Monday, December 25, 2023

Morning Lions Links for Monday 12-25-23

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

Articles:

NOTEBOOK: Division-clinching INT highlights Melifonwu's stellar performance:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-division-clinching-int-highlights-melifonwu-s-stellar-performance


Hats, T-shirts, a whole lot of tears: What a Lions championship locker room is like:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/hats-t-shirts-a-whole-lot-of-tears-what-a-lions-championship-locker-room-is-like.html

Detroit Lions ride 1-2 RB punch to division crown: ‘The best duo in the league’:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/detroit-lions-ride-1-2-rb-punch-to-division-crown-the-best-duo-in-the-league.html

Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs selected for drug testing following win over Vikings:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/lions-jahmyr-gibbs-selected-for-drug-screening-following-win-over-vikings.html

What’s being said nationally after Detroit Lions capture NFC North title:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/whats-being-said-nationally-after-detroit-lions-capture-nfc-north-title.html




Taylor Decker 'couldn't be happier' for winning NFC North for Detroit fans:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2023/12/24/taylor-decker-couldnt-be-happier-for-winning-nfc-north-for-detroit-fans/


Quick takeaways from the Lions harrowing road win over the Vikings:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/lists/quick-takeaways-detroit-lions-week-16-vikings/




Detroit Lions win NFC North title with 30-24 win at Vikings; first division crown in 30 years:  https://lionslowdown.com/2023/12/24/detroit-lions-win-nfc-north-title-with-30-24-win-at-vikings-first-division-crown-in-30-years/

'Tears of joy!' Detroit Lions fans celebrate after team clinches division:  https://www.wxyz.com/sports/tears-of-joy-detroit-lions-fans-celebrate-after-team-clinches-division

Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs' historic rookie season continues:  https://www.wxyz.com/sports/detroit-lions-rb-jahmyr-gibbs-historic-rookie-season-continues

NFL Playoffs 2023: Here’s the structure and schedule starting Jan. 13:  https://www.wxyz.com/sports/nfl-playoffs-2023-heres-the-structure-and-schedule-starting-jan-13

Detroit Lions lock up NFC North Division title, home playoff game with win over Vikings:  https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2023/12/24/detroit-lions-lock-up-nfc-north-division-title-home-playoff-game-with-win-over-vikings/

Best and worst of NFL Week 16: Bills, Steelers, Rams win, while Saints, Bengals see playoff hopes shrink (Lions - What does winning the NFC North mean for the postseason? The offense looked strong behind a solid ground attack, and the Lions have won their first division crown since the 1993 season. With two games remaining before the postseason, Detroit has to tighten up on defense. Nick Mullens is the fourth QB to start for the Vikings this season, and he was letting it fly against the secondary, which should cause concern for the Lions since they will face better competition in the playoffs.  Stock up after the win: WR Jameson Williams. The second-year receiver has continued to improve from week to week and posted his first career game with at least five receptions. He could be a key player down the stretch for the Lions.  Stock down after the win: Special teams. Kicker Michael Badgley's extra point attempt was blocked in the third quarter. -- Eric Woodyard):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39156303/nfl-week-16-2023-questions-risers-fallers-takeaways-lessons-stats

2023 NFL season, Week 16: What We Learned from Sunday's games (Eric Edholm's takeaways:  1. Lions’ defense came up with key late stops to clinch division title. Detroit’s defense took it on the chin as the team appeared a bit shaky around midseason, but it has been a more effective -- and clutch -- group in recent games. The Vikings trailed 30-24 (thanks to a Lions extra-point try blocked) with two-plus minutes left and the ball at their 12-yard line. Julian Okwara delivered the first big play on the final drive, strip-sacking Nick Mullens and resulting in a 9-yard loss, but the Lions’ John Cominsky couldn’t corral the loose ball despite it hitting his hands. On the next play -- third-and-27 -- Justin Jefferson made an insane catch at the first-down sticks, setting up Cominsky's blunder as the regrettable play. But Ifeatu Melifonwu, who was everywhere Sunday and who has been playing some strong ball of late, picked off Mullens’ pass in Jefferson’s direction at the 5-yard line, sealing a franchise-changing victory on the road against their rivals. It was one of four Lions interceptions, and they also had four sacks of Mullens. After allowing the Vikings to take the lead on their opening drive of the second half, Detroit’s defense forced a three-and-out, the third INT of the game, a field goal (stopping Minnesota inside the 10-yard line) and the game-clinching pick to end it.  2,  Mullens has big moments for Vikings but also too many mistakes. Kevin O’Connell has described the Vikings’ offense as “week to week” given the uncertainty at quarterback following Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury. That label remains following Mullens’ four-INT game Sunday, as he threw the game-ending interception in the final minute with a chance to steal a huge win. Mullens narrowly missed a career high in pass yards, completing 22 of 36 passes for 411 yards (his career best is 414) and two TDs, playing some of his best ball following the first two picks in Jordan Addison’s direction. Mullens and Jefferson had incredible moments, hooking up six times for 141 yards and two scores, even if the final two picks were thrown in his direction. Jefferson took over in the second half, grabbing a miracle conversion in the final 90 seconds to keep the Vikings’ hopes alive. But Mullens’ off-target pass with just under a minute left fell into the hands of the Lions, ending any hope of a comeback. With Joshua Dobbs and Mullens at QB, turnovers have damaged Minnesota’s chances of making the postseason down the stretch. In the past four losses, the Vikings have turned the ball over 16 times -- with 15 by the QBs.  3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered the goods offensively. Gibbs lost a fumble after a 14-yard run in the first quarter, a rare mistake in an otherwise terrific game for the NFC North champs. (And the Lions’ defense bailed him out with the first of four interceptions on the ensuing possession.) It was Gibbs’ second touch of the game, and it took until the mid-second quarter for the Lions to get the ball back in his hands. But once they did, Gibbs took over. He converted a fourth-and-1 with an 18-yard burst and then broke a tackle on his 14-yard TD run to give the Lions a 17-7 first-half lead. The Vikings scored on their final possession of the first half and on the first drive of the third quarter, giving Minnesota a 21-17 lead, and Gibbs once again delivered thereafter. He had 14 of his 19 touches in the final 26-plus minutes of the game, making it a two-possession game with his fourth-quarter TD run. Gibbs finished with 100 total yards from scrimmage. St. Brown added 12 catches for 106 yards, with most of his production coming after halftime, too. His TD catch allowed the Lions to reclaim the lead they would not relinquish. They’ve been horses for the Lions this season, and they each helped Detroit turn in its eight game of the season with 30-plus points.  NFL Research: On Sunday, Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown became the fourth player in NFL history to have 300-plus receptions in their first three NFL seasons.  Next Gen stat of the game: Jared Goff was effective against the Vikings’ blitz-heavy scheme, completing 22 of 28 attempts for 183 yards and a touchdown (+5.0% CPOE) when blitzed. Goff faced his highest blitz rate of the season against the Vikings in Week 16 (68.3%), though his lone sack on the day came when he was not blitzed, and Goff averaged just 3.7 air yards per attempt against the Vikings blitz, his lowest mark when blitzed this season.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-season-week-16-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games

Lions clinched NFC North for first time with win over Vikings. Higher stakes await:  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/lions-clinched-nfc-north-for-first-time-with-win-over-vikings-higher-stakes-await

NFL Winners and Losers: Geno Smith saves Seahawks, maybe his job, with clutch drive (Winners - Division champion Detroit Lions: For the first time, the Lions have won the NFC North.  The last time the Lions won a division title, it was 1993 and their division was the NFC Central. The 30 years between division titles was the third-longest streak in NFL history, according to Fox. But that's over now.  The Lions got an interception in the final minute and hung on to beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-24. There will be a home playoff game at Ford Field for the first time. The stadium opened in 2002.  Vikings QB Nick Mullens threw for 411 yards but also had four interceptions. Give the Lions' defense credit for taking advantage of his mistakes. That was the key to the Lions hitting a goal they hadn't reached in three decades.):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-winners-and-losers-geno-smith-saves-seahawks-maybe-his-job-with-clutch-drive-213320702.html

Lions Veteran Seen Crying on Field After Winning NFC North Is What It’s All About:  https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/12/25/lions-taylor-decker-crying-on-field-winning-nfc-north

Lions safety Kerby Joseph was so hyped by his interception he started celebrating mid-play:  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/lions-vikings-kerby-joseph-interception-nick-mullens-celebration




NFL Week 16 Winners and Losers: Amari Cooper Explodes, Bills Keep Ascending, and the AFC South Collapses (Winner - Detroit Lions:  How often has an NFL team entered a season riding high on potential and hype yet failed to deliver?  The Lions didn’t fall into that trap in 2023, and on Sunday, Dan Campbell’s club clinched its first division title in 30 years. Jared Goff completed 75% of his passes, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery both posted at least 50 yards and a TD, and Detroit’s defense managed four interceptions and four sacks in a win over the Minnesota Vikings that showed everything Detroit is capable of.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-week-16-winners-and-losers-2023/

Grades:

CBS Grades (Lions Grades:  B. The Lions clinched their first division title in 30 years and they did it because their offense was on fire during this game. From Jahmyr Gibbs (100 yards from scrimmage, two touchdowns) to David Montgomery (69 total yards, 1 TD) to Amon Ra St. Brown (12 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD), the Lions' best players all came up with multiple clutch plays. On the other side of the ball, the Lions defense struggled at times, but the unit came up with big plays whenever the Lions needed one. Not only did they sack Nick Mullens four times, but they also picked him off four times with two of those coming in the fourth quarter. The Lions are now guaranteed to host a playoff game for the first time since 1993.:  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-16-grades-dolphins-earn-b-for-dramatic-win-over-cowboys-browns-get-an-a-for-blowout-win/

Video:










Video recap: Detroit Lions get another boost from new starter at safety:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/video-recap-detroit-lions-get-another-boost-from-new-starter-at-safety.html

VIDEO: Hear from Dan Campbell, Taylor Decker inside the Lions locker room:  https://www.wxyz.com/sports/hear-dan-campbell-taylor-decker-inside-the-lions-locker-room-after-division-clinching-win

Sportsworks 12-24-23 - Lions are NFC North Champs!:  https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/1386273
Posted by LionsFan at 5:16 AM

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