I can see it now.
It will be sometime in the second quarter in this Sundays Detroit Lions game in Minnesota. Brett Favre will take the snap and drop back. His line will collapse under the over powering charge of the Lions defensive line. As Ndamukong Suh breaks free, Old Man Favre will run to his left and find Kyle Vanden Bosch. The two defensive linemen will converge upon the ancient quarterback like a hammer and an anvil. Favre being the tempered metal. As the three of them crash together their will be a splash of sparks.... wait.... those aren't sparks. They are Brett Favre's age spots. At half time, while the grounds crew are cleaning up the spots, Brett Favre will be holding a press conference, announcing his retirement... again.
When the third quarter starts, Brett Favre will start thinking about coming back and playing again. He will grab a hold of his walker, lift it up and throw it to the side. Then he will sit down and take a couple of breaths from his oxygen tank. As he pulls the mask away, he will have a problem with his dentures being stuck to the mask. In disgust he will throw it all aside and drop his shoulders in a slow and very long sigh. It's just no use. It would be ridiculous to consider going back out there in his state. Maybe he can wait until next week to come out of retirement. No need in facing the Lions defensive line for another two quarters now.
The Media does not respect the Lions defense. They look at what Cutler did in the first week and do not consider that the defense was on the field far too long due to very bad offensive play calling by Linehan. The Media looks at last week and what Michael Vick did and do not look at the near superhuman ability that Vick showed in avoiding the pass rush and making plays as he was being pulled to the ground. The season is two weeks old and the Lions defensive pass rush has been outstanding. Believe me... Brett Favre is no Michael Vick!
The Lions sacked Vick 5 times last week. He avoided at least that many more with his agility and quick spins. If the Lions put as much pressure on Brett Favre, he will be sacked anywhere from 7 to 10 times. However tough he has been, at his age, I do not see Favre taking that kind of beating and still having a good game.
Brett is no longer getting older by the year. He is getting older by the hit. The hits will have more of an effect on him than they once did when he was young. Hit him a few times in the past and he shook it off and played even better. Now he will rush himself to avoid the next hit. Against the Lions he will know many more are coming. Pressure him early. Hit him often. Blitz him early and often. Even if he burns you on it a couple of times, if the blitz gets to him and hits him, he will start rushing it.
Quite frankly, the absolute very worst thing the Lions can do, is play a soft zone defense and give Favre some time to throw. Throughout history against Brett Favre, the Lions have done just that. For some reason they have never blitzed him much. They allow him time to throw and he kills the Lions because of it. This year the Lions have been getting pressure from the linemen and using the blitz as well. Hopefully this year the Detroit Lions will go after Favre.
As much as they need to get after Brett, the Lions also have to make some adjustments on their offense. Every defensive coordinator will now have watched the film on Jahvid Best. They will expect the Lions to use him a lot. It is imperative for the Lions to use a good play action fake. Not the half-hearted fake hand offs with the running back two or three yards away that I have seen so far. They need to sell the hand off and make defenses come in to stop Best then throw it deep. Scott Linehan needs to use his tight ends and running backs in the passing game deeper than two or three yards. Most importantly though, he needs to get Calvin Johnson into the game during normal plays and not only during passing situations late in the game.
If the Lions play it right, there is no reason they should not be able to come away with a win. If they play their usual style, they will lose. I think Linehan knows that if he doesn't open things up this week, he will have every fan calling for his job.
My Prediction
Detroit Lions 27
Minnesota Vikings 17
9/22/10
Don't Lose Hope in Lions Just Yet
After two losses in two games, it is hard to have faith in the Lions. After seeing Matthew Stafford injured yet again, it is hard to see an upside. After watching Linehan's play calling the last two weeks it is near impossible to have hope. But don't give up just yet.
Jahvid Best looks like this years Chris Johnson so far. Of the Lions 6 touchdowns on the year, Jahvid Best has 5 of them. His speed and ability to catch the ball out of the back field has made him a threat at any time from anywhere on the field.
The Lions defensive line has been everything we hoped it would be and then some. Detroit is tied with Green Bay on Defense with 10 sacks each. Of the Lions ten sacks, 9 of them have come from defensive linemen.
In their first two games so far this season, the Lions came back from behind and would have won the first game if not for a ridiculous call by the officials and they lost by only 3 points last week. So far this season they have not been man handled as we are so used to seeing.
Lions could be 2-0 right now if any of the following had been different....
.
1) Questionable calls by officials. The incompletion that was a TD in week 1 and a shoving off by an Eagle receiver that was not called in week 2.
2) Matthew Stafford had staid healthy.
3) Linehan could call plays more like he did in the preseason rather than referring to a playbook he dragged out from the 1940's.
The fact is, even though the Lions are 0-2, they are also still a very improved team from the year before. They are extremely improved over two seasons ago. As long as the Lions continue to grow and improve with each season, the fans have a reason to hope. With continuous improvement will come a play-off caliber team some day. It is the law of physics. You just cannot continue to get better without someday becoming good.
Jahvid Best looks like this years Chris Johnson so far. Of the Lions 6 touchdowns on the year, Jahvid Best has 5 of them. His speed and ability to catch the ball out of the back field has made him a threat at any time from anywhere on the field.
The Lions defensive line has been everything we hoped it would be and then some. Detroit is tied with Green Bay on Defense with 10 sacks each. Of the Lions ten sacks, 9 of them have come from defensive linemen.
In their first two games so far this season, the Lions came back from behind and would have won the first game if not for a ridiculous call by the officials and they lost by only 3 points last week. So far this season they have not been man handled as we are so used to seeing.
Lions could be 2-0 right now if any of the following had been different....
.
1) Questionable calls by officials. The incompletion that was a TD in week 1 and a shoving off by an Eagle receiver that was not called in week 2.
2) Matthew Stafford had staid healthy.
3) Linehan could call plays more like he did in the preseason rather than referring to a playbook he dragged out from the 1940's.
The fact is, even though the Lions are 0-2, they are also still a very improved team from the year before. They are extremely improved over two seasons ago. As long as the Lions continue to grow and improve with each season, the fans have a reason to hope. With continuous improvement will come a play-off caliber team some day. It is the law of physics. You just cannot continue to get better without someday becoming good.
9/20/10
Ndamukong Suh Off To Good Start
In 2009, Kevin Williams of the Vikings along with two others tied for the most sacks by Defensive Tackles. They had six sacks each for the season. Ndamukong Suh has two sacks in his first two games.
Kyle Williams of the Buffalo Bills lead the position in tackles with 66 total tackles. After 2 games in 2010, only Kyle Williams has more tackles (10) in the position. Suh is tied with 3 others with 9 tackles.
I understand there is still a lot of season to go, but for the fun of it, if you adjust Suh's stats for 16 games, he would have 72 tackles and 16 sacks. Those are some pretty gaudy numbers for a defensive tackle in the NFL. Extremely gaudy for a rookie!
It is important however, to put this young season in perspective. Neither, Chicago nor Philadelphia have strong offensive lines. So it is highly unlikely that Suh can keep these numbers up for the season. It is more than likely that at one point he will face an extended streak of games when he does not register a sack. Other than facing some much better offensive lines, there may be times when offensive coordinators will plan to double team Suh for an entire game. This shouldn't happen too often however.
Across the entire defensive line, the Lions have 5 different players with sacks and combine for a total of 8 sacks. That means the defensive line alone is averaging 4 sacks a game. So if an offensive coordinator double teams Suh, that will only open up Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Sammie Hill or Turk McBride. Even the best offensive lines will have their hands full against the Detroit Lions Defensive line.
It only makes sense that Suh will not continue to get sacks every game, however, he is definitely off to a strong start and showing why he was worth drafting first overall.
Kyle Williams of the Buffalo Bills lead the position in tackles with 66 total tackles. After 2 games in 2010, only Kyle Williams has more tackles (10) in the position. Suh is tied with 3 others with 9 tackles.
I understand there is still a lot of season to go, but for the fun of it, if you adjust Suh's stats for 16 games, he would have 72 tackles and 16 sacks. Those are some pretty gaudy numbers for a defensive tackle in the NFL. Extremely gaudy for a rookie!
It is important however, to put this young season in perspective. Neither, Chicago nor Philadelphia have strong offensive lines. So it is highly unlikely that Suh can keep these numbers up for the season. It is more than likely that at one point he will face an extended streak of games when he does not register a sack. Other than facing some much better offensive lines, there may be times when offensive coordinators will plan to double team Suh for an entire game. This shouldn't happen too often however.
Across the entire defensive line, the Lions have 5 different players with sacks and combine for a total of 8 sacks. That means the defensive line alone is averaging 4 sacks a game. So if an offensive coordinator double teams Suh, that will only open up Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Sammie Hill or Turk McBride. Even the best offensive lines will have their hands full against the Detroit Lions Defensive line.
It only makes sense that Suh will not continue to get sacks every game, however, he is definitely off to a strong start and showing why he was worth drafting first overall.
9/19/10
Lions Fall Short Again - Week 2
In week one, the Lions made a comeback and lost after what looked like a game winning TD was called incomplete due to a rule that is written differently than it is enforced. This week that same rule was enforced again but this time the Lions were at the beneficial end of it as it was an Eagles receiver who dropped the ball at mid-field. Again, the Lions looked to make a great comeback but fell short again.
After taking a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, the Lions gave up four unanswered touchdowns and fell behind 35-17. Then the Lions finally scored again on Jahvid Best's third TD of the day. With 1:50 left to go, Shaun Hill hit Calvin Johnson for a 19 yard touchdown, the completed another pass to Johnson for a two point conversion. The Lions were now down 35-32.
On the ensuing play, Jason Hanson kicked an on-side kick and the Lions recovered. With well over a minute left to go and on their own Lions 43 yard line, it seemed all common sense left as Hill threw four straight incomplete passes in a row to end their hopes for a comeback.
Still, there was a lot of good in the game as well as a lot of bad. Jahvid Best looked like he was every bit the game breaking running back the Lions hoped he would be when they traded to move back into the first round to draft him. Best had 78 yards on 17 carries and two rushing touchdowns. On the receiving side, he had 9 grabs for 154 yards and another touchdown. A total of 232 all-purpose yards and 3 touchdowns.
It was also a good thing to see that the Lions are not to be considered out of it this year no matter how bad they look. Though they have yet to win a game this year, Detroit has made two come from behind efforts that were as exciting as any in the last minute of the two games they have played.
Yet the bad still out weighs the good as again the play calling was less than desirable. The few times they showed the play action pass, if that's what those were, they were not close to selling the run to anyone much less the defense. I did not see even one end around or one reverse in the game. In fact, the most imaginative plays came in the second half when the Lions brought Ndamukong Suh onto the offensive side of the game.
Near the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Lions found themselves in a 3rd and 1 situation. In came Suh. The play? A hand off to Best straight up the middle, which was stuffed for no gain. Detroit decided to go for it on fourth down and kept Suh on the field as a full back again. The play? A hand off to Best straight up the middle which was stuffed for no gain, again!
With the powerful Suh playing fullback, it had to be telling the defense that the Lions were going to try and power their way for a first down. With the Lions center, Dominic Raiola being undersized and having a reputation as being pushed backwards, by the time Suh reached the line , it was already a yard back towards him. Why telegraph the play to the world? Why not fake the hand-off and let Hill run it to the outside? Hill is not the most agile quarterback but he can run some. Why not let one of the tight ends slip away on a fake hand-off and hit him with a pass? Or better yet. Why not let Scheffler slip away and go deep on a fake hand-off?
For most of the game, the Lions would not throw the ball more than five yards down field again. When they brought in Suh on a short yardage third down, that would have been ideal for the deeper pass. It almost seems as if Linehan is one of those old men who do not like the idea of thinking outside the box. He has his set plays and will stick to them no matter how old, out dated, and unimaginative they are. Sometimes I think his play book must come from the days before the forward pass. My big question is, whose play book did the Lions use in the preseason?
After starting 0-2, it is difficult to hang onto the good but that is exactly what we need to do. We have to remember that the Lions are not a play-off team yet and if you had expected them to be, you were truly living out of Never Never land. But the Detroit Lions are an improved team. They have come very close to winning both of their games this year and have shown a lot of improvement.
Oh yeah. The defense had another 5 sacks and Suh had his second in two games.
After taking a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, the Lions gave up four unanswered touchdowns and fell behind 35-17. Then the Lions finally scored again on Jahvid Best's third TD of the day. With 1:50 left to go, Shaun Hill hit Calvin Johnson for a 19 yard touchdown, the completed another pass to Johnson for a two point conversion. The Lions were now down 35-32.
On the ensuing play, Jason Hanson kicked an on-side kick and the Lions recovered. With well over a minute left to go and on their own Lions 43 yard line, it seemed all common sense left as Hill threw four straight incomplete passes in a row to end their hopes for a comeback.
Still, there was a lot of good in the game as well as a lot of bad. Jahvid Best looked like he was every bit the game breaking running back the Lions hoped he would be when they traded to move back into the first round to draft him. Best had 78 yards on 17 carries and two rushing touchdowns. On the receiving side, he had 9 grabs for 154 yards and another touchdown. A total of 232 all-purpose yards and 3 touchdowns.
It was also a good thing to see that the Lions are not to be considered out of it this year no matter how bad they look. Though they have yet to win a game this year, Detroit has made two come from behind efforts that were as exciting as any in the last minute of the two games they have played.
Yet the bad still out weighs the good as again the play calling was less than desirable. The few times they showed the play action pass, if that's what those were, they were not close to selling the run to anyone much less the defense. I did not see even one end around or one reverse in the game. In fact, the most imaginative plays came in the second half when the Lions brought Ndamukong Suh onto the offensive side of the game.
Near the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Lions found themselves in a 3rd and 1 situation. In came Suh. The play? A hand off to Best straight up the middle, which was stuffed for no gain. Detroit decided to go for it on fourth down and kept Suh on the field as a full back again. The play? A hand off to Best straight up the middle which was stuffed for no gain, again!
With the powerful Suh playing fullback, it had to be telling the defense that the Lions were going to try and power their way for a first down. With the Lions center, Dominic Raiola being undersized and having a reputation as being pushed backwards, by the time Suh reached the line , it was already a yard back towards him. Why telegraph the play to the world? Why not fake the hand-off and let Hill run it to the outside? Hill is not the most agile quarterback but he can run some. Why not let one of the tight ends slip away on a fake hand-off and hit him with a pass? Or better yet. Why not let Scheffler slip away and go deep on a fake hand-off?
For most of the game, the Lions would not throw the ball more than five yards down field again. When they brought in Suh on a short yardage third down, that would have been ideal for the deeper pass. It almost seems as if Linehan is one of those old men who do not like the idea of thinking outside the box. He has his set plays and will stick to them no matter how old, out dated, and unimaginative they are. Sometimes I think his play book must come from the days before the forward pass. My big question is, whose play book did the Lions use in the preseason?
After starting 0-2, it is difficult to hang onto the good but that is exactly what we need to do. We have to remember that the Lions are not a play-off team yet and if you had expected them to be, you were truly living out of Never Never land. But the Detroit Lions are an improved team. They have come very close to winning both of their games this year and have shown a lot of improvement.
Oh yeah. The defense had another 5 sacks and Suh had his second in two games.
9/18/10
Lions vs Eagles
The Detroit Lions gave the fans plenty to smile about in the first week of the season, but it was washed over by all the reasons for the fans to be upset. One thing for sure, it was a very emotional week.
The Lions defense was great against the Bears, allowing only 19 points while racking up 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and an interception, with an amazing goal line stand as well. On top of that, they played that well in a game where they had little rest as the offense could not seem to get a first down. The question is how will they play against a better team in the Philadelphia Eagles?
DEFENSE
With Kolb out and the infamous Michael Vick starting against the Lions, Detroit is starting the week off with a bad break. With the Lions improved defensive line, the more stationary Kolb would have played into their hands. Vick presents an entirely different problem. Vick will be looking for any opportunity to pull the football down and take off running and he is faster than any of the linemen or linebackers the Lions will have in pursuit.
The common thought on defending Vick is to play a contained defense. Rather than the defensive ends charging in after him, they are to methodically work their way to him while keeping in position to contain him from escaping to the outside. I believe the Lions need to add an element to that. They need to blitz from the outside a lot. Whether it be a cornerback, a safety or a linebacker, they need to send someone in fast. Vick is not a quick thinking passer. He is a fast thinking runner. Especially in his first start since 2006, if he has a blitzer coming in, from the outside, he will pull the ball down and look to escape, shutting down the pass. The quicker this happens, the less time Lions players have to get out of position to defend against him running.
OFFENSE
The Lions offense is an entirely different beast this year. Many fans are worried about the Lions having Shaun Hill under center this week. Without Stafford, they feel the Lions offense will do nothing. Don't worry about Hill. He has talent, experience and is 10-6 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The problem on offense wont be talent. It will be Linehan.
Linehan was exceptionally conservative an unimaginative in the first week. Schwartz played it off that he couldn't be aggressive with the Lions backed up in their own territory all of the time. Some columnists believe that because the Lions couldn't run, they were never able to pass down field. The fact is neither of these excuses hold water. If you are backed up, you have to make a play. Running a quarterback sneak from your own endzone will only get you one or two yards at most. How much more room does that give you to be aggressive? Often, the run does not work simply because the pass is not there. The fact is, the run feeds off of the pass as much as the pass feeds off of the run. They need each other. More than anything, they need better play calling.
The question this week will be, how stubborn is Linehan? Will he try adding any imaginative plays to his book this week? Will we see an end around? A reverse? How about a few play actions to open up the pass? Jahvid Best is enough of a threat at running back to make a good play action a real help. Will we see more slants? How about sending a tight end or running back deeper for a pass? All of these things can be used to open the offense up more and it is up to Linehan if he wants to be aggressive or conservative. If the Lions want a chance to win, we better hope he will break away from being so conservative.
OVERVIEW
The Eagles are a decent team. A team that very few will pick the Lions to beat. But if the Lions have the talent to match up to them if used right. I know the logical pick is the Eagles but something tells me Shaun Hill will surprise a few people.
PREDICTION
Detroit Lions 23
Philadelphia Eagles 20
The Lions defense was great against the Bears, allowing only 19 points while racking up 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and an interception, with an amazing goal line stand as well. On top of that, they played that well in a game where they had little rest as the offense could not seem to get a first down. The question is how will they play against a better team in the Philadelphia Eagles?
DEFENSE
With Kolb out and the infamous Michael Vick starting against the Lions, Detroit is starting the week off with a bad break. With the Lions improved defensive line, the more stationary Kolb would have played into their hands. Vick presents an entirely different problem. Vick will be looking for any opportunity to pull the football down and take off running and he is faster than any of the linemen or linebackers the Lions will have in pursuit.
The common thought on defending Vick is to play a contained defense. Rather than the defensive ends charging in after him, they are to methodically work their way to him while keeping in position to contain him from escaping to the outside. I believe the Lions need to add an element to that. They need to blitz from the outside a lot. Whether it be a cornerback, a safety or a linebacker, they need to send someone in fast. Vick is not a quick thinking passer. He is a fast thinking runner. Especially in his first start since 2006, if he has a blitzer coming in, from the outside, he will pull the ball down and look to escape, shutting down the pass. The quicker this happens, the less time Lions players have to get out of position to defend against him running.
OFFENSE
The Lions offense is an entirely different beast this year. Many fans are worried about the Lions having Shaun Hill under center this week. Without Stafford, they feel the Lions offense will do nothing. Don't worry about Hill. He has talent, experience and is 10-6 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The problem on offense wont be talent. It will be Linehan.
Linehan was exceptionally conservative an unimaginative in the first week. Schwartz played it off that he couldn't be aggressive with the Lions backed up in their own territory all of the time. Some columnists believe that because the Lions couldn't run, they were never able to pass down field. The fact is neither of these excuses hold water. If you are backed up, you have to make a play. Running a quarterback sneak from your own endzone will only get you one or two yards at most. How much more room does that give you to be aggressive? Often, the run does not work simply because the pass is not there. The fact is, the run feeds off of the pass as much as the pass feeds off of the run. They need each other. More than anything, they need better play calling.
The question this week will be, how stubborn is Linehan? Will he try adding any imaginative plays to his book this week? Will we see an end around? A reverse? How about a few play actions to open up the pass? Jahvid Best is enough of a threat at running back to make a good play action a real help. Will we see more slants? How about sending a tight end or running back deeper for a pass? All of these things can be used to open the offense up more and it is up to Linehan if he wants to be aggressive or conservative. If the Lions want a chance to win, we better hope he will break away from being so conservative.
OVERVIEW
The Eagles are a decent team. A team that very few will pick the Lions to beat. But if the Lions have the talent to match up to them if used right. I know the logical pick is the Eagles but something tells me Shaun Hill will surprise a few people.
PREDICTION
Detroit Lions 23
Philadelphia Eagles 20
9/16/10
Schwartz Sends Wrong Message to Players and Fans
It seems that anyone who actually read the rule, can see that by the letter of the law, the Lions should have won against the Bears. Calvin Johnson made the catch and by how the rule was written, it was a touchdown. Yet the Lions coach, Jim Schwartz just accepts the blatant lies from the NFL.
The refs said it was incomplete. The NFL spokesmen have said that the refs were correct and that only those who knows the rule understands the definition. I have read the rule and I can tell you, the NFL's definition is adding meaning that is not in the wording of the rule. Yet Schwartz will not speak against it. Instead, Jim Schwartz has said that the Lions did not play well and he will not let the players think that they lost the game because of one play.
I have news for you Jim. That is exactly what happened! Yes the Lions offense was horrible. Sure they missed Forte badly and gave up the long score. I understand that if the Lions would have played better that they would have won anyway and that rule wouldn't have made a difference. Yada yada yada!
The fact is, however bad the offense was, as a team the Detroit Lions played well enough to beat the Bears. If the refs would not be adding secret meanings to the rules that are not in the contents of the rules, the Lions would have won. So any way you put it, that screw up by the refs cost the Lions a win in Chicago.
I understand what Jim Schwartz is trying to do. He is looking to take the high road rather than whine about something he cannot change. He is trying to push his team to play better so that they wont be in that position again. But the message I see coming across is that he will not stick up for the honor and dignity of the Detroit Lions organization or its players or their fans.
Schwartz could easily say that he is upset that his players did not execute better and so on, but he could also say... "that being said, that was a touchdown. Johnson and Hill should have touchdowns on their stat lines. Hill should have a win under his belt. The fans should have had a better week because the Lions won! The NFL owes them an apology!"
As the leader of the Detroit Lions, coach Jim Schwartz should be willing to face a fine to stand up for his players and the teams fans. The city of Detroit has been too loyal through extremely bad times in the last forever, and to have a win snatched away because of a bad interpretation to a rule is a terrible crime. To have the NFL tell us we don't know how to interpret the rule, as if we cannot look at what is written and see that what the refs say simply is not in the rule, that is ridiculous. But the worst crime of them all against the Detroit Lions fans, is that after being so thoroughly screwed over, our coach is not willing to defend his team or their fans.
The refs said it was incomplete. The NFL spokesmen have said that the refs were correct and that only those who knows the rule understands the definition. I have read the rule and I can tell you, the NFL's definition is adding meaning that is not in the wording of the rule. Yet Schwartz will not speak against it. Instead, Jim Schwartz has said that the Lions did not play well and he will not let the players think that they lost the game because of one play.
I have news for you Jim. That is exactly what happened! Yes the Lions offense was horrible. Sure they missed Forte badly and gave up the long score. I understand that if the Lions would have played better that they would have won anyway and that rule wouldn't have made a difference. Yada yada yada!
The fact is, however bad the offense was, as a team the Detroit Lions played well enough to beat the Bears. If the refs would not be adding secret meanings to the rules that are not in the contents of the rules, the Lions would have won. So any way you put it, that screw up by the refs cost the Lions a win in Chicago.
I understand what Jim Schwartz is trying to do. He is looking to take the high road rather than whine about something he cannot change. He is trying to push his team to play better so that they wont be in that position again. But the message I see coming across is that he will not stick up for the honor and dignity of the Detroit Lions organization or its players or their fans.
Schwartz could easily say that he is upset that his players did not execute better and so on, but he could also say... "that being said, that was a touchdown. Johnson and Hill should have touchdowns on their stat lines. Hill should have a win under his belt. The fans should have had a better week because the Lions won! The NFL owes them an apology!"
As the leader of the Detroit Lions, coach Jim Schwartz should be willing to face a fine to stand up for his players and the teams fans. The city of Detroit has been too loyal through extremely bad times in the last forever, and to have a win snatched away because of a bad interpretation to a rule is a terrible crime. To have the NFL tell us we don't know how to interpret the rule, as if we cannot look at what is written and see that what the refs say simply is not in the rule, that is ridiculous. But the worst crime of them all against the Detroit Lions fans, is that after being so thoroughly screwed over, our coach is not willing to defend his team or their fans.
9/15/10
If Refs Followed Rules, Lions Would Have Won
The rule states:... If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.
I know I have written an article on this once. But it has been brought to my attention that this is the real rule. SO here is the reasoning it was a real Touchdown.
The key words here are .... he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground.
The rule does not state what constitutes hitting the ground. For that we need to turn to another rule.
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds: (a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and (b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.
According to this rule, landing with two feet in bounds constitutes hitting the ground. Johnson caught the ball in the air, landed and got both feet down in bounds while having a firm controlled grip of the ball. By the definitions of the written rules, it was a catch. If that was not good enough, when Johnson landed on his but, that would fit in the above rule part (b) stating "any part of his body other than his hands." Johnson still had clean possession of the ball, so for a second time it should have been a catch.
Read the above rules (in italics). Nowhere in either rule does it state that a player must get up with the ball in his hands. Nowhere does it say he needs to come to a halt with the ball in his hands. Nowhere does it state anything about continuing through the process. By the letter of the rule, as it is written, Johnson's catch was indeed a catch and a touchdown.
Yet just to satisfy those who believe there really is some continuing the process part that states he has to hold onto the ball until he finishes the play.
When a player catches the ball then runs into the end-zone, all he has to do is break the plain of the goal line for it to be a TD. He does not have to wait for the ref to blow a whistle or raise his hands signaling a touchdown. We see it all the time when players run into the end-zone and drop the ball before any whistle or signal is given. According to the rules, once that ball passes the goal line, it is a TD and the play is dead. If a player dives from the 2 yard line and lands out of bounds, but while in the air the ball hits the pylon, it is considered a touchdown. There is no fumbling the ball in the end-zone.
According to NFL rules, getting two feet down constitutes being on the ground. Once the TD is made, the play is dead. Johnson had two feet down with a firm hold of the ball. He then fell to his butt with clean possession. What part of this does not constitute "hitting the ground"? Once he hit the ground with a firm hold of the ball, it should have been a touchdown and the play dead. Him letting go of the ball should never have mattered.
Yet the NFL refs, and spokesmen are saying that we do not understand the rule and that those who do not know the rule don't understand the definition. Excuse me? I am sorry, but that would not hold up in the court of law. You don't write rules and expect people to follow what you mean when the rule does not state it. People are to follow what the law says. I can read those rules just fine and nowhere does it say that Johnson's catch was incomplete. The only people saying it was an incompletion are the officials who are adding meaning to the rule that is not stated in the wording.
I would love to see one of two things out of the Lions in the next game.
1) After scoring a TD, the players should run to the sideline and place the ball in a baby cradle they have waiting and give it to the refs.
2) After scoring a TD, they should run out a contract to the refs for the refs to sign, stating that it is a TD.
Yes I understand that they would be fined, but if I was coach, I would do it anyway. I would even pay the fines for the players. I would make sure the NFL world knew exactly where I stood with their ridiculous way of interpreting a rule the way they want to rather than how it is written.
I know I have written an article on this once. But it has been brought to my attention that this is the real rule. SO here is the reasoning it was a real Touchdown.
The key words here are .... he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground.
The rule does not state what constitutes hitting the ground. For that we need to turn to another rule.
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds: (a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and (b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.
According to this rule, landing with two feet in bounds constitutes hitting the ground. Johnson caught the ball in the air, landed and got both feet down in bounds while having a firm controlled grip of the ball. By the definitions of the written rules, it was a catch. If that was not good enough, when Johnson landed on his but, that would fit in the above rule part (b) stating "any part of his body other than his hands." Johnson still had clean possession of the ball, so for a second time it should have been a catch.
Read the above rules (in italics). Nowhere in either rule does it state that a player must get up with the ball in his hands. Nowhere does it say he needs to come to a halt with the ball in his hands. Nowhere does it state anything about continuing through the process. By the letter of the rule, as it is written, Johnson's catch was indeed a catch and a touchdown.
Yet just to satisfy those who believe there really is some continuing the process part that states he has to hold onto the ball until he finishes the play.
When a player catches the ball then runs into the end-zone, all he has to do is break the plain of the goal line for it to be a TD. He does not have to wait for the ref to blow a whistle or raise his hands signaling a touchdown. We see it all the time when players run into the end-zone and drop the ball before any whistle or signal is given. According to the rules, once that ball passes the goal line, it is a TD and the play is dead. If a player dives from the 2 yard line and lands out of bounds, but while in the air the ball hits the pylon, it is considered a touchdown. There is no fumbling the ball in the end-zone.
According to NFL rules, getting two feet down constitutes being on the ground. Once the TD is made, the play is dead. Johnson had two feet down with a firm hold of the ball. He then fell to his butt with clean possession. What part of this does not constitute "hitting the ground"? Once he hit the ground with a firm hold of the ball, it should have been a touchdown and the play dead. Him letting go of the ball should never have mattered.
Yet the NFL refs, and spokesmen are saying that we do not understand the rule and that those who do not know the rule don't understand the definition. Excuse me? I am sorry, but that would not hold up in the court of law. You don't write rules and expect people to follow what you mean when the rule does not state it. People are to follow what the law says. I can read those rules just fine and nowhere does it say that Johnson's catch was incomplete. The only people saying it was an incompletion are the officials who are adding meaning to the rule that is not stated in the wording.
I would love to see one of two things out of the Lions in the next game.
1) After scoring a TD, the players should run to the sideline and place the ball in a baby cradle they have waiting and give it to the refs.
2) After scoring a TD, they should run out a contract to the refs for the refs to sign, stating that it is a TD.
Yes I understand that they would be fined, but if I was coach, I would do it anyway. I would even pay the fines for the players. I would make sure the NFL world knew exactly where I stood with their ridiculous way of interpreting a rule the way they want to rather than how it is written.
A Look at Shaun Hill
The Lions starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is injured and now all eyes will turn to the back-up Shaun Hill. Many fans may feel the Lions season is over so long as Stafford is not playing, but don't be too sure.
Shaun Hill is in his 9th season in the NFL, but he did not have a pass attempt in his first five. If you were to put his entire career together, it would add up to about one full season as a starter. These are his statistics in the NFL.
541 ATT, 331 COMP, 61.2%, 3578 Yards, 23 TDs and 12 INT, for an 85.6 Rating. Hill is 10-6 as a starter.
All things considered, that is not a bad line of stats for one season's worth of playing and Detroit now has better talent than he had around him in San Francisco. I'm not saying that we can expect Hill to be what we were hoping Stafford would become, but there is a chance he can be much better than we expect.
You may be looking at how Hill looked in week-1, as he was not able to move the offense until the Bears went into prevent mode on that last drive. Keep in mind however, that this week, Hill will be working with the first team and getting almost all of the snaps during practices. Hopefully Linehan will have a little more imaginative game plan as well.
Shaun Hill is in his 9th season in the NFL, but he did not have a pass attempt in his first five. If you were to put his entire career together, it would add up to about one full season as a starter. These are his statistics in the NFL.
541 ATT, 331 COMP, 61.2%, 3578 Yards, 23 TDs and 12 INT, for an 85.6 Rating. Hill is 10-6 as a starter.
All things considered, that is not a bad line of stats for one season's worth of playing and Detroit now has better talent than he had around him in San Francisco. I'm not saying that we can expect Hill to be what we were hoping Stafford would become, but there is a chance he can be much better than we expect.
You may be looking at how Hill looked in week-1, as he was not able to move the offense until the Bears went into prevent mode on that last drive. Keep in mind however, that this week, Hill will be working with the first team and getting almost all of the snaps during practices. Hopefully Linehan will have a little more imaginative game plan as well.
9/13/10
Was Calvin Johnson's Catch a Touchdown?
Should Calvin Johnson's Catch Have Been a Touchdown? It is the biggest question of the day and there is no shortage to the arguments.
Many have already stated the rule and agreed that it was actually not a catch by official NFL rules. The rule that keeps being stated goes as followed .... "A player is in possession when he is in firm grip and control of the ball in bounds. To gain possession of a loose ball that has been caught, intercepted or recovered, a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground in bounds or any other part of his body, other than his hands, on the ground in bounds. If the player loses the ball while simultaneously touching both feet or any other part of his body to the ground or if there is any doubt that the acts were simultaneous, there is no possession."
According to the written rule, some are saying that Calvin Johnson needed to have control of the ball after falling to the ground for it to be a touchdown. I disagree!
According to NFL rules, if a receiver catches the ball and has control of the ball and takes two steps, or makes a football move with the ball, it is a reception. If he drops the ball after taking two steps, it is a fumble.
According to NFL rules, if a receiver catches the ball and runs with it and falls due to contact with a defending player, the ball is down where the ball is when he hits the ground. If he loses the ball when he hits the ground, it is still down because the ground cannot cause a fumble.
According to NFL rules, the ball only needs to cross the plain of the goal line while in possession of a player for it to be a touchdown. Even if it is knocked out of his hands afterwords! Because once the touchdown is made, the play is dead.
Now lets look at Calvin Johnson's catch.
Johnson was in the end-zone when he leaps backwards and catches the ball in the air. With clean control of the ball in two hands, Johnson comes down on one foot then a second foot. At this point, the ball is considered a reception. He is in the end-zone so it should be a touchdown. Play should be dead. Then his momentum causes him to fall backwards and he lands on his butt. Now holding the ball in one hand with a firm grip, if he wasn't down with the ball before, he is now. The buttocks is considered a part of the body that if it touches the ground while that player has possession of the ball, the player is considered to be down and the play is dead (If he fell due to contact from a defensive player). If the player falls on his own, he has the opportunity to get up and run, but either way, it is considered a reception. If he is in the end-zone, the result of the play is a touchdown. So Calvin Johnson had possession of the ball while putting two feet down. Then he still has possession of the ball when he falls on his butt. Touchdown! So it should have been.
In a continuous motion, the ball now in only one hand, Johnson spun around and hit the ball to the turf. His hand came away without the ball. This is the problem with the interpretation. Many are saying that the rule is saying that he has to have control of the ball after he hits the ground. However, the rule does NOT say that he has to have control after the BALL hits the ground. When Johnson got both feet on the ground, THAT was when he hit the ground. He had control of the ball at this time. IF that is not good enough, when Johnson fell to his butt, THAT would constitute him hitting the ground. He still had firm control of the ball.
Nowhere in the rule does it state that the receiver must have control of the ball after he hits the ground for the third time!
So by the written rule, the play should have been called a catch and a touchdown. The Lions should have won the game.
Many have already stated the rule and agreed that it was actually not a catch by official NFL rules. The rule that keeps being stated goes as followed .... "A player is in possession when he is in firm grip and control of the ball in bounds. To gain possession of a loose ball that has been caught, intercepted or recovered, a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground in bounds or any other part of his body, other than his hands, on the ground in bounds. If the player loses the ball while simultaneously touching both feet or any other part of his body to the ground or if there is any doubt that the acts were simultaneous, there is no possession."
According to the written rule, some are saying that Calvin Johnson needed to have control of the ball after falling to the ground for it to be a touchdown. I disagree!
According to NFL rules, if a receiver catches the ball and has control of the ball and takes two steps, or makes a football move with the ball, it is a reception. If he drops the ball after taking two steps, it is a fumble.
According to NFL rules, if a receiver catches the ball and runs with it and falls due to contact with a defending player, the ball is down where the ball is when he hits the ground. If he loses the ball when he hits the ground, it is still down because the ground cannot cause a fumble.
According to NFL rules, the ball only needs to cross the plain of the goal line while in possession of a player for it to be a touchdown. Even if it is knocked out of his hands afterwords! Because once the touchdown is made, the play is dead.
Now lets look at Calvin Johnson's catch.
Johnson was in the end-zone when he leaps backwards and catches the ball in the air. With clean control of the ball in two hands, Johnson comes down on one foot then a second foot. At this point, the ball is considered a reception. He is in the end-zone so it should be a touchdown. Play should be dead. Then his momentum causes him to fall backwards and he lands on his butt. Now holding the ball in one hand with a firm grip, if he wasn't down with the ball before, he is now. The buttocks is considered a part of the body that if it touches the ground while that player has possession of the ball, the player is considered to be down and the play is dead (If he fell due to contact from a defensive player). If the player falls on his own, he has the opportunity to get up and run, but either way, it is considered a reception. If he is in the end-zone, the result of the play is a touchdown. So Calvin Johnson had possession of the ball while putting two feet down. Then he still has possession of the ball when he falls on his butt. Touchdown! So it should have been.
In a continuous motion, the ball now in only one hand, Johnson spun around and hit the ball to the turf. His hand came away without the ball. This is the problem with the interpretation. Many are saying that the rule is saying that he has to have control of the ball after he hits the ground. However, the rule does NOT say that he has to have control after the BALL hits the ground. When Johnson got both feet on the ground, THAT was when he hit the ground. He had control of the ball at this time. IF that is not good enough, when Johnson fell to his butt, THAT would constitute him hitting the ground. He still had firm control of the ball.
Nowhere in the rule does it state that the receiver must have control of the ball after he hits the ground for the third time!
So by the written rule, the play should have been called a catch and a touchdown. The Lions should have won the game.
9/12/10
Detroit Lions Lose in Week One
Jahvid Best ran into two defenders at the goal line and was stopped dead in his tracks. As he fell along the goal line, he twisted around and the ball crossed the plain. It was Best's second touchdown of a game that the Detroit Lions lost 19 - 15.
With less than a minute to go and the Lions down by five points, Calvin Johnson made a leaping catch in the end-zone. With two hands having solid possession of the ball he came down with first one foot then a second. Still holding the ball cleanly with one hand, he fell to his butt. Than as he spun to his side, the hand holding the ball hit the ball to the turf and came away without the ball. With possession of the ball, Calvin Johnson got both feet down, and fell to his butt, yet because he hit the ball against the turf and then lost control of it, the replay official said it was NOT a touchdown. Instead of winning in the first week of the season, the Lions got a loss because of the worst rule in the history of sports.
According to the rule, to my understanding, a receiver must have control of the ball through the entire play. So even though he held clean possession of the ball far longer than a running back would have to when reaching the ball across the plain for a touchdown. Even though Calvin Johnson had possession much longer than a receiver would if he landed with two feet and spiked it to the turf, his reception was considered an incompletion.
Then after the replay official overturned the touchdown, the Lions came back with the same play and Calvin Johnson was literally mauled by the defense before the ball made it to him and no interference call was made.
Yet that is only one reason the fans have to be upset. In the first half the Lions offense was pitiful. The only touchdowns coming from being put in great field position after Bears turnovers. The offense never drove down the field for any points. Then late in the second quarter, Peppers broke free and hit Stafford from behind, driving him to the turf and injuring the Lions 2nd year quarterback. At this time there is no word as to how serious it is.
Then there is the play calling by the Lions offensive coordinator. It was seriously reminiscent to the days of Marriucci as the coach. Before the last drive where the Lions were ripped off by the refs, there was not one pass attempt to my memory that was more than ten yards down field. When the defense was stacked up on 3rd and short, they ran the ball up the middle and the Lions do not have the power to run up the middle behind an undersized line. There were a couple of quick slants called, and they worked well enough, but they did not go back to those very often. In short, the play calling did absolutely nothing to force the defense to back off in the least bit. The Bears played a tight short defense and came hard every play and Scott Linehan did not have the ingenuity to counter that.
After Matthew Stafford was injured, Shaun Hill was rendered useless. In fact he did not get more than one first down until the last drive when the Bears played bend but don't break defense to protect the lead. Though Jahvid Best had two touchdowns, he only had 20 yards rushing for the day because there simply was no place for him to go.
Yet after a very upsetting loss, there is something for the fans to be happy about. The Lions new and improved defense was nothing short of superb. With the offense putting the Lions defense in a bad field situation over and over again, the Lions defense only allowed 19 points and at one point stood up the Bears at the goal line. The Lions had four sacks on Cutler, all from the defensive linemen. Corey Hill, Ndamukong Suh, Sammie Lee Hill, and Turk McBride each had one sack. Along with the sacks, the Lions had 3 fumble recoveries and an interception.
With less than a minute to go and the Lions down by five points, Calvin Johnson made a leaping catch in the end-zone. With two hands having solid possession of the ball he came down with first one foot then a second. Still holding the ball cleanly with one hand, he fell to his butt. Than as he spun to his side, the hand holding the ball hit the ball to the turf and came away without the ball. With possession of the ball, Calvin Johnson got both feet down, and fell to his butt, yet because he hit the ball against the turf and then lost control of it, the replay official said it was NOT a touchdown. Instead of winning in the first week of the season, the Lions got a loss because of the worst rule in the history of sports.
According to the rule, to my understanding, a receiver must have control of the ball through the entire play. So even though he held clean possession of the ball far longer than a running back would have to when reaching the ball across the plain for a touchdown. Even though Calvin Johnson had possession much longer than a receiver would if he landed with two feet and spiked it to the turf, his reception was considered an incompletion.
Then after the replay official overturned the touchdown, the Lions came back with the same play and Calvin Johnson was literally mauled by the defense before the ball made it to him and no interference call was made.
Yet that is only one reason the fans have to be upset. In the first half the Lions offense was pitiful. The only touchdowns coming from being put in great field position after Bears turnovers. The offense never drove down the field for any points. Then late in the second quarter, Peppers broke free and hit Stafford from behind, driving him to the turf and injuring the Lions 2nd year quarterback. At this time there is no word as to how serious it is.
Then there is the play calling by the Lions offensive coordinator. It was seriously reminiscent to the days of Marriucci as the coach. Before the last drive where the Lions were ripped off by the refs, there was not one pass attempt to my memory that was more than ten yards down field. When the defense was stacked up on 3rd and short, they ran the ball up the middle and the Lions do not have the power to run up the middle behind an undersized line. There were a couple of quick slants called, and they worked well enough, but they did not go back to those very often. In short, the play calling did absolutely nothing to force the defense to back off in the least bit. The Bears played a tight short defense and came hard every play and Scott Linehan did not have the ingenuity to counter that.
After Matthew Stafford was injured, Shaun Hill was rendered useless. In fact he did not get more than one first down until the last drive when the Bears played bend but don't break defense to protect the lead. Though Jahvid Best had two touchdowns, he only had 20 yards rushing for the day because there simply was no place for him to go.
Yet after a very upsetting loss, there is something for the fans to be happy about. The Lions new and improved defense was nothing short of superb. With the offense putting the Lions defense in a bad field situation over and over again, the Lions defense only allowed 19 points and at one point stood up the Bears at the goal line. The Lions had four sacks on Cutler, all from the defensive linemen. Corey Hill, Ndamukong Suh, Sammie Lee Hill, and Turk McBride each had one sack. Along with the sacks, the Lions had 3 fumble recoveries and an interception.
9/8/10
2010 Lions Season is One to Give Fans Hope
As the days grow shorter and the weather grows colder, we do not weep. We do not mourn the loss of our Summer. We are not saddened by the coming of Winter. No, we do not shed a tear, but we are joyous. We are filled with anxiety and hope. For the shortening of days, the colder weather, the trees shedding their leaves are reason to be excited. Oh yes my brethren fans, to us this is a great time. It is the beginning of the NFL Football season.
And to those of you who have shed tears of silver and bled Honolulu Blue, this is a very special time indeed. For finally, we do not face a season of shame and hopelessness. We do not enter the season already void of hope. No, we have reason to be excited. We have reason to believe. For finally we enter a season with a belief that our beloved Detroit Lions are headed in the right direction.
Unlike years in the past when the Lions changed coaches and we dug for hope that a new leader might bring respectability. Unlike those days when we have looked at the new rookies to show us talent. Unlike those times that our hopes were dashed against the turf over and over as the seasons dragged by, this season is filled with real hope.
We have a coach in Jim Schwartz who has shown he has an idea of what he is actually doing. A coach who knows how to build a team. A coach who the players want to play for and yet will not let players walk over him. A coach who has control of the team and not only demands respect, but earns it from his players.
We have a front office that actually has some idea of what real talent is. Not just speed or strength talent, but real football talent. A front office that drafts players who belong in the NFL. Belong on the field, rather than on the bench.
We have players like Matthew Stafford, Jahvid Best, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler on the offense who gives us hope of seeing something exciting on the field. We have defensive players like Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden Busch, Corey Williams on the defensive line who can actually pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Lions have other players on defense like Louis Delmas, DeAnre Levy and Peterson who know how to play defense, cover and tackle.
We know the Lions are not ready to be a great team. We do not expect them to contend for the Superbowl. But we have hope. We are excited that they are headed in that direction.
We fans of the Detroit Lions are going into a season like we have not had before. A season where we can see a team play some good football, compete with good teams, win some and lose some. We go into this season excited because we know this is just one more step on our way to the ultimate dream.
After so many seasons of watching a sub par product handed to us and wishing we could have better, we have finally been handed better. And it is just the beginning.
And to those of you who have shed tears of silver and bled Honolulu Blue, this is a very special time indeed. For finally, we do not face a season of shame and hopelessness. We do not enter the season already void of hope. No, we have reason to be excited. We have reason to believe. For finally we enter a season with a belief that our beloved Detroit Lions are headed in the right direction.
Unlike years in the past when the Lions changed coaches and we dug for hope that a new leader might bring respectability. Unlike those days when we have looked at the new rookies to show us talent. Unlike those times that our hopes were dashed against the turf over and over as the seasons dragged by, this season is filled with real hope.
We have a coach in Jim Schwartz who has shown he has an idea of what he is actually doing. A coach who knows how to build a team. A coach who the players want to play for and yet will not let players walk over him. A coach who has control of the team and not only demands respect, but earns it from his players.
We have a front office that actually has some idea of what real talent is. Not just speed or strength talent, but real football talent. A front office that drafts players who belong in the NFL. Belong on the field, rather than on the bench.
We have players like Matthew Stafford, Jahvid Best, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler on the offense who gives us hope of seeing something exciting on the field. We have defensive players like Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden Busch, Corey Williams on the defensive line who can actually pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Lions have other players on defense like Louis Delmas, DeAnre Levy and Peterson who know how to play defense, cover and tackle.
We know the Lions are not ready to be a great team. We do not expect them to contend for the Superbowl. But we have hope. We are excited that they are headed in that direction.
We fans of the Detroit Lions are going into a season like we have not had before. A season where we can see a team play some good football, compete with good teams, win some and lose some. We go into this season excited because we know this is just one more step on our way to the ultimate dream.
After so many seasons of watching a sub par product handed to us and wishing we could have better, we have finally been handed better. And it is just the beginning.
9/4/10
Detroit Lions Cut Roster Down to 53 Players
As the Detroit Lions made their roster cuts to get down to the league maximum of 53 players today, there were a couple cuts that were surprising.
Throughout the preseason it was believed that Gosder Cherilus and Jon Jansen were competing for the starting job at Right Tackle. So it was not expected that either would get cut. Sometimes what happens is not what is expected. The Lions proved that when they cut Jon Jansen.
Tight End Dan Gronkowski was expected to be cut, but the Lions instead traded him to the Denver Broncos for a player they were going to cut, Cornerback, Alphonso Smith. This trade seems to be the move that set up for the Lions other surprising cut. With the addition of Alphonso Smith, the Lions decided that it made veteran cornerback, Dre Bly expendable and he was also cut today.
Besides Jon Jansen and Dre Bly, other cuts consisted of the following.....
DT - Rob Calloway
DT - Landon Cohen
LB - Vinny Ciurciu
WR - Tim Toone
WR - Brian Clark
WR - Michael Moore
RB - DeDe Dorsey
OL - Noah Franklin
OL - Dan Gerberry
OL - Cliff Louis
K - Steven Hauschka
DB - Ko Simpson
DB - Jonathan Hefney
DB - Eric King
DB - Paul Pratt
DB - T.J. Rushing
DB - Dante Wesley
Throughout the preseason it was believed that Gosder Cherilus and Jon Jansen were competing for the starting job at Right Tackle. So it was not expected that either would get cut. Sometimes what happens is not what is expected. The Lions proved that when they cut Jon Jansen.
Tight End Dan Gronkowski was expected to be cut, but the Lions instead traded him to the Denver Broncos for a player they were going to cut, Cornerback, Alphonso Smith. This trade seems to be the move that set up for the Lions other surprising cut. With the addition of Alphonso Smith, the Lions decided that it made veteran cornerback, Dre Bly expendable and he was also cut today.
Besides Jon Jansen and Dre Bly, other cuts consisted of the following.....
DT - Rob Calloway
DT - Landon Cohen
LB - Vinny Ciurciu
WR - Tim Toone
WR - Brian Clark
WR - Michael Moore
RB - DeDe Dorsey
OL - Noah Franklin
OL - Dan Gerberry
OL - Cliff Louis
K - Steven Hauschka
DB - Ko Simpson
DB - Jonathan Hefney
DB - Eric King
DB - Paul Pratt
DB - T.J. Rushing
DB - Dante Wesley
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