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The Detroit Lions will be back in the playoffs this season. They clinched their postseason berth in 13 games despite playing in a loaded NFC North division.
They clinched their berth with a big Thursday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers. It was a close matchup in a divisional rivalry as they came away with a 34-31 victory.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while completing 32 of his 41 passes in the contest.
Detroit added a touchdown on the ground, with David Montgomery punching home a score, though it was a late-game field goal that backed up their four total touchdowns for the win.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a controversial play call that led to the field goal with time expiring. The team had the ball a 4th & 1 at Green Bay's 21-yard line. They could have gone for a field goal to take a lead -- and give the Packers the ball back -- or convert the fourth-down play and let the clock run down.
Campbell ran a play with Montgomery gaining seven yards to let the clock eventually run down and the Lions were able to secure a victory without the Packers gaining another possession.
On Friday, legendary football coach Nick Saban reacted to the play.
"I think Dan Campbell has shown that he believes in his players. That they're going to make a half of a yard, a yard, whatever, in that situation," Saban said. "And I do agree in the analysis that if they kick a field goal with 43 seconds left, that Green Bay goes down the field and maybe they kick a field goal or score a touchdown.
"I always feel like if you can win the game on offense, do it."
Nick Saban reacts to the Lions gutsy fourth down play with @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/GAw0A5nyAc
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 6, 2024
Campbell is regarded as an uber-aggressive head coach with the style of play he has taken to Detroit. It's oftentimes paid off. There is no doubt behind his decisions, and the confidence helps the players convert in big moments.
Saban also related to the moment, recalling times early in his coaching career when his team lost because of conservative playcalling and giving opposing teams a chance.
More must-reads:
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One player from each AFC team who deserves Hall of Fame call
Let the (preseason) games begin. With the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Chargers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2025 action, Yardbarker NFL writers mulled a player — past or present — on each AFC team who merits enshrinement in Canton. AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | LB Von Miller | As the NFL’s active leader in sacks (129.5), Miller — who's now with the Commanders — is a sure bet for the Hall of Fame even though he missed 14 games in three years with Buffalo. In 10 seasons with Denver, Miller earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, the last defensive player to win the award. MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | His subpar 2024 season aside (81 catches, 959 yards, six TD catches), the 31-year-old receiver boasts a Hall of Fame resume (eight Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine years). Hill led NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, two fewer than Cris Carter, who spent the last five games of his Hall of Fame career with Miami. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) narrowly missed induction as a finalist in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and will be an automatic finalist in 2026. Vinatieri, who retired in 2021, holds records for most field goals made in the regular season (599) and playoffs (56) and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before winning another with the Colts in 2007. NEW YORK JETS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The enigmatic passer disappointed as a Jet, but four first-team All-Pro honors, four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP with the Green Bay Packers can’t be overlooked. Rodgers’ 62,952 passing yards are the seventh most in league history, and his 4.34 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best of any quarterback, past or present. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | WR Rod Smith | Smith played a key role when the Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler had 152 receiving yards in a 34-19 Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for the sixth most in a Super Bowl. The undrafted WR starred for Denver from 1995-2006, becoming the club’s career leader in receiving yards (11,389). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes | Star tight end Travis Kelce would be an excellent pick, too, but the Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl before Mahomes became the starter during the 2018 season. The 2017 first-round pick has won three Super Bowls and two MVPs in eight seasons with the Chiefs. Expect Mahomes, who turns 30 on Sept. 17, to keep bolstering his stellar resume. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Philip Rivers | Rivers, who retired as a Charger in July, never reached a Super Bowl during his career, but neither did former Chargers QB Dan Fouts. That didn’t prevent him from making the HOF in 1993. The same should go for eight-time Pro Bowler Rivers, who ranks sixth in career TD passes (421). LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Guard Steve Wisniewski | It’s surprising Wisniewski isn’t in Canton already. Per Pro Football Reference, his HOF monitor score (76.58) is higher than that of HOF guard Mike Munchak (72.7). The former O-lineman is also a member of the HOF’s All-1990s team. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | LB Terrell Suggs | Suggs, who played from 2003-19, and former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda were finalists for the 2025 class but missed out. Suggs was one of the more dominant pass-rushers of his era, accumulating 139 career sacks, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NFL-record 202 tackles for loss. He was a key part of two Super Bowl winners. CINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Ken Anderson | The Bengals did not win a Super Bowl during Anderson’s career (1971-86), but that is pretty much the only thing separating him from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, especially from his era in the 1970s. Anderson has an NFL MVP award and led the league in passing twice, completion percentage three times and passer rating four times. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Edge Myles Garrett | Garrett is still active, but it’s not hard to see the path his career is on. He has been the more dominant pass-rusher in the league from pretty much the day he arrived. He may not win a title in Cleveland, but he is going to finish as one of the best Browns players of all time and one of the best defenders of the modern era in the NFL. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger, who retired in 2022, does not have many individual accolades, but spending nearly two decades as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and earning two Super Bowl rings will be more than enough to get him in. It is just a matter of how long he might have to wait for induction. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | DE J.J. Watt | Widely considered to be a first-ballot lock, Watt — who retired following the 2022 season — will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028. His career could have been even better if not for several seasons being shortened by injury, but Watt is one of only three players to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Few players were capable of changing the game the way a healthy Watt could. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The three-time Pro Bowl selection made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, including two that won Super Bowls for the Patriots. Vinatieri has four Super Bowl rings and could be considered the most clutch kicker of all time. There are four kickers in the Hall of Fame, and it is almost impossible to argue against Vinatieri becoming the fifth. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Fred Taylor | The wait continued in 2025 for Taylor, a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year, but he did not get the nod. Taylor, who retired in 2011, ranks 17th in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards and holds numerous Jaguars records. The only running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing list who is not in the Hall of Fame is Frank Gore, and he is likely to get into Canton eventually. TENNESSEE TITANS | RB Derrick Henry | Titans legends Eddie George and Steve McNair advanced in the Hall of Fame voting process for 2025, but there is a good chance neither will get into Canton. Henry, meanwhile, is already 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,423 yards and coming off a season in which he ran for 1,921 yards. Henry, who spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Steve DelVecchio
Cowboys make decision on Micah Parsons' trade request
First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been trying to instill civility at practice when tempers flare, but he has no choice but to stay idle as the Dallas Cowboys front office and Micah Parsons face off at training camp. On Friday, Parsons took to social media to announce he sent executive vice president Stephen Jones a request to be traded from the Cowboys. "Unfortunately I no longer want to be here," Parsons wrote, per a post on X. "I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. "I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me." Dallas didn't appear fazed by Parsons' request. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons this summer, though multiple teams will plan to inquire about the three-time All-Pro pass-rusher. "The Dallas Cowboys have no intention of trading Micah Parsons, per sources," Russini posted on X. "Still, teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability today." The Cowboys selected Parsons with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft. The four-time Pro Bowl nominee has recorded 256 tackles and 52.5 sacks during his four years in the league. The former Penn State standout has appeared and started in 63 games. Parsons missed four games last year due to an ankle injury. The Cowboys front office could have made the situation better by talking with Parsons' agent and keeping any issues with the star pass-rusher in-house. The Cowboys have another preseason distraction. This one is of their own making.
Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton Shares Bo Nix's Most Underrated Skill
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was one of 2024’s biggest risers in the NFL. The former Oregon Ducks quarterback ended the regular season on a high note, helping lead his team to the postseason. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is entering his third season with the franchise and has full confidence in his quarterback. In addition to his accuracy passing the ball, Payton highlighted the aspect of Nix’s game that stood out the most through draft preparations and his rookie season. Payton Highlights Nix's Running Abilities When it came to the draft preparations, one of the aspects of Nix's game that caused Payton and the Broncos to target the former Ducks quarterback. “I’ve mentioned this before, when the combine came, he didn’t shuffle, he didn’t do a number of these drills that I thought he’s be exceptional at. Later, he told me he had turf toe, and it made sense. But when you watched him, you thought, 'Man, this guy is tough to sack.' And he won a lot of downs for us last year with his feet,” Payton said, per DenverSports.com. In 2023 with the Oregon Ducks, Nix rushed the ball for 234 yards and six touchdowns. He showed his playmaking abilities, which led to Denver selecting him No. 12 overall. Four quarterbacks were drafted before Nix, but Payton and the Broncos got their guy. In Nix’s rookie season, he had the third-most rushing yards on the team. Nix finished the regular season with 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He and running back Javonte Williams both led the team with four rushing yards “I don’t know if those drills would've changed where and how he was drafted. I remember talking to George [Paton] saying this is a real good foot athlete,” Payton continued. The Broncos coach went on to joke that he is glad Nix did not run at the 2024 NFL Combine, so no other team saw his abilities. If he did not have the turf toe, perhaps the former Ducks quarterback could have gone earlier in the draft. By the end of the season, Nix totaled 92 carries. When asked if the team sets a limit for Nix to run, Payton said it had more to do with protecting himself. “No, I think the audit would be more in regards to protecting himself at the end of those plays. And the timing of when’s a gotta have it,” Payton said. “It’s a strength.” Nix Stepping Forward The Denver Broncos finished the season with a 10-7 record, ending up as the No. 7 seed in the AFC. Making the postseason as a rookie was a strong start for the former Ducks quarterback, but the team is looking for more. Nix is a talented runner and will continue using his legs to make plays, but the Broncos' run game as a whole can open up this season. Denver signed running back J.K. Dobbins in free agency and selected RJ Harvey in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the potential of a strong run game, the Broncos’ offense as a whole will open up. Nix and the Broncos have the chance to continue to be a dominant team in a tough AFC division. RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Penguins' Erik Karlsson Trade Talks Reportedly Take New Turn
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in full rebuild mode entering the new NHL season, and it has seen the front office engage with other teams in different trade talks. Pittsburgh has a few veteran players who could net them some strong assets for the future, and a late offseason trade could come about. One of those players is veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has seen his name mentioned heavily of late. Karlsson still has a lot of value around the league, and it could see Pittsburgh land some quality pieces in return. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the market for Karlsson may not be as open as originally thought. Outside of the Carolina Hurricanes, Seravalli isn't sure where the veteran star could be traded. Karlsson wants to play for a contending team at this point in his career, and most teams have already filled up their rosters. If Karlsson is going to be traded, he may want to consider other options or even a team that is on the cusp of being a Stanley Cup contender. The veteran proved that he could still heavily impact games on the ice, and he just wants a chance to win a title before he calls it a career. With the Penguins last season, Karlsson put up 11 goals and 42 assists over 82 games played. The Penguins missed the playoffs again, and it seems that a trade of Karlsson could be coming down the pipeline soon. If Carolina were to land the veteran, it could increase their chances of getting over the hump. The Hurricanes already traded for defenseman K'Andre Miller this offseason, so Karlsson could give them a loaded blueline for the year. Carolina has fallen short each season, so landing Karlsson could be the missing piece to the puzzle. But for now, it seems that the Penguins will be patient to see what else may open up with training camp starting up soon.
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