SB Nation - Julian Peterson

Early Christmas present for Vernon Davis?

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:33:58 -0000

I was poking around over at Bleeding Green Nation today and noticed an intriguing FanShot on the front page. According to the article referenced in the FanShot, it is likely that Eagles will have rookie strong side linebacker Moise Fokou handling most of the coverage duties against Vernon Davis. I've always felt Vernon Davis is at his best when a team uses a linebacker to cover him. Whereas a cornerback or even safety could potentially keep up with him speed-wise, one has to wonder what linebacker could keep up with Davis? Julian Peterson in his prime comes to mind (see his game as a 49er against Tony Gonzalez).

This matchup provides some interesting tidbits. Like Davis, Fokou attended the University of Maryland, and both were actually on the team when Fokou was a freshman and Davis was a ~~senior~~ junior. According to Fokou, he was able to keep up with Davis in terms of speed. At the time Fokou weighed 200 or so pounds, while he's not up to 230+. I know the 40 yard dash time isn't the best indicator of anything, but for comparison's sake, Fokou ran a 4.76 40 at this past combine, while Davis came in at 4.38 back in 2006.

Fokou had plenty to say about the matchup:

"I kind of know what he likes to do and what he doesn’t. I kind of know how he releases. For me, knowing him personally and also watching his career helps me in terms of film study," Fokou said.

"I’m going to be out there talking trash. He’s going to talk trash whenever he gets our defense. We were talking trash over the summer when I worked out with him."

Fokou has a head start.

"He thinks he’s more athletic than most linebackers," Fokou said. "We’ll see on Sunday. Me vs. Davis."

Obviously any player can have a good day against one of the best in the league, so I suppose Fokou could contain Davis. However, I just don't think the odds are particularly good of that happening. One thing that does worry me is if Davis were to get a bit too confident in the matchup, as I think he could get in his own way in this kind of instance. Vernon's physical tools have never been the problem (well hands-issues aside). It's been more about the mental side of the game that has gotten Vernon in trouble.

Whatever the case may be, this could turn into the key for the 49ers hanging with the Eagles. If Davis can dominate this matchup, the 49ers could open up the rest of their offense when somebody gets rolled over to help Fokou. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this potential matchup. Let's hope Alex Smith can pick it apart.

Pride of Detroit answers the question: Who are these Detroit Lions?

Kirkendall — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:00:19 -0000

So who are these Detroit Loins? We've heard about their struggles last season and we've seen sporadic updates from game highlights and such. But from a football point of view, we really don't know who the Lions are. So we asked Pride of Detroit's Sean Yuille, who are these Detroit Lions?

1) Matthew Stafford leads all NFL rookies with 2,124 yards passing and 12 touchdowns. Is Stafford the franchise quarterback the Lions have been looking for?

I believe the Lions have found their franchise quarterback as long as Matthew Stafford can stay healthy and learn to throw less interceptions. He showed how tough he is and how clutch he can be against the Browns, but it seems like for every good outing he has a bad one. I'm sure he will throw less picks over time, but that is the one thing that I am concerned about. Even so, part of what makes Stafford a great QB is that he isn't afraid to make plays. Sometimes that comes back to bite him in the form of an interception, so it may just be a tradeoff that the Lions have to deal with. I would be fine with that as long as Stafford plays to his potential like we have seen in certain weeks this season.

1a) What’s the biggest thing Stafford needs to improve on?

As mentioned above, he has to throw fewer interceptions. Some of the picks are the result of mistakes by the receivers or just not having enough time, but Stafford has to learn that he doesn't have to make a play every time he has the ball. I like that mindset, but throwing the ball away or taking a sack isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think that as the Lions' offensive line gets better and gives Stafford more time to throw and as he gains more experience this will become less of an issue.

2) With 30 yards from scrimmage, Kevin Smith will record back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards from scrimmage or more. What kind of runner is Smith; does he turn the corner or does he run downhill?

Kevin Smith isn't a power back by any means, but he isn't a speed back, either. I would say that he runs best when going north-south and making cuts along the way. Every once in a while he can make a play by going east-west, but it is to his advantage to run downfield. He doesn't run over defenders or anything like that all that often, but he has some nice moves that allow him to break tackles.

3) Calvin Johnson is a beastly 6’5” wide receiver who’s on pace to record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. What can defenses do to shut him down?

The best way for a defense to shut down Calvin Johnson may very well be to hope that his knee is still bothering him. He got hurt earlier this year against the Steelers and missed a few games, and when he first came back he and Stafford weren't really on the same page. They have started to get a connection going again lately, though, which could be trouble for the Bengals' secondary. Probably Cincinnati's best bet is to double Megatron and hope that the Lions' other receivers don't play well. They can be very inconsistent, and if the other receivers have a case of the dropsies like they often do, then all Cincinnati may have to do to shut down the Lions' passing attack is take Calvin out of the game, or at least try to contain him.

3a) Do other receivers benefit if defenses tend to focus on Johnson in the passing game?

Calvin Johnson makes the entire offense better simply by being on the field. He is so talented that defenses have to pay extra attention to him, which can open up the passing game for the rest of the receivers and also give the running backs more room to run. More than anything, I'd say that having to gameplan against Calvin Johnson allows the rest of the Lions' offense to do more, setting up what could be a scenario where defenses either have to stop Calvin and leave the rest of the offense more open or take their chances with Calvin to keep the rest of the offense in check.

4) Even though this is his first season, how would you rate Jim Schwartz’s first season as Lions head coach?

From the moment he was hired, Lions fans fell in love with Jim Schwartz. He is a down-to-earth guy that just seems to get it. Will that translate into winning? Only time will tell, of course, but the fan base is behind him and has faith that he is the man to finally turn around the franchise.

5) Has the acquisition of Julian Peterson noticeably improved the Lions pass rush this year?

Detroit's pass rush has struggled as a whole, but in certain situations Julian Peterson has been a dynamic player. The Lions started lining him up at defensive end in passing situations earlier this season for the very purpose of establishing a pass rush, and although he got off to a slow start with Detroit, Peterson has been a pretty good player. The pass rush still is pretty mediocre, but Peterson's addition to the defense in general has been good.

6) The Lions haven’t finished with a winning record since 2000 with double-digit losing seasons in seven of the past nine seasons. Do you believe the Lions have the pieces needed for that foundation of players for sustained success?

Not yet. Although the Lions seemingly have a franchise quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, they aren't even close to having a complete foundation laid out for future success. I think after the draft the Lions will be much closer to having a complete team, because they will get a chance to address needs on the offensive and defensive lines as well as in the secondary. Until those areas of the team get better I don't have too much faith in sustained success, but little by little the Lions are moving in the direction of putting a foundation in place.

7a) Bengals have the ball at the Lions four-yard line with two seconds left in the game, down by four. Cincinnati has to score a touchdown. Which Lions defensive player would you expect to make a game-winning play?

Just based on the Lions' defense, I would expect Carson Palmer to have all day to throw and eventually find a wide-open receiver, but for the sake of discussion, I think Larry Foote would make a play. He has been a great addition to the defense and is really the leader of the unit. I could also see Louis Delmas putting a jarring hit on somebody to force an incomplete pass or something like that, but Foote is the kind of guy I would expect to step up in a situation like you described.

7b) The Lions have the ball at the Bengals four-yard line with two seconds left in the game, down by four. Detroit has to score a touchdown. Who do you count on the most to make a game-winning touchdown?

Without a doubt, Matthew Stafford. He has already been in a similar situation and made a game-winning throw to Brandon Pettigrew despite having a severely-injured left shoulder. There's no doubt that Pettigrew was great on that game-winning touchdown, but Stafford just seems to have the swagger to make something happen in a pressure-packed situation like that.

The Rise and Fall of Tim Ruskell: The Steve Hutchinson Saga

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:24:51 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Tim Ruskell wanted Steve Hutchinson, but John Abraham and Julian Peterson too. Attempting to sign all three, he was caught with his hand in the pickle jar.

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Shaun Alexander and Steve Hutchinson were free agents. Both were 28. Hutch had completed his five-year rookie contract, and, if re-signed, his cap cost could double. Alexander was already expensive. The Seahawks had franchised him in 2004. Seattle could have signed both players, and attempted to, but would have tied up much of their available cap. Tim Ruskell was aggressively targeting Julian Peterson and John Abraham. He wanted Hutch, but he wanted to improve the Seahawks too. Signing Alexander tied up $5.9 million against the cap.

Hutch expected offensive tackle money. The market for guards was soft. Hutchinson was the fifth highest paid offensive guard in 2005, but cost only $3.5 million against the cap. Even Larry Allen, the league's highest paid guard, only cost $6.5 million. Only three guards total cost more than $5 million against the cap.

Running backs were much more expensive. Eight cost more than five million against the cap in 2005, and Edgerrin James cost over $9 million. The league perceived running back to be a premium position, on par with wide receiver, offensive tackle and cornerback. If Seattle put the franchise tag on Hutchinson, his salary would reflect the salaries of all offensive linemen and not just guards. The Lions placed the tag on Jeff Backus in 2006. His base salary was $6.98 million. If Seattle franchised Hutchinson, it would have had $25 million in cap room dedicated to Hutch, Alexander, Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck.

Ruskell did something he has done many times since: Let the market to set a player's value. Placing the transition tag on Hutchinson allowed him to negotiate with other teams and Seattle the right to match. It avoided guaranteeing Hutchinson $6.98 million, and, in Ruskell's eyes, enabled negotiations towards a long-term contract. Ruskell was willing to spend big to retain his Pro Bowl guard. His hope was he wouldn't have to. His hope was that he could sign Hutchinson, but structure his contract so that Seattle could still sign Peterson, Abraham or both.

Early March, and shortly after the league ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, Minnesota offered Hutchinson the largest contract in league history for an offensive guard. It was a bold move made audacious by a now notorious poison pill clause. The clause stipulated that if Hutchinson was not his team's highest paid offensive lineman at any time after the first year, that his entire contract was guaranteed.

If Seattle wanted to match Minnesota's offer, it would not only need to match the Vikings unprecedented offer, it would be forced to guarantee Hutchinson's entire salary. Peyton Manning was the league's most expensive player and his contract guaranteed only $34.5 million. Matching Minnesota meant guaranteeing Hutchinson a staggering $49 million. Hutch would cost $13 million against the cap in 2006, forcing Seattle to forget Peterson and Abraham. Ruskell, supported by Paul Tagliabue and the NFL, contested the poison-pill clause, even restructured Walter Jones contract, but arbiter Stephen Burbank ruled in the Vikings favor. Seattle would either ruin their cap or let Hutchinson walk.

The deadline passed midnight of March 20, 2006, and Steve Hutchinson became a Minnesota Viking. Tim Ruskell fell on the wrong side of history. He attempted to make his Super Bowl losing team a Super Bowl winner. Instead, he lost an irreplaceable piece, alienated his coach, and began the Seahawks slow burn towards rebuilding.

Extended Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

Brandon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:20:53 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

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I was nervous the entire first quarter while watching the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. The Lions had a quick 7-0 lead, and the Packer offense had already stalled once before they missed a FG attempt. I was wondering if this was going to be like their last loss in Tampa. But once QB Matthew Stafford threw his first INT, and QB Aaron Rodgers completed a 68 yard pass to WR Donald Driver to end the 1st quarter, I wasn't nervous anymore.

The Lions weren't exactly a big test for the Packers, they beat them in most major categories like points, yards (422 to 272), time of possession (33:59 to 26:01), and turnovers recovered (5 to 2). But I'm not a big believer in tests, or teams having to prove something. I believe in wins against any team they play, as they right now control their own destiny for a wild card playoff spot. And also stay healthy, which is something they did a good job of on Thanksgiving.

The complete play-by-play recap is after the jump.

Packers vs Lions coverage; Packers vs Lions recap; Packers vs Lions boxscore; Pride Of Detroit

Play-by-play from NFL.com:

First Quarter

4-J.Hanson kicks 71 yards from DET 30 to GB -1. 87-J.Nelson to GB 21 for 22 yards (75-T.McBride). FUMBLES (75-T.McBride), RECOVERED by DET-57-J.Dizon at GB 20. 57-J.Dizon to GB 20 for no gain (87-J.Nelson).

And they started the game with a thud. The special teams were awful, committing 4 penalties (1 intentional 4th quarter delay of game), and 2 big kick returns could have even been bigger if not for saving tackles by TE Spencer Havner and K Mason Crosby.

(14:23) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 84-B.Pettigrew pushed ob at GB 6 for 12 yards (50-A.Hawk).

It was interesting that this was their first pass play. The Lions must have seen something they liked because they threw 13 passes to their tight ends, usually out in the flat. None of them were big plays, but Stafford completed 9 of them, so they were just about as successful as anything they did on offense. Unfortunately this was the last one for rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew. He suffered a season ending knee injury on the play.

(13:07) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 81-C.Johnson for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Instead of taking advantage of the LBs in coverage against the tight end, the Lions decided to force 12 passes to an obviously hurting WR Calvin Johnson. This was their biggest offensive play of the game, and maybe it gave them false hope that Johnson could have a big game. Instead, it just might have made CB Charles Woodson very angry.

(12:16) 25-R.Grant right tackle to GB 32 for 15 yards (41-W.James).

This was a good run in a game with few good runs. RB Ryan Grant should have had a big game against a weak Lions run defense, but instead he had a poor game (only 3.1 yards/carry). Four days earlier, he was great against an excellent 49ers run defense.

(4:43) 2-M.Crosby 43 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

More lousy special teams. As good as this drive was, the Packers were forced to convert four times on 3rd down and they went 3 for 4. It seemed odd since the Packers weren't taking any shots down field against a defense that was torched 4 days earlier. 10 minutes into the game, down 7-0, and I'll admit I was a little nervous.

(1:27) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 89-W.Heller INTERCEPTED by 36-N.Collins at GB 26. 36-N.Collins ran ob at GB 26 for no gain.

The Lions were getting a little something going, moving the ball 30 yards after the missed FG, and FS Nick Collins made a great reaction on the ball. Watch the replay.

(:13) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 80-D.Driver to DET 7 for 68 yards (25-M.White).

What a way to end the quarter. The Packers were still down 7-0 at this point, but after watching them force an INT and 3 plays later attack the awful Lion secondary, it felt like they had turned the corner.

Second Quarter

(15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 86-D.Lee for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

That was quite a leap by TE Donald Lee. Watch the replay.

(14:26) 34-K.Smith left tackle to DET 34 for 4 yards (36-N.Collins).

There were a few times in the game when RB Kevin Smith got a cutback lane, and it looked like he could bust out for a big gain. But there was always a Packer there to tackle him, and Smith didn't have a single carry for more than 6 yards. Everyone on defense did their part on run defense.

(8:24) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short middle to 88-J.Finley. GB-88-J.Finley was injured during the play. His return is Probable. PENALTY on DET-26-L.Delmas, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at DET 40.

(8:19) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 88-J.Finley to DET 16 for 9 yards (25-M.White). PENALTY on DET-25-M.White, Horse Collar, 8 yards, enforced at DET 16.

It was rough going for TE Jermichael Finley on those two consecutive plays. He took one (two) for the team, and set up a 1st and goal, but they settled for a FG.

(5:28) 34-K.Smith up the middle to DET 44 for -4 yards (90-B.Raji).

(4:49) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep left intended for 86-D.Northcutt INTERCEPTED by 38-T.Williams at GB 40. 38-T.Williams pushed ob at GB 46 for 6 yards (86-D.Northcutt).

DE B.J. Raji slipped a tackle and got quickly into the backfield. His tackle set up a 3rd and 5, which was then intercepted by CB Tramon Williams. Two great plays in a row.

(1:03) 2-M.Crosby 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Another good drive ends in a FG (or FG miss). They've been settling for a lot of FGs the past two weeks, but overall they're still about average (scoring a TD about 51% of the time in the red zone). It's a bad trend, but it's hard to call it a problem since the offense is playing so well overall.

(:04) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford sacked at DET 48 for -8 yards (52-C.Matthews).

What would you call that sack by LB Clay Matthews? Tenacious? Watch it here.

Third Quarter

(14:11) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 80-B.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at DET 38. 21-C.Woodson to DET 38 for no gain (80-B.Johnson). Detroit challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1 at 14:06.)

He had a sack in the 1st half, but the Woodson show got going early in the 2nd half. The 1st of his 2 INTs.

(13:27) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 86-D.Lee.

Lee had a TD earlier, but he had been dropping some passes in recent games. I'd been wondering if TE Spencer Havner should be playing ahead of him. This play is another drop, and I'm not sure how he'll be going forward.

(12:41) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at DET 37 for -6 yards (59-J.Peterson). FUMBLES (59-J.Peterson) [59-J.Peterson], RECOVERED by DET-97-J.Hunter at DET 37. 97-J.Hunter to DET 37 for no gain (71-J.Sitton).

LT Chad Clifton left LB Julian Peterson unblocked, while Clifton blocked no one, and it led to the only sack of the game for the Lions on 4th down. Tom Pelissero goes into more detail about why Clifton's decision to leave Peterson unblocked was more complicated then it seemed, and that Rodgers should have gotten rid of the ball quickly since it was an empty backfield and they left no one in to block on a blitz.

(11:06) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle to 80-D.Driver to DET 45 for 45 yards (41-W.James).

(9:01) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 80-D.Driver to DET 31 for 7 yards (23-K.Hobbs).

(6:43) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 80-D.Driver for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN [23-K.Hobbs].

A quick 3-and-out by the defense was somewhat wasted after a 51 yard net punt pinned the Packers down at their 10 yard line. But that didn't matter because WR Donald Driver took over. 59 yards alone on the drive, including the TD reception.

(1:31) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 89-J.Jones to DET 21 for 4 yards (41-W.James).

(:47) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 89-J.Jones for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Earlier this season, I was ready to write WR James Jones off. He only had a couple catches, and it seemed like Rodgers would only throw to him if he was wide, wide open. But he's become more involved in the offense (15 receptions in the last 4 games) and has 4 TDs on the season. He might never be good enough to start, but now he's doing well as a No. 3 receiver.

Fourth Quarter

(12:35) 7-J.Kapinos punts 57 yards to DET 11, Center-61-B.Goode. 86-D.Northcutt ran ob at DET 25 for 14 yards (51-B.Poppinga).

A conservative drive, the Packers were trying to kill some clock, ended with the Packers' first punt of the game.

(12:02) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep middle to 86-D.Northcutt to GB 22 for 47 yards (38-T.Williams).

If there was one weak link in the pass defense, it was CB Jarrett Bush. WR Dennis Northcutt got behind Bush, and ran away from him for the big gain. All the comments I've read about Bush are usually hoping he'll be released soon, and he didn't do anything in this game to prove to those fans that he's becoming a better defender.

(10:09) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to 81-C.Johnson [20-A.Bigby]. Ball thrown away.

(10:05) 25-R.Grant right tackle to GB 1 for no gain (90-G.Jackson).

(9:22) 25-R.Grant right end to GB -1 for -2 yards (26-L.Delmas). FUMBLES (26-L.Delmas), RECOVERED by DET-57-J.Dizon at GB -1. TOUCHDOWN. Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 25-R.Grant right end tackled in End Zone for -1 yards, SAFETY (26-L.Delmas).

A big defensive stop on the 1 yard line leads to a collapse by the run blocking. I'm sure everyone blocking on those two running plays will be hearing it from their coaches next week.

(5:05) 4-J.Hanson 22 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.

The drive stalled, but should Detroit have really been settling for a FG? No pass was completed for greater than 13 yards on the drive. They were just daring Stafford to make accurate, short passes. The Packers were going to let them work their way down the field, which was something they hadn't done well all game.

(3:55) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 81-C.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at DET 38. 21-C.Woodson for 38 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

(2:51) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 82-C.Fitzsimmons to DET 41 for 13 yards (21-C.Woodson). Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 82-C.Fitzsimmons to DET 40 for 12 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), RECOVERED by GB-21-C.Woodson at DET 41. Referee blew the ball dead.

Unlike their last game against the 49ers, the Packer offense wasn't able to run out the clock. They give the Lions two more chances, and Woodson forced two turnovers (one returned for a TD).

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

Brandon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:20:28 -0000

More photos » by Tony Ding - AP

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The game started out rocky: WR Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, and QB Matthew Stafford threw a TD pass to WR Charles Johnson for a quick 7-0 lead.

The rest of the game belonged to the Packers. Stafford attempted 39 passes after his TD pass, but he didn't throw another one (to his own team). He did throw 4 INTs, including a late pick 6 to CB Charles Woodson. Johnson was targeted on 10 more pass attempts, but only had 1 more receptions. Overall, Stafford finished with a 30.5 QB rating and a terrible 4.6 yards/pass attempt. Johnson was slowed by the injuries that kept him out of practice all week, but he also had Woodson following him around for the entire game. Woodson finished the game with 7 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass defenses, and 2 INTs (including the one he returned for a TD). I don't know if he really wanted whatever that turkey trophy is, FOX decided WR Donald Driver was the player of the game instead, but Woodson deserved. Just an outstanding game by the defense, which only allowed 272 yards of offense, grabbed those 4 INTs, and held Lion backs to only 3.2 yards/carry.

The defense was great, but the offense was very good in it's own right. As I mentioned above, Driver was the player of the game with 142 yards and 1 TD. The offensive line did a great job in pass protection, allowing only 1 sack by LB Julian Peterson after the Lions coverage shut down a 4th down play and QB Aaron Rodgers was trying to scramble. The only negative was that they only managed 3.0 yards per carry, but the Lions seemed to determine to stop the run by keeping their safeties up. Which helped to open up the big plays down the middle to Driver.

The big negative, and the factor that kept the game close in the 1st half, was the lousy Packer special teams. Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, multiple penalties pushed the Packers back even further on kick returns, and K Mason Crosby missed a 43 yard FG attempt.

Overall a dominant victory to improve the Packers record to 7-4, and Mike McCarthy's record against the Lions to 8-0.

Wednesday Notes: Schwartz and Mangini Clear the Air

Sean Yuille — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:35:23 -0000

The Packers have lost both Al Harris and Aaron Kampman for the season because of knee injuries.
Eric Mangini and Jim Schwartz talked after Mangini implied that the Lions faked injuries on Sunday and the two "cleared the air." It apparently dawned on Mangini that he was simply deflecting blame by making those accusations, and he took some responsibility for the loss during today's press conference.
"At the end of the day we're accountable for losing the game and for not making enough plays," he said. "That's me, that's the coaches, that's the players. That's what it was. I think I was frustrated with the situation and probably expressed that more than I probably should have, but at the end of the day we're responsible for it.

"We had plenty of opportunities to win the game and we didn't. That wasn't good enough," he said.
All it took for Mangini to see the light was a little chat with Jim Schwartz. Okay, I'm sure the negative reaction he got for the comments also played a role in making him realize that he sounded like a douchebag. But still, I'm sure chatting with Schwartz helped the issue quite a bit.
The Lions announced their first ever "Pride of the Lions" class last Sunday. The 12 members are Lem Barney, Jack Christiansen, Dutch Clark, Lou Creekmur, Dick Lane, Yale Lary, Bobby Layne, Barry Sanders, Charlie Sanders, Joe Schmidt, Doak Walker, and Alex Wojciechowicz.
Julian Peterson and Brandon Pettigrew were fined for hits in the Minnesota game.
Roger Goodell thinks Matthew Stafford's performance against the Browns can be a "game-changer" for the Lions' franchise.
Troy Aikman is a fan of Matthew Stafford.
SI took a poll of 296 NFL players and discovered that the Packers are a least desirable team to play for than the Lions. The Raiders are the least most desirable team to play for. Buffalo came in second, followed by Green Bay and Detroit.
The sale of the Silverdome was allowed to move forward thanks to a judge's ruling earlier this week.
The Dolphins have signed Ikaika Alama-Francis.

Friday Notes: Kevin Smith Returns to Practice

Sean Yuille — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:24:21 -0000

Kevin Smith returned to practice on Thursday, splitting No. 1 reps with Maurice Morris. Calvin Johnson also practiced again on Thursday. It appears both will be game-time decisions for Sunday's game, but if I had to make a prediction right now, I'd say that the Lions will have all of their offensive weapons against Seattle.
A lawsuit against Dennis Northcutt that brought about some pretty serious accusations was dropped.
Although twins are on the way, Nick Harris will be with the team in Seattle this weekend.
Unlike Julian Peterson, Sunday's game is not circled on Cory Redding's calendar.
Chris Osgood used to be a Seahawks fan, but the Lions are his favorite team now.
This year's Thanksgiving game halftime show will be "A Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute." For more information, click here.
The 49ers signed former Lions cornerback Keith Smith and already released Carson Butler from their practice squad.
SB Nation's mid-season studs and duds awards are out.

Tuesday Notes: Copeland Bryan Has MCL Sprain

Sean Yuille — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:42:22 -0000

The trade deadline is at 4 p.m., and so far it doesn't appear that there are even whispers of a trade by the Lions. Jim Schwartz did say that the Lions are "open to everything," but as of right now I haven't heard even a single trade rumor.
Defensive end Copeland Bryan sprained his right knee's MCL during Sunday's loss to the Packers. That is the same injury that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu suffered during the opening week of the season, and he just returned on Sunday. It obviously depends on the severity of the injury, but usually it'll take 3-6 weeks to get back on the field after suffering an MCL sprain.
Offensive guard Stephen Peterman enjoyed playing some defensive tackle against the Packers.
I made the mistake of forgetting my iPod when I went home this weekend, so I actually listed to 97.1 The Ticket for a bit while driving yesterday. The little bit I listened to before I changed to music was basicaly Brandon Pettigrew getting criticized and the hosts of the show questioning the Lions decision to draft him at pick No. 20. I thought to myself: Yes, he has been rather average so far, but let's wait until at least the end of the season before making that kind of judgment. John Niyo agrees with that line of thinking, pointing out that Pettigrew missed part of training camp and is still adjusting to the NFL. My guess is that by the end of the season, Pettigrew will be one of Matthew Stafford's favorite targets, assuming of course that Stafford gets healthy and stays healthy.
That brings me to my next bit of news. Stafford went on Mitch Albom's radio show yesterday and denied that there is talk about his injury potentially being season-ending. According to him, any talk of him possibly having surgery or being out for the season is nothing more than a rumor. Let's hope it remains nothing more than a rumor.
Cliff Avril shared his plans for the bye week on his blog.
Julian Peterson is going to be an honorary captain for Michigan State on Saturday. Considering the Lions are on a bye and both Michigan and Michigan State are home, I would expect to see Drew Stanton in East Lansing and Jeff Backus, Larry Foote, and Jon Jansen in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

A Somewhat Depressing Blowout

Mitchell_M — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:03:02 -0000

Green Bay had several things going for it this week. In no particular order, they were:

Coming off the bye week
Getting Chad Clifton and Atari Bigby back from injury
Playing Detroit at home
Playing against a team missing it's best QB (Matthew Stafford) and WR (Calvin Johnson)

All together, these things pointed to a dominant Green Bay victory. And, in the end, it was, if you consider only the final score (26-0). So then why did this feel like a letdown? Short version: we saw the same old problems surfacing again. Long version: after the jump.

Here are some things that I saw that I didn't like. As usual (sadly), these are all impressions that I got despite not watching the game.

13 penalties for 130 yards. Green Bay netted 435 yards. They allowed Detroit to gain 149. Their 130 yards lost to penalties were over 25% of their offensive gains and nearly 90% of Detroit's. That is absolutely unacceptable. Let's do a rundown of how many of what penalty there were:

5 personal fouls - 75 yards
3 false starts - 15 yards
2 holding - 20 yards
2 illegal formation - 5 yards
1 illegal contact - 5 yards

False starts happen, even though they shouldn't. Holding happens way more than it's called. Illegal contact happens almost as much as holding. Even illegal formation happens, even though it's a stupid penalty that you should get out of your system in high school. But personal fouls? Absolutely ridiculous. Unless there's a brawl, there's no way any team should get called for five personal fouls in one game. I have no idea whether or not these were legit penalties, but the fact that Packer players were in position to have these penalties called in the first place infuriates me.

You know what that says to me? On-field discipline is a major problem. In a way, that's almost worse than off-field issues. Personal fouls cost the team 3/4 of a football field, while the rest of the penalties combined for 1/2 a field. This will kill you against an opponent with a better offense. I don't care how young a team is; you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be whistled five times for 15 yard penalties. I cannot express in a family friendly manner how angry I am over these penalties.

Of course, penalties have been a problem all year. The Packers have been flagged 43 times (4th in NFL) for 359 yards (3rd in NFL). Mike McCarthy said that it was something they would have to fix. You had a bye week, coach. And even that didn't keep the team from putting up a season-worst performance penalty-wise. Ugh.
Five sacks for 30 yards. If the penalty yardage wasn't bad enough, tack on the losses to Detroit's pass rushers. Now, I have respect for Julian Peterson and Cliff Avril. They are the best pass rushers on a team that doesn't perform well in this department. Still, they combined for 3.5 sacks, which is not good. But Turk McBride, a player who had one tackle all season before Week 6 and isn't even listed on Detroit's depth chart on NFL.com, had 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

I know Clifton was dealing with an injury. I know the offensive line has been all shuffled and jumbled around this season. I know Mark Tauscher isn't ready yet. But you cannot give up five sacks a game! Yet that's exactly what they're doing (5 games + 25 sacks = 5.0 sacks/game average)!

In other news, Aaron Rodgers' contract was renegotiated to include extended medical coverage, a personal chiropractor, yoga classes, and sleep therapy. Because if the season continues this way, he will end up more messed up than Ryan Leaf. If there was any debate as to whether the Packers' O-line is broken, I think this should settle it.
30 rushes for 107 yards. This statistic isn't even that bad. But then you consider that the majority of the yards were gained by Ryan Grant (24 carries for 90 yards), which still isn't that bad. But then you look at the drive chart for the game, and you realize that nearly half of his yards came on the game's final drive, when Green Bay simply took advantage of a tired Lions' defense for the final 7 1/2 minutes (where Grant totalled 41 yards on 7 attempts, including a 22-yarder, resulting in his final stat line). Before the 7:52 mark in the 4th quarter (when the score was already 26-0), Ryan Grant had 14 carries for 49 yards.

Again, I didn't watch the game. I don't know if the lackluster running performance was the fault of Grant, the O-line, or just good run defense by Detroit. But surely the Packers can do a better job establishing the run against a team that is less than notorious for it's run-stopping. Even with Jason Spitz as a surprise inactive, you have to take it to a team that boasts Grady Jackson as their primary run defender.

Again, this falls to Mike McCarthy. For someone who still uses a workhorse back approach, why didn't he give Grant more carries in the first three quarters of the game? Detroit was a team ripe for the pounding, and Green Bay desperately needs to foster some sort of momentum for their rushing attack to build off of for the remainder of the season. They certainly haven't developed any momentum in the first 4 games. Unless, of course, the season is destined to end on January 3rd, which I sincerely hope it does not.

Okay, so those were all the things that bothered me. Here's what impressed me:

Zero. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. As a former defensive player, nothing quite compares to the feeling you get when you shut out an opponent. I think the best analogy in sports is a no-hitter in baseball, where everyone from the catcher to the pitcher to the outfielders does their job just right. That's what happened today on defense for Green Bay.

The Lions' quarterbacking duo of Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton combined to produce this line: 11/25 for 105 yards and 3 INTs. While that might be a good day for Jamarcus Russell, that's a terrible day for an NFL quarterback, and that's exactly what Dom Capers' 3-4 defense is designed to do. It's fitting that Atari Bigby got the final interception in the end zone to seal the shutout, considering his absence forced the defense into a more conservative (read: more crappy) approach.
Clay Matthews. I know I already talked about how well the defense played as a whole, especially against Detroit's passing game. And of course Matthews wasn't the only one responsible, as Aaron Kampman, Al Harris, Nick Barnett, and Michael Montgomery all came away with sacks. But Matthews' 2 sacks were just another example of how dynamic of a player he is becoming. I barely knew who he was before the draft, and I was clueless as to why Ted Thompson would trade back into the first round to grab him. But I am glad he did. Now the question is: which linebacker has to lose snaps in order to get Matthews on the field more?
Another interception for a defensive lineman. Remember my whole tirade above about poor discipline? Cullen Jenkins' read of the screen pass was the exact opposite. When an end or tackle gets that much penetration with minimal resistance, that means he either beat his man beyond recognition, or there's something unusual happening. In this case, it was the latter, and Jenkins immediately halted his rush to disrupt the screen pass. A wonderful play.
Green Bay's receivers. I made a big deal out of the erratic and sometimes frustrating play of the Packers' receiving corps. Well, today they all came to play. Greg Jennings' one-handed grab in the first quarter was a beautiful play, as was James Jones' juke of Marquand Manuel for a 47-yard TD. Even Jermichael Finley continued his development, putting up 54 yards on 5 catches.

But the big story from Lambeau was Donald Driver's record-setting catch in the first quarter, leaving him as the sole leader in receptions in Green Bay history. Of course, his 7 catch, 107 yard performance on the day was nice, but there's something about the story of a 7th round pick becoming a franchise leader in a major category that makes you smile, win or lose. Congratulations, Donald. You're a class act both on and off the field, a true role model, and a top receiver in the history of one of the NFL's premeire franchises.
Aaron MF'ing Rodgers. Of course, someone has to get Donald the ball so he can break that record. And Aaron Rodgers did that, and so much more.

Now, let's not go crazy, because Rodgers wasn't perfect. His fourth quarter interception to former Badger LB DeAndre Levy was simply underthrown, and Jones was closely covered anyway. Rodgers also danced around too much when faced with a collapsing pocket, which led to his fifth sack and a fumble recovered by Larry Foote.

But there was little else Rodgers did poorly. He bought time when he had to, and met with thrilling success on two occasions in the third quarter (especially the play where he faked one way, started out the other direction, then went back in the original direction and, as he was falling backwards, fired a strike to Jermichael Finley off his back foot). All his throws were crisp, and he did an excellent job providing space for his recievers to work after the catch. His 78.4% completion rate and his 113.7 passer rating were stellar, despite his protection issues.

Altogether, this was a decent game all-around. Not great, because the offense surely could have played better. But the defense was outstanding, and even the special teams performed well after Jordy Nelson got hurt. There were things we can take away from this games as positives, but still significant flaws that must be addressed before visiting Cleveland. I'm torn between optimism and pessimism, but perhaps you could sway me one way or the other in the comments section.

Preview: Lions at Packers

Brandon — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:01:03 -0000

by Duane Burleson - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson reacts after missing a 49-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Detroit. The Steelers defeated the Lions 28-20. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

View full size photo »

The Green Bay Packers are coming off the bye week, and into one of the easiest games on their schedule. The lowly Detroit Lions, in Lambeau. I gave up on looking back for the Lions last win in Green Bay, it's been a while, but it doesn't really matter since it's almost an entirely new Lions team in 2009. Here are the league rankings for both teams, based on yardage from NFL.com:

Team	Pass Offense	Pass Defense
Packers	12	17
Lions	16	27

Team	Run Offense	Run Defense
Packers	22	20
Lions	19	21

Or maybe this game is going to be closer than some people expect. Neither team is very good at running the ball, or stopping the run. Both teams can get yardage passing the ball. The only thing that really stands out is the Lions bad pass defense. We need to take a closer look at this game, after the jump.

While the Packers lead the league in sacks allowed, the Lions lead the league in a more important stat; points allowed. That seems a little odd since their defense doesn't look that bad. At least it looks a lot better than last season. Imagine the worst defense you can, then double it (maybe triple it) and that's the Lions 2008 defense. One reason for the turnaround is the arrival of Jim Schwartz, their new head coach who was previously the defensive coordinator for the Titans. However, Schwartz doesn't play on the field. Looking at their current stats, their top 8 defensive players, as ranked by tackles recorded, are all new guys. They added some free agents (LB Larry Foote, ex-Packers SS Marquand Manuel and DE Jason Hunter, and CB William James), made a couple trades (LB Julian Peterson, CB Anthony Henry), and picked up a couple guys in the draft (2nd round S Louis Delmas and 3rd round LB DeAndre Levy). It's not the next Steel Curtain, but they're playing better than last season.

However they are still giving up a lot of passing yards, and QB Aaron Rodgers should have better pass protection on Sunday with the likely return of LT Chad Clifton. The Lions pass defense has given up 15 TD passes and only 3 INTs, a 119.7 QB rating against, highest in the league. The yardage might not kill them, but all those TDs might. The Lions pass defense statistically looks worse than the Rams, and Rodgers had 13 completions and 2 TDs against them. And that was despite a couple drops from his receivers.

Although the Lions are giving up fewer yards rushing, teams haven't run the ball that often against them either. The Lions are allowing a terrible 4.9 yards/carry against, which should help even RB Ryan Grant have a solid game.

While their offense has shown some signs of life moving the ball, they are having a hard time hanging on to it. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford has dropped back to pass 150 times this season, and has 10 sacks, 6 INTs and 2 fumbles. So something bad happens to him about once a quarter. With Stafford's injury, QB Daunte Culpepper might be under center and he isn't any better, with 57 dropbacks for 7 sacks, 1 INT and 3 fumbles. Something bad happens to him almost twice as often. Still they've managed 103 points which is 19th best (by average) in points.

While the Lions have amassed a decent amount of total yards running the ball, it takes them a lot of carries. Leading rusher RB Kevin Smith has a miserable 3.1 yards/attempt. Despite the high total yards the Packers have surrendered against opposing running backs, I'm very optimistic about their run defense after it stopped RB Adrian Peterson two weeks ago in Minneapolis.

While I'm not a huge fan of SS Atari Bigby, his likely return is great news. The Packers pass defense struggled two weeks ago because of SS Derrick Martin, who was benched mid-game. And that came on the heels of the poor start by SS Aaron Rouse, and now current NY Giant, against the Bengals. While the Packers pass defense should be much improved, the Lions are likely to be without star WR Calvin Johnson. Still they managed almost 300 yards passing last week against the Steelers with nothing from him. The Packers may give up some yards passing, but they'll hopefully be able to take advantage of turnovers by Culpepper.

If you're looking for the special teams to provide an X-factor in this game; don't. The Packers haven't gotten anything positive, and only some negative, from them this season. It's worse for the Lions because the special teams just collapsed last week against the Steelers.

The Lions remind me of the Bears offense, combined with the Rams defense, two teams the Packers have beaten this season. Packers 38, Lions 17.