Tag: chris houston

Entire Lions franchise feeling the heat to succeed.

The Detroit Lions know that nearly everyone on the team and staff are under the gun.  After a futile 4-12 season last year (a year removed from a 10-6 record) the franchise are making moves to ensure that a repeat of last season does not reoccur.

In order to get that Lions swagger back, the team signed RB Reggie Bush, Safety Glover Quin, and two top notch defensive ends in Jason Jones and Isreael Idonije.  The team also resigned QB Matthew Stafford through the 2017 season, re-signed cornerback Chris Houston, safety Louis Delmas and outside linebacker DeAndre Levy.

“I think we should have somewhat of a chip on our shoulder,” All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson said. “We know what we were last year and we’re very disappointed that we weren’t able to get back to where we were (during 2011), especially when we were so close in a lot of those games. I think everybody’s focus should be way more intense this year.”

The Lions open the season against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8, 2013. Tickets are still available

Lions can bolster playoff chances with win at Black Hole

Oakland, Calif. — The last time the Lions walked off the field at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, patrons showered them with shot glasses and batteries.

“That was fun,” Lions center Dominic Raiola said, chuckling. “Those are crazy fans. It gets you excited to play football.”

Neither team will need any environmental aids Sunday. The stakes are clear. The Lions (8-5) need to win to maintain control of their playoff aspirations. The Raiders (7-6) need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, too.

“There’s no room for error, especially with all the other teams that are in the pack,” Raiola said of the playoffs chase. “Nobody is really out of it yet, so all we can do is keep on winning.”

The Lions hold the second and last wildcard spot in the NFC. Chicago (7-6), Dallas (7-6), Seattle (6-7) and Arizona (6-7) remain in the hunt.

“One at a time,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “As cliché as that sounds, that’s the way it has to be for us. We can’t look too far ahead. You see it on TV (playoff talk) and you hear it on the radio. Everybody knows what’s in front of us, but we have to go out there and execute it.

“This team has a great attitude right now. We understand what we have to do.”

Raiola wouldn’t mind another postgame “shower” from the fans at the Black Hole, because that would mean they won. The Lions’ last game in Oakland was a 36-21 season-opening win in 2007. It’s the only win the Lions have had on the West Coast in eight games the past 10 years.

“You hear the stories,” receiver Calvin Johnson said. “But, hey, I played (at Oakland) my first pro game and we won. We like playing on the road. We like going places and trying to shut up other teams’ fans.”

Coach Jim Schwartz said the venue — as crazy as the Black Hole can be — will be the least of the Lions’ concerns.

“We’ve had success on the road (4-2) and there’s not any difference from one place to another,” he said. “There’s a certain mentality that goes to playing on the road and you have to prepare for the crowd noise, but it’s not our first road trip — whether the fans are dressed as gladiators or anything else won’t affect us very much.”

What may impact the Lions, though, are injuries, particularly to a defense that has given up an average of 30 points the last four games.

They will play the Raiders without starting safety Louis Delmas, who did not travel with the team. He will miss his third straight game with a Grade 2 MCL tear.

Also out will be cornerback Aaron Berry (shoulder) and defensive end Lawrence Jackson (thigh).

Defensive end Willie Young (ankle), defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), outside linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring) and cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring) will be game-time decisions.

The defense will get a huge lift, though, from the return of two key starters — defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (suspension) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee).

“Yeah, we got a lot more weapons (this week),” defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said. “We are still banged up here or there, but every team is this time of the year. I think the biggest thing for our football team on defense is learning the attitude you got to have going into the final couple weeks; knowing how important each game is.

“We talked about four games to go; well now it is three games to go. They are all into it and focused, but they have been all year. It is just magnified now.”

The offense is expected to get back running back Kevin Smith (ankle), who practiced this week, albeit in a limited capacity. The question will be, how long will he last?

“I made it two quarters last time; hopefully I can go four,” he said.

This would be a good week for Johnson, the Lions’ quiet Pro Bowl receiver, to have a loud game. Defenses the last few weeks have gone to extreme measures to take him out of the mix, especially in the red zone. After scoring 11 touchdowns in the first eight games, he has one in the last five.

“He’s not a decoy at all, but if he’s taken away, then you have to go other places,” Schwartz said. “We never go in planning on using him as a decoy, but you also need to make smart decisions.

“We didn’t have any turnovers (against the Vikings), didn’t have any turnovers against New Orleans — two teams that were really trying their very best to take him out. If you press it too much, then you end up getting turnovers. Our game plan every week is to try to get him the ball, but we have to make smart decisions — smart decisions trump getting him the ball sometimes.”

To get Johnson the ball downfield, the offensive line is going to have to give Stafford a few extra seconds. There were several plays against the Vikings where Johnson got open but Stafford didn’t have time to wait for the route to develop.

“It’s all about being a great offense,” Stafford said. “He’s a great player and when we have one-on-one shots, we’re going to take them. But teams aren’t giving us those very often. We had some plays called last week to get him the ball downfield but for one reason or another it didn’t work out.

“But the great thing about Calvin is, he only wants to do one thing and that’s win games. That’s what you love about the guy.”

Said Johnson, “Man, as long as we’re winning, that’s going to keep everybody happy. That’s what everybody wants.”

So the Lions continue their own version of March Madness; it’s survive and advance time. If they win out, they end their 11-year playoff drought.

“We are excited about the possibilities,” defensive end Cliff Avril said. “But we are even more excited to be playing games that matter in December. We need to keep winning to have a chance to make something special happen. I think we are up for the task.”

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Lions at Raiders

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV/radio: Fox/97.1
Records: Detroit 8-5, Oakland 7-6
Series: Oakland leads 6-4 (Detroit 36-21, Sept. 9, 2007)
Line: Lions by 1

Chris Houston, Kevin Smith, Nick Fairley back in action for Lions

Allen Park — Slowly but surely, the wounded are walking back on to the playing field for the Lions.

Back at practice Wednesday were cornerback Chris Houston, who missed two games with a knee injury; running back Kevin Smith, who has been battling an ankle sprain; and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who missed last Sunday with a foot injury.

Houston and Fairley went through the individual drills, but it is unknown whether they were full participants the rest of the way. Smith, who appeared to be moving well, worked on the side with a trainer during position drills.

Still not on the practice field were safety Louis Delmas, out the last two weeks with a knee injury; defensive end Lawrence Jackson, out the last four weeks with a thigh injury; outside linebacker Justin Durant, who has a hamstring injury; cornerback Eric Wright, who injured a hamstring Sunday; and cornerback Aaron Berry, who injured his shoulder last Sunday.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz reiterated Monday that none of those players were facing season-ending injuries.

“They’re all going to get back, it’s just a question of when,” he said. “It’s still too early to tell for this week.”

Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch took his normal Wednesday rest day.

Lions cornerback Chris Houston expects action


Terry Foster/ The Detroit News

Allen Park —Lions cornerback Chris Houston knows the test is coming.

He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season and word has spread around the league. That can only mean one thing: Quarterbacks are going to go after him more often and with a different game plan.

Lions Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney holds the Lions record with three interception returns for touchdowns in his rookie season in 1967. He predicts teams will try to use Houston’s aggressiveness against him instead of choosing not to throw his way. That’s what happened to Barney.

“He is up and running,” Barney said of Houston. “But once you make those returns the offenses are going to test him more so he had better be ready. They have companion routes they are going to use against him.”

In other words, that simple 5-yard buttonhook will turn into a hook and go, hoping to get Houston off-balance so teams can beat him deep.

“I am sure the coaches are teaching him and training him to watch for those things so that won’t happen,” Barney said.

The Lions defense has returned three interceptions for touchdowns and defensive end Cliff Avril returned a fumble for a touchdown. The defensive scores all had similar results. The Lions won each game and the scores sent a spark through the sidelines.

Houston knows teams will come after him. Opponents want to see if he is jumping routes or playing smart. Houston said his scores came off studying opponents. He knew the play was coming against Dallas and he ran 56 yards for the touchdown shortly after Bobby Carpenter returned one from 34 yards. The Lions turned a 27-3 deficit into a 27-17 game and eventually won in overtime.

The 100-yard touchdown against Denver came when the Broncos tried to run the same play on him. Houston agrees with Barney that teams are going to come his way more.

“They want to see if I am jumping routes,” he said. “I want to continue to play within the scheme and not jump routes unless I see something. I am just not jumping routes or guessing. I jump routes because I know something is coming. I am going to work within the scheme and know where my help is. I am not going to leave my teammates out to dry.”

Houston is athletic and fast but is allowing superior game study to guide him. Barney did the same thing. He was a student of teammate Dick LeBeau, who told him extensive film study would supplement his superior athletic ability and talent. Barney took it to heart and many of his career 56 interceptions were a result of knowing what the opponent was going to do. Houston is the same way.

“That first interception (against Dallas), they had scored on a pump route the year before,” Houston said. “I watched film and remembered the formation. When he (the quarterback) made the motion, I knew it was coming.”

When the defense scores, it gives a lift to the sidelines and makes it more difficult for the opponent to recover and win. Players jump up and down as enthusiasm and momentum take over.

“It gives you a spark no matter if you are losing or no matter the circumstances,” safety Louis Delmas said. “We play off that momentum.”

Offensive players get excited for their defensive brothers when they score.

“Man, it is so unaccounted for,” receiver Nate Burleson said. “When the defense scores, I hate to say it as a player but you are thinking we got this thing locked up.

“When the D scores it makes us more comfortable.”

Houston said seeing all that green grass in front of him on the return is exciting.

“It is an unexplainable feeling knowing your hard work is paying off,” he said.

terry.foster@detnews.com

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Matthew Stafford, Lions outmuscle Bucs to win opener


Lions 27, Buccaneers 20

Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Tampa, Fla. — It’s probably a good sign for the Lions they started the season on the road, against a team with playoff aspirations and were almost apologizing for not beating them worse than they did.

“We were very lucky to win this game,” coach Jim Schwartz said, after the Lions held on to beat the Buccaneers 27-20 at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Lucky?

The Lions scored on five of their first seven possessions and finished with 431 total yards. Quarterback Matthew Stafford had the second-most productive performance of his career, completing 24 of 33 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns.

His 36-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter was laser precise. He threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Scheffler and the eventual winner, a 1-yarder to Johnson.

Johnson had six catches for 88 yards, secured an onside kick and was on the field in the prevent defense on the last play of the game.

Lucky?

The defense didn’t allow the Bucs a first down in the first and third quarters. Until the middle of the fourth quarter, after the Lions had built a 27-13, the Bucs had amassed just 209 yards and the only touchdown was a 28-yard interception return off a tipped pass by Aqib Talib.

What did luck have to do with any of that?

“Really, we should have blown them out,” said cornerback Chris Houston, who had seven tackles and limited Bucs big-play receiver Mike Williams to four catches. “There were a couple of plays on offense, the interception return, and a couple of plays we missed on defense — just some mistakes we made that kept them in the game. We need to get back to the film and get those corrected.”

The Lions had the 14-point lead late in the third quarter and seemed content on running out the clock.

“We were in command of the game, so at that point we wanted to control the clock,” said receiver Nate Burleson, who caught five passes for 60 yards and ran a reverse for 20. “There were seven minutes left and I was saying, ‘Let’s get it to four.’ We tried to get it over with, but it was some good execution by them to get in position to tie the game.”

With 1:35 left, Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman hit Williams in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-3 from the 5. Williams caught the ball over cornerback Aaron Berry.

The Bucs went for the onside kick. Schwartz inserted Johnson on the hands team, and Johnson leaped and grabbed the high bounding kick.

The Lions couldn’t move the ball on three running plays, but they forced the Bucs to use their final two timeouts. Had things gone the way they were supposed to, the Bucs would have gotten the ball back deep in their own zone with 30 seconds left.

Instead, the clock was stopped with 1:24 left when Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus got entangled with a defensive player and was slapped with an unnecessary roughness penalty.

“I don’t consider that about discipline, I consider that stupid,” Schwartz said. “The opponent has no timeouts left and we get a penalty? That’s a situation we talk about and we work on. That’s stupid football, and it almost put us in a situation — the defense should have been in where there were 30 seconds left and they would have to defend two plays.”

As it was, the Bucs had the ball on the 20 with 1:07 left. Freeman moved them to the Lions 42 before the clock expired on a wild play where the Bucs kept fumbling the ball to keep from getting tackled.

Lions safety Louis Delmas banged his hip on the play but said later he wasn’t injured.

“I am not going to discount the value of a win, particularly a win on the road,” Schwartz said. “But we definitely have to play a lot better than we played today. We made too many mistakes that kept Tampa in the game.

“I guess it’s the sign of a good football team that we made those mistakes and still came out with the win. But there are things that happened in this game that are inexcusable and they will not continue.”

At one point in the first quarter, the Lions had a 147-1 edge in total yards and were trailing 10-6. The Bucs first field goal — a 38-yarder by Connor Barth — was set up by a 78-yard kickoff return by Sammie Stroughter.

“We have a darn good kickoff team,” Schwartz said. “But we missed a tackle and the guy hit a gap and all of a sudden they are kicking a field goal.”

Kicker Jason Hanson, who contributed field goals of 23 and 28 yards, booted all of his other kicks to the back of the end zone.

On the Lions’ next possession, Stafford’s pass clanged off the hands of tight end Will Heller right into the waiting arms of Talib.

“You don’t want those mistakes to keep coming back,” Stafford said. “That’s the main thing. You’ve got to fix them, get them ironed out and not make them next week. We are going to need to get started a little earlier on offense.”

The game was played in oppressive 90-degree heat, and players on both sides were cramping up. Stafford didn’t miss a snap, but he limped off a couple of times. Freeman missed two series in the third quarter with cramps. Burleson also missed some time.

“That was the worst I’ve seen,” Burleson said. “I was hydrated, too, and I still cramped.”

But it was an all’s-well-that-ends-well kind of day for the Lions.

“We almost let this get away at the end,” said Johnson. “Had this been another year, who knows? We should have put it away. I didn’t feel like we were going to lose, but it shouldn’t have been as close as we made it to be.”

chrismccosky@detnews.com

Lions keep making moves in midst of labor unrest


Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

Allen Park — With all eyes focused on the labor unrest in the NFL Thursday, the Lions were busy shaping up their 2011 roster.

The team decided to part ways with veterans Kevin Smith and Julian Peterson while offering restricted free-agent tenders to a number of other players, including linebacker Zack Follett.

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The Lions did not offer a tender to former starting running back Smith, 24, making the fourth-year player a free agent. That doesn’t rule out the chance of Smith re-signing with the Lions, but it seems unlikely at this point.

With Jahvid Best expected to be the back-of-the-future and Maurice Morris coming on strong at the end of last season, the Lions felt Smith was expendable.

That’s good news for Best, a third-year pro out of Cal who thought his career might be over after he was carted off the field with a neck injury while covering a fourth-quarter kickoff during a 28-20 loss to the Giants at the Meadowlands on Oct. 17.

A third-round pick in 2008, Smith showed potential after running for 976 yards as a rookie. But injuries have derailed the last two seasons for Smith, who has rushed for 880 yards combined over that span.

Smith’s 2009 season ended because of a torn ACL. He played in only six games last season and finished it on injured reserve because of torn ligaments in his thumb. He also had a shoulder injury.

Smith rushed for 1,856 yards and 12 touchdowns in three seasons with the Lions.

The Peterson move was expected as Lions general manager Martin Mayhew confirmed to reporters last month that the move was imminent.

“We had a meeting, a great meeting, and I thanked him for his two years of service,” Mayhew said.

Peterson, 32, who was scheduled to make $8 million next season, made 15 starts last season and had 83 tackles.

Switching to players that will be wearing Honolulu Blue when camp starts, the Lions offered linebacker Zack Follett an exclusive rights tender for next season.

“I didn’t even know if they would offer me a contract,” Follett said. “I’m just thankful to be offered the opportunity to play for another year.

“I still don’t know if my neck will keep holding up, but I don’t think this contract would have been offered if they didn’t think that it could.”

Follett was placed on injured reserve following the incident in New York, and later told reporters he didn’t know if he’d ever play again after suffering a displaced disk that tapped his spinal cord.

Follett said he’s been intensively rehabbing his neck and feels he’s ready for camp. But he also said there is one more hurdle to cross.

“I haven’t hit anybody yet, so we’ll see,” he said. “Before I actually go back into camp to make it a full go we’ll do another series of tests to make sure there’s more space between the disk and my spinal cord and make sure I won’t be doing any permanent damage.

“It’s a little scary because the one thing the doctors did tell me is that by playing more, my situation can only get worse, and that’s the risk factor that’s involved here.”

The Lions gave fifth-year guard Dylan Gandy and special teams Pro Bowl alternate John Wendling original-round tenders on Thursday and reportedly issued tenders to some of their other four- and five-year players, including cornerback Chris Houston and kicker Dave Rayner.

The original-round tender for Gandy and Wendling mean that another team can offer them a contract but the Lions have the right to match that offer or let them sign with the other team for a fourth-round pick in Gandy’s case and a sixth-round pick for Wendling, the round they were originally drafted in.

Those players could ultimately test the free-agent market as unrestricted free agents, though, depending on the language in the new collective bargaining agreement — whenever it’s agreed upon — as it pertains to free-agent eligibility.

In last year’s uncapped season, free agency changed from four to six years, but it could revert back to four years in the new deal.

The Lions also extended exclusive rights original-round tenders to fullback Jerome Felton (fifth round) and defensive tackle Andre Fluellen (third round).

They also reportedly gave a second-round tender to defensive end Turk McBride.

ttwentyman@detnews.com

ttwentyman@detnews.com

Lions unlikely to make significant changes in 2011


Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Allen Park— There have been times after the season’s final game when Dominic Raiola could look around and count on his hands the number of players likely to return.

That count took a lot longer after this year’s final game.

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“I know the nucleus of this team is coming back,” he said. “We’ve walked out of here in the past not knowing what was going to happen. But I see most of these guys, coming back.”

That, as much as the season-ending four-game winning streak, is fueling optimism.

“Across the board, offense and defense, we are still looking to improve the roster,” coach Jim Schwartz said Monday. “We are still looking to improve our starting 22. But we aren’t looking at an overhaul. Even at the spots where we do have need, it’s not like it was last year with the defensive backs where we erased everybody except Louis Delmas.

“There are a lot of guys here that we will continue moving forward with, and a lot of them might not be starters.”

Every starter and main backup on offense is expected to return for 2011.

On defense, starting defensive end Cliff Avril can be a restricted free agent (pending a new collective bargaining agreement), while starting cornerback Chris Houston and defensive end Turk McBride could become restricted free agents.

The Lions, however, can tender offers to all three.

Among those who likely have played their final games in Detroit are outside linebacker Julian Peterson, cornerback Nathan Vasher (unrestricted) and safety C.C. Brown (unrestricted).

Outside linebacker Landon Johnson is also unrestricted, but the Lions may try to keep him.

“We have talked before about having to address the starting 22 before you can address your depth,” Schwartz said. “What has happened this year is, because of the injuries and other things, we have been able to address a lot of the depth issues. Now we have to start adding pieces to the starting 22.”

Offense Quarterbacks

The top two are set. Matthew Stafford , who said Monday his shoulder was nearly back to full strength, is the starter, and Shaun Hill , who led the team to three victories, is No. 2.

The Lions would love to re-sign Drew Stanton as the No. 3, but as an unrestricted free agent, he will be looking to compete for a No. 1 or No. 2 spot somewhere. Still, if no suitable opportunities come his way, he said he would have no trouble returning as the third option.

Running backs

The top two spots are set — probably. Jahvid Best (turf toe) said he will need at least eight weeks of rest to completely heal. He should be ready to resume the starting role next season.

Maurice Morris , entering his 10th season, will have the first shot to win the backup role, but the Lions are expected to bring in one and probably two other backs.

They will have to decide whether to bring back Kevin Smith , who has had health issues the last three seasons, and underachieving second-year man Aaron Brown . The guess is Smith comes back, not Brown.

FB Jerome Felton could be a restricted free agent, but the Lions are expected to bring him back.

Receivers

Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson will be back, as will return ace and jack-of-all-trades Stefan Logan .

But the Lions will be looking to upgrade the depth.

Bryant Johnson , who has one year left on his contract ($3 million), was unproductive all season.

Derrick Williams , a former third-round pick, has been a disappointment the last two seasons.

Tight ends

Absolutely set with Brandon Pettigrew , Tony Scheffler and Will Heller signed through next season.

Line

The starters are expected back, although there is some concern about RG Stephen Peterman , who struggled at times (partly due to a lingering foot injury).

Corey Hilliard , who filled in admirably when RT Gosder Cherilus went down, can be a restricted free agent. It’s hard to imagine the Lions letting him go, but some team could swoop in and steal him.

The Lions signed veteran T Tony Ugoh late, but he wasn’t able to get on the field before rookie Jason Fox did, so it’s doubtful he’s part of the plan.

Defense Line

At end, Kyle Vanden Bosch is expected to make a full recovery from neck surgery and start. E Lawrence Jackson also will return. And it seems improbable the Lions wouldn’t re-sign Cliff Avril and Turk McBride .

It will be interesting to see what they do about rookie Willie Young . They love his athleticism, but he’s going to have to show them a lot more maturity and a stronger work ethic next season.

At tackle, starters Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams , as well as top reserve Sammie Hill , are back. The Lions will have to make a decision on backup Andre Fluellen , who can be a restricted free agent.

Linebackers

This is one of the biggest areas of need.

DeAndre Levy will return and probably start at middle linebacker. But there he might be moved outside, depending on whom the Lions draft or acquire through trade or free agency.

Most likely there will be two new starters on the outside. The Lions aren’t bringing back Julian Peterson and his $8 million contact. And Zach Follett , the starter before suffering a serious neck injury, may not be ready.

Bobby Carpenter and Ashlee Palmer will likely return, but not as starters.

Landon Johnson is a tricky one. They loved his play, but he has a history of concussions.

The Lions also will have to make a decision on Jordon Dizon , an undersized middle linebacker who blew out his knee in the first exhibition.

Backs

The Lions probably will invest significantly to bring Chris Houston back. He showed he could be a shutdown cornerback on the left side and drafting at No. 13, they aren’t likely to get the impact player they hoped for.

The right side corner spot is wide open. Alphonso Smith probably will get the first shot to win it. Tye Hill , Aaron Berry , Brandon McDonald , Prince Miller , Jack Williams and Eric King could be in the mix.

At safety, Louis Delmas is the only sure bet.

The Lions liked the development of rookie Amari Spievey , and veteran John Wendling is a valuable special teams player.

Special teams

The Lions may have a camp battle for the kicking spot.

Jason Hanson is coming off surgery the last two seasons. Although he is the incumbent, and coach Jim Schwartz said Monday his confidence hasn’t wavered, Dave Rayner has earned at least the right to compete.

Coaching staff

All the coaches are under contract and expected back.

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan ‘s name may come up regarding coaching vacancies, but he has said numerous times he is content with his role in Detroit.