Lions-Panthers: Detroit Is Getting Closer, Hooray for Moral Victories!

What? Detroit has a running game? What? A Balanced offense? What? They scored in the first quarter?

Oh...they still haven't won a game? Pity.

On a day when Kevin Smith would rack up over 100 yards for the first time, when Calvin Johnson would score again, when Daunte Culpepper would have 35 passing attempts, and when a receiver named John Standeford would have two huge receptions, when Detroit would score first in a game for the first time all season, none of it would matter...again.

The Lions are getting closer though! Hooray for moral victories! Keep pounding the rock and so forth! 0-10 Baby! Oh...wait, strike that last one. 

The problem in this game was there were three 100-yard rushers. Unfortunately, two were on Carolina.

The Panthers' two-back wrecking ball of Stewart and Williams bailed out quarterback Jake Delhomme and combined for 250 yards and three touchdowns. C'mon now, you saw this coming. Truthfully, this story could have been written last Monday, a day after Maurice Jones-Drew tore up the Lions defense. 

Culpepper threw two interceptions today but showed that he is progressing in the Lions' offense. The reason Detroit lost today is the same reason they've lost nearly every week and will continue to lose every week until they can stop the opposing team's running game.

Delhomme only passed for 98 yards today! 98 yards! Carolina ran the ball all day and the Lions knew it was coming. It didn't matter.

At this point I'd just like to add that in postgame comments, Rod Marinelli suggested to one reporter that if he though the Lions defense was that bad, he should find some guys off the street and bring them to Ford Field to play defense. See? Marinelli did read my suggestions! I've only been saying that for years...

So keep digging for moral victories Detroit. Keep putting a new quarterback out there and bringing out novelty receivers from the practice squad. You aren't going to resemble anything more than a circus sideshow until you find a defense that can stop the run.

The Lions play Tampa Bay next week. Should I start on the game recap now? Ernest Graham and Warrick Dunn run all over Detroit as the Bucs sail to victory over the now 0-11 Lions.

I can see it now.