Detroit Lions 2010 NFL Draft and Free Agency Picks

Matt Millen left both the offensive and defensive lines decimated in the 10 years he was with the Lions.  Granted, his first draft teased the Lion fan base in 2001 when two offensive line players were taken, left tackle Jeff Backus and center Dominic Raiola, in the first two rounds.  With the second pick in round two, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers was taken.

Millen’s first draft gave Lions fans hope that finally, finally, there was a GM within the Lions front office that was going to build the Lions right and start in the trenches.

Little did we know just how much of a farce that Millen was and just how much of a farce he made the Detroit Lions.  His failure in subsequent drafts and free agency exposed his lack of judgment in evaluating talent.  He went after players that didn’t quite fit team needs.

I cannot stress enough of how critical the 2010 draft is going to be for Martin Mayhew and the Detroit Lions.

So I give you my first attempt at how the Lions should draft in 2010 and some possible free agents to go after with the caveat that things can change with trades.  I hope that I just might surprise some people with my picks.

Round One – Defensive Tackle

Option A:  Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Could be the “Barry Sanders” pick for the Lions defense.  Opposing teams will have to account for Suh at all times as he could be a game changer for the Lions.

Option B:  Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

If the Rams don’t draft Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame to satisfy their quarterback need, they will take Suh.  McCoy won’t be the monster on defense that Suh will be but he would be a huge upgrade to what the Lions have now.

Round Two – Cornerback

Option A:  Ras-I Dowling, Virginia

Not many wide receivers are going to run away from Dowling on deep patterns with his 4.50 speed.  He’s comparable to Pittsburgh Steelers corner Ike Taylor in that both have size, athleticism and competitive attitude both coaches and fans love to see.  Would be a great complement to safety Louis Delmas.

Option B:  Crezdon Butler, Clemson

While not as physical as Dowling is, Butler is a burner with 4.39 speed.  He is considered one of the best corners in the nation with 43 tackles, four picks and five passes broken up.

Round Three – Defensive End

Option A:  Corey Wootton, Northwestern

Tall (6-7), fast (4.83 40 time) and big (280 lbs), Wootton should be able to take on most tackles to get to the QB.  And if he can’t he can get those long arms up to bat down passes.  He can disappear during stretches which is why he can be had in the third round.

Option B:  Austen Lane, Murray State

I got no idea where Murray State and I don’t care.  Lane is 6-6 and 258 pounds and can run a 4.68 40.  As with Wootton, he can get around those tackles and get the arms up to bat down passes.  He had 14 sacks for Division 1-AA Murray State.

Round Four – Offensive Guard

Option A:  Sergio Render, Virginia Tech

This guy can bench press more than 425 lbs.  At 6-4 and 324 pounds, he can open a lot of large holes in the defensive line as well as stifle any pass rush up the middle.  Stick him next to Backus and maybe Backus won’t look so bad.

Option A:  Rodney Hudson, Florida State

He’s been Florida State’s top lineman for the past two years and was voted to the All-ACC First Team.  If he declares, he would be an upgrade in talent to the Lions guards.

Round Five – Cornerback

Option A:  Patrick Robinson, Florida State

In 2008, Robinson started only five games but picked off six passes and broke up another six.  He’s available in round five because of his involvement in Florida State’s 2007 cheating scandal.  But he’s kept his nose clean since then and might be a good risk to take here.  He’s listed at 5-11 and 190 lbs. with 4.43 speed so he should be able to handle most slot receivers.

Option B:  Kurt Coleman, Ohio State

Being from Michigan, it’s really hard to say nice things about Ohio State players.  But they did give us Chris Speilman, perhaps one of the best linebackers the Lions ever had. 

Coleman plays safety at Ohio State but with his size and speed (5-11, 4.43), he’ll be better suited to play corner in the NFL.

Round Six – Offensive Guard

Option A:  Dan Doering, Iowa

Iowa always has produced talented NFL lineman and Doering should be no exception.  6-6 and 302 lbs, he’ll be a great run blocker as well being decent in pass protection.

Option B:  Jacques McClendon, Tennessee

This guys sounds more like a hockey player.  But at a massive 6-3 and 324 lbs, I doubt that he’d be graceful on skates.  In 2008, he was part of a unit that gave up only 4 sacks all year.  However, like all Tennessee players in 2009, McClendon’s value has dropped.  Could be a steal here in round 6 though.

Round Seven – Center

Option A:  Kenny Alfred, Washington State

Dominic Raiola, the Lions current center, has done yeoman service for the Lions.  However, he is undersized and can be overpowered at times.  Alfred is 6-2 and 302 lbs won’t be pushed around as easily.  Alfred can also play guard if needed so the round 6 pick could be used to address other needs.

Option B:  Josh McNeil, Tennessee

Despite playing on one of the worst offenses ever produced at Tennessee, McNeil is considered one of the best centers available in the draft.  At 6-4 and 289 lbs, McNeil won’t be as easily overpowered as Raiola can be.

As you can see, my picks focus on the Lions biggest needs.  The defensive line needs the most help and the offensive line can get by with current tackles Backus and Gosder if they can upgrade the guard positions.

Free Agency

Wide Receiver – Seattle Seahawk Nate Burleson will be an unrestricted free agent this year.  He was Seattle’s consolation prize when the Vikings snapped up offensive guard Steve Hutchinson.  He has good hands and also has excellent kick return capabilities. 

Could be the complement to Calvin Johnson the Lions have been looking for the past three years.  Antonio Bryant from Tampa and Greg Lewis from Minnesota will also be free agents.

Backup Quarterback – Daunte Culpepper has got to go.  Kyle Boller of the Rams has proved that he can play in this league.  While not performing consistently for the Rams, he can be a capable backup.  Charlie Batch is also available but I doubt he would want anything to do with the Lions. 

Chris Redman could also be avaialble but I suspect Atlanta will keep him to back up Matt Ryan.  This may be moot if the Lions decide that Drew Stanton is the backup.  If so, the Lions will seek a lesser talented QB for third string.

Running Back – Chester Taylor from the Vikings would be the most intriguing.  He was the man until Adrian Peterson came along.  Paired with Kevin Smith and Aaron Brown, the Lions running game would become a serious upgrade.  Also available are Chris Brown from the Texans and Willie Parker of the Steelers.

Granted, with my draft picks and free agent suggestions, there would be a serious need to spend some cash.  I’ve never claimed to be wise in the ways of contracts and salary caps. 

I do feel strongly that this direction, or one similar to it, will give the Lions the best chance to win.

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What the Detroit Lions Need To Do to Help Matthew Stafford in 2010

After watching the highlights of the Lions-Browns game, I am even more impressed with the way Matthew Stafford has blossomed into an NFL quarterback.  He has the potential to become the best Lions quarterback since Bobby Layne.  

 

His tough as nails bravado in avoiding the trainers during Cleveland’s ill-advised timeout at the end of the game is the stuff legends are made of.  

 

However one thinks the offense performed last week, there still is a ton of work that needs to be done in order to make the Lions a contending football team.  But what the Cleveland game showed was the potential of how good the Lions could be.

 

I have written many columns, posts, and comments stating my feelings on which side of the ball the Lions need to concentrate in the upcoming draft.  I generally ignore the free agent market since the Lions have never really had good luck with free agents.

 

But I am convinced that taking an elite left tackle and moving Jeff Backus inside to left guard will give the Lions a very solid offensive line, one that will allow a running game to develop as well as protect Matthew Stafford.

 

Last week’s game did open my eyes to the many deficiencies Detroit has on the defensive side of the ball.  The Lions only got one sack on Brady Quinn and zero turnovers while giving up 439 total yards.  Granted, Cleveland’s defense wasn’t much better as they gave up 473 total yards and got only one sack on Stafford, but they also got two interceptions.

 

How on earth did Brady Quinn do so well in this game?  Up until the Detroit game, he had never thrown for more than 239 yards or more than two touchdowns in a game.  And here he lights up the Lions defense for 304 yards and four TDs.

 

So what to do?  I’m sure that many fans out there that want Martin Mayhew to trade away the No. 1 pick for multiple picks in later rounds.  The Lions just might finish 3-13 this year if they can luck their way into one more win.  Their best shot could be Thanksgiving Day against the Packers.  If Stafford and Calvin Johnson can play well and the team can carry the momentum from the Browns game, they just might win on Thanksgiving for the first time since they beat the Packers back in 2003 with a score of 22-13.

 

After that, their best shots for securing a win are against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 27th or at home against the Chicago Bears Jan. 3rd. 

 

With three wins, I figure the Lions to be somewhere between the fourth and eighth pick for the 2010 draft.  That’s still a good position to draft an elite left tackle, and the Lions should have a shot at picking one of these three:

 

(I did all of my research at www.walterfootball.com ) 

 

Bruce Campbell, Maryland — 6’7″, 310 lbs.   A dominate player who could be the first left tackle taken.  However, teams might shy away from his history of minor injuries, with his most recent being a possible MCR tear from beating Clemson 24-21.  The Lions would do well to check into just how “minor” these injuries have been.

 

Bryan Bulanga, Iowa — 6’6″, 312 lbs .  A very athletic left tackle from a program known for producing high quality offensive linemen.  That alone should tell you that he would have superior footwork over Jeff Backus.  He did miss three games this year, but that was due to an undisclosed illness rather than an injury. 

 

Ciron Black, LSU — 6’5″, 320 lbs .  Walter Football has him going early in the second round, but he could possibly be the fourth left tackle to be taken in the first round. He’s started all 39 games for LSU and, for his size, he is a tremendous athlete.

  

Besides the Lions, Seattle, San Francisco, and Green Bay all need a left tackle. Walter Football has the Lions going after Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State. However, since he’s played right tackle for most of his college career, the Lions don’t have the time for him to make the adjustment.

 

In the second and third rounds, the Lions need to concentrate solely on defense.  There have been cases made for getting a shutdown corner or a pass rushing defensive end, but the most glaring need is inside at defensive tackle.  Ndamukong Suh is an absolute stud, but even if the Lions had him targeted in the first round, there is little chance they would get him.  Tampa Bay is playing out the string and will more than likely have the first pick in the draft that they will use to take Suh.

 

The Lions should target one of these three defensive tackles:

 

Vince Oghonaase, Duke — 6’6″, 310 lbs.   He is not just 310 lbs of fat sitting in the middle.  He made 51 tackles, nine of those for losses, and had six sacks as a junior.  His body fat percentage is low and he’s more than a simple huge run-stuffer.

 

Boo Robinson, Wake Forest — 6’2″, 326 lbs .  More of a nose tackle, I’m not sure how well Robinson would fit in Detroit’s 4-3 defense, but a player of this size and ability is hard to ignore.  He could be key to improving the Lions run defense.

 

Arthur Jones, Syracuse — 6’4″, 294 lbs.   A tad light at defensive tackle for my taste, but it’s hard to ignore his 60 tackles (13 of them for losses) and 3.5 sacks.  In 2008, he had an impressive 17.5 tackles for loss, so that tells you that he has a motor that just won’t quit.

  

In the third round, Detroit should seek that shutdown corner to help safety Louis Delmas in the secondary.  I would like to see the Lions go after a CB with some height to match up against the bigger and stronger wide receivers.

 

Kyle Wilson, Boise State — 5’10”, 187 lbs .  He broke up 10 passes and intercepted five more.  A big plus for him is his return game, as he scored three times on punt returns and averaged 14.2 yards per return. 

 

Stephan Virgil, Virginia Tech — 5’11”, 186 lbs .  A player that can be all over the field, he tallied 43 tackles, six interceptions, and four broken up passes.  Virgil can be a difference maker as he showed in Virginia Tech’s game against Nebraska where he returned a fumble for a touchdown, blocked an extra point and returned it to score two points, and blocked a punt for a safety for another two points.  

 

Walter Thurmond, Oregon — 6’0″, 185 lbs.   Thurmond played through injures in 2009 and despite that, he still had 66 tackles, five interceptions, and eight passes broken up.  If he can heal, he could be a steal for the Lions in round three.

  

In the fourth round, the Lions need to get some help for Kevin Smith at running back.  Aaron Brown might be the answer here, but he’s played sporadically.  I’d like to see him get some more playing time.  Detroit will need to add depth, and I see one player that could be a spark in certain situations:

 

Noel Devine, West Virginia — 5’8″, 175 lbs .  Devine is small, but he’s fast.  He’s averaged 6.2 yards per carry as well as 8.2 yards per catch coming out of the backfield.  He’s viewed as a Darren Sproles type of player, and at 5’8″, a defense could lose sight of him very easily.  He’s also capable of returning kicks, which is another area that the Lions desperately need help.

  

As for picks in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, Detroit should focus on the best available athlete regardless of the position being played.  I’d even like to see them go for a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson.  Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt haven’t impressed me in their attempts to take any heat off CJ.  Brandon Pettigrew has improved every week, and catching the winning touchdown pass from Stafford last week has to make him feel as though he can be a big-time tight end.  

 

Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech wouldn’t be a bad pick.  At 6’3″, 229 lbs, he runs a slow 40 (4.60), but he’s a monster target that caught 24 balls for 536 yards and three TDs in five games.  If wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson can hone his route running abilities, the Lions could have a diamond in the rough with Thomas.

 

Another route to take would be to pick a true return specialist if the Lions stay with defense in the fourth round.  They could look at LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who will be the fastest player at the combine.  Clocked at 4.25, teams are going to have to hurry to catch this guy.  But at 5’5″ and 161 lbs., he won’t be of use anywhere else except as a kick returner.

 

I have to believe the Lions aren’t that far away.  If they can get that big left tackle and move Backus inside, they will have a fairly impressive offensive line with only one used draft pick.  There are some that will be concerned that too much money will be tied up on one side of the ball, but in this case, I think it would be justified.  

 

For years, the Lions have been attempting to create a contending football team with duct tape, chicken wire, and spackle, and it just hasn’t worked.  They must commit to building from the draft and I firmly believe the direction I have laid out will get Detroit to contend for the NFC North title in 2010.

 

Call me crazy, but I think it can be done.

 

Salud!

 

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Detroit Lions and What They Need: My 100th Article

Yeah, I know. I said I was going to take a break but trying to give up the Lions is like trying to give up alcohol.

My name is Seattle Lion Fan and I’m a Lionholic.

I even tried to write an article about the Seattle Seahawks.  It wasn’t a bad experience but the Hawks don’t fire the passion as much as the Lions do.  And isn’t that a sad statement to make when a 1-8 football team makes you a bigger fan than rooting for a 3-6 team.

I really need some therapy here.

So here I am at what some might consider a milestone. My 100th article for the Bleacher Report. I’m not going to go off on some love fest for the Bleacher Report or go down some sentimental journey about some dim, distant but sweet memory about my hometown and their teams. Hasn’t been my style as of late and I see no reason to change now.

I’m just happy to be here and that I’ve reached a hundred articles.

I will take some time to say thank you to some fellow Bleacher Report writers:

Dean Holden, Michael Schottey, Greg Eno, Leroy Watson, Eric Wilson, George Anderson,  Scott Reiger, Jay Wierenga, C Detgetmon, Ben Hammond and Keith Shelton

Each of you have given some great advice as well as some great thoughts on how we can fix the Lions.  Too bad we couldn’t somehow come up with $ 950 million, buy them and do it right!

Back to the subject at hand.

I’ve been reading articles about what needs to be done to fix the Lions.  A majority of the opinions have been to go after defense.  And while I will agree the Lions need help in that area as well as many others, I truly believe what should be addressed that hasn’t been for 20 years is the offensive line.

The Lions have had some good to great offensive linemen.  A few that come to mind are Lomas Brown, Russ Bolinger, Kevin Glover and Ray Roberts.  But even with these names, one can never say the Detroit Lions ever had a dominating offensive line.

Even in 1997, when Barry Sanders ran for 2,053 yards, Scott Mitchell was sacked 41 times.  You have a running back that runs wild and still finish 9-7, there is something seriously wrong with the team.  Yes, yes, I know, the defense sucked back then as well.  The idea was to outscore the other team in shootouts but that didn’t quite work.

I look at the Lions as they are right now much like a house in disrepair.  And if any of you know what the one thing every building known to man must have is a solid foundation.  And every foundation of any football team is the offensive line.

Have a good and solid offensive line and that translates into a good and solid football team.

2009 has shown some promise in these young Lions.  Last years draft brought us Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew.  Along with second year running back Kevin Smith and third year wide receiver extraordinaire Calvin Johnson, the Lions have the tools to be a very productive offense.

Problem is the current offensive line couldn’t hold back a front four of old ladies in walkers.  But I’m not slamming any of the current offensive linemen for not giving their best effort.  But a harsh reality is they are just not talented enough.

Now bear with me since this is a radical idea but I strongly feel the Lions should make the following moves.  It may be the fastest way to make the foundation stronger:

Move current left tackle Jeff Backus inside to left guard and target left tackle Bruce Campbell from Maryland with their first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

What does that get you?  Backus is constantly overmatched by elite defensive ends.  He’s 32 years old and in his ten years as the Lions left tackle, he’s given up an average of nearly 7.5 sacks per year.  Backus won’t have to rely as much on his footwork and when the guard needs to pull on running plays, Backus should be fairly effective.

Campbell has played left tackle at Maryland for 4 years.  He’s 6-7 and 312 lbs.  Granted he has fought minor injures but I’ll take him missing a few games over allowing my QB to get hit on 3 step drops.

The offensive line would look like this:

LT:  Bruce Campbell

LG:  Jeff Backus

C:  Dominic Riaola

RG: Stephen Peterson

RT: Gosder Cherilus

Keep Jon Jansen as a super sub for all the spots with the exception of center, trade or release Manny Ramirez and you got yourself a pretty stout line.

If Campbell isn’t available, then target Jason Fox out of Miami or Bryan Bulaga from Iowa.  I don’t think the Lions should go after Russell Okung since he’s played right tackle for Oklahoma and they can’t afford to wait for him to make the adjustment to left tackle.

And for those who say Backus is too expensive to play at left guard, forget about the money and focus on what’s needed for the Lions to win.  Besides, how well did the Minnesota Vikings offensive line improve when left guard Steve Hutchinson joined them in 2006?  From a pretty good offensive line to a damn good one.

As for the rest of what the Lions need, I’m sure there are going to be hundreds of articles and thousands of responses that will offer many different opinions.

But let’s face the one fact that’s keeping Detroit from having any kind of success (besides being owned by William Clay Ford, Sr.):  They must build a solid offensive line to keep Matthew Stafford from getting sacked and to open holes for Kevin Smith to keep defenses honest.

Happy 100th everyone…and thanks for reading!

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Detroit Lions and What They Need: My 100th Article

Yeah, I know. I said I was going to take a break but trying to give up the Lions is like trying to give up alcohol.

My name is Seattle Lion Fan and I’m a Lionholic.

I even tried to write an article about the Seattle Seahawks.  It wasn’t a bad experience but the Hawks don’t fire the passion as much as the Lions do.  And isn’t that a sad statement to make when a 1-8 football team makes you a bigger fan than rooting for a 3-6 team.

I really need some therapy here.

So here I am at what some might consider a milestone. My 100th article for the Bleacher Report. I’m not going to go off on some love fest for the Bleacher Report or go down some sentimental journey about some dim, distant but sweet memory about my hometown and their teams. Hasn’t been my style as of late and I see no reason to change now.

I’m just happy to be here and that I’ve reached a hundred articles.

I will take some time to say thank you to some fellow Bleacher Report writers:

Dean Holden, Michael Schottey, Greg Eno, Leroy Watson, Eric Wilson, George Anderson,  Scott Reiger, Jay Wierenga, C Detgetmon, Ben Hammond and Keith Shelton

Each of you have given some great advice as well as some great thoughts on how we can fix the Lions.  Too bad we couldn’t somehow come up with $ 950 million, buy them and do it right!

Back to the subject at hand.

I’ve been reading articles about what needs to be done to fix the Lions.  A majority of the opinions have been to go after defense.  And while I will agree the Lions need help in that area as well as many others, I truly believe what should be addressed that hasn’t been for 20 years is the offensive line.

The Lions have had some good to great offensive linemen.  A few that come to mind are Lomas Brown, Russ Bolinger, Kevin Glover and Ray Roberts.  But even with these names, one can never say the Detroit Lions ever had a dominating offensive line.

Even in 1997, when Barry Sanders ran for 2,053 yards, Scott Mitchell was sacked 41 times.  You have a running back that runs wild and still finish 9-7, there is something seriously wrong with the team.  Yes, yes, I know, the defense sucked back then as well.  The idea was to outscore the other team in shootouts but that didn’t quite work.

I look at the Lions as they are right now much like a house in disrepair.  And if any of you know what the one thing every building known to man must have is a solid foundation.  And every foundation of any football team is the offensive line.

Have a good and solid offensive line and that translates into a good and solid football team.

2009 has shown some promise in these young Lions.  Last years draft brought us Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew.  Along with second year running back Kevin Smith and third year wide receiver extraordinaire Calvin Johnson, the Lions have the tools to be a very productive offense.

Problem is the current offensive line couldn’t hold back a front four of old ladies in walkers.  But I’m not slamming any of the current offensive linemen for not giving their best effort.  But a harsh reality is they are just not talented enough.

Now bear with me since this is a radical idea but I strongly feel the Lions should make the following moves.  It may be the fastest way to make the foundation stronger:

Move current left tackle Jeff Backus inside to left guard and target left tackle Bruce Campbell from Maryland with their first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

What does that get you?  Backus is constantly overmatched by elite defensive ends.  He’s 32 years old and in his ten years as the Lions left tackle, he’s given up an average of nearly 7.5 sacks per year.  Backus won’t have to rely as much on his footwork and when the guard needs to pull on running plays, Backus should be fairly effective.

Campbell has played left tackle at Maryland for 4 years.  He’s 6-7 and 312 lbs.  Granted he has fought minor injures but I’ll take him missing a few games over allowing my QB to get hit on 3 step drops.

The offensive line would look like this:

LT:  Bruce Campbell

LG:  Jeff Backus

C:  Dominic Riaola

RG: Stephen Peterson

RT: Gosder Cherilus

Keep Jon Jansen as a super sub for all the spots with the exception of center, trade or release Manny Ramirez and you got yourself a pretty stout line.

If Campbell isn’t available, then target Jason Fox out of Miami or Bryan Bulaga from Iowa.  I don’t think the Lions should go after Russell Okung since he’s played right tackle for Oklahoma and they can’t afford to wait for him to make the adjustment to left tackle.

And for those who say Backus is too expensive to play at left guard, forget about the money and focus on what’s needed for the Lions to win.  Besides, how well did the Minnesota Vikings offensive line improve when left guard Steve Hutchinson joined them in 2006?  From a pretty good offensive line to a damn good one.

As for the rest of what the Lions need, I’m sure there are going to be hundreds of articles and thousands of responses that will offer many different opinions.

But let’s face the one fact that’s keeping Detroit from having any kind of success (besides being owned by William Clay Ford, Sr.):  They must build a solid offensive line to keep Matthew Stafford from getting sacked and to open holes for Kevin Smith to keep defenses honest.

Happy 100th everyone…and thanks for reading!

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Detroit vs. Seattle: Do Two Bad Teams Make For Good Football?

I get the rare opportunity to write about two teams that have been a part of many football seasons for me.

As many of you know, I am a born and raised Michigander (why that isn’t Michiganian is beyond me) and moved to the Seattle area in 1990, when I became a Washingtonian (see, isn’t that better?).

From about 1972 until 1989, I was only a Detroit Lion fan, seeing players such as Greg Landry, Bill Munson, Charlie Sanders, Alex Karras, Billy Sims, Lem Barney, and of course Barry Sanders. 

I’ve watched games during frigid winters in Tiger Stadium where my Dad introduced me to the wonders of peppermint schnapps on those cold days to the cavernous Pontiac Silverdome. My wife and I enjoyed numerous games as her Mom got us free tickets from her company. Wasn’t too difficult, since the Lions were at best mediocre, even back then.

Moving to Seattle, we were introduced to the AFC and the many battles Seattle had with the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. Seeing Brian Bosworth literally run over by Bo Jackson was perhaps the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on a football field.

Seahawks had some fine players on their rosters as well: Dave Krieg, Steve Largent, Curt Warner, Rufus Porter, Bryan Blades, and James Jones, to name a few. And I had the opportunity to see them play in the Kingdome as well as the elegant Qwest Field, which from what I understand is on par with Ford Field.

Perhaps the most bittersweet event was the 2005 Seattle Seahawks traveling to Detroit to play in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh. It was hard to watch my adopted team play a game, in Detroit’s backyard, knowing the Lions have never been to the big dance…and knowing they may never get there in my lifetime.

OK, enough of the melancholy bull. Time to talk about the current versions of both teams. 

Every one on the planet is aware of what the Lions accomplished last year. The Seahawks didn’t fare much better, going a shocking 4-12 after winning the NFC West crown four years in a row. Injuries decimated the roster last year as well as this one.

Both of these teams have a lot to prove to themselves, their fans, and the rest of the NFL— namely, that they belong in the league.  

I’ve not written any articles on the Seahawks for B/R since, for whatever insane reason that rattles around in my brain, I am still a die-hard Detroit Lions fan. But I do read articles posted there and have commented to some on the state of the team.

It’s been an interesting past six seasons. Watching the Seahawks go from a West Coast version of the Lions from 1976 to 2000, they had similar success both in the regular season and the postseason.

During that time, the Seahawks played in eight playoff games, winning two of them in 1983. Not all that much better than the Lions’ lone playoff victory in 10 playoff games. 

So here we are, the Seahawks having fallen from grace to the Lions trying to just gain respectability. The Seahawks are getting old and the Lions are young. Both have new head coaches with the edge—as far as experience—going to Mora as he coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2004 to 2006. 

Both teams need some serious upgrades to their offensive line and running game.  Seattle’s downfall began when they lost Steve Hutchinson to the Vikings and just hoped outstanding left tackle Walter Jones would never age or get hurt. 

The Lions have never really faced up to the importance of the offensive line, relying rather on the likes of Billy Sims and Barry Sanders to run to daylight. The Lions have never had a dominating offensive left tackle since the days of Lomas Brown.

Since Shawn Alexander fell from his Pro Bowl-form in 2005, the Seahawks have had very little success in running the ball. In fact, the Lions signed one of their more effective running backs this year in Maurice Morris. Unfortunately, Morris hasn’t been able to duplicate his spot duty success with the Lions as he did with the Hawks. Starting Lions running back Kevin Smith is a steady-but-nothing-spectacular type of back.

Both defenses have become suspect. It was almost expected the Lions would improve little on that side of the ball, despite the upgrades at linebacker with former Seahawk Julian Peters and former Pittsburgh Steeler Larry Foote.

But the Seahawks have been like the Three Faces of Eve as far as defense goes. In the two wins against St. Louis and Jacksonville, they held both teams scoreless, getting eight sacks, two turnovers, and pretty much dominating both teams while the offense scored a combined 69 points.

In the five losses against San Francisco, Chicago, Indiana, Arizona and Dallas, the defense basically disappeared, giving up 147 points. The offense didn’t help matters any, scoring only 66 points. Very Lionesque, if you ask me.

Granted, veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck has been toughing it out the last few games battling a rib injury. Mora sent a message to the team by not pulling Hasselbeck out of the fourth quarter of the Dallas game despite the fact Hasselbeck kept getting hit. My guess is Mora doesn’t have any faith in backup Seneca Wallace or rookie Mike Teel.

I have to give the edge to the Seahawks, though. The Lions don’t play well on the road, especially on the West Coast. And if Hasselback finds his rhythm, he can carve up the Lions’ weak secondary.

But wouldn’t it be sweet if the game came down to Washington State Cougar alum Jason Hanson to win the game with a field goal?

Seahawks 24, Lions 17.

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Hey Detroit Lions: You Really Stink!

You know, there was a time when I kept trying to give the Detroit Lions credit for finally heading in the right direction.

I could take the 26-0 beat down the Packers gave them two weeks ago.

I was elated they finally won since November of 2007.

I was even a little choked up when I saw the Lions were favored in this game, another first since being favored over the Atlanta Falcons last year;really, it brought a tear to my eye.

They were at home playing against a team that hadn’t won yet and had a big chance to show the rest of the NFL they were improving,but then they lost to the St. Louis Fricking Rams, 17-10. 

A little caveat here:  I wonder if St. Louis fans are really going to say the Rams won since it was “only the Lions”, much like many Lions fans said about us beating the Redskins in week three (Sorry, just can’t let that go).

For the most part, the defense did a pretty good job of keeping the Lions in the game.  Kudos to DeWayne White for that nice interception which should have fired up the offense.  Also have to give props to Kevin Smith for the smart play when he tackled the Rams James Butler in the end zone after he came out and then went back in.  Almost as dumb as Dan Orvolysky’s gaffe last year;almost.

As for the offense, it is absolutely wrong that Matthew Stafford throws for 33 times and only connects on 14 passes and of those 14 passes that he hit on, only two went to a wide receiver, Bryant Johnson.

Crap, crap, crap, and more crap.  It’s starting to pile up and really stink in Detroit,so bad that this fan based in Seattle can actually smell it.

Of course, we can’t go any further unless we talk about what the game breaker was; the touchdown the Rams scored on the fake field goal.

Let’s see, the Rams were 0-6, the attempt was going to be from over 50 yards, and the Rams (not the Lions) called a time out to talk about it. WHAT MADE YOU THINK THEY WEREN’T GOING TO TRY A FAKE FIELD GOAL?!?  They were desperate for a win and were willing to try anything to get a touchdown.

Speaking of which, where the heck are the trick plays from the Lions? Shouldn’t there be a sense of desperation? 

Are we supposed to accept the fact that we’re happy the Lions are suffering in quiet dignity? 

Lions are coming out to my side of the world next week.  When I looked at the schedule, I had actually thought about buying tickets to see them play.  Can’t do that now,even with the state the Seahawks are in, I don’t believe they are going to win out here.  So what’s the point?

Now that the Lions have lost to the St. Louis Fricking Rams, there isn’t one game left on this schedule that I have any confidence of them winning;not even against the Cleveland Browns despite the fact owner Randy Lerner says he’s “sick” about the state of his team.  Browns got nothing on the Lions, we got losing down to a damn science. 

Want to be sick?  Try being a Lions fan.

 

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Detroit Lions Need To Use Brandon Pettigrew A Whole Lot More

It looks like neither Matthew Stafford nor Calvin Johnson are going to play this weekend. 

Dante Culpepper took all of the first team snaps in practice yesterday and Calvin Johnson hardly practiced at all this week.

I think it’s high time that Brandon Pettigrew gets more involved in the offense.  He’s made some incredible catches and has a nice 12.2 yards per catch average.

He can catch the ball in traffic, evident of the catch he made against the Bears where he got popped pretty good from behind, but the ball never left his hands.

Pettigrew only has 13 catches on the year.  His best game so far was against the Bears Oct 4th when he had four catches for 67 yards.  He has yet to score a touchdown.

Considering the Lions need to score touchdowns in the red zone, I am curious as to why Pettigrew’s number hasn’t been called.  While I know he’s been a great help to the offensive line with his blocking, he isn’t getting paid to just block.

Granted, he’s had some drops, but in the grand scheme of things, a receiver just isn’t going to catch every ball thrown to him.  However, a good receiver, as Pettigrew is, feels that any ball that touches his hands should have been a reception.  I’m pretty confident that Pettigrew will improve as he gets more and more comfortable with Linehan’s offense.

Against the Packers 3-4 defense, Pettigrew is going to be the perfect weapon to counter it.  As Micheal Schottley points out in his great slide show Detroit Lions Offensive Playbook: Keys to Leading the Pack , they need to get him out on a tight-end post and hit that seam against the safeties.  This will loosen up the running game as the linebackers will need to drop back to worry about Pettigrew.  Should also shake the double-coverage wide receivers Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt.

Lions have a hidden jewel in Pettigrew.  There is a reason why they drafted him No. 20.  He has the capabilities to become a very dangerous receiver and great safety valve in the same vein as Chris Cooley, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, and Jason Witten to name a few. 

The upcoming game against the Packers could be his coming out party.

 

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Detroit Lions: So What Really Went Wrong Against the Bears?

Being out here on the West Coast and being way to cheap to plunk down $200 for the NFL Package, I can only see updates of Lions games online or wait for the highlights. Neither of which really gives you a good indication of what really went on.

But as I look at the stats, I have to wonder what really went wrong?

 

Passing

Stafford:  24 for 36, 296 yards, 1TD, 1 INT
Cutler:  18 for 28, 141 yards, 2TD, 0 INT

Statistically, Stafford beat out Cutler right?  But in my eyes, the edge goes to Cutler because he threw 2 TD’s and ran for another.  But another strong performance by Stafford and he would have had his first 300 yard game if he hadn’t left the game early.

 

Third down efficiency

Lions: 7/17 41% Bears: 2/10 20%

Detroit moved the chains…sustained some drives and it looks like the defense did OK against the Bears, allowing them to only convert twice on 10 attempts.  I can only conclude the Bears had some huge plays on first and second downs. 

The Lions’ defense gave up one long run by Forte of 61 yards which was half of his 121 yards. Take out that run and he still averaged 5.45 yards per carry. Forte must have been rushing for huge chunks since he only carried the ball 12 times.

 

Time of Possession

Lions:  36:30  Bears:  23:30

Lions had the ball 13 more minutes than the Bears. They kept the Chicago offense off the field.  Unfortunately, our defense was on the field at the same time.  Game was tied 21-21 at the half.  Special teams gave up a 102-yard TD return to Johnny Knox which pretty much sealed the deal. 

Offense could not respond as the Bears defense woke up and the Lions defense fell asleep. Bears struck at will in the second half.

 

Total Net Yards

Lions:  398 yards Bears 276 yards

Detroit out-gained the Bears by 122 yards. That, combined with winning time of possession, generally means you are controlling the ball, right? Calvin Johnson had a huge day, with eight catches for 133 yards and Stafford distributed the ball well, hitting 10 different receivers. 

But only Will Heller caught a touchdown pass, and Cutler played just as well and hit two different receivers for touchdowns.

 

Net Rushing Yards

Lions:  90 Yards Bears:  151 Yards

This is one part where the game was decided.  Kevin Smith, after getting 106 yards against the Redskins, ran for only 30 yards in 19 attempts.  A 1.5 average yards-per-carry is paltry. The positive side is that he did score twice. But the team, as a whole, only attempted to rush the ball 26 times for a minuscule 90 yards. 

Not rushing the ball effectively played right into the Bears defense. And while Stafford did statistically have his best day so far, the Bears sacked him five times.

 

Net Passing Yards

Lions:  308 yards Bears:  125 yards

Bears passed only when they needed to. And why would they throw when their running game was so effective? The Bears, as a team, had only 20 rushing attempts but with an average of 7.55 yards per carry, you are not going to need many attempts to get down the field. 

Cutler’s longest pass was 25 yards, so the secondary was doing an adequate job.  But the front seven, mainly the defensive line, allowed huge holes for Forte and Company to run for daylight.

 

Summary

The Lions offensive statistics showed they played well enough to win this game.  Normally, scoring 24 points is enough to win. What isn’t cutting it is the defense giving up 33-plus points per game. 

I’m not as worried about the offense as I used to be. Seems like Stafford is the real deal (yeah, I know, it’s only been four games but he’s improved every game.  The kid is going to be special), Kevin Smith, while falling flat against the Bears, still scored two touchdowns and showed some toughness by getting through his shoulder injury. 

This season, the Lions will fine tune the offense as best it can and put up with the sorry excuse for a defense. The 2010 draft, I’m sure, will be defense-oriented where I hope they can get an elite pass rusher as well as a run stuffing defensive tackle.

 

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Lions Win! Lions Win! OK, Now What?

Finally.  After two years of not winning a game, the Lions are off the snide.

And please, this victory over the Washington Redskins should not be discounted because the Redskins are a bad team.  Remember folks, we were that “bad team” 19 freaking times in a row.

Classy move on Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz to have the team go back out onto Ford Field to share the victory with the fans.  Schwartz said in his post-game locker room talk to the Lions that they owed something to the community and this win is as much the fans as it is the teams.

So the Lions got a win…and they beat a team they were supposed to beat.  It wasn’t pretty but there were some marked improvements.  I didn’t actually see the game only some of the highlights and statistics. 

And did my eyes deceive me when I saw the Lions made a nice defensive stop on the Redskins and promptly drove 99 yards for a touchdown?  I don’t care who the team you are playing against, that is not a common occurrence.

Kudos to the rookie QB Matthew Stafford who went 21-of-36, 241 yards and ZERO, NADA, ZILCH INTERCEPTIONS.

Kudos to Kevin Smith going 101 yards on 16 carries for 6.3 yards per carry average.

Kudos to the other Johnson, Bryant getting 73 yards on 4 catches and a real nice catch for a score (that I saw on the highlights).

Kudos to Megatron for putting in a solid game, 5 catches for 49 yards.  Still got to get him the ball more though.

Kudos to Ko Simpson on a timely interception.

Kudos to the defense for holding Clinton Portis to 42 yards and the huge 4-and-1 stop in the first quarter.

It feels good to finally write something good about the Detroit Lions.  I don’t think they will beat Chicago next week at Soldier Field.  But the Lions have to feel a whole lot better about themselves.  For one game, the hung together as a team and won as a team.  They have shown improvement each week.

Who knows what happens when a team gets hot.  Does this win mean the Lions are on a roll?  Let’s not get to giddy here.  We all know how well they have played on the road in recent history.  The last time the Lions won in Soldier Field was October 28, 2007 with a 16-7 victory.  In fact, the Lions actually swept the Bears that season as they beat them 37-27 on September 30th, 2007.

All right, the 800 pound gorilla is off your collective backs.  Keep improving, give the Chicago Bears a good scare and if you can, surprise the hell out of everyone and win two games in a row!

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Detroit Lions Need to Change Offensive Play Calling

The photo of Matthew Stafford says it all.  That is not a happy camper.

But Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan should take a look at the game film but look at what the Vikings did offensively instead of what the Lions did.

They adjusted to the Lions defense.  They went with a short passing game that used bubble screens, quick slants and underneath routes. 

With the weapons the Lions have on offense such as Calvin Johnson and Dennis Northcut catching those quick slants, Brandon Pettigrew and Kevin Smith used on bubble screens and underneath routes, the pressure would be off Matthew Stafford to make the big plays down the field.

The Lions focus should be to get the ball into the play makers hands.  I would love to see CJ with 10-15 catches a game but with a ton of YAC (Yards After Catch). 

Brandon Pettigrew had a solid game but only four receptions.  He showed some toughness on one of those catches when he caught a screen pass and pretty much on his own got the first down.

Yeah, I know, Stafford has the big arm and Linehan’s offense likes to push down field.  But what really needs to be done right now is to worry about every 10 yards.  Move the chains.  Use your play makers and allow them to get your yardage. 

Sure, you have to take your shots down field.  But with this type of offense, you can pick and choose when to unleash that big arm and hit a 40- to 50-yarder to Johnson on a go-route or a post pattern.

Screen passes are a great extension of a running game.  If done properly, the running back has better opportunities to find creases on a screen pass than trying to run it up the gut all the time.  And it allows the offensive line to keep pushing out, get in space and clear some lanes.

Quick hitting pass plays will cut down on Stafford’s turnover ratio but increase his confidence.  It keeps the offense on the field longer and just wears a defense down.

Stafford does have the makings of becoming a great quarterback.  And regardless of any doubt people had of taking him over Sanchez, I really don’t think Sanchez would have fared any better with the Lions. 

The Lions biggest weakness is their defense.  Best way to mask that is to have clock killing drives with a low-risk short game.  Keep the opposing defense on the field for as long as possible.

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