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Last Updated: Tuesday, 09-07-10 5:32 pm PDT

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NFLPA head Gene Upshaw dies of cancer at age 63 (AP) - (08/21)

Gene Upshaw was a punishing blocker who intimidated opponents on the field. Off it, his power was greater. A Hall of Fame guard for the Oakland Raiders, Upshaw died Wednesday at age 63 from pancreatic cancer, an illness he only learned about Sunday. His death cut short a 25-year, post-playing career as union boss in which he led NFL players to riches that would have been almost unimaginable when he...

Drew Stanton Hurts Thumb - (08/21)

Lions quarterback Drew Stanton suffered a scare at practice today as he banged his right thumb on a helmet.  The injury isn't believed to be serious, but man, Stanton just can't seem to catch a break.  Here are the details of the injury:

Detroit Lions quarterback Drew Stanton hit his right thumb on a helmet during Thursday's practice and had his thumb wrapped in ice after the workout. Stanton said X-rays had already been taken and it wasn't believed to be broken. Stanton was to undergo more tests and the team is expected to update his condition in a few hours. "I don't think it's anything major. I'm just trying to keep the swelling down,'' Stanton said. When asked if he's expecting to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, he said, "I'm planning on it.''

After missing all of last season with an injury, Stanton has come out this summer on a mission to get better.  So far that mission has been quite successful as he has looked good in the first two preseason games.  Hopefully this injury won't set him back and won't prevent him from playing against Cleveland.

Gene Upshaw Passes Away - (08/21)

Gene Upshaw, a Hall of Famer and the NFLPA's Executive Director, passed away last night from pancreatic cancer.  He was only diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last Sunday after going to the emergency room to find out why he hadn't been feeling well for about a week.  Upshaw was 63 years old.

His outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Upshaw's biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987. In 1983, he became executive director of the players' association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, the players had a limited form of freedom, called Plan B, and in 1993, free agency and a salary cap were instituted. Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

At this time, "there is nothing in place" in regards to a successor being named.

Thursday Notes: Tatum Bell Is Not Fond of Mike Martz - (08/20)

• The Lions practiced in shells on the outdoor field yesterday.
• Tatum Bell really hates Mike Martz and loves the Lions' new commitment to running the ball.  He better start having more success when running the ball or he won't get a chance to be part of that commitment come the regular season.
• Five of the Lions' seven sacks this preseason have been by rookie defensive linemen.
• Fullback Jerome Felton is impressing players and coaches on the field, and off it he is very, very intelligent.
• According to Rod Marinelli, Jason Hanson has been limited to stretching in practice.  Marinelli went on to say that he is "getting a little work," and that his target return is this week.  I certainly hope that's the case.
• Rod Marinelli isn't sharing his starting linebacker plans with anyone just yet.
• As long as the Lions win, Roy Williams has no problem with Calvin Johnson catching more passes than him.
• I wholeheartedly agree with Philip Zaroo from MLive; I'll gladly drink to Kyle Orton being the Bears' starting quarterback.
• Brian Kelly and Rod Marinelli get along quite well.
• Game On, a blog on the USA Today's website, thinks the Lions are one of five teams that were under .500 last year that will "take a leap forward in 2008."
• Along with Derek Anderson, these five Cleveland Browns are not expected to play against the Lions on Saturday:

  Running back Jamal Lewis (hamstring), receiver Braylon Edwards (foot), kick returner Josh Cribbs (ankle), safety Brodney Pool (concussion) and linebacker Willie McGinest (groin) also didn't practice.

  If Anderson doesn't play that means we'll get to see a lot of Brady Quinn.  That means I'll have to get ready to boo until I can't boo anymore because I hate Brady Quinn.  My hate for him stems from his days at Notre Dame, and I'll just leave it at that.
• The Pride of Detroit overflow fantasy football league still has two spots open, so if you want to be in it leave a comment and I'll send you details of how to sign up. UPDATE: The league is now full.

Lions Preaseason Update - (08/20)

Well Lions fans, after two games of the preseason, after two preseason victories, it’s time to take a look at where the Lions stand with the regular season quickly approaching.  The Lions defeated the Giants and Bengals in their first two encounters.  While preseason victories are meaningless, we witnessed several good things on both the [...]

Patriots release veteran TE Pollard (Yahoo! Sports) - (08/20)

It was out with the old and in with the new at Gillette Stadium yesterday, as the Patriots released 36-year-old...

Wednesday Notes: No Shortage of Kool-Aid for Lions Fans - (08/19)

• The Lions returned to practice on Tuesday in pads on the outdoor field.  This week's practice routine is similar to one the Lions will follow during the regular season.
• According to Rod Marinelli, wide receiver Devale Ellis will miss "one to two practices" due to a hamstring injury.  Ellis is now on the bubble when it comes to making the team after at one time seeming like a lock to not be cut.  Brandon Middleton is challenging him for the 5th spot at wide receiver, and there's a good chance the Lions may only take 4 receivers anyways, meaning Ellis could be gone by the end of the month.
• Even though he was removed from the PUP list over a week ago, tight end Dan Campbell still has not practiced.
• Drew Stanton has gotten much better since training camp opened.  He is improving his passing abilities and is learning to use his running abilities only when necessary.
• The Browns are limping into this Saturday's preseason game at Ford Field.  Derek Anderson suffered a mild concussion on Monday against the Giants, Josh Cribbs has a high ankle sprain, Braylon Edwards will be out as he is still not healthy enough to play after being cleated by a teammate during practice, and former Lion Shaun Rogers missed Monday's game due to soreness in various places.
• Every year this is usually the time when the Kool-Aid is flowing in Lions country.  There is always a great amount of optimism during the summer as all Lions fans are hopeful that this will finally be the year where things are turned around.  Sadly, that year hasn't come yet, but many believe 2008 will bring the Lions a turnaround that at least gets them a record of 8-8. Message boards and even this site are filled with optimism from some, but I don't think anyone is as drunk on Kool-Aid as Mike O'Hara.  He not only believes the Lions will win 9 games, but he also thinks they could win more.

  When the 2008 schedule was released, I wrote the Lions could win nine games. It wasn't a prediction, just a somewhat humorous way of showing how a 9-7 season was possible. From what I've seen so far, I was wrong. The Lions will win nine games, maybe more. They're super fast on defense, they will build a running game, protect the quarterback and have talent at wide receiver. I say 9-7 is the standard. Whether that earns a playoff spot remains to be seen, but this team will not fall apart, unless shredded by injuries.

  After a couple preseason games I can say that the team looks like they're improving, but a preseason game can only tell me so much.  Hell, a regular season game can only tell me so much.  Remember, after 8 games last year the Lions were 6-2 and nearly every single Lions fan was drinking the Kool-Aid.  I am included in that category as even I began uttering the "p" word (playoffs).  We all bought into the Lions and in the end were only setting ourselves up for disappointment.  This year if they start 6-2 again, I will wait until the end of the season to pick up the glass of Honolulu Blue-flavored Kool-Aid.  And at the very least, if they win 9 games, I'll be too shocked to be able to drink anything anyways.

Poll

Will the Lions win 9 games this season?

• Absolutely! Playoffs here we come!
• No way. When's the last time we even were .500?

  203 votes | Results

Lions Place Jon Bradley on IR, Release Taye Biddle - (08/19)

The Lions put fullback Jon Bradley on the injured reserve today.  Bradley missed the last preseason game due to a shoulder injury, but it was never thought to be anything serious.  Obviously that's not the case as Bradley is now out for the season. In another move made today, wide receiver Taye Biddle was released by the Lions, opening up a second spot on the roster.  The first open spot went to free agent tight end Clark Harris.  The second went to wide receiver Eric Fowler, who was on the Lions for a few days back in July. With Bradley out for the season, Jerome Felton will make the 53-man roster for sure.  I would imagine Sean McHugh makes the roster as well.  Back when Teddy Lehman got shelved for the year I said that injuries would make decisions for me on my roster predictions, and that is exactly what has happened at the fullback position.

Fantasy Football News (Overflow League Details Included!) - (08/18)

Before I get on the topic of the official Pride of Detroit Fantasy Football League, I first want to mention that an overflow league has been set up.  It already has 7 members in it, meaning there are 5 spots remaining.  To sign up for the league, leave a comment on this post to let me know that you want to join it.  I will then e-mail you the details of what you need to do to officially get in the league.  Once the league is filled with 12 members I will put up a post allowing everyone to discuss a draft date/time and things like that. Moving on to the official Pride of Detroit FFL, I have gone through and updated the scoring rules and also have made a few other changes.  Basically, I took the responses of the members of the league into consideration and then messed around with the scoring rules.  Thankfully Fleaflicker gives you total customization of the rules, meaning I was able to implement many different things. I'll get into all of the scoring changes in just a bit, but first, here are some of the other most noticeable changes:

• The three divisions are now named after Lions Hall of Famers Charlie Sanders, Bobby Layne, and Doak Walker.
• We will have decimal point scoring.  Although I was originally leaning in the direction of not using this feature, I decided at the last minute to include decimals.  It should make things much more interesting as every single yard will count.
• The playoff schedule has been changed so the championship game will be played in week 16.  That means the playoffs begin in week 14, allowing us to still include 6 teams (I originally thought this wasn't possible, but thankfully, it is).  That is great news as not only do 6 teams get to make the playoffs, but the league championship can be decided before the final week of the NFL season.
• During the regular season ties will not be broken.  I would be shocked if any game ever end in a tie since we're using decimal point scoring, but if it does then it will remain a tie.  In the playoffs there are obviously tiebreakers ready to go in case they are needed, but in the regular season you'll have to have the feeling of kissing your sister.
• The trade deadline has been set for week 10.
• I added a second running back to the starting roster and also increased the size of the bench by one player.  That means that each team will have 16 players, giving you room on the roster for at least one backup at each position if you want, and then one more spot on top of that as well.
• The most important change outside of scoring rules is that the draft now is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on August 26 (a week from today).  That will allow us to get through one more week of the preseason to see if any injuries happen, which hopefully will prevent any devastating blows to a team before the regular season even begins.

The scoring changes/performance bonuses can be found after the jump or below if you're already on the story page.

• 1 extra point when total Passing Completions is greater than or equal to 25
• 2 extra points when total Passing Yards is greater than or equal to 500
• 1 extra point when total Passing Yards is between 300 and 499 (inclusive)
• 2 extra points for every Passing TD of 80 or more yards
• 1 extra point for every Passing TD between 50 and 79 yards (inclusive)
• 2 extra points when total Rushing Yards is greater than or equal to 250
• 1 extra point when total Rushing Yards is between 150 and 249 (inclusive)
• 2 extra points for every Rushing TD of 80 or more yards
• 1 extra point for every Rushing TD between 50 and 79 yards (inclusive)
• 1 extra point when total Catches is greater than or equal to 10
• 2 extra points when total Receiving Yards is greater than or equal to 250
• 1 extra point when total Receiving Yards is between 150 and 249 (inclusive)
• 2 extra points for every Receiving TD of 80 or more yards
• 1 extra point for every Receiving TD between 50 and 79 yards (inclusive)
• 2 extra points for every FG of 50 or more yards
• 1 extra point for every FG between 40 and 49 yards (inclusive)
• -1 point for every FG Missed
• -2 points for every XP Missed
• 1 point for every XP Blocked (for team defenses only)
• 2 points for every FG Blocked (for team defenses only)
• 2 points for every Punt Blocked (for team defenses only)
• Change: 1 point for every 25 Passing Yards (previously was 1 point for every 20 yards)
• Change: -2 points for every Fumble Lost (previously deducted points for fumbles that weren't lost; I got rid of that)
• Change: 1 point for every Sack (previously sacks were worth 2 points)
• Change: 2 points for every Safety (previously safeties were worth 4 points)
• I also added performance bonuses that vary depending on how many points a defense allows.  Here's how that scale works: 10 points for a shutout, 7 points for 1-6 PA (points allowed), 4 points for 7-13 PA, 1 point for 14-20 PA, 0 points for 21-27 PA, -1 points for 28-34 PA, and -4 points for 35 or more PA.

That should cover the changes I made.  These same changes will be applied to the overflow league as well to keep the two leagues consistent.  I will have different division names, though, and we will obviously have a different draft date as well. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Monday Notes: Bengals Game Observations - (08/18)

• 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).

Stanton Scores 2 TDs As Lions Beat Bengals 27-10 - (08/18)

Although the Lions did win their first preseason game of 2008, there was a lot of room for improvement.  There were a few players that played great in game number one, but it was evident many others needed to shake the rust off.  I can say confidentially after watching the Lions play the Bengals last night that the rust is gone as Detroit looked great from top to bottom.  There were the usual occurrences that made you shake your head, but all in all, the Lions looked very impressive in their 27-10 victory over Cincinnati.  It is only the preseason, so take it for what it's worth, but the Lions did play awfully well. For the second consecutive game, the Lions elected to receive after winning the opening coin toss.  Rod Marinelli obviously wanted his starting offense to get as much time on the field as possible, and that was a good decision as things looked good from the get-go.  In fact, on the very first play of the game, Jon Kitna hooked up with Calvin Johnson for a gain of 40 yards, setting the tone for this contest.  Kitna simply lobbed the ball downfield and all Johnson had to do was jump up and take it out of the air.  Former Michigan Wolverine Leon Hall had no chance at making a play as he simply was not big enough to come anywhere close to the ball. An offensive interference penalty on Roy Williams would stall this drive, but not before Kevin Smith had his best run of the preseason.  The Lions' offensive line opened up a few large holes for Smith to run through, and he did just that for a gain of 16 yards.  His next run wasn't as nice as he lost a yard, bringing up fourth down and forcing the Lions to punt the ball away. Thankfully for Detroit, the defense would quickly get the ball back for the offense.  Cornerback Brian Kelly really looked impressive on Cincinnati's first drive of the game as he made two big plays that really turned the tables on the Bengals.  First, he swatted a pass away from Chad Johnson to cause an incompletion.  And then one-upped himself on the very next play by ripping the ball out of Ocho Cinco's arms to get an interception.  Johnson appeared to have made the catch, but Kelly wasn't having any of that. After the interception, the Lions wasted little time before getting into the endzone.  Jon Kitna found Calvin Johnson out-running defenders across the middle of the field, making for an easy touchdown pass from 27 yards out.  Johnson had nobody in his face when the pass came in and he simply ran into the endzone untouched, putting the Lions on top 7-0. Looking for some redemption, Carson Palmer did manufacture a pretty decent drive the second time the Bengals' offense went out onto the field.  Unfortunately for Palmer, though, that work went unnoticed on the scoreboard as Dewayne White blocked a 46-yard Shayne Graham field goal attempt.  The Lions have had a knack for blocking field goals the last few years, and it's good to see that continue in 2008. Following a pair of three and outs, the Lions got the ball back and Dan Orlovsky did a nice job at quarterback.  He got the Lions into field goal range, but just as we saw with the Bengals, his work produced no results thanks to a failed field goal attempt.  Dave Rayner just barely missed his first field goal attempt as a Lion wide left (it was from 47 yards out), keeping the lead at only 7 points. With neither offense able to do anything on the two drives following the field goal miss, the Bengals did finally get the ball moving.  To basically close out the first half, Cincy first picked up yardage on the ground before moving to an air attack.  The end result was a shredded Lions defense and 7 points for the Bengals via a 12-yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Glenn Holt.  The Lions could have prevented the halftime score from being 7-7 on a 3rd and 8 during this scoring drive, but Fitzpatrick scrambled away from a pretty bad pass rush and gained 21 yards.  That helped set up the eventual TD. The Lions' defense did its job as it opened the second half by forcing a three and out, and Detroit was able to retake the lead on the proceeding possession.  After a Brian Calhoun fumble nearly ended the Lions' drive, Dave Rayner hit a 48-yard field goal, putting the Lions back on top by a score of 10-7. Cincinnati followed the field goal with hopes of taking the lead for the first time in this game, but the Lions' defense was having none of that.  After 6 minutes and 79 yards, the Bengals found themselves at the 1-yard line with 4th and goal and decided to go for it.  That is when safety Greg Blue lived up to his hitting ability and tackled DeDe Dorsey for no gain, giving the ball back to the Lions. Detroit didn't do anything on their next possession.  After all, they did start it from the 1-yard line.  Either way, Nick Harris managed to boom a punt well into Bengals territory, but he actually outkicked his coverage.  That allowed Cincinnati to get a big return and gave them a shot at hitting a field goal when their offense once again went three and out.  Shayne Graham connected on a kick from 50 yards away to tie the game at 10-10.  10-10 is what the scoreboard read heading into the fourth quarter, but Dave Rayner changed that around 4 minutes in.  Artose Pinner entered into the game and played well again, and he put the Lions in position to kick a 23-yard field goal.  Rayner easily made it and put the Lions back on top by a score of 13-10. After yet another three and out, Drew Stanton came into the game for the first time and quickly got Detroit into the endzone.  The Lions would have been nowhere near the endzone if Stanton hadn't scrambled for a first down on 3rd and 8, but he did just that.  Stanton avoided pressure and ran out to the right side.  It appeared he would not be able to get to the first down marker, but Stanton dove forward past the chains to keep the drive alive.  On the very next play, he found Brandon Middleton wide open for a 50-yard TD pass, increasing the lead to 10 points.  Stanton's throw was perfect and all Middleton had to do was haul the pass in. Kenneth Moore did a nice job of returning a Cincinnati punt and gave the Lions awesome field position shortly after the Stanton to Middleton TD.  This allowed Detroit to give the ball to Artose Pinner before letting Stanton do his thing on 3rd and 1.  Stanton dropped back and faked a handoff that even had the cameraman fooled.  Evidently, it fooled the Cincinnati defense as well.  Stanton kept the ball on the naked bootleg and only had to make one defender miss as he ran into the endzone for the touchdown.  He showed great athleticism on the run as he blew by the only defender in his way and basically sealed the Bengals' fate. The bootleg is a play we have seen the Lions run quite a bit this preseason, and it works best with Stanton because of his scrambling ability.  Kitna has done a nice job passing when running the bootleg and Dan Orlovsky has had no luck at all.  He actually tried to run the bootleg three or so times in this game and had a Bengal in his face right after the fake every single time.  Stanton's fake kept that from happening, though, and gave the Lions a 27-10 lead.  That is what the final score would read as the Lions left Paul Brown Stadium with a 2-0 preseason record. Detroit's third game of the preseason comes on Saturday when the Cleveland Browns come to town.  Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET, although I don't believe the game will be on TV at that time.  It is looking like this game is headed for another blackout, meaning we would have to wait until Saturday night to watch the Lions and Browns meet in their annual preseason game.  Regardless of when the game does start on TV, Pride of Detroit will have live updates from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

Preseason Game #2 - Lions at Bengals - Game Thread - (08/17)

DETROIT LIONS (1-0)	GAME #2	CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-0)
	AT

Date:	August 17, 2008	Location:	Cincinnati, Ohio
Time:	7:30 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Paul Brown Stadium
TV:	WWJTV (CBS Detroit)	Favorite:	Bengals by 3.5
Radio:	97.1 FM The Ticket	Over/Under:	36.0
Weather:	Click Here	Injury Report:	Not Available
SBN Coverage:	Cincy Jungle	My Prediction:	None (It's preseason)
Final Score:	Detroit Lions - 27 :: Cincinnati Bengals - 10

Furrey excited about new Lions offense (AP) - (08/12)

Mike Furrey has been largely forgotten at Detroit Lions training camp. With all the talk about Detroit's new run-oriented offense and its potent receiving duo of Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, no one has been talking about Furrey. "This is going to be very good for all of the receivers, not just Roy and Calvin," Furrey said Tuesday.

Bodden ready to retake starting role (AP) - (08/12)

The Lions and cornerback Leigh Bodden agreed on a $27 million contract extension just after training camp started, yet he's still seeing most of his practice reps with the second team. Don't expect that to last. "We look at Leigh as a starter, but when we go to a base defense and there's only two corners on the field, Brian Kelly's starting at left and Travis Fisher's starting at right --...

Lions No.1 offense practices together for the first time (Yahoo! Sports) - (08/11)

The Detroit Lions their No. 1 offense together for the first time in training camp with tight end Dan Campbell...

Lions CB Wilson out for season (AP) - (08/09)

Detroit Lions cornerback Stanley Wilson will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles' tendon. The four-year veteran was injured in Thursday night's preseason opener against the New York Giants, a 13-10 Detroit victory. A torn Achilles' tendon typically requires up to a year of rehabilitation after surgery.

Giants fall to Lions in 1st game since Super Bowl (AP) - (08/07)

The New York Giants couldn't put together another last-minute road win. This time, they didn't care. With Eli Manning on the bench and Super Bowl heroes David Tyree and Plaxico Burress back home, David Carr and the Giants couldn't come from behind in a 13-10 exhibition loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.

AccuScore: Favre's big impact on Green Bay (Yahoo! Sports) - (08/04)

Brett Favre's return as the starter would significantly improve the Packers' division title and playoff hopes.

Florida charges against Lions' Pearson dropped (AP) - (08/04)

Domestic violence charges against Detroit Lions safety Kalvin Pearson have been dropped, the Hillsborough County state attorney's office said Monday. Pearson, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-07, was arrested April 26 and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation, both felonies.

Detroit's No.1 pick Cherilus will not face NFL discipline (Yahoo! Sports) - (08/01)

There has been some confusion recently about Detroit Lions first-round draft pick Gosder Cherilus and his status...

Ford Jr. thinks Lions are on right track (AP) - (07/27)

The Detroit Lions haven't had a winning season since 2000 and are eight years removed from their last playoff appearance. One of the men who signs the checks still believes the team can turn things around this fall. Vice chairman William Clay Ford Jr., son of owner William Clay Ford, said Sunday he thinks third-year coach Rod Marinelli finally has a collection of players who understand and believe...

Sims held out of Lions practice after injury (AP) - (07/27)

Lions linebacker Ernie Sims missed Sunday's afternoon practice with injuries to his right leg. Sims said he "landed funny" during a morning drill but walked off the field after the practice session ended. Trainer Dean Kleinschmidt said the third-year veteran suffered a hyperextended knee and sprained ankle, but did not believe the injuries were serious.

Ex-Bucs hold key to Lions secondary (AP) - (07/26)

Dwight Smith and Brian Kelly are quickly becoming two of the most important players in the Detroit Lions' training camp. Both defensive backs joined the Lions as free agents during the offseason, and coach Rod Marinelli is counting on their experience in his Tampa Two defense to help solidify Detroit's weak secondary.

Lions ?Believe in Now?, But Questions Remain - (07/24)

To parrot head coach Rod Marinelli, everything is a process. The process of the off-season is over and training camp opens today at Allen Park. Matt Millen and the franchise have pushed a credo of “Believe in Now”, which is what Lion fans have been doing since their last championship in the 1950’s. The end [...]

Chris Simms? Lions Should Take a Chance - (07/15)

Image details: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mini Camp served by picapp.com You can already hear the noise. Another Tampa Bay player? Aren’t there any other teams in the NFL to deal with or former players of other clubs? The Lion quarterback situation is hardly ready for much beyond this season. The fact is that a contingency plan must [...]

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