Monday, December 21, 2009

Week 16: Lions lose and Daunte Culpepper should retire

The smallest crowd in the history of Ford Field watched the Lions play abysmal for three quarters of a game on Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals destroyed the Lions, going up 17-0 in the first half, but then decided to put the game in cruise control in the third quarter.

The Schwartz pulled the aged one to start the second half and put in third year MSU nobody, Drew Stanton.

The media is going crazy about Stanton's play in bringing the Lions back from 17-0, to a 17-17 tie and another eventual 31-24 defeat.

Here is why I am totally unimpressed.

1. The first TD, a 101 yard INT return for a TD by Louis Delmas had zero to do with anything Stanton did. In fact, Stanton was on the sideline for the entire play. I watched it. Stanton wasn't even on the field.
2. The second TD, a 68 yard run by Maurice Morris was on the next Detroit offensive play. Aside from handing "Mo" the ball, he had nothing to do with the play, he didn't even throw a block.
3. Stanton only had one legitimate drive in the whole half. And he was largely inaccurate even on that one.
He can't throw deep and he's pretty bad at throwing short. Doesn't leave much.

That being said, he should still start over Culpepper. Culpepper is gone already. He has no chance of being here next year. Let's see if maybe Stanton can get better.

The only good thing about that second half was all of those good things actually happened while he was the "QB" of record. If that's even real. Maybe he has some "mojo" or something.

Here are some other things I think:

1. I was wrong about there not being a noticeable difference between starting Morris and the IR'd Kevin Smith. Morris is a lot better than Smith--with the top end speed to finish plays. He may be a feature back for the Leo's next year.

2. Drew Stanton didn't even appear to run the ball well.

3. Jim Schwartz actually knows the rules. I think that's 100% better than Rod Marinelli, because I'm pretty sure, he didn't know the rules. Schwartz screams at the refs at the right times. That's a very encouraging sign.

4. Delmas is a player. He always seems to be around the ball and now he's actually catching it instead of playing volleyball. His 101 yd TD was something worth watching.

5. I don't trust DE Jason Hunter, you never know what kind of play you're going to get when he steps out on the field.

6. If the Lions put out two or three tackling dummies to block for the Lions, I think they might actually be better off. The tackling dummies at least wouldn't jump offsides or be called for holding.

7. The Lions have so many needs it hurts my brain. I am all for the Lions spending any and all draft picks on defense this year...but I could also understand it if they wanted to rebuild an offensive line...or get a complementary receiver to play opposite of Calvin and try to stop the constant triple teams...or get a real home run threat running back.

8. But I would not pass up on Ndamakong Suh, DE, Nebraska. He looks to be the next great DL. Kiper, even though you have to take everything helmet head says with a mountain of salt, has stated that Suh is the best DL prospect to come out in 30 years...not sure but I think Reggie White and Bruce Smith both fit into that time frame.

Cheerleaders?

The Lions tortured their minimal crowd for another Sunday by denying fans the usual eye candy provided by almost every other NFL team.

3rd and 3 or less

Every team tries to get to a "manageable" down and distance on third down. 3rd and 3 or less is the goal of every offense. But what should they do when they actually achieve said goal? Run it! The average NFL rush goes for 3.75-4.25 yards...why not run it?

The Lions faced 3rd and 3 or less four times on Sunday, passing it three times and rushing only once. This was a good day for the Lions in this situation. They were actually 3 of 4 overall. 2 of 3 passing and 1 for 1 rushing.

For the the season, the Lions are 13 of 19 rushing and 11 of 24 passing. Or 68% success rushing verses only 46% passing.

Tales of the Inept

The St Louis Rams (1-13) played very well, almost beating the Houston Texans, 16-13, but managed to keep what now appears to be a stranglehold on the #1 pick in next year's draft. The question is whether they need a new QB more than they need the next great DL.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12) put a major league whooping on the Seattle Seahawks, 24-7 and leap frogged our own Leo's in the draft rankings. Detroit now sits at #2 if the season ended today. The Bucs are now third.

The Cleveland Browns (3-11) are in serious danger of dropping out the annals of the inept. They've won for a second week in a row behind 2 kickoff return TD's by Josh Cribbs and an amazing 286 yard rushing day by Jerome Harrison. The Brown's beat up Kansas City in a 41-34 shootout.

Next week we can discuss how the Lions have NEVER won in San Francisco.

If you missed the game

because it was blacked out here in Detroit

Check it out here.

This game will be available until Wednesday.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

My long discussion with Sean Baligian about trading Calvin Johnson

This morning, on my way into work, I was listening to WDFN hosted by Sean Baligian and Tom "the Killer" Kowalski. They brought up an article by Drew Sharp in which Sharp entertains the idea of trading Calvin Johnson for draft picks and rebuilding the defense.


Kowalski thought the idea ludicrous.


To give credit where credit is due, it was not the first time I had heard the idea. Mike Valenti and Terry Foster of WXYT brought up this possibility a few weeks ago. And yesterday Valenti brought up the truly ludicrous idea of packaging Detroit's #1 pick and CJ to move up and get Ndamkong Suh. Whereas I'll learn to do cartwheels if they get Suh, that trade would be horrendous.


But I am not against the idea of trading Calvin Johnson for picks. In my mind, the most logical trading partner would be the Baltimore Ravens and I think adequate compensation would be the Ravens first and third round picks this year, plus a first or second round pick next year.


Why even entertain the idea of trading Johnson? Because the Lions offense is abysmal even with Johnson. It'll be just as abysmal without him. The Lions have too many needs and the idea of being able to add half a defense (with the Lions current picks along with the new picks) at the expense of one great player is very appealing.


Bill Parcells has shown, on numerous occasions, that the fastest road back to respectability in the NFL is to build a solid defense.


So I called in. I'll see if I can't find that audio too.


And following that discussion, I had the following email chain with Sean, who hosts "Fantasy Sports Geekly" on WDFN, which is why his emails come from "geekly".


Many thanks to Sean for giving me permission to publish this. There are typos. Sorry.




Me to Geekly 8:12 am

Trading Calvin Johnson is the kind of deal that could build a real franchise. Adding a 1st and a 3rd this year allows for the Lions to take FIVE defensive players. Building a defense can allow this team to have a chance to be in games. This team is never going to be a 50+ points per week. The Lions don't have adequate guards, tackles, running backs or a second WR. Keeping CJ is typical "Lions Logic" ie keep the flash, forget the trenches. You win with defense. Five picks in the top 100? 3 DL, 2 CB's? How about keeping opponents in the 20's and maybe the Lions could be in games in the fourth quarter.

You don't think that Baltimore would jump at the chance to pair up Johnson and Flacco? And by the way, what kind of deal did the Ravens give up to get Flacco?

Thanks,

Derrick
strugglingsportsreporter.blogspot.com


Geekly to Me 8:21am


Derrick, You are working under the assumption that they GET a deal like that, they don't just fall into your lap like the Jerry Jones deal, NOBODY wants to be the next Mike Lynn or Jerry Jones, they are chastised up and down for making those deals! I agree, 100% on building the trenches, I have preached that for years, but, having the #4 pick in the draft is huge, and it can be a slow, arduous process if they make the RIGHT choices..based on last years draft..

Me to Geekly 8:25 am


A 1st and a 3rd this year, another 1st next year. To a team like Baltimore desperate for a big play WR, a team that's been looking for a WR for years. I'm not saying trade him for two picks...I'm saying if you get 3+ picks. And I'm certainly saying you shop it and see if you can get it.


Geekly to me 8:26 am


IF you get something like that, I will listen to be sure…again, I think that that is a giant assumption...I just don't think that deal occurs based on the hammering that Lynn, Jones et al received


Me to Geekly 8:46 am


2008-Baltimore traded its first-round selection to Jacksonville for Jacksonville's first-round selection, two third-round selections, and fourth-round selection (No. 26, 71, 89, 125). All for Joe Flacco. Baltimore seems to trade every year. Last year they traded up for

2009-Micheal Oher. New England traded its first-round selection (23rd overall, used to select Michael Oher) to Baltimore for first- and fifth-round selections (26th overall, traded to Green Bay, who selected Clay Matthews; and 162nd overall, traded to Green Bay, who selected Jamon Meredith


Geekly to me 8:48 am


Derrick, look at the draft choices you are talking about 26th overall, not 4th overall where you can still grab a McCoy and retain CJ..the chances of getting impactful players at 71,89, 125 and 162 gp down greatly, especially with this franchise..in fairness, Mayhew had a nice draft from last year.


Me to Geekly 8:52 am


Flacco was an 18, which is where Baltimore currently stands. Now, you're looking at 4-5 picks. Mayhew has kept 6 of his 7 picks this year and all have contributed. Can he do it again? Who know, but I'd like to give him a chance.

Levy is a starter. Sammie Hill is a starter. The Lions don't have starters! 4 or 5 starters? 1 WR.

It would be the draft heard round the world if the Leo's go offense with the first two picks.


Geekly to me 8:56 am


I would like to give him the chance, with a #4, and CJ and the rest of the picks…you are gambling with later picks, simply put


Me to Geekly 8:58 am


The Saints are doing what they're doing, because they brought in Gregg Williams who has given them a decent defense. They had the same offense last year.


Geekly to me 8:59 am


You can't at #4, NO WAY, I will puke, grab McCoy there!


Me to Geekly 9:00 am


Unless both Suh and McCoy are gone, there is no way they draft Okung like Killer is saying.


Geekly to me 8:59


That is a massive assumption, that they can turn 71`, 89, 125 and 162 into starters, massive. You paid the man the bulk of his contract AND can franchise him, this is two years away, and CAN be done through the draft with retaining a good young WR, it is not a quick fix scheme, it a simply is not


Geekly to me 9:04 am


Their offense was not an issue last year at all, it was their defense. I don't agree with Killer on the D issue, that must be addressed


Me to Geekly 9:11 am


A good NFL draft finds 3-4 "contributing" players. This last draft was exceptional. I'm not saying he can do it again, but give him a chance.

Baltimore has been begging for a #1 WR for 3-4 years. The NY Jets don't have a #1 and they just bought their franchise QB. Just put him on the market and see what is out there.

Sorry, don't have a #1 WR.

Me to Geekly 9:14 am

If you keep CJ, then you have another year where the defense can't be logically addressed. If you don't go offense with a T, a guard or two, a RB, CJ will be wasted for another year.

I am cheering Mayhew's draft, not criticizing.

It's even funnier what happened to New Orleans when they got a good defensive coordinator.

Geekly to me 9:14 am

I agree, give him a chance again with the #4 pick and a #1 WR already established..and the picks in place unless we get a Jerry Jones deal.

Geekly to me 9:17 am

CJ is not a #1?!

Geekly to me 9:19 am

Why can't it be based on having the #4 pick and the draft choices we already have? Especially since you yourself keep citing the success of last year?

Me to Geekly 9:27 am

It is a several year project to recreate the Lions, but it can be quicker. That's all I'm saying. I'm meant that the Jets also don't have a #1 WR, the Jets might be interested too.

My point earlier was, if you're keeping CJ, your most likely keeping your focus on the offense. If you want the most out of Johnson, then you need a new RB, a new T, some guards. And I think you do that at the expense of the defense.

I'm a fan, we're all fans, we've all been waiting for decades. Is it a chance at a quick fix? No, not really. It's a chance to be a quicker fix.

Geekly to me 9:35 am

I understand that, I really do…but, you can keep CJ and use Mayhew’s normal draft choices and reach that goal if we base it on his picks from just last year, if he has that success over the next TWO drafts then we are a better team, and have a real WR

Me to Geekly 9:37

I'm not saying what that this is going to happen, but Drafttek.com does a pretty good job. And it gives you an idea. This is assuming a 1st and 3rd pick this year for Johnson.

1

4

Detroit

*Gerald McCoy

DT43

Oklahoma

1

20

Detroit

Greg Hardy

DE43

Mississippi

2

36

Detroit

*Joe Haden

CB

Florida

3

68

Detroit

*Cameron Heyward

DE43

Ohio State

3

83

Detroit

*Gabe Carimi

OT

Wisconsin

4

99

Detroit

*Rennie Curran

SS

Georgia

5

131

Detroit

*Rodney Hudson

OG

Florida State

6

163

Detroit

Geno Atkins

DT43

Georgia

7

194

Detroit

*Chykie Brown

CB

Texas



Haden won't be there in the second, but maybe a Patrick Robinson?


Geekly to me 9:38 am


"Assuming"


Me to Geekly 9:39 am


Thanks for the spirited discussion. I have to start doing some actual work this morning.

Thanks.


Geekly to me 9:43 am


Thank you..and if they get a great deal, a Jerry Jones deal, I'll listen.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Week 15: Sorry, my bad.

First of all, I'd like to clarify that I slept through most of this game. According to the score, so did most of the Lions.

I also want to take full responsibility for this horrible excuse of a game, team, etc. I am a very superstitious guy. Maybe I'm not "never change your socks during a winning streak" obsessive, but I do believe wholeheartedly in "the jinx." When a kicker lines up for the 45 yard FG and the announcer says "so-and-so has been automatic all year for his team. He hasn't missed yet this year." Inevitably, that kicker will miss. Or at least have a much higher percentage chance of missing. I don't have any stats to back me up on this, just 30 years of watching all level of football to fall back on.

"So-and-so has gone 130+ pass attempts without throwing a pick. That's why this team has won three in a row." Is directly to blame for "So-and-so" will throw 3 picks today.

Again, no statistical evidence...just know it. This really boils down to the same thing as the "Madden Curse" and "sophomore slumps" and the "SI cover jinx." It is more of a mounting of pressure, whether conscious or sub-conscious, which effects the player.

So why do I bring this up?

Because I jinxed the Lions Sunday morning. And, apparently I did a great job of it.

At 2 a.m, Sunday morning, 3 pitchers in, my out of town friend started to talk about how the Lions had pretty much killed all of his interest in the NFL and that he was teaching his children to be Giants fans, if they were going to be any kind of fan, since they now lived in NY/NJ.

Normally, I would applaud his effort to save his children from years of unnecessary pain and suffering which the Lions are prone to induce, but on this night, as I tried to eat something called a "hooburito," I thought I'd defend the hometown team for the billionth time.

"The Lions will be good again, and it'll be sooner than you think."

That's what I said. After watching all the highlights, reading the gamebook and several articles about the game, I'm more than a little embarrassed. First, that I said it at all. Second, that I jinxed the Leos. And apparently it was a doozy of a jinx.

My logic was sound, albeit misguided. The premise of my argument was "How is a team supposed to be built?" And invariably the answer is always the same, through the draft.

And how did the Lions draft this year, in Martin Mayhew/Jim Schwartz's first year? It looked pretty good. 6 of 7 picks are still with the team. The seventh was stolen by Bill Parcells. All 6 have played, 5 have had major roles. That is unheard of.

Until you realize that those players didn't beat out proven vets to play. They played because the Lions don't have anybody else. It's very misleading. This team is so far away from just being mediocre, it's sad.

1. Kevin Smith is admirable and now he's gone too. He plays with heart, but he can't break tackles and he doesn't have the top end speed to finish. Maurice Morris will step in now that Smith is most likely going to the IR and I don't believe there will be much of a drop off. Hopefully, Aaron Brown will get more opportunities and he can convince himself he might be good enough to be an every down player.

2. Daunte Culpepper thinks he should be a starter in the NFL. Good luck. It'll never happen. No team is bad enough to let you start full-time, not even the Lions.

3. The Detroit Lions took Jordan Dizon instead of Ray Rice. Just one more thing that I think says a lot about Matt Millen. 13 rushes, 166 yards. 12+ yards per carry. The Lions can't defend the run or the pass.

4. Joe Flacco had a 120 QB rating. Good to see things getting back to normal.

5. Louis Delmas also went down with an ankle injury, whereas Smith is almost assuredly going to IR. The Lions will take a few days to evaluate their best player on defense.

6. Most people are trying hard not to say the Lions "quit" in this game, but they did. Jim Schwartz insinuated that he'll be looking hard at the game tape and probably cutting players who quit. He needs to make sure those are not empty words. I think the Lions could gut the whole middle of this team and replace them with practice squad players from around the league. Play kids, see if you can find any diamonds in the rough. Because it can't get any rougher than what Baltimore, a team on the outside of the bubble for the playoffs, did to the Lions.

7. Cleveland beat Pittsburgh on Thursday primarily using a RB that they pulled off the streets named Chris Jennings. The guy ran fast, with power, anger and a chip on his shoulder. It was fun to watch. The Lions need to be looking too.

8. But it is very unlikely they're going to find a whole lot of OL and 300+ lb DT's. Those guys just don't grow on trees. Jimmy Johnson, on the Fox post game show, stated that you have to get your DL in the first round. He knew a thing or two about building teams.

Cheerleaders?

Just a little something to help my readers as we continue to suffer under the tyranny of the Ford's and their incomprehensible aversion to professional dance teams.

Currently only six of the NFL's 32 franchises have chosen to go without the all important cheer brigades--Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, and the New York Giants.

3rd and 3 or less

Just like every other aspect of "football" the Lions were so incredibly inept at on Sunday, they were also pretty bad on 3rd and 3 or less. This week they followed the rule of 3rd and 3 or less, which states that "it is better to have rushed and failed than never to have rushed at all." Or something like that. On Sunday the Lions were 2 of 5 rushing in the situation and 0 of 1 passing. For the season, the numbers still bear out. 12 of 18 rushing and 9 of 21 passing.

Tales of the Inept

The Cleveland Brown (2-11) managed to beat the defending SuperBowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 13-6, behind a spirited effort by Chris Jennings and Brady Quin. They still, due to strength of schedule have a higher pick than the Leos.

The St. Louis Rams (1-12), a team that beat the Lions, is currently lined up for the #1 pick. They lost in Lion-esque fashion to the once 0-6 Tennessee Titans, 47-7.

The Tampa Bay Buccanneers (1-12) lost to the New York Jets, 26-3, who sat the Sanchize, Mark Sanchez.

PS Stay away from anything called a "Hooburito," it's not good for your judgment or your lower intestines.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Week 14: Where I figure out how I gained a week on the NFL

And the Lions lose again.

The problem with the Lions loss this week was that it was so pedestrian. The team seemed resigned to lose, played lethargically all day, and then finally lost. The 23-13 score was not in the least bit a reflection of the game itself. Cincinnati could have scored a lot more points, the woeful Lions secondary couldn't contain Chad Ochocinco at any point of the day. The Bengals simply quit throwing to him out of the mercy of their own hearts.

The other thing I learned is that, even in Hi-Def, the Lions will still put me to sleep on any given Sunday.

1. Matt Stafford, Franchise Savior, needs to be allowed to heal. Jim Schwartz says that the doctors claim Stafford cannot further injure his bum non-throwing shoulder. Maybe that's true, but it's certainly not getting any better while he plays and it does seem to be effecting his play. Let the kid rest, at 2-10, the Leo's aren't exactly in the playoff hunt.

2. Now granted, I've said all year that any snaps taken by anyone other than Stafford this season are a complete waste of time, but it couldn't hurt to see if Drew Stanton can be an able backup next season. It also couldn't hurt the organization to show some compassion to Daunte Culpepper and let him showcase himself off to the league for a game or two. Daunte worked like a fiend in the offseason, losing 30 lbs and rededicating himself to football. It would send a positive message to the team that such hard work will be rewarded.

3. Kevin Smith could be a great running back -- if the field were only ten yards long. He made lots of great cuts at the line to get a couple yards...but he just can't break anything longer than that.

4. After I called for Aaron Brown to get some time at #1 RB, Brown comes out on the radio and states that he doesn't think he's capable of being an every down back. To me, that's a huge red flag. Great players want to be on the field at all times. Great players think they need the rock at all times. Aaron Brown just waived off the ball and said, "No thanks, I'm good."

5. Ndamukong Suh, the great DT from Nebraska, who had 4.5 sacks (in one game) against #2 Texas, made himself a lot of money Saturday night. He also saved himself from ever having to play for Detroit. Suh will go #1 to whoever has that pick and it doesn't look very likely it'll be the Lions.

6. 17 of 29 for 220 yards, 1 TD and 2 picks for a QB rating of 65.3...Matt Stafford's numbers on Sunday? No, Franchise Savior's numbers were worse than that. Nope, those were Carson Palmer's numbers. Which is pretty amazing considering that the Lions give up a 110+ rating to every opposing QB they play. But don't read too much into it, the game was never close and the Bengals didn't really need to throw.

7. 11 of 26 for 143 yards, 1 TD and 2 picks for a QB rating of 41.0. And the Lions are sure that Stafford's non-throwing shoulder separation isn't effecting his game?


Why don't the Lions have Cheerleaders?

The Cincinnati Ben-Gals performed a very festive halftime show on Sunday. It should have put everyone who watched in the Holiday season.

Tis the season to be jolly...

3rd and 3 or less

The Lions faced 3rd and 3 or less twice on Sunday--failing miserably both times. Both failures came on pass attempts, one pass fell harmlessly incomplete and on the other attempt, Stafford was drilled into the ground again..."not" further injuring his separated shoulder.

On the season the Lions are 10 of 13 rushing, 9 of 21 passing. The numbers don't lie...on 3rd and 3 or less, it's always better to rush.

Tales of the inept
The competition for the #1 pick in next year's draft stayed pretty status quo this week.

The Cleveland Browns (1-11) lost 30-23 to the San Diego Chargers. Yes, the Browns need a QB to lead their team, but there isn't a QB in next year's draft worthy of the #1 pick and certainly nobody is more worthy than Suh.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-11) lost 16-6 to Carolina. Josh Freeman looks like a find at QB for the rebuilding franchise. It is very likely that if the Bucs can't get Suh, they'll take Gerald McCoy, the other DT the Lions could use.

The St. Louis Rams (1-11) lost 17-9 to the Chicago Bears. The Rams could use a new QB too and they might be the only team that would actually take one early. The Rams took a franchise LT last season, so it is unlikely they'll take another in Steve Spagnolo's second campaign.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Because we're into December...

It's that lovely time of year, where all any Lions fans have to talk about is the draft. The wonderful folks over at Drafttek.com allow anyone, for free, to run their beliefs of what their favorite team needs are and ranks them against their "big board" of 450 players and what other fans around the country believe that their teams needs are.

Thus a fully automated simulated draft.

According to my input, here is what the Lions "should" do come next April.

1 4 Detroit *Gerald McCoy DT43 Oklahoma P1 -3 Reach
2 36 Detroit Patrick Robinson CB Florida State P2 2 Value
3 68 Detroit Tyson Alualu DE43 California P2 5 Value
4 99 Detroit D'Anthony Smith DT43 Louisiana Tech P3O 9 Value
5 131 Detroit T.J. Ward FS Oregon P2 -5 Reach
6 163 Detroit Nathan Overbay OT Eastern Washington P2 -7 Reach
7 195 Detroit Brandon Carter OG Texas Tech P2 -24 Reach

If the draft were held today...

1 Cleveland
1-10 0.534
2 St. Louis
1-10 0.545
3 Tampa Bay
1-10 0.557
4 Detroit
2-9 0.534
5 Washington
3-8 0.5
6 Oakland
3-8 0.517
7 Kansas City
3-8 0.517
8 Seattle
4-7 0.483
9 Buffalo
4-7 0.494
10 Denver (from Chicago)
4-7 0.506

Monday, November 30, 2009

Week 13:Turkey Day tradition continues--Lions lose

The Lions, riding a national wave of euphoria over last weeks epic come from behind victory, crashed into the shore of reality like a 10 ton brick on Thanksgiving day. Stafford, who probably shouldn't even have been playing with a separated non-throwing shoulder managed to throw four interceptions and Kevin Smith showed that even the white lines on the field could tackle him.

This was a horrible display for a national audience which is already begging the NFL to "please God, take that game away from them!" I can't say I blame them. Admit it, watching the Lions is bad for your digestion. I say that, not because I wan the Lions to lose the game, but instead, because I have no fear of them losing the tradition. Why? Because I'm still seeing at least six dozen Ford commercials every game--the NFL isn't stupid enough to insult one of it's biggest sponsors.

In other news...

1. I think Matt Stafford, Franchise Savior, just threw another interception. I'm not giving him a pass because he was playing injured...but he really shouldn't have been out there at all. This wasn't one of his typical weeks either. Usually a Lions QB can blame most of his picks on his receivers, because the passes usually bounce harmlessly off their hands and into the air, but this game wasn't that way. These picks weren't because of a ton of QB pressure, or bad WR routes...he just made bad throws. He's a rookie, we were supposed to expect these days this year.

2. I really wanted to like Kevin Smith. I wanted him to be this "James Stewart" clone who was good for 4 yards a carry...not a game breaker...but at least 4 yards a carry. For a while, it appeared that that's what Smith would be...but it turns out that is not what he is. Stewart was a war horse that could break tackles and carry defenders...Smith is tripping over the white lines. He might be a good backup, but he can't break tackles and he doesn't have the game changing break away speed that is needed by a change of pace back.

3. Aaron Brown has that speed. Brown needs to start getting 10-15 touches per game. The most common argument against Brown is that he's "too small." Brown is currently listed as 6-1, 205 lbs. Kevin Smith is listed as 6-1, 217. Chris Johnson, the Tennessee Titans RB who currently leads the NFL in rushing is listed as 5-11, 200. I think Brown is right inside the size wheelhouse for RB's. Brown needs more touches...he probably needs to get a shot as the #1 back before the season is over.

4. I have a feeling that Daunte will start this weekend against Arizona. Last week, the Lions were riding a wave of momentum into a nationally televised game...a huge chance to sell Stafford jersey's nationwide. This week, we're just another 2-9 team. The kid needs to let his shoulder heal.

5. Culpepper was somewhat justified in his outburst before the game. Stafford didn't appear ready to play, having missed the entire week of practice. Culpepper had taken all of the practice reps all week and was overly anxious to show the rest of the world that he could still play.

6. Don't expect to see Daunte on the Detroit sidelines again next season.

7. Stafford threw the ball away on a 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 1...and it worked out to be the right decision. I don't think I'll ever see that again. Green Bay gave up the safety two plays later...and it should have been a touchdown. That was weird.

8. The offensive line opened up some running lanes for Smith, he just tripped going through them.

9. The Lions may end up with the 4th pick in the draft and may still miss out on the two best defensive players in the draft, Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska and Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma.

10. The fourth pick in the draft might just be low enough that somebody might want to trade up for it. Hopefully. QB's Sam Bradford, Jake Looker, and Tim Tebow might entice some teams to come calling.

Cheerleaders?

Thanksgiving day allowed Lions fans, once again, to view other teams cheerleaders like the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders and the always famous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Lions fans...got to watch Daunte Culpepper sulk on the sidelines. It might just be another reason they want to take the game away from us.

3rd and 3 or less

The Lions faced 3rd and 3 or less, converting 4 of 7. They were 2 for 2 rushing and 2 for 5 passing. Year totals; rushing 10 of 13, passing 9 of 19. As bad as the Lions have been, they continue to prove out it is always better to run on 3rd and 3 or less. 77% success rate rushing vs 47% passing. It speaks for itself.

Tales of the inept

The Cleveland Browns (1-10), which the Lions just barely beat, were dissected by the Cincinnati Bengals (16-7) who were without their #1 RB Cedric Benson. At least they managed to score a touchdown.

The St. Louis Rams (1-10) lost to the Seattle Seahawks 27-17 in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10) behind another rookie QB, Josh Freeman, Morgan's kid, I think, lost 20-17 to Atlanta in a game that proved to be a lot more entertaining than it should have been.


Tennessee Titans note: Since being listed in this spot, back when they w e re 0-6, the Titans haven't lost a game. They changed QB's from the octogenarian Kerry Collins to spread offense aficionado Vince Young and have gone a 5 game winning streak. The Titans have become a Cinderella story worth watching...next week they run head on into the undefeated Indianapolis Colts. Bring'em on!


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

If the draft were held today...

1 Cleveland 1-9 0.531
2 St. Louis 1-9 0.544
3 Tampa Bay 1-9 0.55
4 Detroit 2-8 0.531
5 Seattle 3-7 0.488
6 Washington 3-7 0.5
7 Buffalo 3-7 0.506
8 Oakland 3-7 0.513
9 Kansas City 3-7 0.513
10 Denver (from Chicago) 4-6 0.494

Week 12: Stafford injured, then walks on water, Lions win

I want to preface this article with a very deeply felt footnote...I am happy the Lions won.

Thanks to the NFL's stupid blackout rule, I was only able to hear the game live, (I have since watched it on NFL replay, which should be available until midnight Wednesday) but I was riveted to the radio for what turned out to be a finish that only a hokie Hollywood writer could come up with.

A pass interference called on Cleveland in the endzone on the last play of the game? Stafford drilled under a 320 pound DL smashing his shoulder--that hit couldn't have been more destructive if it included a Micheal Bay explosion. Then the Cleveland Browns call an inexplicable timeout...then William Clay Ford calls down from his luxury suite to Stafford, who's being restrained by the medical staff who are trying desperately to find out how much bone is left in the Franchise Savior's disintegrated left shoulder. Ford tells Stafford, "just sit it out kid. I hate to win. If you go back into the game...I'm sending you back to prison! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" But Stafford hears the PA announce the Browns timeout and knows he can go back in.

Stafford hands the phone to one of the doctors and asks Jason Hanson, who's been here since before the Ford's made cars, "You've been here a long time, how bad is it here? In prison?"

"Not too bad...you get used to it."

Stafford breaks free of the medical staff and rushes back onto the field. His left arm hanging loosely out of his broken shoulder pads. He takes the snap with one hand, drops back...and hits Brandon Pettigrew for the winning touchdown with all 0's on the clock! The crowd goes wild!

The Ford's seethe in their luxury box....credits roll..."We are the Champions" plays...

OK, maybe it didn't happen exactly like that...but it was close.

Here are 10 things that I know really happened..."We'll keep on fighting till the end...."

1. The Detroit Lions gave up 37 points to a team that hadn't been able to get a touchdown from a running back or wide receiver for over a year....Brown's wide receivers caught four on Sunday.

2. The Lions continue to turn every opposing quarterback into a Hall of Famer. Brady Quinn was 21 of 33 for 304 yards and 4 four TD's with no interceptions. That's a QB rating of 133.1.
To put this into perspective, Brady Quinn's QB rating now--including his day against the Lions--is only 70.4. That puts him at 27th of the 33 players who have thrown enough passes to become eligible for the stat. Another ugly note, Stafford is 28th with a 66.9.

3. Mangini is a complete moron. The Lions should have never had a chance to even try the hail Mary pass interference play. Mangini called three passes on his last drive, one led the WR out of bounds stopping the clock and another fell incomplete, stopping the clock and giving the Leo's the ball back with 1:48 to go. Throw two runs in there, the Lions get the ball back after the punt with 20 seconds. Furthermore, not only did he pass the ball on that 3rd down, he did it from an empty backfield so there wasn't even a chance of a play fake.

4. Mangini has now come out and said the Lions were faking injuries in order to stop the Brown's no huddle. He obviously hasn't seen a lot of film of our Leo's. There isn't a play that goes by where at least one player isn't taken out.

5. Another thing about Mangini, he's arguing the pass interference penalty on the last play. Why? Because he apparently doesn't know the rules. Strange for an NFL head coach to not have a handle on the rules of the game, but it appears so. Both Mangini and Hank Poteat, who was called for the PI, have been quoted as saying that once the QB leaves the pocket the DB can do whatever they want to the WR. As if, once the QB scrambles, the field becomes Thunderdome or something. Which is blatantly false, once the ball is in the air the DB has to keep his hands off the WR--not see if he can drive him out of bounds, which is exactly what Poteat did. What's disturbing about this is, not that the flag was thrown--because usually when the Lions are involved, it's a missed call--but that the quotes from Mangini and Poteat are in complete lock step. In other words the coach has been teaching his players the wrong rules from the start...maybe the Browns do have it worse than we do.

6. Once again, the Leo's got the ball with about 2 minutes left, needing a touchdown to win--not a FG. If Lions fans know anything, we know that that is not a sound recipe for victory. On Sunday it worked. Now, the Lions are officially like 1 for 45 in this situation.

7. Matthew Stafford is the Franchise Savior. What he did on Sunday took gut and grit and all those other "toughness" words. He is undoubtedly the unquestioned leader of this team now and when the Lions come from the Harrington era (a QB that was actually quoted as saying "Why does the QB have to be the leader of the team?") that is incredibly refreshing.

8. I was wrong about last year's draft. There is no way that a LB like Aaron Curry could have this much of an effect on the Lions roster.

9. Martin Mayhew has to have at least two or three more drafts like this year's to give the Lions any chance of being relevant again in the NFL. Five players from this year's draft played huge roles in this victory. Obviously Stafford, but also Pettigrew and his winning touchdown, Aaron Brown and his touchdown, Zach Follet was great on special teams, and DeAndre Levy was everywhere playing LB for the injured Ernie Sims.

10. If Stafford and Calving Johnson don't play on Thanksgiving...there is no hope.

Why the Lions might have hope against Green Bay on Thanksgiving

1. Al Harris, half of a probowl tandem of CB's is out for the season.
2. Aaron Kampman, another probowl LB and sack master was also lost for the season on Sunday.

Why don't the Lions have cheerleaders?

Just a little something to help my readers as we continue to suffer under the tyranny of the Ford's and their incomprehensible aversion to professional dance teams.

Currently only six of the NFL's 32 franchises have chosen to go without the all important cheer brigades--Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, and the New York Giants.

The Packers haven't had official cheerleaders since 1988, however cheerleaders from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and St. Norbert College appear at home games throughout the season.

3rd and 3 or less

The Lions only faced 3rd and 3 or less twice on Sunday and, contrary to my theory, they were successful passing once and failed once on a rush. Looking at the season long stats, this is an anomaly. So far this year, 8 of 11 rushing, and 7 of 14 passing. That's an 72% success rate rushing, versus only 50% passing.

More tales of the inept

The Cleveland Browns (1-9) lost to our home town boys, mostly because they don't know the rules of football.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) were pounded into jelly by the #1 offense in football, losing to the New Orleans Saints, 38-7. If I were Rahim Morris, the Bucs' rookie coach, I might be getting a little nervous.

The St. Louis Rams (1-9) gave the NFC reigning champ, the Arizona Cardinals everything they could handle, before finally losing 21-13.

A little extra bit, since I listed the Tennessee Titans in this spot, when they were 0-6, the Titans have switch QB's bringing back an allegedly once suicidal Vince Young to lead the franchise and run off four straight victories. At 4-6, they are still mathematically in the playoff hunt and a still a very exciting team to watch. Plus, they have hot cheerleaders.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Top 10 Picks, if the draft were held today

# Team W-L Opp WL%
1 St. Louis 1-8 0.542
2 Cleveland 1-8 0.542
3 Detroit 1-8 0.549
4 Tampa Bay 1-8 0.556
5 Kansas City 2-7 0.514
6 Oakland 2-7 0.521
7 Washington 3-6 0.479
8 Seattle 3-6 0.479
9 Buffalo 3-6 0.5
10 Tennessee 3-6 0.563

Monday, November 16, 2009

Week 11: The Devil beats down the Lions again

Brett Favre was back, again. He's beaten the Lions 27 times in his career--going on a million. The Lions are like the Washington Generals to his Harlem Globetrotters.

The Lions lost 27-10 to the 8-1, playoff bound, Vikings. There are a ton of questions after this game.

1. Why, when all week the stories were about how Kevin Smith doesn't have top end speed and can't break the long run, do the Lions sit Aaron Brown, the fastest RB, if not player, on the team? Where, as many people believe that the Lions shouldn't sign a Larry Johnson, because the team needs to see if Kevin Smith can be the guy, I think the Lions need to sit Kevin Smith in order to see if Aaron Brown can be the guy. He's a guy with 4.2 speed in the mold of a Brian Westbrook. The only question is if he can take the beating of an every down back.

2. Who on their team did the Lions think was better than Cliff Avril? Schwartz sat one of the team sack leaders to play exactly who?

3. Why do the Lions continue to punt in opposing territory when they're losing? I've said this a hundred times, the Lions are so bad, they have to play with the throttle down until at least 25 minutes after the final whistle. 4th and 1 on the Minnesota 48 down 17-10 with 4:54 left in the third. Punt. Way to challenge your team to win the game, Schwartz. How much of a boost would it have given the Lions if they'd handed off to Kevin Smith and picked up that yard? Perhaps they could have finished the drive, tying the game up 17-17 going into the fourth? Even if they didn't get it, they'd have only given up 25 yards of field position, which the Vikings got back anyway, getting to the 38 yard line before having to punt...which put Detroit back at it's own 19 yard line to start the next drive. Quit wimping out! Go for it on 4th down in opposing territory, what do you have to lose? You're 1-8 because you don't do anything like that!

4. Why do the Lions come out of half time every week looking for a way to blow the game? This week, they fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half. Instead of only being down 10-3, with the ball and ready to prove something...instead, they're down 17-3 less than a minute into the third. Typical Lions.

5. How bad was Delmas' toothache that he couldn't play the game? He dressed for it. He ran up and down the sidelines cheering...hasn't anybody in the Lions training staff ever heard of Novocaine?

6. Who's going to play in the secondary against Cleveland? I counted four injuries to players in the Lions secondary. Hopefully, Delmas will have his root canal before the game and be able to play this week.

7. Where did this Philip Buchanon come from? The guy made plays all day, whereas the rest of the season, he could have been replaced with a cardboard stand-up and nobody would have ever known the difference.

8. Who was supposed to be covering Sydney Rice? And how did he manage to catch for 201 yards and not score?

9. Will this be the last time the Lions have to play the Devil who wears #4? One can only hope, but if he manages to win the Super Bowl this year with the Vikes, he'll probably be around for another 5 years.

10. So what are the Vikes DL going to be called now? The Fox broadcast team put out a call for nick names for the Vikings front line, reminiscent of the "Purple People Eaters." An overly blatant show of partiality to say the least. But my favorite one I saw, "The Four Norseman."

I wish the Lions had cheerleaders.

I put up this picture, not because I'm a pedophile, but it is interesting that Packers are quietly delving into the possibility of cheerleaders. Currently only six of the NFL's 32 franchises have chosen to go without the all important cheer brigades--Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, and the New York Giants. And now the Packers may be dabbling. The Lions used to do this with high school cheerleaders, I don't recall seeing them doing it for a long time.

Personally, I think it's a pretty cheapskate way of trying to appease your fans, without appeasing them at the same time.

3rd and 3 or less

As much of a reason as any that the Leo's tanked another game, the team only managed a single 3rd and 3 or less. Another empty victory, they managed to convert on a short pass to Calvin Johnson.

Year totals, the Leo's are 8 of 10 rushing, and 6 of 13 passing. That's an 80% success rate rushing, versus only 46% passing.

The competition for #1

Now that there is no chance for any team to take away the title as "worst franchise in NFL history" by adding their name to the list of "only team in NFL history to go winless," and now that the Lions, once again, hold the longest losing streak in the league, the race is on to see who will be anchored with the 2010 NFL #1 pick in the draft. And Detroit is, once again, in the thick of the race.

The other competitors in this race?

The Tampa Bay Buccanneers (1-8) managed to eek out another loss against the Miami Dolphins, 25-23. Let me take a second out here to say one thing, the Dolphins get the Wildcat and awesomely hot cheerleaders too? How is that fair?

The St. Louis Rams (1-8) gave the undefeated Saints all that they could handle before losing, 28-23. The Rams have played very well since having ESPN Page 2 suggest that they are the "New Lions."

The Cleveland Browns (1-7) play the Baltimore Ravens tonight, another very likely loss, but the Browns really have something going for them in their attempts to avoid the anchor contract of the #1 pick--they play the Lions next week.

Next week: Can we make either one of the Brown's disastrous QB's look like a Hall of Fame'r? I'm sure they'll try.

About our latest loss - quote

"This was ugly, but you knew it would be. The Lions lead the NFL in ugly. Everything they try turns ugly. I think that’s why they don’t have cheerleaders." --Michael Rosenberg, Detroit Free Press

Thursday, November 12, 2009

All Hail the UFL!

I really miss the USFL. Why? Because Michigan had the Panthers and they were a legitimate football team that could have beaten the Lions like a kettle drum...much like everybody does now. In fact, I'm willing to bet that even now, 25 years later, the Lions wouldn't be able to stop a deep Hebert to AC pass.

ESPN Page 2 discusses the new upstart football league which has the audacity of playing in the fall.

The UFL only has four teams. They are really keeping it small, which is allowing them to avoid the same downfalls of the old USFL. The old USFL expanded way too quickly. Moving from eight teams its first year to 16 the next...it also brought in Donald Trump and that was pretty much all she wrote for the USFL.

I think the UFL would be very smart to look at the current NFL payscale of practice team players. If they were to add say 20% to the lowest salaries in the NFL, they may be able to steal bonafide NFL untapped talent. The UFL's slogan is "Where Future Stars Come To Play!" but is mostly populated with castoffs and players who refuse to accept they should go into retirement. For instance, who's a starting QB in the UFL...Mike McMahon of our own Lions infamy.

These young players would make that slogan ring true.

Also, bring on the Cheerleaders!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I missed the old creamsicle uni's

These uni's were the best. It reminded me of Steve Young and Doug Williams and the Bucs beating down the Lions late in the season to crush yet another year in Lions History.

But the Cheerleader throwbacks were much, much better.

In fact, they were so much better...why can't we have cheerleaders?

It's bad enough we can't have a football team. Why continue to punish Detroit fans further. The Lions are no longer on pace to beat the Bucs 0-26 mark, but can you really say that 2-32 is really that much better? Give me a break.

Since that time, where the Bucs coach actually stated that he was "in favor" of his own team's "execution," the Bucs have changed uniforms, been to the playoffs multiple times, built a cool new stadium WITH A PIRATE SHIP with canons that really fire, and won a superbowl. In that same time period, the Lions managed to have the greatest running back in NFL history and let him waste away on lousy teams behind less than mediocre lines until he finally up and quit because he didn't see the point of playing anymore when the organization obviously had no real interest in winning.

People used to laugh and say "at least I'm not a Bucs fan." Now, I wish I were a Bucs fan, because they've only lost something like 11 of their last twelve--it would be a step up!

How pitiful is that?

So they get cooler uniforms, have had both Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden as coaches, won a Super Bowl and they get really hot cheerleaders?

And what do we get as Lions fans? The crypt keeper as an owner, an offensive line that's more porous than Swiss cheese, a rookie QB, and another year of hearing about how the team is "rebuilding."

And for those of you who think I just wrote this article so I could put up pics of these hot cheerleaders, you're welcome.
 

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