Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Morning Lions Links for Wednesday 12-13-23

Articles:


NOTEBOOK: Goff looking to get St. Brown connection going again:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-goff-looking-to-get-st-brown-connection-going-again


The Lions have never gone this long without a losing streak in modern history:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/the-lions-have-never-gone-this-long-without-a-losing-streak-in-modern-history.html



Lions expect to split reps at cornerback after Kindle Vildor’s debut:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2023/12/12/detroit-lions-split-reps-cornerback-kindle-vildor-debut/71891224007/

Jared Goff acknowledges the Lions' 3rd-quarter woes are 'very frustrating for us':  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2023/12/12/jared-goff-lions-3rd-quarter-offense-splits-are-very-frustrating/

Dan Campbell Should Steal Sean Payton's Box Full of Cash Idea:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/dan-campbell-should-steal-sean-payton-idea

Jared Goff Has Message for Worried Lions Fans:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/jared-goff-message-worried-lions-fans

Detroit Lions believe Sean Payton will have extra motivation to ‘embarrass’ them:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/12/12/23998612/detroit-lions-believe-sean-payton-extra-motivation-embarrass-them

Lions vs. Bears key stats: The book is out on how to stop Detroit’s offense, Jared Goff:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/12/12/23997673/detroit-lions-chicago-bears-key-stats-week-14-jared-goff


Grading all 31 first-round picks after Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season (PICK NO. 12: DETROIT LIONS: RB JAHMYR GIBBS - Overall Rookie Grade: 71.6 (Rank: 5/8).  Principal Opponent: Tremaine Edmunds.  Week 14 Snaps: 41.  Week 14 Grade: 56.7.  Gibbs burst through the right side of an unbalanced offensive line for a 36-yard gain late in the first quarter. Otherwise, he compiled just 46 total yards on his 13 other touches. He also had a crucial drop on a swing screen that he very well could have scored on. Despite some inconsistency in workload and production, Gibbs currently leads all rookie running backs in receptions and ranks second in rushing touchdowns.  PICK NO. 18: DETROIT LIONS: LB JACK CAMPBELL - Overall Rookie Grade: 53.7 (Rank: 3/5).  Principal Opponent: Darnell Mooney.  Week 14 Snaps: 42.  Week 14 Grade: 65.2.  For the third straight week, Campbell improved his run-defense grade, posting a 76.2 mark — his best since Week 6. He has been playing a much higher percentage of snaps as Detroit’s middle linebacker in recent weeks and looks far more comfortable getting downhill. His six tackles against Chicago tied a season high, and he made three run stops in the process.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-grading-all-first-round-picks-week-14-2023-nfl-season

10 things we learned in NFL Week 14: Cowboys' X-factor; Brandon Aiyuk's star turn (8. The Detroit Lions' issues are adding up, and may derail one of NFL's best stories.  Detroit has now lost two of its past three games — both to division teams — and in Chicago on Sunday the Lions' weaknesses were glaring. After Detroit's shaky win over the Saints last week, we wrote about how offensive-line health affects quarterback Jared Goff's success, and that was never more evident with center Frank Ragnow out against the Bears.  Goff completed 20 of his 35 pass attempts on the day for just 161 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His passer rating of 54.6 was not only the lowest it's been all season, but the lowest it's ever been as a member of the Lions. Even with 140 yards on the ground, Detroit's offense couldn't sustain any success against a Bears defense that may be better than we thought.  The Lions' issues aren't just Goff and their offensive line, either. Defensively, they still lack depth. The secondary is rotating extra corners to make up for a lack of safety depth, which in turn is affecting the actual corner rotation. Cornerback Cam Sutton played 100% of the team's defensive snaps yet again. Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu and safety Kerby Joseph played all but one snap.  The Lions do already have nine wins. With how far back the Bears still are and the Vikings trending downward, Detroit's only real challenger for the division is (incredibly) the Packers. They'd have to win three of their final games to match the Lions' win total if Detroit doesn't win another game. With the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers, Vikings and Bears to finish out Green Bay's season, that's entirely possible. If the Lions and Packers finish with the same record, they'd have to go to at least the second tiebreaker after splitting the season series.  Don't count out the Lions adding to their win column, either. They have the Broncos next and two games against the Vikings and a Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys left. There's a possibility of Detroit getting significantly healthier too by the end of the season. Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson could yet return. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill said last week he should be ready to go as soon as he's eligible to come off IR in Week 18. It doesn't sound like Ragnow's injury is season-ending.  There's hope yet for the Lions to not only make the postseason but win a playoff game for the first time since 1993. It's just not as much of a given as it seemed earlier in the season. —Carmen Vitali):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/things-we-learned-in-nfl-week-14-cowboys-x-factor-brandon-aiyuk-star-turn

Ranking NFL's top 10 Super Bowl contenders (8. Lions - Record: 9-4 | Point Differential: +26 (7th).  Jared Goff's been on a cold stretch since a Thanksgiving flop, which isn't good news for a team sorely reliant on a balanced offense, which controls the ball and clock to offset a shoddy defense. Dan Campbell's aggression should keep them scrappy until the very end, but they need to step up in the trenches on both sides if they intend to avoid a one-and-done postseason bid.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-2023-nfl-super-bowl-contenders-49ers-cowboys-headline-top-10-teams-with-title-aspirations/

NFL Week 14 Winners and Losers: Bengals, Bills Back in the Playoff Mix (Losers - Lions:  The Lions (9–4) are starting to become afterthoughts in the NFC playoff picture. They’re coming off a loss to the Bears, a divisional opponent that should have swept them, but the Lions had a fourth-quarter comeback in the first meeting.  Detroit will likely make the postseason and capture the organization’s first division crown in three decades. That’s great and all, but Dan Campbell’s team might be content with just winning the NFC North.  Perhaps I’m being harsh, but it’s also a testament to the high standard the Lions set for themselves with a strong first two months to the season. Frankly, they haven’t been the same since the defense was exposed by the Ravens in Week 7. Even the offense has been uneven at times. Jared Goff hasn’t been as good as last season and the same can be said about the offensive line.  But the Lions are capable of dropping 30 points in any game. They just don’t have the defense to secure wins, even on days the offense is clicking. The Lions struggled against the Bears, Packers and Saints in recent weeks, and now have to play the Broncos, Vikings (twice) and Cowboys to close the regular season.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/12/12/week-14-winners-losers-bengals-bills-back-in-playoff-mix

NFL QB Power Rankings Week 15 2023: Matthew Stafford Shines in Tough Loss Against Ravens (12. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions:  There is a hard cutoff after 11 passers that separates the guys who have and are playing well and the rest of the league. Everyone at or below Jared Godd has either played poorly for most of the year and is turning it on now, or they played well and are now struggling. The few others are backups with very little to evaluate.  Goff has played well for most of the season but is now struggling. But his struggles shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Lions have played musical chairs with the interior of their offensive line for weeks now, and that’s a proverbial death warrant for a player like Goff.  He’s a good passer, but he needs a solid foundation on the offensive line to succeed. He doesn’t provide the ability to create when things collapse, and that’s been crystal clear over the past few weeks against subpar competition.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-qb-power-rankings-week-15-2023/

Video:


Anzalone on Broncos' head coach Sean Payton:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/anzalone-on-broncos-coach-sean-payton

Posted by LionsFan at 5:01 AM

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