2019 Detroit Lions

[Danny]

Here come the same ole' Lions, playing like the Bad News Bears!!! However it was a close game. But I smell an Aaron Rodgers cheating play came in. And the Lions offense couldn't shake it off. Sorry Stafford nice try It's always next year. We see them if Ford Field. 2-2-1, Six down 10 to go.

[Smirnoff]

Fella's/fella's: bottom line is you already knew the SOL's would lose, they have been for 60+ years, nothing new?

Ref's didn't: drop passes, no QB rush, 3-13 on 1st downs, 12 men on the field, pathetic running game, 5 FG's & mediocre Stafford, winning QB's always find a way [[Rogers).....

[sirrealone]

Ref's didn't: drop passes, no QB rush, 3-13 on 1st downs, 12 men on the field, 5 FG's & Stafford, winning QB's always find a way [[Rogers).....

That's not the point, though. You don't get a WIN by having to play a perfect team. You get a WIN by doing enough to put enough points on the board to outscore your opponent. The Lions did that. Could they have played better? Of course. But even a team that wins by 50 points will find flaws in their game after the fact.

The fact of the matter is that the Lions did enough to earn the win yesterday, and they didn't get that win because of the refs. To suggest that the Lions should have played better in order to have earned the win is letting the refs off the hook. And no way that should happen. No way.

[rickbak]

No matter what the sport, the hallmark of a championship team has always been the ability to play through adversity, whether it's injuries or bad calls or shitty weather. OK, the ref blew a call or your top RB blew out his knee---whatever it is, you deal with it and get ready for the next play. In the end, it basically boiled down to the last-second FG by GB. Block the kick and the Lions walk off the field as 22-20 victors instead of 23-22 losers. That's on the Lions' special teams, not the ref.

Over the long run, the breaks tend to even out. As fans, we only remember the ones that go against us.

I gotta give the Lions credit. Their games this season have all been competitive and fun to watch. Their 5 games have been decided by a total of 11 points----just 2.2 points per game. The 4Q defensive cave-ins are concerning, though. Again, can't pin those on the zebras.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

That's not the point, though. You don't get a WIN by having to play a perfect team. You get a WIN by doing enough to put enough points on the board to outscore your opponent. The Lions did that. Could they have played better? Of course. But even a team that wins by 50 points will find flaws in their game after the fact.

The fact of the matter is that the Lions did enough to earn the win yesterday, and they didn't get that win because of the refs. To suggest that the Lions should have played better in order to have earned the win is letting the refs off the hook. And no way that should happen. No way.

I agree with most of this, except for one thing. The Lions blew scoring opportunities in the red zone. If they scored TD's instead of FG's on those three possessions, the penalties wouldn't have mattered. You don't give Rodgers extra opportunities, to beat you. He will. That 12 men on the field penalty, got the ball rolling for him. Instead of holding them to a FG, they scored a TD. Did they get hosed? Sure they did, but the game wasn't lost on those penalties.

[EastsideAl]

I can't believe there's all these people here playing the "refs can't beat you" or "the Lions have only themselves to blame" game.

Did the Lions play a perfect game? Not even close. Did they mess up chances to score or stop GB? Yes, they did. Could the Lions have played better and won? Yes.

But none of these are the question at hand. The question is: Who would have won if the game had been even close to properly officiated? And there is no question that the answer to that question is that the Lions would have won.

NFL teams, even great teams, play imperfect games and win all the time. But they usually aren't battling both the opposing team and an officiating crew that seems to have decided which team 'should' win before the game starts. The Lions sure weren't perfect, or even very good, but neither were the Packers. The Lions were definitely good enough though to win that game, and would have won if they hadn't gotten totally hosed on a few key calls.

[EastsideAl]

Everyone who thinks that all this stuff just "evens out in the end" in the NFL really needs to read this information:
https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/...ficiary-yards/

It shows very clearly what most of us who watch these games regularly suspected, which is that the Packers get the benefit of calls on their opponents that other teams don't get. Also unsurprising is that the Lions are dead last in getting these calls from the refs.

[softailrider]

Overwhelming agreement from everyone that I have heard that the officiating was terrible at that Packers game. I’m talking nationwide not just local. Kind of shocking, never heard that to this extent before.

[rickbak]

On a brighter note, Zach Zenner just signed with New Orleans. Wondered what happened to him. I've always liked pluggers like ZZ.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

On a brighter note, Zach Zenner just signed with New Orleans. Wondered what happened to him. I've always liked pluggers like ZZ.

Good for him. I doubt he would have made a difference, if they'd kept him, it's probably why he was cut. They cut Riddick too [[whom I also liked), he was picked up by Denver, now he's out for the season with a torn ACL suffered in training camp. They cut C.J Anderson who last year, had a good season with the Rams. The Lions running game still sucks, it's more on the OL than anything else.

[ABetterDetroit]

I wondered why C.J. Anderson was released also. Now, not needed. I would have liked to see what he could do in the second half back on Monday.

[rickbak]

If I was building [[or rebuilding) a team, I'd first concentrate on putting together the best possible O-line. With only a few exceptions, most RBs and wideouts are interchangeable parts anyway. Hell, the Packers won titles with guys like Chuck Mercein carrying the ball, but he was running behind Jerry Kramer and Forrest Gregg. When the Lions were actually winning championships in the '50s, they basically had a group of pedestrian backs running behind one of the finest O-lines of the era. Guys like Harley Sewell, Lou Creekmur, and Dick Stanfel opened holes, led sweeps, and kept the bad guys off Bobby Layne's back. The way the game is played today---push-shove-pass-catch, just like at the office picnic---all you really need is a wall of big uglies with quick feet and long arms giving an accurate passer the 7-8 seconds he needs to get off a throw to Insert Name Here. The O-line is everything. Zach Zenner could be a 1000-yard runner with the right guys up front.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a guard all through high school, so of course I'm a little biased. The blocking sled is where all failed fullbacks go. Hey, me and all those heavy-legged guys named Moose and Ox---we're a brotherhood!

[sirrealone]

They've invested a lot of draft capital and free agency money into the o-line over the past few years. Riley Reiff and later Taylor Decker were drafted as left tackles to anchor the line. Reiff was never that great and Decker has never played as well as he did during his rookie season, which is somewhat baffling. Larry Warford and Graham Glasnow were both third round picks, both pretty solid. Warford was allowed to walk once his rookie deal expired, and has been a pro-bowler in New Orleans. Probably should have kept him, in hindsight. Tomlinson was a first round pick, but was a bust, and Ragnow was our latest first round pick. He looks very solid. Wagner and TJ Lang were both high profile free agent signings. Lang has since retired and Wagner has been pretty good, but not as good as before he got his payday [[see: Snacks Harrison).

The thing I've seen about the offensive line is that isn't just about talent. Of course you need talented players but they also need to gel as a group. An offensive line can usually not come out as better than the sum of its parts, but it can definitely come out worse. I don't know if it's just a bad mix of players, or coaching, or what, but the Lions have just never really had the right group of players be able to gel into a cohesive unit.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see them go back to the well in the top end of the draft this year in another attempt.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

^^ Keep picking, trading, or signing FA's, until you get it right. OTH, maybe the current group can establish some cohesion among themselves. Stafford isn't going to have many good years left, he's close to being on the wrong side of 30 I believe.

[softailrider]

Big game on Sunday, they beat the Vikings they’re back in it, they lose and they are in a tough spot. Could be out of this thing by November. Easy part of the schedule coming up but not this Sunday.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Big game on Sunday, they beat the Vikings they’re back in it, they lose and they are in a tough spot. Could be out of this thing by November. Easy part of the schedule coming up but not this Sunday.

I wouldn't say the Raiders, Bears and Cowboys will be all that easy.

[p1acebo]

Big game on Sunday, they beat the Vikings they’re back in it, they lose and they are in a tough spot. Could be out of this thing by November. Easy part of the schedule coming up but not this Sunday.

If they lose they are definitely out, I don't expect this team to climb out of that much of a deficit in the NFC north.

[Bong-Man]

So now the only stat that matters is an 0-3 losing streak. As usual, the only question now is how low can they go ? Had to really appreciate the Vikings' one sack of Stafford where our right tackle got a piece of their left end, Hockinson then got flattened like a pancake, the running back wiffed on the support, and down goes Stafford.

Not only do we rarely blitz, we always use one of our inside linebackers when we do. Nothing like allowing the opposing QB to read the blitz right in front of his field of vision. Meanwhile, have you ever seen Stafford ever read a cornerback blitz ? He never even sees them, let alone reads them.

Really have to like the New Orleans Saints. Lose your QB ? No biggie. Lose your RB ? We got another. I bet our former 3rd round pick [[Warford) is quite a happy guy.

[401don]

Guess the Lions couldn't handle the pressure of being Detroit's only semi respectable team. It's over. Trade Stafford for a couple of picks, toothpicks for all I care.

[p1acebo]

It's too bad, I was looking forward to meaningful football in November. I guess it's just another year of needing a rebuild.

[softailrider]

I’m not a Stafford lover or hater. I do think he’s the best QB we’ve had in my lifetime [[Bobby Layne was before my time) He doesn’t seem to be able to win meaningful games. But the Lions never won anything with a lot of great players, Sanders, Sims, Farr, there’s more but that’s all I can think of at the moment.

[Smirnoff]

Trade Stafford for a couple of picks, toothpicks for all I care.

Insanity is keeping the same losing QB for 11-yrs & expect winning results.

Has anyone contacted league mgt to let them know the Vikings missed a FG & dropped a pass in the end zone & still won the game? Unbelievable how the ref's allowed this to happen?

[Danny]

Some Ole Lions LOSERS, LOSERS, LOSERS since 1991!!! Bad Ole Putty tats. Lost to the Vikings 42 to 30. Sloppy game. 2-3-1 Six down 10 to go. Awful defense and more excuses at the end.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I’m not a Stafford lover or hater. I do think he’s the best QB we’ve had in my lifetime [[Bobby Layne was before my time) He doesn’t seem to be able to win meaningful games. But the Lions never won anything with a lot of great players, Sanders, Sims, Farr, there’s more but that’s all I can think of at the moment.

You left off probably their greatest receiver, Calvin Johnson. It's ironic to me Stafford is setting all these passing marks, [[fastest ever to reach 40,000 passing yards) yet hasn't won 1 playoff game in 10 years. He puts up "empty stats" but it's not all on him obviously...

[sirrealone]

Ironically, him hitting 40,000 yards in the fastest time ever goes hand in hand with the team not having success. Many of his yards came because of how often they were losing, so either they were passing in hopes of catching up or the other team was so far ahead that they'd let him get some yards during garbage time to avoid their own players getting hurt.