LOGAN STENBERG

ALLEN PARK -- Kerby Joseph has returned to a Detroit Lions defense that badly needs him on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. With fellow safeties Tracy Walker (Achilles) and DeShon Elliott (shoulder) also out with injuries, Detroit is razor-thin at the position heading into a game against Justin Fields and that top-ranked rushing attack. Joseph returned to work on Thursday, offering some hope the rookie will be able to play against Chicago. Receiver Josh Reynolds (illness), special teams star Josh Woods (illness) and guard Logan Stenberg (illness) also returned to work, while Elliott, center Frank Ragnow (foot) and Kayode Awosika (ankle) were unavailable. Elliott is considered day-to-day with his shoulder injury.

The Detroit Lions keep rolling as their offense exploded in the 34-23 victory against the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

DETROIT -- Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson added another sack to his rookie-leading total (seven), drawing the top-graded game of his career from Pro Football Focus in Week 14. “Detroit feels it, they feel we’re coming along right now,” Hutchinson said after the game. The Lions held star Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to only 23 yards on 15 rush attempts. He was kept out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday, returning in a limited capacity to end the week. Stenberg was out there for all 70 offensive snaps with Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions will be without their starting offensive guards -- top four overall -- and key defenders Charles Harris (groin), Jeff Okudah (concussion protocol) and Josh Paschal (knee) on Thanksgiving. The Lions are already without guards Halapoulivaati Vaitai (back) and Tommy Kraemer (back), so things are tough on the interior of their stout offensive line. Awosika has logged eight offensive snaps since landing in Detroit. Skipper has allowed 16 pressures and two sacks across 289 offensive snaps. Awosika hasn’t seen much action, with eight offensive snaps, including one as an extra tight end on the season.

Pro Football Focus didn’t come down too hard on the Lions, with cornerback Jeff Okudah standing as one of those exceptions. Jonah Jackson was back in the starting lineup, logging all 66 reps at the other guard spot. The returning guard and Brown were docked for the team’s worst pass-blocking marks. -- Prized rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson received strong marks despite creating only one pressure and whiffing on another should-be sack. Defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor, cornerback Bobby Price and veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers received the worst grades on the defense from PFF.

And veteran left tackle Taylor Decker has made instilling confidence through the bumps in the road a top priority. Last week, Decker told MLive the story of the offensive line sticking up for Logan Stenberg in the huddle after the guard committed consecutive penalties in the season opener. But Decker said he and other offensive linemen, “we’re like, ‘no, you leave him alone. He was joined by center Evan Brown and tackle-turned-makeshift guard Dan Skipper in the starting lineup in the team’s Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders. “I think it’s really big to instill confidence in those guys going in the game.

ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye left practice during warmups on Thursday, dealing yet another potential setback to a team that continues to be without star running back D’Andre Swift (ankle) and Pro Bowl offensive linemen Jonah Jackson (finger) and Frank Ragnow (foot/groin). Left tackle Taylor Decker (calf) returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday’s session with a calf issue, but practice otherwise painted another bleak picture heading into Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. The only other guard on the roster is Kayode Awosika, who was signed off the Eagles’ practice squad this week. Dan Skipper, an offensive tackle on Detroit’s practice squad, could be another emergency option. At tight end, Logan Thomas has blossomed into one of the league’s most productive pass-catchers at that position since leaving Detroit.

ALLEN PARK -- Logan Stenberg was a tough, physical, through-the-whistle kind of blocker during his years at the University of Kentucky. And Stenberg was so ready to rip the head off whatever was lined up across from him, he jumped early. “Yeah, I just wanted to run off the ball and kill somebody,” Stenberg said in the locker room after practice on Wednesday. But he also didn’t commit any more penalties, and held up well in the run game, offering some hope better days are ahead for him. “Felt really good in the run,” Stenberg said.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions opened a fifth straight season without a win, this time falling 38-35 on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hurts’ passes in the second half traveled: Minus-1 yard, 9 yards, 3 yards, minus-2 yards, minus-3 yards, 9 yards, 8 yards, minus-6 yards and minus-6 yards. Nine passes simply are not enough opportunities to develop momentum and rhythm in the pass rush. He’s going to adjust from this, he’s prideful, he’s a pro, I already know that about him as a rookie. The Lions team you saw for the first three quarters against San Francisco last year?

DETROIT -- Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez earned the starting nod, played 46 snaps and emerged as the team’s highest-graded defender in his debut, per Pro Football Focus. Still, the sixth-round rookie is ranked fifth among linebackers with enough snaps to qualify in Week 1. Rodriguez finished with six tackles, including one for loss in the 38-35 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The rest of the offensive line was out there for all 69 snaps too. Rookie Malcolm Rodriguez was next (46 snaps), with Derrick Barnes (22) and Chris Board (31) working into the rotation.

Considering he just missed 13 games because of a pop he felt in Chicago last year, Ragnow feared the worst. MRIs showed everything was intact, and Ragnow was feeling good enough by Friday to get in a limited day of practice. It remains unclear who will start at right guard. If Sewell gets the call, Matt Nelson is expected to make the start for Sewell at right tackle. Philadelphia’s inactives: Quarterback Ian Book, safety Reed Blankenship, running back Trey Sermon, guard Josh Sills, defensive end Tarron Jackson and tight end Grant Calcaterra.

The Detroit Lions open the season with a stiff task in the Philadelphia Eagles. These two teams met last year, with the Eagles beating the Lions 44-6 on Halloween in Detroit. Starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai went on injured reserve to open the week. Logan Stenberg is an obvious candidate to fill the hole at right guard. If Ragnow plays, Stenberg would make a lot of sense at right guard.

ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow returned to practice on Friday, although his status for the season opener remains clouded by uncertainty because of a groin injury. Detroit kicks off the season on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field. His return to the field on Friday gives him a shot to play against the Eagles, although optimism would be premature. Now that he’s battling injury too, the Lions are expected to look elsewhere. “We have options.”No matter which way the Lions go, this certainly isn’t the way they envisioned opening the season up front.

The Detroit Lions needed to get most of their starters some run while taking one last look at bubble players in the preseason finale. And while it wasn’t that group’s best showing, it’s still an optimism-inducing sight to see those five together. Stenberg did himself a favor with strong showings in consecutive weeks while riding the roster bubble. Jackson was solid enough, with two attempts for 53 yards. Jermar Jefferson had a tough day, with six carries for 28 yards (with a long run of 27 yards).

Justin Jackson and Jermar Jefferson were next in line, with Godwin Igwebuike cleaning up in the fourth quarter. Jackson led the way with 54 yards but most impressively recovered from a nearly lost fumble. Jackson has 206 career carries for 1,040 yards and four scores, with a strong average of 5 yards per attempt. “I mean, I was just talking to G(odwin Igwebuike) about that,” Jackson said in the locker room after the game. Maurice Alexander was the only player to return a kick (out of the end zone) for the Lions on Saturday.

One day, he’s sacking quarterbacks. Bryant took a swing at offensive tackle Dan Skipper during team drills, setting off the first fight of Lions camp. Because in Round 2 of one-on-one drills, Hutchinson beat Sewell easily to the outside, before battling him to a draw on their second rep. All in all, yet another good day for Hutchinson, and yet more evidence that Detroit got a good one at the top of the draft. David Blough was picked off by Ifeatu Melifonwu during team drills, while Tim Boyle threw a couple passes so bad that I thought he might be throwing them away.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have signed offensive guard Tommy Kraemer from their practice squad after placing Logan Stenberg on injured reserve earlier this week. Kraemer spent training camp and the preseason with the Lions, also spending time on the team’s practice squad this season. Kraemer was the last remaining offensive lineman on the practice squad before this morning’s roster moves. They also announced the additions of offensive tackle Darrin Paulo and cornerback Daryl Worley to the practice squad. Paulo spent time with the team in camp and the preseason, serving on the team’s practice squad until a couple of weeks ago.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have placed offensive lineman Logan Stenberg on injured reserve. He’s the team’s 15th player on injured reserve at the moment, opening a roster spot heading into Week 8. In Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the second-year offensive guard was limited to three snaps on special teams. Stenberg had logged special teams snaps in each game this season, drawing four offensive plays along the way. Jackson has started all 23 games for the Lions since, while Stenberg has four offensive snaps to his name through two seasons.

DETROIT -- The final preseason game is all about getting closer looks at players on the roster bubble, with the Detroit Lions taking a long look at linebacker Anthony Pittman in the exhibition finale. Pittman, the Detroit native and former Wayne State standout, led the defense (43) and special teams (14) in snaps in the team’s 27-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Pittman is battling fellow inside linebackers Jahlani Tavai, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Tavante Beckett for work. He said, ‘coach, I feel like inside is where I belong.’ So, we moved him inside and he’s just been doing this. Had the Lions seen enough from the preseason standout or were they trying to get other bodies some looks?

DETROIT -- The Lions concluded the preseason with a 27-17 loss on Friday night against the Indianapolis Colts, extending their winless exhibition streak to eight straight games. But, well, the Lions have some real concerns there too after losing quarterback Tim Boyle (throwing hand) and offensive lineman Logan Stenberg to injuries against Indianapolis. On his second series, Blough scrambled 9 yards on a broken to play to move the chains on third-and-long. -- In addition to the Boyle injury, the Lions also lost two offensive linemen against Indianapolis. -- Cephus, meanwhile, got the Lions on the board by torching Rock-Ya Sin on a beautiful 15-yard pitch-and-catch on the second series of the game.

The Detroit Lions rested several veterans and starters in their 26-20 preseason loss in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, with the team getting a good, long look at the reserve offensive line. Matt Nelson, Jonah Jackson, Evan Brown, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Penei Sewell were the first-team group, with Brown and Nelson playing all 61 offensive snaps. Amon-Ra St. Brown was limited to 11 snaps, opening the door for more bodies to see action. Damion Ratley was back in action too, seeing one target on 11 snaps. He completed seven of 15 passes for only 44 yards on 25 snaps under center.

DETROIT -- The preseason doesn’t really matter, and anyone watching the Lions back in 2008 can tell you that. Which is the only thing that truly matters when evaluating the quarterback play tonight. The Lions think they might have mined a gem on the second day of the draft. Expect the Lions to give St. Brown plenty of opportunities in the preseason to acclimate. He’s also the only quarterback on the roster who has actually played in a game for the Lions.

The Detroit Lions have a new head coach and general manager. You’d be hard-pressed to find another organization that has undergone more change than your Detroit Lions. On Wednesday, those very new-look Lions will open training camp in Allen Park. Jonah Jackson, last year’s third-round pick, is coming off a nice rookie season at right and then left guard. One is the future of Tyrell Crosby, who held up well while stepping in for Vaitai at right tackle last season.

With all that said, though, offensive line remains part of the equation at Pick 7. Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater are both that good and worthy of the high selection. Brad Holmes and Campbell may look at their current offensive line and feel comfortable waiting until the later rounds to find depth. The team spent back-to-back picks on Jackson and Logan Stenberg last year, but only one of those names earned snaps on the offensive line. “Do we feel pretty good about where we are from an offensive line standpoint?

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions spent $45 million on their assumed right tackle of the future, then back-to-back picks on guards in last year’s draft. It wasn’t all bad on Detroit’s offensive line, though. Related: How the Detroit Lions’ draft class fared in 2020 | D’Andre Swift’s role could double for Detroit Lions next seasonCrosby has another year on his contract, and Vaitai is one year into his five-year, $45 million deal. “I think the offensive line on the offensive side of the ball is the deepest position, so it will be an emphasis to run the football and to run it efficiently,” Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn said. Brown is thought by some to be a better fit at right tackle at the next level.

DETROIT -- The Lions were already going to be without two starting receivers. The rookie running back was scratched from the Thanksgiving game against Houston because of a brain injury he was diagnosed with last week. With cornerback Jeff Okudah ruled out earlier in the week and Julian Okwara on injured reserve, the Lions are going to be without any of their top three draft picks when they try to save Matt Patricia’s job on Thanksgiving against the Texans. The rest of Detroit’s inactives: Defensive end Austin Bryant (thigh), defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand (groin) and cornerback Mike Ford (brain). Adrian Peterson is expected to earn another start for Swift at running back, although that has gone poorly since the bye week.

Colts 41, Lions 2113:36 -- Detroit Lions drive starts on own 25The Lions open with a sack, loss of 6 yards. Colts 35, Lions 2113:34 -- Detroit Lions drive starts on own 25Pick 6 by Kenny Moore. 8:53 -- Detroit Lions drive starts on own 21It’s third-and-12 after an incompletion and a Swift rush attempt moving backward. 11:00 -- Indianapolis Colts drive starts on own 29Two runs by Jordan Wilkins is going to make it third-and-2 for the Colts. 3:46 -- Indianapolis Colts drive starts on Detroit’s 48The Colts are looking at a third-and-4 after two running plays.

ATLANTA -- When it comes to inactive lists, no news is usually good news. On Sunday, there wasn’t much news on Detroit’s inactive list at all for a second straight week. Running back Bo Scarbrough, activated from injured reserve this weekend, won’t play in the Lions’ matchup with the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Lions are bringing back another corner though, with Mike Ford set to make his 2020 debut in Atlanta. Atlanta’s inactives: Cornerback Jordan Miller, running back Qadree Ollison, safety Jaylinn Hawkins, offensive tackle John Wetzel and defensive tackle Deadrin Senat.

Now an injury to center Frank Ragnow could force them into a fourth different lineup on Sunday when they travel to Jacksonville for a matchup with the Jaguars. Ragnow has been excellent since the Lions moved him to center last year. Stenberg struggled at center throughout camp and has spent most of the season repping at guard, the position he played back at Kentucky. Instead, Dahl seems like the likeliest candidate to get the call if Ragnow can’t go in Jacksonville. Cornerback Desmond Trufant still isn’t practicing on defense, which means rookie Jeff Okudah is expected to make another start alongside Amani Oruwariye.

Center Frank Ragnow has suffered a groin injury this week and was listed as limited on Wednesday’s practice report. The Lions have been able to weather injuries to Joe Dahl at left guard and Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right tackle, rather capably as well. Vaitai has since returned, although done so at right guard. But losing Ragnow could be the biggest loss yet for the unit. “I love the group of dudes we’ve got,” Ragnow said before the bye.

ALLEN PARK -- Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg are having two very different rookie campaigns to this point. The Lions spent back-to-back picks on the pair of guards in April’s draft, which was the team’s first time doing that since 1978. “He’s proven every day he’s going to be counted on. I just ask him to prepare like he’s going to be a starter each week -- like all the guys, prepare like you’re going to start. When he does get his opportunity, I know he’s going to run with it too, and solidify himself and put his feet in there.”

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions' injury woes have spread to their offensive line, where Joe Dahl has become the second starter to go down. Dahl, Detroit’s starting left guard, popped up with a groin injury on Thursday’s practice report. Detroit is also without right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who suffered a foot injury in practice last week. "We had to move him around a little bit. Jeff Okudah (hamstring) has returned to a full practice load and could start in his NFL debut on Sunday.