Thursday, May 16, 2024

Lions Links for Thursday 5-16-24

Articles:


Goff more driven than ever to bring a Super Bowl to Detroit:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/goff-more-driven-than-ever-to-bring-a-super-bowl-to-detroit


Jared Goff got the security and the no-trade clause he wanted in his new contract:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/16/jared-goff-lions-press-conference-contract-extension-no-trade-clause/



How Do Lions' Total Travel Miles Compare to NFL Teams:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/how-lions-total-travel-miles-compare-to-nfl-teams









5 things we love and 5 things hate about the Lions 2024 schedule:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2024/5/15/24157800/5-things-love-hate-about-detroit-lions-2024-schedule


2024 NFL Schedule: 10 games that could define the 2024 NFL season (LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS (WEEK 1) - Oh, NFL, how glorious you are by giving us two playoff rematches on the opening slate. Both teams won at least 10 games a season ago and are in a good position to replicate that success. The strength of their divisions renders this game that much more important for the NFC wild-card seeding, which could have four or more teams all win 10 games and vie for one of the final three playoff spots. Even if it’s the first Sunday Night Football clash of the year, this game will continue to impact the NFC playoff picture for the remaining 17 weeks.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-10-games-that-could-define-the-2024-nfl-season

Breakout candidates for all 16 NFC teams: Cowboys' DeMarvion Overshown, Panthers' Bryce Young and more (DETROIT LIONS: WR KALIF RAYMOND - With Josh Reynolds heading to Denver, the Lions’ receivers behind Amon-Ra St. Brown all received a boost in the pecking order. The fact that Detroit didn’t add a wideout in the draft means Brad Holmes trusts guys like Raymond to replace Reynolds’ ability to move the chains. Raymond ranked third on the Lions in receiving grade last year, and the eight-year vet should be in for a career-high target share in an offense that loves distributing the ball.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-breakout-candidates-for-all-16-nfc-teams

Ranking every 'SNF' matchup in 2024: Rams-Lions No. 1 (2. Detroit Lions at Houston Texans (Week 10) - Put the Over at 55. I don't care, I'll still take it. I'm expecting plenty of points in this showdown of interconference contenders. It will be a massive test for both defenses.  1. Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (Week 1) - Of course this is the No. 1 Sunday night matchup -- and we get it right off the bat. Stafford starts his 2024 season where his 2023 campaign ended: At his former home. And Jared Goff gets the franchise that traded him to Detroit. Well, he's thriving. Stafford threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns in that wild-card matchup, while Goff threw for 277 yards and one touchdown, but registered just five incompletions. I don't know abut you, but I'm ready for the season.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-sunday-night-football-schedule-ranking-every-matchup-lions-two-prime-time-games-sit-atop-list/

Ranking all 16 Week 1 games for 2024 NFL season (3. Rams at Lions - Date: Sunday, Sept. 8 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC.  A deep cut revenge game is here! There's the layer of Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff being traded for each other and Stafford then winning the Super Bowl with the Rams, something Goff was unable to do. Then, there's the additional layer of Goff and the Lions ending Stafford and the Rams' season in the wild card round in 2023. This spite-filled playoff rematch is a great way to end the first full Sunday of NFL action.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-schedule-release-ranking-every-week-1-game-including-ravens-vs-chiefs-in-season-opener/

2024 NFL schedule: Best game of each weekWeek (17: Lions at 49ers - Date: Monday, Dec. 30 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN, ABC.  A rematch of the last NFC title game, this won't hold nearly as much weight, but it could still mean a ton for Detroit, as the Lions look to put their sour 2023 finish to rest and storm into the 2024 playoffs with momentum. Might we be looking at another race for the NFC's No. 1 seed?  Week 10: Lions at Texans - Date: Sunday, Nov. 10 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC.  This is a good time to reflect on the Lions' meteoric rise the last few years. It would've been crazy to pencil them into so many must-see matchups at the start of the Dan Campbell era. Now? Their showdown with C.J. Stroud and Co. could pit two of the NFL's top teams against each other.  Week 6: Lions at Cowboys - Date: Sunday, Oct. 13 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET | TV: Fox.  Dallas again? Sure. But the real draw here is probably Detroit, which will be angling to avenge last year's narrow defeat to the Cowboys, while also working to return to -- and get past -- the NFC championship.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-schedule-release-best-game-from-each-week-including-chiefs-vs-49ers-super-bowl-rematch/

10 must-see games from 2024 NFL schedule (5. Lions at 49ers - Date: Monday, Dec. 30 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN, ABC.  Rematches may be boring to some, but almost a full year after they met in the NFC title game, both these squads figure to remain near the top of the conference. Detroit locked up many of its core play-makers this offseason, so the pressure is on Dan Campbell's ultra-aggressive contender to take the next big leap.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-schedule-release-ranking-10-must-see-games-including-jets-49ers-opener-harbaugh-bowl/

2024 NFL schedule: Good and bad of every team's slate (NFC North
Detroit Lions - One good thing for the Lions: From Week 1 thru Week 15, the Lions will only play ONE outdoor game, which means they won't have to worry about the possibility of bad weather slowing down their speedy offense. Over the first 15 weeks, the Lions have eight games at home and five road games in a dome plus a bye (Their only outdoor game is at Green Bay). One bad thing for the Lions: Coming out of their Week 5 bye, the Lions have to play four of their next five games on the road and the worst part is that three of those four road games are against teams that made the playoffs last season (Cowboys, Packers, Texans). If the Lions are going to struggle in 2024, that could be the stretch where it happens.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-schedule-breakdown-for-all-32-teams-one-good-thing-and-one-bad-thing-each-team-will-face-this-season/

NFL schedule: Each NFC team's win total projection for 2024 season:  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-schedule-each-nfc-team-s-win-total-projection-for-2024-season

2024 NFL schedule, What We Learned: Three biggest matchups, takeaways for all 32 teams (Detroit Lions
2023 record: 12-5 · NFC North: 1st.  Detroit Lions' complete 2024 NFL schedule.  Strength of schedule: .509 (11).  Bye: Week 5.  Three marquee matchups: Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC (Sunday), Week 14: vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video (Thursday), Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC (Monday).  Biggest takeaways:  Early bye, early playoff rematches. Detroit opens with back-to-back playoff rematches at Ford Field, facing the Rams (whom the Lions defeated in the Wild-Card Round last season) in prime time and the Buccaneers (vanquished in the Divisional Round) in Week 2. Three of their first five games come against 2023 postseason clubs, and they eventually play all but one of the NFC's playoff teams from last season (with the exception of the Eagles). To make the tough slate more difficult, the Lions have a Week 5 bye. The early week off means Dan Campbell's club will play 13 consecutive weeks to close the campaign. Brad Holmes has built the deepest Lions roster in generations. That depth will be tested in 2024.  Going national. The NFL clearly believes in Detroit's staying power. Last season, schedule makers gave the upstart Lions more prime-time glow, and Campbell's club didn't disappoint. For Round 2, the league upped Detroit's profile further. The Lions have six standalone games (five prime-time affairs, including the first Sunday night game of the season, and their annual Thanksgiving slot), underscoring the league's faith in Detroit's ability to garner eyeballs. The Lions also play four tilts in the 4:25 p.m. ET slot, generally seen by bigger audiences. The Lions currently are slated to play just six 1 p.m. ET games. For a club that perennially was banished to the early Sunday window before, it's clearly a new era in Detroit.  Long wait for NFC Championship Game revenge. The Lions were 30 minutes from a Super Bowl before their season imploded in the NFC title game, when they lost a 17-point halftime lead in a single quarter in San Francisco. We already knew the reigning division champions would face off. Now we know it won't happen until Week 17. The bout will be the season's final Monday Night Football game, a prized time slot. But it's an awfully long time for Detroit to stew over last year's failure to make their first Super Bowl in franchise history. -- Kevin Patra):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-schedule-what-we-learned-three-biggest-matchups-takeaways-for-all-32-teams

2024 NFL schedule release: Top 10 prime-time games (4. Los Angeles Rams AT Detroit Lions.  Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 8 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.  The final Week 1 prime-time game to be announced was worth the wait. Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff, Part II: Mo' Money, Mo' Problems in Motown? Fresh off a run to the NFC title game and a $212 million deal, Goff leads the Lions into Ford Field for a rematch with last year's wild-card opponent. Stafford performed valiantly in his long-awaited return to Detroit last postseason but came up short. His Rams motor back to the Motor City without franchise legend and Super Bowl hero Aaron Donald, who retired (for good?) this offseason. Detroit used Week 1 in 2023 to prove to the league that it was for real; this time around, the Lions are trying to prove that last season's run to the brink of the Super Bowl -- and through their former franchise QB -- wasn't a fluke.  6. Detroit Lions AT San Francisco 49ers - Week 17: Monday, Dec. 30 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.  The final game of 2024 is one we'll be waiting for all season. In San Francisco, Detroit will return to the scene of the crime -- i.e. that ball careening off Kindle Vildor's helmet into Brandon Aiyuk's hands, leading to a blown 17-point lead in the NFC title game. The only shame in this clash between two of the NFC's best rosters is that it comes so late in the 2024 season that it'll nearly be 2025 when it kicks off. Both teams run the risk -- albeit a slim one given their make-ups -- of being out of postseason contention by then and rendering this rematch half-staked. However, the NFL is clearly relying on the Lions and 49ers both being in the thick of it by Christmas. The best things come to those who wait. For Detroit, that may be revenge.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-schedule-release-top-10-prime-time-games

NFL QB Index: Way-too-early top 10 MVP candidates under center (8. Jared Goff:  Goff just secured the bag with a fantastic 2023 season, and his four-year, $212 million extension was the second win of the offseason. His first was offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's decision to walk away from head-coaching openings and return to Detroit. Everything is in place for Goff to pick up where he left off, and after throwing for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2023, he'll be expected to do the same (if not more) in 2024. If he does, the Lions will remain a favorite in the NFC -- and Goff could find himself being considered for MVP.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-qb-index-way-too-early-top-10-mvp-candidates-under-center

Ranking NFL’s 15 best grudge matches from Russell Wilson vs. Sean Payton to the Harbaugh brothers (Tier 2: The Burn.  Week 17 — Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET, Dec. 30.  All’s fair in love, war and postseason comebacks. But the city of Detroit felt a hope it hadn’t seen in a while when the Lions mounted a 24-7 halftime lead against the Niners in the NFC championship game less than four months ago. Then, Kyle Shanahan’s offense scored 27 straight points to triumph by 3 and advance to the Super Bowl. The Lions went home, awaiting an 0-0 slate. Could 2024 Detroit be ready to take the next step in the NFC? This December matchup won’t only be a chance to exorcize demons from the last playoffs — it will also be a chance to set the tone for the coming ones.  Tier 3: The Sting.  Week 1 — Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions, 8:20 p.m. ET, Sept. 8.  Jared Goff already had his marquee first matchup against the Rams and head coach Sean McVay, who deemed Goff insufficient as his quarterback. After Goff quarterbacked the Lions to a 24-23 wild-card win over the Rams in January, he gets his next revenge round: a chance to remind McVay that not only did he advance to the NFC championship game without him, but also the newly minted $53 million a year quarterback convinced another team he was worth the financial investment. Realistically, both quarterback and coach found a better fit than each other. But McVay’s decision to part with Goff after they advanced to a Super Bowl together will still linger in this prime-time matchup.):  https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-nfls-15-best-grudge-matches-from-russell-wilson-vs-sean-payton-to-the-harbaugh-brothers-051815181.html

NFL schedule: Intriguing rookie vs. veteran matchups that could feature welcome-to-the-league moments (Week 13: Lions CBs Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw vs. Bears WRs Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze - The NFC North has one of the most fascinating WR vs. CB battles in the league this year with the games between the Bears and Lions. The Bears now boast arguably the best wide receiver room in the league while the Lions spent their first two picks on cornerbacks while also trading for Carlton Davis. This could be a defining battle in this division for years to come.):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-schedule-intriguing-rookie-vs-veteran-matchups-that-could-feature-welcome-to-the-league-moments-203311025.html

Ranking the best and worst prime-time games in 2024 (Best prime-time games of the 2024 NFL season - 4. Packers at Lions (TNF, Week 14):  The Packers also have a prime-time game on Thanksgiving against Miami at Lambeau Field the week before this matchup, but this is becoming a reborn NFC North rivalry. The teams traded road victories last season, and both of those games were on Thursday, too. Detroit blasted Green Bay 34-20 in Lambeau Field early in the year, and the Packers returned the favor with a 29-22 victory on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. The division – and perhaps home-field advantage – could be on the line for a pair of teams that improved their rosters this offseason. The Ford Ford setting should add a little more juice. Green Bay hasn’t been in Detroit for a Thursday Night prime-time game since the Miracle in Motown. Detroit also has a Monday Night Football matchup with San Francisco in a rematch of last year’s NFC championship game, but the Packers game will mean more this season.):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-prime-time-games-2024-best-worst-ranking/515e3e4c2ba8972495256b92

Predictions:

2024 NFL Schedule: NFC Team Record Predictions (13-4):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2024-nfl-schedule-nfc-team-record-predictions

Lions' 2024 Schedule Released: Game-by-Game Predictions - John Maakaron (13-4):  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-2024-schedule-released-predictions

Predictions for Lions' 2024 Schedule - Booher (12-5):  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/predictions-for-lions-2024-schedule


Lions schedule: Game-by-game wins and losses predictions (11-6):  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/lists/lions-schedule-win-loss-predictions-record-projection/


2024 NFL division predictions: Winners for each AFC and NFC division (NFC North (tie): Detroit Lions (11-6) - The thing about winning the division is that you then have to play a first-place schedule the following season. That's the predicament the Lions find themselves in. Their schedule is headlined by the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans (yes, they belong here), their competition for the division in the Green Bay Packers and an NFC Championship rematch with the San Francisco 49ers. The good news is, the Lions should be up for it. General manager Brad Holmes made certain that he shored up the secondary this offseason, acquiring three top-tier corners via trade and the draft, while also providing depth to the trenches on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jared Goff was given the richest vote of confidence he could have asked for in a new four-year deal that makes him the second-highest paid quarterback by annual contract value for the time being and has every incentive to live up to it. Dan Campbell's guys know what it's like to have the Super Bowl in their sights only to have it ripped away from them — and they're not trying to feel that way again this year. — Carmen Vitali):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2024-nfl-division-predictions-winners-for-each-afc-and-nfc-division

Ranking 11 must-watch games (Chiefs-Bills, Episode 8!) on the NFL's schedule in 2024 (4. Detroit Lions at Houston Texans, Week 10, Sunday Night Football (NBC):  Two of the league’s better storylines from last season get to square off here. The feisty and hard-nosed Lions will be a popular pick for the Lombardi Trophy for many. Dan Campbell’s vision has been fully realized. The same will be said of the Texans, who have rightful dreams of watching DeMeco Ryans’ rebuild turn into immediate championship contention. These are two well-coached groups with skill galore that we aren’t used to seeing in the limelight — which will give us a healthy element of freshness. What more could you want in primetime?  3.  Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers, Week 17, Monday Night Football, (ESPN/ABC):  Oh, heck yeah. We’ve got the likely two best teams in the NFC, a rematch of last year’s conference title game that went down to the wire, both bringing their respective bands back together. And this is positioned as the finale of Monday Night Football, meaning it could decide the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. What a masterstroke by the NFL’s schedule makers.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-schedule-release-must-watch-games-chiefs-lions-bills

8 winners (Falcons, hooray!) and losers (Chiefs, oof) from the 2024 NFL schedule release (6. Winner: The Detroit Lions, who are getting the limelight they deserve.  The NFC semifinalists are all over the national television. Detroit has the maximum amount of night games (five) and otherwise has late-afternoon dates with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers that very well could end up earning No. 1 timeslots. Oh, and they’ll obviously be on Thanksgiving, this time against a popular rival Bears team with the hyped Caleb Williams.  The Lions have officially (and rightfully) arrived as a marquee, and the league is treating them like it. What a time to be alive.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-schedule-release-2024-winners-losers-bears-chiefs

Ranking all 21 of the 2024 Monday Night Football games (14. Sept. 30: Seahawks at Lions - We’re very curious how Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks do against the rebuilt Lions in Detroit. 1. Dec. 30: Lions at 49ers - This past January’s NFC championship game rematch between the Lions and 49ers is the best Monday night game on the schedule right now. We cannot wait to see these teams play again.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/ranking-21-2024-monday-night-football-games

NFL Roster Rankings 2024 (Excluding QB): Browns, Jets, Bears Near the Top (3. Detroit Lions - QB: Jared Goff.  Roster strength: OL. The Lions don’t have a hole along their offensive line after replacing guard Jonah Jackson with Kevin Zeitler. Right tackle Penei Sewell became the NFL’s highest-paid tackle after making first-team All-Pro in 2023. Center Frank Ragnow has two second-team nods on his resume.  Roster weakness: WR. It’s almost baffling that Detroit didn’t add a receiver in free agency or the draft, especially after losing Josh Reynolds, who played the second-most snaps among Lions WRs in 2023. Detroit has plenty of weapons in RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and LaPorta, but the club is hoping for a Jameson Williams breakout.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-roster-rankings-2024-excluding-qb/

The Best and Worst NFL Schedules for the 2024 Season (Detroit Lions - The Lions will kick off the Sunday Night Football schedule with a Week 1 game against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Jared Goff beat his former team in the NFC Wild Card Round — can he do it again in 2024?  Goff and the Detroit offense should be firing on all cylinders next season, especially after the NFL gifted them a points-friendly schedule. The Lions won’t play a game outdoors until they face the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, and they’ll only play outside three times all season.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/best-and-worst-nfl-schedules-2024/

Podcast:

Detroit Lions Podcast: Bish and Brown on the Lions 2024 NFL Draft class and Goff extension:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/16/detroit-lions-podcast-bish-and-brown-lions-2024-nfl-draft-class-and-goff-extension/

Video:


Rosenthal: Lions have toughest 2024 schedule, not Browns | 'NFL GameDay View':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/rosenthal-lions-have-toughest-2024-schedule-not-browns-nfl-gameday-view

Frelund and Rosenthal predict winners of each division in 2024 | 'NFL GameDay View' (The Lions are picked to win):  https://www.nfl.com/videos/frelund-and-rosenthal-predict-winners-of-each-division-in-2024-nfl-gameday-view
Posted by LionsFan at 8:01 PM

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