Detroit Lions Weblog

Week 11: Browns Vs. Lions

As we are all too aware, this Sunday’s “blacked-out” Lions home game constitutes one of the all-time worst match-ups in NFL league history. Each team is historically bad, especially the Lions, who by losing six straight, currently have the most consecutive losses in the league, amid an awful 2-31 stretch, since the middle of the ‘07 season, and an 8-33 run, since the beginning of the ‘07 season.

The Browns are awful on offense, after making their third Qb change this season, and have traded away talented players like Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, without possessing capable internal replacements on their roster. They are coming to Detroit, with a short week of preparation, after playing poorly in the Monday night game against the Ravens. All signs point towards the Lions finding themselves with a distinct advantage in the lead-up to the game, despite their poor play. Then, why am I not confident that the Lions will be able to win Sunday?

Offensively, the Browns are severely limited by their QB play. With a conservative offense and erratic Qb’s, teams have done what they could to limit the Browns RB’s Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison, and put the game onto the shoulders of Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Quinn is currently at the helm, and is less likely to attack the Lions weak, undermanned secondary with deep balls. That being said, the Lions mixed-bag secondary and lack of a consistent pass rush, while facing a decent Browns offensive line, all lead me to believe that Quinn could find a great deal more success against the Lions defense than he has against the likes of the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers, for example.

If Quinn limits his turnovers, and connects with WR’s Mike Furrey and Mohammed Massaquoi, meanwhile developing a rhythm and much-needed confidence, the Lions could be in trouble. This is also the first game in which the Lions defense will have to legitimately prepare to face a “Wildcat” offense, with stalwart RS Josh Cribbs continually taking a larger role in the Browns offense, despite Eric Mangini’s lunkheaded attempts to get Cribbs beheaded at the end of Monday night’s game.

Offensively, the Lions will have to do three things. First, protect Matthew Stafford better from pass rushers like Kamerion Wimbley and Shaun Rogers. Second, the Lions need to limit their dropped passes. The Browns have a pretty good secondary, even though teams usually stop throwing the ball against them by the middle of the third quarter. If the Lions drop catchable balls, as they have routinely in each game, the Browns defense will only gain confidence that they can eventually win a road game. Finally, the Lions need to be creative in putting the ball into Calvin Johnson’s hands, so that his playmaking ability can determine the outcome of Sunday’s game. Johnson is the one Lions player who could change the course of the game, by taking it over.

Shaun Rogers is a major problem for the Lions to prepare for. Rogers, while a Lion, single-handedly defeated a middle of the road Broncos team at Ford Field in ‘07, and his inspired play in Monday night’s game, after being invisible for most of this season is a bad omen for the Lions. He could absolutely be a one-man wrecking crew against a struggling Lions offense. Dom Raiola should be worried, his offensive line coach is:

Obviously we’ll try to do as much double-teaming as we can within the scheme that we’re trying to run, but we’re always of aware where he is because he’s a one-man wrecking crew,” offensive line coach George Yarno said.
“He’s a really large human being that can move like a linebacker and that combination doesn’t come along very often. He’s going to be someone we have to deal with, no question.”

and

“You can’t compare a guy like that to anybody, because there’s no guy as big as he is and as athletic as he is,” Raiola said. “You can’t compare that. You can’t measure that. He’s one of the best in the league.”

There is not one Lions fan who wouldn’t request a “do-over” in the trade that sent the Browns Rogers, surly malcontent that he was, in exchange for CB Leigh Bodden and the draft pick that the Lions used to select DL Andre Fluellen. The fact is, the Lions are projected to add Rogers’ replacement in the upcoming draft, after routinely having teams exert their will upon the middle of their defense.

I have grown increasingly sour as the Lions season wears brutally on. After dropping a winnable game to the lowly St. Louis Rams at home a few weeks ago, the Lions, if they want to be able to stake any claim that the franchise is actually improving, and mildly validate their front office and coaching staff, then they absolutely must win, and win convincingly in Sunday’s game.

In a cavernous Ford Field Sunday, the Lions will have little to play for besides pride, as the Lions unveil their “Pride of the Lions”, ring of honor-styled salute to the franchise’s greatest players. In the end, I believe that Quinn will have far too much success against a poor Lions secondary that has no continuity, between injuries and a revolving door of personnel, for the Lions to win big. If Rogers is motivated and plays like the destructive force that he is capable of, then the Lions could be in trouble.

In the end, the Lions poor special teams, which will struggle to slow Josh Cribbs in the returns game, will put the Lions defense’s backs squarely against the wall, all day. I believe that Quinn will throw two TD passes and the Lions will lose 17-14, after Shaun Rogers blocks a last second Jason Hanson field goal attempt, which would have sent the game to overtime, after a hard-charging Lions offense finally wakes up in the 4th quarter.

The Lions retain their unchallenged claim as the worst professional football franchise in this, or any, season.

Joe Thomas Vs. Calvin Johnson–Three Years Later

After three years, and the selection of a potential franchise QB, the Lions will now be able to see first hand whether they made the right decision selecting their franchise WR Calvin Johnson over franchise LT Joe Thomas, who currently plays for the Browns.

With the obvious friction between Matthew Stafford and Johnson two weeks ago, and with Johnson assuming the bitter demeanor of someone disappointed with being a member of the losing Lions organization of late, and given the Lions criminal inability to maximize Johnson’s incredible untapped potential, I am edging closer to believing that this is the one draft day decision made by Matt Millen that could have altered the course of the Lions future, had he actually made the right one and selected Thomas. Here are Buffalo Rumblings thoughts on drafting need versus value:

Need versus Value
Ah, yes - the ultimate NFL Draft argument. Do you take the best player who plays a position you’re thin at, or do you just take the best player? Both sides of the argument have been attempted, both have had raging successes, and both have failed miserably.

I’m of the school of value. Need lists are obviously important to discuss from a team standpoint heading into the Draft each year, but ultimately, if you’re building for the long-term, you need to find the best football players, period. Clearly, if a team has players graded out similarly, but one’s a linebacker (who’s graded only slightly lower) and the other’s a cornerback, and your team just happens to be thinner at linebacker than corner, you take the linebacker. But, as an example, it can get pretty brutal when you force-select a JaMarcus Russell when Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas are clearly the best players available.

The Calvin Johnson is an interesting case study too, by the way. Matt Millen is one of the most infamous front office executives of the modern era of football, but that’s a selection he did well with - and he did it in the face of intense scrutiny, considering his penchant for drafting receivers early. Johnson is one of the best offensive forces in the game right now, and while he doesn’t play a premium position - teams can and do win without elite receivers - he’s a difference-maker on the field

I differ from the author on one thing, not on his draft logic, but I do believe that, whenever possible, you do, in fact, select a player at a premium position over one that is auxiliary to developing a better team, when you are as bad as the Lions have been. The Lions have never subscribed to this theory, either, which is why I believe that they remain in their current morass.

It is difficult to suggest that the Lions did anything logical during his failed reign as the team’s chief personnel executive, but I can see actually what Millen was thinking. The Lions did possess a LT in Jeff Backus who was reliable, if limited, who always answers the bell, as far as being ready when it’s game day. The Lions were reeling from the failed picks of Mike Williams and Charles Rogers, and still held the belief that Roy Williams could be a productive member of their franchise, if he had a complimentary player whom he could flourish along with, in Johnson.

The fact is, Backus has been mediocre, even if he has been reliable, and the Lions have had 15 starting LG’s during Backus’ career. Had the Lions decided to select Thomas and moved Backus to guard, do you think the Lions would have been this bad during the three years(2-31 since the midpoint of each player’s rookie year, and 8-33 overall) that Thomas has been in the league?

If Johnson maintains his sulking, bitter demeanor, and doesn’t exhibit the ability to overcome the Lions many organizational flaws, then the Lions will eventually jettison him like they have so many other unhappy players (cough, gasp, Shaun Rogers).

Thomas is a two-time Pro Bowler on an incredibly bad team. Johnson, although an exciting player with superlative athletic gifts, rarely makes any real difference for the Lions, due to opposing teams devoting all of their resources to limiting him, and the Lions not possessing the resources necessary to make opposing defenses pay for the attention that they utilize limiting Johnson.

Interestingly enough, there have been some rumors about the Browns potentially trading Thomas, since they have so many organizational needs, and Thomas is the one player who could actually bring back enough in value to help them move forward as a franchise. The Junkyard, gives a compelling perspective, that I disagree with, for the Browns trading Thomas:

1. Next to Tampa Bay and St. Louis, no team has as few talented players - and as little depth - as the Browns.

By trading Thomas, one of their best players, the Browns would have their best shot at stockpiling quality talent.

Let’s say the Browns could command a first- and second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and a first-rounder in 2011 for Thomas.

And that’s certainly a reasonable demand for a two-time Pro Bowl tackle.

Now, combine that haul with the Browns’ own first-round pick in the 2010 Draft, which will likely be a top-5 choice.

Then, add in the high draft selection the Browns should have in Round 2.

You’ve gone a long way towards solving - or at least properly addressing - the Browns biggest problem:

A flat-out lack of talented players.

The Lions once utilized similar logic with someone of Thomas’ ability, Shaun Rogers, who was unfortunately lacking Thomas’ character and commitment to conditioning, when they made their failed trade for CB Leigh Bodden and the draft pick that they used to select DL Andre Fluellen. The Lions believed at that time, that the move to trade Rogers was more than addition by subtraction. I defy you to find one Lions fan who would not like a “do-over” on that deal, especially considering the fact that the team is projected to potentially select a defensive lineman in the first round of the 2010 draft.

In September, the Sporting News listed it’s Top 100 players, Thomas was considered the 41st best player and Johnson 82nd. That list was made early enough in the year that it was made based on the performance of the players thus far in their careers. Has Johnson done anything this season to prove, other than possessing world class ability, that Sporting News was wrong? With that in mind, if we could turn back the clock, would you still want the Lions to select Calvin Johnson over Joe Thomas? I bet that I can give you Matthew Stafford’s answer in 30 seconds or less…that is, assuming that he has actually overcome the mental aftershocks of repeatedly having his head spiked off of the Metrodome astroturf last Sunday.

Good God, Not Even the Lions, or Their Fans, are This Pathetic

You want a sure sign that a franchise is reeling, and is running out of answers internally, I give you, the LeBrowns.

The asininity propelling this idea is qualitatively worse than a clearly-grasping-at-straws Michigan State fan base wondering openly if their future hall of fame basketball coach, Tom Izzo, could resuscitate their flagging football program a couple of years ago.

Dumbasses:

If LeBron James truly believes he can help the Cleveland Browns, coach Eric Mangini has an orange helmet waiting for him.

“I think he should come on down,” Mangini said.

The NBA superstar, who was an all-state wide receiver in high school, said Tuesday night that if he put the time and commitment into it, he could be a good football player. Mangini agreed, calling James “a freak athletically” and said the six-foot-eight, 260-pounder could be dangerous at tight end, wide receiver or even outside linebacker.

Here is some late-breaking news, LeBron James hasn’t played football in nearly 10 years. He hasn’t played beyond the high school level. He just happens to have the potential to be considered among the all-time NBA greats, if his career continues on it’s current tack. Why, with an impending large payday due to him, would he ever consider a return to football? Since it worked so great for Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Brian Jordan playing multiple sports? Does anyone remember Renaldo Nehemiah or Ron Brown, coming to football absent any big-time experience?

Of course, there is the ever-affable, “Big Baby” Shaun Rogers, who although conspicuous in his absence throughout the entire 2009 season, will likely re-emerge just in time to embarass his former teammates, the Lions. Rogers, a sulking, surly presence, and known for his incredible athletic ability and versatility considering his largesse, had this to say about James:

Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers isn’t convinced James, as great as he is, could step into the NFL and be able to handle the pounding.

“I heard that comment,” Rogers said. “I have mixed emotions about that. A great athlete? Yes. A football player? No.”

Rogers then looked into TV cameras.

“Yeah LeBron, I said it,” he said. “It’s a punishing game. I just don’t think you can step off the basketball court after not going through this year in and year out and just play football. From that standpoint, I just don’t think it’s possible. You have to weather and condition your body to take this punishment.”

So what if James had a year to train? Could he do it then?

“Yeah, he might make a heckuva tight end,” Rogers said. “I’d like to see him out there running down the seam.”

It is bad enough that the state of Michigan lost the Toledo War, where the Dawg Pound was originally inaugurated, that the University of Michigan is routinely embarassed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Lions/Browns “rivalry”, which was once great in the 1950’s, has been reduced to an annual battle over a less-than-highly-contested, pre-season trophy, The Great Lakes Trophy. Then there is Sunday’s game, which should be considered among the worst all-time, in-season NFL game match-ups.

Of course, there is the idiotic, developmentally disabled, “Dawg Pound”, which is an embarassment, not only to the Browns, but all of football!

The Dawg Pound

even more emblematic:

Bone Lady

Where’s Drew Carey?

Oh, the Shame!

or the Masters of the Gridiron?

These are among the many reasons that Cleveland Sucks

What’s next Browns fans, now that Travis “Pronk” Hafner is off of performance enhancing drugs, Hafner playing outside linebacker? Browns fans, or recent parolees, we thank you for exposing the dignity and class of a dwindling Detroit Lions fan base. Regarding the LeBrowns, take it away, Nell!

Make that 11, Manuel Joins Expanding List of IR Additions for the Lions

Over the last couple of days, the Lions added two DB’s to their IR list, Marquand Manuel and the recently-acquired-and-all-too-Lionesque-injured-on-his-first-play-in-uniform, Jack Williams. The Lions now have 11 players on IR, with Stephen Peterman and Ernie Sims also remaining as potential additions, as injuries take their toll on an already undermanned Lions roster.

With two open roster spots, the Lions added OL Melvin Fowler and snatched up a DB/KR DeAngelo Smith from the Bears practice squad. Each player could see playing time in Sunday’s game with the Browns.

The word is that Lions CB/S Anthony Henry could work exclusively at safety to help the Lions issues in their defensive backfield. As it stands, with both Kalvin Pearson and Philip Buchanon likely limited, if they are able to play at all, the Lions will have CB Will James, CB Kevin Hobbs, S/CB Anthony Henry, S Ko Simpson, S DeAngelo Smith, and S Louis Delmas as the only player’s guaranteed to be available to play.

The Lions are likely still trying to sort out who is going to start at RG, although, the likely front-runner is their recently deposed starter at LG, Daniel Loper, over a cast of millions, or Jon Jansen, Dylan Gandy, and the newly-acquired Fowler.

With the questions surrounding Peterman and Sims, and the high level of attrition that the team is currently suffering from, the Lions are surely not done with acquiring more roster plug-ins such as the player they recently fired Jason David, recently released Ahmad Carroll, or nearly anyone who is breathing and has a minimum of experience. The situation is approaching desperate, and I’d assume that the Browns will utilize more multi-receiver sets, even without Josh Cribbs’ availability, to attempt and expose the weaknesses in the Lions secondary, as it approaches complete disarray.

Stafford Has Struggled Through Injuries, Inexperience, and Inconsistency, Lions Offensive Line Needs Scrutiny, Too

The Lions have been party to a great number of strange ideas, which they have pursued during their interminable rebuilding program, but the criminal negligence of paying a rookie, and burgeoning franchise Qb $70M to stand in the pocket and get brutalized 13+ times in Sunday’s game, is among their stupidest. Here is Mike O’Hara’s take on the situation:

For most of the three-plus hours it took the Lions to put the beginning and finishing touches — and everything in between — on Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Fox promoted a fan contest to give the Vikings’ defensive line a nickname. Last time I checked, I think “Maul of America” was leading.

Granted, it was more clever than my suggestion: “All those guys in purple on top of Matthew Stafford.” and later …But on a day when the Lions were cast as extras for a marketing program, Stafford should have been protected by the coach.

O’Hara is right. The decision to allow the Vikings front four to maul Stafford all day, on a day that Jim Schwartz said that the performance of the Lions offensive line forced Stafford to operate under duress, nearly the entire game, and be brutalized even in situations where they were attempting meekly to protect Stafford, by having him deliver the ball quickly from out of the pocket, was asinine.

““When we’re getting hit on three-step drops, that’s a problem,” Schwartz said.

If the Lions realized that they were jeopardizing Stafford, and with first round draft pick TE Brandon Pettigrew dropping passes all day anyway, why didn’t they use more max-protection in an attempt to protect Stafford? What sense does it make to commend Stafford for his grit and fortitude after a game that he nearly got his head ripped from off of his shoulders, is there any internal logic in that?

O’Hara compared Stafford’s season to the worst Qb season’s in NFL history among high draft picks, after last week’s comparison to the inauspicious beginning of Peyton Manning’s career.

Stafford has shown everything it takes to be a franchise quarterback — big arm, competiveness, field vision and toughness.
Stafford is the Lions’ quarterback of the present and future. No doubt — barring an injury.

O’Hara is not reading tea leaves, or any other form of divination, there is a unifying theme in his article. Failed Qb’s play for poor teams, with poor offensive lines, and often, the burgeoning young Qb career stumbles significantly, after suffering from an injury.

The Lions offensive line is embattled, and I believe that they do the best they can with what they have to work with. The Lions front office has (Unfortunately) been criminally negligent during recent drafts in their continued neglect of upgrades to that position. The names Joe Thomas, Ryan Clady, and Michael Oher make me shudder in agony, and those are just the names of players who the Lions have passed over, or missed out on selecting, in just the last three years.

The Lions haven’t seriously addressed the foibles of their offensive line, short of blundering into their wasted mass of a right tackle Gosder Cherilus, in nearly 10 years now. Dom Raiola and Jeff Backus have been durable, largely dependable fixtures, but since the failed selections of Aaron Gibson and Stockar McDougle, the Lions have, for the most part, behaved as if they had an acceptable situation there.

The Lions have allowed Matthew Stafford to be sacked 17 times in six and a half games, allowing 29 total in nine games. They are pace for allowing 50 sacks for at least the fourth straight season, which according FanNation.com’s “TheMason“, is closely tied with the team’s lack of success.

In 2008 the Detroit Lions went 0-16 and gave up 52 sacks, or approximately on sack every 10 pass attempts, and keep in mind this does not include hits on the quarterback. This year they are drafting first and are thinking about selecting Stafford or Sanchez according to McShay and Kiper. How sorely mistaken they would be to do so, and here is why:

The average NFL QB is sacked on about 5% of their pass attempts historically speaking, give or take a few tenths of a point, and if the numbers get above that season’s average, most QB’s flounder. Dan Marino led the NFL in least sacks taken AS A PERCENTAGE OF PASS PLAYS in 10 seasons, and was in the top-10 for the lowest sack % every season of his career, and his statistics speak for themselves. The argument though is not about whether he won a Super Bowl, but if he was a successful QB, and the resounding answer is yes, and his career sack % was 3.13% according to Pro Football Reference.

Brett Favre managed a sack % of 4.8% for his career, but in New York his sack % hit 5.4%, and again he was routinely in the top-10 QB’s for fewest sacks absorbed during his career. Troy Aikman for his part never fell below 10th in sacks taken as a percentage of pass plays, though it was not until 1992 that the Cowboys had a winning record - again the statistic in question - sack % (4.6%) compared to 6.1%, 8.9% and 8.1% in his first three.

This is where I get angry. The Lions did desperately need to select a potential franchise QB, there is no questioning that. I am impressed by Louis Delmas and even the potential of inconsistent Brandon Pettigrew. That being said, it is clear to me, by selecting Stafford, the Lions immediate priority should have been insulating him from opposing defenses. I believe with a quality offensive line, average QB and moderately-talented skill players, a NFL team can win eight games. The Lions continue to make it clear, even with every bold, attention-grabbing, big splash of a draft selection, that until they address the foundation of their offense, which should have been an immediate and undeniable priority upon Stafford’s slection, they will continue to get their asses kicked, despite Stafford’s own failings, and sheer toughness in an untenable situation. End of story.

Let the Lions Draft Discussions Begin!

Well, Lions fans, it’s our favorite time of the year, the pre-Thanksgiving, we-are-mathematically-eliminated-from-the-playoffs-again, blues. In other words, aside from the slim probability of the Lions mustering a win Sunday at home against the Browns, the Lions are clearly postioning themselves for, at worst, a top five draft selection spot. Do the games really matter from here on out? Has it become one of those strange, paradoxical periods of time where, even as a Lions fan who is pulling for victories week-in and week-out, ultimately with each successive loss a small part of you glows lasciviously at the thought of whom the Lions may pick to address their voluminous needs?

It is clear that the Lions need help all over their roster, here is a laundry list:

Offensive Line: at the very least, the Lions will be in the market for a left guard. I am of the belief that they will also consider finding another tackle as they shift either Gosder Cherilus or Jeff Backus, after a re-structured deal, to guard, finally.

Wide Receiver: As sad as it is to consider(Please, for the love of God, no MORE DROPPED PASSES!!!), the Lions wide receiver corps, after investing high draft picks and a revolving door of free agents who have all shuttled in and been subsequently ejected, desperately needs a complement to Calvin Johnson. How many hand-wringing Lions fans will sweat profusely until Dez Bryant is finally selected, by another franchise. Should the Lions actually select Bryant, I believe that a number of Lions fans will finally be pushed over the edge, wandering off into the desert, never to be seen or heard from again.

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children built. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

If the Lions select Bryant, as talented as he is, their franchise will be a testament to man’s stupidity and his stubborn refusal to learn from his mistakes. That would be the death knell, for me, as a Lions fan.

Running Back: The least of the Lions worries in my opinion, several “in-the-know” people have been beating the drum that the Lions need an upgrade of sorts at this position. The Lions need game-breakers somewhere, is this the spot where they can add one?

Quarterback: The Lions need to add a quality backup, especially if they don’t aggressively address their offensive line, which will leave Stafford severely vulnerable to suffering a major injury.

Defensive Line: They still are completely without a rempotely effective edge pass rusher. They could definitely use a massive, athletic, disruptive defensive tackle (hint-hint, wink-wink).

Cornerback: A position that is only marked by it’s lack of continuity, will have a 60% turnover of personnel, at least. The Lions continue to plug in washed-up veteran stop-gaps, is it time for them to aggressively pursue upgrades here, too? (Update:Will Ahmad Carroll be the next Lions stop-gap measure?)

Kicker: I believe with the poor kickoffs and rash of missed field goals, the Lions are much closer to considering life without Jason Hanson, than they are to enjoying his stable presence. Is it time to be proactive and select a kickoff specialist who can be vetted as his replacement?

As you can see, Martin Mayhew does not have much to consider as April approaches. All I know, if the Lions don’t address their players in the “trenches“, an area that has been criminally ignored, then they will never, ever emerge from their thorny morass of ineptitude.

Jim Schwartz Sums It All Up Best: “Are we where we need to be personnel-wise? No,”

Well, the Lions lost their 17th-straight road game in Minneapolis on Sunday, are you surprised? Unfortunately, the game got away from the Lions during the second half. If anything, the stark gulf that divides the weak Lions personnel from nearly all other highly-functioning NFL franchises, was in full view today.

Jim Schwartz, who regularly uses verbiage redolent of the school of coaches who talk without revealing much of anything, was particularly candid today:

“Are we where we need to be personnel-wise? No,” coach Jim Schwartz acknowledged. “But we have NFL players. We’ve gotta find a way to get that done. They have to make the plays that come to ‘em.”

That is what I find scary. Nothing has changed…Nothing. A large part of that fact falls upon Matt Millen’s shoulders. That being said, Millen is gone now, and I am starting to see familiar signs of the Lions returning to their past, truly awful form. That doesn’t speak well of Schwartz and his staff, for whom it is incumbent to find the means to utilize the strengths of the Lions current personnel, and conceal it’s many weaknesses.

Another thing that became clear was, according to Schwartz, that the Lions were severely remiss by not addressing their offensive line in the recent draft. Their prized franchise QB, whom they have made very rich, was left exposed to the Vikings defense all day. Stafford was sacked only three times, but he clearly left Minnesota pummeled, after being hit 13 TIMES.

“When we’re getting hit on three-step drops, that’s a problem,” Schwartz said.

I realize that the Lions decided to draft for their future in 2009, with the intention of taking the best player available, according to their draft board, but tell me, does exposing Stafford to 13 hits make any sense? Was the Lions personnel situation on their offensive line critical enough that they could be accused of being negligent for not addressing their major issues there? I think so. I used to be of the opinion that Jon Kitna was the toughest S.O.B. who ever put on a Lions jersey, but at this rate, it looks like Stafford could give him a run for his money.

All I know is, if the Lions don’t address their offensive and defensive line during the upcoming 2010 draft, then it is clear, paraphrasing ex-ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury from a year or so ago, when he was asked about the Lions: “They don’t get it, and they are never going to get it!

The Lions defense allowed five 40+ yard plays, and 10 plays of 20 yards or more, which is completely unacceptable.

“Most of our plays were either a missed assignment or a missed tackle,” Schwartz said. “I mean, their quarterback just throws the ball up against Cover-2 and they complete a 60-yard pass down the field. That’s on us. That’s on us as players. We need to make plays.”

The maddeningly high level of broken coverages and fundamental errors, like Schwartz refers to when he discusses the Vikings beating the Lions safeties deep against a Cover-2, a defense that used to be the teams base defensive set, is absolutely uncalled for.

The high injury total tallied by the Lions defense today seems to indicate something that many Lions fans are becoming suspicious of, this team is starting to quit, and their undermanned defensive personnel is unsure that it really wants to be on the field for the repeated beatdowns that they are likely to continue to receive across the next seven weeks, as they are routinely embarassed by their opponents.

Any illusions that this team is actually qualitatively different from those that have failed so miserably during recent seasons, will be completely washed away if the Lions lose next week against the equally lowly Browns, whom I believe stand a fair chance of beating the Lions on the road, after a short week of preparation (The Browns play in the Monday night game). At this point, like I have said so many times before, it appears to be business as usual in Allen Park, for better or for worse.

Week 10 Preview: Lions Vs. Vikings, Or This One Might Sting a Bit

In 1997, the Lions won two games (road and home) against their intradivisional foe, the Vikings. Of course, who could forget their infamous 0-13 run in 2001, you know, during the Johnnie Morton-era, where the Lions got their first win against the Randy Moss-era Vikings at the Silverdome, which was a big win for this sad franchise. Since ‘97, the Lions are 3-9 vs. the Vikings at home, and 0-11 at the Metrodome. They are 5-20 against the Vikings since 1997. So, when previewing a road game for the Lions, amid a 16-game road losing streak, how do you realistically assess their chances for finding an elusive victory at the Metrodome?

Brett Favre does have a sore groin, which means there is a minute chance that he will be unable to play. The Lions then would be lining up defensively against either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels, pick your poison. Since Favre is still attempting to preserve his consecutive games started streak, it will take nothing short of divine intervention to keep him off of the field. Therefore, the Lions chances are remote, at best.

However, there are some things that the Lions can do to keep the game close into the 4th quarter. Traditionally, the Lions have played the Vikings close, but in the end, the Vikings have allowed the Lions enough rope to hang themselves. If the Lions defense has an exceptional game, this trend could improbably continue.

In Sunday’s game, the Lions will have their hands full. As Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe all continue to develop chemistry with Brett Favre, they have become incredibly effective. The Lions secondary is historically bad, for the second season in a row. Opposing Qb’s are completing 71.7% of their passes, with a 19:6 TD:INT ratio, and a 107.3 passer rating. The Lions do have 16 sacks, or 2 per game, but that total is a little skewed due to their having 5 sacks against the Packers. Therefore, the odds of Favre and co., picking them apart is very high.

So the Lions could play with mostly nickel and dime packages, with hopes of pressuring Favre and gaining some coverage sacks, but then their will remain the 900-lb. elephant in the corner of the “Humpty”-dome, Adrian Peterson, the best running back in the NFL. Peterson is due for a break- out, explosive kind of game and the Lions are allowing 104.4 yards/gm rushing. The Lions are faced with two options, moving a safety up to attempt to slow the pounding they are going to receive from Peterson, and get picked apart by Favre with deep balls and play action passes, or they can play with additional defensive backs, and get pummeled by Peterson.

If I am the Lions, given the weaknesses in their secondary, due to both injuries and ineffectiveness, I would choose to play with a nickel back on the field during nearly the entire game, hoping that the front six of their defense could keep Peterson in check enough that it would take until the 4th quarter for the Vikings to finally pull away.

Offensively, given the poor play of Gosder Cherilus, and the vendetta that has been brewing between he and Vikings mulleted DE Jared Allen, I would put the over/under on Allen’s QB sacks at three. Which leads me to dream about:

Michael Oher \"Blind Side\"

or:
Ryan Clady Highlights footage.

Instead, we are going to see this all day long:

Jared Allen\'s Speed Rush Technique

At any rate, with Kevin Smith’s improbable success against the Vikings and the “Williams Wall” earlier in the year, it seems highly unlikely, especially considering his recent struggles, that he will be able to find success Sunday. The trouble is, after five interceptions in last week’s horrific loss to the Seahawks, the Lions need to protect Matthew Stafford by running the ball effectively and altering the play package so that he can throw more high percentage, safer passes.

This is not the week to expect to ride upon Stafford’s back with any success, in my opinion. The Vikings, like all Lions opponents, will likely attempt to force the Lions into third-and-long situations, which will place the game squarely upon the struggling Stafford’s shoulders. With Vikings Pro Bowl CB Antoine Winfield still injured, the Lions could attempt to re-ignite the connection between Stafford to Calvin Johnson, only if each player will allow themselves to be on the same page.

Ultimately, with the injuries on defense and Stafford’s struggles coming back from a knee injury, I see no way in which the Lions will hang close beyond even the first quarter. In fact, I expect the 2010 NFL draft to become to become of utmost importance to Lions fans, after an absolute demolishing by the Vikings this Sunday. Vikings 31 Lions 13, but the score does little to indicate the physical manhandling the Lions will receive at the hands of the Vikings. And the dream begins:

The Detroit Lions are on the clock and select:
Ndamukong Suh. His name means “House of Spears“, which I like, and it will be fun to see what kind of nickname he receives as people struggle with his Cameroonian name.

2009 Mid-Season Grades; Or Losing the Battle In an Attempt to Win the War

ones Like ThisThe 2009 Lions have struggled their way to a 1-7 start, nine weeks into their season, after finishing 0-16 in 2008, amid an incredibly awful 2-30 run in their last 32 games. I think most prognosticators likely had them predicted to be 2-6 at this point, and even the most optimistic likely believed that the Lions would have three wins at best, by this point. Therefore, a 1-7 start is not too far short of expectations. That being said, things appear to steadily regressing in Allen Park, as the Lions emabark upon another prolonged stretch of unmatched ineptitude.

The Lions know a thing or two about Pyrrhic victories, and this season is no different. In this particular case, I believe the Lions are approaching the point where they might make a similar pronouncement as Pyrrhus did in battling Rome:

The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward.

In the Lions case, much to Lions fans collective chagrin, the team will implore fans to be patient in their support as the team continues to struggle towards NFL respectability. At this point, the Lions season is officially over, they will continue to play out the string, but the team needs to start looking towards the future. The continued acquisition of players like DL Turk McBride and CB Jack Williams, and any others who might possibly emerge, would be wise. In particular, the Lions defense is a very long way from being dependable and competitive.

The Lions need to begin their extensive personnel analysis and draft preparation. They need to think about phasing out players who are unlikely to return next season and integrating those who shape their future plans. If that means less playing time for DT Grady Jackson and G Jon Jansen, as well as WR Dennis Northcutt, DB’s Anthony Henry, and Philip Buchanon, etc, that’s fine. It is time for the Lions to continue to address the development of DT Sammie Lee Hill, see what they have in disappointing WR Derrick Williams, and viewing the expansion of DeAndre Levy’s unexpected-but-hard-earned playing time.

In regards to the franchise’s lightning rod, first overall draft pick, and hoped-for-savior, Matthew Stafford, the Lions need to start to think about finding the right balance between development, health, and success. After last week’s five interception game, I believe that Stafford belongs on a shorter, but more protective, leash. The Lions can ill-afford for his confidence to become shaken. He seems unflappable on the surface, but the body language of both Stafford and his teammates after/during Sunday’s ugly loss indicates a different story. The situation is percolating to a boil and the Lions coaching staff needs to deftly manage the situation, according to how things play out moving forward.

If Stafford flourishes, the Lions are in the enviable position of being only concerned about his health. If Stafford continues to struggle, the situation becomes a lot more complicated. Lions fans will smell blood in the water if Stafford struggles. Stafford will be an all-too-convenient organizational chum for the sharks-cum-fans to sink their collective teeth into. In other words, incidents like the one with Dom Raiola and a group of angry, catcalling fans (or ones like this ) will only be exacerbated by more poor showings from Stafford. The Lions need to avoid exposing Stafford to that festering environment, in my opinion.

Ford Field, for the most part, is a fetid, empty mausoleum of broken dreams this season for reasons pertaining to situations both on and off the field. Nothing, I mean literally, absosmurfly, nothing will awaken the charred remains of a once hale and proud Lions fan base than Stafford, the “70 Million Dollar Man”, stinking the joint up Harrington-style, as the Lions season continues to conflagrate into ineptitude, writ large.

So really, nothing has changed. Even healthy denial doesn’t permit me to say blindly that the situation has improved or changed measureably under Jim Schwartz this season. There are some bright spots (Louis Delmas, Brandon Pettigrew, and DeAndre Levy) but players like Ernie Sims, Cliff Avril, Calvin Johnson and Gosder Cherilus, who are supposed to be franchise cornerstones of sorts, have all to a man underperformed. They haven’t even shown signs of significant growth as players, so Schwartz has a lot of hard work ahead of him to avoid becoming just another in a long line of embattled, failed Lions coaches.

Lions Offense: C-

QB’s:C-
The Lions have needed to be able to depend on both backups, Drew Stanton and Daunte Culpepper, after Matthew Stafford sustained an injury against Chicago. Neither did much with their opportunity, except prove to the Lions that they have literally cast their entire lot in Stafford alone, and that they will be in the market for a quality veteran backup for Stafford in a few short months. Stafford has had moments of exhilarating brilliance, but for the most part, has been meeting all of the negative expectations that comprised his collegiate career: inaccuracy, inconsistency, and the inability to lead a team as the game winds to a close. This is cold, hard evaluation of Stafford. He has not exhibited measureable improvement over what made him so frustrating in his three seasons in Athens, Georgia.

RB’s: B-
Kevin Smith has struggled but he has also exhibited a similar fortitude to another former underappreciated Lion, James Stewart, who also had to fight for every inch that he ever gained while in Honolulu Blue. Stewart, like Smith, was a consummate professional and was completely bland, and bereft of the kind of big play flash that is desired at the RB position. Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown have each been valuable in limited roles. Morris has provided a nice change of pace to Smith recently. Brown has the kind of flash and big play excitement that the Lions desire, but he has really struggled in the more formal aspects of playing the game. The Lions FB’s, Terrelle Smith and Jerome Felton, have each done their jobs as blockers. Felton has exhibited some signs of being a player who could eventually play a larger role, but the Lions would like more consistency from him.

TE’s: C
Brandon Pettigrew, a 1st round pick, has had an up-and-down rookie season, but is becoming one of the few organizational bright spots, even if the continued failing of Gosder Cherilus signals that the Lions made a huge mistake missing out on selecting a capable RT in Michael Oher, by drafting Pettigrew instead. Casey FitzSimmons is a valuable vet and special teams contributor. Will Heller has had a fair season, but does’t appear to be the devastating blocker that the Lions hoped for.

Lions OL: C-
The Lions offensive line has been better than I expected, but not better enough for me not to wish that the Lions had at least once in the last 7-8 years made selecting an offensive linemen not named Gosder a much larger organizational priority than they unfortunately have. The Lions have allowed 26 sacks and are pace for another season of allowing over 50 sacks. The revolving door at LG doesn’t speak well for the Lions off-season, and it is growing increasingly clear, while their current line continues to struggle, that the situation could ACTUALLY GET MUCH WORSE! The fact is, two 10-year vets are providing the backbone of their offensive line, and they will not be able to play as well as they are, despite anyone’s opinion of the performances of either Jeff Backus or Dom Raiola, currently for much longer. Excuse me while I go look at my “touched up” photos of Ryan Clady, Michael Oher and Joe Thomas doffing Honolulu Blue and Silver Uniforms in disgust.

WR: D-
The Lions best player, Calvin Johnson, unfortunately was recently injured and missed a game. That being said, the Lions have not done enough to display that they acknowledge that the more often Johnson actually touches the ball, while teams do everything in their power to prevent it, the better their chances will be for finding success. The Lions counterparts for Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, and Derrick Williams have all taken their turns exhibiting awfulness, with a few, brief glimpses of positivity, which is even more damning when you consider all of the attention that the Lions opponents have devoted to limiting Calvin Johnson. Remember the ugliness I unloaded upon your blackened souls when I mentioned that the Lions offensive line could get worse in the very near future. Well, yeah, take a load of this, aghast in utter, macabre horror. The Lions may actually be able to justify selecting another wide receiver in the early rounds of next year’s draft. Let the hue and cry begin!

Defense: D
DL: D+
The Lions defensive line has performed well at times, but are still too short on talent to be viable for the entire duration of any particular game. The Lions defensive line has suffered from an inordinate number of injuries week-to-week, but still, players like DeWayne White and Cliff Avril have not met expectations. Sammie Lee Hill, and to a lesser degree, Turk McBride and Jason Hunter, both cast-offs who have found a temporary home in Detroit, have been bright spots. As the Lions inch towards a top five draft pick, I can easily see a defensive linemen being their next young addition in the upcoming draft.

LB: C
The Lions linebackers have been their best personnel group, even if injuries and poor play have slowed Ernie Sims. The team’s biggest and brightest surprise, DeAndre Levy, has really met the challenge. If you see one football hit the entire season, honestly, if you like the devastating, unmitigated, breathtaking violence of football, then you must see this hit by Lions rookie Zach Follett:

Zach Follett, special teams cyclotron?

Veterans Julian Peterson and Larry Foote have provided the Lions with significant upgrades over recent seasons, but still the Lions front seven must continue to improve, if they will ever be able to protect their incredibly weak secondary.

Secondary: D-
If not for the presence of Louis Delmas, this rating would have been F-. The Lions again possess a bevy of failed veterans whom the team hoped might provide a patchwork, band-aid over a gaping, hemhorragic organizational wound. Other than that, not much else can be said. The Lions will start next season a little better off for the presence of Delmas, but essentially, square one here we come. There will be at least a 60% turnover in personnel at a position which has been reconditioned so many times by this organization that it is reasonably fair to wonder if any Lions executive will ever return the unit to league average. 263.1 yards passing per game for Lions opponents indicates that the aforementioned glorious day is a long ways off.

Lions Special Teams: F
The mere fact that any layman recognizes Stan Kwan, Lions special teams coach, by both face and name, indicates that Kwan had better have his bags packed, his C.V. dusted off, and that the Lions will be attempting to convince an angry fan base that the new Lions special teams coordinator has fixed all of the awful, unacceptable problems that have proved fatal for the team this season.

After Suffering From a “Significant” Injury, Will Ernie Sims be “Wally Pipped” by Rookie DeAndre Levy?

At the NFL trade deadline, with Ernie Sims’ underwhelming performance while injured, and the impressive early performance by rookie LB DeAndre Levy, there has been a growing belief that the Lions would parcel out Sims, since Levy appears to be capable of replacing a player who was once viewed one of the few cherished crown jewels that the organization possessed among the bounty of fools gold that peopled it’s roster.

To Sims’ credit he has played hurt the whole year and will likely miss several weeks after injuring his hamstring in Sunday’s loss to Seattle. Sims was once an unchecked missile on the field, but now seemingly is becoming a fragile, undersized, sorely out of place player on the Lions defense under Jim Schwartz.

Even Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly has taken note, after several weeks of rumors. Will Sims getting “Wally Pipped” by Levy, as the Lions continue to reshape their roster. We won’t likely find out until next season, but it is a situation that bears watching as Levy likely receives an extended opportunity to exhibit his worth to the franchise.

One thing is clear, after Sunday’s game, Martin Mayhew’s inaugural draft class, aside from the struggling Matthew Stafford, has made a tremendous positive impression, see Levy’s performance, and I believe that ultimately Stafford will achieve success. It is strange sometimes, how things change so quickly in the NFL. The value of Brandon Pettigrew, Louis Delmas, Sammie Lee Hill and DeAndre Levy appears to be increasing as each week passes. Hopefully, the Lions will continue to inject at least 3-4 quality, productive players per draft, and players like Sims will be pressured to improve or leave, and not earn their positions by default, like so many former Lions have.