Slow Lions news day - unless interest in Mike Mularkey and lord knows who else in the coaching search that can only be termed as "exhaustive" - literally. Jason Garrett, of Dallas, has reportedly taken himself out of the running. I'm actually happy about this as I was less than impressed with his offensive unit this season, and of the coordinators the Lions are interviewing, I think he is among the least ready to be a HC no matter what all the buzz is.
The Chargers are one game away from helping bump the Lions draft pick up one slot in the first round -- and the third. Glad to know one team we're all pulling for in Lions land came through!
See, the Chargers at 8-8 are technically above the Dallas Cowboys and 5 other teams tied at 9-7 records. Arizona made the playoffs, so they will always pick last in that band. The other teams in the band (in round 1 order) are:
17. New York Jets
18. Chicago Bears
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Dallas Cowboys [to Detroit Lions - Roy Williams Trade]
In round two it will go as follows:
17. (49 overall): Chicago Bears
18. (50 overall): Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. (51 overall): Dallas Cowboys
20. (52 overall): New York Jets
In round 3 it will go as follows:
17. (81 overall): Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. (82 overall): Dallas Cowboys [to Detroit Lions - Roy Williams Trade]
19. (83 overall): New York Jets
20. (84 overall): Chicago Bears
And so on through the draft, with the highest team in the band cycling down to the end, and each team moving up one spot in that band.
Where it gets good for Detroit: If the Chargers go to the Superbowl, they will pick at #31 in round one (Superbowl loser) or #32 (Superbowl winner). They will also be in the last two picks, in that order, of every round (before compensatory picks are awarded -- which is how Detroit got Ramzee Robinson a couple years back)
What this means is we need to root for the Chargers to beat the winner of Dolphins/Ravens and go to the Superbowl. This means that the band of teams Dallas is in with 9-7 records would all move up one draft slot in every round!! This would improve the Lions to:
#19 overall in round one
#17 (81 overall) in round three
So while it is only a small change, it gives us Lions fans a team to have a rooting interest in the playoff games next weekend! So Lions fans, your goal now is to be Chargers Fans for one week and really root for them to beat the winner of Miami/Baltimore. If the Chargers go to the Superbowl, then Detroit moves up one pick with their 2nd 1st and 3rd rounders.
So Go Chargers on to the Superbowl! Us Lions fans are with you 100% -- we'll even root for you to win when you get there, just as a little payback for all the help you gave us.
Go Lions!! Go Chargers!!!
PS - best of luck chief -- we're all pulling for you. Same to you JJ. Welcome back Nubs -- we missed ya, but what you were doing is more important than this by far! And a general thanks to everyone for a great year on the Blog!!
For those longtime readers wondering about my absence this fall, and off and on it had to do with my health and my eyesight. Health is going great. As for eyesight, lets just say I'm getting used to being a pirate, and things are slowly improving, so we'll see how it goes over the long haul. (Anyone calls me cyclops I be banning you -- it be pirate names or nuthin fer me. Arrr.) No other permanent damage so I consider myself a very lucky man.
Happy New Year once again!!!
7 comments:
I caught this article on Fox Sports and kinda couldnt believe it: EX LIONS PRESDIENT MATT MILLEN TAKES BLAME FOR THE LIONS GOING 0-16!!
Fired Detroit Lions president Matt Millen, the architect of the NFL's first 0-16 team, says he's responsible for its historic encounter with failure.
Millen said he would have fired himself after the 2008 season. He said that being sacked after the third week cost the Lions and coach Rod Marinelli some needed stability and consistency.
Detroit went 31-84 under Millen, a Super Bowl-winning linebacker lured out of the broadcast booth by team owner William Clay Ford in 2001.
Millen says the Lions have more talent than they're given credit for, and he thinks they could improve quickly. He cites two playoff teams, the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, who had four wins and one win, respectively, in 2007.
Detfan
Did you see BVO blog on Mlive about who to keep. It seems to me that he is taking a page from your book. Some of his picks however do leave me scratching my head and his list does not have the foresight of you and others that I have read here. Keeping Cody over Flu and Cohen or Mcdonald(a Free Agent) over Standeford(signed) is just stupid. I can't wait to you put out your ifseason ideas for this team.
Keep up the good work!
LionfaninPA
P.S.
Shiver me timbers you Sollywag, Arrgh!
Watching Matt Millen on TV made me absolutely sick as a Lions fan. I think I threw up in my mouth just a little bit. Detroit fans should all boycott NBC for showing him; what he did to the Lions should be considered a CRIME. I honestly had similar feelings when looking at MM to those of people looking at a known criminal: disgust, contempt, revulsion.
The Chargers technically need to win 2 more games to get to the super bowl, right? Their draft position doesn't change until they get to the bowl.
As much as I want the Lions to move up one spot; I just can't get with Philip Rivers; that guy is a tool. He strikes me as classless, and I just can't root for him to win.
On a side note, I watched a friend of mine play a little bit of a game called 'head coach 09' that lets you be the coach/GM of a football team for the 08/09 season. You do your own draft, manage salaries and the roster, and call plays during games but don't actually control the players.
My friend chose to run the lions, drafted like a moron and got bored with it; advanced the season to the first preseason game against Indianapolis, was getting blown out 42-21 at HALFTIME and quit, lol. Highlight of the game was Anthony Gonzalez (lol) BOWLING OVER Paris Lenon at the 2 yard line to score a TD; man it felt so life-like, it was scary. But it still looked like fun. I might have to either borrow it or wait for the 2010 version to come out.
sorry about that -- two games. I know it's tough, but I still want what's best for the Lions -- higher picks from Dallas.
LOL - saw the BVO article and it is something I planned on doing this week anyways, so it will give me some fodder. :)
I see Spags and Schwartz are the top candidates, along with Frazier at this point.
I'd lean to either of the first two, but guess at this point I'd say Schwartz is very ready for his shot at a HC spot. Plus, he brings an aggresive 4-3 that utilizes what players he has at any given time, but is always near the top in stuffing the run and pressuring the opposing QB.
More on coaching later this week as well. new story tomorrow evening!
Hey Detfan1979 its Click. I just wanted to write and thank you for the wonderful blog this year. I'd also like to thank you for inviting me into your fantasy football league. I'm really glad to hear that your health is good. Happy New Year to you and everyone else reading.
GO CHARGERS!!!!!!!!!
FANTASY FOOTBALL - Guess I be paying ya' with booty this year and sendin' ya' some bloody wenches instead of me gold coins. Good luck with that.
HOCKEY - I am a practice puck chaser. I am not a coach, and thank God. Our boys went 2-2 this weekend, and look really good switching from cross to full ice. I think they are 14-4-1 on the year, and even though we got pounded 8-0 by Grand Rapids, we learned a lot and were thankful having them come north to play.
HEAD COACH- Spagnuolo deserves a lot of credit to be looked at. The defense looks awesome for two years' running, and that is with the 5 Hour Energy injury at the beginning of the season. BUT, the same with Ron Rivera. The Bears looked solid last year, the Chargers this year. He slips a little on the radar because of the Chargers injuries and poor play early. But they are finding a way and settling in with the defense now and are peeking at the correct time. (Go Chargers!)
The other coach slipping off the charts (which may be good) is Shanahan. If he can check the ego and reel in the want to call player/personnel decisions, he may be a good fit. He can groom Orlovsky, he has two rings, and has a knack for being the smartest coach in the NFL.
If he can mesh with Mayhew, he may help green Martin (the Martian) with personnel moves and draft day decisions. I would hope that Mayhew would then have the last call however, because I do not want to see Maurice Clarett on the practice squad. Shanahan has shown (all defensive moves and drafts) that he can't draft worth a shit. Maybe Mike could go back in time (or we can) and figure out who was drafting 5-8 years ago when the Broncos were making good player/personnel decisions and allow him to hire on with Lewand and Mayhew as that front office / head scout.
Personally, I would like to see the Lions bulk up. Something we said on this site last fall. I didn't think it would be THAT noticeable and perverse, but Raiola is light, and so is our D line. Sliding Redding back to DE, and drafting or signing a BIG 350 pound DT would help. Sliding Backus inside and drafting another LT would help.
I also was pleased with OPERATION ROADGRADER and thought Manny Ramirez played well when he was allowed to settle in on the line. I think Edwin is a good backup because he has good experience and you can't teach that. I thought Peterman is smart and serviceable, but not a starter. Where the Lions NEED help, is at backer. Even Ernie is small an dhe disappeared when being blocked by offensive linemen and point of attack. Paris (forget it) is a third down coverage MLB at best. Too small. I want a 250 pound body-rocker in the middle. I want someone else besides Ryan Nece on the other side. He is a good find and solid special teams player, but too small. Same with Dizon. If they can add 20 pounds of bulk and not lose their speed, I would love to see them come back and challenge.
The other idea (don't kill me for thinking outside the box) is that by sliding Redding over to DE, you slide Cliff Avril back to an OLB. This gives a lot more weight at POA, and allows Ernie Sims to play the quicker backside backer, with Avril playing the POA strong side (run side) backer. That also allows you to bring some heat and talent as Avril showed a lot of talent coming around the corner. Keeping him and White on the field together, with Redding popping back to form from three years ago, this defense would instantly have more size, more speed, and would not need wholesale changes that you would have to do within one IFseason. I think it's within comprehension.
-nubsnobber
ok guys, I couldn't take it any more. This is an exact copy of an email i sent to NBC sports. Thought you would all think it was funny.
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To see Matt Millen on your NFL coverage makes me throw up in my mouth more than a little bit. Please discontinue using the man on your broadcasts; it's a slap in the face to long-suffering Lions fans everywhere. I literally HAVE to change the channel when I see him on TV; and I'd really like to watch the Superbowl this year; but I'm afraid I won't be able to stomach your network if you have him commentating.
I watch any and every football game I can watch, pre-season, regular season, whatever; and I can stomach almost anything; but NOT MILLEN. Just having an idiot like that on your Network, mimicing your other NFL commentators, tarnishes anything and everything else the other announcers do.
Let me put it this way: If someone trained a monkey to do your job, had it stand next to you and do the exact same thing you did througout the day, and it did a pretty good job of looking and sounding and acting like you, how would that make YOU feel? How would that make you look to others?
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