Category: NFL

Five things to watch as Lions, seeking 4th straight win, face the Bengals

Looking for their fourth straight win, the Lions are heavily favored against the Bengals at Cincinnati.

After a rough start at Green Bay in the opener, coach Dan Campbell loves the resiliency of the team.

“ We don’t get caught up in things that don’t relate to us or have any bearing on what we control, if you will. Man, our guys stay locked in on what it takes to win a game, and/or why you didn’t play well, and it really is as simple as that,’’ Campbell said, admitting it’s not an easy thing to do.

Critics, fans, social media — it’s all out there.

“So I think, man, that’s hard to do. But I think our guys are pretty locked in, pretty disciplined. They come in this building, and they barricade themselves in and they look at it for what it is, ‘The most important thing is what my teammates and what my coaches are saying, and this is where we have to get better and where I can get better,’’’ Campbell said. “And that small little – that one little step, that one little hand placement, man, the release. That makes all the difference, not the, ‘Are you good enough anymore?’ You don’t get caught up in all that. We have a very resilient bunch, and the core of our team is very strong, it’s very strong.”

The Lions (3-1)  are coming off a 34-10 win at Cleveland while the Bengals (2-2) were routed 28-3 at Denver last week.

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Lions defensive backs could have their hands full with Bengals’ wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Plus they’ll be juggling the lineup with D.J. Reed out for at least the next four games. “We know these two receivers are really good, they’re looking for those matchups, they feel if they can get a one-on-one that’s where the ball’s going and why wouldn’t it,’’ Campbell said. “We’re going to have to do a good job of disrupting those guys as much as we can and try to limit what they can do but also not let them tear us up in the run game.’’

TWO: After concentrating on details and more practice this week, it’s expected that Jared Goff and Jameson Williams will be back on the same page. “I think (Williams) bounced back right away because look at what he did after in the game. He continued to block his butt off during the game. We hit him on that one third-down play. So, he bounced back the next play, that’s what I think,’’ offensive coordinator John Morton said. “And then the way he practices, listen, there’s no problem with Jamo. And there’s going to be times where we’re going to ask him to step up and he’ll do it. We’ve got the utmost confidence in him. But I would say right to the next play and that’s what he did. I think that’s where he’s grown. Didn’t faze him, so.”

THREE: Aidan Hutchinson and the defensive line continue to dominate. Hutchinson has a sack in each of the last three games and four overall. He’s not out there alone. Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad has stepped up big-time: “”I think we’re pretty safe to say that Muhammad is a guy opposite Hutch, not just another guy we’re throwing out there. But he’s been tremendous,’’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said. “I mean, you’ve literally seen Muhammad line up at the nose, the three, the edge, and hasn’t batted an eye. He’s gotten in the run game in there, it hasn’t just been pass rush. I’ve seen him drop a knee and anchor. I mean, just anything you’ve asked that guy to do. …. Head down, he’s been a grinder since day one ever since I’ve met him.”

FOUR:  Cincinnati’s 32nd ranked total offense will need to find a way to break through Detroit’s defense which is ranked 12th. Remember Joe Burrow is out with turf toe and Jake Browning is the starting QB. Browning has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions in the first four games while being sacked seven times. ee

FIVE: Special teams have contributed big-time especially in Sunday’s win over the Browns when Kalif Raymond ran a punt back for a touchdown and Jake Bates kicked two field goals. With the rule changes, special teams have taken on a more important role this season. “I love the fact that special teams is having a bigger impact. It obviously makes our jobs more important, it makes our role more important, it makes really all the players playing those plays’ jobs more important. I think it helps everybody,’’ special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said. “I think I said in the offseason or training camp, the returner position’s going to be more important, both kick and punt. Kickoff return, you have to have two guys back there, you can’t just have one. So that makes that more important on the roster – how many guys you have, who they are. So I would say overall it’s outstanding. I love it. Puts more pressure on me too, but that’s why you do it, so it’s fun.”

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Bengals 10

UP NEXT: Lions at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Lions Dan Campbell gives 3 reasons that Jared Goff hasn’t been sacked in 3 games

Dan Campbell gives three reasons why the Lions have now allowed a sack in three straight games which is a franchise record.

Jared Goff was sacked four times in the opening loss at Green Bay, but has not gone down in the three straight wins. He’s been pressured but not sacked.

“It’s always going to start with the O-line. The way those guys work together. We talked about our two tackles, then how they all work in unison, sometimes turning the protection away and with all things being equal sliding one way — you’re helping the center which helps the guard, the guard helps the tackle. Those guys are working together really well,’’ Campbell said.

Goff couldn’t agree more.

“They’ve been awesome. They’ve really done a good job. In particular, this past week with that front, it’s really hard,’’ Goiff said. “Yeah, I’ve done my best to get the ball out and try to stay upright. I think that helps them and they help me, and it’s a good thing going right now.”

That brings us to Campbell’s reason No. 2.

“Goff has been outstanding in the pocket. His pocket presence when he’s chosen to step up , when he’s chosen to move,’’ Campbell said. “It’s been right-on. That helps big-time.’’

Goff said it’s something he works on. He’s not sure if he’s better now than in the past but it’s a work in progress.

“This year, I’ve done a pretty good job of it, but it starts when you – I could answer this question really long, but when you don’t have a lot of pressure, it’s easy to feel when there is one pressure. As opposed to when there’s always pressure, it’s hard to feel when it’s actually and when it isn’t,’’ Goff said. “That’s when you see a lot of guys scrambling when they don’t need to. I think when our O-line has been as good as they’ve been, when one guy does get edged, it’s easy to feel that and for me to move. And that makes it a whole lot easier for a quarterback.”

Thirdly, Campbell credits the receivers who are getting open with speed.

“They’re playing with urgency in the pass game. Those guys have to out-run the rush,’’ Campbell said.

It almost sounds simple, but if it was this would not be a record since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

“When you do all three of those things, good things happen,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: Lions (3-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.

Lions Jameson Williams, Jared Goff get back to work after missing on 6 of 8 targets

Jameson Williams’ maturity showed on Monday and Wednesday after an off day in the win over Cleveland on Sunday. He was targeted eight times and made just two catches for 40 yards. Certainly not a typical outing for the fourth-year wide receiver.

“I think that was probably the biggest growth we saw when he came in on Monday. You have to come in ready to be coached, and especially when you have a room where the coach is going to be direct, is going to hit the point, but also going to make sure we know the standard is set,’’ wide receivers/assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery said on Wednesday. “And we don’t walk past the standard because the moment you walk past the standard then it’s dropped and that’s the new standard. He understands that part of it.’’

Montgomery said Wiliams was focused on the details in Wednesday morning’s walk-through which would carry over into practice.

Coach Dan Campbell and Montgomery both mentioned that the Lions had one less practice day last week due to playing on Monday and back on Sunday. They didn’t want to use it as an excuse but it played a role in the connection issue.

Neither seems too concerned that it will be a lingering problem because they know Williams and Goff will work on it. 

“There’s things I chalk it up to. We have to clean up some things. You can’t act like nothing happened,’’ Montgomery said. “You have to go out and see what the problem was, the issue was. There’s some things we’ll practice a little differently.’’

Goff said it was not a communication problem between him and Williams especially on the deep ball when Williams tried to turn around to catch it.

“I think I missed it a little bit outside. And I think if he was able to come up with that, it would have been him kind of saving my ass to some extent making that play,’’ Goff said. “And it’s one I know he would love to make, and I love him to make, and he can make that catch. It’s a hard catch, though, it’s a really hard catch. But yeah, I think it’s more so me putting the ball where I want to a little bit more inside on him, making that catch a little bit easier and I’m sure he can come up with it.”

Campbell and Montgomery are on the same page. Campbell said it’s just a few things here and there.

“Eyes back a little sooner, Goff just misses on one, he kind of gets hit on one when he’s trying to release the ball. We’re just a little bit off, and I go back to this, we go back to the drawing board,’’ Campbell said.

In the first three games Williams was targeted a dozen times and caught 8 for a total of 176 yards and a touchdown.

After a bit of a rough start in his career, he has trended upward each season. 

“When I first got here I don’t know if Monday that would have been possible or today that would have been possible because it would’ve been more about ‘Did I perform at the level I wanted to perform at?’ Now it’s gotten to the point where he’s ‘OK, did I perform at the level I want to perform at? OK, why not and how do I get it fixed.’

“That’s the maturation process that we hoped and we saw. It’s also good to have people in your room to pull you along – whether it’s (David Montgomery) or (Amon-Ra St. Brown) – to pull you along and let you know everybody’s had those,’’ Scottie Montgomery said. “It’s very similar to a back putting the ball on the ground and having to come back after putting the ball on the ground. It’s the growth that happens between the time that you put the ball on the ground and when you go back in.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (3-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.