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

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

Let me put that in perspective for you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What have you done? How have you lived.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Schwartz famously said "this isn't an experiment" when he named Stafford the starter.

But isn't it? Aren't the Lions experimenting just how long veterans like Larry Foote and Julian Peterson can tolerate a rookie's mistakes while holding their tongues? Aren't the Lions experimenting, trying to find exactly where Calvin Johnson says, enough is enough?

For now, at 0-2, everything is still copacetic around Allen Park, but for how long? There is one, perhaps two, winnable games between now and the Lions' week seven bye. If the Lions are 0-6 at that point, what changes will be made?

As of now, the Lions are just one of eight teams who are 0-2. Excuses can be made, light can still be seen (or rather manufactured) at the end of the tunnel. The Lions barely were able to sell out their home opener.

If the Lions do not win a game soon, if they march on toward the Buccaneers' 26 consecutive losses, they will find themselves conducting an experiment—on what playing football in an empty stadium is like.

Other Observations From Week Two

Jeff Backus is Really, Really Bad

No, seriously, he's bad.

Quote of the day from Vikings fan, Brock Groth, who watched the game with me, "Wait, I thought Backus was good."

No, no he isn't. Not a bit. Stafford was sacked twice on that drive in a second half nothing like the first.

I'm not saying anything Lions fans haven't been screaming since 2001. However, take an extra look at his production. Many of the Lions rushing yards were to the left on Sunday, but Backus was paired with a tight end or a fullback for all of those positive plays.

Backus was called for a costly holding penalty and got away with a few blatant holding calls on Jared Allen.

On the Lions' fourth first-half drive, Maurice Morris spelled Kevin Smith for two plays. On his second run, fans were treated to a close-up, slow motion view of Jeff Backus with two fists full of Jared Allen's jersey, holding the living crap out of him.

I personally have no idea how officials failed to throw the flag.

I personally have no idea how Backus is still a starter in this league.

The Lions Can Blitz?

In the Lions preseason win against the Colts, the Lions played a very conservative defensive plan, yet Gunther Cunningham threw one crossing blitz at Indianapolis, sacking Peyton Manning and enticing Lions fans everywhere.

Against the Saints, week one, the Lions blitzed very sparingly in the first half, getting torched every time. When the Lions sat back, things only got worse.

Fast forward to week two, and all of a sudden, Brett Favre can barely find daylight against a Lions defense which sacked Brett Favre three times, hit him seven times more and compiled five tackles for loss.

The Lions also held Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards for only the 14th time in his career.

When the Vikings went to the wildcat, Julian Peterson blew up a block and the Vikings never went to that well again.

The Lions looked like a team finding its offensive identity on Sunday. Surely they are a work in progress—closer to the starting gun than the finish line—but there is promise.

Looking Forward

The Lions face Washington at home this week in perhaps their most winnable game until the week eight, "Mediocrity Bowl" against St. Louis.

It will be the second time in two weeks that the Lions have faced a version of the West Coast offense. Minnesota clearly has better personnel on offense than the Redskins and it could be a very good game.

However, Washington is a defense statistically very comparable to Minnesota and Stafford will face a lot more blitz packages than he did against the Vikings pseudo-Cover Two.

This week, the Lions need to focus on Stafford's maturation as a game manager.

The Lions defense should be able to win this game.

If Stafford can attack the flats similar to this week, the Lions will be able take advantage of those Redskins' blitz packages.

In addition, Stafford will have chances with Johnson down the field against shorter weaker cornerbacks. Stafford needs to silence his detractors and hit Johnson down the field.

If Stafford can do that this week, weeks four through six (Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay) will be that much easier if teams are forced to game plan against the deeper passes.

In Conclusion

This was a much closer game than many critics thought it would be. The Vikings are considered the class of the NFC North and stacked on both sides of the ball.

Although the Lions have lost 19 straight, fans know that playing teams close is nothing new. However, having a lead at half time is a new and exciting adventure many of the most faithful appreciate.

The Lions are taking meaningful, valuable steps forward but need to reward their most faithful with a win.

Coming up tomorrow, yours truly will be picking up the torch from B/R ace, Angel Navedo and compiling the week two official Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings. Check back for that.

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