Can the Detroit Lions start the 2011 NFL season off with 6 wins in a row? I have no doubt.
Yes I know the talk. The 49ers have a great defense. It doesn't worry me. They have faced a total of two rally good quarterbacks. Tony Romo and Michael Vick. We have all seen how self destructive Romo can be and Vick is by no means a great passing quarterback. Look at the running backs they have faced. The best running back they have met is McCoy with the Eagles and I do not believe he is a big home-run threat every time he touches the ball. The fact is, the 49ers have not face a QB the likes of Stafford, they have not faced a receiver anywhere near as good as Megatron, and they have not seen a RB who can break loose on any play like Best can. However good they may believe their defense to be, they will be facing by far the best offense they have seen this year.
The Lions however have faced much better quarterbacks than Alex Smith. Much better receivers than Crabtree and better running backs than Gore. The Lions defense has faced much more explosive offenses than the 49ers offense and have beaten them all.
Another interesting note: Alex Smith has been sacked 14 times in 5 games. In three of those games he has been dropped 3 or more times. The San Fransisco offensive line that already cannot protect their quarterback, has not faced anything like the defensive line the Lions will throw at them.
Stafford however has only been sacked in two games this year and one of those games was only one single sack. I have no doubt the 49ers defense will get some hits on Stafford and likely will get at least one sack, but they will not put enough pressure on him that he cannot find at least one of his many options to get the ball to. If the 49ers put too much emphasis on stopping the Lions pass, they will get beat by Jahvid Best.
Lions 24
49ers 13
Showing posts with label 2011 Preseason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 Preseason. Show all posts
10/14/11
8/29/11
ESPN Seems to be Detroit's Greatest Hater
The Detroit Lions have not been a very good team in recent years. That is understood. But do they deserve the hate ESPN seems to show them?
A year ago I read an article from an ESPN writer, where he ranked the fans of NFL teams. Out of 32 teams, the Detroit Lions fans were ranked 31st. ... Obviously that is as far wrong as you can get. That is like saying we celebrate Christmas to remember Bin Laden's birthday! You simply just don't get further from the truth.
The Lions have been horrible for how long? And the Lions still sold out the majority of their games? When they were a mediocre team the Lions sold out every game at the Silverdome. That is 80,000 seats people! Many teams wouldn't sell out 50,000 if they were only average. The Lions sold out games during and even after their 0-16 season! And the fans are the second worst in the NFL? Crazy talk!
Recently I heard about ESPN ranking the Lions 18th in the NFL. I guess if you look at their 6-10 record last year and think they will win 2 more games only, then I guess it is understandable that you will rank them 18th in the NFL. Even though some experts say it would not surprise them to see the Lions in the Superbowl. Even though the Lions were minutely close to being 9-7 last year, they lost several close games to play-off teams and beat the Superbowl Champions once. Even though the Lions did as well as they did and were as competitive as they were without their starting QB and with their starting running back hampered most of the season. To say the Lions essentially will be only very marginally better than they were last year is not showing them any love.
Then the Lions pasted the Patriots behinds to the turf on Saturday night. Sunday morning I was driving to work and was listening to ESPN radio. The commentator was talking about the Lions - Patriots game. His opinion? The Lions had something to prove and therefore, was playing hard like it was a play-off game. The Patriots on the other hand, have won Superbowls, are a great team and had nothing to prove. He said that New England was not playing hard and was only trying to get through the game without injuries.
Really?
Think about it for a moment here. Lets do something real special here and try adding some real logic to this. The Lions D-line (who I like to refer to as the Wrecking Crew), has already shown they are coming hard and hit Tom Brady hard a couple of times. Does anyone really believe that the Patriots offensive line would let that happen to their star quarterback and continue to play soft? I really doubt that!
No! I guarantee you, the Pat's O-line was trying their hardest to keep their star quarterback safe and simply could not stop the Detroit pass rush. Not playing hard? Give me a break. I hear Brady is still at Ford Field looking for the rest of his hide with the rest of his O-line as they are wondering if maybe they should have tried harder. Yeah, that makes sense.
As for the Patriots defense? Do you really believe that the Lions D-line was going to continuously paint the turf with Brady's spit and the Patriot's defensive line wasn't going to turn the tables? I can see that now. Brady just finished scraping himself off the turf and the New England defense ran out on the field thinking.... "They have only hit our QB hard several times. No reason to want to turn this into a real match. Let us just play safe and get through this without an injury."
Yes it was only a preseason game. Yes I know you are not supposed to take too much out of that. But it still showed me that the offensive line of one of the NFL's best teams could not slow down the Lions pass rush. It showed me that Stafford can be amazingly accurate when he is on. It showed me the Detroit Lions are not only marginally better than a 6-10 team, but a lot better.
The Detroit Lions will be a very good team in 2011. I wonder how many games they will have to win to get any real respect from ESPN.
A year ago I read an article from an ESPN writer, where he ranked the fans of NFL teams. Out of 32 teams, the Detroit Lions fans were ranked 31st. ... Obviously that is as far wrong as you can get. That is like saying we celebrate Christmas to remember Bin Laden's birthday! You simply just don't get further from the truth.
The Lions have been horrible for how long? And the Lions still sold out the majority of their games? When they were a mediocre team the Lions sold out every game at the Silverdome. That is 80,000 seats people! Many teams wouldn't sell out 50,000 if they were only average. The Lions sold out games during and even after their 0-16 season! And the fans are the second worst in the NFL? Crazy talk!
Recently I heard about ESPN ranking the Lions 18th in the NFL. I guess if you look at their 6-10 record last year and think they will win 2 more games only, then I guess it is understandable that you will rank them 18th in the NFL. Even though some experts say it would not surprise them to see the Lions in the Superbowl. Even though the Lions were minutely close to being 9-7 last year, they lost several close games to play-off teams and beat the Superbowl Champions once. Even though the Lions did as well as they did and were as competitive as they were without their starting QB and with their starting running back hampered most of the season. To say the Lions essentially will be only very marginally better than they were last year is not showing them any love.
Then the Lions pasted the Patriots behinds to the turf on Saturday night. Sunday morning I was driving to work and was listening to ESPN radio. The commentator was talking about the Lions - Patriots game. His opinion? The Lions had something to prove and therefore, was playing hard like it was a play-off game. The Patriots on the other hand, have won Superbowls, are a great team and had nothing to prove. He said that New England was not playing hard and was only trying to get through the game without injuries.
Really?
Think about it for a moment here. Lets do something real special here and try adding some real logic to this. The Lions D-line (who I like to refer to as the Wrecking Crew), has already shown they are coming hard and hit Tom Brady hard a couple of times. Does anyone really believe that the Patriots offensive line would let that happen to their star quarterback and continue to play soft? I really doubt that!
No! I guarantee you, the Pat's O-line was trying their hardest to keep their star quarterback safe and simply could not stop the Detroit pass rush. Not playing hard? Give me a break. I hear Brady is still at Ford Field looking for the rest of his hide with the rest of his O-line as they are wondering if maybe they should have tried harder. Yeah, that makes sense.
As for the Patriots defense? Do you really believe that the Lions D-line was going to continuously paint the turf with Brady's spit and the Patriot's defensive line wasn't going to turn the tables? I can see that now. Brady just finished scraping himself off the turf and the New England defense ran out on the field thinking.... "They have only hit our QB hard several times. No reason to want to turn this into a real match. Let us just play safe and get through this without an injury."
Yes it was only a preseason game. Yes I know you are not supposed to take too much out of that. But it still showed me that the offensive line of one of the NFL's best teams could not slow down the Lions pass rush. It showed me that Stafford can be amazingly accurate when he is on. It showed me the Detroit Lions are not only marginally better than a 6-10 team, but a lot better.
The Detroit Lions will be a very good team in 2011. I wonder how many games they will have to win to get any real respect from ESPN.
8/27/11
Lions Preseason Week-3: A Great Sign
It was the Detroit Lions dress rehearsal for the upcoming season. It was the first preseason game against a team considered to be a great team in the NFL. It was the ultimate test for the Lions as they prepared to enter the 2011 season. I would definitely say they passed this test with flying colors!
Matthew Stafford took his first hit and was plastered into the turf as he let go of a pass. He got back up, showing no ill effects. Good sign!
Matthew Stafford was 12 of 14 for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in less than a half. His only incompletions were a dropped pass in the endzone and a superb defensive play by the Patriots cornerback. Good sign!
The defensive line was all over Tom Brady early and often, continuously knocking him to the turf. To the point where he had a couple passes that he threw short because he hurried it when he did not have to. Good sign!
The Lions went into Half-time with a 27-10 lead. The only starters to come out before the half mark were on the Lions. Good sign.
Simply put, with both teams using their starters, the Detroit Lions man-handled the New England Patriots on both sides of the ball. Definitely a good sign!
If you are like me, a believer the Lions were as good as a 9-7 team last year and come into this season with a much improved team, then this game served only to build up your excitement. If you were a pessimist, believing the Lions have to show you they can be good before you believe it, you may be a bit excited after this game. One thing I can truly be sure of. Any Detroit Lions fan could not possibly watch this game and come away believing they will be awful.
By the way... as I finish this article, the Lions are now winning 34-10 with just under 10 minutes to go. GO LIONS!!!
Matthew Stafford took his first hit and was plastered into the turf as he let go of a pass. He got back up, showing no ill effects. Good sign!
Matthew Stafford was 12 of 14 for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in less than a half. His only incompletions were a dropped pass in the endzone and a superb defensive play by the Patriots cornerback. Good sign!
The defensive line was all over Tom Brady early and often, continuously knocking him to the turf. To the point where he had a couple passes that he threw short because he hurried it when he did not have to. Good sign!
The Lions went into Half-time with a 27-10 lead. The only starters to come out before the half mark were on the Lions. Good sign.
Simply put, with both teams using their starters, the Detroit Lions man-handled the New England Patriots on both sides of the ball. Definitely a good sign!
If you are like me, a believer the Lions were as good as a 9-7 team last year and come into this season with a much improved team, then this game served only to build up your excitement. If you were a pessimist, believing the Lions have to show you they can be good before you believe it, you may be a bit excited after this game. One thing I can truly be sure of. Any Detroit Lions fan could not possibly watch this game and come away believing they will be awful.
By the way... as I finish this article, the Lions are now winning 34-10 with just under 10 minutes to go. GO LIONS!!!
8/26/11
Dont Expect Too Much in Lions Preseason Game
The Lions will host the Patriots Saturday evening. It is their first sold out preseason game in years. It is also a nationally televised game. What seems most important to many fans however, is that it is against the Patriots.
New England has made a showing of blitzing the quarterbacks this preseason. Likely, Stafford will take at least one hit. Everyone will be watching to see how fast he gets up from that hit.... if at all.
The Patriots are the team that embarrassed the Lions last year on Thanksgiving. With the Lions feeling much improved and with their starting QB healthy, the fans want to see how we will compare.
Then there is Tom Brady. Will he pick the Lions secondary apart like he did last year? Will Suh bury him?
The game is filled with questions and hopes and excitement. Which is a very cool thing if you keep in mind that it is after all, only a preseason game.
Likely Brady will complete his share of passes. It means nothing because he does that against every team. It is possible Suh will use the turf like silly puddy and see if Brady's name will transfer to it if he pastes him against it hard enough. It will mean nothing except that the NFL will feel they have to protect one of its superstar QBs and fine Suh. It is highly likely that Stafford will take his first real hit since the surgery. It is also likely he will get up and his day will be cut short because Schwartz does not want to take anymore chances.
I will even go so far as to say it is about a 50-50 chance the Lions will lose this game. It means nothing! This is a dress rehearsal, not a real game. The win or loss will mean nothing for the season. The Lions might look great against the Patriots and fall apart against the Bucs in the first week. Or they may let the Pats destroy them and then win the next 8 games in a row.
What do you take from this game? Glad you asked....
How well does the Lions pick up the blitz to give Stafford a second to throw the ball?
Does the secondary keep the Patriot receivers from getting behind them?
How does Backus look in his first game action (if he plays)?
How well does Stafford read pressure. Does he have pocket presence to avoid the hit?
Does Amari Speivey continue to show strong tackling abilities this game?
Do all the key players come out of this battle injury free?
Give me positive answers to all of those questions and I will consider the game a complete success. But I guess it would be all the more enjoyable if the Detroit Lions returned the spanking they gave us last year.
New England has made a showing of blitzing the quarterbacks this preseason. Likely, Stafford will take at least one hit. Everyone will be watching to see how fast he gets up from that hit.... if at all.
The Patriots are the team that embarrassed the Lions last year on Thanksgiving. With the Lions feeling much improved and with their starting QB healthy, the fans want to see how we will compare.
Then there is Tom Brady. Will he pick the Lions secondary apart like he did last year? Will Suh bury him?
The game is filled with questions and hopes and excitement. Which is a very cool thing if you keep in mind that it is after all, only a preseason game.
Likely Brady will complete his share of passes. It means nothing because he does that against every team. It is possible Suh will use the turf like silly puddy and see if Brady's name will transfer to it if he pastes him against it hard enough. It will mean nothing except that the NFL will feel they have to protect one of its superstar QBs and fine Suh. It is highly likely that Stafford will take his first real hit since the surgery. It is also likely he will get up and his day will be cut short because Schwartz does not want to take anymore chances.
I will even go so far as to say it is about a 50-50 chance the Lions will lose this game. It means nothing! This is a dress rehearsal, not a real game. The win or loss will mean nothing for the season. The Lions might look great against the Patriots and fall apart against the Bucs in the first week. Or they may let the Pats destroy them and then win the next 8 games in a row.
What do you take from this game? Glad you asked....
How well does the Lions pick up the blitz to give Stafford a second to throw the ball?
Does the secondary keep the Patriot receivers from getting behind them?
How does Backus look in his first game action (if he plays)?
How well does Stafford read pressure. Does he have pocket presence to avoid the hit?
Does Amari Speivey continue to show strong tackling abilities this game?
Do all the key players come out of this battle injury free?
Give me positive answers to all of those questions and I will consider the game a complete success. But I guess it would be all the more enjoyable if the Detroit Lions returned the spanking they gave us last year.
8/20/11
Lions Preseason Week-2: Not to Worry
After the Lions beat the Cleveland Browns, thanks primarily to the 3rd stringers and Stanton's improved play, there are a lot of fans worried about the Lions this year. Do not worry yet....
Jahvid Best:
The greatest reason to worry might be Jahvid Best. He got his bell rung early on and was out for the game. His absence along with his bad choice to follow the hole and his fumble have many fans thinking he is not good enough. Some say he is too small. Many do not believe he is an every down back. Do not worry.....
Likely if it was regular season, he would have been back in the game. Players get their bells rung all the time in the NFL. Many players will take a hard hit, leave the game for a few plays and return. But since it is preseason, Schwartz was not taking any more chance with him than with Calvin Johnson. Even the smallest injury will keep his stars out of games in the preseason.
Defensive Line:
There are those who do not believe the defensive line is as good as we thought since they did not sack McCoy. Do not worry....
The truth is, the Lions defensive line was rushing McCoy's passes consistently. The starters have only played a total of two maybe three quarters and they are pressuring the QBs. The sacks will come.
Defense:
Some may worry that McCoy threw for three touchdowns against the Lions starters. Do not worry....
Two of the TDs came from the Browns getting the ball at the Lions 34 yard line and the Lions 21 yard line. Short fields like that will tend to give quarterbacks good chances of throwing touchdowns. This is not something that will continue to happen. Keep in mind that McCoy only completed 10 of his 18 attempts.
Run Defense:
The Browns had 135 yards rushing! What are the magic words?... Do not worry!!!!
81 of those yards came from one scamper later in the game. That means the rest of the game, the Browns were held to only 54 yards on 21 carries. It was also the back-ups who gave up the long run. Not the starting unit!
Finally:
Keep in mind two important points here. One - While it was not an exciting game, you have to remember they all wont be. But the Lions found a way to win it anyway (even though wins and losses make no difference in the preseason!). Secondly, is that it is only preseason. The coaches are not calling plays to win the games. For the most part, they are calling plays to see their team react to certain situations.
Jahvid Best:
The greatest reason to worry might be Jahvid Best. He got his bell rung early on and was out for the game. His absence along with his bad choice to follow the hole and his fumble have many fans thinking he is not good enough. Some say he is too small. Many do not believe he is an every down back. Do not worry.....
Likely if it was regular season, he would have been back in the game. Players get their bells rung all the time in the NFL. Many players will take a hard hit, leave the game for a few plays and return. But since it is preseason, Schwartz was not taking any more chance with him than with Calvin Johnson. Even the smallest injury will keep his stars out of games in the preseason.
Defensive Line:
There are those who do not believe the defensive line is as good as we thought since they did not sack McCoy. Do not worry....
The truth is, the Lions defensive line was rushing McCoy's passes consistently. The starters have only played a total of two maybe three quarters and they are pressuring the QBs. The sacks will come.
Defense:
Some may worry that McCoy threw for three touchdowns against the Lions starters. Do not worry....
Two of the TDs came from the Browns getting the ball at the Lions 34 yard line and the Lions 21 yard line. Short fields like that will tend to give quarterbacks good chances of throwing touchdowns. This is not something that will continue to happen. Keep in mind that McCoy only completed 10 of his 18 attempts.
Run Defense:
The Browns had 135 yards rushing! What are the magic words?... Do not worry!!!!
81 of those yards came from one scamper later in the game. That means the rest of the game, the Browns were held to only 54 yards on 21 carries. It was also the back-ups who gave up the long run. Not the starting unit!
Finally:
Keep in mind two important points here. One - While it was not an exciting game, you have to remember they all wont be. But the Lions found a way to win it anyway (even though wins and losses make no difference in the preseason!). Secondly, is that it is only preseason. The coaches are not calling plays to win the games. For the most part, they are calling plays to see their team react to certain situations.
8/14/11
Lions Preseason Week-1: Like a Breath of Fresh Air
Going into Friday nights game, the Lions fans were not sure what they were going to get. Most believed the Lions were an improved team, but after all, it was their first game of the preseason with a short training camp. Their were injuries on both sides of the ball. And to some fans, they are still the Lions, so how can you expect too much?
After winning 34 - 3, many fans were handed a taste of what it is like to watch a good team for once, and it was like taking a breath of fresh air after stumbling out of a burning house. Make no mistakes, this is only preseason and the win means nothing. To get a better idea of the Lions potential, you need to look into the game rather than the final score.
On offense the Detroit Lions starting unit was impressive to say the least. They moved down the field with their first drive and scored on a 26 yard Touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson. Their second drive started soon after that (due to a turnover) and with a shortened field the Lions scored again. This time with a 7 yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson. Jahvid Best only carried the ball four times for a total of 12 yards, his longest scamper was for 7 yards.
In a sense, the Lions starting offensive unit had their way with the Bengals. The running game was not so bad with Best in the back field, and the passing game looked like the Bengals forgot to send out their back seven.
The Lions new and improved defense was good, but maybe not as good as the first glance might tell you. One could look at the score and say they were great. Giving up only three points in an entire game? That is awesome! Now look a little deeper. The Bengals have Chris Dalton as their starting QB. A nobody with no experience in his first preseason game. Dalton completed 11 of his 15 pass attempts. That is 73% if you don't have a calculator handy. Cedric Benson, the Bengal's starting running back ran 6 times for 37 yards. That is over 6 yards a carry. Neither of those stats are great.
Yet the fact remains, the Lions defense did only give up 3 points. They did not let Dalton complete a pass of more than 11 yards and the defense made plays when they needed to.
The Defensive Line was the same as last year. Constantly pressuring the QB on pass plays and sometimes making plays on the running game. The new Linebackers were not great but they were not horrible. It will take more time for that unit to learn to play together. The player who stood out to me was Amari Spievey.
Spievey was drafted as a cornerback then turned into a safety early on in the season last year. He looked completely out of his realm in most of the games last season and I was hard on him for everything, including his tackling. He very well may be the most improved player of the year and possibly has made one of the greatest jumps of improvement I have ever seen in a player from one year to the next.
Spievey was all over the field making plays and his ability to make open field tackles was impressive to say the least. At least a couple times he took the outside route on a ball carrier to force the player to cut back inside. When it looked like he had done his job to direct the runner back to the middle where others can get to him, he was still able to lunge sideways and wrap his arms around the players feet to take him down himself. Spievey took down players that were much larger than him with arm tackles. If he continues to play as he did in the first preseason game, the Lions might end up with the best safety tandem in the NFL.
Yes the Lions looked great. Yes they give us a reason to be excited. As hard as it may be to do so, I have to at least say, step back and look at one major point. After all, it was only against the Bengals. Let us see the Detroit Lions play strong against the Browns for two good games in a row before getting too excited. Let us see them handle the Patriots in the 3rd preseason game to show they can do the same to a good team first. Even then, keep in mind that this is only the preseason. Remember the last time the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason? Those four wins were their only wins the entire season. That shows how much a win means in the preseason.
Still, it is nice to feel hope when they play is it not? After so many losing seasons, this team gives us that fresh air to breathe and I plan on enjoying it.
After winning 34 - 3, many fans were handed a taste of what it is like to watch a good team for once, and it was like taking a breath of fresh air after stumbling out of a burning house. Make no mistakes, this is only preseason and the win means nothing. To get a better idea of the Lions potential, you need to look into the game rather than the final score.
On offense the Detroit Lions starting unit was impressive to say the least. They moved down the field with their first drive and scored on a 26 yard Touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson. Their second drive started soon after that (due to a turnover) and with a shortened field the Lions scored again. This time with a 7 yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson. Jahvid Best only carried the ball four times for a total of 12 yards, his longest scamper was for 7 yards.
In a sense, the Lions starting offensive unit had their way with the Bengals. The running game was not so bad with Best in the back field, and the passing game looked like the Bengals forgot to send out their back seven.
The Lions new and improved defense was good, but maybe not as good as the first glance might tell you. One could look at the score and say they were great. Giving up only three points in an entire game? That is awesome! Now look a little deeper. The Bengals have Chris Dalton as their starting QB. A nobody with no experience in his first preseason game. Dalton completed 11 of his 15 pass attempts. That is 73% if you don't have a calculator handy. Cedric Benson, the Bengal's starting running back ran 6 times for 37 yards. That is over 6 yards a carry. Neither of those stats are great.
Yet the fact remains, the Lions defense did only give up 3 points. They did not let Dalton complete a pass of more than 11 yards and the defense made plays when they needed to.
The Defensive Line was the same as last year. Constantly pressuring the QB on pass plays and sometimes making plays on the running game. The new Linebackers were not great but they were not horrible. It will take more time for that unit to learn to play together. The player who stood out to me was Amari Spievey.
Spievey was drafted as a cornerback then turned into a safety early on in the season last year. He looked completely out of his realm in most of the games last season and I was hard on him for everything, including his tackling. He very well may be the most improved player of the year and possibly has made one of the greatest jumps of improvement I have ever seen in a player from one year to the next.
Spievey was all over the field making plays and his ability to make open field tackles was impressive to say the least. At least a couple times he took the outside route on a ball carrier to force the player to cut back inside. When it looked like he had done his job to direct the runner back to the middle where others can get to him, he was still able to lunge sideways and wrap his arms around the players feet to take him down himself. Spievey took down players that were much larger than him with arm tackles. If he continues to play as he did in the first preseason game, the Lions might end up with the best safety tandem in the NFL.
Yes the Lions looked great. Yes they give us a reason to be excited. As hard as it may be to do so, I have to at least say, step back and look at one major point. After all, it was only against the Bengals. Let us see the Detroit Lions play strong against the Browns for two good games in a row before getting too excited. Let us see them handle the Patriots in the 3rd preseason game to show they can do the same to a good team first. Even then, keep in mind that this is only the preseason. Remember the last time the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason? Those four wins were their only wins the entire season. That shows how much a win means in the preseason.
Still, it is nice to feel hope when they play is it not? After so many losing seasons, this team gives us that fresh air to breathe and I plan on enjoying it.
8/9/11
Some Thoughts on the Lions
Some fans believe the Detroit Lions will be great this year. They believe Stafford is a superstar quarterback even though he has not played a full season yet. Other fans continue to believe the Lions will be horrible again, for no other reason than they have been bad for so long. As if that can never change. I decided to toss a few more realistic thoughts on the grill and see how they cook.
Matthew Stafford - Look at how he played in his few chances last year. There is no denying that he has come a long way from his rookie season. He has a powerful cannon that can fire the ball down field and into tight places. He is learning to put some touch on passes rather than always fire them on ropes. Make no bones about it, Stafford absolutely has the potential to become a superstar in the NFL. But let's make things clear. He is not that superstar yet. He has yet to play a full seasons worth of games in his career, so in one way of looking at it, he has less experience than Sam Bradford does now. Essentially, Stafford is still somewhat of a rookie. He will have some growing pains yet. He will make some mistakes (and hopefully learn from those mistakes). Matthew Stafford absolutely must show he can make it through a full season without getting injured.
Jahvid Best - While many fans are ready to hit the panic button after Mikel LeShoure was lost for the season so soon, I am not too worried. I think fans may be in for a pleasant surprise. Remember last year, before Best injured his toes. He had five touchdowns in the first two games. Those were not long sprints on break-aways. They were not all runs to the outside. In fact, at least two of those TDs came in goal line situations when he had to fight and push his way for inches to cross the goal-line. When healthy, Best is not only speed. He has the strength to run between the tackles as well. If Best stays healthy, and Stafford can keep the defense honest with a down field threat, Best can absolutely be the every down RB that we have been dreaming of since Barry retired.
Speaking of injuries.... I am seeing a lot of fans worry about how the Lions are being hit so hard with them. With LeShoure out for the season, and Fairley and Titus Young both sidelined, the Lions first three rounds in the NFL draft are hurt. Gosder Cherilus is dealing with Micro-fracture knee surgery rehab and Backus has a tear in his pectoral muscles. Fans are seeing these injuries and beginning to sweat. Again, it is not time to hit the panic button.
Both Fairley and Young are expected to be healthy early on in the season if not by the first game. Yet even if they are not, does it make the Lions worse than they were last year? Not at all. None of them are replacing players who made any difference last year, so losing them only limits our improvements. It does not set us backwards. The Lions are still much better at Linebacker and may still be much better at defensive back as well. As a whole, the Lions defense is vastly improved. With a healthy Stafford and Best, their offense is automatically a lot better than last year. The only real worry is the offensive line.
Cherilus was hurting last year. Peterman was playing on an injured foot. This year Peterman is healthy and going to be much better than last year. But now Backus is hurting. So in a sense, from last year to this year, the only real difference is that rather than Peterman being hurt, now Backus is. Practically an even trade-off. So with the addition of a healthy Stafford and Best, the Lions offense should be much, much more improved over last year.
So yes, the Lions have already taken a lot of injuries, but rather than panic, just step back and look at the whole picture. Even with these injuries, the Detroit Lions will be better on both sides of the ball. That is reason to be excited. Not worried!
Matthew Stafford - Look at how he played in his few chances last year. There is no denying that he has come a long way from his rookie season. He has a powerful cannon that can fire the ball down field and into tight places. He is learning to put some touch on passes rather than always fire them on ropes. Make no bones about it, Stafford absolutely has the potential to become a superstar in the NFL. But let's make things clear. He is not that superstar yet. He has yet to play a full seasons worth of games in his career, so in one way of looking at it, he has less experience than Sam Bradford does now. Essentially, Stafford is still somewhat of a rookie. He will have some growing pains yet. He will make some mistakes (and hopefully learn from those mistakes). Matthew Stafford absolutely must show he can make it through a full season without getting injured.
Jahvid Best - While many fans are ready to hit the panic button after Mikel LeShoure was lost for the season so soon, I am not too worried. I think fans may be in for a pleasant surprise. Remember last year, before Best injured his toes. He had five touchdowns in the first two games. Those were not long sprints on break-aways. They were not all runs to the outside. In fact, at least two of those TDs came in goal line situations when he had to fight and push his way for inches to cross the goal-line. When healthy, Best is not only speed. He has the strength to run between the tackles as well. If Best stays healthy, and Stafford can keep the defense honest with a down field threat, Best can absolutely be the every down RB that we have been dreaming of since Barry retired.
Speaking of injuries.... I am seeing a lot of fans worry about how the Lions are being hit so hard with them. With LeShoure out for the season, and Fairley and Titus Young both sidelined, the Lions first three rounds in the NFL draft are hurt. Gosder Cherilus is dealing with Micro-fracture knee surgery rehab and Backus has a tear in his pectoral muscles. Fans are seeing these injuries and beginning to sweat. Again, it is not time to hit the panic button.
Both Fairley and Young are expected to be healthy early on in the season if not by the first game. Yet even if they are not, does it make the Lions worse than they were last year? Not at all. None of them are replacing players who made any difference last year, so losing them only limits our improvements. It does not set us backwards. The Lions are still much better at Linebacker and may still be much better at defensive back as well. As a whole, the Lions defense is vastly improved. With a healthy Stafford and Best, their offense is automatically a lot better than last year. The only real worry is the offensive line.
Cherilus was hurting last year. Peterman was playing on an injured foot. This year Peterman is healthy and going to be much better than last year. But now Backus is hurting. So in a sense, from last year to this year, the only real difference is that rather than Peterman being hurt, now Backus is. Practically an even trade-off. So with the addition of a healthy Stafford and Best, the Lions offense should be much, much more improved over last year.
So yes, the Lions have already taken a lot of injuries, but rather than panic, just step back and look at the whole picture. Even with these injuries, the Detroit Lions will be better on both sides of the ball. That is reason to be excited. Not worried!
7/31/11
From a Detroit Lions Fan... "Thank-you Packers Fans!"
I have not been the most optimistic fan for the Detroit Lions. I have certain beliefs and when the Lions did not conform to those beliefs, it bothered me. I see how much talent they have on their team. I see how close they are to being a very good team, and I see where they could have already been there if they had taken certain steps. When they did not make the moves I believed were the correct moves, it bothered me that they wouldn't be as good as I believed they could be.
I believed that the Cornerback position was much more important to address than the Linebackers. So when they signed good linebackers but only added Cornerbacks who were questionable, I didn't believe they were as improved as they could be.
My mind has not changed from that. However, I have realized there is much more reason to be excited than I was giving credit for. Before I move into explaining this, I must thank the Green Bay Packer's fans for my new found excitement. You see, it was in there forums where the Lions fans and the Packers fans were debating that I came to realize just how good the Lions just might be. So thank-you Packer fans. I owe you so much.
As for the rest of the story....
Let me take you back to the first game of the 2010 season, when Calvin Johnson made an outstanding grab in the end-zone to win the game and beat the Chicago Bears. Then the refs called it an incompletion because he did not get up with the ball. We will not go into the details of how by the letter of the actual rule, it was really a catch and the NFL chose to interpret the rule differently than it was written. The fact is, 99% of the NFL knows that it was a catch and the Lions should have won the game.
Later in Philadelphia, Jeremy Maclin shoved off of the Lions defender to catch a Touchdown. It was the difference in the game and if it had been called, the Lions could well have had another win.
In Green Bay, the Lions only needed a field goal to win. On a pass to Calvin Johnson, that would have put the Lions well within range, Woodson was shoving all over Johnson. No call was made. It was blatant interference and should have given the Lions a 1st down in field goal range. No call meant another loss.
Three separate instances where the refs made bad calls or ignored blatant penalties at critical times in the game to give the Lions losses. The Detroit Lions ended the season on a four game winning streak to give them six wins on the season. If they would not have had three other games stolen from them, they very easily could have been 9-7 for the season. I do not point these games out to cry about the Lions being cheated. I do not claim the Lions would have won all three of those games. I simply believe that the Lions very well could have won all three of those games and very well could have been 9-7 on the year.
Since then, the Lions are not worse in any one position on the team. On the contrary, they have improved in many positions. They have added another talented defensive tackle to give the defensive line more strength and depth. They have added two knew linebackers that have plenty of talent. They return with the same cornerbacks and have also added Eric Wright who has a lot of talent and we cannot forget that Aaron Berry will be healthy this year. On top of all of those improvements, they have added Erik Coleman to play alongside of Louis Delmas. The defense that showed promise but had so many holes last year will be much improved. Though I do not believe they are as improved as they could have been, I have to admit, they are still much improved. That excites me!
Then we look to the offense....
Jahvid Best played almost his entire rookie season on two turf toe injuries. For a running back who is built for speed, shiftiness and changing directions, those turf toe injuries can be extremely hampering. He is healthy now. But to play it safe, the Lions have added insurance and a change of pace guy in Mikel LeShoure, who has plenty of talent of his own.
Calvin Johnson is great and Nate Burleson proved himself to be a very good compliment, but they were short a third receiver who can pull some coverage away from Calvin. In comes Titus Young, a rookie many believes has the talent to do just that.
So the Lions have added talent to both the receiver and the running back positions, but those are the least of improvements. The biggest improvement on the offensive side of the ball will be the healthy return of Matthew Stafford. Finally having surgery in the off-season, Stafford should now be safe from dislocating his shoulder so easily. After all, it is supposed to have been the same surgery Sam Bradford went through before his rookie year and he held up very well. If Stafford stays healthy finally, as many now believe he will, there is no accounting for how much improvement he will be over Shaun Hill.
Think about it fans. A Detroit Lions team that was so extremely close to being 9-7 last year, will come into the 2011 season vastly improved in multiple positions. How can one not get excited over that?
If that is not enough to get your Honolulu Blood rushing through your silver lined veins, consider this... The Lions split the series with the Green Bay Packers. They lost to the Packers in Green Bay in a very close game without Stafford playing. Then later in the season, the Lions beat the Packers. Even though the Packers were without Rodgers for most of the game, the Lions were then down to there 3rd string QB. In two games, the Lions matched up almost evenly with the Superbowl Champions. And here in 2011, the Lions now have a whole Ford Truck full of talent added. How can you not be excited for that?
So thank-you Packer fans, for opening my eyes to just how good the Lions really are. For awakening my mind to realize the Lions 2010 season where they won 6 games was a misleading record. For they were much better than 6 wins last year. They are even better this year.
I have to say it. .... "GO LIONS!"
I believed that the Cornerback position was much more important to address than the Linebackers. So when they signed good linebackers but only added Cornerbacks who were questionable, I didn't believe they were as improved as they could be.
My mind has not changed from that. However, I have realized there is much more reason to be excited than I was giving credit for. Before I move into explaining this, I must thank the Green Bay Packer's fans for my new found excitement. You see, it was in there forums where the Lions fans and the Packers fans were debating that I came to realize just how good the Lions just might be. So thank-you Packer fans. I owe you so much.
As for the rest of the story....
Let me take you back to the first game of the 2010 season, when Calvin Johnson made an outstanding grab in the end-zone to win the game and beat the Chicago Bears. Then the refs called it an incompletion because he did not get up with the ball. We will not go into the details of how by the letter of the actual rule, it was really a catch and the NFL chose to interpret the rule differently than it was written. The fact is, 99% of the NFL knows that it was a catch and the Lions should have won the game.
Later in Philadelphia, Jeremy Maclin shoved off of the Lions defender to catch a Touchdown. It was the difference in the game and if it had been called, the Lions could well have had another win.
In Green Bay, the Lions only needed a field goal to win. On a pass to Calvin Johnson, that would have put the Lions well within range, Woodson was shoving all over Johnson. No call was made. It was blatant interference and should have given the Lions a 1st down in field goal range. No call meant another loss.
Three separate instances where the refs made bad calls or ignored blatant penalties at critical times in the game to give the Lions losses. The Detroit Lions ended the season on a four game winning streak to give them six wins on the season. If they would not have had three other games stolen from them, they very easily could have been 9-7 for the season. I do not point these games out to cry about the Lions being cheated. I do not claim the Lions would have won all three of those games. I simply believe that the Lions very well could have won all three of those games and very well could have been 9-7 on the year.
Since then, the Lions are not worse in any one position on the team. On the contrary, they have improved in many positions. They have added another talented defensive tackle to give the defensive line more strength and depth. They have added two knew linebackers that have plenty of talent. They return with the same cornerbacks and have also added Eric Wright who has a lot of talent and we cannot forget that Aaron Berry will be healthy this year. On top of all of those improvements, they have added Erik Coleman to play alongside of Louis Delmas. The defense that showed promise but had so many holes last year will be much improved. Though I do not believe they are as improved as they could have been, I have to admit, they are still much improved. That excites me!
Then we look to the offense....
Jahvid Best played almost his entire rookie season on two turf toe injuries. For a running back who is built for speed, shiftiness and changing directions, those turf toe injuries can be extremely hampering. He is healthy now. But to play it safe, the Lions have added insurance and a change of pace guy in Mikel LeShoure, who has plenty of talent of his own.
Calvin Johnson is great and Nate Burleson proved himself to be a very good compliment, but they were short a third receiver who can pull some coverage away from Calvin. In comes Titus Young, a rookie many believes has the talent to do just that.
So the Lions have added talent to both the receiver and the running back positions, but those are the least of improvements. The biggest improvement on the offensive side of the ball will be the healthy return of Matthew Stafford. Finally having surgery in the off-season, Stafford should now be safe from dislocating his shoulder so easily. After all, it is supposed to have been the same surgery Sam Bradford went through before his rookie year and he held up very well. If Stafford stays healthy finally, as many now believe he will, there is no accounting for how much improvement he will be over Shaun Hill.
Think about it fans. A Detroit Lions team that was so extremely close to being 9-7 last year, will come into the 2011 season vastly improved in multiple positions. How can one not get excited over that?
If that is not enough to get your Honolulu Blood rushing through your silver lined veins, consider this... The Lions split the series with the Green Bay Packers. They lost to the Packers in Green Bay in a very close game without Stafford playing. Then later in the season, the Lions beat the Packers. Even though the Packers were without Rodgers for most of the game, the Lions were then down to there 3rd string QB. In two games, the Lions matched up almost evenly with the Superbowl Champions. And here in 2011, the Lions now have a whole Ford Truck full of talent added. How can you not be excited for that?
So thank-you Packer fans, for opening my eyes to just how good the Lions really are. For awakening my mind to realize the Lions 2010 season where they won 6 games was a misleading record. For they were much better than 6 wins last year. They are even better this year.
I have to say it. .... "GO LIONS!"
7/25/11
2011 Detroit Lions Football is Alive!!!
The lockout is over and it is now official, the Detroit Lions will open their 2011 training camp on Thursday, July 28th.
We can all rest easy now right? Hell no! This is in no way the time to rest easy. This is when the fans can finally begin to get excited. The Lions will play a full season. Things may be starting a little later than usual, but so what! After all, it is only preseason that will be rushed.
Starting at 10:01 AM Tuesday, the Detroit Lions can begin signing their rookies as well as negotiating with free agents, but they will not be allowed to sign free agents quite yet.
On Thursday at 4:01 PM, the Detroit Lions can begin releasing veteran players.
On Friday at 6:01 PM, the Lions can begin renegotiating contracts with their veterans. More importantly, they can then, begin signing unrestricted free agents.
Finally, starting on Friday evening, we can start hoping to here news on who the Lions go after and sign. Will it be the linebacker, Stephen Tulloch or will it be CB, Johnathan Joseph? Could they possibly get Nnamdi Asomugha, the super star corner back from Oakland?
All of the Detroit Lions fans as well as many experts will be watching to news wire, waiting to hear news of who the Lions sign as well as which players are signed by other teams. That is important because it will help us keep track of who else the Lions can still get.
For right now, it doesn't matter.It wont matter until Friday evening after 6:01. But for now? I for one, am willing to simply be happy, because the Lions are going to have a season. I will not go without Detroit Lions Football.
We can all rest easy now right? Hell no! This is in no way the time to rest easy. This is when the fans can finally begin to get excited. The Lions will play a full season. Things may be starting a little later than usual, but so what! After all, it is only preseason that will be rushed.
Starting at 10:01 AM Tuesday, the Detroit Lions can begin signing their rookies as well as negotiating with free agents, but they will not be allowed to sign free agents quite yet.
On Thursday at 4:01 PM, the Detroit Lions can begin releasing veteran players.
On Friday at 6:01 PM, the Lions can begin renegotiating contracts with their veterans. More importantly, they can then, begin signing unrestricted free agents.
Finally, starting on Friday evening, we can start hoping to here news on who the Lions go after and sign. Will it be the linebacker, Stephen Tulloch or will it be CB, Johnathan Joseph? Could they possibly get Nnamdi Asomugha, the super star corner back from Oakland?
All of the Detroit Lions fans as well as many experts will be watching to news wire, waiting to hear news of who the Lions sign as well as which players are signed by other teams. That is important because it will help us keep track of who else the Lions can still get.
For right now, it doesn't matter.It wont matter until Friday evening after 6:01. But for now? I for one, am willing to simply be happy, because the Lions are going to have a season. I will not go without Detroit Lions Football.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
