Thursday, October 12, 2023

Morning Lions Links for Thursday 10-12-23

Articles:



Week 6 opponent: What the Buccaneers are saying:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/week-6-opponent-what-the-buccaneers-are-saying-white-diaby-evans

Lions-Buccaneers preview: Dan Campbell isn’t taking Tampa Bay lightly:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/10/lions-buccaneers-preview-dan-campbell-isnt-taking-tampa-bay-lightly.html

Rookies Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch miss Lions practice; Amon-Ra St. Brown back:   https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/10/rookies-jahmyr-gibbs-brian-branch-miss-lions-practice-amon-ra-st-brown-back.html

Detroit Lions always envisioned bell-cow status for surging RB David Montgomery:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/10/detroit-lions-always-envisioned-bell-cow-status-for-surging-rb-david-montgomery.html


Lions vs. Panthers: What I learned from film study of Detroit's Week 5 win:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/lists/lions-vs-panthers-what-i-learned-from-film-study-of-detroits-week-5-win/

Dan Campbell Not Focused on Potential of Both Coordinators Leaving:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/dan-campbell-addresses-coordinators-gaining-buzz


Ranking the NFL's top rookies through five weeks: How many quarterbacks make our top 10? (6. Brian Branch, S, Detroit Lions - Stats: 25 tackles, 1 INT, 1 defensive TD.  Drafted: No. 45 overall.  Branch missed the Lions' Week 5 game against the Panthers with a right ankle injury and is a question mark for this week's game against the Buccaneers. But through four games, he was tied for the team lead in tackles (25) and tackles for loss (three), and he had returned an interception off QB Patrick Mahomes for a touchdown against the Chiefs in the season-opener. Not bad.  Branch plays with physicality in the run game, has veteran-like awareness and is decisive in coverage -- all must-haves for a slot corner in the league. -- Legwold.  8. Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions - Stats: 25 catches, 289 yards, 3 TDs.  Drafted: No. 34 overall.  This sentence works better read in a deadpan Meryl Streep/Devil Wears Prada voice: An Iowa tight end blowing up in the NFL? Groundbreaking. Jokes aside, what LaPorta is doing through five games is pretty darn close to groundbreaking. Against the Panthers this past weekend, LaPorta scored two touchdowns, including a 31-yarder off an end-around flea-flicker, making him the first tight end in franchise history to have multiple 30-yard catches in a season. He leads all tight ends with 289 receiving yards and is averaging 11.6 yards per reception.  His emergence is also a big boost to the Lions' offense, opening things up in the run game for David Montgomery and fellow rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Things are only looking up for the 4-1 Lions and LaPorta. -- Pryor):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38624772/10-best-2023-nfl-rookies-ranking-first-years-quarterbacks

32 NFL observations after Week 5: Chase Young's pass-rush prowess, Jared Goff's accuracy and more (DETROIT LIONS - Another day, another chance for Jared Goff to put forward his own MVP case. He had the highest adjusted accuracy completion on the week (92.3%) and now has the best on the entire year (82.9%).):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-32-nfl-observations-after-week-5-chase-youngs-pass-rush-prowess-jared-goffs-accuracy-and-more

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 6 (2. DETROIT LIONS (NO CHANGE) - Starting guard Jonah Jackson was seen in a walking boot following Detroit’s Week 5 win, and he missed the last three snaps of the contest. However, Halapoulivaati Vaitai was active once again and could replace Jackson if he needs to miss time.  Guard Graham Glasgow, who saw snaps due to Vaitai’s injury, continued his strong form against the Panthers. He was Detroit’s highest-graded offensive lineman. He has earned an 83.3 PFF grade so far this season, which ranks second among guards.  Best player: Frank Ragnow - Ragnow’s 84.8 overall grade ranks second among centers in the NFL this season.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-offensive-line-rankings-week-6-2023

NFL Week 6 Analytical Quarterback Rankings: Lamar Jackson moves up after an outstanding performance against the Steelers (MOST EXPLOSIVE PASSER: JARED GOFF, DETROIT LIONS - Goff dismantled the Panthers defense on downfield throws in Week 5. The Lions signal-caller finished 7-of-9 for 137 yards and two scores on passes thrown 10 or more yards downfield, good for a perfect 158.3 passer rating and a 96.8 passing grade.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-6-analytical-quarterback-rankings-lamar-jackson-moves-up-after-an-outstanding-performance-against-the-steelers

NFL Rookies: Top 15 highest-graded players after Week 5 (7. CB BRIAN BRANCH, DETROIT LIONS: 79.7 - Branch (ankle) wasn’t able to play in Week 5, but he still managed to retain his place on this list. That loss is a sizable blow to this Lions defense. Before his injury, Branch was coming off a phenomenal stretch, earning a top-10 grade in both coverage (90.2) and run defense (89.2) over Weeks 3 and 4.11.  TE SAM LAPORTA, DETROIT LIONS: 78.1 - LaPorta started off October just as impressively as he finished September. While he saw a season-low in opportunities this past week — just four targets — he made the most of those looks. On his three catches, LaPorta managed a pair of touchdowns, giving him three scores over his last three games.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-rookies-top-15-highest-graded-players-after-week-5

NFL Team Needs Tracker: One upcoming free agent, one 2024 NFL Draft prospect for all 32 teams after Week 5 (DETROIT LIONS: INTERIOR DEFENDER - Projected win total (per PFF Power Rankings): 9.7 (t-8th).  Projected draft position (per Vegas odds): 24th.  Unit grade through Week 1: 67.9 (9th).  Detroit may have an emerging star on its hands in Alim McNeill but needs to add more depth up the middle. John Cominsky and Aidan Hutchinson are plenty capable of kicking inside on passing downs, but adding a solid interior pass-rusher who can play alongside McNeill would further add to the defense's capabilities up front. While 2021 second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike was a promising prospect, injuries have derailed his development.  Prospect: Ohio State DI Michael Hall Jr.  Hall is a very talented interior pass-rusher with an 85.8 pass-rush grade on true pass sets and a 17.6% pass-rush win rate. He can line up as a three- to five-technique alongside Alim McNeill and tee off on obvious passing downs early in his career.  Free agent: San Francisco 49ers DI Kevin Givens.  Givens is a rotational interior pass-rusher on an absolutely loaded San Francisco 49ers depth chart, but he has nine quarterback pressures and a sack on 83 pass-rush snaps in 2023, earning a 76.3 pass-rush grade in the process. The former undrafted free agent has gotten better and played a bigger role in each season of his career in San Francisco.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-team-needs-tracker-free-agents-2024-nfl-draft-prospects-week-5-2023

NFL trade deadline: Five teams that should be buyers (Detroit Lions - The Lions have lived up the 2023 hype thus far, sitting atop the NFC North at 4-1. However, that improved defense has suffered a large amount of injuries. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is out indefinitely with a torn pectoral, Emmanuel Moseley is out for the year with a torn ACL, and the versatile rookie Brian Branch is dealing with an ankle injury. If the Lions want to compete into 2024, they would be smart to add on the defensive side of the ball.  Lions head coach Dan Campbell has said that he's confident in his team's depth in the secondary, but it ranks No. 17 in pass defense this year (224.4 passing yards per game). Detroit should look to add a cornerback or safety before the trade deadline -- someone who can play immediately. Players to target: S Jalen Mills, S Budda Baker, CB Kristian Fulton, DB Jabrill Peppers, S Kareem Jackson):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-trade-deadline-five-teams-that-should-be-buyers-and-the-players-they-should-target/

Mic’d-up Lions G Jonah Jackson hilariously struggled to count how much Detroit was winning by:  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/micd-up-lions-jonah-jackson-counting-score-hilarious-video-reaction

NFL Head Coach Rankings 2023: Does Josh McDaniels or Matt Eberflus Land at the Bottom? (19. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions - Regular-season record: 21-29-1 (.422).  Some football coaches are leaders of men. Tomlin is the first coach to come to mind in that category. Dan Campbell is the second. Campbell has the facade of an old-school knuckle-dragger, but he is aggressive in all the right ways, and his players legitimately appear to love and fight for him.  The “rah-rah” coaches are often present as insincere. But Campbell is a man secure enough to sit at a podium and openly weep after a loss because he legitimately feels for his players.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/best-head-coaches-nfl-rankings/

NFL WR Rankings 2023: Puka Nucua, Brandon Aiyuk, and CeeDee Lamb Establish Themselves Among Best Wide Receivers in the NFL (17. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions:  It’s not often we see an entire group of amateurs on the internet who know better than the professionals tasked with selecting players. However, everyone but the league saw Amon-Ra St. Brown coming from a mile away.  St. Brown is a nifty player after the catch, and the improvements he’s made in his timing from the slot have made him a very friendly receiver to Jared Goff.  He’s not the biggest or most explosive receiver in the league, but St. Brown plays with impressive strength and fluidity. One could even venture to claim he’s “gritty.”)  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/best-wide-receivers-nfl-rankings/

NFL Defense Rankings: Browns, 49ers, and Ravens Among the Best in Week 6 (10. Detroit Lions:  These Detroit Lions are not your normal Lions. While they were gifted mistakes against the Chiefs, the unit put on a strong showing against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Seattle Seahawks’ offense moved the ball consistently against them, but that could be a trend for that particular offense moving forward if the past two weeks are any indication.  Detroit’s pass rush is dominant, and it should only improve as EDGE Julian Okwara returns to action from injured reserve. Fellow EDGE Aidan Hutchinson continues making plays that defy logic. He was seen by many as the best defensive player from his draft class, and he’s already performing as one of the best defensive players in the NFL in the trenches.  Losing CB Emmanuel Moseley after just getting him back is a tough blow for him and the team, but this organization is different than it’s been.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-defense-rankings/

2023 NFL QB Power Rankings: Brock Purdy enters top 5 (7. Jared Goff DETROIT LIONS QB - Since the start of 2022, the ex-Rams QB has thrown 38 TDs to just 10 INTs in Detroit. Talk about a resilient fella. And he's done it with a rotating crop of pass targets. It may not always be pretty, but with protection, he's consistent. (+2)):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-week-6-nfl-qb-power-rankings-49ers-brock-purdy-enters-top-five-cowboys-dak-prescott-slides/

NFL QB Rankings, Week 6: Joe Burrow, no longer the league's worst quarterback (3.  Absolutely vital to an NFC title - 8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: 0.135 EPA + CPOE composite.  Goff is quietly building his case for MVP consideration.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-qb-rankings-week-6-joe-burrow-brock-purdy-tua-tagovailoa

NFL QB Power Rankings Week 6 2023: Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence Reside Among the Best Quarterbacks in the NFL (9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions:  Jared Goff is the more naturally talented version of Jones in New England and Garoppolo in Las Vegas. Goff needs a good environment around him to maximize his performance, and that’s exactly what he’s getting in Detroit.  Ben Johnson is an outstanding offensive coordinator, the offensive line rocks, and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta are perfect for the middle-of-field attacking Goff.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-qb-power-rankings-week-6-2023/

Video:

Montgomery on the type of men the running back room has:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/montgomery-on-the-type-of-men-the-running-back-room-has


Lions GM Brad Holmes talks 4-1 start with Rapoport, Pelissero | 'The Insiders':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/lions-gm-brad-holmes-talks-4-1-start-with-rapoport-pelissero-the-insiders

Carr's film breakdown of Purdy, Goff, Tagovailoa in 2023 | 'NFL Total Access':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/carr-s-film-breakdown-of-purdy-goff-tagovailoa-in-2023-nfl-total-access

Revealing likely buyers and sellers at trade deadline on Oct. 31 | 'The Insiders':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/revealing-likely-buyers-and-sellers-at-trade-deadline-on-oct-31-the-insiders

Posted by LionsFan at 4:43 AM

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