Lions Urged to Consider Reunion With Former Starting Defensive Back
Fortunately, the Detroit Lions received a great update on injured cornerback Terrion Arnold on Tuesday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported a second opinion indicated Arnold’s shoulder injury is not season-ending. Furthermore, Arnold could only need about a month to recover.
That prognosis means the Lions might be less inclined to add another cornerback. However, if Arnold lands on injured reserve, a cornerback addition for Detroit still makes sense. In addition to Arnold, Lions cornerbacks Ennis Rakestraw, D.J. Reed and Khalil Dorsey also have injured.
SI on Lions‘ Emmett Matasovky named seven external cornerback options for the Lions to consider. One of the more intriguing possibilities Matasovky proposed was former Detroit defensive back Jerry Jacobs.
“Jacobs is another veteran with experience in Detroit, playing during the first three years of the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell era,” wrote Matasovky.
He started 12 games for the Lions during their NFC Championship appearance year in 2023, picking off three passes. However, that year, Jacobs has not appeared in a regular season game since.
“He spent all of 2024 out of football, too. However, he has stayed in shape for football, as the Cowboys and Colts have each worked him out since June.
His 12 starts in 2023 were a career high for Jacobs. However, he lost his starting role after Week 14 of that season. Jacobs then barely played in the final four games and didn’t dress for any of the team’s playoff matchups.
Since then, Jacobs has spent time with the Los Angeles Rams. But he hasn’t appeared in another NFL game since 2023. The Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts didn’t sign him to contracts following his workouts with those teams.
Why the Lions Could Sign CB Jerry Jacobs
Based on Schefter’s report, Arnold could return by Halloween. That makes the urgency for the Lions to add a cornerback much lower than originally expected to begin this week.
So, if the team adds a defensive back, it would make sense that he has experience but is also a veteran that could play a reserve role when Arnold returns.
As long as he is still in football shape, Jacobs fits that mold. He has started 29 NFL games, all of which came with the Lions. Jacobs is familiar with Detroit’s defensive system and could probably contribute immediately (if in shape).
In 15 games during 2023, he posted 55 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss. Jacobs also had eight pass defenses and three interceptions.
In addition to Jacobs, Matasovsky named former Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson a potential external cornerback option for Detroit. But on Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens signed Gardner-Johnson.
Cornerbacks DiCaprio Bootle, Cameron Dantzler, Melvin Smith Jr., Fabian Moreau and Tre Hawkins were the other external candidates that made Matasovsky’s list.
Drake Maye Explains Big Pass That Keyed Patriots Week 2 Win
The game tape won’t be heading out to Canton, for sure, but somehow, the Patriots managed to grind out a 33-27 win over the Dolphins to move to 1-1, in a showdown between two strikingly mistake-prone teams. It’s the first win of the year for quarterback Drake Maye, and the first win as Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, a pairing the franchise is hoping will lead it to a bright future.
There were 22 penalties in the game, some with incredibly poor timing, as well as two missed extra-point attempts from the Patriots, eight sacks, a fumbled snap on a shotgun from Garrett Bradbury to Maye, back-to-back special teams breakdowns that led to a Dolphins punt-return touchdown followed on the next play by a Patriots kick-return touchdown, a Patriots incomplete pass on a second down as they were trying to run out the clock … so it went.
But there were the moments when Maye looked sharp, and indeed, he finished the game with 19 completes on 23 attempts for 230 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He was efficient and though the team was scattered a time, Maye had much better control of his bunch than his opponent, $212 million veteran Tua Tagovailoa.
Drake Maye’s Wheel Route to Rhamondre Stevenson
There was one play in particular when Maye grabbed hold of a game that was going sideways. The Patriots, after leading for the whole first half, allowed two field goals to the Dolphins to fall behind, 20-15, the same sort of third-quarter lull that doomed them against the Raiders in Week 1.
Facing a third-and-3 from his own 24, Maye stepped up in the pocket and lofted a deep pass to Rhamondre Stevenson, who was on a wheel route out of the backfield. Maye placed the ball perfectly ahead of Stevenson, who caught it in stride near the 50 and barreled ahead to the Dolphins 21, setting up a touchdown that returned New England to the lead (23-20) and changed the trajectory of the game.
Maye explained what went into the play after the game.
“Just trusting him,” he said. “I think we throw those kind of routes all the time in practice. We work on them, I throw those to him after practice, we work on catching them over the shoulder. I thought I overthrew it at first, and he made a great play. I thought he’d score on it. I thought all three backs made an impact today.”
Patriots Running Backs Excel
Indeed, after slow going in Week 1, the Patriots running game looked better against Miami, as the three backs–Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson (who had the 90-yard kick return for a touchdown)–went for 91 yards on 19 carries, 48 yards per attempt.
Stevenson caught all five passes thrown to him, for 88 yards. Henderson caught two passes (on two targets) for 15 yards each.
Generally, the Patriots did a better job of pushing the ball north-south, rather than side-to-side.
“Trying to keep the defense honest,” Maye said. “They play a lot of zone so, matching routes, keep them honest. Those guys did a great job making lanes and cutting down rush lanes.”
Patriots Start Fast Under Maye
The Patriots did come out swinging, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives, one on an eight-yard pass to Mack Hollins and one on a 16-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte. They scored on all three first-half possessions.
“We were preaching all week, start fast,” Maye said. “We did that, and we knew they could respond, and they responded well. We have to come out of the half better. We got a three-and-out. We’ve got to keep drives going in the second half.”
But ultimately, Maye stayed in control.
“I try to stay cool and calm in the huddle,” he said. “Those guys respond to me, so I can fire them up. I feel like that’s my mindset every week.”
