Growing Pains: Detroit Lions Fall to the Minnesota Vikings, 27-13

The Detroit Lions have lost 19 straight games.The last time Detroit put up a number in the win column was Dec. 23, 2007. Our leading passer was Jon Kitna. Our leading rusher was T.J. Duckett.

Let me put that in perspective for you.

A good friend of mine, Bleacher Report NBA writer, Dr. Trade has recently made the move to Stevensville, MI. An ardent Vikings fan, he decided to wash the car last Sunday rather than watch the debacle against the Saints. However, being a sports guy, he tuned the radio to Dan Miller and giggled as the Lions lost their 18th straight.

However, even he was surprised when he learned the Lions last win was December of 2007. See, the good doctor graduated from college in 2007. Since then, he's had a child, moved to Utah—teaching seventh and eighth grade. He's moved back to Michigan—teaching social studies and English at the high school level.

In his own personal life, he has had a plethora of experiences since the Lions experienced a win.

What about in your life? How have you lived since Dec. 23, 2007?

One of the biggest frustrations for Lions fans is that the people responsible for this travesty have lived rather well.

Matt Millen, the architect of the NFL's only 0-16 season, has lived rather well since 2007. He is now back on the fast track to be one of ESPN's top color commentators—a job he's always coveted.

William Clay Ford Sr. may be hurting from the fractured fanbase and from this latest recession but is actually making a ton of money from Ford Field becoming a popular venue for a host of big entertainment options.

Tom Lewand, the teams chief financial officer, in charge of handing out some of the worst contracts this league has ever seen, got a promotion.

What have you done? How have you lived.

You've lived without a Lions win. That is a frustrating fact. That frustration bubbled to the surface during the Lions' second drive on Sunday.The Lions had gotten a FG on their first drive, a mixture of run and pass getting all the way to the red zone before Stafford missed a wide open pass in the end zone, setting up a Jason Hanson field goal.

On that second drive, a fateful drive, the Lions looked golden. The Lions, without hyperbole, were running all over the Vikings. Madieu Williams, the Vikings strong safety was living in the box, and the Vikings were still giving up runs of five and six yards.

Scott Linehan, sensing the big play was there, dialed up a pass to fullback, Jerome Felton, who surprised just about every fan, rumbling and stumbling for 21 yards.

Then, after another great run by Kevin Smith, Linehan put the ball in Stafford's hands.

Stafford took the shotgun snap and rolled to his right, away from pressure, and lofted a ball in the direction of Calvin Johnson. Of the around hundred thousand people who watched that pass, only Matthew Stafford thought it was a good idea.

Calvin Johnson was double covered, and Chad Greenway was sitting in a zone, reading Stafford's eyes between him and CJ. Greenway picked off the pass easily and ran 13 yards the other way.

It would be only the first of two Stafford interceptions on the day.The second one was also picked off by Greenway and even more ill-advised.

The most maddening play of the day was on the Lions third drive of the second half. The Vikings had just taken the lead and the Lions needed to answer. On third down, Calvin Johnson ran a slant and beat his defender badly. Stafford delivered the ball low and outside, forcing CJ to dive for the ball.

If that ball was on target, it was a first down. With the talent of Calvin Johnson and one man to beat, it could have been a touchdown. Instead, 4th-and-2, punt.

To look on the brightside, Matthew Stafford played better week two than he did in week one, throwing his first NFL touchdown pass. However, he was checkdown city, missing several open receivers downfield for 4.5 yards/pass.

For a quarterback whose college scouting report was the polar opposite of Joey Harrington, he looked very similar to the former Oregon Duck on Sunday—completing many of his passes behind or close to the line of scrimmage, depending on Calvin Johnson or Kevin Smith to get YAC.

Following the game, Jim Schwartz refused to site "rookie mistakes" in retrospect of Stafford's game. The two interceptions and the many bad incompletions were either bad decisions or horrible throws and inexcusable, even for a rookie.

Yes, these Lions (and Lions' fans) are certainly experiencing the brunt of Matthew Stafford's growing pains.

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