Sunday, September 20, 2020

Morning Lions Links for Monday 9-21-20

Articles:

NOTEBOOK: Stafford talks pick-6, confidence moving forward:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-stafford-talks-pick-6-confidence-moving-forward

FOUR DOWNS: Defense struggles in loss to Packers:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/four-downs-defense-struggles-in-loss-to-packers


What they’re saying nationally after Detroit Lions blow another lead to the Green Bay Packers:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/09/what-theyre-saying-nationally-after-lions-make-history-with-latest-blown-double-digit-lead.html

The Lions are the first team in NFL history to cough up four straight double-digit leads:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/09/the-lions-are-the-first-team-in-nfl-history-to-cough-up-four-straight-double-digit-leads.html





SOS: Matt Patricia's Defense Is on Life Support:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/matt-patricia-defense-is-struggling-mightily


NFL Week 2 takeaways: A Cowboys rally, brutal 49ers injury streak and lifeless Vikings offense (Green Bay Packers 42, Detroit Lions 21 (Standout performer for DET-GB: Aaron Jones, 168 rushing yards, 68 receiving yards, 3 total TDs):  How can the Packers not pay Aaron Jones after he totaled a career-best 236 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns against the Lions? In a perfect, non-salary-cap world, that wouldn't even be a question. Even in the world in which the Packers operate, they're going to have to start asking themselves that question if the fourth-year running back with an expiring contract keeps doing what he did in Sunday's win over the Lions in the home opener at Lambeau Field. -- Rob Demovsky.  Next game: at New Orleans (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday). The Lions lost a double-digit lead for the fourth consecutive game, which was also their 11th straight loss. At least the collapse didn't come at the end of the team's loss to Green Bay this time. Instead, it happened at the end of the first half and start of the second, when a 14-3 lead evaporated with 31 straight Packers points. At 0-2, 2020 is starting to feel a lot like a continuation of last season, when the Lions went 3-12-1 and were one of the worst teams in the league. -- Michael Rothstein.  Next game: at Arizona (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29929927/nfl-week-2-takeaways-stat-leaders-injury-concerns-cowboys-rally-more-problems-vikings#detgb

What we learned from Sunday's Week 2 games (Green Bay Packers 42, Detroit Lions 21:  1) If Aaron Rodgers is the straw that stirs the drink in Green Bay, Aaron Jones is the ice that keeps it cool. Anchored by a well-balanced attack from the Aarons, the Packers rolled to a 2-0 start with a formidable showing against Detroit (0-2). A career-long 75 rushing touchdown on the first play of the second half perfectly accentuated the all-around day Jones compiled; he recorded a game-high 168 rush yards and two scores on 18 carries. His reliability on the ground translated to a solid day through the air, as Jones led all receivers with four catches (team-high eight targets) for 68 yards and a TD. Save for a few dropped passes by his tight ends and Davante Adams being slowed down by a hamstring issue, it was a clean day for Rodgers, who saw little pressure en route to tallying 240 yards (18-of-30) and two TDs. 2) Another week, another hot start/cold finish for the Lions. While the circumstances weren't as egregious as Week 1, back-to-back TD drives to begin the game gave Matt Patricia's squad an early 14-3 lead. It was all downhill from there. A steady run game quickly tapered off as Detroit's three-headed backfield finished with 89 yards after contributing 56 over the first two series. A pair of 15-yard penalties from safety Will Harris positioned the Packers to take a 17-14 lead, their first of the game, going into halftime. They would maintain control from there as Matthew Stafford (244 yards, two TDs, four sacks, INT) and Co. couldn't keep pace against a team clicking on all cylinders.  3) Apparently whatever conversation took place in the locker room at halftime injected life into the Packers D for the remainder. A sluggish start brought questions from the broadcast booth about a lack of "juice," perhaps caused by the absence of the Lambeau faithful and nose tackle Kenny Clark. Rashan Gary helped turned things around, recording 1.5 sacks and two QB hits. He also provided the pressure that forced a quick Stafford throw that CB Chandon Sullivan snagged for a pick-six as Detroit attempted its come back midway through the third.-- Jelani Scott):  https://www.nfl.com/news/what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-week-2-games

NFL insider notes: NFC East as awful as ever, hot seats for Matt Patricia, Dan Quinn and Adam Gase, plus more (Seats get hotter for Patricia, Gase, Quinn - If you put together a list of the coaches on the hottest hot seats before the season, it would have had Adam Gase, Matt Patricia, Dan Quinn and Doug Marrone pretty high on it. And, well, for three of them the first two weeks could not have gone much worse.  It can get late pretty early in this league, which Quinn in particular knows too well, as the Falcons are going on a third straight year of not playing anything close to winning football early on. Most years they don't generally start to 'til about Halloween. Have to wonder if he has that long if this continues. After getting blown out by Seattle in the opener, the Falcons blew an early 20-0 lead, or a 29-10 halftime lead or 39-24 lead with eight minutes to play. Pick any you like! It's all of the above. They've given up 78 points and 953 yards and Quinn is a defensive coach.  Patricia is a defensive coach as well, who watched his team get shredded in the fourth quarter last week by Mitchell Trubisky as Chicago rolled up 21 points in the final 15 minutes to steal that win. Then the Packers smashed them for four quarters Sunday, with Aaron Jones' 75-yard run to open the second half telling you all you need to know. Brutal. They've blown four straight double-digit leads -- an NFL first! -- and are wasting Matthew Stafford's career.  Brutal would be a compliment for what the Jets have done through two weeks. The 49ers were literally running out of players Sunday, but converted a third-and-31 and destroyed them with little opposition. Sam Darnold's future is becoming the hottest topic in New York, and if the Jets do anything well, good luck convincing anyone.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-insider-notes-nfc-east-as-awful-as-ever-hot-seats-for-matt-patricia-dan-quinn-and-adam-gase-plus-more/

Week 2 Takeaways: Herbert Hangs With Mahomes, Big Dak Comeback, Josh Allen on Fire (Regrets - That Lions "Defense:" We came into Sunday knowing they can’t rush the passer or cover anyone, but Sunday was a reminder that they’re capable of getting gashed by the run game as well. The Packers went for 428 yards on 31 designed runs (8.0 yards per attempt).):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/09/20/week-2-takeaways-breakdown-dak-comeback-falcons-choke-josh-allen-fire



Grades:


Grades: Different story for Brady, Bucs (Grade - D.  Lions:  Detroit looked strong out of the gate, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, but fell off a cliff from that point on. The Lions were shut out in the second and third quarters and the Packers proceeded to light up the scoreboard over that same stretch. There was no answer for Aaron Jones, and Matt Patricia's team gave up back-to-back critical penalties prior to halftime that started to give Green Bay some life.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-2-grades-tom-brady-and-buccaneers-get-a-cowboys-get-b-for-wild-win-vikings-get-an-f/
Posted by LionsFan at 10:07 PM

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