Category: Uncategorized

Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford has no plans to shut down for the season

ALLEN PARK — Matthew Stafford said shutting down for the season has not been discussed. 

“This is what I do. I understand your question, this is what I love to do, I love playing football,’’ Stafford said on Wednesday.

The Detroit Lions quarterback, who is dealing with a back injury (he offered no specifics) has missed two straight games. Stafford would not rule himself out for Sunday at the Washington Redskins, but he didn’t practice on Wednesday and it seems unlikely he will get the green light.

“I appreciate all the hard work that all the guys in this locker room and in this organization put into going out there and trying to win games on Sunday and I love being a part of it,’’ Stafford said. “It’s tough for me to sit there without the pads on and not be able to impact the game on the field like I’m used to doing. That’s driving me to get back out there when we all deem it’s the right time.’’

When he is healthy he will be back. No consideration will be given to his future health or the fact the Lions are 3-6-1.

“I think for me if I’m healthy enough to go play I’m going to go play. Every time I step out on a football field the next week, the next play, the next year’s health is in question because it’s a violent game, I understand that,’’ Stafford said.

He repeatedly said he’s doing everything to get back out there as soon as possible.

“It’s not just myself going through it, there’s a bunch of people looking into it, a bunch of people going in on the decision on when is the best time for me to come back,’’ said Stafford who was injured late in the loss at Chicago on Nov. 10.

In the first nine games, he had thrown for 2,499 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. 

“I was having a blast out there playing and it’s obviously just difficult to not be out there,’’ Stafford said.

Lions’ awful defense not all Patricia’s fault, but it’s up to him to fix it

This defense worse than the 0-16 team in 2008

ALLEN PARK — The Lions’ defense is bad, it’s ranked 30th in the NFL giving up 412.8 yards per game. In Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, the defense gave up 509 total yards. No other team amassed more yards on Sunday.

It might not be the Lions’ worst defense ever, but if not it comes close.

In 2008, you remember the season the Lions went 0-16, Detroit’s defense allowed 404.4 yards per game. It was the worst in the NFL but still allowed less yards than this season’s bunch.

So what now?

The Lions (3-6-1) play at the woeful Washington Redskins (1-9) on Sunday. The Redskins ended their streak of 16 straight quarters without a touchdown when they scored a pair late in a 34-17 loss to the Jets on Sunday. The Lions are 2.5-point favorites.

With a championship, playoffs and likely a winning season out of the realm of possibility, coach Matt Patricia on Monday said: “We’re playing for this game, that’s what we do and that’s really honestly that’s how the week is for us. It’s one-game seasons, that’s what they are, that’s how the NFL works.’’

While Lions’ penalties were an issue Sunday (11, costing 89 yards) and are most every game day, the defense is the reason the Lions lost to Dallas, 35-27.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said he had time to go through his progressions two or three times. It was crazy. It seemed like he had all day because he did. No wonder he passed for 444 yards — the most against the Lions this season. Often his receivers were wide open. Four of them had single catches of 21 yards or more (21, 23, 41,49). That’s a little crazy too.

So Patricia was asked if there will be changes on defensive play-calling immediately after the game. He danced around a straight answer.

He was asked again on Monday and remained vague. It’s uncertain if he or coordinator Paul Pasqualoni are making the calls during the game. 

This was Patricia’s reply on Monday: “I think for us as a staff, and how we’re doing things on defense, I think we need to continually improve it. I definitely feel that that has been my message to those guys throughout the entire season, so that we can help the players more. I try to do as much as I can and will continually try to do that, but I think the coaches are working really hard to try to get it right from that aspect of it. We obviously have to do more, and we will. Sometimes I look at it and think I have to teach it differently too. I always try to evaluate, ‘OK, what can I say differently here? How can I explain it different? How can I term it different that we’ll at least maybe understand it and maybe be able to play a little bit better from that aspect of it?’’’

When pressed on an answer about play calling he said his role on game days changes game by game. 

“So, some games it’s been more, some games it’s been less, and that’s been consistent throughout the season. That’s true,’’ Patricia said.

Whether it’s Patricia or Pasqualoni making the calls, improvement must be made.

This mess of a defense is not all on coaching, but that is definitely a part of it. Patricia went 6-10 last season and now is 3-6-1. Is the team still listening to him? “I think there’s nothing that would give me an indication that they’re not,’’ Patricia said. 

Not so long ago — actually in 2014 under coach Jim Caldwell in his first season — the Lions finished the season with the second-best defense in the NFL, allowing 300.9 yards per game. It was Ndamukong Suh’s last season in Detroit.

It’s been downhill since.

Last season, the defense ranked 10th (335 yards per game) after it made a turnaround during the season (after the acquisition of Damon “Snacks” Harrison) and toughened up.

This season’s new low is not all because of Patricia’s defensive philosophy, but it’s up to him to right a sinking ship. 

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

Bo Scarbrough adds punch to Detroit Lions’ run game in loss to Cowboys

DETROIT — Bo Scarbrough made one heck of an NFL debut on Sunday.

The Detroit Lions running back, who had been promoted from the practice squad on Saturday, got the start in the 35-27 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Scarbrough, a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2018, had 14 carries for 55 yards including a 23-yard scamper and a touchdown.

“I kind of grabbed him after the game and just told him how proud I was of him. He ran the ball super hard. He knew what he was doing,’’ quarterback Jeff Driskel said. “He hasn’t been here very long at all and he stepped right in there, and it was awesome to see him run that ball that hard. He kind of brought some life to our run game and it was awesome. He’s a good player and I’m happy he’s on our side.”

Scarbrough’s 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, following a fumble recovery, gave the Lions a 7-0 lead. 

“That touchdown doesn’t really mean anything. It’s just another score on the board for us to get ahead. But if we can contribute and win, it’d be different,’’ the 23-year-old Scarbrough said.

His fresh legs let the Lions keep Ty Johnson, who was coming off concussion protocol, for most of the game. 

Scarbrough did not say when he found out that he would start.

 “It’s an opportunity, week-in and week-out. Everybody needs an opportunity. It felt regular to me. Playing under coach (Nick) Saban – this is what we’ve always done. Every week was a different guy up, so you just have to be ready when your number is called. If you number is called, you just have to take advantage of it and run with it.”

Scarbrough played at Alabama including the two national championship seasons (2015 and 2017). He was signed to the Lions practice squad on Nov. 6 after being out of football since Aug. 31 by the Seahawks.

He said he didn’t have extra motivation today because the Cowboys were the team that originally drafted him.

“No, like I told you before, it’s what I do. ‘Matty P’ (Patricia) says that and that’s what he wanted me to do. So I’m going to do my job, whatever it is, to help the team win,’’ Scarbrough said. “If I have to give someone a cup of water, then that’s what I do.”

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)