And yes
Zach Brown Jersey , they still have a losing record.Detroit has provided glimpses of its potential, beating the Green Bay Packers 31-23 on Sunday in their first home game since dominating the New England Patriots.The Lions (2-3) have also shown they have plenty of weaknesses, which were on display in a 31-point loss to the New York Jets at home and during comeback attempts that fell short on the road against Dallas and San Francisco.Matthew Stafford has had time to throw this season behind an improved offensive line and he has one of the NFL’s best trio of receivers: Kenny Golladay, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. Rookie Kerryon Johnson and veteran LeGarrette Blount have giving the team a running game it hasn’t had in years. And, the Lions are also having some success on defense under first-year coach Matt Patricia, whose scheme gave Rodgers and Brady problems.Just don’t ask Detroit’s coaches or players to explain how they can look so good in one game and not so good in another because they can’t explain it.“This is the way you want to play the game, out in front and to not have to come back,” said Stafford, who helped the Lions lead 24-0 at halftime. “I just think that we had a great week of practice and it showed in the game.”Here are some other takeaways from the Packers-Lions game.MASON MISSESGreen Bay kicker Mason Crosby cost his team 13 points, missing a career-high four field goals in a game along with an extra point.“I don’t usually get this much attention unless I’ve done something really good or really bad,” Crosby said, surrounded by reporters. “This one is unfortunately really bad.”EMERGING STARGolladay had four receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, which helped the Lions lead 31-14 in the fourth quarter. His play of the day was a 60-yard reception in which he leaped to catch while covered closely by cornerback Josh Jackson and went on to stiff-arm safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix onto his back.“He’s obviously a big kid
Kyler Murray Jersey , physical kid, can run, wants to be a really good player,” Stafford said.The 6-foot-4, 213-pound Golladay has 27 receptions for 428 yards and three TDs this season. The second-year pro, who was a third-round pick from Northern Illinois, had 28 receptions for 477 yards and three scores as a rookie.PIVOTAL PENALTIESGreen Bay was flagged 12 times for 112 yards and one of most costly penalty allowed Detroit to convert a third down. After stopping Golladay short of a first down in the third quarter, rookie safety Tony Brown stood over him and was penalized for taunting.“The negatives that you want to talk about is really about the penalties,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.NOT A COINCIDENCEThe Lions entered the game giving up an NFL-high 158 yards rushing per game. They allowed Green Bay to gain just 98 yards. That forced Rodgers to pass 52 times, the third-highest total of his career, for 442 yards, the second-highest total of his career.Detroit had kept only one other team to fewer than 100 yards rushing this season and that was the Patriots, the only other team it beat this season.WHAT’S NEXTGreen Bay (2-2-1) will have an extra day of rest and preparation before hosting San Francisco on Oct. 15. The Lions are off until Oct. 21 when they play at Miami. BEREA
Byron Murphy Jersey , Ohio (AP) — Odell Beckham Jr. is closer to being game ready.With Cleveland’s season opener on Sept. 8 against Tennessee quickly approaching, Beckham, who has been slowed by a hip injury, returned to team drills during practice on Monday for the first time in nearly three weeks.Before the morning workout, the three-time Pro Bowler had not been on the field with quarterback Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry and the rest of the starting offense since Aug. 6.“He looked good,” coach Freddie Kitchens said afterward. “It’s good to have him back out. We’ve been working on the side with him with other things. It’s just the natural progression, so it was good to have him back.”Beckham had been taking part only in individual drills while dealing with the hip issue, which the Browns have insisted was nothing too serious.The 26-year-old made sharp cuts, ran at full speed and made several catches during 11 on 11 drills. He also did extra work in the red zone on the side with Mayfield as they try to establish chemistry to make up for lost time.Beckham didn’t play in any of Cleveland’s first three exhibition games, and the star won’t play Thursday night when the Browns conclude the preseason at home against Detroit.Beckham has been in catch-up mode almost from March, when the Browns acquired him from the New York Giants in a blockbuster trade. He skipped most of Cleveland’s voluntary offseason workouts and the extra minicamp while he processed moving to a new team and city.Kitchens believes Beckham and Mayfield are connecting, and there’s no need to force them to do more even though season will start in less than two weeks.“They’ve been working through the whole camp as it is
Andy Isabella Jersey ,” Kitchens said. “Just because he wasn’t in team drills doesn’t mean they weren’t working. It’s fairly easy, you learn where to line up, learn what to do, learn the depth and the area you’re supposed to be in, and you’ve got it just about figured out. I think he’s a smart guy and he’s coming along.”Kitchens said the Browns will continue to bring Beckham along slowly.“We don’t want to overwork him right now,” he said. “We haven’t started playing yet. We haven’t even gotten into game-planning and stuff like that. But they’ll definitely be on top of their game when we start game-planning and timing and stuff like that, rather than just useless things that doesn’t really matter.“At the end of the day, it’s exactly what I said: it’s knowing where to line up, where to be, getting to your depth and then catching the ball. After that, you get the ball in his hands and see what he can do.”NOTES: TE David Njoku took part in team drills after missing last week because he had stitches in his head. … Cleveland’s defensive line is loaded with stars, the biggest being end Myles Garrett. But Devaroe Lawrence, whose competing for a backup spot
Zach Allen Jersey , isn’t worried that he won’t getting playing time. “They’re good players, but they run out of oxygen, too,” he said, smiling. “They’re going to get tired, so when they tap on that helmet, I’m gone.” … WR Braxton Miller, who was signed last week, worked in the slot with Cleveland’s first-team offense. The former Ohio State quarterback also was a gunner on punt coverage. He’s expected to play a lot on Thursday, when he’ll get a chance to show he belongs on the roster.… Mayfield was just 10 of 16 in Friday’s loss at Tampa Bay and Kitchens said his young QB “wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed” but there were other factors that played into his uncharacteristic inaccuracy.