DETROIT — The back end of the Tigers’ bullpen next season will feature the game’s No. 1 and No. 13 active saves leaders, as well as their saves leader from 2025.

According to Elias, it’s the first time a team will start a season with three relievers who posted at least 20 saves the previous season.

Not too shabby.

“It just feeds into the mindset of our bullpen,” said Kyle Finnegan, who spoke Monday for the first time after returning to the Tigers on a two-year, $19 million deal with a mutual option for 2028. “We have a lot of different guys who can do a lot of different things. Anytime you can get more options to throw in leverage, it’s a huge advantage.”

Finnegan ranks 13th on the active saves list with 112. Kenley Jansen, who signed last week, tops the list and ranks fourth all-time with 476 saves. They join Will Vest, who posted 23 saves last season.

“You look at a lot of the teams in the postseason last year,” Finnegan said. “Those teams, their bullpens are built with multiple guys you can throw out there in the eighth or ninth innings and have confidence they can get it done.

“The more ‘closers’ you have on your team, the better.”

Finnegan, who was only a Tiger for two-plus months last season, knew enough to supply air quotes around the word closer. Manager AJ Hinch may have a bullpen loaded with potential and capable closers, but that doesn’t mean he is going anoint any of them with that specific label or role.

And all three are OK with that.

“You just want to win,” said Finnegan, echoing what Jansen said last week. “You do whatever it takes to win. If you need me to pitch the sixth, great. If you need me to pitch the ninth, great. We want to be there for whatever matchup they think is best and have no ego in terms of when we pitch.”

Finnegan agreed to his contract before the Tigers agreed to terms with Jansen (one year, $11 million). But he was pumped at the news.

“To add a guy like Kenley Jansen is insane,” he said. “The guy is a Hall of Famer. I’m excited to see how he goes about his work and watch him do his thing. We’ll just be able to complement each other and pick each other up when a guy is down or needs a rest that day.

“It’s just a huge advantage to have those options.”

Bolstering the bullpen, both in back-end quality and overall depth, was Mission One this offseason for the Tigers’ front office.

“We were targeting impact arms that could help the team win games in different situations,” general manager Jeff Greenberg said Monday. “We got two guys with real track records of finishing off games. And we have a manager in AJ who is so good at finding ways to get the most out of these guys, putting these pieces together and using our guys in the right situations to get these wins.”

The Finnegan reunion seemed like a fait accompli. Both sides expressed a desire to run it back after the season. But when no deal was struck during the club’s exclusive negotiation window in November, Finnegan tested the free-agent waters.

“I did have a fair amount of interest,” Finnegan said. “I just tried to navigate those teams and those offers. But I knew the Tigers were going to be there all the way and it finally came together. I was super happy to be back.”

Finnegan, 34, will earn a base salary of $8.75 million next season and $8 million in 2027, with up to $500,000 in performance bonuses (for games finished) in each year. The club option for 2028 is for $10 million with a $2.25 million buyout.

“It became an exercise in trying to find alignment on something that made sense from the club’s side and from the player’s side,” Greenberg said. “He earned the right and the opportunity to see what his market was. That’s just part of the process. But throughout that process, we stayed very engaged with his representation and we had healthy conversations and we found an agreement.”

Finnegan had one of the most dominant stretches of any reliever last season when he came over from the Nationals at the trade deadline. The Tigers encouraged him to use his splitter more and four-seam fastball less and the results were immediate.

He didn’t give up a run in his first 12 appearances from Aug. 2 through Aug. 31. He barely gave up any base runners (three hits, three walks) and he struck out 19 in 14⅓ innings, earning three wins and four saves.

But he missed 19 days in September with a right adductor strain and ended up allowing six runs over his final 11 innings, including the postseason.

“Physically, I felt great,” he said. “I think the challenge was just, when you are on a roll like that, you just don’t want to stop and break that momentum. I felt like I was throwing the ball well, just the results weren’t quite as good. I am confident that if we had played another couple of weeks, I could find a way to get right back in that groove.”

Reflecting on the end of the season, Finnegan is convinced the heavier splitter usage is the right way to go. The offseason refinements will come on his fastball and slider.

“I had a huge amount of success when I made that initial change and I think there’s more meat on that bone,” he said. “With the fastball, I’ve been working the last couple of years to increase the vertical movement (ride) and make it more true so I can use it at the top and also snipe at the bottom of the zone.

“When I throw my splitter, I need to be aware of using my fastball at the bottom of the zone so it doesn’t become, like, if the ball is down, it’s a split and if it’s up it’s a fastball. It’s just finding ways to keep hitters guessing and off balance. That’s the name of the game.”

Finnegan said he feels “hungrier than ever” this offseason and part of that is leaving last season with some unfinished business.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We accomplished so much last year. But at the end of the day, there’s only one team that’s happy at the end of the year and unfortunately, it wasn’t us. The mission every year starts with winning the division, then trying to make the playoffs and trying to win the World Series.

“There were some of those things we didn’t accomplish and that’s what going to drive us through this offseason and into spring training.”

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions are taking a wait-and-see approach to a knee injury suffered by receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in Sunday’s 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

St. Brown, who was listed Monday as a non-participant on the team’s estimated practice report, was not known to have an injury as Sunday’s game ended. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he’s unsure if the injury is serious.

“We’ll know more a little bit later. This is just something that just popped up when he came in today, so hopeful this is just some type of irritation from the game,” Campbell said Monday. “That’s what I’m hoping. But I’ll know more tonight.”

St. Brown caught four passes for 54 yards in Detroit’s loss to Pittsburgh and was in the game until the very end. He caught a would-be go-ahead touchdown pass that was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Isaac TeSlaa, then caught a pass on the final play of the game, which he lateraled to Jared Goff for a would-be score as time expired. St. Brown was called for offensive pass interference on his route, and the game ended quickly after officials sorted it out.

St. Brown has tallied 98 catches for 1,194 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Practice report

The Lions provided an estimated practice report on the first day of this week’s practices before Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

St. Brown, defensive back Avonte Maddox (back) and offensive tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) were all non-participants.

The Lions had nine players limited: offensive linemen Trystan Colon (wrist), Graham Glasgow (knee), Christian Mahogany (fibula) and Giovanni Manu (knee); defensive linemen Marcus Davenport (shoulder), Alim McNeill (abdomen) and Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee); wide receiver Tom Kennedy (abdomen) and cornerback Amik Robertson (hand).

DETROIT — Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard stood at the podium last Thursday and, for the umpteenth time this season, tried to distort reality.

The question was about how the Los Angeles Rams’ rushing offense ran buck wild on the Lions in a loss on Dec. 14. And, as he’s done at many points throughout this disappointing campaign, Sheppard pointed out that the Lions’ overall performance wouldn’t have been that bad if you take out all of the biggest plays that went against them.

“You can’t play this game of taking plays away, but nobody — and I can stand on the table behind this — nobody has just lined up and ran the ball down our throats,” Sheppard said.

Then, with the league’s 28th-ranked rushing offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers ran the ball down the Lions’ throats in Sunday’s 29-24 loss. It was the Steelers’ most rushing yards (230) since 2016 and the most allowed by the Lions since 2022. In the home finale. With the season on the line.

The Lions (8-7) are now on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention with two games remaining — one Detroit loss or one Green Bay Packers win will officially end it. But whether they make the postseason does not change the notion that failure to confront reality has been the one ugly wart on this team’s face all season, and the primary reason why it’s fair to doubt the strength of the culture that has built this team.

After three and four seasons with coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, respectively, this year was always going to present its challenges. But after failing to keep the ship aimed in the right direction, this upcoming offseason feels even more critical.

Lions coach Dan Campbell opted to go with guys he trusted during a critical offseason, hiring an in-house, first-time defensive coordinator in Sheppard and hiring a second-time offensive coordinator in John Morton. Morton had his play-calling duties stripped in Week 10, and Sheppard’s defense has been one of the league’s worst over the last month.

Morton passed the buck amid struggles, while Sheppard downplayed concerns about his unit until they eventually became so glaring that it forced the Lions to drive right off the road.

In a long line of concerning trends that have emerged over the last year, chief among them is the coaching staff’s willingness to make excuses or bend reality to make things seem different from what they truly are, and it started in Week 1. In Sheppard’s opening statement after the Green Bay game, he said that if you took out a 48-yard completion and a 17-yard touchdown pass on back-to-back plays, the Lions’ performance was actually quite good.

“I’m not a math major but I believe that’s 65 yards. You take that off of (185), you’re looking at 120 yards passing on the day,” Sheppard said.

And in that specific context, maybe he wasn’t entirely wrong. The Lions’ defense held running back Josh Jacobs to 3.5 yards per carry, an impressive mark, and kept quarterback Jordan Love under 200 passing yards. But as the Lions’ defense started to show genuinely concerning trends down the stretch, this messaging never wavered.

Sheppard will tell you he won’t make excuses. He’ll tell you things are being addressed. But he’ll also, with a high degree of regularity, tell you that the biggest concerns stemming from a game are overblown, and that the stats make the performance look worse than it actually was. And now, over the last five games, the Lions are allowing 458.6 yards per game. For context, the Cincinnati Bengals have allowed the most yards per game this season at 402.8.

There’s no way to contort this one: Over the most important stretch of the season, the Lions’ defense has been the worst in the league.

And sure, they’ve got injuries. The team didn’t have All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph (knee) for more than half the season, just lost Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch (Achilles) and cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) for the year, and cornerback D.J. Reed hasn’t looked the same since coming back from his hamstring injury.

As the Lions withstood countless defensive injuries en route to a 15-2 record last season, it was easy to understand why. They didn’t make excuses. If anything, it was a mere extension of the gritty mentality that had come to define the Lions’ identity under Campbell. They seemed to thrive on finding a way.

But outside of Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal, neither of whom suited up this season, this front seven is completely healthy. There is absolutely no way to square how a defense with this much talent has so consistently come up short in the biggest moments.

Inherited issue

Now, if I can momentarily come to Sheppard’s defense: This is a defense that he inherited, and over the four years that Glenn was in charge, there were very few stretches where the Lions’ defense actually looked much better than what we’ve seen from this year’s unit. Sheppard is running the scheme Campbell wants him to, which Glenn ran before him, with the players already in place before Sheppard was promoted this past offseason.

I’ll actually tip my cap to Sheppard for being a little more flexible than Glenn on a week-to-week level. With their passing defense in shambles, Sheppard called zone coverage on a season-high 82.2% of passing plays. It just didn’t produce a winning level of defense. And really, Sheppard is just one of many culprits; the flavor of the week after a bold proclamation blew up in his face.

Campbell hasn’t made excuses for the team’s play, but his blind optimism that everything would work itself out, that all of the adversity they faced in the back half of the season would only prepare them for a Super Bowl run, that he could hire a longtime coach with very little actual play-calling experience and continue operating the best offense in the league, hurt his team.

I see the vision, even in hindsight, with Morton. If all had gone well, they would’ve had a play-calling offensive coordinator for potentially years to come. I can buy the argument that it’s a better option than continuing to develop new, young play-callers who will inevitably leave for better opportunities.

But it ultimately blew up in Detroit’s face. Morton couldn’t hack it, and by Week 10, when he’d lost his play-calling duties, he’d pointed the finger more times than one can count. Over and over, Morton would say everything with the scheme was fine; players simply needed to win their one-on-ones.

Here’s the third sentence of Morton’s opening statement after Week 1, when the Lions sputtered their way to six points before a miraculous one-handed touchdown catch by Isaac TeSlaa tightened the score in a 27-13 loss: “The bottom line is, this is about execution and the details of everything.”

Three questions in, he was asked if there’s anything that can be done to help attention to detail for an offensive line with two first-time starters and a 33-year-old center who was changing positions for the third straight season.

“Look, we’re running plays that these guys have done,” Morton said at the time. “Now, there’s some new guys in there, but the bottom line is, you’ve got to go execute and we didn’t do that every single play. We just didn’t.”

Following a shocking 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings — which, if won, would have put the Lions just a half-game out of the playoffs in the present day — he was asked what the worst part was of watching the Minnesota film.

Jahmyr Gibbs was dominated in pass protection down-in, down-out, by the Vikings’ “cross-dog blitz,” as the Vikings’ front seven made life hell for the Lions’ offense that also couldn’t get the run game going. Gibbs was held to 25 rushing yards on nine carries.

Here’s Morton on the run game: “I mean we had things for it, we had chances. Again, I’m going back, ‘Oh, one guy didn’t do that. Nope, we didn’t get it and it could’ve been big.’ I mean you guys watch the game and when you watch it in detail and everything, ‘Man, if he would’ve got that. Oh, if we would’ve done this.’ That’s the biggest thing.

“We had a good scheme.”

I’m in the camp that Campbell’s play-calling helped the offense, even as they’ve continued to put up subpar rushing performances in the second half of the season, but it’s clear he didn’t have the structure in place to handle the game-management aspects of his job.

Against the Rams last week, Campbell wasted one of his challenges on a 1-yard difference in ball placement on a play where L.A. had blown past the first-down marker. Not only was he not allowed to challenge the play, costing him one of his two challenges and a timeout, but even if it had been a challengeable play, I can’t wrap my head around why he’d take such a risk for a measly yard.

These little missteps have occurred on a seemingly weekly basis, and you can point to several of them as major inflection points in losses.

Against Pittsburgh on Sunday, the Lions were forced to burn one of their second-half timeouts when they only had 10 players on the field before a fourth-and-2. That timeout would’ve come in handy on the final drive, when the Lions were operating with just one timeout while trying to punch in the go-ahead score.

In a pivotal Thanksgiving clash with Green Bay, the Lions had 10 players on the field before Green Bay’s first third-down attempt of the game, as they were gashed for an explosive run. Then, later in that contest, the Lions’ defense was flagged in the red zone for having 12 players on the field.

Ultimately, Campbell is the captain of this ship and is responsible for the lack of attention to detail on both sides of the ball. And the Lions’ attention to detail has plainly been terrible.

Not enough contributors

Lastly, we have Lions general manager Brad Holmes. With Arnold’s season-ending injury, the Lions are getting zero offensive or defensive contributions from any 2024 draft pick besides left guard Christian Mahogany, who was the offensive line’s lowest-graded run and pass blocker, per PFF, in his return to action on Sunday.

Of the 21 players drafted since 2023, seven of them are giving the team regular offensive or defensive contributions. Four of those players are rookies, and one of those rookies is Miles Frazier, who’s a reserve player in a unique guard rotation.

Sure, injuries heavily impact these numbers. But I can’t help but notice that for a guy who preaches depth, Holmes has no problem giving up bites at the apple to get his guys. Now, as the Lions suddenly have long-term concerns at multiple positions, the Lions are short a third-round pick after trading three of them to move up for TeSlaa, and have gotten extremely little from their most recent classes.

The Packers have also dealt with injuries to players from recent draft classes, including their own third-year tight end, Tucker Kraft, who’s been lost for the season with an ACL. But they drafted 24 players in 2023 and 2024 alone, and as some have fallen by the wayside due to injury, plenty more have stepped up. Outside of the injuries, Green Bay is getting regular contributions from more than a dozen players from those classes alone.

Culture crumbling

It should be noted that everything the Lions achieved in 2023 and 2024 was because of Campbell and Holmes. Yet, the culture they’ve built seems to be falling apart at the seams as the Lions’ season goes with it.

The occasional early playoff exit is certainly understandable, if not expected. This is a league built on parity. But a completely lost season in which most of your best players are in the prime of their careers is a legitimate travesty when you consider how talented this roster is.

Again, the Lions could very well shock the world and make the playoffs. But the simple fact of the matter is that they have a .400 winning percentage over their last 10 games. Every move they’ve made has been to become a sustainable contender, but somewhere in that pursuit, they forgot to be a contender in the here and now.

And yeah, you could talk about the injuries, or the calls that have gone against Detroit in its losses, or the tough schedule and division, but those would be excuses.

Right now, the Lions — from the top down — need a heavy dose of honesty and reflection.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons held off the Portland Trail Blazers 110-102 on Monday night after blowing a 21-point lead.

Ausar Thompson added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons (23-6). Duncan Robinson scored 15 and Cade Cunningham had 14 before fouling out early in the fourth quarter.

Shaedon Sharpe led the Trail Blazers (12-17) with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting but also committed eight turnovers. Deni Avdija added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Donovan Clingan had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Portland. Sidy Cissoko scored 16 off the bench.

After trailing by 21 late in the third quarter, Portland was still down nine when Cunningham fouled out with 8:32 remaining. But the Blazers outscored the Pistons 12-2 over the next 4:20 to take a one-point lead. Detroit then closed with an 11-2 run to put away the game.

HAZEL PARK – Sometimes Julius Wilson wants the ball in his hands.

Whenever Macomb L’Anse Creuse North needed something to happen Monday, it was usually the 6-foot-2 senior guard making something happen. Whether it’s a bucket, assist, rebound or extra pass, Wilson came through in the clutch on numerous times against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at the D Zone Showcase at Hazel Park High School.

Wilson finished the night with 12 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three assists in leading the Crusaders to a 47-40 victory over St. Mary’s, which won a Division 1 state title in 2024.

The win moved L’Anse Creuse North to 5-1 in December – not a bad start for a team that lost most of its players to graduation and transfer.   

“We don’t have a lot of guys back,” admitted Wilson. “We lost three starters to graduation and another transferred. Plus, we had some key guys off our bench that graduated, too. So, I need to step up and lead this team.”

Wilson’s defense, experience, passing and shot-making abilities was on display at Hazel Park. After his team fell behind 14-10 after the first quarter, Wilson spearheaded a team defensive effort that turned the four-point deficit into a 25-20 lead at the half.

Wilson made a multitude of hustle plays in the frame, and a pair of assists helped L’Anse Creuse North close the period with a 12-2 run. In fact, it was his quick dime that set up Preston Ellul with a wide open three-pointer from the corner with 1:30 left in the quarter that gave the Crusaders a 25-19 advantage.

“We do have a young team, but he does a good job leading us and we need him to play that way,” said L’Anse Creuse North coach Kurt Wilson, Julius’ grandfather. “But I do like the way we fought back as a team after not playing so well in the first quarter. We played with a lot more energy in the second quarter than we did in the first quarter.”

Although St. Mary’s was able to trim the LCN lead down to 25-22 with 7:38 left in the third quarter and again whittled the lead down to 29-28 with 2:16 left in the frame on a jumper from Bella Matyus, the young Eaglets could never regain the lead in the second half.

L’Anse Creuse North closed the third stanza with a 7-2 run where sophomore forward James Zipay scored six points in the spurt. Wilson also scored four points with an assist in the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, St. Mary’s did close it down to 36-32 with 7:14 to play on two free throws from Kareem Pruitt, but that was as close as the Eaglets would get. The Crusaders went on a 10-3 run with Wilson’s driving layup gave LCN its largest lead at 47-35 with 1:45 remaining in the contest.

Arber Ljajcaj, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, added eight points, six rebounds, three blocks and two assists, while Zipay twined 11 points and Ellul finished with eight points for the Crusaders.

L’Anse Creuse North finished 12-for-14 from the foul line (85.8) to overcome just shooting 40.5 percent from the floor (17-for-42). The Crusaders did outrebound OLSM 30-23.

“We didn’t bring back a whole lot, so I’m pleased with our 5-1 start,” said Coach Wilson. “We brought back Julius – he’s our only returning starter. We brought back Arber, but he was only just a sophomore last year and he is playing a lot more this season. We have mostly a new team. We do have some things to work on and things to clean up. But I do like the fact that we are winning and learning as we win.”

St. Mary’s lost its top seven players from last year, including graduation loses and transfers, and the Eaglets lack some toughness according to coach Todd Covert.

“It’s a work in progress losing a lot of kids and we had some guys come over from football (late) and they’re still getting acclimated and in (basketball) shape. But I think one thing we are lacking is toughness and I think that was one thing we struggled with today,” said Covert. “I can deal with the missed shots and things like that, but they were just reaching in at time to get a rebound and that doesn’t work. (L’Anse Creuse North) does have some great size and you need to be tough and go in there to get rebounds and we didn’t really do that.”

CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) — Rashunda Jones scored eight of her 13 points in a decisive third quarter, Grace VanSlooten finished with a double-double, and No. 24 Michigan State beat No. 15 Mississippi 66-49 on Monday night in the Cherokee Invitational title game.

Michigan State led 26-20 at the break and scored the first four points of the third quarter. Ole Miss cut the deficit to 30-25, but the Spartans closed on a 17-7 run for a 49-32 advantage heading into the final quarter. Jones hit a pair of 3s and Kennedy Blair scored all of her seven points in the third quarter for the Spartans, who shot 69% (9 of 13) in the period.

VanSlooten finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Isaline Alexander added 12 points for Michigan State (11-1).

Cotie McMahon scored 13 points to lead led Ole Miss (12-2), which shot 33% (17 of 51) overall and missed 15 of its 17 shots from long range.

Michigan State routed Indiana State 115-66 and Ole Miss beat Old Dominion 86-57 in Sunday’s tournament games.

Up next

Michigan State: Hosts Rutgers on Sunday.

Ole Miss: Plays at home against Alcorn State on Sunday.

BOSTON (AP) — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle will be stepping down as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association at the end of the month and Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff will replace him.

“I guess now might be a good time to announce, I decided about a year ago that this would be my last year,” Carlisle said Monday night before the Pacers played in Boston. “This is my 20th year. My term will end at the end of this month. We’ve held our elections and the membership has made a tremendous and phenomenal choice to succeed me and that’s going to be J.B. Bickerstaff.”

The 66-year-old Carlisle is one win from the 1,000th of his coaching career. He spoke very highly of his soon-to-be replacement.

“J.B. is not only a trusted friend of mine and many, many coaches, he’s proven to be a great leader,” Carlisle said. ”He’s had to take over difficult situations in his career: interim coaching positions etc., etc.

“The job he did in Cleveland, taking that team from the lottery to winning in the playoffs was phenomenal. The job he’s done in Detroit the last year and a half speaks for itself. He’s a great leader and passionate guy for coaches.”

Bickerstaff, 46, started his coaching career with Charlotte as an assistant in 2004. He was an associate head coach with Memphis until becoming interim head coach on Nov. 27, 2017. He became the Grizzlies’ head coach on May 1, 2018.

In February 2020, he was promoted to Cleveland’s head coach after John Beilein resigned.

Bickerstaff was hired as Pistons coach on July 3, 2024.

“I congratulate J.B.,” Carlisle said. “This will be a life-changing experience for him. It has been for me.”

Bickerstaff’s father, Bernie, 81, was a longtime NBA coach before moving into front office roles. Carlisle said he’d like to see Bernie have his place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“We’re behind the scenes working trying to help Bernie be recognized by the Hall of Fame as a contributor,” Carlisle said. “There are so many ways that he influenced the game.”

— By KEN POWTAK, Associated Press

With competition present from several other top-10 Division 1 programs, Oxford used three first-place finishes to win Saturday’s Oakland County wrestling championships hosted by Lake Orion.

The Wildcats, who finished fifth at last year’s meet, entered sixth-place in the most recent D1 poll, one spot behind Clarkston and four spots ahead of Rochester Adams. That ended up being Saturday’s top-3, with Oxford taking the top spot by accumulating 279.5 points, followed by Clarkston with 258.5 and Adams with 216.

The hosts came fourth place with 164 points, and Catholic Central, whose best placements came courtesy of third-place finishers Adam Brannan (106) and Ryan Totten (132), finished just behind the Dragons with 159 points. Starting with Lakeland (157.5) in sixth place, Brother Rice (136.5), WL Northern (129.5), West Bloomfield (121.5) and South Lyon (120) rounded out the top-10.

Clarkston also came runner-up in 2024 (Adams ended fourth when Detroit Catholic Central, the top-ranked D1 team and three-time defending state champs, brought enough firepower to the tournament to rack up 294.5 points.

The win gave the Wildcats their third first-place trophy from the county meet in the past five years (2021, 2023).

The 126-pound weight class saw Oxford’s Gavin Lewis, who finished third-place at state last year at 113 (and won the 120 division at the county meet last winter), defeat Adams’ John David Quinlan in the final, 4-1. Landon Johnson defeated Walled Lake Northern’s Dillon Welling 10-0 to claim the championship at 138 pounds, while the 285-pound class belonged to the Wildcats’ Liam Samborski, who pinned Lakeland’s Andrew Neumann in the second period.

Altogether, Oxford had 11 medalists, including three third and fourth-place finishers each.

In the championship round of the 106-pound weight class, Clarkston’s Joey Hahn defeated Oxford’s Rocco Amaya 17-2, and at 113 pounds, Lakeland’s Cameron Schneider defeated Novi’s Ezra Krage, 14-3. In addition to Schneider, the Eagles added another gold at 120 pounds when Benjamin Rickard outpointed Troy Athens’ Derek Gonzalez, 17-4. Gonzalez was the lowest seed (eighth) to reach a final Saturday, defeating top-seeded Nazar Kadi of Stoney Creek by majority decision in the quarterfinals, then South Lyon’s Colin Fournier (a 4-seed) to reach the championship bout.

Photo gallery from the 2025 Oakland County wrestling championships

Hahn wasn't the only one from the Wolves to stand atop the podium. In the 132-pound final, Clarkston's Gavin Culloty defeated Wesley Honniss with a first-round fall, and at 150, his teammate, Nate Carter, defeated West Bloomfield's Christian Ausi by technical fall (18-2). In arguably the most dramatic win by the Wolves, or of the afternoon entirely, Ayden Mutter managed an escape with just five ticks left on the clock to defeat Novi's Anthony Madafferi by a 9-8 decision.

In the 144 division, Isaac Fandakly beat Lake Orion's Donovin Findlay by fall with 1:10 to go in the opening period.

Brother Rice's Deacon Macneill, who reached the third-place match of last year's Division 2 state finals, beat the top-seeded 157-pounder, Stephan Lezotte of Athens, with a 10-4 decision victory. The Warriors had another finalist in Emmanuel Shango, who reached the 175-pound final as a 5-seed before coming up short against Waterford Kettering's Jamari Powell, who beat him 15-6 by majority decision.

After Welling reached the finals at 138, WL Northern got its titlist in the 190-pound division when James Moore scored a pair of takedowns to help beat Trey Setter by technical fall (17-0).

Rounding out the championship action, South Lyon's RJ Green pinned Adams' Maxim Vostryakov with 1:12 remaining in the first period to win the 215-pound title.

TEAM SCORES: 1. Oxford, 279.5. 2. Clarkston, 258.5. 3. Rochester Adams, 216. 4. Lake Orion, 164. 5. Detroit Catholic Central, 159. 6. Lakeland, 157.5. 7. Brother Rice, 136.5. 8. WL Northern, 129.5. 9. West Bloomfield, 121.5. 10. South Lyon, 120. 11. Troy Athens, 112.5. 12. Holly, 108. 13. Novi, 105.5. 14. Bloomfield Hills, 91. 15. Stoney Creek, 87.5. 16. Rochester, 83. 17. Waterford Kettering, 76. 18. Berkley, 63.5. 19. Notre Dame Prep, 50. 20. Avondale, 49. 21. Ferndale, 48.5. 22. Royal Oak, 45.5. 23. Southfield A&T, 44. T-24. Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Troy, 43.5. 26. Birmingham Seaholm, 43. 27. South Lyon East, 30.5. 28. North Farmington, 29. 29. Waterford Mott, 28.5. 30. Brandon, 26.5. 31. Birmingham Groves, 24. T-32. Pontiac and Royal Oak Shrine, 23.5. 34. Milford, 23. 35. Farmington, 21. 36. Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 14.

DETROIT — As the Red Wings continue to string victories together and work on ending a long playoff drought, there might be something equally important going on, within the foundation and structure of the team.

A winning culture, a culture of “team,” and confidence that everyone on the roster can contribute to the Wings winning, is being formed.

Sunday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Washington was an example.

As part of the mothers’ trip over the weekend, coach Todd McLellan and his staff were intent on playing everyone on the roster.

So despite the victory the day before, McLellan scratched forward Marco Kasper and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on Sunday, as Mason Appleton, who was activated earlier in the morning off the injured list, came in for Kasper, while Travis Hamonic replaced Bernard-Docker.

Goaltender Cam Talbot got the start Sunday instead of John Gibson, who had a relatively easy workload Saturday afternoon and could have easily played two games in two afternoons.

But McLellan wanted everyone to get a game in front of their mothers.

It worked. And the culture was further emboldened.

“We preach ‘team’ all the time,” McLellan said. “That’s part of our culture. Not just the players, but the training staff and everybody (in the organization). The right thing to do was to give everybody an opportunity to play in front of their moms.

“Now, did we ice our best lineup? We did, we won the game. Some could argue one way or another, but that’s what we believe in and that’s part of our culture. We had to tell Kasp, and how do you pick who comes out? Everybody played well in Washington. Dock (Docker) didn’t deserve to come out. Gibby deserved to go back in net. But we do things as a team.

“We talked to all of those guys and they were very understanding and they were rooting for the ones that went in.

“We ask players to trust us as an organization, as a staff, and we have to pay that back to them, too. We have to trust they can all play or they shouldn’t be here. When we get into this sort of a situation, we believe in everybody that is here, and we gave them a chance to play in front of their moms. I know some would say this is the NHL and you don’t do that — but sometimes you do.”

 

Making an impact

John Leonard has given the Wings a spark since being recalled from Grand Rapids, replacing the injured Patrick Kane.

Leonard’s goal Sunday was his second in two games and extended his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist in that span), marking the longest such run of his NHL career.

“Any time a player comes up, you hope he can have an impact, and especially like how he’s been playing like that in Grand Rapids,” McLellan said. “He does have some experience, he’s played in the league (NHL) before, so it’s not like a whole bunch of nerves. He can settle in and use his tool set.

“He’s been real good since he’s been up here. (Coaches) talk about playing players and not worrying about or being afraid of putting them on the ice, John is like that. In overtime, you’re putting him out there. I know he scored an important goal, but the work he did in the neutral zone, along the boards, that’s something we talked about after the first (period).

“His board work was something that kept the whole play alive and he wound up getting rewarded. We’re happy to have him right now.”

Leonard isn’t putting any sort of extra pressure onto himself.

“I try to take it day by day, practice by practice and shift by shift,” Leonard said. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be here. Whether it’s one more game or whatever the case may be, obviously I don’t know, but day by day, try to make the most of it and work as hard as I can.”

It’ll be at least one more game. McLellan said after Sunday’s victory Kane (upper-body) will not be ready before Christmas. There’s a chance, McLellan said, that Kane could return the first game back, Dec. 27 in Carolina. Kane has missed the last four games.

Ice chips

Moritz Seider’s overtime goal Sunday was his third career overtime goal, tying Danny DeKeyser and Jake Walman, and trailing only Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall in franchise history, who both had four in their career.

… Lucas Raymond has 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in his last 22 games after scoring a goal Sunday.

… With two assists, Andrew Copp has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and a plus-11 rating in his last 10 games.

… Talbot is 4-0-0 this season while making 30 or more saves. Talbot had 31 in Sunday’s victory.

… The Wings lead the NHL with 53 second-period goals. They are 16-1-1 when leading after 40 minutes, and 8-1-1 when doing so on home ice.

DETROIT — A season-altering loss by the Detroit Lions ended in controversy.

The Lions appeared to score a go-ahead touchdown twice in the final 25 seconds of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but saw both scores nullified by offensive pass interference penalties, including one on fourth down as time expired that featured a lateral to Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Detroit’s furious comeback attempt, which twice saw them close the deficit in a two-score game, came up just short in a 29-24 loss. With 25 seconds left in the game, Goff rolled right and completed an easy touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was deemed by officials to have gotten open because of a pick run by wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

“The reporting official on that play told me that the offending player picked one of the defenders, creating an opportunity for the offensive player to make the catch,” referee Carl Cheffers said in a PFWA pool report.

Goff called the offensive pass interference penalty on TeSlaa “a bad call.”

“The one where Saint caught it and we thought it was a touchdown, that’s, in my opinion, a bad call,” Goff said. “But listen, man. [The officials] have a tough job and they make calls that go our way all the time, but that one in particular, [TeSlaa] should not hang his head about.”

Then, on fourth-and-goal from the 9 with 8 seconds left, Goff completed a pass to St. Brown, who pitched the ball to Goff right before going to the ground. Goff then leaped into the end zone for a score, but a penalty flag unceremoniously ended the party.

After several minutes of conversation, officials said that the call on the field was a touchdown, but it was nullified by a penalty for offensive pass interference. Since time had expired, the Lions did not have the opportunity to run another play, thus ending the game — and potentially, the season.

“The official who called the foul said that the receiver created separation that gave him an advantage in catching the pass. So, he called pass interference,” Cheffers said. Asked why the on-field conversation took so long, Cheffers added, “It was a pretty complex play.”

“We had the original player who had the ball, lose possession of the ball. So, we had to decide if that was a fumble or a backwards pass because of course we have restrictions on the recovery of a fumble inside of two minutes,” Cheffers said. “We ruled that it was a backward pass, so the recovering player was able to advance it and that recovering player advanced it for a touchdown. We had to rule on that and then because of the offensive pass interference, it negates the touchdown.

“Because it is an offensive foul, we do not extend the half. Therefore, there is no score and there is no replay of the down. That’s the way the rule is written.”

St. Brown, several other Lions players, and head coach Dan Campbell all said that the game came down to more than one or two plays.

“I don’t even want to get into it, because it’s not gonna change anything. We still lost,” Campbell said.

St. brown added, “The call, it is what it is. Those are the rules, can’t change them. It never comes down to one play. It’s never just because of that play. There was plenty of plays throughout that game that we could’ve made. We had calls go our way, too, throughout that last drive, so it goes both ways. We just have to execute better. We have a job to do, the refs have a job to do. We’ve just got to do better.”

Regarding the way Detroit lost, Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker said, “Ultimately, yeah, it sucks.”

“There’s no sugarcoating it,” Decker said. “We had so many opportunities earlier in the game. Games come down to two-minute drives in the league, but we put ourselves in that position. We did not play well enough, but we still had a chance to win. That’s the frustrating thing, is that we put ourselves in that position and it didn’t have to be that way.”

As St. Brown pointed out, the Lions benefitted from a fourth-down defensive pass interference call against the Steelers earlier in the drive.

“I think we had a PI on them. Jamo did, going down that drive. We got a call, they got a call. If we don’t get that PI on Jamo, that drive is over. So, some might say that,” St. Brown said. “At the end of the day, like I said, the refs have a job to do and they’re trying their best to do it. We have a job to do out there as players and go make plays. Like I said, we didn’t make enough plays today.”

Still, the shock in Detroit’s locker room was clear. Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who had two sacks, said that he’s “never seen two offensive [pass interference calls] to lose a game like that.”

“I don’t know. I’m sure there will be a discussion between the NFL (about) this game to validate or deny the calls,” Hutchinson continued. “It sucks cause there’s no changing it. I can bitch here all I want about the call, but the fact is, it’s the result.”

The Lions had several paths to the playoffs entering Sunday, but following their loss to Pittsburgh, they now have just one: Detroit needs to win its last two games at Minnesota and Chicago and have Green Bay lose its last two games against Baltimore and Minnesota.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

 

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

 

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

 

Lions grades: Must-win game against Steelers was lost in the trenches

Lake Orion hosted the 2025 Oakland County wrestling championships on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. Oxford beat out runner-up Clarkston and third-place Rochester Adams for its third county title in the past five years.

DETROIT — Two weeks ago, the Detroit Lions controlled their own destiny to the postseason.

After a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, they needed some help.

Now? Their playoff odds are all but dashed.

The Lions (8-7) were upset by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, a devastating result in a season that begin with Super Bowl aspirations. Technically, Detroit is still in the hunt. But it’ll need to win its next two games — at the Minnesota Vikings (Week 17) and Chicago Bears (Week 18) — and the Green Packers will have to drop their final two contests, at home versus the Baltimore Ravens (Week 17) and on the road at the Vikings (Week 18).

Numbers vary depending on the service you use, but The Athletic’s 2025 NFL Playoff Simulator gives the Lions a 6% chance to secure one of the NFC’s top seven seeds. That number rises to 24% if Detroit wins its next two outings. The Lions are mathematically eliminated from winning the division.

“I don’t know what all of this is or isn’t. I know we’ve got two left, and I just want to see us finish,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of the Lions’ diminishing odds. “I just want to finish, (play) our style of football with two to go, man. Try to play four straight quarters of good football. Clean football. Efficient football. That’s what I want to do.”

The Lions haven’t won consecutive games since Weeks 4 and 5, when they topped the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. They were 4-1 after five weeks, but bounced back and forth between wins and losses since then before dropping their second straight on Sunday. It’s the first time in more than three years the Lions have lost two contests in a row within the same season.

In 2024, the only question about the Lions was whether they’d secure the conference’s No. 1 overall seed. In 2023, it was whether they’d win the division. This is territory the team hasn’t been in since 2022.

“We haven’t had that feeling,” quarterback Jared Goff said, when asked how it feels to be on the outside looking in and having to rely on other teams for help. “It’s creeping in on us now. We’ve got to find a way. I think it goes back to what Dan’s message was: Are we who we say we are type of thing? … Are we still going to be what we say we are and show up to work and do the whole thing on a short week?”

Asked to further explain Campbell’s message, Goff said the Lions are going to, “Find out who we are character-wise. Find out what we are made of. We know the percentages and whatnot. We know we are not eliminated, but we need some things to go our way. Find out who we are, see if we can win these last two, and see if we can get in.

“I know we will be dangerous if we can. That’s just the hard part.”

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

Lions grades: Must-win game against Steelers was lost in the trenches

DETROIT — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Quarterback

Jared Goff was clearly uncomfortable behind some shoddy protection, being pressured on more than 40% of his dropbacks. The QB didn’t throw an interception, but four times he put the ball in harm’s way, and four times he got away with it. Goff finished with 34 completions on 54 pass attempts for 364 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn’t a difference-maker, nor was he the chief problem in a loss that neutralizes almost any remaining hope for a playoff spot. Grade: C+

Running backs

The offensive line bears the brunt of the responsibility for Detroit’s poor rushing offense, but you still would’ve liked to see more from Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery; the duo combined for 16 yards on 11 carries, good for an average of 1.5 yards. Remove a 17-yard rush by Montgomery in the first quarter, and the Lions, as a team, managed minus-2 yards the rest of the way. The only noise from Gibbs came through the air, as he caught 10 passes for 66 yards, including one 13-yard gain in which he used a nifty spin move to shake linebacker Patrick Queen, and a 4-yard touchdown with about four minutes remaining to give the Lions a chance late. Grade: D

Wide receivers/tight ends

Amon-Ra St. Brown made two critical mistakes, dropping a potential explosive gain over the middle before committing offensive pass interference on the game’s final play, negating what would’ve been a miraculous touchdown off a lateral to Goff. Four plays before St. Brown’s infraction, rookie Isaac TeSlaa also committed OPI, though this one was less obvious. Jameson Williams (70 yards) did solid work to lead the Lions, and TeSlaa scored his fifth career touchdown, hauling in a catch between two defenders. Kalif Raymond got into the end zone, as well. Tight ends Anthony Firkser (40 yards) and Shane Zylstra (20) had mild contributions, but it was better than what the Lions were getting from the position previously. Grade: B-

Offensive line

Graham Glasgow’s absence was most felt on Detroit’s first possession of the second half, when Michael Niese, filling in for a briefly injured Kingsley Eguakun, sent a low snap to Goff, who was then sacked for a safety by Kyle Dugger. Goff was sacked three times, and Christian Mahogany, in his first game back from a broken bone in his left leg, appeared responsible for two of them. More troubling for the offensive line was its inability to block for Gibbs and Montgomery; through their first three drives, the Lions had only one successful rush. Unblocked defenders on the backside of the play were a consistent problem. Grade: F

Defensive line

Aidan Hutchinson had a multi-sack performance for the first time since Week 4, but the Lions were gashed on the ground by Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, allowing running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell to combine for 193 yards on 23 tries. Two 45-yard scores were the result of poor pursuit lanes at the second and third level of the defense, but Detroit’s front (mainly on the edge) could do little to slow the Steelers. Grade: F

Linebackers

On Pittsburgh’s first 45-yard rushing touchdown (both were by Warren), Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes were cleared out of the way, and Jack Campbell, despite his best efforts to avoid his block, couldn’t get an angle on the running back. Anzalone was in coverage against Kenneth Gainwell on a play right before halftime that resulted in an improbable touchdown; Gainwell fought through defensive pass interference to score with two seconds remaining in the second quarter, tying the game at 10. Campbell recovered a fumble and was credited with at least four stops, according to live tracking data from Pro Football Focus, as well as two pass deflections. Grade: F

Secondary

Credit to Thomas Harper for forcing a fumble on enormous tight end Darnell Washington, but he struggled as a run defender, missing a tackle and appearing to crash down too hard on at least one of Warren’s touchdowns. The Lions weren’t devastated with explosive passing plays like they have been in recent weeks (apart from D.K. Metcalf beating Rock Ya-Sin for 20 yards on first-and-long), but Rodgers dinked and dunked the Steelers down the field, and he was efficient when it mattered most. The Steelers went 8-for-16 on third down, and each of those conversions came via a pass. That’s despite Pittsburgh’s average distance on those third downs being more than 7.3 yards. The secondary simply didn’t hold up on money downs. Grade: D

Special teams

The Lions were relatively unimpressive in the return game, starting three drives inside their own 30-yard line following a kickoff return, including one possession that began at the 14-yard line. The Steelers weren’t prolific in their returns, either, so it balanced out. Raymond had one solid punt return (13 yards) and kicker Jake Bates made his only field goal, knocking through an attempt from 36 yards out. Grade: C+

Coaching

Dan Campbell won a challenge in the third quarter, overturning Harper’s forced fumble that was initially ruled down by contact. The playcalling on offense felt less than ideal and at times predictable (a couple screens on third long stick out), but much of that had to do with Detroit’s struggles along the offensive line. As left tackle Taylor Decker said: “It gets to the point where, if you’re not getting positive yards on first or second down, what do you want the coordinator to do? What do you want Dan to do, as far as calling plays?” Defensively, coordinator Kelvin Sheppard pushed back this week on the idea that his unit was beaten soundly on the ground in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. There’s absolutely no doubting it this time around. The Steelers averaged 8.5 yards on 27 rushes. Grade: F

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

 

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

 

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Can the Lions still make the playoffs after loss to Steelers?

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions’ season isn’t all the way dead just yet.

But following a 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field on Sunday, the Lions’ only remaining path to the playoffs is a massive long shot: Detroit (8-7) would have to win its last two games against the Vikings and Bears, and Green Bay needs to lose its final two games against the Ravens and Vikings.

The Lions’ offense was an unmitigated disaster in the biggest game of the season, and the Lions’ defense couldn’t get a stop when the team needed it most. Detroit was gashed on the ground for 8.5 yards per carry and gave up three touchdowns of exactly 45 yards, including two 45-yard runs by Steelers running back Jaylen Warren.

The Steelers (9-6) tried to let the Lions back in it, as kicker Chris Boswell missed a 37-yard field goal in a 29-24 game to give Detroit the ball with 2:05 remaining.

Detroit marched down the field and reached the 1-yard line on a completion to Isaac TeSlaa, but multiple penalties backed Detroit up to first-and-goal from the 16.

On fourth-and-goal from the 9, with the season on the line, St. Brown caught a pass and lateraled it to Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who leaped into the end zone with no time on the clock. The pass interference call nullified the touchdown and ended the game.

Detroit’s old bogeyman, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, looked nothing like his former self, but he made every play that was required to win the game. That’s certainly more than can be said for Goff, who never looked comfortable playing behind first-time starting center Kingsley Eguakun and returning left guard Christian Mahogany.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was held to 2 yards on seven carries and David Montgomery had 14 yards on four carries. The passing game wasn’t much better; Goff was sacked three times and had little time to throw, even when he managed to stay upright, with most of his 364 passing yards coming in the game’s final quarter.

Making matters even uglier was the fact that Pittsburgh was without two of its top sack-getters, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig.

Excluding a one-play drive to end the first half, four of the Lions’ possessions ended in a three-and-out, including their first two drives of the second half. Detroit’s offense held the ball for just 51 seconds during a tumultuous third quarter.

The Lions fell behind two scores, 22-10, on Warren’s first 45-yard touchdown run with 12:23 left in the game. Detroit responded with a 27-yard touchdown by Kalif Raymond that brought the game to within a score, but a few moments later, the Steelers put together a drive that was emblematic of the collapse by Kelvin Sheppard’s defense down the stretch.

After an illegal block pushed the Steelers to first-and-20 to start Detroit’s most important defensive series of the season, Rodgers immediately hit a 20-yard completion to DK Metcalf. One play after that, Warren ran wild again for a 45-yard score.

Detroit again got within a score, using a 4-yard receiving touchdown by Gibbs to make it 29-24 with 4:11 remaining. But on the very first play of Pittsburgh’s next possession, they picked up two first downs in as many plays, including a 20-yard end-around to tight end Jonnu Smith on the first play of the series.

After the Lions went three-and-out on their opening possession, Pittsburgh took the game’s first lead with 9:21 left in the first quarter as Boswell nailed a 59-yard field-goal attempt to put the Steelers up 3-0.

Detroit nearly took a lead with 2:07 left in the first quarter. The Lions gambled on fourth-and-goal from the 3, but Goff’s throw to St. Brown was broken up at the goal line, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Lions got on the board and tied the game with 10:10 remaining in the second quarter. A promising drive was derailed by atrocious run blocking, as Alex Highsmith picked up his second tackle-for-loss when stopping Montgomery in Steelers territory. Detroit couldn’t recover and settled for a 36-yard field goal from Jake Bates to make it 3-3.

After both offenses were stuck in the mud for much of the first half, both teams scored their first touchdown in the final 1:55 of the second quarter.

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Isaac TeSlaa made a sensational effort to hang on to a pass through contact for his fifth touchdown of the season, a 20-yarder that put Detroit up 10-3.

But the Steelers answered right back on a drive in which they converted third downs of 10, 11 and 10 yards before Kenneth Gainwell made a miraculous catch while falling down to tie the game with 0:02 left in the second quarter. Gainwell, with Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone draped all over him, made the catch while laying on his side, got up, and ran the ball into the end zone for the score.

The Lions’ defense had a momentum-swinging play to begin the second half as Anzalone and safety Thomas Harper stripped Steelers tight end Darnell Washington at the 4-yard line. Washington was initially ruled down on the play, but after Lions coach Dan Campbell challenged the call, officials deemed that the ball came out and was clearly recovered by Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Only three plays later, however, Michael Niese — in for Eguakun — delivered a low snap to Goff, who Steelers safety Kyle Dugger immediately sacked for a safety that yielded the Steelers a 12-10 lead with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter.

On the ensuing possession, the Steelers traveled 64 yards in 17 plays while bleeding 9:44 off the clock, adding a 23-yard field goal from Boswell to go up 15-10 with 14:58 left in the game. The Lions held the ball for just 51 seconds during the third quarter.

Warren bought some insurance for the Steelers with a 45-yard rushing touchdown to go up by two scores with 12:23 left in the game, which came in handy when the Lions converted on fourth-and-2 with a 27-yard passing touchdown to Raymond that made it 22-17 with 8:39 left in the game.

The Detroit Lions faced an old foe at Ford Field in a must-win Week 16 NFL contest.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers made many weekends miserable for supporters, back when he ruled the NFC North playing for the Green Bay Packers.

Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers does not have the same caliber of weapons, but has led the AFC North squad to eight victories, prior to another crucial matchup against the Lions.

“I think, look, there’s a lot of short passing, ball out type of throws,” Dan Campbell said in a pregame interview with Dan Miller. “He’s been really efficient that way. But I know this, he’s finding the open receivers, he’s progressing fast and he’s not taking any hits, I can tell you that.”

Detroit has been essentially forced into playoff mode right now, as Campbell’s squad is still on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff race.

The offense and defense did not have anywhere close to their best performances in a critical game for Detroit’s playoff hopes.

After 60 minutes of hard-fought action, the Lions could not overcome a poor run defense and a third-quarter that was dominated by the Steelers, even though there were exciting, heart-pounding moments.

Detroit was called for a late pass-interference, on the brink of a game-winning touchdown.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 29-24 loss:

 

Lions veteran tight end sparks offense, but no points scored in first quarter

Detroit went three-and-out on its first offensive drive, after the Steelers won the opening coin toss and elected to defer.

Pittsburgh got on the board first on its first offensive possession. Aidan Hutchinson derailed the drive when he was able to sack Rodgers for a nine-yard loss. Kicker Chris Boswell connected on a 59-yard field goal to give the Steelers an early 3-0 lead.

On Detroit’s next offensive possession, tight end Anthony Firkser, who has had multiple stints in Motown, was targeted often. Jared Goff was able to connect with the 30-year-old on three tosses for 34 yards.

Near the goal line, Campbell again elected not to kick the field goal, opting to go for it on fourth down.

Unfortunately, Detroit was not able to convert on a fourth-and-goal play-action call, as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. broke up the pass play intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Lions’ run game struggles early

Detroit, like many NFL teams, want to establish the run on a weekly basis.

Coming into the game, Campbell’s squad was 8-1 when recording at least 100 yards on the ground. Early in the game, Detroit struggled to establish the run.

On multiple occasions, Steelers’ defenders found their way into the backfield to disrupt run plays.

Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer and Alex Highsmith were able to disrupt Detroit’s rushing attack, making life difficult for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Detroit tied the game on their third offensive possession. Jake Bates connected on a 36-yard field-goal to cap off an eight-play, 44-yard drive.

Goff went 10-of-14 for 104 yards through the middle of the second quarter and three possessions. Jameson Williams was able to record a couple of receptions early in the second quarter.

Tempo aids Lions’ offense to get into gear

Late in the second quarter, Detroit’s offense got into rhythm by boosting the tempo. On Detroit’s fifth offensive possession, Goff found Isaac TesLaa, Gibbs and Williams to move the football down the field.

Detroit was finally able to get into the end zone just after the two-minute warning, as the veteran signal-caller connected with TeSlaa on a 20-yard touchdown reception.

The scoring drive spanned six-plays and 62 yards and took just over two mins to take a 10-3 lead.

Pittsburgh had one final possession prior to the end of the first half.

Steelers tie game on fluky play

For most of the first-half, defense dominated the day. Both teams struggled to put together consistent drives, with the score being knotted at three points with two minutes to play in the second quarter.

Aidan Hutchinson was his usual dominant self, recording two sacks in the first half. However, the touchdown drive by the Lions ignited an offensive spark late in the second quarter.

Detroit appeared to have the Steelers bottled up, but Rodgers kept the drive alive with a 13-yard completion to Adam Thielen to convert a third-and-10. Two plays later, the Steelers scored a touchdown on what was a nearly indescribable and improbable play connection between Rodgers and Kenneth Gainwell.

Rodgers appeared to underthrow Gainwell, and the running back somehow found a way to corral the pass while going to the ground. He was not touched down by contact after controlling the pass, and as a result raced into the end zone.

Thomas Harper halts Steelers’ momentum to start second half

Detroit’s defense struggled coming out of halftime, allowing the Steelers to both run and pass the football effectively.

Thielan, Metcalf and Jaylen Warrren were all instrumental in assisting the Steelers move the football.

Rodgers led the team deep into Detroit territory when safety Thomas Harper made a momentum-changing play.

Harper knocked the football loose from Washington’s possession and the football was recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell.

After Detroit challenged, the officials ruled the football was knocked loose prior to Washington hitting the turf.

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

Steelers sack Goff for a rare safety, eat up clock in third quarter

Unfortunately for Detroit, their next drive after the fumble recovery started on their own 3-yard line.

Goff tossed the ball out of bounds, which was then followed by short toss to Gibbs. On 3rd-and-8 from their own five-yard line, the 31-year-old was sacked in his own end zone by Steelers safety Kyle Dugger.

After the safety, the Steelers took a 12-10 lead and marched down the field on the ensuing possession.

In the third-quarter, Detroit only ran three offensive plays, as the Steelers ate up the clock on a drive that lasted 17-plays and ate up nearly 10 minutes.

Detroit trailed 15-10 when they next had an opportunity on offense early in the fourth-quarter.

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Lions’ defense was a disaster in second half

After Warren extended the Steelers’ lead to 22-10 on a 45-yard touchdown scamper, Detroit was able to respond with a solid offensive drive of its own.

Goff spread the football evenly and was even able to successfully convert a critical fourth down.

Veteran Kalif Raymond was targeted often, including on a 4th-and-2 call, trailing by 12.

Raymond was targeted and scampered 27 yards after the reception to trim the Steelers’ lead to five, 22-17.

Unfortunately, Detroit’s defense, needing a stop when trailing by five, gave up another 45-yard touchdown scamper to Warren.

Gibbs found the end zone in the fourth quarter to trim the Steelers lead to 29-24, giving the defense one more opportunity to make a stop.

The Steelers missed a 37-yard field goal that would have made it 32-24.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

Continuing to cling to playoff hopes by their fingertips, the Lions knew they needed to win out to cash in on any of those hopes. Instead, they were run over by the visiting Steelers in Sunday’s game, losing 29-24 when they couldn’t cash in on a scoring opportunity in the waning seconds.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Freshman Trey McKenney led a balanced attack with 17 points and No. 2 Michigan overwhelmed La Salle 102-50 on Sunday.

The Wolverines also had four other players in double figures as they reached the 100-point mark for the sixth time this season and the fifth time in the last six games.

Aday Mara had 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Elliot Cadeau also scored 14 points. L.J. Cason contributed 13 points and Morez Johnson Jr. chipped in 10 as a dozen Wolverines scored.

Yaxel Lendeborg added eight points with six rebounds and a team-high five assists for the Wolverines (11-0), who are off to their best start since the 2020-21 season.

Jaeden Marshall led the Explorers (4-9) with 15 points. Josiah Harris added eight points for La Salle, which shot 28% from the field.

Cadeau had 13 points as the Wolverines led 54-33 at halftime.

La Salle took its last lead at 10-9 on an Edwin Daniel layup. Michigan then took command with a 22-2 run fueled by its defense. All but five of those points came off Explorers turnovers. McKenney had a pair of 3-pointers during that span and Lendeborg capped it with a layup after a Johnson Jr. steal and assist.

Michigan maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way as La Salle never crept closer than 12 points.

There has been just one previous meeting between Michigan and La Salle, which occurred at the 1975 Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The Wolverines secured an 86-71 victory.

Up next

La Salle: Hosts George Mason on Wednesday, Dec. 31

Michigan: Hosts McNeese State on Monday, Dec. 29.

CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) — Emma Shumate scored 22 points, leading seven in double figures, and No. 24 Michigan State routed Indiana State 115-66 on Sunday at the Cherokee Invitational.

Shumate matched her career high in points and made a career-high seven 3-pointers. Kennedy Blair had 11 points and 10 rebounds. She came up a little shy of a triple-double, dishing out seven assists.

Isaline Alexander scored 15 points, Sara Sambolic 14, Jalyn Brown 13, Grace VanSlooten 12 and Rashunda Jones 10 for Michigan State (10-1).

Jayci Allen scored 13 and Kennedy Claybrooks 10 for the Sycamores (4-6).

VanSlooten scored all of her 12 points in the first quarter, all of them in a row as the Spartans turned a 3-2 lead into a 15-6 advantage. Michigan State scored the last nine points of the quarter and led 34-15 heading to the second. They were outscored 28-25 in the second quarter but led 59-43 at the half.

The Spartans scored the first 11 points of the third quarter on the way to a 28-11 advantage for the period. Six 3-pointers, four of them by Shumate, highlighted the fourth quarter.

Michigan State is 5-0 all-time against Indiana State.

Up next

On Monday’s day two of the event, Michigan State will play the winner of Sunday’s later game between Mississippi and Old Dominion. Indiana State draws the loser.

DETROIT (AP) — Moritz Seider scored at 4:36 of overtime and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday to sweep a home-and-home series.

Detroit won 5-2 in Washington on Saturday. The Red Wings have won seven of their last nine.

After the Capitals killed a penalty early in overtime, Seider ripped a slap shot past Charlie Lindgren late in the extra session.

John Leonard and Lucas Raymond also scored for the Red Wings, and Cam Talbot made 31 saves.

Ethen Frank scored twice for Washington, and Charlie Lindgren stopped 24 shots. The Capitals lost for the fifth time in six games.

Frank opened the scoring with 5:43 left in the first, beating defenseman Albert Johansson down the right wing, then cutting inside to slide the puck through Talbot’s legs.

Detroit tied it at 8:37 of the second on Raymond’s power-play goal. The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead with 6:14 left in the period when Alex DeBrincat flipped the puck at the net, and it deflected off Leonard’s leg and past Lindgren. DeBrincat had an assist for his 550th NHL point.

Frank tied it at 9:38 of the third, scoring his 10th NHL goal with a shot through traffic.

Detroit’s Elmer Soderblom left late in the first period after being hit in the face by Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s pass. Soderblom was bleeding heavily when assisted off the ice by Detroit trainers, but returned midway through the second period with a full shield.

Up next

Capitals: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Red Wings: Host Dallas on Tuesday night.