Detroit, MI

Which Lions practice squad player will have the biggest impact?

Published

2 years ago

August 31, 2024

Which Lions practice squad player will have the biggest impact?

The Detroit Lions’ initial 16-man practice squad has been settled. While the group will undoubtedly change throughout the season, many of the players in that group will likely stick around for the entire season.

Every week, the Lions are allowed to elevate two players from the practice squad and make them part of their gameday roster. Practice squad players are often eventually signed to the 53-man roster, as well.

Given the strength and experience of several players on the practice squad, it seems inevitable that a few players of the current 16 will end up making a difference on Sunday. That’s why general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell continue to call it the 69-man roster (53+16). They’re all important.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Lions practice squad player will have the biggest impact on the 2024 Lions?

My answer: Well, first take a look at the Lions’ practice squad with Erik Schlitt’s fantastic breakdown of each player.

Early in the season, the answer will undoubtedly be Kyle Peko. With Brodric Martin on injured reserve and DJ Reader’s Week 1 status still very much up in the air, Peko is currently in line to be the starting nose tackle—as he has been in training camp for the past month. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make it on the 53-man roster after Week 1 (the Lions are likely waiting because the salaries of veteran players become guaranteed if they’re on the Week 1 53-man roster).

But he’s the easy answer. Let’s dig a little deeper beyond Peko.

The Lions’ WR-X position remains essentially unfilled among their 53-man roster. Yes, the Lions are likely to play Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond when they go three wide, but none of those players possess exactly what they’re looking for in the position.

Detroit will continue that WR-X position battle with three practice squadders: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tim Patrick, and Allen Robinson. Peoples-Jones likely has the early advantage simply for being with the team since late October. However, I think Patrick eventually wins that job and gets added to the 53-man roster. If you need any convincing, check out our 6 Questions with Mile High Report on Patrick’s career.

Who else on the practice squad will have an impact in 2024? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know your thoughts!

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Detroit, MI

Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” replacing Colbert’s “Late Show”

Published

12 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” replacing Colbert’s “Late Show” – CBS Detroit

Watch CBS News

Detroit native Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” is set to replace Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” time slot.

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Detroit, MI

Secret Cinematheque launching Thursday with mystery Michigan movie

Published

24 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Secret Cinematheque launching Thursday with mystery Michigan movie

The surprise selection will be unveiled when the lights go down at Motor City Cinematheque’s new public program.

A movie with very strong Michigan connections will play Thursday night at the Farmington Civic Theater.

There’s only one hitch: Viewers won’t know what it is until the lights go down and the movie starts.

The evening will act as the kickoff of Secret Cinematheque, a new mystery movie program from Motor City Cinematheque, a nonprofit organization launched in 2025 that is dedicated to enriching film culture in Metro Detroit.

Motor City Cinematheque was founded by Kevin Maher, a veteran of several Hollywood studios who has been involved with nonprofit film exhibition for around a decade, and John Monaghan, a former Detroit Free Press film and theater critic and a former programmer at Detroit’s Redford Theatre.

The Secret Cinematheque programming, which will be held at the Farmington Civic the second Thursday of every month, is one of several film-related initiatives being launched by MCC.

Other programs include an exhibition of experimental 16mm short films at Detroit’s Galerie Camille on May 7; September’s Noir City Detroit festival at the Redford Theatre; an ongoing partnership with the Black Canon, Ali J. Wheeler and Alima Wheeler Trapp’s vast archive of important and influential films representing decades of Black culture; and a new twice-monthly podcast, “One Film Leads to Another,” which is centered on tracing contemporary film’s roots in classic cinema.

“For us, it’s all about getting people into a theater and watching a movie together, and then talking about it in a group setting,” says Maher. “Watching something communally adds another dimension to the experience, even if you’ve seen the movie before.”

That community aspect is at the heart of the Motor City Cinematheque’s mission. Maher compares it to church; there’s the service, and then there’s the greeting line afterward. “That’s the part that builds community,” he says, of the post-ceremony ritual. “And without that interaction, it’s not complete.”

Maher says his film preferences tend to run more populist, and Monaghan’s more toward the obscure. The melding of their tastes will result in a unique blend of programming, he says. The Secret Cinematheque series will also draw guest contributors from area film personalities.

As for this week’s Detroit-themed Secret Cinematheque offering — clues have been offered up on the Motor City Cinematheque and the Farmington Civic’s Instagram pages — “it’s one of those films that’s worth celebrating about Detroit,” Maher says.

No spoilers. See you at the movies.

agraham@detroitnews.com

Motor City Cinematheque presents Secret Cinematheque

7:30 p.m. Thursday

Farmington Civic Theater, 33332 Grand River Ave., Farmington

$5.75

thefct.com

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Detroit, MI

NHL roundup: Zach Werenski says slumping Blue Jackets ‘still in it’

Published

2 days ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

NHL roundup: Zach Werenski says slumping Blue Jackets ‘still in it’

Detroit News staff and wires

A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday night.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes.

Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat.

“I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe) said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it.

“I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.”

Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals.

“We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.”

Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday.

“We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.”

The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining.

“We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said.

Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine- year playoff drought.

“(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”

Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4.

Draisaitl may not be ready for playoff opener

Out with a lower-body injury since March 15, Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl might miss the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs, coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Monday.

“Leon is going to be on the ice this week and I don’t anticipate him playing any games in the regular season, and in the playoffs, sometime in the first round if things go well,” Knoblauch said.

“I’m not ruling that out (first game of the playoffs), but I would just anticipate sometime in the first (round). There’s a period of time we anticipated his return and we said it was going to be right around the end of the regular season, at the start of playoffs.”

Despite missing the last nine games, Draisaitl entered Monday as the NHL’s fifth-leading scorer this season, posting 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games.

With five games left in the regular season, the Oilers (39-29-9, 87 points) are tied atop the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks entering the week, and begin a three-game road trip Tuesday in Utah against the Mammoth. Edmonton closes the regular season on April 16, two days before the start of the postseason.

A three-time All-Star, Draisaitl has been a beast in the past two postseasons, helping Edmonton advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Florida Panthers both times. In the 2025 playoffs, he compiled 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists), following a 31-point postseason (10 goals, 21 assists) the previous spring.

Fellow Oilers forward Zach Hyman, who is out with an undisclosed injury, will likely miss the road trip, which includes games at the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. The 33-year-old has 51 points (31 goals, 20 assists) in 57 games this season.

“Hyman, I would think he’s going to play one if not two games before the end of this season,” Knoblauch said. “So, this week he’s out and not playing.”

Last season, Draisaitl missed the final seven games with an undisclosed injury, but returned for the opener of the postseason to help lead Edmonton back to the Cup Final.

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