I am somewhat optimistic.

Seattle, SF and Carolina are the best teams in the NFL, IMO, because they play football the old fashioned way - beat the crap out of the other guys till the say in the immortal words of Johnny Rocco "hey, do I really want to be here?"

For the longest time, the Lions have tried to copy the latest trick such as West Toast, Run and shit, or Bend and Break that seems to allow wee men to beat big men

Although he has made mistakes, I feel that Mayhew et al have added players on the DL and OL that need not "finesse" to succeed.


I am not the "get another receiver" at all costs bandwagon. The Lions need to back up the DL with back seven brutes who make you pay for your QB dumping off short to avoid a hit.

They also need to make Stafford a game managing QB who can beat a defense after it has been punished by your OL.

So why some optimism?

Caldwell used that offensive approach when the Ravens made their Super Bowl run.

The Raven defense was successful by utilizing a very aggressive back 7. And we have their secondary coach as our DC.

And Lombardi might be one of these guys who can design offenses tailored to what he has got, rather than fitting to system.


The negative I see is that Mayhew et al have continued the Lion legacy of devoting high draft picks and salary cap to those one or two skill position players who will put them to the next level.


The next level is attained by loading up a foundation of talent in the trenches of the OL and DL.

I cross my fingers and just keep on having faith, I guess.