Detroit, MI

D.J. Reader on pace to rejoin Detroit Lions ‘winning’ D-line in Week 2 barring a setback

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

D.J. Reader on pace to rejoin Detroit Lions ‘winning’ D-line in Week 2 barring a setback

The Detroit Lions defensive line made a statement Sunday night against a battered Los Angeles Rams offensive line and are in line to add D.J. Reader back into the mix.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday the team still wants to get Reader back into the fold this week. This has been the team’s plan for Reader’s recovery from a torn quad muscle since they took him off the physically unable to perform list just before the start of the season.

“I think the plan was, ultimately, if we couldn’t get D.J. up last week, or just we didn’t feel quite there, that Tampa was always the target,” Campbell said. “So, providing there is no setbacks, we’d like to get him going. This week, he looked pretty good in practice.”

Reader has been out since Week 15 of last year with a torn quad he suffered as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal to anchor the defensive line as a hole-stuffing nose tackle to play alongside the Lions’ other young defensive tackles, Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike. McNeill said he is excited to see the space he clears taking on double-teams on the interior.

“He’s going to have to take up some double teams so I can get some one-on-ones,” McNeill said with a smile. “He has to take some double teams on because he destroys centers. That’s just what he does and that’s what he did when he was in Cincy.”

SO FAR SO GOOD: Lions pleased with Terrion Arnold’s NFL debut: ‘Don’t want to take away his stinger’

He will re-join a defensive line that was one of the standout position groups for the Lions in the 26-20 overtime win over the Rams on Sunday. The Lions recorded just two sacks, but constantly lived in the backfield against the Rams’ beat-up offensive line with backups across the board. Matthew Stafford was getting rid of the ball as fast as possible while absorbing hit after hit. He took 12 quarterback hits and only three of his 34 completions traveled more than 10 yards down the field, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

“Just about every one of them had a winning performance up front,” Campbell said. “I thought they played big. I thought they played physical. And we feel like we have a good defensive line.

“And I know that it’s game one but just since the spring and training camp and seeing where we are at, it’s the right mix. It’s the right balance of length, power, size, aggression. And that’s just game one. We got so much room to grow in there too.”

Aidan Hutchinson led the way as a destructive force, caving in the Rams offensive line wherever he lined up while Marcus Davenport crashed in from the opposite edge in a productive Lions debut. Hutchinson had one sack, five tackles (one for loss) and four hits on Stafford’s drop backs. Davenport linked up with Onwuzurike on the team’s first sack and also chipped in four hits on Stafford.

“I thought Hutch and Davenport on the perimeter, all day long, were a force,” Campbell said.

According to Pro Football Focus’ postgame analysis, Hutchinson graded out as the Lions’ best performer on offense or defense with a score of 94.0 on a 0-100 scale. He caused issues for whoever the Rams had at left tackle, whether it was Joe Noteboom or A.J. Arcuri, with his power moves to the inside or his patented spin move to win with speed.

Onwuzurike played a career-high 50 snaps and had the half-sack, two hits on Stafford and two total tackles. The performance was what his teammates and coaches expected after he had a fully healthy offseason into a strong training camp.

“That’s the type of player he is,” McNeill said. “He’s worked and got himself back in that position to be Levi again. He’s comfortable. You saw him, he got a sack last night. So, he’s doing great.”

MORE ON LEVI: We asked the Detroit Lions: Which teammate is poised for a breakout 2024 season?

Lions defense steps up in big moments

The Lions came up with two defensive stops to give their offense a chance at a comeback after the Rams took a 20-17 lead with 17 unanswered points.

The Lions gave the ball back to LA with 4:10 left and an opportunity to salt the game away, but the Lions forced a punt to get the ball back with just over two minutes. The offense executed well enough to get the game-tying field goal, then closed regulation with Hutchinson’s sack on what ended up being the defense’s final snap.

The defense’s effort was well-rewarded by the offense’s game-winning touchdown drive in overtime that kept Stafford and the Rams’ offense off the field.

“Y’all have heard that word 1,000 times but that right there is the definition of grit,” Onwuzurike said.

The Lions also held the Rams to 20 points on six trips inside Detroit’s 25-yard line, including pulling in an interception and forcing a turnover on downs. It was far from a perfect performance, McNeill said, since they still gave up more than zero points, but did what found a way to get stops with their backs against the wall. Onwuzurike said the emphasis on the red zone is a key pillar of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s approach, which proved effective Sunday.

“He talks about how that’s how you win games — in the red zone,” Onwuzurike said. “So, we take that serious. We’ll see guys like Hutch, BB (Brian Branch), Anzo (Alex Anzalone), all these guys, kind of look us in the eye and say ‘we gotta lock in here. This is how we win games.’”

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Detroit, MI

Blazers Fall to Detroit Pistons in Beautiful, Ugly Bout

Published

3 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Blazers Fall to Detroit Pistons in Beautiful, Ugly Bout

Despite a spirited 21-point comeback, the Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Detroit Pistons 102-110 on Monday night.

The first half was sloppy, to put it kindly. The Blazers, faced with a packed paint and limited outside shooting available, were effectively stonewalled. Moreover, despite a +19 advantage from the line, the Blazers were only able to capitalize on 67.4% of their free throws (which is marginally better than their average over the last three games of 66.3%).

The Pistons’ defensive activity and unrelenting physicality made the Blazers uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that they turned the ball over 19(!) times. The Pistons crowded the lane, demanding that the Blazers beat them from beyond the arc. The Blazers responded “no, we will not beat you from beyond the arc” and proceeded to shoot 7 of 32 from downtown.

The only thing that spared the Blazers from a devastating blowout was the Detroit Pistons’ similarly terrible shooting splits, as well as a large disparity in “got that dawg in him per 36,” courtesy of Sidy Cissoko.

The second half saw Sidy Cissoko and Shaedon Sharpe lead a fourth-quarter charge, spawning a 24-point run. With eight minutes left in the game, Cissoko successfully baited Cade Cunningham into fouling out. At this point, the momentum had shifted towards the Blazers entirely. Continual downhill pressure and stalwart defense had the Moda Center believing in the improbable. It was a potentially-perfect ending to a night meant to honor the Blazer greats of the 1999-2000 roster.

Unfortunately, free throws, poor shooting and a little good-ol’-fashioned ref’ ball prevented the Blazers from securing their fourth win in a row. That said, the Blazers once again showed fight. They dragged the top seed in the Eastern Conference down into the mud and walloped them, but – again – weren’t able to clean things up during crunch time.

Shaedon Sharpe…? Shaedon Sharpe put in a polarizing performance. On one hand, Sharpe dropped 25 points and a career high five steals on 51.2% shooting. Yay! On the other hand, he had eight turnovers and shot 1 of 6 from three=point land. Boo! That said, Sharpe felt like the Blazers’ steadiest shot creator tonight, and, given his recent shooting splits, his poor performance from beyond the arc looks like an aberration.

Liability Throws. Until the Blazers shoot over 70% from the free throw line in a game, we cannot refer to them as “free.” Their lack of ability to convert free throws in the clutch was the nail in the coffin for the Blazers. For the game, Portland shot 67% from the line. A few nights ago, poor free throw shooting was the catalyst for an almost-super-embarrassing Sacramento Kings comeback. We all know what the Schonz would say.

Downhill Deni. The Blazers were able to hang in this contest through relentless downhill pressure. Oftentimes, this pressure was met with all five members of the Detroit Pistons sitting in the paint. Other times, though, it resulted in free throws or open looks from three. Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, the Blazers propensity to miss those very kinds of shots meant that they trailed for the vast majority of the game. There is still the possibility that, as players return from injury, they will improve in those departments.

Point Guards, We Miss You. The Blazers have officially claimed the title of “Most Turnovers Per Game” in the NBA. It does not come with a trophy. It does, however, demand the return of any one of the Blazers’ injured point guards. The Blazers’ lack of reliable ball handlers has placed undue strain on both Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. The offensive burden shouldered by both players is unsustainable, made evident by a gradual increase in the Blazers’ turnovers per game.

Scoot Henderson’s hamstring; Jrue Holiday’s calf; Blake Wesley’s fifth metatarsal—If any of you are listening: please, figure it out.

Never Say Die! Moral victories generally start to feel a little less satisfying when they’re the majority of your victories. That said, the Blazers walked away with another moral victory tonight. Despite horrendous shooting, ball security, and rebounding, the Blazers went toe-to-toe with the top team in the Eastern Conference. Shaedon Sharpe, Sidy Cissoko and Donovan Clingan put in spirited, entertaining performances to ignite a scintillating 21-point comeback. In the end, the Blazers faltered, but fans can still walk away without hanging their heads.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown dealing with knee injury

Published

15 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown dealing with knee injury

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is dealing with a knee injury, though Lions coach Dan Campbell indicated he does not believe it’s serious.

St. Brown was listed as a non-participant on the Lions’ estimated practice report Monday, Dec. 22.

The Lions held a walk-through Monday in advance of this week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday (4:30 p.m., Netflix). Campbell said St. Brown showed up to the practice facility after the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and reported the injury.

“We’ll know more a little bit later but this is just something that just popped up when he came in today,” Campbell said. “So hopeful this is something [that’s] just some type of irritation from the game. That’s what I’m hoping.”

St. Brown leads the Lions with 98 catches, 1,194 yards and 11 touchdowns and needs two catches over the Lions’ final two games for his fourth straight 100-catch season.

Taylor Decker (shoulder) and Avonte Maddox (back) also were listed as non-participants on Monday’s practice report, and the Lions listed nine others as limited participants including starters Marcus Davenport (shoulder), Graham Glasgow (knee), Christian Mahogany (fibula), Alim McNeill (abdomen) and Amik Robertson (hand).

The Lions (8-7) must win their final two games and have the Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) lose their final two games to make the playoffs.

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

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Detroit, MI

Everything Dan Campbell Said After Detroit Lions Loss to Steelers

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Everything Dan Campbell Said After Detroit Lions Loss to Steelers

Here is everything head coach Dan Campbell said postgame, following the Detroit Lions 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Opening Statement: “Credit to those guys, (Steelers Head Coach Mike) Coach Tomlin, you know, they won that game, so. You know, look, it’s frustrating. I was proud of the way the guys fought, we fought our way back in that. We had an opportunity to win the game, which is ultimately what you want. But we weren’t able to close it out. At the end of the day, that’s on us. We did that. We’re the ones who put ourselves in that position where we had to try to score on the last play. But some of the efforts were outstanding, and it was just too little too late. A lot of – we just didn’t make enough plays.”

On the offensive pass interference penalty on the final play: “I mean, I don’t even want to get into it. Because it’s not going to change anything, we still lost. It’s – I mean look, you think you score, you don’t score, and then you think you’re going to have another play. Replay it or back it up, one more shot. And it doesn’t. And that’s just, I guess that’s the way it’s written in the rulebook. So that’s frustrating. But there again, it should never come to that. We had our opportunities. We weren’t able to put it in before that play.”

On why it was difficult to get the run game going: “Yeah, just couldn’t quite get it going, man. You know, made some hay in the pass game, (Lions QB Jared) Goff was in a good place, our receivers were making plays, that’s kind of where our explosives were showing up, and so, you know, went that route. And then we come out, and really in the third quarter we only had those three plays. And that was it for the third, and then we were down two scores. So, now you’re definitely throwing it. So, just didn’t make enough – certainly, I wish we could have run it more, I would love to run the ball a little bit more than that. A lot more than that. It just wasn’t one of those days.”

On the Steelers playing better today: “I can’t argue with that. Look, the ground game says it. I mean, they’re rushing. They rushed it, they had a lot more carries. And some of that was, you know, our defense was on the field for a while. And when you’re able to convert and stay on the field a while then you can kind of bounce from run to run to run, to play-pass, to – it just opens your offense up. And that’s what they’re able to do. And they can. You run a play, you get the look. You run the opposite of that and see how they respond, and then you get a look. And we just weren’t able to do it and they were. I can’t, they got after us. I mean, they rushed for over 200 yards. And only 15 for us.”

On if he agreed with the penalty on Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown on the final play: “I didn’t see it. I couldn’t even see. Man, I was looking at the protection, and (Lions QB Jared) Goff, and then I saw the catch.”

On St. Brown deciding to pitch the ball to Lions QB Jared Goff on the final play: “Yeah, it was a headsy play, man. He wasn’t down, and just to stay alive for the last play, man. That’s what (Lions WR Amon-Ra) Saint (Brown) is, he’s a freaking smart, instinctive player. Gave us one more shot, we thought, but it didn’t work out.”

On the explanation for the offensive pass interference call on Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa: “Just that. They said he, it was, you know, that it was OPI. He ran into the defensive back, or whoever it was. Which, I mean, there’s nothing you can do. They see what they see. And I didn’t see that one either, so I have no idea.”

On if he regrets not kicking a field goal early: “No.”

On how the substitutions on both sides of the ball have taken a toll on the team: “Well, I don’t – you know what, here’s the – you love having guys that are there every week, of course. Because you get used to it, and you build a rapport, and you’re all on the same page. But that’s – man, we’ve lived this for three years. We should be better than that, you know. We’ve got to get our guys ready. We can do better. Every team’s got injuries in this league. Most of them have some type of injuries. You’ve got an injury bug somewhere. And as coaches we’re charged with having those guys ready, make sure we’re on point. The substitutions, the whole thing, that’s what we’ve got to do. And I know this guy, (Steelers QB Aaron) Rodgers, is really good about messing with you on third downs and stuff. You know, they roll out, and see if you’re substituting, then he gets back on the ball. And we talked about it, we worked it this week, and they got us a couple times. But, you know, you’ve just got to have those guys ready, that are going to play for you, and then you try to help them with the call. As much as you can reduce the burden on them, and make calls that help them too, that’s what you’re trying to do.”

On where the team stands right now: “I mean, look. It’s frustrating. We just lost two in a row, you know. That’s the worst – I don’t know. I don’t know what all of this is or isn’t. I know we’ve got two left. And I just want to see us finish. I just want to finish, our style of football, with two to go, man. You know, and try to play four straight quarters of good football. Clean football. Efficient football. That’s what I want to do. And we’ve got a short week now. We’ve got Minnesota, we’re back in tomorrow. I’ve got to have a game plan ready for these guys and we’ve got to be ready to go out to Minneapolis and put it all together and execute.”

On how the diminishing playoff hopes will affect his message to the team: “Yeah, I mean kind of what I just said is what I told them. We’ve got two to go. I just, I want to see us play with our identity. With what we are and what we’re about. We’re big boys in this league, man. You pull your pants up and you go to work. And you can’t feel sorry for yourself. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting, it doesn’t feel bad. But we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It’s on us, and it’s also on us to finish. We’ve got two to go.”

On the lack of consistency in being able to string together four good quarters: “There’s a lot of errors, man, that have popped up. We’ve got some mental errors here or there, or a lack of self-discipline. And look, ultimately, I put that stuff on me, man. That’s on me. There’s no other way to cut it, other than it’s the head coach. So, you know. It’s on me, man.”