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2025 Detroit Lions: 1-1 Lion crush Da Bears. Still seats available on the Bandwagon. (277 Viewers)

Good, much needed win. Don't like seeing Davenport already getting dinged up. Clowney signing with Dallas so edge rushers are pretty much what we have.

Next Monday will be a huge test to see which of these first two weeks are the real Lions.
 

Locker Room Buzz: Williams arrives, Muhammad shines, Johnson's betrayal, Goff's celebration evaluation and more​


Detroit — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears.

Injury updates​

Let’s start with the injuries. There’s some good news on that front, and more that remains unknown following the contest.

Let’s start with the positive: Brian Branch is OK. The Lions safety collided with linebacker Jack Campbell while chasing down running back Kyle Monangai. Branch was lifted off the ground and hit the turf hard on the way down. Slow to get up, he was tended to by trainers for a couple of minutes before hobbling off the field.

Turns out it was just a nasty cramp.

He wasn’t the only Detroit defensive back who was dehydrated by the afternoon. Cornerback DJ Reed was cramping bad at his locker, sending a member of the training staff to find him some pickle juice.

As for Campbell, he clutched at his injured right ankle after the collision with Branch. The third-year linebacker stayed in the game, just like he did after initially suffering the injury against the Packers in Week 1.

Walking gingerly through the locker room after the game, Campbell was dismissive about the discomfort he was in, staying true to his play-through-it mentality even after the final whistle.

The only Lions player who left the game and was officially ruled out was tight end Shane Zylstra. He was in a walking boot after the game.

Meanwhile, defensive end Marcus Davenport exited twice with different issues but returned both times. Davenport suffered an ankle injury in the first half, requiring a trip to the locker room to stabilize the joint. He returned after the break and recorded a sack, only to suffer a shoulder injury on that play.

Davenport returned again, but it remained unclear after the game if there was a long-term concern with the shoulder. He had a massive ice pack on the injury and presumably underwent base-level imaging after the contest.

Coach Dan Campbell said the team would know tomorrow. Davenport said it was important to finish the game because he wasn’t playing for himself. He also had no sense of the extent of the damage.

“I wouldn't really like to say anything about that because I don't know,” Davenport said. “Right now, I'm OK.”

Next man up​

Whether it was because Davenport was hurt or it was part of the original game plan, Al-Quadian Muhammad had a larger role in the second half, and he was disruptive with those opportunities. He finished with four tackles and his first sack of the season.

“I already know what's going to happen, I've just been waiting for the opportunity,” Muhammad said. “I'm in the building early, I'm making sure I'm staying on top of my stuff, and I'm putting that work in each and every day. Only good things come when you do that.”

A 17-game starter in 2021, Muhammad logged 800 defensive snaps and 6.0 sacks that season. However, he was more effective for the Lions last season, on a snap-to-snap basis. Playing 255 snaps and rushing the passer just 190 times, he generated an impressive 26 pressures, not far off the rate of former teammate Za’Darius Smith.

Muhammad looks to be picking up where he left off and is unquestionably playing some of his best ball nine years into his career.

“I've just matured as a player,” Muhammad said. “You learn more each year. You learn, mature, grow and continue to get better.”

Breakout outing​

First-round pick Tyleik Williams doesn’t play a position that stuffs the stat sheet. However, some fans expressed disappointment with his lack of impact in the season-opener.

Of course, that’s ignoring the fact that the Lions held the Packers to 3.1 yards per carry. But I digress.

Williams didn’t stuff the stat sheet against the Bears, either. He did stuff a fourth-down run, shooting his gap and grabbing the legs of quarterback Caleb Williams to force a turnover on downs.

“I had his leg and I was just trying to hold him, make sure he didn't get the first,” Williams said about the play where teammate Derrick Barnes was officially credited with the tackle. “It was a good play call, I just had to get in the gap.

I asked Williams if there’s a better feeling as a defensive tackle than stopping a fourth-down

“I don't know, it's up there, for sure,” he said. “It's one of the best feelings knowing you had an impact to stop them. One yard should be easy to get. When you stonewall a grown man, it's a great feeling.”

Williams also batted down two passes at the line of scrimmage, something he had a knack for doing at Ohio State. It’s all the more impressive when you consider no Lions defender had multiple bat downs in 2024. Not in one game, but the full season.

“You try to recognize when you're not getting home with your rush, and you try to affect the quarterback any way you can,” Williams said. “I'm just trying to get in the way of his throws. He was throwing a low ball, and I was able to tip a couple of them.”

Room to be better​

Detroit’s offense is going to get much of the praise after dropping 52 points. Nonetheless, the defense was also better, particularly at generating pressure on the quarterback.

Multiple players praised coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s plan and pinned some of the lingering breakdowns on execution.

Jack Campbell shouldered the blame for one, a crossing pattern to receiver Rome Odunze on third-and-9 in the first quarter that went for a 20-yard touchdown.

“It was just a miscommunication,” Campbell said. “We have to clean it up. That's all me. I have to get the call in sooner, and I have to do a bunch of other things. It's just something we've got to clean up, and it starts with me.”

Campbell noted that, overall, he was pleased with the way the Lions handled the Bears’ desire to push the pace and the booming noise of the Ford Field crowd, which can make it difficult for the defense to rely its calls.

“It was definitely a challenge going up against Ben (Johnson) and this offense,” Campbell said. “I think we did a good job handling the tempo, especially how loud it is at home. I thought we did a good job communicating, for the most part. We've got a few things to clean up.

“That game was pivotal for our defense to grow,” Campbell said. “In a lot of different situations, that offense knew a lot of the things we're probably going to run, just because Ben's been with us for so long. I think we learned a lot about ourselves in this one.”

Vengeful attitude​

The Lions spent the week downplaying the matchup against Johnson. Still, a couple of players spoke more candidly on the topic after the win.

“We knew coming into this game that this is personal,” Branch said. “Really, all these games (are) personal. But this one was just, we felt like we’d been betrayed by the staff to the players. And we love Ben, we still love Ben. He’s a great coach, he’s a great mastermind, but yeah, it was time to get after him.”

Amon-Ra St. Brown, who blossomed into an All-Pro under Johnson’s guidance, was a little more diplomatic.

“I think a lot (of us), especially the offense, we were fired up,” St. Brown said. “Ben, what he did for us, I mean we’ll never take that for granted. He was a big part of what we did here. But just him being over there, we wanted to show that we can still, us as players, we can still make it happen. We’ve got a great group of guys, a great group of coaches. So, we wanted to go out there and put on a little show.”

David Montgomery also had some vengeance on the brain, but directed more at the Bears than Johnson. Montgomery, who always gives maximum effort, still manages to find that extra gear against his former employer.

“I always got a little bit of extra juice, just because it's the former team, the former teammates,” Montgomery said. “I think the win itself is important, whether it's Chicago or anybody else.”

Montgomery averaged 5.2 yards on his 11 carries, scoring a short-yardage touchdown to punctuate his performance. It was part of an overall rebound for Detroit's ground game after a lethargic showing in Green Bay.

“It felt good, being able to go out, capitalize and step up to the challenge,” Montgomery said. “Coach Campbell challenged us this week in practice. We were able to step up, meet that and handle our business.”

Back at it​

After a lengthy rehab dating back to last year, second-year defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo made his season debut against the Bears.

“It just felt good to be back,” Wingo said. “It was a really long rehab, recovery process. There were minor setbacks throughout it, and it just felt good to be able to trust my knee, go out there and be with the team again.”

Wingo said he got a little emotional before the game. Still, he never worried about his knee after having his meniscus surgically repaired late last year.

Coach Campbell noted how impressively Wingo has regained his form since returning to practice in late August. Even the player has been amazed by how quickly his body has responded.

"I would say I was even a little surprised by how well the knee was handling things the first two weeks back," Wingo said. "It felt good, I felt fresh, the legs were fresh, obviously."

Wingo finished with a tackle and had at least one QB pressure, flushing Williams from the pocket in the first half.
 

End-of-half explanation​

There was a confusing sequence at the end of the half, following a long completion to Isaac TeSlaa. One official ruled the receiver got out of bounds, but the dwindling clock kept running.

Because of the confusion, the game was stopped to review the play. It was determined that TeSlaa did not get out before he was touched down, forcing the officials to run 10 seconds off the clock from the time the defender made contact at 16 seconds.

That gave the Lions one snap with six seconds remaining in the second quarter. They capitalized with a touchdown toss to St. Brown.

Here’s how Mark Butterworth, the NFL’s vice president of instant replay, explained the sequence.

“The impact of that ruling is the clock stopped because they ruled him out of bounds,” Butterworth said. “If they ruled him in bounds with the catch, the clock would continue to run. We stopped the game through replay to confirm the catch, which we were able to do. We confirmed there was contact by the defense after he controlled the ball, and we had his leg in bounds prior to going out of bounds. Therefore, the clock should have continued to run. So, we reset the clock to the down by contact time and then ran 10 seconds.

Somewhat lost in the confusing scenario was TeSlaa’s incredible one-handed catch. That comes on the heels of his highlight-reel touchdown grab in the final minute of the game against the Packers last week.

“I just watched it for the first time,” TeSlaa said after the game. “They did that whole thing where you watch it and they get your live reaction. Yeah, I can look back and be like, ‘Wow, I did get that ball, it’s pretty cool.’ But football is a game of flushing it (and moving on to the next play). So, yes, it did happen. Yes, it was cool, but on to the next one.”

Jared Goff won’t be flushing the play so quickly. He’s remembering each time the rookie makes a play, which is rapidly building trust with the quarterback.

“Yeah, man, a lot,” Goff said. “It really gains a lot of trust being able to put the ball kind of anywhere near him and see him come down with it. And that was part of why he was drafted here, to be that type of player. He’s shown up, man. He really has. And he gets better every week, and I’m sure his route tree is really going to grow.

“…He’s certainly a deep threat, and those 50/50 balls are dangerous when he’s out there.”

My bad​

Terrion Arnold nearly recorded the first interception of his career. However, Branch was flagged for making contact with Williams’ helmet after leaving his feet on the blitz, negating the pick.

Branch predictably felt bad.

“I owe him one,” Branch said. “I honestly don't think it should have been a personal foul. I'm literally just coming down after jumping. I don't get how that's a flag, but I owe TA one.”

It will be interesting to see how the league handles Branch’s actions after the fact. The oft-fined safety had his paycheck docked twice last week for unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Limited vertical​

Goff attempted a version of the Lambeau leap after a second-half score and didn’t get enough elevation on the effort to get into the Ford Field stands. The quarterback had a little fun assessing his celebration after the game.

“Bad again, really bad,” Goff said. “I wanted to get up there, because I’ve seen it for years now. I’ve wanted to get into the Lions leap zone, I’m like, ‘All right, this is my chance.’ But, bad. I was waiting for someone to kind of help me out and pull me up there, and I didn’t get any help. Not good.”

The Lions had another celebration they executed to perfection, with safety Kerby Joseph mimicking the “stumblebum” from last year's win over the Bears after snagging an interception in the first half.

Branch denied knowing it was coming, and Joseph said it was spur of the moment decision. Maybe, but it felt far too choreographed and well executed to have happened without forethought and practice.

Big bounce back​

There was a ton of attention on the offensive line coming into this game after a debut marred by physical errors, communication breakdowns and missed assignments.

They responded in a big way, not giving up a sack and paving the way for the ground game to rack up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry.

“Yeah, those guys really gelled,” Goff said. “I think they did. And I think in particular Tate (Ratledge) and (Christian) Mahogany, as younger players, kind of were able to get last week out of the way and kind of settle in a little bit today. And more so Tate than Mahogany. He had experience last year, but I thought Tate played great today.”

Tate said the message was simple this week: “Win your one-on-ones.”

“That's how you win football games,” Tate said. “I remember a few (plays) that I wish I had back, but it was a lot better than last week. I just have to keep building on it.”
 

Three and Out: A key Morton adjustment, defense still finding its footing, and embracing bounces going Lions' way​


Allen Park — Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears.

Role reversal​

Admit it, it’s still strange seeing the shoe on the other foot.

Even though the Lions have been a legitimate Super Bowl contender going on three years, you still expect the universe to conspire against them with some weird bounce, missed call or quirky officiating gaffe that irrevocably swings the game in their opponent’s favor.

But when you're a good team, not one with a razor-thin margin of error, the bounces tend to go in your favor. And even when they don’t, more often than not, you’re capable of overcoming them.

The Lions currently reside at that level. The Bears, meanwhile, they’re where the Lions used to be.

Chicago was hanging tough in the first half on Sunday. Detroit was playing better, but couldn't land the blow that would have the pesky division rival reeling, particularly after failing to capitalize on a pair of early turnovers.

However, the vibes of the contest shifted when Jared Goff heaved up a 50/50 ball for rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who, for the second straight week, made an acrobatic grab along the sideline.

The flawless execution of the moment didn’t extend to the officiating crew. The official closest to the play ruled that TeSlaa got out of bounds. Yet the clock continued to run, and before the Lions got off the next snap, time had expired.

That triggered an automatic review of the situation, and by rule, the league got it right. TeSlaa was ruled down in bounds with 16 seconds remaining. Since that was the moment the review was initiated, and the Lions didn’t have any timeouts, there was a 10-second run-off, leaving six seconds.

That gave the Lions one snap to take a shot into the end zone, which they didn't miss. Goff found St. Brown at the front pylon to extend Detroit’s advantage to two touchdowns at the break.

Chicago fans were predictably irate with how the situation played out. It doesn’t matter that the Lions almost certainly get to the line to stop the clock with a spike if urgency wasn’t quelled by the official signaling the rookie reached the sideline. Although it might have been the difference between the Lions settling for three instead of taking the stab to St. Brown for six. Given coach Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness, we’ll never know.

Nonetheless, these are the type of plays that would break the Lions' back for so many years. Every Sunday, they were hanging on for dear life, unable to recapture momentum when the pendulum swung unexpectedly.

On Sunday, this was the moment where the Bears came unraveled. Even with a chance to stem the tide while getting the ball to start the second half, they went three-and-out, part of a scoreless frame where they gained just 6 yards with three possessions.

The Lions, on the other hand, roared to life. The St. Brown score sparked four consecutive scoring drives — 24 points in all — to open the second half as the Lions buried the visitors.

A moment like this will happen again. Even with advancements in replay review, the NFL can’t eradicate the unexpected moments of human error that are as much a part of the game of football as the forward pass. However, whether you ever get used to it or not, the Lions are now built in a way to overcome.

Key adjustment​

The nature of game plans is that they can vary significantly week to week, based on the opponent's personnel and scheme. However, there was a noteworthy change meriting recognition from Detroit’s offensive approach against Chicago. Instead of repeatedly running into a brick wall on first down to open their drives, creating recurring third-and-long situations, the Lions used their tendency to generate explosive passing plays against the Bears.

In other words, the Lions flipped the script, using the pass, particularly play-action looks, to set up the run.

It was consistently effective throughout the game, starting with the game’s first two snaps, a 34-yard completion to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 9-yard toss to Sam Laporta.

Detroit took the same approach on their second possession, gaining 16 yards to St. Brown before Goff skipped a ball to an open Jameson Williams deep down the right sideline. It was one of the quarterback's only errant throws all afternoon, and it did nothing to alter the plan.

The 32-yard pass to set up the touchdown on the third drive? Play-action on first down. Brock Wright’s 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter? Play-action on first down. Jameson Williams’ 64-yard gain to open the third quarter? You guessed it, play-action on first down.

Hell, the Lions continued to go to the well until late in the game, successfully running a play fake on first down while up 24 points.

Of course, this doesn’t establish the strategy as a copy-and-paste plan for success moving forward. Still, it speaks to offensive coordinator John Morton’s ability to adapt after a down week. That was reassuring to see after a disappointing debut.

Still finding their footing​

The defense was more up and down than the offense, benefiting from some unforced errors by Chicago that made the performance feel better than it was.

For the second consecutive week, the unit got off to a slow start, allowing a touchdown on the game’s opening possession, which included multiple third-down conversions.

Like Week 1, the Lions surrendered a score on third-and-9 in the red zone. Against the Packers, Jack Campbell got beaten in man coverage by tight end Tucker Kraft. This week, it was a miscue in the back end of a zone blitz, where Campbell was the nearest defender on Rome Odunze’s crossing route. The linebacker pointed the finger at himself for the communication breakdown after the game.

Chicago was driving again, already in field goal territory, when safety Brian Branch bailed the unit out by forcing a fumble in the closing minute of the first quarter.

Still, the Bears managed to add one more touchdown before the half because of some sloppy defensive play in the red zone. That included a breakdown on play-action rollout after Aidan Hutchinson wildly overcommitted to a fake toss from the backside. The rotation to cover Hutchinson and take away quarterback Caleb Williams’ scramble lane is what uncovered Odunze’s scoring route on the play.

Beyond the coverage breakdowns, Detroit's run defense took a step back after a stellar showing in Green Bay. Former Lions running back D’Andre Swift had room to work on his touches, averaging 5.3 yards on 12 carries before the Bears had to abandon the ground game down three scores in the second half.

As for those unforced errors, the Bears repeatedly shot themselves in the foot through the middle of the game with pre-snap penalties and dropped passes, putting them in tough-to-manage second- and third-down situations.

Still, despite the warts, there was a lot to like and build from with Detroit’s defensive showing. The pass rush, which no-showed in the opener, found a way to regularly affect the pocket against Chicago, while limiting Williams' ability to escape.

The quarterback was pressured by Hutchinson into an interception. Williams was actually pressured into a second, had Branch not made contact with the quarterback’s helmet after leaving his feet while coming on the blitz, negating the takeaway.

In addition to those pressures, Detroit got home for four sacks, from four different players, including three edge rushers. As noted in last Friday’s “Thoughts to End the Week” column, Al-Quadin Muhammad deserved more playing time, and he delivered a sack and four tackles with 36 snaps.

Then, on the inside, it's tough to not like what rookie Tyleik Williams brought to the table. He was critical on a fourth-and-1 stop, and had two batted passes, including one on fourth down that killed a second drive. That's a strong impact on 25 snaps.

Overall, there's a lot to tighten, including communication with infrequent zone looks that are regularly paired with third-down pressure packages and some man-to-man technique lapses from cornerback Terrion Arnold. Still, this felt like a positive step forward, overall, for the unit.

Of course, they’ll need to be far, far crisper next week against the Ravens, who have scored 40 points in their first two games. That Todd Monken-led unit hung 38 on the Lions the last time the teams met, in 2023.
 
Week 2 injuries:
  • Brian Branch - got leg whipped by Jack Campbell late in the 4th; postgame he said it was just cramping
  • Marcus Davenport - turned an ankle, but came back, then hurt his shoulder on the play he got a sack. Was icing it after the game and deferred to say how bad it was. Dan Campbell said in his mid-afternoon presser they're getting second opinions. Would not speculate on his availability for Monday until they hear more from the medical staff.
  • Shane Zylstra - ankle, in a walking boot postgame, no update today.
  • Aidan Hutchinson - appeared to be in significant discomfort after taking a chop block in the second half. Coach Campbell said he's sore but he'll be fine.
  • Christian Mahogany - played 100% of offensive snaps, heard someone ask about his back but Campbell said he'll be fine.
 
BobbyLayne said:

Three and Out: A key Morton adjustment, defense still finding its footing, and embracing bounces going Lions' way​


Key adjustment​

The nature of game plans is that they can vary significantly week to week, based on the opponent's personnel and scheme. However, there was a noteworthy change meriting recognition from Detroit’s offensive approach against Chicago. Instead of repeatedly running into a brick wall on first down to open their drives, creating recurring third-and-long situations, the Lions used their tendency to generate explosive passing plays against the Bears.

In other words, the Lions flipped the script, using the pass, particularly play-action looks, to set up the run.
Click to expand...
What's so funny is that I had the exact same experience playing the Lions in Madden 26. Last year's version I could run all over teams, but this year Gibbs in particular always seemed to be running into a wall (he's way more highly rated than Monty, but always seems to go down immediately on first contact). Then I started using PA to set up the run and had a lot more success.
 
love when the PR department goes full-on hyper specific combo with the stats:

Brian Branch & Ed Reed are the only defensive backs in the NFL since 1999 to accumulate the following numbers through the first three seasons of a player's career:
  • 30 PDs
  • 15 TFLs
  • 5 INTs
  • 3.0 sacks
  • 3 FFs
Branch is only two games into his 3rd-career season.
 
Practices are Thursday-Friday-Saturday this week in preparation for MNF at M&T Bank Stadium. Don't think we see Campbell at the podium until then so news on Davenport will be slow coming out
(said to be getting multiple second opinions on his shoulder), but will probably come up on his weekly call in show. Mahogany issue was an ankle (not back as I misheard) but he should be fine.

Ravens will be without Pro Bowl Edge Kyle Van Noy, out several weeks with a hamstring.

4x PBer CB Marlon Humphrey also left the Browns game with an injury but no update on his status.

Spread is +5.5 with an over/under of 51.5.

We had so much fun in Baltimore two years ago (except for the game), looking forward to my first ever in person prime time game.
 
Last edited:
BobbyLayne said:
Practices are Thursday-Friday-Saturday this week in preparation for MNF at M&T Bank Stadium. Don't think we see Campbell at the podium until then so news on Davenport will be slow coming out
(said to be getting multiple second opinions on his shoulder), but will probably come up on his weekly call in show. Mahogany issue was an ankel (not back as I misheard) but he should be fine.

Ravens will be without Pro Bowl Edge Kyle Van Noy, out several weeks with a hamstring.

4x PBer CB Marlon Humphrey also left the Browns game with an injury but no update on his status.

Spread is +5.5 with an over/under of 51.5.

We had so much fun in Baltimore two years ago (except for the game), looking forward to my first ever in person prime time game.
Click to expand...

Van Noy? That name sounds familiar from somewhere.

Ravens defense has not been that great, this is a very winnable game if offense performs.
 
Da Guru said:
BobbyLayne said:
Practices are Thursday-Friday-Saturday this week in preparation for MNF at M&T Bank Stadium. Don't think we see Campbell at the podium until then so news on Davenport will be slow coming out
(said to be getting multiple second opinions on his shoulder), but will probably come up on his weekly call in show. Mahogany issue was an ankel (not back as I misheard) but he should be fine.

Ravens will be without Pro Bowl Edge Kyle Van Noy, out several weeks with a hamstring.

4x PBer CB Marlon Humphrey also left the Browns game with an injury but no update on his status.

Spread is +5.5 with an over/under of 51.5.

We had so much fun in Baltimore two years ago (except for the game), looking forward to my first ever in person prime time game.
Click to expand...

Van Noy? That name sounds familiar from somewhere.

Ravens defense has not been that great, this is a very winnable game if offense performs.
Click to expand...

You are just looking at scores if you don't think the Ravens defense hasn't been decent.

They had one really bad quarter against the Bills, but were very good before that and over half of the Browns yards came on the last 3 drives of the game in the 4th quarter when the game was over.

It is a small sample size and it could also be a conditioning thing that is leading them to get killed in the 4th quarter, but I don't think anyone can say anything for certain about the Ravens defense.
 
BobbyLayne said:
@Leroy Hoard I’m told the consensus view is data purporting the % of public on one side or another of the best is unreliable?

Still, thought it was interesting 65% are taking the points & Detroit to cover.

93% taking the under? That seems…ludicrous.
Click to expand...
Line on Ravens just dropped from -5.5 to -4.5. Not sure if there is something like injuries driving this or just more public money. :shrug:
 
Leroy Hoard said:
BobbyLayne said:
@Leroy Hoard I’m told the consensus view is data purporting the % of public on one side or another of the best is unreliable?

Still, thought it was interesting 65% are taking the points & Detroit to cover.

93% taking the under? That seems…ludicrous.
Click to expand...
Line on Ravens just dropped from -5.5 to -4.5. Not sure if there is something like injuries driving this or just more public money. :shrug:
Click to expand...

Probably the fact they might not have 2 defensive Pro Bowlers

Opened at -3.5 but quickly shot up

Noticed in my Yahoo redraft league Goff - fresh off the QB1 of the week game - saw his projection drop from his typical 16-17 points to....9.65. Must have been a. glitch in the matrix because now it's up to 15.43.


Think we have 22 guys who were part of the Week 7 debacle in 2023. 13 on offense, 8 on defense, 1 specialist; 15* out of 25 starters.
  • QB - 1*
  • RB - 3*
  • TE - 3*
  • WR - 3***
  • OL - 3**
  • DL - 1*
  • LB - 4***
  • DB - 3**
  • P - 1*

Lions are reportedly adding Malik Cunningham to the p-squad. The former Louisville QB has been playing receiver in the NFL.
 
The Ravens' D was awful in the 4th against Buffalo, though the offense didn't help.

Throw out the 4th against the Browns. Baltimore benched all of their starters at 41-10.

I think Van Noy may be out for a few weeks, though the Ravens lie through their teeth on stuff like this. Humphrey came back on the field after his injury and ran some sprints, but didn't re-enter the game.
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The Ravens' D was awful in the 4th against Buffalo, though the offense didn't help.

Throw out the 4th against the Browns. Baltimore benched all of their starters at 41-10.

I think Van Noy may be out for a few weeks, though the Ravens lie through their teeth on stuff like this. Humphrey came back on the field after his injury and ran some sprints, but didn't re-enter the game.
Click to expand...

One of the highlights for us two years was watching The Marching Ravens.

This year we’ll get to see both of the only marching bands in the NFL (Washington1937, Baltimore 1947.)
 
BobbyLayne said:
Uruk-Hai said:
The Ravens' D was awful in the 4th against Buffalo, though the offense didn't help.

Throw out the 4th against the Browns. Baltimore benched all of their starters at 41-10.

I think Van Noy may be out for a few weeks, though the Ravens lie through their teeth on stuff like this. Humphrey came back on the field after his injury and ran some sprints, but didn't re-enter the game.
Click to expand...

One of the highlights for us two years was watching The Marching Ravens.

This year we’ll get to see both of the only marching bands in the NFL (Washington1937, Baltimore 1947.)
Click to expand...
It's a week out yet, but the weather looks great for MNF at this point.
 

Detroit Lions film review: Breaking down play-action success, big runs, and some thoughts on PFF's interior o-line grades​


Allen Park — Well, that was something.

After failing to get the ball into the end zone during the first 59 minutes of the season opener, the Detroit Lions exploded for seven touchdowns and 52 points against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

It was the sixth time in franchise history the Lions have scored 50, replicating a pair of 52-point outputs from a season ago. It was also confirmation that the team is capable of maximum destruction without Ben Johnson, Detroit's former coordinator, who is now leading the victim of Sunday’s onslaught.

But like a bad loss, the Lions must quickly flush the good vibes from this one and move on to the next, a primetime tilt in Baltimore against the Ravens. That team is another contender for the league’s most-explosive offense.

Before we turn our attention to Lamar Jackson and company, let’s do what we typically do on Tuesday and explore the film from the previous week’s game. We’re going to start with what I felt was the key to the Lions getting on track: a scorching hot play-action attack that facilitated getting the ground game going.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff was dealing after faking a handoff, completing 11-of-13 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. That added up to a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

Let’s go through each of those throws. It was a clinic of play-calling, usage of motion and execution.

First quarter, 15:00, first-and-10, Detroit 40​

Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, 34 yards

After netting a single explosive play against Green Bay the previous week, the Lions got one with their first snap last Sunday.

Detroit used pre-snap motion to identify that the Bears were in man, then ran Jameson Williams (top of the screen) on a vertical route that occupied both safeties of Chicago’s Cover-2 shell.

The play-action handoff and subsequent drift into the right flat cleared linebacker Tremaine Edmunds from the middle of the field. That left St. Brown one-on-one in the left slot, where he broke a dig pattern at 10 yards, getting easy separation from Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Catching the ball in space and tilted upfield, St. Brown was able to tack on an additional 19 yards after the catch.

First quarter, 14:15, first-and-10, Chicago 26​

The Lions went back to the play-action well with their second snap, again using motion to ID the Bears’ coverage choice.

A nifty design, the during-snap motion of Kalif Raymond stretched the underneath zone defender wide on the right side. At the same time, the play fake got the Bears’ front sliding left. That allowed tight end Sam LaPorta to pull left to right behind the offensive line, following Raymond into space for a quick-hitter that turned into 9 yards.

First quarter, 8:25, first-and-10, Detroit 30​

Detroit stuck to the script to open its second series, as well. This time, the pre-snap motion didn’t reveal Chicago being in man-to-man. Regardless, what stands out about this play is an incredible individual effort by St. Brown, working tight to the formation at the top of the screen in the video below.

The All-Pro receiver avoids a nudge from Noah Sewell at the snap, navigates through the bracketing of Edmunds in the second level and gets just enough separation from cornerback Jaylon Johnson on the in-breaking route to give Goff a window to laser in a 16-yard completion after faking a hand-off to Gibbs at the snap.

First quarter, 7:48, first-and-10, Detroit 46​

Despite a near-perfect day, this one will likely eat at Goff. Immediately following the previously detailed St. Brown grab, the Lions attacked the Bears’ Tampa-2 with a pair of vertical routes between the numbers, creating space on the outside.

Williams, at the top of the screen, breaks hard toward the sideline at 22 yards depth after the play fake. He couldn’t have more separation. However, Goff’s throw, from a clean pocket, comes up well short of its intended target.

I’m hesitant to definitively blame Goff, despite appearances. It’s possible Williams ran the route deeper than designed. Either way, it was a missed opportunity, one of only a few the Lions didn’t capitalize on in this contest.

First quarter, 3:23, first-and-10, Chicago 33​

St. Brown’s massive opening frame concluded with another in-breaking route working off play-action. This one lacked pre-snap motion, with the Bears crowding the line with six defenders, paired with a single-high safety.

Detroit’s blocking handled the pressure package well, while Chicago's back end dropped into a modified Tampa-2. LaPorta, who was inside St. Brown at the snap, also ran an in-breaking route, drawing the attention of the deeper-dropping linebacker in the middle of the field. That cleared a path for St. Brown to follow, with Stevenson having little chance to close from his deep-half alignment.

The result, 32 yards down to the 1-yard line, where David Montgomery would punch it in for the Lions on the next snap.

Second quarter, 15:00, second-and-9, Detroit 33​

Goff’s only other incompletion out of play-action was again to Williams. The call was good, the route was good, the throw was good, but an equipment failure doomed the result.

Pre-snap motion identified Chicago’s man-to-man coverage. Isaac TeSlaa, at the top of the screen, occupied one of the deep safeties from the Cover-2 shell with an over route. That left the speedy Williams to take the top off the other half, which he did. The problem is that he lost a cleat midway through the route, preventing him from reaching a ball that sailed 2 yards beyond his reach.

Second quarter, 9:45, first-and-10, Detroit 33​

Nearing the midpoint of the second quarter, the Lions opened another series with play-action.

Goff looked St. Brown’s way after faking the handoff, and appeared to have his star receiver, running an out route, in a spacious window between the layers of Chicago’s zone at the top of the screen. However, the QB didn’t like the look and opted for a checkdown to Montgomery in the left flat for a 4-yard gain.

Second quarter, 4:53, first-and-goal, Chicago 8​

After a punishing stretch of six consecutive runs that netted the Lions 56 yards, the offense found itself with a first-and-goal snap.

With the Bears presumably expecting the Lions to keep it on the ground, no one picked up tight end Brock Wright’s during-snap motion into the left flat, resulting in a relatively easy score.

In an underappreciated detail, Montgomery follows the fake with a cut block on Dayo Odeyingbo, preventing the edge rusher from getting his hands into the throwing lane.

Second quarter, 0:35, third-and-1, Chicago 37​

During the team’s two-minute drive, the Lions got into a tricky situation, needing a yard with no timeouts. Goff faked a handoff to Gibbs, going right. The back continued his sprint into the flat, where the QB quickly hit him with pressure bearing down, moving the chains and stopping the clock.

It wasn’t a convincing fake, and the throw was subpar under duress, but it got the job done.

​

​

 

Third quarter, 13:42, first-and-10, Detroit 24​

Similar to the opening play of the game, the Lions scored an explosive gain out of play-action with their first snap of the third quarter.

A pre-snap shift by St. Brown seemed to cause some confusion in Chicago’s secondary because Williams came free on a crossing pattern into space, taking the short throw for a 64-yard gain.

Goff was hit on the throw, causing the ball to wobble and end up behind the intended target. Still, Williams was able to adjust and make the grab. LaPorta allowed the QB hit, which is understandable. He was tasked with slowing down Montez Sweat. The tight end did an admirable job for how long he was asked to hold up against Chicago’s best pass rusher.

Third quarter, 4:19, first-and-10, Detroit 16​

This is a play that the Rams used frequently with Goff. Rolling the opposite direction from the play-action, most teams expect and defend the crossing pattern going the same direction as the rollout.

Instead, the Lions released the inline tight end to that side, Wright, late and asked Goff to throw across his body back to the middle of the field. That netted 12 yards to start this drive.

Third quarter, 0:37, second-and-8, Chicago 11​

Detroit used the misdirection of a fake handoff to set up a receiver screen to St. Brown in the red zone. The play only gains 3 yards after LaPorta misses his block.

Fourth quarter, 11:44, first-and-10, Chicago 44​

They can’t all be pretty.

A missed block by pulling guard Christian Mahogany creates extra pressure on a rolling Goff, who finds Wright on an inline release for 8 yards.

Noteworthy, this was Detroit’s 11th offensive possession, and they started six drives with a play-action pass. It was also the tenth play-action pass on a first-down snap.

Fourth quarter, 8:03, fourth-and-goal, Chicago 4​

Fittingly, Goff capped his day the way he started it, with a play-action toss to St. Brown.

Running during-snap motion, no one picked the receiver up in the flat. Inexplicable.

Unlocked ground game​

Instead of running the ball to set up the pass, the Lions effectively took the opposite approach, using the play-action pass to set up the run.

It might not have been the most efficient performance. However, the Lions benefitted from explosive gains, fueling the 177-yard performance and 5.9-yard per-carry average.

Let’s look at the five longest runs, accounting for 62% of the day’s production.

Second quarter, 6:14, Montgomery for 18 yards​

It’s certainly not how you’d like this zone run to look. The blocks of Tate Ratledge and Wright are both badly beaten, stretching Montgomery to the perimeter.

What salvages the carry is Penei Sewell controlling his man with a single arm and perimeter efforts by LaPorta and St. Brown.

Second quarter, 5:34, Gibbs for 11 yards​

The Lions use misdirection against a light box, with most of the line sliding right and Gibbs going left. The call comfortably trusted the back to outrun 6-foot-7, 289-pound Tanoh Kpassagnon (No. 69) to the edge.

Once Gibbs turns the corner, he benefits from the lead block of LaPorta, who motioned across the formation at the snap.

Third quarter, 3:33, Montgomery for 13 yards​

Making a quick read on the zone concept, Montgomery takes a backside cut behind Sewell, evading a defender in the second level for a nice chunk.

Third quarter, 2:04, Gibbs for 42 yards​

Awesome execution all the way around on Detroit’s longest ground gain of the afternoon.

It starts with Sewell and Wright. Sewell kicks out and walls Odeyingbo to the outside. At the same time, Wright, offset at the snap, cuts underneath and gets enough of Grady Jarrett with a wham block, creating an initial lane.

The last piece of the puzzle is Raymond’s dig out of safety Jaquan Brisker. That leaves Gibbs one-on-one with Stevenson in the hole, and the cornerback is unable to match the back’s burst into space.

Fourth quarter, 11:00, Gibbs for 26 yards​

This is a great call to utilize Gibbs’ speed. The Lions loaded the right side of the formation, forcing Chicago to match, with only Williams wide to the left.

At the snap, the line blocked as if it were a zone run going right. Chicago predictably responded by flowing that direction, especially with Gibbs taking a false first step in that direction before cutting sharply left and taking a pitch.

At that point, all Gibbs had to do was outrun Kpassagnon again. There was so much green because Williams ran a vertical route to that side, clearing out the corner. The run set up first-and-goal at the 9 for the Lions.

Blocking thoughts​

I'm closing with some thoughts on the blocking because there was some confusion with Pro Football Focus grading Detroit's three interior starters so harshly.

Let’s establish something immediately: The evaluation isn’t rooted in the team’s pass protection. The group blocked their asses off for Goff, with the line allowing almost no pressure on the quarterback.

The bigger issue was the run blocking, and the criticism is fair. As demonstrated with the big runs, most of Detroit’s damage came on the perimeter, including all three on the game’s opening drive.

The Lions leaned heavily on zone concepts against the Bears, and, for the most part, interior lanes didn’t develop. Throughout the tape, there are a number of negative plays from the collective, particularly Ratledge, who struggled more than I had thought while watching the game live.

It was a blown block by Ratledge that forced Montgomery to bounce outside on the clip above. Ratledge was also beaten on a sack that was wiped out by offsetting penalties. The rookie also ran into his own man while pulling, resulting in Gibbs getting stopped for 1 yard, and Ratlege was late to arrive on a second-level block that resulted in Gibbs losing 11 yards in the red zone.

This isn’t the sounding of an alarm. It’s an acknowledgement that the NFL is difficult, even if you played at an elite college program against top-tier competition. Ratledge has been thrown into the fire, and he’s getting a little burnt. These are the growing pains teams go through when they start rookies.
 

Detroit Lions film review: Defense left with plenty to clean up after win over Chicago​


Allen Park — In the NFL, there’s no room for complaining after a win, no matter how ugly. And there definitely shouldn’t be grumbling after a 30-point victory over a division rival who happens to be coached by your former offensive coordinator.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to correct, and the tape from the Detroit Lions’ defensive performance from Sunday’s 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears reveals plenty for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to address heading into the team’s Week 3 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

Let’s explore.

Trio of touchdowns​

Drive one​

We’re going to start with Chicago’s three touchdown drives, beginning with an eight-play, 79-yard march they went on the first time they possessed the ball.

After a couple of short gains, the Lions had the visitors in third-and-4, looking to force a quick punt. Instead, inattention to slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus’ sit-down route in between two defenders hyper-focused on the scramble threat of Caleb Williams allowed for the easy conversion.

Chicago committed a false start ahead of the next play — one of several pre-snap penalties — but running back D’Andre Swift erased the miscue with a 20-yard carry.

On the handoff, undersized defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo got driven back by a double-team. That pushback, combined with a motioning tight end moving Derrick Barnes pre-snap, put linebacker Alex Anzalone in conflict, compelling him to fill the outside run gap. Once he did, Swift shot through the unoccupied hole for the big gain.

The Bears got another chunk gain on the ensuing snap when receiver D.J. Moore beat cornerback Terrion Arnold’s man coverage on a dig route for 18 yards.

Arnold had a rough day in coverage. I’ll come back to those struggles later.

Now in field goal range, the Lions had a chance to limit the damage, getting the Bears into a third-and-9 situation. But a coverage breakdown on the team’s fire zone blitz resulted in a 28-yard touchdown for Rome Odunze.

It was a good call by the Bears, running Odunze on a shallow cross into the unoccupied space where Barnes and nickel corner Amik Robertson had some on the blitz.

There were two issues for Detroit on the play. First, the six-man rush didn’t affect Williams’ pocket. Second, there wasn't a coverage rotation to pick up Odunze.

I don’t know enough about Detroit’s coverage rules in this situation to assign blame. That said, Chicago had two receivers to the left run vertical routes, requiring the cornerback and safety to that side to match them. That left linebacker Jack Campbell as the nearest underneath defender to pick up Odunze. If nothing else, he pointed the finger at himself after the game for the communication error.

It’s an inexcusable error. If bringing pressure on third down is part of your identity as a defense, you have to have coverage answers to account for the receiving options, particularly someone as dangerous as Odunze, who took a big step toward emerging as Williams’ go-to choice in this contest.

Drive two​

Following a missed 55-yard field goal, Chicago started with excellent field position in the latter stages of the second quarter.

They managed to quickly push into field-goal territory with a pretty, 21-yard throw from Williams to Odunze. The in-breaking route bested the man coverage of DJ Reed, and the ball was put on the receiver before deep safety Kerby Joseph could arrive in support.

Williams went back to Odunze on the next snap, getting the best of Brian Branch, playing off-man coverage, with a comeback pattern for another 15 yards to Detroit’s 21-yard line.

Again, the Lions had a chance to limit the damage to a field goal, but didn’t have an answer for a designed quarterback run on third-and-3.

The Bears lined receiver DJ Moore in the backfield as part of a shotgun look and forced a second-level defensive shift before the snap when they motioned him left. Williams went right and picked up a key block from 210-pound rookie receiver Luther Burden III, who got enough of edge defender Al-Quadin Muhammad to create the cutback lane for the 8-yard pickup.

The Bears scored on the next play due to a lack of discipline from star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

Biting hard from the back side on a play-action pitch going away from him, Hutchinson took himself out of position to defend Williams rolling the opposite way after the fake.

That forced Branch to compensate, and as soon as the safety abandoned his coverage assignment to drive on the dual-threat quarterback, Williams flipped it over the safety's head to Odunze for the 6-yard score.

Drive three​

The Bears added one more touchdown to the tally in the fourth quarter, driving 60 yards in eight plays for the score. It’s the type of drive that will bring out the fire-and-brimstone out of Shepaprd in the meeting room this week.

After a well-executed blitz netted a sack for Branch, making it third-and-15, Arnold lost his footing while trying to drive on a potential comeback pattern to Odunze on the outside. Instead, it was a stop-and-go, and the corner wasn’t able to recover, surrendering a 37-yard completion.

Three plays later, with the Bears facing another third-and-long, Branch blitzed again, forcing an errant throw that Arnold intercepted. Regrettably, Barnch left his feet on the rush and made helmet-to-helmet contact with Williams on the way down, drawing an automatic flag for roughing the passer, negating the takeaway.

After Odunze beat Arnold again for another completion in the red zone, Swift finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run against a lighter-than-desired personnel package.

The right side of Detroit’s line — a potentially injured Davenport, back in the game after exiting with ankle and shoulder issues and Barnes — were bullied on the snap, with Odunze digging out Branch as the final piece to the blocking puzzle.
 

Short of the standard​

One look at the final numbers will tell you Detroit’s run defense didn’t live up to its lofty standards, allowing 123 yards and 5.0 yards per carry.

We’ve already highlighted some of the bigger breakdowns, including Swift’s 20-yard romp on the opening drive and Williams’ third-down conversion in the red zone that set up Chicago’s second touchdown.

I want to focus on Swift’s game, with 12 carries for 63 yards, or just under 4.0 yards per carry when we factor the 20-yarder out of the equation.

Chicago tinkered around with direct snaps to the former Lions back in the early going to mixed results. The two plays gained 6 yards. It should have been fewer, but the Lions got tripped up by some eye-drawing end-around motions on both plays. The first tied up Branch, leaving Reed to make one of multiple impressive open-field tackles. I admittedly wanted an excuse to note how well he’s performing in run support.

On the second, Hutchinson missed out on a tackle for loss chasing the end-around motion. Fortunately, Anzalone wasn’t fooled and drove Swift out of bounds after 1 yard.

Swift did muster another 12-yard pop in the first half, where the Lions gave up on the edge on the shotgun handoff.

Barnes got controlled by pulling tight end Cole Kmet at the line of scrimmage, while Campbell got swallowed by 325-pound offensive tackle Darnell Wright in the second level, leaving Anzalone to chase the ball carrier down from the backside.

Beyond the early success, there wasn’t much cooking for Swift. He lost a fumble in the opening quarter and otherwise had gains of 1, 7, 3, 3, 4, 2 and 4 yards before ending his day with the 3-yard touchdown noted above.

So it’s fair to say the Lions tightened up after the early leaks.

A rough afternoon​

As mentioned, it was a rough one for Arnold. Following a groin injury that sidelined him for the second half of the season opener, after he allowed a 48-yard bomb and a 17-yard touchdown in the second quarter, it’s been a less-than-ideal start to his season. This is particularly disappointing given that a stellar training camp raised expectations for the second-year cornerback.

Most of Arnold’s struggles continue to come in man-to-man, his specialty, and why the Lions eagerly moved up the draft board to take him in the first round a year ago.

Arnold was targeted nine times in coverage. Here’s the breakdown:

  • 18-yard completion to Moore, dig route, man coverage
  • 6-yard completion to Zaccheaus, out route, man coverage
  • Incomplete deep ball to Odunze, man coverage
  • 12-yard completion to Odunze, out route, zone coverage
  • 7-yard completion to Kmet, hitch route, man coverage
  • Incomplete slant to Zaccheaus, man coverage, batted at the line of scrimmage
  • Incomplete out route to Odunze, man coverage, QB hit as he threw
  • 37-yard stop-and-go to Odunze, zone coverage, penalized for illegal contact
  • Intercepted out route for Odunze, zone coverage, negated by roughing the passer penalty
  • 9-yard to Odunze, out route, man coverage
There’s not a lot of positives to take away from that list. Even on two of the incompletions, Arnold was beaten. Zaccheaus had clear separation on the ball Tyleik Williams batted, and Odunze was wide open on the throw that was altered by a hit on the quarterback.

The first to Zaccheaus, the 6-yard out route, was a positive play. That was a third down, which Arnold kept in front of him and made a stop short of the sticks, forcing a punt.

In Arnold’s defense, man coverage is hard, especially when your front is not getting pressure. For the uptick Detroit enjoyed in that department on Sunday, the team still only mustered to affect Williams on 10 of his 36 dropbacks, with half of those resulting in throws. Contrast that against 25 clean attempts, and most NFL cornerbacks are going to struggle.

Regardless, and worth repeating, it is a marriage. If the coverage is tighter, it can force the QB to hold on another half second for the rush to get home. There’s no gray area here; Arnold has to be better.

Stuff to build on​

I want to close on some positives, because it would be ridiculous to not highlight what went well in a 31-point victory, even if I’m resurfacing some of the things mentioned above.

● As noted, the Lions still need more from their pass rush. It would appear Muhammad can be part of that solution. He rushed with relentless effort, tallied a sack and multiple pressures. He earned a bigger role going into this game and delivered with those opportunities.

● Detroit did a good job limiting Caleb Williams’ scramble opportunities. Yes, he had success with the designed run in the red zone, but given how disruptive the fleet-footed QB can be, you feel OK with him gaining just 27 yards on five carries.

● Tyleik Williams showed up in a meaningful way, batting down two passes and playing a key role in stuffing a fourth-and-1 sneak that gave the ball back to Detroit’s offense. I’ll repeat a fun stat from Sunday’s locker room buzz post: No Lions lineman had two bat downs all of last season. The rookie hit that number in one game.

● Brian Branch continues to validate his reputation as one of the best safeties in the NFL. Yes, you hate the penalty that erased the turnover, but his all-around skill set was otherwise on display with a sack, forced fumble, tackle for loss, and a PBU. He’ll get assessed for allowing the second touchdown to Odunze. Still, as explained above, he was put in a bad spot by a teammate being out of position.

● Repeating from early, Reed is an incredible tackler in run support. It’s impressive given his 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame. Arnold deserves some recognition in this department, as well. Having two willing and capable tacklers on the perimeter is valuable.
 
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