Detroit Lions Notes

Notes: Lions have the best play-action offense, despite no running game

Matthew Stafford doesn’t need a running game to be effective on play action.

By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Dec 7, 2017, 2:45pm EST

Detroit Lions v Baltimore Ravens

The Detroit Lions may not have much of a running game, but Matthew Stafford is more efficient on play-action passes than any other quarterback in the league:

Best-Rated Quarterbacks using PLAY ACTION this season!

Note that you don't need a dominant run game to PA teams effectively...doesn't hurt though.#OnePride #TitanUp #HTTR #GoSaints #Colts #LARams #Skol #Bengals50 #ChiefsKingdom #InBrotherhood pic.twitter.com/UK55pB7thc
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) December 6, 2017

Fresh off his first career NFL touchdown, linebacker Nick Bellore was a guest on this week’s #AskALion. See what he regrets about his first touchdown and what special guest Tahir Whitehead had to say.

It’s Buccaneers week. Time to watch Barry Sanders tear up his former divisional foe for Throwback Thursday:

How dominant was @BarrySanders against the Bucs?

In 20 career games: 2,653 yards from scrimmage + 16 TDs.

Unbelievable. #tbt (via @HarrisonNFL) pic.twitter.com/uqqMFxzRXA
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2017

Despite a poor team showing, Zachary Warber of the Detroit Lions Podcast thought that Taylor Decker had a strong game against the Ravens and has the tape to prove it.

Only Antonio Brown is seeing tighter press coverage than Marvin Jones Jr. (and it hasn’t seemed to stop either of them):

Lowest average yards of cushion pre-snap #nextgenstats

Antonio Brown 4.1
Marvin Jones 4.4
DeAndre Hopkins 4.5
Amari Cooper 4.6
Dez Bryant 4.7
Julio Jones 4.8
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) December 6, 2017

Who is the most irreplaceable player on the Lions roster, outside of Matthew Stafford? According to the Associated Press, it’s kicker Matt Prater.

Just in case you weren’t convinced Darius Slay is having a phenomenal year...

DVOA against #1 WRs:
1. Jaguars, -66.4%
2. Broncos, -41%
3. Ravens, -32.5%
4. Lions, -29.8%
--
20. Seahawks, 9.8%
— Field Gulls (@FieldGulls) December 7, 2017

Here’s more video of the second attempt to implode the Pontiac Silverdome (h/t: Lions reddit):

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