Tag: jared goff

Five things to know about Lions vs Bears on Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving tradition like no other — a winless NFL team playing a struggling, dysfunctional team.

Pass the Tums.

The Lions (0-9-1), who started playing Thanksgiving games in 1934, will face the Chicago Bears (3-7), who have lost five straight which sparked rumors about Coach Matt Nagy’s tenure. It’s the second meeting of the NFC North basement dwellers after the Bears won 24-14 on Oct. 3.

“We did some things good the last time we played them and the turnovers killed us. And so, I think some of that is us just trying to be smart when we get down there and give ourselves a chance to possess the ball and then see if we can get it in there,’’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “But, we ran it pretty good until we got behind and then we weren’t able to run it anymore. Look, we scored with (Kalif Raymond) Lif down there, but certainly those turnovers killed us.”

Five things to know about the nationally televised Thanksgiving game:

1. Boy did the Lions ever miss Jared Goff in the loss at Cleveland on Sunday. On Tuesday, Campbell said Goff is improving and it looks like he could play. He is officially listed as questionable and was able to practice on limited basis. Still it could be a gametime decision. Certainly Goff gives the Lions a better chance of winning than Tim Boyle who struggled in his first NFL start on Sunday.

2. Once again, the Lions will face a backup quarterback. Andy Dalton will start for the Bears. Rookie Justin Fields is out with bruised ribs. It will be Dalton’s third start this season where he’s amassed three touchdowns and one interception.

3. Campbell said there are a couple calls he’d like back after calling the offense in the past two games. “I think that certainly finding some runs has been pretty good. I feel like just mixing it up and letting those guys go up front has been pretty good and it’s helped us,’’ Campbell said. “We’ve kind of found a running game here, but I think that maybe there were a couple of calls there where – it’s tough to say because you could say, ‘Well maybe we ought to pass it here.’ But also, wanting to be mindful of – the first week you’ve got a guy who you don’t feel like can push the ball down the field, you want to be smart, the conditions aren’t good and then we come back with another game where the conditions aren’t great. Boyle hasn’t – it’s his first start. You go back and forth on that. Do you try to take care of them? Do you try to get it with (D’Andre) Swift on the ground or do you put it in his hands? You play that game a little bit, but certainly there are things I wish I could have back, but I’m growing at it as well.”

4. “I think what’s going to help us is getting a first down. If we can get a first down to sustain a drive, then we get a couple more plays to try to put it in the hands of our receivers, whether that’s a run or a short pass. I think to be able to really helps those guys out, I think we’ve got to convert on third down. We’re way too low right now. Even if you can convert one or two more times in a game, you allow yourselves a minimum of six plays and then you don’t know where that’s going to go. I think everything starts there.”

5. The defense has been doing a good job of creating turnovers and they need to keep it up.  “I think you’re always talking about them. You’re always preaching them. You’re always working. Like, we work turnover drills. We’ve been doing them all year, but sometimes it just takes – you’ve got to get a little momentum and all of a sudden you get one and guys start feeling it and smelling it,’’ Campbell said. “And next thing you know, one guy sees his teammate doing it, he starts doing it, and then the next one starts doing and it does, it becomes contagious. Unfortunately, it’s no different than offensively. If you start fumbling the ball, pretty soon that becomes contagious the wrong way.”

PREDICTION: Bears 24, Lions 17

Five things to know as Lions prepare to face Browns

You know the Lions are in bad shape when the best thing that can be said is they haven’t lost a game in November. First they had a bye week, then last Sunday they tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Still looking for their first win, the Lions (0-8-1) face the Browns (5-5) on Sunday in Cleveland. The Browns are coming off a 45-7 loss to the Patriots.

Coach Dan Campbell said the team had a good week of practice.

“There again, we know this is an opponent that’s going to be ready to go. They’re back home, very talented. So we’ve got to be ready, but I like where we’re at right now,’’ Campbell said on Friday.

Five things to know:

1. Quarterback Tim Boyle is expected to get his first career start with Jared Goff listed as doubtful with an oblique injury. Boyle has been on injured reserve since he underwent surgery for a broken thumb in the preseason. He spent the past two seasons in Green Bay backing up Aaron Rodgers. He’s ready to prove himself. “Opportunities, especially in the NFL, come very few times unfortunately, but that’s the beauty of the NFL. It’s so competitive. It’s been a long journey, just kind of reminiscing on my story of starting football when I was six years old and here I am as a 27-year-old still blessed to have this opportunity,’’ Boyle said.” it really is. It’s about preparation and always staying ready. I’ll be ready to go.”

2. The Lions signed rookie kicker Riley Patterson from the Patriots practice squad after Ryan Santoso missed a 48-yard game-winning field goal in overtime and an extra point earlier in the game at the Steelers. Austin Seibert will miss at least two more games.

3. After a bit of a scare this week with an elbow injury, left tackle Taylor Decker should be ready to go for his second straight start. He’s officially listed as questionable. “I think he’s good. I think it was not as bad as we thought it could be. So, I think it is – I think we’re fine. I think he’s going to be good to go. Look, he’s tough, man. He’s going to handle this well. He got it checked out and should be good,’’ Campbell said.

4. The defense will be tested by Browns’ running back Nick Chubb. “I would say it’s very similar to talking about Najee Harris last week. This team, they’ll try to run this offense through Chubb,’’ Campbell said. “I think he’s a special player. I think he’s – if there is such a thing as being underrated, he is maybe one of these underrated backs in the League. You can argue he’s the best or top two or something. I just think this guy is – he is, he is a special back. And so, we know they’re going to give him the ball, he’s going to carry the load.’’ Chubb is averaging 103 rushing yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry. 

5. While the Lions had to settle for a tie a week ago, there were good signs with the defense (after the first quarter) and the run game which finished with 229 yards. Campbell would like to see the team build on that. “You’d like to think that it’s something that we can continue to do that – there is something to be said about that recipe giving you the best chance to have success. I bring this up again, our defense came up with turnovers, too,’’ Campbell said. “That’s got to be very much a part of this. We have to have some turnovers and we’ve got to protect the football just like we did last week offensively. That’s as big of a part as anything is in all of this.”

INJURY UPDATE: OLB Trey Flowers (knee), RB Jermar Jefferson (knee/ankle) and T Matt Nelson (ankle) will not play.

PREDICTION: Browns 27, Lions 14

Five things to know about Lions’ tie with Steelers

Well, at least the Lions won’t finish the season 0-17.

In the strangest of strange games the Lions and Steelers tied at 16-16 after a scoreless overtime in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Detroit now owns an 0-8-1 record.

The Lions best chance to win it in overtime was blown when kicker Ryan Santoso was not even close on a 48-yard field goal attempt.

The silver lining was that the running game finished with 229 yards.

On the other hand, quarterback Jared Goff played possibly his worst game this season. He appeared to be injured in the first half, but stayed in the game. Usually an effective running game can open up the pass game, but that did not happen on Sunday. 

“Like I told the guys, I was upset we didn’t win but I was also proud of them because we put ourselves in position to win that game in overtime, it didn’t work out, then our defense has to go back and take the field,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “They’re driving and we force the turnover which I thought was big and that kept us from losing is what it did. We want to win, looking for our first win but I know this, we were better than we were two weeks ago.’’

If you’ve forgotten — or wiped it out of your memory — two weeks ago the Lions lost 44-6 to the Eagles and had to chew on that debacle during the bye week.

Five things to know about Sunday’s tie:

1. Campbell said on the sidelines they discussed Goff’s ability to play with his injury. “We all felt like he was good — he was good enough to go. … We all felt like he was good enough to stay in there, so that’s why we stuck with him,’’ the coach said. Goff finished 14 of 25 for 114 yards and was sacked four times.  Was there a way to get the ball to tight end T.J. Hockenson. It’s unexplainable that he didn’t have a single catch and just one target.

2. Much of the run game was on the shoulders of D’Andre Swift with Jamaal Williams out with an injury to start the game and Jermar Jefferson forced out after he was injured on his 28-yard touchdown run. Swift carried 33 times for 130 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and caught three passes for 5 yards. Godwin Igwebuike came up big with a 42-yard touchdown run. It was Swift who did all the dirty work, though. 

3. On the first possession the Steelers took the ball downfield with ease because the Lions secondary looked like they weren’t quite ready to go. The defense redeemed itself after that drive to finish the first half but there were still too many errors and penalties.

4. The tie can’t be all pinned on Santoso but the Lions really missed kicker Austin Seibert who is out with a hip injury. Santoso also missed an extra point which was costly. Other than that, special teams had a decent day with solid returns. Igwebuike had a 29-yard kick return and Igwebuike returned a punt 48 yards. 

5. After the loss two weeks ago, Campbell and the coaches examined the first half of the season. Apparently one of their decisions was to give Campbell more involvement on game day in the offense. He was the one communicating with Goff through the headphones although Anthony Lynn, the offensive coordinator, was also involved. Another change that seemed to work was putting offensive lineman Matt Nelson in at tight end to provide extra protection. It was a move that worked well, but Nelson was injured in the first half and missed the rest of the game. 

Up next: Lions (0-8-1) at Cleveland on Sunday, Nov. 21. The Browns (5-5) lost 45-7 to the Patriots on Sunday.

(Photo courtesy of the Detroit Lions)