Notes: Lions having a blast at the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando

Though quarterback Jared Goff, middle Frank Ragnow, and particular teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin should not on the Professional Bowl Video games this weekend, there are 5 Detroit Lions gamers who made the journey: sort out Penei Sewell, operating again Jahmyr Gibbs, tight finish Sam LaPorta, defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson, and extensive receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Whereas you could have already seen the hilarious image of Gibbs and Sewell driving the Velocicoaster at Common Studios’ Islands of Journey, there may be plenty of protection of our Detroit Professional Bowlers to atone for.

Sewell, the very best offensive lineman within the league in keeping with PFF, appeared at a one-on-one competitors between offensive and defensive linemen hosted by YouTuber Deestroying. ESPN’s Eric Woodyard wrote up an article with quotes from the Lions proper sort out on the occasion, telling YouTuber Deestroying (Former Central Florida kicker Donald De La Haye) he wholeheartedly backs head coach Dan Campbell’s resolution making and management:

“If he tells me to leap off a cliff with him, I’m proper subsequent to him,” Sewell mentioned of Campbell. “I’m so severe. So, no matter he says, no matter he calls, we’ve simply received to execute. So, that’s on us actually. That’s my man.”

Workforce reporter Dannie Rogers has been in Orlando overlaying the Lions’ Professional Bowlers, and the group’s official Twitter account posted some brief interview movies with Sam LaPorta and Aidan Hutchinson:

It seems each LaPorta and Hutchinson had been tapped to put on GoPro cameras (you’ll be able to see the harness mounting the digicam in Hutchinson’s interview with Rogers above), so count on to see some excellent mic’d up footage from the Lions media of us at Professional Bowl weekend that includes them. The staff additionally posted photograph galleries on the official website for Professional Bowl practices on February 2nd and Third (the gamers had been sporting the GoPros and interviewed with Rogers on Friday the 2nd, in keeping with the images posted).

It wasn’t simply the Lions gamers who had been available for honors on the Professional Bowl Video games, although. Dannie Rogers additionally recorded an interview with considered one of two recipients of the 2023 Don Shula Coach of the 12 months award, Muskegon’s Shane Fairfield. In accordance with a characteristic by ABC affiliate WZZM 13 in Grand Rapids on Fairfield’s award, the Muskegon Huge Reds are the winningest program in Michigan with 900 all-time wins.

Annually, the NFL franchises nominate highschool coaches for the respect and the league selects one to signify the AFC and one to signify the NFC. Fairfield, the Lions’ nominee for 2023, was the NFC choice and might be on the Professional Bowl, Tremendous Bowl, and NFL Honors ceremony as a visitor of the league.

Lastly, Supa Scorching Hearth was on the Professional Bowl with a message concerning the present NFC North Champions. For many who don’t know, he’s the topic of the most effective infinite loop meme GIFs ever made.

Now, on to the remainder of your weekend Notes:

Subsequent Gen Stats offers three fascinating notes that assist present priceless context for a way this Detroit offense operated. First, the Lions featured the highest two gamers in your complete league when it got here to shifts/motions, with LaPorta rating first (249 snaps with shift/movement) and St. Brown second (220). Secondly, Jared Goff clearly trusted his No. 1 goal, as St. Brown earned 741 yards on in-breaking routes (third within the NFL).

An attention-grabbing addendum to Frelund’s touch upon LaPorta is that it looks like there’s knowledge backing up the assertion he’s one of many essential items that permits for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to beat up on opposing defenses. Within the following chart by StatsBomb_FB, the additional above the road a staff is, the extra lining up with gamers in bizarre spots “out of place” helps the offense. For the Lions, nearly all the area above the road on the vertical axis is because of LaPorta (a follow-up plot excluding tight ends lining up within the slot places the Lions again down on the diagonal line).