Week 6: Lions show what really, really bad looks like

The victory against Washington in week 3 did only one thing for the 2009 season, it made sure the Lions wouldn't finish worse than 1-15. On Sunday, the Lions made it look impossible for the the team to finish any better than 1-15.

In typical Lions fashion, the ugliness is mounting in an unheard of fashion. Mt. Despair will soon collapse and fall on the practice facility in Allen Park.

Wow, the Lions are bad. They are so bad that the Green Bay Packers, a team that tried desperately to prove they weren't anything but mediocre on Sunday shut out the Lions 26-0.

Now there were excuses, but what do they say about excuses? They're like $%#@%s, everybody's got one. The Lions had many, starting with the injury list. Right now the Lions are a one and a third trick pony--Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson. When both are inactive and you have to rely on Kevin Smith (the third of the 1 1/3) it's bound to get ugly.

Heap on that, Three-fourths of the starting defensive line was also inactive...26-0.

Some other bad news to heap on the pile? ESPN is reporting that Franchise Savior Matt Stafford may require surgery on his injured knee and may be lost for the season. This is the epitome of Lions luck.

I could start in on a long diatribe of all the potentially great players who litter the Lions' past like roadkill, names like Mike Utley, Erik Andolsek, Kevin Jones, Billy Sims, Rodney Peete, Charles Rogers...Players who showed exceptional promise, some who managed to carry the team for a while, all cut down by injuries. The Lions seem to be cursed by injuries. It used to be blamed on the Silverdome astroturf...now, maybe it's Bobby Lane. Who knows?

If Stafford is truly gone for the year...this season becomes little more than a complete waste of time. I have already called this season a 24 game preseason for next year...if you are unable to train the players you will use for 2010, then what purpose does it all serve?

Oh, I suppose it can serve as some kind of training for players like Louis Delmas, DeAndre Levy, Sammie Hill (if he can ever get past his own injury), Derrick Williams, Aaron Brown and Brandon Pettigrew.

Maybe the rest of the season could be used to see if Drew Stanton is good enough to be the Lions full time backup quarterback. Any time wasted on Culpepper, who'll leave at the end of the season, is completely wasted.

Wouldn't it be great if the Lions had 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?

The Lions were 0-10 on third down against the Packers, so it goes without saying that whatever they tried failed. However, for posterity's sake, the Lions only faced 3rd and 3 or less once all game--3rd and 1 on the Packers 21 yard line (while it could actually still be considered a game). Culpepper passed incomplete. They were aggressive enough to try and go for it on fourth down, foregoing the only real chance during the game the Lions had of scoring any points at all. On 4th down, they ran a naked pitch to Kevin Smith for a loss of three yards. I don't think you can criticize Schwartz for going for it early in a game--challenging his team to actually play winning football. But it failed in the end.

Most coaches would have taken the easy field goal, but already down 14-0, all it would have done was ensure that the Lions could avoid being shut out, but if that's what you're playing for in the first quarter, you've already given up.

Currently the Lions are 4 of 5 rushing and 3 of 6 passing on 3rd and 3 or less.

The other dregs in the NFL

The Lions were the first team to ever go winless in a season last year. Because of parity in the NFL, it wasn't something that was never really supposed to happen. The draft and results driven draft position was supposed to ensure that every team has a chance to get better in a hurry. Add to that equation the advent of free agency and almost any team in the NFL should be able to turn over an entire franchise in the space of three or four years.

Matt Millen broke the mold on that concept.

In fact, high draft choices have, for many teams, become a curse. Rarely is there a truly "elite" talent that other NFL franchises will drool over enough to come calling with trade offers. Add in the outrageous contracts guaranteed to high picks, who in reality have never played an NFL down, and the #1-#3 picks become utter poison.

Good teams build their teams through the draft, but a team cannot afford to draft in the top five for more than one or two years, or else the franchise gets strangled by the exorbitant contracts of those players.

In fact, if a team is awful enough to have honestly earned picks 1-3, then they have more needs than one over priced player can fill. The lure of the #1 pick should be the ability to trade down and collect multiple players to rebuild your anchor of a team.

Right now, Matt Stafford is the highest paid player in the NFL. Should he really be paid more than Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? No. And add in Calvin Johnson's contract, a former #2 overall pick, and the Lions now have almost 20% of their salary cap money tied up in 2 players of a 53 man roster.

This has to be fixed, and hopefully will be addressed in the new labor contract coming up in 2011. The most likely fix would be a rookie salary cap. Surely, the NFLPA will throw future players to the wolves to save their own earnings potentials. Afterall, these are players who aren't even in the union yet.

Anyway, sorry about that tangent. This section was supposed to be about the other teams in the league who are trying so desperately to follow the Lions into the abyss. Who'll be the second team to go utterly defeated? I'll follow all winless teams until, once again, the Lions show that they truly are the worst of the worst.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) beat the Washington Redskins, 14-6. KC, which used to hold the highly prominent title of "last team to lose to the Detroit Lions" managed to win their first game of the year against the same team that ended the Lions streak, Washington. I'm going to check the schedules of all the other winless teams for Washington...this team is a real spoiler.

Tennessee Titans (0-6) lost to New England 59-0. Wow, that's impressive. Especially since the Titans were the number one seed in the AFC playoffs just last year. Does the loss of Jim Schwartz and Albert Haynesworth have anything to do with this? It's possible. In fact, this is the same team that almost gave up 60 to Brady and crew, which handily trounced the Lions just this last Thanksgiving. At least they have cheerleaders.

St. Louis Rams (0-6) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-20. The Rams kept this game close the entire way, in fact leading for a few minutes in the fourth quarter. That's the kind of attitude that might get them off this list.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) lost to the Carolina Panthers, 28-21. Carolina QB Jake Delhomme was 9 of 17 for 65 yards and a TD...for the game...and they won. 'Nuff said.

Quote of the Week

"How big of a debacle was this? Midway through the third quarter, the Lions asked quarterback Drew Stanton to take a snap, then pretend he was floating overhead in a homemade balloon." -- Michael Rosenberg, Detroit News.

Another trip to the frozen tundra

It is not a "little known secret" that the Leos have lost 18 consecutive games in the state of Wisconsin. Most people connect that fact with the rise of the beast known as Favre, but I'm going to contend that there is something a little more sinister than the undecided one.

Another thing that is not a "little known secret" is that the Lions are a dome team. For more than 30 years the Honolulu blue has played all of its home games in the environmentally controlled Silverdome and, now, Ford Field.

Below is a list of all 18 nightmarish defeats at the hands of the green and gold. (I also included the last Lions victory in 1991. Why? Because any talk of the '91 season makes me smile...gives me hope...)

1991 Week 16 15-Dec W 21-17 at Green Bay Packers
1992 Week 14 6-Dec L 38-10 at Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee, WI
1993 Week 12 21-Nov L 26-17 at Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee, WI
1994 Week 10 6-Nov L 38-30 at Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee, WI
1994 Wild Card Playoff L 16-12 at Green Bay Packers
1995 Week 7 15-Oct L 30-21 at Green Bay Packers
1996 Week 10 3-Nov L 28-18 at Green Bay Packers
1997 Week 10 2-Nov L 20-10 at Green Bay Packers
1998 Week 1 6-Sep L 38-19 at Green Bay Packers
1999 Week 11 21-Nov L 26-17 at Green Bay Packers
2000 Week 15 10-Dec L 26-13 at Green Bay Packers
2001 Week 1 9-Sep L 28-6 at Green Bay Packers
2002 Week 10 10-Nov L 40-14 at Green Bay Packers
2003 Week 2 14-Sep L 31-6 at Green Bay Packers
2004 Week 14 12-Dec L 16-13 at Green Bay Packers
2005 Week 14 11-Dec L 16-13 at Green Bay Packers (OT)
2006 Week 15 17-Dec L 17-9 at Green Bay Packers
2007 Week 17 30-Dec L 34-13 at Green Bay Packers
2008 Week 17 28-Dec L 31-21 at Green Bay Packers

OK, the first thing I take away from this list is...damn, I hate the Packers. Sorry. Secondly, I see that almost all of these games occur in November and December. Only 3 times in the last twenty years have the Lions played at Green Bay in the first half of the season. Seems like an egregious scheduling issue to me. How can that be fair that the Lions have played 85% of their games against the Packers at a time of year when their home field advantage is at it's fullest strength? This is a dome team that is not supposed to play well in freezing weather.

So this year is first time in six years the Lions will play at Green Bay before November 1st--only the fourth time in the last 21 years. And the number of the beast, #4, is no longer "slingin' it" for the old meat packers.

What are the chances the Lions end the streak?

Well, what do the Lions have going for them, other than the calendar?

The Packers (2-2) lead the league in sacks allowed (20) and they've played one less game than most. Their usual starting RT, Mark Tauscher, held out throughout all of training camp and only signed a new contract this week. Tauscher is not expected to play. Chad Clifton, the starting LT, has been injured most of the season. He is questionable for this week against the Lions. Maybe the Lions will be able to get to the quarterback!

But not likely, Detroit has the worst secondary in the NFL.

Would cheerleaders help? No.

The Packers are 18th in total defense and 15th in scoring defense, both ahead of the Lions.

And on top of that, the Lions may be without Franchise Savior Matt Stafford again.

There are several major streaks the Lions happen to be on the wrong side of:
1. 18 straight losses @ Green Bay.
2. 14 straight losses on the road
3. The Lions have never won @ Washington
4. The Lions haven't won @ San Francisco since 1975...34 years.

The Leos could slay #1 and 2 off this list with a miracle on Sunday. Matt Stafford slayed 0-19...

It's possible, but not likely.

Prediction:
Green Bay 34 Detroit 26

Quote of the Week

Found here

"We lost to Detroit on the road. We come here and lose to Carolina. This one stings more."
-- Jason Campbell, quarterback, Redskins

Ouch, Panthers. The Washington Redskins know awful. And you, sirs, are no Detroit Lions.

ESPN Page 2 Suggests new Rams Logo

Should the Lions be offended?

Week 5: Moral Victories are for losers

The biggest farce in professional football coverage is the old adage of a "moral victory."

The Lions have lost X number of games in a row, but they've been in every game to the end!

What a bunch of crap.

The Lions only lost to the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers by eight. Shouldn't we be proud?

So what? They lost. Most games in the NFL, probably somewhere on the order of 85-90% are decided by 10 points or less.

In essence, all that matters is if a team can turn it on when they have to in order to seal up a victory.

Sunday showed Lions fans that the Steelers can and the Lions can't.

With only 1:54 remaining in the game, down 28-20, Daunte Culpepper, playing for the injured Franchise Savior, had the ball with a 1st and 10 at Pittsburgh's 21 yard line.

Wait....wait a minute. Let me digress...the Lions seem to always be in this position over the last several years...except when they were completely blown out of course. The Lions always seem to be able to get into a position where they have the ball with just enough time for one last drive and need a touchdown...never just a field goal. Which, I think, is indicative of the Lions experience.

I'll take a blowout, if at least the team is trying to be as aggressive as possible. Too often, the Lions punt away in the fourth quarter while down, or don't go for it on 4th and 1 or 2. These antics are what keep games close...close enough for the Lions to claim "moral victories." Don't punt in opposition territory! Don't take a field goal on 4th and 1 or 2 or less, especially when you're down by 10 or 11 points! It's a hell of a lot easier to drive for a winning or tying field goal than it is a winning touchdown or touchdown and two point conversion.

That's playing weak. As I've said before, the Lions have to play with the throttle down until at least 25 minutes after the final whistle. Why? Because they don't have the talent of most other NFL teams...good ones especially.

So, sorry, but as I was saying...

With only 1:54 remaining in the game, down 28-20, Daunte Culpepper, playing for the injured Franchise Savior, had the ball with a 1st and 10 at Pittsburgh's 21 yard line.

This was the defining moment of the game. The time when a champion arises and shows its true nature. So what happened?

1st and 10. Sack.
2nd and 16. Sack.
3rd and 21. Sack.
4th and forever....incomplete on the hail mary...game over.

Pittsburgh stood up and the Lions folded. Typical. And truthfully, I think the Steelers could have done it any time they wanted.

So what do the Lions do now? What is their biggest problem?

It's got to be their defensive secondary. Let's look at how quarterbacks have performed against the Lions in their five games this season. I was going to entitle this section "Who did the Lions send to Canton this week?"

Passing		ATT	CMP	YDS	SK/YD	TD	LG	IN	RT
D. Brees		34	26	358	0/0	6	58	1	137
B. Favre		27	23	155	3/16	2	13	0	115.3
J. Campbell		41	27	340	2/15	2	57	1	97.6
J. Cutler		28	18	141	2/16	2	25	0	100.4
B.Roethlisberger		30	23	277	3/15	3	47	1	123.9

Now, the first and most important column here is touchdown's (TD)...so the first thing we see is that every quarterback that has played the Lions has thrown for at least two touchdowns. At least, the defense has been consistent...they haven't discriminated against any opposing quarterbacks, everybody gets to have a career day against the Leos.

Next, lets look at the quarterback rating (RT). The highest possible QB rating for any game is 159. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 73.3 percent of their passes against the Lions. The average opposition passer rating of 119.7 is the worst in the NFL and even worse than last year's 110.9 rating in a winless season. Peyton Manning is currently leading all NFL quarterbacks with a 114.5 passer rating. So in other words, whoever is playing the Lions is the best quarterback every week.

The Lions have somehow managed 10 sacks so far this season--an average of two per game--which is actually pretty good. The Lions are tied for 14th in the NFL, i.e. middle of the pack. So if the Lions are providing adequate pressure, the coverage must be abysmal. And it is.

But why? Because our players in the secondary are all castoffs from other teams, except for Louis Delmas, a rookie. In fact the Lions have been incredibly lax on committing picks to the secondary for the last 10 years.

In the last 10 years the Lions have only dedicated 9 draft picks in the top five rounds to addressing their needs in the defensive backfield. There have been some picks in the sixth and seventh rounds over that time frame, but picks in those late rounds are as good as lottery picks for most teams and worse for the Lions.

Position	Player	Round	Year	result
S	Louis Delmas	2nd	2009	Starting Safety
S	Gerald Alexander	2nd	2007	Traded
CB	AJ Davis	4th	2007	Cut
S	Daniel Bullocks	2nd	2006	IR (3rd season)
CB	Stanly Wilson	3rd	2005	Cut
CB	Keith Smith	3rd	2004	Cut
S	Terrence Holt	5th	2003	Free Agent
CB	Andre Goodman	3rd	2002	Free Agent
CB	Todd Franz	5th	2000	Cut

So the Lions have a single player playing over the last ten years of drafting and not a single attempt of getting a player in the first round. This is an awful secondary which has been a patchwork of other team's castoffs for 10 years--Thank you again, Mr. Millen.

And what happened to the running game?

Two weeks ago the Lions were 17th in the NFL in rushing, since then they've dropped to 19th and Kevin Smith has stopped rushing for acceptable average. The team totals over the last two weeks are inflated by long scrambles of Stafford and Culpepper. While the Lions have greatly improved on the 30-32nd rushing ranking over the last three years, they obviously still have a long ways to go.

ATT	YDS	AVG	LG	TD	Team Total
15	20	1.3	6	1	33
24	83	3.5	13	0	129
16	101	6.3	19	0	154
19	30	1.6	11	2	90
20	53	2.7	10	0	110

Why do the Lions have such a hard time running the ball over the last few years...really since the midnight departure of Barry Sanders?

Sorry if you've heard this before, but it all boils down to the O-Line and if there has been one position that has been perhaps even more ignored than the secondary over the last ten years, it's the offensive line. Over the last ten years, the Lions have picked only six offensive lineman in the first five rounds of the draft. Only one guard.

Pos	Name	Round	year
T	Gosder Cherilus	1st	2008
T	Jonathon Scott	5th	2006
T	Jeff Backus	1st	2001
T	Dominic Raiola	2nd	2001
T	Stockar McDougal	1st	2000
G	Manny Ramirez	4th	2007

Now look at the years, if you take out Gosder, it had been seven years since the Lions addressed the consistently biggest problem on the team with anything higher than a fourth round pick! The issues with Matt Millen's drafting atrocities are well documented, but once again it is another huge issue that the organization will have to address.

Wouldn't it be great if the Lions had 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

The Lions were remarkable against the Steelers on all 3rd down conversions, going 11-18 on the all important down. The team only faced 3 instances of 3rd and 3 or less and converted on every one--rushing once and passing twice.

Not good for my theory, but we'll see how it develops over the total of the season. Currently the Lions are 4 of 5 rushing and 3 of 5 passing. I still firmly believe that it will always be better to run on 3rd and 3 or less when the average rushing attempt in the NFL is 3.5 yards.

Where is the fade stop?

Former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens answered my tweet this week asking my weekly question. His answer for the disappearance of the indefensible pass play relies more on the familiarity between WR and QB and the touch needed to complete the pass. Both strong possibilities for why rookie QB Stafford and 3rd year WR Calvin Johnson aren't tearing up the league with it--at the moment. Thanks coach, for answering my question.

1st Quarter NFL Power Rankings

OK, here are my rankings for the first quarter of the NFL season. This was a completely arbitrary listing I created from averaging each team's ranking in Offensive Scoring, Offensive Rushing YPG, Offensive Passing YPG, Defensive Scoring, Defensive Rushing YPG, Defensive Passing YPG, and Turnovers.

As you can see some teams with abysmal records, namely the Titans are playing well above their record would indicate, while others teams have records which do not nearly show how lucky they have been to this point.

1 New Orleans Saints (4-0)
2 New York Giants (4-0)
3 Denver Broncos (4-0)
4 Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
5 Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
6 San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
7 Indianapolis Colts (4-0)
8 New England Patriots (3-1)
9 Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
10 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
11 New York Jets (3-1)
12 Green Bay Packers (2-2)
13 Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
14 Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
15 Chicago Bears (3-1)
16 Miami Dolphins (1-3)
17 Washington Redskins (2-2)
18 Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
19 San Diego Chargers (2-2)
20 Houston Texans (2-2)
21 Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
22 Atlanta Falcons (2-1)
23 Tennessee Titans (0-4)
24 Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
25 Detroit Lions (1-3)
26 Buffalo Bills (1-3)
27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)
28 Carolina Panthers (0-3)
29 Kansas City Chiefs (0-4)
30 St. Louis Rams (0-4)
31 Oakland Raiders (1-3)
32 Cleveland Browns (0-4)

From deadspin.com

Notice who's sitting down next to him...Mr. Dave Dombrowski.

Game 163: Tigers Lose! Tigers Lose! Tigers Lose!

Baseball is a team game. No one person should shoulder all the blame for any team's victory or defeat. In a 162 game season, somebody else has to pick up the slack from time to time. The Tigers, as a team, choked. Not in the great game 163, but in the last two weeks of the season. The team went 4-6 over the final ten games, when all they had to do was go .500 and there never would have been a game 163. That's 6 games in the final 10 where any Tiger could have popped a sacrifice fly instead of hitting into a double play. So every man, from 1 to 25 on the Tigers' roster could justifiably be a scapegoat.

But I'm going to pick Miguel Cabrera. It's all his fault. Miguel Cabrera acted like a tool.

Rick Porcello, the 20 year old rookie, pitched like a wily veteran, giving up only two runs on the most pressure packed day of the Tigers' season. Surely the loss can't fall squarely on his shoulders.

Justin Verlander wasn't even pitching--he just made sure there was going to be a game 163.

Magglio Ordonez, who seemingly couldn't hit a beach ball a few months ago, was on a 12 game hitting streak.

No, I blame Cabrera for the Tigers being in game 163 at all. In the last week of the season, including Cabrera's now infamous 6 am party night with the Chicago White Sox, when the Tigers could have one any of the five lost games before 163...Cabrera barely showed at all.

On September 27th, the last game in Chicago, with the magic number under 10...the Tigers lost 8-4, and "Miggy" went 0-3 with a BB and 2 K's leaving 2 on base. He was less than clutch.

On September 29th, after a day off and the opening of the biggest series of the year, the Tigers opened up at home against Minnesota, up by only 2 games. They lost, 2-1...Cabrera was 1-4 with a BB. Not a difference maker.

October 1st, game 4 of the Twins series, the first opportunity for the Tigers to clinch the AL Central Title. Tigers lose 8-3. Cabrera goes 2-4 with a walk, hitting into two double plays and stranding 2 more runners on base.

October 2nd, opening of the Chicago White Sox Series, Tigers need only to win 2 of 3 from Chicago. Any combination of Tigers victories or Twins losses equaling 2...White Sox crush the Tigers 8-0. Cabrera...0-4, 1 K, strands 4. A trend?

October 3rd, supposedly the "day after", where Cabrera was hauled away from his home by the police in the early hours after spending all evening drinking with players from the Chicago White Sox. He was taken to jail after his wife called the police...a domestic dispute. According to public record, Cabrera had a blood alcohol level of .26, more than 3 times the legal limit.

Cabrera was released and picked up from jail by Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski in what had to be one of the most awkward car rides of all time.

The magic number still stood at 2...

The Sox pound on the Tigers, winning 5-1. Cabrera again goes hitless, 0-4 with 1 K. He hit into 1 double play and left six runners stranded on the day.

So collectively, over the five losses, of which any one could have propelled the Tigers into the playoffs, Cabrera went 3-19 with 0 RBI's, 4 K's, hit into 3 double plays and stranded 14 runners.

Miguel Cabrera was less than clutch...and a tool. This is the best hitter in the Tigers' lineup and he let the team down in so many ways over the last week that questions start to creep up in the average fan.

1. How can any of Cabrera's teammates believe in him? A man who threw away a season of their careers to get drunk with the opposing team?

2. Does he deserve a second chance? Well, actually a third chance, because several papers are reporting that Cabrera was told not to go back to the same Birmingham night spot after a similar occurrence back in August.

3. Is he even worth the trouble? Has he burned his bridges?

Miguel Cabrera is an undeniable talent. He came back in game 163 and hit a two run shot while going 2-4...but as the game progressed and the pressure mounted...how did Cabrera do?

0-2 and a walk.

Week 4: Lions lose! Lions Lose! Lions Lose!

I figured if I was so excited last week, I had to be just as excited this week.

As for the game, all I can say is, it must have been some kind of half time speech.

The Lions looked professional, almost good even, going into halftime on the road against the Chicago Bears tied 21-21....but that was the last we would see of a professional team on this day.

So what went wrong? Let me give you another list...that seemed like a good idea last week anyway.

1. Special teams were awful. Abysmal. Disgusting. I mean really, really bad. Johnny Knox, Chicago's rookie kickoff return specialist, returned the second half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown. The coverage teams couldn't cover a punt or a kick, Chicago's average starting field position was the Detroit 46 yard line. While 3 times, Chicago was able to pin the Lions down inside of their own 20 on punts. Detroit special teams coach, Stan Kwan, should be clubbed like a baby seal.

2. Matt Stafford was injured in the fourth quarter. Apparently his kneecap popped off...I can't confirm that, but it has been reported in several papers that his kneecap popped right back on, but until further tests are done, the groundskeepers at Soldier Field have been told to keep their eyes open for a loose kneecap.

3. Seriously, the hopes for this season--and ultimately next season--will come crashing down like a house of cards if Stafford misses any significant amount of time this year. As I've said before, this season is a 24 game preseason in prep for next year and if we're not training the franchise qb...it's all pretty much a big waste of time. Here's to keeping our fingers crossed that Stafford's injury isn't too significant.

4. Kevin Smith was injured last week--a game in which he had gained 100 yards by the middle of the third quarter. All week there was a question of whether or not he'd play. He played and well, I think his injury was contagious, because the O-line didn't look all that healthy either. Smith managed only 30 yards on 19 carries. Even when the Bears pulled everyone out of the box to protect against the pass, seemingly leaving them vulnerable to the run...the Lions couldn't move the ball on the ground.

5. What I said about the O-Line in last week's column--that the Lions might be able to ignore it in next year's draft in favor of the defense--I take it back. Jeff Backus looks old and slow and for him, that's really bad, because he wasn't all that good when he looked young. Backus averages a sack allowed a game. And when he's not whiffing on his assignments, he's getting called for holding or jumping the snap count. He's got to go.

6. Matt Stafford was 24 of 36 for 296 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int in almost three quarters of play. Calvin Johnson was targeted 12 times, caught 8 passes for 133 yards. Brandon Pettigrew was targeted 10 times, caught 4 passes for 64 yards....this is the kind of offense that the Lions need. Add in 110-120 yards from Smith and this is a winning team...above average even.

7. The Lions are putting together significantly long drives now. Against the Redskins last week, Stafford led scoring drives of 98, 69, and 89 yards. Against Chicago, he led the team on scoring drives of 60, 87, 103 (due to penalties), and 64 yards. That is the mark of a veteran quarterback. If Stafford can stay healthy...he looks good. (I won't say anything more about that, I'm superstitious.)

8. Many in the media believe that this week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a sellout due to the onslaught of "Steeler Nation" trekking to Detroit for the cheap tickets. I hope they're right, at least I'll be able to see the game.

9. The Lions do not know how to cover the tight end, especially in the redzone. While the game was still a game, Jay Cutler was able to find wide open TE's Greg Olson and Kellen Davis in the endzone for scores. On both plays, the TE was trailed by S Louis Delmas, the rookie defense player of the month in September. Traditionally, depending on scheme, the TE falls to the safeties or the linebackers, I'm assuming that means those players were Delmas' responsibility. I could be wrong. Either way, the TE has haunted the Lions for 50 years, can somebody figure out how to cover one?

10. As well as Stafford played, there were still a lot of incomplete passes that fell directly on his shoulders and his lack of touch.

Wouldn't it be great if the Lions had cheerleaders?

This past Sunday the NFL splashed team uniforms with pink in order to raise awareness for breast cancer. In Denver the cheerleaders sported these numbers, I'm sure to many raucous cheers from the front rows.

I think it's great that the NFL is trying to do something to bring attention to a horrible affliction, but I think that it should only be the first step. The NFL has a world wide stage, they should be doing something like this all year long. Every Sunday.

Next week they could splash uniforms with powder blue for Autism awareness. They can do something for Muscular Dystrophy or Drunk Driving or homelessness...The NFL has a huge voice, it is negligence not to use it.

3rd & 3 or less

The Lions only had one instance of being in the 3rd and 3 or less down and distance against the Bears. I think that this statistic is important because the offense is always trying to work toward a "manageable" down and distance for the first two downs. The team strives to get to 3rd and 3 or less because the team's whole offense is available to them. So what does the team do with that opportunity? My suggestion will always be "RUN! RUN! RUN!" The average NFL running play gains almost four yards a carry. I'm not a math genius but 4 is bigger than 3, right?

So the Lions on Sunday faced 3rd and 3 or less only once...and they passed. Incomplete to Calvin Johnson. So, on the season the Lions are 3 of 4 rushing and 1 of 3 passing.

The Fade Stop???

The greatest pass play of them all...the most indefensible play of all time...was once again, not used by Detroit. Chicago ran the fade once, which would have worked, but the receiver dropped it.

Again, I have to consider that maybe Matt Stafford doesn't have the touch to throw it. Perhaps, if he's out, Daunte Culpepper will be able to throw it. I'm sure he collected a few of the TD's on his resume throwing the fade stop to Moss and Carter...but I'd rather have Stafford healthy, so he can do it on his own.

Welcome Steeler Nation!