Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Morning Lions Links for Tuesday 9-8-20

Articles:

KEY QUESTIONS: What are the challenges of preparing for Week 1 without preseason tape to watch?:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/key-questions-what-are-the-challenges-of-preparing-for-week-1-without-preseason-

Lions RB Bo Scarbrough moved to IR, making room for Adrian Peterson:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/09/lions-rb-bo-scarbrough-moved-to-ir-making-room-for-adrian-peterson.html

The Lions are being noncommittal about Adrian Peterson’s role. He’ll play.:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/09/the-lions-are-being-noncommital-about-adrian-petersons-role-hell-play.html

Frank Ragnow freaks out after Detroit Lions sign idol Adrian Peterson:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2020/09/07/detroit-lions-adrian-peterson-frank-ragnow/5741214002/




Players to watch in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season (CHICAGO BEARS @ DETROIT LIONS:  Akiem Hicks vs. Jonah Jackson - Hicks isn’t the first big name that comes to mind among those returning from injury this season, but his return is big for Chicago. His last fully healthy season in 2018 was the best of his career — a year in which Hicks earned a 91.7 PFF grade that ranked fourth among qualifying interior defenders. He has spent most of his time in recent seasons lined up over the right guard, and that means he should see plenty of snaps against the Lions’ third-round selection. Jackson had the best pass sets of any interior offensive lineman in the draft class, per the 2020 PFF Draft Guide, and showed a strong grading profile across seasons at both left and right guard for the Buckeyes. He won’t have things easy out of the gate against Chicago, though.  Matthew Stafford - The Lions have built some steam as a sleeper in the NFC North, and a lot of that comes down to what their offense looked like last season before Stafford went down with injury. He was pushing the ball downfield with an average depth of target of 11.4 yards (highest in the NFL), and it was working. The Lions fielded the fifth-most efficient passing offense in the league through the first nine weeks of the season by expected points added per play. With Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola all returning to go along with another year of development for a healthy T.J. Hockenson, Stafford has the weapons to pick up where he left off. The biggest question for the Lions’ 2020 season is whether he will.   Robert Quinn - There was an expectation that Quinn would be able to parlay his best season in several years with the Cowboys in 2019 into a nice deal, but the five-year, $70 million contract he ended up signing at 30 years old outpaced those presumptions. Quinn turned in one of the best seasons that we’ve seen at PFF in 2013 when he picked up a 93.6 overall grade and 91 quarterback pressures, but he’s never been able to repeat that dominance. His 57 pressures this past year were the most he has recorded in a single season since that 2013 campaign, though, and he joins a talented pass rush with Hicks and Khalil Mack both in the starting lineup. There’s a decent chance he posts solid production with that group.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-players-to-watch-week-1-2020-nfl-season

2020 NFL Cutdown Day: Surprise cuts, notable waiver claims and best players available (Highest drafted rookies cut Honorable Mentions - RB Jason Huntley, Detroit Lions:  Huntley was a fifth-round pick of the Lions, but with Adrian Peterson coming on board and the team keeping Kerryon Johnson and second-round rookie D'Andre Swift, he became surplus to requirements.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2020-nfl-cutdown-day-best-players-available

1 disaster scenario for all 32 NFL teams ahead of the 2020 season (Detroit Lions: What if Jeff Okudah can't fill Darius Slay's role?  Perhaps the Lions are underrating just how hard it is to find a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. They seem happy replacing Slay, who went to the Eagles after turning into a locker room cancer, with Okudah, a standout at Ohio State and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft. But good coverage is crucial — it’s the most important part of having a good NFL defense. So if Okudah can’t handle the job, the Lions are in trouble.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/1-disaster-scenario-for-all-32-nfl-teams-ahead-of-the-2020-season

One surprise cut from each of the 32 NFL teams (Detroit Lions: QB David Blough - The Lions traded for David Blough at the end of the preseason last year, getting him into shape to make five starts down the stretch, then continuing to develop his game this offseason. There were days where he looked better than Chase Daniel, Matthew Stafford’s backup.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/surprise-cut-nfl-teams-dallas-cowboys-san-francisco-49ers-kansas-city-chiefs-green-bay-packers-las-vegas-raiders/

2020 NFL power rankings based on strength of schedule (7. Detroit Lions (Average Opponent DVOA: -1.1%):  Football Outsiders’ DVOA views the Detroit Lions as a middle-of-the-pack team, ranking them 17th in the league. Thankfully for them, they face a fairly easy road in 2020. They’ll get the Chicago Bears twice – a team currently ranked 21st in DVOA – as well as games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Washington Football Team, and the Carolina Panthers, all bottom-ranking teams in DVOA.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2020-nfl-power-rankings-based-on-strength-of-schedule/

2020 NFL season predictions: From Super Bowl winner to first coach fired (Defensive Rookie of the Year (Doug Farrar: Jeff Okudah, CB, Detroit Lions):  Okudah has so much talent, even Matt Patricia can’t mess this one up. The Ohio State alum comes into the NFL as the perfect man and press cornerback, which is a boon for the team that played more man coverage than any other NFL squad last season, and were really, really bad at it. Okudah is nearly ding-proof when you watch him on tape, and that will transfer to the NFL quite nicely. My only question about Simmons, Mr. Schofield’s pick, is whether the Cardinals will use his versatility as much as they should as opposed to sticking him in ILB purgatory.  First coach fired - Mark Schofield: Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions:  The Detroit Lions ownership group turned the heat up under head coach Matt Patricia, who is entering his third season with the Detroit Lions with a record of 9-19-1 next to his name. The past few years he can point to the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford as a reason for the team’s struggles, but that will only get him so far. Another poor start and Patricia could be on the outs.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2020-nfl-season-predictions-from-super-bowl-winner-to-first-coach-fired/

Previews and Predictions:

Detroit Lions: What to know about the team's 2020 season:  https://www.foxnews.com/sports/detroit-lions-what-to-know-about-the-teams-2020-season

Bears vs. Lions preview | Week 1:  https://www.nfl.com/videos/bears-vs-lions-week-1

2021 NFL Draft:


2021 NFL Draft: Oregon's Penei Sewell set to lead yet another strong offensive tackle class:  https://www.pff.com/news/2021-nfl-draft-oregons-penei-sewell-set-to-lead-yet-another-strong-offensive-tackle-class

Oregon OT Penei Sewell opts out, will declare for 2021 NFL Draft:  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2020/09/07/penei-sewell-nfl-draft-opt-out-college-football-oregon/


Video:





SportsWorks - 9-6-20 -- Woody Woodriffe is joined by Mike Stone and Will Burchfield to talk Adrian peterson, Lions, Tigers& college football:  https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/848054

Rapoport: Adrian Peterson 'probably going to play' for Lions in Week 1:  https://www.nfl.com/videos/rapoport-adrian-peterson-probably-going-to-play-for-lions-in-week-1



Posted by LionsFan at 5:01 AM

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