2020 Detroit Lions
The 2020 season was the Detroit Lions' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Matt Patricia. The Lions improved on their 3–12–1 record from the previous season, but were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following their loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. The Lions finished 5–11, and last place in the NFC North for the third consecutive season. Further, the 2020 Lions defense had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, setting franchise records for points allowed (519, 3rd worst in NFL history) and yards allowed (6,716, 3rd worst in NFL history) in a season, both marks topping the 2008 team. On June 23, 2020, Detroit Lions' principal owner Martha Firestone Ford stepped down, passing ownership to her daughter Sheila Ford Hamp. Following the Lions' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Houston Texans, both Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn were fired and offensive coordinator Darrell B ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough rivalry games between the teams, it currently has four members: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. The NFC North was previously known as the NFC Central from 1970 to 2001. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were previously members, from 1977, one year after they joined the league as an expansion team, until 2002 when they moved to the NFC South. The division was created in 1967 as the Central Division of the NFL's Western Conference and existed for three seasons before the AFL–NFL merger. After the merger, it was renamed the NFC Central and retained that name until the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002. The four current division teams have been together in the same division or conference since the Viking ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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NFL On Thanksgiving Day
Since its inception in 1920, the National Football League (NFL) has played games on Thanksgiving Day, patterned upon the historic playing of college football games on and around the Thanksgiving holiday. The NFL's Thanksgiving Day games have traditionally included one game hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and one game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966 (with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977). Since 2006, a third prime time game has also been played on Thanksgiving. Unlike the afternoon games, this game has no fixed teams. In 2022, the NFL branded the Thanksgiving games as the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration, to honor the memory of head coach and broadcaster John Madden. History The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Halapoulivaati Vaitai (born June 16, 1993) is an American football offensive guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at TCU. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was born in Texas, but his parents are from Tonga. High school career Vaitai attended Haltom High School where he played on the football team alongside his two younger brothers, who are twins. Halapoulivaati played tackle, Will played left guard, and Kevin played center. Vaitai was ranked as the 40th best high school offensive line prospect in the country and ranked third in Texas during his senior season in 2011–12. In addition to TCU, he had scholarship offers to Michigan State, Texas Tech, Arkansas, and Utah. College career As a freshman in 2012, Vaitai appeared in five games as a backup offensive lineman. As a sophomore in 2013, he appeared in 12 games with seven starts. Five of his starts were at the right ta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play their home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, located southeast of San Francisco. The team is named after the prospectors who arrived in Northern California in the 1849 Gold Rush. The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), and joined the NFL in 1949 when the leagues merged. The 49ers were the first major league professional sports franchise based in San Francisco, and are the 10th oldest franchise in the NFL. The team began play at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco before moving to Candlestick Park in 1971, and then to Levi's Stadium in 2014. Since 1988, the 49ers have been headquartered in Santa Clara. The 49ers won ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guard (gridiron Football)
In gridiron football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is a player who lines up between the center (American football), center and the offensive tackle, tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage used primarily for Blocking (American football), blocking. Right guards (RG) is the term for the guards on the right of the offensive line, while left guards (LG) are on the left side. Guards are to the right or left of the center. The guard's job is to protect the quarterback from the incoming defensive line, linemen during pass plays, as well as creating openings (holes) for the running backs to head through. Guards are automatically considered Eligible receiver, ineligible receivers, so they cannot intentionally touch a forward pass, unless it is to recover a fumble or is first touched by a defender or eligible receiver. Pulling guards Aside from speed blocking, a guard may also "Pulling (American football), pull"—backing o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Joshua Garnett
Joshua Samuel Garnett (born February 21, 1994) is a former American football guard. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Detroit Lions and Washington Football Team. High school career A native of Puyallup, Washington, Garnett attended Puyallup High School where he was a three-time all-state lineman on the football team. In his senior year, he was named 2011 South Puget Sound League Lineman of the Year. After his senior season ended, Garnett participated in the Under Armour All-America Game. Regarded as a five-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', he was ranked as the No. 2 offensive guard prospect in the class of 2012, behind only Jordan Simmons. He chose Stanford over scholarship offers from Michigan and Notre Dame, among others. College career As a true freshman, Garnett appeared in 14 games for the Stanford Cardinal, playing both guard positi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cory Undlin
Cory Undlin (born June 29, 1971) is an American football coach who is the defensive passing game coordinator for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2020 and also served as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers Playing career Undlin attended California Lutheran University, where he played football as a safety from 1990 to 1994. He had the distinction of being named second-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors in 1993. At Cal Lutheran, he was a teammate and roommate of Ben McEnroe. Coaching career College Undlin began his coaching career at his alma mater California Lutheran as a linebackers coach from 1998 to 1999. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000, a position he held through 2001, when he moved to Fresno State University. He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jeff Davidson
Jeff Davidson (born October 3, 1967) is an American football coach who most recently served as the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and is also a former player. He has also spent time as offensive line coach of the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos and as offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. Playing career High school Davidson attended Westerville North High School in Westerville, Ohio and was a letterman in football. He was also all state in football as well as all state in track & field in the shot put, where he holds his high school's school record at 60'3." College Davidson attended and played football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1986 to 1989. He became a starter at offensive guard as a junior and earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He was also selected as a co-captain as a senior. His father Jim, an All-American tackle, had been Buckeye co-captain in 1964. The Davidsons became ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Pasqualoni
Paul Lucian Pasqualoni (; born August 16, 1949) is an American football coach. He most recently was the defensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers. Pasqualoni has served as the defensive coordinator of the NFL's Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, and as the defensive line coach and interim defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. He was the head coach of the Syracuse University football team from 1991 to 2004. Early life A native of Cheshire, Connecticut, Pasqualoni attended Cheshire High School, where he lettered in football and basketball. Following graduation, he continued to Bordentown Military Institute, also lettering on the football squad, and graduating in 1968. Pasqualoni then enrolled at Penn State, where he was a walk-on and subsequent letterman, as a linebacker under head coach Joe Paterno. In 1972, he received a B.S in health and physical education, then finished his education at Southern Connecticut State, receiving a M.S. in physical education and human pe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Al Golden
Alfred James Golden Jr. (born July 4, 1969) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He is a former head coach at Temple from 2006 to 2010. He has also served for five years as defensive coordinator at Virginia (2001–2005) and five years as the head coach at University of Miami (2011–2015). He is also a former tight end for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He was fired from Miami on October 25, 2015. Playing career College Golden was a three-year (1989–1991) letter winner and tight end for Penn State, where he received the 1991 Ridge Riley Award, given annually to a player who displays excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, friendship, and leadership. As a junior in 1990, Golden played a key role in Penn State's nationally televised 24–21 upset of #1-ranked Notre Dame at South Bend. His touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter tied the score at 21 as Penn State rallied from a 21–7 deficit. Golden ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Brian Stewart (American Football)
Brian Stewart (born December 4, 1964) is an American football coach who is the Defensive coordinator of the Houston Roughnecks. He was previously the defensive backs coach at Baylor University and defensive coordinator at Rice University for the 2017 season. Early years Stewart attended Nogales High School. He accepted a football scholarship from Northern Arizona University. He transferred to Santa Monica City College after his freshman season, when he was ruled academically ineligible. He played both at cornerback and free safety. He transferred for his junior season back to Northern Arizona University. He played cornerback for the 1986 and 1987 teams. Coaching career Cal Poly Stewart began his collegiate career as an offensive assistant at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, working with the wide receivers in 1993 and the running backs in 1994, when the school won the American West Conference title. Northern Arizona In 1995, he coached tight ends and special teams at Northern Arizona ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Bonamego
John Frank Bonamego (born August 14, 1963) is an American football coach who serves as a senior coaching assistant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He has two decades of college and pro coaching experience. He played college football at Central Michigan and also was head coach of the team from 2015 to 2018. Bonamego has also coached for Maine, Lehigh and Army at the college level. He has been an assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints in the NFL. On June 18, 2015, Bonamego announced that he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer, but that the cancer was caught early enough and was "very treatable'. On August 21, Bonamego announced that he had completed his radiation treatment at the University of Michigan Cancer Center in Ann Arbor. Early years Bonamego graduated from Paw Paw High School in Paw Paw, Michigan. His father was an officer in the Army. He lived in eight zip codes –including military bases in Ital ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |