INSIDE SLANT
NFL Team Report - Detroit Lions
Lions talk optimistically of making a run At 3-6 and riding a three-game losing streak, the Detroit Lions are freefalling toward playoff elimination. But safety Glover Quin said the team has drawn inspiration for a potential turnaround from its last playoff run two years ago. The Lions opened the 2016 season 1-3 before returning home for three straight games at Ford Field. They swept those games, and rode the momentum from a three-game winning streak to a 9-7 record and wild-card appearance. "We had that situation come up a couple years ago," Quin said Wednesday. "So anything can happen, we just got to go out and do it." The Lions start a three-game homestand this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers that will go a long way towards defining their season. They host the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving and the Los Angeles Rams the following week, and likely need wins in all three games to maintain reasonable playoff hopes. "I'm not saying it's not daunting," Quin said. "I'm not saying it's easy, but I'm just saying, I'm pretty sure any other team that's in the situation we're in will take three home games in a row, (then) Arizona-Buffalo on the road, Minnesota back at home and then a close at Green Bay." Of the Lions' seven remaining games, they play their four toughest opponents - or the four teams with the best records, at least - at Ford Field. The situation isn't an exact parallel to 2016, when the Lions got hot in October then cooled off down the stretch when Matthew Stafford suffered a finger injury. Given the time of the season, there's little room for error now. But Quin insisted there's reason for optimism in how the Lions have played of late, too. The Lions have lost their last three games by double digits after falling behind big early, but they held the Chicago Bears to just eight second-half points in last week's 34-22 loss. "We prepare this week and we go out and get a win, that's a big win," Quin said. "Big win, confidence fly high and good thing for us, we get to turn around four days later and go play again against a Chicago team that like I said, we look at the film and it's like, man, we killed ourselves in the first half. Really first quarter, quarter and a half, we killed ourselves. We play a clean game like we did in the second half and close out the first half, why can't we beat Chicago? That's two wins in a matter of a week. Who says it can't happen? Like I said, at the end of the day, we got to prepare and we are the ones that got to go out and do it." SERIES HISTORY: 9th regular-season meeting. Panthers lead series, 6-2, and have won two of three meetings at Ford Field. Last year, tight end Ed Dickson caught five passes for 175 yards to lead the Panthers to victory.
The Sports Xchange
Recent Stories
Testing Buffalo Bill Page
Joe Horrigan knows the Buffalo Bills
Steelers positional analysis: Kenny Pickett stands alone in QB room
2/17/2024If the Steelers were concerned about the uncertain future at quarterback when Ben Roethlisberger retired, the outlook at the position might not be any more ...
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t deserve criticism since Super Bowl
Globe StaffUpdated February 17, 2024, 9:38 a.m.Kyle Shanahan has been on the defensive all week following the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in the Super ...
New Raiders GM expected to be aggressive in search for top QB
February 17, 2024 - 4:19 PMIf Tom Telesco’s past offers clues about his future, expect the Raiders’ new general manager to be aggressive in bringing in a top-level ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...