Getty Matt Patricia during a game with the Giants.
The Detroit Lions have seen their plan for the offseason restart approved and now will turn their attention toward the league’s plan.
Last week, the league approved the plan to restart, which means the Lions will get things going in Allen Park this week. Not much will be going on, however. Coaches will be back in the building to start the week, and then players will arrive for coronavirus testing starting on Tuesday.
From there, it will be a waiting game to see what results the test yield and what progress the team can make after that point. When practice does get underway, the Lions will have to shave their roster to 80 if they want to keep battles between rookies and veterans and not split the sides.
The Lions revealed that they had agreed with the plan for the restart, which included the scrapping of all 2020 preseason games.
Safe to say camp this year will look wildly different than it has in the past for the team, but few folks will care so long as there is football.
Lions Camp Plan Approved by NFL
Wednesday, the Lions were revealed to be one of just 8 teams who’s IDER plan, that is the infectious disease emergency response plan that the NFLPA has approved on the way toward getting training camp going. The league has sent in 32 proposals, and currently, 24 are under review according to the document.
All 32 teams have submitted IDER plans–8 of them have been approved and the remaining plans are under review.
The Lions being in the approved stage is huge. Theoretically, this shows the team has been on top of things and has one of the best possible plans as it relates to getting their camp going and progressing safely. All of this offseason, the Lions have been solid in terms of their virtual program and it shows the team is ahead in terms of getting things going in the right, safe way.
It will be interesting to see how many of the plans get on the right track in the days ahead.
Lions Call on Fans to Wear Masks
As the league ponders what’s next for training camp, the preseason and the regular season, it’s clear the quickest way back to any semblance of normalcy is if folks mask up. The state of Michigan has asked everyone to chip in and do their part, and now so have the Lions.
The team revealed an internet video in which Matthew Stafford is shown warming up sporting a mask which has been superimposed over his face.
Please. Wear. A. Mask. So. We. Can. Play. 🏈
On Twitter, the team also made a simple change to their avatar, putting a small mask over the Lions logo’s face.
New avi looking good, @Lions
At this point, safety and wearing a mask is vital to the cause, so credit the Lions for showing the way for folks at this point. By doing so, they are being strong members of the community and showing a commitment to what’s right and the greater good.
Analyst Worried About Lions Losing 2020 Season
Most of the offseason, the team has been making moves designed to improve their roster and charge some excitement into a fanbase that is still reeling off the disaster that was 2019. Suddenly, though, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the season, and that has sone fans downright nervous.
One of the team’s most vocal super fans can be counted in that category. Evan Fox, who’s a producer for the Pat McAfee Show, thinks the Lions could be heading for what could be a historic season in which they win a playoff game if things aren’t taken away.
I really think the @Lions are gonna go 10-6 and win a playoff game this year so we need football to happen
The Lions as most know haven’t won a playoff game since 1992 and an NFC North since 1993. If they finished with a 10-6 record, they’d be in good shape to potentially win the division given what happens elsewhere. Regardless, Fox thinks that this season will be one to watch for Detroit in terms of the accomplishment of a playoff victory.
That is, of course, if the season is able to happen at all. It would be the worst kind of fate if a potentially promising Lions season as Fox describes is cut short.
With the team on the path to a restart with their camp plan, the first step of this is a positive.
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