Monday, December 16, 2024

Lions Links for Monday 12-16-24

Articles:

KEY QUESTIONS: Who will Lions look to in secondary with Davis out?:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/key-questions-who-will-lions-look-to-in-secondary-with-davis-out

TWENTYMAN: Week 15 observations:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/detroit-lions-week-15-observations-laporta-branch-gibbs

NOTEBOOK: Campbell provides injury updates on Davis, Dorsey & McNeill:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-campbell-provides-injury-updates-on-davis-dorsey-mcneill

FOUR DOWNS: Goff thinks loss to Bills could be a 'nice little recalibration for us':  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/four-downs-goff-thinks-loss-to-bills-could-be-a-nice-little-recalibration-for-us











Dan Campbell: 'Not buying' injuries as an excuse for Lions' defensive meltdown vs. Bills:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/15/dan-campbell-injuries-detroit-lions-defense-vs-bills/77015433007/

Lions determined to not let rock-bottom performance snowball – injuries and all:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/15/detroit-lions-defense-injuries-dan-campbell/77014579007/





Five reasons the Lions win streak was snapped in 48-42 loss to the Bills: https://lionslowdown.com/2024/12/16/five-reasons-the-lions-win-streak-was-snapped-in-48-42-loss-to-the-bills/



Jared Goff assures 'we'll be just fine' after the Lions loss to the Bills:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/12/16/jared-goff-assures-well-be-just-fine-after-the-lions-loss-to-the-bills/




Dan Campbell: 'This is Not the Time To Freak Out and Panic':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/dan-campbell-addresses-bill-loss-not-time-to-panic





Locker Room Buzz: Lions Have Kicked 'Everyone's Ass' Last 11 Weeks:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/locker-room-buzz-lions-loss-to-bills

Studs and Duds: Goff Makes NFL History, Defense Destroyed:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/studs-duds-goff-makes-history-defense-destroyed




Do Detroit Lions still automatically get No. 1 seed if they win their final 3 games?:  https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2024/12/16/do-detroit-lions-still-automatically-get-no-1-seed-if-they-win-their-final-3-games/


Lions considering position changes amid injuries piling up:  https://www.wxyz.com/sports/lions-considering-position-changes-amid-injuries-piling-up

Lions' run game has faltered, 'and it's frustrating.' They're going nowhere without it.:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-are-going-nowhere-without-their-run-game

Lions' defense laments 'effort, urgency' against Bills. Does it have enough to recover?:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-defense-laments-effort-urgency-against-bills

NFL Week 15: PFF Team of the Week & Player Awards (TE: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions, P: Jack Fox, Detroit Lions):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-15-pff-team-of-the-week-player-awards-2024

Statistical Review of NFL Week 15: Texans, Steelers and Vikings clinch playoff berths:  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-statistical-review-nfl-week-15-2024

NFL Week 15 winners and losers: Eagles pass offense rebounds; Patrick Mahomes injury a big concern? (LOSERS - 1. Dan Campbell: The Lions head coach has kept this team focused on substantial goals all season, which is why the loss to Buffalo had to sting. Detroit's quest to attain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs took a hit because the Lions and Eagles are now tied for the NFC's best record at 12-2. The Lions' hopes of winning the NFC North are suddenly more precarious, as well, as Minnesota is 11-2 and playing a winnable game against Chicago on Monday night (the Vikings and Lions will meet in the season finale). Finally, the Lions keep losing bodies on defense. Three players on that side of the ball didn't finish Sunday's game -- defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Khalil Dorsey -- and this is a team that already had 11 defenders on injured reserve and four others ruled out before Sunday's contest. Campbell has constantly preached grit when it comes to discussing his team. He's finding out just how much this current group has with each passing week.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-week-15-winners-and-losers-eagles-pass-offense-rebounds-patrick-mahomes-injury-a-big-concern

Josh Allen, Bills offense reach new level in victory over banged-up Lions:  https://www.nfl.com/news/buffalo-bills-josh-allen-keep-raising-level-to-defeat-nfc-s-best-and-banged-up-lions

Week 15 overreactions: Josh Allen sealed MVP award?  Lions will not get the No. 1 seed in the NFC - Overreaction or reality: Overreaction.  Sunday's loss to the Bills was a blow to the Lions having significant leeway over the Eagles and Vikings for the No. 1 seed, but Detroit still controls its own destiny for the top seed in the conference. The Lions hold the conference-record tiebreaker over the Eagles, so Sunday's loss didn't affect that scenario. Detroit also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota by virtue of the Lions' victory over the Vikings earlier this year (Minnesota faces the Bears on Monday night).  There isn't reason to worry for the Lions losing the No. 1 seed yet, but the margin for error is gone. The Lions will have to win out to lock up the No. 1 seed with how the Eagles are playing (they have Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants remaining) and the Vikings aren't slipping up either (the have the Bears, Seahawks, Packers and Lions left). Based on their schedules, the Eagles are a bigger threat to the Lions for the No. 1 seed. Detroit has to lose a conference game and Philadelphia will have to win out, but that margin of error is gone after the loss to Buffalo.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/week-15-nfl-overreactions-josh-allen-sealed-mvp-award-lions-blew-no-1-seed-packers-can-beat-good-teams/

What We Learned in NFL Week 15: Josh Allen, Bills Expose Lions’ Defensive Issues (Lions no longer mighty after Josh Allen exposes defensive issues - We didn’t receive the Super Bowl preview we were promised in Detroit because Josh Allen and his high-scoring offense turned it into a one-sided affair for three-and-half quarters. The Lions did make a late rally, but the Bills came away with the ball on the last onside attempt to seal the 48–42 victory. Maybe the football public mislabeled this Week 15 matchup because there might have been only one championship contender at Ford Field. Sure, that could be somewhat of a reach and an overreaction to one bad game for the Lions, but it’s fair to at least say their defensive injuries are concerning. Defensive standout Alim McNeill was carted off the field with a knee injury, possibly adding to Detroit’s total of 11 defensive players on injured reserve. For weeks, the Lions made it work despite the lack of depth on the defensive side. But injuries caught up to them against possibly the best offense in the NFL. Allen, the heavy favorite for MVP, guided the Bills to three touchdowns on their first three drives and jumped to a 35–14 advantage in the third quarter. Allen went 23-of-34 for 362 yards and two touchdowns, and added 11 carries for 68 yards and two scores. Last week, I was critical of the Bills’ defensive lapses and head-scratching coaching decisions in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But Allen and his red-hot offense might be enough to overcome those two weaknesses, especially with what they showed in Detroit. Buffalo has scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, which tied a single-season NFL record.  I’ll try my best not to overreact to one game, but the Bills deserve plenty of credit for quickly bouncing back from the loss in Los Angeles. Allen seems determined to get to the Super Bowl and not allow the defense or coach Sean McDermott to get in the way. As for the Lions, they should still be called Super Bowl contenders, but it might be better for them to prioritize health than to outlast the Eagles for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.  The Lions also have to deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North title. And the conference is loaded with sleeper contenders, including the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Rams and Buccaneers. The Lions are no longer mighty and the NFC is wide open.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/what-we-learned-week-15-josh-allen-bills-expose-lions-defensive-issues


NFL Week 15 winners, losers: Bills beat Lions, affirm contender status (LOSERS - Lions' chances at home-field advantage:  Let's not pretend as though the Lions are in trouble after losing to the Bills. What Detroit fans should be worried about, however, is the possibility of losing home-field advantage. Jared Goff has been great at Ford Field and tends to play well in domed stadiums and mild weather environments. When he has to play outside in colder weather, his performance typically dips. That could prove problematic if the Lions have to travel to, say, Philadelphia during the postseason.  The Eagles and Lions are now tied for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with the 11-2 Vikings not far behind. The final three weeks of the season will now be all about those three teams jockeying for position in the NFC standings. But if the Lions lose out on the No. 1 seed to the Eagles, they may ultimately lament losing a game in which they scored 42 points.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/12/16/nfl-week-15-winners-losers-bills-lions-vikings/77011445007/

5 free agents the Lions can sign to withstand their barrage of injuries:  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/5-free-agents-lions-withstand-injuries

All 11 Lions injuries that threaten to derail one of the best seasons in franchise history:  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/lions-injuries-2024-aidan-hutchinson-alim-mcneill-david-montgomery

Lions retain slim Super Bowl odds lead over Bills after loss: NFL Week 15 betting recap:  https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/bills-lions-super-bowl-odds-nfl-betting-week-15

No, Dan Campbell's onside kick call wasn't a reckless gamble:  https://sports.yahoo.com/no-dan-campbells-onside-kick-call-wasnt-a-reckless-gamble-202754397.html

Lions' injuries are becoming recurring nightmare in otherwise dream season:  https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-injuries-are-becoming-recurring-nightmare-in-otherwise-dream-season-020417086.html

Lions RB depth chart: How Detroit can replace David Montgomery with Jahmyr Gibbs, other options:  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/detroit-lions/news/lions-rb-depth-chart-david-montgomery-jahmyr-gibbs/9b62702ef7ef509b1a0eaf46





NFL Heat Index (Who's Hot - Dan Skipper, OL, Lions:  Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson strikes again, dialing up a 9-yard touchdown pass to the 6-foot-10 offensive lineman. Even though it comes in defeat, Johnson keeps finding creative ways to get his big guys involved, which keeps opposing defenses on their toes. The Lions are the only team in the league with a player other than a receiver, running back or tight end who has more than one touchdown. Quarterback Jared Goff also has a touchdown catch this year. Skipper joined Taylor Decker and Scott Conover as the only offensive linemen in Lions history to score a receiving touchdown.  Who's Not - Dan Campbell, Head Coach, Lions:  The poster boy for aggressiveness on fourth down may have taken things too far in his team's loss to the Bills. Trailing 38-28 with 12 minutes left, Campbell went for an onside kick that Buffalo receiver Mack Hollins caught on the run and returned to Detroit's 5-yard line. The Bills scored on the next play and went on to win 48-42.  It was a curious decision at best by Campbell, considering how much time was left in the game and the 7% success rate this season of recovering an onside kick.   "Obviously, sitting here in hindsight after them taking it down to the [five]-yard line, yeah I wish I wouldn't have done that," Campbell said. "But it is what it is." ):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-heat-index-week-15-a-j-brown-mike-evans-davante-adams-dan-campbell-jonathan-taylor

NFL Game Recaps: Week 15, 2024 (Bills 48, Lions 42:  The Bills entered this game as underdogs, but they put on a clinic in the opening half. Josh Allen was able to run for significant gains and throw passes to his running backs for even greater chunks. He also heaved a 64-yard bomb to Keon Coleman, with all of this setting up a 21-7 lead to start the game.  The Lions cut the margin in half after that, but the Bills had a chance to bounce back to a two-touchdown advantage with a goal-to-go situation at the Detroit 2-yard line. However, thanks to a penalty and a missed field goal, the Bills came away with no points on the drive, giving Detroit some hope going into intermission.  This hope vanished quickly with the Bills reestablishing control after halftime. Allen continued to hit Ty Johnson and Dalton Kincaid for significant gains, and he also found Khalil Shakir in the end zone. He also repeatedly accumulated rushing yards to help the team go up 35-14 and 45-28. The Lions, to their credit, roared back to trim the margin to 10 when they attempted an onside kick. Mack Hollins not only recovered, but ran down to the 5-yard line, where Allen found Ray Davis for a touchdown.  Despite this major setback, the Lions continued to fight. They eventually clawed back to a six-point margin. They had a much better onside kick attempt, but after about two minutes, the officials finally determined that the Bills recovered the ball in a large pile, securing the victory for Buffalo.  The Bills impressively bounced back from their loss to the Rams. With Patrick Mahomes injured, Buffalo is live to claim the No. 1 seed.  The Lions still have the No. 1 seed because of their conference record tie-breaker over the Eagles, but there the margin of error is gone.):  https://walterfootball.com/nflreview.php

NFL can't revise the onside kick fast enough for Dan Campbell:  https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/lions-dan-campbell-nfl-revise-onside-kick/


Grades:

Grades: Defense Unable to Get Key Stop in Shootout Loss:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-grades-defense-unable-to-get-key-stop


Video:



Woody, Pat Caputo and John Niyo talk Lions and Bills after the game:  https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/1562711

What does David Montgomery's injury mean for the Lions?:  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/43009383

Schefter to McAfee: David Montgomery could be lost for season:  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/43005480

Why Stephen A. is defending Dan Campbell's onside kick call:  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/43004058
Posted by LionsFan at 8:25 PM

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