AP source: Mike LaFleur out as Jets' offensive coordinator
Mike LaFleur is out as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets after two disappointing and mostly non-productive seasons on offense, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. LaFleur's future with the team was uncertain after Zach Wilson struggled mightily in his second season and the offense was among the worst in the NFL for two straight years. There was increasing speculation LaFleur could be on the way out after Robert Saleh's Jets finished 7-10 with a season-ending six-game losing streak.
news.yahoo.comSnap counts, PFF grades: Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson fuels stingy run defense
Detroit Lions prized rookie defender Aidan Hutchinson isn’t slowing down, with his second consecutive game as the team’s highest-graded defender from Pro Football Focus. Hutchinson helped fuel Detroit’s dominant run defense, which held the Jets to only 50 rushing yards on 22 attempts and a long of 6 yards in Week 15. Hutchinson finished with five tackles, including one for loss, while generating two pressures and four PFF run stops (“tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense”). The Lions hit Jets quarterback Zach Wilson 10 times, including six tackles for loss from the front seven. -- Evan Brown was back out there with the rest of the starting offensive line for all 68 snaps.
mlive.comLions’ James Houston matches NFL record with 4-game sack streak to open career
“I don’t know too much about the history, but that’s a great (honor),” Houston told MLive after the 20-17 win against New York. “I’m honored, I’m grateful. “That’s why I play the game.I’m trying to be a team player, trying to do my job, I’m just trying to execute my job. If my job is to get sacks, I’m going to get sacks.”Houston is already in pretty good company. Dotson, one of the rookies to open his career with a four-game sack streak, went on to make the all-rookie team.
mlive.comInside the locker room: Zach Wilson kicking self for failed final drive against Lions
The quarterback is kicking himself for leaving some plays on the field during New York’s final drive, trailing 20-17 in the last two minutes. I think there is going to be some of that two-minute that I’m going to want back. How can I step up and work this pocket?’ It’s going to be one that I’m going to go back and re-watch and learn from those experiences. I’m going to want some of those plays back. This is what it is because we left one on the field and didn’t play the way we wanted to.
mlive.comWhat’s being said nationally after Detroit Lions find way to beat Jets 20-17
The Detroit Lions needed a win on the road against one of the best all-around defenses in the league in Week 15 to get back to .500, keeping their playoff hopes afloat. That’s exactly what they accomplished against the New York Jets. The Lions (7-7) won 20-17, doubling their postseason odds per FiveThirtyEight, while clouding New York’s (7-7) season with three games left. The Jets quarterback, who was making his first start in about a month, had some wild plays. FiveThirtyEight has the Lions with 42% odds to make the postseason, doubling their chances with the Week 15 win.
mlive.comInstant observations: Lions use stunning 51-yard TD pass to keep playoff hopes alive
New York called timeout with 1 second left, and had one final look at a 58-yard field goal. Wright did a great job selling the block, before leaking out for a short pass from Goff. Detroit settled for a field goal, a huge difference in a game so close. That set up a field goal that broke a 10-all halftime tie. There’s nothing about that sequence that was good, and the Lions had to settle for a go-ahead field goal that made it 10-7.
mlive.comDetroit Lions at New York Jets: 3 burning questions ahead of Week 15
There is a lot on the line in the Week 15 matchup between the Detroit Lions (6-7) and New York Jets (7-6) from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. We’ll try and answer three burning questions ahead of kickoff below:What does Jets QB Zach Wilson’s return mean for this game? He averaged only 182.7 passing yards per game with a QBR of 72.6 in seven starts. It’s not all bad, with the Lions averaging 4.5 yards per rush, 17th in the league heading into Week 15. Our gameplan always starts with the run game, and so, sure, it’s been disappointing,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said.
mlive.comJets forced to start benched QB Zach Wilson vs Lions; Quinnen Williams not practicing
But the job is far from done, and the margin for error is rail-thin heading into Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Wilson was taken with the second overall pick in last year’s draft, then led the Jets to a 5-2 start this season. The move is no surprise to Detroit, which prepared all week like Wilson would start over White. We knew he was going to (dress for) the game anyway, so we figured they were going to play him. All the things we know here.”The Jets could also be without Quinnen Williams, their monster pass-rushing defensive tackle.
mlive.comJets preparing to have QB Mike White vs. Lions despite post-game hospital trip
ALLEN PARK -- New York Jets quarterback Mike White left their loss to the Buffalo Bills twice, then went to the hospital once it ended to have his rib injury evaluated. And despite that, it sounds like they expect to have White under center against the Detroit Lions in Week 15 action from New Jersey. Ethan Greenberg, the team reporter for the Jets, reports they are preparing “as if White will start” against Detroit. White replaced second-year Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback three games ago and hasn’t looked back. Wilson hasn’t played since getting benched, with Flacco replacing White in Buffalo this past weekend.
mlive.comWhite steps in, focused on giving Jets a 'fighting chance'
Mike White has already made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Any time you step in the huddle as a quarterback and you have grown men looking at you, it means something to me, whether we’re 0-16 or if we’re fighting for a playoff spot,” White said. “For Mike, it’s obviously a great opportunity for him,” coach Robert Saleh said.
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