One Player on Each Team Who Detroit Lions Fans Hate to See

Fans of the Detroit Lions have been through a lot over the years, but it seems the organization has finally built a winner.  After a number of failed drafts that left fans wondering what could have been, the Lions are now looking to the future. 

While there are still the players that come in and terrorize the Lions every time they play, many of the players fans in Detroit hate to see are players that slipped past them. 

Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald is one of, if not the, best wide receivers in the NFL. 

Detroit’s Calvin Johnson is up there, but many rate Fitzgerald ahead of Johnson.  Is there anything worse than being second best?

Atlanta Falcons

After starting the season with five straight wins, the Lions were put in check when they lost two straight games, first to the San Francisco 49ers before the Atlanta Falcons beat them 23-16. 

Running back Michael Turner ran for 122 yards against the Lions.  Detroit’s leading rusher in that game was Maurice Morris with 50 yards. 

Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis was a great linebacker.  Now, he just seems to say off-the-wall things and play at a much lower level. 

Buffalo Bills

Shawne Merriman made appearances on MTV shows and in music videos, has had trouble with Tila Tequila and was suspended for steroids.

He showed promise on the field early in his career, though.

Carolina Panthers

Newton set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback against Detroit in his 10^th NFL game, as he ran for two scores and added one in the air. 

Thanks to his four interceptions, though, the Lions were able to make one of their come-from-behind victories. 

Chicago Bears

Cutler seems to have an attitude that does not make him very popular with fans of the NFL.  Whether it is cockiness, that he seems upset about something, or maybe both, he tends to find attract attention that is not always for the best. 

Add in that he plays for the Chicago Bears—one of Detroit’s biggest and longest rivals—and Cutler is only popular with Lions fans when he throws interceptions or fumbles the ball. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Though he has cleaned up his reputation somewhat, Adam Jones has been involved in many incidents off the field that make many NFL fans dislike the Pacman.  Fans in Detroit are no different. 

Cleveland Browns

Peyton Hillis had a breakout year in 2010, when he rushed for more than one thousand yards and found the end zone 11 times on the ground.  That success put him on the cover of Madden. 

Of course, with the Madden curse, injuries plagued Hillis in 2012.  Detroit’s running backs have not been on the cover of Madden but are still plagued with injuries.  The Lions are still waiting on the next Barry Sanders to come along. 

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo gets his fair share of media attention, and for what, because he dated Jessica Simpson? 

Romo never seems to play his best when under pressure.  After winning Comeback Player of the Year, Detroit QB Matthew Stafford showed not only that he can play an entire season in the NFL, he also showed that he can be a top quarterback in the league. 

Denver Broncos

In Detroit, just as everywhere else, you either love Tim Tebow or you hate him. 

Lions fans loved when middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch "Tebowed" after sacking Tebow. 

Green Bay Packers

Brett Favre leaves and the Packers did not skip a beat at quarterback. 

Aaron Rodgers continued the Lions' woes against the Packers.  He only played in one of the two games between the teams this season, but he was 22 of 33 passing for 307 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Lions have not won at Lambeau since 1991, but this year, that is thanks to Matt Flynn, not Rodgers. 

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson was selected by the Houston Texans with the third pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.  The Lions had the second pick that year.

With that pick, the Lions also selected a wide receiver: Charles Rogers.

While Johnson has gone on to a Pro Bowl career in Houston, Rogers played in 15 games for Detroit.  In one of those games, the first of his second season, he lasted only three plays before suffering a season-ending collarbone fracture.   

Indianapolis Colts

A lot of fans in Detroit and around the league were tired of seeing Peyton Manning at the line before the ball was snapped and talking to the referees between plays. 

Perhaps we have seen the last of Manning in Indy. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Brian Cushing was caught using performance-enhancing drugs during his 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. 

Ndamukong Suh won the award the following year clean. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe is not nearly as resented as Andre Johnson is in Detroit because the Lions drafted Calvin Johnson before Bowe was selected. 

But after years of failed first round picks on wide receivers, it would be nice to have had a receiver like Mike Williams turn out the way Bowe has. 

Miami Dolphins

Brandon Marshall said he wanted to get kicked out of the first game of the 2011-2012 season against the Jets.

Detroit fans get tired of reading about players crying out for attention off the field. 

Minnesota Vikings

Jared Allen might be the most hated man in the city of Detroit next to former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. 

Before playing in Detroit this past season, Allen said, "I don't like going to Detroit.  I'll be honest, it's gloomy, it sucks. Everything is brown and then there is snow on the ground. There's like Brownstones everywhere and I'm like, 'Awesome.' I don't know, I couldn't do it. If I had to live in Detroit, I think I'd just drown myself in the river that was across the way.

"I'm not trying to be mean, but it's just depressing when I go there.  There's two cities like I don't go out to eat or don't do anything. It's Detroit and New Orleans. New Orleans looks like I'm driving through a third-world country every time I get off the plane, I'm like, 'Oh, flak jacket.' I'm trying to get down. I'm like, 'Ah, crap, I can't carry my gun here. This sucks.'"

Even after the playoffs, maybe there is something for Lions and Saints fans to agree upon.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady went to the University of Michigan and still has fans in the state. 

But his style, hair and the way referees call in his favor sometimes it gets to be a bit much. 

New Orleans Saints

The Lions played their first playoff game in recent memory in January against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Winning 14-10 at halftime, Brees and his teammates came out of the locker room firing.  He finished the game with 466 yards passing, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

The Saints came from behind to end the season Lions fans have dreamed of, winning 45-28.

New York Giants

Eli Manning comes with a lot of celebrity because of his family. 

The amount of national media coverage he gets, even if he deserves some or most of it, can be overwhelming. 

He just beat Michigan Man Tom Brady for the second time in the Super Bowl, too. 

New York Jets

Bart Scott must fit right in with the New York Jets. 

He has a loud mouth and cannot always back up what he says with the Jets' defensive performances on the field. 

Oakland Raiders

Finally, Carson Palmer got his wish and was traded from Cincinnati.

How long will he be happy back in California with the Raiders?

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick will never be forgiven by many for his involvement in the dog-fighting ring that sent him to jail. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Hines Ward was once regarded as one of the dirtiest players in the NFL.

His career is winding down, and while some will remember his production as a wide receiver, many will never forget the dirty plays he made. 

San Diego Chargers

Malcom Floyd had six catches for 95 yards and a score when the teams met on Christmas Eve at Ford Field in Detroit.  

Had it not been for Philip Rivers' two interceptions and 60.2 quarterback rating, Floyd may have done a lot more damage and ruined Christmas in the Motor City.           

San Franciso 49ers

So he is not a player, but the 49ers were the first team to beat Detroit after they started out 5-0.

Harbaugh shook Lions coach Jim Schwartz hand a little too hard or something after the game.  Whatever happened between the two, Schwartz was not pleased.      

Seattle Seahawks

For the third time in as many years, the Lions selected a wide receiver with their first pick in the draft.  Like the two selected before him, Mike Williams did not pan out as hoped. 

After being drafted 10^th overall in 2005, Williams had weight issues and last only two seasons in Detroit playing in 22 games.

Williams has caught on in Seattle with college coach Pete Carroll.

St. Louis Rams

In need of a running back, the Lions had two first round picks in the 2004 draft. 

They selected wide out Roy Williams with the seventh selection and running back Kevin Jones with the 30^th pick.  Jones had a successful rookie season with the Lions, but three more injury-plagued seasons were the end of his run in Detroit.

Steven Jackson was selected by the Rams six spots ahead of Jones.  Jackson has had a Pro Bowl career.  If only he fell to the Lions. 

Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Tampa Bay selected defensive end Da’Quan Bowers in the second round 51^st overall in the 2011 draft. 

He had injury issues but had the talent to be a first round pick. 

He was a backup in his first season but could have been a nice understudy to Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril.  If he can stay healthy, Bowers may be a steal for the Bucs. 

Tennessee Titans

Cortland Finnegan once said he wanted to be the dirtiest player in the league.  He has been fined by the league multiple times and got into a fight with Andre Johnson last season. 

Finnegan seems to have settled down slightly this season, and with the Lions in need of secondary help, he may become a fan favorite in Detroit if he signs with the team this offseason. 

Washington Redskins

Many of these players have ties to the NFL drafts of 2003, 2004 and 2005.

DeAngelo Hall was picked eighth in 2004, one spot after Detroit took Roy Williams.  

Williams had the most success of the wideouts taken by the Lions in those three drafts, but with the shape their secondary is in now, they could use a Pro Bowl corner like Hall.