SB Nation - Kevin Smith

Monday Notes: Decision on This Week's Starting QB to Be Made by Wednesday

Sean Yuille — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:23:58 -0000

Jim Schwartz didn't make it sound like Matthew Stafford will be back this week, but that isn't a guarantee by any means. If Stafford is out, though, the coaches will have to decide if Daunte Culpepper or Drew Stanton will start, and as of right now no decision has been made. The players will know by Wednesday, and I'm hoping they will learn that Stanton will finally get a chance to start. The fact of the matter is that the offense scored points with Stanton in the game. Yes, he made some mistakes, but he played better than Culpepper in my opinion. Plus, Stanton deserves a chance to get some experience. What is the point in playing Culpepper at this point? I think Stanton has just as good of a chance of leading the Lions to victory as Culpepper, so there really doesn't seem to be any point in not getting him more experience if Stafford can't go.
Dan Gronkowski cleared waivers and was signed to the practice squad. Terrance Taylor, who was just signed last week, was released to make room for Gronkowski.
Kevin Smith was scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama today, and he said he doesn't want to leave without having surgery.
Louis Delmas was pissed off after the Lions' loss yesterday, to say the least.
Drew Stanton shared his thoughts on yesterday's game on his blog.

Saturday Notes: Daunte Culpepper to Start on Sunday

Sean Yuille — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:08:14 -0000

Matthew Stafford is doubtful for tomorrow's game, and as a result Daunte Culpepper will start again. Culpepper has only led the Lions to one field goal in his last two starts, and with Kevin Smith done for the season and Calvin Johnson questionable, there aren't many signs that that will change against Arizona.
Speaking of Calvin, he and Louis Delmas practiced yesterday. Aaron Brown did not, however, because of a knee injury. Dennis Northcutt and Don Muhlbach also missed practice.
I have tried to avoid talking about the recent debate regarding trading Calvin Johnson, which really has come about simply because there's not much else to talk about. Well, I will talk about it once, but only to relay what Jim Schwartz and Scott Linehan think about the idea. Both pretty much sum up my thoughts on the situation.

"Yeah, um, we're in the process of trying to acquire good players, not let good players leave," coach Jim Schwartz said. "If we've learned anything from history, it's to value talent and not to discard it."

"To me, it's completely insane,'' Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "Calvin Johnson is one of the best receivers in football and he's had to struggle through some things this year from a health standpoint, but once you've got one of those, you don't want to lose him. That's one man's opinion. I would be pretty depressed.
Listen, if another team's general manager has a few too many one night and calls up Martin Mayhew with an absolutely ridiculous offer, obviously the Lions would listen. But since that is beyond unlikely, can we please just try to move on to other topics? I know it feels like the offseason has already started, but there are plenty of other things we can talk about that are far more likely and far less infuriating than Calvin Johnson being traded.
Marvin White was fined $7,500 for a horse-collar tackle in the Ravens game.
Cliff Avril put up a new post on his blog about his and the team's struggles this season.
Another attempt to stop the sale of the Silverdome has been thrown out.

I Am Freaking Out Man

PSTIM1 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:01:13 -0000

Tristan Cockroft - I just wanted to say his name somewhere in this post.

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So the fantasy playoffs have officially begun and I am going against Dallass Clark so I am already getting killed. I am already down 21 points, and as it stands today I am not sure if my QB is actually gonna play (Brady) and I am starting Maurice "who the fuck?" Morris due to Kevin Smith's exploded knee. I have had a good fantasy year (10-4) and I have never won a ring, and at this point I'd trade my first born child for a taste of fantasy glory. I have provided my fantasy matchup for ya'll to look at - please tell me I have a chance! And should I actually start Maurice Morris or should I go with Rim Thighpower (Tim Hightower)? Detroit fan's have you heard about how they are gonna use Morris and Aaron Brown? Please guys I need this...I need this.

Me: Team Name: PenisCopter (dont ask)

Tom Brady

Larry Fitzgerald

Chad Ochocinco

Frank Gore

Maurice Morris

Vernon Davis

Jets D

Nick Folk

My Opponent: Team Name: Cock Poon Moan

Matt 'Slob a Knob" Schaub

Randy "I give boss" Moss

Anquan Blowin Dudes (Boldin)

LT "licks taint"

Cedric Bendoverson (Benson - that one's not funny)

Dal "takes it up the" ass Clark

Cardinals D (I got nothing)

"Nasty" Nate Kaeding (he looks like such a pussy)

PS my scoring is rb's/wr's/te's get a point every ten yards rushing and receiving and 6 points for a td. QB's get 1 point for every 20 yards passing and 5 points for passing td's. Kickers get a point for fg's 2 points for fg's over 50 yds - nothing for xp's.

Poll

Will I Win or Lose?

Arizona Cardinal at Detroit Lions: Know Thy Enemy

Pyromnc — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:58:48 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

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For the past decade, the Detroit Lions have been one of the worst organizations in the NFL. They failed to draft much talent and have had a handful of 1st round busts. They also failed to sign key players in free agency, and in front of their eyes they were actually running the organization into the ground. Those tendencies have started to change the past couple of seasons with very good draft picks in linebacker Ernie Sims, quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kevin Smith, and the immense talent at wide receiver in Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron). The Cardinals defensive backs better be aware of where Johnson is at all times, otherwise they may be in for a long game.

Johnson was widely considered the best receiving prospect to come out of college in NFL history. This was most certainly due to the fact that he held multiple skill sets that most receivers will never begin to have. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.35 40 yard dash, an amazing number despite weighing in at 238 (heavy for a receiver). He also had an amazing vertical jump posting 42 and a half inches (Larry Fitzgerald is a 38). He has the physicality of a Fitzgerald / Andre Johnson type, making him quite possibly the most dangerous wide receiver, if only he had a consistent QB (which they hope Stafford will be).

Johnson has only faced the Arizona Cardinals once in his career and that came in his rookie season. He didn't put up spectacular numbers, catching just 3 passes for 37 yards and no touchdowns. Part of the reason could have been that it was his rookie season or the fact that he was playing with back problems that entire year - but it was most likely a combination of both. Things will definitely be different this week with Johnson adding some veteran experience to his resume, although the knee problems he's had this season may pose a problem.

The match up to watch in this game will be 2nd year corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie against Johnson. Cromartie does not have the physicality that would be needed to tackle Johnson if he were to get the ball in open space. However, he is the only defensive back that has the type of speed to keep up with Johnson. DRC won't be able to contain Johnson by himself, as it will need a solid team effort to slow the Lions best offensive player. Thoughts?

Full Rundown of Lions' Recent Roster Moves

Sean Yuille — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:50:22 -0000

The Lions have been quite busy this week making changes to their roster. I wouldn't exactly call it a roster shakeup considering injuries forced two of the moves, but I am glad there are at least a few new faces in wake of what happened in Baltimore last Sunday. The season is as good as over already, but the Lions might as well get a look at as many players as they can with 2010 quickly approaching. Anyway, here is a rundown of the moves the Lions made this week:

Placed RB Kevin Smith (knee) and TE Casey FitzSimmons (concussion) on injured reserve
Signed RB Cedric Peerman from the practice squad to fill Smith's spot on the roster
Signed free agent TE Michael Matthews to fill FitzSimmons' spot on the roster
Claimed CB/KR Brian Witherspoon (he was waived by Jacksonville on Monday)
Released CB Jahi Word-Daniels to make room for Witherspoon
Released FB Terrelle Smith just days after Baltimore's Terrell Suggs called him out for taking a cheap shot at his injured knee
Claimed OG Roy Schuening to fill the open roster spot (he was waived by Oakland on Tuesday)
Signed WR Eric Fowler and DT Terrance Taylor (former Michigan player) to the practice squad

As you can see, it's been a busy week for the Lions. Although the season is winding down, it's at least good to see that the front office still has its eyes glued to the waiver wire. You never know when you might stumble upon somebody who just needed a change of scenery to really get his career going. At the same time, many of other teams' cast offs are upgrades over players currently on the roster, so the Lions probably figure that they might as well bring in talent whenever they can.

Tuesday Notes: Kevin Smith to Have Surgey on Injured Knee

Sean Yuille — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:26:07 -0000

As mentioned in a FanShot, Kevin Smith is out for the season and will have surgery on his injured knee. Smith has "at least a knee ligament injury," but Jim Schwartz cautioned that multiple ligaments could be damaged. The thing is that we won't know for sure until Smith actually has the surgery and doctors can get a better look at it. It is very common for other ligaments to be damaged at the same time as the ACL, so there is definitely a chance that Smith could have injured his MCL or PCL as well. Let's hope it was only his ACL, but Schwartz certainly didn't sound too optimistic on Monday.
Louis Delmas left Sunday's game fairly early on after re-injuring his ankle. Schwartz didn't discuss just how severe the injury might be, but he didn't sound too concerned, either, saying that he was "encouraged by the tests that have come back." Let's hope the injury isn't anything big and he will be back against Arizona.
Longsnapper Don Muhlbach left Sunday's game after hurting his arm and also possibly sustaining a concussion. He actually was on a cart on the sideline, and Schwartz officially declared Muhlbach's status as "up in the air." Dominic Raiola did a decent job filling in for Muhlbach, though the snap on one field goal was a bit low. I don't know if the Lions will just have Raiola handle the longsnapping duties if Muhlbach can't play this week or if they will bring someone else in, but you would think with a week of practice Raiola could do a good enough job to take over for Muhlbach for another game.
Based on what Jim Schwartz said on Monday, I wouldn't expect to see Aaron Brown returning kicks anytime soon unless there is an injury to Derrick Williams.
Baltimore's Terrell Suggs insinuated that the Lions, specifically Terrelle Smith, went after his injured knee on Sunday.
An "uncut" video of Matthew Stafford mic'd up during the final moments of the Browns game has been posted on NFL.com.
Bill Ford Jr. is too busy with Ford to deal with the Lions now-a-days. Specifically, he said that he is "quite out of touch" with what's going on with the Lions.

The Monday Morning Microscope: Week 14

DrewsLions — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:22:01 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

10 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford watches from the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. Stafford was injured in last week's game. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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I'm going to have to take a bit of a mulligan for today's version of MMM. I am home from work nursing not only my own illness, but both of my little ones' as well. In fact, you'll have to forgive my lack of posting in general lately as it seems that life as a single, working father as finally caught up with me. Our new über-hectic schedule, complete with two hours of commuting each day to drop and pick up kids at sitters and pre-school, combined with cooking, cleaning and oh yeah, my other full-time job (the one that pays my bills)... and I think you get the picture. Actually, I am going to use this time to say that I've had fun writing MMM this year, but I simply don't have the time to do a regular column anymore. I will still try to post when I can, but Monday mornings are just becoming increasingly more difficult to try to push out content worth reading. So with that, today will be the last of the MMM series. Maybe by next year, circumstances will change and I can resume writing it if there is still a desire to read it.

As for yesterday's game... three words... "What - a - mess!" I think Sean's summary of the game yesterday was spot on. In my opinion, Kevin Smith was the only bright spot in a complete and utter drubbing at the hands of a mediocre 6-6 team. We played better against the Saints and Vikings... teams with a combined 24-2 record. I feel that the official race for the highest draft position has begun. With Stafford hopefully back next week, that should at least make the last three games entertaining and worth watching (although, the two home games will most likely be blacked out). After watching our defensive line get shredded yesterday, it's now about trying to get Ndamukong Suh in next year's draft. Both St. Louis and Tampa Bay got a thorough beating yesterday, so it doesn't look good. Right now, there are four teams in the running: St. Lous (1-12), Tampa Bay (1-12), Cleveland (2-11) and Detroit (2-11).

As far as I can tell, the current strength of schedule is ranked like this (without the Arizona vs. San Francisco game being played yet):

Tampa Bay: 117 - 91

St. Louis: 112 - 92

Detroit: 110 - 96

Cleveland: 108 - 100

Here is the breakdown of what each of these teams have left schedule-wise and our chances in surpassing them:

Cleveland:

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium
15	Dec 20	CLE @ KC	Arrowhead Stadium
16	Dec 27	OAK @ CLE	Cleveland Browns Stadium
17	Jan 03	JAC @ CLE	Cleveland Browns Stadium

So the Browns helped our cause with a big win over the Steelers on Thursday, as it appears that the win pushes us into 3^rd place. The Browns have had a mini-resurgence since the loss to the Lions and it could translate into another win or two. They have a pretty easy schedule left and I think they could win at least one more game. That could come in any of the three remaining weeks, as both Jacksonville and Oakland have struggled on the road and Kansas City is well... Kansas City.

Tampa Bay:

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium
15	Dec 20	TB @ SEA	Qwest Field
16	Dec 27	TB @ NO	Superdome
17	Jan 03	ATL @ TB	Raymond James Stadium

I feel much less warm and fuzzy about Tampa Bay on three different levels. First, it's much less likely that they win any of these games. It looks like Seattle on the road is our best bet... and I'm not sure I would take that bet. But I don't think one win is enough. Because of the goofy strength of schedule thing, I think Tampa Bay would need to win two more games to be 3-13 and Detroit finish at 2-14. Lastly, it also worries me that Tampa Bay is most likely to take Suh. I can't really see any circumstances where they pass on his immense talent. In order for us to get in front of Tampa Bay, it appears that they will have to take Seattle on the road and then (hopefully a Matt Ryan-less) Atlanta at home (although, I think Ryan will be back by then). Oh yeah... and Detroit still would have to lose their remaining games.

St. Louis:

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium
15	Dec 20	HOU @ STL	Edward Jones Dome
16	Dec 27	STL @ ARI	University of Phoenix Stadium
17	Jan 03	SF @ STL	Edward Jones Dome

St. Louis still has to win another game either way, but the head-to-head loss does nothing for us (yeah... ridiculous). It would then come down to strength of schedule, where the Rams have us by two opponent wins. This could go a multitude of different ways and will be a week to week thing, but it still comes down to the Rams having to upset a team. I don't like those odds too much.

Detroit:

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium
15	Dec 20	ARI @ DET	Ford Field
16	Dec 27	DET @ SF	Candlestick Park
17	Jan 03	CHI @ DET	Ford Field

The Lions only real hope for another win is the final game against the Bears at home. I don't think too highly of the 49ers, but it is a road game, so scratch that one. All things considered... the Bears game will be blacked out and the difference between 2-14 and 3-13 is negligible.

So here's the skinny... we need to root for Cleveland to just win one more and they are basically out of the picture altogether. We need St. Louis to upset Houston at home next week (and then have the SoS go our way) and the big one... Tampa Bay must have a revival and take down Seattle on the road and then upset Atlanta at home. Tall, tall order indeed. If the Rams can just upset Houston, that might just be enough for the 2^nd pick and a shot at Suh, albeit it a long one. In the end though, Tampa Bay will most likely shaft us all.

Thoughts About the Game:

I'll start with Culpepper's performance... or lack thereof. I'm not quite as down on him as Sean was, because he got little help from the line and his receivers, but he was borderline atrocious. The difference between the horrible interceptions thrown by Culpepper (and there should have been three of them) and the horrible ones thrown by Stafford is separated by 10 years of NFL experience... and that's the bottom line on Culpepper. Some of those decisions were just flat out rookie mistakes that a grizzled veteran can't be making. I'll say it for the umpteenth time... he's done in this league as a starter and maybe even as a back-up. He's certainly done in Detroit after this year.
Jim Schwartz made a Marinelli-like error in not putting Stanton in at some point yesterday. This made no sense. The only thing I can figure is that this staff has no more faith in Stanton than the last staff. I can't understand this. Stanton must have just horrible practices (although, he's probably just running the scout team most weeks). He looked promising during the preseason and always seems exciting to watch. I don't know what's going on, but I can't believe that Schwartz is not smart enough to give Stanton a look while Matt is down. Big mistake, in my opinion.

What a shame about Kevin Smith. The kid has played so hard the last few weeks and was really coming into form. If I was forced to place a bet on his injury... ACL, out for the year, might not be ready for next year's regular season. Some people might now get their wish for the Lions to take a back in this year's draft.

The defense was an appalling train wreck yesterday. There's really nothing more to say about it. Where was that decent run defense that we've been seeing over the course of the year? The Raven's offensive line simply man-handled the Lions' defensive line. That line has to be priority number one in the off-season. More and more it looks like there are simply too many holes to fill in 2010 to make enough of a difference to be competitive. Players who we were pinning our hope to - like Avril, Cohen, Buchanon, etc. - all let us down this year. Personally, I was hoping that Avril, Hill, Cohen and White would turn out to be a defensive line worth fearing. Now, I think that Hill is the only one of those four that might be starter-capable. I'd love to see Hill and Suh next to each other. Yeah... that sounds good... :o) Okay, I'll admit my man-crush on Suh right now. It was about this time last year when my Stafford crush started, so I'm just going to go public with my infatuation this time around.

I've really enjoyed writing this column and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Actually, this one ended up being much longer than I set out to write. It's just finding the free time that seems to shrink by the day. If and when Congress ever changes the length of day to 32 hours... I'm gold again. I'll try to post from time to time and stay a part of the POD community, but please forgive me if I disappear for days or weeks at a time. It's most certainly not because I don't want to or because my interest in the Lions is waning. Sometimes life just gets in the way.

Take care,

Drew

Kevin Smith Likely Has Torn ACL

Sean Yuille — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:14:47 -0000

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, a league source said that Kevin Smith is "believed to have a torn ACL." Smith suffered what certainly looked to be a serious injury on the second play of the fourth quarter of Sunday's game when he made an awkward cut. Immediately Smith went down in pain, and he eventually had to be carted off the field.

"I was just catching a flat pass and trying to cut back and somehow my leg got stuck in the ground," said Smith, who was on crutches in the postgame locker room.

Asked to describe the injury, Smith said, "My knee just buckled and I had extreme pain instantly. I gotta get tests tomorrow, but it doesn't feel real good."

Right when Smith got hurt and showed how much pain he was in, I immediately assumed he tore his ACL because of how it happened. Like Smith said, his knee buckled, which usually means a torn ACL. The same thing happened to Brandon Pettigrew. It wasn't the result of a hit or anything like that; Smith and Pettigrew just planted wrong and had one of their knees give out. The resulting injury was a torn ACL for Pettigrew, and it seems like that is what happened to Smith as well.

What this means for the Lions in the short term is that Smith will be headed to injured reserve, ending his season. That is a big blow to the Lions' offense, because Smith had played quite well lately. As Jim Schwartz said, he had been one of the bright spots. Despite playing some tough run defenses in the last couple weeks, Smith had excelled, making plays happen without the help of very much good blocking. On Sunday against Baltimore, for example, Smith often had to deal with a defender as soon as he got the ball but often avoided being tackled and ran for anywhere from 5-20 yards. His cuts looked very fluid against Baltimore and really he was the only consistently good thing about the offense both yesterday and last week against Cincinnati.

The long-term effect this injury will have on Smith is unknown. He is going to have an MRI today to determine the exact injury and how severe it is, but chances are if he did in fact tear his ACL, it will take him 6-9 months to recover. That means that he should be back in time for training camp or the start of the 2010 season at the latest, though that doesn't necessarily mean he will be effective. For a running back, it could take extra time to regain enough strength in the injured knee to actually be effective and be able to run at full speed and make cuts. That is going to depend on the severity of the injury, though, so I suppose we should wait to hear the results of the MRI before doing anymore speculating.

The Monday Morning Microscope: Week 13

DrewsLions — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:22:39 -0000

More photos » by Tony Tribble - AP

17 days ago: Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz yells to his team during the first half of their NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Tribble)

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Okay, so four games have gone by since my last post. Doesn't seem like that long, but it has been. I apologize for my lack of presence on the site lately, but when you take a two week vacation, you then have two weeks worth of work stacked up that you have to dig out of when you return. That sometimes makes vacations not worth taking. What a ridiculous world we live in. Absolutely zero work/life balance out there. Everyone is just work, work, work. Does no one care about their families anymore? Sorry, just venting a little. As you can tell, my initiation back into work the week after my vacation was less than pleasant. And forgive me for complaining, because I know that I am supremely blessed to even have a job in this unforgiving economy, let alone a good job. It's just that with all the happenings of this year that have shaped my life's current perspective, I wish to spend a little more time with my family and a little less time with the triviality of my company's finances... especially around the holidays. Whew... okay, I feel better. Let's say we talk a little football, eh?

Because I'm playing a little catch-up, this week's edition of MMM might be a little longer than usual. I'm not going to go into a ton of detail for any one of the past games, but more or less just sum up where we are as a team at this point in the season and talk about where we need to go from here. I'll finish it up with some specific thoughts about the Bengals game.

With only four weeks left, there are few surprises anymore. The Lions are what they are... a struggling team with lots of holes and a few bright spots to pin future hopes upon. They will most likely lose the remainder of their schedule and be back into familiar territory... competing with the bottom of the NFL's barrel for draft position. I see that the draft has once again become the popular topic of conversation here at POD. You'll have to forgive me for not joining in that one quite yet. For me, at least the regular season and bowl games need to be over before joining the cacophony of useless fun that is mock drafting. I'll say this much though, I believe that the Lions are very much in the running for the number two or three overall pick in the draft. That just might be enough to net us Suh. But back to the season at hand...

Through Week 13, the offense can pretty much be characterized as inconsistent and mostly ineffective. At times, they can take your breath away and at others, they make you scratch your head, wondering if we'll see another first down the entire game. To get in a little more detail, I'll break it down by area:

Quarterback: Well, Matt Stafford single-handedly created one of the most memorable games in Lions history and showed why he was drafted first overall against Cleveland. But that was against Cleveland. He has subsequently stunk it up two games running and showed that he still has a long way to go to become a great quarterback in this league. He has no doubt played hurt the last two weeks and I'm sure that's affected him somewhat, but his decision making has to get better if the Lions are to become contenders. I choose to look at it this way... he's a typical rookie. He's going to make good plays and he's going to make some really bone-headed plays. That's what you get with young players. We've seen it with them all... Pettigrew, Delmas, Levy... all of them. Stafford, as talented as he is, in not immune to the huge learning curve that all rookies who start in this league have to go through. Couple that with a poor offensive line, suspect receivers aside from Calvin and a struggling running game... well, you get the mish-mash performances we've seen from Stafford. Bottom Line: Matt will be fine. He's getting some great experience and if he's really "the one", we will see many of these mistakes start to go away over the course of the 2010 season.
Backs and Receivers: I think we've all learned an inconvenient truth about the Lions' receiving corps... it is once again an area of need heading into the off-season. With as much money as we've thrown at this position in the past, this is a true exercise in frustration. Without Calvin Johnson, the offense just dissolves. The reality is that Calvin gets hurt a little too much for comfort and we must have some reliable talent behind him. That means we have to yet again focus on this position in the draft and free agency. The good news is that, before the season ending injury, Pettigrew really started to blossom. That is one position that appears to be solidified (unless this injury lingers into the 2010 season). I also disagree with all of the fans clamoring for the Lions to use a draft pick on a running back. Kevin Smith has not been great this year, but as shown by his efforts in yesterday's game, he is a hard runner and when given adequate blocking, is shifty enough to be a more than serviceable back in this league. Both Brown and Morris are valuable back-ups and add to the offensive versatility. Bottom Line: One of the more important acquisitions for the coming off-season is a complementary wideout opposite Calvin. They must find this player next year, both for the development of Calvin and Matt and for the progress of the offense as a whole. With better blocking, the running backs in our stable should be more than sufficient.

Offensive Line: The most disappointing and biggest problem on our offensive line right now is Gosder Cherilus. We all know that the Lions need a big-time upgrade at left guard... that's a given. In my mind, at some point between the second and fourth round, the Lions must take an offensive lineman. The problem is that Cherilus' poor play throws a massive wrench in the gears of the Lions' long term strategy here. Do the Lions take a guard or will they have to take a tackle to replace Cherilus? Can they move Cherilus to left guard and draft a good young right tackle? If so, how will his play translate to guard and will he simply be the next useless player in the revolving door at that position? See... he creates a pickle for the front office. We were supposed to be able to forget about the right tackle position for the next twelve years, yet here we are once again... questioning the ability of a Millen-drafted first round pick. Forget about even attempting to replace Backus or Raiola. We NEED them. How's that for a cold prickly? Bottom Line: The coaching staff needs to determine if Cherilus still has enough potential to waste time with him at right tackle. He is so inconsistent - will it end at some point... who knows? At the very least, the Lions' need to draft a guard. But is that enough? In my opinion, they need another tackle. I'd try Cherilus at left guard and draft a new right tackle that has the ability to move to left in a few years to replace Backus. Anyway you slice it, the line has not played well consistently and something has to be done. Finding a working combination of players will be the biggest off-season challenge for the front office offensively.

As weak as this defense is roster-wise, I think they've played surprisingly well at times. There just isn't enough talent to fend off opposing offenses if our own offense can't score a lot of points. This gives me hope that with sufficient talent, Schwartz and Cunningham can put together a defense worth fearing. I'll break the defense down by area as well:

Defensive Line: One word... ineffective. Much more so against the pass than the rush, but we cannot expect to get pressure against any team in the league with any combination of four players on our current roster. There's simply not enough talent. I wish there was an elite pass rusher at the top of the draft this year. I know we are all salivating over Suh and there is no doubt he would be a valuable addition to the Lions, but an elite pass rusher is probably the biggest need on the entire roster. It would fix so many problems. The defensive line and secondary have a cause and effect relationship. The defensive line pressure, or lack thereof, causes the quarterback to either be rushed or to have time. That effects the play of the secondary and how much time they are asked to cover. Our line gives the quarterback all day, which causes the virtually talent-less secondary to have to cover much longer than they are capable. Bottom Line: This year can be scrapped for our defensive line. No one capable of coming close to double-digit sacks is on this roster. Unless they can find that guy in the later rounds of the draft, I'm not sure where the upgrade is going to come from next year. Maybe free agency... ala, Aaron Kampman or someone like that? Either way, this has me very nervous.
Linebackers: I think most of us agreed before the season that this was going to easily be the strength of the entire team and we were right. Really, we have five good linebackers on this team. Foote and Peterson are solid, not spectacular players that have been one of the big reasons why the defense has played well at times. Regardless of ranking last in a lot of defensive passing categories, there is no denying that this group has played better this year than last. We've had many more stops on third downs, tackling has been good at times and play against the run has definitely improved. Now, this is all relative to what the Lions were a year ago, but progress is progress. The key decision heading into the off-season will be what to do with Ernie Sims. It should be a no-brainer to try to resign both Foote and Peterson in my opinion. I think it would be a step backwards not to try. For once, there is an area of our team that we shouldn't have to worry about going into next year. Bottom Line: Although Peterson and Levy started slow, both have joined Foote as quality additions to our defense. I believe that we should hold on to all five linebackers next year (Peterson, Foote, Sims, Levy and Dizon) and allow the front office to focus elsewhere. Even though they can't be considered the best corps in the league, they are a vast improvement over what we've had in the recent past. Paris Lenon anyone?
Defensive Secondary: Ugh... where to start? Well, Delmas was a home run hit in the second round for Mayhew. Anyone want to argue that? Didn't think so. Beyond that? Nothing. Not sure if there is anyone even worth keeping for next year besides Ko Simpson. James? Maybe as a nickel. Buchanon? Played well sporadically, but we know that he is nowhere close to a great player. Henry? Even the interception yesterday doesn't help mask the fact that he's pretty much washed up. We know by this point in the season what our secondary is... the worst in the league. It's going to be hard to find a good starting corner in the upcoming draft, too. That is disheartening. Hopefully, Mayhew can work his magic and find a late round gem. This is a passing league and if we can't cover or get pressure, we can't compete. The front office has its work cut out trying to piece together a foundation that will be able to dramatically increase production in the secondary next year. Bottom Line: Aside from Delmas and Simpson, they will basically have to start over in the secondary. Our foundation should have been on guys like Keith Smith, A.J. Davis, Gerald Alexander, Daniel Bullocks and Stanley Wilson. What a shame. It's just too much to do in a year. The more I look at it, the more it looks like it might take two more drafts to put this secondary together.

Quick note on Special Teams: I don't believe I've ever written anything negative about Jason Hanson, but I'm about to. His kickoffs are getting shorter and shorter each game. With poor special teams play to begin with, the opponent's returner fielding the ball between the 10 and 20 is not acceptable. For the first time, I believe his age is showing and affecting his kicking power and subsequently, his distance. As for Nick Harris... I believe he's having one of his most inconsistent seasons. For every two good punts, it seems like he's having a horrible one. That's not good. We might have to replace both of these iconic players soon if these trends continue. How do you guys feel about this?

Thoughts About the Bengals Game:

As usual, I'll start with Stafford's performance. In a nutshell, it was another sketchy outing by the rookie. The big TD pass to Johnson was a thing of beauty, but that's where the love affair ends. He seemed okay at the start of the game, but during one of the many hits he took, he re-aggravated that shoulder and it seemed to affect him the remainder of the game. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it might be time to sit him for a game and let that shoulder recuperate. I want him to have as many opportunities as possible to get valuable experience, but if that experience is hampered by injury, then it's time to sit him down.
Kevin Smith had a fantastic game yesterday. Yeah, maybe the numbers don't say "fantastic", but in my opinion, it was his best performance of the year. He ran hard and with purpose. He showed his ability to be shifty, nimble and powerful at the same time. He made quicker decisions and made a few cuts that gave me goosebumps. He needed that game, because he's a good back and has taken a lot of heat for the ineffective play of the line.
Speaking of offensive line... Gosder had another horrible game yesterday. I forgot to DVR it, so I can't watch it back to see how bad it really was, but I spent a fair amount of time cursing his play yesterday. I thought that the interior, with Gandy and Ramirez, held up fairly well... especially against the run. The blitzing is where the Lions fell apart and part of that was on Stafford to get the ball out quicker. All-in-all, not the worst day for the Lions' O-line... which still isn't saying much.
Defensively, it was a decent performance. The Bengals by no means blew out Detroit. We stopped them on several key third downs, forced turnovers and pretty much kept them in check for most of the game. The offense was the real problem yesterday. I think Cunningham and Schwartz have really made the best of this unit. I think the scheme is sound, but the talent is what is missing. Like I've said before, I believe wholeheartedly that once the talent is in place, Schwartz will give Detroit an outstanding defense.

So, there's four games left in the season. Any winnable? Maybe the Bears game at home. Does it matter? Not really. We will have another 10+ loss season written down in the annuls of Lions history and another top 5 draft pick on the way to further destroy our salary cap. For me, this season is and continues to be about the progression of the young talent. More and more, it looks like - realistically - that we will be waiting until 2011 to really be able to compete in this league. There are simply too many holes to repair in the upcoming off-season. That's a discouraging thought, but the front office does appear to have a plan in place and another two drafts like 2009 and we will be an up-and-coming powerhouse in this league. Unfortunately when you are building a team, the last thing to come is the wins.

Go Lions!

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.