No snarky or clever intro here. Let’s just get straight into the Detroit Lions’ Week 8 report card against the Seattle Seahawks. The quicker
we get into it
Devon Kennard Jersey , the quicker it’s over. Quarterbacks: DThrough three quarters, I was actually prepared to give Matthew Stafford a spot in our Game
Ball candidates this week. Though he was off to a pretty slow start, his magical
play on the first drive—somehow escaping two potential sackers, then heaving it
perfectly over the safety to Marvin Jones Jr.—was good enough to warrant some
post-game recognition. However, his fourth quarter was a straight disaster. The
Lions were unlikely to make a comeback against Seattle on Sunday, but Stafford
ensured it would never happen with two terrible turnovers in Seahawks territory.
It was a very un-Stafford-like performance considering his reputation for
phenomenal fourth-quarter comebacks, and it cost us an opportunity to witness a
potentially exciting finish. Running backs: C+The Lions had to abandon the run
pretty quickly in this game, both because it was ineffective and because Detroit
found themselves down two scores for mostly the entire game. Kerryon Johnson
wasn’t really responsible for how poorly the run game was, and he showed on
Sunday he’s capable of being a third-down back in Theo Riddick’s absence.
However, he nor LeGarrette Blount provided much of any spark other than a decent
screen pass or two. Wide receivers: C-I’ll have to look at the tape to see
whether a guy like Kenny Golladay was just not getting open or if Stafford
wasn’t finding him, but this was supposed to be a pretty big mismatch against a
weak set of cornerbacks in Seattle. Golladay was a complete non-factor, while
Golden Tate had a couple frustrating drops. Marvin Jones Jr. did enough to pull
this position group out of the D-range, but this is supposed to be one of the
best receiving trios in the league, and they absolutely did not play like it on
Sunday.Tight ends: DLevine Toilolo continues to disappoint as a blocker. Luke
Willson had his best game of the season—a mere three catches for 21 yards and a
drop. Michael Roberts couldn’t continue to be the red zone threat he had been in
his two previous games. Detroit is still looking for playmaker in their tight
end group, and they’re still not finding one.Offensive line: D+Despite
Stafford’s three sacks, I thought the Lions front four did a decent job
protecting him. Stafford was holding onto the ball for quite some time, and the
offensive line shouldn’t really be expected to hold the pocket that
long.However, Detroit was absolutely dominated along the trenches in the running
game. The Lions didn’t have a run over seven yards on the day and averaged just
2.6 yards on the ground. Defensive line: DSpeaking of being dominated in the
trenches, the Seahawks were able to run the ball efficiently all game against
the Lions. Damon Harrison Sr. provided a little reprieve when he was
in—especially late in the game, giving the Lions a small opportunity for a
comeback—but it wasn’t enough. Additionally, the Lions’ pass rush remains
non-existent, whether by design or otherwise.Linebackers: D-Misdirection plays
and cutback lanes absolutely killed the Lions on Sunday
Will Harris Detroit Lions Jersey , and that usually means linebackers were biting or overcommitting. Jarrad Davis didn’t have an especially bad day, and he even made
a few early plays. However, it was clear when the Seahawks offenses started
rolling in the second quarter that Seattle found a weakness at Detroit’s second
level and the Lions had no answer. Secondary: FOn a day in which the opposing
quarterback has as many passing touchdowns (3) as incompletions, the secondary
has to take a good, long look in the mirror. Quandre Diggs, Nevin Lawson and
Teez Tabor were all responsible for allowing touchdowns on plays they could have
made a play on the ball. For as much credit as we’ve given the Lions’ defensive
backs—consistently calling them the strength of the defense—it’s time to
reevaluate this group. Being in position to make a play is only half the battle.
In reality, this team only has two interceptions on the season and have allowed
six of seven opposing quarterbacks to hit a 100+ passer rating. They were
absolutely awful on Sunday, and it’s been like this for longer than fans may
want to admit.Special teams: FI was prepared to give this unit an F even before
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson embarrassed Detroit with an impromptu fake punt
that sealed the game. Let’s count the miscues by the Lions special teams
unit:Fumble by Ameer Abdullah on kickoff3 penalties on returns, all resulting in
field position inside the Lions’ 15-yard line2 punt returns from Brandon Powell
resulting in a total of eight yards. He also fielded a punt on his own 5-yard
line, but that play was negated by a Seattle penalty1 punt touchback, resulting
in a net punt of 29 yards for Sam MartinHey, but Detroit’s coverage teams look
better! Coaching: DAs far as in-game management, I don’t have many complaints.
Detroit’s use of challenges, though admittedly looked odd, made logical sense. I
would’ve liked to see Matt Patricia use timeouts at the end of the first half to
give Detroit a chance at a field goal late, but considering how the defense
played, it was far from guaranteed the Lions would end up getting the ball back
anyways. However, the overall gameplan was clearly ineffective. Everyone knew
the Seahawks offense goes through their running game, and Detroit looked
ill-prepared to stop them. Ricky Jean Francois said after the game that the
players just didn’t seem focused, and Matt Patricia took the blame for it.“We
have to stay focused for the entire game and play 60 minutes,” Patricia said
after the game. “So, as the head coach
Will Harris Jersey 2019 , that’s my job.”I’m not sure I really buy “lack of focus” as the Lions’ main problem this game. That excuse seems a little overly simplistic
and convenient. But ultimately, the coaches are responsible for the team’s
performance, and Detroit’s play on Sunday was completely unacceptable. After the
release of Theo Riddick, what other players could be surprise cuts?" Detroit
Lions RosterNFL Open ThreadsTuesday open thread: Which Lions players could be
surprise cuts?New,44commentsAfter the release of Theo Riddick, what other
players could be surprise cuts?EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare
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cuts?TwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Allan Dranberg/Icon
Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe release of Theo Riddick was not necessarily out
of nowhere, since the coaching staff hadn’t utilized him to his strengths and
his value to the team had diminished. However, it signifies a changing of the
guard in the Detroit backfield, which will now be helmed by Kerryon Johnson and
C.J. Anderson. The likes of Ty Johnson, Mark Thompson, and Zach Zenner will be
competing for a spot or two on the roster.This is another fact of life in the
NFL: it’s a “What will you do for me?” mentality instead of a “What have you
done for me?” one. Veterans and long-time faces in the franchise are often
subjected to being cut. Is there a young up-and-comer nipping at their roster
spot? Did the team bring in additional competition? Riddick, despite some
excellent years with the Lions, was looking like an odd man out. If anything,
they did him a favor by releasing him at the start of camp, allowing him to find
a new home and get settled with the playbook.A lot can change over the course of
the preseason. Last season, the Lions cut DeShawn Shead at the start of
September. Despite once being billed as a starter, the Lions clearly weren’t
satisfied with his performance. With plenty of football to come, some jobs
aren’t as safe as they appear. It is worth keeping an eye on our Bubble Watch to
see who might be on the chopping block.August is quickly approaching, and that
means preseason and an eventual cut down to 53 players. With the Lions restocked
after an offseason of drafting and signing, it remains to be seen if others will
suffer a similar fate to Theo Riddick. Today’s Question of the Day is the
following:Which Lions players could be surprise cuts?My answer: The definition
of “surprise” is open to interpretation, but in my eyes, I’m looking at players
who
Will Harris Jersey Mens , as of now, look like safe bets to make the roster. These will clearly change over the course of training camp, but that’s for future us
to worry about. I want to know RIGHT NOW who could be a surprise cut.My pick for
surprise cut is Rashaan Melvin. “But he’s our CB2!” you might be exclaiming
right now, to which I reply, “Yes, he is... for now.”The Lions had a similar
situation last year with Shead. Shead earned a one-year, $3.5 million contract
to be the Lions’ starter across from Darius Slay. He was cut in September and
later re-signed, but he was never a competent starter. Melvin earned a one-year,
$3.5 million contract to be the Lions’ starter across from Darius Slay.Melvin is
coming off a poor season with the Oakland Raiders, and though he had some
success with the Indianapolis Colts beforehand, I’m not certain that the 29 year
old will bounce back in Detroit. I think the acquisition of slot corner Justin
Coleman will be a big factor in whether or not Melvin stays. Coleman might be
given a shot to play outside, given his noteworthy contract.The cornerback group
as a whole has a lot of question marks, such as the role of rookie Amani
Oruwariye, whether Teez Tabor and Mike Ford can show some growth, and if the
likes of Marcus Cooper, Dee Virgin, Andre Chachere, and Jamal Agnew can earn
some starting time. I don’t think Melvin’s spot on this roster is as solid as it
might appear.Your turn.Tweets from
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