5/23/13: How good is Lions' superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson? He is so good that he set the single season record for receiving yards without all of his fingers working. Apparently, Johnson hurt two or three fingers sometime last year, and they were not straight, but crooked. Megatron claims that he is trying to avoid surgery and working on straightening out his digits. Imagine that if Johnson set records playing with only 70% of his hands, then he should continue to set records at full strength for the next several years - especially since the Lions like to throw the ball.

5/16/13: Former Lions wide receiver Titus Young is turning into the next Maurice Clarrett or Lawrence Phillips. He was a second round pick just two years ago, but fought with teammates and was finally cut for intentionally lining up in the wrong spot. Now he has been arrested three times in a week. The first was a vehicular incident. The second (on the same day) was for breaking into an impound lot and trying to steal back his car. The third is for breaking into someone's house. There is no chance he will play this year, or probably ever.

5/9/13: Detroit drafted offensive guard Larry Warford in the third round with the 65th overall pick. The Rams would have taken him in the first round. St. Louis had to chose between Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree and Warford for the 30th pick, and chose Ogletree. Since the Rams did not have a second round pick, Warford dropped and the Lions took him before the Rams picked in the third round. That sounds like good value, especially coming from Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead, who have shown they know a thing or two about drafting.

5/2/13: The Lions are traditionally accustomed to selecting at or near the top of the draft, so after a brief hiatus, they must have felt comfortable with the number five pick overall. They selected Ezekiel (Ziggy) Ansah, the raw defensive end out of BYU. Ziggy is an interesting choice since he does not have a history of playing football. He played only two years at BYU and none before that. He hails from Ghana, and tried football only after not making the basketball and track teams in college. He is athletically gifted and may develop into a star player with proper coaching.

4/25/13: The Lions are one of the few teams picking in the top portion of the draft that actually have their QB situation figured out. What they do not have is a good offensive line to give Matt Stafford time to throw or any of the running backs to gain some yardage. Fortunately, there are some good offensive line prospects available in this year's draft. Luke Joekle, who protected Johnny Football last season will probably go first to the Chiefs, but other options such as Lane Johnson and Chance Warmack are solid alternatives for anyone looking to protect their QB.

4/18/13: Well this is news. Lions QB Matt Stafford says he is not interested in being the highest paid quarterback. Rather, he would rather put talent around him so they can win. Many athletes mistake pay for respect, without thinking about the ramifications. If they did think about the big picture, then teams in Texas and Florida would be consistent champions in every major sport because there is no state income tax (saving the players 5-9% per year). But this is good for Detroit. Stafford obviously wants to win on the field, and a statement like this will make him a winner to Lions fans.

4/11/13: Kicker Jason Hanson is officially finished in the NFL. The 42 year old field goal specialist, who has spent a full one half of his life in professional football, and all with the Detroit Lions is retiring. Detroit signed former 49ers kicker David Akers as the first Lions kicker not named Jason Hanson in 21 years. Hanson leaves as the third leading scorer in league history. He booted 495 field goals, including a record 52 from 50 yards or longer. Congratulations to Hanson on a great career, and best of luck to him with future endeavors.

4/4/13: The Lions selected left tackle Riley Reiff with their first selection last year, and he was immediately billed as the teams left tackle of the future. One year later, and Reiff has exactly one start to his name - the only game that incumbent left tackle Jeff Backus ever missed in his career. Reiff figures to be a starter this year, but his exact position has yet to be determined. With Backus still around, he probably will not get a shot at the left side. Since he is a run blocker, the right side may suit him better. Some suggest that because of his stout frame and short arms that he should be a guard.

3/28/13: Head coach Jim Schwartz and the Lions are excited to have Reggie Bush on board for next season. Schwartz believes that Bush will be able to keep defenses honest, thereby freeing up wide receiver Calvin Johnson - basically getting him away from triple coverage by forcing the defenses to keep a man in the box. Welcome to Offense 101, Coach Schwartz. The Lions hope they have their version of The Triplets now with Bush, Johnson, and quarterback Matt Stafford (whom fantasy players are calling 'Stat Padford"). In any case, some semblance of a running game will help the team tremendously.

3/21/13: Fourteen years ago, the St. Louis Rams were coming off of a 4-12 season, had traded for Marshall Faulk, and found their big free agent prize, Trent Green, down for the year. They turned into the greatest offensive scoring machine the NFL had ever seen, won the Super Bowl, and are immortalized as the 'Greatest Show on Turf'. Former Colts GM Bill Polian thinks that is what is going on in Detroit with the signing of Reggie Bush. Bush should be able to provide the balanced rushing attack that the Lions need - if so, then look out. This could be a very dynamic offensive next year.

3/14/13: Detroit got active in the free agency market, active enough that they may have won the press conference on the second day of free agency. The Lions signed running back Reggie Bush, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, defensive tackle Jason Jones formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, and free safety Glover Quin formerly of the Houston Texans. Bush may be the biggest name of the group, but he will be expected to share the load and change the pace from Mikel Lashoure. Detroit could use a running game to complement their potent passing attack and put more points on the board.

3/7/13: The hottest rumor going around Detroit is not about Emminem or Red Wings or the city's crumbling infrastructure. It is about a running back. More precisely, signing Reggie Bush as a free agent. The Lions running back woes are well documented. It is the most dangerous job in the city - more dangerous than being a drug mule on 8-Mile. Jahvid Best and Mikel Lashoure are talented guys, but Best's career may be over with concussion symptoms and Lashoure keeps hurting himself as well. Bush is more durable than people realize, and could be a good fit in the Motor City.

2/28/13: Despite the big passing yards the Lions put up the last two seasons, the knock on the offense has been the lack of running game. The team has gone through several running backs, who all seem to get hurt. There has been some recent chatter about the Lions picking up Reggie Bush. Bush has played the last several seasons in Miami, and while he never blossomed into the game-defining back that people envisioned when he was in college, he has been a very productive player. He will likely not be renewed by the Dolphins, so the Lions have a great chance of landing him.

2/14/13: Detroit cut ties with mercurial wide receiver Titus Young after two disruptive seasons. The Lions acknowledge there was little to no trade value for the talented yet troubled wide out from Boise State. Jeff Fisher and the Rams were the only team to submit a waiver claim on Young - apparently Fisher believes that he can set the young man straight. Fisher has a mixed record with team cancers. He got Albert Haynesworth to play, but could not do the same for Adam "Pac-Man" Jones or Randy Moss. As for Detroit, they had enough of his fighting with teammates, and his boast that he is better than Calvin Johnson surely did not go over too well.

2/7/13: The Lions are not wasting much time paring down the roster. Immediately after the season ended, the team cut volatile wide receiver Titus Young. Young threw a few cheap shots that killed some drives, sucker punched a team mate, and complained about his role incessantly. He even posted on social media, daring the Lions to cut him. So they did and made him the first casualty of the offseason. There was no real chance to trade him, so the Lions just cut bait. The team is also rumored to be cutting defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosh in a salary dump.

1/31/13: The Detroit Lions have hired former Denver Broncos GM Brian Xanders as a senior personnel executive. Xanders spent his coaching and front office career with the Atlanta Falcons and Broncos, and is noted for rebuilding the Broncos roster after the departure of former head coach Mike Shannahan. Detroit woefully under-performed this past season and won only five games. They had been expected to compete for a playoff spot. Individuals put up some excellent numbers and Calvin Johnson even broke the record for most receiving yards in a season. However, it did not translate into wins, and that is what Xanders is hired to fix.

1/24/13: Lions wide receiver Titus Young is probably lucky that he is with the Lions and not a more stringent team. Young has had his fair share of run-ins with authority since he came into the league - most notably his fight with a teammate in the 2011 season. He was suspended this season for insubordination, so the bad behavior does not seem to be a one-time episode. GM Martin Mayhew met with Young to discuss his future with the team, and the Lions seem inclined to keep him around and get him the help he needs.

1/17/13: Not surprisingly, the Lions are shaking things up after a disappointing season. Special teams coordinator Bobby Crossman will not be returning for 2013. Former Bills OC Curtis Modkins will be the running backs coach. Former Jags tight ends coach Bobby Johnson will assume the same role with the Lions while Tim Lappano moves from tight ends coach to wide receivers coach. Finally, Jeramiah Washburn earned a promotion from assistant offensive line coach to head offensive line coach. Jim Schwartz survived Black Monday, but if the team has another season like 2012 then he too will be looking for a new job.

1/10/13: A week and a half after Black Monday, and it looks like Head Coach Jim Schwartz is keeping his job. There were rumors that management did not like his style, though that seems to have faded. The Lions took a major step backwards this season. The team was expected to contend for the NFC North, but only won a handful of games. Matt Stafford put up excellent stats, and Calvin Johnson set the single season receiving record - though he only scored five touchdowns all season. But the big passing numbers did not translate to wins.

1/3/13: The Lions were among the most disappointing teams in the league this past season, which finally came to an end with another loss to Chicago. Detroit made this one close, losing 26-24 to an inspired Bears team. Matt Stafford threw for 272 yards and three TDs and one pick. But Detroit could not get anything going on the ground, though they only had 20 attempts. Stafford, meanwhile, set a record for most pass attempts in a season with over 700. Detroit finished the season at 4-12, and though head coach Jim Schwartz survived Black Monday, he still may be replaced.

12/27/12: It was not that long ago that the Lions were viewed as a legitimate threat for the NFC North crown, but 11 losses later and those are now just pipe dreams. Detriot hosted the NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, but could do very little to stop Matt Ryan and Roddy White in a 31-18 loss. The bright spot for the Lions is that Calvin Johnson brok Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record of 1,848 yards, while becoming the only player with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games and the first player with four consecutive games with 10 or more receptions.

12/13/12: Declaring that this has been a disappointing season for the Lions is a massive understatement. The team had dreams of competing for the NFC North title and a long playoff run. But neither the offense nor the defense could ever really get in sync or sustain strong play. Such was the case this past Sunday in Green Bay - a place the Lions have not won in Green Bay since 1992, which is a streak covering 22 games. Detroit got out to a 14-0 lead early, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers methodically marched back and won the game 27-20. The Lions are now 4-9 on the season. The good news? This Sunday's game is against the Cardinals, who may have the worst offense in the league.

12/6/12: As inexplicable as it seems, the Lions dominated the Colts for about 57 minutes, but allowed Andrew Luck to record a dramatic come from behind victory. Luck threw a touchdown pass as time expired to lift the Colts to a 35-33 victory, leaving the Lions dazed, confused, and likely out of the playoffs. Quarterback Matt Stafford threw from 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Joique Bell rushed for 81 yards. However, the defense could not withstand the talented rookie and was picked apart for 391 yards and 4 TDs. At 4-8, the Lions will not make the playoffs this year but must prepare for a Sunday night trip to Green Bay.

11/29/12: Detroit's faint playoff hopes may have been extinguished on Thanksgiving against the Texans. Houston won on a controversial run and challenge, which is sending the rules committee back to the table to review the stance on challenge flags on plays that will be reviewed automatically. Suh avoided a suspension for kick to Houston quarterback Matt Schaub's midsection, but may be subject to a fine. In any case, the Lions are a 4-7 and in last place the NFC North, so it time to start planning for next season, and that will start with an improved defense.

11/22/12: After a tough home loss to the Packers, a game they controlled until the final quarter, the Lions hosted their traditional Thanksgiving Day game against the Houston Texans. Detroit's offense exploited holes in the vaunted Texans defense, and managed to put up 31 points. Unfortunately, the Detroit defense was missing again as Houston scored 34 points. Detroit was the victim of a strange penalty, getting a delay of game for throwing a challenge flag on a scoring play. The touchdown would have likely been overruled, but the challenge negated any review, costing the Lions the game.

11/15/12: Detroit fell 34-24 on the road to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. The Lions are now 4-5 and in last place in the NFC North, and may well be out of the playoff hunt already. Matt Stafford threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Calvin Johnson had a monster game with 207 yards receiving and a score. But like it has been all season, the defense was porous and Detroit could not offer much of a running game. Mikel Leshoure led the team with 43 yards on the ground. Stafford was second with 13. The Lions host Green Bay this Sunday, and the Packers will be without Clay Matthews.

11/8/12: It looks like the Lions have finally found a running game. Do not be mistaken, the team is still pass happy, and starting running back Mikel Leshoure only got 15 touches during the entire game against Jacksonville, but he did rack up 70 yards and three touchdowns against the Jags. Detroit won the game 31-14, but making the playoffs is still a long shot. The team just does not look anything like last year's edition that rolled up over 5,000 yards in the air. Next up for Lions is a trip to the Metrodome to face the Minnesota Vikings who just dropped a game to Seattle.

11/1/12: The Lions have yet to establish an identity this year. Or, more accurately, the Lions are yet to establish a positive identity this year. They were the most frequent visitors to police custody in the off season and have yet to find a running game - but those are negative identities. At 3-4, they are last in the NFC Central. Stafford and company have not looked like the 2011 version at all. But then they host the Seahawks and their strong defense, and put up four touchdowns in a 28-24 victory. Maybe they can truly return to form against at Jacksonville this week.

10/18/12: The Lions are a difficult team to figure out. They barely beat the Rams opening week, dropped three in a row, including one to the hapless Titans, then come off of a bye week to take down the Eagles. The team stands at 2-3 and in the NFC North cellar. Runningback Jahvid Best, who missed all of last season due to concussion, has not been cleared to play, and may not play the entire season. There is talk that Best will retire, but the player has not made any decision at this time. The Lions are now preparing a Monday Night game against the Bears, which could make or break their season.

10/4/12: The Lions sit at 1-3 through September, and really should be 0-4 (if not for a league-acknowledged time keeper error against the Rams in Week 1). It is an understatement to say that the team has underachieved or dissapointed. Matt Stafford is throwing for a lot of yards (out of neccesity), but not for touchdowns. The defense has been MIA, and the special teams is probably the worst in the league, allowing two touchdowns off kickoffs/punts in each of the last two games. The Lions have a bye this week and they need it to figure out how to be the team they were last season.

8/16/12: Broncos fans got their first game-view of Peyton Manning in the preseason opener at Soldier Field against the Bears. Manning played one series, going 4-7 for 44 yards and an interception. While it was nothing spectacular or terrible, the debate rages on about whether or not 'old' Peyton is back. Manning will get more playing time in the second preseason game against Seattle, but the jury is still out. Manning looked sharp on throws to the outside, and the reported rapport with Eric Decker is showing with multiple targets and some quality catches - which may make Decker the new Pierre Garcon.

8/2/12: Despite all the talent Detroit has accumulated over the past few years, and the 10-6 record they posted last season, many expect the team to regress this coming season. The players certainly do not expect that, though there are some issue the Lions must sort through in short order. The team needs more off-field discipline, especially after 7 off season arrests. Projected starting cornerback Aaron Berry was released following his most recent indiscretion. Cliff Avril is still holding out and wants a long-term deal. He will likely report in mid-camp, which is good news, and hopefully that will not hinder him during the season.

7/26/12: Aaron Berry was not about to let Mikel Leshoure or Nick Fairley win the offseason arrest contest without a fight, so he got himself arrested twice in the past month to tie the other two. Most recently, Berry was arrested in Harrisburg, PA for simple assault after pointing a handgun at three people. The Lions promptly cut Berry due to "personal conduct which adversely affects the club". Berry was not a starter like Leshoure or Fairley, though he was projected to start this season. However, the Lions may be in for additional public scrutiny once the Commissioner weighs in.

The Detroit Lions added some insurance for their standout quarterback Matthew Stafford this week by signing backup quarterback R.J. Archer from the Arena League. Matthew Stafford, despite being one of the top quarterbacks in the league last season, was injury-prone in his first few seasons in the league. Archer will likely be the team's third string quarterback behind Stafford and backup Shaun Hill. The Lions also received wide receiver Troy Burrell. The Detroit Lions are currently holding minicamp practices and other organized team activities and will open up their training camp later next month.

5/23/12: The Detroit Tigers could use some help as they straddle the .500 marker a quarterway through the season. They may be able to find that help in town with Calvin Johnson. Johnson took batting practice with the team this past week and even knocked one out of the yard. Johnson did play baseball in high school, before focusing on football. While the Lions probably don't have to worry about another Bo Jackson in their midst, they must be pleased that offensive guard Rob Sims has added weight this offseason to better block. Improving an already outstanding offesnse just sent shivers through the rest of the NFC North.

5/16/12: The Lions will have to make those hard choices that everyone hates to make in the very near future. The team is very limited in cap space and must accommodate its draft class. This obviously means that there will be some salary cap casualties throughout this offseason. First-round pick offensive tackle Riley Reiff participated in minicamp without a contract, but both the team and player agree that it will be forthcoming Additionally, second-round pick Ryan Broyles (wide reciever) was present but not active as he recovers from knee surgery. In time, Broyles and Calvin Johnson will be one of the strongest wide receiver duos in the league.

5/11/12: Among the most interesting omissions in the recent NFL draft was the Lions not selecting a running back. Last season, Jahvid Best suffered two concussions and missed the last several weeks of the season. He has been working out since December, but has not been cleared for contact yet. The Lions are optimistic that he will be cleared before minicamp starts and is available for the whole season. 2011 draft pick Mikel Leshoure is coming off of an achilles heel tear which forced him to miss the entire 2011 campaign. Leshoure may be suspended for up to four games for two marijuana arrests this offseason.

5/3/12: Detroit bolstered its already potent offense in the first two rounds, selecting offensive tackle Reily Reiff with the 23rd pick overall, and adding a complement wide reciever in Ryan Broyles in the second round. After that though, it was all defense. The Lions took three linebackers Ronnell Lewis, Tahir Whitehead, and Travis Lewis in the 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds, respectively, and cornerbacks Dwight Bently and Chris Greenwood in the 3rd and 5th rounds, as well as defensive back Jonte Green in the 6th round. Detroit did not address its need at running back, instead hoping that Javid Best and Mikel Leshoure return from injury.

4/25/12: Detroit has a potent offense led by a border-line elite quarterback in Matt Stafford and All-World wideout Calvin Johnson. Unfortunately, they play in the same division as Green Bay and Chicago, and are facing the next decade trying to upend Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler. So with their first round pick, they selected Reily Reiff, the offensive tackle from Iowa to protect Stafford. Reiff is considered the second-best O-lineman in the draft, behind Matt Kalil who was selected by Minnesota. Reiff's biggest strength is in pass protection, which is important for a team that passed for over 5,000 yards last season.

4/17/12: NFL schedules were announced on Tuesday, and the Detroit Lions open the season with a gift: At home against the St. Louis Rams. Detroit was rewarded for their explosive offese and 10-6 record with five primetime national TV games on the docket: Week 2 Sunday night at the 49ers; Week 7 Monday night at Chicago; Thanksgiving at Home against Houston; Week 14 Sunday night at Green Bay; and Week 15 Sunday night against Atlanta at home. Aside from division games, the Lions play the NFC West the, AFC South, Philadelphia and Atlanta, and has a bye in Week 5.

Detroit Lions Tickets - The Beginning

As an American football team based out of Detroit, Michigan, you have a historic beginning in the National Football League, more commonly known as the NFL. Being faithful members of the North Division for the National Football Conference, you can imagine the legend behind the Lions pretty clearly, especially if you were a regular at Ford Field right in classic downtown Motown. Believe it or not, the Lions weren't always the Lions. Back in 1929, they played in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans. In 1930, the Spartans joined the NFL officially but was then moved to Detroit for the 1934 season -- then given the name the 'Detroit Lions.' The Lions haven't made the playoffs since 1999, when they were defeated by the Washington Redskins by a score of 27-13. The Lions have had some rough seasons since, but things are finally looking up as they are building a formidable young core of players.

Detroit Lions Tickets - The Players

With some of the greats like Lem Barney, Dutch Clark, and Dick Lane, there are future greats about to rise in Detroit such as running back Kevin Smith, wide receiver Titus Young, and running back Mikel Leshoure. With Jim Schwartz helming the field as head coach, you'll be looking for a truly exciting season.

The turn around the Detroit Lions have made is unbelievable. Calvin "Megatron" Johnson was waiting for a quarterback to throw him the ball and the Lions delivered by drafting Matthew Stafford. Now that this duo has three years under their belt they are ready to start winning. Not only is the offense ready to be productive, the defense led by DT Ndamukong Suh will surely step up its game and give the Lions and opportunity to have a winning record. Watch for Jahvid Best, Nate Burleson, Julian Peterson and Kyle Vanden Bosch to have good years as the Lions are a sleeper pick for a playoff run.

Detroit Lions News

The Lions finished last season as the hottest team in the NFL, winning four straight, including a win against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the status of the 2012 season is up in the air as of June. In an interesting bit of news, the Lions have been working out at Detroit Country Day School in the suburbs of Detroit. Several players participated in the unofficial workouts, including quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Nate Burleson.

Detroit Lions Tickets - Check Them Out!

Unfortunately for Detroit fans, the Lions haven't seen a Super Bowl since the very beginning. But this is a team that's gnashing their teeth; they're ready for Super Bowl blood. Watch the Lions roar right at Ford Field and enjoy football at its very best.

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