aidan hutchinson – Page 8

Lions at Packers: Five things to watch in the season opener; plus prediction

For so long the Lions could not find a way to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field.

In fact, that streak stretched for 23 seasons from 1992 to 2014. However, coach Dan Campbell is 3-1 at Green Bay’s shrine to football, winning there for three straight seasons.

The two teams kick off the season there at 4:25 p.m. today. Campbell can’t wait.

“We love Lambeau, it’s awesome. It’s one of those places on the eighth day the good Lord made Lambeau,’’ Campbell said.. “… If you love football you love going to play there so our guys look forward to it.”

The Lions’ last loss there, 35-17, was on Sept. 20, 2021. They finished 3-13-1 that season. Since then the Lions have won 24-14 (2024), 34-20 (2023) and 20-16 (2022).

As NFC North champs for the past two years, facing a key division opponent to open the season is crucial.

“Man, you want to win the first one, right. It just – you feel like you get off on the right foot and you get that first win under your belt. I just think that’s big for anybody. For us – you love it,’’ Campbell said. “I mean this is, I bring it up, the problem is not getting too excited too early right now. Division opponent at Lambeau, nationally televised game. I mean this is – we love this stuff, we live for this, so this is good, this is exciting. Listen, any win sets you up for the season, helps you. And that’s really what it’s about.”

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH:

ONE: Changes on Detroit’s offensive line could be a factor but the talent-rich position is expected to remain a strength. Graham Glasgow takes over at center (Frank Ragnow retired) while rookie Tate Ratledge has earned the start at right guard and Christian Mahogany will start at left guard. “Obviously Frank is such a great player and it’s hard to replace him in any capacity. But Graham is a great player in his own right as well and has done a hell of a job stepping into that role, and even last year at times when he needed to step in there,’’quarterback Jared Goff said. “ He’s been great. I mean he really has. He’s taken a lot of the responsibility on his shoulders and I thought today was great by him, and he’s been a lot of fun to work with.”

TWO: Expect the best from the defensive line with the return of Aidan Hutchinson and the addition of rookie Tyliek Williams. Campbell said veteran D.J. Reader had a “kick-ass” camp and that edge rusher Marcus Davenport doesn’t have to show him anything any more. “I tell them, ‘We’re not friends here, we’re family.’ You’re going to go through things together, and we’re still going to be family after. Friends, you kind of separate and it is what it is. We are family here, and that’s what you’re going to see displayed on the field is a family out there fighting together down in and down out,’’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said.

THREE: Jared Goff was kept safe and sound on the sidelines during the preseason games, but he excelled during training camp. The passing game, always a strength, gets a boost with a stronger Jameson Williams and rookie Isacc TeSlaa, a third-round pick, who won a roster spot during camp. Amon St. Brown is well, Amon-Ra St. Brown. “I’ve been looking forward to it. Certainly in a division game on the road, I’ve always said these ones feel like they count for two wins and whenever you’re able to go out and get to somebody else’s place and get a W, it’s important and that’s what we want to try to do,’’ Goff said. “These guys are a good team and I think we’re a good team and it’ll be fun.”

FOUR: Don’t expect big changes in the offense with new coordinator John Morton. He’ll add a few new wrinkles but it won’t be a major overhaul. Getting running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery on the field together could be a new twist. Perhaps it will be the biggest adjustment for Goff. “I feel great with him though right now. … He sees the game very similar to the way I do, and really very similarly to the way that I was taught in L.A.,’’ Goff said.

FIVE: Don’t overlook special teams ace Grant Stuard who is in his first season with the Lions. Voted a captain, the veteran linebacker has been a standout through camp and the preseason games. He’s a bulldozer on kick returns, actually on every play he’s on the field. Also expect to see plenty of TeSlaa on special teams. “(TeSlass is) a good body type, he’s got some size and some length, he’s got some speed, so that’s huge. I mean for us on special teams, sometimes there’s just nothing you can do if a guy can just flat run and a guy just can’t run, it’s hard for the guy who can’t run to match the guy who can run,’’ special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said. “And he can run, so that gives him a chance to play some of these positions on the outside, gunner, hold-up guy and some of that stuff.’’

PICK: Lions 27, Packers 23.

UP NEXT: Chicago Bears at Lions, 1 p.m. on Sept. 14. Former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returns to Ford Field as the Bears head coach.

Lions Aidan Hutchinson so ready to play, proving he’s totally recovered

ALLEN PARK — So the NFL headlines for days have been praising Green Bay’s trade to acquire edge rusher Micah Parsons from Dallas. Nothing wrong with that. He could be a game-changer for the Packers.

However, the Lions have a game-changing edge rusher of their own in Aidan Hutchinson who only played in five games last season when he broke his tibia and fibula to end his season.

So don’t be too quick to tip the scales toward Green Bay when Detroit opens the season there on Sunday just because of the addition of Parsons.

Hutchinson is totally recovered from his broken leg and it seems he’d like to stop talking about it.

“It’s great to be back, and it’s been a long time coming, but we’re here, and I’m just looking forward to this season,” Hutchinson said on Tuesday. “I think when I play this game on Sunday, people will finally — I think it will be in my past from the media perspective and from the fan perspective. People will have moved on, which will be good because I think I’ve moved on a while ago.”

He’s been back at work since the spring. Certainly in training camp he didn’t appear to have lost a step. At all.

“Very excited, can’t wait to watch him go. He’s put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of hard work to get back to where he’s at right now,’’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Tuesday. “And when you have the game taken away from you for whatever reason it just gives you a little extra motivation to come back. I’m excited to watch him, he’s going to be ready to go.’’

Last season, which was his third with the Lions, Hutchinson was injured at Dallas in the fifth game, a 47-9 Detroit win. He finished his abbreviated season with 7.5 sacks, 19 tackles, 17 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Even with playing in just five games, Hutchinson was the team sack leader when the season ended.

The Lions defense was crushed by his absence and that of many other key players, but still they finished 15-2. Getting Hutchinson back cannot be overrated.

“I just feel like he’s improved himself even from last year, just his ability to bend, his mechanics with his hands, his hips,’’ Campbell said. “There’s tricks to the trade you learn along the way as you grow and I do feel like from a flexibility standpoint and continuing to hone his own skills you begin to elevate yourself even a little bit more. I feel like he’s done that.’’

In his first two seasons, Hutchinson had 21 sacks combined. He’s always a threat and makes everyone on the line a better player.

“And here’s what you know, he’s going to give you everything he’s got, every play he’s out there — every play,’’ Campbell said. “That’s why I’m excited because I know the guy is going to give us everything he’s got no matter what it is.’’

UP NEXT: Lions at Packers, 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.

Detroit Lions draft: What GM Brad Holmes will not do

ALLEN PARK — Lions GM Brad Holmes’ draft philosophy has become quite clear during his first four drafts in Detroit.

He’s not going to reach on players just to fill a position.

In his first four drafts he’s moved up more than moving down during the draft process but it just worked that way. He reminded, it takes two teams to make a deal.

Holmes has developed his dos and don’ts.

“What I won’t do is what I’ve been saying that I won’t do that — I know you guys get frustrated with me not doing is looking at our depth chart like names black-and-white names with no football being played or anything – looking at a depth chart and seeing a position and then saying, ‘Man you’ve got to get that position. A player has to play that position.’”

That said, the biggest gap on the depth chart seems obvious. Certainly Holmes has considered drafting a pass rusher but not necessarily in the first round. It was a position of need after Aidan Hutchinson was knocked out of the season in Week 5 last season.

“You could draft a pass rusher every round, you could, it’s easy,’’ Holmes said. “That’s just like if a coach told me we want a guy who’s 6-4, 250. Getting a guy who’s 6-4, 250 is easy. I don’t know if he’s a good football player, but he’ll be 6-4, 250.

“It’s the same as you can draft a defensive end. If the player playing defensive end is not what we feel is going to be the right guy to really contribute to our football team then what are you guys going to write about that player,’’ Holmes asked.

The GM has adjusted during his Detroit tenure which started with needs at nearly every position. Now that he’s built a playoff-team roster, he still won’t zero in on specific needs because he said he’d rather have a surplus of players that he really likes.

The Lions have the 28th pick in tonight’s first round, followed by one pick in Round 2 (60th), one in Round 3 (102nd), one in Round 4 (130th), one in Round 6 (196th) and two in Round 7 (228th and 244th).

(The NFL draft opens tonight, April 24, at 8 p.m. with the first round. The second and third rounds are set for Friday at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will start at noon on Saturday.)