Sunday, May 6, 2018
After years of speculation about the NFL possibly bringing in an international city for an expansion franchise, the league finally announced that Toronto would indeed be awarded a new NFL franchise. Starting with the 2018 season the Toronto Huskies will join the AFC East. It was a busy offseason in Toronto as not only did they have their expansion draft, but they also had the No. 1 overall pick in their hands.
First on their plate was hiring a new head coach to lead this new franchise. Ownership brass led by Edward Rogers III, owner of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and MLB's Toronto Blue Jays, decided that first time head coach Demetrius Turner was the right man for the job. What Turner lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm and creativity. As former offensive line coach and offensive coordinator who had bounced around college football and the pros he was eager to make a name for himself with this young franchise.
Next was the expansion draft with the following rules
1. Each team must list 5 players made available to draft (No punter/kickers, any players under the age of 25, or players on expiring contracts)
2. Must select either 30 players and/or 38% of that season's salary cap.
3. Once a player is selected from a team, that team can choose to protect one of its 5 players. Once a team has two players selected it can choose to protect its remaining draft eligible players.
Here's how the expansion draft ended up for Toronto:
Player
Pos
Ovr
Age
Former Team
Cap Hit
Contract Years Remaining
Cliff Avril
LE
87
31
$8.39
1
CB
78
28
$3.17
1
LOLB
82
26
$4.26
5
HB
80
26
$4.03
3
WR
79
29
$4.57
2
QB
75
31
$3.79
1
CB
85
26
$10.5
4
DT
78
27
$4.98
4
MLB
84
28
$3.89
4
CB
74
25
$4.82
1
RG
77
29
$1.05
2
QB
77
25
$510K
1
HB
77
26
$1.52
1
DT
77
25
$2.02
2
TE
79
25
$890K
1
C
78
29
$4.32
3
LE
79
26
$4.32
4
In total the Huskies selected 17 players for its new franchise. Toronto was also busy in the free agency period, signing many players to team friendly deals to try and strengthen the depth of its roster. Here are some of major signings for the team:
TE Luke Willson, 3 years, $9.24 mil
K Adam Vinatieri, 1 year, $2.35 mil
WR Torrey Smith, 2 years, $13 mil
WR Danny Amendola, 2 years, $5.46 mil
The next step was the NFL Draft. With the No. 1 overall pick Toronto decided to grab its signal caller of the future in Bradley Giles out of Wisconsin. While some scouts mentioned his size as an issue (only 6-1), Giles has a cannon for an arm (92 throw power) and has the speed (86) and mobility (89 agility) to make defenses pay attention to him outside the pocket. Not to mention his experience playing in cold weather as a 4-year starter for the Badgers. With no consensus player available in the 2nd round, Huskies decided to trade back and pick up some additional picks for the future. In the 3rd round Toronto selected speedy halfback DeMikael Ball out of Michigan State who just might be the steal of the draft. So far in training camp he has shown to be more than capable of handling the starting HB duties. The Huskies found another gem in the 5th round as they picked up one of the better interior linemen in Raymond Rodgers out of Missouri. The 6-4 and 322 pound road grater is going to prove essential in the run game.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Posted on March 24, 2018 at 07:39 PM.
Have you ever wondered how the league might look if over the half the league relocated? Well here's my take on what the league might look like. I relocated 17 of the NFL's franchises and gave them new team names, as well as uniforms. I had a few rules as I started this franchise:1. Relocations must make geographical sense (if you want a team in London then one of the East division teams must be relocated)
2. At least one team from each division must be relocated.
3. I decided that certain teams would be protected (Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers, New York Giants, Packers, etc.) basically if the team had upwards of 4 Super Bowls or had been a staple of the league.
Here's how the division's aligned following my relocation (former teams in parenthesis).
AFC East
New England Patriots
London Monarchs (Miami Dolphins)
Brooklyn Beats (New York Jets)
Dublin Shamrocks (Buffalo Bills)
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Columbus Aviators (Cleveland Browns)
Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens
AFC South
Mexico City Diablos (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Austin Armadillos (Indianapolis Colts)
Oklahoma City Bisons (Tennessee Titans)
San Antonio Dreadnoughts (Houston Texans)
AFC West
Sacramento Miners (Denver Broncos)
Salt Lake City Elks (Kansas City Chiefs)
San Diego Aftershocks (Los Angeles Chargers)
Las Vegas Raiders (Oakland Raiders)
NFC East
New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys
London Black Knights (Washington Redskins)
Philadelphia Eagles
NFC South
Memphis Hounds (Carolina Panthers)
Orlando Sentinels (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Portland Lumberjacks (Arizona Cardinals)
San Francisco 49ers
Following this I then simmed 10 years into the future because I wanted the league to look a lot different (new players, new coaches, etc.)
Stay tuned for more updates!
Monday, February 26, 2018
Posted on February 26, 2018 at 04:52 PM.
| Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams | |||||
| Feb 26, 2018 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Detroit Lions (3-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 38 |
| Los Angeles Rams (1-2) | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 33 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| DET | LAR | |
| Total Offense | 428 | 434 |
| Rushing Yards | 159 | 226 |
| Passing Yards | 269 | 208 |
| First Downs | 10 | 21 |
| Punt Return Yards | 46 | 54 |
| Kick Return Yards | 27 | 203 |
| Total Yards | 501 | 691 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 3-11 | 5-12 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/1 | 3/1 |
| Penalties | 4-30 | 4-46 |
| Posession Time | 22:45 | 37:15 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | DET | LAR | |
| 7:22 | (LAR) (LAR) G. Zuerlein, 20 YD FG | 0 | 3 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | DET | LAR | |
| 1:26 | (LAR) (LAR) G. Zuerlein, 42 YD FG | 0 | 6 |
| 1:54 | (LAR) (LAR) T. Gurley II 8 YD Pass from J. Goff(G. Zuerlein Kick) | 0 | 13 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | DET | LAR | |
| 9:43 | (DET) (DET) (DET)R. Westbrooks 23 YD Pass from M. Stafford(M. Prater Kick) | 7 | 13 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | DET | LAR | |
| 13:45 | (DET) (DET)M. Prater, 38 YD FG | 10 | 13 |
| 13:35 | (LAR) (LAR) S. Watkins, Returned Kickoff 101 YDS(G. Zuerlein Kick) | 10 | 20 |
| 11:01 | (DET) (DET) M. Stafford, 12 YD Run(M. Prater Kick) | 17 | 20 |
| 8:41 | (LAR) (LAR) J. Davis, 2 YD Run(G. Zuerlein Kick) | 17 | 27 |
| 8:26 | (DET) (DET) D. Guice 79 YD Pass from M. Stafford(M. Prater Kick) | 24 | 27 |
| 5:04 | (DET) (DET) M. Stafford, 10 YD Run(M. Prater Kick) | 31 | 27 |
| 4:03 | (DET) (DET) D. Guice, 80 YD Run(M. Prater Kick) | 38 | 27 |
| 1:28 | (LAR) (LAR) S. Watkins 5 YD Pass from S. Mannion(2-Point Conversion Failed) | 38 | 33 |
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Heading into the fourth quarter of their Sunday night clash with the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions trailed 13-7 in what had been a defensive struggle for most of the game. Little did both teams know, they were about to rewrite the record books for points scored in a 4th quarter.
A grand total of 51 points (31 from Detroit) between the two teams set an NFL record for points scored in a single quarter. It did not look like it would be the Lions day in the first half as they were shutout and only ran 11 plays on offense leading to three punts. Meanwhile MVP candidate Todd Gurley had already surpassed the century mark on the ground and was well on his way to another standout performance. The Rams led 13-0 at the break.
The third quarter played out much like the first half, until a fumble by Gurley set up the Lions with terrific field position inside LA's 40-yard line. Stafford took advantage connecting with undrafted rookie wideout Rashad Westbrooks for a 23-yard score and put Detroit within a touchdown at 13-7. The Lions later added a Matt Prater field goal early in the 4th quarter to make it 13-10. That was when the fireworks started.
Los Angeles wide out Sammy Watkins took a kickoff out of the endzone and raced 101 yards for a touchdown in what seemed like a back breaker for Detroit to put the Rams back up by double-digits, 20-10. The next two drives, both Detroit and LA exchanged short touchdown drives, with Stafford scrambling for six from 12 yards out. The Rams found pay dirt as well with Justin Davis running for a 2-yard score.
The very next play, Stafford dropped back to set up a screen pass and the blocking was perfect as rookie running back Derrius Guice sprinted down the sidelines for 79 yards and a touchdown. Once again the Lions were only down three. Detroit wasn't done however as Stafford once again found the endzone with his legs on a 10-yard touchdown for the Lions first lead of the night at 31-27.
The once dominant rushing attack of Los Angeles had faltered and young quarterback Jarrad Goff couldn't pick up a first down as the Rams went three and out. The Lions with an opportunity to close out the game, turned to their rookie back who in turn scored on another long play. This time an 80-yard run to essentially put the game away at 38-27.
Rams back-up QB Sean Mannion stepped in for a drive after Goff left the game after taking a nasty hit from Haloti Ngata. Mannion kept LA's slim chances alive with a 5-yard TD pass to Watkins. However, the Rams were unable to secure the onside kick as Detroit found a way to stay unbeaten.
After the game, Lions head coach Matt Patricia talked about his team's exciting victory:
"That's now how I'd like to win every game, but when you have a guy like Matt at QB and explosive athletes you're never out of a game," Patrica said. "Give credit to Jim (Bob Cooter) he made the adjustments on that side of the ball in the second half."
The Lions stay on the road next week as they travel all the way back to the East coast for a battle with the Bills (1-2).
| Thursday's Games | Hi Passing | Hi Rushing | Hi Receiving |
| New Orleans 33 Minnesota 21 | D. Brees(NO)- 305 | M. Ingram(NO)- 94 | M. Thomas(NO)- 165 |
| Sunday's Games | Hi Passing | Hi Rushing | Hi Receiving |
| Buffalo 17 Tennessee 21 | T. Taylor(BUF)- 265 | D. Henry(TEN)- 79 | T. Taylor(TEN)- 99 |
| Philadelphia 30 Jacksonville 24 | C. Wentz(PHI)- 368 | J. Ajayi(PHI)- 96 | Z. Ertz(PHI)- 92 |
| Denver 52 Cleveland 0 | T. Siemian(DEN)- 239 | D. Johnson Jr.(CLE)- 59 | J. Heuerman(DEN)- 72 |
| Atlanta 38 NY Giants 31 | M. Ryan(ATL)- 222 | D. Freeman(ATL)- 118 | T. Gabriel(ATL)- 85 |
| Carolina 17 Tampa Bay 19 | C. Newton(CAR)- 284 | R. Burkhead(TB)- 67 | C. Godwin(TB)- 70 |
| Washington 14 Dallas 35 | A. Smith(WAS)- 218 | E. Elliot(DAL)- 116 | R. Grant(WAS)- 88 |
| Indianapolis 31 Houston 35 | D. Watson(HOU)- 302 | L. Blount(IND)- 87 | D. Hopkins(HOU)- 154 |
| Seattle 30 Chicago 24 | R. Wilson(SEA)- 301 | J. Howard(CHI)- 95 | D. Baldwin(SEA)- 81 |
| NY Jets 17 Green Bay 38 | A. Rodgers(GB)- 230 | T. Montgomery(GB)- 194 | A. Seferian-Jenkins(NYJ)- 81 |
| Miami 17 Detroit 24 | M. Stafford(DET)- 359 | D. Guice(DET)- 87 | E. Ebron(DET)- 120 |
| Arizona 21 San Francisco24 | N. Foles(ARI)- 235 | D. Johnson(ARI)- 85 | D. Moncrief(ARI)- 79 |
| LA Rams 28 Las Vegas 14 | J. Goff(LAR)- 250 | T. Gurley II(LAR)- 185 | C. Kupp(LAR)- 119 |
| Cincinnati 21 Baltimore 48 | J. Flacco(BAL)- 293 | K. Dixon(BAL)- 62 | A. Green(CIN)- 148 |
| New England 35 Kansas City 21 | T. Brady(NE)- 282 | D. Lewis(NE)- 81 | R. Gronkowski(NE)- 111 |
| Monday's Games | Hi Passing | Hi Rushing | Hi Receiving |
| Pittsburgh 23 LA Chargers 49 | P. Rivers(LAC)-355 | M. Gordon(LAC)- 115 | T. Williams(LAC)- 132 |
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Posted on February 25, 2018 at 12:16 AM.
| Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Feb 24, 2018 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Miami Dolphins (1-1) | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Detroit Lions (2-0) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| MIA | DET | |
| Total Offense | 277 | 482 |
| Rushing Yards | 47 | 144 |
| Passing Yards | 230 | 338 |
| First Downs | 13 | 23 |
| Punt Return Yards | 16 | 31 |
| Kick Return Yards | 81 | 97 |
| Total Yards | 374 | 610 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 6 | 13 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 1/1 | 2/1 |
| Penalties | 20 | 20 |
| Posession Time | 23:09 | 36:51 |
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Although Matthew Stafford wasn't at his best throughout Sunday's game against Miami, he came through when it mattered tossing three touchdowns in a 24-17 win over the Dolphins.
After falling behind early 7-0 due to Ryan Tannehill's elusive 3-yard scramble into the endzone on Miami's first drive, the Lions engineered a drive of their own which ended in a 3-yard strike to fullback Tion Green to knot the game at 7 in the first quarter.
The very next drive for Detroit disaster would strike however, as Detroit native and former Michigan State star Tony Lippett picked off Stafford's throw and ran it back for a touchdown.
That would be the last touchdown for the Dolphins as the Lions defense stiffened allowing just a total of 277 yards of offense and just 47 yards rushing. Miami lost their starting running back Kenyon Drake early to an injury, and veteran Adrian Peterson struggled to find room against the Lions front rushing for just 5 yards on 9 carries. In fact, Miami's top rusher was Tannehill who ran for 32 yards.
With the Lions leading 24-17 late in the 4th quarter and driving, it looked like the game was just about over. However an interception by Bradley McDougald in the endzone, his 2nd of the game, gave the Dolphins a shot with a little over 2 minutes remaining. It would not be Tannehill's day as his desperation heave on third and long fell into the hands of Lions corner Darius Slay who sealed the game with his first interception of the season.
The Lions improve to 2-0 on the young season, but will face a stiff test next week as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams (1-1). L.A. spoiled the Raiders opening game in their new home of Las Vegas with a 28-14 victory in week two. Star running back Todd Gurley is picking up where he left off in 2017 with 259 yards and 4 touchdowns through the first two games.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Posted on February 17, 2018 at 12:39 AM.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Feb 17, 2018 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
| Detroit Lions (1-0) | 7 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| TAM | DET | |
| Total Offense | 362 | 438 |
| Rushing Yards | 137 | 246 |
| Passing Yards | 225 | 192 |
| First Downs | 23 | 13 |
| Punt Return Yards | 47 | 18 |
| Kick Return Yards | 0 | 26 |
| Total Yards | 409 | 482 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 6 | 3 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 0/3 | 1/2 |
| Penalties | 15 | 101 |
| Posession Time | 32:09 | 27:51 |
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When new Lions head coach Matt Patricia took over the franchise he made it priority number one to fix Detroit's awful running game. Well so far it seems that this focus on the rushing attack has paid off. Granted it was just preseason game, the Lions ran for 246 yards on the ground in a 27-19 victory over Tampa Bay.
Rookie first round pick DeAndre Figurs only carried the ball twice in his debut in a Lions uniform, but that's all he needed to show the fans why he was taken with the 20th overall pick. On just his second carry of the game, Figurs took the handoff to the right and cut to the left for open field and a 66-yard touchdown. 2nd-year back Tion Green also had an explosive 91-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter that would seal the win for Detroit. Meanwhile Ameer Abdullah, who has been the subject of trade rumors, had a quality game with 11 carries and 45 yards in limited action. Right now it is a wide open battle for carries in the Lions backfield and it should be interesting to see how Patricia handles who will receive the carries once the regular season starts.
Although quarterback Matthew Stafford didn't throw a touchdown in his one quarter of action, he completed 4 of 7 for 28 yards in what seemed like a slow start for the Lions offensively. New backup Brian Hoyer struggled early on, throwing a pick on his first drive. He would bounce back with 154 yards through the air. The only passing touchdown of the day came from undrafted rookie quarterback Cody Macpherson. The University of Pittsburgh product saw limited action in the 4th quarter, but the made the best of it with a 17 yard scoring strike to Jace Billingsley.
On defense, the Lions looked like an improved unit up front only giving up 137 yards on the ground. Meanwhile the pass rush was able to out pressure on Jameis Winston and former Detroit backup Jake Rudock with 5 total sacks. The one negative for the Lions defensively came in the discipline department. 101 total penalty yards gave the Buccaneers more chances to extend drives then there should have been.
Tune in next week as the Lions host the Washington Redskins and former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.
Monday, February 5, 2018
The Detroit Lions officially hired Matt Patricia, former New England defensive coordinator, as their head coach.
Despite testing the free agency waters, DT Haloti Ngata decided Detroit was the best place for him and signed a 1-year deal worth 5.83M. The Lions were pretty thrifty this year in free agency, and used their cap space to plug up holes instead of going for the big name. Here's a quick breakdown of the Lions free agency signings and some of the most notable signings around the league.
2018 Lions Free agency recap
DT Haloti Ngata signs with Lions: 1 year, $5.83M
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie signs with Lions: 1 year, $5.11M
QB Brian Hoyer sings with Lions: 1 year, 4.32M
Rest of the league
QB Kirk Cousins signs with Broncos: 5 years, $150M
RB Legarrette Blount signs with Colts: 3 years, $19.4M
SS Eric Reid signs with Cowboys: 4 years, $19.1M
TE Trey Burton signs with Cowboys: 3 years, $16.7M
WR Josh Gordon signs with 49ers: 3 years, $14.3M
QB Teddy Bridgewater signs with Jets: 3 years, $26.6M
RB Spencer Ware signs with Redskins: 3 years, $24.1M
2018 NFL Draft Top Ten Picks
1. Rashawn Griffin III, FS, Tennessee 80 ovr (Browns)
2. Dyron Connor, LT, LSU 81 ovr (Giants)
3. Raysean Walker, RB, Oklahoma 81 ovr (Browns)
4. Leonard Stecker, DE, Oklahoma 79 ovr (Colts)
5. Jordon Mathieu, QB, Stanford 82 ovr (Bears)
6. Jaron Todd, OLB, USC 81 ovr (Jets)
7. Shawn Vilma, CB, UCLA 81 ovr (Buccaneers)
8. Morgan Chase, LG, Utah 77 ovr (Broncos)
9. Ricky Kirk-Hughes, OLB, 81 ovr (49ers)
10. Taurean Potter, CB, Auburn 80 ovr (Dolphins)
Detroit Lions 2018 Draft Picks
1st round, 20th pick: DeAndre Figurs, RB, LSU (83 ovr)
2nd round, 20th pick: Clayton Hill, LG, Wisconsin (78 ovr)
3rd round, 20th pick: Tre Tutt, SS, Penn State (72 ovr)
4th round, 20th pick: Othniel McMillon, FS, Fresno State (71 ovr)
5th round 20th pick: Tanner Frank, C, Boise State (71 ovr)
6th round, 20th pick: Haynes Boulware, RB, Michigan State (67 ovr)
7th round, 20th pick: Diamond Clayton, DT, Delaware State (74 ovr)
After weeks of speculation that former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia would be the next head coach of the Detroit Lions, the Lions made it official on the Monday after Super Bowl LII. Lions owner Martha Ford and general manager Bob Quinn introduced Matt Patricia as the 27th head coach in franchise history.
Patricia leaves New England after 14 seasons on their coaching staff, the last six as defensive coordinator under head coach Bill Belichick. The long time Patriots assistant began his coaching career at D3 Amherst College, before moving on to Syracuse and eventually New England.
While Patricia doesn't have the look of your typical NFL head coach, with a bushy beard, he brings with him a variety of defensive schemes and winning experience having coached in five Super Bowls.
Here was Patricia's official statement at Monday's press conference in Allen Park:
I just want to thank Mrs. Ford and Bob Quinn for giving me the opportunity to be a head coach in this league. This has been my goal since I decided to start coaching and I realize with this opportunity comes a great responsibility. The fans of Detroit are among the best in professional sports and my number one goal is to bring a championship to this great city.
In my opinion, this team has a lot of pieces that you need to be a championship-level team. Matthew Stafford is a quarterback that can lead us and with playmakers like Darius Slay on defense, I am coming into a great situation. Thank you again and let's get to work!
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Posted on February 22, 2017 at 03:06 PM.
| New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Oct 15, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| New Orleans Saints (1-5) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 26 |
| Detroit Lions (3-2) | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| NOR | DET | |
| Total Offense | 367 | 364 |
| Rushing Yards | 58 | 78 |
| Passing Yards | 309 | 286 |
| First Downs | 20 | 16 |
| Punt Return Yards | 0 | 40 |
| Kick Return Yards | 106 | 102 |
| Total Yards | 473 | 506 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 10 | 5 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 3/1 | 3/1 |
| Penalties | 40 | 70 |
| Posession Time | 33:04 | 26:56 |
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Even with the Saints posting a pedestrian 1-4 record coming into Ford Field, the Lions knew they would be in for a battle against Drew Brees and the Saints.
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdowns, including a go-ahead scoring toss to Taylor Gabriel in the fourth quarter as Detroit came away with a tight 31-26 victory. The win is their third straight after dropping the season's first two games.
Involved in trade rumors throughout the week and returning from injury, Eric Ebron made a few tough catches and scored his first touchdown of the season. Meanwhile rookie Bobby Herrera continues to be a pleasant surprise as he posted 5 catches for 60 yards.
It wasn't a great day running the football for the Lions who only managed 78 yards on the ground, but Detroit did score two rushing touchdowns in the win. One of which came from Zach Zenner in a goalline situation.
The Lions take on the Baltimore Ravens (2-4) next week who have won two consecutive games after an 0-4 start, meanwhile the road only gets tougher for New Orleans as they host Green Bay (3-3).
Monday, February 20, 2017
| Matchup Preview | October 15, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| New Orleans Saints (1-4, 0-2 Away) | Detroit Lions (2-2, 1-2 Home) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday, February 17, 2017
| NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 15, 2017 | |||||
| NFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| New York Giants | 2 | 1 | 1 | 88 | 67 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 93 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 2 | 0 | 131 | 144 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 3 | 0 | 108 | 128 |
| NFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 157 | 113 |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 2 | 0 | 106 | 104 |
| Chicago Bears | 2 | 2 | 0 | 81 | 99 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2 | 3 | 0 | 97 | 124 |
| NFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 0 | 0 | 113 | 62 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 3 | 0 | 94 | 88 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 4 | 0 | 104 | 125 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 4 | 0 | 99 | 127 |
| NFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4 | 1 | 0 | 144 | 110 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 125 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 101 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 90 |
| AFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 1 | 0 | 155 | 129 |
| New England Patriots | 3 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 103 |
| New York Jets | 3 | 2 | 0 | 139 | 117 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 131 |
| AFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 134 | 92 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 2 | 0 | 138 | 112 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | 4 | 0 | 102 | 111 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1 | 4 | 0 | 89 | 141 |
| AFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Tennessee Titans | 4 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 124 |
| Houston Texans | 3 | 2 | 0 | 122 | 120 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 3 | 0 | 108 | 130 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 5 | 0 | 106 | 167 |
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Oakland Raiders | 3 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 117 |
| Denver Broncos | 2 | 2 | 0 | 117 | 110 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 3 | 0 | 129 | 130 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | 2 | 1 | 69 | 66 |
Posted on February 17, 2017 at 03:25 PM.
| Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Oct 8, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Minnesota Vikings (2-3) | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Detroit Lions (2-2) | 13 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 44 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| MIN | DET | |
| Total Offense | 393 | 367 |
| Rushing Yards | 143 | 139 |
| Passing Yards | 250 | 228 |
| First Downs | 20 | 18 |
| Punt Return Yards | 11 | 99 |
| Kick Return Yards | 27 | 101 |
| Total Yards | 431 | 567 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 6 | 6 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 1 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 1 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Penalties | 15 | 20 |
| Posession Time | 30:58 | 29:02 |
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The Lions got an interception return for a touchdown from safety Glover Quin and a punt return touchdown from rookie Demarcus Sheffield as the Lions got back to .500 with their second straight win 44-24 over Minnesota.
While Matthew Stafford didn't have his best game in his first game back since a week 1 injury, he minimized the mistakes and managed the offense well. Ameer Abdullah reached the century mark in rushing yards for the second time this season with 117 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown.
Detroit was able to force two interceptions of Sam Bradford and keep the Vikings passing attack out of the endzone. Darius Slay kept lead receiver Stefon Diggs in check with just 1 catch for 10 yards. The one bright spot for Minnesota came in the run game as backup running back Jerick McKinnon, pushed into action due to Adrian Peterson's injury, ran for 120 yards and 3 TDs.
The Lions will look to make it three in a row after an 0-2 start when they face the struggling New Orleans Saints (1-4) at Ford Field.
Friday, February 10, 2017
| Matchup Preview | October 8, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Minnesota Vikings (2-2, 1-1 Away) | Detroit Lions (1-2, 0-2 Home) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Posted on February 7, 2017 at 01:32 PM.
| Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears | |||||
| Sep 24, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Detroit Lions (1-2) | 6 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 40 |
| Chicago Bears (1-2) | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| DET | CHI | |
| Total Offense | 412 | 373 |
| Rushing Yards | 93 | 50 |
| Passing Yards | 319 | 323 |
| First Downs | 16 | 14 |
| Punt Return Yards | 48 | 0 |
| Kick Return Yards | 91 | 121 |
| Total Yards | 551 | 494 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 3 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 3 | 4 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/1 | 1/0 |
| Penalties | 0 | 10 |
| Posession Time | 33:50 | 26:10 |
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Despite throwing three interceptions, Jake Rudock threw 3 touchdowns and over 300 yards in a 40-19 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field.
Rookie receiver Bobby Herrera had his breakout game with 6 catches, 102 yards and a touchdown. The 2nd round pick out of Cincinnati saw an increase in playing time with injuries to Golden Tate and Taylor Gabriel. Not to be outdone, Marvin Jones played his best game of the short season so far, with 6 catches, 149 yards and a touchdown.
While Bears rookie QB Joseph Cochran threw for over 300 yards and a couple touchdowns, a late pick six by Darryl Morris put the game out of reach. The Lions defense was up to the task of stopping 2nd-year back Jordan Howard, holding him to just 49 yards on the day.
Overall the Lions got a much needed win and it couldn't come at a better time as Detroit heads into their week 4 bye week. Rumors are swirling of Stafford's availability for week 5's game against Minnesota. Stafford is expected to practice this week and a determination will be made sometime next week.
Posted on February 7, 2017 at 01:08 PM.
| Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Sep 18, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Green Bay Packers (2-0) | 3 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Detroit Lions (0-2) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| GNB | DET | |
| Total Offense | 500 | 334 |
| Rushing Yards | 200 | 74 |
| Passing Yards | 300 | 260 |
| First Downs | 20 | 16 |
| Punt Return Yards | 0 | 0 |
| Kick Return Yards | 0 | 147 |
| Total Yards | 500 | 481 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 6 | 7 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 1 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4/2 | 1/1 |
| Penalties | 5 yards | 45 yards |
| Posession Time | 33:09 | 26:51 |
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Jake Rudock struggled mightily in his first career start, tossing three interceptions and no touchdowns as the Lions fell to 0-2 on the season.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers had a perfect QB rating of 158.3 as he passed for 300 yards and 3 TDs for Green Bay's third straight victory against Detroit. Newcomer LeGarrette Blount had a field day against the Lions defense as he went for 171 yards and a touchdown against a Detroit defense that has not been able to stop the run so far this season.
It is clear the Lions are struggling without some of their best players, as Matthew Stafford, Golden Tate, and Taylor Gabriel all missed the game with injuries. Adding Eric Ebron to an already crowded injury report is not good news for the Lions. They face a virtual must-win next week in Chicago as they face 3rd overall pick QB Joseph Cochran and the Bears.
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