Pride Of Detroit

Friday Notes: Lions Place Stephen Peterman on IR, Sign Eric Fowler

2009-11-20T22:13:28Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (81), is congratulated by teammate guard Stephen Peterman (66) after his touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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My thoughts go out to Chris Spielman and his family, as his wife, Stefanie, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight with breast cancer.
I was a bit surprised that Stephen Peterman wasn't one of the players placed on injured reserve earlier this week, because the ankle injury he suffered during the Vikings game looked pretty serious. Peterman was in an immense amount of pain and though he managed to walk off the field without any help, he had to be carted off to the locker room from the sideline. It was apparent the injury was serious, but nobody was really sure just how serious until today. I say that because the Lions have now placed Peterman on IR, ending his season. He will probably have to undergo ankle surgery, which is why the Lions went ahead and ended his season.
Replacing Peterman on the roster is wide receiver Eric Fowler, who was activated from the practice squad. A replacement for Peterman was really already signed earlier this week when Melvin Fowler joined the team, so the Lions decided to promote Fowler to fill the latest open spot on the active roster.
Kalvin Pearson and Ernie Sims are out this week.
It was thought that Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs might be out as well, but now it looks like he will play on Sunday against the Lions.
The reason Louis Delmas' absence from last Sunday's game was so unexpected was because Delmas himself thought he was going to play despite having a root canal and dental surgery on the Friday before the game. All was fine up until kickoff was approaching, which is when he realized he was in too much pain and couldn't play. It happened so soon before kickoff that he wasn't even on the inactive list, which actually ended up hurting the Lions' depth because so many other players got hurt during the game.
Jim Schwartz made some adjustments to the team's schedule this week in order to get ready for playing two games in five days.
The fate of the Silverdome will be decided by a judge by Monday at the latest.
Ernie Sims and a few of his snakes visited a class of fourth-graders earlier this week to talk about reptiles.
Shaun Rogers talked about his time in Detroit earlier this week.

Comcast Red Zone Recap: Week 10

2009-11-20T16:02:52Z

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel.

Lions - 1 score on 1 chance (1 touchdown)

Once again, the Lions' offense spent very little time in the red zone. That has been the offense's biggest problem in the last month or so. They do quite well in the red zone, but they only make it inside the 20 a couple times a game at most it seems like. Against Minnesota, the Lions' lone red zone trip produced a touchdown on a pass to Will Heller. At the end of the first half the Lions could have possibly had another trip inside the red zone and got to the 20, but they immediately kicked a field goal, so I'm not going to count that.

Vikings - 4 scores on 6 chances (2 touchdowns, 2 field goals, 1 fumble, 1 turnover on downs)

The defense was also not much different than it has been this season. The Vikings had a whopping 6 trips to the red zone, but the Lions only gave up a couple touchdowns. On top of that, twice Minnesota didn't even score any points. That was because of a fumble and a failure to gain a yard on fourth down. The fumble was Adrian Peterson's fault when he lateraled the ball behind Percy Harvin and Sammie Hill ended up with it, but the other time the Vikings were kept off the scoreboard was when the defense made a stand on fourth down. All in all, I will take only giving up 2 touchdowns on 6 red zone opportunities every time.

Overall

It seems like I'm beating a dead horse because it's the same thing every week, but I'll say it one more time. The Lions' offense needs to get into the red zone more often, and defensively, the Lions need to keep their opponents out of the red zone. The defense's bend but don't break style works quite well when you consider that opposing teams' red zone efficiency based on touchdowns isn't all that great against the Lions, but the fact that teams are consistently getting into the red zone as many as 6 times a game is very concerning.

Browns Game Officially Blacked Out

2009-11-19T20:02:47Z

As expected, Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns has officially been blacked out. The Lions didn't announce how many tickets are still available, meaning the number probably isn't much different from what we heard yesterday. With around 7,000 unsold tickets and based on the fact that the attendance for the Rams game was just more than 40,000, I wouldn't expect a very big crowd at Ford Field on Sunday.

Like usual, Pride of Detroit will have play-by-play updates in the game threads. If you are in the blackout zone, your most reliable option to track the game outside of checking out POD is by listening to it on the radio, because whether or not there will be streams is always a guessing game. POD will do its best to keep track of ways to watch the game, but there are no promises since it is usually hit or miss.

Wednesday Notes: Stephen Peterman, Ernie Sims, Others Miss Practice

2009-11-18T23:50:51Z

According to John Niyo, the players listed below missed practiced today for the Lions.

Quick injury update from practice: Guard Stephen Peterman (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (hamstring), defensive end Dewayne White (toe), safety Kalvin Pearson (hamstring) and receiver Derrick Williams (hip) all are sitting out today.
Also according to Niyo, Daniel Loper has stepped in for Peterman at right guard.
Louis Delmas, who didn't end up playing against Minnesota because of an infected tooth, did practice, as did Larry Foote and Phillip Buchanon, who are both recovering from injuries.
According to Jim Schwartz, Anthony Henry is going to be active this Sunday and will be "in a lot of different roles." Schwartz specifically mentioned that Henry can play at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, and safety.
Joshua Cribbs, perhaps the Browns' best player, missed practice today because of an injury that happened on the last play of Monday's game against the Ravens. The game was basically over, but Cribbs was still out there playing and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving a big hit. Why you would have a player like that out there when the game has already been decided is beyond me, but this is Eric Mangini we are talking about. He may be one of the most incompetent coaches I've ever seen (the NFLPA is reportedly going to Cleveland to investigate his practice methods for crying out loud), and if you don't already think that, wait until you read the next bullet. As for Cribbs, he merely hopes to play on Sunday. For the Lions' sake, I hope he takes this game off, because he owned Detroit in the preseason.
Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp talked up Calvin Johnson yesterday, calling him the "best receiver in the league, hands down." He also said this about Megatron:

"He's like the LeBron James of football because of his size, speed and his knowledge of the game."
What's funny is that if Eric Mangini had it his way, LeBron James would be the LeBron James of football. James talked on Tuesday about how he could become a football player if he was committed to it, and Mangini said this about the possibility of him playing for a different Cleveland team:

"I think he should come on down," Mangini said.
Shaun Rogers was a bit more skeptical, but for marketing reasons alone I wouldn't hesitate to sign LeBron James if he truly wanted to become an NFL player. Still, Mangini must be pretty desperate if he has no qualms about an NBA player joining the team. Then again, without Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' top receiver is Mohamed Massaquoi, who was one of Matthew Stafford's targets at Georgia last year. Maybe signing James wouldn't be such a bad idea considering how little talent the Browns currently have, especially since Mangini thinks that the Cleveland Cavalier could play outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
The Lions have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC North title.

A Canadian real estate company won the auction for the Silverdome and will buy it for only $583,000. The plans for the Silverdome are to refurbish it and try to bring a Major League Soccer team to the area. To that I say good luck, because the Silverdome is way, way too big for an MLS team. Also, the commissioner of MLS sort of shot down the idea already, so I hope the new owners have a plan B. Regardless, it's nice to see that there are actually plans to do something with the Lions' former stadium, though I'm saddened that there will be no Pride of Detroit Dome.
Staying on the topic of the Silverdome, there is a story on WDIV's website about how a local development company is going to try to block the sale of the stadium to the Canadian real estate company. Why?

Silver Stallion lawyers said the company offered to purchase the stadium for $20 million but the negotiations broke down.

Silver Stallion, which describes itself as a minority company, claims that the city breached contract and racially discriminated against them.
I had to laugh when I read that. Yeah, the city of Pontiac turned down an extra $19.4 million because they didn't want to sell it to a minority company. Oh common sense, where art thou?
I'm going to blame all of the recent injuries on Tom Kowalski because he jinxed the Lions about 40 minutes before Sunday's game.

The Lions, though, aren't really in need of roster spots at this point in the season. The Lions are in relatively good shape physically -- Sims is believed to be the only player on today's inactive list because of an injury. The rest of the inactives are coaching decisions.
The inactive list will definitely not include only one injured player this week.

(The above quote is from Kowalski's story about how Ernie Sims' injury reportedly isn't season-ending, by the way.)
It was nice not having Brett Favre in the division last year, because he owns the Lions.
This week's SB Nation power rankings have been posted.
Jon Gruden signed an extension with ESPN, meaning he won't be getting a job in the NFL (or with Notre Dame) anytime soon.
The Bills fired Dick Jauron.
The Bengals signed Larry Johnson.
Vikings coach Brad Childress is likely going to receive a contract extension in the near future. I'm fine with that, because Childress really doesn't seem like that great of a head coach. Some of the decisions he made on Sunday left me scratching my head, and if it weren't for Brett Favre, he would probably be on the hot seat right now.

"He's still, I believe, in the college mode," Edwards said of Cherilus, pointing to the offensive...

2009-11-18T23:29:58Z

"He's still, I believe, in the college mode," Edwards said of Cherilus, pointing to the offensive tackle's pass-blocking technique.

Specifically, Edwards said Cherilus "turns his shoulders quickly."

Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards on Gosder Cherilus

7,000 Tickets Remain for Sunday's Game

2009-11-18T22:18:07Z

It looks like Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns is headed for a blackout. 7,000 tickets are still available for Sunday's game, and the deadline to reach a sellout is 1 p.m. tomorrow. Of course, if the Lions somehow sell a few thousand tickets and show that they can reach a sellout, then a 24-hour extension will be granted on the deadline. If that doesn't happen, though, the game will almost certainly be blacked out.

So far this season there have only been two blackouts -- when the Redskins and Rams came to Detroit. Before the Rams game was officially ruled a blackout, there were around 10,000 tickets, so having only 7,000 available is at least an improvement.

The Lions have another home game a week from tomorrow, but considering that is the Thanksgiving game and the Packers are Detroit's opponent, there is no chance that will be blacked out. Even last year the Lions sold out the Thanksgiving game against the Titans, so with Green Bay coming to town, I'd bet on it being sold out. I'd also bet on seeing a lot of cheese heads at Ford Field. It's less than ideal to have opposing fans take over your team's stadium, but if that means I can actually watch the game, I'm fine with it.

Lions Sign Two, Place Jack Williams, Marquand Manuel on Injured Reserve

2009-11-18T19:25:36Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is stopped by Detroit Lions safety Marquand Manuel (40) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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The repercussions from Sunday's injury-filled game are now being felt, because at least two players are out for the season and have been placed on injured reserve. Cornerback Jack Williams and safety Marquand Manuel have already been placed on IR, and it's possible that Stephen Peterman could end up joining them at some point.

Williams was just claimed off waivers by Detroit a week ago and tore his left ACL on his first play with the Lions. The injury is disappointing not only because of how soon it happened, but also because Williams has a lot of potential that will go unseen until 2010. The hope was for Williams to come in and continue to develop as a pro cornerback, but the knee injury will be putting that development on hold.

Manuel hurt his shoulder against the Vikings and is being shut down for the rest of the season as well. It seemed like Manuel had hurt something in every game this season, but up until now, none of his ailments had been serious. That is no longer the case, and the Lions have lost another defensive back because of an injury.

To replace the two open spots on the roster created by the injuries to Williams and Manuel, the Lions signed safety DeAngelo Smith and offensive lineman Melvin Fowler. Smith was a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys this year and was most recently on the Bears' practice squad. Fowler is a veteran that most recently was on the Cardinals. He spent exactly a month in Arizona right before the start of the season and was cut loose on September 4. He actually took Donovan Raiola's spot on Arizona's roster when he was originally signed. Donovan is Dominic Raiola's brother, and at some point Fowler could be lining up next to him in Detroit. (Another odd coincidence is that Donovan Raiola is currently on the Bears' practice squad, which is where the Lions got Smith from. It's definitely a small world.)

Right now there is no specific word on just how serious Stephen Peterman's ankle injury is, but considering he was carted to the locker room after it happened, I wouldn't expect him to be back anytime soon. To steal Jim Schwartz's favorite word when describing injuries, Peterman's ankle problem seems significant. The Lions haven't placed him on IR, but it doesn't look like he will be returning in the immediate future.

Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Vikings' 27-10 Win Over Lions

2009-11-18T13:40:10Z

More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball while being tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson (59) after picking up a first down in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

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(Note: Apologies for the lack of posting the last couple of days. I've been swamped with class-related things and have had quite a few technical issues as well. Expect a bunch of posts in the next 24 hours or so as I catch up on everything.)

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Vikings beat the Lions by a score of 27-10 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

The Vikings got the ball first and quickly moved down the field, picking up a pretty decent amount of yards on each play. Eventually they ended up with the 3rd and 7 inside the Lions' 10-yard line, and the defense came up with a big stop, bringing Adrian Peterson down at the 4-yard line. Ryan Longwell connected on a 22-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
For the second straight game, the Lions moved the ball well on their first drive of the game and had it end on a missed field goal. After picking up one third-down conversion thanks to a 7-yard pass to Calvin Johnson, the offense stalled. Matthew Stafford found Derrick Williams for a gain of 6 on 3rd and 10, which actually proved to be an important play. On the ensuing punt, a Vikings player jumped offside, giving the Lions free 5 yards and a first down. The offense didn't pick up another first down on the drive, but the penalty extended the drive helped put them in field goal range. Unfortunately, like last week, Jason Hanson made another rare mistake, kicking the 48-yard field goal just wide right.

Minnesota wasted little time in moving the ball back into Lions territory, picking up big gains on a couple passes to Sidney Rice and a run by Adrian Peterson. Suddenly it was 1st and 10 at the 17, and Brad Childress decided to get fancy. The Vikings attempted to run a reverse to Percy Harvin, but Peterson's toss went behind Harvin. The ball bounced around and eventually was recovered by Sammie Hill to give the Lions the ball at their 29-yard line.
The Lions' next drive got off to a good start with a 6-yard run by Stafford, but an incredibly dumb penalty on Brandon Pettigrew at the end of the play backed Detroit up 15 yards. Stafford was already running out of bounds when Pettigrew blindsided a Vikings player and knocked him to the ground. It was a completely unnecessary play and basically killed this drive. The Lions were unable to gain 19 yards to move the chains, and the second quarter began with a punt.

2nd Quarter

The Vikings went in the wrong direction thanks to a penalty as well. A holding call made it 2nd and 17, and after an incompletion, Brett Favre was sacked by Joe Cohen for a loss of 4.
The Lions' next drive started with an encroachment penalty on Minnesota. Despite having 1st and 5, though, the Lions didn't move the chains. In fact, Matthew Stafford was sacked on first down, and the drive went nowhere after that.
Facing a 3rd and 8, the Vikings got a free play when a Lions player jumped offside. Favre simply heaved the ball down the field, hoping for a big play, and Sidney Rice cashed in on that big play by making a catch for a gain of 43. The catch should have been negated by a Vikings penalty, however. Rice clearly pushed off on the defensive back covering him, and that allowed him to make the catch. No flag was thrown, though, and Adrian Peterson broke a bunch of tackles and ran into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown on the very next play.
Following a three and out by the Lions, it looked like the Vikings were about to put this game away. Favre found Rice again for a gain of 43 yards, this time thanks to no coverage whatsoever. The big gain on 3rd and 4 moved the Vikings deep into Lions territory and set up what appeared to be a possible game-changing play at the time. After moving the chains on an 11-yard pass to Adrian Peterson, Favre threw a couple incompletions and then found Rice for a gain of 9 to make it 4th and 1. The Vikings decided to go for it, and Grady Jackson and company absolutely stuffed the rushing attempt on fourth down. Rather than give the ball to the best back in football, the fullback got the handoff, and he went nowhere.
Now with a big wave of momentum, it was up to the offense to ride it to the Lions' first points of the game. That didn't happen because of another three and out, which led to an amazing sequence of events.
On the second play of the Vikings' next drive, Adrian Peterson again broke a bunch of tackles and had a clear path to the end zone. He wasn't expecting to even be touched, but Phillip Buchanon sprinted, chased Peterson down, and punched the ball out of his hands. It eventually ended up going into the end zone, which is where it was recovered by Jordon Dizon. It looked like the Vikings were going to go up 17-0, but Buchanon's great play kept this a relatively close game for the time being.
The Lions did turn this turnover into points, taking most of the final 2:04 off the clock and getting a 38-yard Jason Hanson field goal in the last seconds of the first half. It appeared that the Lions had enough time to take one last shot to the end zone, but Jim Schwartz didn't feel the risk was worth the reward and decided to take the points to make this a 10-3 game at halftime. It could have been 10-7, but Bryant Johnson dropped a great pass in the end zone for what would have (and should have) been a touchdown.

3rd Quarter

Aside from the Bears game earlier this season, this was the worst start to a second half for one team that I've ever seen. Kevin Smith fumbled the ball on the first play of the third quarter and Ray Edwards recovered. On the first play of the second half for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson again broke some tackles and ran all the way down to the 1, where he punched it in on the next play.
Needing a good drive to get back in this game, Matthew Stafford took control of the team and moved the ball very effectively mainly through the air. Some Maurice Morris runs were sprinkled into the drive, as was a big unnecessary roughness penalty on Ray Edwards. He came flying (literally) in at Stafford on third down and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Vikings. Fortunately, the referees flagged Edwards for a personal foul due to contact to the head. Two plays later, Stafford found Will Heller in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown.
After the Vikings went three and out, the Lions had a chance to tie the game, especially with the great field position. Kevin smith was dropped for a loss of 4 on first down, but gains of 3 and 10 yards made it 4th and 1 on the Minnesota 48. I was hoping the Lions would go for it since a touchdown drive would tie the game up, but Detroit punted.
The third quarter came to an end with the two teams trading punts.

4th Quarter

The Lions' chances of winning this game basically ended along with the third quarter. Brett Favre found Sidney Rice for a gain of 56 thanks to more poor coverage on the first play of the fourth, and two plays later Favre found a receiver in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown, putting the Vikings on top 24-10.
After moving the chains once, the Lions faced 4th and 1 at their 39. It was originally 4th and 6, but a defensive delay of game penalty gave the Lions 5 free yards. It was more risky this time being on their own side of the field, but I again wanted the Lions to go for it to make Minnesota pay for the penalty, but Jim Schwartz decided to punt the ball away. I don't blame him for that decision as it is the conventional one, but at that point it was obvious that the Lions were fading fast and needed to hang on to the ball.
Percy Harvin brought any momentum still on the Lions' side over to Minnesota three plays into the next possession. DeAndre Levy tried to put a big hit on Harvin, but the former Florida Gator bounced off of him and kept running, eventually picking up 40 yards. The Vikings moved into the red zone and were unable to score a touchdown, but a 35-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell made this a 27-10 game.
The Lions turned the ball over on downs after only one first-down conversion, and Tarvaris Jackson made an appearance for the Vikings. Minnesota went three and out, and the Lions followed that up with a rather promising drive that again ended on a failed fourth-down conversion.
Minnesota got the ball back and simply ran out the clock to seal their 27-10 victory.

As bad as the defense played and despite all of the big plays and yards they gave up, Minnesota struggled to put the ball into the end zone on quite a few possessions in the first half. This gave the offense a chance to make this a tied game or one that the Lions led in, but it was evident that that wasn't going to happen because of the Lions' offensive line and the Vikings' defensive line. Minnesota's pass rush didn't allow Matthew Stafford to do anything, and he took a beating because of it.

This upcoming Sunday is the Lions' best chance to win another game. The Browns look pathetic on offense, though I just have a bad feeling that the Lions will find a way to make Brady Quinn and company look good. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on FOX, though the game will probably be blacked out locally.

Lions Get Beat Up by Vikings, Lose 27-10

2009-11-15T21:39:03Z

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

5 days ago: Detroit Lions safety Ko Simpson (30) brings down Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice after a nine-yard pass from Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass around 54 times today, and he was hurried, hit, or sacked on about 70% of those plays. That stat alone sums up how today's game against the Vikings went for the Lions, because Minnesota pummeled Detroit and beat them up both statistically and physically. The Vikings out-gained the Lions in the total yards department by a whopping number of 492-297 and won the game by a score of 27-10. It seemed like at least 10 different players got hurt for the Lions during this game, including a few defensive backs, a receiver or two, and also Stephen Peterman, who had to be carted off to the locker room. There were others who got banged up but either returned to the game or stayed in, and in general it's evident that this team is hurting right now quite a bit. It was a rough day for the Lions in more ways than one, and I imagine the injury report will be quite big next week.

The Lions' biggest problem in the first half of this game was a lack of offensive production. The defense gave up a ton of yards, but Minnesota only managed to score 10 points because of turnovers and a big fourth-down stand by the Lions' defense. The issue was that Minnesota's defense was playing an amazing game, containing the Lions' rushing game and not even giving Matthew Stafford a chance to effectively pass the ball. He had defenders in his face about 1 second after the snap on most plays, and although he managed to escape pressure on a few occasions, the Vikings just didn't let him do anything. The offensive line played terrible and Stafford paid the price.

Minnesota came out and started the second half with a fumble recovery on the first play of the third quarter and a touchdown run on the very next play. It looked like the Lions were going to fall apart and get blown out like we have seen so many times this season, but Detroit answered with a solid drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass to Will Heller. That got the Lions within 7 points of Minnesota, but the Vikings eventually put the game out of reach thanks to more solid defense and a bunch of big plays made possible by Brett Favre. It didn't help that Lions receivers dropped quite a few passes yet again, because the offense needed to play perfect to have a shot at winning on this day.

Next up for the Lions is a home game against one of the teams that is just as bad as them, the Cleveland Browns. There will be a quick turnaround after that game with Thanksgiving coming up the following week. The Packers will come to Ford Field just four days later, making for what will be the Lions' third game in 11 days. With the way injuries piled up today, it will be important for this team to get healthy quickly and not get banged up any more next week against Cleveland. If that happens, Detroit may have a tough time even fielding a team when Green Bay comes to town.

Lions at Vikings - Overflow Thread #2

2009-11-15T20:37:59Z

More photos » by Andy King - AP

5 days ago: Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith, center, runs against Minnesota Vikings' Madieu Williams (20) and Kevin Williams (93) in the first quarter of their NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy King)

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After three quarters of play in Minnesota, the Lions are down 17-10 to the Vikings.

Lions at Vikings - Overflow Thread #1

2009-11-15T19:33:38Z

At halftime, the Lions trail the Vikings by a score of 10-3.

Game #9 - Lions at Vikings - Game Thread

2009-11-15T17:30:27Z

DETROIT LIONS (1-7)	GAME #9	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-1)
	AT

Date:	November 15, 2009	Location:	Minneapolis, MN
Time:	1:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	HHH Metrodome
TV:	FOX	Favorite:	Vikings by 17.0
Weather:	Domed Stadium	Over/Under:	47.5
SBN Coverage:	Daily Norseman	Injury Report:	Click Here

Lions-Vikings Inactives

2009-11-15T17:07:20Z

Detroit Lions

QB Drew Stanton
RB Aaron Brown
OT Ephraim Salaam
OT Daniel Loper
DE Cliff Avril
DT Landon Cohen
LB Ernie Sims
CB Anthony Henry

Minnesota Vikings

QB Sage Rosenfels
RB Albert Young
WR Jaymar Johnson
C Jon Cooper
DE Jayme Mitchell
DT Letroy Guion
LB Erin Henderson
CB Antoine Winfield

Week 10 Injury Report

2009-11-14T06:43:09Z

DETROIT LIONS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Matthew Stafford	Knee	Probable
FB	Jerome Felton	Ankle	Probable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Knee	Probable
DE	Dewayne White	Toe	Questionable
DE	Jason Hunter	Knee	Probable
DT	Joe Cohen	Ankle	Probable
DT	Sammie Hill	Toe	Probable
DT	Grady Jackson	Knee	Probable
LB	Ernie Sims	Hamstring	Out
LB	Jordon Dizon	Neck	Questionable
LB	Larry Foote	Knee	Questionable

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Brett Favre	Hip	Probable
WR	Bernard Berrian	Hamstring	Questionable
WR	Darius Reynaud	Hamstring	Probable
LB	Jasper Brinkley	Hamstring	Probable
LB	E.J. Henderson	Knee	Probable
CB	Antoine Winfield	Foot	Out

NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE
Status	Definition
Probable	75% chance that the player will play in the game
Questionable	50% chance that the player will play in the game
Doubtful	25% chance that the player will play in the game
Out	0% chance that the player will play in the game

Friday Notes: Ernie Sims Has Grade 2 Hamstring Tear

2009-11-13T22:46:49Z

We are going to be seeing a lot more of DeAndre Levy, because Ernie Sims is likely going to miss 1-2 months of action with a Grade 2 tear in his hamstring. The original hope was that Sims would only miss a couple weeks with his hamstring injury, but according to the Free Press, a tear like this takes 1-2 months to heal. Levy will step in as the starter to replace Sims, which will be a great opportunity for the rookie from Wisconsin. Levy has played great this season, and by having an extended period of time to be the starter, he will gain quite a bit of experience and get a chance to show the coaches that he deserves to stay in the starting lineup even after Sims returns.
Although Larry Foote missed practice again on Thursday with what we now know is a knee injury, according to him, he will play against the Vikings on Sunday. Jordon Dizon said Foote is missing practice just to rest his injury, so it doesn't appear to be something serious enough to keep him out of the lineup in a game situation.
Gunther Cunningham sort of called Foote out for his recent play.
Dewayne White was back on the practice field yesterday.
Detroit4Lyfe put together a Detroit Lions all-time fantasy football team, and the findings are pretty interesting.
Two Seahawks players were each fined $5,000 for late hits on the same Lions kickoff return.

On Paper: Lions vs. Vikings

2009-11-13T20:30:30Z

For an explanation on my "On Paper" previews, check out my preview for the last time the Vikings faced the Lions.

Lions Pass Offense (21st) vs. Vikings Pass Defense (21st)

Last week I added charts of how other teams have fared against the Lions' upcoming opponent. Because it was met with rave reviews*, I'm going to continue it for the rest of the year.

Opponent	Season Avg Passing Yards	Passing Yards vs. Minnesota	Season QB Rating	QB Rating vs. Minnesota
Browns	121.5	205	42.7	74.1
Lions	189.1	152	55.6	56.5
49ers	184.2	195	75.7	94.6
Packers	255.6	384	103.0	110.6
Rams	171.5	278	69.4	89.6
Ravens	242.1	385	89.9	109.2
Steelers	266.8	175	105.4	87.8
Packers	255.6	287	103.0	108.5

Though the Vikings aren't ranked very high in pass defense, they seem to hold their opponents close to their season averages. The numbers are kind of everywhere, though. From giving up 385 passing yards to the 11th ranked Ravens, to holding the 5th ranked Steelers to only 175 yards. It's hard to predict which defense will show up. But this week features a first in "On Paper". We have a previous matchup to draw conclusions upon. In week two, Minnesota held Detroit to totals very close to their season average. It's now week ten, so the teams are undoubtedly different. Matthew Stafford has more experience under his belt (but whether he's progressed is up for debate) and Jared Allen is hitting his stride.

Let's talk about Allen for a second. When we last left Allen in week two, he had zero sacks and one tackle coming into the Lions game. Against Detroit, he only mustered one sack, but he forced a fumble on it. You can watch it here (please forgive me if you have to sit through one of those horrible Coors Light commercials). Anyways, after the Detroit game, Allen went on a tear. He has 9.5 sacks in the past six games. He leads the league with 10.5 sacks. To be fair, 7.5 of those sacks have come against the Packers. Sacking Aaron Rodgers is kind of like blocking the shot of a five year old in basketball. Sure you send a message, but you're not really proud of it. But Allen's dominance cannot be denied. In the past five seasons Allen has 9.5 more sacks than anyone else in the league (68 total). I'd tally him down for another two this week.

On the Lions side, Stafford is starting to build a rapport with rookie Brandon Pettigrew. Last week, Pettigrew pulled in seven for 70 yards and his first TD of his career. Meanwhile, the Lions got Calvin Johnson back from injury, but not the one they were expecting. Stafford struggled to find Johnson all game, and it appears both may be suffering from their lingering injuries.

In the past five games, Minnesota's opponents have had a QB rating of at least 87 each week. It'll be hard for the Lions to reach that total, as Stafford has only reached that benchmark twice in his short career. Though they only managed 152 yards in their last matchup, I expect the Lions offense to show a little more confidence in their passing game and put up somewhere around 220 yards through the air. But pressure from the impressive Minnesota defensive line is likely to produce around 2-3 turnovers (they forced 3 last time they met). Because of Stafford's inconsistencies and Jared Allen, Minnesota gets the slight advantage, Vikes +1.

* "rave reviews" is blogger code for "no one noticed"

Lions Run Offense (20th) vs. Vikings Run Defense (6th)

Opponent	Season Avg Rusing Yards	Rushing Yards vs. Minnesota
Browns	99.6	89
Lions	104.4	129
49ers	101.4	58
Packers	121.0	82
Rams	116.1	122
Ravens	116.1	81
Steelers	115.2	106
Packers	121.0	90

Perhaps the heart of this team, Minnesota loves to boast the success of their run defense. Indeed, the Kevin and Pat Williams duo is unmatched by anyone in the NFL. But this unit may not be as good as they look. A lot of writers like to flash the stat that the Vikings haven't given up a 100-yard rusher in 31 consecutive games. But as you can see from the chart above, many teams collectively have surpassed the century mark this season.

Looking at the chart, you see that the Lions are actually the team who had the most success against this Minnesota front four. Looking at the rest of the numbers, Minnesota has actually held their opponents below their season averages six out of eight weeks. So they do deserve a lot of credit. However, their overall numbers are slightly inflated because the best rushing offense they've faced is the Packers, who are only ranked 10th.

Detroit, however, is not seeing the success they had in the Minnesota game. Kevin Smith is continuing to struggle against weak competition. Though not all the blame can be put on Smith, his production is well below expectations. Even his 83 yard performance against the Vikings was a little worse than advertised. In that game he only managed 3.46 a carry. However, Smith has been supported by a nice cast of Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown, who both have looked impressive when relieving Smith (4.2 and 4.4 a carry, respectively).

In the end, it's hard to deny Minnesota's superiority. But because of the past matchup, I'm holding out some hope of success. Vikes +1.

Vikings Pass Offense (14th) vs. Lions Pass Defense (31st)

Opponent	Opponent's Season Avg. Passing Yards Allowed	Passing Yards Allowed vs. Minnesota	Opponent's Season QB Rating Against	QB Rating Allowed vs. Minnesota
Browns	238.6	110	91.9	95.3
Lions	263.1	155	107.3	115.3
49ers	241.0	301	84.5	78.3
Packers	185.8	271	75.9	135.3
Rams	238.6	288	91.9	108.0
Ravens	225.8	278	86.7	136.9
Steelers	214.5	334	77.2	76.8
Packers	185.8	244	75.9	128.6

Again, we see signs of a completely erratic team. On some days, Minnesota's Quarterback (who will be referred to as MQ from now on) will goes nutso for 334 yards against the Steelers, another day he'll puts a meager 110 against the Browns. What has stayed consistent, however, is MQ's QB rating. MQ is 2nd in the league, with a rating of 106.0. What's even more impressive is that MQ leads the league in camera time by over 200 billion minutes. The reason for the inconsistencies in MQ's passing yards is that Minnesota can decide whether they want to beat you through the air or the ground. Earlier in the season, they chose ground. In the middle of the season, they chose air. Nowadays, they're a very balanced offense, so you don't know what to expect.

What is different from their week two game is that MQ has built a rapport with his two young receivers, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. Detroit, on the other hand, has yet to find their starting defensive backs. A combination of injuries and suckiness has decimated this unit into a garbled mess of blown coverages and broken tackles.

Again, the Lions gameplan will be to force MQ into mistakes by putting the blitz on. Last time they brought down MQ three times, but it wasn't enough to force any MQ turnovers (AP did fumble, however). It won't be enough this week either. Vikes +3.

Vikings Run Offense (12th) vs. Lions Run Defense (17th)

Opponent	Season Avg Rusing Yards	Rushing Yards vs. Minnesota
Browns	170.5	225
Lions	109.9	112
49ers	93.2	94
Packers	97.1	63
Rams	134.8	89
Ravens	94.9	167
Steelers	70.4	89
Packers	97.1	111

Adrian Peterson has to be having one of the most underappreciated years in the history of the NFL. With MQ hogging the spotlight, AP has been averaging 98 yards a game and is third in the league with nine rushing TDs. His explosiveness isn't gones as he's ranked second in runs of over 20 yards (8). Though he's been slightly inconsistent from week to week, he's still a major threat. As mentioned before, Minnesota's offensive gameplan changes week to week, so they don't always have to rely on AP.

But for some reason, Detroit always seems to be AP's kryptonite. In his five games against Detroit, he is averaging 4 less yards per game (98.0) than his career average (102) and has had five fumbles (and only 3 TDs). Though that may seem insignificant, given how terrible Detroit has been since AP has been in the league, you would expect huge numbers from him.

The Lions' defensive line is looking healthy again, but one key injury may doom the Lions. Larry Foote sat out of Wednesday and Thursday's practice. Foote has been Detroit's most consistent player on defense, easily leading the team in tackles. Without him in the middle, the Lions may be forced to move rookie DeAndre Levy to the MLB position, and play youngster Jordon Dizon in Levy's place (assuming that Ernie Sims is also sidelined with his injury). Without Foote, the Lions are going to suffer. With him, they have a chance. Vikes +3 or +1.

Special Teams

Detroit's kick coverage has gone from, "oh god" to "can't wait to see Follett out there" back to "oh god". Now that Harvin has exploded onto the special teams scene, I fear the worst. Harvin is ranked second among returners with at least 10 returns (30.7 avg) and has returned two to the promised land (tied for first).

Again, the kickers are a push, even though Jason Hanson booted one off the upright from 34 yards last week.

As a Lions fan, I'm in favor of the squib kick 100% of the time against Minnesota. If they start with the ball before their own 40, I consider it a win. I expect the Lions to lose at least once. Vikes +1.

Overall

Hmph. Well, the Vikings have the advantage in every matchup, totaling for a +7 or +9 advantage, depending on Foote's availability. Not all that surprising in a 7-1 vs. 1-7 matchup. However, not is all lost. Most of the advantages in the matchups are small. The Lions played the Vikings tough last time, regardless of the "On Paper" deficit. They could certainly do so again this week. However, it seems to me like Minnesota is a much better team than they faced in week two. I'm not so sure about the Lions improving since then. In the end, I can't bring myself to pick Minnesota -17, but I'm guessing it'll be awfully close. 33-17 Vikings

Thursday Notes: Ernie Sims Likely Out This Week

2009-11-12T16:53:54Z

Ernie Sims missed practice on Wednesday because of what Jim Schwartz called a "fairly significant" hamstring injury. Sims left the Seahawks game in noticeable pain, and he said yesterday that it doesn't look like he will play against the Vikings on Sunday. Usually when Schwartz uses the word "significant" to describe an injury it means the player will miss around a couple weeks at the least, so I personally wouldn't expect Sims to be back until Thanksgiving at the earliest.
Also missing practice yesterday were Larry Foote and Dewayne White. Foote has a banged up wrist and White is dealing with an ongoing hamstring injury. There's no word yet on their status for Sunday, but I would expect a listing of probable or questionable on this week's injury report.
One piece of good news on the injury front is that Louis Delmas practiced on Wednesday. There was some concern over his health after he left the Seahawks game with a right knee injury, but based on the fact that he was on the practice field yesterday, it doesn't appear to be bothering him too much.
Gunther Cunningham is a big fan of the way DeAndre Levy plays and the way he leads on the field.
The reason for Matthew Stafford's recent struggles could be that his knee injury is still bothering him a little bit.
Brett Favre was limited in practice yesterday with what the Vikings are calling a hip injury. It's actually his groin that's injured, though.
Ramzee Robinson has been signed by the Eagles. I was always a fan of Robinson when he played for the Lions, so it's good to see him land somewhere.
Larry Johnson is officially a free agent after no teams claimed him off waivers.
Brady Quinn is once again the Browns' starting quarterback, meaning the Lions can expect to face him when they host Cleveland on November 22.

Comcast Red Zone Recap: Week 9

2009-11-11T16:38:43Z

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel.

Lions - 1 score on 2 chances (1 missed field goal, 1 touchdown)

The Lions' only two trips to the red zone this past Sunday came at the very start of the game. The first trip was on the game's opening drive, when the Lions moved the ball down the field only to have Jason Hanson kick a field goal off the right upright. The promising drive ended in disappointing fashion, but the Lions got the ball back on the very next play when Louis Delmas picked off a pass and returned it down to the 2-yard line. After a false start, Matthew Stafford found Brandon Pettigrew in the end zone for a touchdown, making for a quick and easy red zone appearance.

During the rest of the first half, the Lions had the ball in Seattle territory quite a few times, but they never got inside the red zone again. That wasn't a big deal when Bryant Johnson made his amazing catch for a touchdown, making a red zone trip unnecessary. On other drives it was a problem, because the Lions' drives either stalled before they reached the 20-yard line or they simply turned the ball over.

In the second half, the Lions only got close to the red zone once, and even then that drive ended on a 50-yard field goal. The Lions really struggled to move the ball in the second half, and Seattle didn't turn the ball over and give Detroit the ball inside the red zone to start a drive, so it was one big struggle in the final two quarters.

Seahawks - 6 scores on 6 chances (2 touchdowns, 4 field goals)

After the first quarter, Seattle's offense became an absolute red zone machine. Every offensive scoring drive for the Seahawks went through the red zone, though only two resulted in touchdowns. Similar to some of the previous games this season, the Lions' defense relied on bend but don't break football. The Seahawks picked apart the Lions' defense with lots of dink and dunk type of plays, but once it got into the red zone, getting into the end zone wasn't an easy task. One drive the Seahawks had to kick a field goal simply because they ran out of time, but other than that the defense did a good job of holding Seattle to a field goal more often than not. Of course, it's pathetic that the Seahawks were able to get in the red zone six different times, but the defense got away with it by only giving up a pair of touchdowns.

Overall

The Lions' offense, thanks in part to the defense creating turnovers, spent all of its time in the red zone in the first few minutes of the game. After that they didn't enter the 20 again, which is a big reason why they only managed to score a field goal after the first quarter. Just like we saw in some recent games, the offense either failed to get into the red zone after a solid drive (i.e. what happened in the second quarter) or simply didn't even come close to the red zone (i.e. what happened in the second half). Going forward, the offense is going to have to be much more consistent and not leave so many points on the field with turnovers and stalled drives.

On the defensive side of the ball, I was happy that the Seahawks only scored 2 touchdowns out of their 6 red zone appearances, but that last number is disheartening. I knew Seattle tore the defense apart with mainly underneath stuff, but I didn't even realize that they made it into the red zone a whopping 6 times until I wrote this post. Bend but don't break football works to make up for a lack of talent, but the defense really needs to starting making more stops before the opposing team gets into the red zone. 6 red zone appearances in 3 quarters is just depressing.

Thank You Veterans!

2009-11-11T14:39:58Z

(Note from Sean: Couldn't have said it better myself. I know there are quite a few military members on here, so to all of them and everybody in the military, stay safe and come home soon!)

It is you who make is possible for me to decide to come into work today because I don't want to use my leave.

It is you who give us the fredom of speech to repsectfully disagree with CFL's take on picking up Larry Johnson.

It is you who goes to work everyday knowing that you my have to go into harms way to defend your countryman

It is you who does so without another thought

It is you who sleeps in the desert or on board a ship at sea and sometimes can't get on POD to check out your Lions....but we know you still love them.

Today we remember the fallen and honor the living. Thank you Veterans for everything you have done and continue to do.

Very Respectfully,

Mark

Lions Claim Jack Williams, Release Jason David

2009-11-10T13:55:26Z

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

Jack Williams salutes the crowd after the Broncos beat the New England Patriots 20-17 on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. Williams was claimed by the Detroit Lions on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider )

Browse more photos »

Jason David's stay in Detroit was a short one. Less than a week after being signed by the Lions, he was released to make room for cornerback Jack Williams, who was claimed by Detroit on Monday.

Williams was recently released by the Broncos to open up a spot on the roster for Ty Law, and the Lions were one of four teams to claim him. The Browns, Colts, and Eagles also put in a claim for Williams, meaning the silver lining in losing to Seattle was that the Lions were able to get Williams. The Denver Post said that the Lions ended up with Williams because of their 2008 record, but waiver priority is now based on teams' current records. Perhaps 2008 records come in to play when there is a tie -- both Detroit and Cleveland have only 1 win -- but usually ties like this are broken based on strength of schedule.

Either way, Williams is now a member of the Lions, and Jim Schwartz shared his assessment of the former Bronco on the radio last night, suggesting that the newest Lion could play both nickel and outside cornerback.

"He'd been playing nickel for them," Schwartz told WXYT 1270 on Monday night. "He's a guy that our scouts liked. He has some slot ability, also can play outside. But he's a young player, and we've talked about not having scholarships for 16 games and rolling the roster and keep trying to improve and keep trying to get better. We need young corners, and hopefully he can fit that bill."

I'm a big fan of this move, because I'd much rather have a player like Williams, who is only in his second season in the league, than someone like Jason David, who is a veteran that hadn't even been on a roster since August until last week. Williams was a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, and excuse me for sounding like Mel Kiper, but he has tremendous potential and enormous upside. The fact that three other teams wanted him, including the Colts and the Eagles, says a lot about what kind of talent and potential Williams has.