Morning Lions Links for Monday 10-28-19

Articles:

FOUR DOWNS: Trick play pays off for Lions:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/four-downs-trick-play-pays-off-for-lions

NOTEBOOK: Walker leaves game with knee injury:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-walker-leaves-game-with-knee-injury

Tra Carson was released by Green Bay 10 days ago. Now he’s Detroit’s starting back.:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/tra-carson-was-released-by-green-bay-10-days-ago-now-hes-detroits-starting-back.html

Lions playcaller Darrell Bevell beats Giants with halfback toss-flea flicker. Twice!:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/lions-playcaller-darrell-bevell-beats-giants-with-halfback-toss-flea-flicker-twice.html

Inside the locker room: How Kenny Golladay changed Golden Tate’s mind regarding his ability:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/inside-the-locker-room-how-kenny-golladay-changed-golden-tates-mind-regarding-his-ability.html

Tracy Walker knocked out with knee injury, then leads Lions’ postgame locker room celebration:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/tracy-walker-knocked-out-with-knee-injury-then-leads-lions-postgame-locker-room-celebration.html

What they’re saying nationally after Lions trick play their way to win over Giants:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/what-theyre-saying-nationally-after-lions-trick-play-their-way-to-win-over-giants.html

Mitch Albom: Detroit Lions flicked more than fleas off their back Sunday:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2019/10/28/mitch-albom-detroit-lions-flea-flicker/2481884001/

Tracy Walker injury could leave Lions in a quandary; Matt Patricia talks Slay:   https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/tracy-walker-injury-detroit-lions-darius-slay/2481876001/

Detroit Lions' surprise RB starter: 'Definitely had the butterflies':   https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-surprise-rb-starter-definitely-had-butterflies/2481911001/

Golden Tate’s initial impression of Kenny Golladay: ‘Dude is not very good’:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-golden-tate-kenny-golladay/2481275001/

Why Detroit Lions' unique flea-flicker worked vs. New York Giants:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-score-new-york-giants/2478489001/

He's the Lions' fascinating mechanical man: A lot of things 'make us dumber and lazy':  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-romeo-okwara-cameras-photo-exhibit/2468897001/

'Explosive' Marvin Hall proving to be a good catch for Lions:   https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/explosive-marvin-hall-proving-good-catch-detroit-lions/2482039001/

Detroit Lions' Trey Flowers finally stars in win over Giants:   https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-trey-flowers-giants/2479272001/

Niyo: If Lions are going to make a push, a reliable run game is needed:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/columnists/john-niyo/2019/10/28/niyo-if-detroit-lions-trying-make-push-reliable-run-game-needed/2479889001/

Lions have no update on Tracy Walker after knee injury:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-have-no-update-tracy-walker-after-knee-injury/2481242001/

Lions' Matt Patricia on Darius Slay trade talk: 'I like the team we have':   https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-matt-patricia-darius-slay-trade-talk-i-like-team-we-have/2481520001/

'We let it rip': Trick play burns Giants, yields treat for Lions:   https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/we-let-rip-trick-play-burns-new-york-giants-yields-treat-detroit-lions/2480109001/

Lions' next opponent: Raiders squander fourth-quarter lead to Texans:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/28/lions-next-opponent-raiders-squander-fourth-quarter-lead-texans/2482996001/

Five things to know about Detroit Lions’ 31-26 win over N.Y. Giants:  https://lionslowdown.com/2019/10/27/five-things-to-know-about-detroit-lions-31-26-win-over-n-y-giants/

Golden Tate shows his love for the Lions and Detroit after his Giants lost in Ford Field:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/27/golden-tate-shows-his-love-for-the-lions-and-detroit-after-his-giants-lost-in-ford-field/

NFL Week 8 PFF ReFocused: Detroit Lions 31, New York Giants 26:  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-8-pff-refocused-detroit-lions-31-new-york-giants-26

Notes: Time to bench Trubisky (Matthew Stafford was an absolute stud again (25-for-32 for 342 yards and three TDs). Threw one early pick he'd want back, but playing some great football this season. His 16 TD passes trails only Russell Wilson (17)):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-8-insider-notes-bears-should-bench-mitchell-trubisky-bucs-also-have-a-big-qb-problem-and-more/

Week 8 Takeaways: Bears Have Issues, Stafford for MVP (Things That Made Me Giddy:  Matthew Stafford Officially Announces His 2019 NFL MVP Candidacy, Again: Had some very confused officials not taken a victory away from Detroit two Mondays ago at Lambeau, Stafford would be getting the recognition he deserves. (Well, he still plays in Detroit, so he’d be getting slightly more recognition than he does now but still not as much as he deserves.) Against the Giants on Sunday, he went 25-for-32 for 342 and three scores—many of his throws spectacular but done with such ease that no one seems to notice—and finally delivered a knockout blow in the fourth quarter on a trick-play double-pass for a 41-yard TD. He’s averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and on pace for 4,784 yards and 37 touchdowns despite a middling (despite being high-priced) offensive line and no running game.

What we learned from Sunday's Week 8 games (Detroit Lions 31, New York Giants 26:  1. Perhaps no one outside of Detroit was aware of how good Matthew Stafford has been this season, but his Week 8 performance deserves a glaring spotlight. The Lions' three-game losing streak marred just how impressive Stafford (7-1 TD-to-INT ratio, 629 passing yards, 62.3-completion rate) had been during that rough stretch; at home against the Giants (2-6), the veteran QB had a chance to show out in a win. His final numbers? 25-of-32 (78-percent completion rate) for 342 yards, three TDs and a pick (his fourth of the season). With Tra Carson starting in place of injured RB1 Kerryon Johnson (first DNP of 2019), Detroit didn't get much from the backfield, who combined for 62 yards on 23 attempts with four different guys getting touches. The lackluster run game paved the way for a stellar outing for the Lions' slew of receivers; Kenny Golladay recorded 123 yards and two TDs on six catches, Danny Amendola went 8-of-8 for 95 yards and Marvin Hall turned in his lone catch for a TD on a 49-yard Stafford bomb. After scoring 27-plus points in only four games last year, Detroit (3-3-1) now has five such games in the first eight weeks, and Stafford has absolutely been leading the way.  2. After a Cinderella-esque debut in Week 3, Daniel Jones' carriage has been looking a lot like a pumpkin in the weeks since. Having his offense reduced to second- and third-stringers due to injuries certainly didn't help Jones, who averaged 197.8 YPG and threw more interceptions (7) than TDs (4) in Weeks 4-7, but the rookie looked good in Detroit. With RB Saquon Barkley (19/64 on the ground, 8/79/1 through the air), TE Evan Engram (4/40/1) and WR Golden Tate (8/85) all back in the lineup for just the second time in 2019, Jones looked more comfortable in a near-Giants win. After going 2-of-4 for 16 yards in his first three drives, including a fumble that led to a Lions score, Jones finished the game 28-of-41 for 322 yards, four TDs and no interceptions. The marquee names all did well but the highlight plays were made by rookie WR Darius Slayton, who hauled in two fantastic TD catches for a combined 50 yards on back-to-back drives.  3. It was a highly competitive game but the Lions defense stepped up early to build momentum and late to seal the deal. On the third play of the Giants' second drive, LB Jarrad Davis strip-sacked Jones, allowing fellow LB Devon Kennard to score the defense's first TD of the season on a 16-yard run. The group also tallied three sacks (five QB hits), four tackles for a loss and seven pass deflections, the biggest coming from CB Mike Ford on a Slayton target on third-and-11 from the DET 14 with 3:39 remaining. That drive would end in a turnover on downs.  -- Jelani Scott):   http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001070186/article/what-we-learned-from-sundays-week-8-games

Week 8 NFL takeaways: Eagles make a statement in road win (Detroit Lions 31, New York Giants 26:  The Lions have something to build on. They found a pass-rush and did decent job against Saquon Barkley, and Matthew Stafford had his best game of the year. It wasn't a complete performance, but was necessary after three consecutive losses. Coach Matt Patricia said he felt his players played "tough" and was happy with how the Lions handled in-game adjustments. Considering where Detroit has been, that's progress. -- Michael Rothstein):   https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/nfl_32for32102719/week-8-nfl-takeaways-eagles-make-statement-road-win#nygdet

Daniel Jones, Giants give up early TD to Lions on turnover:  https://sports.yahoo.com/daniel-jones-giants-turnover-ball-early-vs-lions-resulting-in-detroit-td-173813350.html

Lions hold on to beat Giants:  https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/10/27/lions-hold-on-to-beat-giants/

Grades:

Lions grades: Stafford, coaching sterling after difficult week:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/detroit-lions-grades-new-york-giants/2478497001/

Justin Rogers' Lions grades: Receivers shine, secondary has rough day:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/justin-rogers-detroit-lions-grades-receivers-shine-secondary-has-rough-day/2479043001/

CBS Grades (Lions - B+:  Matthew Stafford got off to a slow start with an interception on the Lions' first possession, but after that, he spent the rest of the game abusing the Giants' defense. The most impressive thing about Stafford is that he had his long ball working perfectly on Sunday. The Lions quarterback completed two passes for 40 or more yards, which both went for touchdowns. The Giants defense had no answers for Kenny Golladay, who caught six passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Although the Lions weren't great on defense, the unit did come up with one big play when Devon Kennard returned a fumble 13 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The defensive TD came on the possession after Stafford threw his pick and gave the Lions a lead they would never relinquish.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-8-grades-saints-get-an-a-in-drew-brees-return-bears-get-a-d-for-brutal-loss-to-chargers/

Video:

Stafford's most impressive throws vs. Giants | Week 8:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/stafford-s-most-impressive-throws-vs-giants-week-8

Every catch from Kenny Golladay's 123-yard, two-TD day | Week 8:  http://www.nfl.com/videos/detroit-lions/0ap3000001070349/Every-catch-from-Kenny-Golladay-s-123-yard-two-TD-day-Week-8

Field view: Lions execute amazing flea-flicker TD:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/field-view-lions-execute-amazing-flea-flicker-td

Best plays from Lions vs. Giants:   https://www.detroitlions.com/video/best-plays-from-lions-vs-giants

Lions vs. Giants: Locker Room Celebration:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/lions-vs-giants-locker-room-celebration

Patricia on Week 8 win over Giants:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/patricia-on-week-8-win-over-giants

Stafford on offensive success in Week 8:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/stafford-on-offensive-success-in-week-8

Golladay on his two touchdown performance:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/golladay-on-his-two-touchdown-performance

Amendola on continuously growing offense:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/amendola-on-continuously-growing-offense

Flowers on disrupting the quarterback:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/flowers-on-disrupting-the-quarterback

Harris on playing as a confident unit:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/harris-on-playing-as-a-confident-unit

Kennard on scoop and score touchdown:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/kennard-on-scoop-and-score-touchdown

Lions react to Week 8 win over Giants:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/lions-react-to-week-8-win-over-giants

Lions beat Giants, but what names might they target on trade market?:  https://www.freep.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/28/detroit-lions-trade-deadline-targets/2482129001/

Rogers, Niyo and Wojnowski break down Lions' win over Giants:  https://www.detroitnews.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/27/justin-rogers-john-niyo-and-bob-wojnowski-break-down-lions-win-over-giants/2481787001/