Detroit Lions Weblog

A Lot Late, Some Vikings/Lions Thoughts

After re-watching this game, I was struck by how close the Lions actually were to winning this game. Consolation and moral victories are for suckers, to be sure. Still, the Lions have achieved some things which they can build upon, no matter how meager the future value of that fact eventually is.

We are very close, as Lions fans, and for some that time has already arrived, for the hue and cry to grow over Matthew Stafford’s very early performance in his first two NFL games.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: After watching roughly six quarters of Lions football, I think they made a mistake starting Stafford. The guy’s downfield ability is what makes him interesting, but each mistake he makes for a winless team is going to make him pull back. Stafford throwing dumpoffs is just a waste. If they don’t win this week (hosting Washington), I think they’ll be 0-6 going into the bye. I just think coming off the disaster that was last season that this is a lot of pressure to put on the QB, particularly one who the last thing you want is for him to play scared.

There will be growing popular support for his being benched. Second guesser’s will say that he should never been selected as the team’s starter to begin with.

CHURCH OF SCHWARTZ:Jim Schwartz said after the game, and I quote, “I’m not using the term “rookie mistake” for Matt Stafford.” Well coach, then neither am I. This guy’s the worst starting QB in the NFL. Joey Harrington didn’t look this bad in his first two starts! I was sitting in row ten behind the end zone and was able to see the plays develop and the coverages the Vikes were using. Those two INTs he threw were throws you learn not to make when you are a seven year old kid just starting to learn the game!

Even with his sad (1 TD/5 INT) early performance, Stafford has shown signs of being exactly what the Lions thought he was (a team leader who appears innocuous to failure) and also the player which caused many teams to look the other way when it came to evaluating his collegiate career. He does in fact possess a rifle arm and is capable of making jaw-dropping plays. Still, he is just as capable of making you want to throw up your hands in frustration over a poor decision and the seeming lack of passing accuracy, after so recently showing laser-hewn precision and throwing darts to open receivers.

Chad Greenway gave Stafford a very cruel welcome to the game speed of the NFL, and should help Stafford to realize just how tight the throwing windows actually are in the NFL, and that there are times when you need to just squeeze the ball, tuck it and run, or throw it away rather than always attempting to pass a camel through the eye of a needle.

Tom”Killer” Kowalski: (Re:Lion’s Young players)Fans have to understand that when you play young guys – especially this many of them – there are going to be a lot of screwups. Some young guys will learn and become savvy and productive veterans while other young guys won’t ever get it and will need to be replaced. The only way to know the difference is to put them on the field and let them play.

The question is whether you put all of your energy and resources into breaking a long losing streak or you try to build a strong foundation and live with some of the painful consequences along the way. There’s no guarantee of victory with either strategy but at least the latter approach offers hope for the future.

I will re-iterate, I originally thought that the Lions should have eased Stafford into the starter’s job, attempting to glean whatever value they could from Daunte Culpepper, or potentially catch lightning in a bottle in the process, and allow Stafford to spend his developmental time away from the school of hard knocks. That being said, I am now equally as adamant that the Lions had better not double back on their decision, and now have placed themselves in a position where they had damn well better stick with Stafford, through thick and thin, no matter Stafford’s future struggles and the team’s record.

I have been among the many who wanted Jeff Backus’ head upon a platter for several season’s now. That being said, Backus has been unjustly maligned for Jared Allen’s sack early in the second half of Sunday’s game. Clearly, that sack came as a result of a mis-communication and blown blocking assignment. In actuality, the Lions offensive line has only allowed two sacks, and aside from some ill-timed and unfortunate penalty calls, it has performed better than early expectations would have previously allowed.

Admittedly, the Lions have simplified their offense and tried to help Stafford by having him deliver quicker, shorter passes, which helps the offensive line, as part of the “blowback” of that decision, but still, the Lions offensive line has improbably become a lesser concern.

A growing concern, is the injury sustained by Ernie Sims Sunday, which could decimate the team’s already ineffective defense by robbing them of Sims’ speed, experience and aggressiveness. I guess, it was a good idea to draft DeAndre Levy after all. Sims’ status is really unclear at this point, it seems almost a sure thing that he will be unable to play against the Redskins Sunday.

Lastly, I have recently been highly critical of the team’s decision to select Brandon Pettigrew. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that Pettigrew showed his first signs of his potential significance within the Lions offense against the Vikings Sunday. Hopefully, his presence will only grow as the Lions chase their elusive first victory in 19 games (and counting…)