| Detroit Lions News: |
| Keith Smith isn't looking for respect. He's too busy looking for interceptions.
The Lions cornerback leads the team with three interceptions and has become a cornerstone of the secondary, which might be the most surprising unit on any team in the NFL. Smith made one of the team's four interceptions Sunday in Chicago, putting the Lions in the league lead with 13. The secondary was supposed to be the Lions' glaring weakness. After star cornerback Dre' Bly was traded to Denver, Sunday's opponent, during the off-season, the secondary was considered a no-name unit. Street & Smith's preseason scouting report ranked only the Lions' management lower than its secondary. Hardly a sign of respect. But it doesn't matter to Smith. "Pssh, I don't care," he said. "I don't care anything about the respect. I think, right now, I'm just happy with going out there, playing hard and winning games. I don't care what anybody says. When it's all done, things will probably be said, so we'll just see what happens then." Coach Rod Marinelli attributes the secondary's success to a simple formula. "I think it all works together," he said. "Once they trust that (pass) rush, that ball comes out quick (from the quarterback), they're on time, and they're breaking on the ball well. I think they're just really breaking on the ball. "We do the same tackling drills every week, and we do the same break-on-the-ball drills every week. Guy goes back, looks this way, looks that way, throws it, break. Break. Get off the ball, break. Do all those basic things, the simple things, and I think the clarity of the defense and the system is helping them." The defensive backs appear to have bought into Marinelli's system, and there's no better proof than their production in Chicago. Last week, the coach told the DBs that they would "wear the hats" against Chicago. |
| Event | Date | Tickets | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. New York Giants
|
11:59 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Cincinnati Bengals
vs. Detroit Lions
|
7:35 pm
|
Paul Brown Stadium
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Cleveland Browns
|
4:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Buffalo Bills
vs. Detroit Lions
|
6:30 pm
|
Ralph Wilson Stadium
|
|
|
Atlanta Falcons
vs. Detroit Lions
|
1:00 pm
|
Georgia Dome
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Green Bay Packers
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
San Francisco 49ers
vs. Detroit Lions
|
1:05 pm
|
Candlestick Park
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Chicago Bears
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Minnesota Vikings
vs. Detroit Lions
|
12:00 am
|
Metrodome
|
|
|
Houston Texans
vs. Detroit Lions
|
3:05 pm
|
Reliant Stadium
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Washington Redskins
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Chicago Bears
vs. Detroit Lions
|
12:00 am
|
Soldier Field
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Carolina Panthers
vs. Detroit Lions
|
1:00 pm
|
Bank of America Stadium
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Tennessee Titans
|
12:30 am
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. Minnesota Vikings
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Indianapolis Colts
vs. Detroit Lions
|
1:00 pm
|
Lucas Oil Stadium
|
|
|
Detroit Lions
vs. New Orleans Saints
|
1:00 pm
|
Ford Field
|
|
|
Green Bay Packers
vs. Detroit Lions
|
12:00 am
|
Lambeau Field
|
| More Detroit Lions News: |
| The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed third-round draft choice CB Stanley Wilson to a three-year deal. Additional terms of Wilsons contract were not disclosed.
Wilson, 5-11, 189, was taken by the Lions 72nd overall after starting 27 games over the last three years at Stanford. Wilson comes to Detroit following a senior season in which he recorded 54 tackles, five pass deflections and one interception that was returned for 51 yards against Washington en route to earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades. In total, he finished his career with 115 tackles (85 solo), five interceptions for 103 return yards, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 17 pass breakups. During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Wilson started in 18 of 22 games for the Cardinal. In those two seasons, Wilson recorded 59 tackles, 12 pass breakups and three interceptions. As a sophomore Wilson started in all 11 games and led the team with six passes defended. Known for his speed, Wilson also excelled on the track team. He anchored Stanfords 4x100-meter relay team that broke the long-standing school record in the event with a time of 39.71 seconds, in addition to threatening several other school records. As a senior at Bishop Montgomery (Carson, Calif.) High, Wilson starred at CB and RB as he racked up over 1,200-yards along with 16 touchdowns to earn first-team All CIF Division VII honors. Defensively, he recorded 40 tackles and one interception and was a member of the Los Angeles Times All-Star Team as a CB. |