Detroit News

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News D’Andre Swift can’t catch a break.  On the day the Detroit Lions rookie running back finally cleared concussion protocol, he was struck by an illness that kept him off the practice field Thursday afternoon. The illness was not related to COVID-19, keeping him on track to potentially return to action

Jon Becker  |  San Jose Mercury News If Richard Sherman gets his way, the San Francisco 49ers are going to need a new defensive coordinator next season. The 49ers’ Pro Bowl cornerback continues to be a strong advocate for Robert Saleh leaving to become the next Detroit Lions head coach. Two days after effusively praising

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News No one really knows what the future holds for Matthew Stafford. Former teammate turned ESPN commentator Dan Orlovsky believes the Detroit Lions quarterback needs a fresh start, while owner Sheila Ford Hamp said any decision on Stafford’s future will be up to the next head coach. Those wait-and-see remarks

The Detroit News  |  The Detroit News Justin Rogers, Rod Beard, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer their predictions against the spread for Week 13 of the 2020 NFL season. Detroit +4.5 at Chicago Rogers: Chicago Beard: Chicago Niyo: Detroit Wojnowski: Detroit Cincinnati +11 at Miami Rogers: Miami Beard: Miami Niyo: Miami

By Will Graves  |  Associated Press Pittsburgh — The Pittsburgh Steelers are still perfect, even amid all their imperfections. Playing in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week in the middle of a pandemic, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 266 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the Steelers improved

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News Change can be sad, but it also can be exciting. The Detroit Lions are figuring out as much following the firings of head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn over the weekend.  After a couple virtual meetings with the players in recent days, interim head coach Darrell

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News The Detroit Lions announced a number of transaction on Wednesday, headlined by the decision to place defensive tackle Danny Shelton and cornerback Desmond Trufant on injured reserve.  The IR designation rules out either player from playing in at least the next three games.  Trufant has been battling a hamstring

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News The winds of change are blowing once again in Detroit and that’s got people buzzing about what’s next for the Lions. What better time to check the mailbox? On to your questions.  ►Question: Is this a good time to trade Stafford or should the team wait another year? — @steaknshake1

Dennis Passa  |  Associated Press Brisbane, Australia — David Kopay and Ian Roberts live on different sides of the Pacific Ocean. Both took giant leaps of faith when they came out. And at a time when it had never been done in their sports. Kopay is a 78-year-old former National Football League running back living

Associated Press  |  The Detroit News Houston — Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Roby’s suspension comes a day after receiver Will Fuller announced that he had also been suspended six games for violating the policy after he said he was prescribed a medication

Few will argue that Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia didn’t deserve to lose their jobs over the weekend. There’s no reasonable way explaining away the team’s record the past three years, culminating with the shortcomings in 2020, when a return to the postseason was the expectation.  That’s the practical perspective,

Associated Press  |  Associated Press West Palm Beach, Fla. – Two of four women charged in a South Florida prostitution sting that also involved New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have taken plea deals this week, court records show. Lei Wang, 41, and Shen Mingbi, 60, each pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County circuit court

Rob Maaddi  |  Associated Press Philadelphia — DK Metcalf got extra motivation he didn’t even need. Metcalf caught 10 passes for 177 yards, Russell Wilson threw for 230 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-17 on Monday night. Before the game, Metcalf said Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who

David Ginsburg  |  Associated Press The Baltimore Ravens’ struggle to contain an extended outbreak of the coronavirus forced their rescheduled game Tuesday night against the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers to be moved back to Wednesday. It’s the third fix to a matchup originally slated to be played Thanksgiving night. The NFL announced the most recent switch

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News For his entire career, through all the franchise’s struggles, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has never wavered — Detroit is where he wants to be.  But with a pending rebuild looming following the firing of general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, Stafford is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding

Rod Beard   | The Detroit News It wasn’t what Darrell Bevell thought he’d be doing on Monday afternoon. Instead of reviewing the previous week’s game and getting the game plan ready for the next opponent, Bevell was given a bigger set of responsibilities this week. After the Lions parted ways with Matt Patricia on Saturday, Bevell

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News The Detroit Lions will get another opportunity to play in front of a national television audience before the end of the season. On Monday, the league announced the team’s Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been moved to Saturday, Dec. 26.  The 1 p.m. game will air

Justin Rogers   | The Detroit News It will probably be another six weeks or so before the Detroit Lions make the decision, but the first domino to fall in the franchise’s leadership overhaul will be the selection of a new general manager.  The team fired Bob Quinn on Saturday, in the middle of his fifth

Michael Marot  |  Associated Press Indianapolis — Derrick Henry carried the Tennessee Titans into the AFC South lead Sunday. Now the bruising back can focus on other daunting tasks, like clinching the division title and making another long playoff run. Henry battered the NFL’s second-stingiest defense by rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns, leading

Steve Megaree  |  Associated Press Green Bay, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers helped the Green Bay Packers get another big win against the rival Chicago Bears and move closer to their second straight NFC North title. Rodgers threw four touchdown passes as the Packers rolled to a 41-25 victory over the slumping Bears on Sunday night. Green