Detroit News

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 5:49 PM EDT Sep 10, 2020 Running back Adrian Peterson (virtually) met with Detroit media on Thursday for the first time since signing with the team earlier this week. Since the call bounced around to a quite a few different topics, we thought it might be better to provide

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 4:24 PM EDT Sep 10, 2020 Detroit Lions offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (foot) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (hamstring) both sat out Thursday’s practice, one day after the pair showed up as limited on the team’s injury report with new injuries. That news casts doubt on both players’ availability for Sunday’s season-opener

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 3:10 PM EDT Sep 10, 2020 While common at the college level, it’s far more unusual for an NFL player to switch positions, especially from offense to defense or vice versa. But, the 2020 Detroit Lions are unique in this regard. The team has not one, not two, but three

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 12:29 PM EDT Sep 10, 2020 Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia announced Halapoulivaati Vaitai wouldn’t be participating in Thursday’s practice, one day after the right tackle showed up as limited on the team’s injury report with a foot injury. The lineman’s absence casts doubt on his availability for Sunday’s

The Detroit News Published 12:49 PM EDT Sep 10, 2020 Justin Rogers, Rod Beard, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer their predictions for how the Lions will fare this season. ► Justin Rogers: As if season predictions weren’t already an impossible task, now we’ve got to tackle them without the benefit

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 11:00 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 It had been a triumphant end to a dismal season. The Detroit Lions went on the road and walloped the Green Bay Packers, 31-0, to end the 2018 campaign — a drop of sweetness to counter the otherwise overwhelmingly sour taste of Matt

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 11:00 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 The Detroit Lions defense was bad last season. To be frank, it’s been pretty rough each of the past two seasons. So, it should come as now surprise the team made significant changes this offseason, including a change at coordinator and potentially six

Rod Beard The Detroit News Published 11:00 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 This NFL season will be unlike any other, with fans not in stadiums, at least to start, and teams under different protocols because of COVID-19. Football will be football and the NFC North could be as topsy-turvy as it’s been in recent years,

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 7:21 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 As a professional athlete, there are two ways to react to your team adding players at your position — you can view them as a threat or reinforcements. Detroit Lions running back Kerry Johnson is choosing the latter.  After the Lions added a high-profile draft pick

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 6:09 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 With no preseason games to go on, the Detroit Lions are left to study last year’s tape to prepare for Sunday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears. It’s a sound strategy, given its a division opponent they saw twice in 2019, while much

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 4:45 PM EDT Sep 9, 2020 The Detroit Lions released their first injury report of the season on Wednesday and it’s probably longer than anyone would have hoped. In addition to rookie tight end Hunter Bryant and special teams standout C.J. Moore not practicing, the team listed seven players

Rod Beard The Detroit News Published 4:23 AM EDT Sep 9, 2020 In a normal season, coaches can prepare for the season opener by looking at some game tape from the preseason to get a sense of some tendencies. By and large, teams are very vanilla in the exhibition games, seeking more to strengthen their

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 12:40 AM EDT Sep 9, 2020 In an offseason that lacked some of the more-traditional roster battles, two of the more hotly contested spots on the Detroit Lions’ roster this year were on special teams, where longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach and punter Jack Fox emerged victorious, beating out

Bob Wojnowski The Detroit News Published 10:52 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 Detroit — It’ll be different, from the mostly empty stadiums to the COVID uncertainties. It’s hard to judge anything right now, as the NFL plunges ahead after a historically strange offseason and a non-existent preseason. In some ways, the season will be reduced to

Rod Beard The Detroit News Published 8:11 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin isn’t fixated on the past and the troubles the Lions have had on that side of the ball. In his first year on the job, Undlin is looking to make his own mark and give a clean slate

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 7:29 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the greatest return men of all time. The Chicago Bears’ kickoff specialist has averaged 29.9 yards on returns during his seven-year career, second all-time to Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers. And Patterson’s seven touchdowns in the

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 7:52 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 In case you hadn’t heard, there are some new rules in place for NFL practice squads this year, part of the league’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  First, practice squads have been expanded from 10 players to 16. Second, there’s no limit on

Associated Press Published 4:14 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 Tempe, Ariz. — The Cardinals have agreed to a two-year contract extension with star receiver DeAndre Hopkins that will keep the three-time All-Pro in Arizona through the 2024 season. The team announced the deal on Tuesday but didn’t disclose terms. The NFL Network reported that the extension

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 1:07 PM EDT Sep 8, 2020 Allen Park — Since being drafted by the Detroit Lions in April, cornerback Jeff Okudah has temporarily worn the No. 1 jersey he donned at Ohio State. But that was always going to change.  The NFL has strict uniform restrictions, which require players to

Justin Rogers The Detroit News Published 7:14 PM EDT Sep 7, 2020 A fiery competitor on the field, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford publicly presents himself as reserved and humble outside the white lines. So, it’s hardly surprising he downplayed a private text shared by former teammate Nate Burleson, where the quarterback made a bold