Yes you read that title right. The Detroit Lions trounced the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3 in their second straight victory of the 2011 NFL season.
Early on, it looked like the Chiefs might make it a good game as they seemed to be running the ball well and the Lions were having some early three and outs. Then the Chiefs running back, Jamaal Charles left the game with a leg injury. Then Matthew Stafford and company got their feet under them again and started moving the ball. When the smoke cleared and the battle was over, it was clear. There was never truly a battle. It was a massacre!
Stafford completed 59% of his 39 pass attempts for 294 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 pick. Calvin Johnson was practically invisible as he only caught 3 passes for 29 yards. Although two of those catches did happen to be in the end-zone. Jahvid Best only had 57 yards on 16 carries, but he also had a touchdown and padded his numbers with 66 receiving yards and another TD.
Nate Burleson seemed to be the break out receiver today as he was hit for 7 catches and 93 yards, but he did not score a touchdown.
Lions fans will be glad to know that rookie receiver, Titus Young, finally broke out with 5 catches and 89 yards and just barely missed out on scoring his first touchdown as a pro.
Once again the Defense looked especially strong as they held the Chiefs to only three points for the game. Cassel was held to only 133 yards but the Chiefs had 151 yards rushing on the day. Something for the Lions defense to be concerned with.
Suh Watch:
With one second left on the clock in the first half, Cassel dropped back in hopes of throwing a Hail-Mary. When he was flushed around, he met up with Ndamukong Suh who added him to his sack list.
Showing posts with label Jahvid Best. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jahvid Best. Show all posts
9/18/11
9/11/11
Lions 27 - Bucs 20
The Detroit Lions opened up the 2011 season on a good note by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-20... and it really wasn't as close as the score may suggest.
The Lions started off the game with what I can only say must have been a first game adrenalin overflow. Quarterback, Matthew Stafford, was not looking accurate. Receivers dropped passes. There were penalties. After scoring the first field goal, it all looked to be falling apart. The ensuing kick-off was returned by Stroughter for 78 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the Lions 21 yard line. The Lions defense then shut the Bucs offense down with a 3 and out and the Bucs kicked a field goal to tie it up. Three plays later, Talib, the Bucs corner back, intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it 28 yards for a touchdown. As quick as that the Lions were down 10-3.
The Lions were not at their best this opening Sunday. It didn't matter! Even with their mistakes, the Detroit Lions simply dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from start to finish. The Bucs only points coming from a huge kick return, a Stafford pick, and a long touchdown drive in the fourth quarter when the Lions were in prevent mode.
There were those who believed the Bucs would beat the Lions because Detroit would not be able to handle LeGarrette Blount's hard running style. Blount ended the game with only 15 of the Bucs 56 total rushing yards.
Some believed that Freeman would be too hard to stop with Mike Williams to throw to. Josh Freeman ended up with 257 yards (163 of those yards came in the 4th quarter), and Mike Williams only had 50 yards receiving and a touchdown.
On the other hand....
Matthew Stafford ended up with 305 yards, 3 TD's and 1 pick. He completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts (72%), with a 118.9 QB Rating.
Calvin Johnson had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Best was not spectacular, but had a decent game none the less. 72 yards on 21 carries (3.4 ypc), and had 4 receptions for 42 yards. 114 all purpose yards.
My perception:
There are fans who are afraid of being hurt again who say the Lions need to prove to them they are going to be a better team. Before the game, many said the Bucs would win because they would want revenge, had a better team that won 10 games last year and would be used to the 90+ degree temperatures.
The Lions, not only beat the Bucs, but simply controlled the game for three quarters before giving up yardage in the dreaded prevent mode. Last year's victory over the 10 win Bucs was not a fluke. By beating them a second game in a row (both in Tampa Bay), the Lions have proven they are the better team. I have been saying the Lions would win 10+ games this year and I see this victory as the first step to that mark and one more bit of proof they are now a good team in the NFL.
Lions fans can start the season off enjoying the victory and looking forward to the next.
The Lions started off the game with what I can only say must have been a first game adrenalin overflow. Quarterback, Matthew Stafford, was not looking accurate. Receivers dropped passes. There were penalties. After scoring the first field goal, it all looked to be falling apart. The ensuing kick-off was returned by Stroughter for 78 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the Lions 21 yard line. The Lions defense then shut the Bucs offense down with a 3 and out and the Bucs kicked a field goal to tie it up. Three plays later, Talib, the Bucs corner back, intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it 28 yards for a touchdown. As quick as that the Lions were down 10-3.
The Lions were not at their best this opening Sunday. It didn't matter! Even with their mistakes, the Detroit Lions simply dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from start to finish. The Bucs only points coming from a huge kick return, a Stafford pick, and a long touchdown drive in the fourth quarter when the Lions were in prevent mode.
There were those who believed the Bucs would beat the Lions because Detroit would not be able to handle LeGarrette Blount's hard running style. Blount ended the game with only 15 of the Bucs 56 total rushing yards.
Some believed that Freeman would be too hard to stop with Mike Williams to throw to. Josh Freeman ended up with 257 yards (163 of those yards came in the 4th quarter), and Mike Williams only had 50 yards receiving and a touchdown.
On the other hand....
Matthew Stafford ended up with 305 yards, 3 TD's and 1 pick. He completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts (72%), with a 118.9 QB Rating.
Calvin Johnson had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Best was not spectacular, but had a decent game none the less. 72 yards on 21 carries (3.4 ypc), and had 4 receptions for 42 yards. 114 all purpose yards.
My perception:
There are fans who are afraid of being hurt again who say the Lions need to prove to them they are going to be a better team. Before the game, many said the Bucs would win because they would want revenge, had a better team that won 10 games last year and would be used to the 90+ degree temperatures.
The Lions, not only beat the Bucs, but simply controlled the game for three quarters before giving up yardage in the dreaded prevent mode. Last year's victory over the 10 win Bucs was not a fluke. By beating them a second game in a row (both in Tampa Bay), the Lions have proven they are the better team. I have been saying the Lions would win 10+ games this year and I see this victory as the first step to that mark and one more bit of proof they are now a good team in the NFL.
Lions fans can start the season off enjoying the victory and looking forward to the next.
8/30/10
Lions Preseason Week-3 in 2010
Sorry for the late posting. It has been a hard week and since I don't make any money writing, working on getting a new career has to come first. In this economy, I am sure many Detroit Lions fans can understand this.
On their way to a 35 - 27 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, the Lions gave the fans some mixed feelings. I will try to touch on them and give my unprofessional opinions.
The Browns offense came out with quick passes, leaving the Lions new Defensive line useless. The Browns continuously moved the ball and gained 26 first downs, most of which were against the starters. Many fans are very concerned about the Lions defensive backs as they could not seem to cover at all. Though there is reason to be concerned, I would not be overly worried yet. I definitely would not panic yet. Though it can be hard to do, it is important to remember that this was indeed just a preseason game. For one, if this was a real game, and the Lions defensive line could not put pressure on the opposing quarterback, I am sure they would have run more stunts or blitzed more. However, the Lions did neither very much at all. The defensive line ran a straight up, beat your man, type of scheme all night. Secondly, the whole defensive back unit was not as bad as it might seem. Particularly, it was one player who was horrible. Eric King.
For two weeks in a row, opposing QBs have picked on King and I am expecting them to do so in the 4th game as well. If there is one thing everyone can agree on about King, it is that he can run with the receivers. He does not get beat very often. His problem is that he just cannot seem to figure out how to play the ball as well. Every time his receiver catches a pass, King is right there, but he is always turned away from the ball. He never knows the ball is coming until its too late. I think Schwartz sees this and is giving him every opportunity to get things figured out. You can teach a player to play the ball and adjust to the ball. You cannot teach him the speed and quickness it takes to stick to a receivers hip. IF King can figure out how to play the ball, he can be a very good cornerback. If he cannot, Schwartz will cut him. But until he has no other choice, Schwartz will give King every chance to figure it out. If King cannot figure things out in the next game, I would expect him to be cut and Dre Bly to be the starter.
Jahvid Best only played a few downs before he left with tightness. Don't worry! In the short time he played, he caught a pass and ran a hand off for 51 yards. If he really did feel some tightness, it was minor and knowing he is a star in the making, Schwartz was not going to take ANY chance it could get worse if he continued. There is even a chance that Schwartz decided he showed enough and made up the tightness excuse to remove him from the game. In the preseason, nobody ever knows.
Everyone seems to be talking about Suh's aggressiveness. After breaking through the line and pressuring Delhomme, Suh grabbed him from around the head, wrapped his arms around his mid section and lifted him up before whipping him to the ground. After Delhomme already threw the ball. Some say he should be fined. Some people say he should be suspended. Still others say he should have gotten the penalty he got and nothing more. The fact is, whether we like the rules protecting the quarterbacks or not, they are still there and enforced. For that reason, I would say Suh rightfully has a fine coming to him. As for a suspension, since Delhomme was not injured, or even shaken up, and it is a first time offense, I would not expect anything more than the fine.
I have heard some people say that Suh is dirty for that. The guy is not considered a dirty player. He is a rookie and got frustrated when he finally got his hands on the QB and failed to get a sack. he will likely be fined, and he is intelligent enough to learn from that. If he continues to do these things, then you might have a reason to think him a dirty player. For now it was one play he got carried away on.
On their way to a 35 - 27 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, the Lions gave the fans some mixed feelings. I will try to touch on them and give my unprofessional opinions.
The Browns offense came out with quick passes, leaving the Lions new Defensive line useless. The Browns continuously moved the ball and gained 26 first downs, most of which were against the starters. Many fans are very concerned about the Lions defensive backs as they could not seem to cover at all. Though there is reason to be concerned, I would not be overly worried yet. I definitely would not panic yet. Though it can be hard to do, it is important to remember that this was indeed just a preseason game. For one, if this was a real game, and the Lions defensive line could not put pressure on the opposing quarterback, I am sure they would have run more stunts or blitzed more. However, the Lions did neither very much at all. The defensive line ran a straight up, beat your man, type of scheme all night. Secondly, the whole defensive back unit was not as bad as it might seem. Particularly, it was one player who was horrible. Eric King.
For two weeks in a row, opposing QBs have picked on King and I am expecting them to do so in the 4th game as well. If there is one thing everyone can agree on about King, it is that he can run with the receivers. He does not get beat very often. His problem is that he just cannot seem to figure out how to play the ball as well. Every time his receiver catches a pass, King is right there, but he is always turned away from the ball. He never knows the ball is coming until its too late. I think Schwartz sees this and is giving him every opportunity to get things figured out. You can teach a player to play the ball and adjust to the ball. You cannot teach him the speed and quickness it takes to stick to a receivers hip. IF King can figure out how to play the ball, he can be a very good cornerback. If he cannot, Schwartz will cut him. But until he has no other choice, Schwartz will give King every chance to figure it out. If King cannot figure things out in the next game, I would expect him to be cut and Dre Bly to be the starter.
Jahvid Best only played a few downs before he left with tightness. Don't worry! In the short time he played, he caught a pass and ran a hand off for 51 yards. If he really did feel some tightness, it was minor and knowing he is a star in the making, Schwartz was not going to take ANY chance it could get worse if he continued. There is even a chance that Schwartz decided he showed enough and made up the tightness excuse to remove him from the game. In the preseason, nobody ever knows.
Everyone seems to be talking about Suh's aggressiveness. After breaking through the line and pressuring Delhomme, Suh grabbed him from around the head, wrapped his arms around his mid section and lifted him up before whipping him to the ground. After Delhomme already threw the ball. Some say he should be fined. Some people say he should be suspended. Still others say he should have gotten the penalty he got and nothing more. The fact is, whether we like the rules protecting the quarterbacks or not, they are still there and enforced. For that reason, I would say Suh rightfully has a fine coming to him. As for a suspension, since Delhomme was not injured, or even shaken up, and it is a first time offense, I would not expect anything more than the fine.
I have heard some people say that Suh is dirty for that. The guy is not considered a dirty player. He is a rookie and got frustrated when he finally got his hands on the QB and failed to get a sack. he will likely be fined, and he is intelligent enough to learn from that. If he continues to do these things, then you might have a reason to think him a dirty player. For now it was one play he got carried away on.
7/31/10
Suh Thinks He Is The Best, But Suh Is Not Best
Ndamukong Suh was told he was the best player in the draft. He believes he was the best player in the draft. His agents want him to be paid like the best player in the draft. Yet as camp opened up, it was not Suh who was in camp. It was Best.
I have often told others that talk is cheap. If you want the truth, look at actions. Ndamukong Suh talked a lot about wanting to be in camp on time. As I said, talk is cheap. When you look at Suh's actions, you find another side of the story. When training camp opened, the defensive tackle was not in camp. Instead, his agents are still busy trying to get him paid as if he was the best player taken in the draft. What the agents have wrong is that players are not paid according to who was the best in the draft. They are paid according to when they were drafted. Though I do think Suh was the best player in the 2010 NFL draft, the fact is, he was drafted 2nd, so he should be paid accordingly.
Mean while, another player who in the end could possibly be the best player in the draft, Jahvid Best, has not spoken much. Best let his actions do the talking and when camp began, he was there to practice.
With each day, my respect for Jahvid Best will grow while my respect for Ndamukong Suh will drop. I do not respect good intentions as much as I do action. I certainly do not respect cheap talk as much. I respect a man who does what is right and not one who intends to do what is right but never really gets around to it. I think that most of Detroit's fan base feels the same. As much as the fans want to see a winning team here in Detroit. The comments I have read in other sites tell me that most fans would rather the Lions let Suh sit out the season, possibly lose him to another team in another draft, than to give into his greedy agents demands.
Ndamukong Suh, if you want the fans to love you here in Detroit, you need to prove yourself with action. Not only action on the field but by doing what is right. Sign a good deal, but don't get greedy and get yourself in practice. Detroit fans are finicky. They will lose respect for you if you do not practice hard. They will lose respect if you do not play well. They will lose respect for you if you start holding out after talking about wanting to be signed on time.
I have often told others that talk is cheap. If you want the truth, look at actions. Ndamukong Suh talked a lot about wanting to be in camp on time. As I said, talk is cheap. When you look at Suh's actions, you find another side of the story. When training camp opened, the defensive tackle was not in camp. Instead, his agents are still busy trying to get him paid as if he was the best player taken in the draft. What the agents have wrong is that players are not paid according to who was the best in the draft. They are paid according to when they were drafted. Though I do think Suh was the best player in the 2010 NFL draft, the fact is, he was drafted 2nd, so he should be paid accordingly.
Mean while, another player who in the end could possibly be the best player in the draft, Jahvid Best, has not spoken much. Best let his actions do the talking and when camp began, he was there to practice.
With each day, my respect for Jahvid Best will grow while my respect for Ndamukong Suh will drop. I do not respect good intentions as much as I do action. I certainly do not respect cheap talk as much. I respect a man who does what is right and not one who intends to do what is right but never really gets around to it. I think that most of Detroit's fan base feels the same. As much as the fans want to see a winning team here in Detroit. The comments I have read in other sites tell me that most fans would rather the Lions let Suh sit out the season, possibly lose him to another team in another draft, than to give into his greedy agents demands.
Ndamukong Suh, if you want the fans to love you here in Detroit, you need to prove yourself with action. Not only action on the field but by doing what is right. Sign a good deal, but don't get greedy and get yourself in practice. Detroit fans are finicky. They will lose respect for you if you do not practice hard. They will lose respect if you do not play well. They will lose respect for you if you start holding out after talking about wanting to be signed on time.
7/18/10
A Different Look at Detroit Lions Improvement
Everyone keeps looking at the Lions roster and talking about how improved they are on paper. It is only natural for Detroit fans to try and predict how many wins the Lions should actually get in the upcoming 2010 NFL season. Instead of trying to look at their schedule and predict how many wins they will get, I decided to look at how many wins they would have gotten last year with this years team. The biggest question at this point however, is just how much did they improve?
First lets take a quick look at the offensive line. The line should be improved for a few reasons. One is that Jon Jansen is healthy and ready to play better. Another is the addition of left guard Rob Sims. He will do two things. Improve the run blocking and allow Backus and Raiola to play their own positions. Another reason they should be improved is the addition of Jahvid Best. His speed should force defenses to play more honest rather than pinning their ears back and going after the quarterback every play.
Then as already mentioned, there is the addition of running back Jahvid Best. His speed will help more than the offensive line. There were several times in 2009 when Kevin Smith broke into open territory only to be tackled ten to twenty yards down field. Best should have the speed to turn a couple of those runs into long touchdowns. Turning a 20 yard gain into a 60 yard touchdown can be the difference between a win and a loss all on its own. Along with the score, it can be a complete momentum shifter.
With the improvement of the offensive line and the lightning speed of Jahvid Best, quarterback Matthew Stafford should have every opportunity to improve his play from 2009. On many of his plays, he should have more time to look through his reads and that extra time should give the receivers more chances to break into the open. His natural maturity alone should show improvement in his accuracy and putting touch on the ball as well as reading the defenses.
Another addition not mention very much is receiver Nate Burleson. If he can play up to his abilities, he will take pressure off of Calvin Johnson and give Stafford another target. Along with Burleson, the Lions have also brought in tight-end Tony Scheffler. If Pettigrew is not healthy, Scheffler will take his place without missing a beat, but if Pettigrew comes back healthy, they will play together. This two tight-end scheme will create a lot of mismatches giving the Lions a strong advantage.
As we see, there are a lot of reasons to believe the Detroit Lions offense will be much improved. Is there any reasons to believe they might be worse than last year though? Many fans might point out that left tackle Jeff Backus and center, Dominic Raiola will be another year older and one never knows when they will hit their wall and start getting worse. Though they are getting up there in years for football players, it is the common belief that they should still have another two years in them for offensive linemen. So reasonably speaking, the Lions offense should be much improved with little reason to think they will decline.
Then there is the defense which was the worst in the NFL in 2009 and in my opinion might have been the worst in NFL history. The additions of Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosch should move the Lions defensive line from the worst in the NFL to possibly a top 10 defensive line in the NFL. DeAndre Levy and Louis Delmas will have another year experience. The cornerbacks, Chris Houston, Jonathan Wade, Dre Bly, and Amari Spievey will be a much faster unit and likely a better unit over last years.
The only worry where they might be worse than in 2009 on defense would be with the loss of Ernie Sims who was just starting to come around in the second half of last season. In his place is the fan favorite but still questionable Zack Follett. Follett, known also as the "Pain Train" should put some hurt into opposing quarterbacks, but will sorely be tested when it comes to pass coverage.
All in all however, the Lions defense should be greatly improved over last years catastrophe. They will put a lot more pressure on quarterbacks and that alone will be worth a few points they will take off of the board from opposing scores.
So how would this years team have done in 2009? That would depend on how many points difference you think the two units would have made. Would the new Lions score 3 points per game more than last years team? Maybe 7 points more per game? Do you believe they truly would have scored 13 points more a game? How about the defense? How many less points would they give up? If you think the Lions offense would put up 3 points per game more and their defense would allow 6 points less every game, then that would make it a 9 point difference per game. As little as that sounds, I think that could be a fair opinion. Nine points difference in a game can be a big difference in the NFL. That 9 point change over would have given the Lions 5 wins in 2009.
The following is a list of what the Lions record would have been with each point difference.
3 to 6 pt dif. = 2-wins, 0-ties, 14-losses (same as 2009)
7 point dif. = 2-wins, 2-ties, 12-losses
8 point dif. = 4-wins, 1-tie, 11-losses
9 point dif. = 5-wins, 0-ties, 11-losses
10 point dif. = 5-wins, 1-ties, 10-losses
11 point dif. = 6-wins, 0-ties, 10-losses
12 point dif. = 6-wins, 1-ties, 9-losses
13 point dif. = 7-wins, 0-ties, 9-losses
14 point dif. = 7-wins, 3-ties, 6-losses
15 point dif. = 10-wins, 0-ties, 6-losses
You can see how big of a difference 2 touchdowns makes per game, whether it is the offense scoring more or the defense allowing less scoring. The thing that scares me is that the difference in 9 points would have been 3 games in 2009. None of those would have been again division rivals. Only one of those teams will the Lions play in 2010. The St.Louis Rams!
The closest the Lions came to a division rival in 2009 was 14 points. They did that twice. Once to the Vikings and once to the Bears. In the other game against the Vikings the Lions lost by 17 points. The other three losses were by 22, 24, and 26 points. It is a heart wrenching thought to think that for the Lions to improve enough to even split the games with their division rivals, they would have to improve by 17 points per game. Seventeen points would be enough improvement for the Lions to have had a 10-6 record in 2009. As much as I would like to think it, I just don't see 17 points improvement.
First lets take a quick look at the offensive line. The line should be improved for a few reasons. One is that Jon Jansen is healthy and ready to play better. Another is the addition of left guard Rob Sims. He will do two things. Improve the run blocking and allow Backus and Raiola to play their own positions. Another reason they should be improved is the addition of Jahvid Best. His speed should force defenses to play more honest rather than pinning their ears back and going after the quarterback every play.
Then as already mentioned, there is the addition of running back Jahvid Best. His speed will help more than the offensive line. There were several times in 2009 when Kevin Smith broke into open territory only to be tackled ten to twenty yards down field. Best should have the speed to turn a couple of those runs into long touchdowns. Turning a 20 yard gain into a 60 yard touchdown can be the difference between a win and a loss all on its own. Along with the score, it can be a complete momentum shifter.
With the improvement of the offensive line and the lightning speed of Jahvid Best, quarterback Matthew Stafford should have every opportunity to improve his play from 2009. On many of his plays, he should have more time to look through his reads and that extra time should give the receivers more chances to break into the open. His natural maturity alone should show improvement in his accuracy and putting touch on the ball as well as reading the defenses.
Another addition not mention very much is receiver Nate Burleson. If he can play up to his abilities, he will take pressure off of Calvin Johnson and give Stafford another target. Along with Burleson, the Lions have also brought in tight-end Tony Scheffler. If Pettigrew is not healthy, Scheffler will take his place without missing a beat, but if Pettigrew comes back healthy, they will play together. This two tight-end scheme will create a lot of mismatches giving the Lions a strong advantage.
As we see, there are a lot of reasons to believe the Detroit Lions offense will be much improved. Is there any reasons to believe they might be worse than last year though? Many fans might point out that left tackle Jeff Backus and center, Dominic Raiola will be another year older and one never knows when they will hit their wall and start getting worse. Though they are getting up there in years for football players, it is the common belief that they should still have another two years in them for offensive linemen. So reasonably speaking, the Lions offense should be much improved with little reason to think they will decline.
Then there is the defense which was the worst in the NFL in 2009 and in my opinion might have been the worst in NFL history. The additions of Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosch should move the Lions defensive line from the worst in the NFL to possibly a top 10 defensive line in the NFL. DeAndre Levy and Louis Delmas will have another year experience. The cornerbacks, Chris Houston, Jonathan Wade, Dre Bly, and Amari Spievey will be a much faster unit and likely a better unit over last years.
The only worry where they might be worse than in 2009 on defense would be with the loss of Ernie Sims who was just starting to come around in the second half of last season. In his place is the fan favorite but still questionable Zack Follett. Follett, known also as the "Pain Train" should put some hurt into opposing quarterbacks, but will sorely be tested when it comes to pass coverage.
All in all however, the Lions defense should be greatly improved over last years catastrophe. They will put a lot more pressure on quarterbacks and that alone will be worth a few points they will take off of the board from opposing scores.
So how would this years team have done in 2009? That would depend on how many points difference you think the two units would have made. Would the new Lions score 3 points per game more than last years team? Maybe 7 points more per game? Do you believe they truly would have scored 13 points more a game? How about the defense? How many less points would they give up? If you think the Lions offense would put up 3 points per game more and their defense would allow 6 points less every game, then that would make it a 9 point difference per game. As little as that sounds, I think that could be a fair opinion. Nine points difference in a game can be a big difference in the NFL. That 9 point change over would have given the Lions 5 wins in 2009.
The following is a list of what the Lions record would have been with each point difference.
3 to 6 pt dif. = 2-wins, 0-ties, 14-losses (same as 2009)
7 point dif. = 2-wins, 2-ties, 12-losses
8 point dif. = 4-wins, 1-tie, 11-losses
9 point dif. = 5-wins, 0-ties, 11-losses
10 point dif. = 5-wins, 1-ties, 10-losses
11 point dif. = 6-wins, 0-ties, 10-losses
12 point dif. = 6-wins, 1-ties, 9-losses
13 point dif. = 7-wins, 0-ties, 9-losses
14 point dif. = 7-wins, 3-ties, 6-losses
15 point dif. = 10-wins, 0-ties, 6-losses
You can see how big of a difference 2 touchdowns makes per game, whether it is the offense scoring more or the defense allowing less scoring. The thing that scares me is that the difference in 9 points would have been 3 games in 2009. None of those would have been again division rivals. Only one of those teams will the Lions play in 2010. The St.Louis Rams!
The closest the Lions came to a division rival in 2009 was 14 points. They did that twice. Once to the Vikings and once to the Bears. In the other game against the Vikings the Lions lost by 17 points. The other three losses were by 22, 24, and 26 points. It is a heart wrenching thought to think that for the Lions to improve enough to even split the games with their division rivals, they would have to improve by 17 points per game. Seventeen points would be enough improvement for the Lions to have had a 10-6 record in 2009. As much as I would like to think it, I just don't see 17 points improvement.
3/12/10
Are Lions Setting Up to Draft Suh and Best?
The Detroit Lions have gone a long ways to improving their defensive line for 2010. As it stands, they have a pretty solid line with Hill and Williams in the middle and Vanden Bosch and Avril on the ends. But is a solid defensive line what the Lions are after?
Schwartz has stated that he would like to have a dominant defensive line in Detroit. HE knows that a defense feeds off of its defensive line play. The best defenses in the NFL are defenses with great defensive lines. A pretty solid D-line just isn't good enough. The fact that the Lions released White recently says that they are not set at DT. Schwartz knows that neither Williams or Hill are dominant players in the middle. If the Lions were set at defensive tackle, I don't believe they would have released White. They know that to have a dominant line, they will have to add a dominant defensive tackle. This screams that they will draft Suh if he is still there.
Schwartz has also stated that the running back position needs to be addressed. Kevin Smith was the Lions most talented runner and he simply does not have enough speed. Schwartz has said he wants to be more explosive at the position.
With Thomas Jones available in free agency, the Lions never even looked his way. Even though Jones is 31 years old, he had over 1400 yards last season. Yet they didn't even blink an eye at that? With Tomlinson still out there, the Lions have not even tried to look at him. Though he is older and has not had a big year in the last couple seasons, Tomlinson is still far more explosive than any RB on the Lions present roster. He also scored double digit touchdowns in 2009. So why aren't the Lions interested? I believe it is because they are set to take Jahvid Best in the 2nd round of the draft.
Best is widely regarded as the third best running back in this years crop. In no mock draft that I have seen do they have three running backs going in the 1st round. Almost all of the experts have Spiller and Mathews going in the 1st round and Best still there when the Lions draft at #34 overall. With Best being the 2nd fastest running back in this years draft, he would have that explosiveness that Schwartz wants to see from his running back.
There is another point to consider. The Lions are also needing to address the offensive line as well as the Cornerback positions. Yet both of these positions are deep enough to still get a starter in the 3rd and 4th rounds. However, they will not get another RB with Best's speed if they don't take him in the 2nd round. The draft is also extremely deep at DT but the fact is, you just can't get another player as dominant as Suh after the first round. You might not get a chance at another player as dominant as Suh ever again.
Of course, the Lions being the Lions, it will not surprise me to see them draft completely different, but for my money, the way things stand, I would bet on them drafting Suh or McCoy in the first round, then Best in the 2nd round, knowing they can fill out the LG and CB spots in the following rounds.
Schwartz has stated that he would like to have a dominant defensive line in Detroit. HE knows that a defense feeds off of its defensive line play. The best defenses in the NFL are defenses with great defensive lines. A pretty solid D-line just isn't good enough. The fact that the Lions released White recently says that they are not set at DT. Schwartz knows that neither Williams or Hill are dominant players in the middle. If the Lions were set at defensive tackle, I don't believe they would have released White. They know that to have a dominant line, they will have to add a dominant defensive tackle. This screams that they will draft Suh if he is still there.
Schwartz has also stated that the running back position needs to be addressed. Kevin Smith was the Lions most talented runner and he simply does not have enough speed. Schwartz has said he wants to be more explosive at the position.
With Thomas Jones available in free agency, the Lions never even looked his way. Even though Jones is 31 years old, he had over 1400 yards last season. Yet they didn't even blink an eye at that? With Tomlinson still out there, the Lions have not even tried to look at him. Though he is older and has not had a big year in the last couple seasons, Tomlinson is still far more explosive than any RB on the Lions present roster. He also scored double digit touchdowns in 2009. So why aren't the Lions interested? I believe it is because they are set to take Jahvid Best in the 2nd round of the draft.
Best is widely regarded as the third best running back in this years crop. In no mock draft that I have seen do they have three running backs going in the 1st round. Almost all of the experts have Spiller and Mathews going in the 1st round and Best still there when the Lions draft at #34 overall. With Best being the 2nd fastest running back in this years draft, he would have that explosiveness that Schwartz wants to see from his running back.
There is another point to consider. The Lions are also needing to address the offensive line as well as the Cornerback positions. Yet both of these positions are deep enough to still get a starter in the 3rd and 4th rounds. However, they will not get another RB with Best's speed if they don't take him in the 2nd round. The draft is also extremely deep at DT but the fact is, you just can't get another player as dominant as Suh after the first round. You might not get a chance at another player as dominant as Suh ever again.
Of course, the Lions being the Lions, it will not surprise me to see them draft completely different, but for my money, the way things stand, I would bet on them drafting Suh or McCoy in the first round, then Best in the 2nd round, knowing they can fill out the LG and CB spots in the following rounds.
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