Coach Jim Schwartz and Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham want a tough team. They want a team that will not take any crap from anyone. They are instilling the wrong attitude on this team.
The Lions should not be looking to be a team that wont back down from anyone. They need to be a smart team. If another player smarts off or shoves you or does whatever he wants to upset you, if you don't back down and get back in his face, you will be the one noticed by the refs. Too often it is the retaliation that is called for a penalty. Logan flipping the ball in the face of an opponent who was mouthing him was a case of "not backing down". Titus Young reaching across a ref to smack an opponent in the head was a case of "not backing down". Brandon Pettigrew shoving a ref who got between him and a player he was having words with was a case of "not backing down". Those were all cases where they should back down!
They need to understand that if you want to intimidate an opponent, you do it with your play, not with your attitude after the whistle. These players should have backed down and then made a great play to make their opponents eat their words. This is football. It is not a tough man contest.
I thought Ndamukong Suh had it figured out when he was being penalized and flagged for fouls he did not do or looked worse than they were. He was saying he did not care. He would continue to play how he plays. That was a good attitude. Continue to play hard and tough from snap to whistle. Be intimidating in your play! Then he crossed the line when he lost his temper and stomped on an opponent. That seems to have started a barrage of penalties that have been stupid plays after the whistle. That made me realize something. Maybe the Lions are getting something confused. I have heard the coaches speak of playing hard from whistle to whistle. Excuse me. That is why they are getting these stupid flags. Instead of playing hard from whistle to whistle, they should be playing hard from SNAP to whistle!
The Lions simply need to get away from worrying about being tough. They need to continue playing hard every play, but they need to forget about being tough. The Detroit Lions have made themselves note worthy. They are valued now by the NFL as a team worth placing on national TV. The Lions as a talent are now respected. It is time to forget about building a reputation and focus on playing good football!
12/8/11
Detroit Has Lions Share of Hope
Many fans will look at the last two losses to the Packers and Saints as evidence the Lions are not ready to be an elite team. Many will say the Lions are too young and undisciplined. I see Superbowl possibilities.
The Lions went into halftime against the Packers down 7-0 before falling apart with stupid penalties. They looked strong against the Saints before that same stupidity came into play at a much higher level. It is the old bit about the glass being half empty or half full all over again.
On one hand, you can look at the stupid penalties and say they just are not mature enough to beat the premier teams right now. You can look at losses to the Falcons and Bears and believe they haven't shown they can hang with a good team much less a great team. If this is the way you see things, then you see the glass half empty.
Then there is the other hand and in this hand we hold a glass that is half full. Without Suh, Delmas or Houston, the Lions played a fairly strong game against the New Orleans Saints. Take away the one touchdown and all of something like 15 yards in that drive from the Packers and the Lions controlled that game in the first half.
Here is how I see the Detroit Lions right now. They have the talent to match up against any team in the NFL. With the team healthy, Linehan calling plays well, and with their heads on straight, they can beat any team they are against. There in lies the problem though. Too often they are not playing with their heads on straight. Too often Linehan does not call a good game plan. So how can you have much hope?
The Lions play a bad Minnesota Vikings team this weekend. Even without Suh, the Lions should be able to beat the Vikings. Then they go to Oakland and play the Raiders, and though that one could be tough, it is winnable. Then the Lions come back home and play the Chargers. Again, that one might be tough, but the Chargers are definitely not as strong as they have been in the past. The regular season will end with the Lions on the road facing the Packers in Green Bay.
If the Lions win three of those games, they should make the play-offs. With Stafford getting healthy again and Suh over the suspension, winning three of the last four is not out of the question. Even if the Lions end at 9-7 by winning only two of the last four games, they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Right now I would place the Lions odds of making the play-offs at about 50-50. So for the fun of it, let us pretend the Lions make the play-offs.
Here is the simple fact. Whether you like the Lions players or not. Whether you like the coaches or not. Whether you think they are too immature or dirty or not! The Lions have a team that can give any team fits on the field. Once they get to the play-offs, there is nothing saying they are not good enough to win. Yes they will need to play level headed. Yes they will need to be healthy. Yes the coaches will have to do their jobs well. But if they all do that, they can beat anyone! Would the Lions be favored to win? Not a chance, and I would say not to bet the farm on them either. But they have the talent to win and if the coaches put them in position to succeed, they can win!
Right now the odds on favorite in the NFC to make the Superbowl is either the Packers or Saints. But if there is a team in the NFL that is primed to be the surprise to upset those two powerhouses, it is the Detroit Lions. Likely they will not, I will admit that much. But there is definitely reason to have hope, for the realm of possibility is not so far fetched with the Lions.
But first things first. First the Lions have to win enough of the last four games to make the play-offs. Right now I think they will. Call me a "Glass is half full" kind of guy.
The Lions went into halftime against the Packers down 7-0 before falling apart with stupid penalties. They looked strong against the Saints before that same stupidity came into play at a much higher level. It is the old bit about the glass being half empty or half full all over again.
On one hand, you can look at the stupid penalties and say they just are not mature enough to beat the premier teams right now. You can look at losses to the Falcons and Bears and believe they haven't shown they can hang with a good team much less a great team. If this is the way you see things, then you see the glass half empty.
Then there is the other hand and in this hand we hold a glass that is half full. Without Suh, Delmas or Houston, the Lions played a fairly strong game against the New Orleans Saints. Take away the one touchdown and all of something like 15 yards in that drive from the Packers and the Lions controlled that game in the first half.
Here is how I see the Detroit Lions right now. They have the talent to match up against any team in the NFL. With the team healthy, Linehan calling plays well, and with their heads on straight, they can beat any team they are against. There in lies the problem though. Too often they are not playing with their heads on straight. Too often Linehan does not call a good game plan. So how can you have much hope?
The Lions play a bad Minnesota Vikings team this weekend. Even without Suh, the Lions should be able to beat the Vikings. Then they go to Oakland and play the Raiders, and though that one could be tough, it is winnable. Then the Lions come back home and play the Chargers. Again, that one might be tough, but the Chargers are definitely not as strong as they have been in the past. The regular season will end with the Lions on the road facing the Packers in Green Bay.
If the Lions win three of those games, they should make the play-offs. With Stafford getting healthy again and Suh over the suspension, winning three of the last four is not out of the question. Even if the Lions end at 9-7 by winning only two of the last four games, they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Right now I would place the Lions odds of making the play-offs at about 50-50. So for the fun of it, let us pretend the Lions make the play-offs.
Here is the simple fact. Whether you like the Lions players or not. Whether you like the coaches or not. Whether you think they are too immature or dirty or not! The Lions have a team that can give any team fits on the field. Once they get to the play-offs, there is nothing saying they are not good enough to win. Yes they will need to play level headed. Yes they will need to be healthy. Yes the coaches will have to do their jobs well. But if they all do that, they can beat anyone! Would the Lions be favored to win? Not a chance, and I would say not to bet the farm on them either. But they have the talent to win and if the coaches put them in position to succeed, they can win!
Right now the odds on favorite in the NFC to make the Superbowl is either the Packers or Saints. But if there is a team in the NFL that is primed to be the surprise to upset those two powerhouses, it is the Detroit Lions. Likely they will not, I will admit that much. But there is definitely reason to have hope, for the realm of possibility is not so far fetched with the Lions.
But first things first. First the Lions have to win enough of the last four games to make the play-offs. Right now I think they will. Call me a "Glass is half full" kind of guy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
