2016 Detroit Lions Season
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2016 Detroit Lions Season
The 2016 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 87th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 83rd as the Detroit Lions, and their third under head coach Jim Caldwell. This for first time since 2006 when Calvin Johnson was not on the opening day roster. On January 8, 2016, the Lions hired Bob Quinn as general manager. This was also the first season in over 40 years in which the Lions had an official cheerleading squad. The Lions improved upon their 7–9 record from 2015, and clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2014—the Lions finished tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the last NFC playoff spot, but won the tiebreaker based on their record against common opponents. However, the Lions were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round and extended their playoff losing streak to nine games. Offseason Re-signings Arrivals Departures Trades *On May 9, the Lions traded a conditional seventh-round draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft to the ...
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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 ...
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Haloti Ngata
Etuini Haloti Ngata (; born January 21, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the University of Oregon and earned consensus All-American honors. Ngata was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. Ngata played for the Ravens for nine seasons before being traded to the Detroit Lions before the 2015 NFL season. Ngata was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for one season in 2018 before retiring. Early years Ngata, of Tongan ancestry, was born in Inglewood, California. He attended Highland High School, where he played on the football team in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a three-year starter on the defensive line. As a senior, he recorded over 200 tackles and led his team to the state quarterfinals, following a 12–2 record and a berth in the State Championship as a junior. Ngata was named the 2001 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and a first-team ...
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New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the team plays its home games at Caesars Superdome after utilizing Tulane Stadium during its first eight seasons. Founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966, the Saints joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1967. They are named after the jazz music heritage of New Orleans and the spiritual hymn "When the Saints Go Marching In". The Saints were among the NFL's least successful franchises in their first several decades, where they went 20 consecutive seasons without a winning record or qualifying for the playoffs. They earned their first winning record and postseason berth in 1987, while their first playoff win would not occur until 2000, their 34th season. The team's fortunes improved amid the 2 ...
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Jerry Franklin
Jerry Franklin (born January 10, 1988) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Franklin played college football at the University of Arkansas. He also was on the children's television program ''Barney & Friends'' High school career Franklin attended Marion High School, where he was named the Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year and the 6A East Back of the Year as a senior. Considered a three-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', Franklin was listed No. 38 among safety prospects in the nation. College career Originally recruited as a defensive back, Franklin moved from safety to linebacker during his redshirt season in 2007. Franklin has started at multiple positions for the Razorbacks, including weakside linebacker and middle linebacker. In his freshman season, Franklin recorded a team-high 87 tackles, and had two forced fumbles and two ...
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Josh Bynes
Joshua Bynes (born August 24, 1989) is an American football inside linebacker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and has also played for the Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Auburn where he was a key member of the Tigers 2010 National Championship team. Early years and college Bynes grew up in Florida and went to college at Auburn, where he played college football. Bynes anchored the middle of the Auburn defense for three consecutive years, garnering Second-team All-SEC honors as a senior. As a senior, he recorded a team high 73 total tackles and helped lead Auburn to a national championship victory. Professional career Baltimore Ravens 2011 Bynes went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft. On July 28, 2011, the Baltimore Ravens signed Bynes to a three-year, $1.41 million contract as an undrafted free agent. Throughout training camp, Bynes compete ...
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Tight End
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be effective blockers. On the other hand, unlike offensive linemen, they are eligible receivers adept enough to warrant a defense's attention when running pass patterns. Because of the hybrid nature of the position, the tight end's role in any given offense depends on the tactical preferences and philosophy of the head coach as well as overall team dynamic. In some systems, the tight end will merely act as a sixth offensive lineman, rarely going out for passes. Other systems use the tight end primarily as a receiver, frequently taking advantage of the tight end's size to create mismatches in the defensive secondary. Many coaches will often have one t ...
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Tim Wright (American Football)
Timothy Wright (born April 7, 1990) is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Rutgers, where he subsequently opened a barbershop in 2016. He grew up in Neptune, New Jersey. He went to Green Grove Elementary School. As a teen played high school football at Wall High School. College football Wright played wide receiver at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano for his first couple of years. Schiano was also his head coach in the NFL for his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Professional career Tampa Bay Buccaneers On April 29, 2013, Wright was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On June 12, 2013, Wright was moved from wide receiver to tight end. Wright played all 16 games for the Buccaneers, starting 8. He finished the season with 54 catches for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, the yards and touchdowns tied for the most by an undrafted r ...
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Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, playing closer to the line of scrimmage than the defensive backs (secondary), but farther back than the defensive linemen. As such, linebackers play a hybrid role and are often the most versatile players on the defensive side of the ball; they can be asked to play roles similar to either a defensive lineman (such as stopping the runner on a running play) or a defensive back (such as dropping back into pass coverage). How a linebacker plays their position depends on the defensive alignment, the philosophy of the coaching staff, and the particular play the offense may call. Linebackers are divided into middle linebackers, sometimes called inside linebackers, and outside linebackers. The middle linebacker, often called "Mike", is frequently ...
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Tahir Whitehead
Tahir Ali Whitehead (born April 2, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Temple University, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Early years A native of Newark, New Jersey, Whitehead played high school football at West Side High School, where he was part of the team that won the 2007 state sectional championship. College career Whitehead played four years for Temple from 2008 through 2011. After primarily playing on special teams as a freshman and sophomore, Whitehead carved out a starting role in the 2010 season and finished sixth on an 8–4 Temple team with 56 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for a loss. As a senior in 2011, Whitehead had 70 tackles, five sacks, and 13.5 tackles-for-loss for a Temple team that went 9–4 and won a bowl game for the first time since 1979. Whitehead was named a Second Team All- MAC selection following the season. Professional career Whitehead attended the NFL Sc ...
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Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually considered the leader of the offense, and is often responsible for calling the play in the huddle. The quarterback also touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and is almost always the offensive player that throws forward passes. When the QB is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it is called a sack. Overview In modern American football, the starting quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, and their successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of their team. Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified, scrutinized, and highest-paid positions in team sports. '' Bleacher Report'' describes the signing of a starting quarterback as a Catch- ...
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Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American football analyst for ESPN and former American football quarterback who was active for twelve seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Connecticut. As a junior his 33 passing touchdowns ranked 7th in NCAA Division 1-A. Orlovsky also played for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Los Angeles Rams. Early years Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Orlovsky played high school football. "When I was younger, I would have garbage cans set up all around the yard," Orlovsky recalled. "And I would have like 20 balls and just fire them into the cans. I really had nothing else to do back then." Orlovsky attended Shelton High School and became the starting quarterback during his sophomore year. As a senior, he threw for 2,489 yards and 58 touchdowns as the Gaels went 12–0, winning a state championsh ...
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Long Snapper
In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point attempts. Overview During field goal and point after touchdown attempts, the snap is received by the holder, typically 7–8 yards away. During punts, the snap is delivered to the punter from 13–15 yards away. Following a punt snap, the snapper often executes a blocking assignment and then must cover the kick by running downfield and attempting to stop the opposing team's punt returner from advancing the ball in the opposite direction. If the punt goes uncaught, it is the snapper's responsibility to make sure the ball does not enter the end zone or bounce backward resulting in loss of yards. The majority of snappers at the highest levels of competition are specialized, meaning that they uniquely play the position of snapper, or have limited r ...
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