Matt Patricia – Page 15

Lions backup David Blough will start against Bears on Thanksgiving

ALLEN PARK — Lions backup quarterback Jeff Driskel seemed optimistic on Tuesday that he would start against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. However, his hamstring will keep him out of the starting role.

David Blough, a rookie who has never played in an NFL regular season game, will get the start for the Lions at Ford Field.

Blough, who played at Purdue, was signed as an undrafted free agent last June by the Cleveland Browns and then was traded to Detroit. Driskel is expected to serve as the backup. Matthew Stafford (back) will miss his fourth straight game.

Thanksgiving spirits might not be so bright since the Lions (3-7-1) have lost four straight and seven of their last eight. They’ll face the Chicago Bears (5-6) for the second straight year

Ready or not, they’ll be the only NFL game on national TV at 12:30 p.m.

“For us, we’re going to obviously try and go out and play as hard as we can. We know how important this game is, we know how important it is to our organization, our ownership and obviously the fans,’’ coach Matt Patricia said. “It’s a great privilege to be in this game. For us, we understand that, we’re very blessed to be here, I think Thanksgiving is a great time, a great week to reflect.’’

Five things to watch:

1. Certainly don’t know what to expect from Blough, although seems likely the run game will need to carry the offense.

2. Running back Bo Scarbrough has been the highlight of the past two weeks. From the practice squad two weeks ago he has had games of 55 and 98 rushing yards. Although now defenses know to prepare for him. “It’s kind of why you just hesitate to have too many conversations about those guys and not help opponents figure out who they are ahead of time. You try to let the opponents figure it out on their own. Certainly, I think you watch Bo run and some of the things that he did last week, he’s running really hard,’’ Patricia said. The big back (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) has five more games to prove himself. He could be the answer to the question of who will back up Kerryon Johnson next season.

3. Lions linebacker Devon Kennard thinks the defense is showing signs of improvement in recent weeks (despite four straight losses), especially against the run. But overall the defense has been ineffective and is a big reason the Lions have lost seven of the last eight. If they are close to turning it around, Thanksgiving would be a good start especially with Blough starting at quarterback.

4. Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky leads the NFL’s 29th best offense averaging just 269.3 yards per game. The quarterback has thrown just 10 touchdown passes in 10 games and three of them were in the first matchup with the Lions — one each to Ben Braunecker, Tarik Cohen and Taylor Gabriel. He was sacked five times by the Lions in that game — perhaps a little more of that type of pressure could be applied.

5. Patricia and the players have talked a good game this week. They say they’re focused solely on the Bears and they take the season one game at a time. There’s been a lot of talk in Detroit from fans who are beyond frustrated at the lack of wins. Some of them want Patricia and/or GM Bob Quinn fired. Fans didn’t seem to expect that the Lions, who were 9-7 in 2017, would fall so low in an effort to rebuild. On Thursday at Ford Field, the team has to show the focus they discuss and they need to do it in all four quarters.

PREDICTION: Bears 23, Lions 10. Not sure the Lions can pull it together.

(Photo courtesy of the Detroit Lions)

Lions LB Devon Kennard believes in Matt Patricia and the process, despite results

ALLEN PARK — Devon Kennard doesn’t listen to all the “noise” in this town concerning the 3-7-1 Lions, their coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn.

The volume was cranked up after the Lions lost to the lowly Washington Redskins on Sunday, still Kennard is a believer in Patricia and remains focused on Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bears (5-6). The Lions’ linebacker said he’s learned a lot of football since he came to Detroit last season.

“It hasn’t been a good season so far. I’m a firm believer, I’m riding with (Patricia) until the wheels fall off and that’s my mentality,’’ Kennard said on Monday evening.

His focus is on the Bears, not on the season as a whole.

“It’s obviously where we’re at, but I’m not the type to be in the middle of the season and be jumping ship,’’ Kennard said. “I’m trying to win a game, I’m trying to win on Thursday, all that other talk and all of that, that’s noise. I think it’s disrespectful to the game to be worried about that kind of stuff. Got a big game on Thursday — it’s a big thing for fans, this organization to be thinking about anything else but how we’re going to stop losing and how we’re going to get a big win on Thursday. That’s where our minds need to be.’’

In the first meeting two weeks ago, the Bears (5-6) defeated the Lions 20-13. The Lions have lost four straight and seven of their last eight.

Kennard starting smiling just thinking about the possibility of a win on Thursday.

“It will feel really good. You won’t see me monotone if we get a freaking win I’ll be feeling good. I think it will be a good start it’s one win, you can’t look at anything bigger than that,’’ Kennard said. “It will feel great right now especially on Thursday against a really good team that we’ve lost to a bunch since I’ve been here. Being able to get that win will be huge.’’

Patricia, who is 9-17-1 in his first two seasons, said he’s always disappointed when they don’t win. He’s a competitive guy.

The coach also says this is all a process.

“I know there’s a lot in play here that we’re going through, and we’re trying to build, and we’re trying to do the best we can to improve and get better,’’ Patricia said. “Sometimes, for us, we try to just stay on (the) task at hand for the week. It’s one-week seasons for us. On top of that, we’re looking at other things as far as the development of some of the younger players and the guys that are out there and just how those – even the guys that have been around for a while are improving and going through and learning and improving. For us, it’s just part of the process as we go forward.”

Kennard, who had a sack and a forced fumble in the loss to the Redskins, sees improvement in the defense.

“I actually think the last few weeks there’s been some things we’ve done better. I feel like we’ve stopped the run better the last few weeks — that’s something that’s frustrating me a lot early in the season and I feel like we’re playing better ball when it comes to that,’’ Kennard said. “That needs to continue. That’s a start for me personally and us getting things where we want them, we have to pick up in other areas. I know penalties are killing us, third down is killing us defensively. Those are things we need to address and get fixed.’’

Five things to know about Lions brutal 19-16 loss to Redskins

It looked gloomy for the Detroit Lions, when the lowly Redskins took a 13-3 lead in the first half. It had been an ugly road start for the Lions on Sunday.

It got worse.

Detroit took its first lead, 16-13, early in the fourth quarter. The Redskins kicked a field goal to tie it. Then with 54 seconds remaining, Lions quarterback Jeff Driskel threw an interception, the Redskins marched 53 yards downfield and Dustin Hopkins kicked a 39-yard field goal to grab the 19-16 win.

It was a sloppy game for the Lions who have lost four straight and seven of their last eight. Their last win was on Oct. 27 when they beat the Giants. Seems like a long time ago.

It doesn’t get easier. They host the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving and then play at the Vikings on Dec. 8.

Driskel, in his third start for the injured Matthew Stafford, has shown growth and his athleticism running the ball helped too. His inexperience, though, was a factor in his three interceptions.

Detroit’s defense deserves plenty of blame.

Five things to know about the loss:

1. The loss is yet another gut punch in a horrid season. A win would have helped with the Lions’ confidence and spirits especially with a quick turn-around to play on Thanksgiving. The Redskins had only won once, their rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins was starting just his third game. Detroit’s injuries don’t count. Every team has to deal with them. The Redskins are 2-9, pretty much a laughingstock. There is no reason the Lions should have lost and yet they did.

2. Once again the Lions’ defense faded late. The Redskins’ offense struggled until their final two drives. The defense, which has struggled big-time this season, did not allow a touchdown and held the Redskins to 230 total yards. Washington’s only score came on a 91-yard touchdown return by Steven Sims. Jr. But when it counted late in the game, the Redskins were able to pick up precious yards and the win.

3. Don’t put this loss all on Driskel’s shoulders. The late interception was brutal, but the Lions should have been all over this Washington team from the get-go. Driskel was sacked six times, but the young quarterback showed moxie and finished 20 of 33 for 207 yards with three interceptions. Also he carried the ball nine times for 63 yards. No clue if Stafford will be ready to play on Thursday.

4. Running back Bo Scarbrough came up just 2 yards short of 100, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He was held to 24 yards in the first half and lost a fumble, but came out hot to start the second half. He’s been quite a find for the Lions. Looking for a bright spot on this team? Look at Bo.

5. Matt Patricia has preached about limiting penalties. The Lions weren’t called for a single penalty in the first half, but finished with six for 65 yards. All the other miscues were costly too. Not only Driskel’s three interceptions, but Scarbrough’s lost fumble, Matt Prater missed a 39-yard field goal, special teams allowed a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The list is long, too long.

NEXT UP: The Lions (3-7-1) will host the Bears (5-6) on Thanksgiving. The Bears defeated the Giants, 19-14, on Sunday. In Chicago two weeks ago, the Lions lost to the Bears, 20-13. The Lions are 2-3 at Ford Field.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)