Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Lions Links for Tuesday 1-14-25

Articles:










Kerby Joseph on teams enduring Lions curse: 'I think we be beating people up':  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/14/kerby-joseph-lions-quote-beating-people-up-opponents-losing-stats/

The Commanders pulled a Matt Patricia move ahead of playoff matchup with the Lions:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/14/commanders-outdoor-practice-lions-matchup-matt-patricia-snow-practice-memory/


Dan Campbell not concerned with Lions being 'in the middle of the circus':  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/14/dan-campbell-detroit-lions-playoffs-in-middle-of-circus-press-conference/

Montgomery Dreaming of Playing for 'The Big Fish':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/montgomery-dreaming-of-playing-for-the-big-fish

Lions' Divisional Round Tuesday Estimated Injury Report:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/lions-divisional-round-tuesday-estimated-injury-report-2024


Lions Ticket Price Against Commanders Is Astronomical:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-ticket-price-against-commanders-is-astronomical

Kerby Joseph: 'I Deserve' Defensive Player of the Year:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/kerby-joseph-i-deserve-defensive-player-of-year

David Montgomery Is 'Tone-Setter' for Lions Offense:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/david-montgomery-tone-setter-for-lions-offense

Official Named for Lions-Commanders Matchup Presents Issue:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/official-for-lions-commanders-presents-issue

Commanders at Lions: Big Favorites Have Struggled After Wild Card Round:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/commanders-lions-favorites-have-struggled-after-wild-card






Confidence rankings, Super Bowl odds for eight remaining NFL playoff teams (1. Detroit Lions - Total confidence score: 35 pts.  Route to Super Bowl:  Wild Card Round: BYE, Divisional Round: vs. Commanders, Conference Championship: vs. Eagles/Vikings/Rams.  Super Bowl odds: +275.  Detroit’s path to the Super Bowl isn’t without peril, starting this weekend with the challenge of slowing down OROY front-runner Jayden Daniels, but when you compare it to the meat grinder trio of heavyweights in the AFC, there’s at least a little more oxygen in the NFC. The biggest difference between the Lions and Chiefs, when it comes to what lies ahead, is Kansas City will have to beat one of the top two MVP candidates to get to the Super Bowl, assuming it takes care of business against the Texans. Home-field advantage and better quarterback play give Dan Campbell’s squad the leg up over Philly, the stiffest remaining competition in the NFC. Will whatever edge the Lions enjoy now still exist if they get to the Super Bowl and Patrick Mahomes is waiting for them in New Orleans? That might be the question of the year. -- Dan):  https://www.nfl.com/news/confidence-rankings-super-bowl-lix-odds-for-eight-remaining-nfl-playoff-teams

NFL Divisional Round: Biggest immediate question for advancing/eliminated playoff teams (1. Detroit Lions:  Are all those injuries eventually going to become an issue?  We’ve heard nonstop discussion about Detroit’s long list of injured players. You know what’s weird? Somehow this team won 15 games with all those problems popping up throughout the course of the season, including a 31-9 season-ending victory over Minnesota that cemented the top seed in the NFC. It’s true that the Lions have lost a series of valuable performers, most notably defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (broken leg), defensive tackle Alim McNeill (torn ACL), linebacker Derrick Barnes (knee) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (broken jaw). It’s also important to note that the Lions will get some players back during the postseason. Running back David Montgomery is one of them, as he’s expected to return from a knee injury in time for the Divisional Round, once again teaming up with Jahmyr Gibbs to form the league’s best backfield duo. Linebacker Alex Anzalone already has made his way back to the field. He played a huge role in the Lions' defense shutting down quarterback Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ prolific offense in that Week 18 win. Detroit also received some positive news about players who were hurt in that Minnesota win, as cornerback Terrion Arnold (foot) and guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) have a chance to play in the Divisional Round. This doesn’t mean the Lions don’t have things to worry about as they prepare to meet the Commanders on Saturday night. It’s just as important to mention this team has found ways to overcome its problems all year. The Lions know that offense needs to be electric, but their beat-up defense delivered against Minnesota in a way that left a lasting impression.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-divisional-round-biggest-immediate-question-for-advancing-eliminated-playoff-teams

NFL Playoff Picture: AFC, NFC matchups & analysis for divisional round (7. Washington Commanders at 1. Detroit Lions — Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX):  There probably will come a point where midnight strikes on Jayden Daniels time as the bell of the NFL ball. But the Commanders rookie quarterback is not ready to end his party yet.  Daniels' playoff debut wasn't his finest performance, but it was enough for him to do what he has done so often this season — find a way to lead the Commanders to a win. Their defense shut down what had been a high-octane Buccaneers passing attack, and then Daniels managed to do the rest, leading them to a 23-20 win that was sealed when Zane Gonzalez doinked in a game-winning, 37-yard field goal off the right upright as time expired. Of course, for winning his first playoff game — and giving the Commanders franchise a postseason win for the first time in 19 years — Daniels' reward is a trip to Detroit to face the dangerous and motivated Lions, who have been a heat-seeking missile of sorts since they blew their halftime lead in the NFC Championship Game last year. They're the highest-scoring team in the NFL and ranked seventh in points allowed. And of course, they are very battle-tested after their deep playoff run one year ago.  Perhaps most importantly, especially to the Commanders, the Lions are a powerful rushing team, that averaged 146.4 rushing yards per game this season and are hoping for a boost from the potential return of injured running back David Montgomery. Washington had the third-worst run defense in the league, allowing 137.5 yards per game.  That seems like the seeds of a mismatch, but who knows how it'll affect the Commanders because they are running on the high energy of youth. It's not just Daniels, either. It's the whole franchise, experiencing a success that it hasn't had in decades. Daniels has helped make them a top-10 offense, and kept them hot, finishing off the season with five straight wins. But most importantly they are a team that is currently playing without fear, because they know that in the first year of what coach Dan Quinn called a "recalibration," they literally have nothing to lose. They're going to need to remember that, and keep playing like that, if they have any hopes of knocking off the NFC's top seed.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-playoff-picture-2024

Lions LB Alex Anzalone Makes Bold Comparison Between DC Aaron Glenn, Dan Campbell:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions-alex-anzalone-bold-comparison-between-aaron-glenn-dan-campbell

Which NFL playoff team is biggest Super Bowl threat? Power ranking all 8 based on chances (2. Detroit Lions (2):  Given how hard they always play – even when nothing is explicitly at stake, which was the case in their Week 17 game at San Francisco – the week off had to be a huge benefit for a team that needed to chill and whet its appetite for more kneecaps. The down time also apparently means RB David Montgomery (knee) will rejoin an offense already oversaturated with ability, options and schematic variance. One X-factor will be the ability of an undermanned defense to handle Daniels, one of the few multi-dimensional quarterbacks Detroit has faced this season … and remember what Allen did to the Lions in Buffalo’s 48-42 win at Detroit last month.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/nate-davis/2025/01/14/nfl-playoff-power-rankings-super-bowl-title-odds-chiefs-lions/77690794007/


Lions prepare for a new foe in the Commanders:  https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/lions-prepare-commanders-nfc-playoffs/


2025 Draft:

NFL Team Needs Tracker: One 2025 NFL Draft prospect for all 32 teams:  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-team-needs-tracker-one-2025-nfl-draft-prospect-for-all-32-teams


Video:




Get ready for Commanders-Lions | Divisional Playoff:  https://www.nfl.com/videos/get-ready-for-commanders-lions-divisional-playoff


Posted by LionsFan at 9:21 PM

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