Tag: Detroit Lions

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Why the Detroit Lions should not fire Matt Patricia

Embed from Getty Images While I have given reasons for the Detroit Lions to fire head coach Matt Patricia, I would like to flip the coin and explain why Patricia should not lose his job. While he does make some head-scratching in game decisions at least once a game, he actually has the Lions on the right path.

Despite the disappointment after high expectations, Detroit Lions head football coach Matt Patricia has his team showing progress. It is not the kind of progress that shows up in the win column. Patricia was quoted as saying “I’m always disappointed when we don’t win, I also know that this is a process. I know there’s a lot in play that we are going through, and trying to build.”

The Detroit Lions have had numerous injuries, every NFL team does. The Lions roster depth has been tested to largely mixed reviews. The Lions fan base is up in arms that Patricia who by all accounts was a very good defensive coordinator has that unit playing so poorly this season.

Matt Patricia says the defensive issues are based on poor fundamentals and not the scheme he likes and has the Lions currently playing in. Patricia sights a lack of fundamentals, that is hurting the overall production of the defense.

The Lions head coach is correct on this matter. Fundamentals are a lot of pieces that make a big difference. It is pad-level, hand placement, footwork, dropping into zone coverage, reading the quarterback getting a break on the ball, tackling, taking good angles and other ingredients that make or do not make a team.

Patricia has acknowledged he and the Detroit defensive coach’s need to do a better job. The Detroit Lions players are all backing their head coach. No one doubting Patricia’s ability in the locker room. Which is good news.

There seems to be both truth and traction to players speaking highly of the teams coach. That reason is this, the team has played hard for the coaching staff all season. The Detroit Lions have had the lead in every game they have played in this season and have seen the lead washed away.

I believe Matt Patricia should get another year as head coach based on the fact his team is grinding and hanging in games. The team has played better as the season has gone along, leading me to believe  a breakthrough is coming.

 

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Some names to remember for the Detroit Lions 2020 draft

Embed from Getty Images As many of you know, I do not like mock drafts. They are rarely accurate. Oh sure people nail the first pick in the draft, shoot they may even nail the first three picks. Then it falls apart. I like to look at team needs, general manager tendencies as well as organizational needs. That lead me to accurately zero in on the Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick Moritz Seider, right here at “The District a sports blog.”

The 2019 Detroit Lions short comings are well known and most stem from the defensive side of the ball. Be it player personnel or scheme. So in next spring’s NFL draft who could the Lions be looking at for the teams first round draft pick? Let us take a look.

With Darius Slay both getting older and having a dip in play, the team could look to corner back. Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State, may fit the bill. At 6′ 1″ 194 pounds, Wade has both the size and length to be a solid NFL defensive back. While he plays the slot, Wade is projected to move to the outside in the pros. He is a shutdown corner and very aggressive on run support.

Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State, If the Detroit Lions choose to move on from offensive tackle Rick Wagner, Cleveland checks all the boxes. 6’6″ 311 pounds, with long arms and has plus athleticism, Ezra Cleveland is sound in both pass and run blocking, something the Detroit Lions need more of.

Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A & M, this is a player I really like. I can not stress that enough. He is a perfect fit for what the Lions are trying to do on defense. First and foremost he is an edge rusher. For his size 300 pounds, Madubuike has incredible flexibility and a plus rating in power and balance, that allows him to consistently fill the gaps and generate pocket pressure for himself and his teammates. With both A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels set to be free agents, Justin Madubuike is a name to watch.

I believe, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn (if he is not relived of his duties) will go defensive heavy in next springs draft. If there is an offensive tackle worthy of a top-ten draft slot Quinn could go that route. But, given last seasons desperate need for a tight end, watching how Quinn attacked that, I fully expect his to use that same aggression for the defense.

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Detroit Lions nickel cornerback Justin Coleman thinks the defense is close to breaking through

Embed from Getty Images Justin Coleman said Monday he feels the Detroit Lions defense is close to being what head coach Matt Patricia intended for it to be, “One of the most terrifying defenses you can go against.” How can that be you ask yourself? Let us take a look.

The Lions rank 30th in the NFL in total defense, the team gave up a season high 509 yards of offense to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. The Lion rank near the bottom of the league in every major defensive statistical category and are dead last in interception rate in the NFL, but Coleman said he is confident the Lions are close to terrifying opponents.

“Nobody wants to sit there and go against man coverage all day,” Justin Coleman told reporters. “And I feel like we cover pretty well and we’re just going to have to finish, that’s all. We just got to finish.”

The Detroit Lions showed signs of being a very solid defensive unit last season, when they posted one of the NFL’s best run defenses in the second half of the season. This season started rough. But against two of the NFL’s best running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, the Lions run defense shown some teeth. Holding the two elite rushers to a combined 109 yards rushing on 35 carries at 3.1 yards per attempt.

Getting off the field has been difficult for the Detroit defense this season. The Lions are averaging more defensive plays per game 67.9 than any team in the NFL. Last season the Lions were able to make the issues that hampered the defensive unit.  Lions played fewer defensive plays 942, or 59.9 per game than any team in the NFL in 2018.

Coleman said Patricia delivered a pointblank message to his defense Monday  during team meetings. His message was simple“He said, ‘Find a solution. ” The team’s improved run defense will help some. The team must find a solution to the elephant in the room, a horrible pass rush.

It is safe to say much like Bob Quinn went out of his way to improve the tight end position after last season, Quinn will look to revamp the Detroit Lions defensive line this coming off season.

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The Detroit Lions are a mess and difficult decisions are going to need to be addressed

Embed from Getty Images Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn decided 9-7 was simply not good enough and fired Jim Caldwell. He brought in his own head coach, Matt Patricia to get the team over-the-hump. Two seasons later Bob Quinn’s decision has netted the Detroit Lions a 9-16-1 record.

Putting an NFL team together  is a difficult task, nobody would argue with that. Draft picks can be hit or miss, the same can be said for free agents. Roughly two years ago bob Quinn said, “I think we have more than a competitive team to be competing for championships.”  Quinn missed the mark.

“At the end of the day, it’s wanting to take this team to the next level,” he said, explaining his decision to move on from Caldwell. “To me, that’s winning championships, that’s winning playoff games and that’s winning the Super Bowl.” Quinn placed the blame directly on the shoulders of Jim Caldwell.

Now that the Detroit Lions, Bob Quinn’s version and vision of the Detroit Lions is a failed product, Who will Quinn point the finger at? As of today the Detroit Lions are a whole lot further from the Super Bowl than just two years ago.

Odd’s are good Quinn will not point the finger at Matt Patricia, he would have three pointing back at himself.  The problem was Bob Quinn thinking Matt Patricia was  as good as Bill Belichick maximizing the talent on the team.

Emulating successful coaches as well as franchises is fine in theory. The Lions have one of the worst four defenses in football, by almost any metric. This is the absolute worst Lions defense perhaps in team history. Even during losing seasons the team was at least able to compete. Not this season.

The Detroit Lions defense can not get any pressure on quarterbacks. Three man rushes are a joke. NFL quarterbacks have all the time they need to find the open receiver. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters after the game Sunday that sometimes he had enough time to read through his progressions TWICE.

That Quinn thought his roster was better than nine wins. The number Caldwell won his last season, which is also the same number Patricia has won in 26 games.  Shows how much Quinn’s estimations were off.

Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford, has some soul searching to do. She must decide if the Lions stay on the current path or not.

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The Detroit Lions are prepping to move on from Darius Slay

Embed from Getty Images Darius Slay has been the Detroit Lions best defensive back for some time now. Slay a two-time Pro Bowl player, is the only defensive back the Lions can trust to cover an opposing team’s No. 1 receiver. That said,  Slay’s time with the Lions is clearly coming to an end.

The Detroit have officially placed Darius Slay on the trading block. Even though they have set a rather high price for him. Slay’s exit from the Detroit  Lions has been brewing for a while now, as he held out of offseason and training camp Lions activities trying to get a new contract. The Lions instead gave Damon Harrison’s a new contract.

Darius Slay makes no bones about the fact he loves being in Detroit. He’s the most engaging player the city has regardless of what sport he plays, and Slay is that way despite being at a local star.

But the NFL is a business. Darius Slay knows this all too well. Just last week he was very vocal when the Detroit Lions traded his teammate and friend Quandre Diggs to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Lions began to field calls on the defense’s best player after after Slay expressed his displeasure with the Diggs trade. Detroit  Lions coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn have had the opportunity to shut down trade rumors if they were not true, the two decided instead to let them linger while understandably driving a hard bargain in order to ship him out of town.

Meanwhile, the Lions  seem to be taking the “he can be had for the right price”  approach, both now as well as in the spring, when Slay will surely be one of the best cornerbacks on the trade market.

Dealing with a hamstring injury at the moment, Slay is still a very good cornerback when healthy, and for now Darius still a very important member of the Lions. Yet, the front office understands Slay has tremendous value. Value they will in all likelihood soon cash in.

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Forget the official’s for a moment, The Detroit Lions made a lot of mistakes Monday night

Embed from Getty Images Blaming the officials is always on the minds of fans. Do not get me wrong, NFL refs have been awful across the board this season. In my opinion the NFL invited this major issue when they legalized gambling. Official’s aside the Detroit Lions made too many mistakes to overcome Monday night against the Green Bay Packers.

For starters the Detroit Lions need to improve in the red zone. Settling for five field goals is disheartening . The Lions need to find a way to exchange field goals for touchdowns.

The Lions also had two special teams gaffes, “When we shoot ourselves in the foot, we lose,” Lions running back Kerryon Johnson said. “When we don’t, we win. It’s hard to beat us, but it’s very easy for us to beat ourselves.”

The officials hurt the Detroit Lions for sure. But stupid penalties and not scoring touchdowns hurt more. If the Lions had converted two or three field goals the officials would have be a non-factor.

In Green Bay, the Lions played another winnable game. To only blame the officials undermines the fact the Lions blew another game they should have won.

Now about the NFL and the official problems. Detroit Lions defensive end Trey Flowers was flagged twice for illegal use of the hands, extending two Green Bay scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Flowers did not deserve either penalty.

Officiating in the NFL is a travesty and has been for a while now. NFL owners voted to legalize gambling and when people are laying down money phantom calls are made. While obvious penalties are not called. It is a joke.

The commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners have no one to blame but themselves. Monday Night Football displayed the work they put in. It is funny they all wonder why t.v. ratings are dropping. We  Mr. commissioner and NFL owners, fans do not want to watch what your selling. Good football teams can lose on a dime because someone laid down a bet.

Shame on the NFL powers.

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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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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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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.

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Detroit Lions Matt Patricia does not care about the preseason

Embed from Getty Images Detroit Lions head coach, Matt Patricia has repeatedly stated that he is constantly evaluating players and hoping to grow the team in the preseason.  The scaled back play that was consistently seen on both sides of the ball in practices and training camp were  absent in the games.

One of Matt Patricia’s  hallmarks as a coach is to devise an opponent specific gameplan, especially for his defense. There was no evidence of any sort of that throughout the preseason. That is just fine. There is no need to show anything on offense, defense and special teams in meaningless games.

Patricia also played veterans sparingly if at all. Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford did not play until the third preseason game. Fans and media freaked out. For no reason at all. Wondering on social media if he was hurt, or simply was not picking up the playbook from new Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

All of that was false. The Lions already knew Stafford was the starting quarterback. What they did not know was who was going to back him up. The fact the Lions head coach did not play many veterans was certainly  his prerogative.

If the Detroit Lions look sharp and well prepared in the teams first couple of weeks of the regular season, nobody will remember or care about the apathetically vanilla preseason. If the team looks lost and unprepared fans will call for Patricia’s head and the media will say the coach has failed.

The fact of the matter is the preseason is only for newly drafted players, veterans on a try-out and non-roster invitees. There is never a reason any NFL team should play a veteran during meaningless, scalded-back games.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn, was asked about his head coach and had this to say, “I think he definitely changed the ways he’s done some things,” Quinn said. “I think he’s taken a lot of input from the players. A lot of great conversations, I would say, dating back to January, February, March when the players weren’t in the building about things that he was thinking about and wanted to get some input from some of the veteran guys. Very reflective. Very honest with himself.”

The Lions kickoff the 2019 season September 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. That will be a much better look at the football team and where it stands.