Special Teams Training Camp Player Notes

Kickers/Punters:

Sam Martin:

Detroit News Lions grades: Offensive line failed to protect Stafford (Special teams - The Vikings had by far the best special teams play on Marcus Sherels’ 31-yard punt return. The Lions, meanwhile, didn’t do much well in the return game. P Sam Martin had a 37-yard punt that overshadows an otherwise average day. Grade: C-) (9-20-15):   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/2015/09/20/lions-grades-offensive-line-neglected-protect-stafford/72538176/

MLive Detroit Lions report card: Minnesota Vikings dominate trench battles to get division win (Special Teams: D, The return game never got going and new tight end Tim Wright got hit with a holding call that buried the Lions deep in their own territory early in the game. The coverage units were also underwhelming, allowing Marcus Sherals to get free for a 31-yard punt return. And for the second week in a row, the Lions had almost no chance to recover Sam Martin's onside kick attempt.) (9-20-15):   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/09/detroit_lions_report_card_minn.html

Free Press Lions' report card: Poor marks for linebackers, receivers (Special teams - A: The Lions could be really dangerous on special teams this year with Abdullah returning kicks and Tate handling punts. Tate averaged 17 yards on his two punt returns Sunday, while Abdullah had 48-yard kick return. Matt Prater was perfect on the new longer extra point, while Sam Martin did a good job nullifying Jacoby Jones in the return game.) (9-13-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/13/detroit-lions-report-card/72236260/

Detroit News Lions grades: Coaches failed to recalibrate (9-13-15) (Special teams: With so many problems elsewhere, this was actually the best unit for the Lions. Sam Martin downed three of his five punts inside the 20. Ameer Abdullah had a 48-yard kickoff return, and Golden Tate averaged 17 yards on his two punt returns. Grade: B.):  http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/13/lions-grades-coaches-failed-recalibrate/72233574/

MLive Detroit Lions Grades: Defense flops, RB Ameer Abdullah shines as team withers in San Diego (Special Teams: A- : Abdullah flashed on kickoffs and giving Golden Tate a go at punt return proved to be an effective strategy. The coverage units also performed well, keeping Chargers return man Jacoby Jones in check. Kicker Matt Prater didn't attempt a field goal, but made all four of his extra points. Punter Sam Martin wasn't at his best, but did pin the Chargers inside their 20-yard line three times on five boots. ) (9-13-15):  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/09/grading_the_detroit_lions_san_1.html

O'hara's Monday Countdown: Season Predictions (Special teams player to watch - (tie) punter, return man: It's a tie, for obvious reasons. Playoff experience will make punter Sam Martin better equipped to perform under pressure. He's one of the league's top combination punter/kickoff specialists. With the departure of Jeremy Ross in the final cut, whoever returns punts and kickoffs will be in the spotlight. Indications are that the job's between TJ Jones and Abdullah, and it might not be known publicly until the first punt return or kickoff return of the opening game.) (9-7-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/ohara/article-1/OHARAS-MONDAY-COUNTDOWN-Season-predictions/4543d0dd-bb0e-4001-9741-f506f5dbb521

A look at the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster (Sam Martin: He continues to be one of the top young punters in the NFL.) (9-7-15):   http://espn.go.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/18706/linebacker-is-a-deep-group-on-the-detroit-lions-53-man-roster

Lions-Jaguars PFF Grades: The Stafford-Tate Connection (PFF's Grades - Sam Martin: -1.4, Sam Martin had a bad night and only gained 28.0 net yards on his four punts. I'm over it. He'll be fine.) (8-30-15):  http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2015/8/30/9224573/lions-jaguars-pff-grades-matthew-stafford-golden-tate

Lions specialists keep things in sync (8-19-15):   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/19/lions-specialists-keep-things-sync/32011651/

Jim Caldwell's quotes from Day 3 of training camp (On if there is a competition for kickoffs this season: "I'm sure it'll probably be batted around for quite some time, you know? Sam (Martin) does a great job of it. We'll see, we'll see what happens, but the number of touchbacks he had last year were pretty impressive. But the great thing is that we have choices, we have options, we have flexibility." On clarifying if there is a competition at the kickoff spot: "We have flexibility, you know? And to be honest with you, we aren't going out here trying to determine whether or not Sam (Martin) is going to be unseated. Sam was excellent at what he does. Look at the production, and unless there is somebody who is going to out-produce him, but right now that's going to be tough to do.") (8-5-15):  http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2015/8/6/9107325/lions-training-camp-quotes-jim-caldwell-day-3

Brindza punting now. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Martin is the much better punter (8-5-15):  https://twitter.com/alex_reno/status/629071998535237636

K Matt Prater:

Free Press Lions' report card: Offensive line failed QB, RBs (Special teams - C: Abdullah had one nice kick return (32 yards), but the Lions didn't get much out of their special teams overall. Tate returned one punt for 2 yards before giving way to Moore, and there was a coverage breakdown on Marcus Sherels' 31-yard punt return. Tight end Tim Wright was called for holding on the Vikings' first punt, and Matt Prater made his only field goal (26 yards).) (9-20-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/20/detroit-lions-report-card-minnesota-vikings/72542456/

O'HARA'S FINAL THOUGHTS: Role reversal for Lions' defense (Prater – kick start: Matt Prater made his debut with the Lions at TCF Bank Stadium last year, and as happy as he was to resume his career he has mixed feelings about his first game as a Lion. Prater made one of three field-goal attempts in the victory. Prater connected from 52 yards between misses from 50 and 44. “I hope I have a better game than last time,” Prater said. “That was the worst game I had last year. Hopefully, we just kick extra points and I don’t have to worry about it.” Prater was signed after Nate Freese (3-7) and Alex Henery (1-7) combined to go 4-12 in the first five games.  After the Minnesota game, Prater made 20 of 23 attempts over the last 10 regular-season games, with game-winners against the Falcons and Vikings. He also made both attempts in the playoff loss to Dallas.  It took a while for Prater to find his kicking groove after sitting out the first five games under an NFL-imposed suspension. “Even some of the kicks I made early on weren’t great kicks for me,” he said. “It definitely took some time to get back in the swing of things. We’re in a good spot now.”)
(9-20-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/final-thoughts/article-1/OHARAS-FINAL-THOUGHTS-Role-reversal-for-Lions-defense/a2e996c0-172a-4a07-bd62-9b0a4bcf4375

Lions kicker Matt Prater looks good adjusting to longer extra point (So far, so good for Matt Prater after one week of the NFL's new and longer extra-point attempt. But the Detroit Lions' kicker admitted there has been some adjustment in kicking the PAT from 13 yards farther. "I felt good," said Prater, who converted all four of his extra-point attempts at San Diego. "Just kicked some extra points, so it's a good thing, extra points and not field goals. That means the offense is scoring down in the red zone. Would have liked to have gotten a few more (touchdowns) obviously, but hopefully this week we'll kick a lot of extra points." The extra-point kick has moved from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, turning what once was a chip shot into a legitimate 33-yard field goal. In Week 1, four PAT kicks were missed, which is already half the total number of kicks missed all of last season. "The thing that's different about it is you have to treat it like a field goal instead of an extra point," Prater said. "In the past you could go out and kind of wing it. You could mis-hit it and still make them. And now there's not as much room for error. You've got to treat it like a field goal and really focus on it." Today, Prater returns to Minnesota, where he made his debut with the Lions last year after the team had gone through kickers Nate Freese and Alex Henery in the first five weeks. Prater made a 52-yard field goal but missed two others when he hooked a 50-yarder wide left and clanked a 44-yard attempt off the left upright. Prater said he doesn't think he has to atone for that performance. "I try not to think about it like that," he said. "But hopefully a good week of practice will carry over to the game on Sunday and hopefully we just kick extra points and not any field goals." If the game comes down to a clutch kick, the Vikings could be in trouble. Prater's counterpart, former All-Pro Blair Walsh, had a terrible exhibition season and missed a 44-yard attempt Monday night at San Francisco. "It's one of those things where you have to prove yourself over and over," Prater said. "For anybody, whether you're having success or you're struggling a little, it's all between the ears for a kicker. He's just got to get back on track, which I know he can do and will.")
(9-20-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/20/matt-prater-detroit-lions-kicker/72513442/

Free Press Lions' report card: Poor marks for linebackers, receivers (Special teams - A: The Lions could be really dangerous on special teams this year with Abdullah returning kicks and Tate handling punts. Tate averaged 17 yards on his two punt returns Sunday, while Abdullah had 48-yard kick return. Matt Prater was perfect on the new longer extra point, while Sam Martin did a good job nullifying Jacoby Jones in the return game.) (9-13-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/13/detroit-lions-report-card/72236260/

MLive Detroit Lions Grades: Defense flops, RB Ameer Abdullah shines as team withers in San Diego (Special Teams: A- : Abdullah flashed on kickoffs and giving Golden Tate a go at punt return proved to be an effective strategy. The coverage units also performed well, keeping Chargers return man Jacoby Jones in check. Kicker Matt Prater didn't attempt a field goal, but made all four of his extra points. Punter Sam Martin wasn't at his best, but did pin the Chargers inside their 20-yard line three times on five boots. ) (9-13-15):  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/09/grading_the_detroit_lions_san_1.html

Seidel: 13 reasons why these Lions could be tremendous (Just for kicks. Last season, the Lions started out with Nate Freese and Alex Henery as their kickers. That failed miserably (4-for-12 in five games). So having Matt Prater (80.8% in 11 games) is a significant upgrade over an entire season.) (9-13-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/12/detroit-lions-matthew-stafford-ameer-abdullah/72159440/

Lions’ Prater not taking longer PATs for granted (9-11-15):   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/09/11/lions-prater-taking-longer-pats-granted/72078260/

A look at the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster (Matt Prater: He stabilized Detroit’s kicking game last season and has been spot-on most of the preseason (one missed extra point aside).) (9-7-15):   http://espn.go.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/18706/linebacker-is-a-deep-group-on-the-detroit-lions-53-man-roster

O'HARA'S MONDAY COUNTDOWN: Zenner more than just a good story (10. The worst of Game 3: The defense giving up 30 first downs, and stopping only one of nine third-down conversion attempts in the first half;  Matt Prater missing an extra-point attempt; 14 penalties, six of which gave the Jaguars first down.) (8-31-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/ohara/article-1/OHARAS-MONDAY-COUNTDOWN-Zenner-more-than-just-a-good-story/137ea4cf-bc10-4712-984b-2435a150241c

The 5 Best Moves The Detroit Lions Made During The Offseason (3. Re-signed K Matt Prater to a three-year, $9 million contract:  The Lions’ kicking game got off to a dismal start in 2014 — Nate Freese and Alex Henery combined to make just 4-of-12 field goal attempts during the first five games of the season.  The Lions then signed Matt Prater as a free agent before a road game against the Minnesota Vikings, after Prater served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Prater turned his luck around quickly in the Motor City.  Prater would go on to make 21-of-26 field goal attempts with the Lions, including a 48-yard game-winner to cap a 21-point comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in London.) (8-29-15):   http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/08/29/the-5-best-moves-the-detroit-lions-made-during-the-offseason/

RECAP: Lions at Jaguars (The Lions trailed 14-13 at halftime after Matt Prater missed a 33-yard extra point following the Fuller touchdown.) (8-28-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/RECAP-Lions-at-Jaguars/aedb2f47-d659-418e-a6ff-a41cf8e3c3c9

10 Preseason Takeaways (10. A missed extra point is probably going to decide a game or two this year. Lions kickerMatt Prater and Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos both joined a club on Friday that no kicker wants to join: The "I missed an extra point" club. Although Santos' miss came in a 34-10 win and didn't really mean anything, Prater's miss came in a close 22-17 win and could've been costly if it had happened during the regular season. The missed kick turned a potential tie game into a 14-13 Jaguars lead and things got worse later when the Lions missed a two-pointer they attempted on the first touchdown they scored after Prater's miss. Don't be surprised if we see a kicker or two lose his job this season over a missed extra point.) (8-29-15):   http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25283855/tom-brady-struggles-cam-newtons-wr-issues-10-preseason-takeaways

Lions K Prater off to good start (8-22-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/22/detroit-lions-matt-prater/32199745/

O'HARA'S BURNING QUESTIONS: What stood out from first-team units? (The field goal was a boomer by Matt Prater – 49 yards that looked like one of PGA champ Jason Day’s wedge shots.) (8-20-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/ohara-burning-questions/article-1/-OHARAS-BURNING-QUESTIONS-What-stood-out-from-first-team-units/0b576dc9-abed-421b-bd0f-d1f63b6881ff

Recap: Lions At Redskins (Quarterback Matthew Stafford and most of the starters on offense played just two series. Stafford finished 6-of-8 passing for 78 yards and led the Lions to points on his first drive, thanks to a 49-yard Matt Prater field goal.) (8-20-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/RECAP-Lions-at-Redskins/cce7020b-6e20-48a4-aa49-a2850958279b

O'hara's Final Thoughts: Slay wants Washington's receivers to test him (Kickers: Rookie Kyle Brindza (2) of Notre Dame and Plymouth High and incumbent Matt Prater (1) went three-for-three on field goals. Prater has a lock on the job, obviously, but either one would be a vast improvement over the kicking disaster that haunted the Lions for the first three games last year.) (8-20-15):  http://www.detroitlions.com/news/ohara/article-1/OHARAS-FINAL-THOUGHTS-Slay-wants-Washingtons-receivers-to-test-him/50672a42-f51f-415a-873e-84024b16315a

Lions specialists keep things in sync (8-19-15):   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/19/lions-specialists-keep-things-sync/32011651/

Prater gives Lions stability in kicking game (8-19-15):   http://sports.yahoo.com/news/prater-gives-lions-stability-kicking-game-224027512--nfl.html

Video - Prater on having an off-season with the Lions (8-18-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/media-center/videos/Prater-on-having-an-off-season-with-the-Lions/d057cdd1-92e0-4b02-9c0e-42f494b7a7cf

Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater believes a 70-yard field goal is "doable" in a game (8-18-15):   http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13462974/brandon-mcmanus-denver-broncos-makes-70-yard-field-goal-practice

NOTEBOOK: Slay enjoying competition at practice (The second scenario had the offense on their own 47-yard line with 45 seconds on the clock with no timeouts and needing a field goal to win. Stafford hit Riddick for a 26-yard gain up the middle on the first play to set the first-team offense in field goal range. Matt Prater made the 45-yard field goal to win it.) (8-17-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/NOTEBOOK-Slay-enjoying-competition-at-practice/4e111365-8f86-436e-b4ac-9b5e1bab56e9

Camp observations: Lions unveil 2-point attack (Matt Prater was perfect on the day, including three field goals from 47 yards early in practice. Kyle Brindza struggled, going three for five on the 47-yarders and missing another field goal at the end of practice. The high school goal posts are wider than the NFL ones, too.) (8-17-15):   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/18/camp-observations-lions-unveil-2-point-attack/31894665/

Jim Caldwell's quotes from Saturday (On K Matt Prater and his ‘freshness' throughout camp: "In terms of his freshness through camp, this is the first camp I've ever seen him go through. Obviously, we got him mid-year, so I wouldn't be able to judge that, but certainly he would be a great judge of that. But, his leg is long. You can tell that he feels good. The narrow goal post, what they do is they force you to really focus in on a little bit smaller target obviously and it's a challenge. It's not that easy to get it through. So, I think it gives him great confidence and I if he can kick it between the uprights with the smaller one then he certainly can do so in a ballgame.") (8-16-15):  http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2015/8/16/9160265/lions-training-camp-quotes-jim-caldwell-saturday

Notebook: Prater Feeling Fresh, Confident For Season (When Matt Prater signed with Detroit back in October, he was well-aware of the nickname long snapper Don Muhlbach had acquired over the years.   Muhlbach is known as the “Nolan Ryan of Long snappers" around the league.  “Muhl snaps so fast that I see the ball longer than I ever have in my career,” Prater said after Saturday's practice in Allen Park. “It makes it easier for me with a fast get-off time.” With Muhlbach snapping as fast as he does, and holder  Sam Martin being perfect with his holds through camp, Prater said there’s no reason he should ever miss a kick this season.  Prater's had a terrific training camp up to this point and he says he’s feeling better entering his ninth season than he ever has.  “I feel fresh,” he said. “I feel strong and I have all the confidence in the world.”  It was Prater’s idea to bring in the nine-foot-wide goal posts the Lions have been using in practice all training camp. Normal NFL goal posts are 18-feet, six-inches wide. Prater was 3-for-4 from 41 yards kicking at the 9-foot goal posts on Saturday. The only one he missed was by about a foot. He was perfect the other day.  “We used them in Denver and I like kicking on those and using those all week," he said. "You go to the stadium on Sunday’s they look a lot wider. It’s just for mental purposes.  “Kicking is all mental. When you get to this level everyone can kick the ball. It’s just the little things that can give you a mental edge. Being confident is 95 percent of kicking it.  “When you go out and kick on those all day and you make the majority, it’s just something where you feel good, have confidence during the week and it carries over for the game.”  Prater made his only attempt from 28 yards in the Lions’ preseason win over the Jets Thursday night.  His 21 field goals made from Week 6 to the end of the regular season last year were the seventh-most in the NFL. He brought consistency to the Lions' kicking game and it earned him a three-year, $9 million contract this offseason.  Prater is only two years removed from a Pro Bowl season in 2013, when he hit 25-of-26 attempts. He’s feeling fresh and oozing confidence, which is exactly what the Lions want to see from their kicker.) (8-15-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/NOTEBOOK-Prater-feeling-fresh-confident-for-season/d5e4c148-9a3b-417a-b14f-efb2e20217ae

Detroit News Camp observations: Narrower posts help kickers hone in (During minicamp in June, Lions kicker Matt Prater explained why he wanted the team to add some 9-foot wide uprights. Thus far, it looks like the skinny posts have helped him and backup Kyle Brindza.  Brindza hit six straight field-goal tries from 33 yards through the 9-foot uprights Tuesday, which is a good sign for what the rookie can do given the opportunity to kick longer extra points in Thursday's preseason opener. Prater and Brindza have primarily used the smaller posts, which are from Arena League Football, during the past week, both in individual and team drills. Though it's been hard to tell if each kick goes through the uprights, most of the kicks would've good on the 18-foot, 6-inch goal posts the NFL uses. Prater said he used the AFL posts during his time with the Denver Broncos and wanted to continue using them this season. Thursday's game will be the first chance to see if the equipment has helped the two kickers.) (8-11-15): http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/11/camp-observations-narrower-posts-help-kickers-hone/31494087/

Prater has effectively ended any kicking competition (flawless today) but K Brindza is pretty darn good at kickoffs. Directional excellence (8-8-15):  https://twitter.com/JeffRisdon/status/630042855743070209

Matt Prater is crushing FGs today. Last one was good from 65, all have been dead center (8-8-15):  https://twitter.com/JeffRisdon/status/630031106650284032

Cheers erupt as Matt Prater launched a 30 yard FG way over the catch net (8-8-15):  https://twitter.com/JeffRisdon/status/630029691789922305

MLive Detroit Lions training camp notes: Defense dominates 2-minute drill work (No need to be concerned about Matt Prater, the Lions were just giving the starting kicker a day off.)(8-7-15):   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/08/detroit_lions_training_camp_no_28.html

Jim Caldwell's quotes from Day 5 of training camp (On the assurance that K Matt Prater provides in special teams: "You know, to have a veteran guy who has performed extremely well in this league for a long time certainly makes you sleep just a little better at night.") (8-7-15):   http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2015/8/7/9118855/lions-training-camp-quotes-jim-caldwell-day-5

NOTEBOOK: Levy happy with new extension (Matt Prater took part in an 11-on-11 field-goal drill. He had 10 kicks from 39 yards, changing the spot from hash mark to hash mark every few kicks. Prater booted all 10 reps through the upright, even hitting a cameraman stationed in a lift behind the goal posts and a few stories up on two kicks.)(8-5-15):   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/NOTEBOOK-Levy-happy-with-new-extension/205e8e1c-d1c9-4d22-91d3-f1c20d1f0014

Free Press Camp observations: Lions hold first practice in pads (Matt Prater was a perfect 10 for 10 in the first live field goal drill of camp, all from about 40 yards. But Prater had a couple shaky kicks on wider high school goalposts. He said he and the field goal unit had a little bit of rust to work off - Tahir Whitehead nearly blocked one kick - but he should benefit from having a full preseason and is easily the Lions' most reliable kicker since Jason Hanson.) (8-5-15):   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/05/riley-reiff-detroit-lions/31197729/

MLive Detroit Lions training camp notes: Matt Prater does his best Kickalicious impression (The team did their first field goal work of training camp with Matt Prater going a perfect 10 for 10, although it's fair to say a couple makes benefited from the wider high school goal posts.  The veteran kicker drew his largest cheers for sticking not one, but three kicks in the basket of the lift at the back of the end zone where the team films practice. Former Lions kicker Havard "Kickalicious" Rugland would be proud.) (8-5-15):  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/08/detroit_lions_training_camp_no_26.html

ESPN Camp Notes (Matt Prater looks confident: The Lions did a field-goal period for the first time in training camp and Prater made all 10 of his kicks from 39 and 40 yards out, depending on where Sam Martin lined up. Prater said he actually enjoyed kicking for the first time this season in front of a larger crowd to help him prepare for the season. "It was a lot for me, getting out there in front of the team and kicking with everyone around," Prater said. "And also for the guys up front, to get back in it with full pads and everything. It was a great first day.") (8-5-15):  http://espn.go.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/18118/first-padded-detroit-lions-practice-yields-a-strong-day-for-riley-reiff

Matt Prater just pumped through 10 straight FGs from 39 yards -- most dead-center. Impressive display (8-5-15):  https://twitter.com/kmeinke/status/629086336385961985

FG unit in now. Crowd cheers as Prater nails first two kicks. Yaaaay kicking (8-5-15):  https://twitter.com/alex_reno/status/629084856417415168

Long Snapper:

Don Muhlbach:

Detroit Lions notes — Josh Bynes prepared to start for DeAndre Levy (Captains named - Caldwell will continue naming captains on a weekly basis like he did last year. Matthew Stafford, Stephen Tulloch and long snapper Don Muhlbach will serve as Sunday’s captains at San Diego.) (9-11-15):   http://www.theoaklandpress.com/sports/20150911/detroit-lions-notes-x2014-josh-bynes-prepared-to-start-for-deandre-levy

A look at the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster (Don Muhlbach: A consistent long-snapper. If this is the last you hear about him this season, that’s a very good thing for the Lions.) (9-7-15):   http://espn.go.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/18706/linebacker-is-a-deep-group-on-the-detroit-lions-53-man-roster

Lions specialists keep things in sync (8-19-15):  http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/19/lions-specialists-keep-things-sync/32011651/