CBS Sports: The Detroit Lions Dismissed Safety After Defeating The 49ers.
In order to make room for expected future moves as the club continues to get stronger, the Detroit Lions made a roster move on Tuesday by dismissing safety Morice Norris. Norris has depth potential in the secondary and developing talent, despite only playing on special teams during the Lions’ 40-34 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
If he clears waivers, Norris may still be re-signed to the Lions’ practice squad despite his minimal position on the regular roster. The decision demonstrates the Lions’ dedication to keeping their roster flexible as they manage their roster over the latter stretch of the regular season and get ready for the postseason.
NFL Coach of the Year may potentially be decided by the Lions-Vikings.
Both the NFC playoff picture and the Coach of the Year contest at the NFL Honors in February might be influenced by the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings regular-season finale.
The NFC North title and the conference’s top seed are at stake in next Sunday’s divisional matchup at Ford Field, which may determine whether Kevin O’Connell of Minnesota or Dan Campbell of Detroit wins the honor.
With odds of -1600 on BetMGM and FanDuel, O’Connell is the overwhelming favorite going into Week 18, while Campbell is in last place at +750. After victories in Week 17, both clubs are tied at 14–2. In the repeat of last season’s NFC Championship, Detroit defeated San Francisco 40-34 on Monday night after Minnesota defeated Green Bay 27-25 on Sunday.
Outstanding performance, especially on offense, is the foundation of the Lions’ and Vikings’ success, but Campbell and O’Connell’s coaching work is just as important.
Providing support for O’Connell
O’Connell led Minnesota through several major early setbacks, including as the injury of starting offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw’s ACL and MCL after just seven games and the loss of rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy before to the season. O’Connell has managed the fifth-best passing attack in the NFL, averaging 243.8 yards per game, in spite of those failures.
Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who has thrived in O’Connell’s scheme and recorded career-high 4,153 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, is at the core of that success. Minnesota will record their first 15-win season in 26 years and establish O’Connell as a serious candidate for Coach of the Year if they prevail in Sunday’s crucial game.
Why Campbell could be in a better position
But regardless of Sunday’s result, Detroit’s season under Campbell’s direction could offer an even more compelling case.
With 14 victories, the Lions have already established a franchise record and are on track to reach yet another. Detroit is second in total yards (410.5 per game) and leads the NFL in scoring offense (33.3 points per game).
Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff’s career has also been revitalized by Campbell and his team. With 4,398 throwing yards, 36 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions, Goff is having one of his greatest seasons yet, despite missing out on MVP considerations. He became one of just two quarterbacks in NFL history to have a 75% completion rate in eight games in a single season (minimum of 15 attempts) on Monday, joining Tom Brady.
