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2025 Detroit Lions: 1-1 Lion crush Da Bears. Still seats available on the Bandwagon. (180 Viewers)

Forward down the field,
A charging team that will not yield.
And when the Blue and Silver wave,
Stand and cheer the brave.
Rah, Rah, Rah.
Go hard, win the game.
With honor you will keep your fame.
Down the field and gain,
A Lion victory!
 
Jamo looked awesome but Goff might miss having Reynolds out there. When St. Brown and Laporta were blanketed, Goff went to Reynods to keep drives alive. Hopefully Ben gets in the lab and smooths out the passing attack against TB.
 
BobbyLayne said:
Da Guru said:
BobbyLayne said:
How deflating does that have to be if you're Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay?

You're handling this game in a hostile environment, just owning them.

Then Dan Campbell just decided "You know what? Forget this crap. Ball down their throat. Our guys are gonna beat up your guys, game over."
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This was a very difficult game to watch. Did not like some of the play calls, Goff was not sharp, Stafford picking the D apart without a major weapon and half his o-line hurt. Nothing seemed to be working. It was the Rams game for the taking. A game the Lions used to always lose..but they didn`t

Other than a painful penalty Hutch had a great game and then they get back to pounding the rock in OT for the win.

One thing I noticed is Lion players slipping over and over like they were playing in San Paulo.
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have to give the Rams some credit - they were gassed in OT (back to back drives) but their D has a good front

they really clogged the middle with safeties and had their LB low dropping, took away Goff's bread n butter (in breaking routes to #14 & #87)

I am in no way disappointed with winning ugly, good teams do that, you just have to keep fighting through adversity
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Never disappointed in a W. Any win is always better than a hard fought loss.

Rams had a game plan and Stafford played really good except for the costly INT in the endzone. Then the holding penalty when they had the ball on the 1 killed them. Stafford was getting the ball out so fast in the first half it was impossible to get any pressure on him. Then he ducked under and spun away of sacks from Hutch, and Davenport.

Looks like Williams has arrived. Hope this is a pattern. Getting the flow going one way and hitting Williams on a crossing route the other might become a staple.

As usual I will watch the game again today without the emotion that always clouds my judgement during live play. As Jim Caldwell said "Going to have to look at the tape" :)
 
jon_mx said:
Arnold made some rookie mistakes, but a couple good plays.

Davis was pretty good.

Secondary missed two INTs.

Wasn't Branch's best day.

The entire DL was very good the first half and then again late in the 4th quater.

Was Jack Campbell even playing. Anzalone was everywhere.

I still think we need Houston even for his one trick.
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The only knock on Arnold before draft is that he can cover but gets grabby. Arnold is good enough and just needs to adapt and coached up. Looked like he was in good position on both PIs but got grabby at the end. First real game, Arnold will adapt.

Now that you mention it I don`t remember hearing Campbells name all night.

Tom Brady made a good comment in the early game saying "In todays NFL the starters hardly take any snaps if any in X games. So the first game is basically a real X game getting their legs and stamina up, much different than any practice can simulate.
 
Was is just me or did the Rams' offensive line get away with holding Aidan Hutchinson for most of the game? They didn't start calling those penalties until toward the end of the night. Luckily, he got a sack towards the end of regulation.
 
Yogibear said:
Was is just me or did the Rams' offensive line get away with holding Aidan Hutchinson for most of the game? They didn't start calling those penalties until toward the end of the night. Luckily, he got a sack towards the end of regulation.
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They called it twice and missed about three other blatant holds. The critical called one was on the goalline when they grab Hutch's facemask which allowed the RB to run into the end zone untouched. Ended up stopping them for just three points.
 
First week PFF Grades are up for 30 teams. Detroit Lions grade & ranks:

OVERALL TEAM GRADE 78.8 (4th)

OFFENSE 68.7 (11th)

starters:
  • 86.6 David Montgomery 3rd
  • 83.4 Jameson Williams 5th
  • 82.2 Graham Glasgow 5th
  • 78.9 Penei Sewell 12th
  • 70.3 Frank Ragnow 6th
  • 68.7 Jahmyr Gibbs 14th
  • 65.3 Taylor Decker 31st
  • 62.2 Kevin Zeitler 33rd
  • 60.4 Sam LaPorta 14th
  • 51.1 Amon-Ra St Brown 56th
  • 43.2 Jared Goff 26th
DEFENSE
79.6 (3rd)

starters:
  • 94.0 Aidan Hutchinson 2nd
  • 79.0 Alex Anzalone 12th
  • 77.1 Derrick Barnes 15th
  • 72.1 Kerby Joseph 17th
  • 68.3 Carlton Davis III 26th
  • 67.9 Alim McNeil 29th
  • 67.0 Marcus Davenport 31st
  • 62.3 Levi Onwuzurike 43rd
  • 57.8 Terrion Arnold 65th
  • 57.8 Jack Campbell 39th
  • 55.2 Brian Branch 49th

SPECIAL TEAMS 71.1 (8th)

core special teamers:
  • 75.9 Khalil Dorsey Gunner 2 tackes 21st
  • 72.5 Jake Bates K 6th
  • 68.6 Malcolm Rodriguez 1 tackle
  • 65.8 Craig Reynolds
  • 65.8 Jack Fox P 7th
  • 64.2 Hogan Hatten LS 15th
  • 63.7 Sione Vaki
  • 63.3 Kerby Joseph
  • 63.0 Jack Campbell
  • 62.4 Ben Niemann
  • 62.2 Derrick Barnes
  • 61.4 Brandon Joseph
  • 60.6 Kindle Vindor
  • 60.1 Jalen Reeves-Maybin
  • 60.1 Brian Branch
  • 60.1 Kalif Raymond KR
  • 60.0 Tom Kennedy
  • 59.8 Parker Hesse
  • 54.1 Ennis Rakestraw
    (#15 was the out of control gunner that flubbed downing the ball after a great punt by Fox)
I might be back with later this afternoon with some stuff from their premium stats if I have time.
 
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Pass Rush
  • Hutchinson had the highest pass rush grade in the NFL - 95.7. He tied for the league lead with 11 pressures and 4 QB hits, and led all defenders in hurries. His win rate was a phenomenal 47.7%, including 48.3% in True Pass Sets.
Run Defense
  • Jack Campbell (80.5, 6th amongst LBs) and Derrick Barnes (10th) were among the best run defenders of the week.
  • josh Paschal and Chris Smith, rotational DTs, had the the best DL grades, albeit in limited snaps.
  • Carlton Davis III graded out as the 3rd best CB run defender on the week (83.0).
  • Brian Branch didn't have his best game but was still 11th (73.2) amongst S in run support.
Coverage
  • Alex Anzalone (81.4, 8th amongst LBs) and Derrick Barnes (18th) were above average.
  • Amongst 166 qualifying DBs, Detroit's core 5 were just OK to below average:
    • Kerby Joseph (69.2, 50th out of 166)
    • Carlton Davis III (63.2, 86th out of 166)
    • Amik Robertson (58.1, 104th out of 166)
    • Terrion Arnold (57.7, 107th out of 166)
    • Brian Branch (50.8), 136th out of 166
It's next to impossible to judge pass coverage fairly with only the side angle tv view, but it seemed like Stafford was getting his read presnap 95% of the time by running simple motion - usually Kupp going to the boundary side. Took Aaron Glenn over a half to recognize and make adjustments. The defense played well Week 1 but I think Glenn got schooled by McVey & Stafford.
 
jon_mx said:
Yogibear said:
Was is just me or did the Rams' offensive line get away with holding Aidan Hutchinson for most of the game? They didn't start calling those penalties until toward the end of the night. Luckily, he got a sack towards the end of regulation.
Click to expand...

They called it twice and missed about three other blatant holds. The critical called one was on the goalline when they grab Hutch's facemask which allowed the RB to run into the end zone untouched. Ended up stopping them for just three points.
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Watched some of the game again today. The penalty on Hutch for roughing the passer was weak. Hutch actually pulled up and hardly touched Stafford. Stafford was crying to the ref for a flag before he even hit the ground.
 
Monday afternoon presser
  • Alim McNeill said he sees the identity of Detroit's defense as violence. Said he wants opponents to fear them.
  • Arnold has a lot to clean up but it was promising.
  • BB made some plays but first thing he told Dan coming off was "I won't miss those tackles again." He knows the standard.
  • Doesn't seem to be anything in particular with the slippage on the turf. They mostly practice outside on grass but it's the same stadium turf for the last couple years. Rams were slipping too, maybe just happened because starters play so little in preseason.
  • Called ARSB number a lot, as much as usual, but coverage took it away, couple plays he slipped. Obviously want to target him more, he's THE catalyst for the offense. Not worried, we'll find a way.
  • St Brown made a great play to break up the end zone interception.
  • Reader should be ready for TB
  • D line played well, very physical, have a good balance of strength, power, length, speed.
  • Barnes had a lot of different roles last night, setting the edge, coverage, stack backer - his mental game has taken off the last two years

Turnover Worthy Plays - Week 1 "leaders"
  • Hurts 4
  • Cousins 3
  • Stroud 3
  • Nix 3
  • Stafford 3
  • Goff, Caleb, Bryce, Dak, Love - 2 each
 
Jamo had a first read rate of 42.9% second among receivers. Only receiver ahead of him was Cooper Kupp.

St. Brown’s numbers will surely decrease from last year if this continues.
 
Moonlight said:
Jamo had a first read rate of 42.9% second among receivers. Only receiver ahead of him was Cooper Kupp.

St. Brown’s numbers will surely decrease from last year if this continues.
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Dictated by the coverage scheme. Middle field was closed the entire game, Rams made a choice to run two-high safety with low dropping LBs. Which opened up the play book for the speedsters (Jah & Jamo).

We saw that defensive game plan/coverage scheme predominantly three times last year - Ravens Week 7, both Bears game. It’s within the range of outcomes more teams roll that way against Detroit, it takes away the in breaking routes to Amon-Ra & St Brown. It also stresses the defense because Jamo will blow by any CB trying to mirror his route.

Most teams look at that choice as “should we quarters/quarter-half split field and keep it all in front of us - shading the deeper single high FS to the Jamo side - or should we clog the middle so we don’t die from a thousand paper cuts from #14 & #87?” The vast majority choose the latter because they don’t have a blue chip cover corner to hang with #9.

I would not draw too many conclusions from Week 1.
 
BobbyLayne said:
Moonlight said:
Jamo had a first read rate of 42.9% second among receivers. Only receiver ahead of him was Cooper Kupp.

St. Brown’s numbers will surely decrease from last year if this continues.
Click to expand...

Dictated by the coverage scheme. Middle field was closed the entire game, Rams made a choice to run two-high safety with low dropping LBs. Which opened up the play book for the speedsters (Jah & Jamo).

We saw that defensive game plan/coverage scheme predominantly three times last year - Ravens Week 7, both Bears game. It’s within the range of outcomes more teams roll that way against Detroit, it takes away the in breaking routes to Amon-Ra & St Brown. It also stresses the defense because Jamo will blow by any CB trying to mirror his route.

Most teams look at that choice as “should we quarters/quarter-half split field and keep it all in front of us - shading the deeper single high FS to the Jamo side - or should we clog the middle so we don’t die from a thousand paper cuts from #14 & #87?” The vast majority choose the latter because they don’t have a blue chip cover corner to hang with #9.

I would not draw too many conclusions from Week 1.
Click to expand...
But at the same time Jamo never had a first read of over 10% last year regardless of the opposing defense. He is now a bigger part of the offense and is likely to cut into everyone else’s share of the pie.
 
We pretty much know what we got on offense....the real question is did we improve our defense enough?

We should be very solid at safety with Kerby, Branch, and Iffy.

I feel good about our new CBs. A quiet day for Amik, so he must have covered well. I like Terrion Arnold's effort. He showed some skills, but made some obvious penalties. Davis showed he can cover man. Not a shutdown corner, but very solid. Kupp was catching a ton of balls but kept the gains short. Defending the 4th down play was huge. So much better than last years group.

LB group was very good, especially Anzalone. He had a huge impact on the game. Barnes was making his share of play. Campbell was in a lot of plays, he was just not standing out on too many plays.

I feel good about the DL. Of course Hutch is all-world. They threw everything at him including holds and faskmasks, but he still managed to put constant pressure on Stafford. Davenport was also putting on his share of pressures on Stafford. For most of the game Stafford was throwing in under three seconds. Seemed like he had more time in the 3rd quarter, but never a play where he had all day to throw the ball. Need to see more against a healthy in tact OL before doing backflips though. It will be fun to see what Reader can add.

We are definitely trending in the right direction. Improve QB pressure and much better coverage than last year.

BTW, who was it that made the stop on 1st and 1 at the goalline? That play was pivotal as the next play was the holding penalty against Hutch which led to it only being a FG.
 
Snap count vs. the Rams

x.com

x.com x.com

Some interesting data. Gibbs and Monty were even split, 31 vs. 30 and not on the field at the same time, 61 plays total on offense. Jamo was on the field a lot, a bit more than LaPorta, 52 vs. 48.
 
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Leroy Hoard said:
jon_mx said:
Lions (-6.5) vs. Bucs
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Just moved to -7. Total is at 51.
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Seems about right. I’d take the over.

Bucs’ secondary got decimated week 1.

Zyon McCollum had a concussion. Don’t know his status for the game yet. Bryce Hall the #3 CB broke his leg. He’s done for the year. They’ll be elevating Funderburk a UDFA who has been hurt in camp to probably start if Zyon can’t go. Just re-signed Keenan Isaac who was on their practice squad.

Biggest blow is Winfield Jr. who’ll be out a few weeks. Christian Izien probably replaces him at safety. He played nickel last year and had to play outside corner in the game with all the injuries.

Kancey and Hall, the interior d-line starters next to Vea, both missed week 1 as well so we don’t know their status. You might remember Kancey? He got Goff twice last year.

Offense is good to go though. They looked incredible. Going from a bad team week 1 to now facing a great team on the road is a big jump. Excited to see how we stack up.

Glad to read you struggled with the Rams a bit. Coen is from the McVay “tree” so the Bucs will deploy similar concepts. Lot of talent on their offense too, and I’m much more confident in the offensive line this year.

Go Bucs!
 
Grahamburn said:
Leroy Hoard said:
jon_mx said:
Lions (-6.5) vs. Bucs
Click to expand...
Just moved to -7. Total is at 51.
Click to expand...
Seems about right. I’d take the over.

Bucs’ secondary got decimated week 1.

Zyon McCollum had a concussion. Don’t know his status for the game yet. Bryce Hall the #3 CB broke his leg. He’s done for the year. They’ll be elevating Funderburk a UDFA who has been hurt in camp to probably start if Zyon can’t go. Just re-signed Keenan Isaac who was on their practice squad.

Biggest blow is Winfield Jr. who’ll be out a few weeks. Christian Izien probably replaces him at safety. He played nickel last year and had to play outside corner in the game with all the injuries.

Kancey and Hall, the interior d-line starters next to Vea, both missed week 1 as well so we don’t know their status. You might remember Kancey? He got Goff twice last year.

Offense is good to go though. They looked incredible. Going from a bad team week 1 to now facing a great team on the road is a big jump. Excited to see how we stack up.

Glad to read you struggled with the Rams a bit. Coen is from the McVay “tree” so the Bucs will deploy similar concepts. Lot of talent on their offense too, and I’m much more confident in the offensive line this year.

Go Bucs!
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GL this week, GB.

You’re gonna need it.
 
For the Bucs being a playoff team and who looked good week 1, I am surprised they are 7 point dogs. The spread should be closer to 3.
 
jon_mx said:
For the Bucs being a playoff team and who looked good week 1, I am surprised they are 7 point dogs. The spread should be closer to 3.
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May be expecting natural variance as the Bucs lost by 8 last year to the Lions at home. Lions home field is worth maybe 4 points vs the normal 3 (is this even a thing anymore?)

Lions passing game kind of struggled and Mayfield was on fire last week. Maybe regression, maybe not.

If you do feel this way however I’d hammer the Bucs +7 then!
 
jon_mx said:
For the Bucs being a playoff team and who looked good week 1, I am surprised they are 7 point dogs. The spread should be closer to 3.
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I mentioned it above, but they're likely going to be pretty short handed. Especially in the secondary. The Lions weapons are tough enough to stop when you have your starters. It doesn't bode well when you're trying to stop them with UDFAs.

If McCollum and Kancey can go they might be able to slow them down some. Otherwise, I think we're looking at a shootout and the Lions have a few more gunslingers available than the Bucs do.




But the Bucs are due for a W against these guys...
 
MCDC at the podium today
  • Both teams we’re starting the year off with have a good chance to win their respective divisions
  • We just have to worry about ourselves; we need to get better this week
  • Their defense is an issue. They’re a little banged up but Vita Vey is a problem, both Edge rushers are good, of course David is a great stack backer. Their offense is improved from the tape I’ve seen, Baker was on fire, Evans is always dangerous. This is a big challenge for us.
  • CD3 had a good week 1 & I know he’s really looking forward to this one
  • AG & I always liked Davis as a player, we felt like he’s still got it, with the Saints and again here we’ve faced him a lot so we knew what we were getting
  • They do a good job exploiting on offense
  • Their defense is complex, they confuse you with different fronts and disguise their coverages, they do a good job mixing things up
  • Reader is trending toward suiting up & getting on the field this week
  • We made plenty of errors last week on offense but we got an explosive to Jamo early, got the look we needed and we knew if it was on target it was a touchdown call
  • You gotta prove it again every week
  • on James Houston IV inactive Wk 1 - it just comes down to is him or another DB, special teams plays a part, how much are you going to use the player. But he’s working hard and we’d like to get him up at some point.
  • What did Malcolm Rodriguez do to earn more defensive snaps? Rodrigo when he’s been healthy, that’s a guy we can trust. We like spreading the load there because it’s just going to help us in December & January
 
Not at practice Wednesday during the media portion:
  • RT Penei Sewell
  • ED Marcus Davenport
  • S Ifeatu Melifonwu
  • S Kirby Joseph left practice early
report comes out at 4pm

53rd man - Active Roster
  • DI Kyle Peko has been signed to the 53-man
  • DI Chris Smith is back on the Practice Squad
  • K Greg Joseph has been signed to the Practice Squad
 
DFN - Justin Rogers

Lions struggle to find comps for RB duo; d-line workloads and Peko added to roster

Allen Park — It took an overtime period to level the scale, but Detroit Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery finished with nearly identical workloads in the season opener, with one seeing 31 snaps and the other logging 30.
Since joining forces last season, the tandem has drawn comparisons to how Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara used to operate in New Orleans. Still, Lions running back coach Scottie Montgomery wonders if there are really any pairings like his duo, given their uniquely overlapping skill sets and abilities.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had guys that can do the same things so well, but it looks completely different,” Scottie Montgomery said. “A lot of those guys — some of those guys that you’re talking about, they have high expertise in just catching the ball or high expertise in inside-the-tackle runs. Some of the most impressive things that Gibby did this week was the interior runs. That one run down there on the goal line, not the one he scored, but the one that got us the first down, that looked like a back (where) we’re supposed to see the Christian Okoyes of the world running the ball.”

Sorry, was that a Nigerian Nightmare reference attached to Gibbs and not Montgomery? Love it.


“It’s different for me, because I don’t know comparable (duos) that I’ve seen,” the coach continued. “A back like Gibby that has the ability to have short-yardage runs, and then I don’t know that I’ve seen a back like David, his size and his body type, that can make the play that he made at the Giants in practice there that was just an unbelievable down-the-field, over-the-shoulder contested catch. Those skill sets are unique, and I just don’t know that I’ve thought about a collection of backs playing together that can do the same things, but just do it a little bit differently.”

As far as their playing time, David Montgomery went a lengthy stretch in the opener without a carry — including the entire fourth quarter — before taking over in overtime. Scottie Montgomery said the playing rotation is dictated by feel, making sure both backs are getting work and riding the hot hand, which is exactly what the team did in OT.

I asked how much consideration the team has given to having the backs share the field more frequently, and Scottie Montgomery was careful about revealing too much of the team’s future plans.

Absolutely, it’s a thought that we have to weigh it both ways, and that’s what we’re constantly doing,” Montgomery said. “But, yeah, like I said earlier, we’re trying to get our best players — without saying too much — on the field together.

"And then making sure that we can finish," Montgomery continued. "We have to finish games in this league. As you guys know, the last five, 10 years there have been so many games that have been decided by one touchdown or one drive or one opportunity . So in these settings, we need to make sure that when we get there, we’ve got the horses and carries to cross the finish line.”

Of course, that’s how it played out it against the Rams.

“It's really good to have those guys and look at them on the sideline and both are energized (in overtime),” Scottie Montgomery said. “You don't have a guy on a knee with a water bottle just exhausted when you know you have to go win the football game.”

● There aren’t many defensive linemen who can handle the workload Aidan Hutchinson does on a weekly and annual basis. The edge rusher played 91% of the team’s defensive snaps last season and logged 90% in the season opener. Not far behind was defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who was on the field for a career-high 87.2% of the reps vs. the Rams.

Both of those linemen have elite conditioning for their positions and can handle an abnormally high workload, but fans often debate the can vs. the should. They reasonably wonder if the two young stars might be more effective if their playing time was reduced 10-20%. I brought the question of balance to defensive line coach Terrell Williams on Wednesday.

“It's a feel thing,” Williams said. “We have very capable backups that can go in there and play. That's one of the things I'm excited about. (Hutchinson) normally plays 91% of the snaps. I think he was at 88 this week, but the problem is we played so many defensive snaps, so he was actually below his percentage, but he played the most snaps he played in a game because we played so many defensive snaps. We just have to find ways to get off the field when we have opportunities to get off the field. I mean, when the game is on the line, you're going to have your best guys out there. That's just part of the job.”

Reading it back, Williams didn’t really answer the question, but knowing the coach likes what he has behind the starters, namely Josh Paschal on the edge, could eventually lead to a slight reduction in what the Lions are asking of Hutchinson.

● Also from Williams, he praised his group’s ability to affect the quarterback in the season opener even if they only managed to sack Matthew Stafford twice in the victory.

“I told our guys, 'When the quarterback is getting rid of the ball quick, that's hats off to you, because that means they know they can't hold the football,’” Williams said. “When they did hold the football, we hit them, and that's how it has to be every week.”

Still, there were a couple of times Stafford escaped the grasp of Detroit’s pass rush. I asked Williams what his coaching points were this week to translate some of that pressure into more sacks.

“You always have to take one more step,” Williams said. “It's funny, I was talking to one of my former players who is a coach now, Ryan Kerrigan — I coached him at Purdue a long, long time ago. The players always remember the sacks they missed. When you watch them, there are a lot of missed sacks. And the common theme there is take one more step.

“And then there are quarterbacks that are elusive,” Williams continued. “This quarterback we're playing this week, (Baker) Mayfield, is one of those guys. You like to see them all finish, but what happens, if a guy misses, the second guy has got to go clean him up. I think we have to do a better job of that going into this football game.”

● The Lions predictably filled their 53rd roster spot with veteran defensive tackle Kyle Peko. For whatever reason, the team was reluctant to have him on the Week 1 roster, which would have guaranteed his salary as a vested veteran.

Peko played a lot in the opener, and even with DJ Reader expected to return this weekend, Peko will have a role as the backup nose tackle, at least as long as Brodric Martin is on injured reserve to start the season.

In addition to that move, the Lions signed defensive tackle Chris Smith and kicker Greg Joseph to the practice squad. Smith had been on the active roster for the opener, logging eight defensive snaps in the win. As for Joseph, he fulfills coach Dan Campbell’s stated desire to have a veteran kicker on the practice squad.

The 30-year-old Joseph has had a solid career, making 82.6% of his career field-goal attempts with a long of 61 yards. That’s a slightly better conversion rate than Michael Badgley (and Jason Hanson, for that matter).

● Campbell was asked about the practice squad receivers, particularly Tim Patrick, and whether the former Broncos standout was trending positively toward appearing in a game anytime soon.

“All of those guys are competing,” Campbell said. “When you’re on the vet squad, every day you put in the work and our eyes are open. I told them all that last week and so we’re paying close attention to him and (Allen) Robinson, as well. So, all options are on the table, and we’ll just take it as it comes.”
In other words, no one has pulled away in the competition quite yet.

● Campbell was also asked about James Houston — who was a healthy scratch for the opener — and what he needs to do to get on the field. For anyone who has been paying attention to what the coach has been saying about Houston’s lack of versatility this offseason, the response was in line with those previous comments.

“Well, so much of it is it could be him or it’s the defensive back,” Campbell said. “What’s going to bring more to you and what plays into that? Special teams is a big one. What about injuries in other areas? So, maybe you need the insurance. Some of it is, what kind of production is that going to bring or how many snaps is he going to get? So, I can’t answer that clearly, but he’s another guy, I mean he’s here, he’s working. We’d love to get him up if the possibility presents itself.”
 
Wednesday’s injury report, noting that any changes from last week will be bolded.

Injured reserve, Non-Football injury list​

  • G Christian Mahogany (Illness, mono) — NFI list, eligible to return in Week 5
  • DT Brodric Martin (knee) — injured reserve, eligible to return in Week 5
  • DL John Cominsky (MCL) — injured reserve, eligible to return in Week 5
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley (pec) — injured reserve, eligible to return in Week 5
No changes to the injured reserve list.

No practice​

  • LT Penei Sewell (ankle) — New injury
  • EDGE Marcus Davenport (groin) — New injury
  • S Kerby Joseph (hamstring) — New injury
  • S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle)
Per Free Press’ Dave Birkett, Sewell got his ankle rolled up on during Week 1 but managed to play through the injury. Birkett says him being kept out on Wednesday was precautionary, and Sewell told him, “I’m good.”

Sewell did not show any signs of aggravation during the game, so this appears to be proactive injury/pain management. We should know more in the coming days.

ASIDE - if you watch Dan Campbell's locker room game ball speech, Penei slips in the door near the beginning. At the time I just thought he looked exhausted, but now I'm thinking he was struggling to move. Should be OK for Sunday, though.

Davenport also appeared to get dinged up during the game but also played through and finished the game on the field. Like with Sewell, this could be precautionary or something to monitor, but we won’t know until later on in the week.

ASIDE - mildly concerning given his extensive injury history. He's missed 32 games due to injury, By year:
  • 3 games missed
  • 3
  • 5
  • 6
  • 2
  • 13
Joseph was spotted during the initial portions of practice (warmups) but appeared to exit practice and garnered a “no practice” designation. It’s unclear when he injured his hamstring and not much more is known at this time.

Melifonwu has been in and out of practices as he deals with an injury that has been tabbed as “slow healing” by the Lions coaching staff. When he will be able to return to action is unknown at this time.

Limited practice​

  • WR Jameson Williams (ankle) — New injury
Williams left Sunday’s game briefly after he took an end around for a 13-yard gain. He returned to the game and had an effective rest of the game, including his 52-yard touchdown.

Full practice​

  • DT DJ Reader (quad) — upgraded to a full practice, expected to make Lions debut this week
  • CB Carlton Davis (chest) — New injury
  • S Loren Strickland (thumb) — returned after missing all of last week
Reader has been steadily improving since he was removed from PUP a few weeks ago, and barring a setback in his rehabilitation this week, he should be ready to make his Lions debut against the Bucs.

“Yeah, I feel good. I’m excited about where I’m at,” Reader told the media Wednesday. “I’m excited just to get out there with the guys.”

Davis missed one play after failing to nab an interception against the Los Angeles Rams toward the end of regulation. He appears good enough to play this week against his former team.

Strickland missed all three practices and the game last week, but a return to practice on Wednesday is an encouraging sign—especially with Melifonwu not practicing. He’ll still need to stack practices before he will return to game action, but it’s certainly reasonable to think he could make his NFL debut on Sunday.

Bucs' initial injury report​

Did not practice
  • DT Calijah Kancey (calf) — missed last game after a Friday injury
  • CB Josh Hayes (ankle)
  • S Antoine Winfield — expected to miss a couple of weeks
Limited practice
  • RT Luke Goedeke (concussion) — in protocol
  • DL Logan Hall (foot) — return to practice after missing game
  • DL William Gholston (elbow)
  • LB K.J. Britt (illness)
  • CB Zyon McCollum (concussion) — in protocol
 
Week 1 NFL leaders - most run blocking snaps by a WR
4. ARSB 28​
17. Jamo 22​
​
Run Blocking Grade (10 or more snaps - rank amongst 95 qualifying WRs)
4. Jamo 77.0​
9. Raymond 71.3​
10. ARSB 68.7​
​
Gap Scheme Run Blocking Grade
1. Jameson Williams 86.1 (11 snaps - 5th most)​
 

Fantasy Football WR Report: Man, zone coverage performance ahead of NFL Week 2​


Detroit Lions​

Week 2 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers​

  • Man coverage rate: 30.5% (11)
  • Zone coverage rate: 67.8% (19)

Versus man​

PlayerRoutes runReceptionsReceiving yardsTarget ratePPR pointsFF PTS/RR
Kalif Raymond6000.0%0.00.00
Amon-Ra St. Brown7000.0%0.00.00
Jameson Williams723728.6%5.70.81

​

Versus zone​

PlayerRoutes runReceptionsReceiving yardsTarget ratePPR pointsFF PTS/RR
Kalif Raymond17000.0%0.00.00
Amon-Ra St. Brown2531324.0%4.30.17
Tom Kennedy4000.0%0.00.00
Jameson Williams2338426.1%17.40.76

Tampa Bay played an above-average rate of man coverage in Week 1 but ranked just 29th in team coverage grade (43.4) while in man.

Jameson Williams is coming off an excellent 2024 debut as the only Lions receiver who was targeted against man coverage, which resulted in 0.81 PPR points per route run (17th). He could be in for another strong performance, especially with the Buccaneers missing safety Antoine Winfield Jr. — one of their best defensive players.



Tampa Bay Buccaneers​

Week 2 opponent: Detroit Lions​

  • Man coverage rate: 43.6% (4)
  • Zone coverage rate: 51.3% (30)

Versus man​

PlayerRoutes runReceptionsReceiving yardsTarget ratePPR pointsFF PTS/RR
Mike Evans71114.3%7.11.01
Chris Godwin732742.9%11.71.67
Jalen McMillan713214.3%10.21.46

​

Versus zone​

PlayerRoutes runReceptionsReceiving yardsTarget ratePPR pointsFF PTS/RR
Mike Evans2146023.8%16.00.76
Chris Godwin2155623.8%10.60.50
Trey Palmer711928.6%2.90.41
Jalen McMillan23008.7%0.00.00
Kameron Johnson4000.0%0.00.00

The Lions deployed a top-five rate of man coverage in Week 1, ranking average to below average in most coverage metrics — including yards allowed per reception (11.1), first down-plus-touchdown rate allowed (35.0%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (7.09).

The Buccaneers' top three receivers dominated against man coverage, with each ranking in the top 15 in PPR points per route run. It will be a tougher matchup this week for Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan.
 
BobbyLayne said:
Week 1 NFL leaders - most run blocking snaps by a WR
4. ARSB 28​
17. Jamo 22​
​
Run Blocking Grade (10 or more snaps - rank amongst 95 qualifying WRs)
4. Jamo 77.0​
9. Raymond 71.3​
10. ARSB 68.7​
​
Gap Scheme Run Blocking Grade
1. Jameson Williams 86.1 (11 snaps - 5th most)​
Click to expand...

Commentaters were raving about St. Brown and the Rams WRs run blocking but suggested Jamo was too small and was not that good at it. Jamo may not be big but he understands positioning. When Monty made his 75 yard run, Jamo took out two guys who had the angle by simply getting in their way and slowing them down. Jamo has natural instincts you just can't teach. People who want to lable Jamo as just a speed guy are clueless, the guy has outstanding football instincts that show up in his allusiveness, his blocking and his adjustments to poorly thrown balls. Jamo is a phenomenal football player.
 
Last edited:

Lions Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt passes away​

JUSTIN ROGERS
SEP 12

Allen Park — Barry Sanders might have the statue in front of Ford Field, but Joe Schmidt is arguably Mr. Detroit Lion. The franchise icon and Pro Football Hall of Famer passed away this week. He was 92 years old.

"Joe Schmidt had the heart of a Lion, which made it appropriate that he was also the heart of our team,” Lions former owner Martha Firestone Ford said in a statement. “Joe was a key part of our Championship seasons and continued to be an important part of our organization until his passing. Joe made his home in Detroit and carried his success from the field into our community. I am saddened to hear of his passing, but I have nothing but fond memories of the person he was. I share my deepest condolences with Marilyn and his children."

Schmidt spent 20 years with the Lions, first as a player, then as a coach. He was an integral part of two championship rosters, including the team’s last in 1957. The star linebacker was named a first-team All-Pro eight times and he was selected to 10 Pro Bowls during his storied career.

Schmidt played during an era before tackles were an official stat. Appearing in 155 games for the Lions, including 151 starts, he recorded 24 interceptions and recovered 17 fumbles.

After hanging up the cleats in 1965, Schmidt went on to coach the team’s linebackers for one season before taking over as head coach from 1967-72. While not nearly successful as he was during playing career, he steered the team to a winning record — 43-34-7 — and a playoff appearance in 1970. He resigned from the position after the 1972 campaign.

In 1973, Schmidt was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and 27 years later he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame for his time at Pitt, where he earned first-team All-American honors as a senior. He was also named to the league’s 100th anniversary team in 2019.

The Lions have honored Schmidt a number of times over the years, including adding him to their Pride of the Lions and retiring his No. 56.

"I am heartbroken to learn of Joe Schmidt's passing,” Lions owner Sheila Hamp said in a statement. “Joe was one of the greatest players to ever wear the Honolulu Blue and Silver. He played a brand of football that struck fear into the entire league and propelled our franchise to two championships. My family and I will be forever grateful for Joe's contributions to the Lions organization, and we are praying for his family during this difficult time."

 
Detroit Lions
Injury report
PlayerPositionInjuryWedThuFriGame Status
Marcus DavenportDEGroinDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Ifeatu MelifonwuSAFAnkleDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Penei SewellOTAnkleDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Kerby JosephDBHamstringDNPLPUNSPECIFIED
Isaiah WilliamsWRAbdomen(-)LPUNSPECIFIED
Jameson WilliamsWRAnkleLPLPUNSPECIFIED
Carlton DavisCBChestFPFPUNSPECIFIED
D.J. ReaderDEQuadricepFPFPUNSPECIFIED
Loren StricklandSAFThumbFPFPUNSPECIFIED

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Injury report
PlayerPositionInjuryWedThuFriGame Status
K.J. BrittLBIllnessLPFPUNSPECIFIED
William GholstonDTElbowLPFPUNSPECIFIED
Luke GoedekeOTConcussionLPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Josh HayesDBAnkleDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Logan HallDEFootLPFPUNSPECIFIED
Calijah KanceyDTCalfDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Zyon McCollumCBConcussionLPFPUNSPECIFIED
Antoine Winfield Jr.SAFDNPDNPUNSPECIFIED
Tykee SmithDBIllness(-)DNPUNSPECIFIED
 
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