Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Morning Lions Links for Wednesday 9-9-20

Articles:


First Lions depth chart: Kerryon Johnson is starting running back, D’Andre Swift fourth string:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/09/first-lions-depth-chart-kerryon-johnson-is-starting-running-back-dandre-swift-fourth-string.html








Wojo: Bizarre season doesn’t change hot-seat stakes for Lions:  https://amp.detroitnews.com/amp/5746751002

Cory Undlin Has 'Nothing But Confidence' Defense Will Help Lions Win This Season:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-cory-undlin-nothing-but-confidence-defense-will-help

Lions hand out new jersey numbers to five new players, including Jeff Okudah and D'Andre Swift:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020/09/08/lions-hand-out-new-jersey-numbers-to-five-new-players-including-jeff-okudah-and-dandre-swift/

Will Mitchell Trubisky Torch Detroit's Defense?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/polls/can-lions-defense-stop-mitchell-trubisky

Okudah Coming Off Bench – And Other Takeaways From Lions' First Depth Chart:  https://www.radio.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/jeff-okudah-dandre-swift-coming-off-bench-for-lions

Penn State’s Jason Cabinda on a path to crack Detroit Lions’ starting lineup -- as a fullback:  https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2020/09/penn-states-jason-cabinda-on-a-path-to-crack-detroit-lions-starting-lineup-as-a-fullback.html

2020 NFL Preview: One breakout player for each NFC team this season (Detroit Lions: CB Jeff Okudah:  Strangely, there aren’t a lot of breakout candidates for the Lions. Most of the players who are going to play significant roles are either established veterans or don’t have a great upside. Picking Okudah, the third selection in this year’s draft, seems too easy, but he can be a star right away. He is as clean of a cornerback prospect as we’ve seen in years, and should be an impact player right away.):  https://sports.yahoo.com/2020-nfl-preview-one-breakout-player-for-each-nfc-team-this-season-130030359.html

The Bears, Jets and 8 other NFL teams with absolutely no chance to win Super Bowl 55 (Detroit Lions (2019 record: 3-12.  Key additions: CB Jeff Okudah (drafted), OL Jonah Jackson (signed).  Key subtractions: OL Graham Glasgow (free agent), CB Darius Slay (traded).  A lot of what the Lions are going to be depends, as usual, on who Matthew Stafford is in 2020. Last season, he was on an MVP-level before getting hurt, and they were potentially in the hunt for an NFC wild-card spot. But then Stafford got hurt and the Lions' season completely fell apart.  Detroit had a solid draft, opening it up with cornerback Jeff Okudah, adding to a defense that needed some help in the secondary and also giving Stafford a weapon out of the backfield in De'Andre Swift. While the team feels like it's moving in the right direction, in Year 3 for Matt Patricia, there's very little wiggle room for overt failure and any kind of regression could mean the unemployment line come January.):   https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nfl/news/nfl-teams-no-chance-to-win-super-bowl-55/15oot6n5uknqj1alcf5ykzpo6h

QB Power Rankings 2020 Week 1: Consistency is king (7 – Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (2019: 8 GP | 2,499 yards (29th) | 64.3% (16th) | 8.3 avg CAY (1st) | 19 TDs (T-24th) | 1.7 INT% (12th) | 32.00 OSM (2nd) | 66 rush yards (26th) | ZERO rush TDs (T-28th)):  Matthew Stafford averaged the second-most passing yards per game in 2019, albeit through half a season. I agree the MVP talk might be overzealous, but I firmly believe Stafford could be the most underrated NFL quarterback entering the 2020 season.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/qb-power-rankings-2020/

Expert picks: MVP, Super Bowl, awards (Regular Season MVP - Will Brinson: Matthew Stafford:  Long shot here, but I think the Lions can win 10+ games, win the NFC North and maybe even make a playoff run.  Comeback Player of the Year - Jonathan Jones: Matthew Stafford:  The Lions were absolutely nothing without Stafford last year. He comes back and gets them into the playoffs and wins this award.  Teams bound for a big step up - Josh Edwards: Lions:  Detroit suffered an injury to Matthew Stafford early in the 2019 season and did not have a reasonable replacement option. If Stafford can stay healthy, there is reason to believe that Detroit may finish with more than three wins.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2020-nfl-predictions-expert-picks-for-super-bowl-mvp-offensive-player-of-the-year-and-other-major-awards/

Preseason Coach Hot Seat Rankings (2. Matt Patricia - Lions:  This isn't going as planned.  When the Detroit Lions hired Patricia as their head coach in 2018, they did so under the guise of him having been born of the Bill Belichick tree of coaching. Well, two years in, there's nothing Belichickian about his reign quite yet. As a matter of fact, it's been the opposite, as the Lions moved in the wrong direction the past couple of years. They went an uninspiring 6-10 in Year 1 under Patricia and then finished 2019 with a 3-12-1 mark. Granted, they were without Matthew Stafford for eight games, but they were 3-4-1 with their franchise QB on the field. And that record was despite Stafford having thrown for 2,499 yards along with 19 touchdowns to only five interceptions in those eight starts.  In other words, the QB is not the issue, which leaves the bullseye on the front office and coaching, but the former isn't going to fire themselves. Patricia is going to have to really show something in 2020 for Lions fans to buy in, because they're nowhere near doing so just yet.  He'll presumably have Stafford back for the full ride this coming season, and there's no shortage of offensive weapons surrounding him, with future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson now joining the fold as well. That only leaves the defense to get back to shutting down opponents, something it has not been able to do. Allowing an average of more than 26 points per game in 2019 doesn't look good for a coach who hangs his hat on defense, and who's been a defensive coordinator before heading to Detroit. If that unit can find some clamps, and an offense that averaged only 21.3 points per game last season can locate the end zone more often, things will turn around quickly in Detroit.  Otherwise, was Patricia the right choice? Or were the Lions simply hoping for Belichick, Jr. vibes? While the latter seems to be working for the Miami Dolphins with Brian Flores, not every branch on every tree is strong enough to hold fruit. 

Previews and Predictions:

2020 NFC Season Preview (Detroit Lions (7-9): So much rides on Matthew Stafford being healthy and playing like he did in 2019 before he broke bones in his back for the second year in a row. Stafford was on pace to match Dan Marino’s magical season statistically before going down after eight games. The Lions did not win a game without him and won’t this year after getting worse at backup QB with Chase Daniel. The hope is an improved run game will ease some pressure, and rookies D’Andre Swift at RB and Jonah Jackson at RG can only help. A breakout second season from TE T.J. Hockenson would make a wonderful bonus. With criminally underrated Marvin Jones and jump-ball wizard Kenny Golladay flanking Hockenson and a revitalized Danny Amendola, Stafford indeed has the potential to light the league on fire again. Coach Matt Patricia’s defense was far too passive and predictable last year, with no pass rush and few takeaways. The pass rush still looks pathetic outside of Trey Flowers, who really came on late in his first season in Detroit. It stymies what should be one of the best secondaries in the NFL, led by No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah and CB and a great safety duo of Tracy Walker and Duron Harmon. Adding Jamie Collins at LB moves everyone else down a notch closer to where they should be. If new coordinator Cory Undlin can turn up the pressure, this defense could be a pleasant surprise. So could a more aggressive offense, which too frequently played for the Matt Prater 54-yard field goal instead of trying for TDs. No team needs a good start more than Patricia’s Lions. If they’re 2-0-1 like they were last year, this could be a playoff team that touches 10 wins. If they’re 1-3, it’s hard to see them topping four wins.):  https://football.realgm.com/analysis/3273/2020-NFC-Season-Preview

The Deadspin 2020 NFL Previews, NFC North: The 'No One Else Wanted to Preview This Stale Division' Division:  https://deadspin.com/the-deadspin-2020-nfl-previews-nfc-north-the-no-one-e-1844982864

Articles from Opposing Teams Media:



Three Offensive Matchups Bears Can Exploit Against Lions:  https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/three-ways-chicago-bears-defense-can-burn-the-lions

Bears rookie Jaylon Johnson is confident — and ready for his welcome-to-the-NFL moment against Lions QB Matthew Stafford:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-chicago-bears-jaylon-johnson-starting-cornerback-20200908-m6pmse4jrjg4nk3yp7lckf6aoi-story.html


2021 NFL Draft:

NFL draft: The 6 best prospect performances we watched last weekend:  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-draft-the-6-best-prospect-performances-we-watched-last-weekend-171717203.html

Is Shane Buechele the top senior quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft?:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/is-shane-buechele-the-top-senior-quarterback-in-the-nfl-draft/

Video:


Posted by LionsFan at 5:22 AM

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