Sunday, September 21, 2008

Game Day Blog

Once again, post your game-day thoughts here. I was going to do a piece on this match up, but really -- what more is there to say? So far, the team has been on the "If not..." track we were hoping the season wouldn't end up on during the ifseason.

Just the same, time tested, most basic of they need to do:

Score more points than the other guys.

Do that, and you win. Don't, you lose. See, wasn't that profound?

Seriously, they need to eliminate the bone-headed penalties, stick to their assignments and tackle, run crisp routes, and not push things too much onto themselves.

Most of all? Play one snap at a time and concentrate. The game is winnable -- the question is: Will the execute?

Film will tell -- and will determine if the bye week is started off with the beginning of what could be a great run, strides made, a team humming and clicking...

Or if it will be a time of Re-Tooling and figuring out what to do. Hey, at least sitting at 0-2 the Lions weren't predicted to be in the Superbowl like San Diego and Minnesota. They, even as the Lions, are looking at themselves going "What happened??" I think that question is hard to answer for all of them...

Go Lions!!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dont know how many more games like this I can stomach. Its really starting to make me sick. These guys are so much better than this I dont know why they cant show it on game day. 21-3 first half once again!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What a game!!!! 31-13! Proud to be a Lions fan let me tell ya! I have been a fan since I was 10 years old and I dont think I can continue to watch them play like this. I dont even like having to say that but, I know I am not the only fan out there that feels this way. One good bright spot, Rudi looked good today!!! Paris started to look like a MLB also. Thats about it. Tell me DetFan, Is it going to get any better or what?

RIP said...

Watched the first game of the year for I am finally home from a military mobilization. Actually, only been home for 13 of the last 47 months, with 34 being mobilized. Also watched the first game using DVR.

Has our middle of the defense been this bad? Kept rewinding to see where #53 was. What I saw was a soft player who is not a middle linebacker. What I saw was, he shadowed other players so he did have to take on a blocker. When he tackled, he often led with the round portion of the shoulder, instead of squaring up. When he did get in on a tackle, the runner would still gain 2-4 yards, unless there was someone to assist him. In pass zone, he was back from line of scrimage by 15-20 yards everytime, no matter what the situation was.

Where are the days when we had players like Spielman, or Boyd.

RIP said...

Another thing I noticed is the D-line and linebackers don't play as a team at times and the linebackers don't always play thier lanes. When D White rushed inside, the running back took that read and circled around the tackle for large gains. I also saw the linebackers overpersuing and also playing next to each other before the ball carrier chose where he was going to run the ball. At times they were not playing thier lanes, allowing themselves to get bunched up.

RIP said...

For much of the game, I thought the Lion's offense played good. There were a couple rookie mistakes, like when Cherilos had the DE on a run play, but then the FB ran into him. Cherilos then lost containment, and the DE tackled Johnson for a 2 yard lost.
Or the time when Riola was 4-5 yards downfield before the handoff was made to the running back. Could the defense read this as a pass?
Why goes other NFL quarterbacks make the passing game look easy, where our wide receivers are always adjusting the end of there routes just to try and catch the ball. Does Michael Gaines look lost while on the field?

Isphet said...

Before the season began, we looked at the first 3 weeks of the year as the easy weeks before the schedule got serious. Atlanta was supposed to be a joke. GB was supposed to be winnable since Rodgers hadn't started yet and was supposed to not be good, and S.F. was supposed to be a win as well because Martz and J.T. were there.

We were supposed to be at least 2-1 going into the bye to feel good about our chances going into the teeth of the Lions' schedule.

So much for that idea. I hate to say it; but I don't think the Lions can dig out of this hole they've dug themselves into. Anything is possible, sure.. but probable? It's not probable at all.

I think it's time to just play the young guys and develop them. Get Dizon in there, play Stanton or Orlovsky (especially since Kitna might be hurt anyways) to see what we have there.

Play Rudi and Smith both, but Smith maybe a little more (assuming he isn't hurt?) since Rudi seems to be the guy he used to be and isn't really 100% yet; let him get healthy.

Cherilous needs his time; and I say put Ramirez in there over Peterman also; Ramirez is in his 2nd year and could use the work; he looks like the real deal I think.

I can't believe it's week 3 and I'm already wanting to throw in the towel on the Lions this year; I try to stay an optimist. I just haven't seen much good from this team this year; it looked like everyone quit out there today; even CJ dropped passes.

Anonymous said...

Yeah its kind of depressing. What is there to look forward to except watching rookies develop. Jon can't lead this team anymore, as soon as they saw the offense couldn't get the ball moving and we started our usual practice of going backwards it seems like the defense gave up. They worked pretty hard the first series, but couldn't contain JT (again, Jared is too slow, he can't catch QB's sorry) and it went downhill from there. Like I said last week, there is no value in playing Jon anymore, Stanton has to play, he is our only QB with mobility and we have to find out how he can do. You can't win in the NFL regularly without a QB that can escape when he needs to and keep drives going. If JT gets caught on that first drive on 3rd and 7 (or they blitz, what happened to all the blitzing we did in the pre-season??) the game maybe starts out different instead of getting deflated right away. They stopped Gore early on.
Eight sacks last week on JT and we acn't even put much pressure on him. So much for our D-Line. Devries and Cody should not be starting. Man I can't take it.

Anonymous said...

FFFFFFFFFFF*********************CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I missed the game, probably better that way.
-nubs

DetFan1979 said...

Wow. Should I even watch the tape? Saw the score...saw the comments...

Saw the season go right down the crapper. Officially flushed would be my present assessment, unless someone on here saw something different from the last two games?

I'll suck it up and do analysis after I've had time to view the tape. (After all, it sure looks like the Lions coaches and players aren't reviewing it.)

No more from me til then. Please, post your assessments (with analysis if possible).

CHIEFGER139 said...

THEY JUST HAD A BAD DAY
its tough flying all the way across the country and playing a game out there,plus there not even on the same time. Plus dizon was hurt and couldnt even play-we werent at full strength and the receivers had the dropsies plus kitna got hurt early with the 1st sack and who knows how bad he hurts now , looks like he blew out his knee. calvin johnson has yet to show us what hes capable ofroy and mc donald played terrible just chock it up as a road loss, were allowed several of them. go 7-1 at home and 4-4 or even 3-5 on the road and your 10-6 or 11-5 and in the playoffs.
7 home games left lots of time to fix a couple of small bumps-like millen said everythings fine dont panic and with the bye week can heal up and fix a few small issues they need to deal with.
better to lose a few early than late in the year like last year-figure they had this all planned out and probably expected to lose these 3 games knowing they needed to do this in order to develop into the championship team they will become before the year is out.
LIONS GREAT IN 2008-PLAYOFFS AND BEYOND!!

Anonymous said...

1 and 10 in the last 11. With no changes; same players, same coaches, same GM, same owner, same play calling = Same results.

Rod needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Kitna should be on the bench. I would never wish an injury on a player but hopefully whatever the extent of his injury the Lions use this as an excuse to start Drew Stanton. I wasn't pushing for him before (I would have taken either) but since they are banking on him being the future why not. Put him in and let him grow. It may be the only thing they can do to get the players to start playing an entire game again.

Rip on me all you want but Kitna just hasn't been the same since his last concussion mid way through the season last year and nobody has listened to me since then and probably will still not listen to me now. 1 and 10 people are you finally getting it yet? I'm very patient I can wait till you all see it too, your light bulb will eventually turn on.

I will go watch the game sometime today or tomorrow I only caught the end and it seemed to me like the first two games almost to a tee. I just hope there is a bright spot in there aside from the Lions realizing that Rudi can still run very well but I'm sadly not counting on it.

Lik

Anonymous said...

~`Detroit Lions, the San Francisco Treat."
-nubs

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I just dont get it. Here we made some progress last season until the second half of the season when we go 1-7. We come into this year with, on paper, a better secondary. Retooled the Dline somewhat and they show a LOT of promise in the pre-season. I know its only the pre season but, as Lions fans we have to look at every upside to this team. We dont get to do that very often. Then they come out and play like this the first 3 games. I really dont understand how they forgot to tackle and stop the run in this short period of time. I would love to be able to sit back and watch this team succeed but it's really getting hard to see!!! I have followed this team for numerous years and been waiting for the year that this team shows the NFL that it's a legitmate contender year after year. I'm wondering if it's ever gonna happen now. I had some much hope going into this season and I dont even know what to think now. Iknow that its only been 3 games but still, How can you show much hope when they have played this bad. I am not going to sit here and scream for Stanton cause I dont think he'll be the answer but something has to change for this team really quick. Kitna has shown us nothing. What happened to the Kitna of last season??? He was a leader, he looked a lot more composed in the pocket!! You cant sit here and tell me that just cause Martz left that he cant do anything right anymore. He's better than this and he's not showing it! I dont mean to sit here and rant on to you guys but, I AM TIRED OF WATCHING A LOSING TEAM!!!!!!! We as fans deserve a good team, a playoff team would be great!! Anyone else agree?? I know you do. Let the young guys play!! Hey, maybe the will save us from going 0-16. The way they are playing now, I could see it happening. I hate being negative but seriously, what do we have to look forward to when they show us a high school team could beat them?!!??!

Anonymous said...

I didn't quite understand what happened to our return team on the first two kickoffs - it looked like SF came in from the left side, and Middleton was too far behind the wedge and got nailed after he passed the 10 yard line. They seemed to correct it later - but it took a while.

Anonymous said...

Just heard this on ESPN: Ford Jr has said that if he had the power to fire Matt Millen he would!!! WOW

Anonymous said...

Fire Millen is about the best thing I've heard from Detroit sports all together since I've been alive. Lets not drag it out and just do it now!