SB Nation - Green Bay Packers

Winning, Regardless of How, Still Beats Losing

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:37:27 -0000

about 11 hours ago: Baltimore Ravens' Billy Cundiff (7) is congratulated by snapper Matt Katula, left, and holder Sam Koch, right, after kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Baltimore. The Ravens won 20-17 in overtime. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Browse more photos »

Prior to last nights 20-17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens had lost five of their last seven games, some of them in classic 2009 Ravens' frustrating fashion. Therefore, winning a game, any game, much less one over their hated AFC North division rivals, feels pretty good by my standards.

Even without their top offensive and defensive players, Pittsburgh is still a tough team and played well enough to keep the game close and even had a chance to win it in the extra session. But the Ravens, faced with certain elimination from any real chance at playing in the post season, persevered and with a little help from a couple of rookies and a couple of second year players, pulled out the win off the foot of new kicker Billy Cundiff.

Rookie CB,Lardarius Webb, pressed into starting due to a season ending injury to Fabian Washington last week, almost ended the game with an interception but just couldn't hold onto what would have been a pick-six. Seldom used rookie LB Paul Kruger, who is also getting playing time due to Terrell Suggs' injury, made the totally unexpected interception in OT and ran the ball back deep into Steelers territory. From there, it was just a matter of seconde year QB Joe Flacco handing it to 2nd year RB, Ray Rice, to get the ball into better field position centered for the game winning Cundiff FG.

A lot of fans will say the team looked boring and flat and should have won this game going away. Remember, other than Troy Polamalu, this was the same Pittsburgh defense that shut down the Ravens three times last season and would know they needed to have a solid game to help their offensive issues. Third string QB Dennis Dixon had a great game up until that final interception, passing for one TD and running for another. Overall, the Steelers offense moved the ball pretty well, especially on the ground. One might have thought that the Ravens defense would do whatever it took to shut down the Pittsburgh running game and force Dixon to beat them through the air. However, that didn't happen as the Steelers ran for 153 yards, with 95 from Rashard Mendenhall.

Offensively, the Ravens might have looked boring and inefficient, but they still racked up decent yardage on the ground (132 yards), led by Rice's 88 yards and through the air on Flacco's 23 for 35 for 289 yards and the one TD pass to Derrick Mason(7 receptions for 62 yards). Wide receiver Mark Clayton had one of his best games of his career, catching seven passes for 129 yards, including a great catch off of a long bomb of 54 yards.

All in all, the win keeps us int he playoff hunt and looking at our competition for the post season, we now have the ability to control our own fate. Continuing the progress will require going up to Green Bay to face the Packers next Monday night in what will be the first night game in December in Green Bay history. Why is this? Because it's so damn cold there this time of year, so why do our Ravens get the honor of dealing with those elements? That should be a great game against a very good offense and a Packers team that has played pretty well the last few weeks and are chasing a post season berth themselves. More will follow on the Packers game but for now we can dissect and debate the Ravens win over the Steelers last night, a phrase we haven't uttered for well almost two years now.

Uninformed Recap: Ravens Beat Steelers in OT, 20-17

Brandon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0000

The Steelers at Ravens game was a twofer. Here's the boxscore. It had 2 of the Green Bay Packers' next 3 opponents.

In between their games against the Ravens and Steelers, the Packers play the Bears in Chicago. I watched a little of the Bears at Vikings game, but what I did see was ugly (for the Bears). Their defense has looked bad for weeks, and they couldn't do anything to stop the Vikings. 537 yards for the Vikings, and the Bears only had 169. In the 2nd quarter, despite their meager offensive performance, the Bears drove twice into Vikings territory, only to watch QB Jay Cutler throw back-to-back drive killing INTs. And why did they give up their (high) 2nd round pick in 2010 for DE Gaines Adams? He only has 3 tackles in 6 games.

As far as the Steelers at Ravens game goes, my recap is uninformed because I don't know a lot about either team. They both have great defenses, through week 11, according to Football Outsiders, the Steelers had the No. 3 defense and the Ravens' D was No. 4.

The Steelers were able to run straight up the middle, which was where RB Rashard Mendenhall, who had 24 carries for 95 yards (4.0 YPC), went every time he carried the ball. The Ravens D might have lost a step. Just as the Packers have lost Kampman and Harris, the Ravens have lost their top pass rusher, LB Terrell Suggs (torn MCL), and a starting cornerback, Fabian Washington (torn ACL). But the Steelers were forced to start 2nd year QB Dennis Dixon, his first career start, and he was just overmatched. On the Steelers final offensive play, Dixon misread a zone blitz and he threw an INT right at the Ravens' rookie defensive lineman. Overall, Dixon only completed 12 of 26 attempts for 145 yards, but you could tell at times during the game that the Steelers offensive coordinator had lost some faith in him.

The Ravens offense is built around getting the ball to WR Derrick Mason and RB Ray Rice. Though WR Mark Clayton had a big game, 7 catches for 129 yards, that was due in large part to the awful coverage by Steelers CB William Gay. Mason is still a good, Donald Driver type receiver. Rice is an explosive playmaker and he's maybe even more dangerous as a receiver. I don't see how any team can cover him with a linebacker. Despite generating 393 yards of offense, it was boom-or-bust. Most of that yardage came on their 3 scoring drives, while the rest of the time they struggled and were forced to punt 6 times. Their offense isn't any better than the Vikings or Cowboys.

And while the Packers are still No. 1 in most penalty yards allowed per game, the Ravens are a close 2nd. They had 9 penalties for 80 yards against the Steelers, including a killer special teams penalty that erased a huge punt return near the end of regulation. If that return hadn't been called back, the Ravens would likely have kicked a late game winning FG, instead of having to win in OT.

The Packers and Ravens are two comparable teams, and both teams need to keep winning to keep pace for a wild card spot.

Ravens Win Ugly in OT, 20-17

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

about 14 hours ago: Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Browse more photos »

Wow, as the headline says, the Baltimore Ravens did whatever it took, as ugly as it was, to win this game in overtime, 20-17. The Ravens and Steelers are now tied for second place in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tie breaker for the time now and are still in the playoff hunt at 6-5.

However, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't just roll over and give this game away, as their third strong QB, Dennis Dixon had a very good game with both a touchdown pass and run to keep the Steelers in the game until the end.

Any way you want to look at it, the win no matter what, is certainly a heck of a lot better than what it would have felt like had the Steelers pulled this one out in the end instead of our Ravens. Time to put this one in the back of the file and move on to next week as soon as possible.

At the same time, a win is a win in the NFL and with this ugly game behind them, the Ravens can now focus on another prime time game next Monday night when they visit the Green Bay Packers in what will be the first night game in December in Green Bay history.

Week 12 Statistical Matchup: 49ers vs. Jaguars

Florida Danny — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:06:13 -0000

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Per Fooch, just wanted to give everyone a heads up that today's game thread will be going up at 3 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. PST.

It's game day, and, after looking at the stats throughout the course of this week, I feel a lot better about a 49er victory today than I did last Sunday. Time's a wasting, so let's get this pregame show on the road.

TEAM MATCHUP # 1: OFFENSIVE TRENDS

Last week, I showed you how the 49ers' OFF and Packers' DEF were going in divergent directions, and how that wasn't a good sign for our favorite team. Well, this week, basically the opposite is true. Here's a chart showing the game-by-game DVOA trend for two units that will be opposing each other on the field this Sunday:

As is pretty clear here, the Niners' pass OFF and the Jags' pass DEF are on diverging paths right now, and have been going in different directions over the course of the season. The pass OFF has a real opportunity to take advantage of an incredibly weak unit on the other side of the field.

After the jump, I'll present another offensive trend that's good for the 49ers, as well as a few more matchups that, overall, bode well for today's game...

Another offensive trend worth noting - and this is something I like to pay attention to when picking games - is what a Jaguar win looks like. In other words, do JAX's wins look different statistically than their losses? It turns out, they do. Here's a chart showing how the Jaguars' offensive performance has differed from its defensive performance in wins and losses (i.e., JAX OFF DVOA minus JAX DEF DVOA):

As you can see, when JAX's OFF plays better than its DEF, the Jags are 6-1. On the other hand, when their DEF plays better than their OFF, they're 0-3. This is pretty clear evidence that, when the Jaguars win, it's because their OFF plays better than their DEF. In other words, the OFF is their catalyst to victory. This is good news for the Niners because, given the relative strengths of the Niners' OFF and DEF, it's more likely that JAX's DEF plays better than its OFF. And that spells a Niner victory given JAX's pattern this season.

TEAM MATCHUP # 2: PASSING IN THE RED ZONE

This is the first of two team matchups where one team has a strength vs. weakness advantage on both OFF and DEF. In this case, it's the 49ers who benefit. Specifically, when the 49ers enter the red zone on OFF, they'll have a 111.8% DVOA advantage if they pass the ball against JAX's DEF. Similarly, when the Jaguars enter the red zone on OFF, the 49ers' DEF will have a 156.6% advantage if JAX passes the ball. So basically, the red zone game plan for the Niners today should be pass, pass, pass, while the defensive game plan should be doing whatever they can to get the Jaguars' OFF in passing downs if/when they reach the red zone.

TEAM MATCHUP # 3: SHORT-YARDAGE RUNNING

Unfortunately, the Jaguars have a situational matchup advantage on both sides of the ball too. It's when either they run the ball on 3rd/4th down with less than 3 yards to gain for a 1st down or when the Niners run the ball when they're in that situation. The stats here are pretty convincing. JAX's OFF is #3 in the NFL in this situation, converting a first down 73.7% of the time, while SF's DEF is #30, giving up a 1st down a whopping 78.3% of the time. Similarly, when the Niners are on OFF, they're ranked 24th with a conversion rate of only 56.2% on short-yardage 3rd/4th down runs, while the Jags' DEF is #9, giving up a 1st down only 59.1% of the time. So what we want to see from the 49ers in today's game is passing on 3rd and short when they're on OFF, and keeping JAX out of 3rd-and-short situations when the Jags are on OFF.

PLAYER MATCHUP # 1: FRANK GORE VS. JAX PASS DEF

You might notice there's a theme in today's game: the 49ers need to release the hounds and pass the ball continuously on OFF. One player who has a really good matchup against the Jaguars' pass DEF is Frank Gore. Namely, Gore has the 6th-best Receiving DVOA among RBs (29.6%), whereas JAX's DEF is ranked 26th in the NFL (20.9%) when it comes to defending RBs in the passing game.

So, what we want to see, obviously, is the 49ers' OFF utilizing Gore's receiving skills as frequently as possible. Based on what I said earlier in my player rankings post, this strategy would have the added effect of avoiding "Gore up the middle for no gain." In essence, what I'm calling for here is - gasp - something that resembles Bill Walsh's utilization of Roger Craig.

MISCELLANEOUS TEAM MATCHUPS

Amazingly, that's pretty much the extent of all top-8 vs. bottom-8 matchups in today's game. However, before I finish, I'd just like to present a few stats that I think are important given what I've repeatedly diagnosed as the 49ers' main problems.

First, given that the Niners' OFF kills themselves with horrible 1st-quarter performances, how good/bad is the Jaguars' DEF in the 1st quarter? Answer: Their 1st-Quarter DEF DVOA is -3.8%, which ranks 11th in the NFL. So, basically, SF might once again have difficulty getting off a good start on OFF.

Second, given that the 49ers' OFF takes their collective feet of the gas when they're ahead, how good/bad is the Jaguars' DEF when they're behind? Answer: They're ranked 22nd when losing by 7 or less (DVOA = 11.0%), and 27th when losing by 8 or more (DVOA = 29.3%). So, basically, JAX's DEF plays just bad enough when they're behind that it might offset the 49ers' inability/lack of desire to play good OFF when they're ahead.

Finally - and this might be the best thing I've told you so far - given that SF's OFF has been using more shotgun since Alex Smith became the starter, and are clearly better when they're in the shotgun, how good/bad is the Jags' DEF when the opposing OFF lines up in shotgun? Answer: They're ranked dead last in the league in Shotgun DEF DVOA (42.2%), and are also ranked dead last in terms of the difference between Shotgun and Non-Shotgun DVOA (41.0%). So, basically, Jimmy Raye might want to consider using the shotgun just a tad.

BOTTOM LINE

Based on the statistical matchups, here are the plainly obvious keys to a 49er victory on Sunday:

Pass the freaking ball!
Pass the freaking ball in the red zone!
Pass the freaking ball in 3rd & short situations!
Pass the freaking ball to Frank Gore!
Pass the freaking ball from the shotgun!

I'll see you back here on Tuesday with my matchup review. GO NINERS!

p.s. So help me God, if the Niners don't throw the ball out of shotgun at least 40 times in this game, I'm going to send my resume to team headquarters and request to replace the most inept OC since Jim Hostler.

*DVOA statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Football Outsiders and the 49ers: Player Stats through Week 11

Florida Danny — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:06:28 -0000

I was looking through my previous posts and just realized that I haven't given you guys a full-fledged player stats article since the bye week. A lot's changed since then, especially on OFF, so it's just as well I've given the new additions enough time to give us a valid look at their performance. Nevertheless, consider this my atonement. It'll be informative...and short! That's definitely a win-win, no?

This week, QBs need a total of at least 83 passes to qualify as having valid FO stats, RBs need at least 88 carries, WRs need at least 35 targets, and TEs need at least 17 targets. Isaac Bruce has been relegated to "The Invisible Man," but his replacement, Jason Hill, doesn't have nearly enough targets (only 7) to qualify. Also, although Shaun Hill qualifies, it's kind of pointless to talk about his stats. Therefore, the players I'll be breaking down this week are Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. I'll also, of course, be presenting FO stats for the OL, the defensive front 7 (DF7), and the secondary.

QUARTERBACKS

Here are Smith's stats through 167 passes this season (bold = ranked 8th or better [top 25% of starters]; italics = ranked 25th or worse [bottom 25% of starters]):

DYAR per Pass	Rank	EYds per Pass	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.20	25	5.23	25	-7.9%	25
YAR per Pass	Rank	Yds per Pass	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.12	25	5.81	24	-9.2%	25

You'll notice that I've changed DYAR and YAR into "per-opportunity" statistics. Doing this (a) removes the advantage of having more opportunities to accrue yardage; and (b) allows us to, in a way, look at how valuable a player is to his offense each time his offense gives him an opportunity to show his value. I think that's pretty useful to know.

From the uniformity of Smith's rankings, we can rename him "25th best QB in the NFL." Although this doesn't look so good for him, I'll point out a couple of things that make Smith's glass half-full. First, keep in mind that Smith has a positive DYAR/P, meaning that he's actually more valuable to the 49ers' OFF on a per-pass basis than an average replacement would be. In other words, an average replacement would only be averaging 5.61 yards per pass (i.e., 5.81 minus 0.20), so it's good news for the Niners that Smith is the one out there taking snaps. Second, there are only 25 QBs in the NFL who have a positive DYAR/P, so you can say Smith is among the group of NFL QBs who should not be replaced by an average backup.

Third, keep in mind that, when Smith took over at QB, Shaun Hill had a negative DYAR/P of -0.48 (would currently rank 31st), and a much more negative DVOA of -27.1% (currently ranks 35th). Therefore, what we can say about Smith is that, although there's plenty of room for improvement, his stats provide ~~indisputable~~ evidence that Mike Singletary made the right move in making Smith the 49ers' starting QB. Of course, the move seems to have been about 7 weeks late, but that's a matter for a different day.

After the jump, I'll present and discuss the rest of the stats ...

RUNNING BACKS

Here are Gore's stats through 112 carries so far this season (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

DYAR per Run	Rank	EYds per Run	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.58	17	4.38	22	6.2%	16
YAR per Run	Rank	Yds per Run	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.48	20	5.46	3	3.6%	18

The moral of the story in this table is three-fold. First, he's over half-a-yard more valuable to the Niners' OFF than an average replacement, who would be giving the team 4.88 yards per run instead of Gore's 5.46. Second, despite the fact that his yards are more valuable than those from an average replacement, he's still only the 17th-most valuable RB in the NFL right now, which goes to show you how minimized his role has become in the OFF.

Finally, and most importantly, it's clear that Gore's astronomical Yards per Run stat is a statistical mirage due to the fact that raw NFL stats assume every yard is created equally; which you should know by now is simply not true. One thing his raw rushing average totally ignores is the effect of game situation. To see what I mean, take a look at the discrepancy between his Yards per Run ranking and his EYds per Run ranking. EYds accounts for both game situation and opponent, but based on the small discrepancy between his DVOA and VOA - which only differ because of opponent adjustments -we can basically rule out strength of schedule as a factor. Therefore, game situation is the major adjustment factor that causes Gore's EYds per Run to be over 1 yard lower than his raw rushing average.

A second thing his rushing average ignores is the difference between a mean, a mode, and a median. In statistics, a mean is just the raw average of a set of numbers, a mode is the most-typical number in the set, and a median is the 50th percentile of the set (i.e., the number smack dab in the middle if you listed the set in ascending order).

Obviously, the mean of Gore's carries is just his raw rushing average of 5.46. To get the mode and median, I've taken the time, using play-by-plays, to find out the yardage Gore gained on each of his 112 carries this season. Much to no one's surprise, the mode and median expose his average's mirage. Specifically, the mode of Gore's carries this season (i.e., his most-typical gain on a given carry) is only 3 yards. Similarly, the median of Gore's carries this season (i.e., the yardage value smack dab in the middle of all 112 carries) is also 3 yards.

So, you see, Gore's rushing average is so high because it totally ignores the fact that he's had 4 carries of over 40 yards this season. In fact, if you take out those 4 carries, his raw rushing average decreases all the way down to 3.21, which, given Gore's mode and median, is a much more accurate reflection of what the 49ers' OFF can expect from him on a given carry. And just so you don't think I'm being unfair by replacing those 4 runs with 0 total yards, his average is still only 3.46 if I instead replace them with 10 yards each. Of course, now I'm probably being too generous because Gore has only 10 carries this season of 10 yards or more (aka only 8.9% of his carries).

Here's why this whole mean, mode, and median thing matters. FO's research shows that, all else being equal, a RB who's consistently "successful" from carry to carry is better for an OFF than a RB who's of the "boom or bust" variety. So far in 2009, Frank Gore has clearly been the latter according to his mode and median. That's because, based on the methods behind DVOA and years of football research, a 3-yard gain can only be "successful" on 2nd & 5 or less and 3rd & 3 or less. In every other down-and-distance situation, Gore's typical 3-yard run is an "unsuccessful" carry. And just in case you don't believe me, here's one more stat for you: Only 39% of Gore's carries this season have been "successful" given the down and distance in which they occurred, which ranks him - wait for it - 32nd among qualifying RBs.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Crabtree's our new #1 WR, so I'll present his stats first. Here they are through 36 targets so far this season (bold = ranked 16th or better; italics = ranked 49th or worse):

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
-0.22	60	5.47	67	-15.7%	62
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.03	58	8.11	33	-12.3%	58

Obviously, this doesn't look very good. I probably don't have to say this but, I'm not worried about Crabs in the least bit, regardless of what these stats say. And, basically, what they're saying is that he's (a) a rookie, and (b) he's been making a lot of pretty-meaningless catches this season. We've seen that he has the talent to be much better than what's displayed above; he just needs time and competent offensive technicians at OC and QB. So the key for me is seeing whether, and by how much, these stats improve as those things emerge. Averaging over 7 Targets per Game is a good start on the "time" front.

Here are Morgan's stats through 43 targets so far this season:

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.16	55	6.56	54	-10.5%	55
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.42	50	7.09	51	-7.3%	50

When last I gave you Morgan's stats, which were based on only 16 Targets, his DYAR/T was 2.27 (20th) and his DVOA was 17.2% (also 20th). To say that the last 27 targets have not been kind to him would be a gross understatement. Again, however, I wouldn't be too hard on Morgan right now. As was the case with Crabtree, Morgan's still a youngster, so one thing he needs is time. Furthermore, his last 27 Targets perfectly coincide with Crabtree taking his spot in the starting lineup, the byproduct of which was Morgan's switch from one WR position to the other. In other words, he's learning an entirely new WR position, so, for all intents and purposes, he's a rookie all over again. Honestly, irrespective of the stats, I'm more hopeful about the 49ers' WR corps than I've been at any time since the days of Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice.

TIGHT ENDS

Here are VD's stats through 83 targets (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
1.08	17	7.53	21	10.4%	18
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
1.10	19	7.24	22	10.6%	18

VD's stats are a good illustration of why looking at per-target stats is a more accurate way of going about things. That's because he's actually ranked 10th among TEs in total DYAR right now, but being the most-targeted TE in the NFL has given him an opportunity advantage over the competition. This is not to say that the per-target stats above are some kind of mirage like Gore's were. Rather, it just shows the importance of factoring out targets when looking at the stats; which I've done for you in the table.

The important thing to take away from the table is that VD's DYAR/T and DVOA are easily the best among skill-position players on the 49ers. His targets have been both valuable and efficient this season, and that's what matters most. His lower-than-expected rankings are just a byproduct of the fact that VD's been targeted over twice as many times as the average qualified TE. I'd say being that much of a focus in the game plan is as good a measure as any when it comes to how "valuable" VD is to SF's OFF. Oh, and one other thing, all of the stats in the table are higher than what they were when Smith took over in Week 7.

OFFENSIVE LINE

I already showed you yesterday how much the OL sucks based on their overall ALY, so all that's left is their directional ALY stats. Here's the now-familiar chart, except I've added the now-familiar italics/bold scheme:

Compared to what they were since the last time I presented them, the OFF has fallen even further in love with running up the middle, and the OL has improved considerably on LE runs at the expense of performance in all other directions. You already know my feelings about the "we <3 the middle" thing, but I have absolutely no clue why they're so good at blocking on LE runs when compared to other directions or about why they've improved so much in LE blocking. My only guess is that their RBs have only run to the outside left 13 times this season, so that small of a sample size means (a) their LE ALY might be skewed by a couple of long runs in that direction, and (b) there's a whole lot of volatility in the stat from one carry to the next. I welcome your theories in the comments section.

DEFENSIVE FRONT SEVEN

I told you yesterday that the Niners' DF7 is flat-out awesome. Below is a chart showing the DF7's awesomeness in specific run directions (bold = top 8; italics = bottom 8):

There are a couple of interesting things shown in this chart. First, when compared with the last time I presented them, the DF7 has gotten unbelievably better in all directions except RE, and are actually now in the top 8 on runs behind LT, where they used to be ranked 29th. Aside from the LT ALY, this is bona fide improvement. However, with LT ALY, this is as much a "regression to the mean" thing as it is bona fide improvement because the DF7 has, to date, still only faced 10 RB carries in that direction. Justin Smith couldn't have been that bad before, after all. Also, similar to what I said about VD, the fact that SF opponents have only run the ball 10 times behind LT says more about how valuable Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are to their run DEF than their LT ALY ever could.

Second, let's go back to that increasing RE ALY. Back when the DF7 was ranked #1 at stopping runs to the outside right, I made the point that it had a lot to do with Nate Clements' SS-like ability to help out in the run game. Therefore, to me, the fact that they've dropped 10 spots in the rankings since Week 5 seems wholly explained by its coincidence with Clements' absence. As much as I love Terell Brown, he - nor most any other CB - is even in the same universe as Clements when it comes to run-stopping ability. The good news is that they've only dropped 10 spots since Clements got benched/injured, and are still ranked in the top half of the league. Let's see if that continues with Dre "Premature Celebration" Bly taking Brown's place on that side.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD

Finally, here's the chart showing stats for the secondary against various intended receivers:

Speaking of Brown's demotion, it turns out that the Niners' secondary actually improved after he took over for Clements: they're now 13.6% more efficient against #1 WRs. Furthermore, they're now the #1 secondary in the league when it comes to defending their opponent's #2 WRs, and have moved up from 6th to 3rd in defending TEs. So, let me get this straight. After Brown replaces Clements, the secondary shows an across-the-board journey into ReallyDamnGoodLand, and the DF7 hasn't lost much in terms of stopping runs to the outside right. So what's the pressing roster move that needs to be made after the Packers loss? Benching Brown and promoting Bly, of course. Makes perfect sense. Seriously, as much as I realize that NFL coaches know more about football than all of the fans combined, it drives me absolutely insane when the stats so clearly show one thing, and they do the exact opposite.

Oh, and by the way, what I've just shown you about the effect of Clements' absence kind of proves my point after 5 games about perhaps moving Clements to SS in the future. It sure looks like the Niners' DEF hasn't lost much without him at LCB. How about letting him focus on the one good thing he's awesome at: stopping the run?

BOTTOM LINE

OK, so through 10 games, we can draw the following conclusions about several players on the 2009 49ers:

Alex Smith: Better than Hill.
Frank Gore: Victim of "up the middle for no gain."
Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan: Give them time.
Vernon Davis: The 49ers' OFF.
The OL: Still not "imposing their will."
The DF7: "Imposing their will."
The secondary: Better without Nate.

Later this morning: 49ers-Jaguars game matchup.

**DVOA, DYAR, EYds, and ALY statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Extended Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

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

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

Browse more photos »

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).

Kevin Greene Is A Hall Of Fame Finalist

Brandon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:21:35 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

3 months ago: From left to right, Rod Woodson, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Smith, Bob Hayes Jr. and Ralph Wilson Jr. stand with bronze busts during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Browse more photos »

Unfortunately no Green Bay Packers were chosen as one of the 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2010. If any former Packer was close to making it into the semifinals, it was probably WR Sterling Sharpe, who did finish in the top 25 in the Fan's Choice voting. However, current Packer outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene is one of the 25 semifinalists, so congratulations Kevin.

The Packers Straightforward Defense

Brandon — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:03:24 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Browse more photos »

From Tom Pelissero at the Press-Gazette:

This was as straightforward a game plan as Capers has put together. The Packers played 60 of 77 snaps (77.9 percent) in nickel against Scott Linehan’s three-wide offense. The rest was base (16 snaps) and a single snap of prevent — no dime, no "corner Okie," no "big Okie," not even any goal-line defense as the Packers made a pair of key red-zone stands.

The blitz package wasn’t extensive, with extra-man pressure coming on only 11 of 47 dropbacks (23.4 percent) even as the Lions threw heavily in the fourth quarter. Slot blitzes were especially rare with CB Jarrett Bush taking Woodson’s usual spot in the nickel.

The secondary did most of its damage out of basic zones, with FS Nick Collins exploding from Cover-2 to record the first of four interceptions and CBs Tramon Williams and Woodson each getting one in quarters coverage.

As good as QB Matthew Stafford looked against the Browns, Capers must have watched the game film and saw that Stafford is still playing like a rookie QB. He mixed up the coverage a little, sometimes it was cover-2 and sometimes it was man coverage, but he didn't blitz much and he let his excellent secondary wait for Stafford to make a mistake. A good job by the coach to identify that his players could beat their players, and then to let them do just that.

Week 12 Preview: Bears (4-6) at Vikings (9-1)

SackMan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:57:24 -0000

More photos » by Andy King - AP

Browse more photos »

The Bears will display their pitifulness on national TV once again, when they visit the Vikings Sunday afternoon at 4:15pm ET on FOX. Over the course of the remainder of the season, the Bears figure to win one game that they're not supposed to win. However, I highly doubt it's this one.

Week 12 Recap

The Vikings: Brett Favre and the purple machine kept rolling last week, when they humiliated the the Seahawks in the Metrodome 35-9. Favre set another personal mark with a career high 88% completion ratio on a 22-25 afternoon.

The Bears: Jay Cutler and company shot themselves in the foot again... letting a winnable game vs the Eagles get away. Only this time, Cutler waited until the final possession in the 4th quarter, with the game on the line, to throw his first INT of the game. Kudos Jay... way to keep us in suspense.

Quick Numbers:

112.1: Brett Favre's QB rating on the year.
875: Receiving yards for Sidney Rice... 4th in the NFL.
3.3: Matt Forte's YPC on the season.
18: Interceptions for Jay Cutler... at least he's leading the NFL in one category.

When the Vikings have the ball.
I'm going to be real brief with this one. They're 9-1... they have the best RB in the league, a HOF QB, and plenty of weapons. We know who they are... there's nothing they don't do well. Let's move on.

The key match-up for the Vikings: G Steve Hutchinson vs the Bears LBs
Hutch is one of the best run blocking guards in the NFL... and he gets to the second level and clears the way for Purple Jesus. Bears LBs have to find a way to shed his block and make a tackle to keep this game from getting out of hand.

The X factor on offense for the Vikings: WR Percy Harvin
The rookie is a playmaker. Period. He's comparable to Devin Hester, except he's way more in tune with his role on offense.

When the Bears have the ball.
This offense seemingly gets worse every week, as nobody has played with any consistency the entire year, except for perhaps Frank Omiyale... who has consistently sucked and found his way to the bench. Let's see if Ron Turner finally figures something out, and gets Jay Cutler moving out of the pocket with regularity, where he can minimize the weakness of the O-line, and force defenders to commit in coverage.

The key match-up for the Bears: LT Orlando Pace vs DE Jared Allen
The Vikings D leads the NFL in sacks, and Allen's a beast... enough said.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: WR Devin Hester
Hester has put together a personal highlight reel vs the Vikings over his career... so, maybe he'll add on to it this Sunday.

Side notes from the NFC North:

Vikings: They're leading the division at 9-1, and licking their chops to kick our butt.

Lions: Matthew Stafford is proving to one tough SOB, and has the makings of a leader. This division is going to boast a nice group of QBs.

Packers: Speaking of tough SOBs, Aaron Rodgers takes a lickin, and keeps on tickin. He's now been sacked 44 times, but it hasn't stopped him from being one of the league's best.

Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Packers' 34-12 Win Over Lions

Sean Yuille — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:24:00 -0000

More photos » by Tony Ding - AP

3 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, right, in the second quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

Browse more photos »

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Packers beat the Lions by a score of 34-12 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

This game couldn't have gotten off to a better start for the Lions. Green Bay's Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff and Jordon Dizon recovered to give the Lions the ball at the 20-yard line. A 12-yard pass to Brandon Pettigrew after a 2-yard run by Kevin Smith moved the Lions down to the 6, and a penalty for roughing the passer moved Detroit down to the 3. (Pettigrew was injured on the roughing the passer play and didn't return, by the way.) Smith picked up a couple yards on the next play, setting up a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson. It was just a simple out pattern and the timing couldn't have been better, as it was a perfect play that put the Lions up 7-0.
The Packers' offense finally got on the field and just as we all expected, it moved the ball quite well. Green Bay was faced with third down on three different occasions, and each time it moved the chains. The Lions' defense finally did get a stop on the fourth third down of the drive, and the 8-minute or so long possession came to an end on a missed field goal. Mason Crosby booted the 43-yard attempt wide right, and Green Bay's lengthy drive was all for naught.
With a chance to extend its lead to two possessions, the Lions moved down the field initially thanks to Kevin Smith and Casey FitzSimmons. The drive came to a disappointing end, however, after Detroit got down to Green Bay's 37-yard line and faced 3rd and 3. Stafford was under heavy pressure and made a bad pass that was intercepted by Nick Collins at the 26.

The Packers quickly had 3rd and 11, and on the final play of the opening quarter Aaron Rodgers heaved a bomb downfield for an open Donald Driver, who made the catch for a gain of 68 yards. Rodgers had so much time to throw that Driver managed to get behind the coverage, so this big play happened because of a terrible pass rush and the defensive backs only being able to stay on their guys for so long.

2nd Quarter

Donald Lee scored on a tight end screen from 7 yards out to start the second quarter, tying the game up at 7.
The Lions moved the chains once before having to punt because Dennis Northcutt dropped a pass on 3rd and 6.
The Packers again moved the ball down the field thanks to third-down conversions before Lions penalties took over. Louis Delmas made a terrible play and drilled Jermichael Finley despite the pass sailing over both of them, resulting in a personal foul penalty. Then, on the very next play, Marvin White was flagged for a horse collar tackle, moving the Packers down to the 8. Detroit's defense did a good job in the red zone yet again, however, keeping the Packers out of the end zone and holding them to a 20-yard field goal.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on the Packers on the proceeding kickoff gave Detroit great field position, but that didn't mean much since Matthew Stafford was picked off again just three plays into the drive. He threw a bad pass off of his back foot and gave the Packers the ball near midfield.
Green Bay moved the ball quite effectively once again until they reached the red zone, which is when the Lions made a stop and Mason Crosby had to kick another field goal. This one was from 25 yards out and put Green Bay up 13-7.
The Lions had about a minute left in the half to do something, and a face mask penalty moved Detroit into GB territory. Detroit didn't move the ball after that, though, and Stafford was sacked twice in the next four plays as the half came to an end.

3rd Quarter

Trailing by only 6 points, the Lions got the ball to start the second half and had a chance to cut the lead in half or possibly take the lead. Well, any hopes of that happening quickly came to an end when Matthew Stafford was picked off by Charles Woodson on the second play of the drive. Woodson made a great catch for the interception, and Green Bay took over on the Detroit 38.
The Lions' defense bailed out Stafford, because it held Green Bay to fourth down and the Packers decided to go for it. Julian Peterson smoked Aaron Rodgers from behind to force a fumble that was recovered by Jason Hunter at the 37. Just like that the Lions took over and again had a chance to put some points on the board.
Detroit's offensive woes continued on the next drive, and although it didn't turn the ball over this time, a three and out led to a punt.
Aaron Rodgers opened Green Bay's next drive with a 45-yard pass to Donald Driver, and after that he threw the ball on five straight plays. A scramble for 5 yards ended the streak of passes, but he went back to the air on the very next play and found Driver in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
The Lions got a couple big plays to put Jason Hanson in position to kick a field goal after the drive stalled. Unlike last year, where Hanson was automatic from beyond 50 yards, he kicked the 54-yarder wide right.
Green Bay quickly capitalized on the missed kick by going down the field and scoring a touchdown in only 5 plays. Aaron Rodgers completed a 21-yard pass to James Jones for the score to put Green Bay up 27-7.

4th Quarter

Both teams went three and out to start the final quarter of the game, but the Lions' offense woke up on their next drive. A 47-yard pass to Dennis Northcutt was the spark the Lions needed, and after that they quickly moved down to the 1-yard line. Sadly that was as far as they got. Despite having three shots at the end zone from the 1, the Lions failed to score and turned the ball over on downs.
Detroit did pin Green Bay deep in their own territory because of the failed fourth down attempt, and that allowed Louis Delmas to tackle Ryan Grant in the end zone for a safety. The ball came loose and was recovered by Jordon Dizon for a touchdown, but the Packers challenged and Grant was ruled down. Even so, Detroit now trailed 27-9 and had momentum on its side.
A good return by Northcutt sparked another good big drive and again the Lions got down near the goal line. This time they failed to score from the 4, and rather than go for the touchdown, Jason Hanson came in and kicked a 22-yard field goal. The field goal made this a two-possession game, but not for long.
The Packers went three and out, and it looked like the Lions were on the verge of making things interesting. Well, Matthew Stafford did make one play interesting, but that was because Charles Woodson jumped a route and returned an interception to the house for a touchdown. The Lions now trailed 34-12, and this game was as good as over.
Woodson forced another turnover on the Lions' next drive, stripping Casey FitzSimmons of the ball and recovering it. The Packers were now able to run out the clock, sealing their 34-12 victory.

This was a case of the Lions taking a couple steps forward last week and a step back this week against Green Bay. The offense was basically missing for most of the game, and the defense, just like the first meeting at Lambeau Field, gave up a ton of big plays but kept the Packers' offense under 30 by holding them to a bunch of field goals.

Going forward, the Lions need to hope that Matthew Stafford gets healthy and stops making so many bad passes under pressure. That's tough for any quarterback to do, but Stafford has to learn to just take the sack or throw the ball away rather than try to make something happen. Let's just hope that he bounces back after this rough game with another great performance next week in Cincinnati.