament in football, according to a multi-year study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2017. They were found to occur at a rate four times ACL injuries, with most suffered by offensive and defensive linemen, which tracks with the injuries to Galvin and Cominsky.
The injury was found to be far less likely in running backs, according to the study, but heavy weight lifting, quick change of direction, and hits directly to the knee are all risk factors, so maybe not all that surprising Montgomery, a noted weight room warrior, was impacted.
In terms of muscle concerns, the Lions have had minimal issues. The torn pecs were caused by unnatural overextension in the trenches, while Rakestraw had some noted durability concerns coming into the league. That leaves Badgley as an uncharacteristic outlier.
Individually, it's increasingly difficult to peg Detroit's woes on a single factor. Any idea the team's training staff might be at fault almost seems silly a year after they were lauded for improving overall team health, earning rave reviews throughout the locker room. Specifically, Frank Ragnow and Levi Onwuzurike credited the staff, led by Brett Fischer and Mike Sundeen, for helping alleviate their chronic pain and play at a high level. Onwuzurike has played 501 defensive snaps through the first 14 games in 2024 after logging 528 combined through his first three seasons.
In the debate of turf vs. grass, the Lions have certainly suffered their share of issues on turf. And there's no running from the fact players prefer grass surfaces. But the reality is the team plays almost every game, home and away, on artificial surfaces. Yes, Ford Field’s surface could have been a factor in recent knee injuries for Montgomery, Wingo and Rodriguez, but that's difficult to say with any certainty.
More and more, this truly looks like bad luck.
That’s a tough pill to swallow because it's easier when there’s an obvious explanation or something to blame. But the simplest explanation is football is a physically demanding and violent game with countless collisions each week.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Aidan Hutchinson: Unbroken
00:00 Intro & welcome Aidan
05:55 Best defensive player in the league… Meet Aidan!
08:00 The moment of the injury
12:50 What was going through your mind when you got injured?
16:24 I have a goal to get to
26:37 What has been your lowest point and how have you gotten out of that?
32:40 Where are you at mentally with what has happened?
37:00 How does it feel to watch the Lions play without you?
39:00 Where are you at in your recovery?
44:00 How do you balance what your best option is for your longevity?
45:19 Will you be back for the Super Bowl?
51:20 What has your family’s support meant to you during this time?
53:50 Is there one mantra or affirmation that sticks out to you?
05:55 Best defensive player in the league… Meet Aidan!
08:00 The moment of the injury
12:50 What was going through your mind when you got injured?
16:24 I have a goal to get to
26:37 What has been your lowest point and how have you gotten out of that?
32:40 Where are you at mentally with what has happened?
37:00 How does it feel to watch the Lions play without you?
39:00 Where are you at in your recovery?
44:00 How do you balance what your best option is for your longevity?
45:19 Will you be back for the Super Bowl?
51:20 What has your family’s support meant to you during this time?
53:50 Is there one mantra or affirmation that sticks out to you?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Campbell said he doesn't expect to run into IR limits. Also said it's unlikely Cominsky will be able to make it back.
As for Montgomery, he's getting a third opinion, just in case.
As for Montgomery, he's getting a third opinion, just in case.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Hutch has a documentary crew following him around. Said he already has the vision for the opening scene, running out of the tunnel in New Orleans.
“How I see it, I already know…the amount of people who are going to be inspired by that outweighs the pain I’m going through in rehab. There’s just no other way. That’s how it’s gotta be.”
To Kerby & the boys: “Hold it down, keep it going. I want some of that soon.”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
@PFF_Dolphins
·
5h
Calais Campbell among DI this season:
86.6 run defense grade (1st)
@flasportsbuzz
·
2h
Whether Calais Campbell will finish season here is fluid.
Will be here at least as long as in playoff contention.
If Fins eliminated, Dolphins releasing him to join contender still in play.
·
5h
Calais Campbell among DI this season:
86.6 run defense grade (1st)
@flasportsbuzz
·
2h
Whether Calais Campbell will finish season here is fluid.
Will be here at least as long as in playoff contention.
If Fins eliminated, Dolphins releasing him to join contender still in play.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Surprisingly, Assistant Head Coach/RBs coach Scottie Montgomery said today Jermar Jefferson is a player to watch in the absence of David Montgomery.
"He has a chance to step up and prove himself. Imagine waiting to be in a championship bout for three years.” Said he had the most explosive runs in the preseason. Scored twice versus the Steelers.
Still, given the emphasis on being able to contribute on Special Teams, I would think the hierarchy would be:
"He has a chance to step up and prove himself. Imagine waiting to be in a championship bout for three years.” Said he had the most explosive runs in the preseason. Scored twice versus the Steelers.
Still, given the emphasis on being able to contribute on Special Teams, I would think the hierarchy would be:
- Jah
- Netflix
- Vaki
- JJ
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Three-year drought to end?
When replacing David Montgomery, whether short- or long-term, I asked Scottie Montgomery what the team expects to get out of Craig Reynolds and rookie Sione Vaki. And while the coach came back to those players in his answer, it was noteworthy that the first guy he mentioned was former seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson.
“Jermar, tremendous short-area quickness, good vision in the run game,” Scottie Montgomery said. “Did a tremendous job in camp of creating a lot of explosive (plays). He actually might have had the most explosive in camp in real running settings. He did a really good job for us.”
Jefferson, a seventh-round pick in 2021, hasn’t appeared in a regular season game in three years. I asked Scottie Montgomery what it takes for a player to stay mentally and physically engaged with that type of drought between opportunities.
“Imagine being in the championship rounds of a boxing match for three years,” Montgomery said. “That's what he had to do to stay here, to stay present and work his butt off. You've got to have a different type of grit, a different type of mental toughness to have to leave the building, get called back, to come in, and still be available and never miss a beat.
“One of the most impressive things about him is he doesn't need a lot of reps to be able to be game-ready,” Montgomery continued. “We see that in practice when we throw him in when something happens. There's not a lot of alignment issues or pad issues or reads or even protection issues whatsoever with him.”
Montgomery said Jefferson will have to earn his role through the week of practice and the young back was ready for the challenge.
“I’m going to seize the moment with any opportunity I get out there,” Jefferson said. "... I've been ready for this opportunity for a while."
When replacing David Montgomery, whether short- or long-term, I asked Scottie Montgomery what the team expects to get out of Craig Reynolds and rookie Sione Vaki. And while the coach came back to those players in his answer, it was noteworthy that the first guy he mentioned was former seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson.
“Jermar, tremendous short-area quickness, good vision in the run game,” Scottie Montgomery said. “Did a tremendous job in camp of creating a lot of explosive (plays). He actually might have had the most explosive in camp in real running settings. He did a really good job for us.”
Jefferson, a seventh-round pick in 2021, hasn’t appeared in a regular season game in three years. I asked Scottie Montgomery what it takes for a player to stay mentally and physically engaged with that type of drought between opportunities.
“Imagine being in the championship rounds of a boxing match for three years,” Montgomery said. “That's what he had to do to stay here, to stay present and work his butt off. You've got to have a different type of grit, a different type of mental toughness to have to leave the building, get called back, to come in, and still be available and never miss a beat.
“One of the most impressive things about him is he doesn't need a lot of reps to be able to be game-ready,” Montgomery continued. “We see that in practice when we throw him in when something happens. There's not a lot of alignment issues or pad issues or reads or even protection issues whatsoever with him.”
Montgomery said Jefferson will have to earn his role through the week of practice and the young back was ready for the challenge.
“I’m going to seize the moment with any opportunity I get out there,” Jefferson said. "... I've been ready for this opportunity for a while."
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Yes, Randle El has seen the photos of him chewing out Jameson Williams on the sideline during the Thanksgiving game after the third-year receiver was flagged for throwing a ball in the face of Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
“Of course I saw it,” Randle El said. “Everybody sent it to me. (But) the message is you just can't do that. That was the message, and don't ever do it again. That's really what came out of that conversation, everything everybody saw.”
Williams was vindicated later in the week when it was shown Stevenson tripped him on the sideline. The NFL even fined him $20,000 for the action.
Randle El doesn’t care.
“Yeah, it doesn't change (the message),” he said. “You have guys in the league that do that (antagonize), and it gets under your skin if you let it get under your skin. They normally get the guy who reacts the second time. That's what happened.”
Master motivator
A day after his analogy about filets and moldy bread to explain fan reaction to Buffalo snapping Detroit’s 11-game winning streak went viral, Campbell had a fresh round of inspirational quotes at his Wednesday press conference.
“We just had the first really significant meeting since the Buffalo game,” Campbell said. “Like I said, I just hit it head-on and tell them what the facts are. This is where we’re at, this is how we’re viewed right now, and look, nobody writes our story. We’re the only ones who write our own story, so we have the pen and there’s a lot of football left and I think we’re looking forward to this, to be honest with you.”
Obviously, there’s a lot of outside concern about the injury-ravaged defense, which allowed 48 points against the Bills. Predictably, Campbell doesn’t share your concern.
“You just can’t convince me,” he said. “I don’t believe it. We’ve got plenty here and I’ll tell you what, when we come out of a game and everything that we said that we have to do, including our identity, we do that for 60 minutes and we lose the game, then I’ll stand up here and tell you, ‘You know what, we just don’t have enough.’ But until that happens, you’re not going to hear me say anything about what we have or don’t have.
“We have plenty here in the whole roster,” Campbell said. “We have plenty on defense. I believe in Kerby (Joseph), I believe in (Brian) Branch, I believe in (DJ) Reader, I believe in Za’Darius (Smith), I believe in Levi (Onwuzurike), I believe in Amik (Robertson), (Terrion) Arnold, guys like (Pat) O’Connor, Ben Niemann, Jack Campbell. So we’re good and we’ll figure out how we need to play. We’ve already begun to do that and really, everything that we do from this point on is, how do we get to where we’re playing the very best football with where we’re at now, with what we have, by the time we hit the playoffs. That’s really where the focus has got to be.”
Yes, Randle El has seen the photos of him chewing out Jameson Williams on the sideline during the Thanksgiving game after the third-year receiver was flagged for throwing a ball in the face of Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
“Of course I saw it,” Randle El said. “Everybody sent it to me. (But) the message is you just can't do that. That was the message, and don't ever do it again. That's really what came out of that conversation, everything everybody saw.”
Williams was vindicated later in the week when it was shown Stevenson tripped him on the sideline. The NFL even fined him $20,000 for the action.
Randle El doesn’t care.
“Yeah, it doesn't change (the message),” he said. “You have guys in the league that do that (antagonize), and it gets under your skin if you let it get under your skin. They normally get the guy who reacts the second time. That's what happened.”
Master motivator
A day after his analogy about filets and moldy bread to explain fan reaction to Buffalo snapping Detroit’s 11-game winning streak went viral, Campbell had a fresh round of inspirational quotes at his Wednesday press conference.
“We just had the first really significant meeting since the Buffalo game,” Campbell said. “Like I said, I just hit it head-on and tell them what the facts are. This is where we’re at, this is how we’re viewed right now, and look, nobody writes our story. We’re the only ones who write our own story, so we have the pen and there’s a lot of football left and I think we’re looking forward to this, to be honest with you.”
Obviously, there’s a lot of outside concern about the injury-ravaged defense, which allowed 48 points against the Bills. Predictably, Campbell doesn’t share your concern.
“You just can’t convince me,” he said. “I don’t believe it. We’ve got plenty here and I’ll tell you what, when we come out of a game and everything that we said that we have to do, including our identity, we do that for 60 minutes and we lose the game, then I’ll stand up here and tell you, ‘You know what, we just don’t have enough.’ But until that happens, you’re not going to hear me say anything about what we have or don’t have.
“We have plenty here in the whole roster,” Campbell said. “We have plenty on defense. I believe in Kerby (Joseph), I believe in (Brian) Branch, I believe in (DJ) Reader, I believe in Za’Darius (Smith), I believe in Levi (Onwuzurike), I believe in Amik (Robertson), (Terrion) Arnold, guys like (Pat) O’Connor, Ben Niemann, Jack Campbell. So we’re good and we’ll figure out how we need to play. We’ve already begun to do that and really, everything that we do from this point on is, how do we get to where we’re playing the very best football with where we’re at now, with what we have, by the time we hit the playoffs. That’s really where the focus has got to be.”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Threshold not a concern
It wasn’t too long ago that once you went on injured reserve, your season was over. Now the NFL allows a limited number of players to return from the list after they’ve sat out four games.
The league permits teams to return eight from injured reserve and amended the rule this offseason to allow an additional two for playoff qualifiers.
On Wednesday, the Lions used their fourth designation, starting defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu's practice clock. I asked Campbell if there was any concern about butting up against the limit, potentially forcing the team to face some difficult roster decisions in the postseason.
“I think it’s going to work out OK here because, unfortunately, a number of our guys are done done,” Campbell said. “So it makes it pretty clear cut from that standpoint. I don’t think that we’re going to run into an issue here with who’s able to come back.”
Among the injured players the Lions still expect to get back are linebacker Alex Anzalone, wide receiver Kalif Raymond and rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. Others in the mix, but less certain are linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who has vowed to teammates he’ll come back if the Lions make the Super Bowl
Suffering in silence
On his podcast this week, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown acknowledged he was battling the lingering effects of food poisoning the hours ahead of the Bills game. Despite not feeling his best, the All-Pro receiver set new single-game highs for catches and receiving yards.
Oh, and he didn’t tell anyone on the coaching staff he was having problems.
“I had no idea, nobody even told me, which is just like Saint,” Campbell said. “He’s not going to say anything until it’s done. The kid is — that’s just what he is, that’s the way he’s wired. It says a lot and you turn on the tape and you don’t notice anything different, because he’s one of those that can feel like crap and it’s not going to affect the way that he approaches the game and the amount of effort that he gives.”
It might not have shown up on tape, but position coach Antwaan Randle El suspected something was up.
“I kept trying to figure out why is this dude so tired?” Randle El said. “He'd run a couple routes and he would just look like he was sucking wind. I'm like, 'Are you all right?' 'Yeah, I'm good coach.' So, it just speaks to who he is and how he goes about preparation and getting ready for the game and not really putting what he has going on (in front) of anybody else.”
St. Brown finished with 14 catches, 193 yards and a touchdown in the loss. For the season, he’s hauled in 95 throws for 1,056 yards and 10 scores. It marks the third consecutive season he’s topped 1,000 yards and the second straight with double-digit touchdowns.
It wasn’t too long ago that once you went on injured reserve, your season was over. Now the NFL allows a limited number of players to return from the list after they’ve sat out four games.
The league permits teams to return eight from injured reserve and amended the rule this offseason to allow an additional two for playoff qualifiers.
On Wednesday, the Lions used their fourth designation, starting defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu's practice clock. I asked Campbell if there was any concern about butting up against the limit, potentially forcing the team to face some difficult roster decisions in the postseason.
“I think it’s going to work out OK here because, unfortunately, a number of our guys are done done,” Campbell said. “So it makes it pretty clear cut from that standpoint. I don’t think that we’re going to run into an issue here with who’s able to come back.”
Among the injured players the Lions still expect to get back are linebacker Alex Anzalone, wide receiver Kalif Raymond and rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. Others in the mix, but less certain are linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who has vowed to teammates he’ll come back if the Lions make the Super Bowl
Suffering in silence
On his podcast this week, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown acknowledged he was battling the lingering effects of food poisoning the hours ahead of the Bills game. Despite not feeling his best, the All-Pro receiver set new single-game highs for catches and receiving yards.
Oh, and he didn’t tell anyone on the coaching staff he was having problems.
“I had no idea, nobody even told me, which is just like Saint,” Campbell said. “He’s not going to say anything until it’s done. The kid is — that’s just what he is, that’s the way he’s wired. It says a lot and you turn on the tape and you don’t notice anything different, because he’s one of those that can feel like crap and it’s not going to affect the way that he approaches the game and the amount of effort that he gives.”
It might not have shown up on tape, but position coach Antwaan Randle El suspected something was up.
“I kept trying to figure out why is this dude so tired?” Randle El said. “He'd run a couple routes and he would just look like he was sucking wind. I'm like, 'Are you all right?' 'Yeah, I'm good coach.' So, it just speaks to who he is and how he goes about preparation and getting ready for the game and not really putting what he has going on (in front) of anybody else.”
St. Brown finished with 14 catches, 193 yards and a touchdown in the loss. For the season, he’s hauled in 95 throws for 1,056 yards and 10 scores. It marks the third consecutive season he’s topped 1,000 yards and the second straight with double-digit touchdowns.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Unexpected role reversal
Monday night, after finishing his work at the office, Detroit Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery thought it more important to visit David Montgomery than go home.
After it was announced that the veteran running back had likely suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier that day, the coach wanted to be there for his pupil, in what he anticipated to be a trying time.
But David Montgomery quickly flipped the script on his coach.
“I went over there (thinking) I'm going to bring some juice, I'm going to get him pumped and he's going to be ready to go,” Scottie Montgomery said. “There's no question about it. When I walked out, I felt so much better about it because he pumped me up. He gave me the juice.
“As soon as I opened the door and walked in, he was smiling,” Scottie Montgomery continued. “His son was there, some of his family members were there. It wasn't doom and gloom. It was bright in there, the Christmas decorations were everywhere. He had his lights — he was very proud of his lights, by the way. His lights outside the home were beautiful. He was very proud of it.
“Talking immediately, he didn't talk about the injury, he just was talking about the game and some of the things that went on, some of the protection he was still able to get done in some of the situations he had going on during the game," Scottie Montgomery said. "It just continued to add a little more juice, a little bit more energy, a little bit more joy. By the time I left, I felt really good about where he was. I really thought he'd be down in the dumps, a guy that's done it as hard as he's done it from February to now."
David Montgomery's positivity surprised his coach and helped put things in perspective.
"Sometimes you can look at it as woe is me and he had none of that," Scottie Montgomery said. "If he doesn't have any of that, then none of the rest can have any of it.”
Check the report
As noted in our statically linked and regularly updated injury report, David Montgomery is getting a third medical opinion on his injured knee, holding out hope he can play again this season.
“If anybody can come back through it, you guys know, you guys have seen who he is, this is the guy that can definitely come back from it,” Scottie Montgomery said.
Additionally, coach Dan Campbell noted he doesn’t expect defensive end John Cominsky to return from his training camp knee injury this
Monday night, after finishing his work at the office, Detroit Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery thought it more important to visit David Montgomery than go home.
After it was announced that the veteran running back had likely suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier that day, the coach wanted to be there for his pupil, in what he anticipated to be a trying time.
But David Montgomery quickly flipped the script on his coach.
“I went over there (thinking) I'm going to bring some juice, I'm going to get him pumped and he's going to be ready to go,” Scottie Montgomery said. “There's no question about it. When I walked out, I felt so much better about it because he pumped me up. He gave me the juice.
“As soon as I opened the door and walked in, he was smiling,” Scottie Montgomery continued. “His son was there, some of his family members were there. It wasn't doom and gloom. It was bright in there, the Christmas decorations were everywhere. He had his lights — he was very proud of his lights, by the way. His lights outside the home were beautiful. He was very proud of it.
“Talking immediately, he didn't talk about the injury, he just was talking about the game and some of the things that went on, some of the protection he was still able to get done in some of the situations he had going on during the game," Scottie Montgomery said. "It just continued to add a little more juice, a little bit more energy, a little bit more joy. By the time I left, I felt really good about where he was. I really thought he'd be down in the dumps, a guy that's done it as hard as he's done it from February to now."
David Montgomery's positivity surprised his coach and helped put things in perspective.
"Sometimes you can look at it as woe is me and he had none of that," Scottie Montgomery said. "If he doesn't have any of that, then none of the rest can have any of it.”
Check the report
As noted in our statically linked and regularly updated injury report, David Montgomery is getting a third medical opinion on his injured knee, holding out hope he can play again this season.
“If anybody can come back through it, you guys know, you guys have seen who he is, this is the guy that can definitely come back from it,” Scottie Montgomery said.
Additionally, coach Dan Campbell noted he doesn’t expect defensive end John Cominsky to return from his training camp knee injury this
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Don't know what's up with BB (calf) or GG (knee), but all of the other DNPs were rest days for veterans.
Detroit Lions
Injury report
Chicago Bears
Injury report
Detroit Lions
Injury report
| Player | Position | Injury | Wed | Thu | Fri | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Branch | DB | Calf | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Taylor Decker | T | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Graham Glasgow | OL | Knee | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| David Montgomery | RB | Knee | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Frank Ragnow | C | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| D.J. Reader | DL | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Za'Darius Smith | DL | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Kevin Zeitler | G | Rest | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | S | Hand | FP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Trevor Nowaske | LB | Concussion | FP | UNSPECIFIED |
Chicago Bears
Injury report
| Player | Position | Injury | Wed | Thu | Fri | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Bates | OT | Concussion | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Gervon Dexter Sr. | DT | Knee | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Teven Jenkins | OT | Calf | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Braxton Jones | OT | Concussion | DNP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Darrell Taylor | DE | Shoulder | FP | UNSPECIFIED | ||
| Roschon Johnson | RB | Concussion | FP | UNSPECIFIED |
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
@JimmyLiaoMD
-David Montgomery: OUT with R MCL. May go on IR.
-Brian Branch NP calf: May have hurt late in 4th, limping, played thru. Could miss time with calf strain.
-Graham Glasgow NP knee: Played 100% snaps, no obvious injury.
-Nowaske FP concussion: IN
-Melifonwu FP hand: 1st eligible game, could be IN
-Anzalone: Surprisingly did not start 21d practice window with expected return wk 18 Vikings only 18d away. If he doesn't practice this wk, might not see him til playoffs.
-Rakestraw eligible to start 21d practice window today but did not. Might be >3wks away.
-Amon-Ra St Brown: Gastroenteritis last game should be fully recovered by weekend.
#DaBears
-2 starting OL hurt (Jones, Jenkins)
-David Montgomery: OUT with R MCL. May go on IR.
-Brian Branch NP calf: May have hurt late in 4th, limping, played thru. Could miss time with calf strain.
-Graham Glasgow NP knee: Played 100% snaps, no obvious injury.
-Nowaske FP concussion: IN
-Melifonwu FP hand: 1st eligible game, could be IN
-Anzalone: Surprisingly did not start 21d practice window with expected return wk 18 Vikings only 18d away. If he doesn't practice this wk, might not see him til playoffs.
-Rakestraw eligible to start 21d practice window today but did not. Might be >3wks away.
-Amon-Ra St Brown: Gastroenteritis last game should be fully recovered by weekend.
#DaBears
-2 starting OL hurt (Jones, Jenkins)
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Believe it or not, Lions are confident they can overcome serious injuries
Dan Campbell & the Lions are nowhere near throwing in the towel. Will Birchfield & Justin Rogers discuss what the Lions need to do, especially defensively, heading into their contest in Chicago. Defensive End Pat O'Connor (EMU) aka King of the Northern Savages joins 25:00-32:45.
Dan Campbell & the Lions are nowhere near throwing in the towel. Will Birchfield & Justin Rogers discuss what the Lions need to do, especially defensively, heading into their contest in Chicago. Defensive End Pat O'Connor (EMU) aka King of the Northern Savages joins 25:00-32:45.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
What do you guys think they’ll do on the back end to replace CD3?
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
I think once healthy, Branch will be moved to the slot more often. Would help if Iffy is able to resume at safety. Outside corner is going to be a challenge and may have to shade safeties into helping corners in a lot of situations. The lack of pressure combined with weaker outside coverage is going to put a lot of pressure on the offense to keep up on the scoreboard. Need to effectively run the ball to keep the defense rested and hopefully get Laporta involved in shorter routes to supplement the run game.
I think they'll start with Vildor and if he falters they can either put Moseley there or move Amik Robertson outside and Moseley in the slot.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Yeah, I think they’ll initially start with the familiar. Which unfortunately means Vildor opposite Terrion. One is frighteningly inconsistent (was good vs Bills) and the other is just not there yet in his development.
If they start looking at alternatives, I’d like to Amik on the outside. I think he has the skill set and the mentality to succeed.
Moseley has played 2 snaps in 26 months. You can view it a couple different ways…1) they resigned him for a reason, and 2) they have not dressed him since he rejoined the 53 man for a reason.
I think Rakestraw can contribute, and hope these last 3 weeks will help him grow.
Best case scenario IMO is Robertson outside, Branch at SS when they are in base, and in nickel packages put BB in the Slot and run Iffy at S. Melifonwu was great - I mean pro bowl level great - last year, but he’s yet to see a snap in 2024. I don’t want Branch to ever leave the field. Melifonwu & Rakestraw can rotate.
Yogibear
Footballguy
Xavien Howard is still available, isn't he?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Yes
- 2022 - 55.2 PFF Coverage grade 146th/236 CBs
- 2023 - 51.9 PFF Coverage grade 176th/229 CBs
- 2024 - unsigned since February
Yes, he is is still available
