Detroit Lions Weblog

Are the Lions Entering the Eye of the Storm?

Is it me, or have things been eerily quiet from the Lions team headquarters since their inexcusable loss to the Niners last Sunday.  Lions Head Coach Rod Marinelli admirably fell on the sword during his Monday press conference stating that the team was not properly prepared entering the Niners game.   As valiant as Marinelli’s statements are, it is becoming abundantly clear that the Lions are not stocked with adequate personnel and no amount of preparation is going to alter the course of this season.

Fast forward about 12 days and assume that the Lions lose to Arizona on the road this Sunday, and follow that up by further embarassing themselves against a Joey Harrington-lead Miami Dolphins team, during their annual showcase game, which will be nationally televised on Thanksgiving.  What will the state of affairs within the Lions organization be like then?  You would have to expect an angry fan base to respond by increasing the ante on their prostests directed at Team President Matt Millen, that will most certainly pale last year’s “Millen Man March” and “Orange Out” by comparison.  A growing contingent will also become increasingly apathetic and stop attending or viewing games. The Ford’s have been indifferent about team affairs up to this point, but the direction of this organization has to be coming into question for them, too.

Philadelphia Eagles GM Tom Heckert’s name has been mentioned recently as potential successor to Matt Millen should an exit strategy be devised (assuming he isn’t strung up by an angry mob!) to make a change at the head of the organization.   As much as I’d like to see changes made, I have mixed feelings about bringing someone else into the fold.  Rod Marinelli instantly becomes a lame duck coach if someone succeeds Matt Millen.   Heckert would want to employ some of his own staff that he can place his faith in.   Heckert also has not been in charge of personnel decisions at Philadelphia, which concerns me.  The Ford’s have already hired someone who was lacking the appropriate experience, would they make the same mistake twice?

The Lions are going to have to provide a sacrificial lamb at some point.  As much as I hate to admit it, Millen is an albatross that can’t removed from the Lions necks until we are certain that it will not work out with Rod Marinelli.   If I had to provide the most likely lamb to be lead to slaughter, I would suggest that Defense Coordinator Donnie Henderson would be the candidate, no matter how unfair such a decision might be.