Archives for September 3, 2010

‘Nelson has had a great training camp and quickly overcame two injuries he will likely be the fifth wideout. This coaching staff has no emotional ties to the former second round pick Hardy and he didn’t play much against Detroit until the 2nd half. He looks to be the odd man out. If they do go with six receivers he may stick but we think they’ll keep five and an extra linebacker.’

‘So here’s a look at who I think will make the 53 man roster…’

‘”It always feels good when the defense scores, and that’s three games we’ve scored like that each time,” said Terrence McGee. “It definitely helps out the whole team.”‘

‘He has done little in his NFL career to suggest that he’d be a significant upgrade over Trent Edwards. He thrived at USC when surrounded by superior complementary offensive players. Without a stacked deck, he’s been a below-average QB in the NFL.’

‘This summer, Edwards directed 16 drives and got five touchdowns and two field goals. Edwards ended the preseason with a passer rating of 102.6. Nobody will remember that a month from now, either.’

‘Since starting running back Fred Jackson is out with a broken bone in his left hand, the Bills did not want to expose Spiller to any chance of injury. Jackson practiced on Tuesday and expressed optimism he will be able to play in the season opener against Miami on Sept. 12. But Jackson still probably will be listed as questionable heading into the game.’

Lions ready for real games after 3-1 preseason record (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ Louis Delmas sits out exhibition finale (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ Kevin Smith works on trusting repaired knee (Detroit Free Press)

My foolish prediction? Lions aren’t totally bad (Detroit Free Press)

Lions notes, quotes from Thursday’s win over Bills (Detroit Free Press)

Hot topics from the Lions’ exhbition game (Detroit Free Press)

Three Lions questions with Michael Rosenberg (Detroit Free Press)

Photo gallery (Detroit Free Press)

Lions start slow, finish strong (Detroit News)

Lions RB Kevin Smith starts to get comfortable (Detroit News)

The time has come to see what Lions are made of (Detroit News)

RB DeDe Dorsey might not make Lions roster (Detroit News)

Photo gallery (Detroit News)

Lions starters look shaky in preseason win against Bills (Grand Rapids Press)

Lions show true colors — and all the deficiencies that come with them — in preseason finale (Grand Rapids Press)

Lions’ secondary knows Week 1 vs. Bears will be ‘big test’ after unhealthy preseason (Grand Rapids Press)

Detroit Lions finish preseason with win (Oakland Press)

Judgment time is coming sooner instead of later for Matthew Stafford (Oakland Press)

Stanton makes most of opportunity (Oakland Press)

Coaches Have Tough Decisions Ahead (DetroitLions.com)

Game Notes: Lions vs. Bills (DetroitLions.com)

Postgame Quotes: Lions vs. Bills (DetroitLions.com)

Opponent Postgame Quotes: Lions vs. Bills (DetroitLions.com)

Photo Gallery (DetroitLions.com)

Photo Gallery (BuffaloBills.com)

Photo Gallery (AP)

‘Buffalo’s Marshawn Lynch had 2 yards rushing on five carries after missing two games with an ankle injury. Bills rookie running back C.J. Spiller was rested and running back Fred Jackson missed a third straight game because of a broken left hand.’

‘Trent Edwards started for the Bills and did nothing to hurt his chances of being the No. 1 QB come Week 1. He completed all four of his throws for 66 yards in lasting a full quarter. Next in was Brian Brohm, who threw for 78 yards on 7-of-15 attempts with an interception. Rookie Levi Brown finished out the game and was also picked off on the way to a 10-of-18, 92-yard showing.’

‘The Bills led until the midway point of the third quarter thanks to a Drayton Florence 40-yard interception return for a touchdown and three 40+ yard field goals from Rian Lindell.’

‘It just becomes more and more apparent that the Bills need to cut ties with former second round pick James Hardy. He went virtually unnoticed on the playing field until the mop up duty time of the game. Even on his supposed touchdown that was called back, he should have been battling with the defensive back for the football, not hanging back and watching it unfold in front of him. Meanwhile, his training camp adversary David Nelson is getting reps with the first team and making catches in the process.’

‘”We wanted to run the ball and throw a couple deep (passes),” said Edwards. “I think we accomplished that on the first drive. Chan said were going to get around 12 plays and we put together a 13-play drive. In terms of what we were looking for, it was a good way to start the game.”‘

‘With a starting quarterback who seems to have plateaued and a head coach who does not inspire confidence in fans, the buzz around the 2010 Buffalo Bills is going to remain near-flatline. Divorce yourself from the "they’ll never win with Edwards and Gailey" talk, however, and you’ll find elements of this team (running back, the secondary, special teams) that are of a high caliber and will have to be respected by opponents. Though they’re highly unlikely to escape the AFC East cellar in 2010, don’t be surprised if the Bills are a tough out on a weekly basis. Just keep those overall expectations low, because with a shaky group of QBs and wideouts, a weak o-line, and a defense transitioning to a new system, consistent winning is not going to be in the cards during Gailey’s first year on the job.’