Despite winning just three games in 2021, Lions fans are full of excitement and an estimated 18,000 attended the Family Fest. By team, that’s the most fans in attendance since 2015, when the Lions were coming off an 11-win season that included a trip to the playoffs. “Listen, it’s exciting,” coach Dan Campbell said of the fan turnout. “It really is. I know they were talking about there being a lot of RSVPs (for tickets). I knew we would have a very good turnout. It is exciting. We want to give those fans something to be proud of. It’s been quite some time. We have to stay there and shape this thing to what our city is.” In case you missed one of our previous observations:
Attendance/injury updates
One of the most noticeable things during Saturday’s game was the absence of cornerback Jeff Okudah. Recovering from Achilles surgery this past offseason, Okudah had worked hard to regain his health and quickly found himself back in the mix for a starting role. On Friday, Okudah sat out the majority of practice, which wasn’t too unusual as many veterans rested with the fight on the docket. But on Saturday, not only did he not participate, but Okudah was completely absent from the event itself. It’s too early to speculate on why he lost the fight, but that will surely be one of the first questions Campbell will be asked on Monday. Also out due to injury were Julian Okwara, Levi Onwuzurike, Quintez Cephus and Ryan McCollum. In addition, backup striker Zane Obeid has been ruled out, with no reason given. There were no changes to the PUP or NFI lists, and CJ Moore — who was just removed from the NFI a few days ago — was still being held out of team drills and participating only on individuals and special teams.
Dan Campbell gets the crowd going
Before the event began, as has become customary, Campbell gave another pre-controversy speech to the crowd: This team works to give you something to be proud of. They are grinding it out right now and I know this, we are starving. We are hungry! So the hyenas better get away.
Setting the table for the fight
The basic layout of the game would begin in a similar fashion to the training camp at Allen Park, with a track, stretches, followed by some light individual drills, and then most of the practice would focus on team drills, with some special team drills mixed exercises. Campbell told the media before practice that team drills will be “unscripted,” meaning it’s up to the coordinator to adjust to the situation on the field and make the appropriate call, similar to what he’s expected to do in a regular season game. Both coordinators were on the sidelines for today’s scrimmage, and Campbell told the media that both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn plan to do the same on game days.
DJ Chark shines under the bright lights of Ford Field
Last season, Jared Goff had solid chemistry with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds, and for the most part, picked up where they left off — if not improved — when training camp began. So it’s probably no surprise that one of the most popular questions asked among Lions fans is: How is Goff’s chemistry with DJ Chark? Well, if the last three practices are any indication, he’s already in mid-season form. After Goff connected with Chark on highlight-reel receptions in back-to-back practices, the duo saved their best for Saturday, connecting on three above-average plays, including two very difficult catches where Chark laid for the grab and two touchdowns. The Lions posted all three receptions on their Instagram page: The first reception on the sideline came on just the team’s fourth play of the day and likely would have been the best play of the day had he not been topped off with his 33-yard diving reception for a touchdown to close out practice. “It went pretty smoothly,” Chark told the media about his performance during the match. “We practice a lot of these things, we talk about a lot of them. Many of them appeared today. (Goff) got some opportunities for me, St (St Brown), with the deep ball. It’s our job to keep helping him feel comfortable. We’re starting to pick up the pace.” It’s starting to pick up pace. If this is Goff and Chark “starting to get into a groove,” things could get really exciting once they find it.
More offensive notes
Chark was, of course, one of Jeremy Raisman’s top six players from the game, but he also acknowledged Goff’s performance, astutely noting: There’s something to be said for Goff’s confidence, particularly when it comes to pushing the ball downfield. He has more confidence in himself and more confidence in his teammates than I saw at any point last season. St. Brown and Reynolds also caught touchdown passes from Goff on Saturday, in case you were worried that Chark had absorbed all of Goff’s available chemistry. The quarterbacks were a mixed bag, as is becoming increasingly common. On David Blough’s first drive, he threw a quick out to Shayne Zylstra for a minimal gain, broke up AJ Parker’s ensuing pass, converted a bubble screen to Tom Kennedy, overthrew Garrett Griffin and was intercepted by DeShon Elliott, then hit Kennedy. a bomb for a touchdown. On his next layup attempt, he was sacked by Austin Bryant, the first of two on the day. Tim Boyle also found Kennedy on a nice touch pass for a touchdown, but he also had another pass (or two) at the line of scrimmage – something that seems to be commonplace. D’Andre Swift’s physical gifts have looked improved with his new physique, and as long as their health management plan keeps him healthy, he could be a big factor this season. He remains an incredibly difficult player to cover out of the back. Jermar Jefferson’s day got off to a slow start. He was stuffed by Charles Harris and Eric Banks early, but on his seventh carry, he started picking up chunks of the field, including a goal after an impressive block by Devin Funchess. For the seven people who follow these things like me, after spending most of camp on the upside, Logan Stenberg returned to left guard (a position he’s played for years) and Tommy Kraemer was on the right on Saturday.
Malcolm Rodriguez’s rise up the depth chart remains
After working with the first and second teams for the first time on Friday, Rodriguez followed that practice with more work with the top unit on Saturday. During the tours, Rodriguez once again took second team reps at MIKE backing up Alex Anzalone and working alongside Derrick Barnes or Shaun Dion Hamilton. When live drills began, the team opened with special teams and Rodriguez was also working with the first team in kick coverage. In fact, on the first play of practice, Rodriguez was one of, if not the first player on the field and in the perfect spot for the tackle. During team drills, Rodriguez found himself working with the backups, alternating between the second and third teams. But when the Lions switched to a sub-package look featuring just one linebacker, Rodriguez stepped into the role with the first team. In Chark’s video above, you can see Rodriguez drop a pass in the front of the end zone on Chark’s first touchdown. Previously, the Lions had tried Chris Board and Anthony Pittman in the single linebacker role, but Rodriguez has the speed, coverage skills and upside that might make him the best player for the role. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see this be his first step towards contributing in the regular season.
More defensive notes
As noted in the Bough paragraph, Austin Bryant once again showed up with another sack on Saturday. He continues to put together impressive works. But Bryant wasn’t the only defensive player making noise, Eric Banks was very disruptive when working against the first team, notching a sack and holding Penny Sewell. Aidan Hutchinson had a terrific game that really showcased his athleticism. On the play, the offense tried to leak a screen to his sideline, and despite the offensive line being attacked, he was able to redirect his body momentum and find Craig Reynolds. The Okudah-Harris battle remains an interesting battle, but one trait Harris has over Okudah is his physical game against the run. On Saturday, Harris recognized a Craig Reynolds sweep to the right and drove at the ball carrier quickly, making a big hit for minimal gain.
Special Teams
The Lions typically limit special teams to a single purpose during each practice, but during Saturday’s game, they focused on all aspects of special teams. The most obvious special teams battle is at kicker, where Austin Seibert is looking to bounce back from last season’s trip to injured reserve and Riley Patterson is working to convince coaches he should keep the job he finished the season with. On the day, the pair alternate field goal attempts during team drills, attempting kicks from approximately 41, 41, 44, 50, 54 and 62 yards. Seibert was perfect in all his efforts, managing to rattle 62 meters off the crossbar and through the uprights. While Patterson’s kicks were solid up the middle, attempts from 54 and 62 yards proved too much for the sophomore. And that seems to be the difference between the pair. Patterson may be slightly more accurate, but there is a noticeable cap on the…
