Lions Lose to Saints 45-28

As the Detroit Lions 2011 season and first play-off game since 1999 comes to an end, I want to say I am proud to be a Lions fan. Sure the score says the Lions lost by more than two touchdowns, but this score does not tell the whole story.

Despite the refs making two calls that hurt the Lions, one taking a sure touchdown away from them, the Lions still went into half-time with a 14 to 10 lead. In the first half, the Lions out played the New Orleans Saints. Then something happened. The Saints seemed to make adjustments and the Lions did not.

In the second half, the Saints started moving the ball with ease and Drew Brees had very little pressure on him. As the second half continued, the pressure never appeared and Gunther Cunningham never adjusted to create some. The Lions front four failed to get in Brees' face at all and you simply cannot allow an elite quarterback to sit comfortably in the pocket. He will eat you alive. Drew Brees did just that. The Saints had 6 drives in the second half of the game. The first five ended with touchdowns and the sixth ended with Brees taking a knee in the redzone.

I stated in the pregame article that if the front four failed to get pressure on Brees and Gunther doesn't start blitzing to get to him, it would be game over. Well, game over!

In Gunther's defense, the Lions defensive players did not play a good second half. It was as if they had forgotten how to tackle. At least twice in the game a defensive player had an interception put into his hands only to see the ball fall harmlessly to the ground. But however bad the tackling was, and however bad their hands were, it does not excuse Gunther from not being aggressive to get in Brees face. There were few stunts and very limited blitzing and for that scheme, Drew Brees had a field day in the second half.

Yet the game was not all bad and as I mentioned before, the Lions still made me proud of them tonight....

They did not let their youthful pride get loose and pick up a lot of stupid penalties.

They showed they could stick with a team that many experts are picking to win the Superbowl and even out played them in the first half.

In a game the entire football world was watching, the Detroit Lions kept their heads, played professionally, and looked like they belonged in the Playoffs.

I can only get excited for the next season to begin. I cannot wait to see what moves are made in the off-season and I look forward to the 2012 April draft more than ever before. I say to the world, watch us next year! Watch us next year. For now, I am more proud of being a Lions fan than any time since the turn of the century.