Lions Lowdown

ALLEN PARK — Brothers Graham and Ryan Glasgow will face each other — literally — when the Detroit Lions play at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Graham Glasgow will start at center for the Lions while his younger brother, Ryan, will rotate in at defensive end for the Bengals.

It’s not unprecedented that brothers stand on opposite sidelines in an NFL game. But it has to be rare when they stand across from each other on the field.

It’s also something different for the brothers who both played at the University of Michigan. Graham Glasgow was a third-round pick by the Lions in 2016 while Ryan was drafted in the fourth round this year by the Bengals.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

“We were never on different teams it was always like stuff on the driveway of our house or just little things, nothing really like this,’’ Graham Glasgow said on Thursday.

Who was the better basketball player?

“I think I was, he’d say he was. That’s how it is with almost everything,’’ Glasgow said insisting that it really was him.

Their parents will be at the game and he’s not sure how exactly they will divide their support. He’s thinking they might wear a Lions shirt with a Bengals hat or vice-versa.

Who do his parents like best?

“I think I’m the favorite, he actually might say that too,’’ Glasgow deadpanned.

The older brother said he will have no trouble treating his younger brother like he treats any NFL opponent. Even a cut-block?

“Yeah I’d cut Ryan,’’ Glasgow said.

The brothers talk every day, even this week.

“You see what everybody does on film. I know what Ryan did in college. The last time I played against him at all was two years ago (in practice at Michigan). He’s gotten better since then and I’ve gotten better since he played me,’’ Glasgow said. “So it’s just something where you need to gauge where he’s at on the tape.’’

Smart remarks aside, Glasgow said he’s proud of Ryan.

“I’m very happy for Ryan, I think he’s done really well for being a rookie tackle. It’s something that I’m very proud of him and I know our family is proud,’’ Glasgow said.

He thinks it will be fun (although he said to ask him about it after the game) but he’s not so sure his parents and grandparents want to see the brothers go against each other.

They also have a younger brother, Jordan, who plays at Michigan.

Graham Glasgow is the only Lions’ offensive lineman who has been healthy enough to start in every game. He started the season at left guard, but has filled in at center when Travis Swanson (concussion) has been out.

“I’m not going to say it’s easy but I think it’s something that I’ve learned to get better at, I still have to improve on it,’’ Glasgow said. “I still have things I need to get better at center, and a lot of things I need to get better at guard, but it’s something I try to improve on every day every week.’’

ALLEN PARK – Glover Quin couldn’t be happier that Darius Slay has been voted to his first Pro Bowl.

“Very deserving, playing great for us all year, he’s been working hard throughout his career and to see it finally happen for him is good,’’ Quin said on Wednesday.

However, Quin is not happy with the process of how players are selected to the Pro Bowl.

That includes another snub for him. It’s not sour grapes, it’s an honest look at who deserves the honor and who doesn’t. Quin was elected to the Pro Bowl only once and that was in 2014.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

“I told you guys this a couple years ago and I mean if I don’t lead the league in interceptions I don’t make the Pro Bowl. It doesn’t matter how good I play,’’ Quin said. “I have more turnovers than any safety in the NFC, I don’t know if I gave up a touchdown this year I don’t know. It is what it is. Just continue doing what I do.’’

NFC safeties who were elected to the Pro Bowl as starters are Seattle’s Earl Thomas, Giants’ Landon Collins and Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins.  They each have two interceptions while Quin has three.

“I have more picks than Earl, I have more picks than Landon, I have more picks than Malcolm so I can’t even say they just look at picks …. There’s just certain things that kind of bother me about the whole situation,’’ Quin said.

“I’ve stood here in front of you guys for five years, I tell you every year when a safety has a good year. I’m the first to be like, ‘Hey he played good, he deserved it.’ Even myself if I don’t have a good year I’ll tell you …. The guys that made it, I don’t feel like either one of those guys had a better year than I did. The alternates? I don’t feel like anyone of those guys had a better year than I did. I don’t know.’’

He has a solution. Instead of putting everyone’s name on the ballot a nominating committee should narrow it down to who is having a good season.

“There’s no reason why you should be on the ballot if you haven’t had a Pro Bowl worthy season. You shouldn’t be eligible. No disrespect, Kam Chancellor (Seattle) played nine games. Seriously? You’re an alternate. I’m not being a hater, I’m just saying he played nine games. Kam Chancellor would probably look at you and say, ‘I didn’t have a Pro Bowl year.’ But you’re on the ballot, people see your name and they vote for you, he made alternate,’’ Quin said.

Wait, there’s more.

“I’ve been saying it for years, the NFL there’s no way you can tell me they can’t come up with some type of selection committee and have a release show of guys who are eligible for the Pro Bowl, who should be nominated for the Pro Bowl,’’ Quin said. “Why do you put everybody on the ballot? Everybody is not a Grammy nominee, it’s an honor to be nominated. Just being real. It’s an honor. You don’t get to get voted for best song if you’re not nominated. You get nominated, now you’ve got the opportunity to win the Grammy. You shouldn’t be able to go to the Pro Bowl if you’re not nominated. That’s the way it is for all all-star stuff.’’

He would recommend, ex-coaches, scouts and/or TV analysts might be good to form the nominating committee.

They could wait until Week 13 or so to put out a ballot. Give fans two weeks to vote and then give the players and coaches a vote like they have now.

Hey Roger Goodell, sounds like a good plan.

ALLEN PARK — Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones spent the first four seasons of his NFL career playing for the Bengals. So it will be a homecoming of sort when the Lions play at Cincinnati on Sunday.

He downplayed the significance.

“I’m just going to see a couple friends I have there, but other than that there’s no significance,’’ Jones said. “Not nostalgic or anything, it will be cool to go there and just play.’’

Jones is just 30 yards shy of his first 1,000 receiving yards season. Since he averages 69.2 receiving yards per game, there’s a good chance he’ll reach that milestone on Sunday against the Bengals.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

“It’s always a milestone for a receiver to go over a thousand, I’m looking forward to it,’’ Jones said.

After 14 games he has 54 catches for 970 yards (a career high) and eight touchdowns.

Since he signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2016, Jones and Matthew Stafford have developed a solid connection.

“Marv’s put a lot of work in. I think our system and the system he came from in Cincinnati is quite a bit different, and he did a great job of adjusting, putting the work in. And then, on Sundays he just goes out there and makes plays,’’ Stafford said on Wednesday. “I’m giving him chances on certain throws, and he’s going up and making me right more often than not. So, it’s nice to have.”

The most recent example was a 58-yard completion on third-and-18 in Saturday’s 20-10 win over the Bears. He wasn’t paying attention to anything around him.

“Just go get the ball, that’s it. Locating the ball, running as fast as I can to go meet it and just catch it,’’ Jones said.

“I wasn’t really worried whoever was behind me, I just said I have to get up and get it. I jumped early so I had to wait. That’s kind of what I thought. I jumped early I just had to stay up there for a little bit,’’ Jones said.

He said that was a ball only Matthew Stafford could throw.

“Whenever he breaks out of the pocket, I’m looking and I say, ‘OK.’ I just put my head down, I run, I look up and there it goes,’’ Jones said. “… I see his eyes and I just take off.”

Coach Jim Caldwell has commented through this season about how hard Jones worked to improve in the offseason.

“I think just precision and his route running has gotten a whole lot better, and with that has come separation at the top of routes and all that kind of stuff, the better you get at running them. And like I said, some of the routes that we’re asking him to run here are probably different than what he had done in the past, so it took some time, and some effort, and some concentration, and focus on those details and he’s done a nice job with that,’’ Stafford said.

So it just makes sense that Stafford has developed more confidence in Jones who had 55 catches for 930 yards and four touchdowns in 2016.

“I think the more and more you play with guys the more you understand their body language at the top of routes and whether or not they can win,’’ Stafford said. “And I’m getting that with all of our guys at the moment, so just trying to continue to put the ball in a good spot, let those guys go and make plays like they’re doing.’’

BONUS: Wide receiver T.J. Jones was placed on injured reserve after injuring his shoulder on Saturday. He’s being replaced on the roster by wide receiver Andy Jones, who spent time on the Lions’ practice squad. Of course, they join Marvin Jones. Apparently it’s key for the Lions to have two receivers named Jones.