• Before getting into last night's game, it should be noted that training camp is officially over.  The Lions are off today and will start having only one practice a day when they return to Allen Park.
• Calvin Johnson is a beast.  He towered over Leon Hall to make a catch to start the game and then got into the endzone by outrunning the Bengals' secondary later on.  I'm starting to realize why Roy Williams picked Johnson for his fantasy team.
• Through two preseason games, Jon Kitna's quarterback rating is a perfect 158.3.  He has only thrown one incompletion so far this preseason (it was against the Giants) and has 2 touchdowns to go along with 182 yards.  The best pair of stats is that he has 0 interceptions and hasn't been sacked yet, either.
• Drew Stanton definitely played better than Dan Orlovsky.  Stanton made a great TD pass and then executed a perfect naked bootleg that also resulted in a TD.  Orlovsky didn't play awful, but he certainly could have done better.  Many of his passes were thrown right into coverage, and he just couldn't catch a break when he tried to run a bootleg.  All three times (that I remember) Orlovsky ran a bootleg there was a defender immediately in his face.  He did a nice job of throwing the ball away, at least, as he didn't get a single intentional grounding penalty.
• Punter Nick Harris has always been an asset for the Lions, and last night he showed us why he is so important.  One of his punts actually rolled out of bounds at the 1-yard line, leaving the Bengals with little room to work with.  Although the punt was outstanding, the defense did let Cincinnati go 99 yards down the field to score a touchdown.  Earlier in the game, Harris had a punt downed at the 2-yard line by Mike Furrey, but Cincy got to start on their own 20 due to Furrey getting a penalty for being the first player to touch the ball after stepping out of bounds.
• Rookies Kevin Smith and Jerome Felton started last night.  Smith is already looking like the Lions' best running back, and Felton stepped in for an injured Jon Bradley, who didn't play at all against the Bengals.  I guess that means I'll have to revise my next roster prediction as it appears Felton will make the team as the second FB.
• Tatum Bell has really been disappointing so far this preseason.  He hasn't looked all that impressive, and honestly, Artose Pinner has outperformed him.  I would be surprised if Bell ended up getting cut, but then again, when others are playing better than you, your roster spot shouldn't be locked up.
• The running game as a whole still isn't coming off as something that will be a strength this season, but it was much better against the Bengals.  Rather than getting stuffed for only a short gain like they did against the Giants, the Lions did move the ball on the ground at some points in last night's game.  Kevin Smith and Artose Pinner played well, and as I said, Tatum Bell still didn't look all that good.  Brian Calhoun didn't do horrible, but he did put the ball on the ground, although Dan Orlovsky did recover the fumble.
• Rookie Gosder Cherilus played both right and left tackle against the Bengals.
• Wide receiver Ron Bellamy got a concussion during the game.
• Although it was assumed that Devale Ellis would be the Lions' 5th wide receiver if they take that many on the 53-man roster, he is getting challenged by Brandon Middleton.  Middleton had a 50-yard TD reception against Cincinnati and tried returning a kickoff.  The very fact that he was back there means that he could take Ellis' spot on the roster as he has versatility.  I don't think it will happen, but a lot could change in the next couple of weeks.
• Speaking of wide receivers, John Standeford really played well.  He is a big long shot to make the team, but he is making his case on the field.
• Chad Johnson strained his left shoulder when Brian Kelly ripped the ball out of his hands for an interception.  Johnson left the game and went into the locker room to get x-rays and an MRI (both turned out to be negative).
  

• After having Friday off, the Lions returned to their indoor field on Saturday and had an early evening practice in helmets and shorts.  The Lions then went back to their usual two-a-days format on Sunday and practiced in both the morning and afternoon.  Both sessions were held in helmets and shorts.
• If you didn't check out Pride of Detroit over the weekend, then you may want to catch up on some transactions that happened and had an effect on the Lions.  For starters, Jason Hanson is out for at least a week (probably more) due to an injury, so the Lions waived Eddie Johnson and signed former Michigan State kicker Dave Rayner.  Similarly, Stanley Wilson is done for the season, so the Lions replaced him with cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas.  Also, Detroit released and signed a pair of offensive linemen.
  
  Finally, in a move that indirectly affects Detroit, the 49ers signed linebacker Takeo Spikes, who at one time appeared to be close to joining the Lions.
• Due to a bruised leg, wide receiver Calvin Johnson didn't participate in practice on Sunday and is day to day according to Rod Marinelli.  Also absent from practice were Jon Bradley, Cory Redding, Langston Moore, John Owens, Gilbert Gardner, and the three players on the PUP list.
• Although Kevin Smith practiced with the starting offense on Sunday, Rod Marinelli says that we shouldn't read into it as "there's no rotation right now."
• Dave Rayner is excited to play for the Lions.
• Decisions about what to do if the Lions win the coin toss will be made on a game-by-game basis.
• Marinelli was "pleased" with the way Lions rookies played in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants.
• If you caught any of the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills over the weekend, you may have noticed Ben Curtis, who finished tied for second, was sporting Lions gear throughout the tournament.  Quite a few people were wondering if he was a Lions fan or was just doing it because he was in Michigan, but actually Curtis has a sponsorship deal with Reebok to sport NFL clothing, so he was wearing Lions apparel for contractual reasons.
• Also an interesting note from the PGA Championship is that the winner of the tournament, Padraig Harrington, is the second cousin of former Lions quarterback Joey Harrington.

• The Lions practiced only once on Tuesday and did so indoors and in shells.  I still haven't been able to figure out why the Lions decided to move inside for the first time during training camp, but I imagine it has something to do with just changing the scenery as every practice up until yesterday had been outside.
• There were no changes to the PUP list as the remaining three players on it aren't expected to be taken off until next week at the earliest.
• Even though Kalvin Pearson had some serious charges against him dropped, the NFL is still keeping tabs on what happens with the misdemeanor charge that remains.  Also, the alleged victim in this whole situation is not happy with the serious charges being dropped.
  

  "It's not what I wanted," the alleged victim told The Oakland Press. "It's basically (bull). He has money and he has lawyers. He's doing what he has to do to keep his job."

• Along with the three players on the PUP list, Cory Redding, Edwin Mulitalo, and Langston Moore will not play in tomorrow's game against the Giants.  Ernie Sims has already said that he will not play, either, and it is unlikely that Brian Kelly and Buster Davis see any action due to injuries.
• Tom Kowalski thinks the Lions should consider moving Jordon Dizon outside if it is evident that he isn't ready to play middle linebacker.
• Rookie running back Kevin Smith believes the Lions will win a playoff game this year.
• The Sports Network has a preview of tomorrow's game up.
• Although Brett Favre has returned to the Packers officially on paper, his physical return to the team is unlikely.  It appears that there is too much animosity between Favre and the Packers for how his return was handled, meaning that a trade is very likely as it is becoming increasingly evident that the two sides will never be able to fully agree on what exactly Favre's role with the team is.  If a trade does happen, based on who Favre has talked to, it is looking like he will be headed to the Jets or Buccaneers at this point.
• Finally, in an unrelated note, is it too much to ask for the Tigers to hold on to a lead for a full game?  I have never seen a team play so badly with the lead before.  One day Todd Jones can't close out a game, the next it's Fernando Rodney, then Kyle Farnsworth comes back and plays like complete s**t in every freaking appearance, and finally, Joel Zumaya showed that he isn't qualified to be the team's closer. 
  
  Go back in the last 10 games and just change the outcome of a few of them and the Tigers would still have a chance to win the AL Central.  Since that's not possible, though, this season is officially over as far as I'm concerned.

• I was going to have this post up earlier today to talk about yesterday's practice, but my Internet stopped working and I didn't get the post up in time before going to the scrimmage today.  Because of that, this post will discuss the happenings from both Friday and Saturday.
• Beginning with Friday first, the Lions had a full practice in the morning and a special teams session in the afternoon.  Both practices were done in shorts and helmets only, meaning this is the second time this week that Rod Marinelli gave his players a day without pads and hitting.
• Today was "Black and Blue Fan Day" in Allen Park.  The Lions had a practice that incorporated a scrimmage, if you can even call it that.  Although they wore full pads, there was very little hitting going on, which was a disappointment to many of the 1,561 fans that showed up (that number was provided by the Lions, so take it for what it's worth).
  
• There still have been no changes to the PUP list, meaning Daniel Bullocks, Dan Campbell, Shaun McDonald, and Edwin Mulitalo all were unable to practice yet again.  Defensive tackle Langston Moore also didn't practice today, along with Cory Redding, Teddy Lehman, and Artose Pinner.  Moore spent most of the practice working with a coach off to the side and jogging around.  Also, going back to Friday, Tatum Bell missed practice due to personal reasons.
• Buster Davis left practice after getting hit in the head, but is expected to be fine.
• Bill Ford Jr. seems to get it as he knows the Lions have to start winning now.  He also is someone that doesn't seem to care for Matt Millen, so that's a plus in my book.
• Kevin Smith revealed that he desperately wanted to wear the #24 as that was his college number, but it would have costed him too much.  Instead, he is wearing Kevin Jones' former #34.
• Jon Kitna has an understanding of why the second half of last season was so bad.
• Devale Ellis realized that to make the team he would have to improve his returning skills, so he did just that.
• Yardbarker provided some history on how each NFL franchise got its name. (HT: Highlight Reel)
• Some writer picked the Lions to win the NFC North.  Uhh, why?
• Tickets for Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants are still available.  If all the tickets aren't sold by Monday, then the Lions will have to request an extension in hopes of preventing the game from being blacked out.  It is very likely the game will be blacked out, though, meaning it would air on tape delay rather than be shown live on CBS Detroit.
• Both practices on Monday will be open to the public.  The morning session begins at 8:35 a.m. and the afternoon one at 4:30 p.m.
• There is no practice at all tomorrow, which is a first since training camp began.
• The Patriots signed former Lions offensive lineman Barry Stokes.
• I'll post some pictures and my observations from today's fan day event on Sunday.

• The Lions got back to their normal routine on Thursday as they practiced in pads in the morning and shells in the afternoon.  This comes a day after Rod Marinelli had them in shells during both practices as he felt the team needed a day without full contact.
• Two centers, Andy McCollum and Nick Jones, were signed to one-year deals by the Lions on Thursday.  To make room on the roster, guard Matt Butler and tackle Chris Patrick were released.  McCollum and Jones were brought in as Dominic Raiola isn't 100% healthy, so added depth is needed.  On top of that, whichever players filled in for Raiola when he missed practice earlier this week did a horrendous job at center, prompting the Lions to go find some true centers.
• Don't forget that the Lions are hosting "Black & Blue Fan Day" tomorrow, which includes an open scrimmage.  I plan on being in attendance, so expect a full report on what I saw as well as a ton of pictures and some video to be posted on Sunday.  As it turns out, the Lions reportedly will not have practice at all on Sunday, so I will fill the void with a look at Saturday's scrimmage.
• The Broncos released safety John Lynch today in what is being called a mutual split.  There was some early speculation that the Lions might be interested in bringing Lynch in since he is a former Buccaneer, but Detroit has no interest in him.  That makes sense since they have enough safeties already.
• Daniel Bullocks' injury is progressing, but the Lions don't want to rush him back too soon.
• Roy Williams is glad the Lions are going to run the ball more as he believes defenders will concentrate less on him and Calvin Johnson.
• New Lions cornerback Brian Kelly knows the Tampa-2 pretty well considering he's played in that system basically his entire career.
• Kevin Smith did a nice job in a blocking drill.  Also, he actually tried to check the Lions' depth chart on their website but didn't realize each position is listed in alphabetical order.
  
• Tom Kowalski believes the Lions could have as many as 10 defensive linemen on the active roster when the season starts.  I agree with him, as shown in my first roster prediction.
• The Steelers signed former Lions returner/receiver Eddie Drummond.
• The Brett Favre saga is getting more and more entertaining every day that goes by, but it should be known the Lions have zero interest in him.  I don't think that's an issue anyways since Favre probably has zero interest in playing for the Lions.

• On their sixth day of training camp (yesterday), the Lions practiced in full pads in the morning and were in shells for a special teams session in the afternoon.
• Yesterday's two practices were open to the public, and there was a good showing of fans at the Lions' practice facility (around 500 for the morning practice).  Players and coaches stuck around after each practice to sign autographs and chat with fans, so it had to be a fun experience for those that went.  The next pair of open practices will be on Friday.  The morning session begins at 8:35 a.m., and the afternoon special teams practice starts at 3:30 p.m.
• Center Dominic Raiola sprained his ankle and missed Tuesday's morning practice.  Raiola has started 96 consecutive games, so it was a rarity that we saw the Lions' backup centers on the field for an entire practice.  Raiola's absence was evident, by the way, as the backup centers combined for six fumbled snaps during the practice.
• Ernie Sims is not likely going to play in the Lions' first preseason game against the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants.
• Defensive tackle Langston Moore, who has looked good in practice as of late, sprained his shoulder and had an MRI yesterday.
• Rookie fullback Jerome Felton put a huge hit on linebacker Buster Davis.
• No changes have been made to the PUP list.
• Lions cornerback Leigh Bodden will make more money in 2008 than Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers.
• Defensive tackle Chuck Darby is glad to be on a team that Rod Marinelli coaches.
• Kicker/punter Paul Ernster was waived by the Lions.  He signed with Detroit back in April to only be a training camp body.  Every year there are kickers and punters that are on the Lions' roster during camp, but only Jason Hanson and Nick Harris are left by the time the season starts.
• Rookies Jordon Dizon and Kevin Smith are writing training camp diaries on the Lions' official website.
• Below is some info on the players being honored during the Lions' 12th annual kickoff luncheon that will take place on August 27.

  The entire team annually attends the luncheon and awards from the 2007 season will be presented. Players receiving awards will include: Most Valuable Players Dominic Raiola (offense), Ernie Sims (defense) and Alex Lewis (special teams). Other awards will go to Gerald Alexander, Jared DeVries, Mike Furrey, Stephen Peterman, Cory Redding and Keith Smith.

• MLive, the Free Press, and the News all have photo galleries up from Tuesday.
• Emmitt Smith has been replaced on ESPN's NFL Countdown by Cris Carter.  The move is long overdue as Smith was terrible on the show, but it will be sad to see him go as he unintentionally provided so many laughs on Sunday mornings.  The former Cowboys running back will still be on Monday Night Countdown.
• Brett Favre has officially filed for reinstatement, meaning he is now un-retired.  As Terrell Owens would say, get ya popcorn ready, because things are about to get very interesting in Packers country.

• Saturday?  Although I rarely post on the weekends in the offseason, I felt there was a need to today since so much is going on right now with the start of training camp.  I can't tell you for sure if there will be another post tomorrow or if weekend posts will continue in the future, but as long as there is a lot to talk about, I will keep you all updated regardless of the time of the week.
• Anyways, getting to the important stuff, the Lions' second day of practice was held outside for both sessions.  In the morning the Lions wore full pads and in the afternoon were in shells.
• Jordon Dizon was able to get out on the practice field in the afternoon after missing the morning session.  He also said that he regrets not telling the Lions about his drunk driving arrest that happened just days before the draft.  He only came clean with Rod Marinelli once the arrest became public knowledge, but at least he did admit his mistake.
  
• Cornerback Leigh Bodden has officially signed his four-year, $27 million contract extension.  Back on Thursday, Bodden picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown.  That was before he found out about his contract extension, too.  I bet he was pretty happy how his first day of Lions training camp went.
• On Friday, Bodden got another interception, and linebackers Paris Lenon and Buster Davis also got a couple of picks, although Davis was stripped by Calvin Johnson after the INT.  Is it just me, or are there way too many interceptions being thrown?  I know the Lions don't have the best QBs around, but man, it seems like a lot of passes are being picked off.
  
• Ernie Sims participated in team drills on Friday after not being a part of them on Thursday.  That's good news as it obviously means his injury isn't too big of a concern right now.
• There have been no changes to the PUP list despite some speculation that a player or two would be taken off and put on the active roster.
• Rookie running back Kevin Smith was treated like the rookie he is by a couple of veterans after his first practice.  He had to carry the shoulder pads and helmets of Tatum Bell and Aveion Cason.
• College quarterback turned NFL receiver Reggie Ball injured his knee yesterday in practice.
• An Army graduate and one-time Tigers draft pick thinks that Caleb Campbell would better serve the Army by playing for the Lions rather than possibly going to Iraq in the future.
• Speaking of Campbell, somebody needs to tell CNN he was a seventh-round pick, not a first-rounder.
• The Free Press has a partial transcript up of Matt Millen's recent interview on WDFN.
• MLive has a photo gallery of the Lions' second day of camp up.
• NBC will stream its Sunday night football games on the Internet for free.  This is the first time NFL games will be live on the Internet for free, and as expected, other networks aren't exactly thrilled about this development.
• Finally, in an unrelated note, I f***ing hate Todd Jones.  The Tigers went from being 4.5 games back to 6.5 as Jones served up a home run with only 1 more out needed for the win.  They don't call him Roller Coaster for nothing.

• The Lions placed safety Daniel Bullocks, tight end Dan Campbell, wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.  The good news is that Ernie Sims was not on the PUP list, meaning his injury isn't too severe.  Detroit did still limit Sims somewhat as a precaution as you can never be too careful when dealing with your best linebacker.
• The four players mentioned above that are on the PUP list may return to practice full time shortly.  A player on the PUP list can be placed on the active roster at any time.  Once individual workouts are evaluated, if a player is healthy enough to practice, chances are he would be taken off the PUP list quickly.  That may be the case with at least one of the players currently on the PUP list, so stay tuned.
  
• Both of Detroit's two practices were held outside yesterday.  The morning session was conducted in full pads and in the afternoon players were in shells (only shoulder pads and helmets).
• Detroit filled the void created at linebacker by Caleb Campbell's departure by signing Leon Joe.  Joe has played in the NFL for four years.  Three were with Chicago before Joe played with the Bills last season.
• Rod Marinelli was surprised by Jordon Dizon's arrest.  He doesn't want something similar to happen to rookie running back Kevin Smith, so Marinelli is constantly stressing the importance of staying out of trouble to him.
• Speaking of Kevin Smith, aside from being told to stay out of trouble, he is also finding out about the need to run lower.  Although his upright style at UCF put him in the record books, in the NFL running like that is a good way to get injured.
• Takeo Spikes doesn't appear to be interested in signing very quickly, but Detroit has offered him a contract to join the Lions.  It's a waiting game now to see if Spikes takes the deal.
• Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus has an endorsement deal with Under Armour.
• Center Dominic Raiola and defensive tackle Cory Redding were pumped to get practice started.
• Jamie Samuelsen believes Lions fans will not like what they see this season.  I hope that's not the case, but based on previous seasons I can't disagree.
• MLive has audio of Matt Millen's appearance on WDFN.
• Tom Kowalski ran down a list of tidbits from the Lions' morning practice.
• The Free Press has posted a couple of photo galleries and a short video from the Lions' first day of training camp.
• For more pictures and video, as well as audio, check out the training camp section on DetroitLions.com.

(Photo courtesy DetroitLions.com)

• The Lions will take the practice field in Allen Park this morning for the first time to signify the beginning of training camp.  The offseason isn't technically over until the first regular season game kicks off, but for football fans, it is over.  Once training camp gets rolling, Pride of Detroit will post daily updates of the latest tidbits from each and every practice.  To some it may not seem like there will be a whole lot to talk about as all Detroit is doing is practicing, but trust me, there are a countless number of things to discuss throughout the next month or so.
• Aside from whether or not Jordon Dizon will be signed in time to practice this morning, the one thing I'm keeping my eye on is which players will be on the PUP list.  There were reports recently that said four players may be on the list, one of them being Ernie Sims, so it will be interesting to see who is held out of practice due to injury.
• To listen to Rod Marinelli's "state of the team" address from yesterday, click here.
• Nicholas Cotsonika believes the Army "mishandled" Caleb Campbell's situation, and I agree with him 100%.  The Army enacted the policy that allowed Campbell to play in the NFL as they figured it would create good PR for the Army.  And they were right up until yesterday.  Campbell was all over ESPN and the NFL Network, was featured in magazines, and was a familiar name on many sports websites.
  
  Despite all of that good PR generated since April, the Army now will likely be ridiculed by many for this sudden change that is forcing Campbell to put his NFL career on hold.  Changing the policy is one thing.  But forcing Campbell to suddenly leave the Lions after allowing him to play is just plain wrong.
• Brian VanOchten took a look at the legal issues many Lions are facing and how their actions are embarrassing the team.
• USA Today put together a list of the five most intriguing running backs for the 2008 season, and Detroit's Kevin Smith was included in the discussion.
• Fox Sports' power rankings have the Lions coming in at the 29th spot.
• Reminder: Lions practices are open to the general public on July 29, August 1, and August 4-5.  Practice times on those days will be announced 24 hours in advance, but generally the morning session starts at 8:35 a.m. and the afternoon session begins at 4:30 p.m.  Gates open a half hour before practice starts, and only the first 700 fans will be allowed in, so make sure to get there at an early enough time.
  
  If you happen to attend a practice, feel free to put up a FanPost reporting what you saw and what the general experience was like.  Also, if you take pictures make sure to share them as well.
  

With training camp officially getting started Thursday, the Lions were beginning to run out of time to sign their rookies.  Third-round pick Cliff Avril already signed earlier this month, but he was the only Lions rookie to do so; that is, until today.  Six other Lions rookies were signed to contracts today, meaning all but two have officially joined the team.  The six rookies that signed today are listed below.

Third-rounders: HB Kevin Smith (Central Florida), DT Andre Fluellen (Florida State)
Fifth-rounders: WR Kenneth Moore (Wake Forest), FB Jerome Felton (Furman)
Seventh-rounders: DT Landon Cohen (Ohio), LB Caleb Campbell (Army)

Including Avril, seven of the Lions' nine draft picks now have contracts.  That leaves offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus and linebacker Jordon Dizon as the only Lions rookies without deals.  I hope talks progress over night and into tomorrow as it's important to get every single rookie signed by the time training camp starts.  That way nobody has to miss any practice, which is especially vital for Cherilus and Dizon as they will contend for starting jobs.  Even one day missed is big as every second on the field counts.

Pride of Detroit will have the latest on any signings that happen, so keep checking back to see if Cherilus and Dizon get a deal done.