2013 Detroit Lions

[smogboy]

Today's game was about as impressive of a win as I've seen the Lions have in a long while. It showed how scary impressive Calvin Johnson is. When he caught that pass against three defenders last week- we were impressed. Today he didn't exactly play down a notch either. His catches were impressive AND at clutch moments of the game when we needed him.

And where would he be without a savvy Matthew Stafford and his power arm? Stafford was on fire today. For all of those football gurus [[Ron Jaworski, you listening?) who faulted Stafford for his side arm throws, he surely used them to the team's advantage. Looking at a few of those camera angles of his throws, there was no way a QB was going to throw over the line of scrimmage. His side arm throws, which aren't weak- were precisely what this team needed in order to move the ball down field.

Toss in his football intelligence at the end of the game was just another step in confirming his football savvy and leadership of this team. He came screaming down the field calling for clock and a spike, but when he looked over the line and saw Dallas linebackers snoozing- he took matters into his own hands and scored easily. It wasn't diagrammed, it wasn't called in by Linehan, Schwartz didn't draw this up- it was Matthew Stafford alone who made that final play happen. The offensive line barely got set, the wide receivers didn't even flinch, and obviously the Dallas Cowboys were asleep at the switch as well. Well done for Matthew Stafford and his maturity and comprehension of the game situation.

And we go into the bye week with a nice 5-3 record now. This sits a heckuva lot better than a .500 record. Players will have a chance to heal and have a somewhat nice look at the schedule ahead.

Next up after the bye week will be:

•Chicago without Jay Cutler.
•Pittsburgh which has looked seriously dreadful.
•Tampa Bay which has had more upheaval than the San Andreas Fault.
•Green Bay for Thanksgiving. One can only hope, but it should be interesting to say the least.
•Philadelphia who has had Vick on and off the field with his injuries.
•Baltimore- another sub .500 team at the moment.
•NY Giants which has 97.1 FM's Mike Valenti losing his mind with their horrific play. Eli Manning has seriously regressed.
•Minnesota Vikings and their QB carousel to close out the regular season.

Things aren't looking too shabby for our Lions. Pray for health. Hope for luck. And play hard and smart is all we ask of them.

[smogboy]

A few other telling stats too:

Detroit's 29 1st downs compared to Dallas' 13.
Detroit had 22 more plays than Dallas.
Our yards per play 8.0 to their 4.8.
480 yards passing to 268 yards for Dallas.

By the numbers we should've killed Dallas but the one stat that hurt us was the 4 turnovers. Minimize those and the score would've been much more lopsided. It's something we can work on and do much better as the season progresses. There is reason for continued optimism with this team.

[Chinman]

I Friggen went home in the 3rd period because I was losing on my squares and don't have cable. NOW I find out that they came thru! DAMN THEM!!!! OK Good for them!

[Thruster315]

Do we need to have a court order keeping thruster315 out of Ford Field for the rest of the year now?

Didja notice? No one wanted me to be at the game at Ford Field? I performed my halftime rant and Voila! Lookee lookee lookee! We win again.

Like those beer commercials say- it's only weird if it doesn't work.

And while I do enjoy my time with buds at the games themselves, if this is what it takes for the team to win- I'll watch from the creature comforts of my place all season long if that's what it takes. Now if Mr. Ford can send over some nachos & beer, it'd be greatly appreciated.

[Thruster315]

I Friggen went home in the 3rd period because I was losing on my squares and don't have cable. NOW I find out that they came thru! DAMN THEM!!!! OK Good for them!

It didn't look as though you were the only one. There were times in the fourth quarter that there were some pockets of Ford Field desolation; it looked like the damned lunar winter. But seriously who's going to blame you. Like so many of the other faithful, we've been bit in the ass by this team so many times already. We've seen them lose in much grander ways.

But every now and then a blind squirrel gets a nut. And wouldn't ya know it- the Lions struck gold this time. I feel for you leaving early and missing out on a kick ass finish, but I'm sure you can savor the win from the parking lot too.

[Thruster315]

By the numbers we should've killed Dallas but the one stat that hurt us was the 4 turnovers.

I'm still going to savor this kick to Fox's constant stat of how many teams have won with giving up four picks. Dick Stockton kept bringing it up how only one team's been able to overcome that number. Well, a Nelson Muntz "HA! HA!" to you Fox Sports. Our Lions came away with a W despite the four picks. Flash all the stats you want but like they say, the game's played between the chalk lines and not on paper.

[rb336]

•Chicago without Jay Cutler.
•Pittsburgh which has looked seriously dreadful.
•Tampa Bay which has had more upheaval than the San Andreas Fault.
•Green Bay for Thanksgiving. One can only hope, but it should be interesting to say the least.
•Philadelphia who has had Vick on and off the field with his injuries.
•Baltimore- another sub .500 team at the moment.
•NY Giants which has 97.1 FM's Mike Valenti losing his mind with their horrific play. Eli Manning has seriously regressed.
•Minnesota Vikings and their QB carousel to close out the regular season.

Things aren't looking too shabby for our Lions. Pray for health. Hope for luck. And play hard and smart is all we ask of them.

I had three of those [[GB, Pittsburgh and NYG) as sure losses at the start of the year. Now I think they are winnable, esp. the last 2. The idea that it isn't totally absurd to think of a 12-4 or even 13-3 season is just weird.

[Pickford-Bentler]

Today's game was about as impressive of a win as I've seen the Lions have in a long while. It showed how scary impressive Calvin Johnson is. When he caught that pass against three defenders last week- we were impressed. Today he didn't exactly play down a notch either. His catches were impressive AND at clutch moments of the game when we needed him.

And where would he be without a savvy Matthew Stafford and his power arm? Stafford was on fire today. For all of those football gurus [[Ron Jaworski, you listening?) who faulted Stafford for his side arm throws, he surely used them to the team's advantage. Looking at a few of those camera angles of his throws, there was no way a QB was going to throw over the line of scrimmage. His side arm throws, which aren't weak- were precisely what this team needed in order to move the ball down field.

Toss in his football intelligence at the end of the game was just another step in confirming his football savvy and leadership of this team. He came screaming down the field calling for clock and a spike, but when he looked over the line and saw Dallas linebackers snoozing- he took matters into his own hands and scored easily. It wasn't diagrammed, it wasn't called in by Linehan, Schwartz didn't draw this up- it was Matthew Stafford alone who made that final play happen. The offensive line barely got set, the wide receivers didn't even flinch, and obviously the Dallas Cowboys were asleep at the switch as well. Well done for Matthew Stafford and his maturity and comprehension of the game situation.

And we go into the bye week with a nice 5-3 record now. This sits a heckuva lot better than a .500 record. Players will have a chance to heal and have a somewhat nice look at the schedule ahead.

Next up after the bye week will be:

•Chicago without Jay Cutler.
•Pittsburgh which has looked seriously dreadful.
•Tampa Bay which has had more upheaval than the San Andreas Fault.
•Green Bay for Thanksgiving. One can only hope, but it should be interesting to say the least.
•Philadelphia who has had Vick on and off the field with his injuries.
•Baltimore- another sub .500 team at the moment.
•NY Giants which has 97.1 FM's Mike Valenti losing his mind with their horrific play. Eli Manning has seriously regressed.
•Minnesota Vikings and their QB carousel to close out the regular season.

Things aren't looking too shabby for our Lions. Pray for health. Hope for luck. And play hard and smart is all we ask of them.

The side arm issue is silly. Baseball players throw side arm because it is more accurate and allows for a quicker release when the body is moving or subject to something {a runner coming at you from 1B as you turn a double play} that is going to knock you over. If I remember correctly, Jaworski was known for being tough because he would stand in the pocket and set his feet and take the hit. Stupid may get you respect, but it doesn't always win games. That last pass to Johnson was a sidearm sling that was right on the money. To make Jaws happy, the pass to Durham was over the top and also on the money. And because Stafford was not on queer street due to being a "man" and taking the "hit", he had the presence of mind to win the game with the fake spike.

[Downriviera]

Favre made a living with the sidearm throw. Why is Stafford criticized for it when Favre drew praise. It seems when we lose they look for things in Staffords mechanics. Now that were winning maybe he'll get some praise for the side arm. As for Jaws, he's right up there with Matt Millen as commentators I don't pay attention to.

[Thruster315]

Favre made a living with the sidearm throw. Why is Stafford criticized for it when Favre drew praise. It seems when we lose they look for things in Staffords mechanics. Now that were winning maybe he'll get some praise for the side arm. As for Jaws, he's right up there with Matt Millen as commentators I don't pay attention to.

I'm sure back in the day if they made fun of the first guy to do a sideways soccer kick for field goals too. It always takes a few guys with slightly unorthodox deliveries to pave the way to what's considered "normal" nowadays. Hell, can you imagine if media pundits like Jaworski was around when the first guy wanted to wear a helmet? That poor guy would be crucified! You'd hear every third skirt joke, or "hit 'em with your purse" line around.

I think Jaworski comes up with these supposed rankings for ESPN's ratings & stir up talking points more than anything else. When there is no story- start one. It's how these guys remain somewhat relevant.

[Thruster315]

Anybody been following how the Cowboys have "accepted" Dez Bryant's insane rants on the sidelines as being okay? Even the owner likes his fire.

I don't have a problem with guys having fire in their belly. I think it's needed with a sport like football but it just screams [[literally and figuratively) of drawing attention to yourself. It's one thing to want your team mates to play hard but is yelling like a bitch the way to do it? If Dez truly wanted his team mates to play better- he's seriously got to find a better way to connect with them other than verbally assaulting them on national TV.

It's moments like this that makes me thankful for Calvin Johnson and dare I say it, thankful for owners like the Fords that don't jump into the limelight on topics like this. One can say the Lions are undisciplined or whatever- but compared to that rant and rave I saw on the sidelines, I'll keep my Lions any day of the week. Jerry Jones runs a nut house down there.

[smogboy]

Anybody been following how the Cowboys have "accepted" Dez Bryant's insane rants on the sidelines as being okay? Even the owner likes his fire.

I don't have a problem with guys having fire in their belly. I think it's needed with a sport like football but it just screams [[literally and figuratively) of drawing attention to yourself. It's one thing to want your team mates to play hard but is yelling like a bitch the way to do it? If Dez truly wanted his team mates to play better- he's seriously got to find a better way to connect with them other than verbally assaulting them on national TV.

It's moments like this that makes me thankful for Calvin Johnson and dare I say it, thankful for owners like the Fords that don't jump into the limelight on topics like this. One can say the Lions are undisciplined or whatever- but compared to that rant and rave I saw on the sidelines, I'll keep my Lions any day of the week. Jerry Jones runs a nut house down there.

Playing with intensity is one thing. Having a tantrum on the sidelines for all to see is another. When Dez Bryant went off on Tony Romo, he might as well have indicted Romo in the most public of ways. When he and Witten were screaming at one another, he told us he has an issue with his team mate.

I'm not saying that Dez' message might not be correct- it very well could be spot on, but there's a time & place to do such a thing. We all heard a few weeks ago that Stephen Tulloch went off in the locker room during the Browns game. Supposedly he was moved and inspired to rally the troops. It was on Stephen Tulloch- and no one else. We have no idea if he called out the offensive line, a DB, or whomever- it was solely about himself being a vocal leader.

Tulloch & Bryant's messages very well could've been similar but the method of delivery was overtly different. I'd like to think as a team mate, I would've preferred to have all of this said to me behind closed doors. The media and fans are what fuels these sports; let's not ignite that fuel now.

[Thruster315]

Bye week. It's mighty quiet in Honolulu Blue & Silver country right about now. It'll be interesting to see how the other folks play in our division and that's about it.

I'm hoping our team gets some of those magical potions, electronic stimulators, leaf wraps, herbal massages, sea salt scrubs, acupuncture, or whatever voodoo hexes they need to get healthy and stay healthy for the rest of the season.

[Thruster315]

Sonuva... we might stand a chance in a few weeks. Aaron Rodgers just had his shoulder dinged in the game tonight. Some dude named Seneca is under center now. WHO?? Not that I would ever wish injury upon ANY player in the NFL, but this might bode well for us in the divisional hunt now.

That being said, I'm gonna pray that we keep our health too.

[smogboy]

Sonuva... we might stand a chance in a few weeks. Aaron Rodgers just had his shoulder dinged in the game tonight. Some dude named Seneca is under center now. WHO?? Not that I would ever wish injury upon ANY player in the NFL, but this might bode well for us in the divisional hunt now.

That being said, I'm gonna pray that we keep our health too.

Not that I would ever claim to have yours or gnome's powers of prediction but I'm not so sure of the following few games. Perhaps it's my Lions' burn from years of disappointment- but I still wouldn't put us past Chicago just yet.

We're going to need Reggie Bush to slash the Bears to ribbons this week. It's a game at Soldier Field. I'm sure the Bears remember when we clowned them here at Ford Field and don't want to be embarrassed in front of their home crowd. They might also have a bit of confidence from beating the Packers too.

BUT [[and this is where my Lions' optimism comes to play) if somehow the Lions can beat the Bears on the road and secure first place all to themselves- it'd say quite a bit about this team's maturity, drive and determination.

[Downriviera]

I'm just enjoying our Lions playing a meaningful game half way through the season.

[Thruster315]

Oh well...

First quarter observations- they seem to be going back and forth. Punch for punch, kick for kick. Nothing overtly remarkable by either team defensively or overly matched one way or another. It’s going to look like whoever’s going to manage the ball the best is going to win this game. It’s starting to look like whoever has a turnover is going to give up the momentum. Both came out scored on their opening drives and both teams stall on their second possessions.

Second half fourth down stop by Detroit? Pretty darn tasty I’d say. Gutsy on Chicago to go for it on fourth & short but just as impressive seeing our defense stiffen up too. Not only do we keep three points off the board, we get the ball back. It sure as hell didn’t help that we choked away our 4^th down attempt though. We traded a 49 yard Akers boot for a shot at it so again- neither team seems to have the dagger to put the other team away yet.

The Levy pick as the Bears were knocking on our door was about the most exciting thing this half. I'd like to be seething in anger or wanting to raise my voice at the officials or something, but the game hasn't been too exciting. Did I expect a rock 'em sock 'em sort of game- maybe not, but there really hasn't been great fireworks by either team. More MEH than YEAH!

[smogboy]

Let’s thank Mark Trestman for this victory. Not that I will always agree with Fox’s talking heads but all of them saw how badly Cutler was playing. Not putting in a much more mobile QB made it so easy for Detroit to rear back and just pressure the QB. By not pulling Cutler for the second half, it made the Bears one-dimensional. We practically dared Chicago to beat us in the air knowing Cutler couldn’t air it out. Matt Forte was taken down like a very pedestrian runner today.

Offensively I didn’t think we did that great. Stafford was off target more than on today. There were a few obvious open plays where he over threw his receivers. And even the amazing Calvin Johnson could’ve done better; he was targeted 17 times and only snared 6! The ones that I thought did well were Bush & Bell; they were somewhat effective and kept Chicago defense at bay. The offense line is still pretty amazing in keeping Stafford clean.

Defensively they were stout and came up strong when needed. DeAndre Levy is having a Pro Bowl sort of year. The secondary still needs help. Given a little more time or a slightly more mobile QB, I think they would’ve carved them up. The personal fouls really tainted the performance- and it’s also the timing of the fouls that mar this performance. Nick Fairley single handedly almost let them tie the game at the end. And kudos again to Trestman for choosing to run for the 2-point conversion too; that just played right into our strength.

I don’t want to sound like a Negative Nellie but theoretically we should’ve beaten the Bears 42-9. The Lions left far too many points on the field; we can’t afford to do that if we expect this team to elevate its game. There were still far too many moments of when someone could’ve said “Same ol’ Lions” where we were doing everything to give the game away. BUT the game isn’t graded on style points. We still walk away from the game relatively un-injured and with sole possession of first place. A week from now we’ll probably forget all of this minutia and we’ll be thankful for this record so far.

We have a favorable schedule ahead of us BUT there were some very glaring things that we still need to improve upon. A nice dose of confidence and some swagger could help this team along. A nice bout of luck also goes a long way too.

[smogboy]

Coaching? Let's also give it up to Gunther Cunningham for dialing in blitzes too. Linehan seemed to have decent game plans but the players' execution should've/ could've been better. I like the offense tempo of bringing the run and mixing in the throw. Where Chicago was one-dimensional, we're starting to show a nice mix of air attack and ground game.

Rightfully or wrongfully Schwartz will still get crucified for his team's personal fouls though. It very well could've cost them this game but for once, Lady Luck was in our corner.

[rb336]

Yep. A win is a win...hopefully until the team meetings this week. Fairley marred a good performance in this game with a bone-headed move at the end.

[Thruster315]

Yep. A win is a win...hopefully until the team meetings this week. Fairley marred a good performance in this game with a bone-headed move at the end.

It sure as hell wasn't a textbook sort of game but we walked outta Soldier Field with a W. Nick Fairley should be taken to the back of the woodshed and flogged for his near botching of the game. I get that he's an excitable guy and a part of his game is his enthusiasm, but c'mon FatMan... a part of playing in the NFL is being in control. We have no issues with him going ape-sh!t in his pursuit of the opposition QB but there's a way to do it within the rules.

PLAY SMARTER! Jeezus- is it that difficult?

And yes, smogboy- Jim Schwartz will be held accountable for his players being knuckleheads. Don't get me wrong here- I think the team's improved in a ton of areas when it comes to discipline over the last few weeks but every now and then, these dopey ass moments need to be eliminated.

They keep doing those stupid plays and we're going to get a bunch of the knuckle dragging faux fan boys yelling "SOL".

[Thruster315]

And yeah, I still stand by my observation that the first half of the game was a snoozer. Not a helluva lot of stuff happening- and it was kind of a snore fest.

It got jumpy towards the end of the game but what a drag leading up to the final few minutes.

[Thruster315]

Did anyone understand why Matt Stafford was wearing a glove today?

Not that it seemed to help/ hurt him but was there a reason for it? Was it just the cold? Or something else??

[smogboy]

Interesting schedule ahead- and I know that the Lions shouldn't be looking that far down the pipe either. Jim Schwartz' main focus right now is to keep his team focused on the immediate game at hand, correct the discipline problems that re-emerged with this latest game, and try be cognizant of his players who are dinged up.

But as fans we can look at the schedule and make all the predictions we want!

-Pittsburgh and their turmoil?
-Tampa Bay? They might as well go back to their Bruce the Buccaneer days.
-Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers for Thanksgiving?

I'd say these three are VERY winnable games.

-Afterwards it's Philadelphia. While not a lock I can't help but admire this team for rallying around their young QB.
-Baltimore on Monday night at Ford Field. I don't know why but this is the one game on the remaining schedule I thought we could be sketchy with.
-NY Giants and the lesser of the Mannings.
-And to finish out the season, the Minnesota Vikings who've practically dissolved already.

Out of all of the remaining games, the only one with a winning record is Green Bay and they're tumbling fast with their QB situation. I can't see how Vegas would not favor the Lions in all of their remaining games. Only the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia & Minnesota games are away games.

With some luck on health and some more confidence built up, dare I say the Lions could make it to the playoffs in pretty good fashion. And maybe even host a home game? Dare to dream and dream big.

[stasu1213]

I wonder if the RenCen had ever displayed the Lions logo in its gigantic LED screen on top of its building when the Lions are doing great. GM is Ford competition