Detroit Lions Weblog

Rumored Lions Coaching Candidates

With the end of the Lions winless ‘08 season Sunday, and the subsequent termination of Head Coach Rod Marinelli, Lions fans are allowed to gain some measure of wish fulfillment yet this season by both speculating upon available coaching candidates and whom the Lions may draft with both pick #1 and pick #19/20 in the April ‘09 draft.

Currently, the Lions laundry list includes candidates like Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Washington’s Jerry Gray, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

All of these coaches have experienced various levels of success in the NFL. I believe that McDaniel and Spagnuolo are candidates whose desirability will allow them to pick and choose which of the available organization’s they would like to eventually land with. Could this include the Lions? Probably not.

The other available candidates from this aforementioned list are the kind of “longshot” candidates like Marty Mornihnweg and Rod Marinelli were upon their hiring by the Lions. The Lions are going to have a difficult time finding legitimate candidates, in my opinion.

I expect that more than a few re-treads, ala Steve “Mooch” Mariucci, to yet emerge as candidates. Not coaches of the Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren-ilk, either. I fully expect Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Billick, and Dennis Green to be among the type of re-treads who could eventually warrant consideration.

The scary prospect is that Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew, given Mayhew’s inexperience, have a short of amount of time in which to consider coaches, since they have so much work to do moving forward.

The Lions possessing 5 of the top 90 draft picks, along with the upcoming free agency and contract negotiation periods, all make it an imperative that the Lions move fast in building a cohesive management/coaching unit to address their voluminous organizational ills. Where would you begin? (As I roll around, laughing insanely and uncontrollably upon the otherwise languid coffee shop floor…)

One journalist, Patrick Hayes, has recently drafted his “get well”-plan for the Lions. The Flint Journal has recently published Hayes’ prescription for the Lions offense moving forward.

I agree with the decision to select an offensive tackle with their #1 pick. It is the safest, shrewdest decision they could make with the salary cap expenditure and overall risk involved with making that decision.

I also believe that if the Lions were to improve their offense immediately, it could be a viable, high-scoring, and thrilling offense to watch. Whereas, the team’s defense would need their draft, free agent acquisitions, and the internal improvement of their many young players to all rapidly occur overnight, so that all of these factors could all miraculously conspire together to find them, in the end, with a just below average NFL defense next season. Rome wasn’t built in a day, remember?

Farcical Lions Embody “Emperor’s New Clothes” Business Model

I have finally figured out the true intrinsic meaning of the farcical manner in which William Clay Ford has  chosen to construct his front office team.   Ford, a huge fan of Danish author Hans Christian Anderson,  believes that the Anderson story of the “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was intended to serve as an innovative model of how to build a franchise. Unfortunately, William Clay Ford has completely missed the point of the story.

By choosing to surround himself with incompetent lackeys, he will continue to be regaled about his finery, with statements like Tom Lewand’s recent comments stating that “this is not the product that this city deserves. It deserves better. And there’s nobody who wants it be right more than Mr. Ford does. And I think he will do everything in his power to get it right.”

Don’t doubt for a second that Martin Mayhew and Lewand have actually spent less time preparing to fix the organization moving forward than they have spent finding ways in which to convince “Mr. Ford” that his “clothes” look great and doing everything within their power to earn his good graces. They do understand the lay of the land around the Lions Allen Park headquarters.

That is what I find so troubling, people who read blogs, listen to talk radio, etc. can see the sham of the situation. We are all crying out at the top of our lungs that the emperor “hasn’t got anything on” and it is seemingly falling upon deaf ears.

I applaud an established sports journalist like Yahoo Sport’s Dan Wetzel crying out in the wilderness, like he did in his December 22nd article. Wetzel believes that William Clay Ford’s actions and poor decisions are just as detrimental to the future health of league as the off-the-field snafu’s of players like Michael Vick, “Tank” Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Travis Henry and co.

Wetzel says:
“It’s time for the league’s image protecting commissioner, Roger Goodell, to get as tough with an increasingly incompetent owner as he would with a misbehaving player. If the hard line approach is about protecting the NFL, then what’s worse for the league right now than the chaos and carnage of the winless, hopeless, helpless Detroit Lions” Amen.

In a recent Nicholas J. Cotsonika article in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press, Cotsonika speaks with NFL Films’ Steve Sabol, someone who is both an intellectual and someone who is truly capable of putting the awful ‘08 Lions season into perspective, with his vast first-hand knowledge of the NFL. At any rate, Sabols summons Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s fruitless “Charge of the Light Brigade” poem as an apt description of the fateful ‘08 Lions season.

Tennyson:” Forward, the Light Brigade! Was there a man dismayed? Not tho’ the soldiers knew Someone had blundered: Theirs was not to make reply, Theirs was not to reason why, Theirs was but to do and die: Into the Valley of Death…

The failure of the British Army in the Crimean War, where soldiers bravely followed orders even though they were over-matched and were being lead by incompetent leadership, well, I guess you are right Mr. Sabol, that is a pretty damn good analogy!

The Lions 0-16, 1-23, and 31-97 march towards infamy will forever stand as memorable. Literary analogies aside, the Lions possess a die hard fan base who deserves a hell of a lot more than what they have been given in return for the fandom. While the Ford’s boorishly, bumble and stumble about with their ill-informed drunkard’s walk, the true question will remain, everybody enjoys a good story, but how long can a tragedy retain it’s relevance?

Well, Today’s Decisions Were Far From Surprising…

The decision to terminate Rod Marinelli and most of his staff after an 0-16 record comes as no surprise.

The real shock, facing the opportunity for a genuine and substantial change, William Clay Ford has chosen to stay the course, by promoting Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew.

Even with Ford’s predilection towards retaining incompetent lackeys over the years, today’s decision takes the cake.

Rather than address the reality of the Lions 0-16 season, and feel the weight of it’s improbable force, Ford has decided to stick his head in the sand.

For the last time, Roger Goodell, I implore you, use your influence and power to install an NFL czar within the Lions organization. It is clear that the failed ownership of this once proud franchise is only willing to continue to provide itself with the noose in which it can hang itself with. Harrumph!!!

Week 17: OK, Lions You Have Made It This Far!!!

The Lions are standing firmly upon the precipice of infamy. There is no turning back now. This is not the time for the customary Lions behavior while facing adversity–pissing down their own legs.

The Lions absolutely need to come through with a loss today. Hopefully, an embarrassing one. If the lunkheaded Ford’s are unable to see just how awful their franchise has become, they need to continue to be the recipients of “black eyes” until further notice. There is no other means of reaching them, apparently.

The Lions have not won while visiting Lambeau Field since 1991.   In those 17 seasons, the Lions have suffered both heartbreaking and blow-out losses at the hands of the Packers.

This is not a typical Packers team, though.  They have looked nearly as bad as the Lions.   They have been both injury and turnover-plagued, and have been awful at stopping opponents rushing attacks.  Aaron Rodgers has played more and more like a first-year starter as each week passes.

The Lions have been remarkably spunky in spite of their continued war of attrition as the season progresses.  They, aside from last week’s awful loss to New Orleans, have appeared to be fully engaged and are far from quitting.

This is my primary concern for Sunday’s game, the Lion may ACTUALLY have more to play for then the Packers this week, which is a scary proposition.

The Lions are likely feeling a paradoxical, bizarro-world type of pressure which is proportional to that of a team attempting to go 16-0.   As each loss has mounted, the Lions have felt more weight upon their shoulders.

They can shrug off that pressure now, though.   This is their playoff game.   As much as I usually pull for the Lions to win, at anything, I am definitely a Packers fan this week, as much as it pains me.

I don’t want to allow the Lions, or more importantly, the Ford’s to be allowed the ultimate loser’s satisfaction, becoming just ANOTHER 1-15 team.   I want the organization to feel the cumulative brunt of a dubious Canton enshrinement, as the league’s all-time worst team

That’s why I am praying for, I don’t know, how about six “Lambeau Leaps”.   Where is the venerable Brett Favre when you need him, anyhow?  “Go Pack Go!!!”

Packers 42 Lions 13

Well, I Guess the Lions Are THAT BAD!!

42-7 pretty well establishes just how bad the Lions 0-16 team actually is.   At their home (friendly?) confines, they are 0-8 this season, and have lost by an astonishing average of nearly three TD’s per contest. Wow!

Amid the Lions 0-15, 1-22, 31-96 stretch, they have hit a number of lows, but yesterday takes the cake. When Saints third-string QB, and ex-Lion, Joey Harrington expresses genuine sympathy, considering how he was treated by both the organization and Lions fan base, then you realize that the organization has finally reached a point well beyond the terminal stage.  The mere fact that  Joey Harrington actually feels sorry for the Lions, well, just ruminate  upon that for awhile…

That being said, yesterday was likely (unfortunately)  indicative of things to come.   W.C. Ford has finally (and publicly) stated that he wants both Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew to return to the organization next season, potentially, and improbably, manning their current interim positions in a full-time status.  Say it isn’t so, Mr. Ford.

The  Ford’s can’t possibly believe that they will  have more than 10, 000 fans “Believing in Now”, if they actually decide to retain their current status quo staff entering the ‘09 season.   Can they?

The Detroit media needs to call off their dogs, so to speak, when it comes to Rod Marinelli, though.   Marinelli is dead man walking, their is no possible way that he will ever be a head coach again, outside of Detroit.   I believe he will lead the team to an 0-16 record and will subsequently be terminated immediately upon the season’s completion.

Rob Parker’s continued self-aggrandizing crusade against Marinelli has exhibited a complete lack of class, and has revealed that he obviously has something personal against Marinelli.   I fully agree that Marinelli and his staff deserve to be terminated, but he doesn’t deserve to be asked whether he wished that his daughter married a better defensive coordinator, or not.

Parker has behaved exploitatively during  recent weeks, by attacking someone who is really incapable of defending himself.  Furthermore, his attempts to bait Marinelli by inciting him, are childish and unprofessional.

The Lions are awful.   Yesterday’s performance has made it abundantly clear that the organization will need a combination of luck, hard work, and informed guidance if they are ever going to return to respectability.  The NFL absolutely needs to intervene to insure that this process occurs in an objective and sensible manner.   It is clear now, that the Ford’s are completely incapable of behaving judiciously, in regards to this matter.  Merry X-Mas, Lions fans!!!!

Week 16: “Aints”, Saints and Infamy

The Lions have a very interesting history in games when they are facing the Saints.

Who can forget the 63-yard Tom Dempsey field goal? Or the late-season victory a few years ago that created a precipitous fall in their draft position, due to one meager victory.

This is the most intriguing of all, of course. I earmarked this game as a potential victory early in the season and I am not changing my opinion.

Still, even though I believe in Santa and the goodwill of the season, I think the Lions will still find their way to an 0-16 record. Too many improbable scenarios have been fulfilled for them to avoid their date with infamy now.

Saints 31 Lions 27

Regarding QB’s

The improbable, successful first season’s of QB’s Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, and the equally improbable emergence of players like Tyler Thigpen and Matt Cassel, have all made the Lions upcoming #1 overall draft pick in ‘09 a hot button issue.

Obviously, the addition of a franchise QB is elemental to big-time success in the NFL.   There is no more elusive “El Dorado”, “Shangri-La”, or “Elysian Field” for NFL executives to reach than this critical roster addition.

Teams have won championships without bonafide franchise QB’s (See Dilfer, Trent) in the past, but the most common path to widespread NFL success is one that is driven by a particular era’s Unitas, Montana, or Layne (Don’t want anger any Lions fans!).

I have believed that during recent years there was an evolution occurring where the combined effects of league expansion (Arena, CFL, Europa), NFL team expansion and the collegiate tendency towards utilizing shotgun/spread offenses which feature athletic, multi-threat players had all combined to create a new milieu, where the available pool of NFL QB talent was both diluted and becoming a genuine scarcity.

The fact that so many young NFL Qb’s struggle with their accuracy and footwork and that teams wanted to rely more frequently upon moderately-effective, game-managing, grizzled veterans seem to (at least on the surface) both support my point.

Furthermore, the widespread popularity and emergence of the old school “Wildcat” formation, with it’s athletic, QB’s Bennie Friedman-esque  ability to innovate with incredible athleticism, seemed to indicate even more strongly the death knell of the classic, NFL dropback passer.

NFL expert Sean Lahman mentions on his blog that teams expectations for immediate success from it’s young Qb’s are likely what has changed, in response to a Sports Illustrated article.

That’s where the heart of the matter lies, with all of the Lions personnel deficits, will a Sam Bradford or Matthew Stafford be able to thrive and excel amid the ill-defined and paradoxical Lions rebuilding program.

I realize that it’s actually a “chicken and egg” question, Do the Lions improve because of the addition of a franchise QB, or because they have successfully built an environment where a young Qb can grow and thrive reasonably?

It may take longer, but in the end, I am of the opinion that as tantalizing and elusive as a young, franchise QB can be to add, you need to develop and foster an environment where that player can succeed, well before you thrust that player into an inevitably, untenable situation.

Move Over ‘Aints, You’ve Got Company!

The New Orleans Saints were the only franchise during the 16 game season-era to have begun 0-14, until the Lions lost yesterday.   What I find to be even more unprecedented, given how the NFL has been purposefully constructed, is that the Lions are 1-21 during their last 22 games.  Yikes!

If the Lions go 0-16, they will have been 1-23 since the midpoint of the ‘07 season and even more incredibly, will have been 31-97 in the nominally ignominious Matt Millen-era.  Think about that for a moment…

46 games below a .500 winning percentage is an incredibly difficult accomplishment.  The Ford’s sent their representative lackey to Washington to get grilled for the “bail-out/bridge loan” of the “Big 3″ automakers, why have they not at least trotted out another lackey to face the same kind of grilling for the overwhelming incompetence of their NFL franchise over the last seven seasons?

I believe that it is no small coincidence that the Ford’s helm two failing organizations.   If Washington is eventually allowed to appoint an “auto czar” to aid the “Big 3″, why can’t the NFL appoint it’s own “czar(s)” to address the moribund Lions franchise?

Giving the Ford’s the opportunity to hire a new chief personnel executive, given that Tom Lewand will likely remain entrenched within their front office, or even allowing Lewand to choose someone as a proxy of the Ford’s unconsulted, is like giving a recovering drug addict the keys to a pharmaceutical closet, and being upset that the aforementioned drug abuser was unable to resist their uncontrollable temptation.

The Ford’s need to be held accountable, and the league office needs to intervene in the upcoming months.   If the Lions choose to roll the dice and draft a “franchise QB”, an  incredible risk-taking move given the current state of the franchise, it should be done after a lot of outside research and advisement is presented to them.

People like ESPN’s K.C. Joyner, Sabermetrician/historian Sean Lahman, Historian Bob Carroll, and former successful executives like Ron Wolf and Ernie Accorsi should all be called upon to assist with the upcoming rebuild of what was once one of the league’s organizational strongholds.

Unless of course, the league wants to watch the enabled tremors of a junkie, which they are partially responsible for by neglect, as he is just about to insert the keys into the lock, and plunge himself, and thousands of fans along with him, back into the depths of despair and anguish, by allowing the Lions to bumble forward unfettered by their own incompetence.

The NFL should have some mercy and help the Lions with their future, it is the season of forgiveness, mercy, and redemption after all, isn’t it?

“Moral Victories” are For Losers, Yet…

Normally, I would be quick to agree with the consensus of the Detroit print media that a “moral victory” is for losers and that the Lions should not feel good about their performance yesterday.

Yet, the 10 point game differential was more indicative of the talent deficits that the Lions are facing in most NFL games, thanks to the hirsute bumblings of one Matt Millen, rather than being in any way representative of their actual in-game performance.

The other impressions that I was left with after Sunday’s game were:

1) Rod Marinelli is an excellent motivator and has done a good job keeping the players on task, as rampant injuries and the winding down of the season increase the likelihood that they will end their season 0-16.

That being said, I think it is also abundantly evident that Marinelli is not the type of coach who will ever be able to produce a winner–talent or no talent.   Marinelli’s decision to punt down by seven points, with about four minutes to go, was a loser’s decision.

The Lions defense had been lucky all day in containing the Colts offense (turnovers helped, too) and expecting them to get the ball back, without giving up any more points, was a sucker’s bet (like my pre-game pronouncement to take the Colts giving the points!) at best.

2) Calvin Johnson is a freak of nature.   If you put Johnson on any other roster, he would be the consensus best receiver in the league, with many apologies of course to Mr.’s Moss, A. Johnson, S. Smith, Fitzgerald and Boldin, to name a few.

Johnson is the total package, and the Lions after completely replacing it’s coaching staff this off-season, should make sure whomever they hire to be head coach and offensive coordinator will do everything within their power to see that it becomes a priority that the ball be placed in Johnson’s hands often.

Yes, the Lions lost yesterday and will likely lose their next to games also.  With that in mind, it is still impossible to say that the cupboard is completely bare, and given some swift and well-informed decision-making from the Ford’s, there is not a complete lack of hope for this team moving forward.  As Lions fans, that is all we have got left to hold onto.

Week 15 Preview: Oh My, Do the Lions Really Have to Play the Colts?

Few Lions fans would ever suggest that the powers that be within the Lions organization possess even the faintest of clues.   That being said, in spite of his poor performance, the Lions release of veteran CB Brian Kelly, with a depleted and banged up secondary, is particularly stupefying.

So the Colts, with one of the top QB’s in NFL history, with an incredible passing attack and a moderately successful ground attack, are going to decide to attack a Lions defense which is both undermanned and ineffective in it’s secondary, with their ground game?

Of course not, the Colts are going to spread out into multi-receiver sets, their normal formation, and pick apart the Lions secondary methodically until the Lions defenders head spin.

The Lions cover-2 zone mirrors that of the Colts, with it’s progenitor Tony Dungy at the helm, except in the harsh reality that Lions are unable to utilize the scheme even with a modicum of success.

The zone defense is supposed to reduce big plays down the field, which the Lions defense doesn’t do, and force opponents into making costly errors.   The Lions defense has exhibited little, if any, playmaking ability this season.

I fully expect that WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, and WR Anthony Gonzalez will all have banner days, while Peyton Manning surgically dismantles the Lions defense.  The Lions only hope comes on offense.

If the Lions can run the ball effectively, against a mostly ineffective Colts rushing defense without S Bob Sanders,  then they may be able to slow the runaway freight train Colts offense, by keeping them off of the field.

An effective Lions ground attack also aids Dan “The Polish Pop Gun” Orlovsky or the “Two Drews” from having the game placed squarely upon their shoulders.  Obviously, the Colts realize that the Lions would be wise to attempt to control the clock and keep the Colts offense off of the field.

If you a gambler, like I mentioned earlier this week, take the Colts giving as many points as your bookie will allow.  The Lions have absolutely no chance to make this a close game, given the fact that the Colts are playing for their playoff lives.

Colts 49 Lions 10

Peyton Manning plays 2 1/2 quarters and passes for 350+ yards….