Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:04 PM EDT Sep 16, 2020 It was made a footnote by their late-game meltdown, but Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford became one of the highest-profile players in any sport to take a knee during the playing of the national anthem when he did so before Sunday’s game against the

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 5:34 PM EDT Sep 16, 2020 Jeff Okudah was back at Detroit Lions practice Wednesday, but the team’s issues in the secondary continue to grow. Desmond Trufant sat out Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury he suffered in last week’s season opening loss to the Chicago Bears, and backup

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 11:11 AM EDT Sep 16, 2020 Brayden Coombs did not make the call to send Matt Prater out for a 55-yard field goal attempt late in Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, but the first-year Detroit Lions special teams coordinator said he agreed with the decision 100%. “No question,”

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:01 AM EDT Sep 16, 2020 D’Andre Swift’s dropped touchdown pass with 6 seconds to play in last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears overshadowed an otherwise promising debut. Swift has to catch that pass, there are no two ways about it, even if Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 8:35 PM EDT Sep 15, 2020 The Detroit Lions’ defense held Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in check for three quarters. But the pass rush continued its struggles from last year and couldn’t get much pressure on Chicago’s pocket. Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin said Tuesday that the lack of

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 7:10 PM EDT Sep 15, 2020 After just one game, the Detroit Lions running backs seem to have established a pecking order: Adrian Peterson and then everyone else. Peterson, who rushed for 93 yards, had by far the best game among the three running backs and possibly any Lions player

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 1:02 PM EDT Sep 15, 2020 So much for the Detroit Lions being underrated. I put the Lions at No. 18 in my preseason NFL power rankings last week, and wanted to put them higher but wrote I couldn’t “based off last season’s failures.” Well, Sunday’s loss was reminiscent

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 10:22 AM EDT Sep 15, 2020 So much for the Detroit Lions being underrated. I put the Lions at No. 18 in my preseason NFL power rankings last week, and wanted to put them higher but wrote I couldn’t “based off last season’s failures.” Well, Sunday’s loss was reminiscent

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 9:08 AM EDT Sep 15, 2020 The Detroit Lions are placing their best cornerback, Justin Coleman, on injured reserve. Coleman was one of two Lions cornerbacks to suffer a hamstring injury in Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears and is one of three corners dealing with the injury

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 6:01 AM EDT Sep 15, 2020 You’re a Detroit Lions fan. You can’t help it. I know. It’s just a thing, like being lactose intolerant or one of those people who get way too excited about seasonal craft beers. You can’t change who you are. As a Lions fan,

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:44 PM EDT Sep 14, 2020 The string of mistakes the Detroit Lions made at the end of Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears was easy to see. “I think we understand the plays that happened at the end of the game that we’ve got to do a

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:31 PM EDT Sep 14, 2020 With injuries mounting at the cornerback position, the Detroit Lions are bringing four defensive backs in for workouts this week with intentions of adding insurance to their roster. Starting cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Desmond Trufant left Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 1:19 PM EDT Sep 14, 2020 Overreactions are always the worst on the Monday after the first game of the regular season.  One loss to a mediocre Chicago Bears team, after four weeks of practice when everyone around the league is settling into new COVID-19 protocols, does not mean

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 11:00 AM EDT Sep 14, 2020 Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett breaks down the Detroit Lions’ 27-23 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Ford Field, and looks at three players who helped their stock and three who hurt their stock: Stock up RB Adrian Peterson: He

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 8:01 AM EDT Sep 14, 2020 Tell you a secret. If you want attend games and talk to coaches and players, become a sportswriter. But if you want to actually watch the end of games, remain a fan. That’s why I tell you now that the Detroit Lions’ 27-23

Shawn Windsor Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 AM EDT Sep 14, 2020 No one knows what to say. Not really.   No one knows how to explain it, except to fall back into the same kind of platitude we heard so often a year ago. And, at this point, listening to Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia try

Mitch Albom Detroit Free Press Published 12:01 AM EDT Sep 14, 2020 The ball, the catch, the game, and the win were all floating into the hands of rookie D’Andre Swift. What an ending this would be! And then, just as quickly, they all fell out. A dropped pass in the end zone. A dropped

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 9:45 PM EDT Sep 13, 2020 Adrian Peterson was arguably the Detroit Lions’ best player Sunday, rushing for 93 yards on 14 carries in his team debut. But the future Hall of Famer was critical of his play after the game, saying he missed opportunities on two runs that

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:48 PM EDT Sep 13, 2020 A police car drove down Riopelle Street, behind the Detroit Fire Department Apparatus Division garage, and told the lone group of tailgaters within walking distance of Ford Field they had to close down shop. “No Tailgating Allowed” signs dotted Eastern Market, which usually

Marlowe Alter Detroit Free Press Published 6:48 PM EDT Sep 13, 2020 Check out the games on the Detroit Lions 2020 schedule, with dates, times, TV and scores. Follow our Lions beat writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez on Twitter, and join us each gameday at freep.com for live updates and postgame coverage. For more Lions analysis, download our Freep app