2025 Detroit Lions: 2-1 Lions beat Ravens (28 Viewers)

[BobbyLayne]

I think that even though these observations might have been covered in BL's presser, this is a really informative must-read to outsiders looking to get a grip on Detroit's coaching personnel changes. It goes into their history and where their tendencies might be showing up. Perhaps it's too dilettantish, but it seems, unless Sunday was due to a particular exception (and it could well have), to be the best explanation of how deeply personnel was disrupted and how far out of the organization Detroit actually reached (I was led to believe in casual passing that this was direct promotion from within with similar philosophies—it doesn't seem that way at all when you break it down). Matt Harmon is a really bright guy and isn't gonna spill the beans overtly and for show, but he's not going to carry anybody's water no matter how much we like them.

Fantasy Football: Consider eyebrows raised after Lions once 'too-big-to-fail' offense struggles in Week 1

Matt Harmon examines the Lions' struggles on offense in Week 1 and whether it will impact us in fantasy football the rest of 2025.

sports.yahoo.com

Well reasoned and presented in a nuanced manner. Buuuttttt.....as Matt notes several times, 1 game sample size. Reception perception is based off an 8 g sample for a good reason. As we saw last night, it may be the biggest issue Week 1 is the Packers defense is a Top 5 unit.

This was also potentially technically correct and perhaps the reporter could have been more artful but it actually sounds like he doesn't want to piss Campbell off but needs a comment on an obvious disparity. I mean, give whatever reason, but this answer isn't quite up to snuff in any meaningful way.

https://x.com/ScottBarrettDFB/status/1965854596338954408

Sidebar - this exchange was widely panned locally by fans. There's also some subtext folks aren't accounting for, but let's start with the substance.

The Lions did motion less. Even more telling, I don't think live or on the rewatch did I notice multiple shifts. This week they spoke about we're going to simpliy and give the players less so we can focus on fundamentals. In my head I was screaming at YT "TF are you talking about, you made it easy for the Pack and the solution is to make it easier for the Bears??"

Not sure this will land, but for those who play chess, you know that three things you should think about before every move are "checks, threats, & captures." Actually, the first thing you should note is where your opponent moved, what is he threatening or preparing to threaten, what are his ST and LT plans? Then after you complete that assessment, you ask yourself OK what can I do that will cause him to think more?

It's super important to not be too passive. Quiet moves are sometimes OK if you need your opponent to reveal more (i.e., is he intending to castle short side or long?), but generally you want to move you pieces forward and place them on good squares where you are threatening pieces or moving in for the checkmate. Are your threatening an attack? Is it a forcing move the opponent cannot ignore? That allows you to dictate the tempo.

Back to football. Not only did we not see any unusual formations or multiple shifts, I don't think we ran any fast motion. It very much reminded me of the days of Caldwell & Jim Bob Cooter. Jamo runs from one side of the formation to the other, and completes his motion or sets, then they snap the ball. Why not fast motion and snap the ball when ARSB or Jamo are running full speed in motion? That puts stress on the defense. Slow shifts that slow down or even stop before the snap give the defense time to communicate with each other and adjust.

It's like trying to compare the accuracy of someone playing chess with not time controls to when they play rapid, blitz or bullet. The lower time controls induce blunders because your mind feels the pressure of "I've got to move somewhere or I'll end up losing on time." Static formations and less pre-snap movement puts no stress on the defense.

Finally, the questioner in that sequence is John "Doc" Maakaron. He's a local podcaster and writes for Lions on SI. We know SI is a shell of the magazine we grew up with, many of their writers are of dubious distinction. Maakaron is a child psychotherapist and wasn't particularly accomplished in his chosen profession. So he started moonlighting, writing articles for off brand sites and podcasting, eventually reaching a point where he could more or less do sports mostly full time and cut back on his not very lucrative practice. Kudos to him for finding a way to monetize what he loves, but he is in no way qualified to be a beat reporter or football expert - unless you think I am or you are qualified for that job.

There are newspaper guys in that room who went to journalism school at Mizzou and Northwestern, how do you think they feel about psych majors from Michigan State who have anointed themselves as beat writers? (to be clear, he is a licensed therapist, having completed his masters at Detroit Mercy, but he's not a psychologist and the "doc" moniker is disingenuous. He never completed the extern/intern residencies that would qualify him to be a psychologist, he is miles away from being board certified, he never received medical school training to become psychiatrist. That doesn't mean he is not a qualified therapist, but his educational achievement is the same as a social worker.)

Anyway, he has a lot of bad takes and his press conference questions are often cringy. It's rare to see Campbell get snippy but the guy he was answering is something of a fraud. Although in today's world, he's actually typical of the folks now covering sports and politics.

#oldmanyellingatclouds

Good post @rockaction, I definitely think Morton needs to show more creativity in his preparation. Don't tell me the guys have to win their one on ones; you are the one who is supposed to scheme them open and stress the defense enough that running lanes open up because you have forced the defense to make a choice between multiple threats. When the defense only has one thing to worry about the offense is going to flounder.

One week sample size, maybe they turn it around this week. But IMO (and I'm just a fan with an opinion) simplifying and putting less on the players plates is not the approach that will make life harder on teams trying to defend you.

edit - I need an intern to proof these things before I hit post

 

[rockaction]

Thanks, BL. I can very much sympathize with the unseen dynamics of an SI reporter and Dan Campbell. In fact, I was wondering a little bit because if the guy wanted to ask about motion then why not directly ask it? That's a problem with the reporter and his knowledge of the game.

But here's the problem. I was a bit annoyed by the equivocation of the reporter who I thought (because I saw it in the context of Scott Barrett's post) didn't get to the point, and my problem is not with Campbell's attitude. At all. In fact, I understand it both as a function of annoyance and one of future strategy. I thought he might be browbeating the guy so that no future plans got divulged. But now that you give me the backstory, my problem is an entirely different one as I re-watch the clip. The reporter never gets at motion as the issue. And that's so key because Campbell volunteers that motion might just be the issue. And that's weirder. It tells me two things potentially. One, it tells me it was a problem for the Lions in the game. But worse, number two, it tells me (in conjunction with the Harmon article) that Campbell and Morton might not totally be on the same page and they've got to get together and work it out. I hope the differences that Harmon points out aren't so fundamental that the Lions suffer all season because of it.

And it leads me to a weird and stray Twitter observation that may or may not be justified, true, or even matter in three weeks but is salient now. It seems like longtime Lions fans and those in the know are crediting Tanner Engstrom as having a much more crucial role within the Lions organization than we were led to believe. It's odd because I personally was led to believe that Engstrom had an ancillary role and that Morton was the guy behind the Detroit offense and he was first choice hands down.

But why was Morton then in Denver and Engstrom in Detroit when the success of the Detroit offense was going on? And why does the Jets offense have much more similarity to Detroit's offense last year vis a vis motion and play action than Detroit's offense this year has in common with Detroit's offense last year? I dug on Twitter and there were an awful lot of people who you could tell had serious accounts that were immediately posting their laments about how the Jets and Detroit were running their offenses.

Now, this is one game. Will it bear out in the future and come to pass that this holds through seventeen games, or is Pittsburgh a paper tiger and Parsons such a difference and addition to an already loaded Green Bay corps that simply lacked one dynamic pass rusher that really we can't draw anything from this past Sunday?

Time will tell. So that I don't seem like I'm being too deferent or have no opinions of my own I'd like to say I'll bet the truth is somewhere in between and that it's messier than we think. I have a hard time reading all this and thinking that Detroit won't have serious problems. They lost so much intellectual and physical capital that I think we can conclude that, to some degree, this is true. I also don't think the Jets are riding a new genius to thirty-plus a game all easy-peasy. Things will settle down and people will adjust. But I think the personnel raid by the Jets hurt.

It's too bad we mosquitoe'd you guys. Kinda bummed about it and happy for my own team at the same time. Wish it came at no cost and from somewhere else. Peace.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Thanks, BL. I can very much sympathize with the unseen dynamics of an SI reporter and Dan Campbell. In fact, I was wondering a little bit because if the guy wanted to ask about motion then why not directly ask it? That's a problem with the reporter and his knowledge of the game.

But here's the problem. I was a bit annoyed by the equivocation of the reporter who I thought (because I saw it in the context of Scott Barrett's post) didn't get to the point, and my problem is not with Campbell's attitude. At all. In fact, I understand it both as a function of annoyance and one of future strategy. I thought he might be browbeating the guy so that no future plans got divulged. But now that you give me the backstory, my problem is an entirely different one as I re-watch the clip. The reporter never gets at motion as the issue. And that's so key because Campbell volunteers that motion might just be the issue. And that's weirder. It tells me two things potentially. One, it tells me it was a problem for the Lions in the game. But worse, number two, it tells me (in conjunction with the Harmon article) that Campbell and Morton might not totally be on the same page and they've got to get together and work it out. I hope the differences that Harmon points out aren't so fundamental that the Lions suffer all season because of it.

And it leads me to a weird and stray Twitter observation that may or may not be justified, true, or even matter in three weeks but is salient now. It seems like longtime Lions fans and those in the know are crediting Tanner Engstrom as having a much more crucial role within the Lions organization than we were led to believe. It's odd because I personally was led to believe that Engstrom had an ancillary role and that Morton was the guy behind the Detroit offense and he was first choice hands down.

But why was Morton then in Denver and Engstrom in Detroit when the success of the Detroit offense was going on? And why does the Jets offense have much more similarity to Detroit's offense last year vis a vis motion and play action than Detroit's offense this year has in common with Detroit's offense last year? I dug on Twitter and there were an awful lot of people who you could tell had serious accounts that were immediately posting their laments about how the Jets and Detroit were running their offenses.

Now, this is one game. Will it bear out in the future or come to pass that this holds through seventeen games, or is Pittsburgh a paper tiger and Parsons such a difference and addition to an already loaded Green Bay corps that simply lacked one dynamic pass rusher that really we can't draw anything from this past Sunday?

Time will tell. So that I don't seem like I'm being too deferent or have no opinions of my own I'd like to say I'll bet the truth is somewhere in between and that it's messier than we think. I have a hard time reading all this and thinking that Detroit won't have serious problems because they lost intellectual and physical capital. The Jets aren't riding a new genius to thirty-plus a game. Things will settle down and people will adjust. But I think the personnel raid by the Jets hurt.

It's too bad we mosquitoe'd you guys. Kinda bummed about it and happy for my own team at the same time. Wish it came at no cost and from somewhere else. Peace.

Yeah it was kind of surprising we brought back John Morton. For two years we had been led to believe Engstrand was working closely with Ben and it was widely believed he and Kelvin Sheppard would be the new coordinators when the inevitable defections occurred.

We also have a new Passing Game Coordinator (David Shaw), new Run Game Coordinator (long time OL coach Hank Fraley took on an additional assignment), and new WR, RB & TE Assistants. Now the WR coach is the Assistant HC and old RB Coach, the RB Coach was Gibbs position coach in college, the new TE is a highly regarded young up and comer. There is absolutely no reason to question the qualifications of any of the 10 new assistants.

But every year, each team is its own entity. It takes time to get used to the rhythms of communication, establishing identity, building team cohesion. That stuff has to be organic and natural in order for guys to totally buy in.

Only 1 game, yes, but might take some time to work things out.

FWIW I’m indifferent to Ben and how he does. I just want to see them get crushed 2x a year. But I’m a huge AG stan and said often he might end up being a better HC. Dude is a great leader, and given his excellence as a player, you know the players have so much respect him. He knows how to lead men, and while he’s uber competitive, he also cares about the person. Had a lot of one on one conversations with Jamo, and it often wasn’t about football. Love that guy.

 

[Da Guru]

Thanks, BL. I can very much sympathize with the unseen dynamics of an SI reporter and Dan Campbell. In fact, I was wondering a little bit because if the guy wanted to ask about motion then why not directly ask it? That's a problem with the reporter and his knowledge of the game.

But here's the problem. I was a bit annoyed by the equivocation of the reporter who I thought (because I saw it in the context of Scott Barrett's post) didn't get to the point, and my problem is not with Campbell's attitude. At all. In fact, I understand it both as a function of annoyance and one of future strategy. I thought he might be browbeating the guy so that no future plans got divulged. But now that you give me the backstory, my problem is an entirely different one as I re-watch the clip. The reporter never gets at motion as the issue. And that's so key because Campbell volunteers that motion might just be the issue. And that's weirder. It tells me two things potentially. One, it tells me it was a problem for the Lions in the game. But worse, number two, it tells me (in conjunction with the Harmon article) that Campbell and Morton might not totally be on the same page and they've got to get together and work it out. I hope the differences that Harmon points out aren't so fundamental that the Lions suffer all season because of it.

And it leads me to a weird and stray Twitter observation that may or may not be justified, true, or even matter in three weeks but is salient now. It seems like longtime Lions fans and those in the know are crediting Tanner Engstrom as having a much more crucial role within the Lions organization than we were led to believe. It's odd because I personally was led to believe that Engstrom had an ancillary role and that Morton was the guy behind the Detroit offense and he was first choice hands down.

But why was Morton then in Denver and Engstrom in Detroit when the success of the Detroit offense was going on? And why does the Jets offense have much more similarity to Detroit's offense last year vis a vis motion and play action than Detroit's offense this year has in common with Detroit's offense last year? I dug on Twitter and there were an awful lot of people who you could tell had serious accounts that were immediately posting their laments about how the Jets and Detroit were running their offenses.

Now, this is one game. Will it bear out in the future or come to pass that this holds through seventeen games, or is Pittsburgh a paper tiger and Parsons such a difference and addition to an already loaded Green Bay corps that simply lacked one dynamic pass rusher that really we can't draw anything from this past Sunday?

Time will tell. So that I don't seem like I'm being too deferent or have no opinions of my own I'd like to say I'll bet the truth is somewhere in between and that it's messier than we think. I have a hard time reading all this and thinking that Detroit won't have serious problems because they lost intellectual and physical capital. The Jets aren't riding a new genius to thirty-plus a game. Things will settle down and people will adjust. But I think the personnel raid by the Jets hurt.

It's too bad we mosquitoe'd you guys. Kinda bummed about it and happy for my own team at the same time. Wish it came at no cost and from somewhere else. Peace.

Yeah it was kind of surprising we brought back John Morton. For two years we had been led to believe Engstrand was working closely with Ben and it was widely believed he and Kelvin Sheppard would be the new coordinators when the inevitable defections occurred.

We also have a new Passing Game Coordinator (David Shaw), new Run Game Coordinator (long time OL coach Hank Fraley took on an additional assignment), and new WR, RB & TE Assistants. Now the WR coach is the Assistant HC and old RB Coach, the RB Coach was Gibbs position coach in college, the new TE is a highly regarded young up and comer. There is absolutely no reason to question the qualifications of any of the 10 new assistants.

But every year, each team is its own entity. It takes time to get used to the rhythms of communication, establishing identity, building team cohesion. That stuff has to be organic and natural in order for guys to totally buy in.

Only 1 game, yes, but might take some time to work things out.

FWIW I’m indifferent to Ben and how he does. I just want to see them get crushed 2x a year. But I’m a huge AG stan and said often he might end up being a better HC. Dude is a great leader, and given his excellence as a player, you know the players have so much respect him. He knows how to lead men, and while he’s uber competitive, he also cares about the person. Had a lot of one on one conversations with Jamo, and it often wasn’t about football. Love that guy.

Remember Marty Morninweg was touted as an offensive genius and flopped as a HC. Then went back to being a successful OC.

Agree, AG seems to be better cut out to be a HC than Ben. Not saying Ben won`t have success but being the HC is a total different animal than being the OC or DC. Instead of being in charge of one unit the hC is in charge of everything that has to do with the team from players, the whole staff down to equipment people. Pulled in many directions.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Thanks, BL. I can very much sympathize with the unseen dynamics of an SI reporter and Dan Campbell. In fact, I was wondering a little bit because if the guy wanted to ask about motion then why not directly ask it? That's a problem with the reporter and his knowledge of the game.

But here's the problem. I was a bit annoyed by the equivocation of the reporter who I thought (because I saw it in the context of Scott Barrett's post) didn't get to the point, and my problem is not with Campbell's attitude. At all. In fact, I understand it both as a function of annoyance and one of future strategy. I thought he might be browbeating the guy so that no future plans got divulged. But now that you give me the backstory, my problem is an entirely different one as I re-watch the clip. The reporter never gets at motion as the issue. And that's so key because Campbell volunteers that motion might just be the issue. And that's weirder. It tells me two things potentially. One, it tells me it was a problem for the Lions in the game. But worse, number two, it tells me (in conjunction with the Harmon article) that Campbell and Morton might not totally be on the same page and they've got to get together and work it out. I hope the differences that Harmon points out aren't so fundamental that the Lions suffer all season because of it.

And it leads me to a weird and stray Twitter observation that may or may not be justified, true, or even matter in three weeks but is salient now. It seems like longtime Lions fans and those in the know are crediting Tanner Engstrom as having a much more crucial role within the Lions organization than we were led to believe. It's odd because I personally was led to believe that Engstrom had an ancillary role and that Morton was the guy behind the Detroit offense and he was first choice hands down.

But why was Morton then in Denver and Engstrom in Detroit when the success of the Detroit offense was going on? And why does the Jets offense have much more similarity to Detroit's offense last year vis a vis motion and play action than Detroit's offense this year has in common with Detroit's offense last year? I dug on Twitter and there were an awful lot of people who you could tell had serious accounts that were immediately posting their laments about how the Jets and Detroit were running their offenses.

Now, this is one game. Will it bear out in the future or come to pass that this holds through seventeen games, or is Pittsburgh a paper tiger and Parsons such a difference and addition to an already loaded Green Bay corps that simply lacked one dynamic pass rusher that really we can't draw anything from this past Sunday?

Time will tell. So that I don't seem like I'm being too deferent or have no opinions of my own I'd like to say I'll bet the truth is somewhere in between and that it's messier than we think. I have a hard time reading all this and thinking that Detroit won't have serious problems because they lost intellectual and physical capital. The Jets aren't riding a new genius to thirty-plus a game. Things will settle down and people will adjust. But I think the personnel raid by the Jets hurt.

It's too bad we mosquitoe'd you guys. Kinda bummed about it and happy for my own team at the same time. Wish it came at no cost and from somewhere else. Peace.

Yeah it was kind of surprising we brought back John Morton. For two years we had been led to believe Engstrand was working closely with Ben and it was widely believed he and Kelvin Sheppard would be the new coordinators when the inevitable defections occurred.

We also have a new Passing Game Coordinator (David Shaw), new Run Game Coordinator (long time OL coach Hank Fraley took on an additional assignment), and new WR, RB & TE Assistants. Now the WR coach is the Assistant HC and old RB Coach, the RB Coach was Gibbs position coach in college, the new TE is a highly regarded young up and comer. There is absolutely no reason to question the qualifications of any of the 10 new assistants.

But every year, each team is its own entity. It takes time to get used to the rhythms of communication, establishing identity, building team cohesion. That stuff has to be organic and natural in order for guys to totally buy in.

Only 1 game, yes, but might take some time to work things out.

FWIW I’m indifferent to Ben and how he does. I just want to see them get crushed 2x a year. But I’m a huge AG stan and said often he might end up being a better HC. Dude is a great leader, and given his excellence as a player, you know the players have so much respect him. He knows how to lead men, and while he’s uber competitive, he also cares about the person. Had a lot of one on one conversations with Jamo, and it often wasn’t about football. Love that guy.

Remember Marty Morninweg was touted as an offensive genius and flopped as a HC. Then went back to being a successful OC.

Agree, AG seems to be better cut out to be a HC than Ben. Not saying Ben won`t have success but being the HC is a total different animal than being the OC or DC. Instead of being in charge of one unit the hC is in charge of everything that has to do with the team from players, the whole staff down to equipment people. Pulled in many directions.

IDK much about the Jets org, don’t pay attention to the New Jersey franchises. But we all know in Chicago Ben is hampered by a lot of organizational dysfunction.I don’t think Poles will be there long, been treading water for 4 years.

 

[rockaction]

Thanks, BL. I can very much sympathize with the unseen dynamics of an SI reporter and Dan Campbell. In fact, I was wondering a little bit because if the guy wanted to ask about motion then why not directly ask it? That's a problem with the reporter and his knowledge of the game.

But here's the problem. I was a bit annoyed by the equivocation of the reporter who I thought (because I saw it in the context of Scott Barrett's post) didn't get to the point, and my problem is not with Campbell's attitude. At all. In fact, I understand it both as a function of annoyance and one of future strategy. I thought he might be browbeating the guy so that no future plans got divulged. But now that you give me the backstory, my problem is an entirely different one as I re-watch the clip. The reporter never gets at motion as the issue. And that's so key because Campbell volunteers that motion might just be the issue. And that's weirder. It tells me two things potentially. One, it tells me it was a problem for the Lions in the game. But worse, number two, it tells me (in conjunction with the Harmon article) that Campbell and Morton might not totally be on the same page and they've got to get together and work it out. I hope the differences that Harmon points out aren't so fundamental that the Lions suffer all season because of it.

And it leads me to a weird and stray Twitter observation that may or may not be justified, true, or even matter in three weeks but is salient now. It seems like longtime Lions fans and those in the know are crediting Tanner Engstrom as having a much more crucial role within the Lions organization than we were led to believe. It's odd because I personally was led to believe that Engstrom had an ancillary role and that Morton was the guy behind the Detroit offense and he was first choice hands down.

But why was Morton then in Denver and Engstrom in Detroit when the success of the Detroit offense was going on? And why does the Jets offense have much more similarity to Detroit's offense last year vis a vis motion and play action than Detroit's offense this year has in common with Detroit's offense last year? I dug on Twitter and there were an awful lot of people who you could tell had serious accounts that were immediately posting their laments about how the Jets and Detroit were running their offenses.

Now, this is one game. Will it bear out in the future or come to pass that this holds through seventeen games, or is Pittsburgh a paper tiger and Parsons such a difference and addition to an already loaded Green Bay corps that simply lacked one dynamic pass rusher that really we can't draw anything from this past Sunday?

Time will tell. So that I don't seem like I'm being too deferent or have no opinions of my own I'd like to say I'll bet the truth is somewhere in between and that it's messier than we think. I have a hard time reading all this and thinking that Detroit won't have serious problems because they lost intellectual and physical capital. The Jets aren't riding a new genius to thirty-plus a game. Things will settle down and people will adjust. But I think the personnel raid by the Jets hurt.

It's too bad we mosquitoe'd you guys. Kinda bummed about it and happy for my own team at the same time. Wish it came at no cost and from somewhere else. Peace.

Yeah it was kind of surprising we brought back John Morton. For two years we had been led to believe Engstrand was working closely with Ben and it was widely believed he and Kelvin Sheppard would be the new coordinators when the inevitable defections occurred.

We also have a new Passing Game Coordinator (David Shaw), new Run Game Coordinator (long time OL coach Hank Fraley took on an additional assignment), and new WR, RB & TE Assistants. Now the WR coach is the Assistant HC and old RB Coach, the RB Coach was Gibbs position coach in college, the new TE is a highly regarded young up and comer. There is absolutely no reason to question the qualifications of any of the 10 new assistants.

But every year, each team is its own entity. It takes time to get used to the rhythms of communication, establishing identity, building team cohesion. That stuff has to be organic and natural in order for guys to totally buy in.

Only 1 game, yes, but might take some time to work things out.

FWIW I’m indifferent to Ben and how he does. I just want to see them get crushed 2x a year. But I’m a huge AG stan and said often he might end up being a better HC. Dude is a great leader, and given his excellence as a player, you know the players have so much respect him. He knows how to lead men, and while he’s uber competitive, he also cares about the person. Had a lot of one on one conversations with Jamo, and it often wasn’t about football. Love that guy.

Remember Marty Morninweg was touted as an offensive genius and flopped as a HC. Then went back to being a successful OC.

Agree, AG seems to be better cut out to be a HC than Ben. Not saying Ben won`t have success but being the HC is a total different animal than being the OC or DC. Instead of being in charge of one unit the hC is in charge of everything that has to do with the team from players, the whole staff down to equipment people. Pulled in many directions.

IDK much about the Jets org, don’t pay attention to the New Jersey franchises. But we all know in Chicago Ben is hampered by a lot of organizational dysfunction.I don’t think Poles will be there long, been treading water for 4 years.

The Jets have a meddling and really suspect (I actually said ****ty at first) owner who lets his psycho teenage boys get involved in the actual club decisions who now needs to get himself and his kids the absolute heck out of the way because it seems like we lucked out into an OC and maybe (maybe God bless us) a guy who has turned the corner at QB.

Maybe.

I would will it into existence.

 

[Payne]

Only week 2, but this is a must win game. A loss to Chicago heading into a Monday night game at Baltimore would be brutal.

Not only that, GB looks good. Two solid wins.

 

[BobbyLayne]

who is the GM Rock?

aw yes, ambassador Woody & his kids using Madden rating to evaluate players…see there is good reason for me to ignore Gang Green

 

[rockaction]

who is the GM Rock?

aw yes, ambassador Woody & his kids using Madden rating to evaluate players…see there is good reason for me to ignore Gang Green

Darren Mougey, GM

Darren Webster Mougey (born April 7, 1985) is an American professional football executive and former wide receiver who is the general manager of the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs as a wide receiver and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2009.

Mougey began his professional executive career as a scouting intern in 2012 for the Denver Broncos and served in their personnel department from 2012 to 2024 before being named the general manager of the Jets in 2025.

Actually, I know more than Wiki, which is wrong in this case. Mougey was also a quarterback at SDSU.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Normandy was a must win. Gettysburg was a must win.

Sunday is an important game. I’m inclined to think they get it together and quiet all the SOL chicken littles.

But if they lay an egg, and don’t make the Super Bowl LXI, there’s always LXII - with the same core which has given us the most successful run the franchise has had in the past 68 years.

Just one time in the next 10-20 years before I go home to Jesus. That seems like a reasonable ask.

 

[Da Guru]

Only week 2, but this is a must win game. A loss to Chicago heading into a Monday night game at Baltimore would be brutal.

Not only that, GB looks good. Two solid wins.

I was just going to post that this is already looking like a must win game. Can`t go 2 games down in division with a road trip to Baltimore on tap. That would make a tough road.

It is very early but Packers are looking like a complete team so far. Can`t fall too far back

 

[Da Guru]

Normandy was a must win. Gettysburg was a must win.

Sunday is an important game. I’m inclined to think they get it together and quiet all the SOL chicken littles.

But if they lay an egg, and don’t make the Super Bowl LXI, there’s always LXII - with the same core which has given us the most successful run the franchise has had in the past 68 years.

Just one time in the next 10-20 years before I go home to Jesus. That seems like a reasonable ask.

I feel the same, just worry that the big window Lions had last 2 seasons is only half open now.

A win Sunday then a road win in Baltimore and the bandwagon will fill up again.

 

[Payne]

Only week 2, but this is a must win game. A loss to Chicago heading into a Monday night game at Baltimore would be brutal.

Not only that, GB looks good. Two solid wins.

I was just going to post that this is already looking like a must win game. Can`t go 2 games down in division with a road trip to Baltimore on tap. That would make a tough road.

It is very early but Packers are looking like a complete team so far. Can`t fall too far back

Agree. Schedule doesn't get any easier.

GB does looks good. Love looks much improved and the trade for Parsons has made an already good defense elite.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Giovanni Manu tracking to make his first NFL start at LT

You are correct in thinking he has never played a regular season snap

Decker out again today but still hoping to be able to play Sunday

 

[BobbyLayne]

9/11 player availability - WR Edition

0:00 - 4:54: Jameson Williams
4:55 - 11:51: Amon-Ra St. Brown
11:52 - 14:45: Isaac TeSlaa

Jamo said the extension negotiations lasted all of 2 weeks

No big purchases planned, other than “getting his family right”

 

[BobbyLayne]

Not a ton out of today's media sessions. Decker is still going to be held out of practice, but the hope/expectation remains that he plays. Team is prepared to adjust (provide help) if they have to go to Manu.

Campbell gave a good answer about the mental challenge of rushing Caleb Williams full bore, but also being cognizant of him taking an escape lane. Strongly praised the QB's athleticism and said they've been working it hard all week, even if the best look they're able to get from the scout team is Kyle Allen, who is (my words) decidedly less athletic.

Campbell said Wingo has been getting some practice reps this week, hinting that the second-year defensive lineman could be adding to the mix this week.

 

[BobbyLayne]

6 thoughts to end week: On duality of what we learned Thursday, offense's usage of motion, Jack Campbell and more​

Spoiler: Has Justin been reading our thread?

Allen Park — Here are six thoughts to end the week as the Detroit Lions prepare to play their home opener against the Chicago Bears.

A second look​

It’s incredible how much doubling a sample size can revise our perceptions.

For all the post-mortem dissection performed on Detroit’s offensive performance last Sunday, clearly not enough credit was given to the Green Bay Packers defense.

Four days after shutting down Detroit's potent attack — sparking a post-Ben Johnson hysteria on social media and talk radio — the Packers showcased a repeatable defensive formula on Thursday Night Football, neutralizing a Commanders team that averaged 28.5 points in 2024, while forcing ultra-talented quarterback Jayden Daniels into the checkdown machine, much like Jared Goff over the weekend.

The final stats for Detroit and Washington are strikingly similar. Detroit put up 245 yards, achieved 16 first downs and scored 13 points. Washington finished with 230 yards, 15 first downs and 18 points. The Commanders also averaged fewer yards on the ground, despite having one of the game’s premier run threats under center.

Yes, Washington scored more than the Lions, but that would be a disingenuous takeaway. Most of Thursday’s production came in the fourth quarter, including 58% of the team’s yardage and 15 of the 18 points. The seven possessions before the final frame? They gained an average of 12 yards and maxxed out with a nine-play, 37-yard drive that ended in their only other points.

Contrast that against the Lions, who had drives of 78, 55 and 59 yards on three of their first five possessions. Doesn’t change the fact that the Lions didn’t capitalize on those opportunities, but at least they had them.

Green Bay’s defensive domination in these two games is six of one, half-dozen of another. They executed their game plan to near perfection. Admittedly, a two-game sample size isn’t all that much better for evaluation than one. However, it’s quickly becoming clear that the addition of Micah Parsons is game-changing, elevating a good scheme to great.

It was reasonable to reject the Packers as NFC North favorites in the immediate aftermath of the Parsons trade. However, with an immediate 1.5-game lead on the Lions, plus the tie-breaker, they’ve earned their pole position.

Shifting focus​

Part of the week’s autopsy was the relentless search for what was different between offensive coordinator John Morton’s game-planning and play-calling debut, compared to Johnson’s approach over the past few seasons.

The most obvious change is that the retooled offensive line didn’t perform to the standard we’ve come to expect. And if that doesn’t get corrected quickly, nothing else is going to matter all that much.

Another big takeaway, even though the metrics are all over the map depending on the service being referenced, is that the Lions used fewer pre-snap shifts and motions.

Watching the film of the game, I didn’t have that initial reaction. And there are numbers to back my perceptions, coming via NFL Pro, the league’s official stat tracking. According to their data, the Lions used motion on 41 of 67 offensive snaps (61.2%). That ranked in the top half of the league.

What’s interesting is that the Lions used motion more last Sunday than they used in Green Bay last season. Additionally, the Lions used it more than the Chicago Bears did in their first game under Johnson, according to the same data provider.

Also, and maybe I’m oversimplifying things here, but I've always viewed the primary purpose of motion as identifying whether your opponent is in man or zone. And while every team mixes it up, it’s pretty well established that the Packers heavily favor zone. Rewatch the game and you’ll see minimal defensive movement to match Detroit’s motions.

Now, there’s also the concept of during-snap motion, where an offensive player is moving as the ball is snapped. That’s become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks in large part to Mike McDaniel's early success in Miami. (Maybe don't look at what the Dolphins are doing now.)

While NFL Pro doesn’t track during-snap motion data, other services show a sharp decline in Detroit’s usage of the strategy in Week 1.

It’s certainly an interesting observation, but there are too many variables at play to react. How much of this is being on the road, as coach Dan Campbell suggested? Was it opponent-based? Or was it stripping a layer of complexity to start the season?

At least some of the data provided by Yahoo’s Matt Harmon point to this being a potential Morton trend, trickling down from mentors Jon Gruden and Sean Payton. That doesn’t make it inherently bad, just different.

Of course, if Detroit's offense does fall off significantly from a year ago, we can expect it to be a parroted talking point as a key reason for the slippage.

Former coordinator advantage​

Heading into Sunday’s game with Chicago, there’s a debate about which coaching staff holds an edge based on familiarity. In his Monday press conference, Campbell mused that the sides were on even ground.

However, I’d give the edge to Johnson, and I’m going to repeat an uncomfortable parallel I drew in this week’s podcast.

In Matt Patricia’s first season in Detroit, the Lions welcomed the coach’s former team, New England, to Ford Field for a Week 3 match.

The Patriots were coming off a Super Bowl appearance. They would also go on to win the Super Bowl that season. Still, in a rare bright spot from the Patricia era, the coach dialed up a game plan that frustrated legendary quarterback Tom Brady. He finished with 133 yards and an interception in the 26-10 loss.

Obviously, the situations have differences, but I think the biggest advantage Chicago has coming into this game is Johnson’s intimate knowledge of Jared Goff’s strengths and weaknesses. And while he’ll be passing that information along to coordinator Dennis Allen as opposed to crafting the defensive game plan himself, like Patricia likely did ahead of that New England matchup, it’ll still be something to monitor.

Johnson has spent the past three years seeing the game through Goff’s eyes. How the coach uses that against his former pupil will be the game inside the game to watch on Sunday.

Waiting on that next step​

Brace yourself for another sample size conversation, and one potentially influenced by an ankle injury. Regardless, I’m getting impatient waiting for linebacker Jack Campbell to take the next step.

Let me start by acknowledging what Campbell does well. He’s exceptional coming downhill, processing his keys and destroying ball carriers in the ground game, paired with the range to seek and destroy screens and throws to the flat. Plus, he offers top-notch reliability as a tackler.

Without question, there’s tremendous value in that skill set combination.

That said, Campbell was selected in the first round of the draft because he has the size and athleticism to be one of the game’s elite all-around players at his position. Well, he hasn’t taken the steps forward in the other aspects of his role to merit entry into that conversation.

First, Campbell’s coverage continues to lag behind his impact in the run game. While he posted elite speed, explosion and change-of-direction metrics during the pre-draft process, he lacks fluidity when flipping his hips in man-to-man coverage, making him susceptible to vertical patterns. That showed up multiple times against the Packers, including getting beaten on a wheel route where the ball was overthrown. There was also the game’s opening touchdown, where Campbell was out of position, desperately grabbing at tight end Tucker Kraft as he ran by on a skinny post into the end zone.

Then there’s Campbell’s inability to affect the pocket as a pass rusher, whether off the line of scrimmage or blitzing off the ball. To the Lions’ credit, they abandoned a lot of his edge alignments after it wasn’t working during his rookie campaign. Regardless, Campbell was sent after the quarterback 125 times last season and generated just 1.5 sacks and 13 total pressures.

Against the Packers on Sunday, it was more of the same, with five blitzes and zero pressures. Campbell looked hesitant as he reached the line, potentially being hyper-vigilant against allowing Jordan Love a scramble lane. Still, if you’re not going to sacrifice affecting the pocket, while taking away a body from coverage, what’s the point?

Based on the way he plays the run, you expect blitzing to come naturally to Campbell. It hasn’t. And, really, that goes to all of Detroit’s linebackers. Outside of career-best production from Anzalone in 2022, which can be classified as an anomaly, the group hasn’t been effective with the assignments, something defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard acknowledged needs to be better this week.

It’s something to stay on top of as the season progresses. With Anzalone’s contract set to expire, and Detroit showing no urgency to extend the 30-year-old captain, targeting a linebacker with blitz ability might be a worthwhile conversation ahead of next year’s draft. It’s not like Sheppard is going to be dialing his aggressive tendencies back any time soon.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Spoiler: 6 thoughts part 2 of 2

Worthy of a bigger role?​

Look, no need to state the obvious. We’re all ready to see more of rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa, and everything points to that happening this week. We probably would have seen significantly more of him last week had he not missed most of the first two days of practice with an illness.

Defensively, it was a strange game against the Packers, with just 48 snaps. Still, I was left wanting to see more of Al-Quadin Muhammad, who logged just seven reps, including four at interior alignments that the team viewed as obvious pass-rushing situations.

From those interior alignments, Muhammad did get one of the team's two quarterback hits, coming on a third-down play that contributed to a drive-killing incompletion.

While everyone was wondering where edge pressure would come from outside Hutchinson this season, I thought a deeper dive into Muhammad’s 2024 production made a compelling case for him being part of the solution. We shouldn’t be shrugging off 26 pressures and 3.0 sacks on just 190 rushes last season, just because he lacks the name recognition of Smith.

Among edge rushers on the field for 20% of their team’s pass plays, Muhammad's pressure rate tied for 15th. His win rate is closer to the middle of the pack, but I still would like to see the Lions find a way to get him on the field more.

Vote for a refreshed look​

Everyone knows I care more about uniforms than anyone reasonably should. Not in the sense that I buy into the superstitious idea a jersey-and-pants combos contribute to wins and losses. It’s more about the overall aesthetics. Look good, play good, I suppose.

I truly appreciate last year’s upgrades to Detroit's look. The new blue pops, as opposed to looking like it went through 1,000 washes, and the font and contrast of the numbers make them much easier to read. Turns out, that’s helpful as a journalist who is often watching action develop from long distances.

I recognize we’ve already had enough Packers talk in this post. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge how good their all-white uniforms looked with the addition of the white helmet, a look they debuted last season.

The NFL approved the usage of a third helmet color in 2024. The Lions have yet to take advantage, but given how frequently the team wears white on white, including against the Packers last Sunday, I’m convinced a matching helmet would take the combination to another level.

That’s the end of this week’s fashion talk. I tacked it on the bottom of the post on purpose. Thanks for indulging.

 

[Da Guru]

Have to love Sheps attitude. Enjoyed his interview.

 

[msudaisy26]

Only week 2, but this is a must win game. A loss to Chicago heading into a Monday night game at Baltimore would be brutal.

Not only that, GB looks good. Two solid wins.

I was just going to post that this is already looking like a must win game. Can`t go 2 games down in division with a road trip to Baltimore on tap. That would make a tough road.

It is very early but Packers are looking like a complete team so far. Can`t fall too far back

This is basically a must win game for a few reasons.

I don't believe they can go into Baltimore and win, I know Baltimore just choked week one away, but it was a rare Henry fumble and Josh Allen being superman. We don't have a Josh Allen.

Teams that start 0 - 2 make the playoffs like 12 percent of the time. I am making an educated guess, but I bet that number is a lot lower if you take out teams that won bad divisions with nine or less wins. That won't work in this division.

The schedule is brutal. If they lose this week and start 0 - 3. Going 10 - 4 the rest of the way looks extremely difficult.

 

[Donnybrook]

Have to love Sheps attitude. Enjoyed his interview.

Kelvin Sheppard better prove to be good DC because he takes himself way too seriously. https://x.com/i/status/1966275281301450843

 

[BobbyLayne]

Decker questionable, Nowaske out, Vaki doubtful.

Only surprise was Kerby Joseph, popping up as limited with a knee concern on Friday. The All-Pro safety is also questionable.

Chicago ruled out Kyler Gordon. Grady Jarrett is questionable. Jaylen Johnson and T.J. Edwards are off the report and expected to play.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Since 1990 (35 seasons), 288 teams have started 0-2. Of those, 35 made the playoffs.

12.2%

In 2024, 9 teams started 0-2. The Broncos, the Rams and the Ravens all made the playoffs. Baltimore and LA both won division titles.

 

[msudaisy26]

I am starting to think the Lions roll in this game. Decker might not play, Joseph popping up late on the injury report, which is never good, Campbell and Arnold are banged up and somehow the line opened at Lions -minus 4 is out to Lions minus 6.5 despite all the injuries and as bad as they looked week one. Vegas and the sharps know something.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Have to love Sheps attitude. Enjoyed his interview.

Kelvin Sheppard better prove to be good DC because he takes himself way too seriously. https://x.com/i/status/1966275281301450843

You’re unfamiliar with him? That’s who he is, been the same guy since he got here in 2021. He’ll be an NFL head coach before the end of the decade.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Kerby's knee was an issue this summer as well. Not sure what exactly he's dealing with but that LP today might just be a way to manage whatever it is that's wrong.

Bummed Vaki is doubtful, thought they might have him handle KR this week but that hamstring has been going on for awhile, might be taking a longer view there and just trying to ensure he makes it through the year.

WRT Decker, Coach Campbell acknowledged it's the same one he had offseason surgery on. When someone pressed him about whether this could become a long term issue he said "could be."

Guess we'll see on Sunday if he is able to go.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Lions Rookie Tyleik Williams Is An Underrated Beast | Film Review

nice film breakdown here

 

[BobbyLayne]

Full practice for Jack Campbell Thursday & Friday after sitting on Wednesday.

Starting left tackle all week in practice and the likely starter Sunday will be Giovanni Manu.

Today’s media availability:

• 0:00 - 3:35: Jack Campbell
• 3:36 - 9:01: Gio Manu

 

[BobbyLayne]

Hidden Figures: Seth Ryan's disappointment has transformed into appreciation after offseason role change​

Spoiler: Buddy's grandson is a grinder

Note: This is the fourth installment in a multi-part series that explores the background, responsibilities, and aspirations of the Detroit Lions’ lower-level assistant coaches. Today, we’re looking at assistant tight ends coach Seth Ryan.

Allen Park — The last two times Seth Ryan believed he was ready to take the next step in his coaching career, he’s been told, “No, not yet.”

The first time, shortly after he arrived in Detroit as an assistant receivers coach in 2021, Ryan said it to himself. He admits he had felt differently when he accepted the job, having led a veteran room in an interim capacity with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, it didn’t take long for Ryan to recognize how much he still had to learn.

“When I came here, I got a rude awakening,” he said. “I was like, I am not ready. I'm not at the level that Dan Campbell requires and Ben Johnson requires to be a position coach."

This offseason, Ryan was told no again, directly by Campbell this time. The receiver coaching position opened up after Antwaan Randle El followed Johnson to Chicago. Ryan interviewed, but Campbell opted to shift assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery from running backs to receivers instead.

Ryan couldn’t argue the decision. There are not many coaches on staff with a stronger resume. Of course, losing to someone more qualified didn’t lessen the sting. However, Campbell’s follow-up offer to change Ryan’s role did.

Ryan, 31, is a third-generation coach. His dad, Rex, coached the Jets and Bills. His grandfather, Buddy, led the Eagles and Cardinals. Uncle Rob, a former NFL defensive coordinator, is still going strong as a member of USC’s defensive staff.

Seth Ryan is aiming to add to his family’s legacy. He might be the black sheep — an offensive coach among a group of defensive minds — but he has ambitions to be a coordinator and eventually a head coach, just like dad and grandfather.

And Campbell, who values what Ryan has added to his staff, wants to help him reach those goals. So instead of leaving the young assistant in his current role under someone else, Campbell moved Ryan to the tight end room, partnering him with the incoming Tyler Roehl, who is getting his first taste of the NFL after spending the first several years of his career coaching college.

The way Campbell saw it, it would be a challenge outside Ryan’s comfort zone. Importantly, it would offer an opportunity to work with a position more broadly involved in the offense.

“He's looking at my future,” Ryan said. “He's like, I see you becoming this, and I know this will help you. And there's got to be a lot of trust with your head coach. This is my fifth season with him. I trust the man completely. He knows exactly how to help his staff, how to help the team. He's helped my career a ton, so I'm going to trust him.”

The value of a name​

As a child, Ryan dreamed of playing in the NFL. That’s not uncommon, but few kids get to grow up around the game like he did. Reality set in while in high school, maybe before, and going into the family business quickly became the more viable option.

Still, Ryan was in no rush to hang up the cleats. Without a scholarship offer, he looked for walk-on opportunities with a big program, ultimately choosing to go to Clemson.

“I wanted to be around a place where football mattered,” Ryan said. “So that's why I wanted to go to the south. I wanted to be around the best coaches, the best players. I want to be around the best. I felt like that was going to help me prepare the most for my next step, which I knew was going to be coaching.”

A defensive player in high school, Ryan wasn’t athletic enough to play on that side of the ball for the Tigers. He was converted to receiver — not that he was going to see the field much that way, either. The list of receivers he overlapped with at the program is ridiculous. Ryan played with DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant, Mike Williams, Hunter Renfroe and Adam Humphries. Those were some dudes, and each of them made it to the NFL.

Ryan, meanwhile, caught five passes. That wasn't his freshman output. No, that was for his college career. His primary role was as the holder on kicks. But he still got everything he hoped for out of his football education, including a national championship.

Critically, when he was entering his senior year, coach Dabo Sweeney and offensive coordinator Jeff Scott effectively transitioned Ryan into a player-coach role to help a talented crop of incoming freshmen acclimate.

“Sweeney told me straight up, ‘Look, man, you're not going to play in the NFL.’ I'm like, ‘Thank you, but I know.’ And he's like, ‘But you'll coach there.’ And so I treated my senior year kind of like my first kind of year in coaching.

“I was still playing, still taking (practice) reps off the guys during the season, whatever I could do to help, but I was spending a lot of time trying to help teach some of the younger freshmen as best I could,” Ryan said. “It would be things like, ‘Hey, you're getting this coverage, this is how you run the route, this is how your stem should be.’ That helped our coaches. That helped them develop guys a little bit quicker. That was kind of what I was trying to do.”

From Clemson to Detroit​

It wasn’t always easy being Rex Ryan’s son. In high school, Seth remembers answering the door for a pizza delivery and being bombarded by a television crew waiting for his dad outside the home.

Even now, there is the existential feeling of having to live up to his family’s name. Not that Seth runs from that. In fact, he admits he probably wouldn’t have a job in the NFL if it weren’t for being a Ryan.

He certainly wouldn’t have gotten his foot in the door so quickly.

Two weeks after capping his college career with a National Championship, Ryan got a call from Anthony Lynn. A former offensive coordinator under his dad, Lynn had been hired as the head coach of the Chargers. He wanted to bring the younger Ryan into the fold as a coaching intern in 2017.

Ryan jumped at the opportunity. He and his girlfriend packed up and flew across the country to begin his coaching journey.

“A-Lynn wanted me to just float both sides of the ball,” Ryan said. “Just help where you can, whatever it is, breaking up film, drawing cards, typing scripts, whatever it is, just be available for both sides. I was just observing, really, for the first year.”

The next year, Ryan became a full-time staffer with the Chargers, in the same role he initially held in Detroit, assistant wide receivers coach. There, he reconnected with former teammate Mike Williams, and a young veteran receiver just coming into his own, Keenan Allen.

Ryan stayed in the role through the 2020 season, taking over the room midway through that campaign, when receivers coach Phil McGeoghan had to step away to address a personal matter.

When Lynn got fired at the end of that season, Ryan found himself out of work, too. He didn’t want to bank on his dad again. After using that card to get his foot in the door, the younger Ryan needed to carve his own path.

“He already got me in,” Ryan said. “He's done. I don't want to use him anymore. I don't want to use it ever again because I want to make my own way.

“I don't want to dissociate my name, but I'm my own guy,” Ryan said. “If you meet me, the biggest comment you can give me is, I never knew your dad was Rex Ryan.”

As it turns out, Lynn would be out of work for fewer than three weeks, getting hired as Campbell’s initial offensive coordinator in Detroit. And with some autonomy to construct an offensive staff, Lynn sought to bring Ryan to Detroit with him.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Spoiler: Hidden Figures: Seth Ryan part 2 of 2

Embracing discomfort​

Lynn only lasted a year with the Lions. The hire proved to be a bad fit, which happens all the time around the league. He lost his play-calling duties in the middle of the season, and the sides parted ways at the end of the campaign, clearing the path for Ben Johnson’s promotion.

Ryan stayed on staff and got new responsiblities. One of the early projects Johnson assigned him was a deep dive into the trick plays run around the league. Ryan cataloged more than 4,000 for the coordinator, serving an intergral role in what became a calling card during Johnson’s tenure in Detroit.

Ryan also committed countless hours to the betterment of Detroit’s receivers, a young group that included Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. One way Ryan contributed was a successful strategy he learned working with the Chargers, building cut-ups of elite wide receivers running the routes and plays the team was asking of its roster.

“I always try to save all of our guys' routes, try to grab all of our top receivers in the league that year, grab all their routes and save it because, you know, somebody might need to see a route,” Ryan said. “Like, ‘Hey, this is how (Justin) Jefferson ran that route. And here's a look. Here's when you get it.

“If I can help in any way, I will,” Ryan said. "Whatever it is. If I had two more hours to watch more tape just to help a guy with one route, I'll do it.”

The switch to tight ends has been like having to earn a graduate degree in a few months for Ryan. He played receiver, he coached receiver, but he’s never put his hand in the dirt or coached someone who has. However, the day he accepted the role, he made a promise to Campbell.

“I was like, I'm going to know everything on that field,” Ryan said. “I'm going to know what the protections are, know all the run game, where they're supposed to be, the defense, how the front sets,” Ryan said. “I spent this whole offseason just asking 5,000 questions to (offensive line ocach) Hank Frehley, 5,000 questions to Tyler Roehl.”

Roehl said he and Ryan have been valuable to each other. While Roehl helped fill in the knowledge gap with blocking and run schemes, Ryan has provided a better understanding of Detroit’s pass game concepts.

“Yeah, big change for him, but the most growth can come from change,” Roehl said. “…He has a wide variety of knowledge in the pass game, playing the position. Now, being able to learn this whole standpoint with the run game, and being able to marry it together, it's only going to help him so much in his coaching career. And he's doing an unbelievable job for me in the room.”

After a crash course throughout the summer, Ryan feels confident with his new responsibilities. If Roehl asks him, Ryan can run the drills or a meeting. And if Sam LaPorta or Brock Wright has a question about their footwork on a certain run, Ryan has the answer. He doesn’t have to steer the player to someone else.

“I will say it has been probably the best thing that's happened in my career, not getting a receiver coach job and getting this assistant tight end job,” Ryan said. “One of Campbell’s things is if you get comfortable, you're never going to grow. You have to be put into uncomfortable situations. You’ve got to get fed to the fire so that you can develop and grow.

“I think it's one of the things that we do here so well, and I think that's why we've been so successful,” Ryan said. “We don't try to make it super comfortable.”

In addition to his work with the tight ends, Ryan continues to study trick plays for new coordinator John Morton. There has continued to be high interest in those studies since the departure of Johnson.

“Johnny Mo is in the business that he wants to attack,” Ryan said. “He's wants to find a weakness, and, you know, if we show him here’s where they are weak. He has so far shown me that he's going to want to do it.”

Ryan also creates reports on other aspects of the upcoming opponent, including where they’ve been hit by big plays. It all extends from locating those weaknesses and mismatches to exploit."

Is Ryan where he hoped to be in his career nine years in? No, not really. Regardless, there’s a recognition that he’s right where he needs to be. More importantly, he absolutely loves what he’s doing and the people he’s getting to do it with.

When Ryan was in high school, his dad asked him, ‘Are you sure you want to live this lifestyle?’ Buddy had tried to steer Rex and Rob away from coaching. It’s a demanding job and it can be hard on your family.

“I was like, yeah, this is all I know,” Seth said. “This is what I want to do. I love what you do. I want to be a part of it. He was like, ‘OK, cool.’ And that was it.”

Since that day, Ryan has sought out opportunities to work with the best because he wants to be the best. That helped him win a national title at Clemson, where he went from walk-on to earning a scholarship.

Presently, he's nearly a decade into coaching at the highest level.

There are still things to learn, promotions to be earned and a family legacy to uphold. One thing is for sure: When the next opportunity comes, Ryan is certain he will be ready.

 

[Da Guru]

Full practice for Jack Campbell Thursday & Friday after sitting on Wednesday.

Starting left tackle all week in practice and the likely starter Sunday will be Giovanni Manu.

Today’s media availability:

• 0:00 - 3:35: Jack Campbell
• 3:36 - 9:01: Gio Manu

Seems like it is time for Sewell to take over the LT spot for good.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Full practice for Jack Campbell Thursday & Friday after sitting on Wednesday.

Starting left tackle all week in practice and the likely starter Sunday will be Giovanni Manu.

Today’s media availability:

• 0:00 - 3:35: Jack Campbell
• 3:36 - 9:01: Gio Manu

Seems like it is time for Sewell to take over the LT spot for good.

I think the consensus is Manu probably isn't ready but he's not gonna develop being inactive every week.

Last week was the first time he was activated for a game. He was designated the swing T for jumbo packages but they never got to it.

Hoping he isn't disaster and this will be a confidence builder for them.

Sewell is obviously the most talented OL they have, maybe in franchise history, but I wonder if they like what he brings to the run game and second level blocking from RT. There are a lot of high end OT playing the right side these days.

 

[nysfl2]

Full practice for Jack Campbell Thursday & Friday after sitting on Wednesday.

Starting left tackle all week in practice and the likely starter Sunday will be Giovanni Manu.

Today’s media availability:

• 0:00 - 3:35: Jack Campbell
• 3:36 - 9:01: Gio Manu

Hope he's ready

 

[BobbyLayne]

Full practice for Jack Campbell Thursday & Friday after sitting on Wednesday.

Starting left tackle all week in practice and the likely starter Sunday will be Giovanni Manu.

Today’s media availability:

• 0:00 - 3:35: Jack Campbell
• 3:36 - 9:01: Gio Manu

Hope he's ready

What could possibly go wrong?

Lions projected starting OL vs Bears, Week 2:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Year 2, 4th Rounder, 0 NFL snaps	Year 2, 6th Rounder, 4th NFL start	Age 33 & declining	3rd Round Rookie, 2nd NFL start	2X All Pro

 

[BobbyLayne]

FTR, feels like both young guards are going to be solid 10 year starters in this league, with pro bowl upside. GG is capable of looking competent, his biggest flaw is he's not Frank Ragnow.

Gio Manu starting Week 2 was not on my bingo card. Ginormous human but it's a little scary thinking about how raw he is, but no time like the present to find out if he's any good.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Lions-Bears Week 2 Preview: The Williams’ Effect

All 22 Films previews the game through the prism of Caleb, Jamo & 3 coaches with a lot of pressure on them this week: Ben Johnson, John Morton & Kelvin Sheppard

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I was originally very bullish on the Lions -4.5, but now with the Decker news and the line ballooning to -6.5 or a money line of -298 (!)...not so much. Can't blame any bettor for being bearish here.

 

[Da Guru]

I was originally very bullish on the Lions -4.5, but now with the Decker news and the line ballooning to -6.5 or a money line of -298 (!)...not so much. Can't blame any bettor for being bearish here.

At this point in time I would gladly take a 27-24 no cover win. Just get the W.

 

[Zeppelin]

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!

 

[Zeppelin]

The offensive game plan and play calling was exceptional. Much different and much less predictable than last week. It's helps that the offensive line played great.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Ben Johnson who? Lions drop 52 on Bears, demolishing former offensive coordinator in return to Ford Field​

Spoiler: maybe they meant positive regression

Detroit — The sky isn’t falling, the offense can still sizzle, and Ben Johnson's departure isn’t the end of the world. The Detroit Lions proved all three in a 52-21 demolition of the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s home opener at Ford Field.

Taking the game’s opening kickoff, the Lions offense set the tone on the first offensive snap with a 34-yard pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, marking a longer gain than anything the unit produced against the Green Bay Packers last week.

It wasn't necessarily smooth sailing start to finish. There were some bumps in the road in the opening half, including a failure to net any points on back-to-back takeaways in the second quarter. However, a momentum-swinging officiating blunder at the end of the first half allowed the Lions (1-1) to score a touchdown two seconds before the break, taking a 28-14 lead into the locker room.

That began a stretch of six consecutive scoring drives, including five touchdowns, as they pulled away from the Bears (0-2) in Johnson’s return to Detroit after three highly successful years as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Yes, Goff was nearly perfect and St. Brown scored three times, but given the criticism offensive coordinator John Morton took following the team’s less-than-stellar showing in Green Bay, he’s the easy answer.

Scoring summary​

First quarter

● 12:13 — The Lions needed one snap to deliver a longer gain than they had in Week 1 as Goff connected with St. Brown on a crossing pattern for 34 yards. Three consecutive handoffs to Jahmyr Gibbs put the finishing touches on an impressive five-play scoring drive to open the contest, with the back racing around the left edge for a 6-yard touchdown. LIONS 7, BEARS 0

● 8:30 — It wasn’t as smooth as the Lions’ opening possession, but the result was the same. The Bears converted on third down twice, including third-and-9 in the red zone, with receiver Rome Odunze going uncovered on a crossing route to beat Detroit’s blitz for a 20-yard score. LIONS 7, BEARS 7

● 2:39 — After the two sides traded punts, the Lions took advantage of starting a drive at midfield, working it into the end zone in four plays. St. Brown came up with another explosive gain, running an 18-yard dig route and rumbling another 14 yards after the catch before getting dropped at the 1-yard line. David Montgomery did the rest, powering it up the gut for the touchdown. LIONS 14, BEARS 7

Second quarter

● 4:48 - The Lions did damage on the ground, with some mixed in creativity, including a third-down handoff to St. Brown and an end-around to Kalif Raymond. After six consecutive runs, capped with gains of 19 and 11 for Montgomery and Gibbs, Goff connected with tight end Brock Wright out of play-action for an 8-yard touchdown. LIONS 21, BEARS 7

● 1:55 — It was a big series for Odunze, who made tough grabs for gains of 21 and 16 yards on back-to-back snaps. Then, after Chicago secured first-and-goal after converting third-and-short with a designed run for Williams, the QB rolled left and found Odunze for a third time on the series, a 6-yard touchdown to slice Detroit’s lead to a score. LIONS 21, BEARS 14

● 0:02 — Something needed to be seen to be believed: The Lions benefited from the 10-second run-off rule after Isaac TeSlaa hauled in a deep ball at the 2-yard line, but couldn’t get out of bounds with 16 seconds remaining.

However, the official closest to the play ruled TeSlaa out of bounds while the clock operated kept time running. That forced a booth review, which confirmed the receiver was in-bounds, but gave the Lions one more snap with six seconds after the run-off. With the bonus play, Goff hit St. Brown on a short out route for six, giving the Lions a two-touchdown advantage at the break. LIONS 28, BEARS 14

Third quarter

● 10:39 — The Lions replicated their game-opening drive with a big gain on a crossing pattern to kickstart the offense's first possession of the third quarter. Jameson Williams took the ball in space and raced 64 yards to Chicago’s 12-yard line. However, a loss of 11 by Gibbs, after he spun free of an initial tackle attempt, squashed hopes of another touchdown. The Lions settled for a 34-yard field goal to push the lead to three scores. LIONS 31, BEARS 14

● 6:22 — The rout is on. Gifted a short field by the defense after a turnover on downs, Goff found Williams wide open on a deep shot down the middle for a 44-yard touchdown. LIONS 38, BEARS 14

Fourth quarter

● 14:56 — Fueled by a 42-yard Gibbs run, the Lions found the end zone on the first snap of the fourth frame. Goff connected with St. Brown for a second score, this one a back-shoulder ball on a wheel route from the right slot from 8 yards out. LIONS 45, BEARS 14

● 11:45 — What would have been Terrion Arnold’s first career interception was wiped off the books when Branch made contact with the quarterback’s head on a blitz. Capitalizing on the second chance following the penalty, the Bears punched it in three plays later with a 3-yard run by D’Andre Swift. LIONS 45, BEARS 21

● 11:45 — Following a failed onside kick for Chicago, Detroit grabbed the dagger. Instead of taking a chip shot field goal deep in the red zone, the Lions went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Running play-action, Goff found St. Brown again, in the right flat out of motion. LIONS 52, BEARS 21

Turnovers​

● With the Bears driving late in the first quarter, running back D’Andre Swift took a handoff and was hunting for room around the left side. Safety Brian Branch filled the lane, put a helmet on the ball and forced a fumble. The loose ball was recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell, ending the threat.

● Early in the second quarter, and buried with a second-and-32 after a pair of penalties, Aidan Hutchinson pressured Williams out of the pocket. The QB heaved a desperate deep ball on the move into the waiting arms of Kerby Joseph for the interception.

Key stats​

● Goff missed one throw to Williams early in the game but was otherwise sterling, completing 23-of-28 for 334 yards, five touchdowns and a passer rating of 156.0.

● Detroit’s rushing attack got on track after a dismal showing in Green Bay, racking up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry. Gibbs paced the backfield with 94 yards on 12 totes, going over the century mark from scrimmage with three receptions for another 10 yards.

● St. Brown led the Lions with nine catches for 115 yards and the three touchdowns, while the ever-explosive Williams turned two grabs into 108 yards and a touchdown.

● Four different Lions — Hutchinson, Branch, Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad — tallied a sack. Campbell, as usual, led the Lions in tackles, racking up eight stops.

Notable​

● Former defensive end Robert Porcher was officially inducted into the team’s “Pride of the Lions” during a halftime ceremony.

● Jake Bates missed a 55-yard field goal attempt wide left, despite having plenty of distance on the kick.

Injuries​

● Lions tight end Shane Zylstra was knocked from the game in the first half with an ankle injury.

● Davenport exited in the first half, also with an ankle injury, after colliding with Hutchinson in the backfield during a pass play. Davenport eventually returned to action but exited again after recording a sack, this time with a shoulder issue. He was able to return from that one, as well.

● Late in the fourth quarter, while trying to chase down running back Kyle Monangai from behind, Branch collided with Campbell, causing the safety to go into the air and land hard. After being tended to by the trainers for a couple of minutes, Branch slowly hobbled off.

Inactives​

In addition to linebacker Trevor Nowaske, who was ruled out with an elbow injury on Friday, the Lions scratched safety Thomas Harper, defensive lineman Tyler Lacy, defensive tackle Chris Smith, running back Sione Vakie and defensive end Tyrus Wheat.

Vaki had been listed as doubtful coming into the day due to a lingering hamstring strain.

Next game​

Detroit will play its first primetime game of the season, hitting the road to battle the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

 

[Zeppelin]

On 97.1 Campbell said the biggest issues week 1 was communication & missed assignments. If they clean those up they should be OK this week.

He was spot on.

 

[Ilov80s]

Nothing like playing the bears to get everything back on track

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Always nice to see that (now usual) bounce back game. Halloween of 2022 remains an impressive stat.

 

[BobbyLayne]

• Lions set a franchise record by averaging 8.8 yards per play on offense today.
• Brian Branch is the team's first defensive back since at least 1999 to produce a game with:
  
  - 5+ tackles
  - 2 TFLs
  - 1.0 sack
  - 1 PD
  - 1 FF
• For the first time in franchise history, the Lions have produced a game with:
  
  - 500+ total net yards
  - 5 passing TDs
  - 2 rushing TDs
• The only QBs in NFL history to complete at least 75.0% of their passes in four-straight games (25 attempts per game minimum):
  
  1. Jared Goff (4, 2024-25 seasons)
  2. Tom Brady (4, 2007 season)
• Jared Goff has produced two-career games with at least 300 passing yards, an 80.0% completion percentage and a passer rating of 155.0.
  
  This ties for the most such games in NFL history.
• Goff produced his 4th-career game with at least 300 passing yards, three passing TDs and a passer rating of at least 150.0.
  
  This ties for the fourth-most such games in league history.
• The Lions improved to 9-0 in games in which RBs Gibbs, Montgomery and WR ARSB have all produced TDs.
  
  This extends their NFL record of games in which a trio of players have all scored TDs.
• The Lions improved to 12-0 in games in which Jah and Monty scored TDS.
• St Brown is the first Lions player to produce 100+ receiving yards and 3 TDs in a game since Calvin Johnson on Halloween, 2010.
• Aidan Hutchinson has at least one QB in 17 straight games, tying a franchise record.
• Hutch has a sack in 5 straight games vs the Bears.
• ARSB produced his fourth-career game with at least 100 receiving yards and two TDs.
  
  QB Jared Goff produced his fourth game with at least 300 passing yards and four passing TDs for Detroit.
• Over the last two seasons, Lions WR Jameson Williams has produced six TD receptions of 40+ yards.
  
  This ranks as the second-most in the NFL during that span.
• Today was Jamo’s 4th 100 yards receiving game, and the second time he & ARSB topped the century mark in the same game.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Nice game by Tyleik Williams. Couple run stops early and at least 2 tipped passes.

Davenport left the game twice (ankle, shoulder) but returned both time. He was icing his shoulder postgame.

AQ Muhammad was really good, glad he saw more snaps.

Hutch had 5 pressures.

TA had his first INT wiped out by penalty, but think he has a couple PDs. Seems like he’s been really good in run D both weeks. But overall I think Arnold & Reed could be better in coverage. Have to wait until we see some all 22 cutups.

Good week for Morton & Sheppard. They’ve got their work cut out for them. Wifey and I will be in Baltimore Inner Harbor Saturday morning through Tuesday night.

 

[msudaisy26]

Good to see to them win this one easily. On to the Ravens. I don't see them winning, but weirder things have happened.

 

[Payne]

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.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Everybody had a media appearance today:

• 0:00 - 5:47: Brian Branch
• 5:48 - 10:38: Amon-Ra St. Brown
• 10:39 - 13:02: Isaac TeSlaa
• 13:03 - 15:15: Jack Campbell
• 15:16 - 18:07: Jameson Williams
• 18:06 - 20:08: Amik Robertson
• 20:09 - 24:20: Marcus Davenport
• 24:21 - 28:03: Derrick Barnes

 

[BobbyLayne]

Dan Campbell Week 2 postgame locker room speech