DETROIT LIONS DAILY UPDATE

TODAY'S NEWS

The Lions had a full-squad practice this afternoon in shells (helmets, shoulder pads and shorts) on the outdoor fields at the team's headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park. This week's practice routine will be similar to the regular season.
LB Teddy Lehman and WR Scottie Vines remain on the PUP list and did not practice today.
TE Casey FitzSimmons, RB Kevin Jones, G Fred Matua, DE Cory Redding, WR Charles Rogers, DT Shaun Rogers, RT Rex Tucker and RG Damien Woody also missed practice today.
Fans have one final opportunity to take advantage of the exclusive opportunity to purchase regular season individual game tickets (based on availability) with the purchase of individual game tickets to the Lions' preseason finale August 31 against Buffalo. Fans who purchase individual game tickets to the game against Buffalo can then purchase an equal number of regular season individual game tickets prior to the public on-sale date of Wednesday, August 23 at 10 a.m. EDT. To take advantage of this exclusive offer fans must call TicketMaster by phone at 248.645.6666.
The Detroit Lions will face the Raiders in Oakland Friday for their third preseason game which kicks off at 7 p.m. (PT) at McAfee Coliseum. This week's game marks the fifth time the two teams have faced each other in the preseason, with the Raiders holding a 3-1 series edge. Detroit enters the game trying to rebound from a 20-16 preseason loss at Cleveland while Oakland will try to win their fourth straight preseason game after winning their home debut against San Francisco, 23-7.
Friday's game will be televised live in Metro Detroit on WKBD-TV UPN Channel 50 with Frank Beckmann handling play-by-play, former Lions DT Kelvin Pritchett adding color commentary and local sportscaster Steve Courtney reporting from the sideline. The games can also be viewed throughout the state of Michigan and portions of northwest Ohio on: WBKB-TV CBS Ch. 11 (Alpena); WFQX-TV FOX Ch. 33 (Cadillac/Traverse City); WJMN-TV CBS Ch. 3 (Escanaba); WXMI-TV FOX Ch. 17 (Grand Rapids); WSYM-TV FOX Ch. 47 (Lansing); WNEM-TV CBS Ch. 5 (Saginaw/Flint/Bay City) and WNWO NBC Ch. 24 (Toledo, Ohio).

LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI
Opening: "It's another day of preparation. We went in helmets and shoulder pads today which will be our normal in-season work - I was pleased with that. On the injury front: really we're just waiting on (Damien) Woody; everything looks fine. Hopefully we're going to get him back a little bit next week. Cory Redding had a little muscle pull around his ribs; he's just day-to-day. Kevin Jones, it's just precautionary; he had a little soreness in his foot. Matua is day-to-day."

On whether RB Shaun Bryson will play this week: "He's worked all week so I think we've got a chance to get him some work; he's been working. Him and Boss (Bailey) both - we're planning on getting both of them some work. Unless something changes at the end, that's the plan."

On his impressions of Bryson: "I think he's a fine inside runner; he's a fine blocker; he's a fine catcher. He's got really good versatility in this offense. Boy, he's a tough man too; he's a striker. It's exciting to have him here."

On whether QB Josh McCown has taken a step towards being the second quarterback: "They're both whacking away at each other which is a beautiful thing to see. You couldn't ask for anything better. We'll kind of let this thing go out as the week goes and make our preparations then."

On whether McCown showed marked improvement in the second preseason game: "He did a nice job. I thought he did very good; he had good poise; he worked the clock and scrambled around. That's how it goes - it's like water levels going up and down."

On whether the team continues to progress: "Oh yeah, just with the same mentality. We've got to go out and keep improving the fundamentals; win every snap. It's a great, great opportunity for us to make a good, tough trip (to Oakland) and go take care of business and then get ready for the next week. It is - it's a great step for us."

On whether the preseason loss to Cleveland was a step back: "It's not a step backwards if you evaluate and move forward with it; if we don't go back and correct some of the mistakes that were made, then it is a step backwards. We hopefully identified some things, some of the fundamental work. We had a great week of fundamentals and hopefully those things are cleaned up and then you move on and put it to use this week."

On 'rumblings' that the preseason is too long: "I'm not in control, so I have nothing to 'rumble' about."

On the offensive line starting to get healthy: "We got (Barry) Stokes back - he's been working a little bit this week at right tackle. I think we should get (Damien) Woody back in another week and then hopefully in another couple weeks (Rex Tucker) will be back. We'll kind of just progress them right back in."

On whether the running game should improve when the offensive line gets healthy: "Whoever we have there, we still have to run the ball - it doesn't matter who's in there. That's our job: run the ball. Whosever in there, that's what we do."

On whether he sees a letdown from the time the preseason starts and ends: "This is kind of a built up game for us right now, so I'm hoping our intensity starts to grow right now."

On what LB Ernie Sims has done that really stands out: "He's really highly productive. When you watch his film, he's all over the place. He's just an instinctive guy; he brings something special to the table, I believe. He's a striker, a hitter and I believe he's just going to get better and better. At that position, that will-(line)backer, he's got to be a productive player."

On DE Kalimba Edwards: "He's got such great speed, he really has. Sometimes speed can be a curse because they keep going too deep all of the time, thinking everyone is around the corner and the ball is out. His ability, with concepts and understanding sets; linemen sets, understanding protections, wanting to make that inside move at the level, all those things - I see a tremendous upside to him."

"His speed is so good on those edges and he can take those edges all the time and win but the quarterback may step up and the ball might be out. So it's kind of like one-on-one basketball; you get to that edge and know when to set that inside move up. I think he's getting better and better each week."

On the battle at safety: They're both (Terrence Holt and Daniel Bullocks) getting time with the first group. Hopefully we'll see something this week and start sorting some of those things out."

On whether the team is traveling to Oakland on Friday: "Yes."

On why the team is traveling to Oakland on the day of the game: "The only thing I would say - and I'm going to try and answer your question politely - it's a team issue. It's team business. That's the only thing I'm going to say on it. That's our schedule on Friday and we're going to take off and we're going to go."

Courtesy of the Lions