r/detroitlions

Dan Campbell confirms Cade Mays and Brian Branch are practicing today and starting their evaluation clocks.

Dan Campbell says they've tried to be as smart as possible with S Brian Branch in his return from an Achilles injury and wanted to make sure he was absolutely ready before returning to the grass.

Campbell on the report that contract talks with TE Sam LaPorta have stalled: "All that stuff, that's the last thing on my mind right now. ... Just because there's a report of that doesn't mean that's some big issue or big deal. I love LaPorta. We love LaPorta."

Dan Campbell said he thinks CB Keith Abney and S Jalen Mills are two DBs that could have a bigger role this week.

Campbell says he hasn't given any thought to adding a senior defensive assistant coach to the staff, but left the door open by saying that next week's bye week will give him a chance to look at everything.

This sub needs a change of pace. This question is for those who truly know ball, much more than I do, lol. It seemed that Goff and Ben Johnson together somehow had Flores's number. But that obviously wasn't the case last year, and the Vikings defense is looking insane this year. How does a team win the battle versus that defense? And even more specifically, how can the Lions do it with our specific strengths on offense?

Jared Goff asked about what he attributes the uptick in pre-snap penalties to: “Lack of discipline. I know it's very simple, but that's what it is. And I do take a lot of it on myself. I'm the one calling the play in the huddle. I'm the one calling the snap count. How can I be more clear with that and make sure that we're not feeling any sort of anxiety at the line of scrimmage? I think that happens sometimes where you're trying to go fast and clocks running down and moving pieces. How do I communicate a little bit more clearly and make sure there's a sense of calm at line scrimmage? And then pushing guys and pushing myself and holding people accountable.”

“He’s on point, like he is every year,” Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs said of his quarterback. “He’s the same player since I’ve been here. Diagnosing the defense and getting the ball to the right players at the right time. He’s our leader, and we trust him with everything.”

Quietly, Goff is off to arguably his best start yet. Against the Panthers, Goff threw for 412 yards and a touchdown, extending his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to 27 — the longest in the NFL. He dialed up the deep ball when he needed to, hitting Jameson Williams for a 49-yard gain and Isaac TeSlaa for a 57-yard reception. He completed 78.1 percent of his passes against the Jets the week prior. The week before that, Goff threw for four touchdowns.

He has been bringing it each week. So much so that it is now fair to ask: Where would the Lions be without him?

Through four games, he ranks second in passing yards (1,214), third in passing touchdowns (nine) and fifth in passer rating (108.6), and he has largely done his part to keep the Lions in every game. Per Pro Football Focus, Goff is tied for third in big-time throws (eight) and has the second-fewest turnover-worthy plays this season (one). Goff has yet to throw an interception or turn the ball over. And he has been effective even when facing pressure, doing his part to either evade it, throw the ball away, or hang in the pocket and make a play.

Already a model of consistency in his 11th season, is it possible Goff continues to improve? Because it sure feels that way.

Where Jared Goff ranks among NFL QBs

|| || |Touchdown passes|9|3rd| |Passing yards per game|303.5|2nd| |Passer rating|108.6|5th| |Completion percentage|67.7|9th| |EPA per dropback|0.26|4th| |EPA per dropback vs. pressure|-0.06|6th| |Passer rating when pressured|87.3|5th|

“He’s playing at a high level,” coach Dan Campbell said of Goff last week. “When you can do that at the quarterback position, that makes you very efficient.”

The Lions are averaging 29.8 points per game (fifth) and 389.3 yards per game (sixth), and they rank third in offensive success rate. You can see the potential of this offense. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams and Sam LaPorta are a pick-your-poison trio in the passing game. Gibbs can beat you on the ground or as a receiver in space. Detroit’s offensive line, when healthy, has allowed one of the lowest pressure rates in the league four games into the season.

Dan Campbell was asked where Lions DB Brian Branch will help the most once he can play: “Well, it's kind of twofold. Look, we know there's going to be a little bit of kicking the rust off just to get back into all of those – back to the player that he was. It'll take a minute. However, he's an instinctive, aware player and he's a violent player. And so, he's got a knack for the football and his production, even if it's not what it was in the immediate as he grows back to that will have an impact, I believe. And then with that, then it helps the guys around him. It makes the guys next to him better because this guy will be where he's supposed to be. He'll be able to make some plays and alleviate a little stress and whether it's the other safety, the corner, (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell), some of those things.”

https://preview.redd.it/nd0v6ix0i5uh1.png?width=1293&format=png&auto=webp&s=7bd6a64ac3d091bb9b6f1ca2951390693563c83d

I think it was last year, I noticed that Goff got batted down at the line a TON by the Bears and wondered if that was intel that Ben Johnson had, having coached him so long. If I recall correctly, Goff was a little defensive about it, which struck me as odd since he's usually pretty calm (and if he's sarcastic it's for everyone to laugh at). Watching him against the Panthers, getting batted down several times in key situations, I started thinking about it again and wanted to see if i could find any stats. I know it's early in the season, but from what i could find, he's the league leader in passes batted down. Don't have any other historical data, so maybe someone here has better access than me.

It's a little strange that he gets batted down so often given his height. But I don't think he pump fakes very often, and maybe he's not trying to juke the linemen into raising their arms they way other, twitchy (and shorter) guys do. Wonder if any of y'all are seeing that too.

Dan Campbell was asked about the reports that Lions TE Sam LaPorta’s contract extension has hit a snag and if it requires him to walk a fine line with the player when a situation arises in-season:“All that stuff, man, that's the last thing on my mind right now is what's going on with all that. Man, there are always going to be two sides and you work through these things and just because there's a report of that doesn't mean that that's some big issue, big deal. I love LaPorta. We love LaPorta. He's a heck of a football player and I thought he played his best game the other day. His work ethic, his production speaks for itself.”