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The Detroit Lions had a breakout campaign in 2023, establishing themselves as a contender.
In 2023, the Lions snapped their 32-year drought without a playoff win by making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Detroit nearly made it to the Super Bowl as they controlled the NFC Title Game. At halftime, the Lions led 24-7 over the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers then rallied back to tie the game heading into the fourth quarter and came away with a 34-31 victory.
While the Lions were unable to seal the deal and advance to the Super Bowl, it was a step in the right direction.
For years, Detroit has been a laughingstock in the NFL. Now, the Lions are one of the top contenders in the NFC.
Heading into the 2024 season, they have a lot of promise and now have playoff experience.
Jahmyr Gibbs was a player who made a great impact in his rookie campaign for the Lions. The 22-year-old running back had 182 carries for 945 yards and ten touchdowns.
Gibbs split the backfield with David Montgomery. Head coach Dan Campbell wanted to ease Gibbs in, which led to his carries increasing throughout the season.
Heading into year two, Gibbs will likely see more touches but still split carries with Montgomery.
Gibbs has room to improve heading into this second season as a talented young running back.
Jahmyr Gibbs is ready to take the next step
While Gibbs had a productive rookie campaign, he could take a jump in year two.
“What we need him to do from a passing game standpoint is go to that next level,” Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said via The Detroit Free Press.
Gibbs is exceptionally talented and was a solid receiver in his rookie season. However, for the Lions offense to reach their full potential, he must improve even more as a pass catcher.
Gibbs caught 52 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown in the 2023 season. While these are solid numbers, he has the talent to become an elite receiver out of the backfield.
To reach an elite level, the Lions need Gibbs to become a better route runner, which would allow them to place him in the slot.
Gibbs’s versatility in running routes from out of the backfield or in the slot would make it difficult for opposing teams to match up.
If Gibbs can take the next step as a pass catcher, the Lions will have a new element to their offense as they look to establish themselves as a powerhouse in the NFC.
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Jerry Jones takes another jab at Micah Parsons over contract stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys have a big problem on their hands right now. Micah Parsons has formally requested to be traded, and he took to social media to vent his concerns and frustration with his contract extension situation. However, team owner Jerry Jones isn't ready to budge. If anything, the controversial business mogul doesn't sound too worried about that. Talking to the media, he implied that he had already shaken hands on an extension with Parsons, so he just has to wait now: "I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake," Jones said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later." Jones, one of the most successful businessmen of his generation, pretty much stated that he wouldn't change the way he does business. "Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with. Let's leave it at that," Jones continued. "There's is no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we're still talking about renegotiating, so so much for that." Parsons has every right to feel frustrated. He's one of the best pass-rushers in the game, and he's the youngest in the short list of superstars at the position. The Cowboys have a long history of dragging out negotiations for as long as they can, and that's usually rubbed their players the wrong way. Parsons is still under contract, and the Cowboys can technically wait to give him an extension because the market isn't likely to go any higher after T.J. Watt already got a deal done. But sometimes, it's not just about money, and these power struggles are terrible for team morale.
Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Jordan Love’s Insane 55-Yard TD Bomb to Romeo Doubs Goes Viral
Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court
Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.
NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gets harsh reality check over Micah Parsons drama
ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick gave Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones a reality check on Wednesday. During the most recent edition of "Get Up," Riddick blasted the longtime Cowboys owner's handling of edge-rusher Micah Parsons' contract negotiations. It's the second time in as many weeks that Jones has received an unkind reality check over the Parsons situation. While the two-time first-team All-Pro has been extension-eligible since the end of the 2023 regular season, the Cowboys have strung along talks, pushing Parsons to request a trade on Aug. 1. Riddick blasted the approach, suggesting it's time Jones stops living in the past. "He may say, 'I did this kind of thing with Emmitt [Smith], we still won Super Bowls,'" Riddick said. In 1993, the Pro Football Hall of Fame running back missed the first two games of the regular season due to a contract dispute. He eventually signed a four-year, $13.6 million contract on the Thursday before Week 3 and after the Cowboys had started 0-2. Smith led the league in rushing that season, and the Cowboys would go on to win their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Riddick made it clear to emphasize that the situation is far different from the one with Parsons. "You had Troy [Aikman], you had Michael [Irvin] ... You had an all-time team. They don't have an all-time team right now," Riddick said. "He's the one that says all the time, 'I'm all in... My clock is ticking. I need to win another championship.' This isn't the blueprint for it," the former NFL defensive back added. "You don't have that team anymore, but you're conducting business like it's back in 1993 again, and it's not," he finished. The Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since 1995. Over the past 29 seasons, Dallas has more losing seasons (nine) than postseason wins (five). The Cowboys are often more relevant for their off-field drama than on-field accomplishments, and that's no different this season. It's a song and dance Jones has perfected, and it's one preventing Dallas from maximizing its future.
Ex-Heat employee charged with selling stolen team items for millions in profit
A former Miami Heat employee has been accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items and selling at least 100 of those items for profit, according to reports from The Athletic’s Brooks Peck and the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang and Charles Rabin. According to a Department of Justice press release, Marcos Thomas Perez faced federal charges of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce on Tuesday. Among the items Perez allegedly stole was LeBron James’ jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which he sold for approximately $100K. The jersey was later sold in 2023 at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.68M. The federal investigation was launched in early 2024 after game-worn jerseys from James, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade — among many other items — went missing from the Heat’s arena, the Kaseya Center. Perez worked for the City of Miami Police Department from November 1992 until he retired in April 2016. The Heat employed him as a security officer from 2016-21, then worked for the NBA as a security employee from 2022 until this year. According to the DOJ press release, “During his tenure, Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room. This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum. During his employment, Perez accessed the equipment room multiple times to steal over 400 game-worn jerseys and other items, which he then sold to various online marketplaces. Over a three-year period, Perez sold over 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value.” Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home in April and seized almost 300 items that the Heat confirmed had been stolen from their arena. Meadowlark Media’s Amin Elhassan first reported the news of the investigation on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” last week, according to the Herald. The Heat organization and the league have declined to comment during the ongoing investigation.
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