Detroit Lions Weblog

33 Total Yards Rushing

I had the good fortune of having to work this Sunday, so I was not privy to viewing the utter disaster that occurred at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon. If there is any one aspect of the game that I feel should illuminate why the Lion’s lost it was that they were only capable of gaining 33 yards rushing.

Mind you, 33 yards is just under half their not so stellar 87.3 yards per game average. That being said, 33 yards against a defense who had been allowing 149.8 yards per game rushing is not just a failure in player execution, it is a failure in play-calling and game-planning. It was no great secret that the Lions should be trying to establish the run versus the Packers, especially considering the Packers defensive deficiencies.Yet the Lions coaching staff only saw fit to call two running plays consecutively twice. Once in their opening drive and also in the 1st drive of the second half. We all know that the West Coast Offense is a pass first offense and often times the running plays are used to set-up passing situations and not as a point of emphasis. Also many fans are well aware that when you spot a team 7 points by throwing an interception for a touchdown that a team may have to deviate from it’s original game plan. Still this game was a complete failure from the get go by this offensive coaching staff and they need to stand accountable for this loss, possibly the most disappointing among many in recent (or not so recent) Lion history.

The Lions are also going to have to take a long hard look at an offensive line which boasts (?) two first round draft picks, a second rounder, a high profile free agent signee, and a supposedly capable journeymen.

Lions Vs. Green Bay

This week’s game will provide some interesting scenarios to ponder. The Packers are coming off what has to be the worst home Monday Night Football game in franchise history. They have lost 4 straight games, 3 at the friendly confines of hallowed Lambeau field. The slim chance the Packers have to turn around their season hinges upon their performance Sunday.

First off, will the ineffective Lions rush offense or the ineffective Packers defense against the run gain the upper hand? The Lions will need to take advantage of Packer DT’s Cullen Jenkins and Cletidus Hunt (My favorite Packer!) lack of size. The Detroit linemen and Fullbacks also need to disrupt the easily disruptable Nick Barnett in the middle. The Packer’s linebackers have had little success at filling holes and getting the right angles of pursuit. I like Artose Pinner’s style of running, he can really move the pile. A good friend, Yukon Dan, refers to the Pinner style of running as a “little ball of hate” which may be the most apt yet. I wonder though if Pinner has the burst to get through the holes and get into open field versus the Packers. I think if Pinner can run effectively early, the Lions will gain the upper hand and outlast the Packers. If Kevin Jones can return from his high ankle sprain and regain his burst he would definitely have the speed necesssary to gain yards in bunches versus the Packers. The Lions ability to run will contribute to their ability to pass. The Packers are not pressuring opposing QB’s. Should the Lions be successful running the ball the Packer defensive linemen will be on their heels and they will not have much upfield rush. The Packer defensive backs are depleted after the trade of Mike McKenzie (Dreadzilla) and an injury to Michael Hawthorne. None of the current Packer DB’s show much abillity to make big plays(except for Al Harris (Dread #2) . If Joey Harrington continues to make the right decisions and not throw interceptions it should be a long day for the Packer defense.

Needless to say, with the two teams big differentials in Takeaways/Giveaways the Lions will have to continue their trend of taking advantage of turnovers and not turning the ball over. Look for would-be Lion tacklers to continually be attempting to strip the ball from Ahman Green. Hopefully, with Dre Bly’s return the Lion’s secondary will have the depth to be able to defend the Packer’s multi-receiver sets. The Packers offensive line is very good at protecting Favre, so we can’t expect the same level of success pressuring the passer as the Lions have had in recent weeks. That being said, any pressure, sacks, or turnovers generated by the Lions “Silver Rush, Mach II” will be a big factor in the game’s outcome. If the Lions can gain an early lead, expect Green Bay to abandon the run and for the Lions secondary to be disguising their coverages so that Brett Favre may make some of the careless throws he seems to often make when the Packers are behind. If the Lions are able to get 2 int’s they should be in pretty good shape.

I am not expecting the Packers to play as poorly as they did this monday night. I do think that their is a confluence of factors involved in the Packer demise. Age, poor draft and personnel decisions are all major factors. I still think, given their short week of preparation and the 4-game losing streak the Packers will turn in a respectable outing. The Packers are too overmatched in their front seven for them to be able to be in a position to win many games at all this season. Add that with a propensity for turning the ball over and getting behind in games early. The Packers have to throw way too often and shift their game plan away from their best offensive asset, Ahman Green. The Lions will win 31-24

Detroit vs. Green Bay Tale of the Tape

Here is this weeks Tale of the Tape. Detroit has the 32nd ranked offense and 15th ranked defense. Green Bay is ranked 31st on defense and 3rd ranked offense.

Detroit Offense/ Green Bay Defense

Yardage
Yards 1,011/1,919
YPG 252.8(31st)/383.8(31st)

Scoring
Points 78/142
PPG 19.5(17th)/28.4(32)

Passing
YPG 165.5(29th)/234.0(22nd)
TD 7(7th)/12(31st)
Sack 12(19th)/7(25th)
INT 2(4th)/3(19th)

Rushing
YPG 87.3(29th)/149.8(30th)
TD 1(27th)/6(28th)

Takeaways Giveaways
INT/ FUM/ Totl/ INT/ FUM/ Totl/ Diff+/-

DET 4 8 12 2 1 3 +9
GB 3 2 5 8 6 14 -9

QB Rankings
player ATT ATT/G CMP PCT Yds Yds/G TD INT Rat
Harrington 113 28.3 69 61.1 708 177.0 7 2 92.3
Favre 170 34.0 105 61.8 1203 240.6 9 6 86.0

Green Bay Offense/Detroit Defense

Yardage
Yards 1,880/1,409
YPG 376.0(5th)/352.3(23rd)

Scoring
Points 99/72
PPG 19.8(14th)/18.0(13th)

Passing
YPG 277.2(2nd)/254.0(29th)
TD 10(3rd)/4(4th)
Sack 3(1st)/16(3rd)
INT 8(30th)/4(12th)

Rushing
YPG 98.8(23rd)/98.3(9th)
TD 2(20th)/4(18th)

Keith Dorney

I recently read Keith Dorney’s Black and Honolulu Blue. Dorney was a an All-Pro Offensive Tackle for the Lions during the 1980’s. Dorney book was very enjoyable because he was describing a time in the Lion’s history that serves as a golden age for me. My first memory of the Lions featured players like Bubba Baker, Doug English, Billy Sims and Eric Hipple among others.

Dorney very candidly explains the ups and downs of playing in the NFL. He talks about playing through the aches and pains and the stress playing the game can place on one’s family. He discusses the passion for winning and how to this day he is unable to get over Eddie Murray’s missed field goal versus the 49er’s, a day that will live in Lion infamy.

I would highly recommend all Lion’s fans who watched these players give this book a read. Dorney even had the guts to address the current state of the Lions (circa 2003) and asked Matt Millen some challenging questions about the future of the organization.

Monday Night Debacle

The Lions are slated to face the 1-4 Green Bay Packers this Sunday. This game may be more of a challenge than it already appears. The Packers were thoroughly embarassed in every of aspect of the game versus the Titans, Monday night.

The Packers defense has been horrible in defense of the run and the Lions must take advantage of this. As valuable as Artose Pinner was Sunday, he will be increasingly valuable this Sunday. Successfully running the ball will open up the passing game. Hopefully, with a the healthy return of Roy Williams the Lions will be able to get some of the big plays downfield that Tennessee benefited from against the Packers.

It is amazing to see the whole Lambeau Field, Brett Favre-mystique whither before our eyes. Favre’s performances have taken on a higher drama through the years on Monday Nights. He is charismatic and thoroughly tough. Many thought he would rise to the occasion last night much like he did last year after the death of his father. In recent years, we have started to see that Favre’s run is truly coming to an end. Hopefully, his career will not cast the same sort of faded glow that players like Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, and Franco Harris suffered from. All myths are eventually de-bunked and rendered mortal and mundane by time.

That being said, Favre has all of the character and drive necessary to overcome these recent setbacks and pose a real threat to the Lions on their home turf. Traditionally, Favre has not performed well in domed stadiums and generally teams do not do well on a short week of preparation coming off a Monday night game. You can throw that all out the window this Sunday, this will be the biggest game the Packers have played in the long time if they will be able to salvage their season at all.

Lions 17 Falcons 10

The Lions came through with a major victory this Sunday in Atlanta. The extra week of preparation and excellent execution provided the Lions with bountiful opportunities to win the game. Atlanta also contributed by not performing well in the elements of their game that have allowed them to win football games thus far.

The Lions Defensive Line may have single-handedly decided the outcome of the game. Their persistent pressure, creation of turnovers and containment of Michael Vick made Atlanta appear out of sync on offense. Dick Jauron is to be commended for being creative in his use of the Lions D-Linemen. He rotated the linemen effectively and more importantly moved the linemen around positionally in order to better pressure Vick. Many times the D-Line sets features Shaun Rogers on the end and either Kalimba Edwards or Jared DeVries at nose tackle/defensive tackle. Throughout the day, Vick was continually pressured and hurried. 6 sacks by the defensive line was an absolutely stellar performance. Even more importantly, those hurries and sacks caused three Michael Vick fumbles, two of which the Lions were fortunate enough to recover. Shaun Rogers continue to assert his status as one of top two or three Dt’s in the NFC if not the game. Rogers appears motivated and his weight gain problems appear to be behind him.

The Lions ability to control the ball and the fact that they had no turnovers also were a major component to their victory. Tom Rathman has stressed ball preservation with the backs and it seems to be taking hold. Many times Artose Pinner (23 carries 68 yards 3.0 yards/carry) would get stood up by the tackler, or be digging in for extra yards by giving a second effort as he entered a pile of would be tacklers. These are both situations where another defender will often swoop in and knock the ball from out of the running backs hands. Pinner always seemed cognizant of the importance of concentrating of the “4 points of pressure” on the ball that Mariucci’s coaching staff stresses. Joey Harrington did an excellent job of spreading the ball around( 8 different receivers made catches). He was very efficient in his decision making. Harrington was 16-24 for 146 yards with 1 TD pass. His Qb rating for the game was 96.9, increasing his season rating to 92.3 which is very respectable. The Lions played it very safe with their play calling. Harrington completed no passes over 15 yards downfield. I believe that this was in deference to the Atlanta pass rush. Az Zahir Hakim did have a 39 yard gain for a touchdown but most of those yards came after the catch on a short slant that he turned into a big gain. Harrington also missed on a pass to Roy Williams on the Lions 1st drive of the second half. That pass would have gone for more than 15 yards and had Harrington thrown the ball well, quite possibly a touchdown.

It was also very encouraging to see the Lions rise to the occasion early in the ball game. The Lions had stopped the Falcons and forced Atlanta to punt. An Atlanta penalty forced the Falcons to have to punt again. On the second punt, Chris Mohr was noticeably closer to the line of scrimmage but the Lions were slow to react to his fake as he hit Brian Finneran for a 24 yard gain. Inevitably, as Lions fans can attest to, this type of situation will lead to a score by a Lion’s opponent. Remarkably, the Lion’s had a quick answer. Even more importantly, they scored a large gain for a touchdown on a 4th down conversion. At that point the Lion’s made it known to Atlanta that they were facing a different team than they had become accustomed to.

The next play from scrimmage after the score Alex Lewis made an excellent play that turned the tide of the entire game. Alex Lewis was dropping into his zone reading Vick’s eyes on a pass play. Vick somehow managed not to find Lewis sitting down in the coverage and Lewis jumped the route in order to make a huge play and return the ball to the Atlanta 5 yard line. The Lions did have difficulties executing their short yardage offense inside the red zone all day but Artose Pinner was able to punch the ball in for his first career touchdown.

The next Atlanta series was pivotal to the outcome of the game. Jim Mora may have his decision he made on this drive come back to haunt him should Atlanta not make the playoffs at the end of the season. The Falcons moved the ball back down the field after Vick evaded the pass rush and threw a ball that hung
in the air like a punt and was caught by Peerless Price for a big gain. On the play, Keith Smith made the mistake of leaving Price in order to attempt to make a play on the scrambling Vick. The Falcons drive stalled and they would have to kick a field goal. Inexplicably, Mora called for a fake field goal. This was a risky call that his kicker should have audibled off or called a time out. The Lions had it snuffed out. Terrence Holt was in coverage and Jay Feely lost two yards meanwhile the Falcons lost three sure points. In this case, this was a pretty risky decision by Mora because the Lions would be receiving the kickoff after halftime. This could have quite possibly have ended up in a 10 point swing for the Falcons had the Lions scored on their opening drive. The Lions led 14-7 at the half.

After the first drive of the second half the Lions again were the beneficiaries of an Atlanta turnover after Allen Rossum coughed up a punt. Keith Smith made an excellent hit on the play causing the fumble. The Lions moved to the Atlanta 2 yard line and were unable to convert on a Harrington pass in the back of end zone. Harrington was pressured on the play and according to Jim Brandstetter, Dominic Raiola did not pick up a crucial block in the play.

Atlanta answered the Detoit field goal with one of it’s own. Later in the second halfthe Lions were running down the clock and were effectively moving the ball. Dominic Raiola and Jeff Backus effectively killed that opportunity by drawing penalties. The Lions radio announcers were unrelenting in their criticism of Raiola’s poor play and decision making. This is the point of the game where Lion’s fans get that feeling deep within the pits of their stomachs of impending doom. Especially after Atlanta marched down the field with relative ease to get near field goal range. Jared DeVries nearly single-handedly turned the Falcons
downfield march back by sacking Vick and forcing a fumble within the span of two plays.

One other point of concern is the fact that Jason Hanson has missed 2 field goals over the Lion’s first four games. Hopefully, he will perform better over the rest of the season.

Detroit vs. Atlanta

As Lions fans we all harbor great reservations about a game like this. It has potential blow-out written all over it. The paranoias I have integrated into my very being as a Lion fan have me expecting that this would be the perfect opportunity for the Lions coming off a bye week to look flat and ill-prepared. Just as easily though, I can envision them looking sharp, executing well and surprising a very competitive team on the road. This is envisioned even before I have imbibed any Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid.

The Falcons are 4-0, but an unconvincing 4-0. Their defense has been very good particularly against the run. They have been very succesful pressuring the quarterback and their DE Patrick Kerney leads the NFL with seven sacks. They also feature a world class athlete, Michael Vick, and capable running backs in Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett.

Michael Vick is not quite as comfortable in the newly implemented West Coast Offense brought from San Francisco by new coach Jim Mora, Jr. (No, not the “Playoffs!?!” guy, his son). Vick has not been able to establish the necessary rapport with disappointing receivers Dez White and Peerless Price to make the machinations of the new system efficient.

In order for the Lions to win, they will have to play well from the onset. They will not be afforded the luxury in any of their upcoming games of being able to play from behind. The Eagles game was proof of how futile their game plan becomes when spotting a team two touchdowns. I don’t expect Pinner to gain over 100 yards, but he needs to get somewhere north of 65 in order for the Lions offense to be effective. The Lions should be able to pass the ball as long as they provide Joey Harrington with the time to throw. Stockar McDougle can’t be devoured in the same manner as he was when trying to block Jevon Kearse or the Lions will be headed for a very long day. In the passing game, Tai Streets, Az Hakim, Stephen Alexander, and Casey FitzSimmons will have to step up their games because Atlanta will game plan in order to prevent Roy Williams from touching the ball. The electrifying Williams will have to find ways to get the ball into his hands, as he is the only game-breaking playmaker the Lions can currently feature. If he has less than five touches the Lions will lose. Also a major factor in the potential for Lion victory will be ball control. If they don’t make any turnovers and can keep Michael Vick from being on the field, the Lions will be close and have a nice opportunity to win the game.

The Lions defense will be bolstered by the return of Dre Bly. Bly and Fernando Bryant should fare well defending Dez White and Peerless Price. The interesting matchup will be which safety will have the job of stopping Vick’s favorite and most potent weapon, Alge Crumpler. The Lions can’t afford to over-gameplan in preparation for containing Vick. Carolina players determined in their loss last week that they were too concerned with Vick’s playmaking abilities. The Lions run defense up the middle with Earl Holmes, Shaun Rogers, and Big Daddy Wilkinson should prevent Warrick Dunn and TJ Duckett from being very effective but the defensive ends and outside linebackers will have to be effective in containment on the edge as well as attempting to prevent the backs from taking advantage of cutback lanes when over-pursuing. I belive that in order for the Lions to win their defense will have to procure at least two turnovers.

In the end, I believe this game will be much closer than the 6 point spread but ultimately the Lions will lose, reaquiring the road loss bug. They will have served themselves well though and sent notice to the rest of the NFL that they are beginning to be able to compete with playoff caliber teams.

Falcons 24 Lions 21

Book Review:Golden Boy, Catch This!, Namath

I have recently read three NFL-related biography/autobiographies. All were quite enjoyable. First off, I read the massive Namath by Mark Kriegel. This book was exhaustively researched and unfortunately unauthorized. Namath says he will never read it. The book was quite in similar in tone to the recent Ted Williams by Leigh Montville in the sense that both of the protagonist’s are incredible sports hero’s who have major flaws in their lives that they are able to overcome to achieve greatness. Namath was raised solely by his mother after his father left the family for another woman. Namath liked to run with the wrong crowd and from an early age enjoyed drinking. Namath was the first major modern athlete to exert the pop culture influence that most do now.

A similar athlete to Namath was featured in Golden Boy:Girls, Games and Gambling at Green Bay (at Notre Dame, too) the Paul Hornung autobiography. Hornung details the highs and low of being associated with one of the greatest profesional sports franchise’s in the high point of it’s history. He tells of he and Max McGee’s exploits ducking curfews and rabble-rousing on game nights. He is very candid about his suspension for gambling and the circumstances surrounding the associations he made within that world. Hornung also addresses the controversy that lead to him losing his job as a color commentator for the Notre Dame football radio broadcasts. Hornung also had no father figure in his life. He was similar to Namath that his family had to scuffle to survive. Hornung was also a forerunner in coalescence of sports and celebrity.

Terrell Owens’ Catch This! was a book I finished just today. Owens stresses throughout the book that everything he has done has been for faith and family which take precedence over football in his life. He addresses the various media firestorms that have surrounded his career and has attempted to win over the reader to see things from his viewpoint. He wants us to see how his motivations are misunderstood. Thus his continued stressing of the importance of his faith and his family. The funny thing is with all of Owen’s ridiculous antics on the field what he reveals of himself off the field isn’t really all that interesting. He is not much of a partier and doesn’t appear to have much of a social life. This was still an interesting book, but it was written without the benefit of time having passed or the value of hindsight which help us to better understand and evaluate the careers of Hornung and Namath.

Tales of the Tape

Atlanta has the 16th-ranked overall offense. Detroit’s defense is 13th overall:

Atlanta Offense       / Detroit Defense

Yardage
Gained 1,239          / Allowed 1,130
YPG      309.8 (21st) / 376.7 (30th)

Scoring
Scored    88	      /  62
PPG       22.0  (9th) /  20.7 (18th)

Passing
YPG      135.8 (31st) / 277.0 (31st)
TDs        2   (27th) /   4   (15th)
Sacks     11   (22nd) /  10    (7th)
INT        2    (6th) /   3   (13th)       

Rushing
YPG      174.0  (1st) /  99.7  (7th)
TDs        6    (1st) /   3   (15th)

The Lions have the 32nd-ranked overall offense. Atlanta is 15th overall in defense:

Detroit Offense       / Atlanta Defense

Yardage
Gained  784           / Allowed 1,239
YPG     261.3 (29th)  / 309.8 (10th)

Scoring
Points   61           /  49
PPG      20.3 (12th)  /  12.3  (2nd)

Passing
YPG     178.7 (23rd)  / 247.0 (27th)
TDs       6    (6th)  /   3    (6th)
Sacks     9   (16th)  /  16    (2nd)
INT       2    (6th)  /   4    (9th)

Rushing
YPG      82.7 (28th)  /  62.8  (2nd)
TDs       0   (29th)  /   2    (8th) 

         Takeaways              Giveaways          Diff.
     INT  Fumbles  Total    INT  Fumbles  Total
DET   3      5       8       2      1       3       +5
ATL   4      7       11      2      3       5       +6

Red Zone Performance
      Offense TD's scored   Defense Td's allowed
DET   4/7   (57%)           4/9  (44%)
ATL   7/15  (47%)           4/13 (31%)

In Regards to Artose Pinner’s Rushing Success Leading to Victory

USA Today featured an excellent factoid 0n 10/4/04 in regards to relationship between winning percentage and certain levels of performance in an NFL game. It shows by a large margin that if a team has a 100-yd rusher they have a greater chance of winning than if that same team has a receiver gain 100 yards, or a quarterback throw for 300 yards:

      100-yd rusher  100-yd receiver  300-yd passer
2001     .766              .591            .486
2002     .706              .598            .570
2003     .709              .567            .517
2004     .718              .385            .389

Obviously, the 2004 statistics are a bit premature. As an example, the Lions only had one 100-yd rushing performance last season, in game 14 versus Kansas City (Shawn Bryson carried 18 times for 102 yards). The Lions also had no receivers gain 100 yards last year and had one game, versus Seattle, where Harrington approached 300 (26-48, 285 yds). The Lions lost both of these games, by the way.