My apologies on the sudden disappearance after Roy got traded -- Mrs. DetFan1979 has been sick this week. Let's just say that when it comes to running our domestic household, it's like going from Urlacher to Lenon as your MLB on defense. (No, it wasn't on the going from Tom Brady to Joey Harrington level -- I'm not totally incompetent. Just try hard but don't have the talent to pull it off...)
Even now, a few days later, I still think Jones pulled a Millen and just made an offer so stupid it couldn't be passed up. I'm sure if Millen had been running things he'd have said:
"No need for that 3rd rounder Jerry - the 1st and a new choo-choo train will get it done. Although I'm glad you added that box of crayons. I love crayons. But what is this file for? Am I in football prison or something? Anyways, now I can pick a shiny new WR and some stupid position everyone else wants me to pick like Lime...? Lion...? Oilin...? Dealin...? sounds like one of those anyways..."
(Yeah, I still think the "If Millen were in Charge Still..." line of Jokes will be going in the NFL for many years to come... I don't normally indulge in those, but after the "escaped from Football Prison" line, I felt it was due. Seriously now.)
In other news, welcome to the Dan Orlovsky Era -- funny, he reminds me of another mediocre game managing QB with a good arm and a last name that starts with O - Kyle Orton. And the way the Lions played the Minnesota game last week, it reminded me of the Bears in shocking fashion!
Lets review the similarities:
Aggresive defense that hammered the other team constantly, applied pressure, and played really well until the 4th quarter? Check.
Offense that was so anemic and conservative, you wondered if the OC realized that the Forward Pass is not only legal, but encouraged? Check
WR that drop the ball at the worst possible time? Check.
Offense that needs the Defense to score in order to win? Check.
Team that leads heading into the 4th quarter and blows it at the last second to lose? Check.
Now, the good news is the Bears are at 3-3. If the Lions could play similar to what they did last week, I would expect them to split the games remaining. That would put them at 6-10 (including Minn in the "split wins-losses 50-50 while playing like the Bears" category).
Do I think this is going to happen? No. IF they do, then they will. IF they don't, they won't. I needn't say what the odds of each happening at this point are, do I? But you fellows know I am an optimist at heart. Thus, I will go out on a limb and say Orlovsky gets his first win as a starter, and the first win of the Lions 2008 season this week. The Defense will once again be the key, but without Jon "I Lost My Marbles and Stalk the Sidelines Looking for Someone to Yell at Like a Spoiled Child" Kitna and Roy E. "Every time I can make the highlight reel with a catch I'll make it" Williams, I think the offense has a chance to show what they can do if everyone buys in and gives it their all. The defense showed what it can do with a few tweaks, and a lot of all-out effort last week.
They need to keep it up, and the offense needs to match their intensity level as well. IF they do that, they will win. The Texans have an Oline on par with Detroit. Their LB are better, Secondary worse. When they are at their best, the Dlines are roughly equal. (Redding and White, when at their A game about equal Mario Williams -- and the rest of the Dlines added up would be a wash.)
If both defenses show up to play, it will come down to which offense shows up for each team.
I'll put up a game blog again -- I will once more be catching the game on Tape Delay as we are still recovering domestically from my umm....leadership?...of the household last week and have a function to attend to boot.
Your thoughts on Cherilus Benching? Roy E. Williams to Dallas? Kitna to IR?
And for those of you who like to look at ifseason issues like trades, cuts, etc. early -- NetRat has updated his cap spreadsheet to include the 2009 cap hits for each player if they are cut, traded, etc. Lets look for that big first win!! Go Lions!!!
7 comments:
I loved all three moves this past week, with Williams trade being an A+.
All three players could be said were not on board last week in some way.
Jon and Roy for thier body language and complaints to the media about the offense. Gosder, it sounds like from Rod, took the week off in practices and it showed by performance in the first half against Minnesota. Benching due to effort and focus was sending the right message to the rookie.
Back to the Roy trade. The salary cap structure did not add up with Roy on the team. First the Lions have Calvin making #1 WR money. Mike making #2, and Shaun making #3. Next year they will only have Calvin and Mike under contract, so a second or third round draft pick makes sense, if not that they only have only 37 players under contract.
Keeping Jon under contract for next off season was another great move financially. Cutting Jon would have left one quarterback on contract for next year. He would have cost 1.95 million towards dead money. His backup money would cost 2.825 million. Can we find a good backup with starting experience for the difference of 0.875 million? But with an est. 120 million salary cap, what is a couple million wasted here or there.
Back to that 1(b) first round pick. Hopefully the pick goes towards a RG like Hartings.
If the defense can play the rest of the season with similar results against Minnesota, it would be good for this next "If Season". All of the starters but Lenon, and a total of 19 players, are signed for next season. The only major need would be LB where there are 3 sighed.
The rebuilding will be on the offensive side where there are only 16 under contract, that includes Kitna. The numbers are 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2FBs, 3 TEs, 2 WRs, and one O-lineman for each position.
The numbers show that there be a need of alot of free agents signed to complete our roster. Lets hope that the players brought in are for the type role they bring. Minnesota's and Chicago's I think are best for run blocking, where New England's for pass protection.
The Lions will have 35-40 million to sign draft picks and free agents, which includes a FG kicker.
Evaluating the events and the current roster from what happened this past week, I believe that the people in charge are the ones for next season. This includes Rod, if he can improve is game management, keeps the team competative the rest of the season.
well, they almost came back in this game! Once again the same result though. K. Smith looked good today and needs to be the starter. He is proving that when he's gotten his chances!!! Tough game next week against the skins. Hope they come ready to play
Defense played fast. Now lets see if the linebackers stop over persueing and fill there gaps, and slow the quick slants. Wait. With the blitzes there is little support against the slants.
On the bright side Dallas looked AWFUL... and they lose S Roy Williams for the season so their secondary that was already banged up starting to rookie corners finds more trouble. I really think they are going to be an 8-8 or 7-9 team this season. Keep in mind that division is ridiculously tough.
Sadly, Lions lose again and still have yet to score in the first quarter. Something needs to change to spice things up in the beginning of the game b/c the team just spots teams multiple TD leads before it wants to be ressurected and begin to play.
Lambo
I loved seeing Dallas lose. Every loss makes the Roy trade better and better, and makes the Detroit GM job look more appealing.
Once again, the Lions were completely out of the game because they couldn't stop anybody in the beginning of the game. It's really, really terrible how easy it is for other teams to score on the Lions' D.
The guys on FOX were talking at some point about the zone defense. It was about a different team, but it also pertains (especially pertains) to the Lions' D. Basically, one of the analysts was saying: "Even if you're in a zone defense, and you're supposed to cover SPACE; what that really means is that -if someone is in your space, go up and cover them-.
The problem with the Lions is that when someone gets into their space; they aren't covering that guy. You always see Lions a few feet away,. watching the play unfold in front of them; instead of being on the dude. Somehow, they can't seem to make the decision to know when to move up and try to make a play before it's too late. You can't wait until AFTER someone catches the ball in front of you; you have to know when to drop the zone and go get after the ball; and in a nutshell I can't help but think that THIS is the true issue with the Lions' D.
The great news about the Lions is that Megatron looks absolutely sick, huh? 2 catches for 154 yards.. hahaha. Holy Tecmo Super Bowl stats, Batman.
POSTED TIS ON MILVE-
YOUR OPPINIONS-DEAD ON OUR DEAD OFF??
pope your a dope
sorry i know your hearts in the right place but face it if we kept rogers we wouldnt be 0-6 that was a lame blame move-rods stubborness has put us at 0-6-benching cherlious, taking dizon out of the mix- not getting johnson the ball-starting no tallant fisher instead of bodden-not getting beef on the defensive line like cohen-the man has a predjudice against big guys period!! hes the defensive guy and were dead last??
now our offense is equalling it!! Starting rudy johnson when we have when of the best kids in college sitting the bench in smith?? Rod probably has the best practice work horses ever-but a good coach puts up with the malcontents and knows how to bring out the best in them-rod throws them to the scrap heap!! well if we were playing practice games all year rod would rule!! were not-wake up!! rod must go!! I hate it too when some brillant kid shows me up and it seems they dont even work for it!! but by god these guys exist-it comes natural- sorry if they dont meet rods standards-there the ones who win and bring championships-poe you and rod dont get it!! fetish got it and told us all year-i was wrong and admit it now!! we need a real coach who recognises tallant and potential tallant not a drill sargent!! someone who can explain these high tallanted guys are a special case and need special attention and keep the rest on board!! rod is incapable of doing that
sorry pope and rod you cant make a mediocre nobody work twice as hard as a super tallanted guy and think the hard worker wins-it dont happen
signed the wize chief
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