SB Nation - Daniel Loper

Inactive List: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:38:57 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Bengals_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	DOUBTFUL	PROBABLE
Jordan Palmer	Jonathan Luigs	Laveranues Coles
Domata Peko	Domata Peko	Kyries Hebert
Bernard Scott	Bernard Scott	Tank Johnson
Jonathan Luigs		Rey Maualuga
Jerome Simpson		Frostee Rucker
Chase Coffman		Morgan Trent
Dan Skuta		Cedric Benson
Fui Vakapuna		Keith Rivers
		Tom Nelson

Lions_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	OUT	PROBABLE
QB Drew Staton	S Kalvin Pearson	DT Grady Jackson
WR Eric Fowler	WR Eric Fowler	DE Andre Fluellen
S Kalvin Pearson		LB Zack Follett
FB Terrelle Smith	QUESTIONABLE	WR Calvin Johnson
LB Ernie Sims	G Daniel Loper	QB Matthew Stafford
G Daniel Loper	S Louis Delmas
OT Ephraim Salaam	LB Ernie Sims
DT Grady Jackson	DE Dewayne White

Injury Report: Detroit Lions (2-9) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:59 -0000

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
C Jonathan Luigs (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
RB Bernard Scott (toe)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
S Kyries Hebert (hip)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DE Frostee Rucker (neck)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
DT Orien Harris (illness)	--	DNP	--	--
S Tom Nelson (foot)	--	--	DNP	Probable

DETROIT	WED	THUR	FRI
G Daniel Loper (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
S Kalvin Pearson (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
S Louis Delmas (ankle)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
WR Eric Fowler (knee)	LP	DNP	DNP	Out
DT Grady Jackson (knee)	LP	DNP	LP	Probable
LB Ernie Sims (hamstring)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Dewayne White (toe)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Andre Fluellen (toes)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Zack Follett (neck)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
WR Calvin Johnson (knee)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
QB Matthew Stafford (left shoulder)	FP	FP	FP	Probable

Wednesday Notes: Ernie Sims, Dewayne White Return to Practice

Sean Yuille — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:12:49 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Vikings Eric Frampton (37) is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Ernie Sims (50) and cornerback Anthony Henry (32) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

View full size photo »

Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, and Dewayne White all practiced on Tuesday. Kalvin Pearson and Daniel Loper were out with injuries.
Ko Simpson was placed on IR last week and replaced on the roster by Jahi Word-Daniels.
Jim Schwartz didn't have a problem with Louis Delmas' hit on Jermichael Finley because some things you just can't coach differently.
According to Chad Ochocinco, Bengals receivers want the ball to be thrown 50 times against the Lions on Sunday. While that would probably be good for a few of my fantasy teams, the thought of Carson Palmer throwing 50 times against the Lions' secondary is just scary.
The Lions are causing ticket-selling problems for the Bengals, who are having trouble reaching a sellout for Sunday's game.
Similar to Matthew Stafford against Cleveland, Brett Favre was mic'd up against the Lions last month. As much as I can't stand Favre still being in the division, I have to say, it was pretty entertaining to listen to what he had to say throughout the game, including when he chatted with Stafford before kickoff and after the final whistle. My favorite part of the segment was when Stephen Peterman lined up at defensive tackle and Favre noticed and said, "Damn, Stephen. What they got you in for?" Favre quickly snapped the ball after the remark and Adrian Peterson ran into the end zone for a touchdown. Favre then went over to Peterman and asked if they are paying him overtime. It was just a funny exchange, though there were many in the video.
Citing the fact that "everybody's a little different," Jim Schwartz didn't want to even guess how long Brandon Pettigrew's ACL injury could keep him out.

Wednesday Injury Report: Packers at Lions

Brandon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:57:16 -0000

UPDATE: From NFL.com:

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, who injured his non-throwing shoulder in last week’s wild win over the Cleveland Browns, will start Thursday against the Packers, reports NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson, who was listed as questionable throughout the week, is active and will also play Thursday.

As the season grows longer, so does the injury report. This week the Green Bay Packers have 13 players listed, and the Lions have 14.

For the Packers: I'm sure everyone knows that LB Aaron Kampman and CB Al Harris are done for the season with matching ACL injuries. But after them, only RT Allen Barbre and RB Ahman Green didn't practice on Wednesday because they are both recovering from injuries suffered last week in practice. While it would be nice to have them both available, I don't think anyone expects either to play a significant role in the offense. The only other major concern was C Scott Wells, who had his knee swell up bad on Monday and Tuesday, but apparently nothing is torn and he should play.

For the Lions: Their injury list is long and a problem. Neither QB Matthew Stafford or WR Calvin Johnson has practiced this week. Will Carroll discussed Stafford's shoulder injury:

The result is good, but a meaningless win against a bad team really doesn't mean much in the longer term. Stafford's non-throwing shoulder is being described as "mangled" and it's clear that it was a dislocation. This is much like the situation with Sam Bradford, but on the non-throwing side.

It's a good point in regards to Stafford and Johnson. Why risk either player's long-term health when the best outcome is a 3-8 record? Obviously their absence helps the Packers, but I don't see how they can push either player on a short week when neither was able to practice. Two safeties (Kalvin Pearson and Ko Simpson) are listed as out, and starting FS Louis Delmas is questionable (limited in practice on Wednesday). If Delmas can't play, their secondary might be literally without any depth. LB Ernie Sims is out too, but his replacement is former Badger LB DeAndre Levy and he shouldn't be much a drop off from Sims. RB Kevin Smith was limited in practice on Wednesday too.

The complete injury reports are listed after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Wednesday Status
Allen Barbre	T/G	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Ryan Grant	RB	Neck	Full Participation	Probable
Ahman Green	RB	Groin	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Al Harris	CB	Knee	Out	Out
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Johnny Jolly	DE	Back	Full Participation	Probable
Aaron Kampman	LB	Knee	Out	Out
John Kuhn	FB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Josh Sitton	G	Back	Full Participation	Probable
Scott Wells	C	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Charles Woodson	CB	Hip	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Wednesday Status
Joe Cohen	DT	Ankle & Elbow	Limited Participation	Probable
Louis Delmas	S	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Questionable
Jordan Dizon	LB	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Zack Follett	LB	Knee	Limited Participation	Probable
Grady Jackson	DT	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Probable
Calvin Johnson	WR	Not Inj. Related	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Daniel Loper	T	Quadricep	Limited Participation	Questionable
Kalvin Pearson	S	Not Inj. Related	Did Not Participate	Out
Ko Simpson	S	Knee	Did Not Participate	Out
Ernie Sims	LB	Back	Did Not Participate	Out
Kevin Smith	RB	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Probable
Matthew Stafford	QB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Dewayne White	DE	Knee	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Derrick Williams	WR	Knee	(Not Listed)	N/A

Wednesday Notes: Stephen Peterman, Ernie Sims, Others Miss Practice

Sean Yuille — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:51 -0000

According to John Niyo, the players listed below missed practiced today for the Lions.

Quick injury update from practice: Guard Stephen Peterman (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (hamstring), defensive end Dewayne White (toe), safety Kalvin Pearson (hamstring) and receiver Derrick Williams (hip) all are sitting out today.
Also according to Niyo, Daniel Loper has stepped in for Peterman at right guard.
Louis Delmas, who didn't end up playing against Minnesota because of an infected tooth, did practice, as did Larry Foote and Phillip Buchanon, who are both recovering from injuries.
According to Jim Schwartz, Anthony Henry is going to be active this Sunday and will be "in a lot of different roles." Schwartz specifically mentioned that Henry can play at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, and safety.
Joshua Cribbs, perhaps the Browns' best player, missed practice today because of an injury that happened on the last play of Monday's game against the Ravens. The game was basically over, but Cribbs was still out there playing and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving a big hit. Why you would have a player like that out there when the game has already been decided is beyond me, but this is Eric Mangini we are talking about. He may be one of the most incompetent coaches I've ever seen (the NFLPA is reportedly going to Cleveland to investigate his practice methods for crying out loud), and if you don't already think that, wait until you read the next bullet. As for Cribbs, he merely hopes to play on Sunday. For the Lions' sake, I hope he takes this game off, because he owned Detroit in the preseason.
Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp talked up Calvin Johnson yesterday, calling him the "best receiver in the league, hands down." He also said this about Megatron:

"He's like the LeBron James of football because of his size, speed and his knowledge of the game."
What's funny is that if Eric Mangini had it his way, LeBron James would be the LeBron James of football. James talked on Tuesday about how he could become a football player if he was committed to it, and Mangini said this about the possibility of him playing for a different Cleveland team:

"I think he should come on down," Mangini said.
Shaun Rogers was a bit more skeptical, but for marketing reasons alone I wouldn't hesitate to sign LeBron James if he truly wanted to become an NFL player. Still, Mangini must be pretty desperate if he has no qualms about an NBA player joining the team. Then again, without Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' top receiver is Mohamed Massaquoi, who was one of Matthew Stafford's targets at Georgia last year. Maybe signing James wouldn't be such a bad idea considering how little talent the Browns currently have, especially since Mangini thinks that the Cleveland Cavalier could play outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
The Lions have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC North title.

A Canadian real estate company won the auction for the Silverdome and will buy it for only $583,000. The plans for the Silverdome are to refurbish it and try to bring a Major League Soccer team to the area. To that I say good luck, because the Silverdome is way, way too big for an MLS team. Also, the commissioner of MLS sort of shot down the idea already, so I hope the new owners have a plan B. Regardless, it's nice to see that there are actually plans to do something with the Lions' former stadium, though I'm saddened that there will be no Pride of Detroit Dome.
Staying on the topic of the Silverdome, there is a story on WDIV's website about how a local development company is going to try to block the sale of the stadium to the Canadian real estate company. Why?

Silver Stallion lawyers said the company offered to purchase the stadium for $20 million but the negotiations broke down.

Silver Stallion, which describes itself as a minority company, claims that the city breached contract and racially discriminated against them.
I had to laugh when I read that. Yeah, the city of Pontiac turned down an extra $19.4 million because they didn't want to sell it to a minority company. Oh common sense, where art thou?
I'm going to blame all of the recent injuries on Tom Kowalski because he jinxed the Lions about 40 minutes before Sunday's game.

The Lions, though, aren't really in need of roster spots at this point in the season. The Lions are in relatively good shape physically -- Sims is believed to be the only player on today's inactive list because of an injury. The rest of the inactives are coaching decisions.
The inactive list will definitely not include only one injured player this week.

(The above quote is from Kowalski's story about how Ernie Sims' injury reportedly isn't season-ending, by the way.)
It was nice not having Brett Favre in the division last year, because he owns the Lions.
This week's SB Nation power rankings have been posted.
Jon Gruden signed an extension with ESPN, meaning he won't be getting a job in the NFL (or with Notre Dame) anytime soon.
The Bills fired Dick Jauron.
The Bengals signed Larry Johnson.
Vikings coach Brad Childress is likely going to receive a contract extension in the near future. I'm fine with that, because Childress really doesn't seem like that great of a head coach. Some of the decisions he made on Sunday left me scratching my head, and if it weren't for Brett Favre, he would probably be on the hot seat right now.

Matthew Stafford Returns to Practice; Jon Jansen Elevated to Starting LG?

Sean Yuille — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:51:04 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford smiles at a teammate late in the fourth quarter of their 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 in Detroit. Stafford passed for 241 yards and a touchdown to help end the Lions 19-game losing streak. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Browse more photos »

The Lions returned to practice on Tuesday after having the weekend off, and a few injured players who sat out on Friday were back on the field, joining their teammates for what probably was the practice with the most participation in at least the last few weeks.

The most notable player to return to practice was Matthew Stafford, who took approximately half of the reps on Tuesday. He seemed to be happy with how his knee held up, though he didn't feel comfortable giving a percentage on how healthy he is. Even if he had shared one, it wouldn't really mean anything until Wednesday's practice. I say that because no one will really know how healthy Stafford is until his knee has a day to recover from Tuesday's practice. If it swells up again, then chances are we will have to wait at least another week for Stafford's return to game action. If it is fine and looks/feels like nothing happened on Tuesday, then the odds of him playing on Sunday greatly increase. I don't want to get my hopes up just yet, but Tuesday brought more positive news on Stafford than I expected.

One of the other notable injured players, Calvin Johnson, did not return to practice on Tuesday. He did do some running on the sideline, but that was about it for Megatron. Calvin did say that he is "optimistic," but he also admitted that he's "not positive about what's going to happen." The best thing to do with Calvin is take a wait and see approach. If he suddenly feels well enough to practice sometime this week, he could also return to game action on Sunday against the Rams.

Staying on the topic of injuries, Dewayne White, Sammie Hill, and Ko Simpson all returned to practice on Tuesday as well. Jerome Felton and Jason Hunter didn't get back on the field, but even so, it's nice to see so many of the injured players start to participate in practice again. Hopefully that means that the Lions will be almost at full strength on Sunday, and as the season continues, hopefully it means that I will have to spend less time typing up the injury report each week.

One other thing I want to mention is unrelated to injuries, but it does involve a change to the starting lineup. According to John Niyo, Jon Jansen "appears to be the new starting left guard," and Daniel Loper has shifted to right tackle to be Gosder Cherilus' backup. It's obvious that the Lions want to find an offensive line combination that will work, so here's to hoping that Jansen is the answer at left guard, even though he has never started at a position other than right tackle in his career.

Ending The Bye Week Blues

Mitchell_M — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:32:36 -0000

It's been a rough fortnight for me, Packer fans. Not only did Green Bay lose round one of FavreFest 2009 (while watching Jared Allen and his lame-unless-he-was-on-your-team stirring sack celebration), but they headed into the bye week at 2-2, re-signed an old favorite who may or may not be ready to play, and draw a feisty Detroit Lions team that looks like it's charging back towards middle-of-the-pack status.

So there's that whole deal. Combine that with the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks are wrapping up their preseason (and Brandon Jennings looks even less ready than we thought he would), the World Series is shaping up to be a showdown between the Dodgers and Yankees (after yet another disappointing Brewers campaign), and hockey is less important to me than the price of high heels in Sri Lanka, and you can see that it's a tough time for a Wisconsin-native sports fan. Even my fantasy teams are imploding (1-4 and 2-3 in the leagues that matter).

It's tough to lose your last game before a bye week. It gives you an awful taste in your mouth about your chances afterwards. But then I remember that the Packers are playing the Lions at Lambeau this week. That makes me feel slightly better.

DET rushing vs. GB defense: Every time I think of the Detroit running backs, I think of Kevin Smith, and every time I think of Kevin Smith, I think of Clerks 2, and every time I think of Clerks 2, I think of the scene where Randal and Elias debate which trilogy was better: Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (definitely NSFW). Specifically, I think of the part where Randal reenacts the LOTR movies by simply...walking.

That scene is oddly parallel to the story of Detroit's run game. Detroit's top 4 running backs (Smith, Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown, and Jerome Felton) are averaging less than 3.6 yards per carry. Not that we're used to dominant running performances around these parts, but Kevin Smith and his 3.1 average (287 yards on 94 carries) does not strike fear into opposing defenses.

It's not even that Kevin Smith is a below-average running back. He has good size (6'1", 217), and excellent speed and agility. He regularly breaks off 10+ yard runs, and is even a decent pass catcher (19 receptions for 143 yards). But his line is giving him no help.

Jeff Backus (6'5", 305) and Gosder Cherilus (6'7", 325) are capable bookends (especially Cherilus, who is a nasty run blocker), but the interior linemen, Daniel Loper (6'6", 320), Dominic Raiola (6'1", 295), and Stephen Peterman (6'4", 323) simply aren't able to move defenders and open running lanes. Smith is the type of running back that needs space to gain momentum and use his second gear, but he can't get started because he's constantly running into brick walls.

Green Bay has fared well this season against opposing running backs. Besides Cedric Benson (who has looked every bit like the player Chicago wanted him to be, including breaking Baltimore's streak of 39 games without allowing 100+ rushing yards to a single player), the Packers have effectively bottled up opposing running backs. As a team, Green Bay is only allowing 3.5 yards per attempt, in no small part because of the "Big Okie" formation that puts 5 linebackers on the field, allowing effective pursuit to the ball, stringing plays out to the sideline, and cutting off gaps. Brandon Chillar is a surprise tackling leader this season (26 on the year), but 7 other players in the front seven have at least 11 tackles.

Advantage: Green Bay. As a team, the Packers do an excellent job of closing running lanes, while Detroit does not do a good enough job at opening them up.

DET passing vs. GB defense: When I was a kid, 'Transformers' was awesome. When Michael Bay tried to turn it into a summer flick, it made me want to further repress my childhood so that I'd have no memory of ever enjoying the battle of Autobots vs. Decepticons. But there's still one guy that makes me glad to have watched that cartoon: Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.

Whoa, nelly. Megatron is a beast. I know I gushed about him last year, but I don't care. The 6'5", 236 lb. Georgia Tech product managed to put up 1331 yards and 12 touchdowns on the putrid 2008 Lions squad. He is big, fast, strong, has great hands, and can make any catch at any time. He has been limited in the last two weeks because of injury, but coach Jim Schwartz says that it isn't serious and he is currently listed as probable.

After Johnson is where the problems start. Bryant Johnson is a first round pick who never lived up to his promise. Dennis Northcutt is a Jacksonville castoff, which is saying something. Derrick Williams has some promise, but is buried on the depth chart. Yamon Figurs is a recent addition, but will likely focus on return duties. Will Heller is a career backup at TE, and first-rounder Brandon Pettigrew was injured in training camp and is still trying to figure out his role.

Behind center, Detroit went all-in on Matthew Stafford, which I thought was a terrible decision back in April. Stafford hasn't looked awful, but he certainly hasn't outplayed fellow rookie Mark Sanchez (who is on a much better team). Stafford has a big arm (894 yards, 3 TDs), but merely average accuracy (56.8% completion) and questionable decision-making (6 INTs, 65.6 QB rating). Basically, I didn't think that Detroit should have spent first-overall money on a guy who may or may not work out at the pro level, but the jury is still out on him.

Ever since dislocating his kneecap against Chicago, however, the Matthew Stafford debate is moot for the time-being. With Stafford likely sidelined another week, Daunte Culpepper takes the reigns again. And you know what that means:

I've got these tiny hands...

While we remember his time with Minnesota in the earlier parts of the 2000's, Culpepper has never been the same since his 2006 knee injury. He's bounced around a bit before settling in Detroit as a stop-gap QB, but he's still a capable passer. He still has a big arm, decent accuracy, and can run a huddle effectively. As weird as it seems, one of Daunte Culpepper's biggest weaknesses is the size of his hands. For a few years, Culpepper was averaging over a fumble per game. He has compensated for his tiny mitts by employing an unconventional throwing motion, but when he tries to run or gets hit in the pocket, he is prone to losing control of the ball.

And Culpepper has been hit a lot lately. Seven sacks against the Steelers is downright Rodgers-esque. Even before that, though, the Lions gave up 10 sacks in 4 games, giving them 17 total for the season. The Lions simply cannot protect their quarterback, something we know all about. Backus is a decent blind-side protector, and Raiola has been around long enough to make good adjustments on the line, but Cherilus is still too raw, the interior linemen are too weak, and the backs do not block well.

Green Bay's 3-4 defense was supposed to be the kind that got after the quarterback and forced turnovers. While the +7 ratio fulfills the second part, the sacks simply haven't been there. Through four games, the Packers have five sacks. Two came against Jay Cutler, and two against Marc Bulger. Brett Favre and his porous offensive line wasn't even touched on Monday night.

The decision to change Aaron Kampman into a pass-rushing OLB was a head-scratcher during the offseason, and it's become downright dumbfounding in October. On the play where Favre had over 7 seconds to find a receiver, Kampman wasn't shut down by a Vikings lineman. He was in zone coverage, someplace he has been found all too often. Dom Capers' blitz-happy defense took a turn for the conservative when Atari Bigby went down in Week 1, so his return is much anticipated. The lack of pass rush has severely hampered the production of the defensive backfield. Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, Al Harris, and Tramon Williams are still ball-hawks. As long as they get opportunities from the front seven, they will break up more than a few passes.

Advantage: Push. While Green Bay has the clear advantage on paper, I want to see more results before I declare them to have any sort of edge.

GB rushing vs. DET defense: Detroit's run defense was one of the many weak points in 2008. Thus far in 2009, it hasn't been fixed. The Lions give up 4.9 yards per attempt on the ground. That includes performances of 142 yards by Mike Bell, 92 yards by Adrian Peterson, 121 yards by Matt Forte, and 77 yards by Rashard Mendenhall. Jim Schwartz has tried to fix the problem by shuffling personnel, but results are mixed. LB Ernie Sims was benched last week for rookie DeAndre Levy, DT Chuck Darby was waived to make room on the field for rookie Sammie Lee Hill, and Grady Jackson has seen more and more snaps.

It doesn't help that the Lions are starting Packer castoff Jason Hunter at LDE with the 240 lb. Julian Peterson playing both at LOLB and at the other DE spot. Aside from Larry Foote, the Lions don't have anyone that can really shoot gaps and take on lead blockers. Ernie Sims was supposed to be that guy, but he's currently in the dog house. Rookie safety Louis Delmas is a big hitter, but he's no Troy Polamalu just yet. The only run-stopper they have is Grady Jackson, who is getting up there in years.

Luckily for Detroit, Green Bay doesn't seem that interested in running the ball. I did a little post last week exploring where the Green Bay rushing attack has gone. As it turns out, it really hasn't gone anywhere, it's just been ignored. The team averages a shade under 100 yards per game, which is somewhat respectable, but they haven't been able to sustain long drives by picking up yards on the ground. 2007 Ryan Grant is still MIA, and DeShawn Wynn has been downright awful. Brandon Jackson is coming back from injury, which might help, but he's best suited to a 3rd down back role anyway.

Up front, Green Bay's injury problems and lack of depth have exposed the team in pass protection, but also showed below-average run blocking. With Chad Clifton returning from injury, Daryn Colledge can resume his normal role at LG, putting Jason Spitz back at C and Scott Wells on the bench. From here, the Packers have a better shot of opening running lanes, especially on the right side (where Allen Barbre performs well).

Advantage: Push. This matchup is like the stoppable force against the movable object. If Green Bay calls an even offensive game, they might have an advantage, but I don't see any at this point.

GB passing vs. DET defense: Quarterbacks like playing Detroit. Against the Motor City Kitties, NFL passers have put up 15 scores against only 3 INTs while amassing a 73.3% completion rating. While the Lions have had middling success getting to the quarterback (10 sacks in 2009), their highest individual total is 2.0 (Jason Hunter). There is no designated pass rusher, unless you count Julian Peterson, who has been a failure as a DE on passing downs. Whether the sacks have been from good downfield coverage, poor blocking by opponents, or a schematic advantage, one thing is for sure: they aren't blitzing very much (bottom third in NFL).

The defensive backfield has been a sore point in Detroit. Anthony Henry has performed well as the #1 corner, but Will James and Philip Buchanon have been switching in and out of the starting lineup. Rookie Louis Delmas is best used in run support, but he is capable in pass coverage. The Lions split time at the other safety between Ko Simpson and former fan favorite Marquand Manuel.

Passing offense has been, for Green Bay, one of the lone bright spots in a disappointing start. Aaron Rodgers has put up big numbers behind an awful offensive line, showing accuracy and poise despite getting sacked 20 times in 4 games and having to run out of the pocket on numerous occasions. The receivers have been somewhat underwhelming, amassing 10 of the team's 14 drops. Greg Jennings has been unusually quiet in the first quarter of 2009, and has gone on record to say that he thinks that the team needs to get back to the short-passing game that allowed he and the other WRs to create yards after the catch. Hear, hear, Greg.

Advantage: Green Bay. If Rodgers can get hit 8 times and still throw for over 300 yards, he will get good looks against Detroit.

Preliminary verdict: Coming off a bye, Green Bay seems to have changed a bit as a team. Mark Tauscher has been re-signed. Brandon Jackson, Jeremy Thompson, Chad Clifton, and possibly Atari Bigby should be returning from injury. The offensive line should get back to the group that started the season, and the defense should get back to the blitzing that gave us all high expectations for 2009. Perhaps this is the week where we see the 2009 preseason team in action instead of the poor impersonation we've watched for the last month.

I can't think of how the timing could be better than hosting Detroit. Unless it was Oakland, or Kansas City, or the Browns, or even the struggling Cowboys. See, Lions fans? Your team has improved a lot!

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 6 vs. Detroit?

Big GB win.

414 votes

Slim GB win.

197 votes

Too close to call.

26 votes

Slim DET win.

40 votes

Big DET win.

11 votes

688 votes | Poll has closed

Official Vikings/Lions Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:54:02 -0000

Good evening/morning, campers! Glad to see that things have been relatively normal here, with the exception of some of the more creative FanPosts (all of which have been deleted). I would have gotten to these injury reports a bit sooner, but I spent my evening last night in New Orleans at a retirement party for a very good friend of mine that is moving on to the civilian world after putting in his 20 years. Let me tell you. . .Disney World might advertise themselves as the happiest place on Earth, but they've got nothing on Bourbon Street.

And I'll just leave it at that. This is, after all, a family show.

So, let's move on to the injury reports. As is customary here, we'll look at the visiting team first, so his Minnesota's injury report for tomorrow's game.

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Anthony Herrera	back	09/18/2009
Jim Kleinsasser	hand	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Heath Farwell	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Erin Henderson	calf	09/18/2009

Henderson is going to be out, we know that already. The big question here is Heath Farwell's status. According to Access Vikings, Henderson was the only member of the team that didn't practice on Friday, so since Farwell practiced, I'm guessing that he'll be a go for tomorrow's game, barring anything surprising. So, the Vikings should basically have their entire complement of players going into Ford Field tomorrow.

And here's the injury report for the Lions:

Detroit Lions Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Grady Jackson	knee	09/18/2009
William James	foot	09/18/2009
Jason Hanson	knee	09/18/2009
Phillip Buchanon	neck	09/18/2009
Daniel Loper	knee	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Eric King	shoulder	09/18/2009
Andre Fluellen	knee	09/18/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cliff Avril	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cody Spencer	knee	08/18/2009
Daniel Bullocks	knee	08/20/2009
Jared DeVries	achilles-tendon	08/11/2009
Chris Roberson	undisclosed	09/05/2009
Damion Cook	triceps	08/07/2009

Grady Jackson is probable despite not having practiced on Friday, and his matchup against Vikings' center John Sullivan will be one of the more interesting ones to watch tomorrow. Sullivan had his difficulties with Shaun Rogers last week in Cleveland, and while Jackson is no longer in the class of guys like Rogers, he's still a big run-stuffing body in the middle of the Detroit defense.

Cliff Avril will likely be inactive for the Lions tomorrow, and I haven't seen anything indicating that anyone else on the Lions' injury report is a definite deactivation for tomorrow.

So there are the bumps and bruises for both teams going into the Week 2 matchup at Ford Field. Not a lot of hugely game-changing injuries for either side. We're about 12 hours away, folks, so make sure you're here for the Game Thread and all the fun that's involved with that. We'll see you here then!

Friday Notes: Culpepper to Start; Lions Sign Alexander, Release Ervin

Sean Yuille — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:50:12 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

5 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper throws during football minicamp, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

Daunte Culpepper will start for the Lions against Indianapolis tomorrow. Culpepper will play for all of the first quarter and half of the second. Matthew Stafford will come in after that and play until the end of the third quarter. (Drew Stanton will get to play in the fourth quarter.) The starters will be in the game for both Culpepper and Stafford, allowing the coaches to get a look at what each can do with the No. 1 offense.

Jim Schwartz cautioned to not read into this very much, as someone has to go out there first. He also made sure to mention that a starter probably won't be named until the week of the Saints game, and even then we probably won't hear who is getting the start until right before the game. That way the Saints have to spend time preparing for both quarterbacks.
The Lions signed linebacker Rufus Alexander and released running back Allen Ervin on Thursday. Alexander has previously played for the Vikings and Colts. Ervin had played quite well in the first preseason game before suffering an injury the next week in practice. He was not going to play on Saturday, and the Lions probably figured he wasn't going to make the team, so it's best to move on and give someone else a chance.
Starting cornerbacks Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry both will not play against the Colts. Keith Smith will play in his first preseason game, but I think Peyton Manning is going to have a field day with our secondary. He very well may have anyways, but with the starters out this probably will get ugly really quickly.
Dennis Northcutt has also been ruled out of tomorrow's game.
Kevin Smith and Ernie Sims are going to be game-time decisions tomorrow.
Brandon Pettigrew is going to play against Indianapolis.
Daniel Loper and Manny Ramirez are battling it out for the starting spot at left guard.
People were actually lined up at Ford Field's box office to buy Lions tickets when they went on sale Thursday morning.
With all of this talk about backup kickers lately, Jim Schwartz decided to show the team a clip of when offensive line coach George Yarno kicked an extra point back when he played for the Buccaneers. He was actually the long snapper, but when the starting kicker got hurt, Yarno ended up coming in as the emergency backup and did quite well.

(More after the jump)

The Vikings' locker room reportedly is already divided on Brett Favre.
Roy Williams hurt his shoulder last night during a Cowboys practice and will likely miss the rest of the preseason. There was a report from PFT that he broke his collarbone, but his X-rays came back negative.
The Broncos have suspended Brandon Marshall.
The Cowboys are not going to have to raise their giant scoreboard, as the NFL has simply created a do over rule, meaning that if a punt hits the scoreboard, the play will just be done again. I realize it would cost $2 million to raise the scoreboard, but this rule is just stupid. The Cowboys have spent over a billion dollars on the stadium already, so what's another $2 million? Besides, they are the ones responsible for not testing this out in the first place, so they should be responsible for fixing the problem. This rule will just cause problems, and I can't wait to see the outcry the first time a do over punt is blocked.

Know Thy Enemy 2009: Detroit Lions - December 27

Fooch — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:13 -0000

Let's start by stating that a lot could certainly change between now and the last two games of the year. However, at this point, if the 49ers are in the midst of a playoff chase, they face a potentially easy close to the season at home against Detroit and on the road at St. Louis. Certainly not gimmes, but exceedingly winnable games. Those could be seriously exciting games when we reach that point. At the same time, both teams, and particularly the Detroit Lions are intriguing this year. The Lions have made some major additions that will make or break this season (at least in terms of actually winning a few games).

The Detroit Lions are represented here at SB Nation by Sean Yuille over at Pride of Detroit.

2008 Overview
Not much needs to be said about the 2008 Detroit Lions. There are train wrecks and then there are train wrecks. For those that were living under a rock, the Lions managed to become the first team in league history to finish 0-16. There had been numerous opportunities in the past, but the Lions stepped up to claim the prize. It's not exactly shocking then to take a look at their offensive and defensive DVOA and general team efficiency and see a team at or near the bottom in every category. One interesting note is that in looking at their overall efficiency, they really weren't that much worse than the Rams. Of course, the question becomes, do you want to go 2-14 and be generally ignored? Or would you rather go 0-16 and take history with you? Me, personally, I want infamy. Why be bad when you can be historically bad? It's one reason (of many) 7-9 can drive me crazy. You're middle of the pack of mediocrity and nobody cares about that. Either be good or god-awful.

After the jump we look at the Lions offseason additions and subtractions, 2009 Questions and Answers and a quick preview of the matchup...

Additions
Aside from the #1 pick, the Lions dealt for the 20th pick in the first round, giving them 3 of the first 33 picks. For believers in building through the draft, that's definitely a good start. They added QB Matt Stafford, TE Brandon Pettigrew and S Louis Delmas with those picks. Injuries have gotten in the way of Pettigrew and Delmas but both are expected to get extensive playing time early on. One draft pick of particular note for Bay Area sports fans was 7th round pick, OLB Zack Follett. Lions fans were happy with the pick and I have to say I can't blame them. Maybe he doesn't have superstar athleticism, but he's a badass plain and simple.

Outside of the draft, the Lions were extremely busy in the offseason. Of course, given how awful they were is that all that surprising? Their most high profile move was a trade that sent away DT Cory Redding and a fifth round pick for old 49er favorite OLB Julian Peterson. They also got former 49ers WR Bryant Johnson. He's been banged up in camp (shocker there) and continues to struggle to make the "leap." We'll see if he can do it with a rookie QB (or even Daunte Culpepper). Aside from that they added an assortment of new starters including CB Phillip Buchanon, TE Will Heller, DT Grady Jackson, MLB Larry Foote, and LG Daniel Loper among others. We'll see if they improve, but at least they look a heck of a lot different.

Subtractions
Considering the Lions made a lot of offseason additions, it's only natural that they would also have numerous subtractions. They of course dealt Redding away for Peterson. In free agency they lost DT Shaun Cody and FB Moran Norris, among many others. Given how bad they were I'd imagine a lot of turnover is not really a bad thing, even if it included their leading tackler Paris Lenon. Rather than go into more depth here, I thought I'd move it down to the more fitting...

2009 Questions and Answers
My biggest question in a broad sense is how quickly the turnover will be reflected in the record? The team has added a variety of players across the board, and also added a new coach in former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The 49ers made some drastic moves back in 2005, but it did not really seem to be along the lines of this. It was more build down in order to eventually build up (or something like that). One way to assess it: The over/under on Lions wins in 2009 is 4.5. Would you go over or under that number?

Getting a little more specific, a big early question is the QB position. The Lions drafted Matt Stafford #1 overall and I'm wondering how long it will take for him to claim the starting job. The current unofficial depth chart at Lions.com lists Culpepper #1 and Stafford #2. I wouldn't be surprised to see Culpepper rolled out early on, but I'm wondering if he'll hold onto the job all season long. Given how bad the Lions look to be, is it worth just rolling out Stafford, or do you let him sit and learn for a year? Good teams tend to sit the QB while bad teams throw him to the wolves. Personally I say sit him and avoid getting him killed. Maybe they'll struggle but why destroy his confidence within the first month of the season?

Other than that it's really a question of how the youngsters (such as Kevin Smith and Gosder Cherilus) continue to develop. If the Lions can continue to grow, they could get back to respectability in the not too distant future. They simply need to show patience in the process (fitting coming from a 49ers fan).

@ San Francisco
I don't care how quickly the Lions improve, the 49ers simply cannot lose this game. In Bigelow and I's early season discussion, it was fairly easy to agree on a win here. As I said then, I do think the Lions will be an improved team, but I think the 49ers are simply better at this point, no question about it. The 49ers had very few statement games last year, but the home win over Detroit was probably the easiest. It's safe to say we would like a lot more statement games in 2009.