Detroit Lions Offensive Playbook: How to Beat The Bears

After three weeks, the Chicago Bears look less like “Monsters of the Midway” and more like the monsters inhabiting a Dreamworks movie.

Ok, maybe I’m being a little harsh.

On first glance, the Bears—missing their emotional leader, Brian Urlacher—are still statistically a top ten defense, statistically.

Their competition hasn’t exactly been a group of offensive powerhouses. Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Seattle are all dealing with their own offensive problems.

Injuries are also piling up for the Bears. Linebackers, Urlacher, Briggs, Hillenmeyer and Tinoisamoa are all on the injury report for various reasons. Alex Brown (DE) and Tommie Harris (DT) are also dinged up.

All of this leads to a heavy rotation in the front seven. Combine that with the nature of the Cover Two defense, and you get a team which has taken on a bend but don’t break philosophy.

The Bears are in the bottom of the league with only four takeaways on the season (Detroit is only one better with five).

Are the Bears good defensively? Certainly.

Are the Bears as good as Detroit Lions fans are used to them being? Probably not.

Are they beatable? Definitely.

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Growing Pains: Detroit Lions Fall to the Minnesota Vikings, 27-13

The Detroit Lions have lost 19 straight games.The last time Detroit put up a number in the win column was Dec. 23, 2007. Our leading passer was Jon Kitna. Our leading rusher was T.J. Duckett.

Let me put that in perspective for you.

A good friend of mine, Bleacher Report NBA writer, Dr. Trade has recently made the move to Stevensville, MI. An ardent Vikings fan, he decided to wash the car last Sunday rather than watch the debacle against the Saints. However, being a sports guy, he tuned the radio to Dan Miller and giggled as the Lions lost their 18th straight.

However, even he was surprised when he learned the Lions last win was December of 2007. See, the good doctor graduated from college in 2007. Since then, he’s had a child, moved to Utah—teaching seventh and eighth grade. He’s moved back to Michigan—teaching social studies and English at the high school level.

In his own personal life, he has had a plethora of experiences since the Lions experienced a win.

What about in your life? How have you lived since Dec. 23, 2007?

One of the biggest frustrations for Lions fans is that the people responsible for this travesty have lived rather well.

Matt Millen, the architect of the NFL’s only 0-16 season, has lived rather well since 2007. He is now back on the fast track to be one of ESPN’s top color commentators—a job he’s always coveted.

William Clay Ford Sr. may be hurting from the fractured fanbase and from this latest recession but is actually making a ton of money from Ford Field becoming a popular venue for a host of big entertainment options.

Tom Lewand, the teams chief financial officer, in charge of handing out some of the worst contracts this league has ever seen, got a promotion.

What have you done? How have you lived.

You’ve lived without a Lions win. That is a frustrating fact. That frustration bubbled to the surface during the Lions’ second drive on Sunday.The Lions had gotten a FG on their first drive, a mixture of run and pass getting all the way to the red zone before Stafford missed a wide open pass in the end zone, setting up a Jason Hanson field goal.

On that second drive, a fateful drive, the Lions looked golden. The Lions, without hyperbole, were running all over the Vikings. Madieu Williams, the Vikings strong safety was living in the box, and the Vikings were still giving up runs of five and six yards.

Scott Linehan, sensing the big play was there, dialed up a pass to fullback, Jerome Felton, who surprised just about every fan, rumbling and stumbling for 21 yards.

Then, after another great run by Kevin Smith, Linehan put the ball in Stafford’s hands.

Stafford took the shotgun snap and rolled to his right, away from pressure, and lofted a ball in the direction of Calvin Johnson. Of the around hundred thousand people who watched that pass, only Matthew Stafford thought it was a good idea.

Calvin Johnson was double covered, and Chad Greenway was sitting in a zone, reading Stafford’s eyes between him and CJ. Greenway picked off the pass easily and ran 13 yards the other way.

It would be only the first of two Stafford interceptions on the day.The second one was also picked off by Greenway and even more ill-advised.

The most maddening play of the day was on the Lions third drive of the second half. The Vikings had just taken the lead and the Lions needed to answer. On third down, Calvin Johnson ran a slant and beat his defender badly. Stafford delivered the ball low and outside, forcing CJ to dive for the ball.

If that ball was on target, it was a first down. With the talent of Calvin Johnson and one man to beat, it could have been a touchdown. Instead, 4th-and-2, punt.

To look on the brightside, Matthew Stafford played better week two than he did in week one, throwing his first NFL touchdown pass. However, he was checkdown city, missing several open receivers downfield for 4.5 yards/pass.

For a quarterback whose college scouting report was the polar opposite of Joey Harrington, he looked very similar to the former Oregon Duck on Sunday—completing many of his passes behind or close to the line of scrimmage, depending on Calvin Johnson or Kevin Smith to get YAC.

Following the game, Jim Schwartz refused to site “rookie mistakes” in retrospect of Stafford’s game. The two interceptions and the many bad incompletions were either bad decisions or horrible throws and inexcusable, even for a rookie.

Yes, these Lions (and Lions’ fans) are certainly experiencing the brunt of Matthew Stafford’s growing pains.

Jim Schwartz famously said “this isn’t an experiment” when he named Stafford the starter.

But isn’t it? Aren’t the Lions experimenting just how long veterans like Larry Foote and Julian Peterson can tolerate a rookie’s mistakes while holding their tongues? Aren’t the Lions experimenting, trying to find exactly where Calvin Johnson says, enough is enough?

For now, at 0-2, everything is still copacetic around Allen Park, but for how long? There is one, perhaps two, winnable games between now and the Lions’ week seven bye. If the Lions are 0-6 at that point, what changes will be made?

As of now, the Lions are just one of eight teams who are 0-2. Excuses can be made, light can still be seen (or rather manufactured) at the end of the tunnel. The Lions barely were able to sell out their home opener.

If the Lions do not win a game soon, if they march on toward the Buccaneers’ 26 consecutive losses, they will find themselves conducting an experiment—on what playing football in an empty stadium is like.

 

Other Observations From Week Two

Jeff Backus is Really, Really Bad

No, seriously, he’s bad.

Quote of the day from Vikings fan, Brock Groth, who watched the game with me, “Wait, I thought Backus was good.”

No, no he isn’t. Not a bit. Stafford was sacked twice on that drive in a second half nothing like the first.

I’m not saying anything Lions fans haven’t been screaming since 2001. However, take an extra look at his production. Many of the Lions rushing yards were to the left on Sunday, but Backus was paired with a tight end or a fullback for all of those positive plays.

Backus was called for a costly holding penalty and got away with a few blatant holding calls on Jared Allen.

On the Lions’ fourth first-half drive, Maurice Morris spelled Kevin Smith for two plays. On his second run, fans were treated to a close-up, slow motion view of Jeff Backus with two fists full of Jared Allen’s jersey, holding the living crap out of him.

I personally have no idea how officials failed to throw the flag.

I personally have no idea how Backus is still a starter in this league.

 

The Lions Can Blitz?

In the Lions preseason win against the Colts, the Lions played a very conservative defensive plan, yet Gunther Cunningham threw one crossing blitz at Indianapolis, sacking Peyton Manning and enticing Lions fans everywhere.

Against the Saints, week one, the Lions blitzed very sparingly in the first half, getting torched every time. When the Lions sat back, things only got worse.

Fast forward to week two, and all of a sudden, Brett Favre can barely find daylight against a Lions defense which sacked Brett Favre three times, hit him seven times more and compiled five tackles for loss.

The Lions also held Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards for only the 14th time in his career.

When the Vikings went to the wildcat, Julian Peterson blew up a block and the Vikings never went to that well again.

The Lions looked like a team finding its offensive identity on Sunday. Surely they are a work in progress—closer to the starting gun than the finish line—but there is promise.

 

Looking Forward

The Lions face Washington at home this week in perhaps their most winnable game until the week eight, “Mediocrity Bowl” against St. Louis.

It will be the second time in two weeks that the Lions have faced a version of the West Coast offense. Minnesota clearly has better personnel on offense than the Redskins and it could be a very good game.

However, Washington is a defense statistically very comparable to Minnesota and Stafford will face a lot more blitz packages than he did against the Vikings pseudo-Cover Two.

This week, the Lions need to focus on Stafford’s maturation as a game manager.

The Lions defense should be able to win this game.

If Stafford can attack the flats similar to this week, the Lions will be able take advantage of those Redskins’ blitz packages.

In addition, Stafford will have chances with Johnson down the field against shorter weaker cornerbacks. Stafford needs to silence his detractors and hit Johnson down the field.

If Stafford can do that this week, weeks four through six (Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay) will be that much easier if teams are forced to game plan against the deeper passes.

 

In Conclusion

This was a much closer game than many critics thought it would be. The Vikings are considered the class of the NFC North and stacked on both sides of the ball.

Although the Lions have lost 19 straight, fans know that playing teams close is nothing new. However, having a lead at half time is a new and exciting adventure many of the most faithful appreciate.

The Lions are taking meaningful, valuable steps forward but need to reward their most faithful with a win.

Coming up tomorrow, yours truly will be picking up the torch from B/R ace, Angel Navedo and compiling the week two official Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings. Check back for that.

For the most up-to-date Lions info, follow me on Twitter.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Detroit Lions—New Orleans Saints: Week One Recap

To quote long time NFL Head Coach (now in the UFL), Dennis Green: “They are what we thought they were”—a statement applicable to both teams competing week one in the Louisiana Superdome.

The Saints were what we thought they were—an offensive team that can clamp down on any team in which it sees a weakness. The Saints are known for being a passing team, but managed to run (35) one more time than they passed (34). The most stunning thing seen on Sunday however, was how much better the Saints have become, defensively. 

Don’t get me wrong, no one is going to confuse these Saints with the ’76 Steelers, but certainly the 2009 version is far and away better than the 2008 squad.

Sedrick Ellis is coming into his own as a disruptive force up front. The revamped secondary or Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer, Darren Sharper, and Roman Harper (Usama Young when healthy) could be one of the most underrated units in the league. The linebacking corps lacks overall talent but has a great playmaker in the middle in Jonathan Vilma—who never fit well in Mangini’s 3-4 defense. 

So take solace Lions fans. The boys from Motown may have lost 17 games in a row. But they lost to a very good team.

The Lions are not one of “those teams” yet. One of those teams which has been blessed by the NFL parity fairy. One of those teams who can win any game on any Sunday.

Against the 2008 New Orleans Saints defense, maybe we could have stole one. But combining the best NFL offense and a better than average defense, the Lions had no chance. Those among us who thought differently may have gotten indigestion from all that Kool-Aid and cornbread.

Don’t worry, this columnist was among them.

The Lions are a bigger tease than the 17-year-old Olsen twins.

How many among our ranks “believed” the Lions could win yesterday—only down by 11 or 14 in the second half. “We just need a lucky bounce.”

Then, they were who we thought they were.

Yes, the 2009 Lions are certainly new players and new coaches—still the same ol’ Lions. The Lions are able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at every turn.

But take heart.

There were positives in yesterday’s game.

 

Matthew Stafford, Meet Humility

Matthew Stafford is a lot of things. He is talented, composed, charming, and an all around great guy.

He is not humble.

He doesn’t have to be! He’s been the No. 1 pick in the NFL since his sophomore year in high school. He has always been the best player on his team, until now.

Stafford’s biggest vice will always be the trust his has in his arm, his hubris.

That lack of humility is the cause of throws being forced into coverage, the cause for throws way too high or too low because Stafford trusted his arm instead of sound mechanics.

To be frank, Stafford missed horribly on a number of throws. He was, possibly, worse than his numbers suggest. He also seems to have a case of “Kitna-itis,” the condition which strikes talented quarterbacks on the most crucial of drives.

The upside, Stafford is down with that sickness (ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah) at the beginning of his career, wheras Kitna was far too old to be taught new tricks.

Stafford, by all accounts, is one of the most coachable quarterbacks ever. Linehan, by many accounts, is a great quarterbacks coach.

However, this game may have been necessary in the grand scheme of Stafford’s career. This game was his Aikman moment. Troy Aikman lost in his first game, also to the Saints, 24-0. Aikman had Herschel Walker at the time.

Eventually, Aikman had to learn that the NFL is not the Pac-10, and he’s not always the best player on the field. Stafford now knows that.

How he handles that knowledge over the course of this year is more important that a 45-27 loss to a very good team.

 

Stan Kwan Slept Like a Baby Last Night

And he had sweet dreams about laughing at all of us who consistently blamed him for all of the Lions special teams woes.

I’m not making the case that Kwan is the next Frank Gansz, he’s not even the next Chuck Priefer. However, maybe he’s not as bad as we all thought.

The bottom of the Lions roster is one of the least talented groups in the league. In terms of coverage squads, Kwan doesn’t have a lot to work with. In terms of blocking during returns, he has even less.

The purge of talent that took place on this roster after numerous offensive and defensive scheme changes, is why the Lions are where they are.

Yesterday, the Lions contained Reggie Bush and sprung Dennis Northcutt and Aaron Brown on long returns.  In addition, Nick Harris and Jason Hanson were both perfect.

Don’t start singing the praises of Stan Kwan, but for once, perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Anthony Henry Might Be the Real Deal

If it weren’t for Darren Sharper, Henry would have been the best defensive back on the field in New Orleans.

The Lions picked on Eric King all night.

Eric King is who he is. As a nickleback, no one is better against the run. As a nickleback, he is decent against the pass—better in a zone. On the outside, he has some issues. He lacks polish which may come over time. Right now, this Lions team needs Philip Buchanon.

Henry on the other hand, locked up Marques Colston for much of the day, not an easy task. He had to deal with one jump ball all day and picked it off.

Not bad for a guy who was judged to be about as good as Jon Kitna.

Not everything was glass half full, there were also “teachable moments”.

 

Kevin Smith Needs Help

Blame the lack of the passing game. Blame Jeff Backus. Blame Daniel Loper. Blame Sedrick Ellis or Jonathan Vilma.

It doesn’t matter where the blame is placed, 15 carries for 20 yards and a (wide open) touchdown is a horrendous stat line.

Don’t blame Kevin Smith. He was backed up behind the line of scrimmage all day. There were no lanes. There was no daylight.

His work as a receiver shows his worth. The 52 yards he generated was a quarter of Stafford’s passing yards.

Those running lanes will not always be so clogged. The more Kevin Smith is able to break loose, the more screens and draws will be opened up. Expect a much less vanilla offense this season and Kevin Smith will be a big part of it.

Just don’t expect it against Minnesota.

 

Peterson? Peterson? Bueller? Bueller?

Where was Julian Peterson?

He had one, one solo tackle. No sacks. No pass breakups.

Where was he?

The easy answer is Gunther Cunningham. With Buchanon sidelined and facing one of the more explosive offenses he’s ever witness, Gunther coached scared. Not physically scared, but scared of missing with his blitzes.

So the Lions rushed three or four most of the day. And got torched.

On the upside, the Lions probably would have gotten torn apart either way. At least this way, future opponents still haven’t seen much of the Lions blitz package.

Fans however, are skeptical of things they haven’t seen.

Check back later this week for more articles about week one and a preview of week two against the Vikings.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Law of Average: It’s Criminal How Blah Matt Stafford-Daunte Culpepper Battle Is

With the Detroit Lions’ preseason officially over, one thing is certain.

When it comes to the quarterbacks, nothing is certain.

Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford were supposed to make this easy. Either Stafford was going to come out and shine while Culpepper fell flat on his face, or Culpepper would play just well enough while Stafford looked like a rookie.

The problem is, at different times, both of those scenarios came true.

Overall, it is clear to anyone objective that Culpepper has been quantifiably better. Certainly, in a word, safer. However, he has become maddeningly so. His near 65 percent completion percentage this summer is tantalizing, unless you compare it to his 5.7 yards/attempt.

Stafford has been equally impressive for opposite reasons. By the numbers, his 6.7 yards/attempt is not much better and his 54.5 completion percentage is going to scare away many detractors.

To put these numbers in perspective: Culpepper’s 65 percent would have put him in the top 10 quarterbacks last year. Stafford would place among the bottom two.

As for their yards/attempt, both would be among the bottom third of the league.

Average is the only way to describe this contest…horribly horribly average. Neither one has broken away from the other. Neither athlete has played to his full potential. If blame is to be paid, it is to Culpepper, who has all the arm strength in the world but has refused to go down field.

Part of this conundrum exists because neither quarterback had a full slate of attempts with Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson or Dennis Northcutt together—hopefully the top three receivers this season. All three are guys who can stretch the field. All three are guys who have reasonably sure hands.

Passing to Keary Colbert and John Standeford as your top options isn’t going to make anyone look good. Not only are the routes not as crisp and the hands not as sure, but the mentality is also different.

So flip a coin.

Will Stafford’s completions go up with better receivers? Of course.

The same can be said about Culpepper’s dink-and-dunk routine.

Just flip a coin.

The Lions offense already looks more dynamic with the addition of draw plays and screen passes, both of which Kevin Smith looks great while doing. We know both quarterbacks can run those plays.

We know both quarterbacks have the ability to make each NFL throw. We know both quarterbacks know a great deal of the playbook. We know both quarterbacks offer more capability than an overweight Culpepper et al. gave us on the road to 0-16.

So flip a coin.

The Lions won’t be as bad as they were last year, no matter who is under center. The Lions aren’t quite a .500 team, no matter who is throwing to Calvin Johnson. This is a three year rebuilding plan, at best. We have our quarterback of the future. It simply doesn’t matter who our quarterback of the present is.

There is no real life evidence proving it’s better to start or sit a rookie QB. Anecdotal evidence abounds on both sides of the coin but nothing is definitive.

There is real life evidence that a season long QB battle isn’t good for anyone involved.

So flip a coin, name a starter and change it at the bye week if need be.

But name a starter.

Culpepper and Stafford couldn’t settle it, so let Washington decide.

Matthew Stafford Isn’t Ready (and Other Things I’ve Learned About Detroit)

 

Dateline: Aug. 22, Cleveland, OH

Matthew Stafford takes the first snap of his first “Begin” of his young career. Lions are already down 7-0 thanks to some great passing from the Browns. Play fake left side, Stafford rolls right. Adam Jennings flashes open on a dig route. Stafford slings the ball, interception Eric Wright.

On the bright side, how many of us Lions fans were glad he didn’t roll out the back of the end zone?

 

What Went Wrong?

The problem? Matt Stafford misread the coverage. Against a man defense, that play is a nine-yard completion. Against a zone? No quarterback playing of the Pop Warner level should be throwing that.

A bigger problem, Did Stafford really misread the zone? I don’t think so.

There was no disguise, no cloud, no combination to that coverage. Stafford is an NFL quarterback. I know a Division III option-quarterback who could read that defense. How much more the “smartest” rookie quarterback in ages.

(Note: There is no conceivable way to blame Adam Jennings on that play. Calvin Johnson runs that route and it’s still an INT.)

The bigger problem? Stafford knew it was a zone and thought he could complete it anyway.

At Georgia, to AC Green, against Vanderbilt, that’s an easy completion.

The play highlights two problems Matthew Stafford has always struggled with. Neither is something easily coached, both have to improve before he starts a regular season game.

Matthew Stafford trusts his arm too much, plain and simple. He has boatloads of talent and is always ready to carry the team on his back. However, trusting your arm too much means being stupid with the football.

Hypothetically, any throw can be made against any type of coverage.

On the INT, Stafford has the arm strength to place a ball over Jennings’ right shoulder where only he can get it. However, there isn’t a coach in the nation wanting their QB to attempt that pass.

The better option? Wait: there was a lot of protection. Wide receivers are taught to break off their route against a zone—trying to find some green.

Another good option? Run: four yards and a hook slide is better than throwing into coverage.

(Note: In this coach’s opinion, the roll out was far too deep and was a factor in this play. However, I have no idea how deep Linehan wants the roll out for that particular play call. In my estimation, Stafford should have been four yards closer to the line of scrimmage when he throws that ball.)

The other Stafford flaw this play highlights was highlighted for most of the game as well. Stafford either has poor accuracy or questionable ball placement.

Again, it is completely inappropriate to blame the caliber of WR in this matter.

Can Calvin Johnson catch a poorly thrown ball? Yes he can. Should he need to? Not if you’re paying a first overall QB millions of dollars. If the Lions only wanted a kid with a strong arm and no accuracy, Rex Grossman was available!

The WR argument was posited for much of the drafting season. Excuse me? Massaquoi has already earned himself a starting position with the Browns, AC Green will be a first rounder, Knowshon Moreno is the best pass catching RB prospect in a while.

Later on in the first quarter, 3:40 remaining. Stafford takes the snap, play fake left side, rolls back to center—plenty of time in the pocket. Standeford is open 20 yards down field. Easy throw. Too high.

On the replay, it’s clear Standeford had his man beat.

It’s also clear that he was in the air at full extension, caught off guard by the velocity and the height of that throw.

Does CJ catch that? Probably.

That does NOT excuse Stafford.

Calvin Johnson makes any quarterback better. As a first overall pick, Matthew Stafford should be charged with making his wide receivers better.

Missing that pass, to any wide receiver is inexcusable.

9:25 left in the second quarter. Stafford takes the snap, play fake left, roll out deep to the right. Jennings is wide open down the right side line. Stafford misses him by a mile.

Does a faster WR catch that? Maybe.

Does it excuse Stafford? Nope.

(Note: Standeford was also wide open in the middle of the field. Stafford made the right throw but it is pertinent to note both wide outs were open.)

 

What Went Right?

Nothing.

I’m serious.

You can make all the excuses or comparisons that you want. But you can’t rationalize this into a good outing. Culpepper took the same “bush league” receivers and completed 10/16 while still passing for a much higher yards/attempt.

Stafford’s five completions netted only 34 yards.

Stanton also had five completeions—66 yards. Worse defense? Yeah, but also worse offensive line and receivers.

 

What do we judge from this?

Fans think I’m trying to run Stafford out of town with my Negative Nancy criticism. I’m not. I still believe Matthew Stafford was the best QB in the 2009 Draft. I still believe we needed a QB. I still believe it was a good pick (albeit not the best pick).

Matthew Stafford, at this point in his career, is about as physically talented as any QB in the NFL.

However, the knocks on him Saturday are still the same knocks scouts had written down after high school all-star games.

This coaching staff can’t penalize Stafford for exhibiting flaws they already knew he had.

He was drafted to be groomed out of those flaws. The question, asked ad infinitum on this site and others, is whether or not being on the field will aid his learning process.

On Saturday it did. On Saturday, Matthew Stafford learned this isn’t the SEC. NFL defensive backs are smarter and faster and will break on a poorly thrown ball.

Yet, going back to an earlier point—What if Calvin Johnson is on the field? Matthew Stafford probably completes another 2-3 passes for some decent yardage. The throws are no better, but a superhuman effort at the other end exonerates the poor throws.

A better final outcome, negatively reinforces bad behavior.

Stafford will not learn on the field. If he starts, he will display the same qualities he always has. Strong physical play marked with lapses in judgement. Until that changes, in practice, there is no chance of learning on the field.

Stafford is the best QB to have in the film room and has the tools to be the best on the field. Until he reconciles those two qualities, he cannot start.

 

What else did we learn?

• Aveion Cason has dirt on someone in the front office. He touched the ball 11 times on Saturday. It is altogether possible that Cason is being held onto as the veteran back and returner while Morris and Northcutt miss time.
• Stanton deserves some sort of shot. Great throws, better decisions and amazing athleticism sum up his performance so far this preseason. I am NOT in the camp that he has already earned some sort of starting nod. I am in the camp that he may have a lot more trade value down the road if the Lions give him a shot. 
• The pass rush is good, not great. Derek Anderson did a good job of stepping up into the pocket on Saturday. How many teams do you think are going to generate real pass rush against Joe Thomas et al? Cleveland was top 10 in pass protection last year and added Floyd Womack and John St. Clair—two above average starters. 
• The Lions are set at Punter for the next 10 years. It seems a minor point, but 49.3 yrds/punt is a dangerous weapon to have. So far, in two games, Harris is averaging 45.9. It would be the best of his career if he can keep that up. He’s only 31 and has gotten consistently better as a professional.

 

Other News and Notes

The Lions signed rookie running back/returner Tristan Davis. The Auburn product ran a 4.38 at his pro day. His signing (plus Northcutt returning to practice) could be a sign that Cason is officially that much closer to the bubble.

It was a good vacation back to the Mitten State. Got to sit in the press box of Comerica Park for the first time and the Tigers kicked the crap out of the Royals. Also got to sit with the entire FSN crew. A buncha crazy kids, lemme tell ya. Was there with Dr. Trade, may make a Tigers fan out of him one of these days.

I’m joining fellow Lions’ Featured Columnist, Dean Holden on The Knee Jerks with Greg Eno and Al (from The Wayne Fontes Experience) TONIGHT @ 11PM EST You can probably find a better Lions’ guy, but four of us together? No way. Check it out. BlogTalkRadio even lets you call in and be part of the action!

Behind Enemy Lines: My Day at the Minnesota Vikings’ Training Camp

Dear Sports Fans,

I have been behind enemy lines and lived to tell you about it.

It is purple, and smells of kettle corn.

This morning I had the pleasure to attend Vikings Training Camp in Mankato, MN—held on the beautiful and spacious Minnesota State University (Div II). Mankato is a wonderful town. Accessed by the “Laura Ingles Wilder Memorial Freeway,” it is a bit bigger than in her day—a little smaller than Muskegon or Bay City.

Mankato is also the one-time home of Detroit Tiger, Curtis Granderson, who played for the Mankato Mashers (a summer league/college-aged team) when he was 19. I interviewed Granderson last year who said that Mankato is a “great town.” He spent a lot of time at the local Buffalo Wild Wings.

Mankato also happens to be about 45 minutes from where I went to school, and where I currently produce and host a sports radio show.

It turns out, we’re part of the Vikings’ Radio Network.

And it turns out, there are perks.

This morning, I was not only in attendance, I was a VIP. I brought my good friend, Matt. He (God bless him) is a Packer fan. There we were, a Lions’ fan and a Packers’ fan, traipsing past an endless see of Purple and Gold—like a hairy and smelly Prince concert, into the VIP area in the endzone at MSU.

See, the Vikings do training camp right. They don’t go hundreds of miles away, pissing off their players, families, and fanbase. They hole themselves up in a posh, air-conditioned facility away from prying eyes.

They go about an hour away, so personnel and media—most of whom live on the southside of Minneapolis anyway—can drive in the morning. They go to a city that has a life and a vibrant section of the fanbase that appreciates football.

Vikings’ players love Mankato. They’re treated like kings. Even a guy the size of Steve Hutchinson can slip away and find some peace. Meanwhile, the entire town turns into one big fanzone. Chuck Foreman, Randall McDaniel, Fran Tarkenton are just some of the names that have graced Mankato in recent years.

Bud Grant is practically a fixture.

Think of how Kalamazoo, Allendale, or even Ann Arbor would react to the Lions descending on their town. How much more if the Lions were relevant!

Entry is free.

I’ll let that sink in for a second…

The local rock station blares their feed over giant speakers. There is an NFL Kidszone set up where you can punt, pass, or kick your way to mini stardom. The place is littered with displays to tell you how big players hands and feet are.

Food vendors dot the landscape. Kettle Corn is a Minnesota specialty, and the entire place reeks of it. I passed, knowing free food was up ahead.

So, Matt and I head up to the VIP platform. It was a nice, sunny day (no “purple rain”). We were greeted by a few lovely attendants who offered us beverages and told us about the accoutrements. Then Chad Abbot, director up at KFAN, introduced himself and told us what we could look forward to.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was having Paul Allen, voice of the Vikings, do his midday show from about five yards away. This man was built for play-by-play. He has the calm basso profundo of Kevin Harlan and the urgency of Dickie V. He’s also a riot.

The downside of the show was the ***hat who tried to tell the listeners all the reasons Chicago would take the banner from the Tigers.

The upside was after the show, hearing Allen describe his daughter’s lovely dance teacher, in length. As beautiful as he makes an Adrian Peterson run sound, think what he can do for shapely curves.

Then, once-more, the Packerbacker and I waltzed past some Vikings’ faithful on our way down to the field for some up close and personal scouting.

I’ve interviewed many of these guys, many of them with towels around their waist and chest acne staring me right at eye level. There aren’t many athletes who truely overwhelm me with their size any more. (Aaron Kampman and Steve Hutchinson being the notable exceptions.)

But Phil Loadholt, that kid is a King-size case of muscle. He may have some holes in his game but he is still growing. He could easily add another 20 lbs and no one would notice—except defensive ends everywhere.

As for the Vikings’ other rookie, Percy Harvin—the pot-smoking speedster—is worth the price of admission. If he ever gets a QB to throw him the ball, he could be special.

That brings us to the quarterback situation.

Lions’ fans, I wouldn’t worry about this one.

Sage Rosenfels looks a lot like Joey Harrington once did. No, not awkwardly feminine. (Well, a little bit.) But rather, everything for him is a check down. He certainly can’t hit a receiver in stride. The only time he got the ball in the endzone was on a fourth-down overthrow (following a third-down overthrow), on which Sidney Rice flashed some skills.

Tavaris Jackson, well, he looked a lot like Jon Kitna. Strong arm, well built, made a few flashy plays—can’t make a play on third down to save your life. In addition, Jackson has yet to comprehend the concept of timing routes.

John David Booty looked a lot like a steaming pile of crap.

If Jackson somehow finds the magic he captured at the end of last season, their offense could do some damage. However, none of these guys can manage to keep defenders out of the box.

After AP? I wouldn’t worry about that either. The best running plays of the day were courtesy of former Boise State Bronco, Ian Johnson. Second-year player, Albert Young, had a few nice pass catches and former Lion (and lollipop guild member) Antone Smith made a few flashes.

The defense? I won’t give you nightmares yet. They’re good. Ironically, they’re probably the only defense who could stop Peterson in his tracks. They’re certainly the only defensive line who can continually break through the middle of McKinnie and company.

As we left Mankato, I pondered how great a camp like this would be for Detroit. Believe it or not, Michigan is fundamentally a football state. We have five FCS schools and a number of Div II football programs. Yearly, our state produces a number of four and five star recruits.

Michigan, Michigan State, and even the directional U’s have rabid fanbases. Think if they united to form one giant, vibrant Lions’ Nation.

Minnesota has two below average football colleges. Its best football recruit plays catcher for the Twins.

Yes sports fans, I’ve been behind enemy lines and back.

It’s purple, reeks of kettle corn, and it comes with the startling realization that we’re all fans of a second rate franchise that often treats its fans to less than any other NFL Franchise.

It is one giant Adrian Peterson jersey—and a mullet.

 

Detroit Lions Training Camp News and Notes (6/8)

Each year, training camp comes and goes with a number of questions, storylines, and insights. Most of the time, as training camp begins fans are at their peak interest, 16-0 is the limit and every team (save the Detroit Lions) has a chance to attain that goal.

This year, in Allen Park, is no different.

The Detroit Lions reported for camp on July 31st with a round of team meetings explaining the rules (NO MORE TWEETING), and physical training the next morning—Sammie Lee Hill, DJ Boldin, and Ephraim Salaam flunked. 

Since then, the storylines have been about what one would expect:

Daily (or two-a-day) passing exercises—constituting a very real battle between Stafford/Culpepper/Stanton.

I know Stafford is the 70-million dollar man and all, but does anyone believe Schwartz won’t start the best passer? Reading the reports coming out of Allen Park (by Mlive, Detroit Free Press, and Detroit News), it seems as if there is a hairline between first and second string, and less between second and third.

If I were a betting man (and I am), I’d say Stafford has the best chance. Economics has nothing to do with it. He’s looked slightly better and certainly has the most upside.

I won’t count Stanton out, though, I have a funny feeling we may see some packages that feature the fiery former Spartan.

Minor and major(ly funny) injuries.

Show of hands: who else wasn’t surprised that a Detroit Lion is going to miss significant time because he crashed a golf cart? Read the following quote:

“In the community that I live in, everybody uses golf carts to get around. (The golf cart) got out of control and it was on two wheels and it fell over. I was driving, and it fell over on my side. It slid about 10 yards. There was a hill, but it wasn’t a steep hill.”

Does that sound like a professional athlete? Or an 80-year old retiree talking about his gated community? 

Other injuries are not as serious: Grady Jackson missed the first few practices with an undisclosed ailment. Brandon Pettigrew has missed five practices with a deep quad bruise. Louis Delmas is day-to-day with knee soreness. Casey Fitzsimmons may miss a week with an ankle sprain.

Other Lions have missed a practice here and there with minor bumps and bruises, but as of now—as long as the team stays away from golf carts—depth shouldn’t be an issue.

Back end roster moves

The only group which has seen any real movement in camp has been the tight end position. Due to the minor injuries to Pettigrew and Fitzsimmons, former Wolverine Carson Butler was signed. Camp kicker Swayze Waters was cut to make room for the move. 

All I have to say is, not for long. When one of the injured tight ends is ready for practice, Waters will probably be back in camp.

While it is important to have a certain number of camp bodies at each position, three is enough when it comes to tight ends.

Protecting Hanson is also important. One of the secrets to his immortality has always been light work through camp and the preseason—that means having a water break when the team is practicing kickoffs and kick returns.

The only other position which may see some tweaking is the quarterback position. As of now, Stafford and Stanton are safe. The team may avoid paying Culpepper any more money if they can sign a slightly younger veteran caretaker (and they’ve worked out a number of them).

As camp goes on, new stories will leak out and interesting tidbits will be easy to come by—if you know where to look. The news agencies listed in this story are a good place to start.

Other ways to stay current include Motownsports.com, RoarReport.com, and of course—everyone’s least favorite—Twitter.

Follow me, and you’ll be sure to get all of the newest action tweeted and retweeted.

Eli Manning Getting Big Dollars Makes Little Sense

Eli Manning is not a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Eli Manning is the quarterback of a Super Bowl winning team.

There is a difference and no one seems to notice.

Some quarterbacks can take a team on their shoulders from week one of the preseason to the Super Bowl and guide them to the promised land. Eli didn’t do that.

Now, did Eli have a very good Super Bowl performance? Yes, he did. Even I will admit that. His Super Bowl 87.3 passer rating (255 yds/2 TD/1 INT) is better than any season he’s been in the game. He certainly stepped up. On that day, he was ready for prime time.

But let’s get this straight.

ELI MANNING DID NOT SINGLEHANDEDLY WIN THE SUPER BOWL!

David Tyree made a great catch on a poorly thrown ball to save a drive. The Giants’ pass rush was magnificent and stifled one of the NFL’s all-time top offenses. The Patriots were allowed 14points, 20 less than their season average.

No Virginia, Eli Manning did not singlehandedly win the Super Bowl.

He’s not even that great of a quarterback.

The New York Daily News reported this morning that Eli Manning became the eighth player to reach the $100 million mark. Eli’s $15.27 million base salary is the highest in the league. B/R Writer Ace, Kyle Langan wrote about it here.

Is he worth it? I say no.

Eli certainly thinks he’s worth it. Reports have surfaced that Eli was asking for upwards of $20 million annually (with escalators). Eli seems to forget that he’s not Peyton.

You see, Peyton has been an NFL MVP—three times. Peyton has been an all-pro—seven times. Peyton is the Indianapolis Colts all-time leader in passing and passing touchdowns. Peyton is one of the best quarterbacks to ever step out onto the field in an NFL stadium. 

Eli is horribly, horribly average.

Eli has never been an MVP—not even close. His one Pro Bowl (2008) was a disgraceful pick we all should be ashamed of. In 2008, the year before this mega deal was bartered, Eli was the 14th best quarterback in the league.

In fact, Eli has only been a top 20 quarterback twice in his five-year career.

In that span, Eli has been consistently outplayed by his brother, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Kurt Warner, Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub and has been sporadically outclassed by guys like David Carr, Sage Rosenfels, and Chris Simms.

Quarterbacks are the face of their franchise. The New York Giants have a great franchise, built the right way. The New York Giants have some of the best depth at a variety of positions. No one injury could stop them from success in any given year—including an injury to Manning.

Do you really believe the running game couldn’t carry this team? It has for years!

You don’t think David Carr could put up numbers comparable to Eli’s career 76 rating? He already has—his career rating is only a few points lower.

Would one of the best offensive lines in football start suffering because Eli went down?

Sports fans, Eli Manning is a mediocre quarterback who happened to quarterback a Super Bowl winning team.

He is now being paid like he’s one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

Now he has to earn it.

Jim Schwartz Running a Different Kind of Camp

By now, many of you have read and heard about the start to training camp. As Tom Kowalski reported , it was a rough day for Damir Boldin, Ephraim Salaam and Sammie Lee Hill who all failed a mandatory conditioning test, but then subsequently passed it later.

However, reported today by Nicholas Cotsonika over at the Free Press, Larry Foote believes this football camp is tougher than camps over in Pittsburgh.

First off, lets get a few things straight. The Steelers practice smart, not necessarily hard. Most importantly, they don’t do a lot of early two-a-days, trying to ease their players into camp and building up to the season. Secondly, hard camps do not equal great teams. Marinelli had a tough camp too.

However, what we can take out of this first snapshot of a Schwartz-run camp is this: Players, both rookies and veterans are fighting for spots and being held accountable in a variety of ways:

• Daily QB battles between Culpepper and Stafford for both bragging rights AND earning more practice snaps.
• Dylan Gandy getting snaps at first team center.
• Ramzee Robinson running as nickle back.

Foote says the opening of camp has never been this physical for the Steelers, even under Cowher. Time will tell if the physicality increases from here, and if the Lions can stay healthy. 

---

Detroit Lions Roster Takes Shape As Camp Begins

Friday, July 31—the date set for the beginning of Lions training camp at the Allen Park Headquarters, just outside of Detroit.

A wrap up of some news and notes from recent days (along with the obligatory comments).

• Draft picks signed: Matthew Stafford (April 25), Louis Delmas (July 30), DeAndre Levy (July 28), Derrick Williams (July 30), Sammie Lee Hill (July 30), Aaron Brown (July 17), Lydon Murtha (July 28), Zach Follett (July 20), Dan Gronkowski (July 25)

• As of 11:30 AM, July 31, Brandon Pettigrew remains unsigned. Tom Leward reports the deal is almost finalized. At Noon, Pettigrew officially becomes a holdout but the sides are extremely close.

It’s great to hear that the draft picks have signed. All signs point to Pettigrew being a stand up guy so any selfishness seems unlikely. The reason for his upcoming “hold out” is basically waiting for other chips in the draft process to fall—along with the i’s to be dotted and the t’s crossed.

 

• Recently the Lions lost out on defensive tackle, Hollis Thomas who signed with the St. Louis Rams. 

Although Thomas would have certainly shored up the Lions’ run defense for this season, the 35 year-old has a bit of an injury problem and also has served a suspension for steroids. Either way, this signing would have had no long term impact on the Lions franchise.

 

• The Lions have also worked out free agents, DJ Hackett (WR), Cleo Lemon, Brooks Bollinger, and Craig Nall (QBs).

Of the four workout players, DJ Hackett has the most capability of seeing the field. At 28, he has the physical tools one looks for in a WR but injuries have slowed him. He has never played a full NFL season.

 

• The Lions signed CB William James

A pure depth signing, James has great size and good athleticism but most of his upside is behind him. James should back up each outside cornerback position and allow Eric King to focus more on the nickleback position.

The wildcard in this scenario is Keith Smith. If Smith shows he can be fill in as an average starter in case of injury, James could find his usefulness short lived.

 

• Eric Hicks (DE), Rudolph Hardie (DT), Tra Battle (S), Antone Smith (RB) were all released.

No real news here. Hicks was a workout body because he knew Cunningham’s system. Hardie will find himself as a camp body or back in Canada. Battle and Smith both have bonafide talent but lack NFL size.

 

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