Dave Fipp – Lions Lowdown

Five things to watch as Lions, seeking 4th straight win, face the Bengals

Looking for their fourth straight win, the Lions are heavily favored against the Bengals at Cincinnati.

After a rough start at Green Bay in the opener, coach Dan Campbell loves the resiliency of the team.

“ We don’t get caught up in things that don’t relate to us or have any bearing on what we control, if you will. Man, our guys stay locked in on what it takes to win a game, and/or why you didn’t play well, and it really is as simple as that,’’ Campbell said, admitting it’s not an easy thing to do.

Critics, fans, social media — it’s all out there.

“So I think, man, that’s hard to do. But I think our guys are pretty locked in, pretty disciplined. They come in this building, and they barricade themselves in and they look at it for what it is, ‘The most important thing is what my teammates and what my coaches are saying, and this is where we have to get better and where I can get better,’’’ Campbell said. “And that small little – that one little step, that one little hand placement, man, the release. That makes all the difference, not the, ‘Are you good enough anymore?’ You don’t get caught up in all that. We have a very resilient bunch, and the core of our team is very strong, it’s very strong.”

The Lions (3-1) are coming off a 34-10 win at Cleveland while the Bengals (2-2) were routed 28-3 at Denver last week.

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Lions defensive backs could have their hands full with Bengals’ wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Plus they’ll be juggling the lineup with D.J. Reed out for at least the next four games. “We know these two receivers are really good, they’re looking for those matchups, they feel if they can get a one-on-one that’s where the ball’s going and why wouldn’t it,’’ Campbell said. “We’re going to have to do a good job of disrupting those guys as much as we can and try to limit what they can do but also not let them tear us up in the run game.’’

TWO: After concentrating on details and more practice this week, it’s expected that Jared Goff and Jameson Williams will be back on the same page. “I think (Williams) bounced back right away because look at what he did after in the game. He continued to block his butt off during the game. We hit him on that one third-down play. So, he bounced back the next play, that’s what I think,’’ offensive coordinator John Morton said. “And then the way he practices, listen, there’s no problem with Jamo. And there’s going to be times where we’re going to ask him to step up and he’ll do it. We’ve got the utmost confidence in him. But I would say right to the next play and that’s what he did. I think that’s where he’s grown. Didn’t faze him, so.”

THREE: Aidan Hutchinson and the defensive line continue to dominate. Hutchinson has a sack in each of the last three games and four overall. He’s not out there alone. Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad has stepped up big-time: “”I think we’re pretty safe to say that Muhammad is a guy opposite Hutch, not just another guy we’re throwing out there. But he’s been tremendous,’’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said. “I mean, you’ve literally seen Muhammad line up at the nose, the three, the edge, and hasn’t batted an eye. He’s gotten in the run game in there, it hasn’t just been pass rush. I’ve seen him drop a knee and anchor. I mean, just anything you’ve asked that guy to do. …. Head down, he’s been a grinder since day one ever since I’ve met him.”

FOUR: Cincinnati’s 32nd ranked total offense will need to find a way to break through Detroit’s defense which is ranked 12th. Remember Joe Burrow is out with turf toe and Jake Browning is the starting QB. Browning has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions in the first four games while being sacked seven times. ee

FIVE: Special teams have contributed big-time especially in Sunday’s win over the Browns when Kalif Raymond ran a punt back for a touchdown and Jake Bates kicked two field goals. With the rule changes, special teams have taken on a more important role this season. “I love the fact that special teams is having a bigger impact. It obviously makes our jobs more important, it makes our role more important, it makes really all the players playing those plays’ jobs more important. I think it helps everybody,’’ special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said. “I think I said in the offseason or training camp, the returner position’s going to be more important, both kick and punt. Kickoff return, you have to have two guys back there, you can’t just have one. So that makes that more important on the roster – how many guys you have, who they are. So I would say overall it’s outstanding. I love it. Puts more pressure on me too, but that’s why you do it, so it’s fun.”

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Bengals 10

UP NEXT: Lions at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Lions versatile LB Grant Stuard checks the boxes with kick return skills

ALLEN PARK — Grant Stuard has never turned down an opportunity on the football field. It started in high school and when he played in college at Houston. It’s no different now with the Lions, starting his fifth NFL season and first in Detroit.

He describes it as a “mad random” deal. He was moved to fullback in his first year (2022) with the Colts and moved around in college and high school.

He’s officially listed as a linebacker on the Lions’ roster but he excels at special teams. He played 73 percent of the Colts special teams snaps in 2024.

Since signing as a free agent with the Lions in the offseason, a new wrinkle has been added to his special teams chores. He’s been working as a kick returner with four returns totalling 112 yards in two of the first three preseason games.

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp was on the lookout for the position and after watching Stuard’s film from college, decided to give him a shot.

“Anytime you bring a player in, you kind of watch everything they’ve done in the history that we have on film. There was some film from him at Houston where he was running the ball, and I was like, ‘Wait a minute, like this looks pretty good right here,’’ Fipp said on Tuesday.

“So that’s what really started the idea and I was like, ‘Man, I’m not sure who the guy is going to be.’ This is a bigger body guy, physical. Looked like he had some natural skillset to do it, and then we fumbled the opening kickoff,’’ Fipp said.

Indeed Stuard fumbled and lost the ball on the opening kickoff of the preseason Hall of Fame game, opening the door for a quick Chargers’ touchdown. After that score Fipp threw him back in and he returned that next kickoff for 36 yards, holding on tight.

“He showed a bunch of great things and then it said to us, ‘OK, now we got to invest more time in him, to be fair to him and help him with ball security, and stuff like that.’ But it’s now worth the investment because of what he’s shown,’’ Fipp said. “So, we’re excited about him.”

In turn Stuard has embraced the role.

“The longer I play football, the more I understand the threat of a dynamic guy with the ball in his hands. Me knowing, as a cover guy or defensive guy, I’d kind of rather play the guys who want to get sideways because, 1, I’m fast, but 2 if you have a guy who’s as fast as Ja (Jahmyr Gibbs) and he’s slicing through your defense, now he’s at the second level immediately,” Stuard said. “I kind of have that same mentality with the ball in my hand as far as if I can slice through, slice through, slice through, eventually I’m going to get through one-on-one with the safety with all my momentum, it should be something good for the Detroit Lions.’’

He’s gotten plenty of work in training camp, noting that he loves how much time the Lions spend practicing special teams.

“I think just my experience, just as a player, and being around guys who are super-talented and guys who are super-skilled has allowed me to just understand what coach wants from me with the ball in my hands,’’ said Stuard who is 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds.

He thinks the new kickoff rules suit his game.

“If the goal is to get to the 30 I believe in myself getting to the 30 every time just off momentum,’’ Stuard said. “I can run into you at the 20, we’re going to go that way because I’m not running soft or too timid or too visiony, I might take that first gap. I’m trying to mature my game now to where maybe that first gap is tempting, but it’s meant to go here so keep on going over there even if it takes a little longer.’’

UP NEXT: The Lions will hold a joint practice with the Houston Texans on Thursday, before their final preseason game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field.

Lions WR Jameson Williams just wanted a highlight when he hurdled Bears DB

ALLEN PARK — Jameson Williams had told his Detroit Lions wide receiver teammates for weeks that he was looking to hurdle over a defenseman during a game.

Afterall, he had a legitimate reason: “I just wanted to get a highlight.”

So Williams, best known as JaMo, stepped up and in the Thanksgiving win over the Bears, he caught a Jared Goff pass and hurdled over Bears defensive back Kevin Byard on a second-and-1 play to gain 15 yards. Byard, who is 5-foot-11, was standing tall. No problem for JaMo.

“I ain’t going to lie, I’ve been telling receivers I’m going to hurdle somebody for 2-3 weeks now. Ever since I came back in Houston game,’’ Williams said on Monday. “I tried to do it in Houston game. I kinda did it but it didn’t work out as well as this one. Last week vs. the Colts I tried to jump, but I got tripped up from the back on the catch. This week it was one-on-one and I just did it.’’

He got the result he wanted, the highlight clip has been everywhere.

“I think it was exciting, I heard the crowd go crazy. That was probably one of the only plays or first plays I’ve actually been on the field and hear the sound of the crowd change — go from normal to when I jumped over him it was really loud,’’ Williams said. “I think it’s exciting for me, my teammates, the fans. That’s what I try to do, I try to create excitement for everybody that was watching us play, watching me play.’’

It is not like he is new to hurdles.

Along with football, Williams ran track at Cardinal Ritter High School (St. Louis) and won back-to-back Class 3 state titles in the 300-meter hurdles.

In 2018, Williams ran the 300-meter hurdles in 37.28 seconds, breaking the previous record set by Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys running back. Williams also won a state title in the 400 meters.

He tried hurdling defenders in high school with limited success.

“The first game of my senior year I did it and I scored. In St. Louis in high school, you can’t hurdle, it’s a penalty. They didn’t call a penalty on that one,’’ Williams said. “Then I did it my last game in the state championship. I hurdled somebody, I rolled over them but I was never down, I got up and finished but they called it a flag. So it got called back.’’

Williams’ speed is what set him apart on the football field at Alabama and now with the Lions.

He would like to get a chance to use that speed as a punt returner.

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said Williams and cornerback Terrion Arnold beg him to return punts.

“I love it, it doesn’t mean they’re going to get that, but I love the fact that they want to do it because there are some other players that probably are hoping that their number’s not called, it’s just the reality of it,’’ Fipp said. “But you want guys who want to touch the ball, I mean, that’s how (former RB) Darren Sproles was, that’s how (former WR) DeSean Jackson was. I mean, those guys wanted to be back there, they wanted to touch the ball and they wanted to make a difference in the game, and they knew that it was an opportunity to do it.”

Williams has matured in his three years in Detroit and last week said flat-out he’s a football player. He takes pride in blocking and his connection with Jared Goff continues to grow.

Still, some NFL players do not want to play on special teams.

“It’s football, it’s still football. You’ve got the ability to make a play and change the game on special teams,’’ Williams said, explaining that a punt return can be a game changer just like a play on offense or defense.

UP NEXT: Green Bay Packers (9-3) at Detroit Lions (11-1) at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday at Ford Field.)