Desperate Yet? 0-16 Now a Certainty For Detroit

Rod Marinelli addressed the possibility of going 0-16 last week. He told this team that there was NO WAY they were going 0-16. That he would do whatever it takes to win a game.

He had a funny way of showing it today.

They were playing a one-dimensional Vikings offense at home in what was realistically their last chance to win a game this season, and for an entire half, they played very well. They were stymied on the red zone offensively, but played excellent defense. 

Adrian Peterson was held largely in check and had fewer than 40 rushing yards in the first half. He fumbled once and the Lions recovered.

Gus Frerotte was mistake ridden and threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. One of his interceptions came just after the Vikings ran a kick return past midfield.

The Lions however, just couldn't capitalize on the Vikings three turnovers. They had two drives in the first half that ended inside the Vikings 10-yard line and settled for field goals.

If Marinelli was doing whatever it takes to win, he would have taken a shot at the end-zone on one of those fourth downs. If you're doing whatever it takes to win, you don't settle for field goals twice inside the 10-yard line. That's not desperation, that's playing conservative.

These Lions couldn't afford to be Conservative today yet, conservative they were. In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, the Lions were faced with another fourth down deep in Vikings territory. It was fourth-and-one and the Lions called the play that Pat and Kevin Williams knew they would. Daunte Culpepper tried to sneak right up the middle into the Williams wall and failed.

Did Marinelli not watch Chicago run four run plays up the middle on the goal-line against Minnesota last week and fail every time? You can't run up the middle for a first down against these guys, it just doesn't happen.

Again, late in the fourth quarter, with five minutes remaining, the Lions threw a pass to the Vikings 10-yard line. The play was challenged however, and overturned giving the Lions fourth-and-11. At this point they were down by four points. Giving the circumstances, Detroit should have taken a shot. Instead they kicked a field goal, to only get within one point of the Vikings.

Minnesota ran the clock down and got downfield to kick a field goal to go up by four points. That was the game, and given the way Peterson was running the ball in the second half, and the way Jackson was playing, you knew this would happen. Why didn't the Lions?

The Lions faltered in the second half by not coming up with enough big plays, while Minnesota's offense got revved up. Peterson became his old self, and Tavaris Jackson came in to replace the injured Gus Frerotte.

You remember Tavaris Jackson? The worst quarterback in the NFL as he was frequently called before being replaced. That Tavaris Jackson. He had a quarterback rating of 143.8 today. Nearly perfect. He completed eight of 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

So, this one's in the books and the Lions fall to 0-13. For anyone searching for hope, the Miami Dolphins started 0-13 last season and ended up winning a game. For everyone else though, those Dolphins didn't face the daunting remaining schedule that the Lions do.

@ Indianapolis, New Orleans, @ Green Bay.

Do you see a win there? I don't. This was it, and the Lions blew it.
If I really had to venture a guess as to what game represents the slightest hope of victory for the Lions, I would say Green Bay.

Sure, I'm crazy. The game is at Green Bay, where the Lions haven't won in over a decade. The Packers also just lost to Houston today with their season on the line, all but assuring that Green Bay will have nothing to play for on the last game of the season.

Well, they might not want to be the only team that loses to the Lions.

Detroit sure isn't going to beat a balanced Indianapolis team on the road, and Drew Brees and the Saints passing attack will shred Detroit's secondary to bits. I would offer no chance of victory in either of those games, but Green Bay offers a tiny shred of a chance.

The Lions will crawl into Lambeau Field on the last game of the season as an 0-15 team, mark my words, from there they'll either make history or become just a blip in annals of the NFL records.

All I know is that if Marinelli is going to say he'll do everything possible to win, he'd better mean it next time. It will be his last chance.