The Official Detroit Lions Den Thread

#6,984
#6,984
Crazy game….. had Stroud not thrown a lollipop to the wide open receiver in the end zone that was picked off…. And thrown it it with more velocity … they go up 30-13 and demoralize the Lions
 
#6,986
#6,986
I apologize for every Aaron Glenn slander post I made in this thread. I cannot remember a better called game by a Lions DC today. Giving up 23 points when the offense turned the ball over 5 times is absolute lunacy.
 
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#6,988
#6,988
Well I was pretty entertained by the thrilling Lions comeback win in the City where the Oilers were before moving to Tennessee then changing the team name to Titans.

Goff is mellow with the celebration reaction, however it’s still more emotion shown than by Coach Belichick while the Patriots Head Coach since he was consistently stoic as a Terminator if it’s on the sidelines.


IMG_3776.jpegIMG_3775.jpeg
 
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#6,994
#6,994
It's Monday, I'm off today, I've had 2.5 cups of coffee AND we've reached another 4 game mark for Detroit. It's breakdown time!

1. It's the culture, stupid- In three games, against three good teams, the Lions had some sort of adverse situation they had to overcome. Against Minnesota, they went down 10-0 on the road. Against Green Bay, the elements were poor. Against Houston, they turned the ball over 5 times in the first 40 minutes of the game. And yet, every single time, it didn't matter because this franchise is built on overcoming the odds. The way they've built this culture and football team proves they can handle any type of football game and any type of situation. General Neyland once said "When the breaks go against you, don't let up, put on more steam" and I'm not sure I have ever seen a football embody that more than the 2024 Detroit Lions. I truly thought against Houston it was going to be Ravens 2023 all over again. An AFC team gets out ahead quickly and there is nothing you can do. It snowballs into a big loss. Instead they kept battling, kept chipping away and handled business against a playoff team. I still cannot believe how this team has responded after losing Hutch by pulling off four straight wins.

2. The Lions are clearly in position for the NFC North- Right now, Detroit has built a nice cushion in the NFC North even with the Vikings at 7-2 thanks to two massive road divisional wins. Now you can't guarantee anything with divisional games (remember Detroit crushing Green Bay at Lambeau and then losing to Green Bay on Thanksgiving, both Chicago games last year) but Detroit is clearly in the driver's seat. Chicago continues to falter, Minnesota has offensive issues and Green Bay is 6-3 with a loss to Detroit already. The hard part of the schedule is over. If Detroit handles business versus Jacksonville and Indianapolis and goes 2-2 the rest of the way in the NFC North, that's 12 wins right there. That should clinch the North for back to back divisional titles.

3. Za'Darius Smith Impact- The Lions made their most aggressive deadline deal to date under the Holmes regime, with the Lions acquiring Za'Darius Smith at the trade deadline. He's 32 and not quite the menace he was in 2020/2021 but he's still a very solid pass rusher and sets the edge in the run game. The Lions don't need him for 50-60 snaps a game and honestly don't even need him on 1st down with how well Paschal and Onwuzurike play the run at the DE spots. What they need is a guy that can win a 1-on-1 on 3rd down and get to the QB, which Smith can still do. Only giving up a 5th and a 6th with a 7th coming back for a guy that is owed zero money after 2024 was the smart play. This was a great trade by Brad and made too much sense to pass up. Smith is not going to be Hutch and they don't need him to be. They just need him to get 3-4 pressures a game and cause a little havoc.

4. Aaron Glenn...I apologize- Consider this my official apology to Aaron Glenn. I will fill out the proper forms and send them to Allen Park while paying the expedite fee to make sure it arrives promptly. After Hutchinson went down, I was highly concerned that Glenn would panic and try to blitz as much as he can. He has done a great job mixing it up. They struggled against Minnesota and that first quarter against Tennessee had me scratching my head but since that first quarter the defense has been terrifying the last 11 quarters of football they've played. They made Green Bay work for every single yard and then against Houston, Detroit played maybe the best half of football I've seen from a Lions defense. It helps having the best safety duo in the league causing chaos everywhere but Glenn's done a great job mixing his blitzes and knowing when to send pressure. I also have felt they've done a better job containing #1 WR and Glenn has been willing to actually double team #1 WR's for the first time in his career. The acquisition of Smith should help the defense not rely so much on blitz packages to generate pressure and hopefully Terrion Arnold continues to improve so they can be aggressive in man coverage. Either way, Glenn has been awesome in 2024 and I wouldn't be shocked if he got a head coaching job next year.

5. Great work on the Alim McNeill deal- I thought getting Alim signed was a really good move by Brad and company.The $97M made people's eyes bulge but it is $55M guaranteed with an out after 2026 since they moved some money to him in 2024 with the extra cap space they had. He's been a top 10 DT in football since the beginning of last year and you saw the havoc he can create, when he was the best player on the field for Detroit last night. He's become a much improved pass rusher that can play every down and what him and DJ Reader do in the interior in the run game cannot be overstated. Eventually Detroit will have to make a decision on who to let walk in free agency but right now they couldn't afford to let Alim hit the market. He's a tough kid, plays his ass off and is a true difference maker as an interior lineman. There aren't many like him in the league at the DT position. Great work.

6. Slight concerns about the OL- This might be a slight overreaction. The OL has been pretty good most of the year I do have concerns if Decker misses more time. Campbell insinuated that Decker's shoulder isn't a long term injury but you saw what happens when they are not complete at the Offensive Line. They can survive not having Zeitler or Glasnow at guard because of Awosika's improvement but if Ragnow or one of the OT's miss time, they are in trouble. The Texans got the most pressure on the Lions this year when they sent 4 and the run game struggled bad in the first half. Decker hasn't been as sound as he has been in years past, but he's still way better than Skipper or Jamarco Jones. I wouldn't be shocked if Decker missed the Jacksonville game just to ensure he's healthy but they really need him once Thanksgiving hits.

7. Not worried about Goff- People will panic about Goff's five interception game and yes his MVP odds will dwindle significantly. But I'm overall not worried. We know what Jared is and what Jared isn't. He's not going to make plays with his feet or extend plays, that's just what he is. He cannot improvise and he never will. I thought really only one pick what truly his fault (the fifth one to Jameson). LaPorta lost his route and didn't turn his head quick enough to get the ball on the 4th pick. The Hail Mary shouldn't count but it does. He got essentially stripped sack and then an unfortunate tip on a right blitz call by Demeco Ryans that caused the first one. This has not been an issue for Jared in the past and he was due some turnover regression after the last five games. I will say Ben has to preach to Jared to get to his checkdowns quicker when he's facing pressure. Jared will pick it up and play better.

8. 2024 Draft Class has been fine- I think we all knew going into 2024 this particular draft class would not have much of an impact outside of Terrion Arnold. The culture and the roster was too good going into 2024 for there to be a lot of opportunities. Even still, it's been perfectly fine. Arnold isn't a shutdown CB but he's been fine at CB2 even with the annoying penalties. He's not getting burned, he's playing the run well and he's improved. He just has to learn to track the ball better and avoid the hand fighting when the ball is in the air. Ennis Rakestraw has been a perfectly fine special teamers and has provided depth when needed. We knew Manu wasn't going to play in 2024 so no surprise there. Sione Vaki has been a good special teamer in all facets and should be RB3 next year. Makhi Wingo has been a really nice find as a 6th rounder and has earned snaps as a versatile DL. It's impressive he's found the rotation and I think he will be even better as the year moves along. I still believe in Christian Mahogany and the fact the Lions are going to activate him from IR this year makes me feel good about him long term. The mono thing sucks and it blows he didn't have a training camp but I still like him. It's not the 2021-2023 drafts but it wasn't supposed to be that with a Super Bowl contender. If Arnold gets better and Wingo continues to play, I'm happy with it.

9. The Jack Campbell improvement- This is why Brad Holmes has his job and I don't have a job in the NFL. I didn't like the Campbell pick and he had struggles his rookie year. I had major concerns that he wasn't going to work out. This year however Jack has been one of the best off ball LB's in football. He's become an every down player and his pass coverage has improved immensely. We all knew he could play the run and he's continued to do that but he seems so much more comfortable and free in his second year. His play tracking is much better and he's actually been a plus in pass coverage. According to PFF he's been a top 10 LB in football so far in 2024 and I think the eye test matches that. The entire LB group has done a great job defending RB's and TE's in 2024, with Campbell leading the way. He could become an All-Pro type of player in 2025 if he continues this trajectory.

10. The path to the #1 seed is clear- Right now Detroit's biggest challengers for the 1 seed are Minnesota, Washington and Philadelphia. Nobody in the South or West should be a factor since Detroit has a 2.5 game lead on Atlanta and Arizona (3 game lead on San Fran). Detroit can really seal the deal against Minnesota if the win the second games as well. I think Washington will make the playoffs but due for regression. I would argue Philadelphia is the biggest competition for that 1 spot. Even with that, I think 13 wins would get them the #1 seed and that seems pretty doable for this team. If you split the rest of your division games and beat Jacksonville/Indy, that's 12 wins. Can you grab one against Buffalo at home or San Francisco on the road to get those 13 wins? Can you go 5-1 in the division to get to 13 or 14? Just know that when it comes to Detroit Lions, you simply cannot count them out in any game or in any situation. This should continue to be one hell of a ride for the Lions in 2024.
 
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#6,995
#6,995
zjcvols said:
It's Monday, I'm off today, I've had 2.5 cups of coffee AND we've reached another 4 game mark for Detroit. It's breakdown time!

1. It's the culture, stupid- In three games, against three good teams, the Lions had some sort of adverse situation they had to overcome. Against Minnesota, they went down 10-0 on the road. Against Green Bay, the elements were poor. Against Houston, they turned the ball over 5 times in the first 40 minutes of the game. And yet, every single time, it didn't matter because this franchise is built on overcoming the odds. The way they've built this culture and football team proves they can handle any type of football game and any type of situation. General Neyland once said "When the breaks go against you, don't let up, put on more steam" and I'm not sure I have ever seen a football embody that more than the 2024 Detroit Lions. I truly thought against Houston it was going to be Ravens 2023 all over again. An AFC team gets out ahead quickly and there is nothing you can do. It snowballs into a big loss. Instead they kept battling, kept chipping away and handled business against a playoff team. I still cannot believe how this team has responded after losing Hutch by pulling off four straight wins.

2. The Lions are clearly in position for the NFC North- Right now, Detroit has built a nice cushion in the NFC North even with the Vikings at 7-2 thanks to two massive road divisional wins. Now you can't guarantee anything with divisional games (remember Detroit crushing Green Bay at Lambeau and then losing to Green Bay on Thanksgiving, both Chicago games last year) but Detroit is clearly in the driver's seat. Chicago continues to falter, Minnesota has offensive issues and Green Bay is 6-3 with a loss to Detroit already. The hard part of the schedule is over. If Detroit handles business versus Jacksonville and Indianapolis and goes 2-2 the rest of the way in the NFC North, that's 12 wins right there. That should clinch the North for back to back divisional titles.

3. Za'Darius Smith Impact- The Lions made their most aggressive deadline deal to date under the Holmes regime, with the Lions acquiring Za'Darius Smith at the trade deadline. He's 32 and not quite the menace he was in 2020/2021 but he's still a very solid pass rusher and sets the edge in the run game. The Lions don't need him for 50-60 snaps a game and honestly don't even need him on 1st down with how well Paschal and Onwuzurike play the run at the DE spots. What they need is a guy that can win a 1-on-1 on 3rd down and get to the QB, which Smith can still do. Only giving up a 5th and a 6th with a 7th coming back for a guy that is owed zero money after 2024 was the smart play. This was a great trade by Brad and made too much sense to pass up. Smith is not going to be Hutch and they don't need him to be. They just need him to get 3-4 pressures a game and cause a little havoc.

4. Aaron Glenn...I apologize- Consider this my official apology to Aaron Glenn. I will fill out the proper forms and send them to Allen Park while paying the expedite fee to make sure it arrives promptly. After Hutchinson went down, I was highly concerned that Glenn would panic and try to blitz as much as he can. He has done a great job mixing it up. They struggled against Minnesota and that first quarter against Tennessee had me scratching my head but since that first quarter the defense has been terrifying the last 11 quarters of football they've played. They made Green Bay work for every single yard and then against Houston, Detroit played maybe the best half of football I've seen from a Lions defense. It helps having the best safety duo in the league causing chaos everywhere but Glenn's done a great job mixing his blitzes and knowing when to send pressure. I also have felt they've done a better job containing #1 WR and Glenn has been willing to actually double team #1 WR's for the first time in his career. The acquisition of Smith should help the defense not rely so much on blitz packages to generate pressure and hopefully Terrion Arnold continues to improve so they can be aggressive in man coverage. Either way, Glenn has been awesome in 2024 and I wouldn't be shocked if he got a head coaching job next year.

5. Great work on the Alim McNeill deal- I thought getting Alim signed was a really good move by Brad and company.The $97M made people's eyes bulge but it is $55M guaranteed with an out after 2026 since they moved some money to him in 2024 with the extra cap space they had. He's been a top 10 DT in football since the beginning of last year and you saw the havoc he can create, when he was the best player on the field for Detroit last night. He's become a much improved pass rusher that can play every down and what him and DJ Reader do in the interior in the run game cannot be overstated. Eventually Detroit will have to make a decision on who to let walk in free agency but right now they couldn't afford to let Alim hit the market. He's a tough kid, plays his ass off and is a true difference maker as an interior lineman. There aren't many like him in the league at the DT position. Great work.

6. Slight concerns about the OL- This might be a slight overreaction. The OL has been pretty good most of the year I do have concerns if Decker misses more time. Campbell insinuated that Decker's shoulder isn't a long term injury but you saw what happens when they are not complete at the Offensive Line. They can survive not having Zeitler or Glasnow at guard because of Awosika's improvement but if Ragnow or one of the OT's miss time, they are in trouble. The Texans got the most pressure on the Lions this year when they sent 4 and the run game struggled bad in the first half. Decker hasn't been as sound as he has been in years past, but he's still way better than Skipper or Jamarco Jones. I wouldn't be shocked if Decker missed the Jacksonville game just to ensure he's healthy but they really need him once Thanksgiving hits.

7. Not worried about Goff- People will panic about Goff's five interception game and yes his MVP odds will dwindle significantly. But I'm overall not worried. We know what Jared is and what Jared isn't. He's not going to make plays with his feet or extend plays, that's just what he is. He cannot improvise and he never will. I thought really only one pick what truly his fault (the fifth one to Jameson). LaPorta lost his route and didn't turn his head quick enough to get the ball on the 4th pick. The Hail Mary shouldn't count but it does. He got essentially stripped sack and then an unfortunate tip on a right blitz call by Demeco Ryans that caused the first one. This has not been an issue for Jared in the past and he was due some turnover regression after the last five games. I will say Ben has to preach to Jared to get to his checkdowns quicker when he's facing pressure. Jared will pick it up and play better.

8. 2024 Draft Class has been fine- I think we all knew going into 2024 this particular draft class would not have much of an impact outside of Terrion Arnold. The culture and the roster was too good going into 2024 for there to be a lot of opportunities. Even still, it's been perfectly fine. Arnold isn't a shutdown CB but he's been fine at CB2 even with the annoying penalties. He's not getting burned, he's playing the run well and he's improved. He just has to learn to track the ball better and avoid the hand fighting when the ball is in the air. Ennis Rakestraw has been a perfectly fine special teamers and has provided depth when needed. We knew Manu wasn't going to play in 2024 so no surprise there. Sione Vaki has been a good special teamer in all facets and should be RB3 next year. Makhi Wingo has been a really nice find as a 6th rounder and has earned snaps as a versatile DL. It's impressive he's found the rotation and I think he will be even better as the year moves along. I still believe in Christian Mahogany and the fact the Lions are going to activate him from IR this year makes me feel good about him long term. The mono thing sucks and it blows he didn't have a training camp but I still like him. It's not the 2021-2023 drafts but it wasn't supposed to be that with a Super Bowl contender. If Arnold gets better and Wingo continues to play, I'm happy with it.

9. The Jack Campbell improvement- This is why Brad Holmes has his job and I don't have a job in the NFL. I didn't like the Campbell pick and he had struggles his rookie year. I had major concerns that he wasn't going to work out. This year however Jack has been one of the best off ball LB's in football. He's become an every down player and his pass coverage has improved immensely. We all knew he could play the run and he's continued to do that but he seems so much more comfortable and free in his second year. His play tracking is much better and he's actually been a plus in pass coverage. According to PFF he's been a top 10 LB in football so far in 2024 and I think the eye test matches that. The entire LB group has done a great job defending RB's and TE's in 2024, with Campbell leading the way. He could become an All-Pro type of player in 2025 if he continues this trajectory.

10. The path to the #1 seed is clear- Right now Detroit's biggest challengers for the 1 seed are Minnesota, Washington and Philadelphia. Nobody in the South or West should be a factor since Detroit has a 2.5 game lead on Atlanta and Arizona (3 game lead on San Fran). Detroit can really seal the deal against Minnesota if the win the second games as well. I think Washington will make the playoffs but due for regression. I would argue Philadelphia is the biggest competition for that 1 spot. Even with that, I think 13 wins would get them the #1 seed and that seems pretty doable for this team. If you split the rest of your division games and beat Jacksonville/Indy, that's 12 wins. Can you grab one against Buffalo at home or San Francisco on the road to get those 13 wins? Can you go 5-1 in the division to get to 13 or 14? Just know that when it comes to Detroit Lions, you simply cannot count them out in any game or in any situation. This should continue to be one hell of a ride for the Lions in 2024.
Click to expand...
Nice write up. Besides the interceptions, Goff seemed off, throwing several passes way short into the ground. I think he was struggling with an injury or something.
 
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#6,996
#6,996
zjcvols said:
It's Monday, I'm off today, I've had 2.5 cups of coffee AND we've reached another 4 game mark for Detroit. It's breakdown time!

1. It's the culture, stupid- In three games, against three good teams, the Lions had some sort of adverse situation they had to overcome. Against Minnesota, they went down 10-0 on the road. Against Green Bay, the elements were poor. Against Houston, they turned the ball over 5 times in the first 40 minutes of the game. And yet, every single time, it didn't matter because this franchise is built on overcoming the odds. The way they've built this culture and football team proves they can handle any type of football game and any type of situation. General Neyland once said "When the breaks go against you, don't let up, put on more steam" and I'm not sure I have ever seen a football embody that more than the 2024 Detroit Lions. I truly thought against Houston it was going to be Ravens 2023 all over again. An AFC team gets out ahead quickly and there is nothing you can do. It snowballs into a big loss. Instead they kept battling, kept chipping away and handled business against a playoff team. I still cannot believe how this team has responded after losing Hutch by pulling off four straight wins.

2. The Lions are clearly in position for the NFC North- Right now, Detroit has built a nice cushion in the NFC North even with the Vikings at 7-2 thanks to two massive road divisional wins. Now you can't guarantee anything with divisional games (remember Detroit crushing Green Bay at Lambeau and then losing to Green Bay on Thanksgiving, both Chicago games last year) but Detroit is clearly in the driver's seat. Chicago continues to falter, Minnesota has offensive issues and Green Bay is 6-3 with a loss to Detroit already. The hard part of the schedule is over. If Detroit handles business versus Jacksonville and Indianapolis and goes 2-2 the rest of the way in the NFC North, that's 12 wins right there. That should clinch the North for back to back divisional titles.

3. Za'Darius Smith Impact- The Lions made their most aggressive deadline deal to date under the Holmes regime, with the Lions acquiring Za'Darius Smith at the trade deadline. He's 32 and not quite the menace he was in 2020/2021 but he's still a very solid pass rusher and sets the edge in the run game. The Lions don't need him for 50-60 snaps a game and honestly don't even need him on 1st down with how well Paschal and Onwuzurike play the run at the DE spots. What they need is a guy that can win a 1-on-1 on 3rd down and get to the QB, which Smith can still do. Only giving up a 5th and a 6th with a 7th coming back for a guy that is owed zero money after 2024 was the smart play. This was a great trade by Brad and made too much sense to pass up. Smith is not going to be Hutch and they don't need him to be. They just need him to get 3-4 pressures a game and cause a little havoc.

4. Aaron Glenn...I apologize- Consider this my official apology to Aaron Glenn. I will fill out the proper forms and send them to Allen Park while paying the expedite fee to make sure it arrives promptly. After Hutchinson went down, I was highly concerned that Glenn would panic and try to blitz as much as he can. He has done a great job mixing it up. They struggled against Minnesota and that first quarter against Tennessee had me scratching my head but since that first quarter the defense has been terrifying the last 11 quarters of football they've played. They made Green Bay work for every single yard and then against Houston, Detroit played maybe the best half of football I've seen from a Lions defense. It helps having the best safety duo in the league causing chaos everywhere but Glenn's done a great job mixing his blitzes and knowing when to send pressure. I also have felt they've done a better job containing #1 WR and Glenn has been willing to actually double team #1 WR's for the first time in his career. The acquisition of Smith should help the defense not rely so much on blitz packages to generate pressure and hopefully Terrion Arnold continues to improve so they can be aggressive in man coverage. Either way, Glenn has been awesome in 2024 and I wouldn't be shocked if he got a head coaching job next year.

5. Great work on the Alim McNeill deal- I thought getting Alim signed was a really good move by Brad and company.The $97M made people's eyes bulge but it is $55M guaranteed with an out after 2026 since they moved some money to him in 2024 with the extra cap space they had. He's been a top 10 DT in football since the beginning of last year and you saw the havoc he can create, when he was the best player on the field for Detroit last night. He's become a much improved pass rusher that can play every down and what him and DJ Reader do in the interior in the run game cannot be overstated. Eventually Detroit will have to make a decision on who to let walk in free agency but right now they couldn't afford to let Alim hit the market. He's a tough kid, plays his ass off and is a true difference maker as an interior lineman. There aren't many like him in the league at the DT position. Great work.

6. Slight concerns about the OL- This might be a slight overreaction. The OL has been pretty good most of the year I do have concerns if Decker misses more time. Campbell insinuated that Decker's shoulder isn't a long term injury but you saw what happens when they are not complete at the Offensive Line. They can survive not having Zeitler or Glasnow at guard because of Awosika's improvement but if Ragnow or one of the OT's miss time, they are in trouble. The Texans got the most pressure on the Lions this year when they sent 4 and the run game struggled bad in the first half. Decker hasn't been as sound as he has been in years past, but he's still way better than Skipper or Jamarco Jones. I wouldn't be shocked if Decker missed the Jacksonville game just to ensure he's healthy but they really need him once Thanksgiving hits.

7. Not worried about Goff- People will panic about Goff's five interception game and yes his MVP odds will dwindle significantly. But I'm overall not worried. We know what Jared is and what Jared isn't. He's not going to make plays with his feet or extend plays, that's just what he is. He cannot improvise and he never will. I thought really only one pick what truly his fault (the fifth one to Jameson). LaPorta lost his route and didn't turn his head quick enough to get the ball on the 4th pick. The Hail Mary shouldn't count but it does. He got essentially stripped sack and then an unfortunate tip on a right blitz call by Demeco Ryans that caused the first one. This has not been an issue for Jared in the past and he was due some turnover regression after the last five games. I will say Ben has to preach to Jared to get to his checkdowns quicker when he's facing pressure. Jared will pick it up and play better.

8. 2024 Draft Class has been fine- I think we all knew going into 2024 this particular draft class would not have much of an impact outside of Terrion Arnold. The culture and the roster was too good going into 2024 for there to be a lot of opportunities. Even still, it's been perfectly fine. Arnold isn't a shutdown CB but he's been fine at CB2 even with the annoying penalties. He's not getting burned, he's playing the run well and he's improved. He just has to learn to track the ball better and avoid the hand fighting when the ball is in the air. Ennis Rakestraw has been a perfectly fine special teamers and has provided depth when needed. We knew Manu wasn't going to play in 2024 so no surprise there. Sione Vaki has been a good special teamer in all facets and should be RB3 next year. Makhi Wingo has been a really nice find as a 6th rounder and has earned snaps as a versatile DL. It's impressive he's found the rotation and I think he will be even better as the year moves along. I still believe in Christian Mahogany and the fact the Lions are going to activate him from IR this year makes me feel good about him long term. The mono thing sucks and it blows he didn't have a training camp but I still like him. It's not the 2021-2023 drafts but it wasn't supposed to be that with a Super Bowl contender. If Arnold gets better and Wingo continues to play, I'm happy with it.

9. The Jack Campbell improvement- This is why Brad Holmes has his job and I don't have a job in the NFL. I didn't like the Campbell pick and he had struggles his rookie year. I had major concerns that he wasn't going to work out. This year however Jack has been one of the best off ball LB's in football. He's become an every down player and his pass coverage has improved immensely. We all knew he could play the run and he's continued to do that but he seems so much more comfortable and free in his second year. His play tracking is much better and he's actually been a plus in pass coverage. According to PFF he's been a top 10 LB in football so far in 2024 and I think the eye test matches that. The entire LB group has done a great job defending RB's and TE's in 2024, with Campbell leading the way. He could become an All-Pro type of player in 2025 if he continues this trajectory.

10. The path to the #1 seed is clear- Right now Detroit's biggest challengers for the 1 seed are Minnesota, Washington and Philadelphia. Nobody in the South or West should be a factor since Detroit has a 2.5 game lead on Atlanta and Arizona (3 game lead on San Fran). Detroit can really seal the deal against Minnesota if the win the second games as well. I think Washington will make the playoffs but due for regression. I would argue Philadelphia is the biggest competition for that 1 spot. Even with that, I think 13 wins would get them the #1 seed and that seems pretty doable for this team. If you split the rest of your division games and beat Jacksonville/Indy, that's 12 wins. Can you grab one against Buffalo at home or San Francisco on the road to get those 13 wins? Can you go 5-1 in the division to get to 13 or 14? Just know that when it comes to Detroit Lions, you simply cannot count them out in any game or in any situation. This should continue to be one hell of a ride for the Lions in 2024.
Click to expand...
You have a great analytical mind zjc. Always
Enjoy your write ups on the Lions.
 
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