Archives for August 31, 2012

‘”We can compete with anybody and everybody in the league.”‘

‘”There at first we were kind of shaky a little bit, but we got things going, started clicking with a lot of guys,” said Thigpen. “It was nice to get some extended time and get out there and get in that rhythm.”‘

‘Whether it will be enough for either to make the 53-man roster will begin to be known at 9 p.m. today, the deadline for NFL teams to trim down from 75 men.’

‘"Hey, just wait. Everybody’s going to play their part," he said. "It’s a long season so you always tell yourself to think positive about your situation and make sure you help them when they’re out on the field and when your turn comes they’ll help you out."’

‘Wilson, 93, was last seen at a public event earlier this month in ceremonies at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He had not been planning to attend the Bills’ exhibition finale Thursday night in Detroit, near his suburban home of Grosse Point Shores, Mich.’

‘Wilson, 93, lives in Grosse Pointe Shores and was not scheduled to attend the exhibition game between his Bills and the Lions on Thursday. At one time, Wilson held a minority ownership of the Lions.’

Run game gives Lions a leg up vs. Bills (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ RB Mikel Leshoure makes lasting impression in finale (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ 53-man roster will be set tonight; retaining talent is top priority (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ QB Kellen Moore saves best for last in exhibition finale (Detroit Free Press)

Punter Ben Graham hangs good impression in Lions’ head (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ Alphonso Smith shows versatility, moves from CB to safety (Detroit Free Press)

Notes, quotes from Thursday night’s win over Buffalo (Detroit Free Press)

Photo gallery (Detroit Free Press)

Lions’ offense shines in final dress rehearsal (Detroit News)

Lions tandem Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson connect for TD in final exhibition tuneup (Detroit News)

Lions RB Mikel Leshoure makes big strides (Detroit News)

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson admitted to Detroit-area hospital (Detroit News)

Status of Lions CB Louis Delmas is uncertain (Detroit News)

Photo gallery (Detroit News)

Mikel Leshoure impresses in Detroit Lions’ 38-32 win over Buffalo Bills in preseason finale (Ann Arbor News)

Detroit Lions QB Kellen Moore gets a little home cooking from Boise State faithful (Ann Arbor News)

Preseason ends on high note with win over Bills (Oakland Press)

Starters don’t log much time in fourth preseason game (Oakland Press)

Lions beat Bills in final preseason game (Fox Sports Detroit)

After explosive first quarter, Lions almost don’t get the win (DetroitLions.com)

Did Kellen Moore show enough to make the 53-man roster? (DetroitLions.com)

The Stafford-Johnson connection can be dialed up at any time (DetroitLions.com)

Four Downs (DetroitLions.com)

O’Hara’s Burning Questions (DetroitLions.com)

Game notes (DetroitLions.com)

Photo gallery (DetroitLions.com)

Photo gallery (BuffaloBills.com)

Photo gallery (Rochester D&C)

Photo gallery (WGRZ-TV)

”’This game was about the guys who were getting their last chance to get noticed,” Fitzpatrick said. ”I’ve been in that position a lot of times, so I know how big this game can be for your career.”‘

”’Listen, I want you to write this,” Nix said. ”The Patriots are where we want to be. If we’re going to win the division, we’ve got to beat them. Then our next step is we want to be the favorite every year, just like they are. And if we’re scared of them, we got no chance of doing that.”’

‘Team spokesman Scott Berchtold made the announcement, but was unable to provide further information regarding the Hall of Fame owner. Wilson has a home in suburban Detroit, and the news of him being hospitalized was released prior to Buffalo’s final preseason game at Detroit.’

‘Tarvaris Jackson, who was acquired by the Bills from the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, had a shaky performance. He fumbled his first snap and threw one pass, which was picked off by Amari Spievey at the Detroit 6 with 4:33 remaining in the game.’

‘Wilson suffered a broken hip about one year ago. As a result, he missed his first home game in 52 years last season.’

‘The starters saw limited action but the offense was effective, converting on an 11-play touchdown drive. Tyler Thigpen saw plenty of time as the number two quarterback as he tried to earn a spot on the roster.’

‘Despite two interceptions, I think Thigpen had a fairly solid evening.’

‘It looked like hope was lost for 2010 4th round pick Marcus Easley. After two years of season ending injuries and a very uneventful 2012 training camp, Easley had a monster game vs the Lions.’