The Boiling Point

"It's reached a decidedly wicked point in this Detroit Lions' season. The injuries have been absolutely unreal in their frequency and severity. The gut-wrenching win-blowing has turned into something that defies articulation. The excess of penalties, both absent-minded and unfairly officiated, have ruined the enjoyment of watching a team more talented than any I've seen in the last...good lord, since the '90's."

I wrote that an hour or two before the start of the game at Green Bay. I, like probably many other fans, had just about had it with this season. Everything was going wrong at a wicked pace, and then Green Bay comes rolling into town needing a win, and the Lions just were crippled by placing Kyle Vanden Bosch and Alphonso Smith on IR. It was bleak.

But the Lions punched their way to a win. For a change, it was the other team suffering miscues, injuries, and bad luck. And the Lions, God love 'em, held strong at the end when they could have choked it away like they've done for weeks. It was very gratifying.

I enjoy how Packer fans have been all whiny and emo and pathetic following this loss, saying it was luck on the Lions' part that Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game. A little lucky, yes, but while he was in he wasn't playing that well, and for the love of Spiced Meats, how lucky were the Packers going into this game? They needed a win, the Lions were decimated by injuries and brittle confidence, and things had just been going their way for quite some time. They need to suck it up and stop making excuses.

It was also nice to see the product of such extensive work by Martin Mayhew come through. The defensive line, minus KVB and with Cliff Avril having to leave again, was still spectacular; their depth is uncanny, and it truly does seem to be one of the better units in the league. This is what he should be able to do with the rest of the time.

Good grief, hope feels weird again.

You're got to be f*#%ing kidding me

Kevin Smith has now been placed on the IR.

This team cannot catch a break.

Kidney punching

This has been an absolutely brutal stretch for the Detroit Lions. It seems like in the span of two weeks they've gone from having all the hope and momentum in the world to being beaten up, beaten down, and pessimism embodied.

Remember all my schedule fun? Well, I have no idea anymore. I have no faith in the running game (Kevin Smith's surprise thumb surgery hasn't helped). You can tell that poor Shaun Hill just isn't right (that guy is a trooper, though, which has endeared him to the fanbase), and even though local papers are saying that Stafford will try and play again this season I have trouble believing it - I just see him suiting up and getting injured a few play into the game.

There is just this nearly palpable feeling of negativity prevailing right now. What's even more ridiculous is that we KNOW this is part of the rebuilding process; when constructing this team from a negative value standpoint, it's common knowledge that it will take at least three years. After losing perpetually for years, shaking a stigma will take time. I think it's the seemingly immediate success of the Bucs, Rams, and Browns that is so irritating, and it just fuels jealousy so easily.

So, at this point, I don't know what to expect or even predict. I want to feel optimistic going into Sunday's game against the Cowboys, but I feel like even though the NFL is probably praying for a Lions' victory (the NFL seems to get off on absolute, complete parity; if any team can win at anytime, isn't that what they've been striving for?), Jon Kitna and Roy Williams will absolutely destroy any and all hope.

On a lighter note, did anyone read Jeff Pearlman's list of the 100 Worst players in NFL History? CC Brown did, saw he was number 90, and he flipped out. It's pretty funny, especially considering that he really is terrible.

this picture not only serves as the embodiment of Brown's time in NY, but also his entire career. I can't wait until he, Julius Peterson, and Bryant Johnson get cut and ride off into the sunset in a beaten down camry.

HATEHATEHATE

Also, I hate Bryant Johnson.

Only 9 catches on the season going into this game.

Countless crappy routes ran.

Scads of easy drops.

He's got to get released from this team. There are far too many receivers in the world who are better than this guy who are available.

Oh, my gosh, do I despise this player.

Garbage

Right now, with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Lions look absolutely horrible.

I have no idea what's going on, nor do I have any theories to throw out. They Lions are just playing like they've given up. Going into this game, no one in the state of Michigan thought this game would be a freebie; Buffalo has gone down swinging in each of their games, probably the beneficiaries of worse luck than the Lions. They really should have a couple wins. And now?

Now the Lions are working on letting a winless team get their first win against them for the second year in a row.

The plus side right now (the silver lining on the giant steaming pile of turds) is that the offensive line is finally being exposed. For weeks now people have been saying, "'Y'know, they've been playing pretty good!" Which is a mirage. Just because we've been watching really, REALLY crappy line play for the last decade doesn't mean that watching a decent line makes it tremendous. Think about it this way: The Bills are getting pretty good production out of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Do you think they'll pass on Andrew Luck in the draft because of that?

Rob Sims is pretty good. Cherilus is alright. The rest top out at average. They take stupid penalties. And now, against the team that is dead last against the run, they can't open any lanes or push the Bills' D-Line around. That doesn't even factor into the fact that the Lions' QB's have been mightily injured behind this same line for about two years now. Pathetic.

This game is so frustrating.

Waiting another year...again

Shaun Hill is starting Sunday. OHTHANKGOD

Ahem. Now, I'm faced with a quandry: normally, it's around this point in the season where I and other Lions fans start to speculate on the events of the coming offseason and next season, usually because the Lions are playing so abysmally that there's really no there alternative; Hope is seen from a distance, not in front of our faces. This year, Detroit is playing really well in comparison to past efforts, so there's no need to focus on future hope when it's staring at us right in our faces.

So I guess when I start my speculations, it's less of a life preserver (a way to keep hope's head above water) and more of a condiment (a compliment to the hope already here). So let's crack this bottle of ketchup, eh?

INJURIES:

This season has provided a myriad of devastating injuries levied (PUN INTENDED) on Detroit, some minor and aggravating and some enormous and devastating. The fact of the matter is that teams generally don't seem to get crapped on this frequently in subsequent seasons. Last year Stafford, Pettigrew, and Kevin Smith had season ending injuries. This year we've had scads of injuries, but only one real horribly season-altering injury (Stafford, although cases could be made for Jahvid Best). Frankly, three years in a row is just ridiculous. Next year (fingers crossed, knock on wood) should be better in that aspect.

PERSONNEL:

This is a markedly improved team from last year, but there are still holes, and those holes are costing this team some wins. The biggest problem areas seem to be Linebacker, Offensive Line, and Secondary. DeAndre Levy is a lock in the middle (assuming, of course that he doesn't break apart like a movie-prop wine bottle), so the main needs are outside LB's. Julian Peterson is crap, Zack Follett, although good, isn't great enough to make a huge impact. Offensive line is a more interesting story. Rob Sims is fantastic. Gosder Cherilus is playing much, much better this year than last, and actually seems to be legitimately improving. Dominic Raiola is, for some reason, deeply ingrained in this franchise and won't be going anywhere. Jeff Backus is alright and Stephen Peterman is terrible, therefore the biggest needs are LT and RG. With Backus, honestly, he's not terrible. He's alright. Unfortunately, success in the NFL can't come with a left tackle who's serviceable - look at Stafford and his litany of injuries. The secondary is far better than anyone could have predicted, and Alphonso Smith just may be turning into an integral part of the team's future. Houston is playing good, Spievey is developing at a reasonable pace, and Delmas is awesome. Any upgrade would occur if something tremendously fantastic were to just plop down into the Lions' lap. The upcoming draft has two absolutely amazing corners available (Prince Amukamara from Nebraska and Patrick Peterson of LSU), but seems to be weaker in LB's and OL's as opposed to previous years. Basically, the offseason rests on Martin Mayhew kicking ass and taking names. So, hurray!

Combined with the development of talent and the cultural shift from utter defeatist to hopefully competitive, there's no reason this team can't compete for a divisional title next year....assuming there's a season. What? OH YES, THAT.

The absolute worst thing that can happen to the Lions next season is if there isn't one. The NFLPA and the NFL administration can't seem to stop being unfathomably greedy (and frankly, the NFLPA seems to be making the more ludicrous of the demands), and an ensuing work stoppage would not only alienate legions of fans and retard the gravitational popularity of the league (remember the '94 MLB strike?), but it would also really be a slap in the face to franchises like Detroit, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis that are actually gaining momentum in their developmental process. It would be criminally unfair not to see the fruits of all their labor, especially for tortured fanbases.

But anyway, the next year should be very appeasing to us, and the rest of this season should be lots of fun as well. My gosh, for the first time since, what, 1997?, it's kinda nice to be a Lions fan.

i absolutely adore these goofy lion pictures. I feel like Matt Millen desperately wanted these on the helmet, and doodled different variations of them in his coloring books, because far be it for that lummox to color inside the lines. I hope he gets banned from the state of Michigan. So residually angry...

Transactions, yo!

Some good news on the horizon: Jonathan Wade has been released! Practice squad receivers, beware! Soon Mr. Wade might be letting you catch scads of passes and then try to arm tackle you! Coming soon to a town near you!

Also, Pats castoff Zac Robinson is now the Lions' 3rd string QB, and Dave Rayner is the new kicker until Jason Hanson is whole again. Rayner is a former Spartan....but that hasn't boded well for Drew Stanton, Sedrick Irvin, Charles Rogers, etc. with the Lions.

"Hey! What 'bout me?? What 'bout your boy TJ??"

Porcelain breaks easily

There was a lengthy article in the Free Press this morning about how Matt Stafford insists he's not injury prone. At length he talks about all the games he didn't miss in college or high school. Former teammates gush about his toughness. Jim Schwartz also deflects and denies accusations that Stafford is now, officially, injury prone.

Do they know what injury prone means? According to Schwartz, it means aggravating the same injury over and over. According to Stafford it means lacking toughness. According to everyone else in the world who isn't A) In Denial or B) The Injury Proned Person In Question, being "injury prone" implies that someone is injured on a consistent basis. Or, realistically speaking, it means you're Matt Stafford.

No one here questions his toughness, not after watching him get beat down play after play (last year's win against Cleveland, even against the Jets when you could tell he hurt his arm the first time and anti-Favred it [beginning to hold his arm, abruptly and quickly pretending to adjust pads, warm up, etc.]) . We know he wants to get out and play. We respect that. Everyone respects it. It's just that he can't.

Being injury prone isn't something he can help, it isn't something that can magically disappear. Dude's obviously got one of the best arms in the entire world, he's got moxie, he's got charisma, he's got a joy for football that ranks up there with Hines Ward. Unfortunately, he also has the clear distinction of being injured all the time. Looking down the barrel of a gun marked "Out for Season," Stafford will have missed more games than he's played in. By the time his third season starts he may have not even played the equivalent of one whole slate of games.

What is aggravating about this whole thing is that we, the fans, are angered because we were sold on him. The Lions organization and the kid's talent alone make us believe in him. Yet, it's a double-edged sword because we also believe he's the engine in the vehicle of this Lions team, and if he won't turn over then neither will the team. So much of the future of this organization depends on him, and the prospect of having to get another quarterback (distant and eerie as it may be) is heartbreaking; the Lions were supposed to be thisclose to being a legit team again, and that can't happen without a franchise quarterback.

I like Shaun Hill a lot. I think he is Staffordesque in most ways except arm strength and accuracy. I believe he can lead the team to a couple more wins this season. Yet he's got a broken arm. So now what? Drew Stanton? Ugh.

To inject some gallows humor into this situation, I've prepared a list based on the fact that the word "Cursed" is now more prevalent than "Snake-bitten" when describing the Detroit Lions. This list contains top QB's in the league, and what would happen to them if they helmed the Lions:

1) Peyton Manning - Manning lasts 6 games under center, wins 5, and in the fourth quarter of the 6th game, being up 35 to 7, Gosder Cherlius is forced back onto Manning's leg. Torn ACL. Done for season.

2) Tom Brady - Mr. Handsome sits out the first game with a strained groin. He plays the next 10 games, but in the 12th game of the season is assailed by slippery rogue tiles in the shower, and suffers a grade 2 concussion. Out for the season.

3) Drew Brees - After being sacked by Jared Allen, Brees gets up quickly, bowling over a referee. He re-injures his throwing arm, misses 8 games, and is ineffective when he returns.

4) Philip Rivers - Tired of losing after a 5 game skid, Rivers blows his top and tries to strangle Brandon Pettigrew. Suspended for the remaining 11 games.

5) Matt Schaub - Developing a tremendous rapport with Calvin Johnson after 4 games, Schaub drops back to heave a 60 yard bomb, but tears the ligaments in his ankle when he trips over his own feet, alone in the backfield. Out for the year.

6) Tony Romo - Breaks his throwing hand during preseason when he tries to play catch with Nate Burleson. Breaks arm when he tries to return around the 10th game after high-fiving Kevin Smith.

7) Ben Roethlisberger - Locks himself in his basement after blowing a lead for a third straight game. Decides to be a Call of Duty professional gamer. Out for season.

8) Joe Flacco - Back thrown out by trying to rush for a touchdown in a meaningless game. Misses four games. Comes back in Week Five, only to get hit by a bus.

9) Aaron Rodgers - Attacked by a polar bear.

10) Kyle Orton - Attacked by Matt Millen.

....please God no no no no no nononononononono

Well....okay.

So, upon further reflection, let me add this caveat to the previous post.

I'm assuming Stafford is going to be out for a while, because he's a dainty china doll. So, if Shaun Hill is playing in most of those games, well, I can see the Lions winning. They played hard for Hill.

If Drew Stanton starts any of those games? Oh lord. Brutal loss. Every time.

Boy, is he terrible.

Just...just awful.

I mean it, he makes Dan Orlovsky look like Erik Kramer.

He makes Rodney Peete look like Scott Mitchell.

He makes Daunte Culpepper look like Jon Kitna.

He makes Andre Ware look like Dave Krieg.

(okay, that's the last one. I promise)

.....I'm a liar and he makes Joey Harrington look like Mike McMahon.

Monday Hangover

Ugh. Even after trying to sleep off that loss, the bile still remains, sloshing around. Blech.

The Lions have been castigated in the Freep, Detroit News, MLive, and CBS so far, and Kevin Seifert's excellent NFC North blog managed to criticize the Lions amidst three pages worth of Vikings stories. What that means is both positive and negative: people are noticing the Lions.

I bet every Lions fan feels conflicted about the game yesterday. On one hand, they hung tough against one of the best teams in the NFL. On the other hand, they choked a win away. It's almost an internal battle of feeling appreciative and ungrateful, where we know we should be absolutely ecstatic about the Lions' performance but still we are angry about a loss. Has pure, unadulturated hope made us bitter?

It's funny when you think about it: two seasons removed from an 0-16 season, in the midst of a 100% roster upheaval and cultural overhaul, Lions fans are suddenly indignant with a supreme effort and marked improvement. I knew they probably wouldn't win this game, just as everyone else did the same. Sure, they blew a huge lead in a stupid way, but the positive of it all is that they really could have won that game. They are light years away from what they were, and that is exceedingly encouraging. They need probably another offseason on roster upgrades (linebacker and offensive line probably needs the most, the secondary turned out to be better than they thought. Unless Amukamara or Peterson is available. Oy. Probably a different post) and Schwartz needs to keep learning about coaching for success in the NFL (it seems like he's been learning how to not lose bad, and just how to coach period). I dunno. I think this should be seen as somewhat of a positive, and that if there's an NFL next season then the Lions could, actually and realistically, challenge for the NFC North. And that, my friend, is awesome.

NOW, schedule evaluation!

10	Sun, Nov 14	Buffalo Bills@ Buffalo (0-8)	1:00 pm EST
11	Sun, Nov 21	Dallas Cowboys@ Dallas (1-7)	1:00 pm EST
12	Thu, Nov 25	New England Patriotsvs New England (6-2)	12:30 pm EST
13	Sun, Dec 5	Chicago Bearsvs Chicago (5-3)	1:00 pm EST
14	Sun, Dec 12	Green Bay Packersvs Green Bay (6-3)	1:00 pm EST
15	Sun, Dec 19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers@ Tampa Bay (5-3)	1:00 pm EST
16	Sun, Dec 26	Miami Dolphins@ Miami (4-4)	1:00 pm EST
17	Sun, Jan 2	Minnesota Vikingsvs Minnesota (3-5)	1:00 pm EST

Okay, let's assume that this loss doesn't break the Lions, but instead pisses them off. I'm going to go ahead and assume also that Matt Stafford and his stupid injury-prone self will be missing the next few games, if not the rest of the season. So, where does that leave us?

Wk 10 @ Bills - I see this as a win, because they must feel that if they can't beat the Bills, then what good are they? They needs this as a moral victory, and although the Bills have been playing freakishly hard I think the Lions are going to punch them in the face. (3-6)

Wk 11 @ Cowboys - The Cowboys are playing some of the worst football in the league. They don't run the ball, Jon Kitna is their QB, and Wade Phillips is one of the worst coaches in the NFL. All the better if Jerry Jones freaks out and fires him. I think this could be a win, and two road wins in a row should get this team sufficiently pumped. (4-6)

Wk 12 Patriots - I make this pick angrily. VERY angrily. I think NE wins this game. HOWEVAH, coming off of two road wins and going into probably the biggest moral game of the season for them (Lions games ARE Thanksgiving games), I can envision an upset. Still, I'm going on record picking the bloody Patriots. (4-7)

Wk 13 Bears - The Lions have been looking forward to this since week one, man. I think this is a decisive win, and it really helps keep Detroit's head above water morally. (5-7)

Wk 14 Packers - Another revenge game. The Lions know they can win this, and it's at home, and they're pissed. Lions win, and they try to decapitate Aaron Rodgers. (6-7)

Wk 15 @ Buccaneers - I have to change my pick from earlier in the seaon. The Bucs are playing terrific football right now, and Josh Freeman has made a believer out of me. I have a buddy who is a Bucs fan, and he talks about the mega home field advantages of TB (Bucs' home jerseys are white, opponents go dark and play under a sweltering sun, etc.). I could envision an upset, but I don't want to actually pick it. (6-8)

Wk 16 @ Dolphins - I still think the Lions win this game. It is a pick without rhyme or reason. Especially if Matt Stafford decides to play this week. (7-8)

Wk 17 Vikings - Revenge game, and a nice way to close out the season. I also think Ndamukong Suh cripples Brett Favre. (8-8)

Wow, that's better than I initially thought, eh? Of course, I bet my prediction will be off by a win or two. However, 6-8 wins? For the Lions? After the last couple seasons? Cause for joy, mon frere.

BOO HOO HOO, I HURT MESELF AGAIN

Wow

Also worth noting is that Darrelle Revis is absolutely amazing.

He kept breaking up passes cleanly, with deft precision. I watched the game and I desperately wanted to scream that some of those plays deserved flags....but I couldn't. He was just that good. Against arguably the most talented wide receiver in the game (in terms of physical tools, I mean) he not only stood his ground but he absolutely SHUT HIM DOWN. It was masterful.

I didn't believe the hype until I actually saw him.

My gosh, he really is worth 15+ million dollars a year.

Probably the best defensive player in the game. Hands down.

there's a gypsy somewhere laughing.

Today's game was a metaphor. No, wait, no. It was symbolic of....it.....hmm. Let me try again.

Okay.

The game that was played today was three quarters and 13 minutes of great, gutsy football. The last two minutes was a dripping lizard abortion. The playcalling was alright, the execution as as painful as passing a necklace of kidney stones.

With 2 minutes left to play and a 20-17 lead, Drew Stanton's protection broke on a 3rd and 6. He scrambled right and, instead of sliding and taking the sack that would keep the clock running, he threw (HE THREW) a pathetic flick towards Jerome Felton. Which was dropped because it was an awful throw, a surprising throw. The clock stops, and a Jets offense with serious momentum gets the ball. They have no timeouts, but it's a play based on script that has been reused multiple times for the Lions: choking.

The Lions' mighty defensive line was held up by an absolutely terrific Jets offensive line. Then, a secondary that is merely okay, not good or even pretty good, is put on the spot. The linebackers are a joke and did nothing to help, all game (it is kind of funny, though: the higher paid and more well-known the linebacker, the worse he plays. Landon Johnson and Ashlee Palmer have been playing rather well, while Levy has been "meh" and Julian Peterson has been nothing short of embarassing). Of course the Jets will move the ball. Of course they will be put in a position to win.

Another cursed kick in the nuts was Matt Stafford again injuring himself. Does this person know how to take a hit? Does he know how to land correctly? I've had it with him - he's in the Crap Hut with DeAndre Levy and Stephen Peterman until he does something HUGE to win me back.

Probably the most insulting part of the game, the part that was spitefully cruel, was the injury to Jason Hanson. Hanson has been the last bastion of hope consistency and hope for a team mired in bad fortune, and to watch him crumple and be hurt enough to not come back in....it hurt the fans watching. And of course Nick Harris, a capable punter, turns out to be a horrific kicker. So who's going to come in and attempt the extra point? Ndamukong Suh. Dude's now officially played on offense and special teams (Fullback, Kicker...yeesh). Regretfully, he shanked the kick. It hit the goalpost, so it wasn't a completely terrible kick. However, that missed extra point could have made a WORLD of difference. Think about it: instead of Folk making the easy field goal to tie the game, the Jets would have to get the touchdown. That would mean a long, deep throw, with the defensive line playing like they are possessed. I would have given the odds to the Lions' D in that case, but it's a moot point.

They lost. This loss isn't like the earlier crappy losses, where they Lions seemed to be playing from behind the entire game. They had the lead. THEY LEAD THE THIRD BEST TEAM IN THE ENTIRE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, and they couldn't close. So, lessons to take from this game, in all its spiteful, angry, cruel embodiment:

1) Drew Stanton has been and always will be terrible. Dude's got chutzpah, but that doesn't get him any results. Ever. Shaun Hill was supposed to be the guy to bail them out when Stafford goes down, and he couldn't play. All Stanton had to do was run a clock-eating offense. And he failed miserably.

2) The linebackers are by far and away the weakest part of this team. I mean they are absolutely atrocious. Instead of looking at a Prince Amukamara or Patrick Peterson in the draft, maybe they should focus on a dominating outside linebacker. Or two or three, especially when they cut Julian Peterson.

3) Matt Stafford is injury-prone. He may be tougher than John Wayne's elbows, but that dude cannot stop being injured. If he wants to shake that label then he will have to play through pain. It also brings to light a point that some thought was no longer a factor: The offensive line needs more help. Still. A good line can open holes for Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith. A good line can block for their quarterback, can buy him that extra half second, can keep him upright. A good line won't get called for back-breaking asinine penalties.

In a weird sort of way, it was nice that the Lions lost this game. It was close and they played one of the best teams in the NFL doggedly. They went nose-to-nose with the best defense in the league and put up 20 points, including being the only team to score a touchdown against the Jets in the first quarter of a game. And now, after all the goodwill, all the hope, all the rampant, blind optimism, we can honestly complain about stupid decisions. Good teams make crappy decisions and their fans are completely at liberty to complain. We can now complain, and be angry that they didn't win instead of just being a-okay that they just hung in there.

We expect them to win now. And it is gloriously painful.

Underneath the larger fellow is David Carr. David Carr was pounded mercilessly during his tenure with the Texans. He was a talented first overall pick with a sorry offensive line. Matt Stafford stands a chance of being Carr v.2.0.

My blood just ran cold.

He eats people. Like, devours them.

There's been a lot of praise lavished on rookie Ndamukong Suh this year (deservedly so), in addition to the commendations for Kyle Vanden Bosch (what a motor on this guy, ehhhh?). The secondary has even been getting props lately, but there's one player on D who has absolutely been annihilating every matchup in every game.

Ladies and gentlemen, Corey Williams is a vicious cannibal who is eating offensive lines like fat kids beasting their birfday cakes. I've had the blessing/curse-like-AIDS of watching the Lions for about 15 years now (I watched games casually for the '93 and '94 seasons, but that was Barry Watching. I didn't really give a crap about the rest of the team. I also think I was more into the statistics than the actual game performance...meh. Flargh. Whatevs), and I've seen Robert Porcher, Luther Elliss, and Shaun Rogers play some stellar d-line. I've also had to watch the Williamses and John Randle from Minnesota, Gilbert Brown and Reggie White from Green Bay, and Corey Williams is playing at nearly as high a level as all them fellas.

Watching the games this season, especially focusing in on the line play, you can see the sheer power this guy has. Williams has a 27-yard INT return and a sack, but those don't tell half the story. The offensive lineman focus on him and Suh, trying desperately to corral this human avalanche, and it enables the ends to focus on one-on-one matchups. And God help the O-lineman who thinks he can take Williams in a solo showdown.

To be honest Suh, Vanden Bosch, Avril, or anyone else wouldn't be nearly as effective without Williams blowing holes and creating absurd mismatches. Mayhew absolutely robbed the Browns and solidified one of the top 3 defensive lines in the league. Look for amazing battles in the trenches this week against a Jets offensive line that is nearly impenetrable (they're making the corpse of LaDainian Tomlinson look spry for Pete's sake).

WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL HIM WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE, COREY

Mossness

This whole Randy Moss debacle is nearing Favrian territory for the media's aggressive pursuit. Ugh. However, now that he's been claimed by the Titans, it gave me reason to hypothesize (read: to daydream at work) about Moss and the Lions.

First and foremost, which was validated by the actual events that occurred, there was absolutely NO way that Martin Mayhew was going to put in a claim for the troubled wide receiver. I'm tired of all the "Clubhouse Cancer" diatribes getting bandied about in most conversations about Moss; I understand the concept, but think it gets more credit than it deserves. I don't think Mayhew wanted Moss because it would disrupt the flow the offense is currently developing. Injecting Moss means that he would immediately become the Number 2 option in a pretty crowded corp, he would have to learn his third playbook of the season, and if the Lions were to lose more games closely, how would his craziness manifest? Would he demand Number 1-type attention?

Sure, he is somewhat familiar with OC Scott Linehan's offense, and I'm sure Nate Burleson would defer to Moss due to their prior relationship. Outside of that though, I don't know how much the other members of the offense would accept someone with a stigma like Randy, especially if he starts to disrupt the flow they have worked so hard to establish (aka Being the Highest Scoring Team in the NFC).

Then I got to thinking about Moss' history in the NFL. Whenever I think about the dude I'm always led back to that infamous moment when someone in the Lions front office decided that it would be better to appease Barry Sanders by drafting a diminutive cornerback who returns kicks (even though they had Glyn Milbyrn returning kicks. 'Member Glyn? He was good at special teams. Good at returning kicks.) at 2oth overall in the '98 draft. Moss went 21st. Consider the repercussions of this move: Moss comes into Minnesota and blows the doors off the NFL. Terry Fair comes to Detroit, returns two kicks, and is a mediocre corner at best. Barry Sanders, unable to stomach the utter mediocrity of the Detroit Lions one moment longer, retires after the '98 season.

This is where you need to allow yourself one moment to think about this - any more and you may want to kill yourself. Okay, ready?

How much longer would Barry had played if Randy Moss had impacted the Lions offense in even half as drastic a fashion as he did the Vikings? BLERRRRRGGGG! That starts the whole "what if" game, and this slope is slippery and vicious. Would Detroit have become a desirable place for quality free agents to play? How many more seasons would Emmitt Smith have had to play to even come close to the rushing record Barry would have established? How much longer would Herman Moore have been a top receiver in the league? .....okay, I have to stop now, it's making me feel nauceous. Ugh.

I love these pictures. They're reflective of my feelings towards the above hypotheticals.

'Skins 'n Such

I'm not normally a politically correct person, but I still think it's absurd that the Washington Redskins still retain their name. I won't go into a rant, because what hasn't been said before? Anyway.

The Lions are coming off their bye week, and it's a shame that the game will be blacked out in metro Detroit. It's funny that the hubbub surrounding that fact kinda overshadows the main problem with NFL game attendance in general: fans, the average blue-collar NFL-loving fans, are priced out of the games. Baseball games can be attended for 10 bucks. NFL tickets, the lowest priced ones, can cost up to 4 times as much. And do you think the yuppie fans care about this team? no, no they don't. Holy balls, I just realized I'm going into another "JUSTICE!" rant two paragraphs in. Geez, it's been a long week. Blech.

OKAY. Sunday's game against the 'Skins. I believe it's more than winnable. Last week's game of Chicago and Washington was absolutely hideous. Turnovers were everywhere, and it was one of those games where neither team felt like winning, and Washington just seems to be one of those kinds of teams in general. Their roster isn't impressive (especially their offense), and their defense, although they have some incredible defensive players, remain inconsistent.

Detroit, on the other hand, has remained consistent. It's just unfortunate that they have consistently been defeating themselves. Now, their roster is nearly intact and healthy. The main two components of this game, I think, is 1) Matt Stafford firing darts around (especially 2-3 DEEP bombs) and 2) Will Bleu Cheese Levy suit up and play well? So far I've read that he's likely to play, but is still (naturally) not totally healthy.

I swear, if this is a repeat of his last game (attempting to play, injury, out indefinitely), I'm going to have kittens. I mean it, I'm gonna blast felines out my hooch. The Lions let Larry Foote walk for this guy, and he has yet to prove he can lead this D. Ranting again? What in the world is going on today?

SO. ANGRY CAPS IT IS TO FOCUS. I PICK THE LIONS TO WIN THIS GAME, AND I FEEL ESPECIALLY CONFIDENT IN THIS PICK BECAUSE NDAMUKONG SUH REFUSES TO LOSE HOME GAMES ANYMORE. THE REDSKINS RECEIVERS CAN'T STOP DROPPING PASSES. JAHVID BEST CAN RUN AROUND ALBERT HAYNESWORTH (who is terrifying again). GOD WILLING, THIS WILL BE ANOTHER BLOWOUT.

Also, this past week Tom Kowalski wrote a phenomenal piece in MLive about how the Lions, now with Stafford, can stretch the field to a ridiculous degree. Calvin Johnson is a physical freak, correct? Kowalski reasons that if they run several straight up Go routes for Johnson, who can pace him? Landry is a bullet, but how are his coverage skills? Hall seems to thrive in chaos, but can he keep up with Calvin? This strategy is brilliant, and if the Redskins are playing Johnson honest, Stafford should be able to connect multiple times with Pettigrew, Burleson, and Scheffler.

Calvin smiles when he remembers he's wearing Az Hakim's old jersey number.

A New Season

If I may be permitted to spew some teenaged interweb vernacular,

ZOMG

Jahvid Best practiced today. Matt Stafford has been practicing. Calvin Johnson's arm feels good. Even DeAndre "Bleu Cheese" Levy is slated to play. To START.

I just pooped again.

Look, I know and you know the Lions won't run the table the rest of the way, but if they can stay healthy and close out those close games, then good grief, the cellar of the NFC North may not be their end of the season dwelling. Think about it logically, in terms of the Lions getting fully healthy and everyone else dying:

Vikings: Brett Favre broke his ankle. Do you think he's gonna take himself out? So, ergo, guess who's gonna keep getting destroyed, game after game, just to preserve his padinky record? Brad Childress is a moron. And now, after half a season, the Vikes look officially horrible.

Bears: Biggest sham team in the league. They're not terrible, but they are NOT the team their record displays them to be. The fact they are falling apart before our eyes is evidence enough.

Packers: I don't know how the Touch of Death shifted from Detroit to Green Bay, but, well, thank God. I feel bad for them, because watching your team's players dropping like flies is a form of torture just behind toothpicks under fingernails. However, their linebacking corps is in shambles, their running game is sub par, and Aaron Rodgers can be beat.

I believe that the rest of the season will go well for the Lions. And even if it doesn't, this team is a team on the rise, and if they gank a high draft pick.....man. Let's hope they get this labor hoo-ha straightened out so's we can enjoy us some winning foosball next year!

Bye Week Poopsense

Soooooo, the Lions' bye week is coming up, and you know what that means? Yup, it means now we have to watch some other NFC North team or a regional poo-fest. But hey, at least they get that big break to heal up and get ready to play the Redskins.

Well, unless you're DeAndre Levy.

Recently, the Lions signed former first round pick Bobby Carpenter to their skin-and-bones linebacking corps. They're having trouble picking which spot to give him the most reps in, though, because they aren't sure that Levy will be playing in Week 8. That's right: Levy, who has played ONE game this season, and missed gads of time in training camp and preseason due to a myriad of JV injuries, might miss yet another game. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe his groin injury was something horrific, and maybe his ankle injury is unfathomably worse than is being reported... or maybe he can't suck it up like the rest of the Lions' defenders. Whatever. This is just getting ridiculous.

Levy was who the linebacking corps was being built around. He was supposed to be a cornerstone of the defense. Stafford was the same for the offense. Stafford's moneymaker, his golden right arm, was sprained. He can sit for as long as he needs to. Levy's ankle and groin were boo-booed. Delmas played with a groin injury. Everyone else is banged up. Why can't he be a leader? Remember Stafford against Cleveland? Right now it seems to me like if Levy wouldn't suck it up and play against Green Bay or New York (high profile games that really would have done wonders for the team if the Lions had won), how much can Schwartz and co believe in him?

Other odds and ends:

1) The Lions are the league leaders in dropped passes. Kevin Seifert of ESPN's NFC North blog wrote about it the other day, and says that "According to ESPN Stats & Information, they have 19. The league average is 9.6. " I wonder how many Brandon Pettigrew accounts for? Not to sound mean-spirited, but he has dropped a ton. At least he is showing remorse from it....unlike Byant Johnson. Blech.

2) Adding in Carpenter makes for yet another former high-round pick brought in by Martin Mayhew. Carpenter was the 18th overall pick by Dallas in 2006, Turk McBride was the 54th pick by Kansas City in 2007, Lawrence Jackson was the 28th pick by Seattle in 2008, and Alphonso "Man Crush" Smith was the 37th pick in 2009 by Denver. I kinda like this strategy, because they were all drafted high for a reason, and hopefully now they get the chance to capitalize on their high potential.

3) Is it me, or does the game against Dallas seem pretty winnable now? They look TERRIBLE.

I wish this was the logo on their helmets. Wow.

Oh dear. Drew stanton? I'm lacking optimism right now...

ohthankGOD

Calvin Johnson is slated to start today's game against the Giants, and I feel uber-better about their chances of winning. The Lions', I mean. Yeah, I'm not as 100% sure this week as I was last, but with Johnson in (Calvin, not Bryant) Detroit's top-scoring offense has a bit more room to maneuver. What I'm hoping gets done to the Giants today (aside from Eli peeing his pants in fear) is what happened to the Lions week one, namely the offense takes advantage of NY's aggressive defensive line play and just screen-passes them to death. The personnel is golden for that sort of thing.

Also suiting up today, albeit in a teeny, tiny role, is Matthew Stafford, of all people. He'll be the third QB today, and after the Incredible Sulk massacre of the other week, naturally there's a chance Matt could play if Shaun Hill gets denominated and Drew Stanton is turned into a pink smudge on the turf.

Last night I had a discussion with my buddy about the Lions' 2008 draft. Before I looked it up I recalled, at the time, being despondent over the whole thing, but after actually looking up all the picks....well, it was almost like Matt Millen did something almost right before going back to his Flintstones-like quarry house and eating raw fish. Check it out:

1 - Gosder Cherilus, T, Boston College (6-6, 317); 2 - Jordon Dizon, LB, Colorado (6-0, 229); 3 - Kevin Smith, RB, UCF (6-1, 216); 3 - Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State (6-2, 294); 3 - Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue (6-3, 253); 5 - Kenneth Moore, WR, Wake Forest (5-11, 195); 5 - Jerome Felton, FB, Furman (6-0, 240); 7 - Landon Cohen, DT, Ohio (6-1, 290); 7 - Caleb Campbell, SS, Army (6-2, 229)

Mostly role players, sure, but these are guys who fill in necessary roles on Detroit's team. Heck, outside of Kenneth Moore and Dizon, they've all played really well this season. I'm not ready to slap ol' Matty on the back just yet (unless he has a pair of scissors to his own nose, but, y'know), but that wasn't too bad of a draft. Hmm.

"Matt do good?"

No....calvin?

Oh. Oh dear.

Ugh.

Really?

Okay. Okay. So. Calvin Johnson's shoulder. I guess it was worse than I thought. This is really, really detrimental to the Lions' chances of winning (which is like saying not having a wind-surfing unicorn would be a slight loss to your neighbor's pool party). Criminy.

Things just keep falling apart for the Lions. Bad luck. Injuries. Crappy refereeing. At least they have a bye coming up, and, if there's any justice in this whole bloody universe, they come back healthy, hungry, and with a chance to rattle off several victories.

I still don't think Levy plays until Week 11.

An Unexpected Strength?

A couple days ago Tom Kowalski wrote a piece about the Lions' secondary that, well, it was like getting a song stuck in my head. He addressed the fact that over the last couple games Detroit's secondary, the same secondary that was supposedly their biggest weakness in the offseason, was inexplicably now one of their stronger, more emerging facets.

Now, from watching every game up until this point, that's actually...true. It's weird to even be writing that - before the season started it was just a mish-mash of castoffs and Louis Delmas. These guys were about as trustworthy and notable as FDR's shoes. Alphonso Smith was acquired for a fourth string tight end, Amari Spievey was looking completely lost at corner, Delmas seemed to be perpetually hobbled, and Chris Houston....well, I guess he was alright. There's also Jonathan Wade, but....blech. Later. Anyway.

ANYWAY, the first couple games, they were atrocious. Delmas wasn't himself, Houston did alright (not great, not good, not bad, not terrible just ferociously, unapologetically okay), and everyone else was just a warm body waiting to get benched. It was almost enough to wish that Phil Buchanan would stop working at the local Staples and don some pads, y'know?

And then...Delmas seemed to be healed. Houston graduated to good. Smith overtook the abortion of gameplay that was Jonathan Wade and started piling on interceptions. Nate Vasher was signed on to cover Nickel. And, wonder of wonders, Spievey's transition to safety seemed not only to be a good idea, it also seemed to be working...quickly. Suddenly, Detroit's secondary was playing well, and it seemed to compliment their amazing defensive line. Granted, this is a small sample size, but there is unexpected optimism now pertaining to the Lions' defense. And Daddy likey.

HAHAHAILOVETHIS MAN

p.s.

I'm not a Jonathan Wade fan. I was optimistic towards him when he was acquired. I thought this was his time to shine. And then? He was an automatic pass interference waiting to happen. It hasn't been this bad since Bryant Westbrook was opponents' deep threat. I'd rather have a vinegar enema than watch Jon Wade biff another pass coverage or bungle yet another arm tackle. Maybe that's why I love Smith all the more: he has rid my Sundays of gnashing teeth and impotent wailing. That, and the Carlton Banks dance. Mmmmm.

Ahhh....hmm.

Just read an interview with Justin Tuck pertaining to the Lions. He made some pretty intelligent observations, mostly regarding the competitiveness of the Lions, vocalizing how they should be 4-1 right now, maybe even undefeated.

The tone of the rest of the article, however, seemed to intimate that the Lions have a twinkie's chance in fat camp. The Giants physically destroyed Jay "the Incredible Sulk" Cutler; I've seen shark attacks that were more merciful than what NY's defensive line did to the Pouty One. The Giants then went out and put a shellacking on Houston. Houston, supposedly this year's "It" team.

Now, granted, my tirade against the Rams was fueled by irritation born of many pundits picking them as a better team against the Lions. I railed against them and presented them as a sham. I was wrong - they're no sham team, they're a team on the rise. The point I was trying to get across was that the Lions are the better team. However, some of my observations weren't that far off. Let's try a bit of that with the Giants, eh? Schedule examination!

Sunday, 9/12	1:00PM ET	FOX		W, 31-18
Sunday, 9/19	8:20PM ET	NBC		L, 38-14
Sunday, 9/26	1:00PM ET	CBS		L, 29-10
Sunday, 10/3	8:20PM ET	NBC		W, 17-3
Sunday, 10/10	1:00PM ET	FOX		W, 34-10

Their first game is against a Panthers' team that may or may not be deserving of a top 5 pick this April, and they got murderized. The Colts are a wounded animal thsi season, and they murderized the Giants. The Titans, well, I can't seem to get a read on them, but they beat the Giants. The Bears? Probably the definitive sham team right now, and the Texans, although a good team, have collapsed previously against the Cowboys and did so against the Giants.

What does that tell us? Aside from the fact that parity has rendered the NFL a crapshoot in terms of picking a winner, it tells us that the Giants run either hot or cold. They are a good team, but their consistency seems a bit off, as exemplified by Eli Manning and his unpredictable performances (as many INT's as TD's). The parity thing actually seems to work in the Lions favor, though: if the Cardinals can topple the Saints then certainly Detroit can beat NY. Actually, it seems like there's a weird upset every week, and I certainly don't see why Detroit can't be that upstart this weekend.

So, for now, I'll say that if it's a clear day void of rain, the Lions will win this game as long as they force Eli into bad choices (not that difficult) and contain Bradshaw and Jacobs (this can also be done). Also, God willing, the Lions offensive line can play its best game, because this game will feature a Giants' defensive line that could be arguably better than the Lions, and that's terrifying.

Yikes.

More Dumb

Apparently Peter King was quite confident of the Rams to win as well: "Toughest game to pick this weekend. Don't laugh. It is. I think the Lions shut down Steven Jackson, but Sam Bradford makes enough throws to put the Rams over .500 for the first time in October since Cro-Magnon walked the earth."

"What a dumb-dumb.... I hope he still lets me borrow his corduroys."

HA-cha cha!

Man, I cannot heap enough praise on the Lions for today. Fox's pregame parade of dunces saw both Michael Strahan and Terry Bradshaw pick the Rams to win today, and many other journalists saw St. Louis as a rising power in the West (again, blind guys, butt-touching). I'm not saying that St. Louis is gawd-awful, nor am I saying that they aren't improving at a pretty good clip. I'm just saying BOOM! LIONS WIN! As I've read nearly ad infinitum today, this was the Lions' biggest victory since a 44-0 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, and the first time they've won by more than one touchdown since their nearly identical thrashing of the Broncos in 2007, 44-7. Mmmmmmm, tastes like gingerbread cookies...

So, what made this game so spectacular? A Victorious Top Five:

1) Stefan Logan's Return - The other game, when Logan fumbled deep in enemy territory, I cursed his name. However, his diligence on special teams has been winning me back, play by play. Today? Wow. When was the last time the Lions had a returner who was a legitimate threat? Desmond Howard? Glen Milbyrn? Mel Gray? Either way, his electrifying run set Ford Field on fire.

2) Alphonso Smith - His Carlton Banks dance was the cherry on top of his fantastic sunday...sundae. He now has interceptions the past three games, and seems like a good corner companion to Chris Houston. (The scale is as such, from lowest to highest: the worst, terrible, pretty bad, bad, not bad, decent, okay, pretty good, good, really good, great, the best. Intense and descriptive!) He was a blanket on his coverage today, and he makes Jonathan Wade seem like a bad dream. It may be early, but it seems like Mayhew fleeced yet another team in a trade.

3) Honest-to-God Running Game - Rotating Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith was a dream come true. Both backs were effective and complimentary, and it seemed like both wouldn't accept anything like than positive yardage. It's so strange, to finally be like any other team in the NFL that has a solid-to-good running back tandem.

4) Ndamukong Suh, Destroyer of Worlds - Dude had an interception. That he deflected to himself. And his return? He moved like a linebacker. HE'S A DEFENSIVE TACKLE! Just watching him dominate the line of scrimmage....you almost believe him when he says that the Lions won't lose another home game.

5) Scott Linehan's trickery - It was fantastic to see him calling long strikes and appropriate running plays. Also, the fact he ran a trick play with personnel that can handle it was just fantastic. He really seemed to be enjoying himself today, calling plays that utilized the talents of his offense. Very refreshing.

Two sub thoughts:

1) Opening onside kick? Really, Rams? Assholes.

2) Nate Burleson really is a trillion times better than Bryant Johnson. Right now, I'm dreaming of the Lions cutting the lesser Johnson and picking up Devin Thomas. Sigh. Dreams.

SLAP!

Wow, was that cathartic.

Midway through the fourth quarter I talked to my sister and brother-in-law briefly, and I said something about how the Rams were terrible and it was fitting the Lions destroyed them. He countered with how they first in the NFC West. Well....the NFC West is like two blind guys in a butt-touching contest: who really wins in an inept competition of the handicapped? The NFC West is BRUTAL, and the post I made the other day dealing with the Rams as a sham team due to their schedule looks even better now.

I don't want to take ANYTHING away from this victory (which I'll be examining later), but it's just nice to see the Lions denominate a team they had every right to beat.

IN YOUR FACE, BRADFORD!

"pivotal"

Yesterday whilst obsessively scanning the internet, I came across a preview on the Detroit News from Chris McCosky. In it he said the game today wasn't a must-win, nor was it simply winnable, but that it was "pivotal," which sounds bad ass and quite true.

It's hard not to think of this game as a must-win, though in this day and age every NFL game seems like a must-win. But with a team that has been (and is still in the process of being) built from less than the ground up expecting win may be fool-hearty. It's kinda like what Brian Billick said last week in one of his brief and few moments of clarity in his otherwise banal existence in football: this team was LESS than an expansion team a few years ago. Matt Millen raped and plundered a franchise, worse than any GM ever had before in the NFL, and left the Lions in worse shape than the Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans when they entered the league. The fact that Lions could have won any of the previous four games is a testament to how well Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz have done.

Two quick thoughts:

1) On the cover of the most recent Sports Illustrated is a picture of Charles Woodson flying through the air into the end zone against the Lions last week. For a brief and futile second I saw the picture and thought maybe, just maybe, SI was going to do a story on the resurrection of this Detroit franchise...but then I saw it was just another Packers story. Now, A) if Aaron Rodgers is being fawned over by every media outlet in sports, doesn't that make him overrated? and B) Why wouldn't SI write about the Lions? A culture is changing drastically in the NFL, and you'd think they'd want to be one of the first journalistic venues to highlight and predict success for the Lions.

2) Man, I still feel like a dope for every being discouraged by (read: delusionally, psychotically, adamantly against) the hiring of Martin Mayhew. I wanted Floyd Reese something fierce, and seeing how this chump from under the Worst Regime Of All Time Ever was hired made me want to explode. I even read how several NFL executives thought that Mayhew was a spectacular choice, a sharp man with drive and intelligence to burn, but it all rang hollow. Now, seeing all he's done? Good grief, he honestly might be one of the better GM's in the league. SI would be wise to do a feature on this guy.

Guy: "Your stones are how big?"

Mayhew: "This big."

Guy: "This big??"

Mayhew: "This f'ing big, man."

ALRIGHT ALREADY

So. Injured players. I understand that the nuances of professional football are physically violent, and the fact that these athletes manage to get up the morning after is nothing short of a miracle....

......HOWEVAAAH, I am getting awfully sick of this nonsense. The Lions have had a barrage of injuries dating back to August, and it seems like they're all in flux; some injuries linger, others seem to hop from player to player, but the constant is that these guys just seem to get and stay injured. Who are the biggest perpetrators thus far into the season?

3) Jahvid Best. Sure, he played last week and did rather well, but I have this horrible feeling his turf toe won't be going away anytime soon. And you KNOW that as a shifty, speedy player that his injury will impede his dynamic abilities. Hopefully Kevin Smith (who nearly took this spot on the list) is ready to rock and take some of Jahvid's carries to keep him healthy. I really do like Kevin Smith, and a tandem between those two should be great....if Best's toe doesn't turn into an issue.

2) Matt Stafford. The talent is obvious, as is the moxy. Everyone believes in the dude when he's playing....but the dude is NOT playing. As of this Sunday he will actually have missed more games than he has played. This. Is. Infuriating. The quarterback of the future remains just that, and not of the present. All this cloak and dagger BS about his shoulder needs to ease up as well. Does it really make that much of a difference if the other team knows Stafford is improving or could even play? DADDY DOESN'T CARE, DADDY JUST WANTS TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TO KEEP BELIEVING IN SHAUN HILL.

1) DeAndre Levy. I've had it with this guy. The Lions dissed Larry Foote and had him leave because they believe(d) so much in Levy, and it's one little nagging injury after the other. Shades of Teddy Lehman if you ask me. Follett came back from a concussion to play, and Julian Peterson is made of cast iron. This A-hole, on the other hand, cannot seem to get and stay on the playing field, and it's been this way since August. MY GOSH, DUDE, JUST PLAY! The D would surely benefit from having him, but God knows when that'll be.

"My mouth is strained from frowning! I'ma miss me another game!"

p.s.

Louis Delmas is injured. He's been injured. BUT HE'S ALSO PLAYED EVERY GAME AND PLAYED HARD.

Rams look v.1.0

So, the Detroit columnists are beginning to hypothesize about the impending matchup this weekend with the St. Louis Rams. Drew Sharp touches upon it in his own impish, antagonistic way (I can only imagine how absolutely dire he'll make it seem by this weekend), and Carlos Monarrez gives a brief description of how the Rams are rolling this year.

Granted, I do think this is a must-win game, if that phrase can even exist this early in a season, but if the Lions do lose, it will be close and probably due to some cruddy officiating. I just don't think the Rams are capable this time around. Let's break their schedule thus far down:

1	Sun, Sep 12	vs Arizona	L 17-13
2	Sun, Sep 19	@ Oakland	L 16-14
3	Sun, Sep 26	vs Washington	W 30-16
4	Sun, Oct 3	vs Seattle	W 20-3

This doesn't seem like the hardest schedule when you actually look at it, eh? Losses against a Cardinals team that is absolutely atrocious and a Raiders team that is, well, pretty bad as well. They beat Washington at home (Washington is pretty inept, honestly) and Seattle at home (Look at the Seahawks roster. Is it even better than a collegiate team? Really?). Steven Jackson is pretty beaten up, so running into the Lions healthy front seven could knock him around. The defensive line has been pretty dern good against Jay Cutler, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers. They did an okay job against Mike Vick, but really, how do most "good" teams do against him? Bradford is, lest we all forget, a rookie. If the Lions keep constant pressure on him, give him little to no time to make decisions, then I don't see why they can't force him into turnovers.

Get ahead, attack the QB when they need to air it out, and just keep grinding with Best and Smith, and I don't see why this can't be the first decisive victory of the season.