Detroit Lions

Dan Campbell had his Lions players ready to run through a brick wall after the franchise's first playoff win in 32 years ... giving a speech right from the heart that got the entire locker room hyped!!

The Lions pulled off the close 24-23 victory in the Wild Card matchup against the L.A. Rams on Sunday ... punching their ticket to the Divisional Round, where they will face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

Campbell -- who's in his third season with Detroit -- addressed his squad shortly after the contest ... and he didn't hold back as he honored general manager Brad Holmes and Jared Goff with game balls.

"Dude, how electric was it out there?" Campbell said. "I'm telling you what, it doesn't get any better. It's everything you dream of and then more, all right? That's outstanding work."

Holmes was also fired up to the max after the game ... letting out a scream in the elevator, which was captured on video.

Emotions were high at Ford Field ... as the Lions faced off against former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, who played 12 seasons in Motor City before being traded to L.A. in 2021.

Some fans in the crowd were visibly crying after the final whistle ... and understandably so, as the Lions had to deal with some miserable seasons before the turnaround.

In fact, the team's biggest A-list supporters like Eminem, Barry Sanders and Big Sean were present for the showdown ... and they were certainly soaking in the huge moment.

As we previously reported, Slim Shady playfully begged Stafford to let the Lions win ... claiming the former No. 1 overall pick owed him a favor for crushing it during the Super Bowl halftime show when the QB secured his first ring with the Rams in the 2021 season.

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, is clapping back at a Lions fan who's trying to stop people from wearing her hubby's jersey at their upcoming playoff game ... calling the proposed plan "sad."

Detroit is hosting its first playoff game in 30 years against the Rams on Sunday ... which means Stafford will make his return to the Motor City with the intention of knocking his ex-team out of the postseason.

Normally, Stafford's Detroit jersey is one of the most popular ones at Ford Field -- even after he was traded to L.A. for Jared Goff before the 2021 season began.

But, one fan is trying to prevent that from happening this weekend ... appearing to say in a social media post this week that the blue and silver No. 9 threads could bring some bad juju to the home team.

"ANNOUNCEMENT," the fan wrote in the Instagram post. "Please don't wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game. This is not a time to be cute or funny."

"This is about business and putting the final nail in the SOL coffin. It ain't personal. Just business!"

It didn't take long for word of the planned ban to get around to Kelly Stafford, who slammed the idea in the comment section of the post.

“Well this is sad because it's the completely opposite of how we feel about this city," she wrote, "but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be that. Praying for an incredible game with zero injuries. ♥️"

The fan ended up responding ... writing back that the hate is only temporary.

"We love Matthew," the Detroit supporter said, "just not this week.😂"

Alvin Kamara is doing his part to brighten up an NFL official's week after the Saints star accidentally broke the guy's leg during a game on Sunday ... sending a signed ball and jersey his way -- with a well wishes note too.

The man -- Nick Piazza -- received the gifts on Wednesday, according to NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan ... just three days after Kamara barreled into him in New Orleans' tilt against the Lions, seriously hurting him in the process.

Piazza seemed to be super appreciative of the gifts -- posing for a photo with them all -- while also revealing to Duncan that Saints owner Gayle Benson personally reached out as well.

While grateful for the support ... Piazza is still far from a healthy man -- as he's got a super long road to recovery ahead of him.

Piazza said doctors told him he tore ligaments in his knee and fractured his fibula as well -- and all of the ailments will require major surgery on Friday.

Piazza is expected to miss work for the next couple months as he recovers -- and his role this season as an NFL sideline official is over as well.

Ricky Williams would almost certainly have a bust in Canton today if the NFL had eased its weed policies during the running back's heyday -- at least, that's according to Calvin Johnson.

The Lions legend told TMZ Sports he not only thinks Ricky was just that good ... but he truly believes the benefits that marijuana provided the tailback could've helped Williams extend his career too.

"Ricky would probably be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he didn't have the issues with that," Johnson told us.

And, get this, the 38-year-old said his own career "possibly" would've lasted longer if the league had adjusted its ganja laws during his playing days as well.

The NFL, however, has finally laxed its tight policies recently ... and Johnson is hoping the changes will help open the door for some of the league's athletes -- and ones in college too -- to use his new line of CBD products.

If you're unfamiliar, in retirement, Johnson has teamed up with his former Detroit teammate, Rob Sims, to create a cannabis company called Primitiv ... and just recently, the duo added a line of products called Primitiv Performance to help sports competitors with recovery.

Johnson says they're working on obtaining their NSF certification for sport ... and he wants athletes to dive into it all if and when that comes through.

"We truly believe in it," he said of the new products. "I use it!"

Johnson even joked with us that Primitiv Performance is something that could help injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers return to the field quicker this season.

John Madden sadly isn't around to enjoy Thanksgiving games anymore ... but the NFL is still making sure his presence is felt on the holiday nonetheless, revealing this week teams will wear patches honoring the football legend throughout the day.

The Detroit Lions showed what their jersey adornments will look like in a post on X on Wednesday morning ... and they're pretty awesome.

The black-and-gold emblems feature a silhouette of Madden from his coaching days ... and they'll be displayed prominently on the front of teams' uniforms.

In addition to the Lions, the Packers, Cowboys, Commanders, 49ers and Seahawks are all expected to rock Madden patches as well.

The holiday, of course, was one of Madden's all-time favorites ... as he loved eating turduckens in the broadcast booth as well as handing out pieces of the chicken/duck/turkey combo to star players on the field.

The NFL began honoring Madden on the holiday last year with several cool tributes on gameday ... and it announced this month it will expand on those with the jersey patches as well as a special Madden-themed coin for the games' opening tosses.

Not everyone is a fan of Barry Sanders' new documentary -- his former quarterback, Scott Mitchell, just shared his negative review in a lengthy rant on social media ... revealing he's super pissed at how he was depicted in the project.

Sanders' "Bye, Bye, Barry" just hit Prime Video this week ... and Mitchell's big takeaway was that many guests featured in the doc blamed him for the running back never winning a Super Bowl.

Mitchell went to Facebook to vent about it all ... initially praising Sanders' abilities on the field, before ripping into his critics -- name-dropping Detroit superfans Eminem and Jeff Daniels in the process.

"However, I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl," Mitchell said, according to the Detroit News. "I'm so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F*** YOU ALL!!!!! That includes Eminem (and) Jeff Daniels."

Mitchell -- who played for the Lions from 1994-98 -- added he was disappointed to hear his former coach, Wayne Fontes, openly talk about wishing he had Joe Montana or Warren Moon under center instead ... and how a proper QB was what kept Barry from being a champion.

"A little support from the coach might have gone a long way," Mitchell added. "Wayne never had my back!"

Mitchell then turned his focus to Sanders ... saying he, too, deserved blame for their empty trophy cases.

"Bottom line, Barry Sanders had everything in Detroit," Mitchell continued. "Everyone loved him. Everything was built for Barry to succeed. In his 10 year career, he won one playoff game and the only reason he didn't win more was everyone else was the problem?"

"How many yards did Barry have in the playoffs in '94, '95, '97? I'll give you a hint not very many. We all are to blame for not winning a (Super Bowl) in Detroit even Barry Sanders."

Mitchell ended his rant by saying he truly feels the Lions could have gone the distance if the team had just been a bit more patient ... but that's not how it played out.

Forget ketchup and mustard ... Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams topped his McDonald's burger with some McFlurry this week -- and, unsurprisingly, it had a ton of his fans grossed out.

Williams proudly presented the concoction on his Instagram page Tuesday ... showing that he put some Oreo-infused ice cream right on top of his McDouble in order to enhance the flavor of his lunch at the Golden Arches.

While some (very few) were in favor of putting the medley of wide-ranging flavors in between two buns ... most were in shock.

"Up until this point I've enjoyed his hard work getting back into the fold. With that said, trade him now," one wrote on X.

"Aight man lock him up now," another said.

Williams, one of the Lions' first-round picks in 2022, has yet to defend the way he eats his fast food -- though given the backlash, we wouldn't be surprised if a comment is coming shortly.

The Detroit Lions just released Marvin Jones Jr. ... shortly after the receiver announced he was stepping away from the team to focus on "personal family matters."

The 33-year-old posted a statement on Instagram Tuesday afternoon ... days after Jones Jr. failed to travel with the Lions to the Ravens game in Baltimore.

"To be brief, I am stepping away from the team to take care of personal family matters," Jones Jr. said. "Although this was no easy decision, I cannot be the person/player that I need to be for this team as well as tend to my family from afar."

"This organization has been amazing showing love and support for myself and my family over the years and this time is no different."

Shortly after, the Lions released their own statement announcing the roster move online, stating Jones Jr. was released.

Despite being thoroughly dominated by the Ravens on Sunday, the 5-2 Lions are currently leading the NFC North ... and although Jones Jr. will no longer be on the field, he's vowed to continue supporting his squad.

No, Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't quitting football to hide a pot of gold ... he just looked like it on Thursday -- and it's all 'cause he lost a bet to his teammate!

The Detroit Lions star showed up to media availability dressed as if he were a new Lucky Charms spokesperson ... and when reporters asked why he was in the all-green garb, he told them it's because USC fell to Notre Dame in their rivalry game on Saturday.

"We made an agreement," the 23-year-old former Trojans star said of he and his teammate, ex-Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara. "I called J.O. -- FaceTimed him -- and he said if SC wins, he has to be Tommy Trojan. I said, 'OK.' And he said if Notre Dame wins, I gotta be -- I don't know what this is called."

Of course, the Trojans put up a decent fight for a while against the Irish in South Bend ... but they crumbled late, giving Okwara the win over St. Brown.

What's hilarious ... the Lions star told media members not to call it all a "bet" -- as the NFL has been recently cracking down on gambling inside locker rooms, although we're pretty sure Roger Goodell would've let this one slide.

A Green Bay Packers fan was so annoyed with Amon-Ra St. Brown following his touchdown on Thursday night, he dumped his beer all over the Lions star's head.

The incident happened in the first quarter of Detroit's "Thursday Night Football" game against Green Bay ... when St. Brown hauled in a 24-yard TD -- and then headed for some front-row seats to celebrate with Lions fans.

The 23-year-old did his version of the Lambeau Leap -- jumping over a wall behind the end zone into the waiting arms of several people decked out in blue and silver -- and while he initially was having a good time, a Green Bay fan decided to ruin the moment.

You can see in a replay of the celly, the Packers fan reached out with his drink and poured it on St. Brown's helmet. Just seconds later, the wide receiver hopped down and rejoined his team.

It's unclear if the fan was punished for the act ... or if St. Brown even noticed amid all the chaos in the stands. After the game, though, he did joke about the celebration to reporters, saying, "I lost my Lambeau Leap virginity."

In the past, cops have investigated similar incidents at NFL stadiums -- you'll recall, in 2018, the Foxborough Police Dept. launched a probe into a fan after he was seen throwing beer on Tyreek Hill following a touchdown at Gillette Stadium.

No word yet if the Green Bay Police Dept. is involved in Thursday night's incident ... we've reached out to cops for comment, but haven't heard back.

Even with a loss or a draw on Thursday evening, Lions defensive tackle Benito Jones is still leaving Lambeau Field a winner regardless ... 'cause he just earned the honor of best pregame 'fit by far!!!

The 25-year-old rolled up to the big "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Packers in nothing but orange overalls, boots, and a cowboy hat.

The guy absolutely crushed the look ... and it was so great -- the Lions just had to make it the final picture of their pregame Instagram carousel.

"All I can say is...," the team wrote on its social media page, "swipe until the end 😂."

The rest of the Lions opted for more muted outfits ahead of their NFC North clash ... with star quarterback Jared Goff sportin' simply jeans and a flannel.

No matter which look you prefer -- ya gotta give Jones credit for putting it all out there.

Jared Goff was gettin' all types of Ws on Thursday night ... 'cause after upsetting the Chiefs in the NFL's kickoff game, he got a celebratory kiss from his swimsuit model fiancée!

The PDA happened after the quarterback and his Detroit Lions shocked the defending Super Bowl champions, 21-20, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Goff's partner, Christen Harper -- who just got engaged to the signal-caller back in June -- shared footage of the postgame smooch on her Instagram page ... showing her getting some lip-on-lip action with the QB after the game from the stands.

"Biiiiig fan of 16," Harper captioned the clip.

Of course, Goff deserved every bit of the love from Harper ... he threw for 253 yards and a touchdown in the victory, taking care of the ball throughout all four quarters of the close game.

Seems the quarterback should be getting used to the PDA from Harper going forward ... because the Lions appear to be the real deal, playing well in all three phases of the game.

Matthew Stafford's wife is admitting she made a mistake by going public with the quarterback's communication struggles in the locker room ... calling it, "probably the worst thing I've done when it comes to him."

Kelly made headlines after revealing the 35-year-old Rams star wasn't connecting with his younger teammates on her "Morning After" podcast last week ... when she said the Super Bowl champ has found difficulty vibing with guys compared to years past.

Now, Kelly is regretting her decision to share that info ... telling Local 4 in Detroit, "That was tough. I say all the time, probably not the best if your wife’s name is in the media, if it’s talking about sports."

"I felt pretty bad last week," she added. "I put my foot in my mouth pretty good last week."

The mother of four explained she thought the topic was relatable ... and she still believes it to be a true statement.

"But I'm not in an NFL locker room, I'm not spending every day with these teammates."

Rams coach Sean McVay commented on Kelly's statements earlier this week ... saying he took it like more of a joke at Matthew's age instead of a real issue within the team.

Detroit Lions star Jameson Williams -- the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has just been suspended six games ... after the NFL says he violated its gambling policy.

The exact allegations against the former Univ. of Alabama receiver are unclear -- though according to the Lions, one of Williams' violations included betting from an NFL facility on non-NFL games.

Several other players were hit with punishments for gambling policy violations on Friday as well, including receiver Quintez Cephus, defensive back C.J. Moore and wideout Stanley Berryhill, who were all teammates with Williams in 2022.

Cephus and Moore received indefinite bans and were cut by the Lions immediately afterward. Berryhill received a six-game suspension -- though he and Williams are still slated to remain on Detroit's roster.

"As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league's gambling policy," Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement Friday. "These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules."

"We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward."

Washington Commanders defensive lineman Shaka Toney was also suspended indefinitely on Friday for violating the NFL's gambling policy, the league announced.

When the NFL revealed its rulings ... officials added their probe "uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way."

Stanley Wilson Jr.'s family claims the ex-NFL player didn't simply collapse and die while in police custody last month ... they believe he was actually beaten by law enforcement officials before he passed away.

The attorney representing Wilson Jr.'s family, John Carpenter, said at a news conference on Tuesday photos of Wilson Jr.'s body show the Detroit Lions cornerback was a victim of excessive force before he died suddenly at a Los Angeles County mental hospital on Feb. 1.

Carpenter said pictures of abrasions on Wilson Jr.'s head appear to show he was kicked or stomped. Images of markings on his wrist, meanwhile, seem to reveal he was cuffed at the time of the attack, Carpenter said.

Wilson Jr.'s mom, Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, said county officials had told her the former football player had collapsed and fallen out of a chair while going through the intake process at Metropolitan State Hospital before he died. But, Carpenter said the photos show a "stark contrast to what we've been hearing."

Carpenter filed three claims against L.A. County on Tuesday morning over it all -- one on behalf of Wilson Jr.'s mother, one on behalf of his father, and one on behalf of his estate -- asking for damages in excess of $45 million.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings.

Carpenter added during the news conference that he has yet to receive Wilson Jr.'s autopsy results.

As we reported, Wilson Jr. had been in custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but after he was declared incompetent to stand trial -- he was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital, where officials say he died.

Law enforcement sources told us at the time foul play was not suspected.