Heartbreakers Yet Again: Lions Fail Against Green Bay

Enough Is Enough.
Lions fans have had to endure a lot during Matt Millen's tenure. Crushing loss after heartbreaking defeat, but never has Detroit failed on a level like this.

One week after falling behind to the lowly Atlanta Falcons 21-0 in the first quarter, en route to a 21-34 defeat, Detroit again fell behind 21-0 to Green Bay.

All week we heard from the Lions that they were better than that loss to Atlanta and that they were going to prove it to us. Doesn't mean much when you keep spoting 21-0 leads to teams.

Aaron Rodgers started out a bit slow, but eventually started to look strangely like Brett Farve as he carved up the Lions pathetic secondary for 3 passing touchdowns in the first half.

I watched in disbelief on one of Rodger's three touchdown passes, as he dropped back with all the time in the world and launched a long pass down field. Brian Kelly who was covering Greg Jennings somehow fell on his route, leaving Jennings wide open for a 62 yard reception.

Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, it doesn't really matter which quarterback is facing the Lions. Detroit has a habit of making the opposing quarterback look like a superstar, not to mention a fantasy football hero.(As a side note, former Lion JT O'Sullivan gets his shot at Detroit next week. Should be available on the waiver wire.)

The Lions stayed true to themselves through that first half. Detroit's M.O. goes as follows. 1st down, run into a brick wall. 2nd down, short 3-6 yard pass. 3rd down, Kitna gets sacked. Sometimes it happens in a different order, but this is how about %85 of Detroit's three and out's go.

Again, after falling behind 14-0, Detroit responded with a three and out and gave it right back to the opposition who scored to make it 21-0.

Luckily because I was numbed by the pain of getting blown out by Atlanta, I was able to watch this week's first half without suffering an aneurysm of some sort, or there would not be a game recap this week.

I think it was at halftime when I turned to my friends and said "watch. Detroit will make a game out of this and then throw it away before its over" I was half-joking but surprised myself at just how right I was.

Maybe Green Bay got a little overconfident in the 2nd half, but Jon Kitna to Calvin Johnson started to look like an unstoppable combo. Johnson would have two long touchdown receptions, gaining many of his yards after the catch, and with the help of a Green Bay miscue leading to a safety, Detroit would come all the way back to take a 25-24 lead with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

Not even being able to recall another time when Detroit came back from 21-0 deficit, it was pandemonium and the high-fives flew. However, the three of us being Lions fans, after the brief euphoria of taking the lead we said to ourselves "watch Kitna screw this up"

and screw it up he did. Like never before.

After Green Bay had another long play to get into Detroit's red-zone, they kicked a field goal to take a 26-24 lead.

On Kitna's first pass of the Lions next drive, he threw an interception to Charles Woodson, who ran it back into Detroit's red zone. Brandon Jackson finished us off with a 19 yard touchdown run.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Kitna's next pass went right back into the hands of Charles Woodson, who this time thought he'd run it back in himself. Somebody should have told Kitna that Woodson plays for the Packers, not the Lions.
It sounds like a joke, but Charles Woodson would be Kitna's second leading receiver on the day finishing with 43 yards and a touchdown.

Someone also apparently failed to tell Lions coach, Rod Marinelli that Detroit does in fact have a backup quarterback, because Kitna came right back out there.

I wouldn't have thought it possible in my most pessimistic possible outcomes, but Kitna managed to throw yet another interception. This time it was Nick Collins who picked off Kitna, and he also ran it back in for the touchdown.

The camera made sure to zoom in on Kitna turning his back and taking off his helmet even while Collins was still running into the end-zone. His expression seemed to say "gee, I'm not very good at football"

I hear McDonalds is hiring. Perhaps the world of food service would be better suited for Kitna. He certainly has no business ever being a starting quarterback in the NFL again. How many times have we seen this out of Kitna? The game in hand, the Lions with a slim lead, and Kitna single handily throws the game away.

This was a winnable game for the Lions even after Mason Crosby gave Green Bay a 2 point lead in the 4th quarter.

The real tragedy is that Drew Stanton is still injured and can't yet get valuable playing time that would help him next season. Yes, only in Detroit do we start talking about next season after week two. That's the Lions motto though. There's always a next season.

I will end this recap with a plea to Rod Marinelli. As a tortured and broken Lions fan. Please don't start Jon Kitna for another game this season. I don't care if Orlovsky is all you have, I don't care if Orlovsky is the worst quarterback in the league. At least he won't just hand Green Bay 21 points in the 4th quarter.

Lions fans, don't let this team break your heart any longer. We can only take so much, we're only human after all. The Lions today, just found yet ANOTHER way they can break our hearts. Coming all the way back from a 21 point deficit, only to self destruct like never before.

Try this next week and from now on with this team. Expect a loss. When the Lions have a lead, expect a loss. When the Lions come back from a 21 point deficit, expect a loss. When there is less than 2 minutes left in the game and the Lions have a 10 point lead and the opposition has the ball, expect a loss. 

Unless the clock shows 0:00 with the Lions ahead, expect a loss. Don't let this team give you hope, don't let this team break your heart. Its not worth getting emotionally invested in these jokers any longer.

This might be blasphemy, even for a dedicated Lions fan such as myself, but I almost wish I could root for another team. I just don't know who. Green Bay is out of the question, so is Minnesota and Chicago. New England perhaps? They're enticing with a young untested quarterback with the monumentus task of replacing Tom Brady, and they still find ways to win while the Lions find ways to lose.

Ah, who am I kidding. I'm a Lions fan for life, for better or for worse. God help us all.