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Five Questions for Daunte Culpepper
Published: May 18, 2009
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Daunte Culpepper is looking to revive his career this year with the Detroit Lions. He came to camp 30 pounds lighter and has looked like he has something to prove.
The Lions were 0-16 last year but things are looking up and Culpepper could help right the ship in Detroit.
If I had the chance to ask Daunte some questions, this is what I might ask him.
Why I Became a Detroit Lions Fan
Published: May 8, 2009
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It hasn’t always been easy being a Detroit Lions fan. In fact it has never been easy. I am from Michigan so you could say I am a Lions fan because of my home state, which in all honesty is true to a point, but if I had to thank one person for becoming a Lions fan, it would be Barry Sanders.
Barry Sanders was a talent like no other. Sure you can make an argument that Jim Brown or Walter Payton were better, but Barry could do things that seemed unrealistic. In my opinion he is the greatest running back ever.
I started watching football as a kid in 1990, a year after Barry came into the NFL. I can’t say I remember the first game I ever watched, but I can say that the first thing I remember was Barry Sanders. No other player could create such excitement from something even as small as a one yard gain. I know now how privileged I was to be able to see Barry every Sunday.
Most teams have quarterbacks as the face of their franchise. In Detroit we haven’t had that luxury, but it didn’t matter, because Barry Sanders made even the worst years worth watching. I grew to love other Lions players such as Herman Moore, Mel Gray, and Chris Spielman among others, but no-one came close to Barry.
Barry could make defenders look like pee-wee players. I remember as a kid that if someone got juked on in any sport we would say “oh, he broke that guy’s ankle!” Well with Barry it was actually true.
I remember watching a game in 1995 where the Lions played the Steelers. Barry made one of his patented juke moves and Rod Woodson tried to a quick stop and tore his ACL. (not an ankle, but still…) I wasn’t happy that Woodson was hurt by any means, but it just seemed so unreal that Barry had actually broken somone’s knee with such a quick move.
Barry was one of the flashiest players when it came to his style of play but was never flashy in celebration. After each touchdown Barry would just get up and hand the ball to the referee. There was never a dance, never a ball spike, never a stare down of a defender. Barry let his game do the talking for him. I appreciated the classiness even as a kid.
Barry may not hold all the records and may not have a Super Bowl title, but his career is nothing to ignore.
Barry is one of only five different players to have rushed for 2,000 or more yards in a season. He did this in 1997 and shared MVP honors with Brett Favre. In 1995 he set an NFL record by gaining 100 or more yards in 14 consecutive games.
He was the first running back to ever rush for 1,500 yards or more in five different seasons. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons of his career. He holds the NFL record of 150+ rushing yards in a game with 25. He has the most career touchdowns of 50+ rushing yards with 15.
When he retired he was second all time in career rushing yards and would have broken the record within a year or two based on his career averages.
When Barry retired, he made many angry and they said he had turned his back on the team. His timing may have been unfortunate but by no means do I think he turned his back on the team.
Barry has stated that he just didn’t have a passion to play the game anymore, he had been part of a losing franchise for so long that it had broken his spirit. It’s a shame that Barry’s career was so short and even more of a shame that he never won a Super Bowl.
The Lions have never recovered from losing Barry Sanders—they have only made the playoffs once since he retired. The Lions are still my favorite team even though the losing can sometimes drive me crazy. New star Calvin Johnson is an exciting player to watch and the excitement he brings reminds me a little of Barry (though not to the same extent).
When I tell people that the Detroit Lions are my favorite team, the response is usually either “I’m sorry,” “wow you’re brave,” or just plain laughter. It doesn’t matter though, because even though the Lions aren’t necessarily the easiest team to root for I can say that my favorite team had the greatest running back ever.
It was a privilege to grow up watching Barry Sanders and I owe my Lions loyalty and support to him.
Barry Sanders, thank you for all you did for the Lions, the NFL, and for me.
The 2009 Detroit Lions
Published: May 7, 2009
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After going 0-16, it seems the only way to go is up, but it’s going to be steep climb. Everyone knows the story of the 2008 Detroit Lions, but what will the 2009 Lions do? It’s a tough question to answer but expectations should be held low.
I think it’s safe to say that the Lions have decided that change is needed. Detroit brought in Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be the new head coach.
Schwartz brings a hard nosed approach to the Lions and may be the kind of leader they’ve been looking for. The Titans defense has always been stout and hopefully Schwartz can bring that kind of leadership to the Lions.
Schwartz immediately said he wants to be a head coach for the whole team and not just for one side of the football. To prove this he went out and hired two coordinators with impressive resumes.
The new defensive coordinator will be Gunther Cunningham. Cunningham has been in the league 28 years and has been defensive coordinator for the Chiefs and Raiders.
On the offensive side of the ball, Scott Linehan was named coordinator. Before he was the head coach of the Rams, he was offensive coordinator for the Vikings and Dolphins. His style has been very successful and players like Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, and Chris Chambers all saw career years under Linehan.
The Lions also shook up personnel this year, with some steady veterans being brought in. They made a great deal in trading Jon Kitna to the Cowboys for Anthony Henry.
Kitna had worn out his welcome and the Lions secondary may have been their weakest spot last year—Henry will bring veteran leadership.
They also brought in great depth at the running back position with Maurice Morris. Morris will go a long way in backing up Kevin Smith and will help guide the youngster along.
Lions have a star wide receiver in Calvin Johnson but they needed someone to play opposite him. They brought in underachieving veteran Bryant Johnson, hoping he’ll fill that role.
The offensive line has been a problem for years now and the Lions didn’t do much in the offseason to fix it. They signed guard James Blair, center Dylan Gandy, and tackle Kirk Barton, but they aren’t much more than backups.
On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit made some great moves that should help improve this defense vastly. Defensive lineman Grady Jackson is a great run stuffer and can still be a force up front.
The Lions traded away streaky defensive lineman Cory Redding to the Seahawks for linebacker standout Julian Peterson. Along with fellow OLB Ernie Sims and recently signed MLB Larry Foote, the Lions boast one of the most impressive linebacking corps in all of football.
In the secondary the Lions also signed CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Eric King, and CB Antonio Smith. All are improvements on what Detroit had last year.
The big story all offseason for the Lions this year has been the draft. Who would they take with the first pick? Well the draft has come and gone and Detroit hope they got their franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford.
Stafford seems to have what it takes to be a quality player but there is a lot of pressure to fill a need the Lions have had since Bobby Layne was throwing in the 50s.
Along with Stafford, the Lions picked TE Brandon Pettigrew which was a bit of a surprise, but he should start right away and help take some of the pressure off Calvin Johnson.
Safety Louis Delmas was a nice pick, some have compared him to Bob Sanders. WR Derrick Williams could fit in the slot position and also fill the kick returning needs as well.
So, after changing the coaching staff, bringing in nice pieces in free agency, having a good draft, and even changing the uniforms and symbol, where does this leave the Lions? Improving, but still at the bottom of the division.
I expect the Lions to win about three to four games this year. The defense should be much better and could surprise some. If the Lions want to win more than that, I think that there are a few things they need to do.
First off, let Daunte Culpepper start the whole season. I understand that Matthew Stafford is the new face of the franchise, but it would be foolish to throw him into this situation right away, he almost certainly would struggle and may never recover.
Culpepper lost 30 pounds and had a great mini-camp. He is also familiar with Scott Linehan’s offense, as he played for him in Minnesota.
Second, let Kevin Smith run. Smith proved in college that he can handle a heavy workload. He has the tools to become a Pro Bowl-caliber running back and can help keep defenses honest up front.
Third, Calvin Johnson needs consistency. He may be the most talented wide-out in the game but he needs consistency from his quarterback, whomever it may be. If he can find chemistry with either Culpepper or Stafford—watch out.
Fourth, cut down on sacks allowed. I know it seems obvious, the but Lions need to find someway to keep the quarterback upright, otherwise it will be a long season for the OL and the QB.
Fifth, find a pass rusher. Someone needs to step up and be a force on defense. Last year DeWayne White led the team in sacks with only 6.5.
Sixth, coverage! The Lions couldn’t stop anyone last year when it came to pass defense. The new secondary should help but if they don’t, it’s gonna be a long season again.
Seventh, win a game. The Lions need to win a game eary to give them some confidence, otherwise the only thing they will hear about is whether or not they will ever win.
If the Detroit Lions can do these things they may have a chance to be a competitive team.
They have some weaknesses on both sides of the ball that other teams could capitalize on, which could mean less than three wins again, but if Schwartz and company utilize the potential that this team has then they can start building a new, respectable franchise.
Ranking All 32 Teams in the NFL Draft
Published: April 29, 2009
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This is a raking of how I thought each team did in the draft based on value of the picks. There will be a best value pick and a biggest reach pick for each team as well. Although some teams might have had a great first and second round that doesn’t necessarily mean that they had a good overall draft. I tried to look at the whole picture. Let me know what you think.
