Detroit Lions Weblog

Put a fork in ‘em, they’re done!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of sharing and enjoying the company of relatives. Football has always been a major part of the joyful celebration of the holiday for me. I wouldn’t describe either game I witnessed today as enjoyable. Furthermore, one would have to question if the parity of NFL teams isn’t egregiously damaging the league with the quality of the performances I viewed from the three of the four teams Thursday.

The Lions started the game looking like they might be able to remain competitive for awhile. They were moving the ball at will. They almost looked sharp. Their major failure today was their complete inability to pose any sort of resistance to the high-powered Colts offense. Going into the game, the odds were slim that the game was going to be at all competitive, but I knew that the Lions would be treading in dangerous water if they were to engage themselves in an offensive shoot-out. When the Lions did have opportunity to score they were only able to answer Indianapolis TD’s with Field Goals. Jason Hanson’s missed field goal seemed to deflate any spark the Lions offense had(and should be a major cause for concern, he has been among a LONG list of Lion disappointments thus far). Mariucci calling two pass plays (incompletions) instead of keeping the ball in the hands of the then, red-hot Kevin Jones, when the Lions were in scoring position was mystifying. Poor time clock managment at the end of the half(yet again, they had 2 timeouts!) was also very costly.

Total Yards Offense
DET 386
INDY 356

Avg gain per off. play
DET 6.2 yds
INDY 5.9 yds

Time of Posession
DET28:48
INDY31:12

Peyton Manning 6TD passes 0 INT
Joey Harrington 0 TD, 0 INT, 1 Fum Lost

The major determining factor in the outcome of the game was the 4 lost fumbles. It seemed to really effect both sides of the ball. The only positives that could even be taken from this game was the Shaun Rogers blocked PAT and the fact that Kevin Jones looked pretty good running the ball(99yds rushing). Otherwise, the season is starting to take on a familiar cast to that of other recent Lions teams and that is a major disappointment. The injury to Eddie Drummond that appears to be for the remainder of the season is a particularly impactful blow to the team. Pulling Joey Harrington, a decision a long time coming, also enacts the process in where we will probably yet again watch another quarterback’s carousel, not unfamiliar territory for Lions fans. Harrington’s poor performances and the team’s inability to capitalize on their opportunities have revealed that they are truly a very poor football team. The Lion offense has only scored three offensive touchdowns in the last 18 quarters of football, the team has lost it’s last 5 games and has achieved the dubious distinction of losing three games in twelve days. At least under Mornihnweg, the offense was aggressive and at times productive!

It is time for this organization to circle the wagons. They will have to re-evaluate every roster position. Mariucci has burned his free pass, he has to be held accountable for the regression of this team and the organization’s complete inability to develop it’s players. I think they will need to completely evaluate the team’s chosen offensive and defensive philosophies and determine if they are truly effective in their design. The fact that we as Lions fans are continually observing essentially the same ad hoc season ad infinitum with little tangible improvement should be a cause for alarm for the Fords. How long will they settle for this team being continually found amongst the doormats of the league like Cinncinati, Arizona, and Chicago.