Detroit Lions Need to Let Go of the Past and Focus on the Future in 2010

The breakup is over.

It has been over for almost two years.  At some point we need to get off the couch, put down the ice cream and quit feeding our emotions.   The guy wasn’t a knight in shining armor, as was advertised.  He was supposed to take us to the next level.  Instead he used us and left us to wallow in our misery.

Matt Millen just wasn’t that into us.

But now, its time to move on.

It’s time we take off our sweats and start looking like someone who has a purpose.  The only uses of the past is to remember good times and learn from failures.  Well, our recent past has only left us with one option.

What I mean by that is to quit living in the past.

It’s true.  The Detroit Lions are not a good football team.  It’s also true they’re losing at an historic pace.  What is also true, however is there is nothing any one can do about it.  At least not right now.

Matt Millen left this team in terrible shape and to expect a brand new staff to fix it overnight is—to put it plainly—stupid.  The roster is the equivolent of a huge practice squad.  It’s the place players go to get on the field.  It’s a reason all these players were available in free agency and on waivers.  The last time I checked, waived was another word for cut and claiming players off cutters just doesn’t sound right.

The new regime needs time.  If I understand the rules correctly, each team gets a max of ten players per draft.  We all know, ten players will not improve this team enough to satisfy our expectations.  Admit it, even if this team won six games this season, fans would’ve been mad about the other three that could have gotten us in the playoffs.

The 2009 draft class turned out to be pretty solid.  The first overall pick, Matthew Stafford, turned out to be better than advertised.  The unwanted first round pick, Brandon Pettigrew, drew some praise as the season progressed before his injury. 

Second round stud Louis Delmas is a monster and seems to be the anchor of the defense for the future along with third round pick DeAndre Levy, who is making quite a name with his opportunity.  Sammie Hill, a fourth round selection from a D-III school is a starter who playing well after being considered a prospect.

Aaron Brown, drafted in the sixth round, seem to be solid when he is not making mistakes and Zack Follet is a heatseeking, kickoff missile who destroys returners.  The jury is still out on Derrick Williams, Dan Gerberry and Dan Gronkowski.  Williams doesn’t do the one thing he was brought to do well, but the special teams unit as a whole has been unimpressive.  How much of that is his fault?  I’m not sure.

So, Lion’s fans, let us take the first step towards moving forward.  Matt Millen is gone and will not be missed.  In order to move on, we have to forget the damage he caused.  We know the team is not good, but instead lets look at what they do right (quit laughing). 

From here on out, we should turn our attention to the youngsters, at least the healthy ones.  We have one more game.  Considering the turnover about to take place, this is identical to the last preseason game.  We know who will be here long term and who is just auditioning.  Is there a hidden gem? I honestly don’t know, but there’s nothing wrong with a treasure hunt. 

Basically, the constant mentioning of losing is not helping anyone.  Its not helping the coaches, the players or our own psyche.  It’s nothing but a constant reminder of the Millen Era.  We knew the damage was long term, and we still gripe about it.  This is 2010, a whole new decade.  No reason to worry about the old one. 

We’re showing the league that we are finally over Millen, because he was over us in 2002.  It’s about time we catch up.

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Detroit Lions Need to Let Go of the Past and Focus on the Future in 2010

The breakup is over.

It has been over for almost two years.  At some point we need to get off the couch, put down the ice cream and quit feeding our emotions.   The guy wasn’t a knight in shining armor, as was advertised.  He was supposed to take us to the next level.  Instead he used us and left us to wallow in our misery.

Matt Millen just wasn’t that into us.

But now, its time to move on.

It’s time we take off our sweats and start looking like someone who has a purpose.  The only uses of the past is to remember good times and learn from failures.  Well, our recent past has only left us with one option.

What I mean by that is to quit living in the past.

It’s true.  The Detroit Lions are not a good football team.  It’s also true they’re losing at an historic pace.  What is also true, however is there is nothing any one can do about it.  At least not right now.

Matt Millen left this team in terrible shape and to expect a brand new staff to fix it overnight is—to put it plainly—stupid.  The roster is the equivolent of a huge practice squad.  It’s the place players go to get on the field.  It’s a reason all these players were available in free agency and on waivers.  The last time I checked, waived was another word for cut and claiming players off cutters just doesn’t sound right.

The new regime needs time.  If I understand the rules correctly, each team gets a max of ten players per draft.  We all know, ten players will not improve this team enough to satisfy our expectations.  Admit it, even if this team won six games this season, fans would’ve been mad about the other three that could have gotten us in the playoffs.

The 2009 draft class turned out to be pretty solid.  The first overall pick, Matthew Stafford, turned out to be better than advertised.  The unwanted first round pick, Brandon Pettigrew, drew some praise as the season progressed before his injury. 

Second round stud Louis Delmas is a monster and seems to be the anchor of the defense for the future along with third round pick DeAndre Levy, who is making quite a name with his opportunity.  Sammie Hill, a fourth round selection from a D-III school is a starter who playing well after being considered a prospect.

Aaron Brown, drafted in the sixth round, seem to be solid when he is not making mistakes and Zack Follet is a heatseeking, kickoff missile who destroys returners.  The jury is still out on Derrick Williams, Dan Gerberry and Dan Gronkowski.  Williams doesn’t do the one thing he was brought to do well, but the special teams unit as a whole has been unimpressive.  How much of that is his fault?  I’m not sure.

So, Lion’s fans, let us take the first step towards moving forward.  Matt Millen is gone and will not be missed.  In order to move on, we have to forget the damage he caused.  We know the team is not good, but instead lets look at what they do right (quit laughing). 

From here on out, we should turn our attention to the youngsters, at least the healthy ones.  We have one more game.  Considering the turnover about to take place, this is identical to the last preseason game.  We know who will be here long term and who is just auditioning.  Is there a hidden gem? I honestly don’t know, but there’s nothing wrong with a treasure hunt. 

Basically, the constant mentioning of losing is not helping anyone.  Its not helping the coaches, the players or our own psyche.  It’s nothing but a constant reminder of the Millen Era.  We knew the damage was long term, and we still gripe about it.  This is 2010, a whole new decade.  No reason to worry about the old one. 

We’re showing the league that we are finally over Millen, because he was over us in 2002.  It’s about time we catch up.

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Jim Caldwell: Thanks For Resting the Starters

I can understand why the Indianapolis Colts decided to rest their starters.  What I do not understand, however, was why not pull the starters with a bigger lead.  Not to take anything away from the Jets, but this was a mismatch. 

There is no way I pull Peyton Manning out with a one-score lead with almost an entire half to play.  Matter of fact, I’m going for destiny.  It may be for all the wrong reasons, but screw it, I’m going for it.

 

Reason One – Superiority

I would be out to prove  that we are not the New England Patriots.  Just because the Pats lost the Big Game after going undefeated does not mean we will.  That was them, this is us, and we are better. 

Of course, no one will say that in a press conference, but I’m sure a handful of Colts players are thinking it; or at least was before the weekend.  The older Colts players share a bitter rivalry with the Pats and are out to prove they are better. 

 

Reason Two – History

There was more at stake history wise than just being undefeated.  How many rookie head coaches inherit this kind of opportunity?  One.  And he just blew it.  You are only a rookie once, unless you are Greg Oden, and you will not get this chance again.  Sure, as long as you have Peyton Manning you may got 14-0 again, but never again as a rookie head coach.

 

Reason Three – Intimidation

Playing Peyton Manning in a playoff game is scary enough, but playing a undefeated Peyton Manning who is in-sync with his offense is insane.  Nothing could scare a defensive coordinator more than a synchronized Colts team. 

Even the defense, who has had its knocks in previous seasons, have seemed to keep pace with the other side of the ball, at least when it matters anyway.

 

Reason Four – Just because

Who wants to lose?  Obviously, Jim Caldwell because he basically forfeited the game.  Look, if he was playing against Detroit (sorry, Lions) I can understand.  They were playing a Jets team with a shot to make it to the post-season and they basically put in their preseason squad and told them to hold a one score lead. 

I don’t know about you, but we call that throwing your team under the bus and gift wrapping the Jets (a former division rival) a Christmas present.  You could see by the look of the starters during the sacrifice they wanted to win.  They wanted to go into the playoffs unscathed.  However, the team got done it by the guy hired to help them win. 

 

Thanks, coach.

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Bryant Johnson: Why The Lions Should Release Him

I’m going to keep this post short for the simple fact that sometimes words just get in the way. I read a stat here that completely blew my mind.

Bryant Johnson has gone 9 straight games with 2 or fewer catches.

How does that happen? How does the receiver opposite Calvin Johnson have less than 18 catches over 9 games? To put that into perspective, Brandon Marshall caught 21 in one game.

This makes me wonder, with the defensive secondary catching the heat it does for lack of production, why doesn’t this guy get benched for the same? It’s his time to go. He is in a prime spot to revive his career and this is what he does? Bench him. Its time to move on without him. Derrick Williams has to be better than this. Eric Fowler, somebody, anybody has to be better than this. Just sit him down already and make sure he takes Dennis Northcutt with him.

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Detroit Lions: You Can Win For Losing. Really.

 

It’s pretty obvious by now isn’t it?

The Detroit Lions do not know how to win. We don’t need to decipher the Da Vinci Code or the Kryptos structure at the CIA to figure that out. The team seems hell-bent on reminding us of the fact.

But here’s the problem fans have to deal with: One doesn’t learn to win until learning to lose.

Sounds dumb doesn’t it? Who wants to learn to lose. Losing sucks, right? Why, yes. Yes, it does. It’s just like learning to ride a bike. Of course, you are going to fall until you learn to ride. Failure, or fear of failure, always comes before success.

And right now, the Lions are learning to lose.

Most of you will say the Lions have been losing for 50 years. You’re right, if you’re referring to the franchise. But what people forget is the players are new. About 60 percent of the current roster are new faces. Some come from successful college programs; other from successful pro teams. Those players are not accustomed to losing. To make it even more a delicate situation is in a game like football the team must learn to win together.

With the current landscape of pro sports, that might be tough to do. But its not impossible.

Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson know what its like to lose and work extremely hard to not to replicate that failure. No matter what people say about Smith’s production thus far, nothing negative can be said about his work ethic. Same goes for CJ. Matthew Stafford however, has been a star everywhere he’s been and had success. Right now, he is taking a crash course on losing 101. The reason this lesson is so important is because when a competitor experiences losing for the first time, they want to avoid it all costs and they start forcing things.

We say it firsthand Sunday in the game against the Seahawks.

Detroit jumped to an early lead. After a few bad breaks, Stafford panicked. He knew he could rely on Calvin Johnson, so he began forcing the issue. Forced passes quickly became intereceptions and the rest is history. These are things a coaching staff can teach him, but its up to him to learn override his panick mechanism. Matt Hasselback was well aware of his situation and after two quick turnovers, calmly took what the defense gave him. Only experience can provide those lessons.

The nucleus is in place. What the team need to do now is provide that nucleus with a strong supporting cast. Next season, the coaching staff will be more familiar with the talent around them and have more players that fit what they are trying to do. The coaching staff will have learned what an “L” tastes like and put more effort into game planning.

The Detroit Pistons had to get thumped by the Lakers in the 80s before learning what it took and again by the Nets in ’03 before learning what winning took. Michael Jordin had to earn his chops against the Bad Boys before becoming king of the NBA hill.

We, as fans need to show patience to the new guys. Millen broke our hearts, but we cannot point that frustration towards Mayhew and Schwartz. He have to let them earn their fan’s ire on their own merits. I’m sure once this “new” team learns what its like to lose, they wont lose much longer.

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Detroit Lions: Right Players, Wrong Timing

Oh, what it’s like to be a Lions fan.

What a maddening thing when you live in a world of high draft picks and low scores.  When management consistently misses on can’t-miss prospects and possible late-round gems turn out to be polished coal.

One gambling man would figure with just the numbers and law of averages, this team would strike gold at some point.

We did.  Too bad it was almost 20 years ago, and even then we couldn’t get the return on investment that was expected. 

Finally, after eight years of trying make sugar from well, you know, we are finally back to where we began at the turn of the century: rebuilding once again.

But we all know that.  So let’s have some fun with it.

Let’s say for example, we take the current coaching staff and plug in former players either drafted or signed during the last 10 years. 

We will not include everyone, but some players who were expected to make comet-size impacts which sounded more like bubble wrap. 

For the sake of time restraints and too much required research, we will leave out special teams except for kickers, punters and returners.

Let’s start with the money makers, the offense. 

At quarterback, I would have to start with Stafford.  He has played as well as any quarterback we have had under the Millen era.

Sure, Kitna was a good leader and had good stats.  He even led the team to a 7-9 record in 2007 (nevermind the 6-2 start). 

But the numbers, as good as they were, had more to do with sheer numbers. The Mike Martz-led offense threw what seemed like 75 percent of the time.  That is why Stafford gets the nod.

At running back, I would go with a two-back system.  Unfortunately, I only have two real options here: Kevin Smith and Kevin Jones.

The funny thing is this they are pretty much the same back.  But K. Jones ran for over 1,000 yards his rookie year while K. Smith got pretty close as a part-time starter. 

No other back this decade even came close.  Aw, hell, I don’t even remember another back.  Sadness.

Next, is the one unit where minimal changes would be made.  I would gladly like to see the 2007 receiving corps on the 2009 roster.  I can see Stafford developing nicely with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson and Mike Furrey as his targets. 

I understand people have their issues with Williams but he is a threat a defense couldn’t overlook, especially opposite Calvin Johnson. 

No defense in football would stack the box with those two lined-up with Stafford’s cannon.  The running game, slot receiver, and tight ends would have career numbers.

The offensive line has been pretty consistent.  No matter who lines up, the results always seem to be the same, so I will leave them to your imagination.  Lets move to the defense.

The linebacking group would remain the same as the 2009 group because they have to be the most impressive has any group this decade.  But the secondary would have a couple players recently release manning the corner spots. 

I would not complain with Dre Bly and Leigh Bodden in Gunther Cunningham’s scheme.  Backing those two up at safety would be Louis Delmas and former second-round pick Gerald Alexander, who was also recently shipped out. 

All those players made plays, but with the exception of Delmas, were stuck in Marinelli’s Cover Two system.

On the defensive line, the first thing I would do is bring back Shaun Rogers.  He was another player drafted for the wrong reasons.  The team wanted a small quick front but drafted a 330-plus pound space eater. 

The perfect player under current head coach Jim Schwartz, who takes size over speed. 

Coach Schwartz already mentioned earlier the team is trying to get two huge tackles to anchor the line and they aren’t quite there yet. 

With Big Baby back back in the middle lined up with fourth round pick Sammie Hill, you’re looking at one-on-one blocking for every one on the line or one less option in the passing game because either the tight end or back would have to help block. 

The defensive ends have been pretty unproductive this decade so this year’s version would have to do; preferably DeWayne White and Cliff Avril, at least until Jason Hunter returns.  He was pretty impressive before going out with an injury. 

Jason Hanson is the kicker, enough said.  Even if was not the only kicker for the last 19 years, but his performance would give him the nod anyway. 

The same can be said about Nick Harris.  The only problem is they practice their craft way too often.  I wish Nick Harris was used as often as the Statue of Liberty play, but what can you do?

The one bright spot on the Lions team has always been kick and punt returns until the last 2-3 years.  If I could bring anyone back, it would be Eddie Drummond.  For along time, he was the Lions’ offense and was another good player on a bad team.

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Detroit Lions Fans: Be Upset, Just Be Smart About It

OK, so you’re upset.

Your team just lost to the winless Rams, which is inexcusable.

I get it. I really do.

What I do not get, however, is the reason Matthew Stafford is the point of that criticism.  He went 14-of-33 for 168 yards with one pick. 

Those are not good numbers, but what did you expect?  He barely practiced and his receiving corps looked to be made of butter.  I counted about seven dropped passes, with most coming on third down.

Oh, and that one pick bounced off of Aaron Brown’s hands.

Put yourself in his situation.  If you had unreliable coworkers who let you down on a consistent basis wouldn’t you hesitate going to them for help?  I would.

How many times do you have to set your self up for failure before you think twice before doing it again?  I bet even Plaxico Burress will remember to check the safety if he decides he needs to carry a pistol again.

If you want to boo the team that let Stephen Jackson run over them on numerous occasions, that’s fine.  Tackling is something that can be done alone; moving the chains on offense is not. 

It was amazing to me on the Lions lone scoring drive how easily they moved the ball when players decided to make catches.  It was fun to watch. 

Matter of fact, Stafford is the one who got the team back in the game (if you call down by eight really out of it).  From what I can tell, he played better when his team needed him most.  Please do not blame him for fourth-and-20.  You can put that on back-to-back holding penalties.

Honestly, I think if Detroit gets some more consistency from the receiving corps, Stafford could make a case for rookie of the year. 

He had five interceptions the first two games, but has thrown only two in the five games since and at least one of those bounced off the hands of the intended receiver.  That shows continued improvement.

I’m excited about what he could do with a healthy Johnson for the second half of the season.  Remember, they have only played three complete games together; compiling a 1-2 record.

So chill out.

No one will ever dispute the frustration of a Lions fan, but show some fan intellect by at least booing the right person(s).  Right now, Stafford does not fit the description. 

Besides, how does one have enough energy to boo Matt when booing his receiving corps should be top priority; with exception of Johnson, of course.

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Detroit Lions: First Quarter Grades

Four games down, 12 games to go.

A quarter of the way through the season and what have we learned?

Hmmm, Matthew Stafford is better than we (read: I) first believed. He has gotten more efficient with each game, with his passer rating increasing with each game. Also, Stafford has managed to cut down on turnovers after the horrific first two games. I honestly believe he will play Sunday against the Steelers. I’m thinking he is feeling confident about his performance thus far and want to keep the roll going.

Unfortunely, we have also learned the running game is seriously inconsistent. Stafford has only been sacked 10 times in four games with half of those coming against Chicago. Also, with the running game being efficient every other game, that tells me the line CAN play well and be competitive. I can’t say for sure the cause of the inconsistency, but I know the talent is there.

We have also learned that the special teams unit, besides the actual kicking part, is horrendous. The return team needs to be returned and the coverage units needs to be covered (ie; buried). It is inconceivable for Chicago to have more return yards than offense. That is insane.

The defense has been pretty good in each game except the Saints game but can we really hold that against them? Against Minnesota, they held Farve to 155 yards passing and AP to 92 yards on the ground. I can’t really complain about that at all. If the offense didn’t die out in the second half, that was a winnable game. The stats from the Washington game was misleading. Sure, Campbell threw for 340 yards, but 155 of those came on the last two drives when Detroit went to a prevent defense to avoid giving up big plays. The Chicago game was a different scenario all together. The defense only allowed 276 yards, but was that because they played well or their special teams unit let them play arena football with the field position.

So, even with a 1-3 record, I am encouraged by the teams performance thus far especially when you take into account the three teams the Lions lost to are a combined 11-1. Matter of fact, its not like anyone thought Detroit was going into the bye week at .500 anyway. So be patient, I think the team will be a lot better as the season progresses and the young players get more experience and the units gel. Remember, about 60 percent of the roster is new.

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Detroit Lions: Let The Youth Movement Begin!

Lets see if I this analogy works.

Ever heard of the guy who meets this great girl? This girl is loving, but guarded.  She has this huge wall built from past relationships. Although, the guy knows she loves him and wants to be there for him, he also knows she is scared he will hurt her like the men before him.

Well, the Detroit Lions are that guy.

The fans, on the other hand are the heartbroken, love-torn woman who can not let the pain go. We continue to compare every player at every position to their predecessor. Matthew Stafford is compared to Joey Harrington (not fair), Kevin Smith to Barry Sanders (come on) and Calvin Johnson to Herman Moore (a little closer, but 2 years does not a career make). 

I know this should not have to be said, but it’s 2009.  These are not your grandfather’s Lions team.  Hell, this ain’t even your older cousin’s Lions team.  There has been a complete changing of the guard in the front office and coaching staff.  Over half of the roster has been replaced.  As much as we love to say “Same old Lions”, we can not.

We have to let it go.

This Detroit team is 0-2, not 0-19.  These players lost the first two games on their own merit.  Not because Matt Millen screwed the pooch for eight years. Not because when Marinelli said “pound the rock” he actually was underneath it trying to reach the surface. This is Martin Mayhew’s and Jim Schwartz’s team. This is a young team with five rookie starters and at crucial positions (qb, dt, s, lb and te). The star receiver is three years in and the halfback is a second year player running behind a sophmore right tackle. The defensive line core is even younger.  Cliff Avril is also in his second year while Sammie Hill is in his first and our best safety is a rookie.

So I say to you, love again.  Its ok.

Let the past go, let bygones-be-bygones. This is a new generation and its time we let them stand on their own merits. This is a new relationship and if this is going to work we need to give it a chance.

Either that or grow up and be the Cat Lady.

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Matthew Stafford Vs. Daunte Culpepper: Flash Versus Substance

As we call can tell from the dead horse’s bruised and battered flesh, there has been plenty of discussion about the QB situation in Detroit. But when a team goes 0-16 and has five different starters during that span, it’s kind of understandable. But, before I continue, I would like to apologize to this horse before I take one more swing at its lifeless shell.

Here it goes.

There has been some discussion about the style of play between the two. Culpepper is showing patience and playing it safe while Stafford is slinging the ball all over the field trying to make plays. Of course people see the big arm and see big things in the future, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Patience is key with this offense.

Culpepper has shown accuracy and control of the offense on a consistent basis, which is exactly what this particular team needs. Besides Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith, there is not a lot of proven talent on that side of the ball, which will cause for a more slow and methodical approach until others prove they are worth the defense’s attention.

Also, a good offense is a defense’s best friend.

And this defense needs all the friends it can get. As the defense has shown this preseason, tackling is not high on their list of things to accomplish. Sure the coaching staff is pretty adamant about it, but the players seem to not care too much.

Don’t get me wrong, I thought the defense played well, but I can see defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham having a fit about turned down tackles again this week.  So, Daunte’s approach of clock killing and extended drives are perfect, and much needed.

“But, Stafford looked great with his cannon arm!”

He sure did. But those passing lanes will not be there during the regular season.  During the Meaningless Season (which is not accurate at all), teams are not game planning as much as evaluating. 

They run basic schemes, call basic plays and look for basic things. Coaches are more worried about technique and not showing their hands to future opponents so plays will be there to be made. Stafford is making them now. 

But what about when the games count?  He already has three INTs in three games. Sure the pick on Saturday wasn’t his fault, but what happens when he is in the entire game?  Over the course of three games he has played about 4 quarters.

One game—three picks and one touchdown.

This team isn’t ready for his approach. I like his mentality but learning the offense behind Culpepper will make him a better player and the Lions a better team. 

There is no shame in sitting behind a former Pro Bowler (who, without the injury, may have had HOF considerations) who knows the offense. Maybe he should read the story about the Tortoise and the Hare. 

Slow and steady isn’t always a bad thing.

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