A Blast from the past...

As I've said, I've been writing about the Lions for a long time....let me show you an old article of mine...


Lions finish dismal season with another disappointing loss


Team stumbles to a 2-8 finish over their last 10 games

1/03/05

The Lions went down with barely a whimper, like so many of the Duck’s fluttering incompletions, 24-19 to a team of blind nuns from Tennessee. OK, maybe they weren’t blind nuns, but Tennessee was down to its third string QB, its second string RB, and its eighth string waterboy. This was a team that was simply praying that the clock would just start moving inexplicably faster and the game could end as quickly as possible. The Lions were playing a team that had already purchased their vacation tickets and were anxious to clear out of that Memphis stadium and hit sunnier climates.

By the way, the clock did repeatedly move inexplicably quicker—a fact that nobody seems to be talking about, but should be looked into by the league.

In the second quarter, with 32 seconds remaining on the clock, Joey called Detroit’s second timeout. The timekeeper allowed the clock to run down to 27 seconds. The next play, Shawn Bryson was pushed out of bounds with 20 seconds remaining and the timekeeper allowed another second to click off before stopping the clock. On the next play, again, Shawn Bryson ran out of bounds with 13 seconds left, but when the ball was snapped again, there was only 12 seconds on the clock.
In the fourth quarter, with 4:23 remaining, Stephen Alexander went down with an injury timeout. When Joey Harrington snapped the ball, there was only 4:12 remaining—where did those nine seconds go?

Reggie Swinton made a fair catch with 2:53 remaining; again the timekeeper allowed an extra tick to pass before stopping the clock. Shawn Bryson ran out of bounds with 2:46 remaining, the timekeeper allowed an additional two ticks. Stephen Alexander fought his way out of bounds with 2:38 remaining, but the game clock ran down to 2:33 before it stopped. Bryson ran out of bounds with 1:31 remaining, but the clock doesn’t stop until 1:28.

Simple math say that’s 20 seconds the Lions were cheated out of.
Is this "homecooking?" Or is it just cheating?

With 1:00 remaining in the game, the Duck called Detroit’s second timeout after Kevin Jones had run the ball up the middle for seven yards on a first down. If the clock read 1:20, do they still call that timeout? With an extra 20 seconds do they perhaps take another chance at running the ball to get those much needed three yards and four more chances at a winning touchdown?

Who knows? Probably, it wouldn’t have made a difference. The Lions didn’t run Kevin Jones on three consecutive downs when they only had three yards to go and still had a timeout in their back pocket. There isn’t much to say that with an extra 20 seconds that Mooch would have changed his philosophy.
But we’ll never know now, will we?

Running Item

I’m officially getting blue in the face while watching the Lions pass over and over again on third and three or less. Kevin Jones averages 3.8 yards a rush why not give him a shot, you’ve got an above average chance of converting—you’re playing the averages.

But what do the Lions do?

With 11:30 left in the first quarter, the Lions had the ball at their own 33 on a third and two. Instead of handing the ball off to Kevin Jones, a back who averages close to four yards a carry, the Duck dropped back and threw short to Shawn Bryson. First down.

With 6:37 left in the first quarter, the Lions faced a third and two from the Tennessee 30. Did the Lions run Kevin Jones up the middle? No. Joey passes short again to Shawn Bryson for four yards. Another first down.

With 8:44 remaining in the first half, the Lions faced third and two from the Tennessee 49. Kevin Jones now? The Duck flicks a seven yard pass to Reggie Swinton on a crossing pattern. Another first down. At this point the Leos are three for three on third and short. Wow. My "Third and Three or less" theory looks like crap right now!

6:38 left in the half, third and three at the Tennessee 35. The Duck drops back again. Incomplete pass to Bryson. Hey, the Lions were still 3 of 4—that’s nothing to squawk at.

27 seconds left in the half, the Lions had just used their first timeout to set up for a third and two from their own 37. Did the Lions secure the first down with a run and then use their second time out? Nope. Harrington passed to Bryson for a 31 yard gain! If this play stood, nobody gripes about it but me. Instead, there was a holding call on Jeff Backus wiping out everything and bringing up a third and twelve. What are the chances there would have been a holding call on a Kevin Jones run?

3 of 5 in the first half on third and three or less, not too bad, but all passes.
The Lions didn’t face another third and short until everything was on the line in the fourth quarter. Facing a third and three on the Tennessee 16 with only 56 ticks left on the clock, needing a touchdown to win, and one timeout still in the bank, did they give the ball to Kevin Jones (who on first down had gained seven yards)? No. Did Tennessee know what the Lions were going to do? Of course they did. The Lions were five for five passing the ball in the same situation! Instead of making sure that they’d get three more chances with the ball…they passed again. Incomplete to Reggie Swinton. Fourth and three? Why not give Jones a chance? Nope, incomplete. End of Season.

Many people complain that Mooch is far too conservative with his offense. I contend that he isn’t conservative enough when it counts. Six for six passing on third and short, that’s not just a trend, it was a guarantee. Something needs to be done to this offense and the play calling. Take your shots downfield often, and run when you really need it—at least %50 of the time. You have to keep defenses honest.

Who the Lions should draft with the tenth pick in the draft:

By losing eight of their final ten games, the Lions have secured the tenth spot in next April’s Draft, also known as "the Lions’ SuperBowl." There are many who think that the horrible theft of a victory against Chicago on a horrible officiating call a week ago was detrimental to the team’s future.

I don't think 10 is a horrible spot, but it is for what the Lions need. I think they really need to address three positions--S, G, and RT. A lot of people are saying DE or LB, but I don't think upgrading positions that we're OK at is going to get the Lions a big leap in the standings next year. They must address areas of real need.

At 10, it's too early for a S or G, and you're probably getting a mediocre T. McDougle is going to go out and test free agency and the Lions won't pay the numbers that he's reportedly going to be asking for. If Alex Barron or D'Brickshaw Ferguson fall to 10, the Lions are golden. If the two stud tackles are both gone, then the Lions have to pray they can find somebody to trade down with.

Personally, I'm glad they were given the Chicago win, they can't afford to keep paying top five pick signing bonuses. Over the last three years the Lions have had #2 pick, a #3 pick and a #6 pick. That’s a lot of upfront cash to dish out and a huge percentage of the team’s overall cap space. If they can move back to the bottom of the first for a second or third, I'd take that in a heartbeat and draft Elton Brown, G Va. He looks awesome and can do it all (C, G, or RT) --a 10-year starter. Then draft a S in the second round to replace Brock Marion, play Terrence Holt instead of Bracy Walker--then go best player available, making sure at least one of those picks is a QB of the future prospect and at least one or two WR's.
By the way, I will be posting several mocks over the next couple of months (probably one a month based on new details as they come out.)

Elton Brown