Detroit Free Press

When the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings play Sunday at Ford Field, it could be a battle of backup running backs. Both Lions running back D’Andre Swift and Vikings running back Dalvin Cook are dealing with shoulder injuries and unlikely to play this week. Swift sprained his shoulder in the first half of last week’s

The Detroit Lions will get another chance to look at one of the young cornerbacks they hope is part of their future. The ions activated rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu off injured reserve Tuesday, more than two months after Melifonwu played his last game. Melifonwu injured his quadriceps in a Week 2 loss to the Green

Still weary from the consecutive timeout penalty? Or the draw plays on second-and-long? Or the third-and-4 defense with a defensive back 7 yards off the receiver? No? Good for you. The turkey did its job. If you’re wondering, mine was roasted and smoked. Not the same turkey, but one roasted and one smoked. Don’t worry, I didn’t cook. I was

Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux? That’s the choice the Detroit Lions could be faced with when they’re on the clock with the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft. Maybe it’s a tad presumptive to assume the Lions will be picking first overall with six weeks left in the season, but after losing Thursday to

The Detroit Lions begin Monday on the same quest that they’ve started every Monday for the better part of three months, getting their first win on the season. After striking out on Thanksgiving Day against the Chicago Bears, the Lions will look to get win No. 1 on the season against another NFC North rival,

Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes had a free pass for the 2021 season, but 11 games into their tenure with the Detroit Lions, that pass has been revoked. Not internally. It’s too early to say faith inside the walls in Allen Park has wavered in either of the men charged with turning the Lions into contenders.

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett breaks down the Detroit Lions‘ 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, and looks at players who helped and hurt their stock Sunday at Ford Field. Stock up LB Alex Anzalone: Anzalone has struggled with missed tackles at times, but he had his finest game as a Lion on Thursday. Playing

I want to start with an explanation. I’ve been there and I get it. Bad calls are an infuriating part of sports. If you have an emotional investment in the game as a player or a fan, result matters. When a referee exerts his or her influence on the outcome, it can be tough to

A hush went over the crowd. The spotlight found Big Sean, the Detroit rapper, sitting in the stands at Ford Field during halftime of the Detroit Lions annual loss on Thanksgiving Day. Big Sean started his halftime performance walking up the aisle through the crowd, a man among the people, beginning a crisp and entertaining

The Detroit Lions suffered another self-inflicted loss Thursday, committing 10 penalties in a 16-14 Thanksgiving defeat to the Chicago Bears. After the game, Lions quarterback Jared Goff took issue with the amount of holding penalties assessed against the Lions. “The false starts are absolutely on us,” Goff said. “Those can’t happen, but you can call

At some point this has to stop, right? Not the losing — though that would be nice, too — but the mental mistakes and questionable decisions and oddly conservative play-calling. You know, when Dan Campbell calls a run up the middle on second-and-long and second-and-long and third-and-longer. But then that’s not the half of it. We’ve seen

The Detroit Lions suffered another self-inflicted loss Thursday, committing 10 penalties in a 16-14 Thanksgiving defeat to the Chicago Bears. After the game, Lions quarterback Jared Goff took issue with the amount of holding penalties assessed against the Lions. “The false starts are absolutely on us,” Goff said. “Those can’t happen, but you can call

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions after their 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears at Ford Field on Thursday. Quarterback Jared Goff was effective in his return from a strained oblique Thursday, completing 21 of 25 passes, but he mostly lived off checkdowns and short throws to the flat. Goff completed 12

Jim Schwartz throwing an illegal challenge flag it was not, but Dan Campbell made a questionable coaching decision in his first Thanksgiving game Thursday that helped send the Detroit Lions to another gut-wrenching loss. Campbell took a 5-yard penalty for calling back-to-back timeouts with 1:54 to play after a defensive miscommunication left his secondary vulnerable

D’Andre Swift’s bid for a third straight 130-yard rushing game ended early Thursday, when the second-year running back suffered a sprained right shoulder in the second quarter of the Detroit Lions‘ 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. Swift was injured with about 8 minutes left in the first half, when his former college teammate, Roquan

Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez answers three questions about the Detroit Lions’ 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday at Ford Field. What does this loss mean? Simple. It means the Lions won’t win a game this season. I’ve said all along that victories don’t matter this season for this regime. Even their

Anthony Lynn landed his first coaching job 24 years ago, while he was still playing in the NFL. A running back with the Denver Broncos in 1997-99, Lynn spent three seasons coaching his son D’Anton’s pee wee football team, where he learned quickly coaching runs in the family. “We were in the middle of a

The Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day is a long-standing tradition that started in 1934. As in previous years, fans at Ford Field will be able to nosh on a feast of traditional Thanksgiving fixings while the Lions host the Chicago Bears. The chefs at Levy, the food and beverage provider for Ford Field, shared what

Show Caption Hide Caption Debating Dan Campbell’s conservative play calling in Lions at Browns Discussing another Lions loss that was there for the taking, 13-10, at Cleveland Browns, and Dan Campbell’s conservative approach, Nov. 21, 2021. Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press Barring any setbacks, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff could return to

It’s easy to lose perspective and forget how fortunate we are to have what we have. It’s understandable. Everyone’s busy and there’s a lot going on in the world. But if you’re a Detroit Lions fan, you should appreciate what you have on this Thanksgiving Day. In case you’ve forgotten, a year ago this team