Tag: Aaron Glenn

Lions finally get chance at NFC Championship; 5 things to watch as Detroit faces 49ers

ALLEN PARK — It’s not that it’s been 32 years since the Lions have been to an NFC Championship game. That doesn’t really play into the preparation for Sunday’s matchup at San Francisco.

The 49ers have been to the NFC Championship game four of the last five years. It’s all new territory for most of  the Lions. 

Coach Dan Campbell will not try to calm them down if they’re too emotional at kickoff.

“I’m not pulling them back, we’re going. They’ll adjust on the fly. We’re going in, they’ll be ready,’’ Campbell said.

Throughout the week, the media attention has been more intense with more national and local coverage and more expected of Campbell and the players, per the NFL guidelines.

In the meantime, Campbell has tried to treat this as another preparation week for just another game.

“The football stuff is no different than it was getting ready for Kansas City in Week One. It’s identical,’’ Campbell said on Friday. “I feel like we’ve handled it well. That’s the whole of it. I feel like we’re handling that well, that portion of it.’’

The Lions beat the Rams and the Bucs in the first two rounds of the playoffs to reach this point. So it’s not like it’s the first go-around for all these guys. It’s just that a win on Sunday will earn them  a trip to the Super Bowl. 

Still first things first and Campbell knows that.

“This is the next game and they’ve done this all year. Our guys have done it all year. We’ve done things right, we understand what it’s going to take, we respect the opponent, know what they’re capable of. We know exactly what we’re capable of,’’ Campbell said.

Five things to watch:

1. Jared Goff and the offense will have to break through linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner to find success moving the ball. “Both those guys are really dang good. And I’ve been fortunate, or unfortunate, to be on the other side of the ball from them quite sometimes. And they’re really good. They’re both very smart. They’re both very fast,’’ Goff said.  “They both play sideline to sideline. They’re both involved in the run game and the pass game. And yeah, lot of respect for both those guys.”

2. The Lions have excelled at stopping the run – they’re rated second in the NFL – and they can’t let up against Christian McCaffery and the 49ers offense. It is key to their plan. “You’ve got to stop the run because if you don’t, they’ll rush for 250 on you and then they won’t even worry about passing. Everything has to start there,’’ Campbell said. “Look, (coach Kyle) Shanahan does an unbelievable job of – he’s going to work one side and make you overreact and then he counters off of it and then he play-passes off of it and works the middle of the field. So, look, you’ve got your hands full in both regards. And (QB Brock) Purdy does a hell of a job. They throw a lot of daggers middle of the field, and he does a hell of a job with touch, timing, rhythm, but we have to stop this run game. It just has to start there.’’

3. While tight end Sam LaPorta has been golden for the Lions, tight end George Kittle has done it for years for the 49ers at a high level. Trying to contain him is key. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said it’s all about matchups  “Because for a linebacker to cover him, that’s where the speed and agility come into play. And when a safety has to cover him, that’s when a size factor comes into play. So, the thing is we have versatile players on our end too, alright, that can do a good job of covering that player. But listen, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,’’ Glenn said. “They just know they’ve got to be on their P’s and Q’s to get ready to cover that player, so he’s one of the best in the League. He’s an elite player. What he does that’s different from most tight ends is his ability to block. I think he’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s physical and he has the receiving skills to beat you in a number of different ways..”

4. The Lions’ multi-dimensional offense can be a headache for defenses. Amon-Ra St. Brown and LaPorta top the list along with rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs who has scored a touchdown in each of the first two playoff games. “He’s improved in everything. I mean, I think you can see that. His protection has improved and that’s not something that – you say, ‘Well, we got him in here to protect.’ No. But he’s got to be able to do it and he’s grown leaps and bounds in that regard,’’ Campbell said. “I think you see he’s getting better in the pass game out of the backfield. That was somewhere we felt like there was a ton of room to grow. And it’s getting better, and better, and better. And he’s still got so much room to go there. But his running ability, his vision, he’s just, to me, he really is a complete back that’s continued to develop. But really I felt like the – we played the Ravens early in the year and that’s when you felt like, ‘Alright, here come – the light’s coming on.’ And he’s just, every week, gotten better, and better, and better. So, he’s playing at a high level right now.”

5. Campbell and GM Brad Holmes built this team to play anywhere at any time. They’ve found success on the road this season with a 6-3 record. It may help that Goff is familiar with the 49ers Levi’s Stadium from his time with the Rams. It won’t be as loud as it was at Ford Field – not a chance – but it will be a hostile environment. It’s a long way for Lions’ fans to travel but it’s expected about 20 percent of the crowd will be wearing Honolulu blue. While the weather will be the same for both teams, the Lions are not used to playing in outdoor stadiums. 

INJURY UPDATE: WR Kalif Raymond (knee) and G Jonah Jackson (knee) are out; CB Chase Lucas (illness) and QB Hendon Hooker (tooth) are questionable.  Also, TE Zach Ertz was not elevated from the practice squad so will not be active.

PREDICTION: Lions 27, Niners 24. This is likely to come down to the wire. Campbell says the Lions were built for this, now they have a chance to prove it.

Divisional round: Five things to watch as Lions host Bucs; plus prediction

For the Detroit Lions, the next game is the biggest game even if a Super Bowl berth is only two wins away. The Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field. The winner moves on to play the winner between the 49ers and Packers in the NFC Championship game on Jan. 28.

For Lions coach Dan Campbell focus is the key. The Lions, who are 6-point favorites, cannot overlook the Bucs who they beat 20-6 in Week 6.

The coach seems to have gotten that message across this week.

“They know we only have three left here and then you get a bye—  after two—  and then you get the third one (the Super Bowl). So there’s only three left here, but it all starts with one,’’ Campbell said on Friday. “That’s really the process all year no matter where you’re at — if you lost one, won five in a row, now you’re in the playoffs. Man it’s all about the one in front of you. You have to stay focused on that. Everything we’ve got – full focus on this game.’’

He needs them to do their job one more time for their 14th win this season. 

“For any of the butterflies of the first playoff game ever for a lot of guys, got the monkey off your back. Well now you’re in your second playoff game, you ‘ve got experience in that, you understand the environment, you understand what our house is going to be like, which is electric which should give you a surge of energy,’’ Campbell said. “I think this is good, but it’s all focus on one.’’

Five things to watch:

1. A huge difference last week was preventing the Rams from scoring on three trips to the red zone. And, the Lions offense scored on all three trips inside the 20. Numbers like that will go a long way in winning most games during the postseason and really any time. While the Lions excel in the red zone, the Bucs are third best in the NFL in red zone defense. Something’s got to give. “They pressure, pressure but once you get in third down they calm things down and they do what they do and they’re really good at it especially when you get in there really tight,’’ Campbell said. “They’ll play a couple coverages and they don’t care if you know what it is, they’re better at it than you are and they’ve done a great job of it.’’

2. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and his two wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, can be a handful.  It’s tough to judge his performance in the wildcard win over the Eagles, because Philadelphia’s defense was awful. He was 22 of 36 for 337 yards and three touchdowns. “We’ve got a find to squeeze this in on Baker,’’ Campbell said. “If you let him sit back there and play with rhythm and a hitch, it’s dangerous because he will get it up to his guys and  he’s going to give them a chance to make a play. (Mike) Evans is an issue, we can’t let him go off.’’ In their first meeting the LIons held the Bucs to just two field goals.

3. In the first meeting on Oct. 15, Jahmyr Gibbs was out with an injury and David Montgomery left the game early with a rib injury. The Lions managed just 40 rushing yards. It won’t be easy to run the ball since the Bucs have the NFL’s fifth best rushing defense allowing 95.3 yards per game. “They load the box up. They really condense you in there and so it’s hard. It’s tough sledding and we did not rise to the challenge well enough as a whole unit. So, whoever we had up last time, we fell short of our standard and the good news about where we are as an offense is we can shift and we can flow, and that doesn’t shut us down entirely,’’ Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “If we can’t run the ball, then we have other ways to attack the defense as well. So, fortunately that was the case the first time we played them. We are still built on the run though. I think our guys upfront, they relish the opportunity to do that, and we’ve got really good backs that we need to get the ball, so hopefully we can have a little more success than the first go around.”

4. Jared Goff has been playing his best football to end the season and was a huge reason the Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years. The fans made it known they loved him with their Jar-ed Goff chants and he returned the love completing 22 of 27 (81 percent)  for 277 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. “He’s at his best when his back is against the wall. Now, it hasn’t been against the wall but he’s doing well. That’s something that has always impressed me,’’ Campbell said. “When things don’t look good or we’re not moving the ball or you have a couple turnovers and you feel like the world is coming in on you. He’s at this best coming out of that.’’

5. The Lions have outscored opponents 111-78 in the first quarters, including jumping out to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter against the Rams last Sunday. Detroit scored on its first two drives. The defense would like the fans to do their part like they did against the Rams. “It is a joy to be able to play at home in front of these guys. And they did a hell of a job assisting us. I don’t know if you noticed, but the two timeouts, I think that had to do something with the crowd noise and him not being able to hear,’’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “And the quarterback (Matthew Stafford), he knows how Ford Field is, so I’m sure he was expecting that, but man, it was outstanding. It was outstanding. And look forward to it this week.”

INJURY UPDATE: WR Kalif Raymond (knee) is out; TE Sam LaPorta (knee) and LB James Houston (ankle) are questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 31, Bucs 17. The Lions are the better team since they first met.

Five things to watch as Lions seek playoff win against Rams; plus prediction

The Lions will run onto the Ford Field turf on Sunday night with the NFC North Division banner hanging above them. Getting to the playoffs is an achievement, but it is not enough to make it for this bunch.

The young Lions (12-5) face a Los Angeles Rams (10-7) bunch that won the Super Bowl just two years ago.

Lack of playoff experience for his guys is not a concern for Lions coach Dan Campbell. One reason is the Lions have become NFL darlings of sorts, playing in five primetime games this season and emerging with a 4-1 record in those. So he feels his team is well prepared.

“I know we are. I’m not worried about that, the stage, all of those things because we’ve dealt with that for a while now and I feel like we’re prepared for that,’’ Campbell said. “It’s going to come down to all the same things it does in every game for us, it’s going to be the fundamentals.’’

Mistake-free football wins playoff games. He doesn’t want his players to press to make a play go the other way.

“You’re trying so hard to make a play that you get out of position, or you put a teammate out of position and it puts a strain on everybody around you and all of a sudden, everything breaks down. That’s what we’ve got to stay – just stay focused on that,’’ Campbell said.

“You want to make a play so bad you jump out of your gap and then all of a sudden, they hit you on a run. So, those are the little things, man. Just stay true to what we’ve done and what’s gotten us to this point,’’ the coach said. “We’ve won 12 games for a reason, we’re where we’re at for a reason, let’s do it again.”

The last Lions’ playoff win was on Jan, 5, 1992 – before most of these players were born.

They have a chance to leave a legacy and it starts on Sunday night.

Five things to watch:

1. Matthew Stafford, well known in Detroit, has not slowed down in his 15th NFL season. “He’s a good player, that’s it. We have good players too. It’s good player against good player so let’s go,’’ Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. Stafford, who has some help with wide receivers Cooper Kupp and breakout rookie Puka Nacua, is rested after sitting out Week 18. This season Stafford threw 24 touchdown passes against a dozen interceptions. He’s back home where he spent his first 12 NFL seasons, but he’s such a pro that emotions should not be a factor once he takes the field.

2. Don’t underestimate the Rams’ rushing attack. The Rams have won seven of their last eight games and in those eight, they have averaged 137.6 rushing yards per game. Running back Kyren Williams is the big threat, averaging 5 yards a carry and good for a dozen rushing touchdowns and three receiving. Something will have to give with the LIons owning the NFL’s second-best rushing defense allowing just 88.8 rushing yards per game. Williams and Nacua can be a handful for defenses by escaping tackles. “I want to make sure it’s emphasized and show clips. Listen, look at these guys, just because (Williams) is a small statured guy he has a strong lower body, same thing with Puka, a strong lower body,’’ Glenn said. “Everybody I talk to, that’s the No. 1 thing I saw is don’t be surprised on how these guys break tackles and it shows up on tape.’’

3. Jared Goff’s playoff experience should pay dividends. He played in six playoff games with the Rams, winning the NFC Championship in overtime at New Orleans and a loss in the Super Bowl, losing 13-3 to the Patriots. While some of his teammates don’t have playoff experience that is not a concern. “We’ve played in a lot of big games, a lot of them. And a lot of these guys have played in big games in college, and yeah we’ll be ready, we’ll be ready,’’ Goff said. “I don’t worry about that for a second. We’ve got a lot of primetime experience under our belt at this point and understand the magnitude of it.”

4. Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have to be on their game. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson wasn’t pleased with the run game in the final two games. “Through the second half of the season, really since the bye week, we’ve been trending in the right direction,’’ Johnson said. “The last two games was not what we wanted. Last week we were mistargeted and our communication was off too much.’’ He said one possible fix is less complexity in the game plan.

5. Aaron Donald, future Hall of Famer as Campbell refers to him, is not a one-man band on the Rams’ defensive line.  He doesn’t even lead the Rams in sack numbers. He has 8, same as Byron Young and one less than Kobie Turner with 9.  “I still like our matchup. I love our O-line and we’ve seen a lot of good defenses this year. We’ve faced a lot of good guys, a lot of good fronts, and have accepted those challenges,’’ Campbell said. “So, this will be no different. This will be a big challenge, our guys accept it and it’s the strength of our team.”

PREDICTION: Lions 31, Rams 27. The Rams may be hot, but the Lions seem to be playing their best at the right time. Playing at Ford Field is a definite advantage.