Bleacher Report - Articles by Seattle Lion Fan

Detroit Lions Need To Copy the Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:38:53 -0500

As I watched the Minnesota Vikings tear up the Chicago Bears, my wife leaned over to me and asked why the Vikings defense was so good.

I summed it up by telling her that because the Viking offense is so methodical and time-consuming, the defense is able to play at a high level for the whole game. By having such a clock-killing offense, it keeps the opposing offense off of the field.

The Bears defense, once considered the marquee defense in the NFL, was worn down to the tune of a 36-10 defeat.

The Vikings also have a front four that is the envy of most teams. Still, even with a talent level that high, if they had to be out on the field for as long as the Lions defense needed to be, they wouldn't be as effective.

As good as Calvin Johnson is (and the scary part is we don't know how good he's going to be), he still needs a partner in crime to take some of the coverage away from him. Dennis Northcut and Bryant Johnson have not stepped up to the plate, with too many dropped passes and bad route-running.

The Lions might want to take a look at the free-agent market, with perhaps Antonio Bryant or Steve Breaston. If Miles Austin isn't re-signed by the Cowboys, the Lions should make a strong run at him.

One more playmaker is what the Lions need to give Stafford.

Consider Calvin Johnson and Miles Austin on the wings, Brandon Pettigrew as TE, with Kevin Smith and Aaron Brown coming out of the backfield. All would be great options to throw to.

The best friend to a defense is a time-killing offense. If there is anything I want to see the Lions improve on it's to cut down on the number of three-and-outs that occur.

With that being said, the Lions do need to beef up the defense. I feel like the lone voice suggesting to get an elite left tackle, since so many people think that Jeff Backus is serviceable.

It wouldn't break my heart if the Lions got a huge defensive tackle with their first pick.

They will draft somewhere between four and eight for the 2010 draft so we can forget about Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska. The 6'4" 305 lb. tackle will be snapped up by Tampa Bay.

The best that the Lions can hope for is either Gerald McCoy (if he declares) from Oklahoma or Terence Cody from Alabama.

That is, if they don't go for an elite left tackle with the first pick.

What the Detroit Lions Need To Do to Help Matthew Stafford in 2010

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:53:57 -0500

After watching the highlights of the Lions-Browns game, I am even more impressed with the way Matthew Stafford has blossomed into an NFL quarterback. He has the potential to become the best Lions quarterback since Bobby Layne.

His tough as nails bravado in avoiding the trainers during Cleveland’s ill-advised timeout at the end of the game is the stuff legends are made of.

However one thinks the offense performed last week, there still is a ton of work that needs to be done in order to make the Lions a contending football team. But what the Cleveland game showed was the potential of how good the Lions could be.

I have written many columns, posts, and comments stating my feelings on which side of the ball the Lions need to concentrate in the upcoming draft. I generally ignore the free agent market since the Lions have never really had good luck with free agents.

But I am convinced that taking an elite left tackle and moving Jeff Backus inside to left guard will give the Lions a very solid offensive line, one that will allow a running game to develop as well as protect Matthew Stafford.

Last week’s game did open my eyes to the many deficiencies Detroit has on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions only got one sack on Brady Quinn and zero turnovers while giving up 439 total yards. Granted, Cleveland’s defense wasn’t much better as they gave up 473 total yards and got only one sack on Stafford, but they also got two interceptions.

How on earth did Brady Quinn do so well in this game? Up until the Detroit game, he had never thrown for more than 239 yards or more than two touchdowns in a game. And here he lights up the Lions defense for 304 yards and four TDs.

So what to do? I’m sure that many fans out there that want Martin Mayhew to trade away the No. 1 pick for multiple picks in later rounds. The Lions just might finish 3-13 this year if they can luck their way into one more win. Their best shot could be Thanksgiving Day against the Packers. If Stafford and Calvin Johnson can play well and the team can carry the momentum from the Browns game, they just might win on Thanksgiving for the first time since they beat the Packers back in 2003 with a score of 22-13.

After that, their best shots for securing a win are against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 27th or at home against the Chicago Bears Jan. 3rd.

With three wins, I figure the Lions to be somewhere between the fourth and eighth pick for the 2010 draft. That's still a good position to draft an elite left tackle, and the Lions should have a shot at picking one of these three:

(I did all of my research at www.walterfootball.com )

Bruce Campbell, Maryland — 6'7", 310 lbs. A dominate player who could be the first left tackle taken. However, teams might shy away from his history of minor injuries, with his most recent being a possible MCR tear from beating Clemson 24-21. The Lions would do well to check into just how "minor" these injuries have been.

Bryan Bulanga, Iowa — 6'6", 312 lbs . A very athletic left tackle from a program known for producing high quality offensive linemen. That alone should tell you that he would have superior footwork over Jeff Backus. He did miss three games this year, but that was due to an undisclosed illness rather than an injury.

Ciron Black, LSU — 6'5", 320 lbs . Walter Football has him going early in the second round, but he could possibly be the fourth left tackle to be taken in the first round. He’s started all 39 games for LSU and, for his size, he is a tremendous athlete.

Besides the Lions, Seattle, San Francisco, and Green Bay all need a left tackle. Walter Football has the Lions going after Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State. However, since he’s played right tackle for most of his college career, the Lions don’t have the time for him to make the adjustment.

In the second and third rounds, the Lions need to concentrate solely on defense. There have been cases made for getting a shutdown corner or a pass rushing defensive end, but the most glaring need is inside at defensive tackle. Ndamukong Suh is an absolute stud, but even if the Lions had him targeted in the first round, there is little chance they would get him. Tampa Bay is playing out the string and will more than likely have the first pick in the draft that they will use to take Suh.

The Lions should target one of these three defensive tackles:

Vince Oghonaase, Duke — 6'6", 310 lbs. He is not just 310 lbs of fat sitting in the middle. He made 51 tackles, nine of those for losses, and had six sacks as a junior. His body fat percentage is low and he’s more than a simple huge run-stuffer.

Boo Robinson, Wake Forest — 6'2", 326 lbs . More of a nose tackle, I’m not sure how well Robinson would fit in Detroit’s 4-3 defense, but a player of this size and ability is hard to ignore. He could be key to improving the Lions run defense.

Arthur Jones, Syracuse — 6'4", 294 lbs. A tad light at defensive tackle for my taste, but it’s hard to ignore his 60 tackles (13 of them for losses) and 3.5 sacks. In 2008, he had an impressive 17.5 tackles for loss, so that tells you that he has a motor that just won’t quit.

In the third round, Detroit should seek that shutdown corner to help safety Louis Delmas in the secondary. I would like to see the Lions go after a CB with some height to match up against the bigger and stronger wide receivers.

Kyle Wilson, Boise State — 5'10", 187 lbs . He broke up 10 passes and intercepted five more. A big plus for him is his return game, as he scored three times on punt returns and averaged 14.2 yards per return.

Stephan Virgil, Virginia Tech — 5'11", 186 lbs . A player that can be all over the field, he tallied 43 tackles, six interceptions, and four broken up passes. Virgil can be a difference maker as he showed in Virginia Tech's game against Nebraska where he returned a fumble for a touchdown, blocked an extra point and returned it to score two points, and blocked a punt for a safety for another two points.

Walter Thurmond, Oregon — 6'0", 185 lbs. Thurmond played through injures in 2009 and despite that, he still had 66 tackles, five interceptions, and eight passes broken up. If he can heal, he could be a steal for the Lions in round three.

In the fourth round, the Lions need to get some help for Kevin Smith at running back. Aaron Brown might be the answer here, but he’s played sporadically. I’d like to see him get some more playing time. Detroit will need to add depth, and I see one player that could be a spark in certain situations:

Noel Devine, West Virginia — 5'8", 175 lbs . Devine is small, but he's fast. He’s averaged 6.2 yards per carry as well as 8.2 yards per catch coming out of the backfield. He’s viewed as a Darren Sproles type of player, and at 5'8", a defense could lose sight of him very easily. He’s also capable of returning kicks, which is another area that the Lions desperately need help.

As for picks in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, Detroit should focus on the best available athlete regardless of the position being played. I’d even like to see them go for a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson. Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt haven’t impressed me in their attempts to take any heat off CJ. Brandon Pettigrew has improved every week, and catching the winning touchdown pass from Stafford last week has to make him feel as though he can be a big-time tight end.

Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech wouldn’t be a bad pick. At 6'3", 229 lbs, he runs a slow 40 (4.60), but he’s a monster target that caught 24 balls for 536 yards and three TDs in five games. If wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson can hone his route running abilities, the Lions could have a diamond in the rough with Thomas.

Another route to take would be to pick a true return specialist if the Lions stay with defense in the fourth round. They could look at LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who will be the fastest player at the combine. Clocked at 4.25, teams are going to have to hurry to catch this guy. But at 5'5" and 161 lbs., he won’t be of use anywhere else except as a kick returner.

I have to believe the Lions aren’t that far away. If they can get that big left tackle and move Backus inside, they will have a fairly impressive offensive line with only one used draft pick. There are some that will be concerned that too much money will be tied up on one side of the ball, but in this case, I think it would be justified.

For years, the Lions have been attempting to create a contending football team with duct tape, chicken wire, and spackle, and it just hasn’t worked. They must commit to building from the draft and I firmly believe the direction I have laid out will get Detroit to contend for the NFC North title in 2010.

Call me crazy, but I think it can be done.

Salud!

Detroit Lions and What They Need: My 100th Article

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:10:50 -0500

Yeah, I know. I said I was going to take a break but trying to give up the Lions is like trying to give up alcohol.

My name is Seattle Lion Fan and I'm a Lionholic.

I even tried to write an article about the Seattle Seahawks. It wasn't a bad experience but the Hawks don't fire the passion as much as the Lions do. And isn't that a sad statement to make when a 1-8 football team makes you a bigger fan than rooting for a 3-6 team.

I really need some therapy here.

So here I am at what some might consider a milestone. My 100th article for the Bleacher Report. I'm not going to go off on some love fest for the Bleacher Report or go down some sentimental journey about some dim, distant but sweet memory about my hometown and their teams. Hasn't been my style as of late and I see no reason to change now.

I'm just happy to be here and that I've reached a hundred articles.

I will take some time to say thank you to some fellow Bleacher Report writers:

Dean Holden, Michael Schottey, Greg Eno, Leroy Watson, Eric Wilson, George Anderson, Scott Reiger, Jay Wierenga, C Detgetmon, Ben Hammond and Keith Shelton

Each of you have given some great advice as well as some great thoughts on how we can fix the Lions. Too bad we couldn't somehow come up with $ 950 million, buy them and do it right!

Back to the subject at hand.

I've been reading articles about what needs to be done to fix the Lions. A majority of the opinions have been to go after defense. And while I will agree the Lions need help in that area as well as many others, I truly believe what should be addressed that hasn't been for 20 years is the offensive line.

The Lions have had some good to great offensive linemen. A few that come to mind are Lomas Brown, Russ Bolinger, Kevin Glover and Ray Roberts. But even with these names, one can never say the Detroit Lions ever had a dominating offensive line.

Even in 1997, when Barry Sanders ran for 2,053 yards, Scott Mitchell was sacked 41 times. You have a running back that runs wild and still finish 9-7, there is something seriously wrong with the team. Yes, yes, I know, the defense sucked back then as well. The idea was to outscore the other team in shootouts but that didn't quite work.

I look at the Lions as they are right now much like a house in disrepair. And if any of you know what the one thing every building known to man must have is a solid foundation. And every foundation of any football team is the offensive line.

Have a good and solid offensive line and that translates into a good and solid football team.

2009 has shown some promise in these young Lions. Last years draft brought us Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew. Along with second year running back Kevin Smith and third year wide receiver extraordinaire Calvin Johnson, the Lions have the tools to be a very productive offense.

Problem is the current offensive line couldn't hold back a front four of old ladies in walkers. But I'm not slamming any of the current offensive linemen for not giving their best effort. But a harsh reality is they are just not talented enough.

Now bear with me since this is a radical idea but I strongly feel the Lions should make the following moves. It may be the fastest way to make the foundation stronger:

Move current left tackle Jeff Backus inside to left guard and target left tackle Bruce Campbell from Maryland with their first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

What does that get you? Backus is constantly overmatched by elite defensive ends. He's 32 years old and in his ten years as the Lions left tackle, he's given up an average of nearly 7.5 sacks per year. Backus won't have to rely as much on his footwork and when the guard needs to pull on running plays, Backus should be fairly effective.

Campbell has played left tackle at Maryland for 4 years. He's 6-7 and 312 lbs. Granted he has fought minor injures but I'll take him missing a few games over allowing my QB to get hit on 3 step drops.

The offensive line would look like this:

LT: Bruce Campbell

LG: Jeff Backus

C: Dominic Riaola

RG: Stephen Peterson

RT: Gosder Cherilus

Keep Jon Jansen as a super sub for all the spots with the exception of center, trade or release Manny Ramirez and you got yourself a pretty stout line.

If Campbell isn't available, then target Jason Fox out of Miami or Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. I don't think the Lions should go after Russell Okung since he's played right tackle for Oklahoma and they can't afford to wait for him to make the adjustment to left tackle.

And for those who say Backus is too expensive to play at left guard, forget about the money and focus on what's needed for the Lions to win. Besides, how well did the Minnesota Vikings offensive line improve when left guard Steve Hutchinson joined them in 2006? From a pretty good offensive line to a damn good one.

As for the rest of what the Lions need, I'm sure there are going to be hundreds of articles and thousands of responses that will offer many different opinions.

But let’s face the one fact that's keeping Detroit from having any kind of success (besides being owned by William Clay Ford, Sr.): They must build a solid offensive line to keep Matthew Stafford from getting sacked and to open holes for Kevin Smith to keep defenses honest.

Happy 100th everyone...and thanks for reading!

The Seattle Seahawks Are a Team in Transition

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:46:05 -0500

Five years ago, the Seattle Seahawks were on the precipice of NFL greatness.

Were it not for a couple of bad calls (and some non-calls), the Seahawks may have very well been crowned the NFL Champs instead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.

They staggered a bit in the 2006 regular season, finishing with a 9-7 record, good enough for the NFC West crown. They beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-20 in the wild card round and lost to the Bears in the divisional playoffs in a 27-24 OT thriller.

In 2007, the Hawks improved to a 10-6 record, good enough for their fourth consecutive NFC West title. Again they triumphed in the wild card round, beating the Washington Redskins 35-14. But they faced Brett Favre and a rejuvenated Green Bay Packers and lost in the divisional playoffs 42-20.

In 2008, Mike Holmgren announced that it would be his last year as head coach of the Seahawks. I'm sure he felt he could lead this team to another NFC West title, but injuries to the wide receiving corps and his field general Matt Hasselbeck said otherwise. The Seahawks fell to a 4-12 record, and most NFL experts and pundits alike thought it was nothing more than a blip on the radar screen.

Which brings us to the current 2009 season.

The 2009 draft brought outstanding linebacker Aaron Curry to the Seahawks. With Curry, Leroy Hill, and Lofa Tatupu, the Seahawks created one of the best middle linebacker groups in the NFL. Tatupu has gone down with a torn pectoral muscle and is quite likely out for the year. But David Hawthorne has been a major surprise filling in for him, and the group hasn't lost anything.

Big free agent signing T.J. Houshmandzadeh hasn't quite fit in just yet, but he and Hasselbeck are starting to trust each other. While his numbers aren't what were expected over the first half of the season, I suspect they will improve.

There has been some speculation the Seahawks have a chance at the playoffs this year. I would agree, but the Jekyll and Hyde defense is what has me worried.

This is a team that shut out the St. Louis Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Granted, neither one of those teams is going to scare anyone. But holding an NFL team scoreless, despite its record, is pretty impressive.

However, this is also a defense that gave up 167 points in six games. In those six games, the Hawks are 1-5 with the victory over the Detroit Lions, who scored 20 points on them.

Because of this inconsistency on defense, I see the Hawks finishing the year with wins over St. Louis, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, and possibly the Titans. The team is now 3-5, and with those four wins, they finish the year at 7-9.

While the Seahawks have declined over the past two years, they are not that far away from getting back to a contending team.

Hasselbeck may have one more year in him for 2010. But Seahawks need to look to the future at quarterback, and I don't think Seneca Wallace or Mike Teel is the answer. Washington Husky Jake Locker could benefit from playing behind Matt for a year and take over the team in 2011.

Since the days of Shaun Alexander, the Hawks have been running the football by committee. Julius Jones has been the feature back, but Justin Forsett has put up some good numbers in a limited role. Could Forsett become an every down back? Forsett does give the Hawks the capability of breaking a big run at any time.

The biggest need after finding a QB would be to beef up an aging line. Walter Jones' great career looks to be about over. Even if he does come back next year, I doubt it will be full time. Rob Sims and Chris Spencer are both playing in contract years. If they can re-sign those two and use Max Unger creatively, the interior part of the offensive line will be OK.

The Hawks will finish below .500 this year, but they are only three to five good draft picks and free agent signings away from being back to playoff contenders.

An Open Letter to Fellow Detroit Lions Fans: I'm Tired

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:31:08 -0500

To whom it may concern,

Ok, I've had enough.

For nearly 40 years, I have watched, I have waited and hoped for the Lions to succeed.

I began to watch the Lions in earnest in 1970 when they went 10-4 and finished second in the NFC Central. They went to the playoffs to face the Dallas Cowboys only to lose to them, 5-0, in the lowest scoring playoff game in NFL history.

Seems the Lions and NFL history always has them on the losing side, doesn't it?

From a 1-10 playoff record to 2008's monumental 0-16 season, the Lions history is nothing but a wasteland of broken dreams and hearts.

Yesterday's 32-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks was typical of how the Lions continually wear the fans down. Jumping out to a 17-0 lead, playing an inspired defense, intercepting two passes resulting in 14 points and stopping the Hawks on a 4th and 1 and converting it to a field goal, they grabbed your attention.

But then, someone must have reminded them who they were because for the next three quarters, they disappeared, nowhere to be found as the Seahawks came back and scored 25 unanswered points.

I'm done trying to convince myself that anyone above the head coach level wants the Detroit Lions to win.

I'm tired of constantly defending my reasons for being a Detroit Lion fan. I've given 40 years of loyalty but have gotten little in return.

I'm fed up with this organization running an NFL organization with the bottom line as the driving factor as opposed to a winning record.

I'm over with watching the Lions draft a great player and expect him to carry them to the playoffs with little or no support.

I'm fed up, fried, disenchanted, disheartened, demoralized, angry, irked, irate, ticked off, annoyed, exasperated, incensed, outraged and irritated with William Clay Ford, Sr. as an owner. He should be put away in an old folk's home and the key thrown away.

Will this be the last article I write about the Lions? At this point, I just don't know. I'm probably going to take a break...too much negativity can fry your mind.

So I must step away for awhile, at least a couple of weeks. I'll be reading other articles and perhaps even offering my two cents.

Take care,

Seattle Lion Fan

Detroit vs. Seattle: Do Two Bad Teams Make For Good Football?

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:25:19 -0500

I get the rare opportunity to write about two teams that have been a part of many football seasons for me.

As many of you know, I am a born and raised Michigander (why that isn't Michiganian is beyond me) and moved to the Seattle area in 1990, when I became a Washingtonian (see, isn't that better?).

From about 1972 until 1989, I was only a Detroit Lion fan, seeing players such as Greg Landry, Bill Munson, Charlie Sanders, Alex Karras, Billy Sims, Lem Barney, and of course Barry Sanders.

I've watched games during frigid winters in Tiger Stadium where my Dad introduced me to the wonders of peppermint schnapps on those cold days to the cavernous Pontiac Silverdome. My wife and I enjoyed numerous games as her Mom got us free tickets from her company. Wasn't too difficult, since the Lions were at best mediocre, even back then.

Moving to Seattle, we were introduced to the AFC and the many battles Seattle had with the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. Seeing Brian Bosworth literally run over by Bo Jackson was perhaps the funniest thing I've ever seen on a football field.

Seahawks had some fine players on their rosters as well: Dave Krieg, Steve Largent, Curt Warner, Rufus Porter, Bryan Blades, and James Jones, to name a few. And I had the opportunity to see them play in the Kingdome as well as the elegant Qwest Field, which from what I understand is on par with Ford Field.

Perhaps the most bittersweet event was the 2005 Seattle Seahawks traveling to Detroit to play in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh. It was hard to watch my adopted team play a game, in Detroit's backyard, knowing the Lions have never been to the big dance...and knowing they may never get there in my lifetime.

OK, enough of the melancholy bull. Time to talk about the current versions of both teams.

Every one on the planet is aware of what the Lions accomplished last year. The Seahawks didn't fare much better, going a shocking 4-12 after winning the NFC West crown four years in a row. Injuries decimated the roster last year as well as this one.

Both of these teams have a lot to prove to themselves, their fans, and the rest of the NFL— namely, that they belong in the league.

I've not written any articles on the Seahawks for B/R since, for whatever insane reason that rattles around in my brain, I am still a die-hard Detroit Lions fan. But I do read articles posted there and have commented to some on the state of the team.

It's been an interesting past six seasons. Watching the Seahawks go from a West Coast version of the Lions from 1976 to 2000, they had similar success both in the regular season and the postseason.

During that time, the Seahawks played in eight playoff games, winning two of them in 1983. Not all that much better than the Lions' lone playoff victory in 10 playoff games.

So here we are, the Seahawks having fallen from grace to the Lions trying to just gain respectability. The Seahawks are getting old and the Lions are young. Both have new head coaches with the edge—as far as experience—going to Mora as he coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2004 to 2006.

Both teams need some serious upgrades to their offensive line and running game. Seattle's downfall began when they lost Steve Hutchinson to the Vikings and just hoped outstanding left tackle Walter Jones would never age or get hurt.

The Lions have never really faced up to the importance of the offensive line, relying rather on the likes of Billy Sims and Barry Sanders to run to daylight. The Lions have never had a dominating offensive left tackle since the days of Lomas Brown.

Since Shawn Alexander fell from his Pro Bowl-form in 2005, the Seahawks have had very little success in running the ball. In fact, the Lions signed one of their more effective running backs this year in Maurice Morris. Unfortunately, Morris hasn't been able to duplicate his spot duty success with the Lions as he did with the Hawks. Starting Lions running back Kevin Smith is a steady-but-nothing-spectacular type of back.

Both defenses have become suspect. It was almost expected the Lions would improve little on that side of the ball, despite the upgrades at linebacker with former Seahawk Julian Peters and former Pittsburgh Steeler Larry Foote.

But the Seahawks have been like the Three Faces of Eve as far as defense goes. In the two wins against St. Louis and Jacksonville, they held both teams scoreless, getting eight sacks, two turnovers, and pretty much dominating both teams while the offense scored a combined 69 points.

In the five losses against San Francisco, Chicago, Indiana, Arizona and Dallas, the defense basically disappeared, giving up 147 points. The offense didn't help matters any, scoring only 66 points. Very Lionesque, if you ask me.

Granted, veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck has been toughing it out the last few games battling a rib injury. Mora sent a message to the team by not pulling Hasselbeck out of the fourth quarter of the Dallas game despite the fact Hasselbeck kept getting hit. My guess is Mora doesn't have any faith in backup Seneca Wallace or rookie Mike Teel.

I have to give the edge to the Seahawks, though. The Lions don't play well on the road, especially on the West Coast. And if Hasselback finds his rhythm, he can carve up the Lions' weak secondary.

But wouldn't it be sweet if the game came down to Washington State Cougar alum Jason Hanson to win the game with a field goal?

Seahawks 24, Lions 17.

Hey Detroit Lions: You Really Stink!

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:37:34 -0500

You know, there was a time when I kept trying to give the Detroit Lions credit for finally heading in the right direction.

I could take the 26-0 beat down the Packers gave them two weeks ago.

I was elated they finally won since November of 2007.

I was even a little choked up when I saw the Lions were favored in this game, another first since being favored over the Atlanta Falcons last year;really, it brought a tear to my eye.

They were at home playing against a team that hadn't won yet and had a big chance to show the rest of the NFL they were improving,but then they lost to the St. Louis Fricking Rams, 17-10.

A little caveat here: I wonder if St. Louis fans are really going to say the Rams won since it was "only the Lions", much like many Lions fans said about us beating the Redskins in week three (Sorry, just can't let that go).

For the most part, the defense did a pretty good job of keeping the Lions in the game. Kudos to DeWayne White for that nice interception which should have fired up the offense. Also have to give props to Kevin Smith for the smart play when he tackled the Rams James Butler in the end zone after he came out and then went back in. Almost as dumb as Dan Orvolysky's gaffe last year;almost.

As for the offense, it is absolutely wrong that Matthew Stafford throws for 33 times and only connects on 14 passes and of those 14 passes that he hit on, only two went to a wide receiver, Bryant Johnson.

Crap, crap, crap, and more crap. It's starting to pile up and really stink in Detroit,so bad that this fan based in Seattle can actually smell it.

Of course, we can't go any further unless we talk about what the game breaker was; the touchdown the Rams scored on the fake field goal.

Let's see, the Rams were 0-6, the attempt was going to be from over 50 yards, and the Rams (not the Lions) called a time out to talk about it. WHAT MADE YOU THINK THEY WEREN'T GOING TO TRY A FAKE FIELD GOAL?!? They were desperate for a win and were willing to try anything to get a touchdown.

Speaking of which, where the heck are the trick plays from the Lions? Shouldn't there be a sense of desperation?

Are we supposed to accept the fact that we're happy the Lions are suffering in quiet dignity?

Lions are coming out to my side of the world next week. When I looked at the schedule, I had actually thought about buying tickets to see them play. Can't do that now,even with the state the Seahawks are in, I don't believe they are going to win out here. So what's the point?

Now that the Lions have lost to the St. Louis Fricking Rams, there isn't one game left on this schedule that I have any confidence of them winning;not even against the Cleveland Browns despite the fact owner Randy Lerner says he's "sick" about the state of his team. Browns got nothing on the Lions, we got losing down to a damn science.

Want to be sick? Try being a Lions fan.

Lions-Rams: Statement Game for Detroit?

Seattle Lion Fan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:54:39 -0400

Detroit's upcoming game against the St. Louis Rams is perhaps one of the most important ones on the schedule so far.

The Rams are currently mired in a 17-game losing streak. If you are the Detroit Lions, you want to do everything in your power to make sure that streak continues.

This is indeed a "must win" game for Detroit.

I've given up on attempting any type of analysis of games since most of the time, I'm usually wrong. But I'm just guessing this might be a shootout.

Football Outsiders' web site ranks the Lions last in team efficiency and team defense and 30th in team offense, while St. Louis ranks 28th in team efficiency, 29th in team efficiency, and 27th in team offense. Should be a barn burner, eh?

If Detroit can prevent Steven Jackson from having a big game, the Lions will force St. Louis to beat them with the passing game (either Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller), ranked 27th in the league. But going up against the 30th-ranked passing defense, perhaps St. Louis isn't going to be too worried.

Detroit needs to win this game for a couple of reasons:

1. To prove to the rest of the league and their fans they can beat the teams they are supposed to beat. St. Louis is on a downturn, and despite the Lions being ranked lower than St. Louis in most categories, they should be favored to win. Outside of running back, Detroit has better talent overall than St. Louis.

2. To prove the win over the Redskins wasn't a fluke. It still irks me the way many fans reacted to the win over the Redskins—that it wasn't valid because we didn't beat one of the "elite" teams. News flash: Up until that game, we hadn't beaten anyone since Dec. 23, 2007, a rousing 25-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Lions, they have to get the ball to the big guy, Calvin Johnson. He is the playmaker of this team, and despite being the top receiver on the team, he's been relatively quiet with 22 catches for 325 yards but only one touchdown.

I look for Calvin to have a big day...and a 41-37 win over the Rams.

The Detroit Lions Have a Long Way To Go: Beer Thinker's Musings

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:16:05 -0400

Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers showed just how bad the lack of talent there is on the Detroit Lions.

True, they are more talented than last year's squad but the improvement is relative.

Which brings forth a "chicken and the egg" type of question.

Is it the coach that makes the players or is it the players that make the coach?

The most recent coach the Lions have had have all been well respected.

Rod Marinelli was lauded by Jon Gruden, Marty Mornhinweg has the respect of Andy Reid. Steve Mariucci was regarded as an offensive genius as well as a great motivator during his stint as head coach with the San Francisco 49ers and Bobby Ross had great success with San Diego. Current head coach Jim Schwartz was coveted by Jeff Fisher as a defensive coordinator.

But despite all of this coaching talent the Lions have had since 1997, they have managed an awful 63-135, have had zero double digit win seasons while piling up double digit losing seasons and well on their way to their ninth in 12 years.

Makes one just shake your head and say, "what a waste."

And just what have the Lions wasted?

Nine years of Charlie Sander's tireless effort to do what it took to win games.

10 years of Alex Karras dedication and wit being a Detroit Lion defensive lineman.

10 years of Lem Barney's effortless coverage and his 56 career interceptions.

Four years of Billy Sim's take no prisoners running style and his career 4.5 yard per carry average.

10 years of Herman Moore's consistency and selflessness

10 years of Barry Sanders tireless and exhilarating runs that made him one of the best running backs ever to play the game.

I'm sure there are many other players that can be listed. And each and every one of them made their coaches better.

So what has been lacking?

The most glaring need has been a supporting cast to take the pressure off the star. Perhaps the closest the Lions have ever had to a complete team was 1995 when Moore and Brett Perriman became the first wide receiver duo to have 100 catches each for a season. This was also the year Barry Sanders ran for 1,500 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

That team reeled off seven wins in row to achieve a 10-6 record to make the playoffs as a wildcard. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles pasted the Lions 58-37 to make for an early exit.

But who remembers the excitement the city had? Who remembers the earth shattering screams from the fans in the Pontiac Silverdome? Who remembers just for once, as a fan, having that feeling that this was a team of destiny?

The Lions have never, since Barry Sanders retired, found the ultimate balance between good coaching and a good, talented football squad. Bobby Ross did wonders with what he had in 1999. However, the Lions wasted whatever luck they had losing to the Redskins and they haven't even sniffed the playoffs since then.

Why doesn't William Clay Ford, Sr. step down and give the reigns to son, Bill, Jr? One might say doing that will just endanger the franchise to another 50 years of mediocrity. But at the very least, it just might energize the franchise.

Sell the team?

That's one option though it may be difficult unless the new owners want to keep the team in Detroit. Though Ford Field is owned by Detroit, the Ford Family paid $40 million for the naming rights and owns a controlling interest. I'm sure a contingency would be in place to take over that controlling interest since the Ford family is not known to throw away money.

Besides, the NFL would be hard-pressed to allow the move. Detroit is the 11th largest market. The only city higher than Detroit that doesn't have an NFL franchise is Los Angeles but fan interest in having an NFL team is at best, ambivalent. Besides, the most popular rumor floating out there is the San Diego Chargers will move to LA.

OK, so the point of all this is what? For me, it's the fact that I am tired of speaking of the Lions great teams from the 1950s.

I'm tired of hoping the Lions are on the verge of turning the corner.

I'm tired of wondering how in God's name does Jeff Backus keep the starting left tackle job. Makes you wonder if he's blackmailing someone in the Ford Family.

I'm tired of the Lions being doormats to the other teams in the NFL.

I'm tired of other cities treating the Lions with disdain. But really, how far off was Appleton Post-Crescent's Tim Froberg when he said the Lions were no match for the Packers in his column? Cripes, the Lions can't even get respect from a third-rate newspaper from a town barley breaks 70,000 people!

But most of all, I'm tired of William Clay Ford, Sr. treating the Detroit Lions fans with such disdain. He rarely takes any accountability of what his team produces. He rarely interacts with the fans. His hands-off approach to running this football team borders on insanity. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over but expecting different results.

I'm not quite ready to call Martin Mayhew a bust as GM nor am I quite ready to call for head coach Jim Schwartz's head.

But I am ready to wave good bye to Backus, Daunte Culpepper and pretty much most of the defensive line.

And like all other Lions fans out there, I will wait for the Lions to improve. I've been on this earth for over 50 years now. I'm not going to hold out for the Lions to make the Super Bowl since I think that may be far-fetched for the next five or six years. But I do hope to see them in the playoffs again.

Detroit Lions Need To Use Brandon Pettigrew A Whole Lot More

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:55:24 -0400

It looks like neither Matthew Stafford nor Calvin Johnson are going to play this weekend.

Dante Culpepper took all of the first team snaps in practice yesterday and Calvin Johnson hardly practiced at all this week.

I think it's high time that Brandon Pettigrew gets more involved in the offense. He's made some incredible catches and has a nice 12.2 yards per catch average.

He can catch the ball in traffic, evident of the catch he made against the Bears where he got popped pretty good from behind, but the ball never left his hands.

Pettigrew only has 13 catches on the year. His best game so far was against the Bears Oct 4th when he had four catches for 67 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown.

Considering the Lions need to score touchdowns in the red zone, I am curious as to why Pettigrew's number hasn't been called. While I know he's been a great help to the offensive line with his blocking, he isn't getting paid to just block.

Granted, he's had some drops, but in the grand scheme of things, a receiver just isn't going to catch every ball thrown to him. However, a good receiver, as Pettigrew is, feels that any ball that touches his hands should have been a reception. I'm pretty confident that Pettigrew will improve as he gets more and more comfortable with Linehan's offense.

Against the Packers 3-4 defense, Pettigrew is going to be the perfect weapon to counter it. As Michael Schottey points out in his great slide show Detroit Lions Offensive Playbook: Keys to Leading the Pack , they need to get him out on a tight-end post and hit that seam against the safeties. This will loosen up the running game as the linebackers will need to drop back to worry about Pettigrew. Should also shake the double-coverage wide receivers Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt.

Lions have a hidden jewel in Pettigrew. There is a reason why they drafted him No. 20. He has the capabilities to become a very dangerous receiver and great safety valve in the same vein as Chris Cooley, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, and Jason Witten to name a few.

The upcoming game against the Packers could be his coming out party.

Detroit Lion Left Tackle Jeff Backus: Is He Really That Bad?

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:45:54 -0400

For many seasons, at least the past six, many Lions fans have been harping just how bad left tackle Jeff Backus is. I have been one of the many that have pleaded Detroit Lions front office personnel to draft an elite left tackle.

One thing that has bothered me is I never knew how Backus stacked up to other left tackles in the league until I found this site by STATS Hosted Solution. There are tons of football stat sites that will give you a lot of breakdowns but none really for offensive linemen.

So I took the time to create an Excel spreadsheet, go to each team site on NFL.com and check the depth chart as to who plays left tackle for each team in the NFL. The results are a bit mind-boggling.

Rather than list all 32 left tackles, I've limited to those that have played in 100 games. Backus has played 133 games with out missing any games due to injury. That would be about the best thing you could say about him.

Team Player Years Games Sacks Allowed Avg Sacks Per Year

Lions Backus 9 133 67.25 7.47

Vikings McKinnie 8 105 51 6.38

Patriots Light 9 118 56.75 6.31

Giants Diehl 7 101 42.5 6.07

Cardinals Gandy 9 100 44.75 4.97

Cowboys Adams 12 171 56.75 4.73

Bears Pace 13 162 58.5 4.50

Redskins Samuels 10 141 44.75 4.48

Seahawks Jones 13 180 57.25 4.40

There you have it folks...in black and white, this proves that Jeff Backus is indeed the worst starting left tackle in the National Football League.

One could argue that many of his sacks came while Mike Martz was the offensive coordinator. Disputing that is Orlando Pace who played under Martz's offense longer than any left tackle had a right to...and yet, there he is allowing a mere 4.48 sacks per year.

The Detroit Lions must open there eyes to the fact that Backus just isn't cutting it. The first round of the 2010 draft, the Lions need to focus on obtaining an elite left tackle with a talent level of Joe Thomas (who we could have had three years ago), Eugene Monroe (who we could have had last year) Sam Baker (who we could have had two years ago or Ryan Clady (who we could have had last year).

Release Backus, let him catch on with another team as a backup. If we are still under a long-term contract with him, move him inside to left guard.

But for the sake of keeping our quarterback alive, get him out of the left tackle position!

Detroit Lions Fans Need To Be Patient

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:11:27 -0400

I know this isn't going to be easy. But we are talking about the Detroit Lions, right?

This team is going through some serious growing pains. On top of that, the Lions have had to deal with decades of mismanagement, most notably from 2000 to 2008. Matt Millen's deconstruction of the Lions was epic.

Rather than write an article, yet again rehashing all of the pratfalls that have occurred in the past, I'd like to focus on the present and the future.

The Present

It is a given the 2009 Detroit Lions is an improvement over last years team. I'm fairly confident that all can agree on that. The question for this year is can this team compete? I know a lot of people would look at the current 1-3 record and say no. I beg to differ.

The first two games the Lions played were against the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings, two teams that have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Both of those teams have gone through their own lengthy rebuilding process.

In the game against the Saints, the Lions were definitley overmatched. The Saints offensive line dictated the game and Drew Brees, perhaps the hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, lit up the Lions while throwing for six touchdowns.

Up next came the Vikings and much focus was put on Adrian Peterson and the Viking running game. However, as much as I hate to admit, with the Vikings landing Bret Favre, they did make themselves a double threat. With an upgraded passing game, teams can no longer try to contain Peterson and force the Vikings to beat them with the pass.

But the question from the Saints game to the Vikings game I had was did the Lions improve from week one to week two. I would say yes they did. While they did get blown out by the Saints, they were more competitive against the Vikings. They actually held a 10-7 lead going into the half.

However, as Greg Eno points out in his latest article, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/266745-lions-once-again-kings-of-30-minute-football the Lions forgot to show up in the second half.

In week three, the Lions face the Washington Redskins. Everyone and their brother indicated this was THE game the Lions had the best chance to snap a 19-game losing streak. They did just that but still face a lot of criticism because of the level of team they beat. Despite that, the Lions played their best game in over two years. And more importantly, the won the game, something they hadn't done since 2007.

Last week, the Lions went to Soldier Field to play against the Chicago Bears. Hoping to ride the feel good momentum of finally achieving a victory, they played very well, especially in the first half and Matt Stafford had perhaps his best statistical game to date. But the Chicago defense made their adjustments coming out in the second half and the Lions didn't.

The Future

Nope, this isn't going to be a break down for the next 12 games. It will be more of a discussion of what the Lions need to focus on to continue to improve.

First and foremost, they need to keep starting Matthew Stafford. Yes, I know that I was against him starting but over the last two games against the Redskins and the Bears, I have seen enough of Stafford's talent and presence to admit that I was wrong about him. Stafford is going to be a difference maker for a long time barring any serious injury.

Let's also get out of the way that even of we did go with Dante Culpepper to start, I'm not so sure the Lions 1-3 record would be any different.

Outside of an elite left tackle, the offense is pretty much set. While Kevin Smith's 30 yard performance last week was less than stellar, he showed a lot of toughness playing through a shoulder injury while scoring two red-zone touchdowns. And he did put up 101 yards against the Redskins.

The receiving group is on par with most teams in the league. Calvin Johnson is the real deal but to shake him loose to allow him to be the playmaker that he is, other receivers such as Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt and Brandon Pettigrew need to make defenses pay for double and triple teaming up on CJ.

The defense is where the Lions are hurting, most notably the defensive line. While no longer at the bottom of the barrel, being ranked 21st overall doesn't give a whole lot of people warm and fuzzy feelings.

But there have been improvements there as well.

Detroit Lions had four interceptions all of last year and only one of those was by the secondary. This year, they have two so far and encouragingly enough, both by members of the secondary.

Middle linebacker play has improved as well with the addition of Larry Foote and Julian Peterson. Both have provided the much needed leadership that Ernie Sims was unable to provide. At least the defense doesn't look lost as much as they did last year. Players are running to the ball and swarming more. However, missed tackles and bad angles have burned them.

The defensive line is still a huge question mark and should be the focus for the Lions in next year's draft. They are getting to the quarterback as they have seven sacks over four games but that's not nearly enough pressure. They never got near Brees, sacked Favre twice and Jason Campbell once. With four sacks against the Bears, that was the best they have done in a while. But the game was pretty much out of hand for any of those sacks to make a difference.

So Lions fans, we need to cut these guys some slack. Schwartz, Linehan and Cunningham are restoring lost confidence and Martin Mayhew will be responsible for undoing all of the damage that Matt Millen caused over the last eight years.

Look for the Lions to improve over the next 12 games. They will compete and they should beat teams like St. Louis and Cleveland. They might even be able to beat the Seattle Seahawks since they aren't near as good as they were advertised.

Have patience...let the Lions players develop and by the end of the year, they may have more wins then anyone predicted.

Detroit Lions: So What Really Went Wrong Against the Bears?

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:57:10 -0400

Being out here on the West Coast and being way to cheap to plunk down $200 for the NFL Package, I can only see updates of Lions games online or wait for the highlights. Neither of which really gives you a good indication of what really went on.

But as I look at the stats, I have to wonder what really went wrong?

Passing

Stafford: 24 for 36, 296 yards, 1TD, 1 INT
Cutler: 18 for 28, 141 yards, 2TD, 0 INT

Statistically, Stafford beat out Cutler right? But in my eyes, the edge goes to Cutler because he threw 2 TD's and ran for another. But another strong performance by Stafford and he would have had his first 300 yard game if he hadn't left the game early.

Third down efficiency

Lions: 7/17 41% Bears: 2/10 20%

Detroit moved the chains...sustained some drives and it looks like the defense did OK against the Bears, allowing them to only convert twice on 10 attempts. I can only conclude the Bears had some huge plays on first and second downs.

The Lions' defense gave up one long run by Forte of 61 yards which was half of his 121 yards. Take out that run and he still averaged 5.45 yards per carry. Forte must have been rushing for huge chunks since he only carried the ball 12 times.

Time of Possession

Lions: 36:30 Bears: 23:30

Lions had the ball 13 more minutes than the Bears. They kept the Chicago offense off the field. Unfortunately, our defense was on the field at the same time. Game was tied 21-21 at the half. Special teams gave up a 102-yard TD return to Johnny Knox which pretty much sealed the deal.

Offense could not respond as the Bears defense woke up and the Lions defense fell asleep. Bears struck at will in the second half.

Total Net Yards

Lions: 398 yards Bears 276 yards

Detroit out-gained the Bears by 122 yards. That, combined with winning time of possession, generally means you are controlling the ball, right? Calvin Johnson had a huge day, with eight catches for 133 yards and Stafford distributed the ball well, hitting 10 different receivers.

But only Will Heller caught a touchdown pass, and Cutler played just as well and hit two different receivers for touchdowns.

Net Rushing Yards

Lions: 90 Yards Bears: 151 Yards

This is one part where the game was decided. Kevin Smith, after getting 106 yards against the Redskins, ran for only 30 yards in 19 attempts. A 1.5 average yards-per-carry is paltry. The positive side is that he did score twice. But the team, as a whole, only attempted to rush the ball 26 times for a minuscule 90 yards.

Not rushing the ball effectively played right into the Bears defense. And while Stafford did statistically have his best day so far, the Bears sacked him five times.

Net Passing Yards

Lions: 308 yards Bears: 125 yards

Bears passed only when they needed to. And why would they throw when their running game was so effective? The Bears, as a team, had only 20 rushing attempts but with an average of 7.55 yards per carry, you are not going to need many attempts to get down the field.

Cutler’s longest pass was 25 yards, so the secondary was doing an adequate job. But the front seven, mainly the defensive line, allowed huge holes for Forte and Company to run for daylight.

Summary

The Lions offensive statistics showed they played well enough to win this game. Normally, scoring 24 points is enough to win. What isn't cutting it is the defense giving up 33-plus points per game.

I'm not as worried about the offense as I used to be. Seems like Stafford is the real deal (yeah, I know, it's only been four games but he's improved every game. The kid is going to be special), Kevin Smith, while falling flat against the Bears, still scored two touchdowns and showed some toughness by getting through his shoulder injury.

This season, the Lions will fine tune the offense as best it can and put up with the sorry excuse for a defense. The 2010 draft, I'm sure, will be defense-oriented where I hope they can get an elite pass rusher as well as a run stuffing defensive tackle.

Beer Thinker's Rant: The Detroit Lions Did Beat an NFL Team

Seattle Lion Fan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:40:09 -0400

I have just about had it with some of the comments being made about the Lions first victory since 2007.

The last time I looked, the Washington Redskins were a member of the National Football League, right?

The Lions finally put a good, not great, game together minimized their mistakes, ran the ball very well, played decent defense, and Matthew Stafford had his best game in his short career as a starting QB for the Detroit Lions.

And yet there are some out there that aren't giving credit where credit is due.

Little snide comments such as "Let's remember who they were playing," and, "It wasn't like they beat the Indianapolis Colts, this was the Redskins they beat."

Now I know how the Washington Generals must have felt when they would register a rare win against the Harlem Globetrotters.

It's not enough the Lions showed improvement. Those that think a valid win must be over an elite team are nothing more than armchair critics.

And to add insult to injury, there are Washington Redskin fans that want Jim Zorn's head on a platter simply because he lost to another NFL team. Sure, it was against the Lions who hadn't had a victory in 19 games.

Yes, it was against a team that went 0-16 last year. And no doubt everyone knows the turmoil this team has endured since William Clay Ford, Sr. bought the team in 1961.

But the Lions, like the Redskins, are a team in the National Football League.

Was the expectation the Lions were never to win again? Was the expectation to validate their improvements if they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in two weeks? Would that victory count for any more or less than the victory over the Redskins?

Without a doubt, the victory over the Redskins doesn't mean the Lions have suddenly turned it around. They still have quite a road to travel. And one of the first things on the list was to win a game. Mission accomplished.

This win takes the worry away from losing 20 straight.

This win removes a stigma that the Lions can't win a game.

This win gives the fans a modicum of hope that further improvement is on its way.

This win was over an NFL team, not over the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Lions Win! Lions Win! OK, Now What?

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:57:02 -0400

Finally. After two years of not winning a game, the Lions are off the snide.

And please, this victory over the Washington Redskins should not be discounted because the Redskins are a bad team. Remember folks, we were that "bad team" 19 freaking times in a row.

Classy move on Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz to have the team go back out onto Ford Field to share the victory with the fans. Schwartz said in his post-game locker room talk to the Lions that they owed something to the community and this win is as much the fans as it is the teams.

So the Lions got a win...and they beat a team they were supposed to beat. It wasn't pretty but there were some marked improvements. I didn't actually see the game only some of the highlights and statistics.

And did my eyes deceive me when I saw the Lions made a nice defensive stop on the Redskins and promptly drove 99 yards for a touchdown? I don't care who the team you are playing against, that is not a common occurrence.

Kudos to the rookie QB Matthew Stafford who went 21-of-36, 241 yards and ZERO, NADA, ZILCH INTERCEPTIONS.

Kudos to Kevin Smith going 101 yards on 16 carries for 6.3 yards per carry average.

Kudos to the other Johnson, Bryant getting 73 yards on 4 catches and a real nice catch for a score (that I saw on the highlights).

Kudos to Megatron for putting in a solid game, 5 catches for 49 yards. Still got to get him the ball more though.

Kudos to Ko Simpson on a timely interception.

Kudos to the defense for holding Clinton Portis to 42 yards and the huge 4-and-1 stop in the first quarter.

It feels good to finally write something good about the Detroit Lions. I don't think they will beat Chicago next week at Soldier Field. But the Lions have to feel a whole lot better about themselves. For one game, the hung together as a team and won as a team. They have shown improvement each week.

Who knows what happens when a team gets hot. Does this win mean the Lions are on a roll? Let's not get to giddy here. We all know how well they have played on the road in recent history. The last time the Lions won in Soldier Field was October 28, 2007 with a 16-7 victory. In fact, the Lions actually swept the Bears that season as they beat them 37-27 on September 30th, 2007.

All right, the 800 pound gorilla is off your collective backs. Keep improving, give the Chicago Bears a good scare and if you can, surprise the hell out of everyone and win two games in a row!

How Lions Owner William Clay Ford Sr. Could Learn from Mike Ilitch

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:59:27 -0400

If any of you get Sports Illustrated, I urge you to read the article by Lee Jenkins about what owner Mike Ilitch and the Detroit Tigers are giving the City of Detroit.

Since the end of spring training, unemployment as hit 23 percent, the average price of a home is $12,000, and the Tigers calculated that ticket sales were down 13,000.

Despite these depressing numbers is that Comerica Park is filled with fans because Ilitch decided to take an aggressive approach to improve the team instead of having a fire sale like other small-market teams, such as the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates.

So how does all this translate into a Detroit Lions article, you ask?

As I read through the article, one statement that Jenkins quoted in the article from another major league executive about the Detroit Tigers owner struck home. "Their owner doesn't operate from a profit and loss standpoint. He treats the team more like a public trust."

When has William Clay Ford Sr. ever even remotely given the impression that the Lions are a public trust? Ilitch endured a 119-loss season, but the fans hardly gave him the ration of pain given to William Clay Ford.

Why? Because Ilitch did something about it. He and his staff went out and worked their collective tails off to improve the team. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski is quoted in the article as saying Ilitch's "philosophy is never assume the answer is no." He built that 2003 franchise that lost 119 games to a World Series team in 2007.

Jenkins points out that Ilitch is consumed by two causes, neither of which is conducive to turning a profit: Turning around Detroit and winning the World Series.

What do we get from William Clay Ford Sr.? On June 25, 2009, he gave a rare interview. When asked about the 0-16 season last year, his response was "I thought it was horrible every time we'd lose. I'd go, 'Oh, geez.' For those who walked away, I couldn't blame them. It really wasn't much fun to watch. People were getting fed up, and I don't blame them a bit."

He accepts the Lions failures as his own for letting the franchise sink to its current depths. The bad thing is that it’s taken him over 45 years to figure it out. Ilitch knew had to give something back to the fans much sooner.

Ford has taken from the fans, and since he rarely speaks publicly, we have little idea how he feels being considered one of the worst owners in professional sports. Don't know how much one can read into "oh geez."

Ilitch gets it. He understands what a successful sports franchise means in times like these. It trickles down to the players. They know they are getting paid salaries that would take care of 50 unemployed workers for 10 years. So they hustle after everything...they run out ground balls, they sacrifice themselves to move the runner over...they do whatever it takes to win.

Ford has done nothing but take from his team's fans. He doesn't understand the concept that, despite the lousy product he has been responsible for year after year, he still has one of the best fan bases an owner could ask for.

One tidbit of information that I didn't know was that Ilitch convinced Bill Ford Jr. to build Ford Field next to Comerica. I don't know what other sites were being considered, but this shows how much Ilitch believes in the city...and just how much Ford takes it for granted.

It takes quite a bit to get me steamed. I am a huge fan of the Detroit Lions and damn proud of it. And in my estimation, Mr. Ford is a complete idiot.

The jury is still out on just how improved the Lions are this year...no one is picking them to win more than six games. But since 1961, his first year of sole ownership, he has done nothing to build a championship team.

He wasted the best running back to ever play the game...all he need to do was to open the pocket book a bit, get him a quarterback worth a darn and a defense to get the ball back, and I almost guarantee the Lions would have been in the Super Bowl sometime in the 1990s.

I really, really hope that he's got it right this time. I hope that he allows winning football games to be the driving factor rather than a profit and loss statement.

As for the Detroit Tigers, go get 'em, boys. Bring home a World Series trophy for the City of Detroit.

Detroit Lions Need to Change Offensive Play Calling

Seattle Lion Fan — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:32:29 -0400

The photo of Matthew Stafford says it all. That is not a happy camper.

But Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan should take a look at the game film but look at what the Vikings did offensively instead of what the Lions did.

They adjusted to the Lions defense. They went with a short passing game that used bubble screens, quick slants and underneath routes.

With the weapons the Lions have on offense such as Calvin Johnson and Dennis Northcut catching those quick slants, Brandon Pettigrew and Kevin Smith used on bubble screens and underneath routes, the pressure would be off Matthew Stafford to make the big plays down the field.

The Lions focus should be to get the ball into the play makers hands. I would love to see CJ with 10-15 catches a game but with a ton of YAC (Yards After Catch).

Brandon Pettigrew had a solid game but only four receptions. He showed some toughness on one of those catches when he caught a screen pass and pretty much on his own got the first down.

Yeah, I know, Stafford has the big arm and Linehan's offense likes to push down field. But what really needs to be done right now is to worry about every 10 yards. Move the chains. Use your play makers and allow them to get your yardage.

Sure, you have to take your shots down field. But with this type of offense, you can pick and choose when to unleash that big arm and hit a 40- to 50-yarder to Johnson on a go-route or a post pattern.

Screen passes are a great extension of a running game. If done properly, the running back has better opportunities to find creases on a screen pass than trying to run it up the gut all the time. And it allows the offensive line to keep pushing out, get in space and clear some lanes.

Quick hitting pass plays will cut down on Stafford's turnover ratio but increase his confidence. It keeps the offense on the field longer and just wears a defense down.

Stafford does have the makings of becoming a great quarterback. And regardless of any doubt people had of taking him over Sanchez, I really don't think Sanchez would have fared any better with the Lions.

The Lions biggest weakness is their defense. Best way to mask that is to have clock killing drives with a low-risk short game. Keep the opposing defense on the field for as long as possible.

An Old Familiar Tune: Detroit Lions Lose Again

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:23:38 -0400

Damn, damn, damn...just when you think something good is going to happen, reality decides to slap you hard in the face and say, "Wake up dummy...it ain't gonna happen today!"

Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings wasn't all gloom and doom, but it's getting a little tiring to talk about moral victories or how certain areas of the team has improved.

Moral victories don't win football games.

Good Points

The Detroit Lions' defense did a decent job on Sunday; they held Adrian Peterson to 92 yards and Brett Favre to 155 yards passing.

Unfortunately, Peterson and Favre still did enough damage between them to account for three touchdowns. The Lions had Favre under the gun for much of the first half, but as good teams will do, they adjusted the game plan and used bubble screens, quick slants, and underneath routes to move the ball. This opened up the running game more for Peterson and allowed the Vikings to control the clock.

Kevin Smith continues to run hard, getting 84 yards on 24 carries. Matt Stafford tossed his first career touchdown pass, a nice eight-yard flip to Calvin Johnson. However, he tossed career interceptions four and five.

Call me crazy, but I think he needs improvement in this area. Stafford was 18-of-30 for 152 yards...not setting the world on fire just yet are we?

Bad Points

Despite holding the Vikings off for most of the first half, the Lions allowed the Vikings to march down the field with Favre hitting Visanthe Shiancoe with a one-yard touchdown pass.

Even worse, the Lions received the ball to start the second half and promptly went three-and-out, while the Vikings responded with a field goal to tie the game at 10.

If you look at the statistics of this game, the Lions and Vikings played pretty much even (these are all based on net yards per NFL.com):

Rush Yards: Vikings 112 yards, Lions 129 yards

Total First Downs: Vikings 18, Lions 17

Passing Yards: Vikings 153 yards, Lions 136 yards

Average Gain on Passing Plays: Vikings 4.9, Lions 4.2

Penalties: Vikings 5-for-43 yards, Lions 6-for-45 yards

Time of Possession: Vikings 29:35, Lions 30:25

The main difference, the Vikings were able to get the ball into the end zone when they had the opportunities. Stafford's two interceptions were drive killers and Kevin Smith fumbling the ball with the game tied 10-10 allowed the Vikings to kick a field goal, which pretty much sealed the game.

Good teams bounce back. But from what I could catch of the game, the minute the Vikings recovered Smith's fumble, the Lions began playing on eggshells. It became even more apparent after Longwell knocked the ball through the uprights from 47 yards.

2009 is going to be a season where Lions fans are going to grope for anything good. However, a win may be a ways off. They might have a shot against the Washington Redskins who held off the Saint Louis Rams 9-7 on Sunday.

But after that, they face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Pretty soon, articles are going to come out saying we need to fire Schwartz or perhaps there will be a fire Mayhew movement started. Or even better yet, passionate pleas to William Clay Ford, Sr. to sell the team.

I'm still rooting for the Detroit Lions...that can't be helped, it's hardwired into my DNA. However, that doesn't mean I won't lose faith.

Lions-Vikings: Beer Thinker's Week Two Preview

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:32:55 -0400

What is the best metaphor for the Lions after having been defeated by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, only to now face Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings?

Out of the frying pan and into the fire seems best suited.

While the outcome of last week's game was similar to games played last season, there is a consensus the Lions have improved. Special teams had two good returns to give the Lions good field position, which resulted in 10 of the 27 points scored. Louis Delmas picked up a fumble and ran 65 yards for the score, resulting in another seven points.

While I agree that overall the team play has improved, a loss is still a loss.

Vikings on Offense

The Vikings picked up Brett Favre, and anyone who is a Viking and/or a Favre fan has put the Vikings into the Super Bowl. Favre, while still able to throw the ball better than 95 percent of the quarterbacks in the NFL, has admitted that he doubts his own durability.

He has changed his mindset from being the all-out gunslinger to just managing the game. His 14-of-21 completions, 110 yards, and one touchdown against the Browns showed that. But with a running back like Peterson rushing for 180 yards and three touchdowns, he doesn't need to do much else.

The Lions did keep Peterson out of the end zone in the two games played last year, thought he did rush for 216 over those two games. Both of those games were probably Detroit's best defensive efforts as the Lions lost by a combined six points.

Vikings on Defense

The Vikings defense had a solid game last week against the Cleveland Browns. They are currently ranked 11th overall (10th against the pass and 19th against the run). However, they did give up 20 points to Brady Quinn and the Browns, an offense that, like the Lions, has been struggling. They allowed one passing touchdown and held the Browns' rushing game to 89 yards.

Lions on Offense

One thing the Lions did well last week against the Saints was protect Matt Stafford as they gave up only one sack. Stafford had a lot of opportunities to complete passes, but his accuracy was off. But even at that, there weren't many wobbly passes. He was throwing nice, tight spirals, even if they did go into the ground.

He did show flashes of his capabilities in hooking up with Calvin Johnson on a nice 64-yard reception, but they have got to get the ball in CJ's hands more than three times a game.

Kevin Smith had 72 total yards, but only 20 of them rushing. He did run hard but had only 15 rushing attempts. The jury is still out on the new offensive blocking scheme. Brandon Pettigrew has to be more involved, and Stafford must protect the ball better than he did with his three interceptions last week.

Lions on Defense

Pretty simple: Stop Adrian Peterson. But as everyone in the NFL is finding out, that is way easier said than done. If the Lions were smart, they would have a linebacker shadow Peterson on every play and rotate between Ernie Sims, Larry Foote, and Julian Peterson.

If they can get the Vikings to pass the ball more, then the game falls into Brett Favre's hands.

But Favre has been a Lion killer his whole career. However, as the link above shows, he's not sure he can last the whole season.

In this article, Favre is quoted as saying, "I probably don't move around as well as I used to. I don't think I trust my legs as much as I used to, and I think in all honesty I'm not physically capable as I once was."

If the Lions can hold back the Peterson tsunami and force the Vikings into a passing game, they will need to attack Favre. It's their best chance to win for the first time since 2007.

Prediction

Ah, what the heck—I am an optimist. Lions 21, Vikings 17.

Salud!

Detroit Lions' Home Opener Not Sold Out: Can You Blame the Fans?

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:56:09 -0400

In the "Extra Points" section of the Detroit Free Press, I came across this information:

The Lions aren't saying exactly how many, but there are seats available for Sunday's game.

If the game isn't sold out by 1 p.m. Thursday, it will be the first local TV blackout of the season.

In an effort to prod sales, the Lions have offered $78 tickets to Ford employees for just $30.

Cash for clunkers?

Being a big fan of the Lions for so many years, my first reaction to this was to be mad at the fans. But then reality set in.

Lions fans have endured mediocre teams for decades.

Lions fans have endured the fiasco known as the Matt Millen era, which in my opinion should be renamed the second Dark Ages.

Lions fans have endured William Clay Ford, Sr. for 45 years and his continuous non-involvement and non-accountability for the team's failures.

Lions fans endured perhaps their most humiliating event, the 0-16 season of 2008, which could be the third Dark Ages.

The Lions had numerous blackouts last year, which we all hoped would send a strong message to Mr. Ford: Your product sucks, and you need to fix it. But many of us had been saying that for years.

They didn't do themselves any favors by losing 45-27 last week. The defense was the main scapegoat in allowing Drew Brees to throw touchdowns at will and Mike Bell to run for a career-high 143 yards.

It's not going to get any easier with the Vikings and the Adrian Peterson/Brett Favre show coming to town either.

I can't blame the Detroit fans for not showing up. Being a native Detroiter, I can relate to what the economic status is in the area. But I find that the Detroit fans don't mind spending their hard-earned money provided that what they are paying for is worth it.

For the last decade, the Lions have been shaming the fans. They are presenting a Ford Pinto in a Lincoln Continental body. Still, if it looks like crap and smells like crap, then it's still pretty much crap, right?

So I don't blame the fans for not shelling out the big bucks for a crappy team. Despite all of the changes, most of which I support and will continue to support, the Lions are still a crappy team.

Sure, they showed some fire and heart in the New Orleans game. But that doesn't put butts in the seats. Start winning some games and the fans will come back. Have a winning streak and they will go nuts. Get to the playoffs and Ford Field will become a madhouse.

But let's start small...just get the first win.

Detroit Lions Going Through Growing Pains

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:42:23 -0400

Ouch.

That about sums up the Detroit Lions' first real game of the 2009 season against the New Orleans Saints.

Matthew Stafford made his debut, and it was, how shall we say, underwhelming? Sixteen for 37 for 205 yards and three interceptions.

It wasn't that Stafford was throwing bad-looking passes. They were tight spirals that just happened to end up in New Orleans Saints' arms.

Stafford's accuracy will be criticized for a long time until he starts hitting passes like the great looking hook-up with Calvin Johnson on a regular basis.

And just what did we all expect to have happen? All those who were in favor of starting Stafford, let me be the first to tell you, there will be more games like this until Stafford gets it.

But the 45-27 trouncing did have some bright spots:

* The aforementioned 64-yard completion to Calvin Johnson;

* Jason Hanson back and going a perfect 3-for-3 on his field goals, including a 47-yarder;

* Louis Delmas recovering a fumble and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown;

* And Stafford was sacked only once.

But where was the running game? Where was the offensive line that showed such promise in the preseason? Where was the defense?

Ah yes, the defense—an area that was largely ignored in the 2009 draft as the Lions decided to focus on offense.

No sacks on Drew Brees, which is not really surprising as he was only sacked 13 times last year, but cripes, I don't think they laid a hand on him the whole game.

The secondary was literally abused by Brees, most notably Eric King, who was in for the injured Phillip Buchanon. Granted, he is a backup, but to say that he was lit up is an understatement.

Allowing Brees to throw six touchdown passes indicates two very real and ongoing issues that are impeding the Lions from moving forward:

1. No pass rush—Despite upgrading the linebackers with Julian Peterson and Larry Foote, it made little difference. The Saints' offensive line had their way with the Lions' front four, and Brees had all kinds of time to find his receivers...and find them he did by going 26-of-34, 358 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.

2. Weak secondary—With no pass rush to force bad or hurried throws, the secondary is exposed for what it is: weak.

There are many other areas, such as no run defense. Reggie Bush was held to seven yards, but Mike Bell rumbled for 143 yards.

But let's be clear. I doubt that even if Daunte Culpepper had started this game, the outcome would not have been any different. Oh, the Lions might not have lost by as much, but they still would have lost.

I know I had predicted the Lions winning between six to eight games this year...but now I'm not so sure. They won't go winless; at least I hope not.

The Lions are in a steep learning curve, and I believe Jim Schwartz, Scott Linehan, and Gunther Cunningham are the right coaches to get the Lions in the right direction.

I'm also pretty sure that due to this performance, the Lions are going to be doing wind sprints until they fall over.

But I'm not as worried about the offense as I am the defense. The Lions did score 27 points, and most of the time, that's going to win you some games.

But giving up 515 yards, 28 first downs, and six touchdown passes won't get you a seat at the Super Bowl unless you are buying a ticket.

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints: A Beer Thinker's Week One Preview

Seattle Lion Fan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:45:11 -0400

Well, here we are Lions fans...opening game of the Detroit Lions 2009 NFL season.

Coming off the worst seasons ever to be played, the Lions have improved in many areas, most notably on defense in the linebacking and secondary areas. The defensive line is still suspect. Still, they finished ninth in the preseason overall.

But with only six sacks, they are still having problems getting to the quarterback. On a high note, they did have four interceptions in the preseason, matching their total for all of the 2008 season.

Matthew Stafford has been named the starter against the Saints. With the new offensive blocking scheme in place, the Lions are going to rely heavily on running backs Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris to move the chains and control the clock. Calvin Johnson will be a target when the Lions elect to take their shots downfield but tight ends Will Heller and rookie Brandon Pettigrew will have to step up in critical third down situations.

New Orleans on offense: Unless you have been on the planet Mars for the past few years, the Saints are going to pass the ball. Drew Brees had a fantastic year in 2008, throwing for 5,069 yards, 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a passer rating of 96.2.

The running game will be shouldered by Reggie Bush now that Deuce McAllister is no longer with the team.

However, Bush has been bothered by knee injuries and has never really established himself as an every down back. No question he is the most dangerous on screen and swing passes which plays into the Saints passing game.

Marques Colston is looking to rebound from last year and Devery Henderson will look to maintain his consistently solid seasons.

New Orleans on defense: For the moment, the Saints defense is licking their chops looking forward to lining up against a rookie quarterback. Defensive end Bobby McCray wants to "break his spirit" and force Stafford into 3rd-and-long situations and hopefully force turnovers.

While the offense lit it up last year, the defense was spotty at best. Head coach Sean Payton brought in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from the Washington Redskins to re-vamp it. Expect more blitz packages in order to confuse Stafford.

Detroit Lions on offense: The Matthew Stafford era will begin in New Orleans. However, don't expect too much from Stafford in his first game. The Lions will be looking to control the clock to keep the explosive Saints offense off the field and that means a healthy dose of Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris.

Stafford has the big arm and Schwartz will take his shots downfield to Calvin Johnson but for the most part, expect crossing patterns by the wide-receivers in the 15-20 yard range and for the tight ends to play a huge part on 3rd-down situations.

Detroit Lions on defense: Perhaps the most suspect unit from 2008 and rightfully so. Ranked 27th against the pass and dead last against the run, most teams, including these New Orleans Saints, scored at will against the Lions.

However, gone is the ineffective Tampa-Two defense and most of the players that ex-coach Rod Marinelli wanted. In comes new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham with more focus on attacking the quarterback and an increase in blitz packages.

The Lions improved the secondary by drafting hard-hitting Louis Delmas and getting Phillip Buchanon from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lions will need to get Drew Brees on his back and hold the Saints to as many three and outs as they can. It was hard to get to Brees last year as he was sacked only 13 times.

Prediction: If the Lions can control the clock and keep the Saints offense on the sidelines, they win 21-17. If not, Saints could blow it out and win by as many as three to four touchdowns.

Ah football...LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

Daunte Culpepper Showing Some Class in Supporting Stafford As Lions' Starting QB

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:25:03 -0400

For all you Dante Culpepper haters out there, you have to give the man credit.

He's showing a lot of class and doing his best not to upset any team chemistry.

Culpepper released the following statement through the Detroit Lions:

“Now that the debate is over and the decision has been made regarding the starting quarterback in Detroit, I would like to make the following statement today so that tomorrow I can put all of my energy into helping our team prepare for our opponent.

“The reason I agreed to restructure my contract in order to stay in Detroit was because I knew that I would have a chance to have a full offseason for the first time in over three years. I also knew that I would have an opportunity to finally compete against whoever the Lions brought in whether via free agency, trade, or the draft.

When the Lions selected Matthew Stafford first overall I was excited. My position is that if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Coach Schwartz gave me a fair opportunity to compete for the starting job and now the decision has been made that Matt is the best quarterback in Detroit.

I support the decision and I am ready to settle into my role. Matt is a great guy and a talented young quarterback. I am confident that he will lead this team to plenty of victories in Detroit for a long time to come. I look forward to helping Matt in that mission in any way that I can this year.

My role as his backup is not to be seen unless needed and not to be heard from unless required. The Lions organization has treated me with respect and class and they can expect the same from me.”

Like it or not, Schwartz named Matthew Stafford the starting quarterback on Monday. Culpepper could be pouting right now, but he's elected to take the high road and be as supportive as he can be and be ready in case Stafford falters.

This will take a lot of pressure off Stafford. He will have the chance to learn the offense and get used to NFL defenses.

I'm still unsure of Schwartz's decision to make Stafford the starter. However, for the 2009 season, the Lions are in pretty good shape. They realize they aren't going to be a contender this year, so get the rookie some reps and see what he can do...and take him out if it gets too embarrassing.

Props to Culpepper for being a team player.

Matt Stafford To Start for Lions: Prelude to Disaster or Stroke of Genius?

Seattle Lion Fan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:12:08 -0400

What the heck happened in Lionland?

I go away for one long weekend with friends to get away from phones, email, and any computer, only to come back and see that Matt Stafford has been named the starter for the Detroit Lions.

I am, among many Lions supporters, a proponent to have Stafford watch and learn the offense, and allow Culpepper to run the team until the bye week.

The first six games are going to be the toughest part of the schedule.

New Orleans is going to be a track meet, and perhaps that will allow Stafford the best chance for a good statistical game.

The Saints were rated 23rd overall in team defense last year, (23rd in passing and 17th in rushing). The way the Saints put points on the board, it is an awful lot to ask of a defense—that was lousy last year—to keep the score close. It is even more to ask a rookie QB to keep pace with the Saints, especially at the Superdome.

Next up are the Vikings.

Granted, the Lions were able to keep running back Adrian Petersen in check in 2008, but now they have QB Brett Favre, who has pretty much had his way with Detroit. On top of that, the Vikings were rated the sixth best defense last year. Still, in the two games played last year, the Lions lost by a total of six points.

Week three sees the Lions come up against the Washington Redskins, the No. 4 ranked defense in 2008. It's not going to be any easier with Albert Haynesworth added to the mix; a huge test for the OL line here.

The Lions are at Soldier Field in week four to face Jay Cutler and the Bears.

If the Lions secondary can reel in Devin Hester and the linebackers keep Matt Forte from running wild, they just might have a shot.

Week five, and the Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh Steelers are in town.

Facing the No. 1 defense from 2008, the Steel Curtain hasn't changed all that much. About the only way a team has a chance against the Steelers is to hope they play over-aggressively. Calvin Johnson is going to have to come up big in this game as will rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew.

Week six brings the Lions to the (in my best Chris Berman imitation) the "frozen tundra of Lambeau Field." The Lions haven't won here since 1991 and they want a rookie QB to change all that?

The first six games don't bode well for a rookie QB trying to get experience.

I would imagine that Culpepper will be ready to go in each of these games in case Stafford falters, and I'm sure he will, which is one of the main reasons why I feel starting Stafford now is a mistake.

A QB has to feel that the team is his no matter how bad or how good things are going. The mere fact the Lions have Culpepper waiting in the wings is going to put additional pressure on Stafford to perform.

Stafford will feel that he has to be perfect, otherwise he is going to get benched in favor of Culpepper. And when perfection is forced, mistakes happen—and bad ones.

If Stafford is going to be the starter, the Lions should release Culpepper and let the chips fall where they may. Tell Stafford this is his team, win or lose, and the only way he doesn't play is if he gets hurt.

It may have disastrous short-term effects, but in the grand scheme of things we might have a better QB for the next six years.

And please, before anyone starts throwing names around like Joey Harrington, Andre Ware, and Chuck Long, Stafford isn't them. If he fails, he fails as Matthew Stafford. And if he succeeds, he does so as Matthew Stafford.

2009 is yet another rebuilding year for the Lions. When haven't the Lions been in a rebuilding year?

Yet, this feels different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but my gut tells me the Lions are going to be moving forward this year.

Yeah, I know, how can they not after an 0-16 season? There are still so many questions regarding the Lions, most notably, the O-line, the D-line, and the secondary.

Regardless of who is named the starting QB, the Lions still have a long climb ahead of them.

I only hope the choice to make Stafford the starter doesn't come back to bite the Lions in their collective rear-end.

Jim Schwartz: Finally, a Detroit Lions Head Coach Speaks the Truth!

Seattle Lion Fan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:50:55 -0400

Jim Schwartz has come out and done something that previous head coaches in the Lions recent past haven't: he told the Lions fans the truth. When asked at a luncheon held Wednesday at the Detroit Economic Club on what he could say to give the fans hope, he stated:

"Can't say anything. It's actions—actions speak louder than words. You guys don't need a new slogan. You don't need a new billboard. That stuff doesn't last. It's doing the right thing, having a well-arranged plan, having a vision."

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20090903/SPORTS01/909030577/1049/rss14/Lions-coach--No-slogans--just-action-this-year

Finally, a Lions head coach that cuts through the bull.

No Rod Marinelli saying over and over to "pound the rock."

No Steve Marriucci blaming players for not "getting it" in regard to the West Coast offense.

No Marty Mornhinweg giving up the ball in overtime because of wind conditions.

Schwartz is going to lead this team like no other Lions head coach has done before. They may not win at first but they will be a well-disciplined team. Mistakes will not be tolerated more than once.

It's already trickled down to the coordinators. Gunther Cunningham's tirade after the Cleveland Browns game regarding the ineffective tackling was proof of that.

Detroit Lions fans can finally have a head coach they can respect. He isn't going to blow sunshine up anybody's skirt. He will give us what we've always wanted: the truth, and some wins.

Will This Be a Year of Redemption for Matt Hasselbeck?

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:26:51 -0400

Last year had to drive Matt Hasselbeck to drink...a lot.

From 2003 to 2007, Hasselbeck had been the quarterback who took the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs five straight years and won the NFC West Division four years in a row.

In 2005, Hasselbeck started all 16 games, threw for 3,459 yards, 24 TDs against nine interceptions and a passer rating of 98.2 while leading Seattle to a 13-3 season and a Super Bowl appearance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2007 wasn't a bad year for Hasselbeck either. Playing in all 16 games, he threw for 3,966 yards, 28 TDs against 12 INTs and a stellar 91.4 passer rating, guiding the Hawks to their fourth straight division title.

Last year, the wheels fell off for Hasselbeck. Twisting his back in an Aug. 8, 2008 preseason game turned into a bulging disk in his lower back. He missed the rest of the preseason but did start the regular season.

But the injury to his back limited his effectiveness and the Seahawks elected to shut him down for most of the season.

2008 proved that as goes Matt Hasselbeck, so go the Seattle Seahawks. Watching Hasselbeck on the sidelines during the games, you could just see that it was driving him nuts not to be on the field.

For 2009, this has to be a season of redemption for Hasselbeck. After missing nine games last year, he's had a strong preseason, completing 38 of 59 passes, throwing four TDs, and posting a 111.7 passer rating.

Look for Hasselbeck to come back to his form from 2003 to 2007. The Arizona Cardinals may be the darling of the NFC West right now, but the Seahawks are going to fight hard to gain the top spot again.

Matt Hasselbeck is going to have a lot to do with their success.

An Open Letter to Brandon Marshall

Seattle Lion Fan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:46:03 -0400

Dear Mr. Marshall,

On behalf of the many fans outside (and maybe inside) the Denver area, I would like to ask you to quit behaving like an ass.

Case in point: Prior to your suspension for insubordination, there were three classless acts that sent a loud message to your teammates and the rest of the NFL teams that might have an interest in your services.

Act I: Walking in practice while the rest of your team was running. Way to show unity with the team. Your issue of being unhappy with your current contract should not carry over to what is being done on the field.

Act II: Swatting away passes rather than catching them. Yeah, that will show them you mean business. What are you, 12 years old and pissed off at your parents because they won't let you stay up for an extra hour on a school night?

Act III: Punting a ball instead of handing it over to a ball boy. Even more childish than swatting away passes. I may have given you too much credit by asking if you were 12!

Look, I understand that you feel underappreciated and became upset when the Bronco's traded away Jay Cutler. I don't think any wide receiver with your talent would be happy with the wounded ducks that Kyle Orton throws.

I also understand that you feel you are underpaid compared to receivers at your level such as Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, and Randy Moss. By that same token, you did sign a four-year contract and since you performed so well, your salary for 2009 went from $535,000 to $2.2 million.

And yet you pout, walk in practice, swat balls away, and punt balls down field in frustration.

Consider those wide receivers that are on the cusp of being cut by teams. They would give anything to have 1/8 of your talent to just play the game.

This is the last year of your contract. Rather than be a petulant child, suck it up, start catching passes and scoring touchdowns instead of bitching about "only" getting $2.2 million dollars. Do you not understand the gift and luck that you have that millions of Americans do not?

As a selfish child, I wouldn't imagine that you would. After all, it is all about Brandon, isn't it?

I submit to you, Mr. Marshall, to man-up, apologize to Coach McDaniels, to your teammates, and to the rest of the NFL. Then, get out there and practice your tail off and put up some huge numbers so that other teams will take notice come free agent time.

It's not too late to view this as a bump in the road in your career. People screw up, but the good ones see the error of their ways and correct them.

So quit acting like a baby, apologize for your stupidity, shut up, and start playing football.

Sincerely,

A fan of the game

Detroit Lions' Offensive Line: A Pleasant Surprise?

Seattle Lion Fan — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:59:49 -0400

I was perusing through some news articles on the Detroit Lions and came across Tom Kolwalski's article.

His first paragraph gives most Lions fans the hope we've been looking for over the past decade: An offensive line that actually works!

Last season, the Lions attempted to incorporate a zone blocking system that relied more on finesse than pure strength. In the zone blocking system, the idea was to hold the line of scrimmage and stretch out the defense and hope the running back finds a crease to run through.

Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan has done away with the zone blocking system and is incorporating more of a "smash mouth" blocking system. Here, the line surges forward, pushing the defense back on it's heels two yards back. Instead of waiting and reacting to the defense, the idea is to allow the offensive line attack the defense and dictate where the play is going to go.

Both coaches, Linehan and Offensive Line Coach George Yarno are stressing the running game. Makes sense since a successful running game controls the clock, keeps the opposing defense on the field longer and allows for big plays in the passing game.

The Detroit Lions offensive line has been the one area of their offense that has garnered the most criticism over the past decade, more so over the past three seasons as they allowed 166 sacks in that time frame.

But much of that had to do with the Mike Martz offense which didn't allow any help from the tight-end or running backs to block on passing plays. They were sent out in pass patterns and the quarterback had to be nimble enough to avoid sacks, a connection not often used in describing a Lion quarterback.

Collectively, the Lions' offensive line has made a pretty good connection with Yarno who played guard in the NFL for 10 years, eight of them with Tampa Bay from 1979 to 1987.

In the article, center Dominic Raiola is quited as saying "I like our group, and we've got a great line coach. He's played the game, and I think that means a lot. He knows how things should operate. You have a different respect for a coach who's getting you up for a game and he's been there."

So far this preseason, the line has allowed only one sack, a far cry from the near 3.5 sacks allowed over the past three seasons. Granted, they haven't been playing against elite defenses and the real proof will begin when the regular season starts.

But if the offensive line can hold it together, the Lions will have finally have a strong foundation to build on.

The Beer Thinker Asks: Is the Detroit Lions' 2009 Season Doomed?

Seattle Lion Fan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:04:22 -0400

Over the past few days, I’ve read some articles, specifically on the Bleacher Report, pretty much indicating the 2009 Detroit Lions' season is over.

C’mon folks. What was it that you expected to happen this year?

Some will say that I am a bit overly optimistic when it comes to the Lions. That optimism was tested severely last year as week after week, the Lions looked no better than a high school team. The team from Friday Night Lights could have beaten them it got so bad.

But that’s last year. While it was painful and embarrassing, it is over and done with.

Have the Lions improved? Hard to say at this point.

A lot of fans, including myself, didn’t agree in taking Matthew Stafford with the first pick. I would have much rather watched the Lions take left tackle Jason Smith out of Baylor and traded the No. 20 pick to move up to get either defensive end Tyson Jackson or defensive tackle B.J. Raji.

However, the Lions did what they did and Stafford is projected to be the franchise quarterback of the Detroit Lions. I doubt that he will start any regular season games until after the bye but he will start this year to get used to playing against top-flight defenses.

He hasn’t been pretty in preseason games, but I attribute that to nervousness and a learning curve. He is having a lot thrown at him and it will take time for him to get it down pat.

Yes, we have yet another coaching change, the fifth head coach since the 2000 season.

Yes, we had some lousy drafts under Matt Millen.

Yes, last year was intolerable and embarrassing.

Yes, we had a quarterback run out of his own end zone last year.

Yes, for the most part, the entire team had confused looks on their faces last year.

All hard and cold facts and no one can refute them. But must they be rehashed every time this current team makes a mistake?

I want someone, anyone, to show me any team in the NFL that plays perfectly. I’m not talking about undefeated seasons because even the Miami Dolphins in 1972 tossed interceptions and gave up sacks. Tom Brady, in that great 2007 season was sacked 21 times and threw eight interceptions.

There is no such thing as a team that can play perfectly, even if they go undefeated, for an entire season.

Look at how awful the Arizona Cardinals were until the last few years. They were often compared to the Detroit Lions in futility. In 1998, the Cardinals went 9-7 and finished second in the NFC West.

Over the next eight seasons, they never won more than seven games. In 2007, they finished 8-8 and last year, they went 9-7 and played the Pittsburgh Steelers very tough in Super Bowl XLIII.

If not for a great catch by Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left on the clock, the Cardinals could have very well won that game.

The point to all this? Give the Lions some time, allow them to develop. Sure, we have been waiting to go back to the big dance since 1957 but we’ve had the monolithic obstacle of William Clay Ford Sr. standing in the way.

But last year’s embarrassment and the fact the Lions were blacked out the last five games last year as well as attendance being way down finally hit an area of William Clay Ford Sr. where it caused him to pay attention: his pocket book.

Matt Millen, gone.

Rod Marinelli, gone.

Jon Kitna, gone.

Roy Williams, gone.

Jim Colletto, gone.

In comes Martin Mayhew, who was hired by Millen, and made some solid moves to position the Lions to improve.

In comes head coach Jim Schwartz, a defensive guru with the Tennessee Titans and a longtime associate of Jeff Fisher.

In comes defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham whose first step was to scrap the cover-two defense and install a more attacking style of defense.

In comes Scott Linehan, who had great success as an offensive coordinator in Minnesota.

These four people have the future of the Lions in their hands. They will have to face the scrutiny of Lions fans and no light will be as harsh if they fail.

But we can’t call them failures yet, can we?

Hey Bleacher Report, What Gives?

Seattle Lion Fan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:03:01 -0400

This may come across to some as being petty, but I'm not a big fan of the recent changes done on the Bleacher Report.

I didn't have any problems with the addition of "Featured Writers"—the writers chosen are well-deserved.

But the writer rankings have been removed and a comments section has been added and a "Community Picks" added. I'm all for change, but only changes that make sense.

I'm not hung-up and where I rank as a writer for the Detroit Lions. Realistically, the only reason I was ranked No. 1 is simply because other writers have a life. They didn't write as often after the draft as I did. I was pretty sure when the season started, I'd still be in the top ten due to being prolific

The NFL page still contains writer rankings...why is that? Is because certain writers choose to only write about a particular team that recognition gets taken away? Are we all supposed to strive to obtain national rankings and lets forget about any other recognition?

Seems like the Bleacher Report has changed its collective direction. What was once a great site that would allow sports fans to come and debate issues on their teams now has become how to promote its writers to a national level.

Hey, I like writing about the Lions! As much as they break the hearts of their fans year after year, they are a passion of mine.

Is the Bleacher Report attempting to become a web-based version of Sports Illustrated? Where only certain sports teams or athletes are spotlighted?

I will more than likely continue to write for the Bleacher Report...despite the changes, it is still one of the best sports sites out there...and so far, still generates great debates on many issues.

Ah well, it has been said that change is good. That may be but it doesn't mean I have to like it. And I am not opposed to change but I often wonder the reason why a change was made. Was it to improve something? Was it to make it more efficient?

Changes made on the Bleacher Report did neither, so I suspect changes were made just for the sake of change.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.