The cornerbacks of the Detroit Lions get somewhat of a raw deal from the fans. Countless times I have heard fans calling in saying how bad they are. The commentators on sports talk radio often have said the same. I have a different opinion and all I ask is that you keep an open mind as you read it.
If the two best cornerbacks in the NFL came over to the Lions, do you really think they would shut down the opponents passing game? I don't. I don't because I don't care how great a cornerback is, if he has to cover a receiver for five, six or even seven seconds, that receiver will get open often. You can cover a good receiver for a few seconds and sometimes five or six seconds, but only once in a while. There is not a cornerback in the NFL who can cover even a decent receiver for five plus seconds almost every play. The Lions defensive line was so horrific that it was seldom the quarterback had any pressure on him. It was far too often the Lions cornerbacks were covering receiver for far too long.
Many times I have heard people complain that the Lions cornerbacks were beat for long passes. This is a fact. They were beat for some long ones. You know what? Every teams cornerbacks were beat for some long passes. Yes the Lions were beat more often. In fact, the Lions gave up more 40+ yard receptions than any team but Miami. We were tied with Miami with 17 receptions over 40 yards. Again, consider how much a bad defensive line can effect that stat. Not only did the Lions not pressure the quarterback, they also could hardly stop the run. This made the cornerbacks and safeties worry far too much about run support and more liable to break in on the play action passes.
Don't misunderstand me. I am not saying the Lions couldn't use a shut down corner. They can use some improvement there, but I don't think it is as bad as many believe. If the Lions should by some miracle get Ndomakong Suh in April's draft, their secondary will be automatically improved. If the Lions can put together a good defensive line, the opposing quarterbacks will not have near as much time to get rid of the ball. They will not sit so comfortably in the pocket. The Linebackers will be able to fill the holes to stop the run better. Cornerbacks and safeties, especially the safeties will not need to worry quite as much about the run and might not bite on the play action as much.
In 2009 the Lions secondary looked like the worst in the NFL. With a good defensive line, that secondary might find itself in the middle of the pack. Still can use some improvement but not near as bad as it may seem.
The quick development of Louis Delmas was special to watch. By seasons end, as a rookie, he was making all of the secondary defensive play calls. Delmas was 2nd on the team with 94 tackles and had 2 interceptions as well. With a year of experience under his belt now and with a better defensive line, he will only get better.
Grade = ( A )
Phillip Buchanon is a decent veteran and will benefit by an improved line as well.
Grade = ( B- )
Kevin Hobbs is one player the fans complained about being beat too often. I think that will improve with better play at the line and I liked Hobbs aggressiveness when tackling. Like Delmas, he attacks the ball carrier with no hesitation.
Grade = ( C )
Ko Simson I am not a big fan of. Several times I saw him come in to tackle a running back on a screen pass. Several times he stopped and waited for the running back to make his move first rather than attacking.
Grade = ( D )
Anthony Henry will make a good veteran for depth but I don't see him as an every day starter anymore. But if the Lions do not get a safety in free agency or the draft who is better, I would rather see Henry play safety than Ko Simson. Yes I know Henry is a cornerback but at 6'1" he is big enough to make the switch and it would suit him better as he has lost a step with age.
Grade = ( C )
Overall Grade = ( C+ )
Showing posts with label 2009 Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 Review. Show all posts
2/8/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Linebacker
Linebacker is the one position the Lions are looking good in on defense. In 2009 they started the season with Larry Foote manning the middle while Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims handled the outside positions. At mid season however, Ernie Sims was injured and DeAndre Levy stepped in to replace him, doing an adequate job. When Sims returned it looked like Levy would step back, but then Larry Foote was injured and Levy then manned the middle.
Larry Foote's injury was a blessing in disguise. Foote had only signed a one year deal and though he led the Lions in tackles with 99 while only playing in 14 games, it was questionable if he would be playing in Detroit in 2010. I like Foote a lot and the fact he missed the last few games and still led the team in tackles says he is worth bringing back.
Grade = ( B+ )
DeAndre Levy is the one reason why we may not need to worry about having Foote back in 2010. The rookie started coming on at mid season and only got better with each week. In the last two weeks, Levy (a rookie remember) was making all of the defensive calls for the Lions defense. It speaks volumes that Levy also ended the season third in tackles with 85.
Grade = ( B+ )
Julian Peterson ended the season with 76 tackles but added 5 forced fumbles while he was at it. Peterson was not the flashy player in the stats as he once was but he was solid and consistent.
Grade = ( B )
Ernie Sims has so much talent but has yet to get it all figured out upstairs. Perhaps that could be due to the fact he never had a good veteran to help him along. The Lions drafted him for his speed and yet in four seasons he only has a total of 2.5 sacks. Yet he does show some knack for being around the ball as he had 100+ tackles in each of his first three seasons.
Grade = ( C )
Overall this group of linebackers is better than you might think. After all, it is near impossible for any linebacker group to look like a pro-bowl unit when playing behind arguably the worst defensive line in the NFL. There were just too many and too large of holes for running backs for this group to fill. They had to press so hard to help stop the run that it made it that much more difficult to drop back into pass coverage on pass plays. I think this could be one of the better units in the NFL if they had a decent team around them.
Overall Grade = ( B )
Larry Foote's injury was a blessing in disguise. Foote had only signed a one year deal and though he led the Lions in tackles with 99 while only playing in 14 games, it was questionable if he would be playing in Detroit in 2010. I like Foote a lot and the fact he missed the last few games and still led the team in tackles says he is worth bringing back.
Grade = ( B+ )
DeAndre Levy is the one reason why we may not need to worry about having Foote back in 2010. The rookie started coming on at mid season and only got better with each week. In the last two weeks, Levy (a rookie remember) was making all of the defensive calls for the Lions defense. It speaks volumes that Levy also ended the season third in tackles with 85.
Grade = ( B+ )
Julian Peterson ended the season with 76 tackles but added 5 forced fumbles while he was at it. Peterson was not the flashy player in the stats as he once was but he was solid and consistent.
Grade = ( B )
Ernie Sims has so much talent but has yet to get it all figured out upstairs. Perhaps that could be due to the fact he never had a good veteran to help him along. The Lions drafted him for his speed and yet in four seasons he only has a total of 2.5 sacks. Yet he does show some knack for being around the ball as he had 100+ tackles in each of his first three seasons.
Grade = ( C )
Overall this group of linebackers is better than you might think. After all, it is near impossible for any linebacker group to look like a pro-bowl unit when playing behind arguably the worst defensive line in the NFL. There were just too many and too large of holes for running backs for this group to fill. They had to press so hard to help stop the run that it made it that much more difficult to drop back into pass coverage on pass plays. I think this could be one of the better units in the NFL if they had a decent team around them.
Overall Grade = ( B )
2/5/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Defensive Line
The Detroit Lions greatest point of concern in the off-season should be at the defensive line. It was far too seldom they were able to place any pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. It was far too often they were man handled in both rushing and passing plays. If Jim Schwartz slapped a bunch of pink tutus on the lot of them, they should not be any more embarrassed than what she should have been already.
The fact is, the trenches are truly where the game is won and lost. If you go back to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady's worst games of their careers, you will find that they threw interceptions and incompletions because they were hit a lot. Other than Barry Sanders, who always had to find his own way through the defenses, there has probably never been a running back who can play well if the offensive line does not block well. In other words, if a defensive line does its job, the opposing offense will suffer. Close up holes and the running backs cant run anywhere. Pressure the quarterbacks and the cornerbacks don't need to cover nearly as long. The Lions do not live b this analogy. There are often too many holes in the line of scrimmage for the Linebackers to fill. Cornerbacks and safeties are far too often having to cover for five, six or seven seconds. Way too often the opposing quarterbacks only throw the ball because they find a receiver who finally found an opening rather than because he needed to get rid of the ball.
Defensive End - Jason Hunter had 5 sacks and Cliff Avril had 5.5 in 2009. Not really good numbers but not shabby either. If the Lions can get a true pass rusher at Defensive End, it would be a big boost but considering the Lions do not have a defensive tackle who takes up a double team, Hunter and Avril did fairly well.
Grade = ( C+ )
Defensive Tackle - There is talk that Sammie Lee Hill will be a good defensive tackle. Personally I will reserve my judgment on that until I actually see it. He had a couple of games in the 2009 season where he had five tackles, but other than those two games he never had more than two tackles in a game. Hill did not have a sack and since I seriously cannot remember the Lions defensive line putting any pressure on a quarterback, I cannot say I felt Hill did that either. Maybe Schwartz is right and he will be good. I don't know! But until I see it, I will not grade him with a good grade. I can only look at these facts. The opposing quarterbacks had virtually all day to read the defense, find an open receiver and throw the ball. Running backs far too often ran through the line like it was non existent. The Detroit Lions absolutely need a defensive tackle who will draw a double team or create some chaos in the middle. Right now they do not have that or anything close to it.
Grade = ( F )
Overall Grade = ( D )
The fact is, the trenches are truly where the game is won and lost. If you go back to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady's worst games of their careers, you will find that they threw interceptions and incompletions because they were hit a lot. Other than Barry Sanders, who always had to find his own way through the defenses, there has probably never been a running back who can play well if the offensive line does not block well. In other words, if a defensive line does its job, the opposing offense will suffer. Close up holes and the running backs cant run anywhere. Pressure the quarterbacks and the cornerbacks don't need to cover nearly as long. The Lions do not live b this analogy. There are often too many holes in the line of scrimmage for the Linebackers to fill. Cornerbacks and safeties are far too often having to cover for five, six or seven seconds. Way too often the opposing quarterbacks only throw the ball because they find a receiver who finally found an opening rather than because he needed to get rid of the ball.
Defensive End - Jason Hunter had 5 sacks and Cliff Avril had 5.5 in 2009. Not really good numbers but not shabby either. If the Lions can get a true pass rusher at Defensive End, it would be a big boost but considering the Lions do not have a defensive tackle who takes up a double team, Hunter and Avril did fairly well.
Grade = ( C+ )
Defensive Tackle - There is talk that Sammie Lee Hill will be a good defensive tackle. Personally I will reserve my judgment on that until I actually see it. He had a couple of games in the 2009 season where he had five tackles, but other than those two games he never had more than two tackles in a game. Hill did not have a sack and since I seriously cannot remember the Lions defensive line putting any pressure on a quarterback, I cannot say I felt Hill did that either. Maybe Schwartz is right and he will be good. I don't know! But until I see it, I will not grade him with a good grade. I can only look at these facts. The opposing quarterbacks had virtually all day to read the defense, find an open receiver and throw the ball. Running backs far too often ran through the line like it was non existent. The Detroit Lions absolutely need a defensive tackle who will draw a double team or create some chaos in the middle. Right now they do not have that or anything close to it.
Grade = ( F )
Overall Grade = ( D )
2/1/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Offensive Line
The Lions have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL through two decades now. There are those who believe the line was good when Barry Sanders was running the ball because they see how many yards Sanders gained each year. Those are fans that did not watch him run and if they did they did not watch what happened.
As well as being considered one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game of football, Sanders also had another reputation while he was playing. The one to three yard loss. Barry Sanders very well could hold a record for the most times being tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I wholeheartedly believe he holds the record for the most distance running if you include the scrambles from one sideline to the other while evading defensive players. The reason he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage so often was because the Lions offensive line could not even slow defensive lines down on many plays. Sanders often was hit as he was taking the hand-off. If there was ever one man who truly depended on his own feet rather than the offensive line opening holes, it was Barry Sanders.
From 2006 to 2008, the Lions offensive line was arguably the worst in NFL history as the gave up over 50 sacks in each season. In 2006 they allowed 63 sacks. In 2009, the Lions finally kept their quarterback from being sacked over 50 times. They allowed 43! Their pass blocking has been horrendous and there simply is no other way to put it.
Last year however, the offensive line showed improvement not only in the slight drop in sacks but in the running game as well. There were several plays where they actually opened up holes for the running backs. Unfortunately the Lions starting running backs did not have the speed to take real advantage of the openings.
Jeff Backus - I will admit that I have been as much of a Backus hater as any fan out there. I have a slight change to my opinion now. Throughout his career, Jeff Backus has been responsible for far too many sacks and penalties, and therefore he deserved the bashing he took. With that said however, 2009 was different. His penalties were not so many, he did not give up as many sacks and he looked halfway decent in the run blocking. What is the most important thing to remember when grading his 2009 season is that most of his penalties and sacks came early in the year. Throughout the second half of the season Backus was actually a pretty good left tackle. I am a believer that Backus has finally reached his potential and that is a slightly above average left tackle. If the Lions can get a good left guard to accommodate him he may be even better.
Grade = ( B- )
Dominic Raiola - I have always been against Raiola as the starting center as much as I have hated Backus starting at left guard. The difference is that I have not changed my opinion on Raiola. The guy is intelligent. Yes! He is athletic. Definitely. If Raiola had another twenty pounds of muscle, he might just be a great center in the NFL. He doesn't have that extra 20 pounds however, and he certainly doesn't have the extra 20 pounds in muscle! One of the most important things a team needs to do to win games is sustain drives. To sustain drives, you need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage in the short yardage game. It is a very rare thing to see Raiola win that battle. Far more often, he is pushed backwards and that is the recipe to disaster. I have often wondered how he would do as a tackle with his mobility to stay with quicker defensive ends but as a center he is not big enough or strong enough.
Grade = ( C+ )
The only other two offensive linemen worth grading is Jon Jansen and Gosder Cherilus. Jansen is getting old and will not be a starter and Cherilus is too inconsistent. Maybe if Gosder could ever get his head screwed on right he could turn into a good lineman, but for now he is barely worth being a starter on a bad line. The rest of the line can be completely wiped out and replaced without worry about losing any ground.
Overall Grade = ( D+ )
The offensive line is one area that desperately needs to be addressed either through free agency or the draft.
As well as being considered one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game of football, Sanders also had another reputation while he was playing. The one to three yard loss. Barry Sanders very well could hold a record for the most times being tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I wholeheartedly believe he holds the record for the most distance running if you include the scrambles from one sideline to the other while evading defensive players. The reason he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage so often was because the Lions offensive line could not even slow defensive lines down on many plays. Sanders often was hit as he was taking the hand-off. If there was ever one man who truly depended on his own feet rather than the offensive line opening holes, it was Barry Sanders.
From 2006 to 2008, the Lions offensive line was arguably the worst in NFL history as the gave up over 50 sacks in each season. In 2006 they allowed 63 sacks. In 2009, the Lions finally kept their quarterback from being sacked over 50 times. They allowed 43! Their pass blocking has been horrendous and there simply is no other way to put it.
Last year however, the offensive line showed improvement not only in the slight drop in sacks but in the running game as well. There were several plays where they actually opened up holes for the running backs. Unfortunately the Lions starting running backs did not have the speed to take real advantage of the openings.
Jeff Backus - I will admit that I have been as much of a Backus hater as any fan out there. I have a slight change to my opinion now. Throughout his career, Jeff Backus has been responsible for far too many sacks and penalties, and therefore he deserved the bashing he took. With that said however, 2009 was different. His penalties were not so many, he did not give up as many sacks and he looked halfway decent in the run blocking. What is the most important thing to remember when grading his 2009 season is that most of his penalties and sacks came early in the year. Throughout the second half of the season Backus was actually a pretty good left tackle. I am a believer that Backus has finally reached his potential and that is a slightly above average left tackle. If the Lions can get a good left guard to accommodate him he may be even better.
Grade = ( B- )
Dominic Raiola - I have always been against Raiola as the starting center as much as I have hated Backus starting at left guard. The difference is that I have not changed my opinion on Raiola. The guy is intelligent. Yes! He is athletic. Definitely. If Raiola had another twenty pounds of muscle, he might just be a great center in the NFL. He doesn't have that extra 20 pounds however, and he certainly doesn't have the extra 20 pounds in muscle! One of the most important things a team needs to do to win games is sustain drives. To sustain drives, you need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage in the short yardage game. It is a very rare thing to see Raiola win that battle. Far more often, he is pushed backwards and that is the recipe to disaster. I have often wondered how he would do as a tackle with his mobility to stay with quicker defensive ends but as a center he is not big enough or strong enough.
Grade = ( C+ )
The only other two offensive linemen worth grading is Jon Jansen and Gosder Cherilus. Jansen is getting old and will not be a starter and Cherilus is too inconsistent. Maybe if Gosder could ever get his head screwed on right he could turn into a good lineman, but for now he is barely worth being a starter on a bad line. The rest of the line can be completely wiped out and replaced without worry about losing any ground.
Overall Grade = ( D+ )
The offensive line is one area that desperately needs to be addressed either through free agency or the draft.
1/28/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Tight End
If the Lions did not have a high profile rookie Tight end in 2009, this position would almost be a waste of time to grade. The Detroit Lions have a serious history of no0t using the tight ends while other teams make a living at it. Yes, I know many will say that the Lions have not had a true receiving tight end in many years. Hog wash! I know Gaines and Fitzsimmons were not speedsters at the position but they did not have a big habit of dropping passes either. They were under used for their abilities. Then, along came the 2009 draft and with the Lions second pick in the 1st round, they took Brandon Pettigrew and it looked like they were changing their ways.
Brandon Pettigrew was nothing special in the first half of the season as he only had 14 catches in the first eight weeks of the season. As the season continued however, he began to pick up the offense a little better. In his next three games he had 15 grabs for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a full sixteen game season those three games would pace out to be 80 receptions for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately in week 12, Pettigrew only had one catch before hurting his knee and his season ended early. Brandon Pettigrew looks to be an up and coming star at the position but his injury has to be considered a mark against him. One thing that all the greatest players have in common is durability.
Grade = ( B )
Will Heller is a big strong tight end with adequate speed at best. He is one of those tight ends that can do it all but is never looked to enough to make a name for himself. The evidence of that is in his game log. Before Pettigrews injury, Heller averaged 1.6 catches a game. After the injury? 2.1 catches. Not much of a difference for a tight end who suddenly became the starter.
Grade = ( C )
Casey Fitzsimmons had his second best season since his rookie year when he caught 23 passes. The fact he had more grabs in 2009 than any of his last five seasons and he was the third tight end on the team says a lot for him. One interesting fact is that of his 18 receptions, 11 of them came in two games. If he has the talent to have 5 or 6 receptions in a game, two different times... don't you have to wonder why the Lions don't use him more often in other weeks? Especially with their lack of ability in the receiver position! Still, the unproductive weeks were too often whatever the reason.
Grade = ( C- )
Overall Grade = ( B- )
Brandon Pettigrew was nothing special in the first half of the season as he only had 14 catches in the first eight weeks of the season. As the season continued however, he began to pick up the offense a little better. In his next three games he had 15 grabs for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a full sixteen game season those three games would pace out to be 80 receptions for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately in week 12, Pettigrew only had one catch before hurting his knee and his season ended early. Brandon Pettigrew looks to be an up and coming star at the position but his injury has to be considered a mark against him. One thing that all the greatest players have in common is durability.
Grade = ( B )
Will Heller is a big strong tight end with adequate speed at best. He is one of those tight ends that can do it all but is never looked to enough to make a name for himself. The evidence of that is in his game log. Before Pettigrews injury, Heller averaged 1.6 catches a game. After the injury? 2.1 catches. Not much of a difference for a tight end who suddenly became the starter.
Grade = ( C )
Casey Fitzsimmons had his second best season since his rookie year when he caught 23 passes. The fact he had more grabs in 2009 than any of his last five seasons and he was the third tight end on the team says a lot for him. One interesting fact is that of his 18 receptions, 11 of them came in two games. If he has the talent to have 5 or 6 receptions in a game, two different times... don't you have to wonder why the Lions don't use him more often in other weeks? Especially with their lack of ability in the receiver position! Still, the unproductive weeks were too often whatever the reason.
Grade = ( C- )
Overall Grade = ( B- )
1/25/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Receivers
I have been wondering how to truly judge the Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. He had a sub par season, far below what he is capable of, but was it his own fault?
After a 2008 season in which Megatron brought in 78 catches for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns, he followed that up with a mediocre 67 grabs for 984 yards and only 5 touchdowns. Defending him are the simple facts that he was injured often in the season and he had a rookie quarterback in Stafford and a has-been in Culpepper throwing to him. Neither QB played very well this year. To make things worse, the two receivers who were supposed to take some pressure off of him (Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt) were horrible.
Yet even with the excuses, I felt Johnson looked slow. Calvin Johnson is as talented a receiver as you will find in the NFL. He has superb speed, great size, huge leaping abilities and strength to drag defenders with him to go along with his well above average hands. My thought against him is that he doesn't seem to have learned how to shake a defender very well. Maybe his routes never call for him to fake defenders out, I cannot say ye or nay on that. All I know is that it is rare he goes deep and leaves the opposition eating his dust. Far too often for a receiver of his talents, he will have the defenders running right along with him on deep routes. Until he learns to shake the defenders off and break away, I cannot grade him as a true elite receiver in the league. Maybe he was simply slowed down by his injuries this year. Time will only tell. But of his three seasons in the NFL, he has spend time on the bench due to injuries in two of them. That in itself is something to worry about.
Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt were as I have already said. Horrible! While defenses double teamed Calvin Johnson, these two were in consistent one-on-one battles and it was not often enough that they broke into the open. When they did there were too many dropped passes. In fact, the two of them together did not match up to the sub par season by Calvin Johnson. To make things worse, both of them barely matched up to the output of the rookie Tight End Brandon Pettigrew who only played 11 games.
Considering the situation and the injury to Calvin Johnson, I would give him a "B+" for the season. Bryant Johnson would receive a standard "F" while I would give Northcutt a "D". Northcutt I give a little leeway due to the fact he is a slot receiver and not supposed to put up huge numbers.
Receiver Grade overall = ( C )
After a 2008 season in which Megatron brought in 78 catches for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns, he followed that up with a mediocre 67 grabs for 984 yards and only 5 touchdowns. Defending him are the simple facts that he was injured often in the season and he had a rookie quarterback in Stafford and a has-been in Culpepper throwing to him. Neither QB played very well this year. To make things worse, the two receivers who were supposed to take some pressure off of him (Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt) were horrible.
Yet even with the excuses, I felt Johnson looked slow. Calvin Johnson is as talented a receiver as you will find in the NFL. He has superb speed, great size, huge leaping abilities and strength to drag defenders with him to go along with his well above average hands. My thought against him is that he doesn't seem to have learned how to shake a defender very well. Maybe his routes never call for him to fake defenders out, I cannot say ye or nay on that. All I know is that it is rare he goes deep and leaves the opposition eating his dust. Far too often for a receiver of his talents, he will have the defenders running right along with him on deep routes. Until he learns to shake the defenders off and break away, I cannot grade him as a true elite receiver in the league. Maybe he was simply slowed down by his injuries this year. Time will only tell. But of his three seasons in the NFL, he has spend time on the bench due to injuries in two of them. That in itself is something to worry about.
Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt were as I have already said. Horrible! While defenses double teamed Calvin Johnson, these two were in consistent one-on-one battles and it was not often enough that they broke into the open. When they did there were too many dropped passes. In fact, the two of them together did not match up to the sub par season by Calvin Johnson. To make things worse, both of them barely matched up to the output of the rookie Tight End Brandon Pettigrew who only played 11 games.
Considering the situation and the injury to Calvin Johnson, I would give him a "B+" for the season. Bryant Johnson would receive a standard "F" while I would give Northcutt a "D". Northcutt I give a little leeway due to the fact he is a slot receiver and not supposed to put up huge numbers.
Receiver Grade overall = ( C )
1/20/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Running Backs
This is one area that absolutely needs to be addressed. Whether it is in the draft, free agency or trading, the Detroit Lions need to improve at the running back position.
Kevin Smith is simply no better than an average player at this position. After 29 games and 455 carries, Smith has only broken a run for over 32 yards once. It was a fifty yard scramble and he was caught from behind, keeping him from scoring a touchdown. Only one carry for over 32 yards! Kevin Smith is not big enough to be a bruising back who drags defenders for the extra yards and he just does not have the extra gear to break away for long runs. In other words, when he is in the game, the defenses do not worry about him. Grade = ( D )
Maurice Morris is not much better than Kevin Smith in this area. Many fans will look at how well he played after Smith went down with the injury and think he can be a good running back. Don't be fooled, he is nothing better than average himself. Maurice did have one very good run where he broke away for a 64 yard touchdown. Keep in mind however that other than that one long break away, Morris did not have another run for more than 16 yards in his other 92 carries. Grade = ( C- )
The Lions do have one speedy running back in Aaron Brown, but for some reason I have not begun to understand, Schwartz did not feel the need to give him a chance. Every fan who watched the Lions could see their running backs are slow, but rather than give the speedy kid a chance, Schwartz kept him on the bench while he continued to play slower, less talented running backs. I know Brown did not do well as a return specialist, but that has nothing to do with playing running back. In his limited carries, Brown still had a better yards per carry average than the other running backs and he has good hands coming out of the back field. Grade = (inc.)
There is some talk of the Lions looking at taking a running back in the draft. The only way I would even consider this move is if they can get a running back with the entire package. Size, strength, good hands and most importantly, exceptional speed. The only reason I would even consider this is because the upcoming draft is supposed to be loaded with linemen, both offensive and defensive and they can take one player and still have time to take linemen. If the real deal is not available, they have to build the trenches up.
Overall Grade = ( D+ )
Kevin Smith is simply no better than an average player at this position. After 29 games and 455 carries, Smith has only broken a run for over 32 yards once. It was a fifty yard scramble and he was caught from behind, keeping him from scoring a touchdown. Only one carry for over 32 yards! Kevin Smith is not big enough to be a bruising back who drags defenders for the extra yards and he just does not have the extra gear to break away for long runs. In other words, when he is in the game, the defenses do not worry about him. Grade = ( D )
Maurice Morris is not much better than Kevin Smith in this area. Many fans will look at how well he played after Smith went down with the injury and think he can be a good running back. Don't be fooled, he is nothing better than average himself. Maurice did have one very good run where he broke away for a 64 yard touchdown. Keep in mind however that other than that one long break away, Morris did not have another run for more than 16 yards in his other 92 carries. Grade = ( C- )
The Lions do have one speedy running back in Aaron Brown, but for some reason I have not begun to understand, Schwartz did not feel the need to give him a chance. Every fan who watched the Lions could see their running backs are slow, but rather than give the speedy kid a chance, Schwartz kept him on the bench while he continued to play slower, less talented running backs. I know Brown did not do well as a return specialist, but that has nothing to do with playing running back. In his limited carries, Brown still had a better yards per carry average than the other running backs and he has good hands coming out of the back field. Grade = (inc.)
There is some talk of the Lions looking at taking a running back in the draft. The only way I would even consider this move is if they can get a running back with the entire package. Size, strength, good hands and most importantly, exceptional speed. The only reason I would even consider this is because the upcoming draft is supposed to be loaded with linemen, both offensive and defensive and they can take one player and still have time to take linemen. If the real deal is not available, they have to build the trenches up.
Overall Grade = ( D+ )
1/12/10
Detroit Lions in Review - QB - Matthew Stafford
The 2nd in a series reviewing the Detroit Lions
I make no qualms about saying that I was not a fan of drafting Matthew Stafford as the 1st pick overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Now it is time to put that opinion aside and judge him for what I saw and what he did.
Stats = 201 of 377 (53.3%), 2,267 yards, 13 TD, 20 IT, 24 sacks. He also ran the ball 20 times for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Throughout the season most of the fans who liked Stafford kept comparing his numbers to those of Peyton Manning in his rookie season. In taking a close look at this I will admit there are a lot of similarities. If Matthew Stafford's numbers were to be projected to playing a full 16 games as Manning did, they were almost identical in Yards, Completion % and Attempts per game.
Here are a few places where these two quarterbacks do not compare. Stafford would have thrown five less TDs and four more interceptions and he would have taken 16 more sacks. Stafford's QB rating also was a full 10 points lower. Now those stats may not seem like much but that is a TD/IT differential of nine! Another glaring thing Stafford supporters are not considering is this. Manning is only ONE player. There have been many star quarterbacks in the NFL. There have probably been a whole passel of rookie quarterbacks who had similar numbers to Manning's rookie season and never turned out to be anything. To find one star QB whose numbers are similar and say, "See? He is in line to become a great player" is ridiculous. Another simple fact is that it is almost useless to look at statistics alone to judge a rookie quarterback.
There are too many factors to look at in order to judge a quarterback. If a quarterback has a great running game, he will find more open receivers to throw to. What kind of protection does he get from his offensive line? What kind of plays does the coach call for him? How good are his receivers? Are receivers getting open? Is he hitting his open receivers consistently? Is he reading defenses well? How tough is he? How durable is he? So many things to look at. To look at the statistics of one other QB and say he is in line to be a great QB just doesn't cut it.
Here are some other stats he has in common with another QB. This QB was closer to Stafford than Manning was in Completion % and QB Rating, he took 29 less sacks in a 16 game projection and his TD/IT ratio was better than Stafford's by more than six! The rookie QB I am comparing him to? Joey Harrington! Before you scoff at this, also consider one other fact. Look at the team support Stafford has compared to Harrington had. Which receivers would you rather throw to? Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt, or Roy Williams, Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers? Who had the better running game to support them? Who had more time in the pocket to find open receivers? Who would you rather have calling plays? Scott Linehan or Steve Marriucci? At least in my opinion Stafford has a much better supporting cast than Harrington had by a large margin, yet his numbers were not a lot better than Joeys across the board. That shows how little one can compare numbers of two rookie quarterbacks.
Matthew Stafford has a big problem with accuracy. I know many fans of his will look at some of his big plays where he put the ball right on target and call him a very accurate QB. I cannot help but to look at the far more numerous times when he had a receiver running wide open across the field and not having any pressure in the pocket and still throwing over the receivers head or behind him. A couple of great throws in a game does not make one an accurate passer if he misses the wide open short routes twice as often.
Matthew Stafford's big TD pass to save the game against Cleveland won over a lot of fans. The fact that he dislocated his non-throwing shoulder and still came back out to throw a touchdown was great to see. I will give him kudos on the fact he is a tough quarterback. What worries me is that as tough as he is, he still missed games due to a dislocated knee as well as a dislocated shoulder. He ended the season on the IR and had surgery on his knee. He may be tough but his durability looks to have issues.
Another area of concern for Stafford is his struggles to put any touch on his passes. Many of his picks came from throwing the ball on a rope to his receivers when he needed to put a little air underneath them. If you are throwing a short route, you can throw a lot of zip on the pass. When throwing a deeper route, he needs to put more air under them so the linebackers cannot simply reach up and snatch the ball out of the air. Over and over again Stafford threw deeper routes on a rope where any defender between him and his target could grab the ball.
I would even question his decision making just a little. Too often he had Calvin Johnson in a one-on-one match up and was not willing to put the ball up for Megatron to make a play. Yet often enough he threw the ball to Bryant Johnson when he was in double coverage.
Aside from the bad, there were some flashes of brilliance from the rookie quarterback. There were some great deeper passes and there were times he did very well running through his reads before throwing the ball. There were some good times but in my opinion, just not enough of them to believe he is going to be a good quarterback much less a star.
In ten games as the Lions QB, Stafford had two or three where he played decent. The rest he looked pretty bad. I expect some growing pains but from the number one pick overall in the draft, I expect better. If he was not expected to play better, then he should not have been named starter to begin the season. Remember, Schwartz named him starter because he felt he was ready to play. If that was ready, then that was a failing grade.
GRADE = D ... Though I will say that would be a "D" with an expectation it will be much better next year.
I make no qualms about saying that I was not a fan of drafting Matthew Stafford as the 1st pick overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Now it is time to put that opinion aside and judge him for what I saw and what he did.
Stats = 201 of 377 (53.3%), 2,267 yards, 13 TD, 20 IT, 24 sacks. He also ran the ball 20 times for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Throughout the season most of the fans who liked Stafford kept comparing his numbers to those of Peyton Manning in his rookie season. In taking a close look at this I will admit there are a lot of similarities. If Matthew Stafford's numbers were to be projected to playing a full 16 games as Manning did, they were almost identical in Yards, Completion % and Attempts per game.
Here are a few places where these two quarterbacks do not compare. Stafford would have thrown five less TDs and four more interceptions and he would have taken 16 more sacks. Stafford's QB rating also was a full 10 points lower. Now those stats may not seem like much but that is a TD/IT differential of nine! Another glaring thing Stafford supporters are not considering is this. Manning is only ONE player. There have been many star quarterbacks in the NFL. There have probably been a whole passel of rookie quarterbacks who had similar numbers to Manning's rookie season and never turned out to be anything. To find one star QB whose numbers are similar and say, "See? He is in line to become a great player" is ridiculous. Another simple fact is that it is almost useless to look at statistics alone to judge a rookie quarterback.
There are too many factors to look at in order to judge a quarterback. If a quarterback has a great running game, he will find more open receivers to throw to. What kind of protection does he get from his offensive line? What kind of plays does the coach call for him? How good are his receivers? Are receivers getting open? Is he hitting his open receivers consistently? Is he reading defenses well? How tough is he? How durable is he? So many things to look at. To look at the statistics of one other QB and say he is in line to be a great QB just doesn't cut it.
Here are some other stats he has in common with another QB. This QB was closer to Stafford than Manning was in Completion % and QB Rating, he took 29 less sacks in a 16 game projection and his TD/IT ratio was better than Stafford's by more than six! The rookie QB I am comparing him to? Joey Harrington! Before you scoff at this, also consider one other fact. Look at the team support Stafford has compared to Harrington had. Which receivers would you rather throw to? Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt, or Roy Williams, Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers? Who had the better running game to support them? Who had more time in the pocket to find open receivers? Who would you rather have calling plays? Scott Linehan or Steve Marriucci? At least in my opinion Stafford has a much better supporting cast than Harrington had by a large margin, yet his numbers were not a lot better than Joeys across the board. That shows how little one can compare numbers of two rookie quarterbacks.
Matthew Stafford has a big problem with accuracy. I know many fans of his will look at some of his big plays where he put the ball right on target and call him a very accurate QB. I cannot help but to look at the far more numerous times when he had a receiver running wide open across the field and not having any pressure in the pocket and still throwing over the receivers head or behind him. A couple of great throws in a game does not make one an accurate passer if he misses the wide open short routes twice as often.
Matthew Stafford's big TD pass to save the game against Cleveland won over a lot of fans. The fact that he dislocated his non-throwing shoulder and still came back out to throw a touchdown was great to see. I will give him kudos on the fact he is a tough quarterback. What worries me is that as tough as he is, he still missed games due to a dislocated knee as well as a dislocated shoulder. He ended the season on the IR and had surgery on his knee. He may be tough but his durability looks to have issues.
Another area of concern for Stafford is his struggles to put any touch on his passes. Many of his picks came from throwing the ball on a rope to his receivers when he needed to put a little air underneath them. If you are throwing a short route, you can throw a lot of zip on the pass. When throwing a deeper route, he needs to put more air under them so the linebackers cannot simply reach up and snatch the ball out of the air. Over and over again Stafford threw deeper routes on a rope where any defender between him and his target could grab the ball.
I would even question his decision making just a little. Too often he had Calvin Johnson in a one-on-one match up and was not willing to put the ball up for Megatron to make a play. Yet often enough he threw the ball to Bryant Johnson when he was in double coverage.
Aside from the bad, there were some flashes of brilliance from the rookie quarterback. There were some great deeper passes and there were times he did very well running through his reads before throwing the ball. There were some good times but in my opinion, just not enough of them to believe he is going to be a good quarterback much less a star.
In ten games as the Lions QB, Stafford had two or three where he played decent. The rest he looked pretty bad. I expect some growing pains but from the number one pick overall in the draft, I expect better. If he was not expected to play better, then he should not have been named starter to begin the season. Remember, Schwartz named him starter because he felt he was ready to play. If that was ready, then that was a failing grade.
GRADE = D ... Though I will say that would be a "D" with an expectation it will be much better next year.
1/5/10
Detroit Lions in Review - Jim Schwartz
The first in a series reviewing the Detroit Lions
Before the season started, most of the fans were hyped up about Jim Schwartz taking over the Lions. He was young, he seemed intelligent, he was a defensive coordinator for a good team and he was not Marinelli.
In April of 2009, Schwartz had his first draft for the Lions. The Lions had the worst offensive line the previous three seasons, giving up over 50 sacks each of those years. They also had one of the worst defenses in NFL history the year before. His first two picks, both of which were in the first round? A quarterback and a Tight End. Both of those players showed marginal talent growth before ending up on the IR needing surgery.
It was a questionable move to draft a quarterback 1st overall when you didn't have the personnel to protect him. It was even more questionable to start him in game one when you had a very serviceable veteran who actually out played the rookie in the preseason. I know Culpepper did not look good when he started later on, but that is because he was not taking 1st team snaps all year and did not have any chemistry. He would never have been a star for the Lions but with the Lions offensive line, neither would Stafford in his rookie year.
The first two picks are still a huge question mark, but in the later picks there were some very good talent. In the 2nd round they took safety Louis Delmas who has looked like a star in the making. As a rookie, he ended the season making all of the secondary defensive calls while accumulating 94 tackles. The next pick, in the third round was linebacker DeAndre Levy who had 85 tackles and like his rookie teammate, ended the season making all of the defensive play calls. That is two very successful draft picks who were not first rounders.
6th round pick - Aaron Brown showed a lot of speed and signs of being a decent running back, however, Schwartz refused to ever give him more than a few carries in a game. Brown ended the season with the best yards per carry out of the running backs with 4.9 yards per attempt. Kevin Smith showed the fans that he did not have break away speed and he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. When he went down and the season was a lost cause, there was no reason Schwartz shouldn't have looked to see what Brown could do with a heavier workload. He had nothing to lose but everything to gain in giving him a real look. Yet he chose to go with Maurice Morris, the nothing but average veteran instead.
In Schwartz press conference after the season was over, he made some very worrying statements. A reporter asked him what players does he not have to worry about replacing next year. Other than the obvious like Calvin Johnson and Stafford and such, he said he was good at left tackle with Jeff Backus, good at center and liked Sammie Hill. To make things much worse, he said that Backus should have received pro-bowl consideration. Seriously?
I will admit that Jeff Backus actually did have his best year yet. He really cut down on his penalties as the season went on. He actually may have even been the Lions best run blocker as Schwartz pointed out. But pro-bowl? I seriously do not see that. That was a statement that really loses a lot of credibility for Schwartz.
He was good with center? Schwartz is actually happy with Dominic Raiola at center? First off, Raiola is under-sized and never gets a push up the middle in short yardage situations. In fact, when it comes to 4th and 1 plays, it seems to me he is often pushed backwards. Secondly, if you can go back and watch a game from this year, you will see that Raiola telegraphs the snap on shotgun plays. He did well enough in normal snaps but in the shotgun, he always bobs his head right before the snap. Not just a little. Every snap in the shotgun his head practically whiplashes a half a second before he snapped the ball. This allows the defensive linemen to get a good jump on the snap. If the Lions are good with Backus at left tackle, that is one thing, but they absolutely need a bigger, stronger center who does not telegraph his snaps.
Schwartz is happy with Sammie Hill? A total of 26 tackles and no sacks and he is happy with that? At best, I will label him a possible starter in the future but right now he has not shown me enough to say I am happy with him at defensive tackle. The Lions defensive linemen were absolutely manhandled this year. That is especially because they had no true big and powerful tackle to force the pocket backwards. Without a good defensive tackle to draw a double coverage, the defensive ends could not break loose very often. With the line not putting any pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, the secondary was forced to cover far too long on each play.
Jim Schwartz only did so so in the draft and whether or not it is deemed successful or not will depend on if Stafford and Pettigrew ever become stars or not. He failed to give players like Aaron Brown a chance to run the ball more, even though when he did get his chance he looked good. He is making ridiculous statements like Jeff Backus belonging in the pro bowl and he feels he is set with the undersized Raiola at center. He ended the season with only two wins with a roster that was much improved on paper over last years roster.
GRADE = C- ... If it wasn't for the success of Delmas and Levy he would get a failing grade.
Before the season started, most of the fans were hyped up about Jim Schwartz taking over the Lions. He was young, he seemed intelligent, he was a defensive coordinator for a good team and he was not Marinelli.
In April of 2009, Schwartz had his first draft for the Lions. The Lions had the worst offensive line the previous three seasons, giving up over 50 sacks each of those years. They also had one of the worst defenses in NFL history the year before. His first two picks, both of which were in the first round? A quarterback and a Tight End. Both of those players showed marginal talent growth before ending up on the IR needing surgery.
It was a questionable move to draft a quarterback 1st overall when you didn't have the personnel to protect him. It was even more questionable to start him in game one when you had a very serviceable veteran who actually out played the rookie in the preseason. I know Culpepper did not look good when he started later on, but that is because he was not taking 1st team snaps all year and did not have any chemistry. He would never have been a star for the Lions but with the Lions offensive line, neither would Stafford in his rookie year.
The first two picks are still a huge question mark, but in the later picks there were some very good talent. In the 2nd round they took safety Louis Delmas who has looked like a star in the making. As a rookie, he ended the season making all of the secondary defensive calls while accumulating 94 tackles. The next pick, in the third round was linebacker DeAndre Levy who had 85 tackles and like his rookie teammate, ended the season making all of the defensive play calls. That is two very successful draft picks who were not first rounders.
6th round pick - Aaron Brown showed a lot of speed and signs of being a decent running back, however, Schwartz refused to ever give him more than a few carries in a game. Brown ended the season with the best yards per carry out of the running backs with 4.9 yards per attempt. Kevin Smith showed the fans that he did not have break away speed and he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. When he went down and the season was a lost cause, there was no reason Schwartz shouldn't have looked to see what Brown could do with a heavier workload. He had nothing to lose but everything to gain in giving him a real look. Yet he chose to go with Maurice Morris, the nothing but average veteran instead.
In Schwartz press conference after the season was over, he made some very worrying statements. A reporter asked him what players does he not have to worry about replacing next year. Other than the obvious like Calvin Johnson and Stafford and such, he said he was good at left tackle with Jeff Backus, good at center and liked Sammie Hill. To make things much worse, he said that Backus should have received pro-bowl consideration. Seriously?
I will admit that Jeff Backus actually did have his best year yet. He really cut down on his penalties as the season went on. He actually may have even been the Lions best run blocker as Schwartz pointed out. But pro-bowl? I seriously do not see that. That was a statement that really loses a lot of credibility for Schwartz.
He was good with center? Schwartz is actually happy with Dominic Raiola at center? First off, Raiola is under-sized and never gets a push up the middle in short yardage situations. In fact, when it comes to 4th and 1 plays, it seems to me he is often pushed backwards. Secondly, if you can go back and watch a game from this year, you will see that Raiola telegraphs the snap on shotgun plays. He did well enough in normal snaps but in the shotgun, he always bobs his head right before the snap. Not just a little. Every snap in the shotgun his head practically whiplashes a half a second before he snapped the ball. This allows the defensive linemen to get a good jump on the snap. If the Lions are good with Backus at left tackle, that is one thing, but they absolutely need a bigger, stronger center who does not telegraph his snaps.
Schwartz is happy with Sammie Hill? A total of 26 tackles and no sacks and he is happy with that? At best, I will label him a possible starter in the future but right now he has not shown me enough to say I am happy with him at defensive tackle. The Lions defensive linemen were absolutely manhandled this year. That is especially because they had no true big and powerful tackle to force the pocket backwards. Without a good defensive tackle to draw a double coverage, the defensive ends could not break loose very often. With the line not putting any pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, the secondary was forced to cover far too long on each play.
Jim Schwartz only did so so in the draft and whether or not it is deemed successful or not will depend on if Stafford and Pettigrew ever become stars or not. He failed to give players like Aaron Brown a chance to run the ball more, even though when he did get his chance he looked good. He is making ridiculous statements like Jeff Backus belonging in the pro bowl and he feels he is set with the undersized Raiola at center. He ended the season with only two wins with a roster that was much improved on paper over last years roster.
GRADE = C- ... If it wasn't for the success of Delmas and Levy he would get a failing grade.
1/1/10
Articles - Lions 2009 Position Reviews
01/05/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Jim Schwartz
01/12/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Quarterback
01/20/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Running Backs
01/25/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Receivers
01/28/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Tight End
02/01/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Offensive Line
02/05/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Defensive Line
02/08/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Linebacker
02/11/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Secondary
01/12/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Quarterback
01/20/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Running Backs
01/25/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Receivers
01/28/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Tight End
02/01/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Offensive Line
02/05/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Defensive Line
02/08/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Linebacker
02/11/10 - Detroit Lions in Review - Secondary
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