Detroit Lions Weblog

Wow!

After all of the denials, debunkings, and joint affirmative declarations, I am thoroughly amazed that Martin Mayhew was able to maintain the thinly veiled notion that the Lions weren’t actually on the verge of trading WR Roy Williams.  In the interest of maximizing Williams’ value, the Lions and Williams had to jointly, publicly preserve their happy co-existence, despite the obvious appearance to the contrary on most Sundays.

To say this was a prudent move by the Lions goes without saying.   Still, to say that it is joyful day in Allen Park, is completely wrong. The trade of Roy Williams, along with the decision to place QB Jon Kitna on IR,  were costly, painful moves that spell a chance at a better future for the organization, but also likely will spell the demise of a hard-working coaching staff, who have been told implicitly, by Tuesday’s personnel decisions, that they can begin to pack their bags and look for work elsewhere.

Tuesday’s trade is also represents a validation of Martin Mayhew as a legitimate candidate to take over for the departed Matt Millen, an aspect of the decision which can’t be understated.   Mayhew had to, at least tacitly, realize what Tuesday’s trade could mean for his future.  Around league and media circles, the trade (a 1st round, 3rd round and 6th round pick from Dallas for Williams and the Lions 7th rounder) was considered a major victory for the Lions.   The Lions will possess five of the top 100 draft picks, and will also have the “juice” necessary to be aggressive in their pursuit of players that they truly desire in the upcoming draft.

There is a part of me that is deeply disappointed after yesterday’s roster moves.   Hopefully, yesterday will serve as a convenient demarcation line for the past 50 years of Lions futility, and, at the very least symbolically, represent the first, tenuous step towards NFL respectability for the failed Lions franchise.

The word from Allen Park, which should be with tongue placed firmly in cheek, is that the Lions haven’t waved the white flag and intend on still competing for victories.   Which is exactly what they have to say, under the circumstances.   Realistically, the Lions have officially begun their developmental and evaluative stage of the season, and more importantly, in preparation for the 2009 season.

There is no shame in that decision, everybody involved understands that the NFL is high stakes, performance-oriented business.  The Lions 0-5 start is an abject failure, and for once, the Ford’s and the front office have preemptively pulled the plug, with good reason. That being said, there are 11 weeks left of regular season football, and the Lions are essentially embarking upon a meaningless stretch, where players and coaches are motivated in the interest of preserving their future careers, but will be infinitely less concerned about the actual game outcomes.

The other aspect of Tuesday that I’m unable to shake, is in the Quixotic world of the Detroit Lions, the team’s best and brightest are always the first to go.  During recent seasons, for various well-publicized reasons,  the Lions have parted ways with players like Dre Bly, Roy Williams, Kevin Jones, and Shaun Rogers, along with once promising players like Boss Bailey and Kalimba Edwards.  In the wretched, twisted logic of the Lions organization, these moves made “sense”.   All I can hear, from somehwere off in the distance, is the loud, squealing sound of a vehicle that is spinning it’s tires in some mucky depths, unable to move even an inch forward.   Perennially, ad infinitum…

Did Rod Marinelli Support the Lions Players Enough Yesterday?

Rod Marinelli is a honorable figure, despite his 10-27 record as Lions head coach.   That being said, Tom “Killer” Kowalski makes a very good point on MLive.com today, why didn’t Marinelli do more to publicly defend his players in the post-game or yesterday’s press conferences?

Marinelli chose to take the high road in regard to Sunday’s poorly officiated game, a game that should have been a Lions victory.   With the obvious reality that the Lions will struggle to find many, if any, victories (especially on the road) on their remaining schedule, why didn’t Marinelli walk the necessary extra mile for his team, and go absolutely ballistic in vociferously decrying Sunday’s officiating?

The Lions certainly control their own destiny, and the players are largely responsible for Sunday’s loss, but for strategic and motivational reasons, I view Marinelli as having missed a legitimate opportunity, by choosing to not vituperate Sunday’s officiating crew.

Maybe there is some truth in the maxim that poor teams are unlikely to receive calls that will help their situation and there is some sort of unwritten bias among officials.  That being said, out of a sense of justice, Marinelli should have bowed his back and made it known that what happened to the Lions Sunday in Minneapolis was a travesty.

Unless, of course, Marinelli is already resigned to his eventual fate, and views his future in the organization to be on a fateful and terminable course.

Kitna to IR, If Not Traded? S Gerald Alexander to IR

The recent chapter of the Jon Kitna saga has proved to be an interesting one.   Kitna, who is suffering from a back injury, says that he will be available to play in a week or two.

The Lions, on the other hand, apparently, in the interest of developing their young QB’s, are considering putting Kitna on the IR, if they are unable to engineer a trade today at the NFL trade deadline.

Kitna, who was a highly-regarded career backup upon his arrival in Detroit, still has some residual value, just not with the Lions.  Hopefully, with Mike Martz’s 49ers starting to question their quarterback situation, and with the obvious availability of both Kitna and WR Shaun McDonald, who is a natural and valuable fit in the Martz passing system,  maybe the Lions and Niners can become trading partners, even if it’s for conditional draft picks.

Kitna has always provided good copy for the media, if the Lions IR him, I expect a vociferous shitstorm of disapproval from Kitna, and likely a few vocal teammates.

Kitna was never happy with the Lions decision to part company with Martz, and his demeanor this season has made it visibly apparent that he is not simpatico with Jim Colletto and the Lions new-and-improved offensive attack.

The Lions also haad to place 2nd year safety Gerald Alexander on the IR, and re-signed  FB Moran Norris.  Alexander, a promising young player, has seen less playing time this year with the return of Daniel Bullocks.  The loss of Alexander likely means that S Kalvin Pearson will see an increased level of playing time as the season marches on.

Expect Dan Orlovsky to start at least one more game.   If he falters, the Lions will begin vetting Drew Stanton, and determine when he is ready for his chance, likely as soon as the Lions next home game, Oct. 26th against Jacksonville.

Orlovsky seems to exhibit some strong leadership ability, but I wonder if his skills are too limited, and the demands too high, for him to successfully helm the Lions as a starter.

If Kitna’s last snap as a Lions has already occurred, I will remember his toughness and desire to win fondly, even if he didn’t lead the team back to NFL respectability.

Kitna’s time in Detroit will be marred by the obvious, abundant organizational limitations. The Lions front office has never been capable of providing the necessary influx of talent, at a quick enough rate, to improve the franchise’s fortunes.  There is no question, in my mind, that Kitna was one of the most tenacious and toughest Lions to suit up in the last 15-20 years.

Lions Mull Trade Possibilities, Kitna, not Williams to the ‘Boys?

With the impending NFL trade deadline looming large, an event which is usually as active and exciting as watching bones calcify, the Lions may yet actually be involved in a deadline deal, or two.

According to MLive.com the Lions are considering several possible moves, with “Killer” Kowalski  speculating that Jon Kitna, not Roy Williams as was often projected, will be wearing a “Star-red” helmet, with the recent news that golden boy Tony Romo has a broken finger after yesterday’s overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Kitna might actually be able to keep the seat warm, and the Cowboys playoff viability intact, until the return of Romo from his injury.  Whether Kitna and “Pacman” Jones will have a tete a tete, upon his arrival in Dallas remains the larger question?

Apparently, Roy Williams is staying put, according to Martin Mayhew and the repeated, demonstrative clarion declarations (He REALLY wants to stay, honest!) of Roy Williams.  I still wager that Williams’ value has fallen too far of late, which likely has more influence upon his continuing to wear Honolulu Blue than anything else.

Williams should not get too accustomed to playing for the Lions, he is a “franchise” designation and subsequent trade away from playing for someone (anyone?) else, in my opinion.

The Lions owe it to their future, to conduct a tag sale with their roster full of misfits and cast-offs.  Any value that Martin Mayhew can gain, from Matt Millen’s damaging personnel choices, will be of great benefit to Millen’s eventual successor, Mayhew or not.

Besides trade speculation focuses attention away from the Lions currently untenable season, which continues to embark upon it’s winless, joyless path.

Cursed Still?, Credibility and Quality of NFL Officiating is an Eminent Concern

Even with the recent expiration of the “Bobby Layne Curse”, amidst one of the worst start’s in franchise history, the Lions found the means to clutch the bitter agony of defeat from the ever elusive jaws of victory on Sunday, again.

The Lions definitely provided their most capable and inspired performance of the season on Sunday, in a difficult, at least for them, road environment where it is a near given that they will leave without victory.

The Lions defense was much more stout against the run, against one of the better rushing offenses in the league, and with their five sacks, and a near constant stream of pressure, the Lions kept veteran Vikings QB Gus Frerotte from getting too comfortable the entire game.

The “Polish Pop Gun”, Dan Orlovsky, acquitted himself well, and deserves a shot to continue to compete for playing time.  Orlovsky, far from proficient, was an adequate game manager who did little to hurt the team’s chances for victory, which is the most you can expect from a career backup earning his first start, in my opinion.

Aside from Orlovsky’s costly end zone scrambling mishap which earned the Viking’s a safety, and the litany of “wounded duck” deep balls that Orlovsky chucked to the mostly open Lions receivers, one of which nearly got WR Calvin Johnson beheaded, Orlovsky seems worthy of another shot in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Lions secondary, a unrelentingly chronic thorn in the franchise’s side, that too often allows lethal big plays, with mind numbing coverage breakdowns where opposing receivers are surrounded by nothing but green grass, and the only thing that the Lions DB’s can boast of is possessing a bird’s eye view of the backs of their opponent’s jerseys, as they streak down the field for another gut-churning score.

There is no excuse, in a zone coverage, for the Lions secondary allowing the number of “chunk”, or plays that gain large “chunks” of yardage.   In man-to-man coverage, occasionally, a player is just going to get beat.  In zone, the objective is to keep the opponent from gashing you with costly big plays, by forcing them to throw in front of the defenders.  In year three, these breakdowns, with all of Rod Marinelli’s handpicked Buccaneer vets included in the mix, are inexcusable!

The Lions secondary, particularly Leigh Bodden, seems to operate better in man coverage, especially when the Lions are blitzing, where the opposing QB has to make a quick decision and usually decides to just check down to a safer play.

Unfortunately for Bodden, who had his best game as Lion, he was marked with a horrific pass interference call that ultimately cost the Lions their victory.

I usually avoid commenting upon officiating.  With the recent news that Roger Goodell conducted a “pep talk” conference call in support of the league’s officials, and the Ed Hochuli blown call in the Broncos/Chargers game earlier in the season, along with a higher incidence of clearly blown calls, I think it is high time for the credibility and quality of the league’s officiating to come into question.

It goes without saying that NFL officials have an incredibly difficult job.  That being said, the frequency of game-altering, or game-deciding refereeing decisions this season is alarming.

The phantom, late pass interference against Leigh Bodden, and the lost play review on Calvin Johnson’s “fumble”, that should have been overturned, where it was determined that the evidence of Johnson’s knee hitting the turf before his “fumble” was not irrefutable, will each stick out like sore thumbs, as the Lions continue to blindly grasp for their first victory this season.

The Lions did their noble best to not place their loss upon the shoulders of a poorly officiated game, but they would have been within their rights to lambaste the staff who refereed Sunday’s game, in my opinion. The Lions are facing long enough odds each week in their quest for victory, they don’t need any other obstacles placed in front of them.

I do believe that the playcalling of Lions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto needs to come into question, again. Especially in a crucial third and one yard situation, after a third quarter Leigh Bodden interception, where Colletto “dialed up” a dive play to fullback Jerome Felton, with the Vikings near impenetrable defensive front standing guard.

Against any other team in the league, I would back Colletto’s call, but with the Viking’s stout interior, the Lions should have either faked the dive and hit a short play action pass or ran a QB sneak, which usually stands a better chance for success than a handoff, anyhow.

Had the Lions actually converted there, and eventually scored, the horrific series of events which closed out the game never would have been a factor in the game’s outcome.

What did you say about that “Bobby Layne Curse”, anyways?

Week 6 Preview: Lions at Vikings

The Lions face an incredily difficult test on the road against the Vikings this week.  With the assailable combination of a porous defense, and the inceasing likelihood of Sunday’s game being the first career start for the “Polish Pop Gun”, Dan Orlovsky, it could be a long game for the Lions.

Apparently, the Lions are going to go back to the impotent, more conservative brand of offense that they had previously planned to use all season, not counting last week’s brief sojourn in which they utilized multi-receiver sets, “no-huddle”, etc.  In this particular case, with an unproven QB, facing a relatively, less explosive Vikings offense, this method may actually aid the Lions and allow them to hang close for a while.

Even more likely, in my opinion, given the Lions inability to stop the run, pressure opposing QB’s and generate takeaways defensively, the Lions will get pounded thoroughly by the combination of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, and subsequently get burned by “play action” deep balls from Gus Frerotte to WR’s Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice.  Finally, to fully highlight the Lions defense’s severe liabilities, TE Visanthe Shiancoe will convert several third and longs and exploit the soft middle of the Lions zone coverage inside of the read zone.

If the Lions can utilize some ball control, their current best hope to keep games close, they will keep their ineffective defense off of the field.  The Vikings are quite stout against the run, which will likely create a lot of third and longs situations, where the Lions will need to pass.  That is where things become dangerous for Orlovsky.  Vikings DE Jared Allen, who has been ineffective for the Vikings thus far, will absolutely maul, devastate, and embarrass Jeff “Sackus”.

Vikings 37 Lions 7

By the way, if the Lions fail to garner a victory on the road in week 6 against the Houston Texans, their last, best chance to find a victory this season might be a home shootout with New Orleans Saints, in week 16, the next to last game of the season…

With this less than optimistic season prognosis, the Detroit News Jerry Green’s opinion article, in regards to Lions coaches on the hot seat, is particularly prescient.  It is a matter of when, not if Rod Marinelli will be fired.  Rod Marinelli’s week-to-week, grueling battle with the media, given Marinelli’s already testy relations with the fifth estate, will likely continue to be a weekly highlight, if the Lions season continues it’s downward trajectory.

Last, but not least, here’s something for all us to grind upon, in the 240 minutes that the Lions have played in four games this year, they have held a lead for the WHOPPING total of 2:24.  Just a little perspective…

C-Rog’s Most Expensive “Spliff” Ever, Kenneth Moore Signed by Panthers, Kitna’s Status Gives Us a Case of the Drews?

Charles Rogers, the first or second biggest draft bust in Lions team history, as hard as that is to believe given their recent draft history, lost the hearing in which the Lions were attempting to reclaim his signing bonus for breaching his rookie contract.

Rogers, who was suspended several games as part of the NFL substance abuse program, will have to repay the organization $8.5 million, which it’s highly likely that he no longer possesses. It will be nice to see this sad chapter of Lions history finally put to rest.

The Panthers signed WR Kenneth Moore from the Lions practice squad.   The wasted Millen draft picks continue to mount.  It Moore had no immediate value to the organization, even as a fifth rounder, why wasn’t the pick used on something that they may have been actually been able to utilize, like I don’t know, say an offensive linemen, linebacker, defensive linemen, or tight end?

Jon Kitna’s status appears to be in question for Sunday’s game in Minnesota.  Yikes!! Admittedly, Kitna is having an awful season, but he still gives them their best chance for even remote success.

The Lions may need to begin to look at free agents and consider all of their available options, if Kitna’s situation lingers much.  How long can the Lions be patient before they place him on IR?

The Lions could also promote Drew Henson from the practice squad,  but I would be a little surprised if they chose to do so, since the likelihood of him actually seeing playing time would be remote.

Jim Colletto nobly fell upon the sword today, like so many Lions coaches before him, stating that the failings of the Lions offense rest upon his shoulders, so far.

Rather than falling on the sword for the players, or talking about “one snap at a time”, “pounding the rock”, or “going back to work”, the Lions REALLY need to instill some genuine accountability, rather than the sadly mumbled mea culpa’s they so ingenuinously offer up.

In regards to this weekend’s game, as much as I want to hope otherwise, the sharks are in the water, given the Lions poor performance and their recent track record in Minneapolis, and I fully expect an unmitigated, merciless bloodbath.  Vikings 37 Ludicrously, Lowly Lions 7

Fire ‘Em All, and Let God Sort ‘Em Out…

Fire every last f@ckin one of them!!!  Coming out of the bye week, after a miserable 0-3 start, this is the best game preparation and game plan the current coaching staff can come up with?

The Lions are truly awful, even with considering their bountiful cascade of abysmal seasons recently, this may ACTUALLY be their worst team of all-time, and one who possesses a legitimate chance at achieving one dubious, implausible, “Hondo”-predicted honor, the near mythical, 0-16 season.

I have no faith in the ability of the current staff, and the team’s interim front office, to even marginally improve this team, at least in ‘08. QB changes, trades, none of this will reverse the fortune’s of this moribund franchise, any time soon.

This has easily been my most difficult season as Lions fan, and we are not yet a third of the way into the season!   How can you honestly talk about X’s and O’s, potential personnel decisions, and any coaching decisions, made or unmade, or anything, for that matter, without irony, when a team is so prolifically AWFUL?

The only thing for Lions fans to look forward to, in my opinion, is this:

“With the 1st overall pick of the 2009 draft the Lions select Mississippi Offensive Tackle, Michael Oher …” said Roger Goodell.

Rod Marinelli, respectfully, is a captain entirely willing to go down with his ship.  He possesses an honorable, if not misguided, old-school sentiment that he may actually be able to yet turn things around in Detroit, despite his 10-26 start as a coach.

“I’ve done it,” said Marinelli, “I’ve been with coaches that have done it.”  He continues, “The system is proven. We just have to teach it better.   That’s the part I just believe in. I believe in our players 100 percent.”

Sounding eerily like Steve Mariucci, who possessed the same type of dogmatic dedication to the “West Coast” doctrine,  Marinelli’s unmovable faith in his abilities as both a coach and motivator, along with the belief in the solvency of his system, is the type of zealotry that just might work, or unfortunately, more likely, could lead to the type of incomparably embarrassing season that the Lions are about to embark upon.

ESPN.com writer K.C. Joyner, “The NFL Scientist”, has recently written a book entitled, “Blindsided” which is an incredibly interesting read.

Joyner is an analogue to the “sabermetricians” in baseball, and he approaches his problem-solving methods in the same manner, by testing widely-accepted assumptions to see if they bear out statistically.

At any rate, Joyner has written, with inspiration from the game, Dungeons & Dragons, one of the more enlightening chapters I have ever read about coaching styles called, “The Darwinism of the Coaching Forest”, which is a nifty reference to the various “coaching trees” that influence the direction of so many franchises.

You should really read the entire chapter but, I’ll cut to the chase here.  Rod Marinelli, as a limb of the Tony Dungy coaching tree, is a “scheme/athletic” coach, in reference to the coaching matrices that Joyner has devised.

The “scheme/athletic” coach, in a nutshell, believes in the primacy of scheme and coaching over personnel.  This coach attempts to utilize their personnel in ways which fit their scheme, and utilize the scheme to protect any inherent weaknesses.

The downside of this type of team is that they generally lose to the more smashmouth-oriented “scheme/hitter” and “personnel/hitter” schemes because they are smaller, and generally don’t match up as well with the deeper more physical personnel of these teams.

Another issue, that Lions fans are all too aware of, is that scheme coaches are often limited by their reliance upon their schemes. They are so blinded by their attempts to fit a square peg into a round hole, that they often confuse the forest for the trees, or in the Lions case, being unable to honestly match up the identities of the team’s offense and defense in a manner which they can both complement and mirror each other.

In other words, the Martz/Marinelli combo was obviously not a philosophically congruent pairing. Neither was Marinelli’s decision to try and build his current team around it’s defense, in an attempt to play grind-it-out, Tampa-styled games, especially after so much of Matt Millen’s “rebuilding” strategy was focused on bolstering the team’s ineffective offense.

In fact, Marinelli’s biggest failing, in my opinion, is not being able to see what he possesses personnel-wise and adapting to it accordingly.  This has lead to a disconnect between the two unit’s, or in Lions terminology, at least according to Jon Kitna, “everybody is not paddling the boat in the same direction.”

In Marinelli’s defense, the construction of the Lions ‘08 team is severely flawed, and there is little that ANYONE could do with this team.

The “scheme/athletic” approach is a more pragmatic approach, in most cases, especially in the earlier stages of rebuilding in the parity-driven NFL, where it’s three years or bust for most coaches, which is why so many coaches choose to adopt it.  It can get results, quicker.

In the “personnel” approach, it takes longer to build the depth necessary to counterbalance the constant attrition of free agency, injuries, and obviously, the relatively brief shelf-life of your average NFL player, that all NFL teams must face.

This ongoing battle with attrition, is what the gives the “scheme” approach it’s efficacy.  However, I still believe, that even if it takes longer to build, and a great deal of luck in the process, the “personnel” approach is the more prudent direction for the rebuilding franchise, or should become a natural evolution for a wisely constructed franchise.

Apparently, Marinelli’s has decided, as his only recourse, to go “back to basics” and reinstate a training camp-style practice situation, in hopes of rebuilding some sort of foundation for the team to stand upon, or implement a stronger understanding of his “scheme”.   Like so many Lions coaches before him, he will ultimately realize, that a house of cards has to eventually tumble, it’s just a matter of when…

Week 5: Lions Vs. Bears Preview

This week’s game, on the eve of the expiration of the fabled “Bobby Layne Curse”, may be the last, best chance for the Lions to begin to turn around their ‘08 season.

The Lions will be making a few schematic changes, in hopes of being more competitive.  The Lions have made it known that they intend to spread out, and open up their offense, to go along with being more aggressive defensively by blitzing to pressure the Bears QB Kyle Orton.

The Lions, in my opinion, given these adjustments, are openly acknowledging the general awfulness of their defense.  The Lions figure that they have to maximize their scoring opportunities and abandon some of their defensive concepts, in order to be more successful defensively and keep games from getting out of reach.

In typical Lions fashion, they are facing a familiar foe, Kevin Jones, who if given the opportunity, will exact some Artose Pinner/Joey Harrington-style revenge against his past employers.  I would expect Jones to be productive, in his limited duty spelling Matt Forte.

The “X-factor” in the game, in my opinion, is the heart murmur-inducing Devin Hester.   The Bears will likely give Hester an increased number of touches with Brandon Lloyd injured.   Hester’s incredible speed and panic-wreaking ability to conjure big plays, seemingly out of nothing, should make the Lions very concerned.

I want to be optimistic, and have hope that Rod Marinelli and his staff may actually be able to circle the wagons, stir the troops, and wait for reinforcements.   Much like Custer’s last stand, I can’t fight the urge to believe that Marinelli’s entrenchment will be all for naught, and Sunday’s close loss to the Bear will be yet another step leading to his eventual ouster.

Bears 24 Lions 20

The Bobby Layne Curse, Eric Hipple’s Book, Colletto’s Acquiesence

The Bobby Layne Curse expires in two days.   For those of you not familiar with this curse, urban legend has it that upon his 1958 trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Layne said that the Lions would not win in 50 seasons.

Given that the Lions play Layne’s first employer the Chicago Bears this Sunday, and with the incredibly large body of mythology surrounding Layne’s legacy as the ultimate team leader and two-minute quarterback, maybe the Lions can finally exorcise their demons and end the curse a day early by defeating the Bears this Sunday.

Layne was a gunslingin’, hard-partying, hard ass who refused to lose, as legend has it.  Layne’s shock of blond hair and his refusal to wear a face mask and protective padding in his game pants gave him an air of invulnerability among fans.

If the Lions win Sunday, maybe the Ford’s can eventually erect a Layne statue.  Layne is worthy of the commemoration and with it being the franchise’s 75th season, Layne’s career represents, albeit briefly, the organization’s highest standard of success.

Eric Hipple was a more embattled Lion than Layne, but was admittedly irrepressible, and has suffered from a lot of ups and downs through the years–both on and off the field.  Hipple has recently written a book, “Real Men Do Cry” , which details his struggles with depression and overcoming the sadly premature suicide of his son, Jeff.

Hipple will be signing the book at Sunday’s Lions game from noon to 2 P.M., and the book can be ordered by calling 877-513-0099.

Jim Colletto, the Lions offensive coordinator, appears to have decided to adapt the team’s offense to both the organization’s prevailing winds and cold, harsh reality.

Apparently, much like players who were unhappy with Mike Martz’s offense last season, many Lions have expressed bitterness and disenchantment with the Lions offense this season, most noticeably, Roy Williams.

Colletto has indicated that the team is going to the spread their offense out, utilize more multiple wide receiver sets, and essentially come full circle, five weeks into the season.

As ridiculous as it is, the team has likely made the right decision.   It is at least a tacit acknowledgment by the organization that their defense is too porous and inept to prevent teams from scoring.   The Lions KNOW that they will need to open up their offense and score as many points as possible in order to remain competitive.

The interesting aspect to the Lions opening up their offense, again, is that team’s have been able to limit them to being one-dimensional offensively, for the most part.  Thus, it remains to be seen if this move will accomplish anything at all, besides getting Jon Kitna decapitated.