Tag: Detroit Lions

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Calvin Johnson is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he is still at odds with the Detroit Lions

Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame. Johnson’s numbers speak to the matter. The player known as “Megatron” retired with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns all Detroit Lions franchise records. Johnson was also selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowl’s.

The ups and downs of Detroit Lions football, fans know all to well played into Calvin Johnson retiring after 9 seasons. Former Lions running back and Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders had the same issue with the team.

The Detroit Lions and Johnson had agreed on an eight year contract extension in 2012. Johnson would retire in 2015. That is when the relationship between player and franchise took a turn for the worse.

The Detroit Lions asked Johnson to repay a portion of the signing bonus. “That’s the reason for the rift between the team and I, I had to pay some money back. The reason I don’t have any involvement with them is because of that. You can’t make me pay money back and then still want me to come around. It doesn’t work like that.” Johnson said.

No matter if you agree or disagree with the player or the team, it is an issue. Calvin Johnson spent his entire NFL career in Detroit. No matter how good or bad the Lions were Calvin Johnson’s production never dropped off, part of the reason he is a Hall of Fame finalist.

Barry Sanders and Lions had similar issues after the Lions legend retired after 9 seasons. The Lions asked for money back. Eventually both sides made amends and Sanders now does a lot of public relation work for the Lions.

CHICAGO – JANUARY 03: Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson plays against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on January 3, 2016. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

It would be nice for player, team and fans if the Detroit Lions and Calvin Johnson would make amends once Johnson reaches the Hall of Fame. This should be a priority for Lions owner Shelia For Hamp.

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The Detroit Lions should not resign Kenny Golladay

Its seems probable at this moment Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has played his last game in a Lions uniform. With a Brad Homes hired as the new general manager it seems like a total or near total rebuild is on the horizon. That is part of the reason the Lions should not resign wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Seriously.

Kenny Golladay is a very good receiver. Even though he fails to get a lot of separation from defensive backs which is an issue. The lack of separation gives way to Golladay having to make seemingly great catches.

Making catches like this look amazing! Until you realize Golladay did not get separation and actually takes a pretty hard hit. The point is Golladay was limited to five games this season, in part because he takes big hits because of the lack of separation.

The going rate for a good wide receiver in free agency is $19 million. For the Detroit Lions looking at, at the very least a massive retooling of the current failed roster left over from recently fired Lions GM Bob Quinn, that $19 million can be invested in bigger needs. Such as the defense. A unit that finished dead last in the NFL.

DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 07: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions congratulates teammate Kenny Golladay #19 after he caught a touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field on October 7, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

There will be very good free agents in this years wide receiver pool. Cheaper more effective players. It is being reported all over the place the Lions are locked into former Lions tight end current New Orleans Saints tight ends coach/ assistant head coach Dan Campbell for the head coaching opening.

With a new GM and head coach, it is very possible they will want to put their own stamp on the franchise moving forward. A new quarterback and receivers could be in order.

From a fans point of view at first glance losing Kenny Golladay would sting. From a football stand point, it really would not be all that bad. ASs I mentioned better, cheaper wide receivers will be hitting the open market soon.

 

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The Detroit Lions hired Brad Holmes as General Manager and is looking at a former Lions player to fill it’s head coach vacancy

It has been a couple of busy days for the Detroit Lions. Actually the process of finding and identifying a new general manager and head coach has been around 70 days. The Lions have hired Brad Holmes as general manager and is looking at former Lions tight end Dan Campbell to fill its head coaching vacancy.

The Detroit Lions are starting over again. The team hired Brad Holmes as general manager. Homes had been with the Los Angles Rams and worked as  director of college scouting. Homes had been in the Rams organization since 2012.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Detroit Lions helmet is seen on the field before the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

What kind of players does Holmes like? He gave a peek into his philosophy in identifying players, “When you get to the NFL level, everybody has got ability, Everybody is talented. Everybody is big, strong, athletic, fast, agile. Everybody has that. The separation is the intangibles. So you have to find out what actually drives the player. What level of passion does he have? How much does football mean to him? How hard does he really work? Does he have a mental toughness when things go bad? Can he bounce back? Can he persevere?  I used to be so enamored with the physical traits portion of it, at this stage now it’s like, man, if this guy doesn’t have the intangibles or the character, he’s not going to make it.”

The Detroit Lions have reportedly zeroed in on former Lions tight end and current New Orleans Saints tight end and assistant head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell played for the Lions from 2006-2008. Both the NFL Network and Sports Illustrated are reporting the Lions are locked onto Campbell for the head coaching job.

CHICAGO – SEPTEMBER 17: Tight end Dan Campbell #89 of the Detroit Lions is seen on the field the Chicago Bears September 17, 2006 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won 34-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

What is Campbell’s coaching philosophy? This is what he said about that matter, “How you play the game, offensively and defensively, it was like identical,  It’s about running the football. Your quarterback makes smart decisions. You don’t win or lose with the quarterback. Your defense is balls-to-the-wall, all-out. Those are the games you’re winning because of your defense and you’ve got time of possession with the run game. And then when you throw it, they’re explosive passes.”

So the Detroit Lions are making moves and on paper, they look solid. Not sexy. But sexy does not win football games. Neither does paper.

 

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In selecting a new head football coach the Detroit Lions must look for these key ingredients

With the recent departure of former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, much was brought to light about what Patricia did not do during his time on the Lions sidelines. The list is long and I do not feel like rehashing. That said, with the organization now searching for a new general manager and a new head football coach here is what I feel the Lions need to look for.

Whoever is chosen to be the Detroit Lions next head coach, that person must be flexible. Flexible in terms of schemes as well as in-game changes when things are not going well. That is one of my biggest issues I had with Matt Patricia. He simply refused to change anything during a game. He was going to stick to the game plan come hell or high water. Most of the time the water was over Patricia’s head.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 24: A general exterior view of Ford Field as fans line up to enter before the game between the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers at Ford Field on December 24, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Chargers 38-10. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Detroit Lions/Getty Images)

Understanding. The next head coach in the Motor City needs to have a clear understanding of every situation, not only gameday, but in the practices and film studies leading up to a game. Understanding other teams weaknesses as well as creating mismatches and exploiting them. That is another area Patricia struggled in mightily.

The one characteristic the new Detroit Lions must have in my opinion is strong leadership. A team can never and will never have or develop a winning culture unless the main leader is strong. Strong leaders also command the respect of players, assistant coaches, front office personnel and owners. Good leaders are willing to listen to others for the greater good.

First and foremost the Detroit Lions need to hire a new general manger. That said the front office needs to be doing homework on possible head coaches. There needs to be open discussions and finally an agreement on all sides.

For an organization that is about to rebuild yet again, the next step is critical.

 

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One thing the Detroit Lions need to do in order to move the franchise forward

I have been a Detroit Lions fan since 1980. That makes me a bit of a Lions historian. I’m not bragging nor am I trying to brag. It just comes with time served as a Lions fan. During that time I have seen a lot of bad football, moments of good football while great football has been mostly absent. There is a reason for that, let’s dig in.

Detroit Lions running back Billy Sims receives a hand off in a 23-7 win over the Chicago Bears on November 22, 1981 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

When I first began watching the Detroit Lions they had just drafted Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims from the Oklahoma Sooners. Sims would be the featured player for the Lions until a knee injury ended his playing career. Did you catch that? Billy Sims was the Lions featured player. No other name. One guy to carry the entire team. The question is would Sims have had a career ending knee injury if there were others to help out?

Barry Sanders, he of some of the most jaw-dropping moves I or anyone has ever seen. He was a human highlight reel. This time the Lions sort of came to their senses and also drafted wide receiver Herman Moore. Together Sanders and Moore brought the Detroit offense more balance than it had had before. Yet, two players are not enough to get a team to a championship.

DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: Wide receiver Calvin Johnson #81 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after catching a six yard touchdown reception against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of the NFL game at Ford Field on October 18, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Bears 37-34 in overtime. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Calvin Johnson, here is one of the best wide receivers the NFL has ever had. The Lions reverted back to their bad ways and did not put anyone around him. Like Barry Sanders, by the age of 30 Calvin Johnson had had enough and retired. Figuring the Lions would not bring in enough talent to seriously compete.

For current Detroit Lions owner Shelia Ford Hamp, she has taken over a team with some talent. No really. Even though former head coach Matt Patricia could not figure out how to make it all work there is actually more than one player to set the Lions up for a positive future.

Kenny Golladay, T. J. Hockenson, Taylor Decker, D’ Andre Swift, Amani Oruwarye and a few others, give the Lions some young base talent for the next general manager and head coach.

Yes the Lions are going to rebuild. But the players listed are building blocks. It will be interesting to see the process they franchise takes moving forward. But the cupboard is not bare.

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Detroit Lions owner Shelia Ford Hamp delivered on her word, general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia have been fired

How will the Bob Quinn/ Matt Patricia era be remembered in Detroit?  Disheveled?  Uninspired? Ill-equipped? How about disconnected? The answer may just be all of it. Certainly the two former New England Patriots empolyees were in over their head from day one and it snowballed from there. Today Detroit Lions owner Shelia Ford Hamp pulled the plug and fired both general manager and head coach.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Detroit Lions Vice Chair Sheila Ford Hamp watches the pregame warms ups prior to the start of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

By cutting ties, Shelia Ford Hamp has bought herself and the organization she owns time to collect her thoughts and come up with a strategy on what direction she would like to see the Lions go in next.

Ford Hamp knows what she does not want in her next head football coach. She does not want someone who struggles to communicate in the locker room, in the film room, and then come up with some odd-ball game plan.

General manager Bob Quinn has failed time and time again in the NFL draft. Quinn has been consistent at missing the mark in free agency as well. But the biggest mistake Bob Quinn made was bringing in his friend Matt Patricia to coach the team.

The Detroit Lions never looked ready to play and next to never did the team make adjustments in games let alone week to week. Shelia Ford Hamp can do something her father and mother could not do during their time as Lions owners. She can bring a winning culture and team to Motown.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – DECEMBER 30: General manager Bob Quinn of the Detroit Lions walks across the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 30, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

After last season both Quinn and Patricia were given a win or else mandate by Ford Hamp. At 4-7 on the season the Lions owner had seen enough to know it was time to make a change. Hats off to her for doing so during the season which does not happen often in sports.

As the Detroit Lions will now surely be holding daily meetings as to what is next, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has been appointed interim head coach. Ford Hamp is planning on using Len Perna and Turnkey Sports to help with the GM and head coach search.

Firing Quinn and Patricia had to be done. The next move is important as is the rebuild that will follow.

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While the Detroit Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers are all rebuilding the Detroit Lions need to join them

Enough is enough! The Detroit Lions fans base is loyal to a fault. But, even the fan base is angry, it is time the Lions end the Bob Quinn/ Matt Patricia era now. It has not worked and is not working. The Lions have regressed every season under the duo’s time in Detroit. The Lions like the Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers need a total makeover.

I have put this down in a blog entry before and will do so now, the Detroit Lions have been in a rebuild since 1957. Yikes! For 63 years Lions fans have watched and endured some awful football, sprinkled with teases of decent football. The decent has been far and few between the awful.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Detroit Lions Vice Chair Sheila Ford Hamp watches the pregame warms ups prior to the start of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said “I think the overarching thing is that we want to see major improvement,” when she took over ownership of the franchise. Breaking news to Miss Hamp there has been no improvements. None, zero, zilch.

The Detroit Tigers and Red Wings came to the understanding the general managers who put winning teams on the field and ice were no longer bringing in the top talent needed to sustain that level of play. Both teams changed general managers and entered complete rebuilds and both have bright futures. The Detroit Pistons also joined the Tigers and Red Wings in the rebuild and by all accounts the Pistons suddenly look like a basketball team on the rise.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Detroit Lions Executive Vice President & General Manager Bob Quinn watches the pregame actives prior to the start of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 23-20. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

A new general manager and head coach are needed at Ford Field. That means current players will need to go so the new regime can put whatever system they want to run in place. That may mean moving on from longtime starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Lions have not advanced with Stafford under center, though that is absolutely not all on him. But, that must be factored in when any possible new GM and coach take over.

Back to Sheila Ford Hamp she needs to show that she is true to her words and also acknowledge that no improvement has taken place. It is time for a change for the Detroit Lions.

 

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The Detroit Lions and head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn need to go separate ways

It simply is not working. The Detroit Lions have gone from 9-7 and a playoff football team to being one of the worst teams in the NFL for three years now. To put the blame on just one person is not right. However, there are two people who share equal responsibility general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia. The Detroit Lions need to move on from both.

The Detroit Lions are a product of Matt Patricia’s vision as well as the players he wanted, his coaching staff he hired and the system he put in place both offensively and defensively. Patricia did have help with players and coach’s from Bob Quinn.

Matt Patricia’s Detroit Lions are not even beating the bad teams. They are getting beaten badly by them. For three years running. The broken record is wearing thin in Motown. Patricia placed a huge bullseye on his back in October when he stated “There was a lot of work to do when I got here.”

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Detroit Lions Executive Vice President & General Manager Bob Quinn watches the pregame actives prior to the start of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 23-20. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Really? Is the the angle he is going to play? Is that the angle his boss (and friend) Bob Quinn is letting him take? A 9-7 football team does not need a lot of work. That is a team that is closer to being a very solid team than the one Quinn and Patricia have put on the field.

I suspect in the coming weeks or perhaps sooner, Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp will have to  sit down and figure out what direction she wants to take with a football organization that has been searching for solid footing since 1957.

One thing is clear both Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia need to go. That would most likely mean a total or close to total rebuild for the Lions. Fans are used to that. The next GM and head football coach need to be spot on hires. Ford Hamp can take decades of Lions football deficiencies and prove she is nothing like her father, the late William Clay Ford or more recently her mother Martha  Firestone Ford when they owned the team.

For the Detroit Lions, something has to give, again.

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For one game the Detroit Lions put it all together, will it last?

They had no chance to win in Arizona against the Cardinals. Zero, zilch, notta chance. Then the Detroit Lions did a very Detroit Lions thing, they won. Making everyone (nearly every expert) look bad for picking against them. Can it last? Can the Detroit Lions losers of 11 games in a row have found footing going forward?

The Detroit Lions were able to overcome the type of mistakes that lead to 11 straight losses and turned in the type of defensive effort that had eluded them early in the season.

The Lions forced Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray into throwing three interceptions and cashing them in for 10 points. Somehow the Lions also  withstood a late game penalty to set up kicker Matt Prater’s game winning 39 yard field goal.

Rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah who was put through the grinder last week against Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers, had a much better game. Okudah recorded his first NFL interception.

On offense the return of wide receiver Kenny Golladay (who missed the first two games due to a hamstring injury) showed what his value is to the Lions offense. With a healthy Golladay on the field, it opened things up for the running game as well as other receivers and tight ends to get open. Golladay’s importance can not be understated.

The NFL world had the Detroit Lions six-feet under and a shovel full of dirt ready to bury the team. Somehow the Lions were able to dig down and show for at least one game what they can be.

In all three games this season the Lions grabbed an early lead. Yet it was not until yesterday in Arizona the team did not give the lead back nor did they suffer another fourth quarter collapse. This is a good sign.

Yesterday the Lions played the way many thought they could. This win needs to have a carry-over. It needs to be a launching pad for the rest of the season. The team showed they can do it. Now comes the hard part, repeating.

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An updated look at the state of the Detroit Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons and Lions rebuild’s

All four Detroit Michigan sports teams are under construction. Rebuilds across the board. It has not been a fun time for the sports enthusiasts around the state of Michigan and the rest of the country. Yet here we are, it is time to update the four major sports teams rebuild efforts to date.

Let’s take a look at the worst and possibly longest rebuild in sports, or close to it. The Detroit Lions. Bob Quinn was brought in from the New England Patriots and there was hype when he arrived in Motown. The hype is gone, fans have soured and the Lions are a total mess. Losers of 11 games in a row with no end in sight. The Lions should fire Quinn and all associated with him and start from scratch.

The Detroit Pistons, In better shape than the Lions (who is not?) The Pistons have young talent to build around. Bruce Brown, Sekou Doumbouya, Luke Kennard, Christian Wood give the Pistons some nice players to build around. The Detroit Pistons are armed with some cap space for the first time in a long time so that will help speed the process up a bit.

The Detroit Tigers, the Tigers also have some nice young talent to build around. Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Isaac Paredes, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene are a few of the names Tiger fans should know or begin to learn. The Tigers still have work to do on the rebuild, however they are in good shape moving forward.

The Detroit Red Wings, general manager Steve Yzerman is still building his team. Like the Tigers the Red Wings have some nice prospects to build around. With the No. 4 pick in the first round Yzerman is poised to bring in another high-end prospect, not to mention Yzerman also has cap space. Cap space is a good thing it is even better when a GM with a proven history of spending wisely is in charge.

So there it is in a nutshell. The Lions are a mess as usual, the Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings are advancing rather nicely in the rebuilding of the respected organization.

I am sticking with my initial thought that the Detroit Red Wings finish their rebuild first.