The Lions safety reported for training camp just 6 days after becoming a father." Detroit Lions NewsLeaving daughter for training camp was the ‘hardest day’ of Quandre Diggs’ lifeNew Youth Isaac Nauta Jersey ,8commentsThe Lions safety reported for training camp just 6 days after becoming a father. EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for eaving daughter for training camp was the ‘hardest day’ of Quandre Diggs’ lifeTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesReporting for training camp is hard for many players. The month between Organized Team Activities and training camp is one of the few times of years players can be with family or go on a vacation or just relax at home.This year, Quandre Diggs had it the worst. Just six days before he was to report to Detroit Lions minicamp, Ariya Marie Diggs was born. Diggs became a father. And just as he was getting to know his daughter, he had to travel hundreds of miles away to Detroit, leaving his daughter behind with her mother.“Hardest day of my life, leaving,” Diggs said. “Fatherhood gives you a whole different perspective on life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” As Diggs was peppered with questions about his new teammates in the secondary and what it’s like being a new leader of the defensive backs with Glover Quin gone, he gave dispassionate answers. But when the topic of his daughter came up, he sprung to life.“She’s awesome, blessing. That’s what I want to talk about, I don’t want to talk about football, I want to talk about my daughter,” Diggs said. And while Diggs will have to spend the next few weeks away from his family Austin Bryant Detroit Lions Jersey , he’s found a nice way to keep in touch with the family.“I facetime her like seven times a day.” And it won’t be too long until Diggs reunites with his week-old child. Unfortunately, the family can’t travel to see him for another eight weeks, but in just under three weeks, the Lions will travel to Houston for a set of joint practices and a preseason game with the Texans. “Three weeks, then I get to see her.” Until then, it’s all about the grind.“I wish I could spend more time with her, but, at the end of the day, somebody’s got to pay for their clothes and the diapers and the food.” As hard as this is to believe, Matthew Stafford’s injury may not be Detroit’s biggest problem.The veteran quarterback missed a second straight game last weekend with back and hip problems, but unless he could have played defense, Stafford might not have been able to win that game. The Lions put up a decent amount of points but lost 35-27 to Dallas.Detroit has allowed at least 20 points in nine of its 10 games this season. The Lions have allowed at least 31 points in four of their past seven.“The way the whole season is turning out right now is definitely shocking to me,” defensive back Tracy Walker said.Detroit’s postseason hopes are pretty much done, and it’s not clear when Stafford might play again. Coach Matt Patricia said Monday the team is “week to week” with that situation. Backup Jeff Driskel wasn’t bad against the Cowboys White Isaac Nauta Jersey , though. The Lions scored enough to stay in the game.It was the defense that didn’t pull its weight. Dak Prescott threw for 444 yards and three touchdowns.“I would say on the defensive side of the ball, we know the Cowboys do a lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of different formations, things like that,” Patricia said. “So there was going to be some communication out on the field that we had to get right, and I think we missed a couple of those, which was disappointing to see from that aspect of it and opened up some big plays.”WHAT’S WORKINGStafford hadn’t missed a start since the 2010 season, but the offense was reasonably productive without him last weekend. The Lions are also without injured running back Kerryon Johnson.Driskel threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys, and the Lions did not have a turnover.WHAT NEEDS HELPPretty much everything on the defensive side of the ball is substandard, and that’s after the Lions made major additions on the defensive line before the season. Detroit is allowing 413 yards a game — only Arizona and Cincinnati have marks worse than that. The Lions are also near the bottom of the NFL against the pass, and they haven’t been great at stopping the run either.Walker demurred after he was asked if players are being put in the proper positioning.“When it comes to all that, dealing with the coaching and the play calling, I stay away from that Luke Willson Jersey ,” he said. “When it comes to me, I just do my job, and when my job called, I handle my responsibilities.”STOCK UPBo Scarbrough’s stock was nonexistent before last weekend. He’d never played in an NFL game before the Lions signed him off the practice squad and put him in against Dallas. He had 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown.STOCK DOWNPatricia is getting serious criticism in the Detroit area, and it’s understandable. It’s not just that the Lions are losing. The defensive struggles in particular seem like an indictment of the second-year coach, who was the defensive coordinator with New England before being hired by the Lions.Patricia was evasive when asked Monday about whether he’s taken more control of the defensive play calling.“My role, really, on game day it differs game by game,” he said. “So some games it’s been more, some games it’s been less, and that’s been consistent throughout the season.”INJUREDPatricia said defensive end Trey Flowers and offensive lineman Frank Ragnow were still in concussion protocol.KEY NUMBER7 — The number of passes of at least 20 yards allowed by the Lions on Sunday.NEXT STEPSThe Lions are favored this weekend, when they’re on the road against an awful Washington team. Then they return home for their Thanksgiving game against Chicago.Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister |
