SB Nation - Adam Jennings

Tuesday Notes: Lions Activate Zack Follett, Waive Darnell Bing

Sean Yuille — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:57:12 -0000

The Lions have activated linebacker Zack Follett from the practice squad. Linebacker Darnell Bing was waived to make room on the roster for Follett, who is being added to the active roster mainly for his special teams skills. He flies down the field on special teams, and during the preseason he had quite a few tackles on kickoffs, so the hope is that adding him to the mix will improve a rather lackluster coverage unit.
Adam Jennings was placed on injured reserve yesterday, as the ankle injury he suffered against Chicago is season-ending. To fill the opening created on the roster, the Lions claimed safety Marvin White, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals.
RB Jehuu Caulcrick (of Michigan State fame), OT Isaac Sowells, OG Kurt Quarterman, DE Robert Henderson, LB Vinny Ciurciu, DB Vernon Fox, and S Todd Johnson tried out for the Lions on Tuesday.
Even if Jim Schwartz had challenged Johnny Knox's kick return for a touchdown (it appears Knox threw the ball before he reached the end zone), the Bears still would have ended up with the ball. The original thought was that the play would have been a touchback since the ball ended up in the end zone, but since Knox threw it forward, it would have simply been an illegal forward pass. The penalty would have put the Bears on the 6-yard line at worst, so in hindsight it wasn't quite as big of a deal. Still, it pisses me off that FOX Sports cut off the replay and kept the Lions from seeing if the play was worth challenging. I personally didn't even notice what happened at the time, as I turned away from the TV around the time Knox crossed midfield. I knew it was a touchdown by then and didn't want to see the rest of the play, so I didn't even realize what had happened until someone pointed it out in a FanPost earlier today.
John Clayton thinks the Lions will rest Matthew Stafford for a couple weeks since the bye week isn't too far away.
Don't expect any coaches (I'm looking at you, Stan Kwan) to be fired in the middle of the season, as it doesn't sound like Jim Schwartz rolls like that.
Cliff Avril isn't 100% just yet, but his "hamstring is getting better."
Chuck Darby spent much of the three weeks in between stints with the Lions fishing.
I don't have much to say about the Tigers other than I can't believe they choked that game away. They had so many chances to win the game or pull away, only to blow all of them and let the Twins end it in the 12th inning. I'm also extremely pissed off at the umpire for not realizing Brandon Inge got hit, costing the Tigers a run, but Detroit didn't deserve to win. They choked away the entire season over the last few weeks, and really I think it's time for a change at manager. Sure, there are many problems with this team, from the hitting to the pitchers to the management, but this entire organization needs some changes, starting with replacing Jim Leyland.

Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson Day-to-Day with Injuries

Sean Yuille — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:15:40 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford holds his knee after being taken down by Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, right, during the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. Stafford left the game and did not return. Chicago won 48-24. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

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Jim Schwartz didn't get into Matthew Stafford's knee injury too much at today's press conference, but he did say that the Lions quarterback is day-to-day and that it is possible he will play against the Steelers on Sunday.

Schwartz refused to say Monday whether Stafford's right kneecap was dislocated, adding "we'll know more," on Wednesday.

Stafford suffered a subluxation of his right knee in which his knee cap popped out of its normal position but popped back in, a Lions source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. A series of X-rays and MRIs will determine if Stafford damaged any cartilage around the knee cap, but sources said such an injury is not normally a season-ender. He will undergo more tests in Detroit.

One medical source even suggested that Stafford could play next week with a brace, but that will be determined by the pain and stability of the knee. He also could miss a week or longer, pending more comprehensive tests.

Stafford isn't the only player who is day-to-day with an injury, as two other important pieces of the Lions offense are also banged up.

Schwartz said linebacker Ernie Sims showed character playing with a shoulder injury and that wide receiver Calvin Johnson (quad) and running back Kevin Smith (shoulder) are day-to-day.

Adam Jennings suffered an injury during yesterday's game as well, but his appears to be much more severe than a day-to-day type of thing. Schwartz described it as a "significant" ankle injury, and Jennings was using crutches in the locker room and didn't return home with the team.

Jennings had replaced Aaron Brown as the Lions' kick returner before the injury, but now that he is likely going to be out for a while, Schwartz has named Derrick Williams the starting KR. Williams hasn't even been active yet during the regular season, but there is a definite need to change things up at kick returner. Brown did well against New Orleans, but he has been awful ever since then.

Wednesday Notes: Lions Re-Sign Jennings, Release Figurs

Sean Yuille — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:10:58 -0000

Jim Schwartz was "mic'd up" on Sunday, and there is an awesome video on NFL.com letting us see and hear Schwartz at different points in the game. I could watch it over and over.
Hoping to make their special teams better, the Lions re-signed wide receiver Adam Jennings and released Yamon Figurs, who was claimed on September 6.
Ernie Sims practiced today for the first time since injuring his shoulder against the Vikings. His status for Sunday is unclear, but he hopes to play against the Bears.
Cliff Avril also returned to practice today.
Kevin Smith, Sammie Hill, Kalvin Pearson, and Dewayne White missed today's practice.
I was a guest on ESPN 1410 WNER yesterday to talk about the Lions' first win. You can listen to audio of my appearance here.
Theo "Gridiron" Spight, the man who sings the fight song every time the Lions score, was interviewed by NPR to talk about the Redskins win.
Drew Stanton and Kevin Smith talked about the win on their blogs.

Lions Release Alama-Francis, Gordon, and Jennings; Three More Signed to Practice Squad

Sean Yuille — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:02:58 -0000

The Lions have just sent out a press release confirming the Kevin O'Connell trade and announcing some other roster moves.

Allen Park, Mich. - The Detroit Lions announced today that they have traded QB Kevin O’Connell to the New York Jets for an undisclosed future draft pick. The team also released DE Ikaika Alama-Francis, CB Cletis Gordon and WR Adam Jennings.

Seven players were signed today by the Lions to the team’s practice squad, including: WR John Broussard (San Jose State), TE Carson Butler (Michigan), RB Tristan Davis (Auburn), LB Zack Follett (California), C Dan Gerberry (Ball State), TE Dan Gronkowski (Maryland) and T Lydon Murtha (Nebraska).

With Marcus McCauley and Yamon Figurs set to join the team, that means there are still two open spots on the roster. You can assume that McCauley took Gordon's spot and Figurs basically replaced Jennings. What does that mean for the other two open spots? Well, I'm guessing the Lions have signed or claimed a defensive lineman, as that would explain why Ikaika Alama-Francis was released. As for who will be brought in to fill O'Connell's spot on the team, that remains to be seen. One thing is for sure -- the Lions are not done making changes to their roster just yet.

Tuesday Notes: Grady Jackson Finally Practices

Sean Yuille — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:31:57 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

4 months ago: Detroit Lions linebacker Curtis Gatewood takes a drink during their morning workout at NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Grady Jackson practiced today after missing the first few days of camp with an illness. He spent most of the offseason recovering from knee surgery, so it's good that he is finally practicing again, though he only participated in individual workouts and line drills.
Other injury updates: Brandon Pettigrew, Casey FitzSimmons, Keith Smith, and Eric King all missed practice on Monday. King was back on the field today, but the other three missed practice for the second day in a row. Pettigrew and Smith seem to be day-to-day, but FitzSimmons reportedly has a high-ankle sprain, which probably means he is week-to-week.
Today was the first day of practice in pads, and the players responded well to that, wanting to get more physical. Jim Schwartz liked what he saw, noting that this was probably the hottest day of practice so far.
In yesterday's two-minute drill, Matthew Stafford and Drew Stanton led their units into field goal range, whereas Daunte Culpepper's unit turned the ball over on downs at the 40-yard line.
It seems like the Lions' receivers are dropping a ton of passes, especially in the 7-on-7 drill. Tom Kowalski pointed this out, saying that outside of Calvin Johnson and Dennis Northcutt, the receivers are struggling to catch the ball on a consistent basis. I guess this explains why the Lions made a trade for Northcutt, as the other receivers certainly aren't cutting it. The loss of Bryant Johnson is also a bigger blow than I originally anticipated. Having him back will be nice for the quarterbacks, especially if this case of butterfingers keeps up.
Adam Jennings did make a nice catch yesterday, snagging a pass from Drew Stanton by diving in the end zone for a TD.

(More after the jump)

Phillip Buchanon likes practicing against Calvin Johnson, as lining up against one of the top receivers in football on a daily basis will only make him better.
Julian Peterson thinks Cliff Avril can be one of the league's top pass-rushers.
Scott Linehan doesn't feel like Matthew Stafford is a rookie when he coaches him.
Louis Delmas has already showed off enough skill that he is expected to be a starter.
Yesterday was Landon Cohen's birthday. He is really starting to make a name for himself, from his impressive bench press performance to making plays in practice.
The Lions are expecting Sammie Hill to become NFL-ready pretty quickly.
Offensive line coach George Yarno already seems like an upgrade over Jim Colletto.
Lions linebackers like the 4-3 defense, especially the ones that played in the Tampa-2 under Rod Marinelli.
Jim Schwartz likes to practice different situations rather than just go out there and practice.
Roar of the Lions recapped his visit to practice.
It looks like Vikings receiver Aundrae Allison will soon be on waivers. He is a great returner, and Kevin Seifert wonders if the Lions will claim him.
The Patriots now are reportedly showing interest in Kevin Carter. If they give him an offer, I think we can officially give up any hope of him signing with the Lions.
Don't forget, tomorrow practice opens up to the public for the first time. If you go to Allen Park and check it out, write a FanPost and share your observations with us.

Monday Notes: Brandon Pettigrew Injures Quadriceps

Sean Yuille — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:12:16 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

4 months ago: Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, right, hauls in a pass in front of cornerback Phillip Buchanon during NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Brandon Pettigrew suffered a quadriceps injury and left the afternoon session of practice yesterday. The injury doesn't sound too serious, though, so hopefully he will be back soon.
Casey FitzSimmons also suffered an injury, one that appeared to be bad at the time. He apparently was on the ground grabbing his knee, but he returned to practice and later said, "Just one of those bumps and bruises you get in training camp."
Ephraim Salaam didn't practice in the afternoon. He was given the session off, though, which is likely because he isn't one of the younger guys out there. Adam Jennings missed the morning session (he was excused) but returned in the afternoon.
None of the Lions' three quarterbacks were able to lead the offense to a touchdown in the two-minute drill. If Keary Colbert wouldn't have dropped a pass, Stafford's unit would have scored, so it wasn't completely bad. (Colbert did push-ups as a punishment for dropping the pass.)
According to Tom Kowalski, a couple "minor skirmishes" happened on Sunday. One was between John Standeford and Eric King and the other involved Damion Cook and Landon Cohen.
Aaron Brown, Aveion Cason, and Derrick Williams are currently the Lions' kick returners.
The defensive line seems to be having its way with the offensive line. Look at that however you want, but either the D-line has suddenly gotten a lot better or the O-line is really struggling.
Calvin Johnson likes what he sees in Matthew Stafford. I'm sure Stafford feels the same way about Calvin.
The team's first day of practice in full pads is tomorrow.

(More after the jump)

Martin Mayhew is a huge fan of Kevin Smith.
Tom Kowalski relayed a funny encounter Louis Delmas had with a Central Michigan fan after practice. As usual, players went over to the crowd to sign autographs, and one person presented a CMU hat for Delmas to sign. Delmas, as you probably know, is from Western Michigan, and this was his reaction to seeing the hat:

"Oh, hell no,'' Delmas said of signing the hat. "The guy was actually laughing about it. I think he was testing me.''
Delmas signed something else the guy had, so it seems like it was a joke. I'm sure if gave Drew Stanton a Michigan hat to sign, his reaction would be similar or even worse.
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey attended practice on Sunday.
Referees Ron Winter, Mike Spanier, and Scott Helverson are going to be at practice from August 6-8 to get themselves ready for the preseason as well as help the Lions see any penalties they may be committing.
The FanHouse has video of Matthew Stafford answering questions at the ESPYs.
Travis Fisher has signed with the Seahawks.

Falcons @ Saints: Defensive and Special Teams Scouting Report

Saintsational — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:00:05 -0000

Defensive Rankings

Team	Yds / Game	Yds / Play	Rush Yds / Game	Rush Yds / Play	Pass Yds / Game	Pass Yds / Play	Int. Rate	Sacks / Pass Attempt	First Downs / Game	Punt Return Avg	Kickoff Return Avg	3rd Down Pct	4th Down Pct	Red Zone Pct	Goal to Go%	Pts / Game	Point Diff./ Game	Yard Diff. / Game
ATL	339.1	5.60	116.7	4.81	222.4	6.48	2.18%	5.83%	18.3	2.2	21.5	39.10%	50.00%	52.63%	63.16%	20.2	4.7	23.7
Rank	22	24	21	27	23	14	24	20	15t	1	7	18	13t	19	9t	8	8	15

Rushing Defense

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 49

Plays: 33

Plays: 5

Plays: 111

Plays: 7

Plays: 28

Plays: 49

NFL Rank: 9

NFL Rank: 23

NFL Rank: 32

NFL Rank: 7

NFL Rank: 32

NFL Rank: 28

NFL Rank: 7

Avg Gain: 6.67

Avg Gain: 5.03

Avg Gain: 4.80

Avg Gain: 4.15

Avg Gain: 2.29

Avg Gain: 4.96

Avg Gain: 4.78

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 28

NFL Rank: 21

NFL Rank: 2

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 17

Passing Defense

Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right	Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right

















Plays: 124	Plays: 76	Plays: 122	Plays: 27	Plays: 27	Plays: 34
NFL Rank: 8	NFL Rank: 17	NFL Rank: 20	NFL Rank: 11	NFL Rank: 2	NFL Rank: 4
Avg Gain: 5.62	Avg Gain: 6.53	Avg Gain: 4.94	Avg Gain: 9.56	Avg Gain: 16.74	Avg Gain: 9.44
NFL Rank: 10	NFL Rank: 11	NFL Rank: 9	NFL Rank: 9	NFL Rank: 26	NFL Rank: 13

Individual Stats

Interceptions	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
E.Coleman	3	48	16.0	32	0
C.Houston	2	10	5.0	10t	1
C.Jackson	1	95	95.0	95t	1
L.Milloy	1	38	38.0	38	0
B.Grimes	1	25	25.0	25	0
M.Boley	1	16	16.0	16	0

Punting	No	Yds	Avg	Net	TB	In	Lg	B
M.Koenen	44	1751	39.8	37.0	3	20	60	1

Punt Returns	Ret	FC	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
A.Jennings	23	6	151	6.6	37	0
H.Douglas	10	2	180	18.0	61t	1

Field Goals	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+
J.Elam	0/ 0	8/ 8	5/ 6	10/ 10	1/ 2

Kickoff Returns	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
J.Norwood	34	841	24.7	85	0
H.Douglas	4	46	11.5	22	0

Lions Claim Adam Jennings, Demote Drew Henson to Practice Squad

Sean Yuille — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:04:41 -0000

After re-signing Aveion Cason on Tuesday to improve the kick return game, the Lions made a move on Wednesday to improve punt returns. The Lions claimed wide receiver Adam Jennings, who was released by the Falcons on Tuesday. Jennings' main role will be to return punts, which is what his primary job was with the Falcons. The Seahawks and Vikings also claimed Jennings, but since the Lions have the worst record in the league, they have priority over every other NFL team when it comes to players on the waiver wire.

To make room on the roster for Jennings, the Lions released quarterback Drew Henson. Henson cleared waivers, allowing the Lions to re-sign him to the practice squad, which is where he was before Jon Kitna went on IR. Defensive back Antonio Smith was also signed to the practice squad to fill the vacancy created by LaMarcus Hicks, who was re-signed to the active roster last Saturday.