The Detroit Lions will have their regular starting offensive line on the field Sunday for the first time since Week 1, and Jonah Jackson said the key to keeping them there is simple.
“Keep those 335-pound men off your ankle,” Jackson said.
Jackson knows the pain that can cause from personal experience.
The Lions’ starting left guard, Jackson missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain he suffered on the second offensive series of the Lions’ Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers, when defensive tackle Derrick Brown fell on his ankle during a run play.
OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE: Levi Onwuzurike no longer in DL rotation, but Lions insist, ‘It’ll come for him’
Jackson limped his way back to the huddle and finished out the game on adrenaline, but spent the past month rehabbing. He said his ankle “feels good” now, and he’s expected to start Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I was getting some heavy FOMO (fear of missing out),” Jackson said. “It was getting bad, so I’m real excited to be back out there with the guys. They were holding it down while I was out so it’s time for me to come back in and hold up my end of the bargain.”
The Lions have started seven different offensive line combinations in eight games this year, but still rank in the top six in the NFL in sack percentage (fifth) and rushing yards (sixth).
Right tackle Penei Sewell is the only Lion to have played every offensive snap this season, and he made two starts at left tackle when Taylor Decker was out with a high ankle sprain. Center Frank Ragnow returned to practice Tuesday after missing the Lions’ Week 8 game with calf and toe injuries, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who opened the season at right guard, has missed time with knee and back injuries.
Graham Glasgow, who has started games at all three interior line positions, has since replaced Vaitai in the starting lineup.
Jackson said Glasgow is “playing some of the best ball in the room” and praised fellow backups Kayode Awosika and Colby Sorsdal for their work as fill-ins.
“It just goes to show the standard we hold ourselves to in that room,” he said. “The next man up mentality’s huge.”
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Lions 1 of 9 legitimate Super Bowl 58 contenders
And he said he’s looking forward to seeing what the line can do now that everyone is healthy.
“We’re finally back,” Jackson said. “The band’s back together. It’s time to put on a show.”
Jackson, running back David Montgomery, and center Frank Ragnow all took part in the open portion of practice Tuesday and are on track to return Sunday. Montgomery has missed two games with multiple rib injuries, Jackson sat out three weeks with a high ankle sprain and Ragnow did not play against the Raiders because of a calf injury. The Lions will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday.
Levi Onwuzurike was a healthy scratch the past two games and largely a nonfactor the six weeks before that, but Lions defensive line coach John Scott insists he still is bullish on the third-year defensive tackle’s future.
“With Levi I think we sometimes forget, Levi basically missed a year and a half of football,” Scott said Tuesday. “That’s a huge learning curve when you’re not able to get out on the field, so Levi’s another guy that he has some great talent and we see progression every day.”
A second-round pick out of Washington in 2021, Onwuzurike missed most of training camp as a rookie and all of the regular season last year with a back injury that seems to have zapped his ability as a pass rusher.
He has two tackles and no quarterback pressures in 66 defensive snaps this season, and has not played since the Lions’ Oct. 15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It’ll come for Levi, he has to continue to work and he has to continue to show it in practice, which he’s doing,” Scott said. “And better yet, when you get that opportunity, you have to show that in the games as well, cause ultimately as you guys all know, that’s the ultimate measuring stick. People want to see wins and losses and how you perform on that stage, so those are all the things that he’s working at.”
The Lions have juggled personnel on their interior defensive line behind Alim McNeill and Benito Jones all season.
Onwuzurike, 25, opened the season as the No. 3 interior lineman, but did not record a tackle in the Lions’ first three games. Isaiah Buggs has been the team’s most impactful backup interior lineman with two tackles for loss and one sack in five games. Rookie third-round pick Brodric Martin made his NFL debut in the Lions’ last game before the bye against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Lions (6-2) are committed to getting Martin more reps to speed his development, but Scott said there still is room for Onwuzurike in the playing rotation.
“Again, I am pleased at where he is,” Scott said. “It’ll come for him.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This Labor Day weekend’s weather will be splendid in Metro Detroit.
The weather will be ideal for hanging out at the Romeo Peach Festival, Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats in Royal Oak, the Detroit Jazz Festival in Hart Plaza and Cadillac Square, parades, and any other events.
Skies will be mostly clear Saturday night with lows around 60 degrees in Southeast Michigan. Winds will be around 5 mph.
Sunday will be a fun day for going to the park or beach, grilling, or simply relaxing on the patio. A cold front will move through the area and reinforce the cool, dry air on the first day of meteorological fall in the Northern Hemisphere. (The first day of astrological fall is September 22.)
Skies will be mostly sunny on Sunday morning, but clouds will increase in the afternoon. Under a mix of sunshine and clouds, highs will be in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees in Detroit, Adrian, Monroe, Dearborn, and Warren. Temperatures will top out in the mid 70s in Ann Arbor, Howell, Flint, Troy, and Macomb Township. It will be in the lower 70s in much of the Thumb. Expect a northwesterly breeze from 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.
Sunday night, we will be able to open the windows and get crisp air. Under partly cloudy skies, lows will be in the mid 50s.
The cooldown will continue into Labor Day. Monday will be mostly sunny as a high-pressure system centers itself over the state. Highs will only be in the lower 70s. The average high for Labor Day is 79 degrees. Light winds will be out of the north at 5 to 10 mph.
Monday night will be great weather for a bonfire. Skies will be mostly clear with lows in the upper 40s and lower 50s.
A dry stretch will last for several days, but temperatures will gradually rise back to normal.
Highs will be in the mid 70s on Tuesday and near 80 degrees on Wednesday. Both days will bring lots of sunshine.
Thursday will warm into the lower 80s with partly cloudy skies. The chance of showers will return at night.
The chance of showers will continue Friday, and there will be a lower chance on Saturday. Temperatures will drop sharply into next weekend. Highs will only be in the 60s on Saturday in many Southeast Michigan communities.
With mostly sunny skies, temperatures will warm back to around normal by midweek.
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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:
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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The following scores are collected from either the Michigan High School Athletic Association or the Associated Press. These are scores from Friday, Aug. 30 for Week 1 of the football season.
Metro Detorit football scores from Thursday night of Week 1
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