Thursday, October 29, 2026

Lions Links for Thursday 10-29-26

Articles:

NOTEBOOK: Williams' dynamic play impacting Lions' offense:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-williams-dynamic-play-detroit-lions-offense-moore-goff



Week 8 opponent: What the Vikings are saying:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/week-8-opponent-what-the-vikings-are-saying-hutchinson-mcneill-branch

Detroit Lions Week 8 Thursday Injury Report Sees Encouraging Progress:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-week-eight-thursday-injury-report-sees-encouraging-progress


Detroit Lions Falling Way Behind Arms Race After Blockbuster Bears Trade:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-falling-way-behind-arms-race-after-blockbuster-bears-trade

What To Know About Lions Week 8 Official: Will Calls Be Favorable Again?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/what-to-know-about-lions-week-eight-official-will-calls-be-favorable-again

The Case For And Against Detroit Lions Trading For CB Donte Jackson:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/case-for-against-detroit-lions-trading-for-donte-jackson






Everyone wants the Lions to trade for a cornerback, but the Titans have another player Detroit should call about:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/everyone-wants-the-lions-to-trade-for-a-cornerback-but-the-titans-have-another-player-detroit-should-call-about/

Lions fans want Brad Holmes to make a blockbuster trade. There’s one huge problem nobody can fix:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/lions-fans-want-brad-holmes-to-make-a-blockbuster-trade-theres-one-huge-problem-nobody-can-fix/

Detroit Lions Mailbag: Is Sam LaPorta another T.J. Hockenson situation, when will Kerby Joseph play, is Cade Mays ready for the Vikings? and more:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/detroit-lions-mailbag-is-sam-laporta-another-t-j-hockenson-situation-when-will-kerby-joseph-play-is-cade-mays-ready-for-the-vikings-and-more/

What day Lions fans should expect Detroit to finally make a trade before the deadline:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/what-day-lions-fans-should-expect-detroit-to-finally-make-a-trade-before-the-deadline/

Tyler Allgeier Has Fallen Behind Two Cardinals Backs, but Jahmyr Gibbs’ 470-Touch Pace Could Make Him a Deadline Fit for the Lions:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/tyler-allgeier-lions-trade-jahmyr-gibbs-cardinals

Lions' Jared Goff Enters Clash Against Undefeated Vikings With Something to Prove:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-jared-goff-enters-clash-against-undefeated-vikings-with-something-to-prove

3 Trades the Detroit Lions Can Make Before Nov. 10 to Repair a Bottom-10 Pass Defense:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-trade-deadline-targets-pass-defense

Derrick Moore is "starting to feel more of a rhythm," and his role is growing:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/derrick-moore-lions-2678163089

The best NFL rookies after seven weeks: We ranked the top 10 and answered five big questions (T-9. Blake Miller, OT, Detroit Lions - Stats: 5 starts, 91% PBWR, 65.7% RBWR, Drafted: No. 17.  After Miller made 54 consecutive starts to close out his career at Clemson, there were some NFL evaluators who believed he was one of the safest picks in April. He looks every bit the long-term solution at right tackle for the Lions, who moved All-Pro Penei Sewell to left tackle over the offseason. Miller's current pass block win rate ranks 10th in the league and tops among all rookies. He has surrendered one sack and been clean with his handwork -- no penalties for holding, illegal use of hands or hands to the face. -- Legwold):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50308697/2026-rookies-ranking-top-10-reese-styles-boston-concepcion

The Biggest Question for Every NFL Game in Week 8 (Vikings (6–0) at Lions (4–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET - Can the Lions protect Jared Goff? Once again, a team facing the Vikings this season is being asked whether they can protect their quarterback. Not many squads have succeeded in the area, but the matter is particularly important for the Lions since Jared Goff struggled in two matchups against Brian Flores’s defense last season, playing a role in Detroit falling short of the postseason. Goff was sacked 10 times in those two matchups and turned the ball over four times—two interceptions and two strip-sacks—during their second loss to the Vikings, a defeat that sealed their fate to stay home for the playoffs. Goff notably has not thrown an interception yet this season—he’s the only starting quarterback that’s made every start and hasn’t been picked off—but that streak could come to an end if the Vikings’ pressure gets to him.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/biggest-question-every-game-week-8

NFL Fact Or Fiction: Vikings Destined For A Fall? Chiefs No Longer Elite? Giants Legit? (Jared Goff Is A System QB - @daxduffin.  Fact or Fiction: Fact.  This is true … and also not a problem! Most NFL quarterbacks are system dependent.   There are, what, roughly five or so truly transcendent QBs in the league right now? Of course, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are in that category. Bears QB Caleb Williams is a rising superstar, but we didn’t see his career start to take off until he got into Ben Johnson’s system. Niners QB Brock Purdy, a leading MVP candidate, is thriving in large part because he plays in Kyle Shanahan’s system.   So, we can’t hold a "system QB" label against Goff. If teams can’t get the rare generational QB, they actually want someone like Goff. He should be in the MVP conversation because of his production this season.   He’s thrown 14 touchdowns to zero interceptions. He leads the league in passing yards per game (298.0) and passer rating (112.5). He’s the only NFL player to have multiple games with 300-plus passing yards, multiple passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in 2026. He’s tied for the most passing touchdowns without an interception through the first six games of a season, according to NFL on FOX research. Goff benefits a ton from the talent around him. He has one of the league’s best wide receiver tandems in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, a superstar running back in Jahmyr Gibbs and a great offensive line protecting him. But something should be said about how Goff consistently puts Detroit’s playmakers in positions to succeed, keeps the offense on schedule and delivers timely chunk plays. He’s the perfect quarterback for the Lions. "He's playing at such a high level," coach Dan Campbell said Sunday. "We have a tremendous amount of trust. He's just going to take care of the football, do the right thing, make explosive passes when they're there, get it to the right person, manage the game when we need him to manage it, push the ball when we need him to push it." ):   https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/vikings-destined-fall-chiefs-no-longer-elite-giants-legit

NFL Trade Deadline: 1 Player Every Playoff Hopeful Should Target (Detroit Lions - Trade target: Kansas City Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton.  Ruiz: The Lions need cornerbacks who can hold up in man coverage if they want to continue running defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s aggressive scheme. Those can be hard to find on the trade market, as teams typically covet man corners. But the Chiefs have a bit of a surplus at cornerback right now with rookie Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams, and LaJarius Snead at the top of the depth chart. Kristian Fulton, who’s at his best in man coverage, hasn’t played more than 10 coverage snaps since Week 2. If the Chiefs are in the market for a receiver, they may look to flip Fulton for draft capital to help facilitate a trade for one. Detroit has too many holes in its defense to give away draft picks, but adding Fulton shouldn’t cost much.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-trade-deadline-rumors-1-player-every-playoff-hopeful-should-target

Roll The Tape: Goff Is Built To Beat Minnesota; Why McCarthy Is Thriving In New York (2. Will Vikings Alter Approach Against Lions' Blitz-Beating QB?  Under aggressive defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Minnesota Vikings have lived and died by the blitz. But the blitz-heavy tactician’s diabolical methods will be tested Sunday against Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions in America's Game of the Week (1 p.m. ET on FOX).   The Vikings enter Week 8 with the highest blitz rate in the NFL, coming off a game in which they registered the highest blitz rate in a single game (85.2%) in the Next Gen Stats era. Flores has pummeled quarterbacks into submission with an exotic pressure scheme that taxes the mind, body and soul. His unit relentlessly stresses opponents with five- and six-man pressures, complemented by simulated blitzes that radically change the picture for quarterbacks, with only four defenders rushing and seven falling back into coverage.  Flores' psychotic, high-pressure approach has turned the Vikings into a defensive juggernaut, and the football world is buzzing. In studying the All-22 coaches’ footage from the Vikings’ 16-10 win in Week 7 over the Colts, persistent pressure and constant harassment forced Daniel Jones into one of the worst performances of his career (he completed 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards and an interception), as Minnesota scratched out its sixth win with minimal contributions from the offense. Although Jones wilted under pressure, the Vikings will face an unflappable quarterback this weekend in Goff. The former No. 1 overall pick has become comfortable amid chaos, as shown by his remarkable numbers against the blitz. He enters Week 8 with a higher completion percentage (70% to 66%), passer rating (123.3 to 107.5) and yards per attempt (8.2 to 7.9) when blitzed compared to coverage. He surgically carves up defenses when under pressure, whether blitzes come up the middle or off the edges to disrupt his rhythm. Goff’s poise and pinpoint accuracy let him punish opponents for risky approaches. Against the Vikings, Goff must be prepared for "all-out" blitzes with everyone attacking the pocket from "mug" alignments (both linebackers positioned in the gap between the center and guard). An ultra-aggressive blitz from a hyper-aggressive alignment sets the tone for the rest of the game because it immediately speeds up the clock for the QB, forcing him to face his fear of a physical beatdown. Additionally, constant pre-snap movement and post-snap trickery can lead to countless mistakes and blunders from newbies and veterans alike. Moreover, it creates a scary-movie effect, making Flores the "Boogeyman" everyone fears around this time of year.  Given his experience against Flores and his high-pressure scheme, Goff has a chance to crack the code on a defensive scheme that has quarterbacks and playcallers up late at night.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/roll-tape-goff-built-beat-minnesota-why-mccarthy-thriving-new-york

NFL Draft gambles: What Jets, Browns can learn from Super Bowl winners (The Lions and Texans: How to rebuild with extra picks - Detroit and Houston were in very different situations when they entered their respective drafts, but both offer examples of how quickly things can change when a franchise gets it right.  The Lions were coming off a 3-13-1 season when they selected Aidan Hutchinson second overall in 2022, then traded up to No. 12 for Jameson Williams. Detroit improved to 9-8 that fall, and a year later, the Lions were back in the first round with two more selections, taking running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 and linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 18.  Four first-rounders in two drafts, and the results soon followed. Detroit went 12-5 in 2023 and reached the NFC Championship Game, then won 15 games the following season. Hutchinson became one of the NFL's best pass rushers, Gibbs emerged as one of the NFL's best backs, and Williams and Campbell developed into important contributors.  What made Detroit's turnaround different was that it didn't need to find a quarterback. Jared Goff arrived in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade, seemingly a throw-in alongside the two first-rounders the Lions received from the Rams. But GM Brad Holmes knew Goff from their time together in LA, and while the Rams were ready to move on, Holmes believed he could still be a franchise quarterback. So instead of drafting his replacement, the Lions built around him.  Houston, meanwhile, needed a quarterback. Coming off a 3-13-1 season, the Texans selected CJ Stroud second overall in 2023, then traded up one spot later for Will Anderson Jr., and it wasn't cheap. Houston sent Arizona picks 12 and 33 that year, plus first- and third-rounders in 2024. But Anderson has been so good that no one even thinks to bring up what the Texans gave up to get him.  The payoff was immediate: Houston went 10-7 in each of the next two seasons, then 12-5 in 2025, making the playoffs all three years. Stroud and Anderson became foundational pieces, even if Stroud couldn't quite match his brilliant rookie season in '24 and '25. And hiring DeMeco Ryans before that draft was just as important. The Texans found their quarterback, improved their pass rush and put a coaching staff in place that could develop the rest of the roster.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-draft-first-round-gamble-what-jets-browns-can-learn/

Week 8 Super Bowl stock report: Burrow ignites Bengals, Texans halted (Vikings at Lions - There might not be a more dramatic difference in styles in any matchup this season than the one between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. It perfectly encapsulates the "unstoppable force meets immovable object" theory with Minnesota's impenetrable defense squaring off against a Detroit offense that ranks second in scoring and yardage. And on the other side of the ball, is this the game where the Lions finally slow an opponent down, or will Kyler Murray break out of the doldrums against the league's worst defense? This is a battle of extremes, and one that will either deliver clarity in the NFC North with the Vikings pulling away at 7-0, or muck it up even further by pulling them back into the pack.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/super-bowl-stock-report-for-week-8-joe-burrow-bengals-texans/



‘Common Sense and Consistency Are Lacking’ — Former NFL QB Raises Concerns Over Refs Making Increasingly ‘Ridiculous’ Calls:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/former-qb-concerns-refs-increasingly-ridiculous-calls/

Vikings and Lions match up NFL’s stingiest defense vs. high-scoring offense in NFC North showdown:  https://apnews.com/article/vikings-lions-preview-0df61c79214863461e12944ba67afa05

Vikings Media:

Video - Josh Metellus On Facing Off Against Jared Goff, Blitz Rate, Levi Drake Rodriguez & D-Line's Impact:  https://www.vikings.com/video/josh-metellus-on-jared-goff-blitz-levi-drake-rodriguez-defensive-line

3 Bold Vikings Predictions Heading Into NFC North Collision vs. Lions in Week 8:  https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/3-bold-vikings-predictions-nfc-north-collision-lions-week-8-01m64a76s4s8

Video:








Vikings vs. Lions Week 8 Preview | NFL Daily:  https://www.nfl.com/videos/vikings-vs-lions-week-8-preview-nfl-daily

Bucky Brooks breaks down Lions vs. Vikings | 'The NFL Report':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/bucky-brooks-breaks-down-lions-vs-vikings-the-nfl-report

Do The Lions Need To Take A Page Out Of The Bears Book? | The Valenti Show with Rico:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/video/do-the-lions-need-to-take-a-page-out-of-the-bears-book-the-valenti-show-with-rico-xbs2jta

Do The Lions Need To Respond To The Bears And Make A Move Now? | Karsch and Anderson:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/video/do-the-lions-need-to-respond-to-the-bears-and-make-a-move-now-karsch-and-anderson-xbs26ly



Is Lions Coach Dan Campbell Changing NFL With Aggressive Play Calls?:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/lions-coach-dan-campbell-changing-205130705.html



Reviewing 2026 Detroit Lions After First Six Games:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/reviewing-2026-detroit-lions-first-120501366.html

The Detroit Lions will have to pull out all the stops against the Vikings this weekend:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/detroit-lions-pull-stops-against-180127631.html

Posted by LionsFan at 7:28 PM

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