Detroit, MI
Detroit Lions have an unlikely path to No. 2 seed in NFC: Here’s what needs to happen
The Detroit Lions had a slim hope for the top seed in the NFC playoffs entering Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys, but the controversial 20-19 loss that featured an illegal touching penalty that nullified Detroit’s go-ahead 2-point conversion wiped out any chance of securing a first-round bye.
The Lions enter Week 18 locked into a playoff spot after securing the NFC North. Detroit is currently the third seed in the NFC, behind the Cowboys at No. 2 and the San Francisco 49ers, who secured the No. 1 seed with a win and Detroit’s and the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss last week. The Lions have a small chance to secure the No. 2 seed with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 and some help from teams playing the contenders in the NFC East.
If the Lions were to move up to the No. 2 seed, they would be guaranteed a home playoff game in the wild card round and, with a win, in the divisional round. Here is a quick breakdown of what needs to happen:
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Week 18
The formula for the Lions to move up is pretty simple as the team enters the final week in a three-way tie with the Cowboys and Eagles at 11-5, but trailing them in necessary tiebreakers to finish ahead. The Lions need to beat the Vikings at home, have Dallas lose on the road to the Washington Commanders, and the Eagles to lose on the road to the New York Giants.
It starts with a win against the Vikings in the final home game of the regular season, and the first with the new division banner hanging in the rafters. The Lions beat the Vikings, 30-24, in Week 16 to secure the division title for the first time in 30 years. The game came down to the wire, but four interceptions by the defense coupled with three rushing touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery was enough to leave Minneapolis with a win and playoff berth. The Lions are 3½-point favorites to get the season sweep over the Vikings.
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If the Lions win the early afternoon game, fans can sit back and root against the Cowboys and Eagles while they both play in the 4:25 window. The Cowboys have the inside track to the NFC East title with a win, while the Eagles need a win and Cowboys loss to avoid a wild card seed and first-round road playoff game.
The Cowboys are on the road against a Commanders team that has lost seven straight games and is currently No. 2 in the 2024 NFL draft order with a 4-12 record. During the first meeting of the season, the Cowboys won, 45-10, in a four-touchdown performance from Dak Prescott. The Cowboys are currently listed as a 13-point favorite and have -900 odds to win the game outright.
The Eagles, also hoping for a Dallas loss, are also favorites against the Giants. The Eagles lost control of the NFC East after unexpectedly falling to the 4-12 Arizona Cardinals last week, dropping them to the No. 5 seed. The Eagles beat the Giants ,33-25, in Week 16 thanks to a last-second defensive stop. Philadelphia is a 4½-point road favorite against New York in Week 18 with minus-250 odds to win.
Detroit, MI
The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged
Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.
While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.
“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”
As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.
Detroit, MI
Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.
Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.
“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”
Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.
Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.
Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.
“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”
“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.
“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.
Detroit, MI
Murder trial starts this week in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Desmond Burks’ murder trial starts this week. On Monday, he attended his pre-trial hearing. Burks faces first-degree murder, felony murder and larceny charges in the death of Dr. Devon Hoover.
The prominent Detroit neurosurgeon was found dead in his attic in April 2023 after Detroit police performed a wellness check. Investigators said he had been shot twice in the head and his body was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.
Watch Darren Cunningham’s video report below:
Trial set to begin in Dr. Devon Hoover murder case
At the pre-trial, Judge Paul Cusick set the tone for how he expects the trial to go. It could last several weeks, according to court administration.
“Obviously, there’s always been respect shown to this court by the defendant and attorneys in this case, and all of the witnesses need to show the respect that is going to be required. There will be no outburst from any witnesses or anyone else during the proceedings,” the judge said.
Cusick discussed scheduling for the trial, starting with jury selection Wednesday and outlined restrictions for news media.
“Media is prohibited from showing and/or publishing the faces of any civilian witnesses not employed by the government,” he read.
WXYZ
Those same restrictions were in place during the preliminary hearing.
At the prelim, a number of people testified that they were former lovers of Desmond Burks.
Those men and women described Burks as a hustler and said he would send them money from an unknown Cash App and then have them send the money back to his Cash App.
Watch our coverage of the third day of the preliminary hearing below:
Day 3 concludes in Desmond Burks’ preliminary hearing in murder of Dr. Devon Hoover
Burks is accused of stealing more than $30,000 from Hoover via credit card and fraudulent bank transactions, and Burks allegedly used other people to execute his plan.
Investigators said text messages revealed Burks had an intimate relationship with Hoover and was sometimes paid for sexual services.
Watch our coverage of the second day of the preliminary hearing below:
Mystery backpack focus of testimony during day 2 of Hoover preliminary hearing
Testimony from the prelim also revealed that authorities zeroed in on Burks, in part, through cellphone records and surveillance footage involving Hoover’s stolen truck.
During the trial, we may hear from a close relative of Burks who identified him in surveillance footage during the prelim. The footage allegedly shows Burks walking away from Hoover’s stolen vehicle.
Watch our coverage of the first day of the preliminary hearing below:
Preliminary hearing begins for man charged with killing Dr. Devon Hoover
The jury selection process is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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