Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions were set on landing a pass rusher with the No. 2 pick in April’s draft, and coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday they never seriously considered taking New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner with that selection. “We thought about a lot of different guys, but I never really felt it went there for

A season after Central Michigan sent a pair of offensive linemen to the NFL, the primary beneficiary of their pro-level talent plans to take his shot at the next level. Running back Lew Nichols III, who led the nation with 1,848 rushing yards in 2021, declared for the 2023 NFL draft on Monday and signed

Faith. In sports, it’s often a loser’s lament. A refuge for the try-hard teams, for those that hang on to what-ifs. But when Dan Campbell mentioned the word Sunday afternoon during his postgame news conference, he wasn’t using it in any of those contexts. He was talking about a different kind of faith, faith that

Jared Goff has silenced many of his critics by playing the best football of his career over the past six weeks to lead the Detroit Lions into playoff contention, but Goff’s hot streak has not dimmed the prospects of the Lions taking a quarterback high in next spring’s NFL 2023 draft, according to one prominent

The Philadelphia Eagles became the first team to clinch an NFL playoff berth with their 48-22 dismantling of the New York Giants last week, and with four weeks left in the regular season, they look like the class of the NFC. The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings are two games back of the Eagles in

Detroit Lions fans were going nuts, screaming and chanting, trying to blow the roof off Ford Field. It was loud and electric and, well, just so much dang fun. “Detroit feels it,” Aidan Hutchinson said after the Lions’ 34-23 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings. “They feel we’re coming along right now; and we’re gonna

Everything has a cost in sports. Losing obviously costs people their jobs. Winning does, too, as we’re about to find out when Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson lasts about as long as a discounted PlayStation 5 on Black Friday during this NFL hiring cycle. But there’s an even bigger cost that’s coming due for Lions

[embedded content] The Detroit Lions are rolling. Sunday’s win over the first-place Minnesota Vikings gives the Lions five wins in the past six games and solidifies their spot as a true wild-card contender. They’re a game up on three 5-8 teams and trail only the 7-6 Seattle Seahawks — who are a half-game behind the

The Detroit Lions have played pretty high-level football for most of the past six weeks, and if they want to make a run at the postseason, they will need to sustain that standard for at least another month. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday his team has no room for a hangover coming off Sunday’s

The Detroit Lions are rolling. Sunday’s win over the first-place Minnesota Vikings gives the Lions five wins in the past six games and solidifies their spot as a true wild-card contender. They’re a game up on three 5-8 teams and trail only the 7-6 Seattle Seahawks — who are a half-game behind the third wild-card

Ten thoughts on the Detroit Lions’ 34-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings, their biggest win in 11 seasons: · That’s right, everything considered, Sunday’s victory was the biggest this franchise has had since 2011. They’ve played more complete games since then (against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week) and made two playoff appearances in that time

Taylor Decker stood in the Detroit Lions’ locker room after Sunday’s emphatic 34-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He looked across the room at the wall that separated the two teams, and he knew what was on the other side. “I’m sure they’ve got the NFC North (champion) shirts and hats in their locker room,”

Jameson Williams read it perfectly. He saw the Minnesota Vikings safety crashing down, biting on play action, so he took off deep. “It was how the play was designed up,” Williams said after the Detroit Lions’ 34-23 victory on Sunday. “If they do this, we’re gonna do that. If they do that, we do this.”

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett breaks down the Detroit Lions’ 34-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings and looks at players and coaches who helped and hurt their stock Sunday at Ford Field. Stock up QB Jared Goff: Goff has silenced many of his critics with strong play over the last six weeks to lead

On his final third down pass of the day, Jared Goff threw to a 335-pound lineman named Penei Sewell, who rumbled and stumbled for a first down that sealed the game. Sewell was one of nine receivers that Goff completed a pass to Sunday, because, quite frankly, the way Goff is playing, who wouldn’t want

C.J. Moore was shocked when the play call came in. It was fourth-and-8 early in the third quarter and the Detroit Lions had the ball at their own 26-yard line, up seven points in a game against the division rival Minnesota Vikings with their playoffs hopes on the line. The Lions lost to the Vikings

The Detroit Lions open practice every Friday with a light passing drill, where receivers, running backs, tight ends and most offensive linemen run simple routes down the sideline. Everyone who has seen the drill live has marveled at Penei Sewell’s athleticism and ability to catch a pass and contort his body at 335 pounds, and

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions in their 34-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Quarterback Jared Goff said this week he is playing the best football of his career, and that’s hard to argue after he had another strong game Sunday. Goff completed 27 of 39 passes for

Revenge has never tasted so good. Jared Goff threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns and the Detroit Lions got big plays from their defense and special teams to avenge an early season loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a 34-23 win Sunday at Ford Field. The Lions (6-7) have won five of their past

Now that’s how you make an impression. In just his second NFL game, the first reception for Detroit Lions rookie Jameson Williams is a 41-yard touchdown catch to set the Ford Field crowd on fire in the first quarter of the game against the Vikings on Sunday. Williams made his NFL debut last week against