Detroit Lions 2023 Season Thread
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mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Pat Caputo: Dan Campbell proving brilliant
Lions' head coach has gone from confused to correct.To think, last year at about this time, it seemed like Dan Campbell was about to be run out of town.
The Lions’ third-year head coach has clearly figured it out. Game management, considered a glaring weakness back then, is now a strength.
That was evident during the Lions’ thrilling 41-38 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.
To think, last year at about this time, it seemed like Dan Campbell was about to be run out of town.
The Lions’ third-year head coach has clearly figured it out. Game management, considered a glaring weakness back then, is now a strength.
That was evident during the Lions’ thrilling 41-38 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.
Facing football’s version of a hot rod in a pedal-to-the-metal drag race, Campbell had all the right answers on the fly.
The Lions went for it fourth down continually, often garnering first downs with their running game despite distances usually reserved for throwing.
With the defense utterly perplexed as to how to stop Chargers QB Justin Herbert, the Lions got the ball with one last, reasonable shot. And the Lions' strategy worked perfectly.
First was a beautifully designed play that sprung receiver Kalif Raymond for a huge catch-and-run. Stuck on third-and-long and teetering on being out of field goal range, a sideline route to Amon-Ra St. Brown put it at fourth and two. While now in field goal range, there was still 1:51 left on the clock, which was more than enough time for the Chargers to rally.
Conventional logic dictated a field goal nonetheless, but Campbell’s outside-the-box strategy of going for the first down and running out the clock worked perfectly.
Quarterback Jared Goff hit tight end Sam LaPorta for the first down, Riley Patterson kicked the field goal and the Lions are 7-2.
It was such an important win. The Vikings steamrolled the Saints behind the new hero of the Twin Cities, former Lion Joshua Dobbs, to move to 6-4. Yeah, a loss Sunday, and the Lions would have only been a half-game up in the NFC North.
Instead, they find themselves remaining in a wonderful, ideal comfort zone, one in which the division is in hand and the coveted first-seed in the NFC very much within reach.
The Chargers may be high-powered offensively once Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and company get rolling, but they are fickle at the moments that decide games, hence the 4-5 record. Yet, they ranked with the Cowboys and, now surprisingly, the Vikings as the Lions’ toughest remaining games. It is a charmed schedule.
The difference between the Lions and the Chargers is finding ways to win games.
The Lions have found a way to win, regardless of the tempo. Since turning it around last season, they have also won their share of grind ‘em out affairs.
If that isn’t a reflection of quality coaching, what is?
It starts with Dan Campbell, who is no longer confused, but correct — even in the heat of an exceptionally fast-paced football game.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Niyo: Lions show guts in all of Dan Campbell's glory
Inglewood, Calif. — They’re not playing with house money anymore. Not like the last time the Lions were here in the place Jared Goff used to call home.No, the stakes are definitely raised now, with a postseason berth calling and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs still there for the taking, something we haven’t said for decades in Detroit.
So Dan Campbell knew this was no time to be risk-averse Sunday afternoon, as the Lions came out of their bye looking to make a statement about their staying power in the NFC title chase.
It took every bit of his team’s collective muscle — and the head coach’s moxie — to do just that in a thrilling 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers here at SoFi Stadium. But in the end, the actions spoke just as loudly as the legion of Lions fans that filled another opponent’s stadium Sunday, cheering Riley Patterson’s game-winning 41-yard field goal that sailed through the uprights as time expired.
Campbell called it a “good win” afterward, but he knew that was an understatement. It was a gutsy one, and the way it ended, with another bold fourth-down call in the final 2 minutes ultimately clinching the victory, seemed fitting.
Facing fourth-and-2 from the Chargers’ 26-yard line with 1:47 to play in a tie game, Campbell opted against trying the 44-yard field goal. He didn’t even hesitate, really, as he kept the offense on the field for it’s fifth fourth-down play of the game.
“With our guy, I kind of lean toward, ‘We’re going’ until he tells us we’re not,” Goff said, breaking into a big grin at the postgame press conference. “And that’s not just in that situation. That’s kind of in every fourth down we get. But I had a good feeling he’d go for it. … There’s many factors going into that. But, yeah, he’s got big balls, and he showed it there.”
He did, and his players showed something, too, capitalizing in the clutch once more in a season that’s starting to feel like something special for the Lions.
Goff’s 6-yard pass to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta gave Campbell the fourth-down conversion he wanted and the scenario he needed. In a game that saw both teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, and one where Justin Herbert and the Chargers had scored on five consecutive possessions dating to the second quarter, it felt like a game where the team that had the ball last would win.
And as Campbell said with a laugh once it was over, “Well, we had the ball last.” But only because he’d made sure of it. And after three kneel-downs burned all but a couple seconds off the game clock, it was Patterson’s turn to trot onto the field and make sure the head coach’s gamble paid off, which he did.
“Well, to each his own,” Campbell said. “Some would say it’s a boneheaded move, and some say it’s not. I made the decision and I stick by that decision. … I trusted our guys, I trust Goff. And I felt like that was the right thing to do.”
Two years ago, when the Lions made this trip to Los Angeles in Campbell’s first season as a head coach, his team was still winless (0-6) and so was his quarterback, as Goff returned home to face the franchise that drafted him and the guy he’d been cast aside for in Matthew Stafford.
But that contest against the Super Bowl-bound Rams in 2021 was a mismatch on paper, and Campbell acted accordingly, leaning into his aggressive nature and pulling out all the stops. The Lions converted two fake punts and recovered a surprise onside kick that afternoon, yet still lost the game by two scores.
This time, it was a different mentality, though. Goff and the Lions were 6-2 coming out of their bye week, second only to Philadelphia (8-1) in the conference standings. And they were road favorites here against the Chargers, a .500 team loaded with talent and trying to stay afloat in a crowded AFC race.
Coming off their midseason bye, the Lions were as healthy as they’ve been since the season opener at Kansas City. And they got off to a promising start Sunday, as the defense forced a quick three-and-out and then Goff went to work.
He hit LaPorta for a 9-yard gain, and after an 8-yard run by David Montgomery — back after missing three games with a rib injury — Goff dropped back to pass and found Amon-Ra St. Brown for the first of several connections between the two California kids.
The Lions would eventually settle for a short field goal on that drive, though, and so would the Chargers on their next possession. Yet that was not the way the rest of this day would go, and you could tell both coaches knew it. Campbell and the Chargers’ Brandon Staley are two of the NFL’s analytics darling with the way they eschew punts and go, go, go.
And Sunday, they rarely said no. The two offensive combined for nine fourth-down tries, and ended up converting eight of them, including four that produced touchdowns. And to hear Campbell talk afterward, that really was part of the gameplan.
With his starting offensive line finally together again — Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow both returned from injury after the bye — and the backfield tandem of Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs ready to roll, the pieces were in place. But the stage was set, too.
“We got our guys back,” Campbell said, nodding. “We’re at full force right now. And I have a ton of confidence in that offense and Ben Johnson calling that offense. And where that game was at, and what we were walking into, I just felt like it was the right thing to do.
“I told them all week we were gonna play aggressive, you know? I wanted us to be ready to go, and that was part of the message: Our demeanor, and the way we were gonna coach and play, we were gonna be aggressive.”
The way this game played out, they really had no choice, what with Herbert heating up and the Chargers rallying from a 14-point deficit to turn this into a shootout.
But that only added to the satisfaction once the victory was secured. For Goff, it was another reminder of how far he’s come in this second act of his career. If the last L.A. homecoming was a bitter pill to swallow, this one was something to savor, along with the 30,000-plus Lions fans who invaded SoFi Stadium.
“When I was walking off the field today, I kind of had those thoughts,” Goff admitted. “About our crowd and how loud they were, and they’re still cheering us on as we’re walking off the field. … I’ve never experienced that. It’s pretty incredible, and being able to be a part of it as the quarterback is pretty fun.”
So was the anticipation for a long plane trip home from the West Coast, as Goff planned to take a nap, and maybe watch a movie along with some of the game tape.
As for the head coach who’d spent the afternoon on a gambling spree?
“This’ll be one of those I just melt in my seat probably,” Campbell said, laughing.
john.niyo@detroitnews.com
@JohnNiyo
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Every since Sheila Ford gave him the vote of confidence last year, he turned it around.
I did disagree with forgoing the first two FG changes vs 4th down attempts that both failed, but I get it.
Got two games next week, Lions open up -10 vs Bears. If you like the Bears at +10 grab them now, as it will move to 9.5. I see 9s at Draft Kings.
Then we have the annual thanksgiving day game, this year vs. Green Bay.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Dan Miller is the Lions play by play guy on radio:
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Love the punt into the crowd....one of the most emotional rollercoaster games I've ever attended!
Dell Dude
EOG Master
On that Iowa game, I know retarded Bielema wasted a timeout on 4th down which would have given me an extra play at the end to cover. But did he waste another timeout that would have given me a play? Iowa converted on 3rd down but OTB. Dipshit Bielema used his final timeout with 2:15 left thus ending the game. But I think on OTB, the game clock is 25 instead of 40. Had he called TO on 2nd down, Iowa would have been forced to run a play on 4th down.
Dell Dude
EOG Master
These coaches are all fucking morans. They need to know these things. He ended the game with this blunder. Fuck that, though. He ended my -3.
How does the play clock work in college football?
Unless the game is stopped for administrative reasons (e.g., change of possession, penalty, injury, clock error, etc.), the offensive team has 40 seconds to snap the ball after the previous play ends. After administrative stoppages, a 25-second play clock is used.
How does the play clock work in college football?
Unless the game is stopped for administrative reasons (e.g., change of possession, penalty, injury, clock error, etc.), the offensive team has 40 seconds to snap the ball after the previous play ends. After administrative stoppages, a 25-second play clock is used.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Pat Caputo: Galvanizing victory for Lions
Great teams find a way to win when not at their best.The Lions nearly didn't lose to the Bears Sunday. They nearly beat themselves.
The key word: “Nearly”
The Lions looked like they had been there before, behind but with plenty of time to win it. There was no panic. Conversely, the Bears handled having control late in the game as if it was something entirely new.
It was such an important win, too, for the Lions, who overcame three nonsensical interceptions of quarterback Jared Goff and a fumble on a kickoff return.
Each Detroit victory puts the Lions (8-2) a step closer to securing home field advantage as deep as possible in the playoffs. It could even net them a bye to the NFC semifinals.
The fact the Lions did pretty much everything wrong most of the game, and just right at the end, tells the tale.
This game should galvanize the Lions more than if it were even a blowout.
While it wasn’t a statistical wonder-type-of-game for the Lions, they did a tremendous job at the pressure points. Amon Ra St. Brown, for example, only had 77 receiving yards, but picked several low throws off the turf at key times, one for a touchdown.
The Lions’ defense, maligned after getting torched by the Chargers the week before, picked up the offense. They contained Justin Fields’ passing game, and guarded him well enough to the edges later in the game, by yielding some running yardage up the middle to Chicago’s backs. Because of the turnovers, Detroit’s defense was forced onto the field for 40 minutes.
Not sure if there is a metric which measures the probability of victory when turning over the ball four times coupled with a two-to-one time of possession disadvantage, but it is undoubtedly miniscule.
And that’s No.1 point about Sunday’s victory. While there is more than a little to clean up before Thanksgiving Day vs. the 4-6 Packers, the Lions found a win.
Don’t forget, rare is the team that doesn’t have a few stinkers along the way. The Eagles were upset by the Jets and nearly lost twice to the Commanders; the 49ers were downed three games in a row; the Chiefs lost to the Broncos; the Ravens blew a lead to the Browns, etc.
And while this was a bad one in many ways, it couldn’t possibly have smelled any better for the Lions at the end.
That’s why it falls into the category of a quality win, warts and all.
boston massacre
EOG Master
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
This is the best start in the Ford ownership era! William Clay Ford bought the Lions the day Kennedy was assassinated, which was in 1963.
Murphy’s Best
EOG Dedicated
That’s a lot of failure! Glad to see them having a good season.
boston massacre
EOG Master
LOL !
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Lions are selling playoff tickets now. I'm surprised that the prices were relatively inexpensive.
Wild Card round, $200 per seat
Divisional round, $200 per seat
NFC Championship $240 per seat
Regular season averages $150 per game
Wild Card round, $200 per seat
Divisional round, $200 per seat
NFC Championship $240 per seat
Regular season averages $150 per game
Viejo Dinosaur
EOG Master
Keep dreaming…but the Lions are for real
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Thanks, Schmidty!
www.cbssports.com
Former Lions coach says Joe Montana wanted to team up with Barry Sanders in Detroit
Unfortunately, the Lions' then-GM didn't want the future HOF QB
www.cbssports.com
The division is theirs, no doubt, but there are questions on the defensive side of the ball. The D was on the field for 40 minutes of game time last Sunday, and now has a quick turnaround. There were still 47s to be had. Probably won't be by game time.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Found a bit of an advantage at Fan Duel, gibbs over 27.5 yards receiving, everywhere else it is 28'
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Their pass rush and the inability to contain a mobile QB will hurt them. If the Lions go to Philly for the NFC championship, Hurts will be a big problem for them.
Green Bay not good against the run. I know the Montgomery prop is at 66 1/2,
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Gibbs was about 45ish, which I like better, they are starting to use him more regularly as well.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Back to Scott Mitchell......sour grapes over this Barry Sanders documentary. Take a look at this article and some of the things he is saying and asserting.
I never liked the guy and never believed in him as a QB who could lead the Lions to the next level.
Ex-Lions QB Scott Mitchell furious over new Barry Sanders documentary
I never liked the guy and never believed in him as a QB who could lead the Lions to the next level.
Ex-Lions QB Scott Mitchell furious over new Barry Sanders documentary
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
I wonder how Monte Clark would have coached the Lions teams of the 1990s?
Patrick McIrish
OCCams raZOR
Tampa used to be in the same division as Lions, always great to go see Barry in person.
I'm rooting for them.....
Nice to see they've evolved from talking about being "slaves" that work on Thanksgiving into a true contender.
I'm rooting for them.....
Nice to see they've evolved from talking about being "slaves" that work on Thanksgiving into a true contender.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Why do the Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving every year?
ALLEN PARK -- Why do the Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving?
Go ahead, admit it. You’ve asked that question, too. The Lions have been invited to America’s Thanksgiving table for as long as most of us can remember, and while there were some good teams and games along the way, there were a lot of really bad ones too. Yet the Lions have continued to host the annual holiday game every year since 1934, except for the World War II era.
So, why is that? To find the answer to that oft-asked question, you have to go all the way back to 1934, and a radio executive named G.A. Richards who decided to buy the Portsmouth Spartans football club for $15,000. He immediately moved the team to Detroit, where the Tigers -- who were amid back-to-back trips to the World Series -- were the big show in town.
Richards wanted to juice up interest in the new football team, which he renamed the Lions, and conjured an idea so out-of-the-box that many thought it would be a flop.
Not only would the Lions host a game on a Thursday, but Thanksgiving Day? Really?
“It was considered a huge risk,” Lions team historian Bill Keenist said. “I mean, people thought he was crazy. ‘Are you kidding me? You’re going to play an NFL game on Thanksgiving? Let alone on a Thursday? Are you kidding me?’”
Thing is, it worked.
The Lions drew 25,000 fans for the inaugural Thanksgiving game at University of Detroit Stadium, nearly double their season average, while another 15,000 were turned away at the gates. More crucially, Richards was able to use his media connections to secure a national radio broadcast, a first in the history of the NFL. The game was carried on 94 stations from coast- to coast, providing the burgeoning league with its grandest stage to date.
The Lions lost 19-16 against Chicago that day, but a tradition was born.
“From that point forward, I don’t think there’s a greater (holiday) tradition in all of sports than the Lions on Thanksgiving,” Keenist said. “It’s morphed into football on Thanksgiving, and it wouldn’t be there if the Lions hadn’t taken the chance, rolled the dice a little bit, and hit it. ... It’s just such an incredibly special day for Michigan and Detroit.”
Almost 90 years later, the Lions have become nearly as synonymous with Thanksgiving as turkey and stuffing. Of course, they’ve been stuffed a few times too. They haven’t won a division title since 1993 and a playoff game since 1991, and their prolonged struggles have sometimes been exposed on the national stage. They’ve now lost six straight games on the holiday for which they’re known, and are 37-44-2 overall.
No matter how bad things got, the Lions were always served on Thanksgiving, whether anyone actually wanted to watch them or not. There have been occasional rumors about whether the Lions should continue to hold the 12:30 p.m. slot on Thanksgiving, although aside from a proposal by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1994 that went nowhere, Detroit’s place on the Thanksgiving menu has never been threatened.
“Bill Ford made an impassioned speech to ownership,” Keenist said, “and I’m not even sure if it went to a vote after Bill talked.”
This year, you won’t hear complaints about the Lions playing on Thanksgiving. The Lions (8-2) have captured the nation’s attention under Dan Campbell, and turned an offseason hype machine into a 2.5-game lead in the NFC North. With a charismatic head coach and dynamic offense that is among the best in the game, Detroit -- now off to its best start since 1962 -- has become one of the darlings of the young season.
Now they host the rival Green Bay Packers with a chance to tighten their grip on a division they have never won -- and do it on the big Thanksgiving stage, providing a showcase opportunity for one of the league’s best young teams.
For a guy like left tackle Taylor Decker, who is one of just two guys on the roster who have actually won with the Lions on Thanksgiving, and the only guy left who has been around for the duration of all the struggles since, this moment means a lot.
“We want people to see us,” Decker said. “I remember when people didn’t want to watch us, and it sucked. As much work as you put in, you want people to see you play. It’s our life. It’s all we do. It’s just special that people want to see us play. It’s special that we’re getting flexed, and people want to see the Lions. I’ve said this a million times, because I’ve been on the flip side of it, where people didn’t want to watch us play.
“It’s weird, and definitely something I don’t take for granted. It’s a privilege that people want to see us play.”
This year’s edition of the Thanksgiving game rekindles one of the oldest traditions in the series. Detroit hosted Green Bay every Thanksgiving from 1951-63, an era that was often dominated by those two teams. The 1953 game was the first game played on national TV, and the nation saw Detroit dump the Packers 34-15 en route to an NFL championship.
Detroit beat Green Bay nine times in 11 years during that stretch, and delivered perhaps the best Thanksgiving performance ever in 1962. The Packers were 10-0 at the time and had won 12 straight games overall, including the 1961 NFL championship game. Then they made their way across Lake Michigan and got pasted by Detroit at Tiger Stadium, falling behind 26-0 and ultimately losing 26-14.
Sacks were a long way from becoming an official statistic, but Detroit pummeled Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bart Starr nine times in the backfield. With that, legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi had seen enough and petitioned the league to pull the plug on Green Bay’s annual pilgrimage to Detroit on Thanksgiving.
”The big reason I’m against it is because four days is not enough time to get ready for a game,” Lombardi told reporters at Tiger Stadium.
Uh-huh. Sure, coach. The travel.
The Lions and Packers met once more in 1963, battling each other to a 13-all tie, then called it quits on their annual Thanksgiving series. They didn’t play each other again on the holiday for another 20 years, and have still played each other just eight times since, most recently a 40-10 triumph by Detroit in 2013.
That gave the Lions a division lead heading into the final month of the season.
This year, they hope to tighten their grip on the division lead heading into the final month of the season -- and this time, finish the deal.
“It’s special obviously for this organization, because it’s such a staple,” Decker said. “It’s something we’ve done forever. And I feel like everybody in America is watching us on Thanksgiving. That’s an American thing. I remember watching (when I was a kid in Ohio), too. Now getting to be a part of it, until recently, it was our only opportunity to play on a national stage. That was always special. It’s a cool thing, and this year, yeah, it’s really cool.”
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Should be electric inside the stadium tomorrow, stand alone game, national TV, Thanksgiving. What a tradition. Last Lions win on T-giving was in 2016, a 16-13 victory over the Vikings.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday tomorrow and I hope all your bets come up as winners!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday tomorrow and I hope all your bets come up as winners!
Dell Dude
EOG Master
The Hammer was never a hottie but she used to be a #maybe if drunk enough. Now, forget it.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
This game couldn't be any worse than it is right now. This is not a playoff team with this defense. Major blunder by Brad Holmes not getting Montez Sweat