Lions keep up with Thanksgiving Tradition

I am so tired of hearing about how the Lions "play like turkeys"...the Lions "got stuffed again"..they "lose their heads"...they just suck...

I know it's all true...but I tire of hearing it.

It's time to start talking about the draft again now. The Lions are 2-9 and any chance for respectability has, once again, exited stage left for the season.

And even though reporters and sportscasters keep trying to raise the spirit of Phil Simms in regards to Matt Stafford's constant injured status...I don't buy it. For every Phil Simms, an "injury prone" quarterback who rebounded to have a startling career, there are a thousand who haven't and there is nothing in Stafford's demeanor or history that leaves me with any reason to think he is the one in a million Phil Simms and not a Todd Marinovich or Ryan Leaf.

So what do the Lions need? What don't they need? Did you see the fourth quarter on Thanksgiving?

OK, other than Bill Parcells, what do they most need? Linebackers, corners, and offensive lineman.

Let me tell you what I like about this team...Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, and Stefan Logan. Most everybody else, I'm up in the air about.

The Lions went through a lot of effort to build a decent defensive line, so let's see if that can't gel better over the next two years --although VandenBosch is already 34, he will need to be replaced soon...but probably not this year.

The defensive backs were a major league embarrassment last year. Going into this season, everyone was nervous about them, and rightly so, but Chris Houston and Alphonso Smith, Thanksgiving debacle notwithstanding, have proven to be pretty good. But, neither one is the shut down primary corner the Lions need. They are both very good #2's, but neither is a #1. That's what I think the Lions need...a true #1 shutdown corner--if there isn't a left tackle worthy of the #2 pick...

Yeah, that's right, if the draft ended today, the Lions would be right back in their familiar draft slot of #2. Everyone, please keep telling me about how much they've "improved." If you were able to do it with a straight face, you're either a comedian or certifiable.

One thing the Lions have emphatically proven so far this season, is that even if you have a good to great defensive line, if you don't have linebackers, teams will still be able to run on you. Levy missed the first four games and has looked good since coming back, but Peterson has had a rough year and I can't even remember the name of the guy playing opposite of him. Does that tell you anything?

Tomorrow, we can start talking about the offense...