Thursday, December 5, 2024

Lions Links for Wednesday 12-4-24

Articles:



Here's how the Lions can clinch a playoff spot this week:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/04/how-detroit/76761356007/


Lions waive rookie DB ahead of Week 14 matchup with the Packers:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/12/04/lions-waive-rookie-db-loren-strickland-roster-moves/

Lions vs. Packers: What's changed for the teams since the last meeting?:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/12/04/lions-vs-packers-week-14-preview-what-changed-from-last-meeting/

NFC North Roundtable: Lions' Key to Victory against Packers:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/lions-key-to-victory-packers-week-fourteen

Film Review: How Al-Quadin Muhammad Is Part of Defensive Solution:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/al-quadin-muhammad-film-review

5Q: Do Packers Have Enough to Limit 'Stud' St. Brown?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/do-packers-have-enough-to-limit-st-brown

Dan Campbell Warned Officials How Defense Handling QB Scrambles:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/dan-campbell-warned-officials-about-scrambles

Belichick: Lions Haven't Rushed Passer 'Effectively,' Need Upgrade:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/belichick-has-concerns-lions-defense





What playoff seeds Detroit Lions would get if they finish any possible combination of 4-1 or 3-2:  https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2024/12/04/what-playoff-seeds-detroit-lions-would-get-if-they-finish-any-possible-combination-of-4-1-or-3-2/

Injury-ravaged Detroit Lions aim to extend winning streak vs. division foe on Thursday Night Football:  https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2024/12/04/injury-ravaged-detroit-lions-aim-to-extend-winning-streak-vs-division-foe-on-thursday-night-football/

Dan Campbell alerted refs to Lions' plans to punish Caleb Williams – cleanly:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/dan-campbell-told-lions-defense-to-get-after-caleb-williams

NFC North: How Lions, Vikings or Packers could win the division -- and Bears could play spoiler:  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/42757728/nfl-vikings-lions-packers-bears-nfc-north-best-division

32 NFL observations after Week 13: Kenneth Walker III and James Conner have proven to be tough to tackle (Detroit Lions - No edge rusher picked up more pressure this week than Za’Darius Smith with nine.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-32-nfl-observations-after-week-13-kenneth-walker-iii-and-james-conner-have-proven-to-be-tough-to-tackle

NFL FACT OR FICTION, NFC edition: Saquon Barkley Eagles' biggest add? Falcons spiraling? (5. The injury-plagued Lions will stumble down the stretch, ceding the NFC North.  Detroit has seen a string of brutal injuries, particularly on defense. Aidan Hutchinson was the headliner, but losing the likes of John Cominsky, Marcus Davenport, Kyle Peko, Derrick Barnes and now Malcolm Rodriguez saps the Lions front. Alex Anzalone, the brain of Aaron Glenn's defense, is also out for an extended period. That doesn't even count all the other injuries -- Carlton Davis, Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, etc. -- that have taken down key contributors.  None of it has mattered. Dan Campbell's club continues to chug along like the Honolulu Blue Engine That Could. Coaching has helped overcome the injury bug, with Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson proving why they'll both be coveted this offseason. So, yes, this is fiction.  Unlike the 49ers, the Lions have avoided injuries that might completely gut their strength. Campbell's club is led by a gritty offense that can pulverize opponents on the ground and dice them up with play-action. Those facets -- even with Taylor Decker's injury -- remain intact.  The NFC North remains a historically tough division. Green Bay has overcome playing without its QB for multiple games. Minnesota refuses to stumble. If the Lions so much as hiccup, they could lose their advantage -- not to mention the No. 1 seed.  Campbell doesn't strike me as the hiccupping kind of guy.  All the metrics suggest that this is still the Lions' division despite having just a one-game lead. Through 12 games, Detroit ranks No. 7 since 1979 in FTN's DVOA metrics. Their 43.2% total DVOA is 21.9 points higher than Green Bay's and 22.9 points higher than Minnesota's. Next Gen Stats gives the Lions a 79% chance to win the division heading into Thursday's matchup with Green Bay.  Reminder: If not for Campbell's self-admitted coaching error in Week 2, this would be an undefeated Lions team.  As long as Jared Goff is under center, Penei Sewell is plowing the road, Sonic and Knuckles are collecting coins and Amon-Ra St. Brown is standing on his head, the Lions will be fine.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-fact-or-fiction-nfc-edition-week-14-2024-nfl-season

2024 NFL Season, Week 14: Four things to watch for in Packers-Lions on Prime Video, NFL+:  https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-season-week-14-four-things-to-watch-for-packers-lions-prime-video


NFL seeding battles in stretch run for playoffs (NFC No. 1 seed - Lions: 68% , Eagles: 24% , Vikings: 6%, Everyone else: 2%.  Detroit has a one-game lead on both Philadelphia and Minnesota. It also has the toughest remaining schedule of any playoff contender, and third-toughest of any team in the league. The Lions have games remaining against the Bills, Vikings, Packers, Bears and 49ers. Those Vikings and Packers games obviously have a significant effect on the race for the NFC North race as well. Green Bay is two games back, though, and thus needs a second Lions loss in addition to winning their one-on-one battle, but can't have that loss be against Minnesota unless the Vikings also lose another game to set up a tiebreaker situation. That's why the Vikings have a 6% chance at this seed and the Packers are in the "everyone else" group. The Eagles are pretty safe in the NFC East race -- even if they lose to Washington in Week 16.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-seeding-battles-in-stretch-run-for-playoffs-bills-favored-to-win-afc-top-seed-lions-own-best-nfc-odds/


Dan Campbell perfectly handles Jahmyr Gibbs playbook controversy:  https://www.thebiglead.com/dan-campbell-perfectly-handles-jahmyr-gibbs-playbook-controversy

NFC-leading Lions host Packers, aiming for franchise-record, 11-game winning streak, playoff spot (1. Detroit Lions:  All stats referenced in this article are from TruMedia unless stated otherwise.  Grade: A-.  The favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl have appeared unstoppable for the majority of the season, and it’s only getting better with time (just ask the Jacksonville Jaguars).  Behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions have the third-best rushing offense by EPA, something that was expected to some degree entering 2024. Jared Goff’s excellence, sans the Week 10 outlier against the Houston Texans (five interceptions), has been the surprising component of this group and has them pacing the league in points scored per drive through 13 weeks.Amon-Ra St. Brown is on the shortlist for the best receiver in the NFL, and that elevates the floor of Detroit’s offense. If Sam LaPorta can regain his 2023 form and/or Jameson Williams can develop into a consistent target earner, something we saw breadcrumbs of on Thanksgiving, Detroit’s offense has the potential to give this starved fan base the postseason run it desires.):  https://apnews.com/article/lions-packers-preview-64a74644ebbf4c3aa67e2f1283b7772c

2024 NFL Defense Rankings: Insights on the Impressive Eagles, Broncos, Lions, and Vikings Units (2. Detroit Lions:  This season, the Detroit Lions have reaped the rewards of their defensive rebuild under head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. When they took over in 2021, they inherited the worst defense in football. It took them a couple of years, but last season, we saw Detroit improve from near the bottom of the pile to the middle of the pack. This year, they’ve completed that development.  Detroit had fully capitalized on a soft-ish run of games, finishing inside the top three defensively against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Indianapolis Colts in the last month. They looked to be charting a similar pattern through the first half of the Thanksgiving game, but things didn’t go as smoothly in the second half, and they finished the week ranked 22nd.  After a mediocre start to the season, they have now been in the top 10 in five of 11 games. However, those strong performances all came against below-average offenses, and they just struggled against a below-average Bears offense. It will be intriguing to see how the Lions fare against some higher-caliber units in the coming weeks. The biggest improvements this season have come in Detroit’s passing defense, which has gone from being below-average to above. As a result, they are forcing more turnovers, performing better on third down, and improving their red-zone efficiency.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-defense-rankings/

Week 14 NFL Offense Rankings: A Change at the Top While the Bills and Broncos Are Trending Up:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/week-14-nfl-offense-rankings-2024/



QB Rankings:

NFL Week 14 QB Power Rankings: Allen is the new No. 1 (6. Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB:  It's hard to separate his ultra-efficient marks from the Lions' sheer wealth of offensive firepower. You don't go 23-6 as a starter since the start of 2023 by accident, though. He distributes it well.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-week-14-qb-power-rankings-bills-josh-allen-is-new-no-1-steelers-russell-wilson-approaches-top-10/

Packers Media:

Packers rule out 4, including CB Jaire Alexander and WR Romeo Doubs, for Week 14 vs. Lions:  https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2024/12/04/packers-rule-out-4-including-cb-jaire-alexander-and-wr-romeo-doubs-for-week-14-vs-lions/



If Packers Upset Lions, Here’s Path to No. 1 Seed in NFL Playoffs:  https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/here-s-how-packers-can-win-nfc-north-earn-no-1-seed-01je959de6yn



Josh Jacobs Feels ‘Great,’ Ready to Rumble Against Lions:  https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/josh-jacobs-feels-great-ready-to-rumble-against-lions-01je7km4eaqt


Podcast:

Twentyman in the Huddle: Lions-Packers Thursday Night Football preview:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/twentyman-in-the-huddle-lions-packers-thursday-night-football-preview

Video:


Brandt: Packers-Lions rivalry is 'good, wholesome stuff' | 'GMFB':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/brandt-packers-lions-rivalry-is-good-wholesome-stuff-gmfb

Schrager: Lions need their fans 'more than ever' vs. Packers on 'TNF' | 'GMFB':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/schrager-lions-need-their-fans-more-than-ever-vs-packers-on-tnf-gmfb

Rapoport on Lions injury report: There 'may not be' integral players on field vs. Packers | 'GMFB':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/rapoport-on-lions-injury-report-there-may-not-be-integral-players-on-field-vs-packers-gmfb

Prime Video 'TNF' analytics expert Sam Schwartzstein previews Packers-Lions in Week 14 of 2024:  https://www.nfl.com/videos/prime-video-tnf-analytics-expert-sam-schwartzstein-previews-packers-lions-in-week-14-of-2024



Posted by LionsFan at 6:13 AM

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