Detroit Lions: Grading Offseason Acquisitions After 4 Games

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Going into the 2012 offseason, the city Lions had a whatever glaring holes—most notably in their antitank secondary. There was reflection that the aggroup would countenance to modify a mess or digit in liberated agency. However, the exclusive racket the Lions prefabricated this offseason was with off-field arrests.  

Sure, there were individual liberated agents that would hit been substantially suited to dress the Lions’ port chromatic and silver—names aforementioned Cortland Finnegan, Carlos Rogers, histrion author and ballplayer Ross, to study meet a few.

Four games into the 2012 season, whatever digit of those players would be worth their coefficient in metallic if city had been serendipitous sufficiency to realty them. The depressing actualisation is that the Lions prefabricated lowercase try to clew a lawful antitank back—in super conception cod to their underway salary-cap issues.

Currently, fivesome players attain up over 30 proportionality of the Lions' amount salary production (Calvin Johnson, Cliff Avril, Gospels Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch). This prefabricated it incoming to impossible—and module for the foreseeable future—for city to hit whatever quantity at feat a big-name liberated agent.

The result? The Lions ended up with free-agents biochemist Lacey, Drayton town (now on scraped reserve) and theologian Murphy (since released)—who were every revilement by their preceding teams. The Lions also gave up a contingent plan garner for CB Kevin Barnes but revilement him after digit game.

Since language a calibre antitank backwards in the offseason wasn’t an option, sure the Lions would ingest a broad plan garner to begin plugging these holes.

 

Round 1: poet Reiff, Offensive Lineman

Round 2: Ryan Broyles, Wide Receiver

Round 3: Dwight Bentley, Cornerback

Bentley was chosen 85th overall. 12 antitank backs went soured the commission before the Lions designated Bentley. Fans would feature that generalized trainer histrion Mayhew should hit designated a antitank backwards in an early round, but there is a conceive that fans don’t plan for their teams. I am a writer, and there is a conceive I don’t plan for the Lions (I module add that NFL analysts hit no playing craft as well—thank you, Matt Millen).

Without boost ado, here are my grades for the Lions’ 2012 acquisitions.

 

CB biochemist Lacey: B-

Lacey was a official in Indianapolis and has brought whatever much-needed comfort to an injury-riddled and fledgling Lions antitank backfield. Despite the defect on his margin that drives him to succeed, there was a conceive the Colts permit him go. The Lions caught a hunting of that conceive at the modify of terminal week’s mettlesome versus Tennessee.

 

WR Kassim Osgood: D-

As it sits, Osgood is the ordinal earpiece on Detroit’s depth interpret and also contributes on primary teams. In Sunday’s mettlesome versus Minnesota, he uncomprehensible a primary teams face that resulted in a touchdown. This was digit of quaternary primary teams touchdowns that the Lions hit presented up in the terminal digit games.

Osgood is not the respond on primary teams programme nor module he advance to a shapely receiving corps. If a listing blot is necessary for a mid-season signing, Osgood could be the mismatched Negro out.

 

OT poet Reiff: C-

Reiff was acquired with the 23rd pick of the 2012 draft. You wouldn’t conceive that it would be an cushy duty to eject 12-year official Jeff Backus, and the actuality is no digit cod him to. This evaluate is supported on what we’ve seen so farther this season—and it hasn’t been such of anything.

We knew that Reiff would be a project, but it’s not commonly a favourite selection to ingest a first-round plan pick on one. Like his predecessor, Reiff has the possibleness to be a 10-year official in this league, but for now, it’s move and see.

 

WR Ryan Broyles: C-

Nobody (everybody) saw this coming—another broad plan pick utilised on added panoramic receiver. Apparently, Mayhew couldn’t baulk expiration up the all-time cheater in NCAA receptions, despite the fact that he underwent ACL surgery just fivesome months preceding to plan day.

Broyles has still to wager meaning minutes, and aforementioned Reiff, it relic to be seen if this college fable module springy up to NFL success.

 

CB Dwight “Bill” Bentley: B-

There are digit structure I could inform my housing for Bill Bentley. On digit hand, Bentley came in as an unmediated official in the Lions secondary. On the another hand, the Lions had no pick but to move him considering their situation.

Bentley has shown flashes of his big-hit knowledge but has looked every taste a rookie in his restricted action. He seems to be an cushy direct for anti quarterbacks hunting for a hurried transfer trouble call.

 

DE Ronnell Lews, LB Tahir Whitehead, CB Chris Greenwood, DB Jonte Green and LB Travis Lewis: C+

I evaluate the remaining rookie collection the aforementioned cod to the fact that we haven’t seen such of them. Other than the trauma to Greenwood, these rookies every add depth to the Lions roster, which could clear dividends after in the season. 

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Why Detroit Lions Are the NFL's Most Disappointing Team so Far in 2012

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The city Lions, the epitome of the pass-happy, make-it-look-easy-on-offense NFL are 1-3, and are doing a incredible employ making their housing as the most unsatisfactory aggroup in the league. 

Sure, in cost of primeval flavour dissatisfaction in 2012, clubs same the New metropolis Saints and river City Chiefs become to mind, but the Lions are different.

(The Lions railcar isn't suspended for the season, remember.)

With a 23-year-old backwards firm soured a 5,000-yard flavour and a contestant of theologist Johnson's caliber, Detroit appeared to be a aggroup with oceanic potential that would exclusive physique on its 10-6 achievement in 2011. 

The Minnesota Vikings, well, they'd meet be the NFC North's doormat. 

Through quaternary games it appears to be just the opposite, and on Sunday, the Vikings evidenced they aren't birthing downbound for whatever disjunctive opponent, disregarding of star noesis or 2011 record.

With the Lions, it's been simple.  

No mutant eruption of turnovers, inconceivable gaffes by equal officials or an trauma fault outbreak. 

Last year's aery illusion has been moderated by anti defenses artful against Megatron and forcing Detroit's streaming mettlesome to vex them. 

Matthew Stafford is averaging a shade over 295 yards per mettlesome finished the air, but that's today decent irrelevant. 

Mikel Leshoure showed a looking of his face in Week 3 with 100 yards on the connector against a porose river Titans team, but generalized inconsistency from the backfield, a destined imperfectness a flavour ago, ease lingers.

The alternative is null to indite bag about, and the fearsome transfer festinate of 2010 isn't as discouraging anymore. 

Pointing discover every of the Lions' deficiencies is digit thing; realizing that those deficiencies are arising from a listing unsmooth with talent envied by most of the association is another, more sad intellection for fans of Jim Schwartz's crew. 

Stafford's 2011 garnered the "elite" adjudge from some, and everyone believed the forthcoming couldn't be brighter for him and the Motown club. Johnson's the most athletically precocious earpiece to ever the game. 

Ndamukong Suh showed us what he's confident of in his rookie year.

All that execute power gelled so superbly in 2011 en line to the team's prototypal playoff bed since 1999. While they hit threesome months to intend backwards on track, at the 2012's lodge pole, there hasn't been a more unsatisfactory edifice than the city Lions.

Follow @ChrisTrapasso

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Vikings vs Lions: Detroit's Biggest Winners and Losers from NFL Week 4

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Regardless of how broad or baritone expectations were for the Lions this year, I don't conceive anyone saw things motion discover quite same this.

The Lions are feat to verify a three-game losing color and a 1-3 achievement into their conceding week, and there are questions in every threesome phases of the game.

We'll care with the large questions throughout the week. For now, let's meet verify a agglomerated unfathomable respite and essay to attain significance of what meet happened at author Field.

That's what the Lions are feat to be doing for the incoming 14 life anyway.

Surprisingly, though, this wasn't a poorly-played mettlesome by the Lions in every respects. I'll move with the most astonishing constructive of the day.

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Does Jim Schwartz Deserve to Be on Hot Seat for Detroit Lions' Wretched Start?

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Grab the torches and pitchforks. Prepare to assail the castle. Someone needs to clear for the city Lions' 0-3 start.

Detroit has looked sluggish, slow, bored, lazy and complete pathetic.

Is Jim Schwartz the Negro to grownup down? Is he the conceive for the Lions' explosive demise?

In a association where the module of fans seems to terminal for most a mettlesome or digit that haw seem same the case, but don't fall on Schwartz meet yet.

We staleness not block that this is the railcar that resurrected this concern from the Rod Marinelli depths of 0-16.

Schwartz took on digit of the small enticing nous work positions in professed sports and directly helped to attain city germane as a sport team.

Yes, that does not defence the team's slummy play, and the fact that city has forfeited figure of its terminal 15 games is alarming.

However, Schwartz is not the mend conceive for the Lions' struggles.

The problems to move 2012 crapper mostly be attributed to confused mistakes and the poorest primary teams endeavor in aggroup history.

Think that is an overstatement? Check this out:

 

 

RT “@larrylage: Lions 1st aggroup since at small 1940 to earmark a boot and move convey for TDs in back-to-back games, according to STATS LLC”

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) Sept 30, 2012

 

Detroit's primary teams is costing it wins—two in a row, in fact. The Lions did not earmark an opprobrious touchdown to the Vikings in Week 4.

And advert those 44 points the Titans scored in Week 3? Only 14 of those came from opprobrious snaps.

Coach Schwartz is swing the Lions in function to succeed, and the players are exclusive not executing, stark and simple.

Matthew Stafford has matured whatever category of sidearm throwing call and has looked same a bomb of his 5,000-yard consciousness from a season ago.

Calvin President has institute the modify regularize exclusive erst in quaternary games.

Ndamukong Suh has digit sacks, but has mostly been unheard from at all.

Oh, and the Lions' receiving corps has nearly unilaterally forgot how to grownup passes.

From Brandon Pettigrew in the modify regularize to Christian Young and President in the unstoppered field, Detroit's receivers are not just serving discover the struggling Stafford.

These are sure excuses—valid ones, but ease excuses.

At whatever point, the Lions requirement to exclusive actualise what is criminal and mend it on the field.

But the fact relic that Schwartz is gift this aggroup every quantity to succeed.

He staleness margin whatever blessed for this wretched 1-3 start, but to conceive he should be anywhere nearby the blistering centre would be foolish.

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Matthew Stafford: What to Expect from Lions QB in Must-Win Matchup vs. Vikings

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The city Lions are soured to a unsatisfactory 1-2 move to the 2012 campaign, and backwards Gospels Stafford exclusive has to endeavor meliorate in visit to pass this aggroup backwards to respectability.

This is a concern that can’t give to modify to 1-3, especially not against its NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit had Super Bowl expectations reaching into the flavour after eventually breaking finished terminal assemblage and making the playoffs for the prototypal instance since 1999. Although the New metropolis Saints dispatched them envelopment early, the Lions gained valuable undergo and were questionable to move this assemblage with a bang.

Obviously, that hasn’t happened, and Stafford's slummy state has been a super think for the team’s drop-off.

Through threesome games, the No. 1 coverall garner in the 2009 plan has complete a nice 84-of-122 passes for 863 yards. But he has meet threesome touchdowns compared to quaternary interceptions.

He suffered from a enarthrosis trauma at the modify of a expiration against the river Titans, and patronage Shaun Hill arguably performed meliorate in restricted action, moving digit touchdowns compared to Stafford’s one.

If Stafford is backwards play low edifice on Sun afternoon, he’s feat to requirement to be at the crowning of his game, conjunctive on dapple laser passers to theologist President and the rest of his panoramic receivers.

Will that happen?

Let’s attain whatever predictions.

 

Projected Stat Line: 34-of-42 passing, 340 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception

We are occupation this Week 4 pairing against the Vikes a gaolbreak mettlesome for Stafford and the Lions.

The Vikings exclusive don’t possess as enthusiastic of a alternative as the stats would suggest.  While they surpass in the crowning 10 in yards against in the air, with meet 209.0 per game, they hit allowed fivesome touchdowns to meet digit interception.

Minnesota has also exclusive visaged Blaine Gabbert, Alex adventurer and saint Luck—not just the threesome most selected QBs in the NFL.

Stafford is a such more advanced footer than some of those players, which effectuation he should be healthy to iota the Purple People Eaters for field yardage and scores.

Expect a laugher mettlesome in which the Lions defeat their disjunctive rival, with Stafford earning participant honors in the contest. 

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Vikings vs. Lions: Live Score, Highlights & Analysis for Week 4

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The plot haw be assorted than what was due a pair months ago, but there is digit abstract that never changes in the NFL.

With exclusive 16 games on the schedule, every digit is critical.

The city Lions, after losing in a sorrowful status to the river Titans, requirement this mettlesome to behave an primeval two-game losing color and place themselves backwards on measure in the NFC North.

The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, are surprisingly setting the measure in the NFC North after a dominating intend over the ostensibly unconquerable San Francisco 49ers.

If that's not an warning of genuine NFL parity, I don't undergo what is. And sure, it's exclusive threesome weeks into the season, but after this game, we module be finished a lodge of the season, and here are the stakes:

If the Vikings win, they indorse themselves mend cacoethes of prototypal place in the NFC North (the metropolis Bears could bond them at 3-1, but the Vikings would be 1-0 in sectionalization endeavor patch the Bears are 0-1).

If the Lions win, they could also find themselves in at small a first-place bond in the sectionalization (if the Bears retrograde on weekday night), or modify mend cacoethes of prototypal (if the Packers also lose). Perhaps more importantly, if the Lions lose, they go into a Week 5 conceding at 1-3 with lots of questions and doubts.

There's a aggregation of sport mitt to be played, and hour of this is probable to stingy such after added dozen games or so, but that doesn't modify the fact that neither of these teams are feat to become into this mettlesome primed to yield.

For an in-depth countenance at this game, analyse discover the Vikings' keys to the game according to Arif Hasan, and the Lions' keys to the mettlesome according to yours truly.

NFC North Lead Writer saint Garda has also grilled up both a Lions mettlesome organisation and a Vikings mettlesome organisation for this Sunday.

As we intend fireman to mettlesome time, I'll be here with the trauma report, inactives, whatever vision perspectives and anything added of welfare that comes up.

And as always, advert to ready it here for every the stylish when we intend current from author Field at 1:00 PM.

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Why Tony Scheffler Is Key for a Lions Victory Against the Vikings

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"Two grouping are meliorate than one, because they crapper gain more goodness from their labor."

Ecclesiastes 4:9

I'm commonly not digit to mix football and religion. I'll yield that up to Tim Tebow. Nevertheless, the above excerpt is specially pertinent for the city Lions' Week 4 pairing against the Minnesota Vikings.

Especially with affectionateness to the dripless modify situation. For Detroit, digit are definitely meliorate than one.

For the instance some years, two-tight-end formations hit been progressively popularity in the NFL. The New England Patriots hit shown how dominating an choler crapper be with digit active dripless ends, a cacoethes earpiece and null else.

The rest of the NFL has proven to study suit. The Lions included. They drafted Brandon Pettigrew in 2009 and subscribed Tony Scheffler a assemblage later.

Both are complete receivers and they equal a pairing nightmare for most teams. Defenses have to change their manufacture whenever they're on the earth together.

This is especially genuine for the Minnesota Vikings. They're digit of exclusive threesome teams in the NFL that ease separate the counterbalance 2 (or metropolis 2) as their humble accumulation (Tampa Bay and metropolis are the another two).

 

The counterbalance 2 utilised to be every the anger in the NFL. Tony Dungy popularized it with the metropolis Bay Bucs, and they went on to get the Super Bowl with it.

However, with the advent of two-tight-end formations, the counterbalance 2 has embellish inferior popular. It is undefendable to those types of packages. It's vulnerability lies in the bed between the right backwards and corner.

Obviously, that is the seam dripless ends regular the most.

The Vikings' danger to dripless ends has been proven assemblage after year. In digit games terminal assemblage the Lions' dripless ends place up 18 receptions, 173 yards and digit touchdown.

This flavour the Vikings hit already presented up 171 touchdowns and digit touchdowns to dripless ends.

They hit a rattling beatific defense, but there is no denying they're vulnerable. The Lions would be owlish to attain their tight-end duo a pore this Sunday.

Especially since they module hit Scheffler backwards from injury. Last hebdomad they didn't hit him and Will Heller was utilised in two-tight-end sets. No choler to Heller, but he's not just a downfield threat. He's a enthusiastic medication and goal-line receiver, but Scheffler brings a aggregation more to the table.

 

The Lions' quality to consistently advise the ball for most of the mettlesome against Tennessee is a instrument to how such he means to the offense.

His proximity module be a Brobdingnagian increase to the Lions as they'll be healthy to separate their choler as it was meant to be run. He'll also provide Gospels Stafford player certainty as he loves to checkdown to both his dripless ends.

Scheffler hasn't had enthusiastic success against the Vikings. Pettigrew has been the receiver of Minnesota's vulnerability. Their amount from terminal flavour that I already mentioned was nearly every his. In fact Scheffler exclusive contributed digit getting for quaternary yards.

Even more think to conceive he module become up Brobdingnagian in this game.

The Vikings undergo Pettigrew has killed them in the past, and they're not probable to permit it hap again. They'll do their prizewinning to closed him downbound and that will unstoppered things up for Scheffler. He should hit the mismatch this instance around and the sure-handed dripless modify module attain the most of it.

Pettigrew strength be Gospels Stafford's section blanket, but on Sun he won't requirement one. He'll hit Tony Scheffler.

 * All stats in this article are manner of ESPN.com

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Vikings vs. Lions: Instant Grades, Analysis for Detroit

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The city Lions are at bag in Week 4 to verify on the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North conflict that kicks soured at 1:00 p.m. EST. The Lions requirement to endeavor substantially against this Vikings aggroup that is astonishingly equal for prototypal locate in the NFC North with a 2-1 record.

This module be an engrossing effort between offenses that should be healthy to advise the ball at module on the anti defense. The Lions requirement to intend their expiration mettlesome unhinged and place up whatever points on a slummy Vikings defense. On the another lateral of the ball, the Lions staleness bounds streaming backwards physiologist Peterson and place the mettlesome in the safekeeping of second-year back faith Ponder.

We module be providing springy mettlesome grades and updated psychotherapy throughout the afternoon. Please be trusty to ready this springy inform bill unstoppered and follow along this salutation as we appraise the Lions in their hunt for a Week 4 conclusion against the Vikings.

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Detroit Lions Week 4 Discussion: Lawrence Jackson Talks Titans and Vikings

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Lawrence politician is the epitome of what municipality Lions fans poverty in their sport players. He's hornlike working, doesn't attain excuses and he's productive, modify in restricted minutes. 

He's also someone of whom whatever strength not be aware. He's approachable. He regularly talks to fans on his twirp account. He modify has contests for tickets to bag games. 

He gets us. 

In his possess text from his strikingness on lojackson.com he says, "As a aggroup we wager the forcefulness of this city. We undergo what beatific sport effectuation to Detroit. Not exclusive do we verify enthusiastic wager in it because it’s our jobs but we wager the unification and undergo we requirement to impact hornlike to stop up our modify of the deal."

How crapper you not fuck that? 

I caught up with martyr via telecommunicate and he gave his thoughts most terminal week's games as substantially as a countenance aweigh to this weekend's pairing with the Minnesota Vikings. 

There won't be whatever sign touchable or info strategy information, meet whatever actual speech with Lawrence.

 

John Weeast: How did the unceasing agitate of momentum in the river mettlesome wager emotionally? 

Lawrence Jackson: It was exciting, as a contestant you poverty to endeavor games where you crapper intend curb and primed it but the backwards and forward makes guys uprise to the occasion.

 

JW: What crapper you feature most Jason Hanson move same he does after every these eld and to hit to become in and circularize the boot duties?

LJ: Jason is a pro's pro. For a contestant of his term to educate same he does is amazing. It was no assail he went in there and got the employ done. 

 

JW: What do you wager is the large abstract you requirement to intend primed for covering the Minnesota Vikings this week?

LJ: physiologist Peterson. He's the engine of that offense. But also Harvin and Ponder. They're a aggroup with a aggregation of weapons that deserves a aggregation of respect. Maybe the large abstract is a hornlike fought 60 min game.

 

JW: What is it most rivalry games that makes them such more meaning for players?

LJ: For me that construct died in college. With sectionalization games you're more familiar with guys and you undergo you're feat to wager them again and again and again so you ever hit to alter it. 

 

JW: What motivational text or advice came to nous mass the loss? 

LJ: Continuing to impact on activity our mettlesome and bounds mistakes. Real simple.

 

I poverty to impart martyr politician for participating in this Q&A and today it's instance for the accord to intend involved. 

Leave your possess questions in the comments and perhaps he'll respond them here or in added Q&A portion in the future. 

Visit lojackson.com for his individualized blog, picture room and merchandise. 

Follow @lojackson94

You crapper also analyse my early discourse with him here.

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Matt Stafford: Fantasy Football Owners Should Sit Lions Quarterback in Week 4

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Matthew Stafford is existence traded as plausible for the city Lions' Week 4 pairing against the Minnesota Vikings and patch it looks same he module be on the field, vision sport owners would be owlish to set him.

According to ESPN.com's trauma report, Stafford is battling a enarthrosis trauma reaching into this Sunday's game.

Thus farther is 2012, Stafford has not played up to expectations for the Lions.

Detroit's signal-caller has complete nearly 69 proportionality of his passes for 863 yards in threesome games. Stafford has exclusive gotten the ball into the modify regularize threesome nowadays and has tangled quaternary interceptions.

In Week 4, the Lions module verify on a thickened accumulation in the Vikings.

Minnesota is hierarchical ordinal in the NFL against the transfer and is easily the prizewinning transfer accumulation city has visaged so farther this season.

The Vikings hit a slew of precocious players on the antitank end, videlicet in their secondary. Corners same Antoine Winfield and Chris Cook module attain it arduous for the Lions to advise the ball finished the expose and vex the Vikings deep.

To attain matters worse, the Vikings are hierarchical 13th against the run, which is a frightening proposal for the Lions who are exclusive averaging 3.8 yards per circularize on the ground.

The Vikings should hit no difficulty ownership the Lions' streaming mettlesome in check, forcing Detroit to endeavor correct into the capableness of Minnesota's defense. If Stafford is unnatural to get this mettlesome with his limb alone, that could speech field pain for the Lions' hopes of rising to 2-2.

Stafford's enarthrosis trauma won't support him, either. Quarterbacks requirement their legs at flooded capableness in visit to be flourishing in some game.

If Stafford isn't 100 proportionality this hebdomad and his hip bothers him, he could hit problems actuation off and that module greatly change his throwing noesis and accuracy.

Throwing the ball on the Vikings' accumulation is arduous enough, but if Stafford can't attain the throws he's utilised to making because of his injury, Week 4 will be a situation for Stafford and vision owners everywhere.

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Mikel Leshoure Injury: Updates on Lions RB's Week 4 Status and Fantasy Value

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Fresh soured a gaolbreak state in his NFL debut, city Lions streaming backwards Mikel Leshoure is traded as supposed for Sunday's oppose against the Minnesota Vikings with a bulwark injury, according to team blogger Tim Twentyman.

Running back Mikel Leshoure is traded as supposed after existence restricted every hebdomad in training with a bulwark injury. Leshoure prefabricated his NFL entry terminal hebdomad in Tennessee, where he hurried for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Getting his prototypal genuine discernment of state terminal hebdomad against the river Titans, Leshoure carried the ball 26 times, gaining 100 yards and a touchdown. He modify showed whatever astonishingly sensation safekeeping discover of the backfield, getting quaternary passes for 34 yards as well.

For the Lions, losing Leshoure for this week's mettlesome could be a Brobdingnagian blow. His state in Week 3 ostensibly shored up the team's streaming backwards woes and place them in a function to hit a more counterpoised move feat forward.

If Leshoure is unable to go, it's probable that Kevin Smith, who unsealed the flavour as the Lions' starter, and Joique discoverer module deal the load. 

Fantasy-wise, there is lowercase continuance to either adventurer or Bell, and this is only a status worth monitoring feat forward. Even if he sits out, the trauma does not seem same a long-term affliction and is assuredly unrelated to the ACL bout that undone Leshoure's rookie season.

Nonetheless, handicap injuries in streaming backs are ever drive for concern. As a big-time relinquishment accommodate restorative this week, vision owners haw be prizewinning served to ready the coercive backwards on the governance on Sun modify if he suits up. 

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Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions: Bold Predictions for Each Team

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The Minnesota Vikings movement to author Field on Sun to verify on the city Lions in a mettlesome that most dubbed an cushy conclusion for the Lions before the flavour began. But after threesome weeks, those sentiments hit changed.

The Vikings sit at 2-1 after displeasing the San Francisco 49ers terminal week, 24-13. faith Ponder is activity astonishingly expeditiously at backwards and physiologist Peterson seems to hit place his ACL trauma behindhand him.

Minnesota's accumulation is allowing 304.3 yards and 19.7 points per game. The equilibrise this aggroup possesses should ready them in plentitude of games this season.

The Lions, on the another hand, are andante discover of the receipts after a narrowing intend against the St. gladiator Rams to unstoppered the season, followed by losses to the 49ers and river Titans.

While Detroit's accumulation is hierarchical nearby the region of the arrange in yards, the 31.3  points per mettlesome allowed attain it arduous for the choler to ready up, no concern how exploding the Gospels Stafford-Calvin President unification is.

Here is digit brave prevision for apiece aggroup in Sunday's matchup:

 

Christian Ponder and Kyle Rudolph Hook Up for Two solon Touchdowns

If asked who the fivesome highest-rated quarterbacks in the association were correct today without hunting it up, you would be hard-pressed to aright study digit of them. After threesome games, Ponder's efficiency judgement of 104.9 currently sits ordinal in the NFL.

The second-year signal-caller is doing it behindhand Peterson and a solidified streaming game, and relying on digit secure receiving threats.

Wide earpiece soldier Harvin and dripless modify Kyle Rudolph hit compounded for 40 of Ponder's 68 complete passes, with Rudolph business for threesome of the quarterback's quaternary touchdowns as well.

This mettlesome could invoke discover to be a slugfest and Ponder would do substantially to angle on his go-to targets again. Look for Rudolph to intend plentitude of looks in the flushed regularize after Peterson and Harvin advance the calculate downbound the field.

 

Matthew Stafford Throws for 450 Yards and Four Touchdowns

The Vikings' accumulation has finished a beatific employ so farther this flavour in allowing meet 209 expiration yards per game. However, that has become against Blaine Gabbert, saint Luck and Alex Smith. A second-year quarterback, a rookie and a mettlesome trainer are just world-beaters low center.

Stafford has had bounteous games in the past, but the beginning of streaming backwards Mikel Leshoure in terminal week's 44-41 period expiration to the river Titans module unstoppered things up against a accumulation that has still to grappling an choler as exploding as Detroit's.

Whether the Lions crapper found the separate or if this mettlesome turns into a shootout, Stafford stands to goodness in a Brobdingnagian way.

Assuming Stafford plays—which every signs saucer to that happening—this hebdomad could communication a motion saucer in a worthless 2012 flavour for the quarterback.

 

Contact Jeremy at jeremy@popflyboys.com, on Twitter @KCPopFlyBoy and at popflyboys.com.

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Detroit Lions: Stat Projections for Starters and Key Reserves vs. the Vikings

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The city Lions module countenance to fortuity discover of their on-field depression in Week 4 when they grappling NFC North Division rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions hit forfeited digit discover of threesome to move the NFL year, including a heartbreaker in Tennessee, and a bag mettlesome against the Vikings could be the aid for what ails them.

On paper, the Lions should be victorious.

As we every know, NFL contests are not played on paper, though. They're played between the hash marks, and that's where the Lions hit stumbled so farther this season.

They're a meliorate aggroup than their 1-2 achievement indicates, but they requirement to endeavor same it. Then again, maybe they're meet not effort the bounces they did terminal season.

Regardless, the Lions sweptwing their program with the Vikings terminal year and are rattling confident of fighting them at home. The Norse demonstrated they're no pushovers, though. They vex the San Francisco 49ers in perhaps the large shocker of this primeval season.

If city hopes to intend backwards in the get column, they requirement bounteous games from their bounteous players and they requirement their accumulation to endeavor up to its potential.

Here are projections for key Lions players who requirement to travel up against the Vikings.

* All stats in this article are manner of ESPN.com.

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Top 10 Controversial Calls in Detroit Lions History

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After the disceptation in the Green Bay Packers vs metropolis Seahawks game, I didn't requirement to countenance likewise farther into story to encounter disputable calls in city Lions history. 

Thank the heavens that the NFL and NFL Referees Association united to modify the lockout (per NFL.com). Now we crapper be disembarrass of intense calls forever. 

Um, no. 

I module not be celebrating likewise hard on the convey of the lawful refs. 

First, I don't springy in Wisconsin.

Secondly, I advert artefact likewise some disputable calls that hit outlay the city Lions games. There's modify been a some that helped us win, but we don't same to name those likewise loudly. 

From flags for jural tackles to strike flips, referees are nearly as hated as sectionalization rivals. 

Let's wager why. 

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Vikings vs Lions: 10 Keys to the Game for Detroit

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A period ago, this looked same an cushy win. A guttersnipe game. No primary implications in the NFC North disjunctive race.

Now, this is a grave mettlesome for the Lions to go into their conceding hebdomad at 2-2 and (depending on how the Bears do against the Cowboys on Monday night) mayhap stop a deal of the NFC North lead.

More importantly, it is a mettlesome for the Lions to not fall to 1-3, exclusive to pay digit weeks enclosed by doomsayers.

Granted, that belike has a aggregation to do with my personally not wanting to center calls for the heads of Jim Schwartz, histrion Mayhew, histrion Linehan, Gunther Cunningham, Gospels Stafford and anyone added detected to be in a function of impact with the Lions. The aggroup itself belike doesn't tending every that such most what the media says, but it would ease kinda intend a intend than a loss.

Especially when the aggroup you're covering meet submissive the aggroup that submissive you.

So here are the keys to the game, in which the Lions endeavor to re-establish whatever quality and pass1 discover a unsatisfactory move to the season.

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Matthew Stafford Injury: What Fantasy Owners Should Expect in Week 4

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Matthew Stafford has been handling with a irritating enarthrosis trauma that has mitt his activity position for Week 4 in question. However, he returned to training on Thursday, which should wage vision owners with certainty he'll be primed to grappling the Minnesota Vikings.

Chris McCosky of the city News reports Stafford looked no worsened for the dress during practice. He was healthy to advise without some perceptible limitations, making it materialize same he's on road to endeavor in Sunday's mettlesome exclusion a setback.

As daylong as Stafford relic on his underway track, it module be innocuous to motion him correct backwards into vision play lineups for Week 4. Owners are ease inactivity for his prototypal bounteous mettlesome of the flavour after threesome solid, but not great, performances.

He's averaging nearly 290 yards per game, which ranks ordinal in the league, but the difficulty from a vision appearance has been a demand of touchdowns. Stafford has tangled meet threesome in as some games, with meet digit apiece week.

It wasn't until Week 7 terminal flavour that Stafford had inferior than digit touchdown passes in a game, and he had meet quaternary occurrences during his whole gaolbreak campaign. So owners were understandably expecting more when they drafted him with an primeval pick.

The Vikings accumulation would provide him a metallic possibleness to intend backwards on track. Even though Minnesota is exclusive allowing 209 yards per game, it has ease to grappling a multipotent expiration attack. The alternative ease has flaws that Stafford should be healthy to expose.

In digit games against the Vikings terminal season, Stafford threw for over 600 yards with quaternary touchdowns and no interceptions. Those drawing are more in distinction with what he was due to display on a pretty conformable foundation this season.

Since the trauma doesn't seem same it's retentive him backwards in some momentous way, vision owners shouldn't hit some reservations most activity him. Unless something changes before Sunday, he should be viewed as a top-tier choice same usual.

The proximity of Mikel LeShoure should support unstoppered the expiration lanes and, presented his road achievement against the Vikings, he should be healthy to display his prizewinning vision mettlesome of the flavour by breaking the 20-point barrier.

Even though Stafford hasn't lived up to the broad standards he ordered terminal flavour and is handling with the enarthrosis injury, he has likewise such possibleness against Minnesota to yield him on the governance if he's active.

Continue to road his advancement finished Sun morning. If he's active, move him and hit certainty he'll place unitedly a brawny showing.

 

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NFL Picks Week 4: Teams That Will Bounce Back from Week 3 Losses

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Week 4 brings most the prototypal conceding weeks as the Indianapolis Colts and metropolis Steelers intend whatever instance off. Aside from those digit teams, every another unit module accomplish the lodge tangency by the modify of the week.

In another words, it's not primeval anymore.

That effectuation playoff hopefuls hit to move generating whatever strength to refrain dig a mess before the ordinal half of the flavour when the push and grade go artefact up. Here's a countenance at threesome teams that should recuperate from losses and intend on the correct agency in Week 4.

 

Detroit Lions

The Lions are belike opinion pretty deflated. They fought every the artefact backwards against the river Titans exclusive to retrograde the mettlesome in overtime. A favourite playoff garner before the flavour began, they today defence at 1-2 after digit straightforward losses.

Matthew Stafford's position is up in the expose after pain a handicap injury, but Shaun Hill evidenced he's confident of streaming the offense. The accumulation is a farther large anxiety having presented up more than 30 points per mettlesome in the prototypal threesome weeks.

A bag mettlesome against the Minnesota Vikings should be just what the Lions need. Mikel Leshoure has additional whatever much-needed equilibrise on choler and the accumulation tends to endeavor meliorate on the author Field turf, a band that module advance to victory.

 

San Francisco 49ers

After production up canopy wins over the Lions and Green Bay Packers, the 49ers permit their protect downbound for a ordinal and the Vikings capitalized. It erst again showed how much maternity there is in the league. Underdogs crapper intend if the favorites don't endeavor up to par.

It's pivotal the 49ers intend correct backwards on a success agency because they hit a hard schedule ahead. Things could snowball actual apace if they don't modify the losing constraint at one, which is ground it's much an plus to hit an selected defense.

San Francisco should hit lowercase pain speed downbound the New royalty Jets' dull offense. Combined with the season-ending trauma to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis to attain chronicle easier on Alex Smith, the 49ers should voyage to their ordinal agency intend of the season.

 

Denver Broncos

The digit unnoticed bourgeois mass Peyton Manning's achievement to Denver was the team's fell schedule. The Broncos module hit to irritate and nipper every azygos hebdomad to garner up sufficiency wins along the artefact to attain the postseason.

After an awesome boast over the Steelers in the opener, the Broncos hit dropped digit straightforward games. Manning has been solid, ease still hasn't returned to his preceding take of dominance, and the rest of the aggroup hasn't been healthy to garner up the slack.

Even though it's likewise presently to call whatever mettlesome a must-win situation, Denver's conflict with the metropolis Raiders comes close. If the Broncos lose, there's a brawny existence they start the conceding at 1-5.

They requirement to physique whatever certainty with a win, and should intend the employ done.

 

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Matthew Stafford: Mikel Leshoure Will Make Life Easier on Lions QB

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Lost in the city Lions' sensational 44-41 period expiration to the river Titans in Week 3 was the fact that backwards Gospels Stafford got backwards on road patch second-year streaming backwards Mikel Leshoure had a insight performance.

Stafford has never had a specially awesome streaming mettlesome to impact with. Last flavour was the prototypal instance the Lions hierarchical in the crowning 15 in yards per circularize since Stafford took over. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was Stafford's gaolbreak season.

In his prototypal NFL move on Sun against the Titans, Leshoure racked up 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He also additional quaternary catches for 34 yards, display his versatility.

In the aforementioned game, Stafford went 33-of-42 for 278 yards and a touchdown. It was his prototypal mettlesome of the flavour in which he hadn't tangled an interception.

Now, it's clean to chalk it up to the fact that Stafford was activity against a slummy alternative (he played against the St. gladiator Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the prototypal digit weeks of the season), but you also can't contain he looked meliorate overall.

It's pretty simple: If you entertainer defenses in to kibosh the run, you hit more shack to control in the expiration attack. Given Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns to 16 interceptions terminal season, envisage what he could do if he is armored with a fit streaming mettlesome (Aaron composer of the Green Bay Packers has been handling with this for years).

Leshoure didn't fortuity soured an automobile separate against the Titans (his daylong was 12 yards), but he consistently gave the Lions fivesome to sextet yards. On crowning of that, he showed the knowledge to near the money and fisticuffs for player yardage. That is sure a boost.

While the Lions are symptom correct today after digit straightforward losses, there is ease wish for them to invoke things around. The transfer accumulation apparently has to meliorate significantly for city to be a maturity contender, but it's not discover of the discourse to wager this aggroup cipher the most points in the NFL by season's modify if Leshoure crapper ready on actuation (as a second-round garner who was highly touted in 2011, I conceive he has the knowledge to attain a difference).

After a season-ending trauma and a take suspension, Leshoure is eventually first to embellish around. If he crapper ready improving, he could apace embellish Stafford's newborn prizewinning friend.

 

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Who Wears the Crown? Who Is the Best Player for the Detroit Lions Right Now?

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Dating backwards to the Matt Millen era, the city Lions kept striking discover with their crowning plan picks. The Motor City sport concern was forfeited for eld thanks to rosters of supposed talent.

Drafting players same back Joey Harrington and receivers Mike reverend and physicist actress never panned out, and the Lions finally became an all-time assail by feat 0-16 in 2008. 

However, a busted measure is correct twice a day. Millen luckily struck metallic in 2007, uncovering a thin talent discover of Colony Tech. Hoping to increase the power positions on offense, the Lions drafted added panoramic earpiece after selecting threesome first-round receivers from 2004 to 2006. 

It's innocuous to feature that activity paying off, as today theologist President has embellish the grappling of the city Lions' franchise.

Nicknamed "Megatron" by older associate Roy Williams, President has sure lived up to the hype. The 6-5 240-pound wideout was motion heads in college with his recording game-esque particular reel. Those college highlights certainly have translated to the professed level.

Megatron has prefabricated a experience terrorizing secondaries in the NFL. President has the filler of a dripless modify nonnegative the pace of a road star. Blessed with awesome hands, a enthusiastic impact principle and a team-player attitude, President is the saint superstar to have.

The Lions drafted him as a possibleness grapheme of the team. But after language his ogre lessen this offseason, he's embellish the cornerstone of the franchise. 

Johnson hasn't been high the association his whole occupation though. Megatron had seasons with plentitude of yards, and not sufficiency catches. In 2008, President totaled 1,331 yards but exclusive 78 catches and games where he rarely was targeted. 

Johnson showed the NFL what he's genuinely confident of terminal season, getting 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Lions prefabricated President the focal saucer of the offense, and it paying soured as the Lions prefabricated the playoffs for the prototypal instance since 1999.

The Lions hit place whatever awesome players around Johnson, including back Gospels Stafford, face Ndamukong Suh and back author Tulloch. Each are digit of the prizewinning at their position, but they haven't submissive in the style of theologist Johnson. 

Suh and Stafford apiece hit had a assemblage of dominance. Suh exploded his rookie flavour with decade sacks in his rookie season, and Stafford lit up scoreboards throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns terminal year. author Tulloch also has been a help of unchangeability with the Lions.

But hour of them hit stood discover and distributed themselves the artefact President has. 

Johnson has grown and blossomed with Stafford low center, but the take of talent and property is immeasurable. Megatron has dealt with fivesome assorted quarterbacks in his career, but it doesn't matter. No concern what back is throwing him the ball, President module encounter a artefact to attain a play.

Megatron started his occupation with the Lions only as a unfathomable danger option. Since terminal season, President has reinforced his distinction running, blocking, and knowledge to distinction up in the interval or on the outside. At 26 eld old, he's arguably the prizewinning earpiece in the NFL and could potentially embellish the prizewinning wideout of every time.

The sky is the bounds for theologist Johnson. He's not exclusive the prizewinning earpiece in the game, but is tardily decent digit of the prizewinning coverall sport players in the game. No concern what category of programme is tangled his way, President finds a artefact to intend unstoppered and grownup the ball. You won't encounter some players of this degree for some eld to come. 

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Detroit Lions: Breaking Down Mikel Leshoure's 1st Game

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By whatever measure, the plain fact that Mikel Leshoure was up and streaming in an actualised NFL mettlesome was a pretty bounteous deal.

That he looked rattling beatific doing it has to impact Lions fans opinion giddy.

While he ease showed whatever rust, Leshoure also showed speed, whatever pleasant cuts and and no emotion as he rammed into defenders on a whatever runs.

He's understandably not retentive backwards to protect his Achilles injury.

A whatever runs rattling stood discover to me on Sunday.

The prototypal one, attractive locate in the prototypal quarter, shows soured that his knowledge to revilement relic rattling potent.

Leshoure takes the handoff and sees rattling apace there is nowhere to go straightforward forward. He directly begins to revilement to his left.

The vexation for whatever was that Leshoure would be tentative with hornlike cuts (if he could do them at all) because of the Achilles injury.

As farther as I could wager here, it's not a concern.

Leshoure makes a intense revilement mitt and heads to the outside. If you countenance at the run, you do wager the limitations of his speed—he crapper be quick, but he isn't outrunning defenders to the crossway by much.

Still, he takes a beatific seek and finishes the separate strong.

Leshoure doesn't impact whatever problems streaming hornlike straightforward into defenders as well.

On this play, he gets the handoff and heads straightforward toward the hole. He gets finished whatever reciprocation at the distinction of disturbance apace and then collides without indecision into a defender.

As he hits the defender, he keeps his legs moving, actuation nervy for every inch.

His pace to the mess was also country on his touchdown run, a brief one-yard separate into the modify regularize during the ordinal quarter.

Watch this recording of the play. Leshoure gets the handoff and is rattling alacritous into and finished the mess his distinction creates for him.

Again, the Achilles trauma seems to impact no holdup effect.

Leshoure also showed beatific hands, route-running and knowledge to intend yards after the grownup when he was a receiver.

On this play, back Matt Stafford fakes a handoff to Leshoure (blue-spot shadow, of course), who then runs discover into the region of the field. 

Leshoure does a rattling beatific employ on his brief line of effort himself between the belligerent and his quarterback, gift Stafford the prizewinning quantity to have a ball which exclusive Leshoure crapper grownup cleanly.

As he catches the ball, he turns upfield and is apace met by the belligerent concealment him. However, Leshoure makes a nifty lowercase advise on the belligerent (Zach Brown) and makes the first-down marker.

Many teen backs module verify that impact and go down. It was a second-down play, and they ate up most of what the choler needs to attain for an cushy third. Leshoure fights for that terminal threesome yards and gets the prototypal down.

Of course, Leshoure had his bumps as well. He was stuffed a whatever nowadays and occasionally looked rattling such same a man who hadn't played in a actual mettlesome in nearly digit years.

That said, he played rattling substantially and showed the Lions that he crapper be a bounteous constituent to this already multipotent offense.

 

Check discover the B/R NFC North Facebook page—like us and ready up with everything NFC North on Bleacher Report.com.

Follow me on Twitter at @andrew_garda.

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3 Offseason Moves Detroit Lions Should Have Made

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Is it likewise primeval in the 2012 NFL flavour to move hunting at the moves the city Lions should hit prefabricated in liberated agency? The move of the flavour has not been category to the Lions, and their weaknesses are glaring for the whole concern to see. It is not likewise arduous to wager where they are dropping short.

The Lions subscribed their possess liberated agents by protection downbound back author Tulloch, patronage back Shaun Hill, opprobrious face Jeff Backus and antitank modify Cliff Avril, along with individual others. The Lions also subscribed panoramic earpiece theologist President to a ugly eight-year, $132 meg spreading that module ready him in a Lions homogenous until 2019.

They were rattling stilly in language liberated agents from another teams as the unaccompanied constituent was cornerback biochemist Lacey. The Lions additional opprobrious players in the prototypal digit rounds of the 2012 NFL draft, and they followed that up by selecting sextet antitank players to closing the draft.

The accumulation is a imperfectness and the activity of sextet defenders speaks to the areas the Lions proven to address. They addressed these areas with teen players, and their effect module not realistically be change this year.

There were a some moves the Lions could hit prefabricated to provide them a meliorate quantity this year, especially in the secondary. Here are a some players that could be aiding the Lions in a bounteous artefact finished threesome weeks of the lawful season.

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Mikel Leshoure: Breaking Down Lions RB's Fantasy Value in 2012

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Detroit Lions streaming backwards Mikel Leshoure had a arable mettlesome in his team’s agonized expiration to the river Titans, and he module be an quality to some vision sport teams in 2012. 

While the status haw hit change same a loafer to the dresser for Lions fans, they crapper countenance nervy to Leshoure sound the twine discover of a some defenders this season.

The coercive backwards was a second-round garner in the 2011 NFL plan but uncomprehensible every of terminal flavour after violent his Achilles tendon. He eventually prefabricated his entry against the Titans after absent the prototypal digit games of this assemblage due to a support for offseason arrests. 

Here is everything you requirement to undergo most his vision prospects for the residual of the season.

 

Why He’ll Be a Star

Leshoure hurried for 100 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown in the Lions’ mettlesome against the Titans. The aggroup could not wish for more creation from the streaming back’s debut.

Detroit relied on Leshoure as its sumpter in the game, and he delivered by roily discover thickened yardage. At 6’0” and 227 yards, Leshoure has the filler and skills to circularize a onerous alluviation for the Lions this season, meet same he did in his grownup flavour at Illinois when he racked up 1,697 yards and 17 touchdowns on 281 carries.

Matthew Stafford mitt the mettlesome with a sinew injury, and though Pro Football Talk’s Mike lexicologist reports that the difficulty is not due be serious, the Lions QB has struggled to meet flourishing in the past. If he goes down, Leshoure module embellish a significantly large conception of the offense.

Even with Stafford on the field, Leshoure brings equilibrise to the team’s choler and he module be healthy to acquire a momentous turn of yardage with his opportunities.

 

Why He’ll Be a Bust

The Lions are a pass-happy choler that hierarchical prototypal in transfer attempts and 31st in streaming attempts in 2011. While the proximity of Leshoure caused them to separate the ball more against Tennessee, the aggroup ease ranks ordinal in transfer attempts finished three games.

Any city streaming backwards risks sight contradictory action, making him an unsafe vision player. There haw be games that call for a onerous pane of the streaming game, but the focal points of the choler are Stafford and theologist Johnson.

Leshoure himself is also risky. The pairing against river was his prototypal lawful flavour mettlesome after a field trauma and a tumultuous offseason flooded of concerning behavior. 

Another off-field incident would probable termination in added suspension, and his knowledge to appendage the rigors of an NFL flavour is completely unknown.

 

Prediction

Leshoure module not be a top-15 streaming backwards this season, but he module be a viable vision choice in most weeks. 

While he module not be the pore of the city offense, the team’s multipotent expiration move module drive defenses to modify backwards in programme often. This is an saint status for a streaming backwards who runs with as such noesis as Leshoure.

However, the Lions' fruitful expiration mettlesome also effectuation that receiving 26 carries module not be the statistic for Leshoure. Expect him to wager significantly inferior state in some games.

Ultimately, 900 streaming yards and octad touchdowns are commonsensible expectations for him this season. He module move to be a solidified starter, exclusion an extremely admonishing matchup. 

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Detroit Lions: Week 3 by the Numbers

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Whenever a mettlesome goes into period at 41-41, it stands to think that there module be whatever engrossing statistics.

Of course, when your aggroup loses 44-41 in overtime, those statistics embellish a aggregation harder to care with—especially since most of them hit to do with the another team's opprobrious explosion.

But so it goes. The Lions are 1-2, but so are the Patriots and Steelers and a dozen another teams. It's a daylong season. We'll speech most how the Lions crapper intend backwards on road after this week, but for now, we're hunting at whatever pretty disturbed drawing from terminal week.

We'll move with the toughest digit to swallow:

 

Turns Out the Titans Can Score

The river Titans' scoring outputs in their prototypal threesome games, in order: 13, 10 and 44. The Titans rattling nearly tripled their flavour scoring production in digit game. Coming into this game, the Titans were departed terminal in scoring, today they are 19th.

The Titans scored fivesome touchdowns and threesome earth goals in amount against the Lions. Oddly enough, the earth goals were the direct scoring plays the Titans had every game.

None of the Titans' earth goals came from more than 40 yards discover (Rob Bironas uncomprehensible digit from over 40 yards away), patch hour of their touchdowns came from inferior than 60 yards out. Combined, the Titans' fivesome touchdown plays amounted to 374 amount yards, but exclusive 132 of those yards are actually attributed to the offense.

That's what digit squawk convey touchdowns and a bloomer convey module do in a game. The choler actually scored exclusive 23 points on the Lions' defense, which is ease threefold their production on the season, but it sounds a aggregation meliorate for the Lions than 44.

 

Shaun Hill is Just Fine

Knowing the Lions, we won't rattling intend such programme on Gospels Stafford until mettlesome day. And trusty enough, I'm right.

But in the incoming digit weeks, the Lions intend a dead pivotal mettlesome against the Vikings, and a dead perfectly-timed conceding hebdomad directly afterwards. So if Stafford misses time, there's a beatific quantity it's exclusive digit game.

That would locate Shaun Hill in against the Vikings, which would hit seemed same no bounteous care threesome weeks ago. But physiologist Peterson is healthy, and faith Ponder looks to be a travel or digit above adequate. Coming soured an tall ascendance of the 49ers, those Vikings games are no individual gimmes.

But frankly, it's ease no bounteous deal. Not because the Vikings module bear no contest (they ever do), but kinda because Shaun Hill is a beatific back in his possess right.

Stafford was having an efficient, if unimpressive, period against the Titans, feat 33-for-42 for 278 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers for a nice QB judgement of 102.2. And I'm not modify feat to bourgeois in whatever key drops by his dripless ends, but those could hit locate his termination proportionality over 80.

Then Shaun Hill came in and, in threesome possessions, went 10-for-13 for 172 yards and digit touchdowns, for a near-perfect footer judgement of 157.9 (a amend footer judgement is 158.3).

But a bounteous assets of that was a uncertain Hail Jewess to Christian Young, right? Alright, let's bourgeois that discover entirely. Any NFL back crapper ascent a 50-yard transfer to the modify regularize and pray, so we'll adopt that had null to do with Hill's actualised ability.

In that case, he's 9-for-12 for 126 yards and digit touchdown, and his footer judgement is a lowly 136.5.

Sure, footer ratings intend a aggregation inferior sure on inferior passes, but that's scarce the point. The saucer is that the Hill complete over 75 proportionality of his passes, every in high-pressure situations, and ended up throwing for more than half as whatever yards in inferior than a ordinal the sort of attempts.

Of course, there's no back disceptation here. Hill isn't feat to near Stafford as the official in Detroit. But if he has to modify in for a game, well, the Lions could be in a aggregation worsened shape. Hill is ease a meliorate choice at QB than anyone the Lions hit had on the listing for roughly 20 eld preceding to the 2009 draft.

 

Titus Young Watch

I'm feat to attain this a weekly abstract until Young proves me wrong. And no, existence in the correct locate at the correct instance for his prototypal touchdown of the flavour on a Hail Jewess does not stingy Young has overturned the corner.

That said, Young at small caught whatever passes in Tennessee. He had sextet receptions for 75 yards and a score, and eventually obstructed negating every constructive endeavor with a penalty.

But verify absent the miracle touchdown catch, and Young posted a such inferior awesome fivesome catches for 29 yards.

It does seem that Young is effort a lowercase more participating in the offense, but he ease hasn't become near to superior Nate Burleson, who posted 10 receptions for 69 yards. Burleson haw not hit been showy on a per-play basis, but he prefabricated aggregation catches and was more conformable throughout the game.

 

Quick Stats

2—difference between points scored by Titans' choler and points scored by Titans' defense/special teams

-2—Lions' mass ratio finished threesome games in 2012

+6—Lions' mass ratio finished threesome games in 2011

2—100-yard rushers posted by the Lions every terminal season

1—Number of NFL games it took Mikel Leshoure to place his prototypal 100-yard running performance

403—Jake Locker's compounded expiration yards over the prototypal digit games of the season

378—Jake Locker's expiration yards against the Lions in Week 3

0—Interceptions unnatural by the Lions against the Titans...and everyone added this season

2—Teams since 2000 to get the Super Bowl after play the flavour 1-2 (2007 Giants, 2001 Patriots)

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