Tag: Jordan Love

Lions defense comes together with doses of belief, respect and opportunity

ALLEN PARK — At least two intertwining truths are evident this week as the Lions prepare to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday:

One: Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a freak, in a good way of course. Coach Dan Campbell said it, so did Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach. Everyone thinks and knows the mobile quarterback will be a handful.

Two: Detroit’s defense, which featured new faces in different places last week, is expected to improve this week. Plus, they might get a few injured players back.

It all seems good.

The Lions, coming off a win over the Packers, will have a similar plan against Buffalo. Keep the offense on the field since Allen is a freak and the defensive personnel are still learning to play together.

“Certainly we need offensive output that goes without saying. This team, even when you play good it’s going to be hard to completely shut this offense down,’’ Campbell said.

“But yet, there again, the guys we do have that have only been here for a short period of time I expect them to be better than last week. All of these guys are football players, it’s not like these guys can’t play football. I expect us to be better in that area. We’ll have a good gameplan. I see us playing better defensively. I think we’re going to show up and do some things. Offense has got to certainly score points preferably touchdowns not field goals and we need something out of (special) teams. Field position will be huge in this game.’’

With 13 defensive players on injured reserve, the Lions have run a master class on “next man up” and coaching up the new veterans who are unfamiliar with the system. The 11-game win streak is proof.

“Something came up in the (linebackers) room today where I was moving fast — now I’m trying to teach training camp stuff and at the same time prepare these guys to go against one of the most prolific offenses in the league this week,’’ Sheppard said. He gets help from veteran players like Jack Campbell and even Alex Anzalone who is in the meeting room even though he’s on injured reserve.

And he’s building off the mostly successful game against the Packers who were held to 31 points total and just 7 in the first half.

Sheppard explained that success is built on belief and respect.

“I think it’s a trickle down when the players see the belief we have in A.G. (Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator) and no matter who it is, what the call is, we expect a certain standard,’’ Sheppard said. “We actually live and breathe that. Because I’ve had guys tell me, guys talk about this but the way you all practice here, the way we prepare this is different. When they see the belief, when they see us living these things, I think it’s a trickle down and these guys buy in. It’s almost like without knowing, they’re doing anything you tell them.’’

And it’s not like the new guys like Ezekiel Turner, Kwon Alexander and Jamal Adams are just filling space.

At the first practice with Turner several weeks ago, Sheppard said he didn’t even know his last name. But out of the gate he saw his speed and coachability. 

“I learned that he’s not a special teams linebacker and I want that said to the entire league. I believe this is his seventh year. He was almost in tears after the last game just because of the opportunity,’’ Sheppard said. 

Turner came up with a huge tackle of Jordan Love — holding him to a 2-yard gain — on a third-and-goal play from Detroit’s 16 on the Packers’ final possession. It forced the Packers to settle for a field goal.

It was the fifth Lions game for Turner. He had 17 defensive snaps, up from 4 in his first game against the Jaguars. 

Not only are the Lions a bit needy for good healthy bodies, but they run a meritocracy. It does not matter to Lions coaches where the players were drafted or if they were free agents.

“Like I’ve said in those rooms and these narratives, guys go first round, second round, they’re supposed to start. Guys who are free agents are special teams. That’s what it’s been. But that’s not what it is here,’’ Sheppard said. “If you show yourself and you show up in practice and you show we can trust you – that’s a big word.  … These guys haven’t gotten many snaps in this League but some of these guys are veteran players. But they come here and that’s what builds the belief when these guys know if I do these things I’m going to get an opportunity.’’

INJURY UPDATE: Left tackle Taylor Decker (knee), who missed the last two games, practiced Wednesday and expects to play on Sunday … DL D.J. Reader (shoulder) did not practice but Campbell said he may be able to go on Thursday. … Defensive linemen Josh Paschal (knee) and Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) had limited practice. Both sat out against the Packers. … DL Alim McNeill (concussion) had a full practice. He was injured in the first half in the win over Green Bay.

UP NEXT: Buffalo Bills (10-3) at Detroit Lions (12-1), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.

Banged-up Lions face division rival Packers; injury updates and prediction

Five things to watch as Packers visit Ford Field

Lions coach Dan Campbell is amped up every week, but perhaps more so as the Lions face the Packers in a huge divisional contest on Thursday night at Ford Field. 

“They have players everywhere and they’re playing good football. So, this is going to be a great matchup,’’ Campbell said. “Back at our place, it’s just another one of those, division game number four, get it back at home against a really good opponent and it’s – there again, this is why you do it. This is why you coach, it’s why you play, so, we’re fired up for this.”

The Lions, who have won all three of their division contests, won the first meeting against the Pack, 24-14, at Lambeau Field on Nov. 3. Since then the Lions are 4-0 while the Packers are 3-0.

“There will be enough carryover, I’m sure for them as well as us. Things that they did well against us, things that we did well, and then you just kind of play off of that,’’ Campbell said. “And there will be wrinkles on both sides. The weather affected a couple of things, but I think all in all, the blueprint’s there for either team, however you want to look at it. So, I don’t see anything being too significant and we get wrinkles every week. We always get something that’s tendency breakers now. So, we pretty much expect that.”

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Lions’ defense must contain Packers RB Josh Jacobs who is having a good season. “Big, powerful, hard to tackle, run after contact, and I said this the first time that we played them, is when you have a running back of that nature, it changes the mindset of the O-line. So now the O-line knows that we have this physical runner, so now that turns into a more physical offensive line and all they have to do is show him, give him a little crease, and they know that he’s going to make three yards out of nothing,’’ Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “Most of those three yards end up getting to be six and seven yards and he’s going to break a tackle. So, I think he fits that scheme perfectly and he’s doing a hell of a job as far as complementing the whole offense which allows now the vertical passing game to show up.”

TWO: Quarterback Jordan Love had a fairly good game in the first meeting of the two, with 273 passing yards and one interception. But when it came to the red zone, the Lions defense held and Green Bay was just one-of-four inside the 20. Since the Packers started leaning more on the run, Love has improved. He threw 11 interceptions in the first eight games but has gone two games without a pick and with a total of four TD passes.

THREE: Against the Bears on Thanksgiving, Detroit’s run game was so effective Chicago barely had the ball on offense. With a depleted defense due to injury, a similar start would be effective. No reason that can’t happen with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs both healthy. They combined for 138 rushing yards in Green Bay on Nov. 3.

FOUR: Especially with the absence of Alex Anzalone, linebacker Jack Campbell has stepped up. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said he’s their rock. “He’s a man’s man, he loves standing in front of the huddle to give the call to those guys and they really really respect him,’’ Glenn said. “They respect him because of who he is personally, but they respect the way he plays the game, it’s a hundred mph all the time.’’ Campbell amassed 10 tackles in the first meeting with Green Bay.

FIVE: The Lions need Jared Goff to have another big game. While it’s just been a month since they faced each other, both teams have changed a bit and both are still winning. The Packers have won three straight. “They’re playing well and we’ve got our hands full. It’s a good defense, they’re well-coached, they do a lot of really good things, the backend’s good, the linebackers are good, the front four is good, they’re good on every level and we know what we’ve got to take care of,’’ said Goff who as 18 of 22 for 145 yards and a touchdown in their first meeting.

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: LT Taylor Decker (knee), DL Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring), DL Josh Paschal (knee) and DL D.J. Reader (shoulder) are out.

PACKERS INJURY UPDATE: CB Jaire Alexander (knee), WR Romeo Doubs (concussion), LB Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) and DB Corey Ballentine (knee) are out.

PREDICTION: Lions 27, Packers 24

Detroit Lions fumble away chance to beat the Packers; five reasons for the 29-22 loss

DETROIT — While the Lions were favorites going into Thursday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, they didn’t play well on offense, defense or special teams.

The 29-22 loss to the Packers was a complete team effort. The Lions dropped to 8-3 and remain atop the NFC North. The Packers moved up to 5-6.

Know this, coach Dan Campbell is not in a panic mode. It’s not like he was happy afterward, but he knows this is the same team that has won eight games.

“They were ready, man. They played really well, and we did not. We didn’t play good enough and we did not complement each other, turned the ball over too much and we weren’t able to overcome those issues,’’ Campbell said.
It was the seventh straight Thanksgiving loss for the Lions. 

Five of the main reasons the Lions lost (in no particular order):

1. Turnovers were a huge problem. Goff lost three fumbles and the defense did not create a takeaway. “Everything’s got to start with the turnovers. We can’t turn the ball over and we’ve got to find a way to get takeaways. Let’s start there and then we’ll figure the rest out,’’ Campbell said. They turned it over four times on Sunday but still managed to beat the Bears. But they are playing with fire if they don’t get it fixed.

2. Packers quarterback Jordan Love had plenty of time in the pocket due to a lack of pressure from the defensive line. It’s not the first game where this has been apparent. “Same guys we’ve had here, and we’ve been able to generate pressure. So this unit’s going to be just fine. We’re going to get going and we pressured a little bit more today, played a little tight, but these are our guys, man. And these guys can do it and they’ve done it,’’ Campbell said. 

3. When quarterback Jared Goff is on his game the offense looks like a well-oiled machine. That didn’t happen on Thursday, in part due to his three lost fumbles. He had three interceptions on Sunday so it appears to be a trend. But he said there is no rhyme or reason to it. “I tend to look at them individually and see what I could’ve done better and sometimes there is an answer, sometimes there isn’t,’’ Goff said. “But overall, yeah, it’s my job to take care of the football and I’ve got to do a good job of that.” He finished 29 of 44 for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The slow first half with just 100 passing yards was a factor in the loss. 

4. Goff was sacked three times and hit a dozen more but he did not blame the offensive line which was playing without starting left guard Jonah Jackson who is injured. “I’m behind what I believe is the best group in the League and those guys rushed well today, they did. They rushed well and did a good job,’’n Goff said. “I don’t point at our O-line for the reason of that at all. Probably could’ve got rid of the ball quicker on some of those as well. But yeah, it’s just some days, those guys rush pretty well and they did.”

5. Coaches didn’t have the Lions ready. They had a short week to prepare but it was the same for the Packers – except they also had to travel. No excuses. Campbell, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have to do better. Campbell said as much.  “I didn’t have my guys ready to go. That’s the bottom line,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: Lions at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 3.