Lions News

"Browns quarterback Derek Anderson will most likely sit out Saturday's exhibition game in Detroit with a mild concussion suffered during Monday night's 37-24 loss to the Giants. If Anderson rests, as expected, Brady Quinn will start the third preseason game -- which is regarded as the dress rehearsal for the regular season. Meanwhile, receiver Josh Cribbs underwent an MRI Tuesday on his left ankle, which he sprained in the first quarter of the game. By early Tuesday evening, a source told The Plain Dealer that Cribbs was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and he could sit out the final two preseason games as well. Syndric Steptoe will replace Cribbs. Steptoe had a magnificent night ..."

"Sometimes running back Tatum Bell looks like a man in torment this exhibition season. He has rushed 12 times for 17 yards and it appears as if rookie Kevin Smith and journeyman Artose Pinner are passing him on the depth chart. He has yet to break a run or even come close. It's handoff, two steps and tackle. The runs all look the same. But Bell is hardly a tormented man. He's smiling a lot these days because despite the rough spots in the exhibition season, he's expecting a big season now that former Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz is with the San Francisco 49ers. Bell remains angry with Martz because he stuffed Bell so far down the depth chart that the Lions were left with a ..."

"Here are some thoughts, opinions and predictions about the Lions halfway through the exhibition season: • When the 2008 schedule was released, I wrote the Lions could win nine games. It wasn't a prediction, just a somewhat humorous way of showing how a 9-7 season was possible. From what I've seen so far, I was wrong. The Lions will win nine games, maybe more. They're super fast on defense, they will build a running game, protect the quarterback and have talent at wide receiver. I say 9-7 is the standard. Whether that earns a playoff spot remains to be seen, but this team will not fall apart, unless shredded by injuries. • Calvin Johnson is currently one of the 10 best players in the NFL. ..."

"It might come in the form of a long-term deal with the Lions, a one-year "franchise tag" arrangement next season with the Lions or a multiyear free-agent deal elsewhere. The pressure isn't on the ebullient receiver. It's squarely on the Lions. Williams is one of the few first-round selections in the Millen era that other teams covet. He's a target because the rest of the NFL knows that the Lions can't afford paying maximum dollars for two No. 1 receivers in a salary-cap system that emphasizes filling holes through the draft and not free agency. Calvin Johnson must be considered the No. 1 receiver now because there's no alternative when you draft a guy second overall and guarantee him more ..."

"Jon Kitna should feel good he has nowhere to go but down in the second half of the exhibition season. Kitna's passer rating has been statistically perfect in the Lions' first two exhibition games. The highest possible rating under the NFL system is 158.3. Kitna did it in the opening game against the New York Giants and repeated it Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kitna completed all three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. He threw one other pass -- a completion to Roy Williams -- but it was called back for offensive interference against Williams. Kitna played only the first two series against the Bengals. His last play was a 27-yard pass to Calvin Johnson for the game's ..."

"Jon Kitna's 27-yard pass to Calvin Johnson gave the Lions a 7-0 lead on their second possession of the game. Drew Stanton put the game out of reach with a 50-yard scoring pass to Brandon Middleton with six minutes left. Stanton, the third quarterback used by coach Rod Marinelli, closed out the scoring with a 10-yard rollout around right end. Dan Orlovsky, who relieved Kitna after the second series, also contributed a big throw leading to a score. A 45-yard completion to rookie John Standeford set up a 23-yard field goal by Dave Rayner giving the Lions a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Rayner, signed to kick while Jason Hanson recovers from a minor thigh injury, made a 48-yard ..."

"Rookie tailback Kevin Smith has gotten his first significant promotion from the Detroit Lions. Smith was announced as the starting tailback for Sunday night's exhibition game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The decision was made public in the press-box notes handed out before the game. Coach Rod Marinelli had not announced a starter at the position. In the first game, veteran Tatum Bell started but gained only eight yards on seven carries. Smith was a third-round draft pick out of Central Florida, where he led the nation in rushing in 2007. The Lions had an all-rookie starting lineup in the backfield. Jerome Felton, a fifth-round pick from Furman, started at fullback. Jon Bradley, the ..."

"When the rest of the Detroit Lions were going through preseason drills this summer, linebacker Ernie Sims and his position coach, Phil Snowm, would go through their own routine off to the side. Snow would line up several small cones, indicating offensive formations, and then run Sims through a variety of scenarios, including shifts, motions and how Sims' reads and responsibilities changed with them. It was the pair's own private walk-through, with Sims getting quizzed constantly. "There's always more to learn," said Sims, who is entering his third season in the Tampa Two defensive scheme. "I'm better, but not all the way. I'm always learning every day. New things are always going to ..."

"Buster Davis is 5-feet-9. He is the shortest player on the Lions' roster. But don't tell him he's too short to play middle linebacker. "It's an ignorant statement, because if we judge people by how big they are or how they ran in the combine or whatever the case may be, this NFL wouldn't be what it is today," Davis said Friday. "It's really about guys who want to play the game of football no matter what the situation is, and I'm one of those guys." Davis has made an impact in training camp, fighting for a job while sandwiched on the depth chart between veteran Paris Lenon and rookie Jordon Dizon, a second-round pick this year. His hitting was so relentless in practice Wednesday that he ..."

"Imagine sitting in a meeting room. The lights are off, and a video's playing. You're supposed to watch -- it's your job to watch -- but staying focused is painful. About as painful as the injured elbow that prevents you from doing your job. For the first few weeks of Lions training camp, that was offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo's situation as he opened camp on the physically unable to perform list, only getting off last week. "You sit in bed, and the plays go through your mind, the guys and what they are doing," he said Wednesday. "You get some sort of mental reps, I guess. It's tough when you see all your guys out there. The meetings are tough. You're watching film, and you're trying hard ..."

"The end of training camp can get chippy, as it did Wednesday morning at Lions camp. In the last morning of scheduled full-team, two-a-day practices, quarterback Jon Kitna watched as linebacker Buster Davis kept crushing his receivers. Then, in a 10-yard, goal-line passing drill, Davis slammed tight end John Owens, sending Kitna over the top. The usually restrained Kitna ran across the line and started yelling. "Keep hitting him, Buster," he said sarcastically. "What's wrong with you?" As Kitna continued to move forward, defensive coordinator Joe Barry helped keep him back. Davis dismissed Kitna, returning to his spot. When the drill concluded, Barry walked by Kitna and told him it's a ..."

"Roy Williams walks toward the main grandstands at Lions training camp, and the crowd exudes a sense of anticipation born of "The Price is Right." The wide receiver stops for a few seconds in front of the fence, scans the crowd and makes his decision. Kyla Wright, come on down! Felicia Brown, come on down! And with that, he takes the two 11-year-old fans to the practice field, where for the next hour, they serve as his water girls. "I try to do that at every practice," Williams says. "Makes it cool for the kids, you know?" Williams, coming off a Pro Bowl season, would love to make things similarly cool for Lions fans this season, hopefully in the form of a playoff run following last ..."

"Paris Lenon is not a player personnel man. He wants to get that out of the way immediately. So he won't give his opinion on the Lions failing to sign linebacker Takeo Spikes, who instead signed with the 49ers. However, he is not afraid to speak out about the players who remain. And he thinks this group of linebackers is going to surprise people this season. Lenon is expected to start at middle linebacker, but younger players such as Jordon Dizon and Buster Davis are trying to push the issue. Davis has turned a number of heads and he made Wednesday's workout more intense when he laid out a number of wide receivers during 7-on-7 drills, which drew the ire of quarterback Jon Kitna. "As far ..."

"The anger seemed to increase shortly after the music turned off. During the early parts of Lions practice, the song "Chain Gang" filtered across the team's practice facility. When the music stopped, the action began and the Lions looked like they were part of somebody's chain gang. The Lions broke training camp in a spirited mood, something players played down but were thrilled to see nonetheless. The highlight came when quarterback Jon Kitna ran across the field and got into the face of linebacker Buster Davis. Kitna was upset because the defense was hitting his receivers during 7-on-7 passing drills and he wanted to protect his players. Tight end John Owens got crunched in the back of ..."

"If Cliff Avril is going to take the next big step in his football career, he'll have to start with his first one. Step, that is. The Detroit Lions rookie defensive end, a pass-rushing specialist out of Purdue, already hasshown tremendous speed coming off the edge. He nearly had two sacks in Detroit's first preseason game, a 13-10 win over the New York Giants. Avril, though, also has shown that he needs a lot of work with a pass-rusher's best friend -- his first two steps off the line of scrimmage. It's something that Avril, a third-round draft pick, wasn't even aware of at Purdue. "No, not every step matters in college,'' Avril said after a recent training camp practice. "You could get ..."

"The end of the NFL preseason can get it chippy, as it did this morning at Lions camp. In the last morning of scheduled full-team two-a-day practices, Lions quarterback Jon Kitna watched as linebacker Buster Davis kept crushing his receivers. Then, in a 10-yard, goal line passing drill, Davis slammed tight end John Owens, sending Kitna over the top. The usually restrained Kitna ran across the line and started yelling: "Keep hitting him Buster. What's wrong with you?" As Kitna continued to move forward, defensive coordinator Joe Barry helped keep him back. Davis dismissed Kitna, returning to his spot. When the drill concluded, Barry walked by Kitna and told him it's a padded practice, so ..."

"You are Cliff Avril. You are a third-round pick. You are a rookie defensive end with the Lions. Your head coach, Rod Marinelli, is a longtime defensive line coach and has been putting pressure on you to get off the ball quicker. But you can't get off the ball too quickly. You can't jump offsides -- like you did on third down in your first NFL action, Thursday night's exhibition opener against the New York Giants. You can't fall for the veterans' tricks, even though you don't know them all yet. Marinelli calls it a hair-trigger. Get off the ball but don't jump offsides. Be aggressive. Be disciplined. Not too late. Not too early. You must learn to pull the trigger at precisely the right ..."

"Roy Williams isn't worried. The big money's coming. It might come in the form of a long-term deal with the Lions, a one-year "franchise tag" arrangement next season with the Lions or a multiyear free-agent deal elsewhere. The pressure isn't on the ebullient receiver. It's squarely on the Lions. Williams is one of the few first-round selections in the Millen era that other teams covet. He's a target because the rest of the NFL knows that the Lions can't afford paying maximum dollars for two No. 1 receivers in a salary-cap system that emphasizes filling holes through the draft and not free agency. Calvin Johnson must be considered the No. 1 receiver now because there's no alternative when ..."

"The numbers are piling up for Jason Hanson, but they aren't catching up on him. Hanson is still entrenched as the Lions kicker, with no threat to his security going into his 17th season. Hanson, 38, can laugh about his longevity as an elder statesman. He has played in 255 games, more than any Lion in history, and he's soon to become the career leader for active players in NFC North. For the moment, Hanson is tied with a certain quarterback from Green Bay in regular-season games played on one team in the North. Brett Favre also has played 255 games for the Packers. Game No. 256 will be for the Jets, the team that acquired Favre in a trade last week. Hanson will play game 256 in the ..."

"LeCharles Bentley, who missed the last two seasons because of a knee injury after signing with the Browns as a free agent in 2006, has visited the Lions and left without signing a contract. Bentley was at training camp on Tuesday and met with president Matt Millen and the coaching staff. Bentley did not take a physical, which is a prerequisite before a team signs a player. Bentley spent four seasons with the Saints and was voted to two Pro Bowls. He signed a six-year contract with the Browns when he became an unrestricted free agent in 2006. Bentley severely injured his right knee in the first training-camp practice in 2006. He spent 2006 and '07 on injured reserve. The Browns released ..."

"The Detroit Lions plan to carry three running backs on their 53-man roster and rookie Kevin Smith, a promising third-round draft pick, is certain to be one of them. After that, the situation gets a little murky. There are four veterans fighting for the other two roster spots and, right now, the race is too close to call. The four running backs -- Tatum Bell, Aveion Cason, Artose Pinner and Brian Calhoun -- all bring something different to the table. It's a close contest and the players know it could come down to who provides the most help on special teams. "It's tough competition but you just have to go out there and take advantage of each and every opportunity they give you,'' Cason ..."

"As Cory Redding and Kalvin Pearson came onto the field Monday morning, they heralded the arrival of the Lions' "new guy." Who was that No. 27? Oh, yeah. Daniel Bullocks. Been a long time. It had been almost a year since Bullocks last practiced with the Lions. But now Bullocks is back, recovered from his knee injury, off the physically unable to perform list, almost ready to fight for his old starting job. "At first, I had a little butterflies," Bullocks said. "I'm just excited to get back out here and work with my team. I'm tired of watching from the sideline. ... Now it's time to come back out here and play." Bullocks, a second-round pick in 2006, played 15 games as a rookie, starting ..."

"Now that Takeo Spikes has picked San Francisco over Detroit, what are the Lions' plans at strong side linebacker? Defensive coordinator Joe Barry said Monday they have no plans to move over any of their middle linebackers -- Paris Lenon, Buster Davis or rookie Jordon Dizon. At least not yet. "We haven't even talked about that," Barry said. "Now, three weeks is a lot of time. Things could happen." One could be moved in the next three weeks. The Lions must cut their roster to 53 players Aug. 30 and open the regular season Sept. 7 at Atlanta. "The likelihood of us keeping three middle linebackers is low," Barry said. "So I don't think we'll be stacked there when it comes to cutting time. ... ..."

"One fan who attended open practices at the Lions' training camp has been thrown for a loss. Security escorted a fan out of practice Monday morning after the fan initiated a verbal exchange with wide receiver Roy Williams. The fan, identified as Mike Lazzara of Novi, was among the few hundred fans who attended the morning practice. He began yelling harsh comments at Williams, who approached the fence that separates the fans from the practice field and briefly yelled back at Lazzara. There were some shouts of encouragement for Williams from teammates and fans in the area before Lazzara was ushered out by the Lions' security detail. "All the people were complaining," said Ricky Sandoval, ..."

"It wasn't a coincidence that on the first full practice in pads after the opening exhibition game, the Lions worked on the running game. It will be gritty, dirty work -- and unsuccessful at times -- but the Lions will be on the run this year. Monday was the first of four straight days of double practices, and it started with a bang -- pads thumping. "The whole practice was geared to running it," center Dominic Raiola said. "They're showing us that's what they want. That's what we need to do it. "We're going to keep doing it. We're not going to back off it. I don't think you can run it unless you commit to run it -- unless you practice running it." There was good and bad in the running ..."

"What's most impressive about Drew Stanton isn't where he's at right now -- he's still the Detroit Lions' No. 3 quarterback -- but how far he's come in just a short amount of time. Stanton, who turned in a solid performance in Detroit's first preseason game, hadn't strapped on his football gear for an actual game in almost two years. Not only did Stanton miss all of last season with a knee injury, but then-coordinator Mike Martz changed all of his mechanics. It's only been two weeks of practice in training camp, but Stanton already feels like a different quarterback. Looks like one, too. "He did real well, I was real pleased,'' said Lions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto, who praised ..."

"Security escorted a fan out of Lions practice this morning after he got into a verbal altercation with wide receiver Roy Williams. It was the first such incident since the Lions started opening training camp to the general public again last year. Mike Lazzara, 42, of Novi stood on the top step of the bleachers amid a sparse, mostly quiet crowd. He repeatedly shouted to Williams about taking plays off. "I didn't use any profanity to him," Lazzara said. "I wanted just to be constructive and tell the guy, 'You know, I'm not making $20 million a season.' The guy takes plays off. You guys look at the tape." Williams heard Lazzara as he went back to the huddle, then walked over to the fence ..."

"The Detroit Lions had their No. 1 offense together for the first time in training camp with tight end Dan Campbell and wide receiver Shaun McDonald practicing in full pads Monday morning. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who caught four passes in last week's exhibition victory over the Giants, returned to practice after sitting out Sunday's workouts because of a bruised leg. Campbell and McDonald were put in the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list before camp started. Campbell, a starting tight end, is recovering from elbow surgery. McDonald, who led the team with 79 receptions in 2007, is coming back from knee surgery. McDonald plays in the slot as the No. 3 receiver. Also practicing ..."

"Entering the second full week of August, it's still too early to identify the Lions' starting running back. But based on Sunday morning's practice, rookie Kevin Smith appears to have a chance. He began practice with three straight first-string snaps. Asked about the shuffling going on at the position, coach Rod Marinelli made it clear to media members that they shouldn't read too much into the situation. "There's no rotation right now," Marinelli said. "We're just working guys." What is certain, at least from offensive coordinator Jim Colletto's perspective, is that several running backs will see action Sunday night at Cincinnati in the Lions' second preseason game. "We're going to mix ..."

"Cornerback Stanley Wilson is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and will have surgery soon. He was waived injured. Kicker Jason Hanson suffered a mild left thigh strain while kicking a 50-yard field goal. He won't play Aug. 17 at Cincinnati but should be fine. The Lions signed former Michigan State kicker Dave Rayner, who has been with four other teams since 2005, and released kicker Eddie Johnson. Linebacker Gilbert Gardner suffered a concussion. Defensive end Cory Redding (groin) remains sidelined. The Lions plan to take tight end Campbell (elbow) and wide receiver Shaun McDonald (knee) off the physically unable to perform list Monday. Safety Daniel Bullocks (knee) will ..."

"The reason the Lions didn't run the ball well Thursday night? It was more physical than mental. The Lions didn't show good blocking technique. They were too high. They need to get their pads down, get after it and get the job done. "You've just got to knock people off the ball," coach Rod Marinelli said Saturday, having studied the film of the exhibition opener, a 13-10 victory over the New York Giants. "There wasn't a lot of mental errors. A couple times we had an assignment error where we didn't block the right guy. But mostly, we know who to block now. It's just about executing each and every down." It can be difficult to evaluate things in exhibitions. You don't know what a team is ..."

"All around him, second and third-team youngsters were darting to and fro, in and out, aggressively and sometimes desperately trying to find a way onto a crowded roster. This was no place for a former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, but this was the only place for David Carr, who has fallen so far down the charts that he is surrounded in the huddle by fringe players. Carr's job security is not much stronger, but the way he handled a difficult assignment in Thursday night's preseason opener certainly helps his staying power. For as long as durable Eli Manning has held the keys to the Giants offense, the need for a capable backup quarterback has been much like purchasing flood insurance in the ..."

"Dan Orlovsky might walk and talk like he's the starting Lions quarterback. He might be trying to play the role until his time actually comes, but make no mistake Jon Kitna is the top dog and has no intentions of letting go. An innocent exchange that turned testy following Thursday night's 13-10 exhibition victory over the Giants at Ford Field told the story of how entrenched Kitna is as starting quarterback One media member asked Orlovsky if Kitna should worry about his job after the backup completed eight of 11 passes for 86 yards. Orlovsky made a joke, and everybody began to laugh except Kitna. "What did he ask him?" Kitna said. Reporter: "I just asked him if you (Kitna) should be ..."

"The New York Giants couldn't put together another last-minute road win. This time, they didn't care. With Eli Manning on the bench and Super Bowl heroes David Tyree and Plaxico Burress back home, David Carr and the Giants couldn't come from behind in a 13-10 exhibition loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. "It's too bad. It would have been nice for us to finish off the game," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "But the idea is to improve from the first preseason game to the second. We've got a lot to work on." Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, struggled on his only two series, completing two of six passes for 19 yards in his first game since leading the Giants to a 17-14 championship game ..."

"If you missed Drew Stanton's debut with the Lions on Thursday night, it might be worth watching the replay. Just fast-forward to the final seven minutes and you're set. A year after arthroscopic knee surgery cost him his entire rookie season, Stanton showcased his relentless style in the Lions' 13-10 exhibition victory over the New York Giants. Stanton was banged up near the end of his Michigan State career and hadn't played in a game in nearly two years before his first Ford Field snap. "This is new for me," Stanton said. "I still have a lot to work on, but it's a good starting point for me, a good way to get juiced up and get things going." Stanton's best pass came in the fourth ..."

"This summer, quarterback Jon Kitna pulled aside wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and finally asked what he had been dying to know: How injured was Johnson last season? Kitna knows Johnson is a guy who would rather shut up and play. But Johnson finally confessed he was around 65-70 percent healthy after hurting his hip in Game 3 against Philadelphia. That's why his rookie season didn't go as planned. Kitna saw a healthy Johnson on Thursday night at Ford Field, and he loved Johnson's production in the Lions' 13-10 exhibition victory over the New York Giants. Johnson burned the Giants for four catches and 78 yards in a short stint. The rest of the NFL might want to take notice. "You got to ..."

"Lions quarterback Jon Kitna found a new go-to guy during the Lions' 13-10 exhibition victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night at Ford Field. Second-year receiver Calvin Johnson is healthy again, and that could be bad news for the rest of the NFL. In an abbreviated shift Johnson caught four passes for 78 yards. The Giants' cornerbacks were too small and not quick enough to stop Johnson, who was plagued by injuries for much of his rookie season. The Lions won the game on a 41-yard field goal by Eddie Johnson, a second-year man out of Idaho State, with 2:47 remaining. The Lions also scored on a 20-yard touchdown strike from Kitna to Roy Williams in the first quarter and a 50-yard ..."

"Six months ago, Eli Manning took his last snap. It was a rush of relief, an explosion of joy and a wave of disbelief in Glendale, Ariz. He pulled the ball to his chest and took a knee while beating the New England Patriots and completing one of the most unlikely upsets in Super Bowl history. His next live snap, here Thursday night, was decidedly less significant. On the first offensive play of the Giants' preseason opener, Manning threw an incompletion. Manning and the Giants showed how much rust had built up as they lost to the Detroit Lions, 13-10. "We got off to a slow start, which is not what we really wanted to do," Manning said. "Throwing the ball wasn't very solid at first. During ..."

"In the grand scheme of things, it's just a meaningless preseason game, just the first of four glorified practices to get out of the way so the real action can start. It's a little different for Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky who has been preparing for this game for a long time. In fact, Orlovsky reported to the Lions practice in mid-January -- just a week after the end of the 2007 regular season -- and hasn't left. "Well, I did go home to Connecticut for three or four days but other than that, I've been here,'' Orlovsky said. Orlovsky didn't get much of a chance to show what he had last season. He was broomed aside by then-coordinator Mike Martz in favor of another backup, J.T. ..."

"There is no better team for the Lions to face tonight in their exhibition opener than the New York Giants -- and not just because the Giants won the Super Bowl. To coach Rod Marinelli, the Giants show how close the Lions were last season and what kind of style they want to play this year. The Lions and Giants met at Ford Field about nine months ago, on Nov. 18. Both teams were 6-3 and in the thick of the NFC playoff race. The Lions had chances to win, but they stumbled late and lost, 16-10. In the emotional aftermath, quarterback Jon Kitna said the Lions gave away the game to a team that was not better than them. Well, the Lions went on to finish 7-9. The Giants finished 10-6 and pulled ..."

"Dan Orlovsky doesn't want to make too big a deal out of it. It's just a game. It isn't the end of the world. He needs to stay within himself and not try to do too much to impress everyone. If he dwells on everything, he said, it would consume him. After three years with precious little playing time -- and plenty of doubt, within and without -- now it's time to prove himself, starting with Thursday night's exhibition opener against the New York Giants. "I'm not dumb," Orlovsky said Tuesday. "I know this league. I know it's my contract year. I know they're probably wondering what I can do, if I can be the guy. "But it comes down to, I can't make them think I'm the guy unless I think I'm the ..."

"The time is rapidly approaching for the Detroit Lions to rethink their decision of playing rookie Jordon Dizon at middle linebacker. That doesn't mean the Lions should abandon their plans to eventually play him in the middle, but they've definitely got to reevaluate the situation in the next couple of days. If the Lions don't act now, they could jam themselves up early in the season because they could have one of their best linebackers sitting on the bench. As it stands now, it appears that Ernie Sims, Paris Lenon and Dizon are going to be Detroit's three best linebackers when the regular season starts Sept. 7. Ideally, Dizon would be in the middle, Sims on the weak side and Lenon on ..."

"The Lions' defensive players are eager to show fans what they are made of in Thursday's exhibition opener against the New York Giants. Of course, we won't get the full picture because the regulars won't play much. But there are high expectations for a defense that struggled last season. The defense has been bolstered by players such as nose tackle Chuck Darby, linebacker Brian Kelly and defensive end Dewayne White, who have played in the Tampa 2. There's a common theme with this team that's heard from offense, defense and special teams. It's easy to talk about greatness. However, it's difficult to achieve. "It is easy to say we are going to be great and we are going to be the best. Now ..."

"Rookie running back Kevin Smith feels so good about training camp that he predicted Tuesday the Lions will win their first playoff game since 1991. He didn't know the history of the Lions only winning one playoff game since 1957. That drew a long whistle from a stunned Smith. "One playoff win in 50 years?" he asked. "Wow. We will get to the playoffs this year. We will win a playoff game this year." The Lions beat the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs in 1991 but have lost six straight playoff games. They have not made the playoffs since 1999. Smith said he wants to win a Super Bowl during the first three years of his career "because I am about winning ..."

"There's been a lot of talk the Detroit Lions are going to be much more successful at running the football this season and all that talk is starting to irritate offensive coordinator Jim Colletto. Why? Because it's all talk. After Monday's morning practice, Colletto addressed the entire offensive unit and told them he still didn't believe they were mentally tough enough to be productive in the running game. "It's the mindset of how to run the ball. We're getting there but we're not there yet,'' Colletto said. "We have this scheme and it works, but it doesn't work because we draw it on a blackboard. I told 'em I might go out in the Giants game and tell (the Giants defense) 'We're going ..."

"George Foster stood in the background at a local restaurant watching television closely during the Lions' NFL draft party this spring. He was waiting his turn to sign autographs and speak with fans about the upcoming season. When the Lions were set to announce their first-round pick, Foster paused to look at one of the big screens. The Lions passed up linebackers, running backs and defensive ends toright tackle Gosder Cherilus. It was a strange moment for Foster. That's his position, and the Lions were essentially bringing in his replacement. Cherilus (6-foot-7, 320 pounds) is big and strong and no one can argue that the Lions didn't draft for need. People are drafted in the first round ..."

"The Lions career of often-injured linebacker Teddy Lehman may be over. The Lions placed Lehman on the injured reserve list Monday after he suffered a hamstring injury. Lehman and the Lions are expected to reach a financial settlement, making him a free agent. The Lions signed free-agent linebacker Darnell Bing. Bing, who played at USC, was drafted in 2006 in the fourth round by Oakland. He's also played for San Francisco and the Jets. In other news, linebacker Ernie Sims returned to practice Monday with a vengeance. "I was supposed to go a little light today, but I went all out," Sims said with a laugh. The Lions also activated offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo from the physically unable ..."

"If you've served in the Army, then you know. The military reserves the right to change its mind. And no one on this square side of the Oval Office can do a thing about it. In the end, you do as you're ordered, or go AWOL, which is way beyond stupid. So Caleb Campbell, who isn't stupid, must do as he's told. And I, for one, don't feel sorry for him in the least. He didn't sign up for a church social. And he knows that. He's pretty much all right (so he says) with what's come down from the brass, although a few of my brethren who earn their livings at a keyboard, a few who wouldn't know a bivouac from a night at a Marriott, are outraged at what's happened. Campbell signed up for the U.S. ..."

"The first time Devale Ellis had to prove himself in the NFL, it was during the 2006 training camp with the Detroit Lions. He was an undrafted free agent receiver, like Shaun Bodiford, and there was a question as to who was the fastest. The chatter began to build in practice and then the locker room afterward. Finally, both players returned to the field for a head-to-head 40-yard race. About 20 veterans followed them out to watch the action -- and to see if their "investments'' would pay off. "I remember it vividly,'' Ellis said recently after Lions training camp practice. "We raced twice and in the first one, everybody said it was a tie. I won the second one." Neither Ellis or Bodiford ..."

"On Day 2 of our NFC North tour, we arrived at Detroit Lions headquarters Tuesday to find coach Rod Marinelli still searching for that elusive running game he feels the Lions need to post their first winning season since 2000. "We have to establish the run; we've just got to," said Marinelli, 10-22 in his first two seasons in Detroit. "That has to be our goal. We have no other choice." To say the Lions took that goal seriously this past offseason is an understatement. They did everything but bring Barry Sanders out of retirement. The Lions fired pass-happy offensive coordinator Mike Martz and replaced him with hard-nosed, run-happy offensive line coach Jim Colletto. They released leading ..."