The Lions head into the 2025 off the back of a solid 3-1 preseason, but with renewed hope that the rebuild is back on track, and that they can once again be competitive in the division and the league. With new Head Coach Roy Rodriguez coming in from the Robins already instilling a deep commitment to the roster and the organization, he has shown that he is serious about not only himself proving that he is worthy of this second chance at being a Head Coach, but that the team is ready to give this roster the chance to get back to winning ways. Coming off a poor 4-12 season, the Lions ultimately only have one way to go and that is up. They have once again clearly given the keys to Joe Chacon at quarterback, with the side moving on from Kennith Burdette and brought in former Cubs and Violent Vermin quarterback Melvin Kingsley to provide the cover for Chacon should the worse happen. Whether that is the right call will have to wait and be seen if the time comes, but with Chacon coming off a solid 3,367 yard season with 14 touchdowns, the main issue will not be with his arm, but with where he throws it.

The offence, however, has seen little to no changes, with many starters from last season such as running back Steven Alvarado returning, to partner 7th round draftee Brett Snow, while the only other changes have been the release of wide receiver Troy Yang, who looks to have lost his spot to fourth-round selection Justin Nelson and rookie Michael Nelson holding his spot on the roster at center alongside recent acquisition Bernard Moulton and William Sherrod. Other than that, it could be a tough season for an offensive line that gave up 32 sacks last season. The defence however, has seen somewhat of a serious change, with the Lions taking defensive players with their first eight picks, with only five selections being on the offensive side of the ball.

The biggest changes have been at cornerback with Eugene Perry (selected 5th overall) and Dwayne Tabor (selected 30th overall). Both have shown the promise that they had from college and even with Perry suffering not only an ankle sprain but did complain about his neck, and was effectively iced for the remainder of preseason, but being the opening pick for the team, it was easy that he would be on the field at some point. The team are confident that they have been able to work and manage his concerns and he will be right for the game this weekend against Hong Kong.

Talking after the last preseason game, new Head Coach Roy Rodriguez spoke about how the team is feeling heading into the new season and how things have been built over this offseason:-

“We have had a really good preseason run, we have moved some players around to find their best fit in our team and have made some gutsy decisions throughout the four games. We were not really focussed on the result, but on the game plan and the way we played. Our play calling was good, there are of course still improvements we want to make and we won’t rest on our laurels, but we are going into this season with a new mentality of making sure that we execute the plan correctly, that we acknowledge our weaknesses and where we are falling behind and we discuss and implement changes as a team, so that we are all on the same page.”

Hong Kong head into the season off the back of a solid 10-6 season, making the postseason for the second consecutive season. Their top rookie, wide receiver Randy Shanghai looked promising in the preseason with 76 yards from 5 receptions, he could prove to be a solid upgrade to a receiving corps that 24 touchdowns last season, second most in the league. They also see Oscar Cattle-Prod coming in to play defensive tackle and will look to provide further support to a group that managed only 56 tackles combined, and have traded away Big Rod McGurk and released Pedro Zapata. They come into the regular season off the back of a solid 3-1 outing, their three wins coming off very strong performances, giving up the second least points across the league (19 points, average of 4.75, only beaten by Paris with an average of 4.5 points per game). The Lions, in contrast only gave up on average 11.5 points per game, so the game is either going to be very one-sided with the Kings pulling away and keeping the Lions at bay, or it is going to be very close.

Game Prediction: Kings will win this one by a touchdown.

The season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start, albeit a very nerve-wracking one, with the Lions just sneaking past a raging Kings side, who easily could have won the game at several points, but a last play field goal with 4 seconds left on the clock was all that the Lions needed to record a Week 1 victory, the first time they have done that since the 2022 season. Both sides looked the part, with 274 total net yards a piece, the stat line looked very similar across the board, it was the kicking of Jeffery Paz that stole the show, and the victory for the Lions from the hands of defeat. A cool, calm and collected 54-yard field goal.

Quarterback Joe Chacon, despite being sacked 4 times and intercepted twice, still was able to throw for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns, to get his season off to a flyer, while the run game again lacked behind, only 52 yards from Steven Alvarado. Rookie running back Brett Snow failed to muster anything, only appearing in one play; with Head Coach Roy Rodriguez looking like at the moment, starting with the tried and tested method. Speaking after the game, Coach Rodriguez was happy with the performance first time out and glad to get the first win of the season on the board, hoping for many more:-

“It’s always nice to get the first win of the new season on the board early on, there are 15 other teams who are probably feeling the same way we do, and I have to commend the team, they played like they wanted it, they were made to work for it by a strong Kings side that will well and truly bounce back next week, but we kept our commitment to one another, and we fought right until the final whistle. There are of course some serious improvements we need to make to the squad, to our play calling, but overall; we played strong and we will take that momentum into next week”

The two calls that had many puzzled in this game was late on in the fourth quarter, leading by a touchdown, and the Lions opted to run four straight plays, giving up the ball on their own 22-yard line, perfect field position for the Kings to ultimately score the touchdown that tied the game. Many wondering the decision there, speaking after the game, Head Coach Rodriguez also admitting that they blew that drive, and made a bad call.

“We were up by 7, we felt that at the time, the game was ours, and we wanted to avoid another interception, one that really could have costed us the game. Looking back through the game film and how the last two drives went, we probably can say it was a mistake and we should have looked at better time and clock management, maybe not run the ball four straight times on that drive, maybe we could have iced the game a lot sooner and maybe with a better margin”

The Lions now head to Grand Rapids to face off against the 0-1 Rampage who lost their opening game of the season 16-6 to the Violent Vermin. The Rampage looked strong, going up 6-0 heading into halftime, but the Violent Vermin came out swinging in the second half, forcing four straight punts, and limiting the Rampage to only two drives in the second half, whilst themselves coming away with two touchdowns and three straight scoring drives to close out the match. With a run game that closely resembles the Lions, in the case of numbers (Scott Trivett, 33 yards and Edward Clark, 28 runs); it again will be the aerial game that will be the difference in the scoring opportunities for both teams this week. Grand Rapids will undoubtable look towards 6th year wide receiver Paul Walling to get the bulk of the receptions, with others such as Scott Trivett and receiver Joseph Coppin to support him with quarterback Eddie Engelhardt likely to again favour the run game (21 rushes, 15 completed passes).

It will be the Rampage’s defence that will do a lot of the supporting role in this one, 9 tackles on debut for rookie linebacker Rodney Buntin was the standout performance of the game, along with 8 from rookie cornerback Jeffrey Viola and second-year linebacker Dana Powell. If those three can produce the same output against the Lions, they could be in with a chance here. The Lions, themselves, have seemingly discovered a solid defensive corps for the future, with the likes of John Matthews collecting 12 tackles to start the season, however, the Lions will have to do without him for at least the next month after he suffered a nasty ankle sprain and has been ruled out of this game.

Game Prediction: Going to say, after the performances last week, the Lions will get this one; probably by a couple of small scores. Let’s say a margin of 6 points.

As the Lions head into their home opener for the 2025 season, they head into this off the back of another unlikely victory, winning 26-11 against the Rampage, in a game that honestly could have swung against them at any moment. Leading only by 8 heading into the fourth quarter, it was the legs of Steven Alvarado that finally awoken as the second-year player bolted away for a career-high 52-yard touchdown to put the game away for the visitors. Capping off another victory was Joe Chacon’s second touchdown of the game, with tight end Wayne Snyder being the beneficiary of that. The Lions now sit at 2-0, a position they have not seen since the inception of the franchise, and will look to make it three in a row for only the third time in franchise history as they get ready to welcome Cheesy Philly to The Lions Den.

In player news, defensive end Christopher Frase has been picked up by the Lions from the waiver wire, following a nasty injury to Anthony Boynton that sees the 9-year veteran likely to miss the next 6-8 games as he recovers. Christopher has quite a history, signing quite possibly one of the craziest contracts in the history of the league, with a $89 million deal to the then-Bullfighters which was promptly voided by the league, only to see none other than Cheesy Philly snap him up with a very similar deal, which was approved by the league. Speaking after the waiver wire claims were processed by the league, General Manager Todd Carlton was pleased to have achieved the impossible, but also how it affects the Lions’ salary cap moving forward:-

“We are pleased that Christopher is joining us here at the Lions. It’s no secret that last season, we put in contract offers to his team, and while at the time, those offers were lower than what he is on at the moment, and we were most likely nowhere in the region of being able to fully accept the demands at the time, situations have changed and we have taken a measured approach to our signings and our salary cap this season and we feel that with the unfortunate injury to Anthony [Boynton], that Christopher can come in, join with our squad for our home opener and be an impactful and important player to our franchise this season and hopefully many more seasons”

Philly are coming into this game off the back of a solid 41-3 smashing of the Corpses, who are still suffering from their league-imposed sanctions and most likely will for the whole season. Philly got away with the game, struggling in the first quarter, but after that, the floodgates all but opened, with running back Djiboutian Franc going ballistic, 30 attempts for 192 yards and a touchdown, the fifth highest in league history. Quarterback Will Smith also had a positive game, 165 yards from 19 completions, and it showed that their opening week loss was a shock to the system, they seemingly have gone back to the old game plan, and it has shown. The Philly defence all but shut out the Corpses, forcing eight straight punts, at an average of 1.3 yards per drive, a shocking effort, and with Philly strangling the possession (40 mins 19 seconds to less than 19 minutes for the Corpses), the Lions have to be wondering what they are about to face, but this may also be the test that the Lions need early on in the season to see where they really are in this rebuild that seems to be moving forward finally.

Along with the acquisition of Frase into the defence, it has allowed the Lions to face the game on the defensive side of the ball with a much needed upgrade, following the injury to Boynton, and it has also allowed the team to put Edward Kinney on ice for this game, as he looked poor in the game against the Rampage, and the team will look to their other defensive tackles to face off in the home opener, while allowing the third round rookie to recoup and come back better after his injury recovery. The Lions will also be without Bernard Moulton for at least the next four weeks after he suffered a knee complaint. Other than those two major injuries, the Lions are looking solid and are without any further major setbacks.

Game Prediction: The rebuild is looking alright, but this will be a big test. Philly to take the victory by 10 points.

The Lions came back down to earth this week, with the Lions still not in the position to face off against the “bigger” teams in the league, with Cheesy Philly coming out victorious by a score of 13-3. There was, however, positives from the game, despite the scoring difficulties, with the run game looking better than it did last season, with Steven Alvarado rushing for another 83 yards, already sitting on 220 yards for the first three games, while Joe Chacon threw for another 135 yards, and despite the four sacks and interception, it was still a positive, with his 16 completions going for an average of 5 yards, while Will Smith was about the same, and also with four sacks.

The defense seemed to also show up once again, with Christopher Frase haunting his old team, with not only two sacks but also five tackles against Philly, with cornerback Richard Ballard and even defensive tackle Donald McMahon getting in on the action with plenty of tackles to go around. The surprise signing of the season seems to currently be running back Caleb Frank, who has primarily been used as a kick returner and with another 38 yards to his tally, showing so far to the Lions that the decision by Head Coach Roy Rodriguez to implement what looks to be a three running back system, seems to be working and opens up for receivers like Troy Yang and Tony Lockett to focus solely on the offensive plays.

Speaking after the game, Team Owner Leam Mark Farrar was showing a lot of praise to the offseason that his team had taken and how things have been going three weeks into the new season:-

“I think that we have played well in the first three weeks of the season, and we have played some solid football, the football we have been wanting to play, our type of football. The coaching staff, scouts and everyone has been amazing this offseason and we have made some really positive improvements. We may not be at the level to face off against the bigger teams, those teams that are always battling and fighting for postseason berths, but we are better than we were before and I’m really happy with our progress, and where we are heading now”

If there was ever a good enough time to get into divisional play, this week would be the one for the Lions as they head into another away game, their third already this season, as they head off to Kentucky to face off against the Florence Fools, with not only divisional bragging rights up for grabs, but also sole lead in the division for the winner. Penrith will also be looking for a return to winning ways, having lost their last two games against Florence, and also a second straight divisional win. It could also mark another step in the long rebuild that the team has been on, and be a stepping stone to better things for this season. Florence are coming into the game also off the back of a tough 17-3 defeat to the Harbourmasters and will be looking for both quarterback Hmmm Goodenough and the likes of receivers Super Grover and Red Clifford getting back into the action, having been kept very quiet last week. Florence looked nothing like a team that was 2-0 heading into the game, and it showed, with star running back Leeroy Jenkins going backwards with -5 yards, the first ever time in his career he has been held to negative yards.

If the Lions can be the same team that was in Weeks 1 and 2, they have a solid chance against Florence. Another defensive performance, multiple tackles from starters such as McMahon, Frase, and Hartley, they could be in with a chance to take this victory and move to 3-1. The Lions will need everyone playing at their highest and best level if they are to match Florence, who boast the likes of cornerback Val Kilmer (16 tackles), linebackers Corey Washington (19 tackles), Cookie Baker (16 tackles) and even safety Holy Schmidt (13 tackles) alongside defensive end and leading sack getter for the team in Chief Bender. For a team that has given up only 29 points this season (seventh best in the league), but have struggled offensively themselves (22 points, 5th worst in the league), this could be a good opportunity for the Lions to get ahead of the game, and get the victory which could be the difference for them this season, and would, at least for this week, put them one game ahead of the Fools in the division. With the Lions then not playing another divisional game until the return fixture in Week 9 (Florence have a divisional matchup in Week 8 against the Corpses before the return fixture), this could be the best possible chance to get ahead and really show that they have come somewhat of a way from the seasons before.

The team did announce that cornerback Richard Dunn, who at the moment has not played a game this season, will be absent from the team possibly for several weeks due to a personal family matter. In a short statement, the team announced his departure and that he will not participate in any team activities of practices for the foreseeable future and will be made inactive, and placed on the Reserve/NFI roster. The team further announced that they will not be releasing him and opening up a roster spot, unless circumstances change in the future, which will be discussed with Richard and his management.

Game Prediction: We got one right, so maybe we get a second one right and go with the Lions winning this by 7 points.

The Lions faced a divisional foe, and suffered another defeat, going down to the Florence Fools 18-13, in a game that actually see-sawed for most of the game, but it was the final quarter that the Lions failed to capitalize on their drives, with only a field goal to show for it, whilst allowing the Fools to not only get their own field goal, but a safety, and that was the margin of victory. It leaves the Lions, however, only a game behind the Fools in the division standings, but what may go against the Lions is this game as they fall to 2-2 on the season and 1-2 in the conference (0-1 of course in division).

Despite it all, quarterback Joe Chacon threw for 193 yards and the game’s only receiving touchdown, a fine 12-yard pass late on in the first quarter to tight end Wayne Snyder, who racked up another 31 yards on the season. The run game seemed to fail at every turn and was hindered by a severe ankle injury to running back Steven Alvarado, suffered just before half-time and while he was able to return after that and play out the game, the medical staff confirmed a high ankle sprain and it will see him miss at least the next 6-7 weeks of action, effectively ruling him out for a good portion of the season. It now leaves the run game in the hands of rookie Brett Snow, and new signee Caleb Frank. Whether the run game now becomes secondary is anybody’s guess, but it could be another long season if the Lions are to get the ship back up and pointing in the right direction, but after two straight losses, many are wondering if it’s the same old, same old Lions from last season, or if this is just a speed bump.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was confident that the team can bounce back next week, and get their season back on track:-

“We fought hard that whole game, the last quarter was not what we want to be playing, we missed too many assignments and we gave up too much good field position to which we could have made something. To come back twice against the Fools in that one, it showed guts and determination not to give up by the whole team and despite the injuries we have at the moment, which is not an excuse, but to deal with them and know that we have a roster that can slot in where needed and lift their game to fight for every yard and every point, and for the whole 60 minutes, it shows that we are still on the right path and we will bounce back”

The Lions head back home for a three-game stand, hoping to get the season back on the right path, as they welcome the 3-1 Edlington Anarchy to town. Edlington, who are fast becoming one of the league’s biggest improvers this season are coming into the game off the back of two straight victories, including a gutsy and gritty 9-7 win over the Cape Town Rhinos. Never mind the single touchdown thrown by quarterback Barry Scott so far, it has been the run game that has kept this team in every single match, with Mike Garcia already close to 200 yards on the ground, at an average of 2.5 yards per carry, as well as Gregory Nelson, at almost 4 yards per carry, they are giving the Anarchy what they need and that is a run game that has shown serious improvement. Add into that a defence that gives up only 6.5 points per game this season, good enough for best in the league, a linebacker in Rodrick Cruz who is sitting second in the league for tackles with 37, and a league-best turnover margin of 7, and while they have found it challenging to get to the opposing quarterback, only managing four sacks so far, the Lions have a lot to worry about.

The Lions head into this game, alongside the injury to Alvarado with the only other major injury concerns being the recovery of Anthony Boynton, who looks likely to return in around two months, and guard Donnie Daugherty, who looks likely to miss the next month of games with a leg sprain. Richard Dunn is still not with the team as he deals with a personal family matter, but his management team have also requested he be placed on the trade block, with a view to potentially moving on from him with the team. He has the desire to move back to be closer to family in Arizona, and the feeling is that a move might be on the card if a team finds interest or a need for a cornerback and while the team has made it known that they will honour the request, a trade may not happen this season, and with the trade deadline only a few weeks away, it could be a tough call to make for the team moving forward.

Game Prediction: Sadly, the Lions are going to make it three losses in a row here, down by 3 to the Anarchy.