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- Calvin Johnson is up to No. 4 on ESPN.com's MVP watch, behind only Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Drew Brees.
- ESPN's Michael Rothstein did a Q&A with Tahir Whitehead this week. Also, he asked various Detroit Lions players about why they chose their current number. Joseph Fauria had my favorite response when he explained why he didn't take his grandfather's number:
Eighty-one was my grandfather's number, but it's kind of taken by somebody important.
Just a bit important.
- Imagine what Matthew Stafford's numbers would look like if drops weren't such an issue for the Lions.
The #Lions have dropped 10.6 percent of Stafford’s passes this year, according to STATS, LLC. That’s the third-highest percentage in the NFL
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) November 6, 2013
- On a positive note, the Lions have been excellent on offense when down by the goal line this season.
The #Lions rank 2nd in NFL in goal-to-go TD efficiency. They've scored a TD 87.5 percent of the time in those situations. NFL avg. is 67.7
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) November 6, 2013
- In case you missed it on Thursday, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been cleared by doctors to play on Sunday against the Lions, and he is expected to start.
- Interesting note on Sunday's game against the Bears:
The Lions and Bears are both 5-3. The previous three games: 4-3 Lions vs. 4-3 Dallas Cowboys, 4-2 Lions vs. 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals and 3-2 Lions vs. 3-2 Cleveland Browns.This will be the fourth game in a row the #Lions will be facing a team with an identical record.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) November 6, 2013