Roundup: Cowboys Test Brady, but He Has an Answer

Against Tom Brady, that was a risky strategy, and it cost the Cowboys a victory.

The Cowboys went conservative on their final possession, running the ball three straight times to wind down the clock before punting the ball back to New England. Brady got the ball with 80 yards to go and 2 minutes 31 seconds left, and he swiftly moved the Patriots downfield for the winning touchdown and a 20-16 victory.

“We are up here on their field and we knew what the odds were, so we flipped a coin and it came up against us,” the Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.

After Dan Bailey kicked a 26-yard field goal to break a 13-13 tie with 5:13 left, Dallas forced Brady and New England (5-1) to go three-and-out. Getting the ball back at their 28 with 3:36 left, the Cowboys (2-3) had three rushing plays and a false start before punting the ball back.

That gave Brady one more chance, and he delivered — hitting Aaron Hernandez in the middle of the end zone from 8 yards.

Dallas, coming off a bye week, made things hard on Brady, sacking him three times and intercepting two of his passes. But on the final 80-yard drive, Brady completed eight of nine passes for 78 yards.

Packers Stay Unbeaten

The Packers beat the visiting Rams, 24-3, and at 6-0 became the last remaining unbeaten team in the league. But that did not mean they were happy. “It’s a feeling of minor disappointment, I think, in that locker room,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who passed for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns. Packers Coach Mike McCarthy had a mixed reaction to the victory. He bristled at questions about the offense being shut out in the second half — “the last time I checked, when you win by three touchdowns, that’s a pretty significant win” — but acknowledged that the team wasn’t anywhere near where it wants to be.

¶ Using four interceptions from their defense and the strong running of LeSean McCoy, the visiting Eagles beat the Redskins, 20-13, to buoy their hopes in the increasingly wide open N.F.C. East. The Eagles (2-4) raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead and picked off Rex Grossman four times, prompting Washington Coach Mike Shanahan to answer the fans’ chants of “We want Beck!” by giving John Beck his first regular-season appearance since 2007. Beck got the Redskins (3-2) back into the game with a 2-yard quarterback draw to cap an 80-yard drive that pulled Washington to 7 points behind with 2 minutes 44 seconds remaining. But the Eagles ran out the clock with the tail end of a 28-carry, 126-yard day from McCoy.

Steelers and Ravens Win

Host Pittsburgh narrowly avoided a stunning collapse in a second straight win that hardly felt like one, but the Steelers held on to beat the Jaguars, 17-13. Pittsburgh (4-2) managed only 70 yards in the second half and let the Jaguars (1-5) hang around until the final play. Making matters worse, the Steelers removed the All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu from the game in the fourth quarter after he had what Coach Mike Tomlin called “concussionlike symptoms.”

¶ Joe Flacco passed for 305 yards and ran for a score, Billy Cundiff kicked five field goals, and the host Ravens pulled away to a 29-14 victory over the Texans. Baltimore (4-1) held Houston (3-3) scoreless over the final 21 minutes and limited running back Arian Foster to 49 yards on 15 attempts.

¶ Cornerback Nate Clements blocked a late field-goal attempt that would have tied the score, and Carlos Dunlap returned a fumble 35 yards for the clinching score with 2:22 to go, giving the Bengals a 27-17 win over the Colts and sending Indianapolis (0-6) into another week of wondering when it is going to win. The Bengals (4-2) matched their win total from last season.

Tribute to Raiders’ Davis

Jacoby Ford returned a kickoff 101 yards and Kevin Boss caught a 35-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal to lead the Raiders to a 24-17 victory over the Browns in their first home game since the death of their longtime owner Al Davis. It was an emotional day, with many old-time Raiders coming back to honor Davis, who died Oct. 8 at 82. The most poignant moment came during a halftime ceremony with dozens of former players standing in a circle around the Raiders emblem at midfield as the former coach John Madden lighted a caldron in a corner of the stadium.

In Other Games

Josh Freeman passed for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, Earnest Graham rushed for 109 yards in place of the injured starter LeGarrette Blount, and the Buccaneers outlasted the visiting Saints, 26-20. The win pulled the Bucs (4-2) into a first-place tie with the Saints in the N.F.C. South. Drew Brees became the first passer to have four consecutive 350-yard games, but he also threw three interceptions.

¶ Devin Hester had a 48-yard touchdown catch and scored on a career-best 98-yard kickoff return before leaving with a chest injury, and the Bears routed the visiting Vikings, 39-10. Minnesota (1-5) benched quarterback Donovan McNabb in the fourth quarter, sending in Christian Ponder to mop up.

¶ Michael Turner ran for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns, Matt Ryan scored the tie-breaking touchdown with seven minutes remaining, and Corey Peters came up with a huge interception that helped the Falcons seal a 31-17 victory over the Panthers in Atlanta. Led by Turner, the Falcons (3-3) ran the ball 35 times — 13 more than they threw it. The Panthers rookie Cam Newton threw for 237 yards and scored on a 14-yard touchdown run that put the Panthers (1-5) ahead, 17-14, heading to the fourth quarter. But after Matt Bryant’s tying field goal and Ryan’s 1-yard sneak, Newton threw a screen pass right to Peters, a 305-pound defensive tackle who had dropped into coverage. The Falcons’ offense did the rest, driving 39 yards for the clinching touchdown.

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Data Points: Brady still on pace for 7,000

Published: September 27th, 2011 | Tags: Data Points, Dan Marino, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Tony Romo

Last week, we told you that five quarterbacks, after two weeks, were on pace to shatter Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards record. Well, now that three games are in the books, there still are five passers on pace to beat that mark.

Marino’s record of 5,084 yards was set back in1984. Patriots QB Tom Brady remains on pace to throw for a preposterous 7,077 yards. Meanwhile, the five names on this list aren’t exactly the same as last week — Tony Romo dropped off the pace while Lions QB Matt Stafford has entered the picture.

In all, there are nine QBs averaging at least 300 yards per game so far in 2011.

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‘Playbook’ mailbag: Best strategy is blitzing Brady

The questions keep rolling in heading into Week 3. After watching a couple weeks worth of coaching tape, we can declare that we might actually know something about the league this year. At least a little.

Keep the questions coming (at playbook@nfl.com or #askplaybook on Twitter), because there is a chance they could be answered on-air by Joe Theismann, Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger or Matt Millen (Don’t forget to join the debate on Twitter @NFLN_Playbook).

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Why does everyone believe that the AFC South is for the Texans to win? Peyton Manning is out, not their D. — Alfred Harper, Houston, Texas

First off, the Colts defense isn’t anything to write home about. They are undersized and can easily be pushed around up front.

Houston is simply a better team than anyone else in the division. The Texans have a well-established QB in Matt Schaub, arguably the best wide receiver in the league (Andre Johnson) and a potent running attack (even without Arian Foster).

What has really held the Texans back over the last few years is their defense. But new coordinator Wade Phillips has the team playing well.  We aren’t saying the Texans are going to win the division, but without Manning in the mix, this could be their year.

The Rams WRs and RBs are decent, but not elite.  And now with their best receiver and running back banged up, why haven’t the Rams done more to surround their young and talented QB with better offensive weapons? — JoJo in Maryland

The Rams have done a lot to help out young QB Sam Bradford. They went out and drafted WRs Austin Pettis and Greg Salas and TE Lance Kendricks. They went and got WR Mike Sims-Walker and RBs Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood in free agency. And the Rams expect WRs Brandon Gibson and Danario Alexander to have break-out seasons. Considering those injuries, we think the Rams might as well let this young team develop together. As an organization, it doesn’t make sense to continually bring in a ton of new guys. They will have to learn the system. You might as well see what you have with this young talent.

Where do you see the protection weaknesses for the Eagles, as they need to better protect Vick? — @tdallday

The Eagles really aren’t doing a horrible job protecting Vick. Sometimes, Vick has trouble protecting himself.

Vick is not quick to react to blitzes, and often tries to let his athleticism take over in escaping from pressure rather than staying in the pocket and making a quick throw to counteract it. Moving around in that way can make the offensive line look silly from time to time. Vick needs to do a better job recognizing what defenders are his responsibly on overload blitzes. Obviously there isn’t an offensive line that can pick up all the blitzers. Every playbook in the NFL is set up for the QB to take someone.

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Why didn’t San Diego blitz more? They gave Tom way too much time.  I like winning but everyone knows you blitz Brady! — @superbuffundo

It’s a matter of picking your poison when you play Tom Brady and the Patriots. As it is with any great quarterback, do you blitz or not blitz?

We agree, the best approach is to blitz Brady. You need to move him off his spot; you can’t allow him to get comfortable and scan the field.

San Diego decided to blitz Brady 11 times out of his 42 passes in Week 2. How did those 11 plays pan out for the Chargers? Brady went 8-of-11 passing with 152 yards and a touchdown.

The debate continues …

Why hasn’t the revamped OL of the Cowboys taken to the ground game? How can they improve? — @feafleaker

First and foremost, the Cowboys have faced two of the toughest run defenses in the league. Both the 49ers and the Jets were top 10 run defenses in the league last year and have continued that success through the first two weeks of this season.

The Cowboys’ interior line needs to improve at winning battles at the point of attack. They have been unable to generate any movement on double teams, which has hurt their ability to get to linebackers on the second level. These issues have been a huge reason the Cowboys have been unable to generate any big running plays thus far.

What makes the Redskins running game so good? — Mike, Washington D.C.

If you remember Mike Shanahan’s teams in Denver, they ran the same zone-blocking scheme and had 1,000-yard rushers almost every season. The Redskins run the same scheme, which requires a patient running back to follow three simple step: flow, plant, go.

The system requires running backs to allow the defense to flow. Then, they must use their vision to see the field and plant their foot to drive through open running lanes. To be successful, you need a mobile offensive line, and the Redskins have that. They can combo block on down linemen and get to the next level. When all this comes together, you a have fantastic running attack.

“Playbook”, the ultimate football Xs and Os show, airs Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Check the NFL Network broadcast schedule for further details. Follow “Playbook” on Twitter @NFLN_Playbook.

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Patriots Brady: “We Just Didn’t Get the Job Done”

Tom Brady, one of the goats from Sunday’s loss to the Jets, spoke this morning on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Show, and gave his thoughts on the stunning loss to the Jets which ends the Pats season after 14 wins in 16 regular season games.

“Just a rough night, rough day, certainly we had much higher expectations and we just didn’t get the job done,” Brady said. “A great regular season, but just didn’t win the game that mattered most.”

On the Jets’ defense:
“I think the Jets did a good job. They got beat up pretty good by us in the Monday night game, and then watching them play the Colts and they play a lot more zone coverage against the Colts as well, and really kept it a close game and won it in the fourth quarter. I thought that definitely crossed our minds that they’d be doing similar type things. I still felt like they were going to try to match up with our receivers, and they did some of that.”

On the Patriots’ offense:
“Scoring points ultimately comes down to, if you’re not making big plays, comes down to consistent plays and we didn’t do that as an offensive unit.”

On throwing his first interception in three months and difficulty passing:
“The interception on the screen pass was just … you never imagine that happening. And the other one, I think what happens is we drop balls, that’s part of playing receiver, we had a third down play there we could have executed better as well, but you’re right, to have two pretty efficient drives to start the game and really only come out of it with three points, was really, I think gave them a lot of fuel…”

“We certainly added fuel to their fire … They played very well, and I’ve been racking my brain all night last night, realizing all the different things I wish I would have done better, but that’s why they won. That’s why they’re moving on.”

On mistakes
“They pretty much played without any errors and we made our fair share.”

“I think the difference was, they didn’t made any mistakes. They didn’t have any penalties. They didn’t have any turnovers. They played well in field position. They didn’t give up any big plays on defense. And the last game they gave up some big plays against us, a couple of 50 yard gains, a couple of 20 yard gains for touchdowns. I think they really came into this game saying we’re not going to give up those plays when we blitz. We understand there are going to be times when they play man coverage, but I thought they mixed their zones in, and there was some pretty tight coverage in the zones. That was the game plan.”

“I think they wanted to say, ‘here’s what we’re going to do,’ we’re going to play just very similar to the way they played the Colts. We had our opportunities, but we’re not going to win games if we turn the ball over, we can’t make critical plays in critical situations. You’re not going to win those games. Obviously, it’s tough to get over. We will get over it but not for some time.”

On the Patriots’ running game:
“I thought we ran the ball well at times, we really tried to stay balanced. When they had their little guys on the field, we were running the ball a little bit, when they had their big guys on the field, we were trying to take advantage of throwing it. We weren’t effective enough in our play-action pass in making big gains out there to take them out of what they’ were doing, and I think more so than anything, that’s what it came down to.

“I was driving home last night and I said, ‘God, we just never put any pressure on them.’ And when you’re playing at home, and you have a great advantage of playing at home, you really gotta take advantage of those situations, and we didn’t do a very good job of that.”

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Brady denies that he had the flu

Published: January 17th, 2011 | Tags: Tom Brady, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pat Kirwan

Did Patriots QB Tom Brady have the flu?

Brady was caught on camera sniffing ammonia cartridges just moments before kickoff of the team’s AFC divisional playoff game loss to the Jets. The act not only caught the curiosity of fans, but tipped off NFL.com analyst Pat Kirwan that Brady was probably under the weather.

“Tom looked like he had the flu,” Kirwan said during his weekly NFL.com chat. “His body language between series was not his typical animated self. [CBS analyst] Boomer Esiason and I watched him closely and we both felt he might have been ill. There were plenty of times when he looked like he was hunched over on the sideline.

“It’s no excuse for losing, just an observation. Watch the replay of the game. He also looked like he was sweating a lot during the game — his uniform was drenched.”

But Brady appeared on the Dennis & Callahan Show on WEEI on Monday morning and put the matter to rest. Or at least he denied that he was sick.

“I didn’t have the flu,” Brady said. “I felt fine. I’ve been dressing warmer as the season’s gone on. I felt fine.”

But what is with the whole deal about the ammonia?

“We all do it,” Brady said. “It’s kind of a receiver and quarterback thing.”

Brady claims that he was fine for the game, but you can believe that most Patriots fans — wait for it — felt sick after the loss.

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Brady (gasp) throws interception

Published: January 16th, 2011 | Tags: Tom Brady, AFC Divisional Playoffs, Alge Crumpler, David Harris, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Nick Folk, Tom Brady

The opening minutes of Sunday’s divisional playoff game brought us something we hadn’t seen in quite some time: A Tom Brady interception.

Brady floated a short screen pass intended for BenJarvus Green-Ellis that landed in the hands of David Harris. Brady’s turnover ended his streak of 339 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. His last was in Week 6 against the Ravens.

The play initially looked like a pick-six for Harris and the first momentum-changing moment of the game. But he was caught from behind after an amazing effort from veteran TE Alge Crumpler, who doesn’t resemble someone who should be catching anyone from behind. Crumpler saved the potential touchdown, and the Jets failed to get anything from Brady’s interception when Nick Folk couldn’t connect on a 30-yard field goal attempt.

If points are tough to come by in this game, it will be a critical blown opportunity for the Jets.

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Brady: MVP award ‘doesn’t make a lot of sense’

Published: December 27th, 2010 | Tags: Tom Brady, Michael Vick, NFL MVP

It has become clear over the last several weeks that the NFL MVP race turned into a two-man sprint. Tom Brady and Michael Vick.

There’s an argument that Brady cemented the award with his performance in Week 16, setting an NFL record with 319 consecutive passes without an interception. But that could have been argued three weeks ago. And Vick, deservedly so, also has his supporters. Because of their performances each week, this conversation seems to sway toward the player who most recently took the field. So maybe minds will change again Tuesday night.

While we found out last week who Vick would vote for, Brady was asked for his take during his weekly radio appearance Monday.

“My feeling, as always, is the most valuable player award in a team sport, to me that doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Brady told WEEI Radio. “I can understand you have a most valuable golfer or something like that. Michael Vick is a great player, and he’s the best player for that team. He fits what they do well. Peyton Manning fits what his team does well.

“Unfortunately, it’s really a quarterback award, not a lot of other great  players get that recognition, which they probably should. There are so many great players in the league. You know, I guess it’s something they have to do. The only award I ever cared about is a Super Bowl ring.”

Without making a complete distinction off one simple question, it’s telling the way Brady formulates answers about his personal achievements. The mark of a leader has been aptly described as one who deflects praise and accepts criticism. That’s what we see repeatedly from Brady.

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Suggs: Brees is better than Brady, Manning

Published: December 16th, 2010 | Tags: Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady

Fairly or not, the debate over who is the NFL’s best quarterback generally focuses on two names: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Drew Brees usually follows somewhere after that.

But for Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs, those names are listed out of order. In the great quarterback debate, Suggs believes Brees is the one at the top of the list.

“Well, in my eyes he’s better,” Suggs said when asked if Brees presents the same challenges as Brady and Manning, according to The Baltimore Sun. “Maybe it could be my personal vendetta against the other guys, but he’s definitely one of the premier quarterbacks in this league, and he’s got the numbers to prove it. And not only that, he’s got the hardware to prove it.”

Suggs suggests his personal bias, which could very well stem from his trash talk with Brady via the media earlier this season.

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Post Mortem: Can it be Brady again?

Did Week 14 seem to overpromise some great weather games and then underdeliver? Like “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” And the only weather game we got was a blowout. But it was the start of the fantasy playoffs for most of you, so let’s search through the wreckage.

Fantasy player of the week
Patriots QB Tom Brady again? Absolutely. The Patriots could certainly have been in store for a letdown coming off a huge win over the rival Jets, and traveling to play the — what we thought were — tough Bears. Battling through the snow was not a surprise; Brady has done it before. But Brady made one of the best teams in the NFC look ridiculous at home in the process. Again, to reiterate, Brady is a must-start fantasy quarterback and the only QB I would start over Brady is Eagles QB Michael Vick.

By the numbers
Seventy-two. That was the point total of my running backs, Michael Turner and Darren McFadden, for my team, the Benson Burner. The only problem — my squad was on a bye week. Not that it was really a problem. Some of you likely had huge performances from your guys on a bye for the playoffs, but one of our video producers/editors put it best: just pretend you were playing this week and that you won. That will not make it any easier if they struggle next week, but it helps right now.

Not to brag, but Andre Johnson also had a huge week for me on the bye. Can I just carry that over? This team is looking at a 50-point performance next week, right?

Thank you for stopping by
Broncos QB Kyle Orton, hate to tell you this, but Cardinals kicker Jay Feely had more touchdowns than you. That late-season swoon for Orton is happening, and not even a great matchup against the Cardinals can stop it. Orton might have got you to the playoffs, but if you played him this week, you are likely out.

Rule changes that need to happen
Should kickers be banned in fantasy football? I have long advocated banishing kickers, because you just cannot predict what they are going to do. But watching Feely score that fluke touchdown to give those gift points has me changing my mind. We might need to review this over the offseason.

Rule change that should never happen
Team quarterbacks. Don’t do it.

Best player nobody was playing
San Francisco QB Alex Smith led all fantasy football signal callers in points on Sunday. Maybe that will be enough for the 49ers to hold on to him next season. And really, do we have to credit the genius of coach Mike Singletary for making the move at quarterback? He was the only one with the stones to start Smith.

Worst player nearly everybody was playing
Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe couldn’t go scoreless again could he? Oh boy.

You just made the list, buddy
Cardinals RB Beanie Wells has surprisingly never made the list. But it has become clear that he is not going to make a fantasy impact this season. And to be honest, there is a chance he might not ever be able to make one.

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Post Mortem: Brady is better fantasy QB than Peyton

The Patriots have finally stopped scoring on the Jets, so let’s put Week 13 under the microscope.

Fantasy superstar

We’ve all known for years that Patriots Tom Brady was a better real quarterback than the Colts’ Peyton Manning. But right now, probably for the first time since 2007, Brady is the better fantasy option, too. It’s one thing to praise Brady after he destroys the Lions. However, his performance against the once vaunted Jets defense was rather impressive. To bring in some real football knowledge, the Patriots have beaten the Steelers, Colts and Jets in rather impressive fashion. Unless you have Packers QB Aaron Rodgers or Eagles QB Michael Vick, you need to have Brady in your lineup regardless of the matchup.

Yeah, that goes for me, too.

Rule change that needs to happen

Nearly every league does negative points for interceptions. But how about negative six points for every interception that is returned for a touchdown? Imagine how much worse Manning would be if that rule existed on Sunday. If only I knew somebody in the NFL fantasy department who could make that happen …

Why did you even put on your shoulder pads?

Hey, rookie RB Ryan Mathews was healthy and did not play at all in Week 13. Well, if you want to look at the bright side, you probably will have no problem getting Mathews in your draft next year.

Fool’s gold

Is anybody else buying Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch right now? Me either.

He’s not a machine

The world seems different when Browns RB Peyton Hillis does not score a touchdown. But don’t worry, you big lug, nobody can stay mad at you.

Best player nobody was playing

Lions QB Drew Stanton outscored Manning, Chargers QB Philip Rivers and Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. Not sure if he was the better dancer, though.

Worst player everybody was playing

For the second consecutive week, RB Chris Johnson was a no-show for the Titans and your fantasy team. Best part for me? Johnson’s demise meant my rival, Jimmy, will not make the fantasy playoffs this season.

Coaches, you cannot trust them

Saints coach Sean Payton told NFL Network’s Kara Henderson that he was going to get the ball to RB Reggie Bush early and often against the Bengals. Final tally: Bush had five rushing attempts and three receptions. Rookie RB Chris Ivory had 15 rushing attempts for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Why do coaches do this? Did Payton think that the coaches were watching NFL Network and they were going adjust their defensive game plan?

Payton has told reporters that he will continue to go to Ivory. Yeah, right. We’ve heard that one before. Sounds to me like some Super Bowl-winning coach is itching to get on ‘the list.’

You just made the list, buddy

Redskins WR Santana Moss is awful. He was outscored by WR Anthony Armstrong this week. You would have to be an ardent West Texas A&M fan to recognize Armstrong’s name. The whole Redskins offense is struggling. Wasn’t Mike Shanahan once an offensive guru? That seems so long ago.

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Pats QB Brady questionable, but don’t panic

Published: November 24th, 2010 | Tags: Brian Hoyer, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Tom Brady

The Patriots listed QB Tom Brady (foot, shoulder) as questionable for Thursday’s game at Detroit, but fantasy enthusiasts should not panic.

The Patriots are most likely being cautious with Brady on a short week, which includes holding him out of practice. Brady often makes a cameo on the injury report, anyway. Seriously, do you think the Detroit coaching staff is going to spend a large portion of Wednesday night looking at film of QB Brian Hoyer?

Brady has a great fantasy matchup against the Lions and he ranks third among quarterbacks over the last four weeks. So even if you are leaving for a Thanksgiving feast in a remote location that is without internet access, you should feel safe leaving Brady in your lineup.

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy LIVE.

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Patriots’ Brady active as expected vs. Lions

Published: November 25th, 2010 | Tags: Detroit Lions, Fred Taylor, Jahvid Best, New England Patriots, Tom Brady, Week 12 inactives

Tom Brady will start in the Patriots’ Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Lions.

The quarterback missed practice Wednesday because of foot and shoulder injuries and was listed as questionable on New England’s final injury report.

Patriots RB Fred Taylor is active for the first time since injuring his toe in Week 3. He was limited in practice this week and listed as questionable on the injury report.

For the Lions, rookie RB Jahvid Best will be active. The Lions’ leading rusher (382 yards) and third-leading receiver (50 receptions) has battled turf toe injuries all season. He practiced on a limited basis for the second day in a row Wednesday and was listed as probable on the injury report.

DE Cliff Avril (quadricep), LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee), C Dylan Gandy (calf) and DT Corey Williams (shoulder) were all listed as questionable on the injury report but will be active.

Full inactives list:

Patriots
DL Brandon Deaderick
OT Mark LeVoir
OL Rich Ohrnberger
G Stephen Neal
WR Taylor Price
DT Myron Pryor
CB Jonathan Wilhite
DL Mike Wright

Lions
Zac Robinson (No. 3 QB)
K Jason Hanson
QB Matthew Stafford
OT Jason Fox
DE Willie Young
TE Tony Scheffler
DE Lawrence Jackson
G Donald Thomas

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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