Detroit Lions week 12/13 in review

I will be real honest, this is the worst job to have when your team plays as bad a game as the Detroit Lions did last Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I did not want to write about the Lions all week. Then they fumble the opening drive against the Packers and I was like 'great here we go again', another Thanksgiving day ruined. I even texted someone and was like I guess I need to find a new job because the Lions are killing my love for football. Most of you already know how the rest of the Green Bay game would play out, but I am the first one to sit here and say be warned now, the Lions are still not that good. The beat the crap out of an opponent they have not beaten in five tries, the won on Thanksgiving for the first time in a decade, and all of that is good, but the beat up on a team that was distracted by its own media madness and absent its biggest stars. Even that is good in a way because this is the kind of game the 'Same Ole Lions" would've have found a way to lose.

Taking advantage of an opponents weaknesses is a necessary trait in the NFL. The Lions exposed the Packers and their injuries, their inability to stop the run, and they adjusted nicely to what transpired in the game. However I still see a team that is very up and down. These two games personify what the Lions are in a nutshell...the new Cardiac kids. There are no easy wins, there are bad mistakes and the highs and too high and the lows are far to low. I want to see this team be more consistent across the board. To play at a high level every down, every play, and in every game. For me the opponent does not matter. With the weapons they have an offense they should score at will, and the defense has played far better than any of us want to give them credit for.

The ultimate goal is for this team to be a legit playoff contender, and they are just not there yet. However, they are improving and hopefully very soon they will ready themselves to take that next step.

For now a look at the good and the bad from two very different games for our Lions:

The Good:

• The running game- the racked up 345 rushing yards in these two games and for the first time all season lost a game where Reggie Bush had at least 75 rushing yards (and we know the reason they lost that game). The O line is starting to run block very well and the coaches came up with a game plan that exposed a weakness in  the Green Bay defense. Got to give credit where credit is due. 
• The D line- 9 sacks in two games, and we all said they do not get to the QB enough. Sure they played too inexperienced QB's but that is how you beat young QB's in this league, you get in their face. 
• The Linebackers- The linebackers actually played pretty well in both of these games. Sure they couldn't stop the Bucs when they needed too, but the LB corps has played far better than we thought they were going to before the season began. Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy have come up huge for this team. 

The bad:

• Turnovers- In two games, 6 picks, 5 fumbles (three of which were lost) that is not how you win, and it is certainly not how you win in the post season. Most of that fault lies with the two leaders of this team, Matthew Stafford and Reggie Bush. Not to mention that phantom fumble by Kris Durham which was inexcusable. 
• Special Teams- Kick offs going out of bounds, missed field goals, and a blocked kick. The return game has gotten better but as a whole the special teams continue to struggle. I have zero faith in this coaching staff when it comes to this phase of the game. 
• Matthew Stafford- Along with the team as a whole taking the next step I think we are getting to the point where Stafford needs to take the next step in his development. He leads great with his play, most of the time, but I think for this team to become a legit contender he needs to become more of vocal leader. It disturbs me that he did not want to take the chance to lay down the law after a tough loss at home. Peyton Manning would have taken that team into the locker room and laid down the law and not that Stafford has to go that far with it, but I think he needs to be more of a force on the field first and off the field as well.

The Lions now get 10 days off to prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles. That is not the gimme game we thought it was and I want to see this team go on the road and win They will have to work hard to do just that and with four games left in the season they need every win, even if 9 wins will win them this division. 

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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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Detroit Lions week 8 in review

Let us go ahead and forget about the whole Same Ole Lions wrap. The same Ole Lions would not have won this game. The Same Ole Lions would have folded it in wit ha minute to go. The same Ole Lions would not have had Mathew Stafford will his team to a win. The Same Ole Lions are no more. There are new Lions and while we may not exactly what they are capable of they sure are freaking exciting. With on QB sneak Stafford helped this town believe not only in himself but in this team. It finally feels like we are done with the Same Ole Lions.

With all of that being said, there is a very large problem here. We are talking about an offense that gained 623 yards and they only one by one point. The win is the story this week, cause of how they won, but a team that can move the ball that easily has got to find a way to score more. Sure 4 turnovers and 8 penalties play into that, and those are things that can be fixed. I would even go so far as to say the one pick that bounce off of Calvin Johnson;s hands is one of those fluky things that happen, and we can say that Reggie Bush is never going to be the nonchalant with the ball ever again and boom the turnover problem should be fixed. However, this is a team that still need to learn to close out games, stand on an opponents neck and that is the next step I expect them to take. They have learned how to win, how to handle a lesser opponent and how to come back and win. Now they need to grow into dominant.

Now we have the trade deadline, a bye week, and hopefully the return of Nate Burleson. The Lions should be in the market for a WR, but the NFL trade deadline is hardly the MLB frenzy. This team need the bye week to regroup, set goals, and focus in on winning the next game at Chicago. That is looking to be a very winnable game. For now let us reflect on week 8:

The Good:

• They won- They found a way to win. Matthew Stafford willed this team to a win. that is a huge step forward from a team that a few years ago expected to lose. The fans believe and so do the players. This was Stafford moment where he lead the team to victory. Now the coaches have to build on that. 
• Three rushing TD's- The Lions scored three TD's in this game and three of them came on the ground. Now Scott Linehan can use his receivers to get the team into the red zone and opposing defenses will have to respect that ability of this offense to score on the round opening up other options. That is a huge positive to go along with the 143 yards gained on the ground. When the Lions rush for more than 100 yards they tend to win. Linehan needs to keep that in mind. 
• Jeremy Ross- Finally the Lions made a in season switch at kick returner and it paid off. Jeremy Ross didn't get a lot of chances but he came up big with a 44 yard return. Michael Spurlock was inactive for this game and that is probably for the best. 

The Bad:

• 4 turnovers- god teams, teams that go deep into the playoffs take care of the ball. Maybe this was a fluky game and maybe not either way the Lions cannot cough up the ball this much and expect to win. 
• Finishing Drives- Johnson had 323 yards and only found the end zone once. That is up and down the field without scoring. This team has got to have a better nose for the end zone. Not just Megatron but the whole offense. They need to put points on the board. 
• Too Calvin dependent- Granted if a guy can be open when tripled covered. If a guy is always open one can understand why they go to Megartron as often as they do. However that is not sustainable each and every week. Other weapons have to emerge and Kris Durham looked very good this week and made another spectacular catch down the sidelines. Other players have got to step up and we saw glimpse of that this week, and it needs to continue. 

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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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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. 

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