Six games into the season and the Lions have won only one game. It should be easy to assume they have no chance to make the play-offs. Even if they were not mathematically out of it, any Lions fan can tell you they are still out of it. As crazy as it may seem, the Detroit Lions chances of making the play-offs may be better than you know.
First look at the losses the Lions took. In five losses, only once have they lost decisively. The other four losses could easily have gone differently with better play calling, better officiating or simply better play. In those four losses (not including in Minnesota), the Lions have lost by a total of 18 points. That is only an average of 4.5 points a game.
Then you take another closer look at the Lions losses so far this year. By all definitions of the written rules, the Lions actually beat the Bears and that was after Matthew Stafford went down with in injury in the first half. With a back-up, who had not been practicing with the first unit playing half the game, the Lions still should have had a win. Just before the bye-week, the Lions lost to the New York Giants by only 8 points. That came after Shaun Hill went down and they were playing with not only their back-up quarterback, but using Drew Stanton, their third string quarterback. Yet the Lions made it a fairly close game. In another game, the Lions had to play without Nate Burleson as well, allowing the opposing defense to concentrate more on Calvin Johnson.
Even though the Lions have a 1-5 record, they have played much better than that record accounts for while using their second and third string quarterbacks. Not to mention that their rookie running back, Jahvid Best has been playing with two injured toes. Imagine if Best and Stafford were both healthy. With the bye-week rest, both of those players are supposed to come back healthy, giving the Lions offense their healthiest unit since the start of the first game.
So with the bye-week past, the Lions will be much healthier and can be expected to play at a higher level than they have while losing close games to some good teams like the Giants, Eagles and Packers. So it is feasible to believe the Lions could actually start winning now right? Now consider this. The Lions are only 2.5 games behind 1st place in their division.
In a weak NFC North division, the Lions will have rematches with all three of their rivals and this time all three will be in Detroit. Seven of their last ten games will be home games.
Do you really believe the Bears are as good as their record shows? Though the record doesn't show it, the Lions beat the Bears, who have lost three of their last four games. Is it not feasible to think the Lions could make up 2.5 games on the Bears? Especially considering that they will play them at home yet.
What about the Vikings? Yes the Vikings handily beat the Lions, but more than anything that week, the Lions destroyed themselves. Brett Favre has not been very good this year, and their best receiver, Sidney Rice is injured. With Minnesota only one game up on the Lions, and knowing they play each other in Detroit, is it not feasible to see the Lions overcoming that one game deficit?
As things stand, the greatest obstacle for the Lions to overcome would be the Green Bay Packers. Yet just how good are the Packers really? With a healthy team, they won a close game against the Eagles team that the Lions almost beat with a back-up quarterback. The Packers also did not have to face Michael Vick like the Lions had to. The Packers lost to the Bears one week after the Lions had a victory stolen by the refs against them. Make no mistakes about it, the Packers are a good team. They are easily the best team in the division. But it can be argued that with a healthy team, the Lions could catch them.
Don't get me wrong. I am not calling for a play-off birth. I am not saying I believe the Lions will make it to the play-offs much less win a game there. Personally I still maintain they are too young and will make crucial mistakes at critical times. What I am saying however, is that it is not out of the realm of possible for the Lions to make the play-offs. Even with a 1-5 record, there is still reason to believe that the Detroit Lions season is not over.
And that gives the fans a big reason to continue to watch with hope.
10/21/10
Do NFL Refs Hate the Lions
All of my life I have been against blaming losses on bad calls. If you want to win, play better. Six weeks into the NFL 2010 season however, I am starting to wonder if the refs simply do not like the Detroit Lions.
At least three of the losses, I can lay squarely at Scott Linehan's feet for his lack of cajones to call a pass down field. The Lions have taken some injuries and most importantly, the players keep taking senseless penalties at crucial times. Yet there are simply too many bad calls or no-calls by the NFL refs at crucial moments in the games to hold the Lions back.
Everyone knows about the refs taking a game winning touchdown away from Calvin Johnson in Chicago. What made it worse was that they called it a touchdown then went to the replay and took it away after adding interpretation to a rule that is not actually written in the rule.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles had a passing touchdown that should not have been allowed. The receiver and Lions defender were the only two players in the end-zone, so the play should have been clear to every official. I saw it in the live action that the receiver showed off of the Lions defender to gain the separation that allowed him to catch the touchdown pass. It was obvious shoving off, and the announcers even pointed it out, but no flag was thrown. So with seven points the Eagles should not have had, they beat the Lions by a field goal.
In Green Bay, the Lions had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter when Shaun Hill threw a pass to Calvin Johnson on 3rd and long. The Packer's cornerback, Woodson, was shoving on Calvin the entire route and when the ball was thrown, he continued to shove him. When the ball got to Calvin, Woodson was still all over him. I saw it clearly. A bunch of guys on CBS Lions message board saw it and complained. Yet somehow, the refs once again failed to see an obvious penalty that would have given the Lions a 1st down in field goal range. The Lions would have had 4 more downs to move the ball closer for an easier field goal as well as run more time off of the clock. The Lions lost by 2 points.
In New Jersey, playing the Giants, the Lions had a few more bad calls. There was a penalty against Gosder Cherilus for illegal formation and when the announcers looked at the replay, could not see what the penalty was. These were announcers that favored the Giants the entire game mind you, and they did not see what was wrong with the play. On another play, the Giants hit Shaun Hill down below the knees, forcing him to fall forward. Hill landed on his left hand and broke his arm. No call was made. Yet earlier in the year, one of the Lions defensive linemen was on his back and from his back, reached out and grabbed the quarterback by the ankles. He was flagged for hitting the quarterback down low.
I am not even going to mention how the Lions could have won some of these games if not for the bad calls or no-calls by refs. I am simply getting tired of seeing refs ignore blatant penalties on the Lions opponents and call penalties on the Lions that nobody can see. The Detroit Lions players are not playing smart. They are not playing focused with all of the penalties they are wracking up. But the fact is, they are getting too many penalties as it is. They don't need phantom penalties called as well and they don't need their opponents playing on a lopsided field because they don't get called.
At least three of the losses, I can lay squarely at Scott Linehan's feet for his lack of cajones to call a pass down field. The Lions have taken some injuries and most importantly, the players keep taking senseless penalties at crucial times. Yet there are simply too many bad calls or no-calls by the NFL refs at crucial moments in the games to hold the Lions back.
Everyone knows about the refs taking a game winning touchdown away from Calvin Johnson in Chicago. What made it worse was that they called it a touchdown then went to the replay and took it away after adding interpretation to a rule that is not actually written in the rule.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles had a passing touchdown that should not have been allowed. The receiver and Lions defender were the only two players in the end-zone, so the play should have been clear to every official. I saw it in the live action that the receiver showed off of the Lions defender to gain the separation that allowed him to catch the touchdown pass. It was obvious shoving off, and the announcers even pointed it out, but no flag was thrown. So with seven points the Eagles should not have had, they beat the Lions by a field goal.
In Green Bay, the Lions had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter when Shaun Hill threw a pass to Calvin Johnson on 3rd and long. The Packer's cornerback, Woodson, was shoving on Calvin the entire route and when the ball was thrown, he continued to shove him. When the ball got to Calvin, Woodson was still all over him. I saw it clearly. A bunch of guys on CBS Lions message board saw it and complained. Yet somehow, the refs once again failed to see an obvious penalty that would have given the Lions a 1st down in field goal range. The Lions would have had 4 more downs to move the ball closer for an easier field goal as well as run more time off of the clock. The Lions lost by 2 points.
In New Jersey, playing the Giants, the Lions had a few more bad calls. There was a penalty against Gosder Cherilus for illegal formation and when the announcers looked at the replay, could not see what the penalty was. These were announcers that favored the Giants the entire game mind you, and they did not see what was wrong with the play. On another play, the Giants hit Shaun Hill down below the knees, forcing him to fall forward. Hill landed on his left hand and broke his arm. No call was made. Yet earlier in the year, one of the Lions defensive linemen was on his back and from his back, reached out and grabbed the quarterback by the ankles. He was flagged for hitting the quarterback down low.
I am not even going to mention how the Lions could have won some of these games if not for the bad calls or no-calls by refs. I am simply getting tired of seeing refs ignore blatant penalties on the Lions opponents and call penalties on the Lions that nobody can see. The Detroit Lions players are not playing smart. They are not playing focused with all of the penalties they are wracking up. But the fact is, they are getting too many penalties as it is. They don't need phantom penalties called as well and they don't need their opponents playing on a lopsided field because they don't get called.
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