Ross impressed with practice
If Monday was any indication, the Lions are ready for Thursday night's game (8:20 p.m. ET, ESPN) against the Buccaneers. Detroit returned to practice after four days off and looked crisp during practice, according to the Detroit Free-Press. "I was very pleased with the effort, the concentration, the rhythm to the throwing game, the defensive surge at the line of scrimmage," head coach Bobby Ross told the newspaper.
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Lions not making third downs
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Even though the Lions offense has improved throughout the season, third-down conversions are still a big issue, according to the Detroit News. The Lions rank second to last in the NFL, converting 21 of 79 third downs (26.6 percent). "It starts on first down," quarterback
Charlie Batch told the newspaper. "You want to gain the yards on first down. Ultimately, you want to avoid that third and extra-long."
Crowell out 5-8 weeks
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A main reason the Lions are just 1½ games back of Minnesota in the NFC Central is their gradually improving offense. Detroit, which struggled mightily on offense in the opening weeks, is seventh in the NFC with 249.2 passing yards per game. That passing game took a big hit on Friday. Wide receiver Germane Crowell, who is 10th in the conference with 27 catches, broke the fifth metatarsal on his left foot in a non-contact practice play. He is expected to miss five to eight weeks after having a screw inserted in the foot on Monday afternoon, said team spokesman Steve Reaven. Herman Moore will replace Crowell in the starting lineup, ESPN.com's John Clayton reported.
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