1 Williams out, DanO the ManO

First off, just as I was calling for and pointing out over a month ago, Dan Orlovsky is the best QB on the Lions' roster, AND he keeps improving from game to game. He led the Lions to 21 points -- including through the air -- against the 5th rated defense in the league overall; Did I also mention that they had only allowed FIVE TD Passes through the air all season coming into this game? No wonder Rod made him starter again for this week. (That and Lewand doesn't want to pay Culpepper that $1 million bonus)

What I've seen of other news around the league, Dan Orlovsky is going to be leading the ifseason FA QB pool, along with Byron Leftwich who played well in relief of Ben Rothliesburger this season. The Lions need to re-sign him. He is a young guy with upside, who found the holes in the Indy D, and wasn't afraid to throw the ball to CJ even when he was double covered -- and it paid off big time. I heard some complain about DanO throwing it "up for grabs" over CJ in double coverage -- pardon me, but isn't that why you HAVE CJ in the first place?? To out jump 2 DB's, run over a guy, and put his hand down and then launch that huge frame of his into the end-zone? I mean, even Brian Billick was joking that CJ could practically pick up 5 yards just by falling forward. Not too far off.

As for the rest of the game, I'll dive into that bit more tomorrow and Wednesday. I think there is a lot more to be said on this game, as it actually had a lot to take away from it -- much of it good news!!

In Karmic News, one of the Williams boys fractured his shoulder and will be out 4-6 weeks. Is he going to drop his appeal, and serve his suspension while he's injured? Sorry to anyone out there for "innocent until proven guilty" -- any player who claims that he "took the wrong supplement without knowing" at this point is a complete, total, and unabashed idiot or liar. The NFL has said, mailed, in the CBA that if your team represented trainer doesn't give it to you, don't take it - the NFL is not responsible for the labeling/mislabeling of the over-the-counter (OTC) supplements, pills, shakes, treatments, etc.

You are making millions of dollars, have personal trainers on staff as well as attorney's, and agents. If you really feel the need to take something not on the league "approved" list -- send it to the league and get their okay FIRST instead of going "oops" afterwards. (Why they don't all have people drive them to the bar and back to avoid DUI's I'll never know either. People working on the line can even afford a cab or the drunk van, or call/text a buddy. Seriously - no thought)

I hope the NFL lets him get healthy, THEN makes him serve his suspension. Karmic payback is crap, with that court injunction plus the piss-poor calls in the first Vikings game (and the second, come to think of it) they had some coming.

Hope the Vikes lose out against the top 2 rushing teams in the league and miss the playoffs. I'd rather see the Bears go.

Oh yeah, how about that first no-call -- AGAIN -- for pass interference against CJ (it was so bad you could hear the crowd groaning in Lucas Oil stadium in the background until they realized it wasn't going to be called, then they started cheering.) However -- you will notice that the rest of the game, they were calling tight on the pass interference, especially on CJ. I think that they realized it may be the Lions, but that if the Colts won by a slim margin (the game was close, after) that the call they didn't make would loom large in the "Path to 0-16" history. Who wants to be known as the Ref that blew the call which ultimately led to 0-16? They wised up and left that to the guys who worked the first Minnesota game.

Finally, I watched most of Browns-Eagles tonight, and found it hilarious that every time they were talking about "pro-bowl NT Shaun Rogers" they would realize he had taken himself out of the game and was on the sideline sucking air. The eagles apparently watched tape of him from last season, as Westbrook would wait for Rogers to come at him, lateral to the side and run through the gaping hole previously taken up by Mr. Rogers.

I also noted that he had "4.5 sacks on the season" -- but all were in the first 8 games. He'd had none in the 5 games leading up to the MNF game. Hmm....can be dominating at times, especially at the beginning of the season, but he loses it and gets less and less effective as the season goes on. Imagine how useless he would be in the playoffs if a team he's on actually makes it? Would it invigorate him?

This isn't to hammer the Lions' trade by saying they should or should not have traded him. If he played well, as usual, in the first half of the season they may even have won a game. But they got a third round pick and Leigh Bodden (who has been very solid when in man coverage, including against Indy. Dallas Clark and Wayne working on Robinson did most of the damage for the Colts, along with Rhodes) for essentially about half a season of pro-bowl potential. I still think it was about a wash at this point - especially considering he is the "run stopper" for a horrendous Celveland D.

Buster Davis on the other hand, was a mistake to let go. Good enough to start for Indy, but not make Detroit over the since cut gardner, cannon, and the legendary nece or lenon? yeah. Which MLB looked better yesterday -- Lenon or Davis? Now look me in the eye and tell me how smart the Lions coaching staff is, and what great talent evaluators they are. Stop laughing and say it. Now get up off the floor -- you look look silly rolling around like that giggling away.

I'll let you recover and write more tomorrow.