Monday, August 24, 2026

Lions Links for Monday 8-24-26

Articles:


Lions Veteran WR, RB Placed on IR, New Defensive Back Signed:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/lions-veteran-wr-rb-placed-on-ir-new-defensive-back-signed

Detroit Lions Are Signing Former Alabama, Florida State Running Back:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-signing-roydell-williams

The Biggest Decision Lions Coach Dan Campbell Must Make This Week:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/the-biggest-decision-lions-coach-dan-campbell-must-make-this-week

Detroit Lions Updated Bubble Watch After Commanders Game: Offense:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-updated-bubble-watch-offense-after-commanders-game

Lomas Brown: 'I Expected a Lot Better Execution' Against Commanders:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/lomas-brown-unhappy-lions-execution-commanders-preseason-game

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Lions Preseason Victory Over Commanders:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-lions-preseason-victory-over-commanders



Lions preseason film breakdown: Juice Scruggs makes case for starting role:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/detroit-lions-analysis/170012/film-breakdown-juice-scruggs-makes-his-case


These Lions could lose their roster spots to players who aren’t on the team yet

4 starting-caliber players the Lions should have on speed dial when NFL roster cuts begin:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/4-starting-caliber-players-the-lions-should-have-on-speed-dial-when-nfl-roster-cuts-begin/

5 Lions who have already made the team but still need a big final week of training camp:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/5-lions-who-have-already-made-the-team-but-still-need-a-big-final-week-of-training-camp/

Lions fans have developed a strange theory about Brad Holmes, but his own history says otherwise:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/these-lions-could-lose-their-roster-spots-to-players-who-arent-on-the-team-yet/

Derrick Moore flashes in Lions debut, envisions "dominant duo" with Hutch:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/derrick-moore-lions-2677768870

The Lions Player Who Has Raised Their Stock the Most Through Two Preseason Games:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/the-lions-player-who-has-raised-their-stock-the-most-through-two-preseason-games

The One Lions Problem That’s Still Unsolved, and How They Fix It:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/the-one-lions-problem-thats-still-unsolved-and-how-they-fix-it

The Lions Player With the Most at Stake in Preseason Finale vs. Colts:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/the-lions-player-with-the-most-at-stake-in-preseason-finale-vs-colts

Projecting the Lions' roster: Barnwell predicts five NFL teams to improve in 2026: More wins for the Giants, Chiefs and Lions? (Detroit Lions - Record in 2025: 9-8 (2-5 in games decided by seven or fewer points).  Point differential in 2025: plus-68.  Projected strength of schedule: Second easiest.  Here's a second powerhouse that was on our list of teams likely to decline and fell further than anybody could have expected last season. The Lions dropped from 7-2 in one-score games in 2024 to 2-5 last season. Their story isn't quite as clear-cut as that of the Chiefs, but the issues with Dan Campbell's team in 2025 start there.  The losses were often dramatic and painful. The Lions went 0-for-5 on fourth down in a midseason game against the Eagles, turning six trips inside Philly territory into just nine points. What appeared to be a miraculous last-second win against the Steelers was overturned by an offensive pass interference penalty on Amon-Ra St. Brown. And though it wasn't a one-score game, the Lions failed to recover all five fumbles in a 23-10 loss to the Vikings, turning the ball over six times on a day when winning quarterback Max Brosmer produced 3 net passing yards. Failing to fall on fumbles was a subtle problem for the Lions. They recovered just under 29% of the fumbles on offense and defense last season, which was the worst mark in the league and just the fifth time since 1990 that any team has failed to recover at least 30% of fumbles in a season.  If we expand that to a 35% rate to build a larger sample, those teams were snakebit for only a single season. Those same teams recovered 51.7% of fumbles in their games the following year. Their turnover margin improved by 14 takeaways per 17 games. And, as a result, they won an average of 1.9 more contests (again, per 17 games). The Lions should come up with loose footballs more often in 2026.  Unlike the Chiefs, the Lions really were ripped to shreds by injuries in 2025. Detroit was last in adjusted games lost on defense, where the only starters who suited up for all 17 games were Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, Aidan Hutchinson and DJ Reader. Two of those four full-season starters were first-team All-Pros -- which is a pretty good ratio. The offense was healthier, but even there, Detroit was roughly in the middle of the injury pack.  The Lions are already facing injury concerns this season. New center Cade Mays, who was brought in to replace the released Graham Glasgow, is out for eight to 10 weeks because of a wrist injury. Power back Isiah Pacheco was going to step in for David Montgomery, but he has been slowed by a knee injury.  The situation in the secondary is more ominous. Starting safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph formed the league's best duo in 2024, but both suffered serious injuries in 2025, with Branch tearing an Achilles and Joseph dealing with a still-murky knee issue. Both are on the physically unable to perform list. And cornerback Terrion Arnold, who was projected to start in 2026, was released after being charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.  Without those three starters, the secondary looks to be one of the worst in the NFL. D.J. Reed is a solid starter, but the Lions will be relying on veteran players on team-friendly deals, such as Rock Ya-Sin, Chuck Clark, Christian Izien and Roger McCreary, to compete for meaningful snaps. They'll be trying to hold up behind a line that will be missing veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad, who racked up 11 sacks and 20 knockdowns in a career season before leaving on a one-year deal to join the Buccaneers.  The Lions don't have the veteran depth they enjoyed in 2023 and 2024, in part because their young stars have commanded more lucrative contracts. In 2023, the Lions still had Hutchinson, St. Brown, Campbell, Penei Sewell, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs all on rookie deals. Their six young stars combined to make about $29 million per season on their contracts at that time, allowing general manager Brad Holmes to surround them with veterans, such as Montgomery, Alex Anzalone and Tracy Walker III in supporting roles.  Now, those same six players are on contracts that combine to average nearly $173 million per season. Though the Lions can use some restructures to reduce the impact on the salary cap, there's still a significantly larger cash outlay going to those players. Though they all deserve their big extensions, the Lions don't have the same resources to surround those players with veteran starters.  Montgomery and Anzalone left this offseason, and Muhammad, Taylor Decker, Glasgow and Amik Robertson are also no longer in Detroit. The Lions had to seek free agents who would sign for less. And though Holmes could sacrifice draft capital to supplement the active roster, the Lions desperately need those selections to surround their core with cost-controlled talent in the years to come.  Having expensive stars is a good problem, but it's one that could cap the Lions' ceiling as they try to get back to the top of the NFC. What should make life easier in 2026, though, is the conference's easiest schedule. Though the NFC North might be a slugfest, the Lions get four games against the NFC South, and that makes anyone's life easier. Everyone else in the division gets a game against a playoff team from the NFC West, but the Lions get to face the Cardinals. Detroit still has a handful of games against high-end competition such as the Bills and Packers, but per the FPI's projection, it gets six games against the eight worst teams in the league.  And, of course, the Lions don't have to do much to contend in the NFC. They still managed a winning record last season. Their margin for error is narrower given the lack of depth on the roster, and the injuries on offense and defense are already concerning, but the Lions should push their way back into the postseason after an unexpected year off.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49671327/2026-nfl-season-predict-teams-improve-more-wins-chiefs-lions-giants-jets-ravens


2026 NFL Preseason Week 2 rookie grades: David Bailey logs sack; No. 4 pick Carnell Tate still quiet (Derrick Moore DE - Grade:  C.  Moore was not a major factor against Washington on Saturday, unable to overpower left or right tackles and failing to gain the edge with speed. The second-round pick from Michigan finally got to the quarterback late in the first half, chasing down and stripping Sam Hartman as he attempted to escape pressure coming from up the middle. Moore drew an offside flag after reacting to a hard count early in the third quarter and couldn't turn the corner sharply enough on the next play to reach the quarterback despite getting a step on the right tackle. He made a tackle on his final defensive snap, though, wisely staying home to eventually swallow a running back attempting to cut to daylight.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-preseason-week-2-rookie-grades-jets-david-bailey-records-sack-no-4-pick-carnell-tate-still-quiet

Best QBs In The NFL: Has Josh Allen Overtaken Patrick Mahomes As Best Quarterback? (10. Jared Goff
Detroit Lions - Greg Auman: Goff finished second in the NFL last year behind only Matthew Stafford in both passing touchdowns (34) and passing yards (4,564). He’s topped 4,400 passing yards four years in a row, and his 130 passing touchdowns since 2022 are 13 more than any other quarterback.  What’s missing? Goff only has two playoff wins in five years in Detroit, so the best thing he can do to elevate his status is beat other top quarterbacks head-to-head in January. If Detroit is healthy on defense and a reshuffled offensive line can work, it'll be a playoff team again and potentially a dangerous one. Detroit’s last two games are at Chicago and Green Bay, so it very well might be that its playoff run starts in Week 17. Can Goff outduel Caleb Williams and Jordan Love on the road down the stretch?):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/best-qbs-nfl-has-josh-allen-overtaken-patrick-mahomes-best-quarterback

Which NFL Teams Have The Best Skill Position Players? Ranking All 32 Groups (2. Detroit Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown might be the most unheralded elite receiver in the league. Few can match his numbers the past four years. And Jameson Williams (17.2 yards per catch) is one of the best deep threats in the league. The Lions also long had the best 1-2 RB punch, and there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off now as Isiah Pacheco replaces David Montgomery as Jahmyr Gibbs’ sidekick.  Detroit could easily be No. 1 on this list if TE Sam LaPorta bounces back with a healthy season and if third receiver Isaac TeSlaa builds off his strong finish to last year. Those are two "ifs" worth watching this summer. But even if everything doesn’t work out perfectly, this offense should still be explosive.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/which-nfl-teams-have-best-skill-position-players-ranking-all-32-groups


Ranking the 10 Best NFL Linebackers in 2026: Which All-Pro From Last Year Takes the Cake? (1. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions - 2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 88.3.  Fresh off a massive contract extension and a 2025 season which saw him named a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro, Jack Campbell has to be sitting pretty going into 2026. His accolades are well deserved, as he came away narrowly beating Bush for the top PFN LB Impact Score in the entire NFL last season.  In addition to his 89.0 run-defense score that ranked second among all linebackers, Campbell tied for sixth with his 80.0 pass-rushing score, which was helped by the 12 pressures he generated. His disruption in 2025 was out of this world, as he finished the year with 176 total tackles and 5.0 sacks. Campbell established himself as one of the NFL’s elite last year and will look to repeat atop these rankings this coming season.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/10-best-nfl-linebackers-2026/

Video:

Biggest Lions Questions to Answer in Final Week of 2026 Preseason:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/biggest-lions-questions-answer-final-201010858.html

Detroit Lions Risers, Fallers After Defeating Commanders:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/detroit-lions-risers-fallers-defeating-200007505.html



Detroit Lions new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is quickly learning Dan Campbell:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q64sDShL0Zo

Dave Birkett's takeaways from Detroit Lions' preseason win vs Commanders:  Detroit Lions' defensive line depth is ... a pleasant surprise?Detroit Free Press
Posted by LionsFan at 7:54 PM

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