Lions Lowdown
Paula Pasche's take on the Detroit Lions
Tag: Darrell Bevell
Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford feels good, not concerned about back issues
ALLEN PARK — Matthew Stafford said he'll be ready to go for the offseason workouts.
The Detroit Lions quarterback is not worried about his back injury so he's not sure why it should be an issue going forward.
"I'm not concerned about it, that should make people feel good. I'm the one living with the back. I feel very good about it,'' Stafford said on Monday during the team locker clean-out period.
The 31-year-old quarterback missed the final eight games of the season with broken bones in his back. Sounds like the same back injury as a year ago, but he said it is not.
He's confident the back won't be an issue going forward because of how he feels right now.
Stafford was off to a hot start — on pace for nearly 5,000 passing yards — before he was injured in the loss at the Oakland Raiders.
He said the offense under new coordinator Darrell Bevell felt like a good fit.
"Felt like we were doing some good things, obviously always room for improvement but I was liking the direction we were going in,'' Stafford said.
He wouldn't project on when he could play but said he is throwing the ball.
"I feel really good which is good. I've had quite a bit of rest and I think I'll be feeling really, really good pretty darn soon to tell you the truth,'' Stafford said.
Stafford, who turns 32 in February, just wrapped up his 11th season with the Lions. He doesn't seem concerned about the window closing on his career.
"I think every offseason is (important). If I was going to be 29 or 28, I wouldn't come into the offseason thinking 'Oh, I've got years,"' Stafford said. "When we come back here in April and again for training camp we're trying to win right now. If that's not our goal every season then I'm missing something because that's what I think it is.''
Author Paula PaschePosted on December 30, 2019 Tags Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, Matthew StaffordLeave a comment on Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford feels good, not concerned about back issues
Five things to watch as Lions play at Chicago Bears
ALLEN PARK — If the Lions are going to turn around the season, a win at Chicago might be a good place to start.
The Lions (3-4-1), who have lost four of their last five, have lost two of their last three at Soldier Field. After a 3-1 start the Bears have lost four straight.
Without question, the offense is the Lions' strength with Matthew Stafford having one of his best seasons. The Bears' defense has faltered without injured defensive tackle Akiem Hicks the last four games. Still it's much better than the offense led by Mitchell Trubisky who has thrown five touchdowns and three interceptions and was still called a "great player" by Matt Patricia.
Five things to know about the matchup:
1. The Lions' struggles can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the defense. Whether it's scheme or mixed tackles or lack of pressure by the line, it's not working. Defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said it's not fair to say it's been inconsistent all year due to the talent they have faced. "Every week, everybody tries to get better every day. Everybody here tries to get better. So, every week's a new week. We're moving on to this one-week season,'' Pasqualoni said. "I've always considered – whether it was in college or pro ball – every week was a one-week season. To be honest with you, I don't look much past beyond that. I think it's the best way to handle the game. We're into this – we're in our division, Chicago Bears, great tradition, excellent team. So, we're getting ready to play them.
2. After Miles Killebrew suffered a concussion in practice Thursday, the LIons are down to three healthy safeties — Tavon Wilson, Will Harris and C.J. Moore. So the secondary, which has been struggling, will be further depleted. Patricia said they cross-train guys at different positions in case of a situation such as this. It's possible cornerback Mike Ford could pitch in at safety.
3. Detroit's defense has been really inconsistent at stopping the run, allowing 138.5 rushing yards per game. Again, the defense has to step up. Bears running back David Montgomery has scored all of their rushing touchdowns (5) but is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry. "They were running the ball a week ago, two weeks ago against the Chargers. I think they ran it 38 times for – I don't know – 138 yards. They really did an impressive job there. (Tarik) Cohen is an excellent, excellent back in the backfield. They have excellent wide receivers. (Trey) Burton is an outstanding athlete at the tight end position. They're explosive, they can make big plays. We're going to focus on what we feel we need to do to stop them and have a consistent day defensively,'' Pasqualoni said.
4. Put the offense in the best position to succeed. Chicago's offense may be nothing to write home about, but the defense is among the 10 best in the NFL. The fourth-down play call from the end of the game last week is still a head-scratcher. "I want to call plays that score touchdowns, so it didn't score a touchdown. But we were on the one-yard line, so we ended up going with goal line package which we practice all the time,'' Bevell said. For the most part Bevell and Stafford seem to be on the same page in their first season working together.
5. Protect the Franchise, Mathew Stafford. He was on the injury report this week after a big hit last Sunday. It should be slightly easier to protect him with Hicks sidelined but the Bears' defense is not a one-man band. "To be honest with you, this Bears defense is loaded. Their whole front, their linebackers, their backend – about as impressive as a group as you'll find. It's a huge challenge to block Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd. Their second-most sack leader is (Nick) Williams on the inside and Eddie Goldman is playing outstanding'' Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "They have people that have been able to pick up the slack. I think just from the front all the way working through to the back, they have linebackers that can run, they have corners that can cover. It's a really, really great defense."
PREDICTION: Lions 27, Bears 21. (Tough game to pick but going with Lions' offense over Bears' defense.)
Author Paula PaschePosted on November 10, 2019 Tags chicago bears, Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, Matt Patricia, Matthew Stafford, mitchell trubisky, Paul PasqualoniLeave a comment on Five things to watch as Lions play at Chicago Bears
Five things to watch as Lions host Vikings
ALLEN PARK — Turn the page, it's been the Lions' motto of this short week after the loss at Green Bay on Monday night.
While fans still lament the blunders from the officials in that game, the team has moved on. That's been coach Matt Patricia's message and the players have apparently bought in. They couldn't even stick to the 24-hour rule —- there was no time for that.
Matthew Stafford said that by Tuesday morning he had moved onto the Minnesota Vikings who will play the Lions at Ford Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The Vikings (4-2) are second the NFC North to Green Bay (5-1), while the Lions (2-2-1) are in the basement. Is there time left for the Lions to climb up the ladder? Yes, but not much. A win on Sunday would be huge. A loss would not mean the end of playoff hopes, but would certainly diminish them.
Five things to watch as the Lions play the Vikings:
1. The Lions have to finish games. They have outscored opponents, 69-46, in first half action but have only scored 46 second-half points while opponents have scored 69. The fourth quarter is a standout ' they've been outscored 49-31 in the final stanza in the first five games. "We understand there are a lot of factors that go into closing out a game. Some of it happens earlier in the game, some of it happens later,'' Patricia said. "That's part of the process right now of trying to improve as a football team, is identifying some areas we think we can get better at. For us, that's part of the work. That's part of the improvement. … We have to stay dialed in and we have to make sure we finish it the right way, both coaching and playing, and I think everybody knows that."
2. Perhaps you've heard this before, the Lions run game is too anemic. Detroit's rushing game had its lowest output of the season at Lambeau with 56 rushing yards on 20 carries. "I think that we need to give credit to Green Bay. They did a nice job in some of the areas, but then I think it ultimately falls – it's always going to come back to us and how we're handling things,'' Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "It kind of goes back to what I talked about a couple weeks ago in terms of – in the run game you have to really be on point. We were close on some of those runs. We just had either a guy falling off a block or just other issues where we were really one guy away again, and like I said, it's happening too much. We have to get that corrected." Kerryon Johnson had 13 carries for 34 yards against the Pack.
3. The offensive line needs to protect Stafford. Last year the Vikings sacked him 10 times in the Week 9 loss and twice in the Week 16 loss. "Obviously, they have a unique pressure system that is pretty good. But at the same time if they just want to rush four, they're pretty good at that, too,'' Stafford said. "They've got talent and scheme, which makes them a difficult out."
4. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins may have gotten off to a slow start, but in the last two games — wins over the Giants and Eagles — he's thrown six touchdown passes against just one interception. "He's doing a really good job with decision making. I think he's really trying to get the ball to his go-to players in just critical situations where I think they are very calculated plays,'' Patricia said. "Give credit to Coach Stefanski (Vikings offensive coordinator) and the game plans that he set up. I think he's doing an awesome job getting the run game going, letting the line of scrimmage kind of get going, take over up front. I think he's using the tight ends really well. I would say (Kyle) Rudolph is in a little bit of a different role than he's been in the past, but with the addition of Irv Smith and some of the things that he's able to do, they are putting defenses in a lot more of a bind. … I think they're giving plays to Kirk Cousins that are plays that he knows where the ball is going to go right now. He can get the ball out very quick, the decision making is very fast. When you balance that off with a consistent run game, I think that's what you're seeing that offense, or why you're seeing that offense be so productive."
5. It's been a short week and while the players appear to have turned the page, they are only human. Deep inside it would only be normal if they're still incensed about the bad calls against them. Will they come out angry and zeroed in? Or not. It should be clear early in the game. Patricia said he won't know for sure about their mindsets until Sunday. He knows what he saw after the heart-breaking loss to the Chiefs two weeks ago. "I'll say this, in the game last week, I thought we were focused on that game. I thought the guys were trying to go out and compete hard in that game. Everything I would say, up to this point, about our team, I would say our team knows that,'' Patricia said. "They're mentally tough to do that and I anticipate our team doing that. Just doing everything they can to go play. We'll see how Sunday turns out from that standpoint. We have to go play the game, but I think we'll be out there fighting really hard. I love standing up in front of that group every single day knowing the mental toughness and the drive and the competitiveness that the team has to go try to win every week – it's great for a coach because you can just put everything into it for them."
Prediction: Vikings 24, Lions 17 (Expect the Lions to be focused, but Minnesota tough to handle.)
Author Paula PaschePosted on October 19, 2019 Tags Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, Kerryon Johnson, kirk cousins, Matt Patricia, Matthew Stafford, mike zimmer, minnesota vikingsLeave a comment on Five things to watch as Lions host Vikings
NFL admits 1 bad call against Lions; Matt Patricia mum on penalties in MNF loss
Coach says they must control what they can control
Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, admitted that the second illegal hands to the face penalty on Lions defensive lineman Trey Flowers should not have been called. It factored into the 23-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Both penalties were called on Flowers in the fourth quarter. Vincent stood behind the officials for calling the first one.
"There was one that was clear, that we support," Vincent told reporters, referring to a prior penalty. "But there was another that when you look at it and you review the play, it's not something that you want to see called in that particular pass rush. One you can support, but the other one, when you review it and you have seen some slow-mos, the foul wasn't there."
Vincent was speaking at NFL's fall league meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The flag on that second all against Flowers came on third-and-4 and ended up extending the game-winning drive.
Vincent did not address the personal foul called on the Lions' Tracy Walker who was clearly going for the ball, but in the process had a helmet-to-helmet hit on the receiver.
He also did not speak to the non-call on a pass interference on Marvin Jones Jr. when Packers cornerback Will Redmond draped his arm across Jones' chest before the ball arrived.
Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell would not speak to specifics from Monday night. But he had a short answer when asked how pass interference is being called this season: "It's not."
As expected, Lions coach Matt Patricia did not want to discuss the officiating.
The coach said he had been in meetings all day Tuesday and had not talked to anyone from the NFL yet or heard about Vincent's comments.
"For me obviously there were some calls in the game that everyone's focused on right now. I'm focused on the ones we have to do right out on the field through execution and coaching and playing,'' Patricia said in a conference call on Tuesday. "If you go through a game and you're relying on the officials to tell you if you've won I don't really think you're going to turn out in a favorable manner more times than not.''
He repeatedly said they have to control what they can control to give themselves a chance to win.
"The things we can control are definitely a lot of the plays out there that we know we can do a better job,'' Patricia said.
While he's been sequestered planning for Sunday's home game against the Vikings, the Lions fans are in an uproar over the state of the NFL officiating and the way it always seems to work against the Lions.
"I love our fan base and I love their passion, I love all of it. I appreciate it more than you know,'' Patricia said. "I just want the fans to know we're going to work to get things right, do things the right way. We're tough, we're built tough, we're blue collar – just like this city, just like this state. We'll continue to be tough and in the end toughness is going to prevail. And we're going to do everything possible to make sure that happens.''
"I think the game is going the way of player safety and we understand that. We've just got to be careful, there's a fine line. Just be careful in regards to what we're doing,'' defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said on a conference call on Tuesday.
After each game, NFL teams submit questionable calls to the NFL for clarification. Patricia would not say if that number after last night is more or less than usual.
He did explain what keeps him going.
"Football is an emotional game, that's why we love it so much,'' Patricia said.
Author Paula PaschePosted on October 15, 2019 Tags Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Marvin Jones Jr, Matt Patricia, NFL, Paul Pasqualoni, trey flowers, troy vincentLeave a comment on NFL admits 1 bad call against Lions; Matt Patricia mum on penalties in MNF loss
Five things to watch as Detroit Lions face Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
After three weeks, the undefeated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best stories in the NFL.
Mahomes, 2018's NFL MVP, picked up where he left off in January. Expectations are high in Kansas City (trust me, I have family there), actually they are sky-high.
While the Detroit Lions are also undefeated (2-0-1) and in first place in the NFC North, many still just don't know what to make of this bunch that finished last season 6-10.
On paper, all looks good for the Lions, but because of their blemished history (I'm being nice) they don't get the benefit of the doubt. That will be earned when they win consistently.
Can they beat the 3-0 Chiefs? Absolutely. It's the NFL where anything can happen. In most games it's a handful of plays that are the difference between winning and losing. It would be one of the biggest wins in recent Lions' history.
Will they beat the Chiefs? Kansas City is a 6.5-point favorite. The Lions would need to play a nearly perfect game.
This could be a big statement game even if coach Matt Patricia says he doesn't look at it that way.
"Every week is important. There's nothing more to that. Just our biggest game is this game because it's our next game. We'll always just kind of try to keep it that perspective so that – we just want to go out and perform well. That's the bottom line,'' Patricia said. "Everybody is good in the NFL. Each team presents different challenges, each team has different strengths and weakness, and the challenge is to try to rise to the occasion of handling all of it every single week and whatever presents itself. That's really it. It's September, still early. We're just trying to get better."
Five things to watch against the Chiefs:
1. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is dangerous wherever his on the field. When Patricia is asked whether he would prefer Mahomes in or out of the pocket, he said: "Probably neither. I think right now what you're seeing on tape is you're seeing him extremely efficient – on the sideline is probably where I'd like to see him the most. He's just really good, he's a really good young player. This guy is – every single play it is extremely dangerous. He can get that thing down field. He does a great job too with just controlling – there is an element to this offense that is definitely a ball control passing game, going back to kind of the West Coast system which Andy (Reid) has obviously, his background, but he's incorporated a lot of the vertical stretch too and then mixed in the spread offense that you see a lot in college. He's kind of adapted all that for his guys. He does great with the controlled passing game, just kind of taking those yardages that you'll give him and then being real patient and all of a sudden he's going to launch one down field.''In other words, the Lions' defense will have its hands full.
2. Matthew Stafford (hip) was listed on Friday's injury report as questionable. Took everyone by surprise but he is expected to start. He's off to a solid start this season with six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 62.6 completion percentage. He's gotten some help with four receivers who have each had more than 100 yards in a game. But perhaps the key is that he has not been sacked in two straight games which is the first time that's happened since the first two games of the 2011 season. "I mean obviously the guys up front are doing a great job. I think (Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell) is doing a great job of moving me around, getting the ball out quick, then I get a chance to hold the ball. It's a little bit of everything, keeping the defense guessing. It's a team effort when you have no sacks,'' Stafford said. "You're not going to have a perfect pocket every time. Guys are going to do some outstanding things, whether it's a chip or a running back picking up a blitzer. I'm trying to get the ball out in a timely fashion, our guys are doing a great job of getting open. It all kind of plays together."
3. Last week Tracy Walker and the secondary held Eagles tight end Zach Ertz to 4 catches for 64 yards — with only one of those receptions in the second half. On this week's agenda is tight end Travis Kelce. "Tracy did a good job last week. He really did. He played well. Technique – fundamentally he played well. Every week in this league is a new week and there's no way of predicting exactly how things will go,'' defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said. He also wouldn't be specific if Walker will draw the coverage on Kelce. Patricia said there's a bunch of good tight ends in the NFL and the Lions will face several of them.
4. The Lions run game is still a work in progress, averaging about 99 yards per game. Kerryon Johnson is carrying the load but his per carry average is just 2.6 yards (48 carries, 116 yards). "We've actually had some really nice blocked plays. What I really feel like is that we're just one guy away. I feel like there has been a lot of instances where we've had 10 out of 11 doing the thing that we need them to do, so if we can just get that one last little piece fit in there, then it's going to start going,'' Bevell said. "We've had a really good opportunity to just consistently work on it, and I think we're improving each and every week. I like the direction that it's headed. I think you can even see it last week. There were some decent sized gains to be had out there, but we still have to clean up some of the little details."
5. Not a done deal, but cornerback Darius Slay could get the nod on Sunday after injuring his hamstring at Philadelphia. The Pro Bowl cornerback been limited at practice and is officially questionable this week but appears to be moving well. Wide receiver Danny Amendola (chest) is also questionable. After sitting Wednesday and Thursday he was limited in practice on Friday. Defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand (elbow) also questionable. Defensive tackle Mike Daniels is out
PREDICTION: Lions 27, Chiefs 24 (This was a tough pick. Ultimately believe home-field advantage could tilt it Detroit's way.)
Author Paula PaschePosted on September 28, 2019 Tags Danny Amendola, Darius Slay, Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, kansas city chiefs, Matt Patricia, Matthew Stafford, patrick mahomes, Paul Pasqualoni, tracy walker, travis kelceLeave a comment on Five things to watch as Detroit Lions face Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Five things to know about Detroit Lions' 27-24 win at Philadelphia Eagles
When the Eagles blocked a Matt Prater field goal attempt, with less than 2 minutes left it could have been really bad news for the Detroit Lions.
After a penalty, Philadelphia had the ball at midfield with 1:40 remaining. Plenty of time to score a touchdown to win or a field goal for the tie. But the Lions' defense held on and Detroit left the City of Brotherly Love with a 27-24 win and a 2-0-1 record on the season.
NFL games are typically won due to a handful of plays. This was no different.
Perhaps Matthew Stafford's 12-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones Jr. early in the fourth to grab a 27-17 lead was key.
Another key pass play was on third-and-11 when Stafford connected with Danny Amendola for 15 yards and a first down later in the fourth.
Then, of course, the defense in the fourth quarter came up big.
Five things to know about the win:
1. Matthew Stafford was kept clean. For the second straight week, the offensive line stepped up and he was not sacked. He brought cookies to the offensive line after last week's performance, maybe it was just the ticket. Taylor Decker returned at left tackle. Stafford was pressured, but not sacked. His numbers were fine (18-of-32, 201 yards, 1 TD) not spectacular, but a win is a win. He missed a throw on third-and-8 with 3:45 remaining when he underthrew Jones. He had more time than he thought. He'll be the first to admit that error.
2. Jamal Agnew, who was benched the previous week after a fumble on a return, lined up to return the kickoff on the Lions' first possession. Then he ran down the left sideline 100 yards for a touchdown. The offense hadn't taken the field and the Lions had a 7-3 lead. Special teams turned things around after a bad outing the week before. Other than one short punt by Sam Martin and allowing the late blocked field goal, they played well.
3. Jarrad Davis returned and his presence was noticeable on defense. The linebacker rotated in and out early in his first game of the season. He went out once with a foot injury but before Twitter could explode with his absence, he was back on the field. No interceptions against Carson Wentz, but Darius Slay recovered a fumble and returned it 28 yards to the Eagles' 22. Slay left the game and didn't return with a hamstring after that play. It's unknown how serious it is. The defense forced three fumbles. The Eagles had five drops which had something to do with the defensive pressure. The Lions' defense also sacked Wentz three times — Chrtistian Jones, Damon "Snacks" Harrison and Trey Flowers came up big. Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, their biggest offensive threat, had six catches for 64 yards but no touchdowns.
4. Quietly wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., had a standout game with six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. He was one of eight pass catchers found by Stafford. Kenny Golladay was targeted 8 times but only came up with 2 catches. Pedestrian numbers for the big guy but it wasn't all on him, Stafford shared part of the blame there.
5. The offense, under coordinator Darrell Bevell, stayed aggressive just like they did late in the win over the Chargers the previous week. It's a good sign of things to come with this new offense. It's a balanced attack with the run game coming around. Kerryon Johnson had 20 carries for 36 yards and a rushing touchdown, while J.D. McKissic had just one carry but it was for 44 yards.
UP NEXT: Next Sunday the Lions host Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Ford Field. The Chiefs beat the Ravens 33-28 Sunday.
(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)
Author Paula PaschePosted on September 22, 2019 September 22, 2019 Tags Carson Wentz, Darius Slay, Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, Jamal Agnew, kansas city chiefs, Kerryon Johnson, Marvin Jones Jr, Matthew Stafford, patrick mahomes, philadelphia eaglesLeave a comment on Five things to know about Detroit Lions' 27-24 win at Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions Matthew Stafford meets up again with Eagles DC Jim Schwartz
DETROIT — Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz possibly knows Matthew Stafford better than any NFL quarterback. That doesn't necessarily give him an advantage when the Lions play at Philadelphia on Sunday.
"I think he just understands how he thinks and how Matt (Stafford) operates. You still have to go play. He's been a great quarterback for many years and he's got a big arm and Jim understands that,'' Eagles coach Doug Pederson said on a conference call. "I can't give you all of my secrets, or Jim's secrets, but I'm sure he'll have something for him. He understands him. This business, this is the way it works.
"We're going to draft players and players are going to move on. Coaches are going to move on and you're going to see them in the future. You just always keep things in the back of your mind for when you do play them,'' Pederson added.
Schwartz got his first NFL head coaching job with the Lions and spent five seasons (2009-13) in Detroit.
"A lot of fond memories. Obviously, I got drafted here by him and he was part of that process, so I appreciate him a lot for giving me the chance. We went to playoffs for the first time in a long time in this franchise's history and did a lot of good things in kind of getting us to where we are now, which I'm proud of, and I know he is too,'' Stafford said this week.
"As far as going against him, I've played against him a couple of times since then. I've got a lot of respect for him as a defensive coach. His guys play extremely hard. They're in the right spot. They play aggressive. Year-in and year-out they're really good defenses. They're top-echelon defenses and this one seems to be no different,'' the quarterback added.
Schwartz had been the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator before joining the Lions. The Lions defenses under him and coordinator Gunther Cunningham had successes and failures.
The Eagles' defense likely won't have much similarity due to different personnel.
"He's going to adapt to the guys that he has in his locker room and he has on that team and play to their style and put them in their strengths,'' Stafford said. "He's like a lot of coaches in this league that do that. Just generally speaking, they're an aggressive defense. They play extremely hard and they're good at what they do."
The Lions' offense scored just a pair of touchdowns last week but it was enough for the 13-10 win over the Chargers. Still, it's looking for more consistency.
"You'd love to score points on every single drive, and touchdowns if you can. We just have to do a better job of staying on the field a little bit on third down and we had some opportunities in the last game to stay on the field and didn't,'' Stafford said. "I think it would've ended up in some points. We just have to do a little bit better job there and then make sure when we get our opportunities for big plays, we have to hit them."
Author Paula PaschePosted on September 20, 2019 September 20, 2019 Tags Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions, jim schwartz, Matthew Stafford, paul pederson, philadelphia eaglesLeave a comment on Detroit Lions Matthew Stafford meets up again with Eagles DC Jim Schwartz
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