09-05-2021 Ravens Preview - Flipbook - Page 35
NFL2021
DETROIT
LIONS
COACH
Dan Campbell (1st season with team)
LAST SEASON
5-11 (4th in NFC North; no playoffs)
Record since 2011: 71-88 (0-3 in playoffs)
35
2020 TEAM STATISTICAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
2020 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
SCORING OFFENSE
20th of 32 (23.6 ppg)
RUSHING
Adrian Peterson: 156 carries, 604 yards, 7 TDs, 37.8 ypg
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SCORING DEFENSE
32nd of 32 (32.4 ppg)
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
RUSHING OFFENSE
25th of 32 (102.9 ypg)
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
PASSING OFFENSE
22nd of 32 (228.4 ypg)
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PASSING
MatthewStafford:339-528,4,084yards,26TDs,10ints,262.3ypg
SCORING
Matt Prater, PK: 101 points (21 FGs, 38 PAT, 6.3 ppg)
Stats from pro-football-reference.com
A judgment to rush
Lions look to D’Andre Swift, former Packer
Jamaal Williams, others to improve run game
Associated Press
T
Lions running back D’Andre Swift makes a play during a training camp practice July 31 in Allen
Park, Mich. PAUL SANCYA/AP
he Detroit Lions plan to lean on a
backfield tandem of D’Andre Swift
and Jamaal Williams this season, and
newly acquired running back Craig Reynolds
showedaflashofpromiseintheteam’spreseason opener.
Swift,theLions’second-rounddraftpickin
2020,figurestobethecenterpieceofDetroit’s
runninggame.However,anagginggroininjury
has limited him in training camp this year.
Coach Dan Campbell said Swift is trending
in the right direction, but he isn’t expecting to
use the running back Saturday night against
the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Lions’ second
preseason game.
“We’llgethimsomerepsinpractice,justsee
where he’s at to that point, but I don’t see him
playing this weekend,” Campbell said Thursday.
Thisisn’tthefirsttimeSwifthashadtodeal
with an injury in the preseason.
Last year, a leg injury kept him out for a
significant portion of training camp. But after
being eased into the lineup during his rookie
season, Swift proved why he was worth the
investment. He rushed for 116 yards and two
touchdownsinWeek6againsttheJacksonville
Jaguars and finished the season with a teamhigh 4.6 yards per carry.
AfterpracticinginfullonThursday,Swiftis
ready to put the injuries behind him.
“This is my first day working back in, so it
just felt good to be out here with the guys,”
Swift said. “It felt good to be back out here.”
It won’t be up to Swift alone to help turn
around a Lions running game that hasn’t
finished among the top 10 in total yards since
1998.
Detroit signed former Green Bay running
backWilliamsthisoffseason.ThoughWilliams
rushed for only 15 yards on nine carries in the
preseason opener, he impressed the coaching
staffbyconvertingontwothird-and-1sduring
the Lions’ second drive.
“To know that you have a guy that if it’s
anywhereinthatrange,he’sgoingtofindaway
topuncturethelineofscrimmageandgetyou
a first down,” Campbell said, “not only does
that give you confidence as a play caller and
a head coach, it gives the offensive line a lot of
confidence.”
The Lions used the final weeks of camp to
figureoutwhowouldroundouttheirrunning
back depth chart beyond Swift and Williams.
Seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson has
made a positive impression in training camp
but rushed for only 7 yards on four carries in
the preseason opener.
Last week against the Buffalo Bills, it was
Reynolds who stood out among Detroit’s
reserves. Reynolds rushed for 49 yards on
six carries, including an impressive 24-yard
touchdown, just a day after signing with the
team.
2021 SCHEDULE WEEK 9 BYE
WEEK 1
Sept. 12
WEEK 2
Sept. 20
WEEK 3
Sept. 26
WEEK 4
Oct. 3
WEEK 5
Oct. 10
WEEK 6
Oct. 17
WEEK 7
Oct. 24
WEEK 8
Oct. 31
WEEK 10
Nov. 14
WEEK 11
Nov. 21
WEEK 12
Nov. 25
WEEK 13
Dec. 5
WEEK 14
Dec. 12
WEEK 15
Dec. 19
WEEK 16
Dec. 26
WEEK 17
Jan. 2
WEEK 18
Jan. 9
SF
1 p.m.
FOX
@GB
8:15 p.m.
ESPN
BAL
1 p.m.
CBS
@CHI
1 p.m.
FOX
@MIN
1 p.m.
CBS
CIN
1 p.m.
FOX
@LAR
4:05 p.m.
ESPN
PHI
1 p.m.
NBC
@PIT
1 p.m.
FOX
@CLE
1 p.m.
FOX
CHI
12:30 p.m.
FOX
MIN
1 p.m.
CBS
@DEN
4:05 p.m.
FOX
ARI
1 p.m.
FOX
@ATL
1 p.m.
FOX
@SEA
4:25 p.m.
FOX
GB
1 p.m.
FOX
Note: This section was printed before final roster cuts, so personnel are subject to change; all times are Eastern and subject to change