1. NFL 2011 Playoff Race: Week 14 Contenders and Trends

    What a bizarre week in the NFC playoff race. Dallas, with a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Giants in the NFC East, tanked the Cardinals game. Every other playoff hopeful lost as well...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,760 reads 15 comments

  2. Detroit Lions 2011 Playoff Race: Week 13 Contenders: A Weekly Series

    The Week 12 results have shaken up the NFC playoff picture. Losses by the Lions, Giants and Bears have fueled the playoff hopes of Dallas and Atlanta...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 540 reads 6 comments

  3. Detroit Lions 2011 Playoff Race: Week 12 Contenders: A Weekly Series

    Well, the Detroit Lions and Matt Stafford pulled themselves together for a 49-35 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 11...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,005 reads 5 comments

  4. Detroit Lions 2011 NFC Playoff Race: Week 11 Contenders: A Weekly Series

    I hope that Lions fans have recovered their sanity by now after the humiliating loss to the Bears in Chicago in Week 10. Having had time for calm reflection, I erased the game from my DVR...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 922 reads 16 comments

  5. Detroit Lions 2011 NFC Playoff Race: Week 10 Contenders: A Weekly Series

    The Chicago victory in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football has brought the Bears into contention for one of the two NFC wild-card spots in the playoffs. This development means that the Lions vs...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 656 reads 6 comments

  6. Detroit Lions: Offensive Tackles To Watch for in 2012 NFL Draft

    We all know that the Detroit Lions need an upgrade at the tackle positions. Let’s review: Jeff Backus has lost a step over the years, but is also playing through a debilitating pectoral injury that has adversely affected his strength...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 968 reads 27 comments

  7. Detroit Lions 2012 Draft: Offensive Guards to Watch

    Stephen Peterman and Rob Sims are average offensive guards, at best. Neither provides any push off the line of scrimmage...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,980 reads 30 comments

  8. Detroit Lions 2012 Draft: Offensive Centers to Watch

    The Lions situation at center is most definitely in a state of flux. Starter Dominic Raiola has been the fiery front man on the O-line for 10 years. Never the best run blocker, Raiola does hold his own against even the best three-tech pass rushers...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 3,276 reads 20 comments

  9. Detroit Lions Draft: Assessing the Lions Needs

    The Lions are 6-2 going into the bye week. I thought it might be a good time to take an early look at the 2012 NFL draft and see what goodies might lie beneath Santa Goodell’s Christmas in April tree...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 2,022 reads 56 comments

  10. Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford: An Analysis of Sidearm Passing

    I grew up watching Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton throw some of the more unusual forward passes that you could possibly imagine. It wasn’t pretty, but those wounded ducks always seemed to find their target...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,683 reads 14 comments

  11. Detroit Lions: Who Will Be the Lions Starting QB in Denver?

    The Detroit Lions (5-2) carry three quarterbacks on the roster for good reason. That reason has probably come home to roost as Matthew Stafford will likely be shelved for awhile...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,488 reads 11 comments

  12. Detroit Lions Defense: Taming the Tight End Trap Block

    We started to see it in the Minnesota game. We saw more of it in the Dallas and Chicago games. We saw a steady diet of it in the San Francisco game. Tight end trap blocking...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 552 reads 10 comments

  13. Detroit Lions Week 6 Report Card: Grading Every Unit

    OK, so the Lions are 5-1. This probably still exceeds the expectations that most of the rational Lions fans had going into the season. The Lions were beaten by a great San Francisco team in all three phases of the game, 25-19...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 538 reads 30 comments

  14. Detroit Lions Are 5-0: Thoughts on Week 6 San Francisco Game

    "We'll start preparing for a hot San Fran team in about an hour and a half." — Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz's post MNF presser It was well past midnight, after ...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,924 reads 149 comments

  15. Detroit Lions: Reflections on a Special Team at a Special Time

    I love blogging the Detroit Lions . Win or lose, there's always fodder for a good online discussion. This 2011 campaign is unprecedented in so many ways that I had to sit back for a day or so, and just let it all sink in...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 330 reads 11 comments

  16. Lions vs. Cowboys Week 4: Preview Interview with Long Ball

    The Dallas Cowboys (2-1) play host to the Detroit Lions (3-0) this Sunday. When the 2011 NFL schedule was announced after the Super Bowl, I’m sure that every fan of both teams went through it and mentally checked off probable wins and loses...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,252 reads 2 comments

  17. Lions vs. Cowboys: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Get the Call

    Is it just me, or is Joe Buck the worst play-by-play broadcast announcer in history? Buck's voice grates upon my last nerve-ending like the sound of fingernails upon the blackboard...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 366 reads 4 comments

  18. Memo to ESPN's Cris Carter: Yes, Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson Is Elite

    Prior to the opening kickoff of the 2011 NFL season, ESPN analyst and commentator Cris Carter opined that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is not a top-five receiver in the NFL...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 2,582 reads 23 comments

  19. Detroit Lions Week 3 Report Cards: Who Gets Grounded and Who Shined

    My assignment this week is to issue grades for the Lions after their come-from-behind Week 3 victory over the Minnesota Vikings . Who will be grounded until he raises his grades? Let's take a look...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,868 reads 24 comments

  20. Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson Breaking Records

    OK, everyone take a knee. It was a gut wrenching comeback victory for the 3-0 Detroit Lions . After spotting the Minnesota Dominos (you know, 30 minutes or less?) 20 points at the ...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,526 reads 18 comments

  21. Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings: How Detroit Will Stifle RB Adrian Peterson

    The Lions linebackers will keep Vikings monster RB Adrian Peterson under control in the Week 3 matchup in Minnesota. This is more than some pie-in-the sky wishful thinking, too...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,359 reads 46 comments

  22. Detroit Lions Week 2: Living a Dream Come True

    Was it some phantasmagorical dream, or did I really live a dream come true? Monday morning I awoke still hoarse from screaming like some crazed banshee for over three hours. My hands hurt from loudly applauding every 6...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 912 reads 25 comments

  23. Detroit Lions Week 1 PFF Grades and Rankings

    We’ve looked at Pro Football Focus' (PFF) stats for the Lions offensive and defensive players over the last couple of days. Today, I’ll present the PFF grades and the rankings for the offense, defense and special teams after Week 1...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,153 reads 14 comments

  24. Detroit Lions: Week 1 Offensive Stats

    In my previous column, we dissected the Pro Football Focus (PFF) stats for the Lions defense. Today, we’ll examine the stats on the other side of the ball—the offense...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,826 reads 14 comments

  25. Detroit Lions Week 1 Defensive Stats Analysis

    I like stats. To me, football statistics are like cake and ice cream after a fine meal, AKA the game. Stats can confirm or refute our perceptions...

    Michael Sudds Written by Michael Sudds about over 1 year ago 1,599 reads 22 comments