How to fix the Detroit Lions

First off let me give a very little bit of credit to Jim Schwartz and Martin Mayhew who took on a job no one else in the NFL ever has. They took over a team that went 0-16, and got them back to being a team that could go 8-8 and contend for the final spot in the playoffs. With that being said, it simply is not good enough for the long suffering fans of the Detroit Lions. I get that 1-1 is hardly the time to start panicking and no one should over react to a loss on the road to a tough, playoff caliber team. However, the team's problems go much deeper than a 24-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Much like Jim Schwartz was not the man to get the most out of the roster or to lead a team to a Super Bowl, Martin Mayhew is not the man to assemble a roster able to contend for a Super Bowl title. Let us not forget he was Matt Millen's assistant and the Lions hired him, after promising the fans a nationwide search. Look over his draft record, it might not be as band as his predecessor but it is bad enough to cost him his job.

Sure, I am not a NFL personnel expert, but I do know this if you fail to address your team's undeniable weakness the game will expose that weakness 100 percent of the time. It is a lesson Mayhew and the Lions should have learned a few seasons ago, but the failure to adequately address the defensive secondary this past off season is being exposed first by the Giants (to a small extent) and yesterday by the Panthers, and by the defense hating gods that have dropped so many of the men picked to be a part of it. However it is the lack of depth that is truly being exposed and who would not, right now, trade TE Eric Ebron for a shut down corner? Let us also mention the return of the Lions not being able to tackle, just one of the constant issues with this team over the last few seasons.

Sure, a big chunk of the story is the Lions had too many turnovers and missed two field goals, but this is a team that has bigger problems. Mainly the decision making of its franchise QB. In the first half the offense moved he ball fairly well (even though it failed to score) Matthew Stafford was distributing the ball to many different receivers. After they scored their only TD and the game was on the line he repeatedly tried to force the ball to Calvin Johnson. It is poor decision making and in year five of his career (not counting the year he was injured) we know what Stafford is and it does not look like any amount of coaching is ever going to change that.

Martin Mayhew is the man that made the call to draft Stafford and that looks like it wasn't the best choice. He is also responsible in full for the composition of this roster and it simply is not good enough. However he is not the first person that should be fired. That should be Tom Lewand, the bean counter who was hired after the win less season to be the team President. IN his time here he has a DUI conviction, and has made such a mess of the Ndamukong Suh contract situation that he has priced his team out of the ability to afford him or moved him for pieces to rebuild the team.

I'm not even going to mention the walking wounded at best condition of the secondary two weeks into this season. There is no depth and once again the Lions missed the boat on a chance in the lat draft to add depth at a position that needed that plus talent. They completely bungled the Chris Houston situation and that is something you just cannot get away with in the NFL.

He was also at least in part, responsible for hiring Jim Schwartz which was the wrong choice. He was also part of the decision to hire Mayhew and that looks very much like a huge mistake. The antiquated owner of this team has passed and now it is time for the Lions to rebuild from the top down. Lewand should be fired immediately the Lions should find another man, maybe who knows something about winning football, to lead the team. They should then fire Mayhew and possible even the coaching staff but we can give them a little more leeway since this is the first season of Lions misery.

Then and only then will this team be in a position to rebuild itself into a perennial playoff contender. The problems with this team are the decision making process and that never seems to change. While I like Jim Caldwell and the way he seems to be able to motivate his team, especially at half time, I do not trust in the med that hired him because they have proven over and over again that they do not know how to make sound football decisions.

To put an exclamation point on that Nate Freese won a competition to be the kicker on this team. 49 yards in the NFL is not that long of a kick and its not like he missed those attempts by inches. He is just another example of poor decision made by the powers that be within the team. Nate Freese is not ready for prime time, and that is yet another roster move that must be reevaluated this week.

These men built an offense that is loaded with talent, yet were able to score one TD...by a fullback no less. While I like a loaded offense I like a complete roster better, and I know it is a complete roster that wins playoff games. Lewand and Mayhew have shown they are unable to build that. The Lions cannot afford to be patient anymore, look at the reaction across social media to their first loss of the season (and remember none of us expected them to actually win this game).  The fans of this team, who support it week in and week out, are tired of the Football for Dummies approach this front office seems to revel in.

What do the Detroit Lions need?

Finally football season has come to an end. Finally I have been able to swallow the bitter disappointment of the 2013 Detroit Lions season. Finally I am ready to get back to covering the Lions, and that of course means getting geared up for the NFL draft. Of course as a long time Lions fans the draft is a mix bag of unlimited potential and bitter disappointment. The first and foremost thing the Lions need is to draft better. I am not talking about in the first four rounds I am talking about them finally using all of their draft picks to improve the team. These picks are assets and the scouting staff and the powers that be need to do a better job finding impact players in the bottom half of the draft.

Case in point...The Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks featured a defensive secondary built in the late round of the NFL draft. Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith was a 7th round pick. The guy who should have been the MVP, Cliff Avril, was a salary cap casualty in Detroit yet Seattle got him for the relatively low price of 2 years and 13 million dollars. All of the starters from that very impressive Seattle secondary were drafted in the fifth round or later. If the Lions want a blue print on how to fix their woes, this is it. In a passing league strong, quick, physical DB's make all the difference. Those kinds of players can be found in the late round of the draft, in free agency, and in undrafted free agents.

The very first thing the Lions need to do is fix their salary cap situation. And let's be clear here, there can be no more half measures. It really feels like the firing of Jim Schwartz and the hiring of Jim Caldwell was a half measure at best. The front office thinks the team is ready to compete right now, I am not as sold that they are that close. I continue to see a defense that as a ton of holes especially in the secondary. I see high priced talent on the defensive side of the ball that simply costs too much.

According to Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press the Lions have more than 51 million dollars tied up in Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, and Ndamukong Suh. The average for top five talents for the NFL is just over 50 million. That means simply this...the Lions have too much money tied up in these three players and it costs them talented players elsewhere on the roster. It is the same problem the 2013 Tigers had, the yare simply too top heavy.

Since Suh is nearing the end of his deal, and was signed to a deal under the old rules of the NFL draft, it is simply time for the Lions to trade Suh and find cheaper more talented defensive players via the draft.

I am not saying Suh is a malcontent or a locker room cancer just that his deal prices him out of affordability for the Lions. It will not be a popular argument, but I want this team to be in the playoffs, I want them to win Super Bowls and I would trade anyone on the roster to give them the financial flexibility to fix the secondary and actually compete on the field not only in the first half of the season, but in the second, in the post season, and hopefully one day in the Super Bowl itself.



Trading Suh would net the Lions a collection of draft picks. Based on their success in last year's draft I am reasonably confident the front office team could turn those picks into cheap, talented players that can help this team rebuild the secondary.

There were only two defensive starters for the Seahawks that were first round picks. The Detroit D line has three by itself. Simply put that line does not get the results for the amount draft picks and money that they have invested in it. Of course trading Suh would be an easier argument if Nick Fairley was more consistent.

Currently the Lions have 135 million or so dollars counting again the 2014 cap. That cap is expected to be 126 million or so. Before anything else can be accomplished, before the Lions can sign this year's draft picks, before they can do anything else the cap situation will have to be addressed. They could resign Suh to a long term deal, transition salary to signing bonus that will count against the cap over the length of the deal but it seems pretty obvious that Suh is and will continue to be a luxury this team can no longer afford.




The Tigers dealt Prince Fielder to gain financial flexibility and hopefully improve their supporting cast; it seems the Lions are now faced with a similar decision. We shall see how this plays out. The Lions could rid themselves of players here and there to get the cap space they need, or they could stop taking half measures, make the hard choice and move on to improving this defense from top to bottom.
 

 
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Detroit Lions week in review: Week 10

The good news is the Detroit Lions are 6-3 (3-1 in the division) and even though they made it way closer than it needed to be they have beaten the Chicago Bears twice this season, something they have not done since 2007. On top of all of that they are shedding the 'Same Ole Lions' tag. They are starting to believe they can win every game and they are playing full games, something Lions fans are not exactly use to. On top of all that they are coming up big when they need to, and that is something else Lions fans are not very use to seeing. There is a sense that this team and it's fans are starting to believe. Now it is time to raise the bar a tad. Let's say this, anything less than a Division championship in 2013 will be something of a disappointment. The goal should be to not only make the playoffs but to secure a post season game at Ford Field.

With that being said there is still a lot to work on. The team is still a tad inconsistent, especially on defense. Coverage breaks down far to often in the secondary, and special teams remain a huge concern. However, the NFL might take away a lot of what special teams can do with rules so maybe the Lions are ahead of the curve on that one. That seems very odd to say.

I have also noticed a very revealing stat. When Reggie Bush has at least 75 yards rushing, and we are not talking about what he brings to the passing game, but when he has 75 yards on the ground the Lions win. In the three Lions losses this year he averaged just 39 yards rushing. Granted the Lions also won a game without him but with him on the field this team needs him to gain at least 75 yards to help balance the rest of the offense and keep teams honest. This opens up holes in the coverages and the Lions offense rolls.

Here is a look at the good and the bad:

The Good:

• Brandon Pettigrew- it looks like Matthew Stafford has re-found some faith in this guy. 5 catches for 70 yards, and those are tough catches over the middle and catches that help extend drives. Pettigrew stepping up creates all kinds of problems for opposing defenses and he owes Lions fans a little more considering his draft position. This was a good week for him and he needs to keep that up. 
• Rashean Mathis- It is not every week that a corner for the Lions leads the team in tackles. However, Mathis had 8 and that is huge. It limits big plays, and we need to take notice of Mathis and this stat. 
• The passing game- six different Lions caught passes. They threw for 3 TD's. Stafford only threw one pick. Of course he did go just 18 for 35 however, given that and the cold and being outdoors they found a way to win. That is really all that matters. Scott Linehan deserves a little bit of credit for creating a game plan that worked. 

The Bad:

• Nick Fairley- sure he got a big stop to preserve the win, but a guy who is as inconsistent as he is should not be hot dogging all over the field. The Lions have not yet earned the right to act that way, and that is the biggest indictment of the Jim Schwartz era of this team. Let us not forget he also took a bone head penalty that could have cost them the win. 
• David Akers- the perception is he isn't Jason Hanson, and that is true. It seems he has a chance to put the team ahead and fails to do so. He missed his one filed goal attempt this week, and I thought he was just not a guy who can still kick outside. However he is actually doing better outside than indoors that is not good given where the Lions play most of their games. The tell tale stat here is he is just 4 for 7 on the road. He is 8 for 9 at home and that makes a home playoff game that much more important. 
• Personal foul penalties- There were four of them. Overall 5 penalties for 51 yards. But those personal foul ones are big. the Lions have got to find a way to limit them. They need to be more in control. They have a reputation that works against them now.

Generally speaking I let the fans of the Lions determine what we think of our team each and every week. I get texts all days Sunday from all manner of fans. hard core, die hards, and more casual fans. This week I got a text from someone who is hardly a Lions fan or a football fan for that matter but she did watch the game this week, and she texted me this right after the game with this, "4 personal fouls, it makes us look like jerks." Ya I have been saying that for three seasons, but I am glad even the most causal of Lions fans sees what I see. 

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What to watch for: Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions

One day after the Detroit Tigers season came to an end, far too soon for the third year in a

row, and coming off a 5-2 loss by the Detroit Red Wings to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Detroit sports nation turns its attention today to the 4-2 first place Detroit Lions. They get their biggest test of the 2013 season today with the Cincinnati Bengals are in town. Without a doubt the Lions will need to play a more flawless game then we have seen them play thus far to beat a team that looks destined to go to the playoffs.

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Detroit Lions week six in review

Who thought after six games of the 2013 season we would be sitting her talking about the 4-2, and in first place, Detroit Lions. Of course at one point in 2011 they were 5-0. However I believe in this 4-2 team more than I did that team. 5-0 and they barely won 10 games that year. 4-2 now and I do not think we have seen the best this team has to offer. That is very encouraging for this long time suffering Lions fan.

Beating a team one the road is a big step. Being 4-2 is a big step, and these are the kinds of game the 'Same ole Lions' use to lose. It wasn't always pretty, and it wasn't dominating, but the Lions played three solid quarters on both sides of the ball and earned this win. We still have yet to see the best this team has to offer and once they reach the next level they can start to polish their performance a little. For now winning games by an means necessary is the goal, and for the Lions right now maybe there are no style points.

With that being said let us take a look at the good and the bad from game six of 2013.

The Good:                      

• DeAndre Levy- 7 tackles and 2 picks. This guy continues to make an impact all over the field and he is putting together a heck of a season. he seems to be everywhere and further proof he is better on the outside then he was in the middle. 
• Kris Durham- 8 catches 83 yards and he is proving once more he can go get a ball or two. Would love to see this cat develop into a legit threat, for now he is a role player getting additional time due to the health of the Lions receivers. Stepping up big when he gets a chances is the reason he made the team. 
• Joseph Fauria- Three catches all for TD's. Sure he doesn't get many chances out side of the red zone but this is his role to put points on the board and he had proven himself capable of doing exactly that. 

The Bad:

• Penalties- 8 penalties....still feels like too many. However those 8 penalties were only for 65 yards and two of those calls were highly questionable. The Lions are not making the big 15 yards mistakes and that is why they are winning. 
• Punt returning- This is a continuing issue. five punt returns for 22 yards. I am no math wiz, but that means they averaged what 5 yards per punt return? Not good enough!

All in all there is not a lot to complain about this week. The Lions won, and did so in a convincing manner. All of that is good and we know look for this team to gain this a little swagger. They need to start believing they can win every game no matter who the opponent is and that will become more important in week 7 with the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town. 

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Detroit Lions week 5 in review

Well that was certainly disappointing. After throttling the Chicago bears and defeating the Minnesota Vikings, and given the current state of the Green Bay Packers it really looked like the Detroit Lions were going to end another one of their sad streaks and finally shed away the baggage of being the same old Lions. Instead they go up to Green Bay lay a turd, and I am not gonna count that garbage time touchdown, and prove once again that Scott Linehan needs to be fired.

I do not care that they did not have Calvin Johnson. Sure he takes a lot of the attention of the defense, and sure he is averaging 78 yards a game and a TD. Are you telling em that Linehan cannot scheme around that? With Reggie Bush? With Joique Bell? With anyone of the other WR's or TE's. Matthew Stafford cannot put this team on his back and go get a much need road win? All of that is a huge problem for me, and once again I think it comes down to coaching. The coaches on this team just are not good enough, I give them credit for getting the team this far, but I have zero faith they are the staff to take this team to the next level. That goes across the board from Jim Schwartz on down.

NFL teams face adversary every week. Guys get injured, stuff happens, a good coaching staff has a pal in place for every eventuality. Linehan should have had a better game plan for a game with no Calvin, of course he has a hard enough time coming up with a good game plan with Calvin so maybe I expect to much from him. For me the answer comes down to running the ball. all of the coaches I know, played for, or look up too know that good football teams run the ball effectively and hen times get tough grind it out. This team cannot do that and that is a failure of the front office as much as the coaching staff. A football coach I greatly respect once told me only bad things can happened when you throw the ball, gotta run. This is  roster with Bush, Bell, and let us not forget Mikel Leshoure who certainly has to have some kind of ability, I mean the Lions traded up to draft him in the second round......Oh...Right!

64 yards on the ground, well below the 90 or so yards the team averages. 222 yards through the air, well below the 304 the Lions average in 2013. All because they were missing one guy? All because of Calvin? If that is true this team needs to rebuild the roster again. Way to top heavy, way to reliant on the big plays, and not built to extend drives or get tough yards, or win how other NFL team go about winning.

The Good:

• DeAndre Levy- This guy has been a beast all season. His haul in week five was 14 tackles (11 solo) he is a force and showing once again why this team has invested so much in him. Much better on the outside than he ever was in the middle. 
• Innovation- Love what the Lions chose to do late on a on side kick play. Running out both kickers and faking one way to kick the otehr. Granted more effective if Calvin Johnson is out on the fake side, but it proves the Lions can be innovative and try things. 
• David Akers- He hit from 53 yards. Outside and that is big for him because his outside game has suffered in recent years. 

The Bad:

• The Offensive line- their worst performance by far so far in 2013. They gave up three sacks doubling their total for the year and Jason Fox got hurt once again. Not to mention that they cannot run block to save their lives. This team needs to invest high round draft picks in this unit starting at Center in the 2014 draft.
• Kick returning- this continues to be an issue and bad decisions made in the the return game lead to a long field for the offense. I do not understand why this is a continuing issue no matter who is back there returning kicks but it seems an obvious place the Lions could get better in a hurry and help their team out tremendously. Yet another failure of this coaching staff. 

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Detroit Lions (3-1) week four in review

Am I really writing about the 3-1 first place Detroit Lions? A Detroit Lions team that is 2-0 in their own division, and is suddenly willing to play well enough to start shedding that Same Ole Lions moniker. These are not the Same Ole Lions. This is a team that is finally getting out of his own way,  a team that is not self destructing and a team that went out and made a huge statement with a throttling of the Chicago Bears.

Forget the final score of 40-32. Forget that the Bears were leading the game as the Lions left at least 12 points on the field early in the first half. In the second quarter the Lions offense got itself into gear the Lions defense played strong and they were able to score 27 points and never had to look back.

Sure there are still little things to fix. There are certain things that are a little troubling but we did not see any major issues in this game, and to be fair the Lions have gotten better each and every week. For those of us who have been tough on Head Coach Jim Schwartz we need to realize and acknowledge that. However, this team was once 5-0 and limped into the playoffs in 2011 so things can change greatly from week to week.

This is now a football team that has won in Washington (finally), beaten the Bears (the Lions are 2-7 against them in the Schwartz era) and now one task remains. That task is going Lambeau Field and beating the Green Bay Packers in their home stadium,  something they have not done since Brett Favre became the starter and I was still in high school. That is the last regular season Same Ole Lions baggage to shed. Of course the real work begins after they do just that and that is of course winning a playoff game and for that to be a reality in 2014 they need to get a home playoff game. That might be putting the cart in front of the horse a bit, but rejoice Lions fans we are 3-1 and this team is still getting better.

The Good:

• The Running Game- 159 yards on the ground on 30 carries and over 5 yards a carry on average. Take away the big 37 yard TD run by Reggie Bush and he was still over 100 yards rushing for the game. The running game opens everything up and teams will have to respect that. Given the talent of Calvin Johnson they'll have to pick their poison for the time being till some DC finds a way to stop both threats.
• Discipline- 3 penalties for 25 yards. that is an unreal number for this team. I don't think Ndamukong Suh had any and he was very effective in disrupting the Bears offense. He seems happier this year, more in control more grounded. If that is the case he could wind up being one of the best players in the NFL. 
• Brandon Pettigrew- 7 catches for 54 yards and tough catches, catches that extended drives, tough yards over the middle. He silenced a lot of his critics yesterday and the Lions offense gets better with a productive Pettigrew. 

The Bad:

• Matthew Stafford- he was not exactly bad, but not sharp. Not a super star, not the guy we have seen over the last few seasons and maybe some of that is actually a positive. However, early in this game he overthrew a few receivers and a few drives stalled. They got it together and he did go 23 of 35 for 242 yards one score and one pick. Not a great day, but maybe not a bad one either
• Turnovers- one pick and a couple of fumbles. One late in the game when they Lions were trying to close the game out. They need to learn how to close games out and hopefully we see that in the weeks to come. 
• the kick return game- I still see Lions kick returners making errors and mental mistakes that cost this team field position. It really seems like this coaching staff places little value on the kick and punt return part of the game. We forget about that some when they win, but when they lose we constantly point it out. Yesterday was not a good day for Michael Sprulock. 

With all that being said yesterday was a big step. Before this team can be a legit contender it has to learn how to beat their division rivals at home. The Lions throttled the previously undefeated Bears and that was a big step for them. Many steps remain but we can enjoy this win, and enjoy the week as we build up towards the game in Green Bay.

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Detroit Lions questions heading into week 2

The Detroit Lions beat a divisional opponent, one their home opener, and snapped an eight game regular season losing streak in week one. Now comes the challenge of week 2 and the first road game of 2013 versus the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions have not faired well out in the dessert. There are a number of challenges and some big questions that week two will go a long way towards answering.

First of all the Lions record against the Arizona Cardinals is not very good. They have won just three of their last 11 meetings. They have lost the last six regular season games played in Arizona going all the way back to 1999. They have not defeated the Red Birds since 2005 at home and if this team wants to silence some of its critics it needs to go out and play a disciplined game and win on the road.

The Cardinals had an identical 3-1 pre-season record, but lost in week one to the St. Louis Rams. The offensive names to watch are QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald. The Lions defense will have to work hard this week, and it will surely be a big test for them.

We move on to the biggest questions of week two for the Lions:

• Reggie Bush- Reggie wants to prove to everyone he can be an every down back, and he can carry the load for a team. The Lions are more than willing to give him that chance. However after a pre-season where not much film was shot of Mr. Bush how will his week one performance affect what the Cardinals do on defense? 
• Calvin Johnson- The plan was to get a piece for the offense that would open up Calvin in the receiving game. Last week was the Reggie show with Calvin only caught 4 balls for 37 yards. If the Arizona defense keys on Reggie more will Scott Linehan and QB Matthew Stafford have a game plan in place to get the ball to Calvin? Can the Lions offense stretch the Cardinals defense. 
• The Lions defense- the Lions shut down Adrian Peterson in week one on all but one big play. The challenge in week two is far greater, and something they are no as suited for. Can the secondary step up and lock down Fitzgerald and the Cardinals passing game. Palmer is a veteran QB who can pick apart a defense if he is given the time too. 
• Jim Schwartz- a week one win cools his seat a little, but this is a guy who needs his team to win 8 game minimum to keep his job. Putting together a playoff run would be the best way to prove he is the right man for this job. If he fails not only his his job in jeopardy but the job of GM Martin Mayhew not to mention the rest of the coaching staff and personnel shot callers. 
• Ndamukong Suh- The Lions need him to be more effective, need him to get more pressure on the QB especially this week, and they need him to keep his head about him and not take silly penalties. He need to be a leader and disrupt the Cardinals offense this week. 

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Detroit Lions week one in review

A win is a win. That is a universal truth and it is much better to be 1-0 than 0-1. However, it seems the Detroit Lions and their fans are blowing their week one win out of proportion. It is certainly understandable since this team has not won a regular season game since the first week of November 2012. This was just one win, and it is a good win at home, but many questions remain. The NFL season even at just 16 games is not a sprint but a marathon an d given recent history and a few troubling indicators it does not look like they are set up for success in 2013.

We could bang on the negatives, bad penalties, mental errors, and how bad this team looked in the first half but we can also take some time and point out some positives. The defense is very good, the team did not quit and let's be real honest here in past seasons this team would have folded it in. They also played significantly better in the second half and really took it to the Minnesota Vikings. Those are all good things, and it shows some progress has been made but more work remains and I want to see this team take the next step. I want to see them go out and throttle a team that are clearly better than, and I want to see then win consistently on the road.

In each of the last 12 seasons the Lions have had a losing streak of five games or more. That troubles me and until they don't do that it feels like they always feel on the verge of a significant losing streak. I like a week one win, I like a win against a divisional opponent, and I like a win at home but I have a lot of questions none of which were helped by the first half of this game. First and foremost how many points did the Lions leave on the field? Good NFL teams will exploit any weakness and I saw several play out. In fact I see the Lions having the same issues each and every week since Jim Schwartz was named the Head Coach.

Let us not forget Schwartz lost his cool once again on the sideline, threw a challenge flag without any input from his staff and had the Lions lost this game that is what we would be talking about today. However, let us not pass judgement on the 2013 Detroit Lions till we have more evidence. Hopefully next week we see more positive indicators than negative ones.

The Good:

• Reggie Bush- 90 yards rushing and 101 yards receiving and he wants to prove he is an every down back and the Lions are willing to use him that way. He did get dinged up a bit in this one and one has to wonder about durability bit all in all a great Detroit debut for Mr. Bush. There is an aberration in his stat line, take away that 3 yard pass that he broke for a 77 score and the final numbers don't look as good. However, we pay that guy 4 million a year to make an impact and he certainly did that. 
• The Defense- They held the Vikings to 330 yards of total offense and 4 points. They were very opportunistic in creating turnovers (even if one got called back). The D line is phenomenal and the addition of Israel Idonije was an astute waiver wire pick up and not the kind of move we see the Lions front office make. 
• The offensive line- The Lions gained 117 yards on the ground, they averaged 3.5 yards per carry and Mathew Stafford was only sacked once. There are three new starters on this line and even though Jason Fox went down with an injury this unit went out and performed. There might have been one but we did not see many procedural penalties of bone head mistakes out of them either. 

The Bad:

• Coaching- Schwartz once again let his emotions get the best of him but this time it did not cost his team a well deserved win like it did last Thanksgiving. They play way to undisciplined and I am sick of the dancing and the first down arm waving after plays. Roy Williams use to do that and drive me crazy. Act like professionals and act like we have all been here before. 
• Slow start to the offense- once again the Lions had a chance to make a statement on the opening drive of the game and came away with no points. It was bad enough to not get the TD, but to walk away with nothing was a gut punch early. Once again this team looks great in between the 20 yard lines but finishing drives is still a concern. 
• Third down- The Lions converted just 5 of 13 third downs. They still have an issue extending drives and we will be looking for them to improve that. This is one indicator we will be keeping our eyes on. 

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Analyzing the 2013 Detroit Lions roster: Defensive back's

For the first time in a long time I am not as worried about the secondary as I am other parts of the defensive specifically the Linebacking corps. I like the mix of talent here this year and I think the one real weak spot is Louis Delmas and his inability to stay healthy. If it were not for that I would feel pretty confident heading into the season with this personnel grouping.

Chris Houston is back and I have always been pretty high on him. When we look over the stats from the last two seasons we find that teams are not very willing to throw to his side of the field. Sooner or later he is going to come up with one. I will not say he is an excellent corner, but he is a very good one. In the draft the Lions added Darius Slay and after off season surgery he has locked down the other starting Corner spot. I think teams will look to test the rookie early and hopefully he is up to that test. I am pretty high on the starting corners. Of course there is still a lot of questions about depth here. Bill Bentley, Jonte Green and Rasheen Mathis are the other corners on the roster so if there are injuries the Lions could be in trouble.

At Safety I love Delmas but his inability to play 16 games in any one season has me doubting he is the guy for this job. He is a leader and the defense responds to him, but when you are not on the field week in and week out changes have to be made. I don't see his health concerns getting any better but I have been wrong before. He is joined at safety by free agent addition Glover Quinn. This was a very astute pickup by the Lions and his influence has already been felt in the secondary. If Delmas stays healthy and Quinn performs like he did for the Houston Texans the secondary could be very good.

Don Carey, John Wendling, and DeJon Gnomes are the other safeties on the roster and will make more of an impact in the Special Team arena if everyone stays healthy.

There is a lot of potential in this unit, and sure as Lions fans some years we have feasted n potential only to be utterly disappointed but let us save judgement till we see what this unit can do in normal game conditions.

Related Links:

• Detroit Lions news and notes
• Detroit Football Examiner

Analyzing the 2013 Detroit Lions roster: D Line

We all know the big names. Ndamukoing Suh and Nick Fairley and they will be the two boys in the middle of the line most of the time. We also know the name Ezekial Ansah who takes over for the departed Cliff Avril. Add to that free agent Jason Jones and we know the four men who will start along the D line. That is three first round picks, and a free agent all playing with one another for the first time this season.

The Lions have a lot of draft picks and salary cap money invested in their D Line, and this unit has the talent to be nothing less than dominant. That might take a few games or it might happen right away. Through the pre-season we have seen the D line be dominant and opportunistic helping to create turnovers.

There has been a lot of turnover from 2012 to 2013. Kyle Vanden Bosch, Avril, Corey Williams, Andre Fluellen, Lawrence Jackson, Ronnell Lewis, and others are all out. Vanden Bosch has been the locker room leader for this unit the last few years and the Lions are betting that Suh is mature enough to step up into that role. From what we have seen so far this pre-season that certainly appears to be the case. However, Jim Schwartz has made his living in the NFL having a strong rotation at along the D line especially at the DT spots and as it stands there are just four DT's on the roster. CJ Mosely and Justin Bannan will back up Suh and Fairley who might be the best DT pairing in the entire NFL.

Ansah, who the Lions are hoping makes a big step up to the NFL game, and we have seen signs o fthat this pre-season, along with Jones are the starting ends. Willie Young and  Israel Idonije as the primary backups. Devin Taylor is also on the 53 man roster and is an extra end if needed.

This looks like a strong group and with what is invested here it certianly better be. I like the amount of talent contained here, but still think a tad much of the salary cap is invested here but that is more out of circumstance that any kind of mismanagement.

The things to watch for is Ansah's ability to pick up the game at  this level, the leadership qualities of Suh, and the amount of production the ends can get when teams double team one of the two tackles which is likely to happen a lot. This unit has the skills to be very good, and let's hope they get opposing QB's on their toes.

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• Detroit Lions news and notes
• Detroit Football Examiner

How bad was the Detroit Lions loss last night?

If we just look at the scoreboard it is pretty bad. 24-6 is about as ugly has NFL losses come. Granted Calvin Johnson didn't play but if this is the offense the 2013 Lions will have when Calvin is not on the field this team has issues. The point here I guess is that this was a pre-season game, but we saw a lot of the issues that have plagued this Lions team for years. A small list:

• three personal foul penalties...this team still plays with a lack of discipline
• the running game was pretty awful: 51 total yards and just 2.4 yards per carry
• the tackling, or lack there of which has been a hug problem for a long time

Even though the story of this game is gonna be how bad the Lions looked on the road, I think there is one positive and that was the play of Reggie Bush. Sure he only rushed for 15 yards on 8 carries but he did add five catches for 44 more yards, And he has proven he is a weapon that this offense needs, and he is a good locker room guy. If the Lions O line can step up he might be bale to put together a special season.

However, Lions fans are fed up. This game was the epitome of 'Same old Lions.' It looks like Detroit fans are just sick and tired of this team looking like that on the field. Here is a sampling of texts I got during the game last night from random Detroit sports fans:

• The Lions are getting beat like a tone deaf Jackson kid
• They could not beat Stephen Hawking and the Golden Girls
• The Lions are as effective as sandwich bag birth control
• George W. Bush thinks the Lions make bad decisions under pressure
• Offensive line is less productive than a circle jerk
• How did the Lions manage to go out and make Detroit look worse?

The good news the for the Lions is their fans are still engaged enough to be pissed off at the losing. Things could be much worse just ask Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons who have become irrelevant in the world of Detroit sports, and not just because their own is actually in Auburn Hills. 

Sure, it was just one pre-season game and in a month no one is likely to remember that, but let us not forget they did play this game in a town that not that long chanted 'Detroit is bankrupt.' the real problem I see is a lack of pride. The utter lack of caring what the team looks like, and today they look like buffoons. 

If the Lions defense made Brandon Weeden look that good what is going to happen next week when they play Tom Brady?

This loss is a tough one to swallow, but at the end of the day it is one loss, a pre-season loss at that. Let's hope the Lions put it together and come September 8th they are ready to play for real. 

Related Links:

• Detroit Football Examiner
• Detroit Lions news and notes