Morning Part 2:
Articles:
Seidel: Lions' Patricia has failed to deliver: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2018/12/24/detroit-lions-matt-patricia-has-failed/2401756002/
Lions' stock watch: Give Zenner more carries: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/24/detroit-lions-stock-watch-minnesota-vikings/2404669002/
Lions grades: Hard to find the positives in rough loss to Vikings: https://www.mlive.com/expo/sports/erry-2018/12/88a2605dcd9574/lions-grades-hard-to-find-the.html
Matt Prater opens up about struggles with alcohol: https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2017/10/26/matt-prater-opens-up-about-struggles-with-alcohol/
Lions 2019 schedule mostly set: https://247sports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/Article/Lions-2019-schedule-mostly-set-126822702/
2019 Draft:
La Tech's Jaylon Ferguson sets FBS career sack record in Hawaii Bowl victory: https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/23/la-techs-jaylon-ferguson-sets-fbs-career-sack-record-in-hawaii-bowl-victory/
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Morning Part 1:
Articles:
NOTEBOOK: Lions frustrated by latest loss: https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-lions-frustrated-by-latest-loss
Lions QB Matthew Stafford gets benched for first time since 2015: https://www.mlive.com/lions/2018/12/lions-qb-matthew-stafford-gets-the-hook-for-first-time-since-2015.html
Matt Patricia and Jarrad Davis share a moment after frustrating loss: https://www.mlive.com/lions/2018/12/matt-patricia-and-jarrad-davis-share-a-moment-after-frustrating-loss.html
Lions sunk by terrible Hail Mary defense. Again.: https://www.mlive.com/lions/2018/12/lions-sunk-by-terrible-hail-mary-defense-again.html
Lions' Davis: 'Don't know' why the 'D' struggled: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-lb-jarrad-davis-defense-woes/2404477002/
Players support Patricia? 'Terrible question': https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-players-still-support-matt-patricia/2404485002/
'You can't give a Hail Mary up'; Lions find way: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-hail-mary-minnesota-vikings/2404441002/
Lions DE: To change culture, change the people: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-ricky-jean-francois-fed-up-sounds-off/2404281002/
How Lions still have chance at No. 2 draft pick: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-2019-nfl-draft-order/2404305002/
Niyo: Lack of progress leaves Lions begging for change: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/columnists/john-niyo/2018/12/23/niyo-lack-progress-leaves-detroit-lions-begging-more-change/2401552002/
Officials don't buy Lions' tricky attempt to draw offside call: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/officials-dont-buy-detroit-lions-tricky-attempt-draw-offside-call/2404309002/
Three up, three down for Lions after Vikings loss: https://247sports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/Article/Lions-stock-report-vs-Vikings-126819312/
Matt Patricia criticized for playing out Lions loss: https://247sports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/Article/Matt-Patricia-criticized-Lions-loss-126814991/
Another Lions loss leads to more questions -- and maybe a top-five pick: http://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/34968/another-lions-loss-leads-to-more-questions-and-maybe-a-top-5-pick
What we learned from Sunday's Week 16 contests (1. A sleepy offensive start put the Vikings in an early 9-0 hole before Kirk Cousins & Co. woke up. Minnesota compiled five total yards on its first four drives and didn't earn a first down until 3:48 left in the second quarter. Credit the Vikings D for holding Detroit to three field goals to give the offense a chance to find its groove. Find it they did. Minnesota closed out the first half with back-to-back touchdowns in the final 1:32 to take control. Cousins took advantage of a blown coverage on Adam Thielen for a 40-yard gain to set up a Stefon Diggs score. Kyle Rudolph then skied for a half-ending 44-yard Hail Mary touchdown that stole any momentum Detroit might have gained early. In the second half, Dalvin Cook finally heated up, bludgeoning Detroit's D as the Vikings squeezed the life out of a cratering Lions team, scoring 27 straight points to close the game. 2. It wasn't a crisp game for the 8-6-1 Vikings, but Mike Zimmer's squad took another step toward the postseason with a road division win. Zimmer's defense held the Lions out of the end zone for the second time on the year, completely smothering Matthew Stafford in the final two quarters. Heading into Week 17, Minnesota hangs onto playoff positioning. With the Philadelphia Eagles' come-from-behind victory over Houston, however, the Vikings did not clinch a postseason berth with Sunday's win. Minnesota will host the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears in the season finale with a playoff spot on the line. 3. Matt Patricia's team wasted golden opportunities to take a big lead early. Beginning the game with great field position, the Lions offense settled for three field goals. Winning teams score touchdowns; losing squads kick field goals. The Lions are a field-goal team. The margin for error for Matthew Stafford and the Detroit offense is so small they cannot consistently beat good defenses. Stafford compiled a minuscule 116 passing yards before a mercy yanking for the final two drives. On Stafford's last five possessions, the Lions punted four times and turned it over on downs. Detroit earned 37 yards on those five drives. Thanks to a defensive collapse at the end of the first half, Detroit trailed 14-9 at the break despite owning a 19:45 to 10:15 time of possession advantage. The end-of-half meltdown destroyed any positive vibes Detroit might have generated. Patricia's team put up zero fight in the final 32 minutes of the game. The coach ends his first season at the helm traveling to Green Bay in Week 17. Detroit will end the season in the cellar of the NFC North. -- Kevin Patra): http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001003294/article/what-we-learned-from-sundays-week-16-games
NFL Insider Notes: Get ready for a whole lot of coaching changes, and more from Week 16 (More should be made of just how far the Lions have regressed in 2018 from where they were a year ago. Rookie head coach Matt Patricia doesn't appear to be in imminent danger of being let go, though one could make the case for it, but that is one franchise that had better make significant strides in 2019): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-insider-notes-a-whole-lot-of-coaching-changes-will-be-coming-soon-and-more-from-week-16/
Week 16 Takeaways: Atrocious Pass Interference Calls, Saints Clinch the No. 1 Seed, Nick Foles Saves Christmas (Regrets - Matthew Stafford’s Supporting Cast: Imagine how good the Lions would be if the offensive line GM Bob Quinn invested two first-round picks and two enormous free-agent contracts in wasn’t mediocre-at-best this season. Or if Quinn had kept and Jim Bob Cooter had properly used Eric Ebron rather than opting for three blocking specialists on the tight end depth chart. Or if Quinn hadn’t traded Golden Tate, Stafford’s favorite target, when the team was still in the playoff hunt. Or if Cooter didn’t insist on playing the painfully one-dimensional LeGarrette Blount for 20-plus snaps every week. With an all-world quarterback like Stafford, the Lions might have really had something.): https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/23/week-16-nick-foles-comeback-eagles-texans-andrew-luck-colts-giants-browns-sweep-bengals
NFL Winners and Losers: Nick Foles has had the strangest career in NFL history (Losers - The Lions’ defensive effort on the Vikings’ Hail Mary: The Lions played the Vikings’ Hail Mary at the end of the first half so poorly, it looked like Kirk Cousins and Kyle Rudolph were playing pitch and catch. That’s really nothing too surprising for the Lions this season. They looked OK for a little bit and then rolled over in a 27-9 loss to the Vikings. The offense looked pathetic again, as Matthew Stafford sinks deeper into his career-worst season. The defense, supposedly Matt Patricia’s specialty, gave up 360 yards including 122 by Rudolph, who has been quiet all season. Many sunny theories will be pitched about Patricia, about how he had to get his system in place and the players to fit it. But, yet again on Sunday, nothing happened on the field to show he’s leading Detroit in the right direction.): https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-winners-losers-nick-foles-strangest-career-nfl-history-011900636.html
Vikings practice Hail Mary every Saturday, but without the throw: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/23/vikings-practice-hail-mary-every-saturday-but-without-the-throw/
Vikings closing in on wild card berth after win over Lions: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/23/vikings-closing-in-on-wild-card-berth-after-win-over-lions/
Rudolph guides Vikings to halftime lead with Hail Mary catch: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/23/rudolph-guides-vikings-to-halftime-lead-with-hail-mary-catch/
Vikings finally on the board, but still trail in Detroit: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/23/vikings-finally-on-the-board-but-still-trail-in-detroit/
Grades:
Lions grades: Plenty of Fs to go around in loss: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/23/detroit-lions-grades-plenty-fs-loss-minnesota-vikings/2401745002/
Grades: Eagles earn an 'A', Fins 'F' ((Lions: D-): Despite having a veteran quarterback, the Lions offense seems to get worse every week. Before getting pulled in the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford completed just 18 fo 32 passes for 116 yards. Although the Lions did jump out to an early 9-0 lead in the this game, the entire team seemed to melt down after the Vikings closed the first half with two touchdowns over the final 92 seconds. The Lions offense was so bad in the second half that they didn't even reach Vikings territory until there was under one minute left to play.): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-16-grades-eagles-get-an-a-for-keeping-playoff-hopes-alive-dolphins-get-an-f/
Video:
Vikings vs. Lions highlights | Week 16: http://www.nfl.com/videos/detroit-lions/0ap3000001003428/Vikings-vs-Lions-highlights-Week-16
What, if anything, will work for Lions' offense?: https://www.freep.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/24/detroit-lions-offense-shambles-our-writers-question-everything/2404678002/
Rogers, Niyo break down Lions' loss to Vikings: https://www.detroitnews.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2018/12/24/rogers-niyo-break-down-lions-loss-vikings/2404339002/
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