Ford Field Might Explode Tomorrow

UM Survives Illinois

November 23, 2022

What does progress look like?

How about Hutchinson manhandling former Lion, Kenny Golladay, en route to a blowout victory?

With Thanksgiving tomorrow we would love if you, the reader, could show your thanks for this free newsletter by giving someone you know the chance to read it. Forward onto a friend or family member get the good karma started early for 2023.

Smokin' Hot Lions (4-6) Crush Giants In Convincing 31-18 Road Win

Our Detroit Lions have won their third straight game, second straight on the road. They sit second place in the NFC North, 10th in the Wild Card. Jamaal Williams leads the NFL in touchdowns and Hutchinson has done this.

What a difference a few of weeks can make. After the Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead to the Dolphins, at home, to drop to 1-6, it seemed as if the Kool-Aid and any hopes for a mildly entertaining season had all but run dry.

Three short weeks later, here we are.

Now, 4-6 is nothing to completely lose your mind over, but with the direction this season seemed to be headed, the 4-6 mark is a welcomed sight.

The Lions 13-point win on Sunday was arguably the Lions' most complete win of the Dan Campbell era. Trailing 6-3 in the second quarter, it was Aiden Hutchinson's spectacular interception that set up the Lions first touchdown (Jamaal Williams).

From there, they never looked back.

Timely touchdowns and turnovers were the story of the day. Jamaal Williams scored three times to take the outright lead for touchdowns in the NFL, bruising in from the four, the one, and the one again, respectively.

D'Andre Swift added a 4-yard TD run as well to all but ice the game with 6-minutes left.

Our favorite fartin' member of the secondary, Kerby Joseph, snagged his third takeaway of the season, while Hutch recovered a fumble forced by Will Harris.

Detroit's run defense was the story of the day, holding Giants star running back Saquon Barkley to 22 yards on 15 carries, forcing the Giants to attempt 44 passes, which resulted in two interceptions.

Other notes:

  • Jared Goff had a quiet, but steady day, going 17/26 for 165 yards.

  • Detroit's run game combined for 37 rushes for 160 yards and four touchdowns, with Justin Jackson leading the yardage charge with 9 carries for 66 yards.

  • Amon-Ra was Detroit's leading receiver, catching 7 passes for 76 yards.

  • Jeff Okudah exited the game with concussion symptoms, he is doubtful for Thursday

Up next: Thanksgiving Day football in the Motor City! A tradition unlike any other. The Lions take on Super Bowl favorite Buffalo (who will be playing their second consecutive game at Ford Field) in Detroit at 12:30pm.

Wings Get Back On Track With Offense, Convincing Back-to-Back Wins

Do you like rollercoasters? If so, you must be loving the ride that is the Detroit Red Wings season 18 games into the year.

Since getting embarrassed by Buffalo on Halloween, the Wings have done the following:

  • Won three straight (WSH, NYI, NYR)

  • Lost four straight (MON, NYR, LA, ANA)

  • Won two straight (SJ, CBJ)

But the two they did win, hot damn did they looked good.

After dropping the first two of their three game West Coast trip, the Wings closed out the reeling Sharks late in the third to secure their eighth win of the season. Seven different players scored, including Moritz Seider's first of the season, en route to the 7-4 final.

Saturday the boys picked up right where they left off and had themselves a good ole' fashioned point night, winning 6-1 in the process over struggling Columbus.

Via ESPN: Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists, and Ben Chiarot, Dominik Kubalik and Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for Detroit. Moritz Seider had three assists, and Lucas Raymond and Andrew Copp each had two. Ville Husso stopped 26 shots.

Soderblom remains on the IR while Lindstrom is day-to-day.

The Wings embark on a five-game home stand starting Wednesday night in Detroit vs Nashville. They will look to pick up some ground on the extremely competitive Atlantic.

Candelario, Both Castros Non-Tendered In Harris' First Big Roster Decision

Via Freep: 

Jeimer Candelario won't return to the Detroit Tigers for the 2023 season.

The Tigers non-tendered Candelario ahead of Friday's 8 p.m. deadline, meaning he immediately became a free agent for the first time in his career. He was projected to receive $7 million in his final year of salary arbitration.

The Tigers also non-tendered infielder Harold Castro and utility player Willi Castro.

Outside of Miguel Cabrera and Joe Jimenez, "Candy" was rostered with Detroit the longest. The Tigers reached out to Candelario's agent and informed him they would be interested in bringing him back on a one-year, much more cost effective deal, but the sides never got close to an agreement.

In 2022, Candelario hit .217 with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs, 28 walks and 109 strikeouts in 124 games, along with a .272 on-base percentage and a .633 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. (Freep).

Before being non-tendered, Harold Castro and Willi Castro were projected for $2.6 million and $1.7 million, respectively, in salary arbitration.

The common thread with all three players is that they chase too many pitches and don't garner enough walks, which does not align with the blueprint Harris hopes to develop the new-look Tigers around.

So who will play third base? The free agent market is extremely thin at the position.

 Brandon Drury, Jace Peterson, Brian Anderson and Edwin Ríos are believed to be the top free agent third basemen his off season, read about their acumen, and other possible third base options, here. 

Pistons (4-15) Win First Game In Eight Tries, Lose More Players To Injury

Two weeks ago we wrote this:

11 games into the season fans are seeing that the excitement around this Detroit Pistons team is going to have to come in ways other than winning.

Last week we wrote this.

We'd like to make a slight update: 11 15 games into the season fans are seeing that the excitement around this Detroit Pistons team is going to have to come in ways other than winning.

Well team, now we're 18 games in and we have exactly one (1) more win as when we first addressed this issue two weeks ago.

The Pistons are now 4-15 following three more losses on the West Coast. They had lost 7-straight before last night's 110-108 W on the road vs Denver.

And the injuries are piling up.

Via Freep: The Pistons, of course, have been battered by injuries. Cade Cunningham missed his sixth-straight game with left shin soreness, and could miss significantly more time as the team figures out how to treat a suspected stress fracture in his shin. Isaiah Stewart missed his third-straight game with a right big toe strain, and Saddiq Bey had his streak of 152-straight games broken with a right foot sprain.

Some positive note is that the Pistons 129 points vs the Kings was the most they put up all season and their win over the Nuggets last night was their first road win.

Up next:

State (5-6) Suffers The Most Embarrassing Loss of the Mel Tucker Era with 39-31 Double OT Loss to Indiana at Home

The fact that we have to write about this game should be listed under the category of 'cruel and unusual punishment.'

Hell, watching the game should fall under that category as well.

In a home game that would have certified the Spartans as bowl eligible, Michigan State fumbled away a 17-point third quarter lead in which Indiana only completed one (1) pass in regulation (two total) to lose 39-31 in double overtime.

Special teams and run defense would end up being the death of Sparty in East Lansing on Saturday.

  • 192 kickoff return yards forfeited to the Hoosiers, including an 88-yard touchdown

  • 31 yard punt average

  • Missed 22-yard field goal to win as regulation time expired

  • Blocked field goal in overtime

  • Via Freep: Indiana ran for 257 yards after it entered with the Big Ten’s worst rushing attack at 61.57 rushing yards and 127th out of 131 Football Bowl Subdivision teams at 85.8 yards in all games.

At least there was a snowball fight.

Up next:

Hoops: Sparty's Jump to 12 In Rankings, Win Thriller Vs Villanova

If you're an MSU fan, thank god for Tom Izzo and the Spartan basketball team.

With the football team seemingly in shambles as they close out the 2022 season, MSU hoops has been a revitalizing breath of fresh air.

Utilizing one of the most Tom-Izzo-Esque rosters in recent memory, the Spartans are off to an impressive 3-1 start, with their latest victory coming against Villanova at the Breslin Center.

Via Freep: 

The No. 25 Spartans locked in on the Breslin Center rims from the outset, hitting 13 of 25 from 3-point range for the game to build as much as a 16-point lead midway through the second half.

But the Wildcats crawled back within four points with inside of two minutes to play on an Eric Dixon 3-pointer and then within a point on Jordan Longino’s 3 with 50.2 seconds remaining.

Tyson Walker hit one of two free throws with 16.9 seconds left, and Villanova got the rebound. It was up to MSU’s perimeter defense, and Mady Sissoko stepped out and put a hand in Dixon’s face to prevent what would have been a winning 3-pointer, the ball banging off the backboard and Malik Hall grabbing the rebound as time ran out.

State's insanity non-conference schedule continues Friday vs #18 Alabama, 10:30pm EST at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

Michigan (11-0) Looking Ahead To OSU, Almost Slips Vs Illinois

Michigan football senior day was not the easy-breezy afternoon that players and fans alike hoped it would be.

It took four field goals from golden footed Jake Moody to secure the W over unranked Illinois at home.

In addition to that, Heisman hopeful Blake Corum had to exit the game due to injury, but not before scoring the Wolverines only touchdown coupled with 108 yards rushing.

Illinois scored on an 8-yard run by Chase Brown — the first second-half touchdown allowed by the Wolverines since Oct. 1. Michigan dropped a potential go-ahead touchdown on fourth down on its next trip and the Illini needed just three plays to score their second touchdown of the day, again by Brown, and put the Wolverines in a 17-10 hole, their largest deficit of the season. (Via Freep).

But the Michigan defense did not fold, stopping the Illini three straight drives and letting the best kicker in the nation take over, hitting three fourth quarter field goals to give UM the win and an undefeated record heading into Columbus.

Next up:

The big one.

Until next week.