Detroit Lions 2009 [Archive] - DetroitYES Forums

blksoul_x

July-30-09, 10:20 AM

Aaaahhhh, yeah, ya gotta luv' the smell of pre-season hot buttered cornbread in the air of Leo's country! A new season, a fresh start, and optimism is all around 'FORDS' field.

(Thought process of the pathetic Leo's fan.......Theme of 'Rocky' playing in the background)

Preseason!, aaaaaah, we missed our Lions so much, I can't wait to invite ma' boyz over to watch the first preseason game! (while the rest of the country is enjoying the dog days of summer, Lions fans are rushing toward the TV set to watch our beloved Leo's)

Week one, we all hope, that there is a possibility for our Lions to finish 9-7 (a great season ONLY in Leo's country)......after a lackluster week one, our speculation, and wane optimism turns to maybe 500 (8-8). By week 3 a bit of reality has set in......aaaahhhh, the dreaded 6-10 record is being mused as realistic! But WAIT, A WIN, (with a different QB) IN WEEK FOUR!....WE THINK, just maybe we can be just good enough to squeak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record! Then all of a sudden, the reality of the first buy week hits, and we have a 3 game losing streak going.....

(Marvin Gaye's, 'Troubled Man', now playing in the Background)

.....Ok, so then, maybe we were a bit optimistic at a sub 500. playoff birth...so we revert back to hoping for a 6-10 season. By mid season there is no doubt that our team is terrible and we now start looking at the end of yet another disappointing season, speculating what draft position we will obtain. So NOW, like the true Lions 'Cornbreaders' we are accustomed of being, we are looking at a 4-12 season. By this time, mid November, the proof is in the pudding, and our Kittens are rolling a 5 games losing streak.

Aaaaaah the icy winds of December rolls around, and there is no doubt in most minds that our kittens will finish up 2-14........aaaaaaaaaaaah, another fa-fa-fabulous season of hopes, wishes, agita, disappointments, and broken coffee tables in support of our gritty own, Deeeeetroit Lions!

That is the mind of the fan of the Deeetroit 'Cornbread' Lions!

blksoul-atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

rajdet

July-30-09, 12:41 PM

I've already drank the kool-aid. Sad to say, it's another season, hope springs eternal. I can't imagine what I'd do if they actually won the Super Bowl.

OK you’ve got me thinking, just what would happen if the Lions won a super bowl?
All but the essential city services would come to a screeching halt. Nobody would show up for work for at least a week. People from the inner city and the suburbs would embrace in the streets. The public would not allow the bars to close, and the liquor stores would completely sell out. It would take a month to clean up after the parade. The people born before the 57 championship would have to be monitored for heart attacks. Martha Reeves would sing dancing in the streets and be on key. The winning QB and coach would never have to pay for a meal in the area. We might even welcome Kwame back with open arms. Well maybe not. But just think about it, what would you do if the Lions ever won a super bowl?

Stosh

July-30-09, 01:16 PM

OK you’ve got me thinking, just what would happen if the Lions won a super bowl?
All but the essential city services would come to a screeching halt. Nobody would show up for work for at least a week. People from the inner city and the suburbs would embrace in the streets. The public would not allow the bars to close, and the liquor stores would completely sell out. It would take a month to clean up after the parade. The people born before the 57 championship would have to be monitored for heart attacks. Martha Reeves would sing dancing in the streets and be on key. The winning QB and coach would never have to pay for a meal in the area. We might even welcome Kwame back with open arms. Well maybe not. But just think about it, what would you do if the Lions ever won a super bowl?

That was my thinking exactly. Armageddeon. I'd think the celebration would equal the celebrations of the Wings and Pistons championships combined. The Wings and Pistons are, more or less, niche teams with each having their own following. The Tigers have more fans overall, spanning both Wings and Pistons fan, but not all.

I think the football Lions winning would be a celebration surpassing the celebration in 1968 for the Tigers win. That was a long time coming as well. If the Lions win, everyone parties.

Ray1936

July-30-09, 04:03 PM

Gotta go with Blksoul_x on that one.

ejames01

July-30-09, 04:14 PM

Eight AND Eight. You heard it here first.

EastsideAl

July-30-09, 04:54 PM

As a Lions fan since I attended my first game in 1965, I have learned through bitter experience never to get too optimistic or excited about the Lions' prospects.

Enduro

July-30-09, 11:34 PM

I'll be happy with 3-5 wins. I'm not sure I'll get it.

smogboy

July-31-09, 01:08 AM

How can one not be ready or at least somewhat excited about a new football season? If you're a true Lions fan, the build up prior to the season is always great. There's always hope eternal for a better season- and after last year's debacle, I seriously think it will get better. It's the AM (After Millen) era now. We haven't solved everything yet with this team but there does seem to be some nice pieces in place.

A few things I'm looking forward to seeing are:

1) the improvement of Calvin Johnson & Kevin Smith.
2) how our rookie coach handles adversity.
3) the new linebacking crew of Sims, Peterson & Foote.
4) was Brandon Pettigrew worth a 1st round selection.
5) when will Stafford come in to play?

mjb3

July-31-09, 10:18 AM

Why the excitement? Millen, Marinelli gone - so what the one constant is there, the stooge at the top.

After reading John Niyo's interview with the worst owner in sports(that's right, worst owner of all NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL teams), it should be obvious that nothing will change with this team until he kicks the bucket.

I think we should have a health watch for 84-yr old WCF and run reports from his annual physicals to see how long NFL fans in Detroit have to wait to get a real team like our grandparents had in the 1950s.

Big Dog

July-31-09, 11:35 AM

Frankly, I'm not hyped, as Las Vegas has them picked for #31 out of 32 teams. They seem to know more than diehard lions fan want to believe.

rajdet

July-31-09, 03:13 PM

why so much excitement for an 0-16 team??
Why the excitement? .
It's what we do every year. I personally can't help it, I've tried to not care. They boil my Honolulu blue blood every year, and then it's basketball season.

smogboy

August-01-09, 02:55 AM

It's what we do every year. I personally can't help it, I've tried to not care. They boil my Honolulu blue blood every year, and then it's basketball season.

Yep, it's what we fans do. We get hyped, cheer loudly for them, grumble when they lose, and then hopefully have an intelligent dialogue about them come Monday morning.

gibran

August-01-09, 07:32 PM

There was a time not to long ago that they raised our hopes and dreams (Barry Sanders)...where we raced home to catch a rare Monday Night game and on our national holiday no matter where we were (trying living in Dallas and trying to have a civil Thanksgiving with friends and relatives) we were proud of our great games...
We are again approaching a new season and yes Blakcsoul is so right on ...our hopes are up. That is why we enjoy the fall.. as far Michigan Football..our season hinges on the first two games...and then that fateful weekend in November...that sets my stage for disappointment

Olddetroiter

August-04-09, 06:23 PM

I'm so excited. They finally have a head coach whose name doesn't begin with M. Anything else is just icing on the cake. :D

smogboy

August-05-09, 09:19 AM

I'm so excited. They finally have a head coach whose name doesn't begin with M. Anything else is just icing on the cake. :D

Something else I've noticed too about Schwartz- he isn't exactly the egocentric sort of guy that says too many outlandish things that end up as sound bytes on sports talk radio shows. I think back to some of the stupid remarks that come of the previous coaches have said, such as Marty Morningwheg's "The bar is high", Rod Marinelli's "pounding the rock", and others... all of these were said even before the Lions played a single game for them.

Is it Schwartz' savvy around the media? Is he actually that bright? It also makes me wonder because I really can't remember Steve Mariucci having said anything profoundly stupid during his tenure here. Granted he wasn't here that long.

But just on a intelligence scale with the media so far, Jim Schwartz has seemed to have done okay. Once the season starts and unfolds... who knows? He might be foaming at the mouth and saying even more outlandish things than his predecessors. I figure frustration can do that to a man.

So yeah, wanna add to the pre-season hype a little bit? Sure, Jim Schwartz has impressed me so far with his media savvy and his choice words around a microphone.

ejames01

August-05-09, 10:34 AM

He did graduate from Georgetown with honors.

Something else I've noticed too about Schwartz- he isn't exactly the egocentric sort of guy that says too many outlandish things that end up as sound bytes on sports talk radio shows. I think back to some of the stupid remarks that come of the previous coaches have said, such as Marty Morningwheg's "The bar is high", Rod Marinelli's "pounding the rock", and others... all of these were said even before the Lions played a single game for them.

Is it Schwartz' savvy around the media? Is he actually that bright? It also makes me wonder because I really can't remember Steve Mariucci having said anything profoundly stupid during his tenure here. Granted he wasn't here that long.

But just on a intelligence scale with the media so far, Jim Schwartz has seemed to have done okay. Once the season starts and unfolds... who knows? He might be foaming at the mouth and saying even more outlandish things than his predecessors. I figure frustration can do that to a man.

So yeah, wanna add to the pre-season hype a little bit? Sure, Jim Schwartz has impressed me so far with his media savvy and his choice words around a microphone.

cloud_wall

August-06-09, 10:55 AM

He did graduate from Georgetown with honors.

I don't know if smogboy was alluding to this or not, but there was some concern in the hiring process that he always needed to prove he was the smartest guy in the room. I agree, he has come across as very sharp in all the right ways. Even when that criticism was being leveled, I was skeptical. I'd much rather have the smart guy who knows it than the dumb guy who is oblivious to his own ineptitude.

As with all pro coaches, he'll be judged on his record. But I like his style so far.

smogboy

August-09-09, 01:21 AM

15,387 showed up for a pre-season practice session?

I guess that just goes to show you how rabid some of the Lions faithful are.

7andkelly

August-09-09, 09:19 AM

15,387 showed up for a pre-season practice session?

I guess that just goes to show you how rabid some of the Lions faithful are.

The proof is in the pudding ... which I expect will be delicious as I watch the game from my "all-you-can-eat seat" ... at home, where I won't need to wear a paper bag over my head.

rajdet

August-11-09, 09:01 AM

15,387 showed up for a pre-season practice session?

I guess that just goes to show you how rabid some of the Lions faithful are.
Ah, a nice cold drink of cool-aid on a hot summers day. It's kinda' hard not to take a drink when you are sooooooo thirsty.

7andkelly

August-11-09, 09:40 AM

DeVries is out for the season. I think his career is over. Hope I'm wrong.

Pretty sure the Lions don't get any cap relief from this either.

smogboy

August-13-09, 03:48 PM

DeVries is out for the season. I think his career is over. Hope I'm wrong.

Pretty sure the Lions don't get any cap relief from this either.

Everything I've ever heard about DeVries seems as though he's a great guy in the locker room too. And for a guy that never really seems to be blessed with amazing skill, he has shown some moments of brilliance.

Big Dog

August-13-09, 08:48 PM

I'm not gonna get excited like last year, when we went undefeated for the exhibition season. The lions are very good at breaking hearts, hopes and dreams.

lilpup

August-15-09, 02:21 PM

But, you know, that means they engender hope in the first place, and that's something worthwhile around here, especially nowadays.

7andkelly

August-15-09, 05:29 PM

Question: Who will be the Lions' starter for game 1?

Answer: Drew Stanton? Probably not, but he's got one important quality ... he has the ability to run for his life.

7andkelly

August-15-09, 06:12 PM

27-26 Lions win!

lilpup

August-15-09, 06:23 PM

That was certainly a change! How long has it been since we've seen decent clock management by the Lions?

gnome

August-15-09, 06:28 PM

If anyone is interested, a tape-delay of the Lion's victory will be shown on Channel 62 at 8pm tonight.

Lilpup, I didn't realize you were a real fan, and to mention clock management, you must be more than your average fan.

ronaldj

August-15-09, 09:21 PM

Late in the third. Lions down by 6. Have not seen so many smiles on Lion's faces for years. Playing well.

7andkelly

August-22-09, 10:54 PM

Question: Who will be the Lions' starter for game 1?

Answer: Drew Stanton? Probably not, but he's got one important quality ... he's getting it done.

Big Dog

August-23-09, 08:06 AM

Hold off before you buy your tickets this year. They are going to be really, really cheap.

jefferson78

August-24-09, 11:19 AM

Bottom line is you have to have talent. And the Lions
have very little. In fact, none when it comes to the important
positions.
It will be another sad year at Ford field. It's too bad because we
deserve better.
I love the NFL but I cannot stand the joke of a football team we have.
As long as Ford owns the team they will suck, this team is snakebitten
and the owner is a moron.
After the pennant run by the Tigers I'm ready for the Wings and the "new" Pistons.
The Lions can get lost, if they're not already.:mad:

Big Dog

August-24-09, 04:06 PM

It won't take long for the lion smell and style to get to Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Stafford.

lilpup

August-29-09, 03:04 PM

Thinkin' Stanton should be the #2 QB

7andkelly

August-29-09, 04:24 PM

Thinkin' Stanton should be the #2 QB

He sure seems to know what to do in the redzone.

smogboy

September-07-09, 01:01 PM

He sure seems to know what to do in the redzone.

But from what we've seen of him, it's been against the other team's third & fourth stringers. It's not to say Stanton doesn't have some talent, but to appoint him over a veteran such as Culpepper or a highly drafted rookie in Stafford doesn't make sense.

Let's hope to the football gods that injuries don't occur to the top two QBs where Stanton has to come in to play.

And as of now, he's on the shelf with a bum knee.

smogboy

September-07-09, 01:53 PM

7andkelly

September-07-09, 06:53 PM

We knew it was going to happen sooner or later but just a few minutes ago, Matthew Stafford was named the opening game QB for the Lions.

So the era starts. Let's hope he's the real deal and we fans can cheer him on.

Good. I welcome this move. If you're going to draft a guy first overall and pay him truckloads of money, he ought to be playing. Certainly, I wish him well.

Most of the preseason predictions for the Lions are totally unacceptable to me. The bar is so low, they could crawl over it. Last year's fiasco shattered all my expectations for this team. Their first win this year will come as a total surprise.

Still ... I can't wait!!!

gnome

September-08-09, 05:05 AM

Gotta disagree on Stafford as QB.

The way things have histroically worked around here, is that the fan base is all rosey-cheeked and supportive until week 5 or 6 when the boo-birds come out of hibernation.

this year, the fans are already at week 6, the boo birds are hanging in the rafters; any mess up by Stafford and he'll be booed out of town.

Playing a rookie too early has proven to be a horrible idea: Chuck Long, Harrington, etc. To me, you go with a veteran until its proven he can't do the job. Culpepper hasn't proven he can't win, can't lead, can't dedicate himself to he team. He's come in to camp in great shape and has done a fine job in the games he's been in; not fantastic, but pre-season isn't about fantastic it is aout knocking rust off hinges and finding the right combination of people to work as a team.

We don't have any idea if the Lions have enough of the supporting staff to insure a successful Matt Stafford. I fear we are going to create a very expensive broken man in Stafford.

rajdet

September-10-09, 06:08 PM

gnome, I agree with you, to an extent, if both QB's were playing the same, I would have started the vet, I think you owe that much to the other veterans on your team. But the powers that be have spoken so let the future begin. Throw him in there and let him take a few lumps, It will either build character, or destroy his confidence, either way you know exactly what your paying $50 million for.

Big Dog

September-10-09, 07:31 PM

I haven't a speck of doubt, that Ford told Schwartz to "Play Stafford". Let the games begin.

smogboy

September-11-09, 01:43 AM

There are so many different schools of thought regarding starting or not starting a rookie QB. Some say toss him into the mix and let him get experience and some say let him be the clipboard bitch for a season or two.

Like many others here I think I would've started Culpepper over the rookie, Stafford. We all know this team will be his eventually. But the things that I think Culpepper could've brought beyond the veteran presence would've been a stabilizing factor to this team. It would've bought Stafford some time before he took the reins. I think it was Mike Rosenberg of the Freep that wrote an article a few months back with certain conditions for Stafford to start. If memory serves me correctly, one of the biggest criteria was to see how this offensive line works. If it can protect Culpepper, it surely can protect Stafford. Most offensive lines are unproven at this beginning of the year and Detroit's was atrocious throughout the year. I wouldn't have risked injury to Stafford just yet.

At the earliest I would've started Stafford (barring injury to Culpepper) would've been after the Bye Week. At that point (6 games), either the Lions are stunning the league with victories or destined to the cellar again. If we were 4-2 or better, I would be riding out Culpepper because he was doing a great job. Any less and I'm sure fans would've been clamoring for Stafford at that point and the team would've been able to deliver him during Week 8 versus a horrendous St. Louis team at home.

But seeing as how Schwartz has anointed Stafford the starting QB, we armchair QB types & devout fans will have to live with it. Who knows? Maybe we could be pleasantly surprised with this youngster and he does learn the game that much faster. Physically from what we've seen, he's got the tools. It's going to be his mental acuity and how he can make plays is what and why the Lions picked him first over all. I'm hoping that Stafford will try to utilize some of the other young guns we have (Kevin Smith, Calvin Johnson, & fellow rookie Brandon Pettigrew) and not try to be the gunslinger and try to win games all by himself yet.

Big Dog

September-11-09, 09:23 PM

Personally, I don't think that Schwartz made the decision to play Stafford. Ford has a business mentality and he's not going to pay all that money, to someone on the sideline, holding a clipboard. I believe that's why Ford hired Schwartz,someone that never was a head coach anywhere, including high school. At least that is what someone told me about his coaching experience. Ford tells his coaches who to play, not at all positions, but some players he wants in the games. Examples, Harrington, Kitna, Calvin Jackson as a rookie, and more, I just can't think of the names. Ford will never hire a strong, independent minded coach. It's his team, win or lose.

gnome

September-13-09, 03:37 PM

final score 45 to 27 ...6 passing tds by Drew Brees, which just so happens to have tied a record for the most passing tds in a single game.

Stafford dumped a couple of ints and the penalties were of the singular Lions variety.

You've seen this all before. Another sucky, suck job.

rajdet

September-13-09, 07:35 PM

lilpup

September-13-09, 09:49 PM

positives to build on:

Stafford got sacked less than most recent Lions QBs

The team didn't quit by the third quarter

After falling behind early they pretty much answered all of NO's scores (NO was the NFL's no. 1 offense last year)

bad news: no ground game - 33 yards rushing - ouch

jefferson78

September-14-09, 08:15 AM

How about some more negatives;
-The defense is horrible. Teams are going to have a field day running against this team, No pass rush either, Brees almost sets a record for TD's.
This is what happens when you waste your first 2 draft choices on offensive players instead of filling the most important needs that your team has. Defense wins championships not rookie quarterbacks.
Millen may be gone but they blew this years draft anyway.
-Staffords interceptions. Yeah, he's a rookie but you could have gotten a decent showing from Culpepper while building up your defense.
The Lions wil be lucky to win two games this year, what an improvement.
The NFL is a great league but we get stuck with these losers.:mad: Thank God for fantasy football.

slick

September-14-09, 12:57 PM

Thank God for fantasy football

The fantasy quarterback vs the Lions always has a good week.

William Clay has a fantasy football team, he thinks he can make winners.
We play fantasy football,
William Clay tries to play real football.

Another long season, but I will be watching.

smogboy

September-14-09, 05:41 PM

I'll try to be realistic here playing Monday afternoon quarterback.

I honestly didn't think the Lions had much of a chance winning against a near Super Bowl contended in New Orleans this week. Drew Brees is just that good of a QB. He carved up the Detroit secondary because we're just that thin back there and the defensive line just couldn't get to him to cause any sort of pressure. I'm also going to speculate that this will be a trend a good amount of this season as well. Until we run up against a battered or weak offensive line somewhere (I'm going to assume St. Louis), the other team's QBs will have a field day. Defensively this team is just piss poor with the few bright spots being the linebackers.

Offensively we already know that Stafford's going to make his fair share of mistakes. He just doesn't have the talent around him yet. The other team is going to double and triple team Calvin Johnson and force Stafford to dump it off short. In regards to the New Orleans game, the biggest disappointment was that the offensive line couldn't break out many holes for Kevin Smith to bust through- although they did protect Stafford to the point of only one sack (celebrate this now...wooo!). I was also disappointed in seeing very little of tight end Brandon Pettigrew- unless he produces something, it's going to turn into a wasted draft pick.

Bright spots for me were seeing Louis Delmas' football sense and his spirited play & fumble return, Aaron Brown's returns, and oddly Schwartz' calm demeanor after this game. I think the coach knows he's in over his head at the moment facing off against New Orleans. He didn't seem to come across as abrasive as a Rod Marinelli or as buffoonish as a Marty Morninweig; could he have done better? Sure, but I think he knows he's got less than stellar talent on this team. He knows he's in for at least a few more years of rebuilding- but it was nice to see that the team seemed to stay competitive and honestly seemed to try hard even into the third quarter (something that a Marinelli coached team just failed to do).

Realistically, it's not going to be a great season for this team. I'm honest about my expectations. If we do good, it's a blessing. If we do poorly, I'll understand. But I'll still cheer for this team because they are our hometown team and that's not to say they won't frustrate me to tears either.

Downriviera

September-14-09, 10:24 PM

firstandten

September-19-09, 12:33 AM

At crucial times in the game when a play needed to be made, on offense and defense, the Lion's could not pull through. This is the most frustrating part for me. You watch other games and see teams make plays at opportune moments, and wish the Lion's could too. But I'll keep cheering them on as well, and watch all the games. If they are blacked out I'll watch online cause I got it that bad.

Can't get frustated! The Lions simply don't have enough talent on their roster especially foundational talent ( offense and defensive lines) to be consistantly competitive. They are what they are !

Whats worse is when the marginal talent starts to get hurt around the 7th or 8th week the backups will be dreadful.

I feel sorry for Stafford. He is being set up for failure. I'm afraid you will see a lot of picks from him over the course of the year. With no running game to speak of and a so-so O-line, hopefully his confidence won't get smashed like Joey H.

Big Dog

September-19-09, 05:27 AM

Some say that, "The past, is a good indication of the future". With Ford as the owner, look at the past.

Downriviera

September-20-09, 09:18 AM

NFL Players Mentor Troubled Detroit Lions

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nfl_players_mentor_troubled

jiminnm

September-20-09, 06:29 PM

I'm looking for back to back 0-fer seasons.

lilpup

September-20-09, 06:38 PM

I think Stafford gets mentally tired by the second half and it affects his decision making. Culpepper should probably play the second halves.

firstandten

September-20-09, 06:59 PM

I think Stafford gets mentally tired by the second half and it affects his decision making. Culpepper should probably play the second halves.

I think you make a great point, however the Lions committed to Stafford at the start of the season as the starter ( which I felt was the wrong move) so we are going to ride the ups and downs. Stafford is talented but he's a gunslinger also. He thinks he can just make plays and throw the ball anywhere he wants. He will need to learn how to be a game manager, so while he's learning just be prepared to see a whole bunch of interceptions this year

7andkelly

September-21-09, 06:34 AM

Mr. Ford, please sell this team. How long must we suffer?

http://detroityes.com/mb/images/misc/progress.gif

Big Dog

September-21-09, 06:34 AM

smogboy

September-22-09, 02:32 AM

Schwartz says today that Stafford is the QB, in spite of 5 int., in 2 games. That's because W. Ford is making that call, not Schwartz. The ghost of Joey Harrington, has arrived. Stafford may get ruined for life? The lions are Ford's toy, and it's his team to do what he say's.

I'll be the first guy to say that under William Clay Ford, the Lions have been miserable. That's just sheer fact based upon the number of wins put up. For us to bark up that tree where we need to get rid of old man Ford is a joke though. We have a better chance of asking for 25¢ a gallon gasoline. He owns the team, makes some decent money on the team, is part of a rich guys' fraternity, and quite frankly shouldn't sell the team from an economic standpoint. Would you if you were in his shoes?

Now for all of the people that somehow think Ford is up in his suite calling down to the sidelines telling Schwartz what plays to call and whom to play- I'd like to see some proof of this. If one has any measure of respect for Jim Schwatz (I do so far) and his intellect, I doubt if Jim Schwartz would've taken this gig if he knew he had a meddling owner. I'm exceptionally thankful that we don't have an Al Davis sort of owner when it comes to control. I'd be willing to bet that Ford Sr. has some input but when it comes right down to it, I'd still be willing to bet that it's the head coach's call. If anything we can fault Ford for, it's his faith and undying loyalty to buffoons like Russ Thomas and Matt Millen. Those are the two main architects that have built this shoddy house of straw to which we fans have to endure the cold.

Again, if anyone has proof that Ford made the call over Jim Schwartz to start Matthew Stafford over Culpepper, I'd like to hear it or see it. Again, I'm not saying he isn't without influence but if there is any sliver of where Schwartz was blatantly over ruled- I'd like to see it. Until then, we will have to put some of our immediate faith in this team if we're still fans.

Grundyke

September-23-09, 11:31 AM

Some say that, "The past, is a good indication of the future". With Ford as the owner, look at the past.
Agreed, I have been saying to family and friends along with others I am sure that as long as Ford owns this team it will never be a winner. On the other side, why would Ford ever sell it since it makes money.

jiminnm

September-23-09, 01:18 PM

The Detroit Lions - The NFL's Worst Defense, Ever
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204488304574429293233493218.html

smogboy

September-27-09, 03:47 PM

Whaddaya know?

The streak is over. After suffering nearly 21 months of having to carry the Losing Streak Monkey on our backs, that accursed thing is finally off.

Does this mean we're well on our way to a Super Bowl? HECK NO! But that being said, I did see a few things good come of this game besides the end of the streak.

1) Stafford's learning. One can't replace experience and any time this kid can get into those pressure situations and do somewhat well, it's good for the franchise. He wasn't perfect and not the second coming of Joe Montana but he notches his first W in the NFL.

2) The team's ability to march down the field. After getting some pretty horrific field position the first half, the Lions moved down the field somewhat confidently and didn't turn the ball over and implode. What shocked me at times was actually the Nick Harris punts which weren't of the pinch the other team back variety. But they managed the ball well for the first half.

3) Team defense that swarms. They seem to get to the ball en masse this season and actually tackled a LOT better than any of the Marinelli coached teams.

4) Schwartz didn't jump for joy after the game. He knew it was only one game in many. He seemed pretty non-fazed by it all. I'm curious as to his post game presser as to what he's going to say now. I like his demeanor so far and like I've often said in comparing him to some of his predecessors- he doesn't give the press stupid proclamations, silly sound bytes and things for disgruntled fans to skewer months later.

Small hand clap for this meager victory. We can savor it for a scant week (something we haven't done in ages). Th Lions still have a long long way to go to being a competitive team but this week, we proved that we can still beat another NFL team.

gnome

September-27-09, 04:21 PM

I'm going to check my pig, just to see if it sprouted wings.

gnome

September-27-09, 04:24 PM

3322

...yep....

smogboy

September-27-09, 04:27 PM

Yep- another brilliant observation by gnome.

smogboy

September-27-09, 04:39 PM

40,896 fans. Bravo to them for being at the game. Even with that meager number, I hope that Old Man Ford understands that there could be a LOT more fans there if they can start building a better team here.

7andkelly

September-27-09, 08:18 PM

Bowmp, bowmp, bowmp. Another one bites the dust.
Bowmp, bowmp, bowmp. Another one bites the dust.
And another one down, and another one down and another one bites the dust.

Sing it with me.

smogboy

September-27-09, 09:09 PM

One nice touch I found out about tonight was that Jim Schwartz also insisted that the team go back out onto the field to celebrate this meager victory with their fans. Sure, it's only one game but that's at least savvy on his part to at least connect with the fan base again. Everything I've heard about the post game seemed good- for a small loyal crowd (the Lions deserved no better at this juncture), I heard it was a pretty vocal bunch. For all the previous bungles, missed field goals, draft picks that had gone bust, dropped passes, and idiotic miscues- I was actually glad to see someone from the team really come out and do something for the fans after the game. It won't erase years of misery for us die hard fans, but it is a nice gesture.

smogboy

September-27-09, 09:12 PM

Bowmp, bowmp, bowmp. Another one bites the dust.
Bowmp, bowmp, bowmp. Another one bites the dust.
And another one down, and another one down and another one bites the dust.

Sing it with me.

Last time that song really meant something to the Lions faithful here, I believe our record was somewhere in the neighborhood of 9-7 and there was a hope of making the playoffs. I don't think this team is near that level just yet but I do applaud your enthusiasm. We can still hope!

Danny

September-28-09, 07:37 AM

LIONS WON THEIR FIRST NFL GAME AGAINST THAT REDSKINS, YAY! 19 to 17

Finally!

I waited 2 years for it.

DetroitZack

September-28-09, 03:24 PM

Any predictions for next weeks game against the Bears?

rajdet

September-28-09, 03:33 PM

Any predictions for next weeks game against the Bears?

Can we at least enjoy the first win in two years for a day before we start thinking about Da Bearz?

DetroitZack

September-29-09, 10:38 PM

Can we at least enjoy the first win in two years for a day before we start thinking about Da Bearz?

Sure! Why not celebrate for a week? And then have a parade.

smogboy

September-30-09, 11:19 PM

Sure! Why not celebrate for a week? And then have a parade.

There is some wisdom here in the sense that we don't know when this team is going to get their next victory. It might be a long while (although I'd hazard a guess that we might even be favored against St. Louis) but this team shouldn't be judged by its won-loss record at the end of the season. I think I can somewhat say confidently that there isn't going to be a post season for this year's Lions team. Celebrate the one lone notch in the W column for now and each week we should look for the few bright spots that are bound to occur.

The stench that Millen left behind is still pretty pervasive and even though he's been gone awhile we as fans still can't get over his stupidity easily. So rather than bag on his obvious deficiencies as a team president the last few years, we do have to acknowledge that this isn't Millen's team anymore. And that's not to say that Mayhew & Schwartz aren't above criticism, but I think we need to temper it somewhat this season. With most rookie coaches there is a honeymoon of sorts and by no means were we knowledgeable fans going to expect him to turn our sad sack franchise around over night. We will have to give Schwartz some time to implement his plan. I'd still want to hold him to certain benchmarks and a time frame and see if he can attain them. So far he hasn't been bombastic, massively egotistical or down about the team- Schwartz seems as though he's pretty even keeled so far. I'm willing to trust him so far.

But we shall see.

7andkelly

October-01-09, 05:41 AM

Can we at least enjoy the first win in two years for a day before we start thinking about Da Bearz?

Sunday's game against the bears is winnable.

jefferson78

October-01-09, 07:53 AM

I'm sorry but pigs can only fly once a year.
The Bears are likely to destroy the Lions this Sunday.

smogboy

October-04-09, 04:38 PM

I'm sorry but pigs can only fly once a year.
The Bears are likely to destroy the Lions this Sunday.

The final score said so.

But admittedly for the first half of the game, it actually looked competitive. But then it made me think was it really the Lions being that good or was it the Bears being that inept? Realistically it was probably a little of each. It was by no means a classic football game for each team; defensively for both the Lions & Bears- it was pretty bad.

It also made me wonder if we would've been any better if we would've signed Jake Cutler as opposed to Stafford. I'm not so sure though because they both seem to air the ball out pretty well and don't have much of a run game behind them (granted we made Forte look like an All-Pro with a few of his long runs).

Either way, by the end of the third quarter it was barely palatable to watch. It seemed as though we strayed away from the game plan we started with or Chicago adapted that well to our play calling. The game slipped away from us and the Lions could no longer counter punch in the shoot out.

Tig3rzhark

October-04-09, 04:50 PM

I wonder what happened. I thought the curse of Bobby Lane was gone!

It seems that he still walks among us, even after the 50 years of this crap.

blksoul_x

October-04-09, 07:39 PM

gnome

October-04-09, 08:23 PM

smogboy

October-04-09, 08:25 PM

Bad news for the Lions!

Watching the NFL Network; Stafford my have a dislocated knee. Which means, more than/likely, he will be out for the season!

The people that wanted this talented rookie to sit and learn, WELL, YOU GOT YOUR WISH!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

Before anyone starts listening to the panic that Dr.blksoul_x has to dispense, according to ESPN Stafford's injury isn't as grave as it appears to be.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4531166

As far as those of us who wanted Stafford to sit and learn, realize that the intent was not for him to go get injured and sit. Huge difference in rationale. This team already has invested a huge sum of money into Stafford. I believe it was Mike Rosenberg of the Freep that indicated some very sound rationale as to why so many of us didn't think he should start:

1) Have the offensive line prove they can protect a QB.
2) Wait until we snapped the losing streak.
3) Have the season out of reach.

Most of those points are moot though since the team has saddled us up with him now.

blksoul_x

October-04-09, 09:14 PM

Hey! I didn't want Stafford to get hurt, I was afraid he would get hurt before he had the time to learn the game. I don't understand why anyone would put a 47 million dollar player behind the Lions O line. A line in which the best player is Jeff Backus.

'gnome' and 'smogboy'....

Actually, the offensive line has performed above average this year perhaps due to the high level of talent from the rookie Stafford. (Besides, the hit was kind of fluky. It was more to do with the way he fell to the ground.).

Stafford has shown great presence in the pocket, which leads me to believe, he can quickly run through his reads, on top of the fact that he has a flat out pin-point cannon for an arm, and is NOT SCARED to throw in coverage, thus preventing a defense from attacking the Lions O-line with blitzes complex rushes. The more Stafford plays, the better the Lions offense will become. I can see Stafford by the end of the season, throwing the ball 30-40 times a game without much pressure from the defense. This is the first time in a LONG time that opposing defenses have to ACCOUNT for a Lion QB. I can see why he won over the starting job. If Stafford is out for the season, it is a MAJOR set back for the Lions!

Stafford is an offensive coordinators dream! Watching him improve each game, It would have been absolutely foolish not to start him. Best believe, Stafford would probably have started on 85% of NFL Teams this season.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

Detroitej72

October-04-09, 11:58 PM

Watching the NFL Network; Stafford my have a dislocated knee. Which means, more than/likely, he will be out for the season!

After the 2nd quarter, many Lion's fans may wish the whole team would be out for the season!

All those who want to see "Bubble's" start the next game, say "I"!

smogboy

October-05-09, 12:38 AM

'Best believe, Stafford would probably have started on 85% of NFL Teams this season.

85% of the league also has a better offensive line than the Lions too. Let's not lose sight of the fact that no one knew how this relatively new offensive line was going to start off the year or come together. Inserting him in as the starting QB made no sense until we had some proof that that line was capable of protecting Stafford. Care to rattle off the stat as to how many sacks our offensive line gave up last year? Is this the group you want protecting your future QB & $40+ million dollar baby?

We all know Stafford was going to start at some point in his career here, but why the very first game with an unproven offensive line? We really had nothing to lose by starting Daunte Culpepper either and then putting Stafford in later in the season after certain benchmarks were achieved like I had suggested earlier.

This Lions team surely isn't like any other team in the league- we went winless for all of last year.

gnome

October-05-09, 06:43 AM

You make some solid points BSX, however the performance of the offensive line has been better than last year, but far below an acceptable professional standard. Riolla was called for offsides yesterday.

Last time I checked, it takes some talent for a center to jump offsides. Bachus too failed the test of remembering how to count to three, thereby putting our backs even closer to our own goaline on a 1st and 10 from the 19.

Now while I think Stafford wasn't ready for prime time is beside the point, it was the offensive line that really wasn't ready for prime time. that's the point. Those guys couldn't open a hole in a swiss cheese factory. After four games we have totaled a little over 400 yrds on the ground. And that number includes the Washington game where they ran for over 150 yards. Yesterday Kevin Smith put 30 yards of turf under his feet and that is with Urlacher out for the year.

BSX, you make some good points, Stafford is the future, I just wish he would have had a little longer time to season before putting him out there. I don't think the Offensive Line plays at a consistantly professional level to warrant putting the Lions future in their unsteady hands.

blksoul_x

October-05-09, 10:51 AM

Is this the group you want protecting your future QB & $40+ million dollar baby?

.

Man, you guys are really suffering from (BLS), 'Battered Lions Syndrome'. You have been abused for so many years, that you can't see that the Lions are an improving team. We have a young stud QB, with a bit of swagger, and you want to keep him locked down.

Ya'll remind me of the guy that just brought new carpet and keep the room roped off so no one will step on his carpet. He wants to keep his carpet clean until the right moment. Some things are not meant to be locked up until the right moment. Some things are meant to be showcased. For Mathew Stafford, he is a talent that can not be held back. Every once and a while you have a guy that can make other people better. The Lions have one of those guys at QB. The offensive line is better because of him, Calvin Johnson is better because of him, and eventually the defense will be better because of him due to the fact the the Lions offense will win most time of possessions. Some things, you just can't hold back.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

gnome

October-05-09, 12:24 PM

Yes, I'm as beaten as newborn seal. Guilty as charged.

I was there when Dempsey's half foot let fly 63 yards of humiliation, and there when Landy took two in Dallas, when Sims went down in a tangle of miniscus tears, when Morninweg elected to kick off. Yeah, the black and blue thumpings were real and when I think back to Chuck Long I see Matt Stafford. I see Chuck Long throwing an 82 yard touchdown on his first play from scrimmage and then his career going down faster than a prom date.

The MRI will tell some, Pittsburgh's secondary will tell us more. Expect a 4 Int week.

smogboy

October-05-09, 05:10 PM

We all agree that Matthew Stafford is the future of this franchise.

And even if Matthew Stafford is the more skilled QB at this point- starting him now will gain us what? One or two more victories in a fruitless rebuilding year? The sheer fact that Stafford got injured skewers BSX' argument that he should be in there now. What if it was a career ending injury- would it have been worth it? I say have the offensive line PROVE to us that they're improved long before we put him in there to take some lumps.

None of us are against Stafford starting but I don't see the gains outweighing the potential losses with this team. Can someone explain to me what would've been wrong with starting Stafford after the Bye Week? Are these five games going to make or break his learning curve? Have you folks forgotten that this kid still should be a senior in college? It's not like this guy is rapidly aging and losing his edge on the bench.

Big Dog

October-05-09, 06:27 PM

Smogboy, I agree completely with your post #93.

Big Dog

October-12-09, 07:27 AM

smogboy

October-12-09, 12:17 PM

Kevin Smith, even though he talks a good game, appears to be a less than average back. The announcers even stated that he needs to break tackles to be a good back. They are right, Smith seldom breaks a tackle. Perhaps he has speed, but lacks the strength break many tackles.

They seem to try shoving him into runs between the tackles and I wonder if he's that sort of bruising back that can burst through a hole like that and break tackles. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing him swing out of the backfield to the flat a little more and give him some open space to move. It is nice to see that Schwartz (or Linehan) has implemented a few screen passes in the vocabulary this year.

Realistically I know that we might not win too many other games this year, but is it just me but does the team seem to a little more competitive than last year's motley bunch? Heck, just entertaining the thought of having a chance to tie it in the last few minutes was exciting. If this was last year's Marinelli led team, I think they would've folded at half time. I do sense some minor improvement with the Lions; compared to 0-16 it's obviously not tough.

-The William James interception was lightning quick and to see US returning a pick for a TD seemed like such a distant memory.

-The offensive line held up much better than I thought it would, although yesterday's sack total would prove me wrong.

-The secondary receivers (non Calvin Johnsons) are actually starting to come through. Northcutt, Williams, and Bryant Johnson have actually made some contributions now.

-The third down conversion rate seems to have improved as well as their time of possession.

Again, these are just microscopic elements of the game I noticed yesterday. It wasn't by any stretch a complete game. There were some gaffes, mental errors and just bone headed mistakes throughout. But then in any football game, there are bound to be many of those. Usually the team that has fewer of those wins.

smogboy

October-19-09, 10:10 AM

As much as our Lions stunk it up against the Pack this previous Sunday, hearing about how Kerry Collins throw for a -7 yards and have a 4.9 passer rating was almost laughable. The NFL truly is a league of have and have-nots this season. And yes, our Lions belong in the have-not category.

smogboy

October-28-09, 01:15 AM

Someone defibrillate, please!

Someone just told me that our vaunted Lions (queue up the Sarcasm Meter) are actually a 3 point favorite over the sad sack St. Louis Rams. It's been so long since I can honestly remember our team being a favorite over anyone.

I guess I'll just enjoy this warm fuzzy feeling until Sunday and see what unfolds.

Downriviera

October-28-09, 10:38 AM

Rams and Browns are the only winnable games, imo.

smogboy

October-28-09, 11:23 AM

Rams and Browns are the only winnable games, imo.

I'm inclined to agree but that's what makes these games so scary. We've been led down this path before where we get our hearts broken and our hopes dashed against the rocks.

As a fan I can only hope for these to pan out for us and just maybe we can squeak out another victory somewhere along the season. Heck, I'd just be content to see our team improve week after week and be somewhat competitive.

gnome

November-02-09, 07:57 AM

IN PRAISE OF APATHY

Another loss, this one to the lowly Rams and it seems no one cares. I think that is a good thing.
We have turned a corner.

The game, a game in which the Lions were 3 1/2 point favorites, failed to lure in enough believers, resulting in the draconian NFL blackout decending on TVs from Monroe to Flint, Detroit to Lansing. The NFL's blackout goes into effect when a team doesn't sell-out the stadium within 72 or 48 hrs before a contest. The NFL as the nation's only government sanctioned monoply and therefore wields its status like a bully having a hissy fit. "Fine, you won't buy my tickets, I won't let you watch my sub-par performance."

A double-think thought process but one the NFL clings to in the belief that since billionaires thought it up, it must be a good idea; but I digress.

It seems no one cares about the Lions. And that is a good thing. I believe it is not hate that will change the Lions. Hate is the flip-side of Love, and while love can cure a child's scuffed knee, it can't fix the Lions anymore than yelling will. Yelling hateful "Fire Millen, Kill Ford" didn't work. Neither did "Trade Harrington!" or "Sack Mitchell!" or "Bench Plum!".

Vitriol will not spurr the Lions to change, but not giving a flying-fig will. Not buying their embarrassing tickets, not buying their worthless foam fingers, jerseys, weak beer or over-priced parking will. By not going to the games, by not buying their merchandise, by not visiting the advertisers that appear on their in-stadium billboards or are voiced on their radio network, the only way to change the Lions is to stop caring.

Apathy, the universal cure. But are there signs that apathy is catching on?

Thankfully, yes. It seems that thousands of people cared enough to not go to the game. Barely 40 thousand sad-eyed souls went to Ford Field to see the Lions lose. The blackout fell and thousands more didn't watch, but the biggest hint that shows that people have stopped caring:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckForum&plckForumPage=Forum&plckForumId=Cat%3a3d38d5ea-be26-42e1-b8c1-5c828cc9b4e3Forum%3ac1c0fbe4-725c-4ed9-ab43-ba748c81afb8&plckNumPerPage=200&plckCategoryCurrentPage=0

There hasn't been a single comment on the Freep's Lions in 5 days. And the last comment before that? two weeks ago.

So rejoice, oh beleagered fans of yore, you are doing the best thing possible: absolutely nothing.

Big Dog

November-02-09, 10:05 AM

Very Good post, gnome. I think it's 100% right on. If the fans settle for terrible teams, that's what they will get.

smogboy

November-02-09, 10:17 AM

There hasn't been a single comment on the Freep's Lions in 5 days. And the last comment before that? two weeks ago.

It's also the Freep.

Just because people don't go to the games, people still care about the Lions. Go to http://www.mlive.com/lions/ if you want to see fans' and their commentaries. People there are rabid about letting their emotions be read. Listen to sports talk radio on a Monday morning- we're still an NFL/ football driven nation. The sheer fact that we're posting and talking about our miserable Lions team here says we care- even if it's on a visceral level.

jefferson78

November-02-09, 11:49 AM

I was one who was actually hoping for the Lions to lose. The reason being, is that if they did win, there would be a glimmer of hope that maybe things are on the right track, which I do not think they are.
I agree that the only thing that will force change is "total fan apathy". When a great majority of your fan base tells you they don't care anymore, then you're approaching rock bottom and only a massive upheavel will have an effect. Unfortunately, I do not think the Fords will sell the team. If this does not happen then we can expect bad teams until the old man dies and they ultimately sell it to someone who will try to do something positive with this franchise.
As for talk radio, as much as I hate listening to the slappies who kept calling in last week defiantly insisting this was a "for sure win", and then call back on Monday to complain.
I know that the stations have to cover the Lions to a point. It is their job, and someone has to let fans vent their frustration. But aren't we past that? If you were not frustrated at the state of this team 10 years ago, why now? Did you actually believe they were going somewhere? What finally clued you in?
I love the NFL, but I hate the Lions. It's hard to pick a favorite team because I can always find some kind of reason not to root for anyone else. I wish I could root for my hometown team but that would be fruitless. So I root for individual players. Yes I play Fantasy football. It's one way I can enjoy the game without letting the ineptness of our team ruin my sundays. I just wish that this nightmare would end and we could wake up someday with a competitive NFL team. I probably have a better chance of winning a million dollars in the lottery.

gnome

November-02-09, 03:29 PM

Gosh Smogboy, I guess there are still enough people out there that care about the Lions to bitch about there poor performance. Forgive me, I thought I had spotted the growing trend of apathy.

Looks like we'll have another 50 yrs kitten play.

---

So, who here thinks the Lions won't sell-out for Thanksgiving? In my hope that apathy will reign, say, "NO, the Lions will not sell-out Thanksgiving"!

Downriviera

November-02-09, 04:31 PM

I think the situation with the Lion's is very similar to what they had in Chicago with the Black Hawks. An owner that was very stubborn and would not change. When Wirtz died and his son took over everything turned around. I don't wish for anyone to die, but I truly believe thats what its going to take. As for the Lion's ever being sold, save your breath, it will never leave the Ford family. Things will change when Bill Ford Jr. takes over. As for the Thanksgiving game, I think it will sell out because people go for the tradition of the event. Its a big family thing, plus the cheeseheads will come from Wisconsin. I went through this stuff with the dismal Red Wings back in the day. I still followed the team and went to games, hoping they could at least stay in the game and keep it respectable.

smogboy

November-02-09, 10:32 PM

Gosh Smogboy, I guess there are still enough people out there that care about the Lions to bitch about there poor performance. Forgive me, I thought I had spotted the growing trend of apathy. [/B]

Of course there's apathy abounding with this team. It's not a trend.

But that being said, it's also easy to be apathetic towards anything Detroit too. And yet we still defend this fair metropolis. Want to talk down our US made automobiles and it'd spark a riot amongst some people. Want to poke fun at our city (Leno, Kimmel, etc.) and we take exception. But yet there are still some of us here who remain loyal to this city that and the NFL franchise that bears its name.

Being apathetic is easy to do with the downtrodden. Making fun of the pathetic has always been easy to do. But rest assured that if (I'm not sure if I can be around for the "when") this town turns it around, becomes a hot bed of culture & cool, and the Lions do win a Super Bowl, it'd be the biggest celebration this town has ever seen.

smogboy

November-02-09, 10:35 PM

I went through this stuff with the dismal Red Wings back in the day. I still followed the team and went to games, hoping they could at least stay in the game and keep it respectable.

Just maybe our dedication to this Lions team will pay off like the Wings did for so many of us.

Big Dog

November-03-09, 06:53 AM

One of the few things, one can count on in life is, nothing stays the same.

Ray1936

November-03-09, 11:57 AM

Lemme throw in this scenario.

The Lions go 1 - 15. The other bottom teams right now win at least two games for the season. That gives the Lions the #1 draft choice again for the 2010 draft.

Do they draft Florida's Tim Tebow? Whatcha think?

jefferson78

November-03-09, 12:49 PM

Big Dog

November-03-09, 05:08 PM

They likely will trade CJ, the injury prone one. He's the only one someone might want to take a chance on.

smogboy

November-04-09, 01:31 AM

Do they draft Florida's Tim Tebow? Whatcha think?

Not a chance. They've got too much money tied into Stafford now. It's a commitment we're tied into now so spending MORE first round money on a QB is not even an option. If given the first overall pick, I'd shop it around and get many more picks for it. Financially getting the first overall pick can also be a financial detriment to ANY team in this league.

smogboy

November-04-09, 01:55 AM

I would not put it past them. Or they'll draft another wide receiver in the first round.
More than likely they'll try and build from the outside in. Linemen be damned.
Mayhew is no better than Millen in knowing how to use the draft to build a team.
If they get the first pick, which now seems likely, they should trade it because they have no idea what to do with it.

I'm willing to give Martin Mayhew a wee bit more breathing room here. While he might have residual effects of that Millen stench, I'm willing to give him a little bit more leeway just on the fact that his draft picks this year are at least playing.

Mayhew era picks like Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Sammie Hill, DeAndre Levy, and Louis Delmas are at least starting. And to a certain degree guys like Zack Follett, Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams are starting on Special Teams.

Neither Mayhew nor any other GM (Parcells, Pioli or anyone short of Jesus) was going to fix this heinous train wreck that Millen saddled us with in one year. It's going to take at least a few more drafts for me to assess whether Martin Mayhew has any true football acumen or if he's a total football clod. I want to see how Mayhew is going to do in the next few years (ugh... more rebuilding), but I think he's done a fair job so far with the draft. Let's see how these draft picks pan out at the end of this year; they'll take their lumps and make mistakes but hopefully they'll improve. If this was a true Millen draft, we surely would've drafted glitz & glamour with a wide receiver in the first round and had him fail to make the physical or be Cheech & Chong baked in training camp.

So my hope for this year's draft is that we get those vaunted linemen on BOTH sides of the ball. I agree that we do need to fortify the trenches. And after last week's debacle at catching the ball, dare I say that we might even have to spend a third or fourth round pick in snagging ourselves a semi-decent wide receiver? But with this team, there are so many holes to fill- it comes right down to which are the biggest most glaring spots on the team.

In my opinion, in order of need it'd have to be OT/OG/DT/DE (the best available), CB, LB, WR and maybe even pick up a back-up veteran QB. So we'll play out this miserable season and I'm curious to see what other pieces Martin "sans Millen" Mayhew is going to add to the mix.

Big Dog

November-04-09, 06:55 AM

Is Ernie Sims hurt, or overrated?

smogboy

November-06-09, 11:25 PM

Is Ernie Sims hurt, or overrated?

Probably a little of each.

firstandten

November-07-09, 08:22 AM

I'm willing to give Martin Mayhew a wee bit more breathing room here. While he might have residual effects of that Millen stench, I'm willing to give him a little bit more leeway just on the fact that his draft picks this year are at least playing.

Mayhew era picks like Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Sammie Hill, DeAndre Levy, and Louis Delmas are at least starting. And to a certain degree guys like Zack Follett, Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams are starting on Special Teams.

Neither Mayhew nor any other GM (Parcells, Pioli or anyone short of Jesus) was going to fix this heinous train wreck that Millen saddled us with in one year. It's going to take at least a few more drafts for me to assess whether Martin Mayhew has any true football acumen or if he's a total football clod. I want to see how Mayhew is going to do in the next few years (ugh... more rebuilding), but I think he's done a fair job so far with the draft. Let's see how these draft picks pan out at the end of this year; they'll take their lumps and make mistakes but hopefully they'll improve. If this was a true Millen draft, we surely would've drafted glitz & glamour with a wide receiver in the first round and had him fail to make the physical or be Cheech & Chong baked in training camp.

So my hope for this year's draft is that we get those vaunted linemen on BOTH sides of the ball. I agree that we do need to fortify the trenches. And after last week's debacle at catching the ball, dare I say that we might even have to spend a third or fourth round pick in snagging ourselves a semi-decent wide receiver? But with this team, there are so many holes to fill- it comes right down to which are the biggest most glaring spots on the team.

In my opinion, in order of need it'd have to be OT/OG/DT/DE (the best available), CB, LB, WR and maybe even pick up a back-up veteran QB. So we'll play out this miserable season and I'm curious to see what other pieces Martin "sans Millen" Mayhew is going to add to the mix.

The Lions suffer from a lack of talent in several key positions and not enough talent overall. As we get into the second half of the season and the injuries pile up, the Lions unlike other NFL teams cannot plug in replacements and keep that train moving. The replacements will be marginable NFL players at best, which makes sense , since the starters for the most part could probably only start for the Lions and a few other bottom tier teams.

The situation the Lions are in is such that you really need to build from the bottom up, take care of your O-line on offense and the front seven on defense (or in other words any player that lines up with one hand in the dirt). The problem with that is you will probably lose your fan base in the process. Those positions while totally necessary is unexciting to the average fan. To keep fans interested they had to draft a QB who I think in time will be good but right now doesn't have the pieces around him to help him be successful or keep him from getting hurt.

While most teams could reload and be down for a season or two, we fans have to see this for what it is... the Lions are rebuilding and this rebuilding will take several seasons to take affect. Hopefully by the time the Lions get all the pieces in place Stafford won't be broken down and have his confidence blown away like what happened to Joey.

douglasm

November-08-09, 06:41 PM

You know, in watching the Lions take on our Seachickens, I was impressed with Matt Stafford. This kid's only a rookie? They may be 1-7, but I do see glimmers of hope in there.

Big Dog

November-08-09, 07:11 PM

I'm quite sure Harrington was much better in his first 8 games. Staffords QB rating for this game was 42.7, ugly

blksoul_x

November-08-09, 08:20 PM

Matt Stafford is definitely a 'gunslinger'! He has a lot to learn about defensive schemes and complex pass patterns. Three of the five INT's were thrown to a specific spot. The only players around the ball were players of the opposition. Brett Farve made a living with 'chuck and catch', as opposed to throwing to specific areas on the field. Matt Stafford will learn that from experience. As we see, he is not afraid to throw the ball. However, for now, if I am the LIONS coaching staff, I might think about simplifying the playbook on crucial downs.

Despite the INT's and (QB ratings?), there is a sense of something special in his game/manner. Joey Harrington is not a thrower, (he is a game manager), so then, his stats in his career stats may be bit misleading.

I enjoy watching Matt Stafford. I think he will develop into a good one!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

7andkelly

November-08-09, 09:02 PM

Nice first quarter ... of course. Cheered at my TV when we stopped them on 4th and inches like I haven't since BS days. And then it all went to shit ... like I knew it would ... like it was predestined or writen in a script ... an all too familiar one. Dammit. Still, we saw a glimpse of potential ... call it another moral victory if you have to. Did Stafford blow it? Sure, but he's no Harrington. This guy's got it ... he just needs time, and better support.

smogboy

November-08-09, 11:50 PM

The score didn't really mirror the game. This truly was a winnable game against a pretty pathetic Seahawks team. The first half's amazing feat that caught my eye was that the defense stepped up; they're the ones that set up the points on offense by obtaining great field position. Offensively I thought they protected Stafford pretty well but he just had a pretty inaccurate game with his throws. One really does need to talk to him about checking down- but I hope he's a pretty savvy sort of guy who will understand this.

A few things that struck me about the game were:

1) Jason Hanson having to be the last gasp tackle on a kick off. As much maligned as our porous defense gets, I'm seriously wondering about the Special Teams. The field position given up by this squad was atrocious. I can't see Stan Kwan retaining his job until the end of the season if this keeps up.

2) The injuries. Seeing Jason Hunter, Ernie Sims and Louis Delmas go down is not a good thing for this team. We're tracing paper thin in the defense already. If this keeps up, we might have to shove the tackling sled at the other team before long.

3) Brandon Pettigrew came out with some fire. He was used in the offense quite a bit for once. Also when he thought he was getting roughed up a bit playing on Special Teams, he got pissed, fought back and wasn't going to settle for the abuse.

Moral victory? Experience & character building? I guess so, but when it comes right down to it, it's an ugly notch in the L column again. And I'm not expecting too many shots at other pathetic teams like this anytime soon either (maybe Cleveland or San Francisco?). And after today's offbeat performance by the Bucs against the Pack, there isn't a team in the league that doesn't have at least one victory.

We could very well be setting ourselves up for another first overall pick again. UGH! If we get saddled with that sort of money, I'm all for trading it away ASAP and getting more lower round picks. Getting the overall first pick might sound fine & dandy but the finances needed to sign that pick could REALLY skewer this team for any chance at rebuilding. So on multiple fronts I really hope that the Lions can eke out a few more victories- not just for a few more stats in the W column but for the rebuilding program that HAS to happen with this team. I can seriously see Detroit getting the not-so-sexy picks (the trench warriors) in the next few years- it won't sell tickets anytime soon to the average "we want a victory" fan but for the real football enthusiasts, it'll make sense. We can only hope.

kenp

November-09-09, 11:34 AM

jefferson78

November-09-09, 01:31 PM

Our special teams are awful, I never liked Kwan when Marinelli was here. Last weeks fake field goal was a pure coaching mistake.
I think our biggest issue on defense is the lack of any pass rush. You give any talented QB that kind of time and your going to get beat.
I like our new coach and I like Stafford, despite 5 INT's. Our problem now is we have no talent to speak of. Draft defense!! The draft is going to be defense heavy this year

Don't get your hopes up. Even with Millen gone I do not believe they have the intelligence to figure out that this is the most logical and smartest way to build a team. Everyone was saying this the last few years, and what do they do? Draft wide receivers and a QB.
If they only had a decent pass rush and capable blocking for a running game they could steal a couple of wins. Instead they try to build the wrong way and this, my friends, is what you get. I have no hope.

smogboy

November-09-09, 04:56 PM

Don't get your hopes up. Even with Millen gone I do not believe they have the intelligence to figure out that this is the most logical and smartest way to build a team. Everyone was saying this the last few years, and what do they do? Draft wide receivers and a QB.
If they only had a decent pass rush and capable blocking for a running game they could steal a couple of wins. Instead they try to build the wrong way and this, my friends, is what you get. I have no hope.

Check your stats again for the Mayhew era drafts.

Mayhew drafted Matthew Stafford- who is starting (like it or not) among many of the other draft picks (Pettigrew, Delmas, Lee, Follett & probably DeAndre Levy now that Sims could be dinged up). They obviously looked at Stafford and the subsequent QBs that are in school now and believe he has something over the likes of Jimmy Clausen, Tim Tebow, Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, etc.

And they also drafted one wide receiver with Derrick Williams in the third round- and more so for his kick & punt return prowess.

I know this team's issues aren't going to be solved in one draft, much less two- but looking at some of the young talent they have now- it doesn't look anything like the Millen era draft picks where they fizzle out within a year or two due to conditioning, drugs, or character issues. That being said, if in 2010 Mayhew drafts for the same positions he did in 2009- then I'd be willing to grill him; I sincerely hopes he drafts for the trenches first. But right now- I believe it is way too early to even grade Martin Mayhew on his drafting of players for this team. Be realistic; this team wasn't going to go from an 0-16 team to a contender much less a .500 team. When Millen took off- not only did he leave the cupboards bare, he took the wallpaper, 2x4s and left the house totally in shambles. It's not going to be an instant fix by any stretch of the imagination.

Bobl

November-09-09, 04:59 PM

2007 Lions: Heh,heh,heh (oldguyspeak for LOL)
2008 Lions: Heh,heh,heh
2009 Lions: Heh, heh, heh
2010 Lions: Heh, heh, heh
2011 Lions: Heh, heh, heh...

Big Dog

November-09-09, 07:10 PM

1959 Lions Heh, heh, heh
thru
2009 Lions Heh, heh, heh...

jefferson78

November-10-09, 08:40 AM

kenp

November-10-09, 10:27 AM

I remember when Millen was finally fired I said on here they needed to get a bunch of quality football heads together and come up with a list of GM canidates. Thats were we are always lacking, there is nobody who knows how to run a team running our team. So what does Ford do, he keeps it all in house. Russ Thomas was a bag man for Ford and nothing has changed.

smogboy

November-10-09, 11:02 AM

smogboy, I understand what you're saying. And I'm willing to give Mayhew the benefit of the doubt. However, this franchise has been snakebit long before Millen even arrived on the scene.
It seems there is some sort of curse on this franchise that goes way back. Just when you get your hopes up that this team is coming together, something bad will happen. An injury, death, retirement or legal issue will occur and doom the season.

Why does this occur? Nobody really knows. It does however coincide with the Fords ownership of the team. Maybe they are destined to fail in the NFL ownership business. How else can you explain this curse?
How long must you have before you can show progress? The fact that this has been going on most of our lifetimes tells me there are other forces at work.
I would love to have a "real" NFL team to root for and enjoy watching on Sunday afternoons. But after years and years of disgust, I've had it and have removed myself from this franchise emotionally and figuratively. I no longer care what they do and find it strange that some people still hold on to the belief that things will turn around. I need to be convinced and the past decade of no progress seriously prevents me from having any faith.

Jefferson, thanks for the the insight.

I agree that this team has never accomplished the big goal in my lifetime but one also has to remember back in the pre-Millen era that they were somewhat close. The Billy Sims era, the Barry Sanders era-- they were actually somewhat competitive and were close to getting over the hump. Granted they never did but i don't think there were people openly ashamed to be a Lions fan then. It wasn't easy for us to be a fan then and probably doubly tough now.

Explanation for why this team can't win it all? I wish I knew. A curse? The Ford family? Is it really that simple to pin the blame solely on Old Man Ford because he's owned the team? I guess it can be THAT simple but I don't know because it's obvious he's not the one throwing the football into the opposition's hands, fumbling it at critical junctures, hitting the goal post or missing a tackle. For whatever reason, the chemistry of this franchise has never come together nor have the football gods ever given us too many breaks.

And as a football fan who happens to be in Detroit- where we do have an NFL franchise, I guess I'm somehow locked into cheering for OUR football team. Lord knows it's not pretty nor is it really fashionable but they're ours. It's like having a mentally challenged little brother tag along with you at the hip. We really can't disassociate ourselves from it as long as we're here. If we had any sort of pride for Detroit, I guess we still have to stand up for our Lions on some microscopic level.

Looking forward? Having some hope that Mayhew can be somewhat smart and successful? I guess it's the only thing we can hope for. The Millen stench still lingers far too much in this town. The only was to exorcise it is by fumigating it and hoping that bloated skunkbag never even comes near our team again; it just brings up heated ugly feelings within me. Prior to him getting here (anyone remember above .500 seasons?), there was some hope. Now that Millen is gone, there is a meager breath of fresh air and maybe some hope. I look at the starting line-up now and see that most of the rookies that Mayhew has drafted are at least playing (unlike Millen picks). Granted they're not doing great just yet but I'll have to hold out hope that it's youth and inexperience. And the only way to combat that is just by tossing them into the fire and hope to God they come out stronger at a later date.

Our Lions past is abysmal at best. I can't change that. I can only hope for the future of this team. As long as we're somewhat linked into this town, we're associated with this franchise- warts and all.

jefferson78

November-10-09, 11:53 AM

Thanks for the response smogboy. Reading your comments explains to me why there are still fans out there who will root for this team no matter what. I like your analogy to the challenged brother.
My problem is I am not just your average sports fan. I'm 50 years old, Have lived in the Detroit area for most of my life. I follow all Detroit teams with a passion. I cannot watch a local sports game and not get somehow worked up.
I still remember distinctly where I was when Eddie Murray missed that field goal in the playoffs against the 49ers, and the time we made the playoffs as a streaking wild card team and literally fell on our faces in a cold Veterans stadium in Philadelphia. I was a huge Barry Sanders fan until he finally quit on the team. That was the beginning of the end for me. I refuse to let my teams foibles ruin my Sundays. So I detach myself from them and just follow my fantasy team's players.
I would give anything to have a competitive NFL team and I would be happy to just be competitive. But alas, we are far from that.
I hope you're right, that years of sensible recruiting and trades can somehow bring this team's fortunes to turn around. It would be a great thing and I know it will take patience. It's like when you find out your spouse has been cheating. You can forgive but it takes years and years to finally let the pain go.
The Lions have a long way to go, with little room for error. How long are fans expected to wait? Especially after you see teams go from the bottom to the top in just a few years time. Why is it so hard for the Lions? This is why I think they are somehow snakebit as a franchise.
I always think about Eric Andolsek and Mike Utley and the promise they had until unexpectedly it was all taken from them.
When and if the Lion's ever return to relevance, I will be waiting and if I think the turnaround is for real they may win me back. Until then, I wait, and wait, and wait.

gnome

November-10-09, 02:09 PM

smogboy

November-10-09, 02:19 PM

I see the Lions not as a "slow" little brother, but rather as an abusive girlfriend. The really hot one with the smoking body who stabbed you in the arm with a steak knife, then licked off the blood, because she thought you were checking out a blond at the bar.

You ever date her? The one with the vibrating parts? The one who could open a beer bottle and shoot the cap across the room. The one who put a bullet through your raditor. The one with a Bangkok Chair in the corner. The one who drove your car into a pool. The one with more baggage than Samonsite. That's the Lions.

You may love the good times, but the bad times are so much worse.

Oh yes, being a Lions fan is masochistic at times but the only reason I associated our relationship with the slow little brother is that we're linked in with them on a deeper level. No matter how far we run, we're joined to them by some strand of DNA. The abusive girlfriend (if we're smart), we can haul ass and get out of that relationship.

Our pathetic Lions team represents out city and if we have any measure of love for this city, we're linked with them.

smogboy

November-10-09, 02:23 PM

I always think about Eric Andolsek and Mike Utley and the promise they had until unexpectedly it was all taken from them.

Yeah... these two guys were cut down by fate. It wasn't that they were poor talents, bad people or played for a piss poor team then either. Amidst the "tragedy" that we've called our won/loss record, these guys have really been dealt a harder hand than meaningless numbers and our desire for a victory on a Sunday.

Thanks for reminding us that this is a game still played by people.

gnome

November-10-09, 02:47 PM

I salute you guys who are hangin tough. I don't want to try and change that at all, I'm just trying to explain my own misgivings. And I must say that on Sunday when I heard the Lions were up 17 - 0 in the 3rd, I did tune in just to have my heart stomped.

Downriviera

November-10-09, 05:55 PM

I watched the whole game as always. What bothered me the most was not the interceptions or blowing the lead. But on 4th down the Seahawks lined up like they were going for it, when everyone in the world knew the hard count was coming to try and lure us offsides and get a easy unearned first down. So I'm laughing, no body falls for that. But our Lion's did.

Big Dog

November-10-09, 08:17 PM

Player mistake or inexperienced head coach?

Awfavre

November-11-09, 06:38 AM

Player mistake or inexperienced head coach?

Lack of player personnel. It's been the Lions' problem for years. You can't get blood out of a turnip.

kenp

November-11-09, 07:29 AM

The coach is a keeper, see what his old team has been doing this year.
The problem is very clear, they have no talent!!! We have at least one new corner every week.
Mix in a talented but rookie QB, an All Pro receiver thats always hurt and a couple of decent aging linebackers and thats it. Well there is also Jason Hansen

Danny

November-14-09, 05:03 PM

Lions sucks!!

They're the Bad News Lions

Big Dog

November-15-09, 03:39 PM

Todays game synopsis, UGLY x 100.

gnome

November-15-09, 03:54 PM

blksoul_x

November-15-09, 04:17 PM

did they play already? jeeze, I forgot all about it. How ugly was ugly? Philis Diller, RoseAnn Barr, ...I mean ugly is pretty subjective. Give us some concrete example so as to visualize the fugliness of the game.

Gnome, put it this way, Matt Stafford's back-bone, and the turf at the baggy-dome had a very close and intimate relationship today!

One (rush) stat that stuck out, Stafford dropped back in the pocket 55 times and was hit 37 times!(OUCH!)

One positive, Stafford took it like a champ.

blksoul-atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

gnome

November-15-09, 08:16 PM

firstandten

November-15-09, 09:23 PM

BSX, 37 times!?! omg...I pray the front office gets in some proven offensive linemen next year. No quarterback can be expected to lead a team when they are on their back. jeeze.

My football fix this year has been in watching the Southeastern Jungaleers, but they lost to sterling Heights Stevenson this past Friday, so I'll have find someone else to root for.

Ah ! football fix why don't you run over to Ferndale HS and root for Inkster against DeLaSalle Saturday. Lots of Detroit kids ( Inkster has open admissions), a great coach, an outstanding talent in Devin Gardner ( one of the Detroit kids) who we will be talking about in the University of Michigan threads in a few months. A real road warrior story that will hopefully end up with a trip to Ford field.

smogboy

November-16-09, 01:00 AM

One positive, Stafford took it like a champ.

Sure he took it like a champ but in the end (no pun intended) the team still LOST. No one's going to really remember HOW he got hit other than it was way too often. That being said, at least Stafford's quicker release saved him somewhat- if it was Culpepper staying in the pocket, he would've been sacked twice as much and have probably been imbedded in the turf.

This was one game where I seriously walked away questioning Schwartz' wisdom a little bit. Should we have run it a little bit more with Smith & Morris; we did pretty good the first time we faced off against the Vikings. Where were the screens, traps, and shorter tosses to the flats against this very aggressive defense? And why keep the future of the franchise in Stafford in the game when it was obviously out of range in the end of the fourth? Balancing out the experience gained to how many times he was going get bowled over can be a very fine line.

This game also highlighted to me again how pitiful the Millen drafts were. You'd think that with all of those top draft picks spent at wide receiver then, we couldn't have one now to help out Calvin Johnson a little bit? Seriously who's our best receiving prospect beyond CJ? The tight ends? Kevin Smith? Where are the slot guys? Who's helping our QB out by slipping into the seams? Bryant Johnson's sure TD catch in the endzone was inexcusable.

I knew the Lions were seriously over matched in this game going in, but thankfully the defense and some Vikings' blunders actually made it a closer game than the score showed. The Lions actually seemed to have some defensive surges when they needed them and actually did well on keeping the Vikings down on the third down conversions. And not wanting to compare this team to teams of yore, but this Lions team seems to still play hard even on every set of downs. They might not execute but somehow you still see them chasing down receivers, trying to stretch for that first down and doing what they can. Maybe there's some sense of pride that still exists for themselves.

Big Dog

November-16-09, 03:58 AM

Let's hope that pride doesn't diminish.

kenp

November-16-09, 01:28 PM

Stafford did indeed "take it like a champ". The reason we threw so much is Minn is 5th in NFL running D and 23 in Passing D and were without Winfield.
Stafford is going be a good one, our problem is a rookie QB and a bad O-line.

Big Dog

November-17-09, 05:01 AM

I'm predicting a sure win against the Browns. Browns are terrible.

blksoul_x

November-17-09, 09:00 AM

I'm predicting a sure win against the Browns. Browns are terrible.

I agree. Not taking anything away from the Ravens defense, (they were scary!), but I watched the Browns last night, and the Browns are in worst shape, (talent wise), than the Lions.

I'm predicting, this will be Stafford and Megatron's break out game of the year!

LIONS 31
Browns 10

Stafford 3 TD's and 325 yards passing, 0 INT's.
Megatron, 3 TD's 160 yards.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

kenp

November-17-09, 01:48 PM

Browns sure do blow. I'm not quite so confident that Lions can be favorites against anyone at this point. Hope we win though.

gnome

November-17-09, 03:50 PM

BSX, I'll take that bet. What are your terms?

Downriviera

November-17-09, 05:31 PM

I'm predicting a sure win against the Browns. Browns are terrible.

Didn't we say the same thing about the Rams?

Big Dog

November-21-09, 03:23 PM

Is the thanksgiving game sold out?

gnome

November-21-09, 07:06 PM

BSX, still waiting on the bet... loser buys a beer or a cup of coffee, winner choses. How about it? straight up bet, no points, no over/under. I say Browns win. You taking?

blksoul_x

November-22-09, 08:07 AM

BSX, still waiting on the bet... loser buys a beer or a cup of coffee, winner choses. How about it? straight up bet, no points, no over/under. I say Browns win. You taking?

Some might call me crazzzzy for EVER betting on the Leo's, but I have a good feeling about this one. Straight up, no point advantage.....'GNOME', I'LL TAKE THAT CHALLENGE!

Let's add a bit of fun using the forum. Loser has to start a thread, (on the Discuss Detroit board), and type 20 times that said winner is the greatest poster in the history of the form.

For example;

blksoul is the greatest poster in the history of DY
blksoul is the greatest poster in the history of DY
....and so on......

LIONS WIN, The Mistake, (aka; Cleveland), Loses!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by oursleves!

gnome

November-22-09, 08:15 AM

I'll take that bet, if you'll do the coffee or beer meet-up. That way we will have to meet face to face for a full-on verbal smack-down.

A truly confident man would say, "Yes!"

gnome

November-22-09, 12:16 PM

Browns score first ... 3-0

gnome

November-22-09, 12:24 PM

lions come back and put 3 up themselves, but on the next posession by the Browns roar back with a 59 yard touchdown reception.

looks like another record setting day for the opposing quaterback.

At least we're consistant.

Browns up 10-3 with 8 and half to go in the first

gnome

November-22-09, 12:43 PM

Browns score again on a 40 yard hookup from Brady Quinn to Stucky ... 2 throwing touches for Quinn, who before today had only passed for one touchdown this year.

After the kick-off Mr. Stafford threw a pass into the hands of an awaiting Brown. Runback to the Lions 13, then a facemask takes the ball to the 6 where Mr. Quinn boils himself a cup of tea, while waiting for a reciever to open in the endzone.

Touchdown Browns! It's still the first quarter.

24- 3

gnome

November-22-09, 12:51 PM

Lions get a good return and in less than 6 plays are in the endzone.

Browns 24 -10

gnome

November-22-09, 01:03 PM

Goodness, the Lions start off the 2nd quarter with a well called - and executed - scoring drive.

Browns, 24 -17

gnome

November-22-09, 01:25 PM

Lions score again! We're knotted at 24

After the kick-off the Browns work down the field and get a 3 pointer to end the half.

Browns 27 - 24

gnome

November-22-09, 02:22 PM

Hold on to those underpants kids, the Lions have just taken the lead after the kickoff and driving down the field...

Lions 31- 27

gnome

November-22-09, 02:33 PM

oh oh oh, not so fast, our Lions are still not beneath trying to give the game to the Browns ... as the kittens just gave up a safety... but they're holding on

Lions 31-29

Bobl

November-22-09, 03:23 PM

Talk to us, gnome.....

gnome

November-22-09, 03:26 PM

omg ! lions win! No time on the clock and Stafford hit Pettigrew in the endzone, Hansen split the uprights and the Lions win by a point!

I'm warming up the grill for my evening meal of crow.

smogboy

November-22-09, 03:27 PM

Oh. Muh. Gawd.

It sure as heck wasn't pretty. But we somehow managed to pull a victory out of the mouth of defeat. 38-37!

blksoul_x

November-22-09, 03:47 PM

:):):)......WOW!

Hey Gnome, can you say I'm the best poster!....LOL! And sometime/somewhere, Mickey D's large coffee/3 cream sounds good to me!:)

I'm a bit afraid to brag to much, BUT, I's thinks wez got us a QB in the D! This kid is the real deal....yeah Stafford!

Let nicknames begin.....anybody got a good nickname for the rookie Stafford?

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

gnome

November-22-09, 04:03 PM

anybody got a good nickname for the rookie Stafford?

How about WhtSoul_X?

Name the Time and location, oh Lord of the Board, and I'll be oh so glad to serve you your well earned reward.

:)

smogboy

November-22-09, 04:54 PM

I should be relishing this victory but the first thing that's come to mind is that I can only hope Cleveland continues to take the gaspipe. I'm already thinking about the off season already and can only hope that we do NOT take the first overall pick again. We can't afford it financially. So right now I'm gonna hope that the Browns continue losing- whether it's by shutouts or by one miserable point like what they were handed today. The Lions need to avoid the worst overall record somehow someway. Just maybe.. and a huge maybe- does anyone think we can eke out another victory this season?

Green Bay on Thanksgiving?
Cincinnati?
Baltimore?
Arizona?
San Francisco?
Chicago?

We'd best savor this one now in this holiday shortened week. It might not happen anytime soon or if at all the rest of this season. Congrats to our boys in the Honolulu Blue & Silver!

smogboy

November-23-09, 02:43 AM

In the Cleveland Plain Dealer, their writer was still trying to nudge a little more out of the game...

"Pettigrew beat Trusnik on an inside move and Stafford fired it to his rookie tight end as linebacker Kaluka Maiava came late from the other direction. Bedlam broke out inside Ford Field. The game officials did not notice Lions tight end coach Tim Lappano sprint to congratulate Pettigrew about 25 yards onto the field.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty there would have backed up Detroit's extra-point try another 15 yards, which would have been no gimme with Browns' shotblocker Shaun Rogers on the prowl. But kicker Jason Hanson converted the PAT for the game-winner."

Asking for the officials to notice a tight end coach celebrating?

Wow. Were we this pathetic to claw for justice and retribution during the Millen era?

kenp

November-23-09, 07:35 AM

Stafford got hurt in on the second to last play, and with the penalty the irate Browns head coach calls a timeout in all the confusion. The rule states that if your hurt you must miss one play. Becuase of the timeout Stafford was able to return for one last play and hits the TE for a TD.
Hopefully Stafford is ok

14509glenfield

November-23-09, 09:07 AM

Nickname
Nick of Time

smogboy

November-24-09, 02:37 AM

Schwartz sure plays it close to the vest when it comes down to revealing injuries- especially with regards to Johnson & Stafford. And y'know what? I kinda dig the fact that he leaks out just enough information as the league requires of him. Why give out any more information than is necessary? To me, that's just being smart & savvy.

If I were a betting man, I'd say that Matt Stafford won't be playing this Thursday and Calvin Johnson will probably be a game time decision. Why risk these two in this meaningless game versus Green Bay and especially on less than four days rest? It's one thing to get these two reps and experience working as a deadly tandem but there will be more opportunities down the pipe. I know that all the players at this time of the year play dinged up to a certain degree- but c'mon, even as fans who are still drooling over the Cleveland heroics, I'm for not having to see either of these two guys play on Thanksgiving. Stafford hasn't exactly been the most mobile with his knee in a brace and Lord knows what his left shoulder is really like underneath all of that ice & bandages we saw the other day. We know his throwing arm is still a cannon but he still needs both arms to handle a snap. He's proven his leadership and toughness already; we get it- he's not Joey Harrington.

blksoul_x

November-24-09, 09:50 AM

Name the Time and location, oh Lord of the Board, and I'll be oh so glad to serve you your well earned reward.

Hey gnome, this week, I will be doing the Mother thing, (Holidays), so we will have to come up with something after this week or so. In the mean time, I'll give you chance to redeem your 'Lionization'.

If Stafford,and Johnson start in Thursday's game, I'll take the Lions again, straight up. Right now, you owe me a cup of Mickey D's coffee. Here's your chance to make ends.....LOL!

Lions 27
Greenbay 23

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

kenp

November-24-09, 10:05 AM

This isnt a meaningless game, its our only national TV game of the year. Calvin better play, he seems to sit more then play.

smogboy

November-24-09, 10:33 AM

This isnt a meaningless game, its our only national TV game of the year. Calvin better play, he seems to sit more then play.

What's the meaning of this game then? We're not in any way shape or form contending. Just because it's on national television shouldn't make these guys play any harder than they do any other weekend. They have the national spotlight on them every year around this time. At the end of the day, it's still going to count as a W or an L in the stats column.

I'm not one to fall for things like the national spotlight or they have to be better because they play on Monday Night Football. I figure these guys are professionals now (yeah yeah, some have questioned the professionalism of this team for a long time already- queue up the sarcasm meter) and should be ready for this game.

And if Calvin is hurt, then sit him. I'm not saying preserve the china doll here but you'd like to think that he's got a bright future teaming up with Stafford here. Why have him risk further injury by hobbling out there if he cant physically play? It's also obvious that they know their bodies better than anyone else and I as a fan want to see him play- but again, I can deal with seeing him on the sideline in civvies for a few weeks if I know he can be healthy for other games and years down the road.

kenp

November-24-09, 10:55 AM

Never said make them play if they are unable to play. I can tell you by now half the team is hurt with something. I only said this is not a meaningless game like you implied. Thats how the Lions organization has been for the last 50 years. There are NO meaningless games, and until they figure it out they will always be losers.
We got a little momentum finally, lets at least play the game as if it counts for something.

gnome

November-24-09, 01:56 PM

BSX, agreed, I'll take the Packers straight up if Stafford and Johnson start; but, what of they don't?

If either Stafford/Johnson are still nursing their injuries, I'll take the Lions on one condition: you have to hug your Mom and tell her it is from me by saying the following, "The Great Gnome sends his blessings."

This incantation has to be uttered in the presence of two other people.

On the subject on whether this is a meaningless game... it means everything to the organization from a prestige point of view. Not that the team is playing for pride, but that the organization is on the line with the other NFL teams to pull the Thanksgiving Game from Detroit. All across the nation NFL fans turn the game on and if it is another stinker they will turn the channel, the NFL loses money. If the NFL loses money they will insist that Detroit no longer can play on Thanksgiving and we will lose another tradition here in the MotorCity.

If we don't have a game, there is a real chance that the Parade will likewise bite the dust...which means that Santa won't be given a key to City and that stockings everywhere will go empty.

jiminnm

November-25-09, 11:37 AM

This isnt a meaningless game, its our only national TV game of the year. Calvin better play, he seems to sit more then play.

Fox carried the loss to the Vikings here in NM, so I presume it was carried nationally.

douglasm

November-25-09, 04:18 PM

OK, I just saw the NFL network video and sound on Matt Stafford, and I'm impressed with the young man. He must have hurt like hell.....

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d8147c551/Sound-FX-Matthew-Stafford-mic-d-up

rajdet

November-26-09, 08:55 AM

OK, I just saw the NFL network video and sound on Matt Stafford, and I'm impressed with the young man. He must have hurt like hell.....
You know I was never a fan of drafting Stafford, I thought last years defense was a more important issue to address, but after seeing that video, I'm thinking maybe that was a good move by the Lions. This kids gotta' HUGE heart!

Big Dog

November-26-09, 02:10 PM

Packers really tried hard to give this game to Detroit.

blksoul_x

November-27-09, 10:19 AM

BSX, agreed, I'll take the Packers straight up if Stafford and Johnson start; but, what of they don't?

If either Stafford/Johnson are still nursing their injuries, I'll take the Lions on one condition: you have to hug your Mom and tell her it is from me by saying the following, "The Great Gnome sends his blessings."

This incantation has to be uttered in the presence of two other people.

Hey 'Gnome', that was the easiest lost bet to perform in the history of betting. I acknowledged the 'Great Gnome', and hugged my mom in front of my brother, and sister, along with my 5 nieces, and nephews with no problem! They ask me, WHAT and WHO is 'The Great 'Gnome', and I told them, The Great 'Gnome' is the Good THANK-YOU SPIRIT of the Holidays; they turned and asked, have I been in the Scotch!....:)

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, (despite the Lions miserable play), and peace to you!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement all by ourselves!

Brittz

November-27-09, 04:51 PM

I wonder if the owner of the Lions is using his noodle. This is so old and just down right awful to have a losing team for such a long time.

Big Dog

November-27-09, 07:23 PM

He's making money and that's all that matters.

smogboy

November-28-09, 02:01 AM

Crap. Looks as though we lost Brandon Pettigrew for the season.

I know the season's pretty much done for record wise but I was still hoping that this class of kids they brought in could at least gain some experience together and bond. No matter how this season shakes down the rest of the way- the sheer fact that we won two games (two more than last year obviously) has got to be an improvement. But if we're finally to shed the Millen era of ineptitude and stupidity, it's going to have to rely on this bunch.

•Matthew Stafford- so far so good, if he doesn't get dinged up any more. He seems tough, smart and much much more mature than his young years. It's hard to believe he's technically a college senior right now, but he's got a great upside so far. He also seems to have earned some respect of the veterans as well as the rookie class he came in with. Let's just hope Mayhew understand the investment this franchise has put into him and will protect him within the next few years. If Stafford keeps getting popped like he has the last few games, sooner or later one of those gas house gorillas is really going to injure him beyond repair. Protect him!

•Brandon Pettigrew- the first few weeks he didn't seem too involved with the offense. I was sorely going to be disappointed (as were most people on draft day) if he was just going to be a blocking end. But whether it's confidence or whatever, he's has turned into an offensive weapon as of late. Losing him now won't exactly hurt the team over all (Heller and Fitzsimmons seem to do okay) but will hamper his development.

•Louis Delmas- seems like he's got it. Between him and Larry Foote on the defense, their names get called the most. Aggressive and heady. I just see this kid getting better and better.

•DeAndre Levy- it never hurts to have depth at the LB position. He's done pretty well in place of Ernie Sims. Granted being flanked by veterans Julian Peterson and Foote hasn't exactly hurt either.

•Derrick Williams- mild disappointment so far but what can we expect from a late third round pick? I was hoping he'd be the next coming of Mel Gray or be the poor man's Johnnie Morton on the WR/ slot spot.

•Sammie Lee Hill- nice story so far. From what I keep on hearing, he's a real raw talent- but one hardly ever hears his name called every week. It must be a very difficult position to play and develop as a rookie. But as long as he holds up physically, one can only hope he develops. These trench warfare guys are worth their weight in gold.

•Aaron Brown- he seems to be usurping Derrick Lee's KR/PR duties and that's fine. Out of all the guys in the backfield, he seems to have the most speed. He seems slight of build and might be a good compliment to a bruising FB. But right now I kinda like his speed returning balls.

•Lydon Murtha- our only offensive lineman in the draft and now he's gone to Miami.

•Zack Follett- special teams bruiser so far. He does seem to play on the edge out there and the last few weeks, he's actually shown some hand skills in picking up the football too. He at least brings some excitement to the Special Teams, which hasn't seem very special as of late.

•Dan Gronkowski- practice squad tight end. He'll more than likely be the guy to replace Pettigrew on the roster. I don't recall seeing much of him in the pre-season nor does he seem outstanding yet.

So I'll still wistfully & quietly root for the Lions every weekend (because I'm a loyal fan) but I also know that this season isn't necessarily about winning games. It's all about the development of this bunch. We've improved some from the years past. Seeing this group play out there and gaining any measure of success will only bode well for us in the upcoming seasons. Compared to some of the Millen drafts, this group is at least out there and competing every weekend. Let's hope they can grow together and maybe become part of a core group of semi-decent players that don't have losing etched into their minds too heavily. We can only hope.

blksoul_x

November-28-09, 08:42 AM

Nice job Smogboy, your analogy is on point!

I'm interested to know how you feel about Calvin Johnson? The steady regression in his performance this year has been somewhat a worry. Do you think it would be wise, (while is talent mark around the league remains high), to trade him for more picks in next years draft?

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves,(and a force all together!).

Big Dog

November-28-09, 01:20 PM

CJ just might have the dreaded lionitis disease, ala Roy Williams and anyone else that is talented on the lions. They want out. First chance, CJ is gone. They should perhaps trade him to a contender. We got a lot for Pretty Boy Roy.

smogboy

November-28-09, 02:49 PM

I don't see anyone on this roster that's untouchable. Calvin Johnson included. But then I also think he's of a different mindset than some other more vocal & flamboyant players in the league (Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, and even to a lesser degree Roy Williams). I see him being more of the Marvin Harrison type of personality- he will go out and try to do his best every week and more times than not, he'll perform well if given the ball. If he's disgruntled, he'll handle it internally- as opposed to taking it to the press and cameras; I feel as though he'd talk to his offensive coordinator, QB and just about anyone else before he takes it public.

Seriously how many of us have even heard anything from Calvin Johnson the last few years? Anything controversial at all??

As much as it grates me to say it, but kudos to the management to finally realize it's also worthwhile to draft people of character as opposed to characters (anyone want to recall Charles Rogers & Mike Williams?).

But as far as trading anyone away, I want fair- if not better compensation for them. The Lions don't have enough in the cupboard to be giving pieces away and really can't afford to get swindled. They have needs across the board and are wafer thin at any and all positions. The Lions (specifically Millen & his Pennsylvania sized ego) have not been bright with trades & acquisitions over the last few years. I'm holding out hope that Mayhew/ Lewand will be better and so far they haven't disappointed.

Optimistically if the Lions are going to be smart (and based upon the last draft, it seems fair), they'll start adding good pieces here & there and building some sort of optimism here for their players to want to stay. The ideal example would be that Calvin Johnson sees Matthew Stafford as a quality NFL QB and would want to stay with him long term. Simply put- the Lions need to build up some sort of core talent base that would be enticing enough for their stars to stay and (gasp) even make this a destination for other free agents to want to come here.

Downriviera

November-28-09, 08:08 PM

smogboy

November-29-09, 02:10 AM

The lack of a consistent running game is hurting CJ. He's getting double and triple teamed because the d backs don't have to worry about the run. I hope he stays, he's a great talent and good in the community. I'm also excited about the future for this team.

Does anyone remember one of the first things that Jim Schwartz did when he got into town here? He took a handful of the Lions players to the Ford Rouge plant to introduce him to the people they were going to be playing for. It was supposed to be hush hush but somehow it got leaked out. Schwartz wanted these multi-millionaire players to realize that it's simple hardworking stiffs like us that will cheer these guys on. It wasn't about playing for old man Ford or the paycheck. Schwartz wanted them to have a sense of the community even though they were from colleges & programs all across the nation.

I think it's smart to indoctrinate your players to the community and give them a sense of belonging and caring. It should give them a sense of wanting to be here longer.

Now I don't know exactly how much Calvin Johnson has done in the community beyond that one reported story about him going to a local school, but I hope he continues to do more. He seems to be a soft spoken guy, good natured and not some egocentric loud mouth like what we've seen in other WRs in the league. Let's hope he sticks around because this team has grown better with him. He can be one of those core players that a rebuilding team such as ours needs. So I agree with you about the optimism raised with this bunch of players so far. What management needs to do within the next few years is be smart about acquiring other pieces to go along with guys like CJ so he doesn't feel as though he's stuck in a quagmire of mediocrity.

We also have to realize that as players they don't have the long standing suffering pain that we do as fans. I'd like to think that most of these players came from pretty decent collegiate programs where they were stars and haven't fallen prey to the constant losing attitude that the Lions have perpetuated over the last five decades. We can only hope that they have the sense of optimism and wanting to win.

jon steel

November-30-09, 12:14 PM

restore the roar part II 2010!

smogboy

December-06-09, 01:37 PM

I generally don't do this but figured since I've got the laptop out and watching the Bengals/Lions game now, I'd put down some of my initial thoughts of the game at half time...

-Kevin Smith seems to be running a little more elusively than games before.

-It's nice to see Detroit go deep immediately after an interception... and connect! It's moments like that that make us have hope.

-Our front four defensively doesn't seem to be able to get too much pressure on Carson Palmer. I fear for the secondary because given enough time, even the worst NFL QB can find an open receiver.

-A few of those tosses to the tight ends makes me wonder if they would've been caught if Brandon Pettigrew was in there. No offense to Heller or Fitzsimmons either.

-The crossbar and Jason Hanson- of all the luck!

-Chad Johnson? Calvin Johnson? When they showed some of the attention whore like things that Johnson does prior to a game, I'll take CJ on my team any day of the week.

-Aaron Brown's return was nice to see. Is it one of the few times we've actually seen a KR/PR gain a fair amount of real estate this season? Oh how we crave the days of Eddie Drummond and Mel Gray.

-Cliff Avril gets a sack. I hope it re-energizes him, especially after his benching a few weeks back.

-Down by 10 at the half? That's not bad considering for us. Outside of a few breaks here (seeing a big lineman like Fanane chug down the field after the tip) & there, we seem to be somewhat competitive. I hope Schwartz has a Knute Rockne-esque speech to inspire the team. Our team just doesn't seem to come out of the second half as strongly- whether it's strategy, coaching, emotion, confidence, fatigue or whatever- I hope they can find some way to come out strong, be competitive, and get a few points back.

Let's see what happens.

Big Dog

December-06-09, 03:08 PM

I think I saw some miniscule positives today, but I'll swear I saw Joey Harrington play QB in this game. His ghost is returning. We'll know next year for sure.

Downriviera

December-06-09, 05:00 PM

I really enjoyed Delmas hit on Ochocinco.

smogboy

December-06-09, 06:42 PM

I think I saw some miniscule positives today, but I'll swear I saw Joey Harrington play QB in this game. His ghost is returning. We'll know next year for sure.

I think as Lions fans, asking for miniscule positives is all we can hope for right now.

As far as the Joey Harrington comparisons, I can understand how you might perceive some of that (and a few weeks back, I saw a stat where Stafford was even behind) but I like to think that Stafford just has a few more things than Harrington. Stafford is just a better physical specimen than Joey; comparing arm strength alone is a no-brainer. Stafford also has a quicker release to which I hope he can utilize a little more to keep the oncoming rush from being as effective. Having a quick release can also help a weaker offensive line too. And the big intangible that we saw a few weeks back during the exciting Cleveland game, he does seem to have some swagger and a heart to play this man's game. That's something I don't think we ever saw from Joey Harrington.

And yes, it will be a wait and see with the development of Matthew Stafford. His knocks are that he's never been an accurate passer in college and maybe not as mobile as some people would like. But given the right system, some weapons such as a healthy Pettigrew, Calvin Johnson, a slot receiver who can hang onto a ball, a decent offensive line, a semblance of a running game and I think Stafford can be a pretty darn decent QB pretty soon.

So while I have high hopes for Stafford, I agree that how he performs in the future will depend a lot on what will be done in the off season by the front office.

Big Dog

December-06-09, 09:02 PM

Yes indeed. We need linemen on both sides of the line, and a few other pieces.

d.mcc

December-07-09, 12:19 AM

A few things. I was totally against drafting who at the time, I referred to as "Fat" Matt Stafford. I coveted Aaron Curry for our linebacking corps. Consider me a convert to the church of Stafford. That I started to change my mind in the New Orleans game, and he completely converted me in the Cleveland game. The kid is an all out stud. I think CJ knows that, and he wants to be part of something from the ground up, that I think our Coach is bringing around. Schwartz is a hell of a guy. It's nice when we can look at our coach and see nothing but upside. He's got swagger that the entire team needs to pick up.

Now, I don't know if anyone watched the Nebraska-Texas game on Saturday, but I have been following Mr. Suh from Nebraska since last year. This guy... man, this guy is THE Defensive Tackle we have been waiting for. Speed, power, aggressiveness, and a true ball hawking defender. Schwartz LOVES defenders like that, and this guy looks just like the stud he had in Tennessee in Albert Haynesworth. There are some GOOD defensive players coming out this year. I think if Detroit can get a decent defensive line, most people would be shocked how quickly our Kitties could compete in the black and blue NFC North.

smogboy

December-07-09, 01:58 PM

Now, I don't know if anyone watched the Nebraska-Texas game on Saturday, but I have been following Mr. Suh from Nebraska since last year. This guy... man, this guy is THE Defensive Tackle we have been waiting for. Speed, power, aggressiveness, and a true ball hawking defender. Schwartz LOVES defenders like that, and this guy looks just like the stud he had in Tennessee in Albert Haynesworth. There are some GOOD defensive players coming out this year. I think if Detroit can get a decent defensive line, most people would be shocked how quickly our Kitties could compete in the black and blue NFC North.

Are there any special prayers that we can all chant to see if we can get this Suh guy?

I'm in agreement. He really does seem like the real deal after seeing that game. I think this guy could even be better than a Shaun Rogers or Albert Haynesworth. But what are the chances of us obtaining him? Teams that could draft ahead of the Lions are:

1) Cleveland
2) Tampa Bay
3) St. Louis

We'd have to hope that one or two of them takes a Sam Bradford or a Tim Tebow; they all could use QB help. Maybe one of these teams will actually get a few more wins and the Lions go winless from here on out (a possibility). My only hope is that we don't get the number one overall draft pick again because of the financial ramifications to this team, but I sure as heck hope we can get a quality impact player that can start immediately.

d.mcc

December-07-09, 02:31 PM

1) Cleveland
2) Tampa Bay
3) St. Louis

We'd have to hope that one or two of them takes a Sam Bradford or a Tim Tebow; they all could use QB help. Maybe one of these teams will actually get a few more wins and the Lions go winless from here on out (a possibility). My only hope is that we don't get the number one overall draft pick again because of the financial ramifications to this team, but I sure as heck hope we can get a quality impact player that can start immediately.

Cleveland needs a quarterback. Tampa Bay has Josh Freeman. And St. Louis also needs a QB. I think the chances are def. there for us to snag this guy. He could be a game changer for our defense. If Foote comes back, with a dominant defensive tackle making teams keep an eye on our backers, our entire secondary gets an extra second to cover, and Foote, Peterson, Sims, and Levy get a chance to disrupt. Even if its not Suh, McCoy from Texas and Guiterrez from Texas as well are both pretty solid Defense Tackles as well. As much as I hate to say it, Brandon Graham from Michigan is going to be a good pro, and the Leo's should take a gander at him if he's the in the early second.

Big Dog

December-07-09, 02:36 PM

Past history predicts that we'll draft some more wideouts.

d.mcc

December-07-09, 02:52 PM

Past history predicts that we'll draft some more wideouts.

Which, for once we actually need. We could use a "does everything" player. I think Marty Guiylard from Cincinnati would be a great fit opposite Megatron.

smogboy

December-07-09, 03:23 PM

Past history predicts that we'll draft some more wideouts.

Outside of Calvin Johnson, the likes of Dennis Northcutt, Bryant Johnson, and Derrick Williams haven't exactly been the most stellar of hands on this team. Beyond Calvin's 47 receptions, the next most receptions have been by Kevin Smith (39) and Brandon Pettigrew (30)- and all three of these guys have missed games.

We do need wide receivers but I also think that there will be a surplus of them that we can get via free agency as opposed to drafting them. The Millen model for drafting football talent is about as relevant and intelligent as wet cement enemas. No more.

Big Dog

December-07-09, 07:10 PM

Cement enema!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Priceless

smogboy

December-07-09, 07:18 PM

Cement enema!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Priceless

That'd be wet cement enema.

As you can tell, I have no love lost for what Millen did to our team.

d.mcc

December-07-09, 10:52 PM

http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/images/photos/000/769/385/94026982.jpg.32753.0_feature.jpg?1260109251

THIS man needs to be wearing the Honolulu Blue and Silver next year...

kenp

December-08-09, 12:19 PM

d.mcc

December-08-09, 04:51 PM

smogboy

December-09-09, 02:11 AM

Let's see how the teams feel about Sam Bradford and his semi-wonky shoulder. I'm hoping he's going to heal up real fast before the Combines and dazzles a team or two. He's obviously the top QB in this draft. (On a side note I'd like to think that Mayhew/ Lewand took a look at drafting or not drafting Matthew Stafford based upon seeing the QBs coming out this year and still came to the conclusion that Stafford was too good of a pick to avoid)

While I would love to have Suh, I think the only way it's going to happen is if Cleveland or Tampa Bay manages to snag a victory and we tank the rest of the season. Crazier things have happened and there's still a handful of games to be played.

But with the wealth of seemingly top caliber defensive players coming out, I don't see how Detroit can pass one of them up. And coupled with some of the rookies that have somehow managed to start and make an impact this season, it does leave a little room for guarded optimism.

d.mcc

December-09-09, 11:34 AM

I am wondering if Guilyard will be around in the Second. I doubt it, but that would be nice

MoparDan

December-09-09, 01:38 PM

http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/images/photos/000/769/385/94026982.jpg.32753.0_feature.jpg?1260109251

THIS man needs to be wearing the Honolulu Blue and Silver next year...

I'm sure you mean the guy in red & not the one running for his life! :D

MoparDan

December-09-09, 01:41 PM

Here is a mock draft I found, notice the abundance of quality DE's & DT's.

1 St. Louis Sam Bradford* QB 6'4" 218 Oklahoma
2 Cleveland Ndamukong Suh DT 6'4" 305 Nebraska
3 Tampa Bay Russell Okung OT 6'5" 298 Oklahoma State
4 Detroit Gerald McCoy* DT 6'4" 295 Oklahoma
5 Oakland Derrick Morgan* DE 6'4" 270 Georgia Tech
6 Kansas City Terrence Cody DT 6'5" 378 Alabama
7 Washington Colt McCoy QB 6'3" 205 Texas
8 Buffalo Cameron Heyward* DT 6'6" 287 Ohio State

To be honest, this coming from a UT fan mind you, no NFL team should use their first round pick on Colt McCoy. He has talent & skills, however, the Nebraska game showed he is not mentally ready to lead a pro team. Suh is a phenomenal talent, but that's just a taste of what McCoy would face on a weekly basis. Particularly if he were the starting QB with a suspect offensive line.
Everyone made a big deal about Tebow crying, but he was at least trying to rally his teammates. McCoy sat by himself trying to figure out what truck just hit him. This is supposed to be his team but he didn't convince me(or a lot of people around here) of that. Mentally he needs to get his act together quickly; while Alabama doesn't possess the defensive line Nebraska has, their offense is light years ahead of the Huskers. If UT plays #1 like they played #22, McCoy & the Horns are in for a very long night unfortunately.
Just my opinion & you know what they say about those. :cool:

d.mcc

December-09-09, 03:04 PM

If UT plays #1 like they played #22, McCoy & the Horns are in for a very long night unfortunately.
Just my opinion & you know what they say about those. :cool:

Just another reason I thought TCU should be in the title game. It's kind of horse shit when you get to play in a National Championship game because you barely beat a team with no offense. I would much rather see Alabama play the a team with a top 5 Offense AND Defense, than to watch them play Texas, who barely beat Nebraska, had to go the Distance against AM, and basically got in based on what they did LAST season. The BCS is a joke.

kenp

December-10-09, 08:22 AM

MoparDan

December-10-09, 10:09 AM

BCS and the TV network covering the championship game want Texas vs Alabama becuse it will draw more people the TCU or and other school without a lose. Its a shame that this is what its come to in sports. You see it all the time, its a pure money grab.
Anyway this is a Lions thread isnt it.

Yes it is a Lions thread & I don't believe we were intentionally trying to hijack it so to speak. Detroit should draft Gerald McCoy, not Colt McCoy. Then you guys need to go after some high quality offensive linemen. Otherwise, Stafford won't have a very long NFL career.
PS: No matter what, it's always a money thing. :cool:

sirrealone

December-10-09, 10:28 AM

The Lions will most likely have at least one, probably more, of the following players available to them and any of them will help tremendously:
Okung - Offensive Tackle - If this happened, I wouldn't see him replacing Backus as many would predict. Most rookie tackles don't start at left guard. He'd probably start at Right Tackle, and Gosder would slide over to guard. I think this would give them a pretty formidible line, and Okung could take over for Backus in '11 or whenever his contract ends.
Suh or McCoy - Defensive Tackle - Both of these guys would be gamers and would help the line tremendously.
Derrick Williams - Defensive End - Most QBs have all day to throw. Giving someone that can put some pressure would do wonders for this line.

If the Lions happen to pull out a couple of wins, or trade down, they might be in a postion to get Carlos Dunlap (DE). His stock has fallen because of a DUI but if Mayhew can vet him during the combine and assess that he has pulled his act together, his talent on the football field is equal or greater than that of Williams.

If they went this approach, then I think their second round pick should be a corner, third round pick should be one of the positions above that they didn't get in the first round, and fourth through seventh just look for some players to continue to build depth and hopefully find some diamonds in the rough.

kenp

December-10-09, 12:53 PM

I think our biggest weakness is the pass rush, we dont put any pressure on the QB. I dont care how good your corners are, any competent NFL QB, given time, can kill you. What makes it really tough is that are corners are awful as well.
The O-line needs big attention, we have to start getting help there.

MoparDan

December-10-09, 01:35 PM

If y'all haven't already heard...
Lions QB Stafford will rest shoulder vs. Ravens
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AkhW9p00x7LlEKWKOpmTgzZDubYF?slug=ap-lions-stafford&prov=ap&type=lgns

Definitely take care of this guy & give him a chance to heal.

Since Lions' games are rarely televised down here(other than T-giving), I can't speculate on what they really need. But knowing some of the hits Stafford has taken, building a quality offensive line has to be a top priority. Unfortunately it's probably the toughest unit to build on a team. I would have to think there should be some quality free agents who fit into their offensive schemes without breaking the bank. Thinking of the Saints & the Pats who have put together winning teams without having to stockpile high-priced talent.

kenp

December-10-09, 03:50 PM

Sadly we havent put any priority on the O-line starting with the Millen era. It really amazes me every year.

smogboy

December-11-09, 12:12 AM

Toss this one into the "VERY Interesting" pile...

Cleveland, yes... THAT Cleveland Browns team that we beat a few weeks back just beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 13-6. The Browns victory now puts them on par with our Lions team with two victories. And depending on how the rest of the season shakes down, we could be edging closer to moving up in the draft to possibly getting Ndamukong Suh.

The remaining schedule for the teams vying for the top draft picks looks like this:

•Cleveland
@KC, Oakland & Jacksonville

•St. Louis
@Tennessee, Houston, @Arizona, & San Francisco

•Tampa Bay
NY Jets, @Seattle, @New Orleans, & Atlanta

•Our beloved Detroit Lions
@Baltimore, Arizona, @ San Francisco, & Chicago

Big Dog

December-13-09, 03:55 PM

The lions almost look worse than the 0-16 team. They have steadily regressed. The good players will leave ASAP. I feel for C. Johnson. He needs to be on a contender.

d.mcc

December-13-09, 03:59 PM

The lions almost look worse than the 0-16 team. They have steadily regressed. The good players will leave ASAP. I feel for C. Johnson. He needs to be on a contender.

No, today was all about Daunte. Baltimore is not good, but our defense seemed to play without heart. Daunte couldn't get a drive going to save his life, and the Defense gave up on the game every time he went 3-and-out. Going into the second half, they should have put Stanton in there...

Mikeg

December-13-09, 05:08 PM

our defense seemed to play without heartThe defense seemed to quit near the end of the 3rd quarter. Coach Schwartz called them over to the sideline and reamed their collective asses out after a series of ineffective attempts to tackle a Baltimore runner. Two plays later, they let the Baltimore running back walk unmolested into the end zone. I shut the TV off at that point.

Big Dog

December-13-09, 06:31 PM

Is it an act of mutiny? He chews them out, and the next play is run in for a touchdown, without a hand being laid on the runner. Is it a total lack of talent? Who cares? Win some games dammit!

blksoul_x

December-13-09, 06:52 PM

The good players will leave ASAP. I feel for C. Johnson. He needs to be on a contender.

Sadly to say, but, CJ is a bit overrated! No shows on third and shorts, red-zone situations, and way to often dropped passes on difficult, yet 'catchable' throws that most 'pro-bowl' receivers seem to come down with! I'd say, get rid of this softy, (get some future draft picks), before he is exposed, (it may already be to late!)__go figure!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, stay tuned....

firstandten

December-13-09, 11:04 PM

Again its a lack of talent in all areas and both sides of the ball. This becomes even more telling as people get banged up and the backups get more playing time. Now remember the starters aren't as good as starters on most other clubs so what do you think we are going to get with the backups. After a while everyone gets Lionized (definition: the ability to either snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, or the ability to be totally outclassed and outworked by your opponent). Once that happens no-one can do anything right.... balls dropped for no reason at all, multiple missed tackles, bone-headed penalties. After a while your key people get injured and the cycle continues only to be broken by the end of the season. The only cure I know of for people that are Lionized is a trade to another team where you save whats left of your career, or if you're a fan a sunday reservation to your local sports bar where you can watch some real NFL teams play.

smogboy

December-14-09, 02:47 AM

Is it an act of mutiny? He chews them out, and the next play is run in for a touchdown, without a hand being laid on the runner. Is it a total lack of talent? Who cares? Win some games dammit!

It might not be an act of mutiny at all. It could just be from the sheer lack of ability.

From what I could tell today in watching the game was that our front defensive four could not reach their QB nor could they effectively stop a small powerful back in Rice. The Ravens had a pretty balanced attack against us today and kept the defense on their toes all game long. If we stacked seven in the box, they flaired it out. If we went man-to-man, they ran it up the gut. The Ravens adjusted and took it straight to us and beat the Lions like a JV team.

And quite honestly, the way they played- the Lions were really that bad. What was the stat on missed tackles (one of the fundamentals of football)? 16? 17?

I think Schwartz had the right schemes but they were all ineffective because the talent level wasn't there to execute them. Toss that in with the mounting injury situation, we're hopelessly outmatched. With our first stringers, we would've struggled; bring in our second and third stringers in and it was absolutely painful to watch. I've hardly ever felt for the Lions coaches before in the past but somehow Schwartz really made me feel for him today. His frustration was very evident on the sidelines and we would see moments of it bubbling to the surface. I would not have wanted to be in that locker room without a teflon ear after that game. I'm sure he lit into them like a Roman Candle thigh deep in kerosene. And deservedly so.

I've always maintained that the one thing to still hold out hope for with this season's Lions team was their rookies, younger players and their development. Well, so many of them are out now due to injury that even that miniscule glint of optimism was impossible to find. I seriously doubt if we'll win another game this season. We'll have a two win victory season- which is unacceptable at any stretch, but considering where we've been with winless seasons it's better than a repeat of those dark days.

From here on out, it's going to be solid evaluation time of ALL personnel. Who still has heart, ability and character? Anyone that doesn't shouldn't be asked back for next season. This season in a scrub already. Jim Schwartz has a heinous job ahead of him trying to get this team to a competitive mode for a few more games. I wish him well and hope that with what rag tag players he has left, he can still instill some sort of attitude, develop some good habits, and help prepare these young men for a better team next year. Martin Mayhew & Tom Lewand had better be up in the press box taking down notes upon notes upon even more notes. We're slowly shedding the stench and ugliness of the previous inept GM. It won't be an overnight project but we still need to gain some sort of traction for the seasons to come.

Optimistic, yes. Realistic? Very much so.

Big Dog

December-14-09, 09:52 AM

Wait til next year. Hey!Lions, you've been saying that for over 50 years. Look for next years season to be a scrub also. IMO

kenp

December-14-09, 12:33 PM

Poor babies didnt want to play outside in the cold.
Should have let Stanton play

Danny

December-14-09, 12:57 PM

I think that LIONS got the "Barry Sanders" curse.

d.mcc

December-14-09, 01:34 PM

Suddenly, drafting Suh looks like a pretty strong possibility

smogboy

December-14-09, 08:22 PM

Wait til next year. Hey!Lions, you've been saying that for over 50 years. Look for next years season to be a scrub also. IMO

I think it's going to be another three more years before we even show any major signs of improvement. The damage done by that Pennsylvania living dope of a GM we had for the last couple of years is not going to be outdone anytime overnight.

Seriously I think Millen left us with a team that was below an expansion team. And we fans are the ones suffering for it now. How he has any credibility within football is beyond me. If I ever see him on television again, I'm sure I'd be liable to vomit in my mouth... and have enough to vomit in several other fans' mouths. I sooooo hate what Millen has done. The only thing I can surely hope for now is that Mayhew/ Lewand can just march forward with some early solid defensive picks this upcoming draft.

Big Dog

December-15-09, 09:07 AM

I think that any of the college bowl teams, would run over the lions. I have no faith in Mayhew/Lewand.

kenp

December-15-09, 09:35 AM

I think Mayhew/Lewand have done good so far. The only problem is they are still Fords boys.
Remember when Barry, our biggest star stuck it in Ford's face. Another example of Ford being the problem here, he even pissed off one of the greatest stars in football, and more then once.

Also regarding the comment of a college team beating the Lions, if we played Alabama we win by at least 30.

smogboy

December-15-09, 12:44 PM

I think that any of the college bowl teams, would run over the lions. I have no faith in Mayhew/Lewand.

My jury is still out on Mayhew & Lewand, but if I had to grade them now, it'd definitely have to be a passing grade. Part of the "card-marking" would have to be based upon their first move in trading Roy Williams to Dallas- which was an absolute swindle in our favor. Another decent mark in their favor would have to be their first draft; this batch of rookies so far has been good enough to start and with the exception of injuries, seemed to have done well.

Now I wish they would've drafted a little better defensively in the later rounds but then what NFL GM wouldn't want to.

I still think their final card marking will come a few more years down the road. Their job in righting this ship that Millen damn near tipped over and scraped along the bottom of the reef is a massive job. They can't get it done over night and like I've mentioned before, it will probably take a few years just to even get close to .500.

As far as being Ford's henchmen, this is where it gets fuzzy for me. I'm not sure if they are or aren't. I'm sure they're fully aware of the history and shameful legacy that has happened with this franchise and if anything would want to distance themselves from it. It comes down to Mayhew & Lewand's integrity- are they willing to stand up for what they believe is right for this team even if it's against WCF's wishes? Do they work well as a team? What's their communication like with Jim Schwartz, the scouts and staff? Again, all of these things are speculated upon at best... we're not there on a daily basis to judge. We fans tend to judge by a win/loss record an so far this team is improved from the year with their meager two wins.

Is it enough for fans to hang their hats on? Some will jump ship, some won't. I know of so many fans that have just given up and that's their prerogative and who can blame them?

sirrealone

December-16-09, 02:18 PM

smogboy

December-17-09, 03:14 AM

Don Banks at SI does a first round mock re-draft in December of every year based on how things played out for the majority of the regular season. In an encouraging sign for the Lions, he has four of the Lions draft choices in his draft.

He projected:
2 - Stafford
16 - Delmas
20 - Pettigrew
30 - Levy

FYI, he would have had the Lions take Michael Oher at one.

Read the full article here (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/12/15/redraft/index.html).

For these four picks I'd have to give Mayhew & Lewand a passing grade as GMs. I'd even toss in Sammie Hill onto the pile as far as encouraging players on the rise for us.

On the free agency route, I'd have to skewer them for their choices- no second receiver to take the heat off of Calvin Johnson, no viable back-up to Kevin Smith at RB, and Culpepper has been horrendous at best. But then I also know these are probably stop gap measures until they start replenishing their talent via the draft. Let's hope this upcoming draft can be as fruitful as this last one and maybe we can improve a little more talent wise via free agency.

kenp

December-17-09, 07:50 AM

Lets give them some credit for signing free agent Foote and getting Peterson. We needed help at LB big time.
The article on the draft was interesting, I think us taking the QB was the best choice.

sirrealone

December-17-09, 10:23 AM

On the free agency route, I'd have to skewer them for their choices- no second receiver to take the heat off of Calvin Johnson, no viable back-up to Kevin Smith at RB, and Culpepper has been horrendous at best.

I see what you're saying, but at the time of the signings, the Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt additions were seen as significant upgrades to whoever it was they had previously. I don't think anybody could have predicted how bad they were going to be, and I don't think that you can pin that on the front office.

Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown are upgrades over the guys they replaced last year, who were Rudi Johnson and (ugh) Avion Cason. Are either of those guys even in the league?

Culpepper, yeah he has been horrible, but what were their other options? Byron Leftwich? Jeff Garcia? Rex Grossman? Umm, no, no and hell no. Mike Vick? Too much uncertainty at the time. Culpepper has sucked but what backup is out there lighting it up that they passed on? Maybe there's somebody but if there is, it escape me who that might be.

People talk about how bad both lines have played, and that's true. But, they've lost starters on both of those lines. Stephen Peterman on the O-line and Jered DeVries on the D-line were crushing blows. If they'd have had enough depth, like most other teams do, they would have been able to absorb it better. But, the Lions had so little depth thanks to the bare cupboard that was in place after Millen, that they simply couldn't avoid faltering once those injuries took place. However, you can't re-build the depth that's needed to absorb those injuries overnight. You can't use free agency to build the depth that Lions needed, not with the number of holes that they had. The depth will come over time. Over time, serviceable backups will appear having been drafted in the third round and later. But, when you've got zero of those guys on the roster from 2002-2006, it's going to be a mess plain and simple, and that's what Mayhew is dealing with, and I think he's dealing with it quite well all things considered.

smogboy

December-17-09, 12:53 PM

Lets give them some credit for signing free agent Foote and getting Peterson. We needed help at LB big time.
The article on the draft was interesting, I think us taking the QB was the best choice.

Agreed. Getting Larry Foote to come back home here has been a blessing. Not just talent wise, but he does so many more things than just play hard every Sunday. He's a guy from our community, a leader in the locker room, and has Super Bowl credentials to back up his validity.

Above & beyond drafting some good talent in the upcoming draft, let's hope that Mayhew & Lewand can lock up Larry Foote with a mutually beneficial long term deal.

As far as drafting a QB, I'd like to think that Mayhew & Lewand looked at not just what came out last year (Sanchez, Freeman, Bomar, White, etc.) but this upcoming draft (Bradford, Tebow, Clausen, etc.) as well. You'd think they'd compared all of them, accessed their chances of getting one of the best and THEN went with Stafford. I'd also like to think that accessing defensive help, they knew that they could probably get a pretty good pick by seeing the fresh crop coming up this year too. The Lions are not by ANY stretch of the imagination a team deep at any position and you'd like to think that this current regime would look at a larger window than Matt Millen's myopic view of drafting flash-in-the-pan players.

smogboy

December-20-09, 04:18 PM

The Cleveland Browns, who were the number three draft selection have beaten Kansas City in a wild shoot out. Now our beloved (and bemoaned) Lions have the number three selection all unto themselves. And who knows how else the other teams ahead of them will play out; I do know that our feeble team doesn't exactly look as though they'll win any more with the exception of Chicago. With both teams totally eliminated from the playoffs, who knows who wants to come out and play at that point.

smogboy

December-20-09, 09:52 PM

Tampa Bay tops Seattle too? Egads!

Now only the pitiful St. Louis Rams are statistically lousier than the Lions! I'll probably need to look up the tie breaking formula for the Lions & Bucs but this could be interesting if the Lions can somehow manage to pick within the top 3 in the upcoming draft. Maybe Mr. Suh could be coming our way (fingers crossed)!

firstandten

December-21-09, 10:11 AM

sirrealone

December-21-09, 11:47 AM

I'm started to warm up to the idea that we should trade CJ for a bunch of picks. Its not that Calvin isn't a great talent, he is, but you don't build your team around a wide receiver and by the time the lions get enough talent around him so he can be truly effective he will be a free agent and I suspect the Lions won't be getting the home team discount from him.

I've heard that the Lions are about 10-12 contributing players away from being competitive, and trading Calvin could speed up the process somewhat. I mean this year we got what 4or 5 contributing players so 2 or 3 more drafts the Lions might be ready to make a move. Besides in a couple of years there will be another CJ at somebodies college just waiting to tear up the NFL.

You'd probably have to have a team willing to give up all of their draft picks (ala the Saints for the right to draft Ricky Williams) or provide a Herschel Walker type haul. I'm not sure even getting what they got for Roy Williams would be enough to convince Mayhew that it'd be worth the gamble.

If they got a team to bite on either of the first two scenarios, I would be open to the idea. I'd also think that whatever they got would have to include an young, established (ie fourth or fifth year player) starting lineman in addition to whatever draft picks they offered. I don't care whether it'd be offensive or defensive line.

I wonder how much of the talk is the bored media coming up with things to talk about and how much (if any) is actual talk from the Lions camp. After all, before Roy was traded, I think most everybody inside the Lions organizations scoffed at any mention of such thing.

This off-season would be the time to do it, with next year being uncapped, the salary cap implications wouldn't be there as they might otherwise.

smogboy

December-22-09, 01:28 AM

I'm started to warm up to the idea that we should trade CJ for a bunch of picks. Its not that Calvin isn't a great talent, he is, but you don't build your team around a wide receiver and by the time the lions get enough talent around him so he can be truly effective he will be a free agent and I suspect the Lions won't be getting the home team discount from him.

I've heard that the Lions are about 10-12 contributing players away from being competitive, and trading Calvin could speed up the process somewhat. I mean this year we got what 4or 5 contributing players so 2 or 3 more drafts the Lions might be ready to make a move. Besides in a couple of years there will be another CJ at somebodies college just waiting to tear up the NFL.

I'm not at all averse to trading ANYone on this Lions team as long as we got fair or better than compensation. But I think the odds of getting what would be fair compensation for Calvin Johnson just won't happen. The days of us swapping out a talented receiver (Roy Williams) to a knuckleheaded owner (Dallas' Jerry Jones) for a first, third AND sixth pick (we had to give up a 2009 7th round pick too) are long gone. Swindles of this magnitude don't come around anymore. Heck, Randy Moss only went for a third round draft pick. So I'm not exactly sure what we'd be able to get for Calvin- or if we were able to get something, it just might not be that great for us.

And as long as we don't do like some lame sports talk radio callers tend to do and offer up ridiculous trades ("Drew Stanton for Peyton Manning- straight up!"), I'll be thankful here. Sometimes I wonder what those people are thinking when it comes to discussing trades. Don't people realize that there is generally a just as shrewd GM on the flip side of the deal?

But I think Detroit is just starting to accumulate some nice pieces of the puzzle. If CJ wants to leave at the end of his contract because he just doesn't see progress being made here, then who can blame him? But I'm hoping that Calvin, Stafford, Pettigrew, Delmas, Hill and some of the other hopefully smart draft picks will also see the good chemistry happening here and want to stick around for good things. Again, hopeful and maybe a little too optimistic but I'm hoping we can keep some of the good talent here and not squander them (like we did with Barry Sanders).