Detroit Lions Weblog

Lions Win 44-7, Wow!

Before I sprinkle any superlatives upon the Lions performance on Sunday, first, I have to say, did Denver have an epic meltdown of leonine proportions or what?   The Lions have clearly been the benefactors of playing a couple of reeling teams who, when they have had their backs placed firmly against the wall, have folded, rather than risen to the challenge that has been laid before them.

That being said, I have two words for you, Shaun Rogers.   Admittedly, I have been critical of “Big Baby” at times.  I still question his conditioning, and I have never been truly certain of how much he has bought into the current (or any?) coaches philosophy.   Yet, Rogers is one of the single most devastating players in the league, and his athleticism is nearly unmatched at his position.

More importantly, the Lions seem to be taking their current success in stride.   Almost verbatim, the players have parroted Coach Marinelli’s mantra’s of “playing one snap at a time” or “pounding the rock” or some variation.   Maybe it’s the lingering pair of serious road embarassments, via Philly and Washington, keeping them focused upon their task at hand.

The Lions defense appears fully committed to the Tampa-2 defense.   They are flying around to the ball and tackling more assuredly than they did earlier in the season.  Not only that, they are proving that their continued high number of takeaways are not an aberration, but a commitment to the sound fundamentals of their defense.  

By design, the Cover-2 exploits the unfortunate reality that most NFL offenses will flourish between the 20 yard lines, but due to patchwork O-lines, poor QB play, penalties, and turnovers most teams hold the seeds of their own destruction inside of the red zone, if you will allow them to hurt themselves.

The Lions O-Line is doing a better job of protecting Jon Kitna and opening running lanes for their running backs.   Kitna is becoming a better game manager and not making the mistakes that recent Lions opponents have.  He is spreading the ball around to all of his offensive playmakers in a manner where, even if the Lions offense is a little less explosive, makes it increasingly difficult for opposing defenses to shut the Lions offense down.

Moving forward, the Lions are a legitimate playoff contender in the NFC.   I have faith, for the first time in an incredibly long time, that the Lions coaching staff will continue to shore up some of their weaknesses as the Lions approach the meat of their schedule and continue their trek into unchartered waters.   It is up to us whether we allow ourselves to enjoy the ride or not.