Drew Stanton Impersonating Matthew Stafford?

I’d like to take this opportunity to explain something to everybody: Drew Stanton isn’t the savior of the Detroit Lions.

If you thought he was going to get the start against San Francisco and torch their defense, you obviously had a little too much eggnog.

Now, I didn’t expect him to be great when he finally got the start.  I expected him to be able to play at the same level that Daunte Culpepper plays at. The reason I’ve been calling for Stanton to start is that any bum can play just as well as Culpepper, at this point in his career. The truth of the matter is that Daunte Culppepper should have been sent to third string after the first Green Bay game. However, Jim Schwartz and Scott Linehan have totally mishandled the quarterback situation all season.

Now what we get is Drew Stanton finally getting some playing time with two weeks left in the season, after only practicing with the starters for a week.  Essentially, any chemistry between Stanton and the receivers is non-existent because playing time and practice reps with the first team have been wasted since preseason. Wasted on a player who WILL NOT be a Detroit Lion next year and who HAS NEVER given us a “better chance to win.”

Drew Stanton has been in Detroit for three years and has suffered multiple injuries and has had his throwing mechanics changed. All things considered, this is his rookie season, and I do see the potential in him to be able to backup Matthew Stafford.

Stanton plays with heart and toughness just like Stafford does, he even has the same problems and makes the same mistakes as Stafford. If you looked at a couple of Staton’s interceptions against San Francisco, you would have thought that Stafford threw that ball. The one that really stood out the most was when Stanton failed to put some touch on it to get it over the defender. If he would have just put the slightest bit of touch on the ball it would have been a great throw and probably a catch. Instead the ball came out flat and powerful right into the hands of a defender. Sounds familiar, right?

The throws and mistakes I see Stanton make give me déjà vu of Matthew Stafford when he’s having a bad game. Stafford has had reps with the first team, he has had time to develop chemistry with his receivers, and most importantly he has had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes.

Had Drew Stanton been elevated to the second string quarterback after the first Green Bay game, he would have had some of the same opportunities. Since Schwartz and company seem to be in love with watching Daunte Culppepper continue to fail miserably though, we are still left wondering what Drew Stanton could do if given a real opportunity.

Well played, Schwartz, well played.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

My Concerns With The Detroit Lions

There have been some things that I like about this new coaching regime, like the fact that most of this year’s draft picks look to have more potential than any Lions drafted in the Millen Era not named Ernie Sims, Shaun Rogers, or Calvin Johnson.

For the most part, I’m willing to give Jim Schwartz a two or three-season pass. With that being said, if he is so smart, why are we making the same stupid mistakes?

I’ll start with the special teams. First and foremost, Schwartz has to axe Stan Kwan at the end of the season; there is no excuse for the abomination the Lions call special teams.

Secondly, does Schwartz not realize that not one person who the Lions have trotted out there has even resembled a competent kick returner?

We started the year with Aaron Brown taking kicks, but the Lions figured they would get more production out of Derrick Williams. Well, it hasn’t happened and Williams’ stats are actually worse than Brown’s. On punt returns, we have Dennis Northcutt—do I even need to say anything else? It’s Dennis Northcutt.

Meanwhile, the Lions had a good college kick returner on their practice squad in Tristan Davis and they cut him. I also wrote an article earlier in the season about the many good free agent return men out there.

However, the Lions still stubbornly continue to handicap themselves on special teams and on offense since they’re getting horrible field position. So I guess Schwartz is okay with the fact his team will never have good field position.

Next up, we have the Jeckel and Hyde units in the offense and defense. People are quick to point out how horrible the defense is, but I’ve actually seen some improvement on that side of the ball. On offense, they were getting better and better, but have started regressing since Stafford’s injury.

Maybe I’ve watched one too many Lions games this season. Maybe I’m starting to look at the world through the eyes of a boxer who has taken one too many hits to the head. The fact of the matter is, Scott Linehan is making me miss Mike Martz. There, I said it, but please hold all stones, rotten tomatoes, and other projectiles until the end of the article.

I just don’t believe in Scott Linehan at all; I’m willing to give him till the end of next year to show me something, but right now, he really isn’t. Yeah, it’s the players’ first year in his system, but his system looks like crap.

Martz had guys like Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey looking amazing. With Linehan, it seems like even with teams loading up on Calvin, nobody else can get open.

Sure, a lot of that falls on the players, but how much? Are we saying that Jon Kitna is that much better than Stafford? Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald that much better than Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt?

Well, Kitna is sitting on the bench in Dallas, probably for the rest of his career. Dennis Northcutt is statistically better than Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald combined this season, mostly because McDonald hasn’t played, but still both Northcutt and Johnson beat out Furrey.

You might say that Martz had horrible play-calling, well so does Linehan. Linehan’s isn’t as bad as Martz was when it comes to running, but everything else Linehan does boggles my mind. No, we aren’t the most talented team, but that shouldn’t mean the play calling should be crappy.

I swear that I sit there every Sunday feeling like a physic when the Lions offense is on the field. The worst part about it is the plays I’m predicting don’t match the situation the Lions are in on the field.

Case in point, if I see a 3rd-and-short, I predict pass because that’s what this genius usually dials up, no matter how many times it burns us. Even if they are in a position where they have to go for it on fourth down if they don’t convert, it’s still a pass! Martz had a better system point-blank, and it showed, because after he left we went from a top-10 offense to crap.

Linehan has managed to take us from crap to crap, but we’re all okay with it because we have low expectations. If he hasn’t done something with this offense by the end of next season I want Martz back … with a clause in his contract that says he must run the ball at least 20 times per game!

Now the defense; yes the defense has been bad, but I honestly think they have been getting better and better. I don’t have the stats to back it up, but I do know that the offense has been horrendous since Stafford came back from injury.

That means that we have been putting our bad defense out on the field far more than we should have to. The Rams put up 17 points on us, yet our offense was only able to manage 10; are we really going to put that on the defense?

Then there is the Seattle game, which we could have run away with if the offense had been able to put together anything after our amazing start. It didn’t happen, though, as Stafford turned the ball over five times.

I don’t care if it was Pittsburgh’s defense on the field; if your quarterback throws five interceptions, you’re probably not going to win.

Last but not least is the Vikings game, where we were only able to put up 10 points. Yet again we’re putting our bad defense out on the field and saying “win the game for us.”

Of course it didn’t work out, you’re supposed to hide your weaknesses, not say “here is our weak spot, take your best shot.” Then again, over the last few weeks the offense hasn’t exactly looked like our strong point.

The offense also has less of an excuse than the defense, even if Stafford missed a couple of weeks. On defense, we’re signing people off the street! We’ll sign a guy, he’ll get hurt that week, we’ll put him on injured reserve, then begin the cycle all over again.

Right now Cunningham is getting the benefit of the doubt because he has far less to work with. Kwan and Linehan, my patience is already beginning to wear thin.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Thank You Drew Stanton.

Well, I’ve been tackling this topic for about three straight weeks now and does anybody still feel the need to defend Daunte Culpepper being the number two quarterback?

I don’t wish injury on any player and I hate that Culpepper had to leave the game that way. I’d rather him have been benched, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t happy to finally see Drew Stanton in the game.

We saw what Daunte Culpepper could do today against the Packer defense and it wasn’t much.

How does 14 passes with six completions for 48 yards with a 3.4 yard average (Uh Captain Checkdown?) and one critical interception that helped the Packers jump out to a 14 to zero lead sound? Not good for a veteran quarterback who is supposed to have a grasp, no, strangle hold on the offensive system he’s playing in.

Yet, for the second straight week, Daunte Culpepper continued to prove that he is prone to rookie mistakes and has no idea how to handle deep passes.

Now, against the same defense our third string quarterback comes in and actually looked a whole hell of a lot better than our “veteran” second stringer. This also occurred in the pre-season.

Even Packer fans over on NFL.com thought Stanton had poise in the pocket and didn’t resemble a third string quarterback. He completed five of 11 passes for 57 yards with a 5.2 yard average (because he actually can throw a deep ball) and two interceptions.

The stats are a little misleading since Stanton’s first interception should have actually been a great play, but Pettigrew dropped it right into Al Harris’ hands. Despite this, Stanton kept that play alive by being mobile which Culpepper just isn’t these days.

Don’t give me that argument about his scramble against the Steelers either; look at Stanton in the pocket compared to Culpepper and then tell me who is a mobile quarterback.

The offense never even sniffed the end-zone with Culpepper on the field. However, with Stanton in the game, it was in prime position to put points on the board.

I know, that was until Stanton threw an interception in the end-zone. Yes, Stanton made a bad call, but I can understand that because including today, he’s thrown a grand total of 28 career passes. It’s not like he’s making these mistakes after throwing 3,104 career passes (Culpepper).

Thes mistakes are exactly why I wanted him on the field instead of Culpepper, because he’s had a rocky start to his career and still needs some development.

Last week, I was told you don’t need upside from a number two quarterback.

Really?

If Stanton can play as well as Culpepper now, imagine what he can do after he’s thrown more than 28 passes in a real game and has had a whole week to practice with the first team.

How is that for upside?

Also, have I mentioned Culpepper will be gone (thank god) after this season anyway, while we have Stanton at least two more years? I’m pretty sure I have, but just throwing that one out there one more time.

Lastly, there are rumors going around that Stafford may need surgery and while I’m praying that he doesn’t, if he does, Stanton should play. That’s it, end of discussion; there are no arguments that can be made anymore.

The smart play for the future of the team and for evaluation  purposes is Drew Stanton. People have been able to argue that Culpepper gives us the best chance to win with Stafford out, but does anybody really want to make that argument now?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Lions Lose In A Special Way

Well it turns out that I was both wrong and right in my prediction of the Bears and Lions game. It turns out that neither quarterback reverted back to their multiple interception selves. Stafford did throw one interception but it was more bad luck than anything.

Stafford didn’t see Tommy Harris who had fallen down. When he got up the ball fell right into his lap. Stafford torched the Bears’ mighty defense for 298 yards passing with one touchdown and two rushes for 20 yards.

However those numbers don’t mean that much when you have no running game to go along with it and are continuously starting drives within your own 20 yard line.

Aaron Brown, Dennis Northcutt, and Adam Jennings failed miserably in the return game in a week where Schwartz stated they needed to be more productive. On the flip side of that, the Detroit Lion’s cover units also fell flat on their faces when it came to keeping Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Daniel Manning in check on kick returns. We put our average defense out on the field all day and asked them to defend a shortened field.

Meanwhile we handicapped our offense by asking them to drive nearly 90 yards in order to score every time they got on the field. The result was a game that really started to get out of hand towards the end when the defense finally started to break down and the offense struggled in the shadow of their own end zone. We either need to release Jennings again and find a real kick returner or somebody needs to dropkick Stan Kwan so maybe he’ll have the special teams units ready to play.

This was a winable game and the next time we play Chicago that one will be winable too; all of our division games are. We aren’t a good enough team to do what we did against Chicago today and expect to win, its just not going to happen.

The passing game looked good all day. Stafford overthrew some guys but he’ll get better with that. There was no excuse for what the running game did. Smith was hurting and you could tell, he probably shouldn’t have played. Still, the coaches should have pulled him, that or get some screens with Aaron Brown going to pick up the slack from the run game because they were teeing off on us every time we tried to run.

Speaking of that, it’s not a rule that we have to run on first down, its okay to mix it up every now and then.

I guess we can chalk this one up to a learning experience. Hopefully it will lead to us learning that we don’t have a real kick returner and we need to get one. That or we just need to drop the only coaching holdover from our 0-16 season, Stan Kwan.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Real Detroit Lions QB Controversy

You know, when I hear that Daunte Culpepper should be starting, it boggles my mind more and more each time. I mean, call me crazy, but the last time I checked, at the end of this season, Daunte Culpepper’s contract ends.

Now, on the other hand, the current starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford is under a very large contract until the end of the 2014 season. Then there is Drew Stanton, who is signed to the Lions until the end of the 2010 season. Where am I going with all of this?

It’s quite simple, really. Not only do I think Culpepper shouldn’t replace Matthew Stafford, even if Stafford sets the record for interceptions in a game. I don’t think Culpepper should get the start if anything were to happen to Matthew Stafford.

What exactly would be the point? The only good that can come out of Culpepper starting is the possibility that he plays well enough to earn himself a few extra dollars from whoever he signs with next year. What could the Lions possibly get out of it, two more wins than they could get by starting Stafford, if that?

As soon as Drew Stanton fully recovers from his injury, Daunte Culpepper should be demoted to third stringer or traded. The worst possible scenario is that we trade Culpepper for some defensive help and then something happens to Stafford.

That means Stanton gets his shot, and if Stanton doesn’t play well, so what? The real question is, what if he does? If it were Culpepper going in and playing well or playing horrible, so what? He’s gone after this year anyway, but as I said, we have Stanton until the end of 2010.

If Stanton were to play well, then we would now have a young capable backup just in case. We could also dangle him in front of other teams as trade bait. Come on, he was a second-round draft pick and in my scenario would have proven that hes a gamer. His first couple of years were plagued by Mike Martz craziness and injuries and he still hasn’t gotten a real shot.

Also, let’s not forget that he out shined both Stafford and Culpepper in the preseason.

Mark my words, next season’s depth chart at quarterback is going to be Stafford as starter and Stanton as second string anyway. The only thing Culpepper is really doing for this team is taking practice reps away from our eventual backup.

That is besides giving some Lions fans and the media something to complain about when a rookie plays like a rookie. The Lions would be better off if they just traded Culpepper sooner rather than later.

Oh, and just for the record, Brian Billick, NFL Network: “I think coach Schwartz, taking into account the emotional stability of Stafford and his ability to handle the pressure of starting for the Lions, most QBs will tell you that you learn nothing from the bench, and the only way to learn is to play. I agree with that. It depends on the young QB, but Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman had very rough starts, but will tell you specifically they valued playing from the get-go.”

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Its Now Or St.Louis

So far the season has gone as expected, we all knew the Lions would most likely get killed by the Saints high powered offense but we actually held up better than Philly did.

Sure Mcnabb was hurt, BUT WERE THE LIONS! I think that trumps any silly rib injury. In week two we all knew we had a shot against the Vikings because have played them tough in our last few meetings as we did in this one, until the second half.

That brings us to week three where Matthew Stafford is going to have to step out of his role of rookie QB. He needs to step into the role of team doctor because Detroit fans want him to stop the bleeding and stop it now.

However nobody is doing Stafford any favors by giving the talented but underachieving Redskins bulletin board material. I know if I was Jim Zorn, the first thing I’d tell the team is that people in the media were picking the Detroit Lions to beat them, THE DETROIT LIONS!

Besides that I have fallen into this trap for the past two seasons, it appears as though we have a shot to beat the Skins but come game time it was all a dream. Third time is the charm? Lets hope so, as look at this matchup I can’t help but get really excited but not just because the way the Redskins have played recently, because they’re hurting in key positions.

Jason Campbell has been limited in practice because he sprained his foot against the Rams but said he will play againtst Detroit to the dismay of Washington fans everywhere who don’t even like him when he’s healthy.

Starting RG Randy Thomas was placed on injured reserve after arm surgery but trust me it gets better (for us anyway). The Skins don’t have a single backup lineman who played a down in the NFL last season.

Last but not least RB Clinton Portis has been limited in practice with an ankle injury. Thats not even taking into account the controversy with the Skins LB slamming the fans who have every right to boo since they’re “Mcdonalds” money pays his salary.

Lets not forget that the Skins are racist and excuse they’re racism by saying it will cost them too much money to change. They sound like a team who deserves to get beat by the Lions don’t you think?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Detroit Lions: On the Outside Looking In

Since going to the 16-game regular season, the Detroit Lions were the only team to go 0-16. However, there are eight other teams that were only able to win a single game, and as a Detroit Lions fan, that interests me.

 

Saints—1979  8-8, 1980 1-15, 1981 4-12

Cowboys—1988  3-13, 1989 1-15, 1990 7-9

Pats—1989 5-11, 1990 1-15, 1991 6-10

Colts—1990 7-9, 1991 1-15, 1992 9-7

Jets— 1995  3-13, 1996 1-15, 1997 9-7

Chargers—1999 8-8, 2000 1-15, 2001 5-11

Panthers—2000 7-9, 2001 1-15, 2002 7-9

Dolphins—2006 6-10, 2007 1-15, 2008 11-5

Lions—2007 7-9, 2008 0-16, 2009 ?????

 

By stats alone, the odds of the Lions pulling out a season with over eight wins doesn’t look good, but anything is possible.

 

I’ve been saying for a while now that I don’t know exactly how many wins this team will be able to pull off. I believe it will be between five and nine wins, which is very attainable.

 

There are so many things to factor in that it’s just way too hard to judge. For people to say the Lions will have under four wins or yell about playoffs at this point is ludicrous.

 

I will say this: I don’t think that there is a better division the Lions could ever hope to be in for them to be able to pull off a playoff run because in the NFC North, nothing is set in stone. 

 

I picked up a copy of Lindy’s 2009 Pro Football Preview and Fantasy Football Guide 2009. The Fantasy Football Guide had six different writers make predictions, for the North Chicago got the nod three times, the Vikes twice, and the Packers once.

 

Of course, it’s a fantasy football magazine, so it’s really all about the stats and stat projections:

 

Matthew Stafford—12 Games, 334 Attempts, 196 Complete, 58.7 percent, 2,291 yards, 190.9 Yards Per Game, 16 Tds, 14 Ints .

 

Kevin Smith—16 Games, 297 Attempts, 1,240 yards, 75.9 YPG, 9 TDs

 

Calvin Johnson—16 Games, 82 Catches, 1,373 yards (No. 2 in NFL), 85.8 YPG, 11 TDs

 

Bryant Johnson—16 Games, 44 Catches, 564 yards, 35.5 YPG, 3 TDs

 

 

 

Lindy’s Pro Football Preview didn’t make predictions, they just rated teams, and ratings for the NFC North looked like this. Ratings were on a 1-10 scale, except intangibles, which was plus-2 at best and minus-2 at worst. The highest rated teams in the league were Philly (72.5), Pittsburgh (72.0), Tennesse (71.5), and New England (71.0).

 

Detroit—Coach 6.0, QB 6.5, RB 6.0,  REC 7.5, OL 7.0, DL 7.0, LB 8.0, SEC (Secondary) 7.0, ST  7.0, INT (Intangibles) –1, Total – 61.0.

 

Chicago—Coach 7.5, QB 8.0, RB 7.0,  REC 6.0, OL 6.5, DL 7.5, LB 8.0, SEC (Secondary) 7.5, ST  9.0, INT (Intangibles) +2, Total – 69.0.

 

Green Bay—Coach 8.0, QB 7.0, RB 7.0,  REC 8.0, OL 7.0, DL 6.0, LB 7.0, SEC (Secondary) 7.5, ST  6.5, INT (Intangibles) -1, Total – 63.0

 

Minnesota—Coach 7.0, QB 6.5, RB 9.5,  REC 7.0, OL 7.0, DL 9.0, LB 7.5, SEC (Secondary) 7.5, ST  7.0, INT (Intangibles) +1, Total – 69.0

 

Essentially, the view in these magazines and the view outside of Detroit Lions fans is pretty much the same as the view of Detroit Lions fans. Some expect big things, some expect nothing, and some will believe it when they see it.

Either way, it should be a fun season.  

 

A Redzone Nightmare: Detroit Lions Receivers

WR – Bryant Johnson – 6”3 – 211 lbs

WR – Calvin Johnson – 6”5 – 239 lbs

WR – Ronald Curry – 6”2 – 210 lbs

WR – Travis Taylor – 6”1 – 210

WR – D.J. Boldin – 6”1 – 220 lbs

WR – John Standeford – 6”4 – 206 lbs

WR – Steve Sanders – 6”3 – 205 lbs

WR – Chris Hannon – 6”3 – 205 lbs

TE – Brandon Pettigrew – 6”5 – 263 lbs

As of now those are the targets Lions Quarterbacks will be throwing too. Along with William Franklin (6’0″), Derrick Williams (5’11”), Adam Jennings (5’9″), and the rest of the Lions TEs with the shortest one being Jake Nordin at 6’3″.

If the Lions get into the endzone there is no reason the quarterbacks can’t throw the ball up to Pettigrew or one of the Johnsons and let them just go up and get it. If that fails, hey, give the ball to the 300 pound FB we have and let him steam roll somebody.

There is a lot of potential in the Lions receiving and tight end corps, but until they step on the field and prove something its just potential. We all know that Calvin Johnson is a freak and will be the number-one option for the Detroit Lions but after that it’s pretty much an open race.

Bryant Johnson could prove to be the perfect compliment for Calvin Johnson. Bryant hasn’t exactly set the world on fire however he hasn’t been an absolute failure either.

I’ll put it this way, Roy Williams has 281 Rec, 4,082 Yds, 14.5 YPC, 30 TD. Bryant Johnson has 255 Rec, 3,221 Yds, 12.6 YPC, 12 TD. Johnson also comes with  a much cheaper price tag than Roy Williams. I’d go as far as to saying Johnson would have been the more productive of the two, had he not been in Arizona battling with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

Other than Johnson, the next person on the roster that excites me is D.J. Boldin, the brother of Anquan. The scouts say that he has the same freakish skill set as his brother.

He was redshirted his freshman year, didn’t do much as a sophmore, sat out due to academics the next year, and didn’t didn’t do much as a junior. However, as a Senior everything finally clicked for him, though it wasn’t enough to get him drafted.

Curry, Taylor, and Williams all could end up holding down the second, third, or fourth options at receiver. At TE Brandon Pettigrew is a lock to start. With his blocking ability Kevin Smith should love him and with his size he should be a frequent option in the redzone.

I, for one, can’t wait to see these guys get on the field, preseason should be fun because thats when were will see which one of these guys wants it more.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010