I know that I am a few days late to the party - due to returning from a well-needed vacation - and I also know that the topic of "Stomp Gate" has been discussed ad nauseam, but I felt the need to weigh in because of the nature of my opinion.  Although I knowingly open myself to harsh criticism and I suppose I am also openly pot-stirring, I will still try to tread forward lightly and with some trepidation as I am no doubt in the minority here and want to be careful not to offend.  I have watched the "stomp heard ‘round the world" quite a few times, probably even enough to get a tad callous about it.  Maybe that helps form my opinion... who knows.  Either way, my opinion is this... I don't think Suh should be suspended by the league or by the team.

Let me add right away that I do NOT agree with his actions here.  I think they were childish and completely self-serving, but egregious to the point of warranting suspension?  I personally don't see it.  My take is that this is a product of an overly haughty media and fanbase ready to vilify a guy that plays hard and is overly aggressive in what USED TO BE an overly aggressive sport.  I read the fanpost by Timothy Hockemeyer (very good piece, I might add) and agree with many of his points - most of them being ones that shape my opinion.  I won't re-hash those points in full, but the fact remains that football used to be played by men that were glorified for Suh's style of play.  Many of the greats like Jack Lambert or Dick Butkus have highlight reels full of plays far more flagrant than Suh's stomp.  I know, I know... different era.  It's still pure aggression nonetheless and regardless of what Roger Goodell and ill-intentioned media-lites want to do to the game of football, aggression does have a place here.

As I watch the video, I personally, understand Suh's frustration.  He gets bent over backwards with Dietrich-Smith's arm hooked around the back of his head.  He's trying to get up and can't at first and he gets pissed.  You know the two of them are "talking" at each other while on the ground and things are getting heated.  Both guys are likely riled up.  Suh retaliates.  To me... I say "big deal".  Should he have kicked the guy?  Absolutely not, but I can't say that at age 24 I would have been any less prone to acting out in a similar situation built of pure aggression.  There is absolutely NO denying that Suh has to manage that angst so that it doesn't hurt his team, but I am simply saying that I completely understand his frustration and subsequent outburst.  Guess that makes me a bad person too, huh?  I'd like to think not, but I'm sure everyone would have an opinion about that if I was famous and tweeted these sentiments.  My view is that while I don't have the answer and neither does anyone one other than Suh, the question of intent is completely pivotal in the case of whether or not a suspension is warranted.  Did Ndamukong Suh INTEND to hurt Evan Dietrich-Smith with his foot?  In my mind, the answer is a resounding "no".  When I watch the tape, I see a frustrated, immature young man stomping his foot at the situation and player causing him that frustration and nothing more.  I don't see intent to maim or injure.  I don't see this as any more egregious as someone swatting/swinging at the facemask or helmet of another player after the whistle.  A 15 yd penalty?  Yes.  Ejection... nope.  Suspension... nope. 

Ndamukong Suh is not a bad person.  He is not a villain.  He is not a dirty player.  He is aggressive and still a bit immature on the field.  He is still one of my all-time favorite Lion players.  He plays the game like a man... like it used to be played.  He has to keep that aggression from being a detriment to his team and he will.  And he will also, like most good players, grow up and learn to compose himself in a better way.  Once again, I am not absolving Suh of his actions, I just see a lot of glass house living stone throwers trying to make him out to be an evil person when they all know that is not the case.  Once again, I know that I am in the minority here and that's fine.  Everyone has an opinion on the subject... which can be part of the problem.  I feel like Goodell's currently weak public perception forces him to HAVE to suspend Suh because the talk of suspension started immediately after he was ejected.  After the game, the media jumped on this story like there was no tomorrow and set the stage for the suspension.  Now, there is no turning back.  If he hadn't been ejected, the talk would be of fines and only fines.  That is, however, not reality and Suh will be suspended and Detroit will be without their most dominant defender in the next game or two.  Yes, it is Suh's fault for acting out.  No, I am not absolving him of the blame.  And yes, I am highly irritated at what football has become to the league and in the eyes of the people who built the game into an empire on the wings of aggression and now seek to vilify those who still play that way.  Again, it comes down to intent and I don't believe Suh intended to hurt that player.  Let the second rounding of rock throwing begin.....

Just a warning that my glass house is pretty damn thick.... Lol.

Okay, so I thought I might chime in here, because I really just can’t keep my trap shut this week and overlook all the overreactions.  Two straight losses, inefficiencies abounding, slow starts, sloppy play, Stafford hurt and not playing well, sky is falling, the world is ending and the Apocalypse is most certainly upon us.  I just love POD after a rough loss.  Certainly, there are some alarming trends and the injury to Stafford is disconcerting to say the least, but for crying out loud, where does all the sensibility go after a loss?

There is so much going on with this team, but the bottom line simply has to be this… there is an ebb and flow to an NFL season and we fans need to learn to cope with it.  Wins and losses come in streaks.  There are periods of consistency and inconsistency alike.  At the end of the day, we lost two games to good teams by the scores of 25-19 and 23-16, respectively.  Not 41-7 or 35-10.  One scoring drive per game separates us from being 7-0.  Essentially, that means we gave the other team a fit as well.  It means it was a tough win for the opponent and a hard fought loss for us.  Now sure, there are areas of concern on this team, but you have to take in all phases and look at the team objectively.  And so objectively speaking, we are a tough opponent for any team despite our struggles and when we are on, we are very, very tough to beat.  Fair enough?  So that said, here’s my take on Stafford’s struggles as this is obviously the “hot button” issue for the fans right now….

Let’s start with what appears obvious to me, but apparently not so obvious to many... his inexperience. There’s no doubt that he has been struggling at times and especially the last two weeks, he’s simply looked off.  He looks like he lost his mojo (insert Austin Powers accent here) and a lot of his confidence.  More importantly, his accuracy has taken a hit because of this.  It doesn’t take more than half a brain to know that these things (as well as the pocket skittishness) are all directly related.  But here’s the thing… I don’t see this as a product of lack of talent or him being a below average quarterback or any of that nonsense, I see it as a product of limited experience.  Say what you will, but Stafford is essentially a second year player (Sunday was his 20th game).  Basically, he and Sam Bradford have about the same amount of games in, so you care to compare stats and records between the two?  And some biased detractors will certainly scoff at the stats, but right now, he is a 60% passer that has thrown for 1912 yds, 16 TDs to only 4 INTs and still has a 95.5 passer rating.  Granted, he hasn’t passed the eye test the last few weeks, but despite his struggles and the struggles of those around him (yeah, that’s right… he’s not the only one to blame here), he’s still one of the better quarterbacks in the league statistically and has as many wins as Brady, Brees and Roethlisburger and more wins than Sanchez, Rivers, Flacco, Schaub, Manning, Ryan, Freeman, Cutler, Kolb and yes, even more wins than the legendary Cam Newton.

He is the quarterback and with great power comes great responsibility and accountability… we all know that.  They get all the blame and all the credit as well.  But to blame all this on Stafford and/or think that we stand a better chance with Hill or Stanton under center is laughable.   Let me state the obvious for the record here once again - Matt Stafford is 23 years old.  Even with that stated, since his rookie year, he has thrown 22 TDs to 5 INTs.  That’s pretty good.  I think because he has had some pretty good looking stretches, we immediately lump him into the Tom Brady / Aaron Rodgers comparisons, which is horribly unfair.  We as fans have to allow him learn a little bit and go through some growing pains, do we not?  Is it realistic to think he is not going to struggle at all?  I certainly would prefer that he be a pro bowler right away, but I think that I know that it’s possible that doesn’t happen this year.

Okay so let’s address the pocket awareness/accuracy issue (which I truly believe is one in the same).  So Stafford has been noticeably uncomfortable, rushed and has had an increasing number of inaccurate passes over the last few weeks.  It’s not an aberration.  Ours eyes don’t lie.  Stafford has been less effective, even if the stats are still somewhat good.  So… what’s the deal?  Yes, I attribute a lot of this is on the line, lack of rush attack, etc., but some of this is on Stafford to correct.  Matt is feeling a real pass rush and a phantom pass rush right now.  He’s getting hit, sacked, hurt, etc. and it’s something that he’s still learning how to manage… and doing it poorly right now.  To me, the difference in his accuracy with either a solid pocket or a play that is called that effectively beats the defense is absolutely night and day.  To say that Stafford is simply an “inaccurate passer” is flat out wrong.  Everyone points to his college numbers or whatever, but we have seen him have entire games over 70% completion (several of those this year, btw) and we have also seen him make some jaw-dropping throws few QBs in this league can make.  So what can Stafford do to correct this in the short-term?  Answer… nothing.

While that may seem like a cop-out answer, it really isn’t.  And you may think that I am absolving Stafford of fault here, but I am actually placing a lot of the blame on him.  The problem is, how do you say “be more accurate” or “learn to not be skittish”?  You can’t.  He simply needs to be out there playing and learning.  Each week our opponents get more tape on the Lions’ offense and it makes it harder for a young quarterback to thrive.  This is why a lot of fast starts for young teams tend to taper off as the long season wears on.  I think we are seeing some of that with the team and especially Stafford.  So if what I said is true and Stafford just needs the experience, is that it?  Does the offense just sputter until he catches up?  I don’t think that’s the case at all.  I think there are lots of things the offense needs to do to HELP Matt succeed while he is coming of age and it starts with the scheme.

I know that we don’t enjoy watching Best or Morris run into the back of our line and fall down for a one yard gain, but the running game has to exist in some capacity – and in a sustainable type of way over a game, not just a statistical way.  If you point to the 100 yds gained in the Atlanta game and say, “See… we ran the ball well”, you didn’t actually watch the game.  If you are saying that, don’t bitch about Stafford’s past few games, because statistically he was fine… he just wasn’t effective.  That’s the difference.  What we are seeing right now is a sheer disregard for the Lions’ run game.  Teams are not blitzing us that much, knowing that they do not need their defensive line to distinguish the pass vs. the run.  They are playing pass on every down and the gameplan is simply an all-out assault on Stafford and he is getting rattled… because he is young and inexperienced, not because he is a terrible quarterback.  What we are also seeing is when the run game is completely ineffective, the offense begins to look a little “Martz-ian”.  We see five lineman blocking, little to no chipping and no one left to pick up the blitz.  Downfield routes can’t open up and the checkdowns seems to be RBs in the flats (that are well sniffed out) or screens that are becoming all too predictable.

I’m not here with all the answers.  I’m actually here to say that the answer is mind-bogglingly difficult and Schwartz and Linehan have a real test on their hands.  I’ll just offer up a few suggestions because I think if you’re just bitching without trying to offer up solutions, you’re just part of the problem.  So….. first, they have to manufacture a meaningful run game.  That might mean changing things up and bringing in a lead blocker more often.  Second, let’s see more hot reads that predict that the ends are coming fast and how about getting a damn tight end to chip those ends once in a while as well.  Third, light a fire under every receiver not named Pettigrew or Johnson.  Where the hell did Burleson and Young disappear to?  I know this is part of the learning curve, but these guys are getting a lot of single coverage and not performing well.  This is putting a lot of pressure on Stafford to scramble, which is not his strong suit.  I think Burleson needs to start coming across the middle more and Young needs to be slanting/posting to the inside more - play to their strengths right now.  Both are much better the further they get from the sidelines.  Fourth, get back to throwing it to Calvin regardless of coverage.  Linehan and Stafford are out-thinking themselves in the redzone.  That used to be our bread and butter, now we are just trying to get cute too often.  Stop it.  Lastly, fans chill out.  We are 5-2 and if anyone would have had a crystal ball before the season and told the rest of POD we would be 5-2, we would all have been very happy about that.  The sky is not falling.  Judgment Day is not here.  The Apocalypse is not upon us.

Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to be honest with myself and just accept that I don't have the 2-4 hours every Sunday night to sit write Monday Morning Microscope.  I was on the fence when I committed to this at the beginning of the season because of lack of time and now it's just caught up with me.  Taking time to add comments to the site is much different than putting together a thoughtful, meaningful column each week - which has become homework instead of a hobby.  That minimizes all the enjoyment of writing and if the full effort can't be given, I'm not one for writing something half-ass, so I will retire the column. 

Having said that, I was tossing around the idea of one of you "witty, ambitious writers" working with Sean to take over this column.  You could even use my format if you wish.  My only request is that if you are going to take over what I was doing directly, I'd like to have a say in who would take over to be sure the writer is a good fit.  I have a few of you in mind already.  I don't want to take too many liberties with Sean's site, so I hope this is okay to do... but if you are interested in tackling this piece in my place, please leave a note in the comment section.  If I find a good fit AND Sean okays this "transfer of ownership", he can move your column to the front page each Monday morning or just make you an author.

Sean - Let me know if you have a problem with this and if you do, we'll nix this idea and just drop the column altogether.

I've really enjoyed writing this column and I think it would be a shame to let it go completely.  I'll still try to add to the site when I can, but I just can't work on deadlines for hobbies anymore.

Drew

Since I know that everyone gets up on Monday mornings, logs in to POD and sits for hours, feverishly refreshing the page waiting for the next installment of Monday Morning Microscope, I thought it would be generous of me to let everyone know that I will not be posting this week.  I will be leaving early tomorrow for a week long business trip to Montreal and will not have the time to write anything worth reading (not that I always accomplish that feat anyway).  If all goes well, I'll stick the Giants recap and thoughts into the bye week edition next week.

And for those that forgot to bring their sense of humor this morning... my disclaimer is that I'm being facetious, not egotistical.  It's telling that I feel the need to disclaim that.......

Also, I was a little thrown by the page-long agreement I had to sign before posting this.  No unauthorized gifs?  Hmmm... that might make things a little boring.  Nothing like a quick "Damn" from Chris Tucker or a gif of someone munching popcorn to get a little chuckle going...

Also, I'll be curious to see how many comments this post gets where I'm simply telling you that I'm not posting.  This is the Seinfeld of fanposts... it's a post about nothing.  Yet it is a post in and of itself... curious.  Discuss and debate.

Also, I still wonder where topherclossen got the "stuff" for his "flute" that would be strong enough to produce a video like that.  Must have been some expensive and powerful "stuff".  I think the video would have made more sense to me if I had played the "flute" prior to watching.  Instead, I got dizzy without the buzz....  Kidding, my man.  Funny stuff... I think.

Also, I think that the key to solving world peace lies in the.... ahh... enough for this morning.  Have a great game today guys!

Disclaimer:  I cannot be held responsible for what is written in this column this morning.  I am suffering from a severe medical condition known as Incessant Giddiness.  The only known cure is watching the end of the Bears game from Week 1, so I've chosen to suffer through the side-effects - which includes putting my foot in my mouth, evil laughing, excessive positivity (even by my standards) and making over-the-top statements.

One of the good things, if there are any, about not winning very often, is how sweet it is when you finally get one.  This is the one we've been waiting quite a while for too.  You know... the one that finally tells us that we are on the right track.  Not just a win, but an unmistakable, undeniable beating that, regardless of the opponent, says we have weapons and talent on both sides of the ball.  It wasn't perfect, but it was one of the most complete games that I've seen by the Lions in quite some time.  This win was good for the coaches, it was good for the players and it was great for the fans.

Continue reading this post »

I thought I'd put out a quick poll on what Lions' fans think about the Rams' offense:

Disclaimer:  I think I'm going to start adding a poll to the column each week to try and gauge the site's feelings on the hot topics regarding the Lions.  Hopefully, they will spark a little "friendly" debate as well.

Click.  Click.  Boom!  That's the sound of a team shooting itself in the foot.  And that's exactly what the Lions did on Sunday.  Penalties and mistakes plagued a golden opportunity to get off the schnide and end a bevy of shameful streaks.  Instead, the result was a familiar one for the 2010 Lions... close, but no cigar.  I can't help but experience a combination of disappointment and pride.  I feel disappointment because of what this win could have meant and the sense that it could have been a tide-turning moment of sorts and pride in the fact that the Lions took a good team down to the wire once again. 

But alas, there are no bonus points for being close and a loss is a loss.  The Detroit Lions are now 0-4 and there is little comfort in those cold facts.  There is some solace, however, in how well this team responded to adverse situations against Green Bay.  They valiantly fought back time after time when penalties and turnovers put them down early.  I know that tenacity, determination and gutsy play does not give us back a win, but it is yet another example of this team beginning to learn what it takes to win and be competitive each week.  Talent-wise, this team is on the cusp of being good.  The growing pains can make for exciting games and close finishes, yet ultimately it can be very frustrating to watch the losses mount once again.    

Continue reading this post »

Disclaimer:  I'm going to try hard to stay optimistic despite the urge to cross the picket line.  So while you read this, please do so with mindset of disappointment versus pessimism... as that is how I'm feeling as I write.

I'm going to leave the flair for the dramatic in my back pocket this morning.  Yesterday's game was simply a ho-hum loss where we got beat by both the Vikings and ourselves.  Both teams had opportunities handed to them and the Vikings were able to make more of theirs.  I could sit and blame the refs and pine over all the "could haves" and "should haves" and while I may do a little of that, the bottom line is still about lack of talent.  And while losses are becoming increasingly tougher to swallow and as casual fans become even more apathetic, I still see more or less what I expected with this team... in context, of course.  And that expectation I speak of is progress.  

I know it's probably frustrating for some of you to listen to me talk about progress after starting 0-3.  And I know it's probably just as difficult to hear me "lecture" about expectations and context all the time as well.  I understand that... I really do.  I'm sure I'll hear some of that incongruity against the position I'm about to take in the comments section, but I firmly believe that all three of those things are very significant to the relative position of the Lions right now.  You can't have a pertinent conversation about the Lions without including those factors.  So let's start with a simple, yet loaded question... what team is worse, the 1-2 2009 Lions or the 0-3 2010 Lions?  Some of you won't even answer that question, because you feel that both teams are worthless.  Some of you will feel that by record alone, the 2009 team was better.  I take the position of this year's team being much better than last year's team because of progress in many areas.  I say this fully understanding that we won more games to this point last year and with the very likely reality that this time next week, we are 0-4. 

Continue reading this post »

Disclaimer:  Once again, I'm posting this the night before due to scheduling conflicts.  This may turn into a regular deal as Monday mornings have turned into chronic nightmares for me.  Maybe I re-name this column The Sunday Night Soiree?  It's got a ring to it...

I've been under the weather for the last few days, so I had a rough time getting up for the game this morning (both literally and figuratively).  These beautiful fall conditions love to wreak havoc on my sinuses.  But like the trooper that I am, I gave it my best try to get into the game-watching mood by pumping myself with three hours of NFL Gameday, five cups of Sumatra-blend Starbucks coffee, hitting about fifty golf balls in the backyard (I love my new Callaway Diablo driver, by the way) and then finishing up by throwing the football around with my son for a half hour or so.  Yet when I sat down to watch the game, I was still not in my characteristic "game form".  It wasn't until my pre-game ritual was complete that I realized that I was still feeling the effects of the emotional drain from the week before.  It was that full depletion of passion coupled with knowing that Stafford was not playing, that spoiled my mood somewhat.  I felt like I was watching a game that didn't matter... subconsciously, of course.  I knew full well what a win could do for the team, but it still felt like a preseason game until the team took the field.  Two minutes into it and that old familiar feeling came back again and I eased into game mode.  But much to my dismay, as the closing seconds of the game came and went, another old familiar feeling came back... losing a close game.        

So I guess that the 2010 Lions are the newest incarnation of the Cardiac Cats, hey?  The only difference being that the Lions are getting us psyched for a last minute win only to come up short.  I know that two games does not a trend make, but I think this is what we fans should get used to for this year - close, competitive games that they still don't have the overall talent to win.  As I sit here today, I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to be über-disappointed or slightly encouraged by another spirited effort that fell short?  We really had every chance at being 2-0 right now; we just couldn't get it done for a number of different reasons.  At times, the Lions look like the squad we have become accustomed to watching - one that is lacking in both discipline and self-assurance.  But only moments later, we see the flashes of what could be with this team. 

Continue reading this post »

Please don't take this as me tooting my own horn, but I was pretty shocked to be casually reading through Kevin Seifert's NFC Blog on ESPN.com and find this...

LINK

I was pretty excited to see that the national media guys read our stuff and it makes me wonder who else is sneaking around on Pride of Detroit (I know it's you, Martin Mayhew).  Just thought this was worth sharing.

 Disclaimer: Because I may not be available tomorrow until later in the day, I'm posting my inaugural Monday Morning Microscope tonight.  I'm taking the band-aid approach.  Just get it done quickly and maybe it won't hurt as much.

As I sit here staring at a blank page, I feel as if I scarcely have the heart to start writing.  Today's game has rocked me to my core as a Lions fan.  When Stafford went down, I honestly got nauseous.  No lie.  I think that's a sign that I have a real problem, but that's another discussion best left for a future psychotherapy session.  I watched all the hope and optimism that I've carried since the end of the 2009 season come crashing down as hard as Julius Peppers on Stafford's shoulder.  All the cheering and excitement came to an abrupt halt and the vision of Shaun Hill warming up after halftime chilled me to the bone.  Little did I know, that disturbing mental snapshot was not going to be the worst sight of the day.  Still clinging to the hope that Stafford would emerge after a quick, precautionary MRI to lead this team to a victory, my heart sank deep into my chest as he emerged from the tunnel... no pads and his arm in a sling under his shirt.  For nearly the entire third quarter, I sat motionless... staring at the television, completely comatose.

A few weeks back, I playfully commented in someone's fanpost about a nightmare scenario with Stafford going down for the year.  Now I was staring at that scenario in week one.  In my mind, there was no worse situation.  This was it.  The season is lost.  My optimism was completely drained from my body.  Right or wrong, that is the way I felt.  My mind started to reel at the thought of all of the lost progress losing Stafford would mean.  I came unraveled.  

Continue reading this post »

The final round of NFL roster cuts took place today, and the Lions trimmed their roster down to 53 players by parting ways with the following:

RB DeDe Dorsey

WR Brian Clark

WR Tim Toone

WR Mike Moore

OG Noah Franklin

OT Jon Jansen

OT Cliff Louis

C  Dan Gerberry

DT Landon Cohen

DT Jaron Baston

DT Robert Calloway

LB Caleb Campbell

LB Vinnie Ciurciu

CB Dante Wesley

CB Paul Pratt

CB T.J. Rushing

CB Dre' Bly

CB Eric King

S  Ko Simpson

K  Steve Hauschka

Waived/Injured - DE Korey Bosworth

Also, as previously mentioned, TE Dan Gronkowski was traded to the Denver Broncos along with what is thought to be a late round draft pick for second year CB Alphonso Smith.

I guess the surprises today are probably Jansen, Bly and King.  Jansen appeared to be a lock as he and Cherilus shared time with the starting unit throughout the preseason, but in the end, the youth movement sealed his fate.  King was made expendable by a trade few saw coming.  Although his play left a lot to be desired, I believed that he would make the final roster for his contributions at the nickel spot.  As for Bly, I'm not sure what to think.  I guess once again getting younger as a team is the likely reason, but I sure thought there was a place for him on this roster.

In case you didn't notice, Kevin Smith is not on this list.

Per Chris McCosky at the Detnews.com, cornerback Eric King has been released from the Detroit Lions.

I think this will make many Lions fans happy as King had a rough preseason.  I'll be honest, I was a little surprised by this move as I thought he was set as the starting nickel corner.  My guess is that Dre' Bly will now fill that role and that the Gronkowski-Smith trade made King expendable. 

It is now past the league deadline of 6pm, so we should get the "official" list of cuts from the Lions soon.

Here's a thread for you guys to discuss the current known cuts, rumors, etc.

UPDATE:  The Lions have sent out a press release stating that they will be releasing their list of cuts at 8pm.

According to Kevin Seifert on the ESPN NFC Blog, the Lions have released LB Vinny Ciurciu. 

I think with how well Landon Johnson has played, this shouldn't be a huge surprise.  I thought that Ciurciu may have shown enough to be considered dependable depth and a good special teamer, but there are not many spots to go around.  I do believe that Ciurciu was hurt in the Buffalo game as well, which may have contributed to the decision.

Adam Schefter is reporting that the Detroit Lions have traded TE Dan Gronkowski and an undisclosed draft pick to the Denver Broncos for second year cornerback Alphonso Smith. 

This seems to be a perfect trade for both teams.  The Lions have a nice selection of tight ends and it was very likely Gronkowski was going to be cut anyway, while the Broncos couldn't seem to find a spot for Smith and the Lions are one of the most cornerback needy teams in the league.  Mayhew continues to show his prowess for scouring other team's rosters in search of suitable trade partners for players that are unlikely to make our final 53.

UPDATE:  Per Tom Kowalski, the Denver Broncos had planned to cut Smith based on his performance.

I just thought I'd share this ridiculous little tidbit from a Michael Rosenburg column on SI.com about Brett Favre's "retirement".

Since the end of the 2007 season: Favre has more retirements (three) than the Detroit Lions have wins (two).

 At first, I chuckled when I read that.  Then I thought about it for a minute.  Then I felt like crying.  In the wise words of James Hetfield... "Sad but true".  Thoughts?

I think it's time to have a little fun at the expense of ourselves here at Pride of Detroit.  I've been thinking about this idea for some time now and finally got a little free time to put it together.  Every month, I get a kick out of so many of the comments that are made here.  Some are clever, some funny and some are just downright bizarre.  So at the expense of every poster, I took it upon myself to compile a list of the Top 25 comments in the FanPost section of POD in June.  To make it a little more interesting, I did not list the FanPost it came from, so everything is out of context.  I'll list the poster and then the comment and of course, I'll add my own comments and smart-ass remarks... because I can.

This is all in jest and I mean no disrespect to anyone.  Hopefully, you all will get a good laugh or a least couple of chuckles out of it.  So without further adieu, the Top 25 FanPost Comments for June......

Continue reading this post »

So here we sit, in the long, dreary month of June, where football news seems to lie dormant until it rouses its sleepy head in late July for the beginning of training camp.  Thoughts seem to effortlessly gravitate to the hope and expectations of the coming year, while the hoopla surrounding the draft is quickly becoming like a sailing ship on the horizon - fading a little each moment as the sun begins to set.  With every passing day, the 2009 season becomes little more than a fleeting memory and the grass on the side of the 2010 season looks ever greener.  So with respect to the outlook of the upcoming season, I pose the question... why not now?

We Lion's fans have suffered immeasurably over the past few decades and perhaps no decade has delivered the most painful blows as the last.  But all things - good, as well as bad - must come to an end, right?  I mean, surely the suffering and losing cannot go on endlessly.  I hold that it is logically impossible for us not to field a winner in the future... whether that be in five years or another fifty years.  At some point in our future, respectability will return to this once glorious franchise.  And if that return to prominence is a sure thing, then why not now?  Why can't this year be the dawning of that new age, a beginning of a time where the name Detroit Lions is not synonymous with the words losing and failure?  Why can't this be the year where the sins of the past are finally absolved through roster attrition and meticulous planning on the part of the new front office?

Continue reading this post »

Just found a little Stafford versus Sanchez tidbit while reading an article on SI.com.  The gist of the article is Ross Tucker talking to an NFL films guru about some of the burning topics this offseason... mostly around quarterbacks (my favorite topic).  He asks what Stafford and Sanchez need to work on.   Here's the link...

LINK


I love hearing this stuff from non-Detroit biased people... especially ones with the X's and O's down.

The official release of the 2010 NFL Schedule will be broadcast live on the NFL Network on April 20th at 7:00 p.m.  I see they have it as "Breaking News" on their scroll right now and just wanted to let everyone know.

Hopefully, this hasn't already been posted... but I came across a great article about Ndamukong Suh and thought I'd share it.  Gives you a little insight into what this guy is all about. 

Any-who... here's the LINK

Oh, and this isn't a shot at anyone not wanting Suh or an anti-Berry, anti-McCoy, anti-whatever post.  It's just information, folks........

Just thought I'd give a link to a great read over on the MLive site:

http://blog.mlive.com/highlightreel/2010/02/lions_martin_mayhew_must_find.html

Should spark some intriguing chatter....

Drew

Just listened to Schwartz's Monday morning presser on the Lion's website this afternoon and came away with a few interesting impressions....

• Schwartz really seems to like Jeff Backus a lot.  He even hinted at the idea that he thought Backus was borderline Pro Bowl material.  Does that take Okung out of the equation at the #2 spot?  Would he even be in the mix if we really needed a tackle?  Who knows... it seems like this site is quite divided on Okung anyway.  If anything, I think that Okung would be drafted to immediately replace Cherilus, not Backus.  To me, it's highly unlikely that Okung will be taken that high and even less likely that it will be the Lions that draft him. 
• Schwartz was adamant about the idea of "doing it right" and building through the draft for the long-term.  He talked quite passionately about not trying to put band-aids on anything and not looking at short-term off-season moves.  He gave me the impression that they would not be chasing any high-priced free agents.  He talked some about the younger guys coming off first contracts being somewhat attractive if you could build around them, but the (pending) new free agency rules will put the kibosh on a lot of those younger options.  After listening to him, it won't surprise me at all if the Lions are pretty quiet during free agency.  Not sure how I feel about that.  For years, we watched Millen waste money by throwing big contracts at subpar free agents and bypass those areas in the draft (left guard, anyone?)  If they can have another few drafts like the one in '09... I'm on board.
• Although he didn't discuss the specific draft strategy that much (even though the media pressed him some), my impressions were that they are definitely going into this year with the same strategy as last year... best player for this team regardless of position.  But he did talk a lot about getting Calvin and Matt some help.  He talked much more about that than he did about creating a great defense.  If I had to guess based on Schwartz's comments, they are going to pull the trigger on some offensive players in the first few rounds.  I know that this isn't the popular opinion here, but I like that idea.  Why not get the max potential out of the two offensive stars you've poured more than $100 million into?  Not that you can disregard the defense, but you can't neglect the fact that you've put a lot of eggs into the offensive basket.  You need to protect those investments.
• Schwartz seems to like Kevin Smith a lot and he thinks that if he's healthy, he is a great back.  But that was the big IF.  I came away with the impression that he felt they needed to make a move at running back for insurance.  Again, he didn't come right out and say it, but he kind of put it out there.
• He never mentioned Suh.... not that I thought he would show his draft hand at all, but still....
• Schwartz still gives me that feeling, like he did before the season.  You know... the feeling like the dude is just a smart guy and if given the time and players, he could be the next bright young coach in this league.  Even after a 2-14 season, he still says all the right things and has me fully believing in his ability and strategy.  I won't lie, I liked Rod Marinelli, but I never fully believed that he would turn it around.  I fully feel that Schwartz will. 

It's like an hour and a half long, but it's pretty good listen if you got the time.  I listened to it at work today.  Here's thelink:
http://www.detroitlions.com/media-center/audio/Press-Conference-Audio-Jim-Schwartz-1-4-10/a7691cc5-ef87-4e33-8a7f-05da32b7b303

Personally, I like the strategy in place by Schwartz and Mayhew.  Build through the draft by adding talented guys that have a place on the roster and not spending too much money on over-priced free agents.  The big challenge is if they can keep raising the bar in terms of drafting.  They are off to a good start.

Speaking of the '10 draft... I've seen TCLion's prediction about adding Suh and not having to draft in the top10 again for another decade.  I've also seen lots of people say that adding Suh will add 4-6 wins next year.  I love Suh, so I won't challenge those predictions too much.  But what I will do is add one of my own.  Like I said, not that I don't think Suh would make a huge impact, but if this team improves by 4-6 games next year it will be because of Stafford, not Suh.  Sure Suh will give that D-Line a huge boost, no question.  But Stafford's improvement is the key to the future of this franchise.  If he can get a little help around him, cut down on the turnovers, stay healthy and take the next step forward in his progression (accuracy, defensive reads, etc)... he will be the biggest reason for our new-found fortunes.  Even with Suh, we would have to add a lot more to have a top ten defense.

Let the chaos ensue................

Okay, so this might be a one-sided discussion, but is there anyone out there who would rather see the Lions get a win on Sunday versus have a shot at the number one overall pick for a second year in a row?  I know that we are all salivating over getting a chance to select Ndamukong Suh in the draft (and we are all hoping that the Lion's won't blow this decision if given the opportunity), but where does simple pride come into play?  No, it's nowhere near a guarantee that either of these miserable teams (Rams & Lions) can win anyway, but it begs the discussion of what is more important to the fan.

Let's say the Rams win tomorrow.  I understand that they play at the same time, but let's say for hypotheticals-sake that they didn't.  Let's say that the Rams played at 1pm and the Lions at 4pm.  Let's say that the Rams beat the 49ers and we would be guaranteed the number one overall pick by adding one more measly loss to our record at the hands of the rival Bears.  That first pick guarantees us Suh, but it also allows the Lions to be the worst team in the league two years running.  Something about that doesn't sit well for me.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Suh in a Lion's uniform next year and if it takes the first pick to do that... I guess that's fine.  But there is this part of me that doesn't want the Lions to have that pick.  Anyone else feeling this?   Not that the number two pick is that much better (or worse), just different.

We know from experience that the entire post-Super Bowl chatter is all things draft and all about the first overall pick.  The media gets to proclaim over and over again who is the worst team in the league and even though the consolation prize is the "best player" (hopefully), there's something unsettling about being dubbed "the worst".  I don't know... maybe it's just me.  I guess we already know we're bloody awful, but I was thinking more like 3rd or 4th pick bloody awful... not first overall pick again bloody awful.  I thought I wanted to get Suh at any cost, but now I'm getting cold feet.  Again... not like we may have any choice in the matter - because I don't think we can beat the Bears with either Stanton or Culpepper at the helm.  What do you think?  If it happens, should I just swallow my pride and relish in all things Suh, forgetting that we are the stink rising from the gutter realm of the league for a second straight year?  Again... not that the number two pick is that much more prestigious, it just makes me feel less like drinking an entire bottle of extra strength Maalox.

Not to take away from JCruize's nice message, but I too wanted to give a quick shout out to all my fellow PODers and give my best to you and your families during this holiday season.

In a strange way, the people who frequent this site have become a sort of "family"... albeit, a dysfunctional one sometimes.  We are all connected by a common thread and are able to be a big part of each other's lives on a daily basis.  Many of us have gotten to know each other on a more personal basis (as personal as you can get without ever having met) and have shared in some good times and bad.  This all aside from the centralized theme, which is of course, the Detroit Lions.  Not to get too sentimental, but the site has become a little more than that for me and I sense the same from some of you.  For me in particular, this site is a place of therapy... both personally and as a Lion's fan.  That is a good thing, in my opinion.  Not to say that we are all best friends and will be getting together soon for a spirited night of S'mores and Kumbaya, but it's been fun getting to know a little more about many of you other than the fact that you love the Lions.

I know many of us have had rough years.  To those, my heart goes out to you during this time and my prayers are with you and yours during what can be a difficult holiday season.  As many know, I have had one of those rough years and certainly the holidays can bring out the emotions in even the most hardened of us.  Know that I am doing well and I am very anxious to wake up in the morning and see the look on my beautiful children's faces as they see what Santa has in store for them.  Watching that childish glee and innocence, always brings back memories of my childhood and the happy times our family had back then and the new memories we continue to make. 

We will be missing an important member of our family tradition tomorrow morning, but her spirit will surely be there, smiling down upon us.  That gives me a peace through a time filled with tremendous sadness and bittersweet nostalgia.  For those of you having to endure these same emotions tomorrow, I am praying for you.  My prayer is that your holidays are filled with the memories that make you smile and count your blessings for the time that you spent with those loved ones.  I pray that you are able to put aside the pain and sorrow and cherish the memories that you will carry forever.

Have a safe and Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas,

Andrew 

Anyone got any thoughts on Richie Incognito, the C/G that was just cut by the St.Louis Rams today?  No doubt the guy is a bit of a headcase and was voted by The Sporting News as the 'dirtiest player in the league', but he's still a pretty decent player from what I've heard.  When healthy he's been a starter.  With all the injuries and the revolving door at LG, would he not be worth a look?  Typically, I'm usually the first to speak out against the headcases.... but the reality of our talent level has to make him more appealing.  What do you guys think?

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). 

Continue reading this post »

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.

Continue reading this post »

First of all let me say, regardless of the loss, it was good to see Lions football on my TV again.  Because of the blackout and bye week, it had been three weeks since I'd seen a game.  I'll always enjoy game day - even if it ends in a loss.  There is nothing like that hopeful feeling that always seeps in, even when you know the likely outcome.  That said, no matter how long they lose, I will never get used to it.  Each one brings the same frustration, just new circumstances.  Monday mornings after losses are for level-setting and re-adjusting expectations.  So what am I feeling today?  Well, I think that this team is what it is... that being a very bad roster that is really counting heavily on its young players to save the day.  So when the rookies shine, the Lions shine.  When they don't, well... the Lions look miserable.  That's why we get such stark contrasts, not only week to week, but sometimes quarter to quarter.  Rookies are inconsistent at best.  When the Lions get a few lucky breaks and a little momentum, things can look good.  That can be deceiving, though.  The bottom line is that every team can look good when the opponent is making mistakes, but only the good teams rebound and sustain play into the fourth quarter.  

Continue reading this post »