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Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ennis Rakestraw injury update: Detroit Lions get good news on second-year CB
An injury that forced Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to leave midway through the Detroit Lions' first training camp practice isn't expected to keep him out long term. 'Yeah,' head coach Dan Campbell said Monday, July 21, 'he should be OK. Everything came back negative.' Campbell said the second-year cornerback will be out 'a few days' and remains 'sore' after he appeared to hurt his upper body Sunday. Rakestraw's arm hung limply following a repetition during a team drill, and he appeared to be in pain as he clutched his shoulder soon after retreating to the sideline. The team later told reporters Rakestraw's chest was being evaluated. 'Structurally everything looks pretty good,' Campbell said of the test results. That is cause for relief in these parts. SHAWN WINDSOR: Lions know exactly what this season means: 'The year of the reckoning' Rakestraw's fledgling pro career, after all, has already been significantly impacted by injuries. After being selected No. 61 overall in 2024, he was limited during the ramp-up period to his rookie campaign as he continued to recover from a sports hernia suffered during his college days at Missouri. Then, in pregame warmups before the Lions' Week 2 loss to Tampa Bay last September, he pulled his hamstring. Although Rakestraw returned to the field, the strain lingered, and he only played 43 more snaps the remainder of the season before he was placed on injured reserve in late November. This spring, after he returned to full health, the Lions expressed optimism Rakestraw could carve out a role as one of the top reserve players in the secondary. In workouts, he practiced exclusively outside after playing almost 50% of his snaps in the slot last year. 'We're really excited and looking forward to what he's going to be able to bring this year,' general manager Brad Holmes said in April. They'll just have to wait a little bit longer before seeing whether Rakestraw can meet their expectations. Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@ Follow him @RainerSabin on X. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ennis Rakestraw injury update: Lions CB expected to miss 'a few days'
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Dan Campbell not pleased with Lions' performance in Hall of Fame Game loss
The Lions gave a lot of backups and young players a lot of playing time in the Hall of Fame Game, and the results did not please head coach Dan Campbell. The Chargers beat the Lions 34-7, and Campbell said much of their performance didn't meet the Lions' standards. 'You want to win the game, you also want to play really well, and we didn't do that,' Campbell said. 'I would expect us to play much better next week.' Campbell was extremely disappointed with the Lions' turnovers. 'We turned it over five times and we didn't get any takeaways,' Campbell said. 'You're wearing Lions gear, you've got to take care of the ball, or it's going to be hard to keep you around.' Campbell said the players who are fighting for a roster spot need to look better in the next preseason game, August 8 against the Falcons. 'The message is, when you get an opportunity to make your plays, you've got to make your plays,' Campbell said. 'We have to get significantly better. We've got to coach them better and they've got to play better.'
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chargers' Lance shines in preseason opener as NFL honors shooting victims
On his third team in his fifth season, Trey Lance played like a No 3 overall pick. Lance threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL's preseason Thursday night. The game opened with a moment of silence for the four people killed earlier this week by a shooter who was targeting league headquarters in New York. The gunman also wounded a league employee in the shooting Monday night. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC he visited the employee for an hour on Wednesday and said the man was improving. There was increased security around Tom Benson Stadium and the Pro Football Hall of Fame village. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Penei Sewell and the rest of Detroit's star-studded offense didn't see any action against Los Angeles. Coach Dan Campbell's Lions, who went one-and-done in the playoffs last season after winning a franchise-record 15 games, also sat their top two draft picks. Justin Herbert was among many of the Chargers starters rested by coach Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to a six-win turnaround and a playoff berth in his first season. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, a first-round pick, carried twice for 9 yards. The Chargers recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Lions 28 and converted the short field into a 7-0 lead. Lance made a perfect touch pass on fourth-and-2 to Will Dissly, who caught a 5-yard touchdown over a defender's outstretched hand. After undrafted rookie cornerback Nikko Reed stepped in front of Kyle Allen's sideline pass and returned it 60 yards to the Lions 6, Kimani Vidal ran in from the 2 to make it 14-0. Allen threw another pick on the next possession to Tony Jefferson after driving the Lions to the Chargers 23. Craig Reynolds' thee-yard TD run cut Detroit's deficit in half. But Lance fired a 19-yard pass to Tucker Fisk to the Lions 19 and connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 15-yard TD pass for a 21-7 halftime lead. Lance has started just five games in four NFL seasons after playing in only 19 games at North Dakota State. He spent just two seasons with the 49ers, who selected Brock Purdy with the last pick the same year they traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up to get Lance. After two years with Dallas, Lance joined the Chargers to compete with veteran Taylor Heinicke for the backup job. He completed 13 of 20 passes before giving way to rookie DJ Uiagalelei. Allen and Hendon Hooker are battling for the Lions' backup job behind Goff. Allen was 9 of 14 with two picks. Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023, has thrown nine passes in his first two seasons. Detroit's sloppy special teams turned it over again in the third quarter. Jakobie Keeney-James dropped a punt inside the 10 and the Chargers recovered at the 5. But Los Angeles had to settle for Cameron Dicker's 23-yard field goal. The Chargers capped the scoring on Vidal's two-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter. Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson told NBC in the second half he can't wait for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Hutchinson had seven and a half sacks in five games last season before he went down with a leg injury. Before the game, Hutchinson spent time signing autographs for Lions fans who made the trip. Dicker, who was 39 of 42 on field goals last year and 9 of 11 from 50 yards or beyond, hit the left upright on a 50-yard try. He made his next two field goals. Cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Fox News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 Hall of Fame Game: Omarion Hampton Headlines Things To Watch In Chargers-Lions
The (unofficial) start of the 2025 NFL season has arrived. Two teams that have not played in the Hall of Fame Game in over three decades will face off when the Detroit Lions "host" the Los Angeles Chargers at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Thursday, officially kicking off the preseason. The Chargers were selected to play in the game for the first time since 1994 to honor tight end Antonio Gates – the all-time NFL leader in touchdown receptions by a tight end (116) – and one of four players who will be enshrined in the Hall on Saturday, along with Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe. The Lions last played in the Hall of Fame game in 1991. Per usual, both teams will hold out frontline players to avoid potential injuries, which means Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and Derwin James are among those who won't play for the Chargers. Lions head coach Dan Campbell also said his starters won't play, which means foundational players like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson will be watching from the sideline for Detroit. However, there are still some younger players who will receive some game action this week. Specifically, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said rookie first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton will get some snaps. And former first-round pick Trey Lance is expected to make the start at quarterback for the Bolts with Herbert out. Here's a closer look at what to expect from each team in this one. With free agent signee running back Najee Harris dealing with a superficial eye injury suffered in a fireworks accident and out indefinitely, the Chargers need to get a closer look at Hampton and how he fits into offensive coordinator Greg Roman's run-first scheme. Hampton has looked physical and explosive in practice, but this will be the first time he faces a defense that can bring him to the ground. Along with Hampton, Roman will get a closer look at three rookie pass catchers who have been impressive so far during camp in receivers Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, plus tight end Oronde Gadsden. With Mike Williams unexpectedly retiring, the Chargers need these three to step up and make an immediate impact. Harbaugh has repeatedly said players and coaches must rise to the level of Herbert for the Chargers to make a deep playoff run, and that starts with these three rookies. With Goff out, the Lions get a chance to take a closer look at University of Tennessee product Hooker. Selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, Hooker has yet to fully grow into his vast potential and now has competition for the No. 2 job with veteran journeyman Kyle Allen. Along with Hooker's development, all eyes will be on how Campbell acclimates to new offensive coordinator John Morton and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. With innovative offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now the head coach for the Chicago Bears and fiery defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn leading his former team with the New York Jets, Campbell lost a significant amount of brain power in his coaching room. Thursday will be the first opportunity for NFL observers to see how well Campbell has done in replacing those big brains in his locker room, along with how his players are adjusting to the new personalities on the sidelines. Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lions vs. Chargers live updates: score, highlights, key plays and more
For the first time in decades, the Detroit Lions are playing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. Thursday night's matchup in Canton with the Los Angeles Chargers marks the beginning of the 2025 exhibition season. Dan Campbell's Lions are not expected to play any starters, and the Chargers appear set on holding out their key players as well. It's a night for the younger and more unproven players to shine. How to watch the Lions vs Chargers Watch the game Lions vs. Chargers 8 p.m. ET, NBC Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark are the national broadcast team. In Michigan, the game is on the Lions TV Broadcast network, with FOX2 in Detroit serving as the flagship station. Jason Benetti will handle play-by-play, with former Lion T.J. Lang on color commentary and Dannie Rogers as the sideline reporter for the Lions in-house network. Listen live The game will be broadcast on the Lions Radio Affiliate network, which features stations in 46 different markets across the state. Dan Miller and Lomas Brown will be on the call. On Sirius XM, the game will air on NFL Channel 88. Stream NBC will stream the game live on its affiliate network and also on Peacock. You can also watch via a subscription to the NFL+ app. Starting QBs The Chargers announced that Trey Lance will get first-team reps in the game at quarterback. For Detroit, late reports indicate that Kyle Allen will get the start, with Hendon Hooker expected to also receive snaps in the game.
