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The Detroit Lions defensive backs are the best in the NFL

Embed from Getty Images While the 2019-20 NFL season is just three games old, and it is true that last season, the Detroit Lions’ pass defense was among the worst in the NFL. They finished 30th in passer rating allowed and tied for 27th in yards per attempt allowed. Through three games no team is covering receivers better than the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions are also doing a very solid job getting their hands on opponent’s passes. They currently rank third in the NFL in passes defended (24), just two behind the league-leading Patriots. By comparison, the so-called elite defenses of the Packers and the Bears have 18 and 16 passes defended.

During the offseason Lions general manager Bob Quinn set out to fix the Detroit secondary. Quinn added two new starters at the cornerback position in Rashaan Melvin and Justin Coleman, and also drafted safety Will Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The moves made during the offseason appear to be a huge upgrade. What was the Lions biggest area of concern entering the season has turned out to be a false concern.

Quandre Diggs and Tracy Walker have a chance to be a dynamic one-two punch at the safety positions. The aforementioned  third round draft pick Will Harris out of Boston College is a versatile, hard-hitting player that has earned playing time.

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia’s defenses like to run three safety sets and they have the talent to not only run it but overcome injury as well. This season the Lions the secondary is decidedly deeper and has options. Allowing Patricia’s vision of a run stuffing, pass stopping defense to dictate what offenses can and can not do.

Last season the Detroit defense was not very good at forcing turnovers. With better play at the line of scrimmage and more consistent pressure from the defensive line and linebackers, the secondary will have every chance to get their hands on the ball. Which is what has happened three games in.

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Steve Yzerman will rebuild the Detroit Red Wings in his image

Embed from Getty Images Steve Yzerman is known as a methodical, meticulous executive. Upon being name Red Wings general manager, Yzerman said he wanted to proceed somewhat slowly and get to know everyone in the organization. This explains why Detroit will not name a captain when the 2019-20 NHL season kicks off. It also explains why there was not a coaching change.

Detroit Red Wings fans and media will soon learn that Steve Yzerman will  make up his own mind about what Detroit has both on ice in Detroit as well as in the minor league pipeline. Yzerman will also determine what the organization needs before making any big decisions.

The Detroit Red Wings are not expected to make a playoff run this season. The teams primary focus will be on the young core of Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, Andreas Athanasiou and Filip Hornek. All those players took a big step in their development last season. They all must take another step this season.

While top Detroit prospects will be called up at various time during the season. Oliwer Kaski, Dennis  Cholowski, Moritz Seider, Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno need to both develop and grow together in Grand Rapids with the Griffins.

The Detroit Red Wings have roster spots open in the middle six up front and the bottom pair on defense. So it is possible a prospect will break camp with the Red Wings.

Steve Yzerman is not making any promises about quickly being able to turn around the Red Wings. As he should not.  ”It just takes time,” Yzerman said. ”I can’t tell you in three years we’re going to be this. In five years, we’re going to be this.”

While the Red Wings appear to have a handful of promising players, Detroit still seem to be at least another year away from being talented enough to earn a spot in the NHL postseason.

The good news is Steve Yzerman is taking his time. Yzerman is not rushing into anything. The Red Wings general manager, did not make a splash in free agency, figuring a high-priced free agent would not suddenly turn the team into a contender. It is the correct path to take.

The better news, Steve Yzerman is overseeing the Detroit Red Wings rebuild.

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Are the Detroit Lions turning into a resilient football team?

Embed from Getty Images The Detroit Lions have started the 2019-20 NFL season 2-0-1. For decades the Lions have been a punching bag for well, everyone.  Sunday afternoon the Detroit Lions showed something that has never been associated with the franchise, resilience. No really.

Missing for decades, the Detroit Lions showed a new side in Philadelphia of all places. The Lions won a game they did not come close to playing at the teams best. That is resilience.

The Lions made enough plays and overcoming the mistakes they made along the way. Playing in front of a bunch of loud and crazy fans, against the team that won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. The Lions on a day when quarterback Matthew Stafford was not as sharp as he had been completed 18 of 32 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. Not great numbers for sure. But when the game was uncertain, Stafford did what he does best, lead the team on a touchdown drive that turned out to be the game winner.

“Just really proud of our players,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “It’s really hard to win on the road, especially in this place. It’s a hostile environment, it’s loud, their fans are great, they’re screaming and yelling.”

So what went right for the Detroit Lions? Let’s start with the offensive line, for the second straight week, they didn’t give up a sack.  J.D. McKissic, whom the Lions claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks,  ripped off a 44 yard run. It was the Detroit Lions, who overcame a blocked field goal late in the fourth quarter and found a way to win. While the Detroit defensive line continued to struggle to find a pass rush.

Through three games, the Lions are unbeaten. For for just the fourth time since the AFL-NFL merger. Kick returner Jamal Agnew who was benched one week ago took an Eagles kickoff to the endzone. “He was in and grinding all week,” Patricia said. “When players do that and they grind and they work and they practice, your confidence is as high as ever and you trust them. I just had a feeling that something good was going to happen with everything he did and what he does and his approach.”

Maybe, this sums up this Lions team. Grinding. And working. And getting better. Resilient.

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Michigan Wolverines football and head coach Jim Harbaugh appear to be at the crossroads

Embed from Getty Images It was a Rich Rodriguez coached performance the Michigan Wolverines football team put on Saturday afternoon in Madison Wisconsin. Certainly Brady Hoke would have had his team somewhat better prepared. Not too mention, Jim Harbaugh had two weeks to get his troops ready. It looked like he took two minutes.

Out- played, out- prepared, out-coached. On offense and on defense. Why? During the offseason fans and media were told over and over, this would be a new brand of Michigan football. After all they were the Big Ten favorites, on paper.

Saturday was 60-minutes of a comprehensive failure, that has seen Jim Harbaugh hit rock bottom at the school he played at in the 1980’s. 55 games into his coaching tenure Jim Harbaugh has little to show for his efforts.

Harbaugh, brought in Josh Gattis to run the offense. Gattis promised “speed in space.” In two games Michigan’s offense had serious issues. With and extra week to get ready for the Badgers, the Wolverines offense did not improve.

Michigan was consistently blown off the ball on both sides by Wisconsin, something in Jim Harbaugh’s fifth season that simply should not happen. Harbaugh’s failure to win a marquee game is indisputable.

While Saturday’s loss will not get Harbaugh fired, he can not be trusted to build a championship team.  After the game Harbaugh said it was “gut-check” time for his team. Someone in the Michigan athletic administration needs to tell the head football coach it is gut-check time.

Jim Harbaugh has lost his fire. Slamming clipboards, throwing headsets and screaming whenever he saw on-field injustices have given way to hands on knees bent over not saying much.

What is a deathblow for any coach, Jim Harbaugh appears to be uncertain, his  team is reflecting that during games. Jim Harbaugh needs to find that inner fire again. His team is suffering and will not recover until he does.

Preseason Big Ten favorites on paper. But, paper does not play games, motivate players or wins championships. It  does however crumble.

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Taro Hirose has turned into a diamond in the rough for the Detroit Red Wings

Embed from Getty Images Taro Hirose signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent last March. He took the ice with the Red Wings and made a good impression right off the bat. Hirose amassed seven points in his first 10 NHL games. This preseason Taro has picked up where he left off.

Taro Hirose, has shown to be crafty and smart. He is always one play ahead on the ice. The good one usually are. For a player who appears to be unassuming Hirose, let’s his play speak for him.

Last season Taro Hirose was paired with Fans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek. the players quickly gelled. In Hirose’s favor he has great hockey sense and know how to find lanes. Being undersized has not hampered Hirose’s game.

What coach’s and fans have come to appreciate about Hirose, is he creates. He makes plays with and without the puck. This is going to sound a bit odd, but Taro Hirose is better playing with better players. Before you roll your eyes, let me explain. When young players come into the league the trend is they shy away from the style of play that earned them a callup.

Hirose, because he has a sharp hockey mind, understands he needs to play his game no matter who he is paired with. Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said the young forward is making a strong case to land on the second or third line.

While that is a good thing, I for one would like to see Hirose paired on a line with Andreas Athanasiou. Those two on a line would open up scoring opportunities. While is Hirose was paired with Nielsen and Valtteri Filppula, he would be the main and possible only scoring chance for that line. Nielsen and Filppula are defensive centers who do not take a lot of shots.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman announced last week there are open roster spots to be won, Taro Hirose seems to be a roster lock. That is a good thing for the Detroit hockey team.

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After a lackluster performance the Michigan State Spartans football is left with questions

Embed from Getty Images Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio blamed game officials, the Spartan fan base joined the football teams head coach in blaming the officials. Both head coach and fans need a healthy dose of reality. The Michigan State offense is once again a train wreck. That is where Saturday’s home loss to Arizona State stemmed from.

I stand by my statement that simply moving coach’s around instead of firing coach’s and bringing in new ones very rarely works. That was on full display Saturday afternoon in East Lansing. I will be the first to say the Spartans defense is flat out nasty. A fantastic group. The offense is the polar opposite.

Through the early part of the season the Michigan State offensive line has found something it lacked last season. Consistency. Albeit, the offensive line is consistently getting shoved back. So not quite the consistency coach’s were looking for.

Make no mistake about it. Saturday’s loss is squarely on the shoulders of head coach Mark Dantonio. It should have never come down to a last second field goal. Moving coach’s around has lead to Michigan State scoring a single touchdown for the second time in three weeks. Go ahead blame the officials.

Michigan State’s offense is nearly unwatchable. It is certainly frustrating for fans and football fans in general. Dantonio is not one to blame others, yet after the schools loss he stood at the podium and did just that. Pointed the finger at officials while making excuses.

This week brings Northwestern. It is not too early to call this a make-or-break game for the Spartans. Because that is exactly what it is. Northwestern can score in bunches. Something Michigan State can not. Michigan State’s defense is beyond good enough to keep the Spartans in the game. Yet, if the offense struggles again and the defense is on the field often, they will begin to wear down.

No one from Michigan State is saying it right now, but you have to imagine the seat under Mark Dantonio is starting to warm up. Blame the officials.

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In prospect Isaac Paredes the Detroit Tigers have a building block

Embed from Getty Images In a minor league pipeline in need of more bats, Isaac Paredes stands out. Paredes is a vey solid hitter and a very solid infielder. At just 20 years old Isaac Paredes has a lot of plus gradings. In a pipeline primed with excellent pitching Paredes stands out with his offensive skill set.

Isaac Paredes’ numbers jump out on the stats sheet. playing the entire season at Double-a Erie, Isaac batted .336 in August and .321 in September. he sported on OPS of .866, no that is not a misprint.

Where things get a little less clear is where Paredes will end up playing in the field. He broke into baseball with the Chicago Cubs as a shortstop. Paredes played two games a week at the position with the Seawolves. There are some scouts who do not think he will stick at shortstop.

At 5′ 11″ Isaac Paredes weighs 225 LBS. making it difficult to get to ground balls in the hole. Many believe Paredes is destined for third base. He gets a good jump on the ball and has shown good range at the hot corner, with a strong arm to boot.

It is his advanced hitting skills that has executives around MLB drooling. As of this moment Isaac Paredes is the only Erie Seawolf regular player to be a sure-fire major league player.

Paredes again at just 20 years old is so advanced offensively, the Detroit Tigers plan on giving him time next season at Triple-A Toledo with the Mud Hens.

Isaac Paredes has rocketed through the Tigers farm system. Just last season at 19 years old he batted .321 with a .864 OPS at Single-A Lakeland. A sluggish  star to this season (by Paredes’ standards) saw the young player catch fire as mid-season approach.

Paredes has something many young hitters need time to develop, an advanced approach at the plate. Paredes does not swing at bad pitches. Paredes credits his good eye at the plate during the winter he spent playing ball in the Mexican league. He said his manager, Jose Luis Sanibel, told him being picky would help him advance faster.

Wherever Isaac Paredes winds up playing he is set to make an impact. He is a very good building block for the future Detroit Tigers team post rebuild.

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Detroit Red Wings prospects get an opportunity to impress

Embed from Getty Images Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said last week he is encouraged by the young group of players in the organizations pipeline. He also said “We need more.” Yzerman then announced there are open roster spots available. Making this a very interesting training camp for the rebuilding Red Wings.

Joe Veleno, Filip Zadina and Moritz Seider are all trying to make the jump to the NHL. In just four games the Red Wings won the Prospects Tournament while fielding the youngest team.

Yzerman, was ho-hum about the tournament championship. “You like to win more than lose,” he stated. “More importantly, the kids competed real hard.” the Detroit Red Wings average age in the Prospects Tournament was 18 years old. They played against teams who averaged 24 years old.

The Detroit Red Wings are not picked to make the NHL Playoffs again this season. That is okay. This season is about beginning to turn the roster over to younger more skilled players.

Steve Yzerman, is overseeing the remainder of the Red Wings rebuild. He will make his roster based on two key areas.

  1. Is a prospects ready for the NHL grind. If Yzerman said prospects can take an open roster spot, he may have a few in mind. But, he also said he will not just give a player a spot on the team. It will be earned.
  2. Is a prospect better than the player he will be pushing out of a job or perhaps a reduced role on the team? This may be the key question in the general manager’s thinking.

This preseason is critical to the future of the Red Wings. Even though Detroit could be a bottom five team. They have some key pieces in place. Players who took a big step in development last season. Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi just to name a few.

Now Detroit will add talent to those talented players. The 2019-20 NHL season will hardly be a lost one in Detroit. It will be a very important next step in bringing consistent hockey back to Hockeytown.

 

 

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The Detroit Red Wings will head into a second straight season with four alternate captains

Embed from Getty Images In what turned into  an outpouring of vocal shocked and angry fans the Detroit Red Wings announced they would not name a team captain. It has been widely assumed since the team drafted him that Dylan Larkin would be the successor to Henrik Zetterberg. Larkin has been the face of the Detroit rebuild.

Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader will return with an “A” on the front of their sweaters.  Luke Glendening will replace newly retired Niklas Kronwall as an alternate captain.

Detroit Red Wings general manager said upon the press conference to announce him as the organizations new architects that he needed time to get to know the entire team. The fact that he is unwilling at this time to place a “C” on a players jersey should come as no surprise.

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill did say that  “we reserve the right to change our mind.” He hinted Dylan Larkin could still be named captain at some point this season, but “right now, that’s not our focus. Our focus is on how we’re going to attack the year.”

Blashill said after talking with new general manager Steve Yzerman, it was determined to go with the four alternates. In my opinion there could be a couple reasons for the decision. Only Yzerman and Blashill know for sure.

The Detroit Red Wings pipeline is the strongest it has been in a very long time. The Red Wings prospects just finished a tournament and players like Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider, showed on ice leadership. With the eyes of the general manager watching.

Yzerman, sat in his box with the rest of his Red Wings staff with him. The smart thinking is he may want to do the same thing for the first month or two of the 2019-20 Red Wings season.

In the grand scheme, this is a good move. It is important to have the right captain. The Red Wings last three captains served a long time. Steve Yzerman 1986-2006,  Nicklas Lidstrom 2006-2012 and Henrik Zetterberg 2013-2018.

The choice will come soon enough. But, first the general manager needs to get a pulse on his team.

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After and epic fail, the Detroit Lions should not panic

Embed from Getty Images “Same old Lions!” You could hear Detroit Lions fans shout after the team completing a fourth quarter collapse that ended in a tie with the Arizona Cardinals. Don’t go there. Not yet.  While the Lions do have many questions it is not time to panic after one game.

While this one game feels achingly familiar, fans need to remember the Detroit Lions are technically rebuilding. Yes, it has been an ongoing rebuild since 1957, so what’s a little longer? Not too mention blowing an 18 point lead in the fourth quarter to the Arizona Cardinals  led by a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach is inexcusable.

Still there was some good to come out of the disappointment. Quarterback Matthew Stafford along with his teammates T.J. Hockenson,  Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, Danny Amendola and Kerryon Johnson looked as if they had a plan. And then penalties began to stall their new offense.

Then Matt Patricia called for a timeout that nullified a first down play which was a maddening, mind numbing timeout that should have never been.  In the post game media session Patricia absorbed the blame for the timeout mishap and for the tie in general, chalking it up to “bad coaching,” he said more than once.

For as hyped as the Detroit Lions defense was, Matt Patricia couldn’t adjust his defense as the Cardinals rookie quarterback scrambled for long runs and ran around to find open receivers.

While this year Lions squad could be the makings of another 10 loss team. It could also maybe the making of a team that could still surprise. This is a team that is hard to get a handle on. The next two games do not hold a lot of promise the L.A. Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

After those games the Lions season should be in better focus. So should the job security for general manager Bob Quinn and his hand picked head coach Matt Patrica.

But a tie in game one is not a loss. It is a lot like kissing your sister though.