Tag: Alex Anzalone

Detroit Lions energized in first joint practice with N.Y. Giants

Jared Goff, Alex Anzalone appreciate the competition

ALLEN PARK — Bringing in the N.Y. Giants  for joint practices had a positive effect on Detroit Lions training camp on Tuesday.

After offense going against defense for a few weeks, having an actual opponent upped the tempo and competition at the Lions practice facility.

It wrapped up with a goal-line drill featuring each team’s starters against each other, twos vs. twos and then the third groups. 

“I thought that was a cool drill to get us all on the same field, get to root for each other and see each other make plays,see each other, see each other score touchdowns. I thought it was a good day,’’ Lions quarterback Jared Goff said.

Neither team dominated, both scored a few touchdowns and had a few stops.

“I feel like not going against our offense was nice. Not having to cover (RB Jahmyr) Gibbs out of the backfield was nice. It made my day a little less stressful even though I had to cover (TE Darren) Waller a little bit,’’ Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone said.

The Lions and Giants will practice again on Wednesday and then play in a preseason game on Friday night at Ford Field.

Tuesday was the 12th day of training camp practice for the Lions, a team with big expectations this season. 

“We’re trying to challenge ourselves to the highest degree, really push our tempo and push our computing ability in some ways at every position,’’ Anzalone said. “I think it’s a good thing. Once we get to game week it won’t quite be the same way but right now it’s good to be stressed a little and work through things.’’

While the defense struggled last season, ranking 29th in team defense, the offense had a better season, ranking fifth in the NFL in team offense.

At this point, Goff thinks the offense is “much further along” of where it was last year in camp.

“If last year was 101, we’re in 201, it’s our ability to do things at the next level and it’s challenging for me as well, making sure every day that I know what my rules are and my checks but I know everyone else is doing the same thing,’’ Goff said on Tuesday.

Lions LB Alex Anzalone says focus is to win playoff games

He signed 3-year deal with $18.75 million

When was the last time the Detroit Lions won a playoff game?

Jan. 5, 1992.

Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone confessed to not knowing exactly when that occurred, but he knew it had been a while, and said on Wednesday, that the team’s goal is to win playoff games. Period.

Anzalone is considered a veteran — he’s 28 — on the Lions’ roster. He laughs it off about being the old guy, but re-signing the linebacker was key to keep Detroit’s defense on track to take another step forward in the 2023 season and beyond.

Anzalone, who was signed on one-year deals with Detroit for the past two seasons, has agreed to a three-year, $18.75 million extension. He spoke to the media on Wednesday at the practice facility, saying that signing the multi-year deal brought a sense of relief.

“I really felt like I’ve found a home,’’ said Anzalone who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Florida. He played there for three seasons before signing with the Lions in 2021.

With the nex contract, Anzalone said his personal goal is to be more consistent at a high level.

He started all 17 games last season, finishing with 125 tackles (a career high), 1.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, one interception and a forced fumble.

The Lions finished the season winning eight of the last 10 games, finishing with a 9-8 record.

“The development of young guys is not an excuse (any longer),’’ Anzalone said.

Most of them, including Anzalone, were not born at the time of the last playoff win, but they know it’s up to them to take the team to the next level.

Lions offer no excuses after loss to Eagles; still a few positives emerged

DETROIT — The Lions fought back from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to make it a game, but they came up just short.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles were just too much and prevailed in a 38-35 win on Sunday in the season opener at Ford Field.

“What mistakes did they make? They really didn’t,’’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

The coach made no excuses. His defense allowed 38 points and Hurts provided 333 yards (243 yards passing).

“I was proud we fought our way back, but we’ve got a lot to clean up,’’ Campbell said.

The Lions haven’t won a season opener since 2017. And, again, Campbell and the players made no excuses, but they did find reasons that this team is different from the one that lost 44-6 to the Eagles last season.

“The good news is we didn’t play very well, but we only lost by 3,’’ Campbell said 

Running back D’Andre Swift provided a spark offensively with 144 rushing yards (9.6 yards per carry) along with 3 catches for 31 yards.

Swift credited the execution up front as phenomenal along with the blocking downfield. 

“It’s good but we let one slip away from us,’’ Swift said.

That seemed to be a theme afterward. 

Quarterback Jared Goff (21-37, 215 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) agreed that they left too much on the field.

“We felt like we could have scored 50 points,’’ Goff said. “We shot ourselves in the foot.’’

His interception which was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter gave the Eagles a 21-7 lead. Goff said it was a matter of miscommunication between him and tight end T.J. Hockenson. 

The Lions offense opened with a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but then sputtered with three 3-and-outs. Goff found more of a rhythm in the second half and in doing so said they may have found a bit of their offensive identity including explosive plays and going downfield.

The Lions were down 24-14 at the half, but scored three touchdowns in the second half. Ama-Ra St. Brown caught a 4-yard pass, Jamaal Williams scored on a 1-yard run and wide receiver D.J. Chark caught a 22-pass in the corner of the endzone.

The defense had its hands full from the get-go.

“I think in the run game, we did a good job against them. It was more of the pass, drop back, scramble situations that we weren’t able to contain him,’’ linebacker Alex Anzalone (9 tackles) said. “Obviously, that was a focus and a point of emphasis this week, so we’ve just got to figure out how to be disciplined and our rush lanes and where the help is in coverage situations and get it cleaned up.”

Rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, who drew loud cheers every time his name was mentioned by the P.A. announcer, played against Hurts in college. “He’s very slick and obviously, he’s progressed in the League. He got a couple of runs on us, so we’ve got to fix it. The next day, we’ve got to fix it,’’ Rodriguez said.

 Safety Tracy Walker led the defense with 11 tackles, a sack and a pass defense. He could have added to those numbers, but was tossed out of the game in the second half after two personal fouls on the same play. 

“I just let my team down. Me, as a team captain, I’ve just got to be better,’’ Walker said. “I was hot-headed at the moment, and like I said, I’ve just got to make better decisions at the end of the day.”

Cornerback Jeff Okudah, who is coming back from a torn Achilles, finished with 10 tackles while linebacker Alex Anzalone had 9.

“I think I did pretty well, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the win,’’ Okudah said. “That’s something that we preach upon, and the win is what’s going to change the narrative about the Detroit Lions.”

First-round pick Aidan Hutchinson only notched one tackle. His presence was felt even if it didn’t show up in the stats.

“He’ll be better next week,’’ Campbell said. “He needed this.”

(Up next: Washington Commanders at Lions, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18. The Commanders defeated the Jaguars, 28-22, on Sunday.)