Five Steps To Survive Watching a Lions Game

I’ve been watching Lions games for about 19 years now, and I have witnessed many painful sights. From Barry Sanders breaking defenders’ ankles to Paul Edinger kicking the game-winning field goal that destroyed any hopes of a playoff berth in 1999 and made me cry like a baby.

 

Over the years, you eventually develop a system to deal with the worst franchise in sports—or at least, I have.

 

So, to all the diehard Lions fans in Detroit and elsewhere, let me give you some sound advice to limit your outrage toward the team’s possible inept performance on any Sunday afternoon.

 

1. Don’t pay much attention to any talking heads who believe that the Lions have a chance to upset a superior opponent.

 

2. Before the game begins, expect the worst from the Lions. If the Lions have a 10-point lead and are actually playing well, don’t be optimistic—be cynical. Think to yourself “They’re going to blow this lead.”

 

3. You can still root for the Lions. You can yell and exclaim all the obscenities you want, but don’t get off your lazy-boy and act out a first down signal or throw a pillow at your television set when something goes wrong. Stay centered, grasshopper.

 

When something does go wrong, and you know it’s inevitable; it won’t surprise you in the least.

 

4. If the Lions are getting blown out by 20 points or more, change the channel and try to find another game to watch. Periodically, check in on the game just in case something crazy happens, like a comeback.

 

5. If a miracle happens, and they do end up winning the game, it will be so much sweeter. If the Lions end up losing, find a 4:00 game and enjoy. You’ll forget all about the loss until the highlights are shown on NFL Network.

 

If you follow my five steps, you’ll limit the possibility of heart attack or high blood pressure. I don’t know if that’s true, but it sounds logical, right?

 

 

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The Return Of The Detroit Lion’s Return Game

Despite the woeful 45-27 loss to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, there were some enlightening results that developed in the defeat.

 

One facet of Sunday’s match up that really stood out to me and the rest of Lions fans, would probably have to be the special teams, the return game to be precise. 

 

Lion’s third-string running back and kickoff-returner Aaron Brown offered up an impressive performance against the Saints on Sunday.Brown averaged 36.0 yards per return on five attempts and he gained 155 yards total rushing.

 

Brown nearly took an 86 yard kickoff return to the house in the third quarter as he jived and juked passed the New Orleans Saints special teams unit. That kickoff return eventually paid dividends soon after with a Jason Hanson 24 yard field goal.

 

The longest kick return the Lions managed to gain last season was a measly 46 yards by former running back Aveion Cason, and the longest punt return they managed to gain last season was an epic low 27 yards by former wide receiver Brandon Middleton.

 

In one regular season game, Aaron Brown has already surpassed the longest kick return the Lions managed to gain in 16 games last season while Dennis Northcutt surpassed Brandon Middleton’s low 27 yard return with a 43 yard punt return of his own on Sunday afternoon.

 

If the Lions return game continues to maintain lengthy returns as they did against the Saints, it could give the offense a fighting chance to actually win a close game. Their defense surely won’t contribute to the cause.

 

It also helps lions rookie starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense from getting backed up deep in their own territory.

 

Look on the bright side, it would prevent Stafford from stepping out of the back of the end zone like Dan Orlovsky did last season against the Vikings in the Metrodome.

 

The Lions haven’t had a reliable return man since the early 90’s when Mel Gray was tearing the Pontiac Silverdome’s turf to shreds. After Sunday’s stellar performance by Aaron Brown, it seems, at least for now, that the Lions have finally found their man they’ve been desperately seeking.

 

It’s just another example of how awful Matt Millen’s 7 year draft record really was. It only took one draft for current Lions general manger Martin Mayhew to find a kick returner, in the sixth-round no less.

 

With speedsters like Aaron Brown, Dennis Northcutt, and former Baltimore Ravens return man Yamon Figures, the Lions look to their special teams for some playmaking ability.

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Detroit Lions: What To Look For In Final Two Preseason Games

There are only two preseason games remaining until the Detroit Lions kick off its 2009 regular season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13. But before the season gets underway, there are still lingering questions to be answered in the final two preseason games.

There are three things Lions fans should be keeping a close eye on and they are the kicking competition, the quarterback battle, and the defensive line.

Last Tuesday, veteran kicker Jason Hanson underwent minor surgery on his right knee and there’s a possibility that he could miss the opener against the Saints

Until then, backup kicker Swayze Waters, who’s battling a sore hamstring, will take over Hanson’s work load, along with newly signed kicker Billy Cundiff, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
 
It should be interesting to see how the second-string kickers perform in the absence of Hanson.

I don’t mean to digress, but doesn’t Swayze Waters sound like a cross between Patrick Swayze and Muddy Waters?

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition between Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper is slightly swinging favorably in the direction of Mr. Culpepper. In the first two preseason games, Culpepper has a combined 15-for-22 for 127 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns.

Meanwhile, rookie Matt Stafford has a combined 12-for-27 for 148 yards with an interception and a touchdown. It’s really difficult to gage each one of their performances without any starters like Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, or Dennis Northcutt, who are all expected to play vs. the Colts on Saturday.

The last two preseason games should give fans and coaches an opportunity to see how good or bad each quarterback really is.

Personally, I’d still rather see Matt Stafford named the starter entering the season. But if the coaching staff believes that Daunte Culpepper gives the team a better chance to be successful, then I’m all for it.

Did I just write Lions and successful in the same sentence?

In the game against the Cleveland Browns this past Saturday, the Lions defense allowed 157 yards and 13 points on four Browns possessions in the opening quarter. In the first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, running back Michael Turner gashed the Lions for a 40 yard touchdown as he powered his way through this supposed upgraded defense.

In both preseason of those games, the Lions defensive line has failed to put any pressure on the opposition’s offensive line.

Detroit needs to witness some kind of pressure, any kind of pressure—just something to build upon going into the season.

It’s very concerning because in the first five games of the regular season, the Lions defense will begrudgingly have the daunting task of trying to contain Reggie Bush, Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, Matt Forte, and Willie Parker.

Why Matthew Stafford Could Make The Detroit Lions’ Offense Dangerous

The biggest storyline of the Lions preseason is the highly contested battle for the starting quarterback job between Daunte Culpepper (now leaner and slimmer than last season) and rookie Matthew Stafford.

There’s a distinct possibility that Matthew Stafford might not be named the starting quarterback entering the 2009 season,  but if Daunte Culpepper begins to show any signs of faltering, you better believe that Jim Schwartz won’t hesitate to start Stafford. 

If Stafford does end up earning the starting job, the Detroit Lions offense has the potential to be very dangerous. 

For example, Atlanta Falcons’ rookie Matt Ryan was named the starting quarterback by first year head coach, Mike Smith, entering the 2008 season. Luckily for the Falcons, they had acquired free agent running back Michael Turner, who was a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego for four years.

They also had up-and-coming wide receiver, Roddy White. With the emergence of Turner and White, it gave Matt Ryan a boost of confidence, knowing he could rely on his new found weapons. Ryan ended up leading the Atlanta Falcons to playoffs, and was named Rookie of the Year.

Matthew Stafford has some weapons of his own.

Lions starting running back Kevin Smith, a.k.a.”The Lead Dog”, is determined to become the best running back in the history of the National Football League. While it’s highly unlikely that will happen, you have to admire the drive and determination of this boastful young man.

Smith put in a lot of work into his offseason workouts, concentrating mainly on his lower body strength. In a recent article by Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com, Smith talked about his offseason workouts saying, “I ran the hills a lot more in the offseason. I wanted more lower-body explosion—I have to break more arm tackles—I left a lot of yards out there last season.”

Last week on WDIV in Detroit, he told reporters, “I tell myself, I want to run for 5,000 yards and 100 touchdowns—that’s my drive, but that’s not necessarily my goal” 

Kevin Smith is no stranger when it relates to bold statements. On May 6th, Smith wrote on his blog “I won’t make a prediction about how many games we’re going to win, but I will say this: We will definitely make the playoffs this season” 

The last time a Lions player made a bold prediction was in 2007, when Jon Kitna guaranteed that the Lions would win 10 games.

They ended the season with a 7-9 record. Good one, Jon!
 
When you think of elite NFL wide receivers, you think of players like Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals or Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans. With Matthew Stafford under center, look for Calvin Johnson—aka “Megatron”—to give Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson a run for their money in 2009.

The Lions used three different starting quarterbacks in 2008: Kitna, Culpepper, and Dan Orlovsky. Calvin still managed to rack up 1,331 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. Now that Calvin Johnson has a quarterback who can actually throw a football, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see him finish this season with 1,500 yards recieving and 20 touchdowns

In order for Stafford to be successful, the Lions’ offensive line needs to protect him better than the 52 sacks they gave up last season.

Instead of drafting an offensive lineman in the NFL draft, the Lions decided to select 6’5″ 263 lb. rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew. At first, I was baffled when the Lions took Pettigrew over offensive lineman Michael Oher, who was still available. With versitle tight ends like Antonio Gates and Jason Witten, who have the ability to block and make plays down field, it gives offensive coodinator Scott Linehan more to work with.

Let me leave you with one last quote, courtesy of The Canadian Press.

“I have to remind myself that I can throw the ball up a lot more with Brandon and Calvin,” rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I’m not used to having receivers that can go up and make plays like those two, but it’s going to be fun.”

Brady or Roethlisberger: Who’s Super Bowl Drive Was Better?

I was watching the NFL Network one night while they were replaying Super Bowl XLIII and saw Ben Roethlisberger’s infamous drive. I then thought, hey, “Who’s Super Bowl drive was better, Brady’s or Roethlisberger’s?”

Tom Brady and the Patriots offense began their drive on their own 17 yard line with 1:21 left in regulation. Brady drove the Patriots down the field in seven plays, spanning 1:14 to give Adam Vinatieri a chance to kick the game winning field goal. The biggest play of the drive came when Brady completed a 22 yard pass to veteran receiver, Troy Brown.

Vinatieri attempted a 48 yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation, and didn’t disappoint as he knocked it through the uprights to make one of the most memorable field goals in NFL history, thus upsetting the favored St. Louis Rams, 20-17.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense, originally began their drive at their own 22 yard line, but a holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards to the 12 yard line with 2:24 left.

Roethlisberger drove the Steelers down the field in eight plays, spanning 2:02. The biggest play of the Steelers drive came, when Roethlisberger completed a 39 yard pass to wide receiver, Santonio Holmes. On second and goal from the Cardinals seven yard line, Big Ben threw a perfect pass over three Cardinals’ defenders to Santonio Holmes, who arguably made the greatest catch in a Super Bowl history.

Their are some striking similarities between Brady’s drive and Roethlsberger’s drive. Both teams started out deep in their own territory, it took nearly the same amount of plays, and witnessed two of the greatest plays in Superbowl history.

While there were some similarities, there was one big difference. The Arizona Cardinals offense still had one more opportunity to answer the Steelers drive, while Ben waited helplessly on the Steelers sideline.

Tom Brady’s drive was impressive because he was a first year starting quarterback
without any experience to draw back on. Ben Roethlisberger was already established as a top tier quarterback who had played in a Super Bowl before and experienced the importance of a Super Bowl.

Ben had more of a talented supporting cast around him, with the likes of Willie Parker, Hines Ward, and Santonio Holmes compared to Brady’s cast of characters of Antowain Smith, Troy Brown, and David Patten. Even though the Steelers offense was more talented, Brady had to do more with less.

Ben Roethlisberger’s drive was also very impressive because the Steelers were actually trailing the game, 23-20, which put more pressure on the broad shoulders of Big Ben.

There wasn’t nearly as much pressure on Tom Brady, because the game was tied and nobody expected that he would actually drive the Patriots down the field and win the game. Another argument you could make for Ben is the Steelers had a weaker offensive line.

With all of that said, it’s ultimately Tom Brady.

Inexperienced, more with less, less pressure, and better offensive line is more impressive than experienced and with reliable weapons.

Most people that watched Super Bowl XLIII will always remember James Harrisons’ 100 yard interception return for a touchdown or how exciting that fourth quarter was. I know that shouldn’t be a deciding factor, but in many’s people’s eyes, it is.

Brady’s drive was more impressive, there’s no doubt about it, but when push comes to shove, the only thought that resonates in a fan’s mind more is Santonio Holmes’ tip-toed catch in the corner of the endzone.

No matter what you think, were all lucky to have witnessed these historic moments.

Funny Quip About A Lions Third Stringer

This is short and sweet.

During the past winter, a “friend” of mine that works at an unnamed Detroit hotel, told me a story about how an athlete on a certain local professional sport team in Detroit, acted like a diva.

Let me set the scene for you, this local athlete entered the hotel and walked toward the front desk to check in. My “friend” politely asked for his name, and he then gave my friend a look as to say “Do you know who I am.”

That sounds like what a athlete might usually do, right?

The only problem I have, is the fact that he’s a third string running back, on the Detroit Lions, no less.

It’s just another case, on how much professional athletes think their entitled to, even if they are a nobody.

If anybody really cares to know who the Lions player is, I purposely hid his name somewhere in this article. It’s two words next to one another.

Jay Cutler or Matt Cassel: Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs Roll The Dice

The two biggest moves of the 2009 NFL offseason involved two highly sought after quarterbacks, Jay Cutler and Matt Cassel. Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears, amidst rumors that new head coach, Josh McDaniels offered to trade him for, oddly enough, Matt Cassel.

Cassel’s trade wasn’t as dramatic, due to the fact that the New England Patriots already have three-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady. Now that each player has a clean slate, I started to wonder, who will help their new team the most in 2009?

Jay Cutler is inheriting an inept offense that has no deep threats, unless you want to call Devin Hester a receiving threat. Don’t get me wrong, the Bears do have a couple of weapons, including Matt Forte and Greg Olsen, but nothing that teams around the league can’t handle.

Cutler was forming a nice chemistry with his former wide receiver Brandon Marshall when they were teammates in Denver. Now, the only question is, who’s going to become Cutler’s new target in Chicago, Rashied Davis?

When the Bears decided to trade for Jay Cutler from Denver, they might have made an enormous mistake by giving up two first-round picks, and missing an opportunity to upgrade their receiving corp. If they had only given up one first-round draft pick, there’s a high probability the Bears could’ve chosen Jeremy Maclin from Missouri.

Whoops!

I don’t necessarily know what the Bears could’ve offered the Broncos, but it might come back to haunt the Bears for a long time.

There have been rumors floating around that the Bears are supposedly interested in former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. If the Bears do end up signing Burress, then look out NFL!

Matt Cassel, on the other hand, has more options to work with than Jay Cutler. Unlike Cutler, Cassel actually does have a reliable deep threat in Dwayne Bowe.

Bowe compiled just over a 1,000 yards last season, but don’t forget that was with Tyler Thigpen at quarterback for most of the season. Also, with the addition of former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram, Cassel will have a pretty good second option. The big question for Matt Cassel is, can he still be successful without Randy Moss or Wes Welker like he was last season in New England?

When it’s all said and done, both the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs have vastly improved at quarterback. With that said, I think Matt Cassel will fair slightly better than Jay Cutler will in the 2009 season.

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