The Lions have not won in Lambeau Field since 1991. he Green Bay Packers have nothing to play for this week and will likely rest their starters. The Lions need a win to wrap up the 5th seed in the play-offs and face the Giants or Cowboys rather than the Saints. Put it all together and you have a blow-out Lions victory and an end to the losing in Green Bay streak right? Yes and No.
I completely expect the Packers starters to get in a few reps to stay in rhythm before leaving the game to their back-ups on Sunday. I don't expect the Lions starters to play a whole bunch longer. It is more important to be healthy going into our first play-off game in over a decade than it is to win in Lambeau and get the fifth seed. Everyone wants the starters to get the win and face the Giants or Cowboys rather than the Saints. Try looking at it in a different perspective. Which would you rather have? A healthy Lions team facing the Saints, or a Lions team without Stafford or Calvin facing the Giants? Yes they have stayed healthy, and the odds they get hurt is not high. This is the play-offs we are talking about. A chance to get to the Superbowl. You Don't Take Chances!!!!
Now I ask you some other questions.
1) Who do you think has the advantage. A virtual rookie in Flynn, or an experienced Shaun Hill?
2) Rest Suh and Vanden Bosch and do you think the Lions D-line depth, with Sammie Lee Hill and Fluellen would not put any pressure on Flynn?
3) Do you like the Lions back-up defensive players more or the Packers back-up defensive players?
4) Rest Pettigrew and Finley, and whose back-up TE is better? Scheffler or Crabtree?
5) Rest Woodson and Houston and whose back-up CBs are better?
I don't know about anyone else, but I like the Lions back-ups better than the Packers back-ups. Green Bay has an awesome offense, but it is dependent on their starters being healthy. The Lions offense can be nearly as awesome, but they are not quite as dependent on starters. More importantly, the Lions defense can be very good and their backup players have gotten a lot of experience and done well. The Packers starting defense is not that good and I would expect their back-ups to be worse. The Lions 2nd string players should be able to beat the Packers 2nd string players.
I fully expect the Packers to take their star players out very early. After they are gone, I would not be surprised to see the Lions star players put up enough quick points to get a one or two touchdown lead. After that, I think it will be back-ups against back-ups, and I have confidence the Lions can sustain a lead if not build on one after that.
One last question. Where would Schwartz take more grief? If he plays back-ups and they lose the fifth seed spot, or if he plays the starters and Stafford gets hurt in a nearly meaningless game?
12/29/11
Stafford Should Be in Pro-Bowl
When the 2012 NFL Pro-bowl rosters were released, there was a glaring mistake in the eyes of many. After Rodgers and Brees as the QBs for the NFC, it had Eli Manning listed and not Matthew Stafford.
Eli Manning has 69 more yards than Stafford, but that is the only statistic that is worth counting where Manning is better. Stafford has 10 more TDs, 2 fewer ITs, and completed 3.4% more of his passes. Stafford has thrown more and completed more and his passer rating is 6.3 better than Manning's. Many fans tend to believe it is just another example of Detroit not getting any respect. Let me assure you, respect has nothing to do with it.
One thing that has played a giant (no pun intended) role in keeping Stafford from being chosen was the broken finger he suffered after the bye-week. With a fractured finger on his throwing hand, Stafford donned a pair of gloves, and with them his accuracy suffered terribly. In the three games in which he wore the gloves, Matthew Stafford threw a total of 9 picks. To give you an understanding of just how bad that is, in the other 13 games in which Stafford did not wear the gloves, he only threw 5 interceptions. Think about that. In 12 games when healthy, Stafford averages only 0.41 picks a game. That is not even 1 turnover 2 two games. When injured, he averaged 3 picks per game. I guarantee you that if Stafford would have had 36 TDs and only 7 or 8 interceptions, he would be in the Pro-bowl.
Yet do we truly know just how good he is? I dare say those numbers are still a little deceiving. In many games this year, the play calling was horrendous and lethargic. The Lions offense often did not get going until after the halftime break. I cannot help but to wonder just what his numbers would be like if Stafford had not broken his finger and had an OC who was aggressive from the start of games.
There is no doubt in my mind that Stafford belongs in the pro-bowl. Other than Rodgers, Brees and Brady, no other QB in the NFL has been better when healthy this year. Even with the injury, no other QB has brought his team from larger deficits this year than Matthew Stafford has.
But there is a bright side to this oversight. Stafford will now have his focus on the Play-offs rather than the Pro-bowl, a game that few watch and means less than a preseason game. Considering the odds that the Lions very well could be facing the New York Giants in the first round, it will make the game that much more interesting as Matthew Stafford will be facing Eli Manning who was voted in ahead of him.
Eli Manning has 69 more yards than Stafford, but that is the only statistic that is worth counting where Manning is better. Stafford has 10 more TDs, 2 fewer ITs, and completed 3.4% more of his passes. Stafford has thrown more and completed more and his passer rating is 6.3 better than Manning's. Many fans tend to believe it is just another example of Detroit not getting any respect. Let me assure you, respect has nothing to do with it.
One thing that has played a giant (no pun intended) role in keeping Stafford from being chosen was the broken finger he suffered after the bye-week. With a fractured finger on his throwing hand, Stafford donned a pair of gloves, and with them his accuracy suffered terribly. In the three games in which he wore the gloves, Matthew Stafford threw a total of 9 picks. To give you an understanding of just how bad that is, in the other 13 games in which Stafford did not wear the gloves, he only threw 5 interceptions. Think about that. In 12 games when healthy, Stafford averages only 0.41 picks a game. That is not even 1 turnover 2 two games. When injured, he averaged 3 picks per game. I guarantee you that if Stafford would have had 36 TDs and only 7 or 8 interceptions, he would be in the Pro-bowl.
Yet do we truly know just how good he is? I dare say those numbers are still a little deceiving. In many games this year, the play calling was horrendous and lethargic. The Lions offense often did not get going until after the halftime break. I cannot help but to wonder just what his numbers would be like if Stafford had not broken his finger and had an OC who was aggressive from the start of games.
There is no doubt in my mind that Stafford belongs in the pro-bowl. Other than Rodgers, Brees and Brady, no other QB in the NFL has been better when healthy this year. Even with the injury, no other QB has brought his team from larger deficits this year than Matthew Stafford has.
But there is a bright side to this oversight. Stafford will now have his focus on the Play-offs rather than the Pro-bowl, a game that few watch and means less than a preseason game. Considering the odds that the Lions very well could be facing the New York Giants in the first round, it will make the game that much more interesting as Matthew Stafford will be facing Eli Manning who was voted in ahead of him.
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