Lions are Playing Below Their Abilities

In four games thus far in the 2011 NFL Season, the Detroit Lions have scored 135 points, making them one of the most explosive teams in Football. They are matching the likes of the Packers, Patriots, and Saints. Yet we have not seem them put it all together yet.

With so much talent on their offense, it somehow seems unfathomable, but the Lions just keep coming out flat to start games. In the first quarter of games so far, the Lions have only scored 1 touchdown and a total of 13 points. In the first half of games, the Lions have scored a total of 43 points. That is only averaging 10.75 points a game in the first half. Then something happens. A light turns on and the Lions realize they have a good offense and show the world what they are capable of. After half time, the Lions have scored an amazing 92 points for an average of 23 points a game. As strange as it sounds, the Lions are actually better than twice as good in the second half as they are in the first half of games.

One can only imagine if the Lions would put it together and start playing good football from the opening kick-off. As it stands their offense ranks with the best when they are only playing approximately the last three quarters of their games.

Make no bones about it, this bad play in the first half is not strictly the fault of the bad play of the offensive line. At a quick glance in watching the games, I can see why one would assume such a thing. The offensive line has been horrible in the first half of the last two games. But I ask you, why is it that they can get the job done in the second half then? If the talent is enough to protect Stafford in the second half, then it certainly must be good enough to protect him in the first half as well when they are fresh.

I believe the coaches are at fault here. Whether it is a problem with not having them ready to play, or having to adjust the game plan, something is not working in the first half and it falls on the coaches.

The Lions have played four games and in every one of them they fell behind early. That screams to me a coaching problem.

I do not mean to cut the coaches down. They have done a fine job in my opinion. But the Lions simply cannot continue to fall behind early and expect to always put it together in time to win. Especially in the second half of the season when they face their toughest foes, like Green Bay twice, New Orleans, San Diego, and play in Chicago. If the Lions want to continue to win when they play teams like those, they will need to come out firing from the onset. It is up to the coaches to figure out how to get that to happen. So far they haven't.

Once they do, however, the Lions just may be the best team in the NFL.