A Perfect Storm of Futility Mars Lions Loss
September 24, 2007 on 1:15 pm | In Uncategorized |I was rewarded with the good fortune of being scheduled to work yesterday, so I was spared the indignity of watching the Lions abysmal five touchdown loss to the Eagles. Don’t you worry, I will eventually watch the game on DVD, in spite of how ridiculously bad the Lions defense was, and how futile the team’s performance was, taken as a whole.
The most grating aspect of Sunday’s loss, is that the Lions horrific performance completely erodes the growing enthusiasm that many Lions fans had entering the game. The Lions just didn’t lose a close game, they were annihilated. Most NFL teams struggle to score five TD’s in a game, but losing by 35 points is nearly unfathomable.
The Lions are a cruel seductress. In Detroit sports radio vernacular, any sort of burgeoning enthusiasm for the Lions future success is eating “Lions Corn Bread”. Entering Sunday’s game, I indulged in what I thought might be a sort of “Corn Bread”, or manna if you will, creating an unwarranted optimism about how the Lions may eventually perform in Sunday’s game. I in fact, had allowed myself to be stricken with a case of “St. Vitus’s Dance”, as a result of ingesting some cheap variety of ergot-infected rye “Corn Bread”.
The worst thing about how poorly the Lions defense tackled Sunday, and how miserably it’s secondary played while making Eagles WR Kevin Curtis look like Randy Moss, was my faith in coaches Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry has been impacted significantly. I am beginning to wonder if the Tampa Cover-2 zone defense will serve as the same type of noose that Marinelli’s predecessors, “Mooch” and Mornihnweg, eventually hung themselves with (i.e. their stubborn philosophical commitment to the West Coast Offense).
The Lions complete lack of any sort of rushing game is another serious cause for concern. You can’t win NFL games without giving the passing resemblance to your opponents that you are able to run with the ball. Teams will continue to disregard play-action, and will be able to utilize more nickel and dime defensive schemes to thwart their passing attack, if the Lions are unable to successfully run with the ball.
The Lions are rewarded next week by playing a reeling intra-divisional rival, the Chicago Bears. Judging by Sunday’s performance, the Lions secondary will be just what the doctor ordered for Bears QB Rex Grossman.
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Awful, just awful. I certainly hope that our guys have nightmares about missed tackles and blown coverages. Pathetic. The Lions’ defensive performance was rotten to the core. It looked like the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, and Abbott & Costello got together to form a football team.
I’ve spread stuff in fields that smelled sweeter than this defense. Grossman is going to look like Johnny Unitas throwing against these rascals.
I have to admit that on several occasions I requested the Almighty commit one or more (or all) of the Lions’ players to eternal perdition. Maybe not in those words . . .
My game plan for the Bears simple–tackle the oppsoing players. When an opposing player has the ball, use their facemasks for cross hairs, zero in, and deliver punishment.
Comment by Hondo — September 24, 2007 #
I hope I am wrong but in reading this blog entry it would appear as though you made your comments without having actually watched the game live or DVD. If that is the case, shame on you. How can you post anything intelligent without having seen the game.
Ok, assuming you wrote the post afer having actually seen the game, I for one do not share your sentiments. The loss was embarrassing and a debacle to be sure. However, it is one game in a long season.
If you have not watched the game yet, pay close attention to the Eagles demeanor and McNabbs movement. This was not the Eagles team you saw the first two weeks of the season.
What I saw yesterday was an Eagles team that had been pushed onto the ropes and came out fighting back with everything they had. Every member of that team played with a fire that I have not seen in the NFL in years. McNabb, sans knee brace, was able to move around and performed nearly flawlessly. I honestly do not believe that any team in the NFL could have beaten the Eagles yesterday in that stadium.
Now, the game really got out of hand when the Lions were not able to get a hand on McNabb early in the game when they were able to put some pressure on him. He was able to make big plays when they put pressure on him, resulting in scores and ratcheting up the Eagles inntensity even higher. From there it was like a snowball rolling downhill and turned into a full on route.
Are the Lions a Super Bowl contender…NO. Are the Lions a playoff team…Probably not. Are they the same old Lions…NO. This is an improved team heading in the right direction. They will be competitive in nearly every game they play this year and end up with a record much better than last year. In the off season they will have to once again address problems in the offensive line. Other than the offensive line I believe they are close to being an offensive that will be in the top five in the NFL on a consistant basis. Problems in the defense are many, as we knew going into the year. Linebacker and defensive back, particularly the corners, need to be addressed. However, the Tampa Two is not the problem but the players within that system are.
Michael B. Caro
Comment by Michael B. Caro — September 24, 2007 #
Hondo–Be very, very frightened. The book on the Lions secondary is out there for all to see. Everybody they play is going to try and do similar types of things to exploit their obvious weaknesses.
Michael, I appreciate your thoughts. I believe you might be giving the Eagles a little too much credit. No NFL receiver should ever be as open as Curtis was on two of those touchdowns he caught.
In regards to the defensive scheme, you are correct. My problem is that most coaches will attempt to fit square pegs into round holes and wonder why things aren’t working according to plan. Marinelli/Barry need to utilize the players that they have in the best way possible, despite their philosophies.
In some ways, I think you are right about the Eagles performance, but the Lions also faced teams with relatively weak receiving corps during the first two games and their tackling woes were only partially exposed to us before Sunday. McNabb is a very good NFL QB, eventually that would bear out after two consecutive poor games. Obviously, the Eagles offensive performance will go unmatched this season.
The fire you refer to, was more likely an added spring in the Eagles step, because they knew they were going to provide an as-whupping that will go down for the ages, not any sort of fabled inspiration to overcome the odds.
I am glad that you haven’t abandoned hope, because I haven’t either. That being said, Sunday’s performance was a horrible sign of things to come if some issues aren’t addressed, immediately.
In regards to me watching the game, we don’t live in a bubble. I saw plenty of highlights and read as much as possible about Sunday’s game, and will eventually watch it. Question my credibility if you like, but in the long run I believe I am quite well-informed. Thanks
Comment by Steve — September 25, 2007 #