Detroit Lions: After Back-to-Back Byes, 5 Lions Who Must Step Up

Put down the Coppertone fellas, time to get back to the business of football. There are five Lions who must step up their play in the remaining games of the Detroit Lions 2011 season.

All those who dismissed the meeting between Ndamukong Suh and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week as nothing more than propaganda, must be enjoying their bowl of crow today because in an unprecedented display of favoritism; the Detroit Lions were given back-to-back bye weeks for the first time in NFL history.

With a full two weeks to recover and prepare for the remainder of the season, the Detroit Lions will be poised to make a run at the playoffs and perhaps a shot at the division title with two games remaining with the Packers.

What? The Lions played on Sunday? That can’t be?

Oh wait, you’re right. Here’s the box score right here... Yes, the Lions dominated the fourth quarter again by shutting out the Bears and adding a token touchdown for themselves…

Matthew Stafford continued his assault on the NFL Elite QB club with another 300 yard performance and three more touchdowns…

I know, I know, the Lions got a good-old fashioned ass-whoopin’ courtesy of a revenge-motivated Chicago Bears club.

The Bears had more than a Keystone 30-pack of points before the start of the fourth quarter and two of Stafford’s touchdown tosses went the wrong way, toted by orange alternate-jerseyed Bears.

The 37-13 taming of the Lions within the unfriendly confines of the Soldier Spaceship was an eye-opener and if the Fords knew this was going to be the type of performance their team would put out after the bye, I think they would have cancelled the flight, taken the jet fuel shekels and invested in some more blocking dummies.

After two weeks of laying the groundwork for a divisional showdown that would have put the Chicago Bears in the rear view mirror; the preparation presented by the Detroit Lions was more Preparation H than anything else.

As for Stafford’s takedown of D.J. Moore? I loved it!

Anyone who criticizes the 23-year-old QB for taking out some of his frustration on a guy who tried to press his should pads up through his jawline, probably never played the game.

He showed the toughness fans in Detroit have been waiting for out of their quarterback since color televisions were introduced. It also showed me he is the leader of this team with how quickly teammates reacted to Moore and his retaliation.

To borrow a phrase from Detroit Tiger legend Kirk Gibson as he announced a brawl between the Tigers and White Sox, “Get it out of your system boys.”

This season is far from lost as the Lions now sit at 6-3 and each game becomes more critical.

Here are five Lions who must pick it up for them to have a shot at the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford

In my stock watch article last week, I projected Matthew Stafford’s second half to be worse than the first eight games; I never anticipated an Enron like plummet.

Wow, Stafford had a bad day, but don’t blame it on the gloves, Orenthal is in the slammer and MJ is in the ground.

Stafford was playing with a fractured right index finger and was using a glove to help keep a splint in place for accuracy and will continue to wear the glove this weekend at home.

I’d like to say it was the fractured digit that caused his attempts to stray like an 80-year-old behind the wheel of a Lincoln Town Car, but according to everyone speaking in Allen Park, it was the wind.

Not good news for Detroit going forward. The Lions go to Oakland in December and the frozen Tundra in January. Plus a potential first round playoff trip back to the Bay Area for a rematch against the 49ers could be in the cards.

San Francisco and Green Bay are not known for their balmy weather and pina coladas. Ok, maybe Frisco does have some fruity offerings, but you get my point; to win in the winter, you have to perform in the elements.

Matthew Stafford must get back to his early season form and set his feet and follow through on his passing attempts. The shuffling back and using his JUGS arm can’t bail him out every time.

Nate Burleson

With his extra-effort butterball along the right sideline, Nate Burleson now has as many fumbles as touchdowns this season.

Yes, through nine games the WR fashionista has only one touchdown and a mere 328 yards receiving. This total puts him behind great NFL tight ends like Ed Dickson and Jack Ballard as well as the sure fired Hall of Famer Preston Parker.

Hell, Andre Johnson has only played four games and has more yards than Nate.

The $25 million contract offered to Burleson last year must create more production down the stretch. He’s due nearly five million dollars for each of the next three years and I can think of several wideouts that could get this team 36 yards/game for much less cheddar.

Burleson has been a major disappointment thus far and needs a massive improvement going forward.

Leonard Davis

Leonard Davis, come on down!!

Only one week after Martin Mayhew brought the 350 pound All-Pro into the Lions’ Den, Davis should be ready to step into the starting lineup.

Stephen Peterman had another less than spectacular showing against the Bears and his leash should be short enough that either this week or next, Davis will squeeze in between Raiola and Cherilus.

Rod Marinelli acknowledged the weak link by moving Julius Peppers over Peterman to take advantage of the underwhelming guard. The result? Sack of Stafford; “t” crossed, “i” dotted.

We complain about Backus and rightfully so, but if Marinelli moves Peppers from Backus to Peterman for an advantage, what does that say about Stevie? I’ll bet dollars to donuts no defensive coordinator will slide a DE over Davis to get an easy sack. (Whoa, easy Leonard, the donuts are just a pun!)

Bryant McKinnie was scrapped by Minnesota before the season started and now he anchors the Baltimore Ravens left-side; I think Davis can do the same for Detroit.

Nick Fairley

This snapshot of Roger Goodell and Nick Fairley is the highlight so far of the season. The rookie DT finally collected his second tackle of the year as we’ve entered the second half of the campaign.

The foot injury has kept him off the field and Jim Schwartz continues to remind us of the great football ahead for the Auburn Tiger, I’m still waiting to see it.

His late hit on Cutler in the end zone was not only cheap, it was stupid. I’m all for aggressive play, but taking four steps after the ball is released to drive the crown of your helmet into another player’s chin strap is bush league.

Fairley is currently the bust of the 2011 NFL draft and the Lions need this kid to grow up fast and make an impact in the front-four rotation.

Stefan Logan

Do you remember when this guy would catch the ball and run with it?

Last year Stefan Logan was the 14^th ranked punt returner with a 12.1 return average and 21 fair catches. This year he ranks 38^th with 7.9 yards and 21 fair catches through only nine games.

He also has more fumbles this year already, three, than the two from 2010.

He’s fallen in the kick return department as well going from 17^th to 24^th. Giving this team a short field to work with once in a while would help avoid the comebacks that have been necessary in the first part of the season

Special teams give you the opportunity to change field position dramatically in one play and the Lions special teams have been anything but stellar so far this year.

If these five Lions can pick it up going forward, the sting of the Chicago calamity will be a distant memory.