Hey guys, I just wanted to show everyone what my new jersey looks like. Thanks to Profiler for informing me of where to purchase this jersey! I received the jersey in the mail, and it took 14 days to arrive from Hong Kong. The cost was $42 with shipping included. I love it! Check out toonjersey.com if you want to get one of your own! Here are the pics:

via i459.photobucket.com

via i459.photobucket.com

What do you guys think?

GO LIONS!!!

Guys, I am about to buy a Lion's jersey. It will be my first authentic knockoff. Even though I will not be spending $275 for it, I still want to make the best choice possible. In your opinions, which current Lion's player is most deserving of my choice? Not only do I want a player that is an outstanding professional, but also I want one that I know will be around for a long time. I know there are no guarantees on anything, but of the current roster members who are considered stars and potential Hall of Famers, which one has the most potential to make it as a Detroit Lion? Please give me answers in the following poll, and comment if you like. Thanks.

This is MUCH better...and I can accept this and move on.

I think this is Suh’s actual Facebook page, so I’ll go ahead and post this and then let you guys decide for yourselves. His status message today reads as follows:

In the past few hours, I have had time to reflect on yesterday’s game and I want to sincerely apologize for letting my teammates down, the organization, and especially to my fans who look to me for positive inspiration. 

Playing professional sports is not a game. It is a profession with great responsibility, and where performance on and off the field should never be compromised. It requires a calm and determined demeanor, which cannot be derailed by the game, referee calls, fans or other players. 

I want to reiterate my commitment to working to become a better player, and professional—on and off the field. My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable. I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand — by winning.

https://www.facebook.com/suh90/posts/317547261589231

Now that is the kind of attitude I want to see. Be a man and own up to your mistakes. If this is how Ndamukong Suh TRULY feels, then I think he will be fine. If it is just a last ditch effort to avoid suspension, and he continues to act and react in the same manner as we saw on Thanksgiving, I do not think he will have a very long career in the NFL. Remember how tough NFL teams are on guys with “character issues” in the NFL draft?? Well, I think it works the same way once they are actually playing in the NFL. Nobody wants a player that takes actions that are detrimental to the success of the team as a whole.

I hope he learns his lesson this time, but there is still no doubt in my mind that he will be handed a 4 game suspension at a minimum. He may appeal and have that reduced, but I’m not too sure even that can happen. He can be a great player, and channel his aggression positively, for the benefit of his TEAM. He is not above the TEAM, and he has to learn that the team has to come first. He does not have to rip off helmets, use unnecessary roughness, slam people’s heads into the ground, and stomp on them in order to be the best DT in the NFL. He just needs to use his God given talents, his strength, and his BRAIN to use “reasonable force” to get the job done, without the psychotic episodes, and he can be a pro bowler, an all pro, and a hall of famer.

Hey anonymous internet tough guy. Thanks for the wishes that my wife and 6 year old daughter will choke on their Turkey while I watch, and then for the wish that I would also then choke on my turkey. If I am drawing that kind of response from you, then I am accomplishing my goals. DX Bitch.

I was over at Armchair Linebacker, and posted this in a Haiku thread started there.  Feel free to add your own Haikus and have fun with it...:o)

Stafford:
Offseason man whore
He likes to f**k the hotties
A walking boner

Best:
Faster than lightning
Agile like a hummingbird
Ow, my f**king head

CJ:
Leaping like Jordan
Megatron really flies
No defender wins

Burleson:
Expectations high
But just a possession guy
Not a number two

Young:
His namesake fits him
Unrealized potential
He has room to grow

Pettigrew:
Some say "Pettibeast"
He sure is big at the least
We hope for less drops

Scheffler:
Do not celebrate
Slick like a chameleon
He steals your dances

Raiola:
Size like Olin Kruetz
A zone blocker with no push
The captain is gay

Peterman:
No push, just like Dom
Run blocking is his weakness
On his knees a lot

Sims:
A great addition
The best of our run blockers
Maybe a has been

Cherilus:
Not a dancing bear
A hot seat, poor performer 
He might be a bust

Backus:
Durable and tough
The anchor is slipping now
He must be replaced

Leshoure:
No hero of Troy
What was once fatal, now not
Will he be the same?

Hanson:
The leading scorer
When he comes on he's money
Old reliable

Logan:
Stupid f**king rule
Ruining a great talent
Need to use him more

Donahue:
He beat Nick Harris
He is not as good as him
Hanson must be pissed

Shaun Hill:
Dink and dunk, west coast
A game manager at best
He is no Stafford

Drew Stanton:
Tebow take a seat
This kid can run AND pass it
Better than Shaun Hill

I have Sean's permission to mention my new Lion's blog here on POD, so I hope this doesn't go over the line.  First and foremost, I just want to say that I am a POD member, I love this blog, I will always be a POD member (unless I get banned for my mouth), and I am NOT in any way, shape, or form trying to lead people away from the BEST Lion's blog on the web.  That said, due to the fact that TCLion was banned from SB Nation a little while back (he was reinstated shortly thereafter, thanks to Sean), apparently for "throttle control" (which means he posted the same post on too many SB Nation team sites in quick succession...he was trying to get a poll from every NFL team's fanbases as to whether or not they felt that Jeff Backus was better or worse than their own starting LTs), and because he is my best friend and he had the idea of starting up our own blog, I took the initiative and did just that.

I decided that it would be a good place for me to run my weekly series, The Weekend Spotlight, and just blog about the Lions in general from our perspectives.  TCLion and I are the admin and authors at the site.  I am looking for some people to come over, follow the blog, and provide us with some feedback.  I am also looking for a few solid contributors to give authoring privileges to, so if you are an aspiring writer or if you just want to sound off about the Lions, let us know.  The title of the blog is "The Mane Attraction", and you can reach the site at talknfl.blogspot.com.  There are many options...you can log in with an open ID just to comment, or you can use an open ID to follow the blog.  You can also set up e-mail updates, a CSS, and you can even follow on mobile devices.  The best part about open ID is that you can use a Google account, a Yahoo account, a Facebook account, a Live Journal account, a Wordpress account, a TypePad account, or even an AIM account to log in and comment, or to follow the blog.

I have told a few of our fellow POD members, who are also on Twitter, about the blog.  I asked them to "check it out, join, and comment".  Apparently "join" is a poor choice of words.  What I mean by "join the blog" is to simply become a follower of the blog.  When you go to the page, you will see a link at the top right that says "sign in".  This is NOT where you will click to become a follower.  Below that, there will be a link where you can enter an e-mail address and password to become a follower.  We really need some commenters and some people who will provide us with feedback, so please do me a favor and come see what I am doing!  Thank you for your time.

Hey guys...I was just reading through my Twitter feed and I came across a tweet from Matt Miller of NFLdraftscout, and saw it reconfirmed by Joe Fortenbaugh, that the Giants have given Osi Umenyiora permission to work out a trade.  Anyone care to venture a guess at where I am going with this??  I'll tell you after the jump.

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This news is all over the web...all you have to do is Google it and you'll find it.  This is really starting to piss me off.  Of course the NFL would go through a long and drawn out labor dispute in the year that THE LIONS are likely to be one of the best teams in the league (note...I do not think there is any big conspiracy, but GD IT!!).  I REALLY wish there were some GOOD news to come out about the lockout, because I am REALLY starting to get nervous about this coming season.  Not only does it irk me that there may be a shortened season, but think about the preparation of our players and the acclimation of our rookies too!  To top it all off, say the Lions ARE one of the best teams in the NFL this season...now all of a sudden all we hear is that it wasn't a full season and that it was a fluke etc etc.  I have been here every day...waiting to hear something GOOD in light of the situation, but as I am sure you all are as well, I am one very frustrated football fan. 

Alright...I wanted to address a certain person's statements, which have been extremely over stated over the course of the past few months here on POD, and just see how the so called rankings hold up versus actual game log statistics.  First of all, here are the statements in question (not including the we only have 2 linebackers BS):

You guys are happy with:

29th vs TE
26th vs slot
24th vs run
19th vs RB

But you see a need to improve:
2nd vs num 2 WR
10th vs num 1 WR

What I am going to do is list statistical facts from each of the Lion's 16 games last season, and compare them to the above rankings.  We'll just see how bad we REALLY were vs TEs and RBs.  See, the rankings listed above are based on DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), and these rankings do NOT include sacks or passes with no intended receiver listed, in regard to DVOA of defense against receivers.  My point (to be followed by my opinion) is this; How can you accurately rank, and then subsequently single out, specific positional players that are part of a TEAM defense, when you are first removing the very statistics that were the TEAM'S greatest asset?  Let me expand after the jump...

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Ok guys...I have been arguing with my boss about this for a couple of weeks, so i want to get it out here and see what the consensus is on POD.  Question: Is it feasible for the Lions to keep both Dave Rayner and Jason Hanson on the 53 man roster?  More after the jump...

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Men...I am a bit upset over the loss of our 7th round pick and the switch of our fifth round pick with the Chief's, because of the bullshit tampering ruling that the Lions were handed.  That said, I do not feel that it is the end of the world.  However, I do feel that it might change things when it comes to draft time.  As such, I felt that I would go ahead and bore you yet again with another Lion's mock draft.  I might expand a bit on my thoughts while I am at it, so that this is not just another list of guys I hope we pick.  I hope to give insight as to why I think the Lions will pick my way, so here goes...

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Here I am, on the day that this Dawg was born, and I am bouncing ideas about the future of football around in my mind.  With the NFLPA decertifying, they can now sue the NFL under the anti-trust laws.  As such, they could also start their own league, without the current owners.  I know that it is pretty unlikely, given the logistics of new ownership, stadiums, etc...but what if someone like Vince McMahon or Donald Trump or both were to back the idea?  The XFL could become what the NFL once was.  Of course they would not use the rules of the XFL, but with the former NFL players involved, the XFL could become what the NFL once was, back when there was an AFL and a USFL.

Thoughts?

I was reading some of the mocks that have come out after the combine, and I am not too enthused with what I am seeing.  I know some of you guys really think we need to take an OT in round 1, but I am most certainly not on that train of thought.  I was over at WalterFootball.com and I saw the most recently updated mock...and to be completely honest, I wholeheartedly dislike it.  So here is what I want to do:  I am going to post their 6 round mock results for the Lions here, for all to see, and challenge everyone to tell me why it would be a GOOD draft if it went this way.  Come up with positives and negatives for these guys, come up with reasons why they do or don't fit our schemes, and/or come up with viable alternatives based on who would be available using THEIR mock as a guide.  I think this could get interesting, so here we go.

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Ok guys...time for me to weigh into this mess we call mock draft season.  First of all, I want to be clear that this post is going to be filled with my opinions, based on what I have saw with my own eyes and the facts that I have found by doing extensive research.  I will explain what players I think the Lions will draft (and some that I think we will not draft), not the players I wish we could get, and why.  Many of you are probably thinking "He's going to say Von Miller".  Well, I think that is a distinct possibility.  That said, I do not think that the Lions will be drafting Nate Solder or any other LT in the 1st round this year.  The reason why, and much more, comes after the jump:

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HAPPY NEW YEAR ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The sixteenth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions finishing out the season versus the Minnesota Vikings, at home in Detroit, MI, at Ford Field.  With just 1 game left in the season, and coming off of their third win in a row in week 16 against the Dolphins, the Lions will face another in division team for the second time this season.  The Vikings are now 6-9 on the year, after beating Philadelphia last week, and i would say that they have been moderately successful given the Favre saga and the rest of their issues.  In our favor, Minnesota is 2-5 on the road this season (4-4 at home) and 1-4 in the division.  Unfortunately, their one in division win came against the Lions in week 3.  Just like last week, I believe the Lions can win this game, and as usual I have great expectations for them in this game.  I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but this time the Vegas oddsmakers actually FAVOR the Lions to win the game (-3.5).  I find it humorous how inconsistent those odds have been this season, not just for the Lions but across the board.  Regardless of whether or not the Vegas odds were in favor of the Lions this week or not, I would have STILL said that the Lions WILL win this game.  The Lions played another great game last week against the Dolphins, besides all of their injury issues, and despite my concerns and displeasure for the decision to start Shaun Hill over Drew Stanton, Hill did well enough for the Lions to WIN against a team with a very well rounded defense.  Minnesota is a team that has many issues, and a team that has proven to be ultimately beatable this season, even with Brett Favre under center.  We know for a fact that Shaun Hill will be the starting QB for the Lions this week, so there will be no uncertainty in that regard this week.  Instead, we will be forced to wonder whether or not Calvin Johnson will play.  That said, let's take a look at who else will (or will not) be playing this week, by examining the injury reports for both teams:

Landon Johnson has landed himself on the IR, and Paul Pratt has been called up from the practice squad to take his roster spot (you love it don't you Wayne).  This is interesting to me, as it looks like Chris Houston will not be able to suit up for the last game of the season.  As such, we will likely see Tye Hill and Nathan Vasher as the starting corners this week.  I have been pretty impressed with Vasher thus far, and regardless of the tipped pass by Tye Hill that landed in the waiting arms of a Dolphin WR last week, I thought that he did a serviceable job as well.  I am not too worried about our corners this week, as I have a feeling that Minnesota will have all kinds of difficulty throwing the ball against the Lions.  With CJ not practicing this week at all, and because he is listed as questionable, my concern falls with whether or not he will play.  If Megatron is unable to go, then it raises concern for me as to whether or not Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew will be able to get the job done in his stead.

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings seem to have far worse injury issues than we do.  I wouldn't say that Minnesota is in a lot of trouble in the cornerback department, even though it looks like Asher Allen will not play, because they have Lito Sheppard backing up Allen.  Much worse for the Vikings is the fact that they may be thinned out at the safety position, with Medieu Williams being out with a concussion and backup Tyrell Johnson listed as doubtful with a knee injury.  This will likely leave the Vikings with Husain Abdullah and Eric Frampton as their starting safeties for the game.  They are also likely to be without Sidney Rice, which puts all of the focus on Percy Harvin in the passing game.  E.J Henderson, their starting MLB is questionable, and Jasper Brinkley would get the nod if he is unable to go (this bodes well for our running game).  We are all aware of the Favre scenario, so I will not even get into that mess.  I'll just say this...it looks like Joe Webb will get his 2nd consecutive start at QB, and he is not going to have a good day against the Lions.

With all of that in mind, it looks to me like the hopes of the Viking faithful once again rests on the shoulders of RB Adrian Peterson.  The Lions are going to have to stop Peterson from running wild, and they are going to have to pressure, hurry, hit, and sack Joe Webb all day long.  Joe Webb is a dual threat type of QB, ala Mike Vick, but I feel that he will fold under the constant pressure that the Lions have brought all year.  Certainly, if the Lions play as well against Joe Webb as they did when they faced Michael Vick, then Joe Webb will not pass for 200 yards and he will not find the same success running the ball as he did last week vs the Eagles.  We held Michael Vick to 37 yards rushing, and he was able to post 284 yards passing and 2 passing TDs.  The Vikings do not possess the offensive weapons that the Eagles do however, so it will all come down to whether or not we can stop Adrian Peterson and keep Joe Webb contained.

The Lions are now 5-10 on the season.  With 16 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  In my opinion, winning this game should not be as difficult as it was against Miami or Green Bay.  In terms of defense, Minnesota is slightly inferior to both Miami and Green Bay against the pass, but while they are slightly worse than Miami against the run, they are quite a bit better than Green Bay in that department. Overall, at this point I feel that both Miami and Green Bay are superior teams to Minnesota.  The Lions have the momentum in their favor, and I am confident that we will win this game.  VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W16E begins after the jump...

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MERRY CHRISTMAS ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The fifteenth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions facing the Miami Dolphins, on the road in Miami, FL, at Sun Life Stadium.  With just 2 games left in the season, and coming off of a spectacular WIN in week 15 against the Buccaneers, the Lions will play against another Florida team, one that has been somewhat less successful than their predecessor in Tampa, that is now 7-7 on the season.  Miami has been a team that has seemed to follow the pattern of win, loss, win, loss all season long (in fact they won their first two, lost their second two, and have been win, loss, win, loss ever since).  Unfortunately they happen to fall on the win portion of that pattern this week, but fortunately for us the Dolphins are a pitiful 1-6 at home this season (yes, they are 6-1 on the road...go figure).  Just like last week, I believe the Lions can win this game, and as usual I have great expectations for them in this game.  Once again the odds are against the Lions, as Vegas has Miami listed as the favorite to win (-3.5) against the now 4-10 Lions.  Regardless of that little piece of information, I believe that the Lions WILL win this game.  The Lions played a great game last week against the Bucs, besides their injury issues, and Drew Stanton did an excellent job of leading our offense on 5 separate scoring drives (including a late 4th quarter drive to tie the game, and a game winning drive to start OT).  Miami is basically 100% healthy, minus the losses of Brian Hartline, Chad Pennington, and Al Harris earlier this season.  Once again, It is unclear as to who will be our starting QB this week, with Shaun Hill taking the first team reps on Wednesday and Drew Stanton taking them on Thursday, however I have to believe that Drew Stanton will get the nod on Sunday (as he has the hot hand at the moment).  We all saw Stanton play a very solid game last week, and in the end the defense did enough to allow Drew to lead us to victory.  Let's take a look at who else will (or will not) be playing this week, by examining the injury reports for both teams:

It has already been determined that Matthew Stafford will not play this week.  In fact, the Lions have placed him on the IR as of this morning.  As the injury report shows, the Lions are dealing with multiple nagging injuries.  The newest injury was to Louis Delmas, who sustained a concussion against the Bucs.  He was cleared to play on Monday, but the Lion's coaching staff has erred on the side of caution with him this week, which is why he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday (I just read on the Lion's website that he is doubtful to play on Sunday).  I believe that everyone on the injury report, who is not Matthew Stafford, Louis Delmas, or one of the other 2 QBs, will play this week.  Looking back on the season ending injury to Gosder Cherilus, I feel that Corey Hilliard has done a very good job replacing him.  I am encouraged across the board at the apparent depth of our team when it has come down to playing backups.  This is not something that could be said last year or the year before, which is a sign of the improvements that this FO and coaching staff have brought to us.  Hopefully Delmas will play too.

Karlos Dansby has turf toe.  He will play this week despite the injury and the fact that he has not practiced this week.  We all have seen first hand what turf toe does for a player's performance level (Jahvid Best), so that is somewhat encouraging to me as well (Miami will field at least one linebacker that is slowed by injury).  Other than that, and the previously mentioned players they have already lost to the IR, the Dolphins are pretty much 100%.

That said, there is a reason that Miami is 7-7.  They are beatable.  Their offensive line is in shambles, and they have struggled all year against teams with good defensive lines.  This week should be no different in that regard, as they will face one of the best in the league in that department.  The Lions are going to stuff the non-existent run game of the Dolphins, like last month's turkey, and they are going to pressure, hurry, hit, and sack Chad Henne all day long.  The great thing about that is the fact that Henne is TERRIBLE under pressure, and he is a classic choke artist.  Many of us saw that when he was at Michigan, and now at the next level it will be even more pronounced.  Brandon Marshall is a force...but he can not throw the ball to himself, and Chad Henne can not throw it to him either if he is constantly picking his carcass up off the turf.  I believe the real threats this week will be Anthony Fasano, Devonne Bess, and the Miami defense.

The Lions are now 4-10 on the season.  With 15 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  In my opinion, it is going to be a bit tougher to beat Miami than it was to beat Tampa Bay, but in terms of defense Miami is right around the same as Green Bay, with the Packers being tougher against the pass and Miami being tougher against the run.  We played the Pack pretty well, both in Lambeau and at home, and I feel that OVERALL they are a team superior to Miami.  The Lions continued to build momentum, and I am confident that we will be in this game.  I am going to try to keep it short and sweet again this week, and regardless of what the Vegas odds say, VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W16E begins after the jump...  

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Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The fourteenth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions matched up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the road in Tampa, FL, at Raymond James Stadium.  With just 3 games left in the season, and coming off of a BIG, even if nondescript, WIN in week 14 against the Packers, the Lions will play against a team that has been quite successful this season at 8-5.  Even though Tampa Bay is 8-5, I do not see their record as a true reflection of how good or bad they are.  Just like last week, I believe the Lions can win this game, and as usual I still have great expectations for them in this game.  Once again the odds are against the Lions, as Vegas has Tampa Bay as a heavy favorite (-5.5) against the now 3-10 Lions, yet I STILL believe that the Lions WILL win this game.  The Lions did an admirable job defensively last week, in the face of what could have been insurmountable injury issues, but Tampa Bay is not fairing so well this late in the season in that department either.  It is unclear as to who will be our starting QB this week, however Drew Stanton has taken first team reps in practice all week (Shaun Hill was working as the 3rd stringer) and is likely to start at QB again vs Tampa Bay.  We all saw Stanton struggle last week, but in the end it did not matter, as the defense was stout and played a full 60 minutes.  Let's take a moment to get a better idea at who will be playing this week, by examining the injury reports for both teams:

Ok...so Gosder Cherilus is now out for the rest of the season, placed on the IR because of a knee injury.  He did not play last week either, and Corey Hilliard replaced him seamlessly.  I honestly did not notice any difference in the play of our RT, between Cherilus and Hilliard, so that is a positive thing to note.  The fact that Hilliard came in and did a passable job in place of Cherilus last week takes a lot of worry off of my mind about that issue.  We already know that Alphonso Smith and KVB are also on IR, but again their backups seemed to do very well against the Packers.  I was rather impressed with Nathan Vasher, Turk McBride, and Lawrence Jackson, and those guys (along with Hilliard, Maurice Morris, and Drew Stanton) are allowing their performances to speak volumes about the improvement this team has made in terms of depth.  The only real concern I have this week is whether or not it will be Ashlee Palmer at WLB or Landon Johnson.  Even then I feel that Palmer does a decent enough job when he plays, that we shouldn't really miss Landon Johnson too much if he can not go.

At first glance, it looks like Tampa Bay is 100% healthy and that they have no injuries.  Upon further and more in depth review however, one should note that the Bucs have already lost 6 starters (and several backups) to the IR this season.  These players include Gerald McCoy (their best DT), Aquib Talib (arguably their best corner as Barber is slowing down), Quincy Black (one of their starting LBs), Jeff Faine (their starting Center), Davin Joseph (one of their starting guards), and Cody Grimm (one of their starting safeties).  These guys are now replaced by Al Woods (a rookie DT out of Louisiana State, who has not played in a single game this year), E.J. Biggers (a 6'0" 180 lb 2nd year corner out of Western Michigan, who has played in 13 games (3 starts) this season, mostly as a nickle back, and done well with 39 tackles, 9 PDs, and 1 INT), Dekoda Watson (a rookie LB out of Florida State), Corey Lynch ((no relation to John Lynch), a 3rd year Safety out of Appalachian State, who in 13 games (2 starts) has compiled 20 tackles, 1 PD, and 1 INT), Jeremy Zuttah (a 3rd year center out of Rutgers, who has started 6 games in place of Faine), and Brandon Carter/Derek Hardman/Ted Larsen (ALL 3 rookie guards who are now the only guards they have in Tampa due to injury).

Needless to say, the Buccaneers are skating by on a wing and a prayer in my opinion.  Without Talib, McCoy, and Black especially, on defense, I believe that the matchups will favor the Lions in terms of both running AND passing the ball this week.  Not only that, but the Bucs run a 4-3 Tampa 2...so we should be pretty familiar with that defense and how beatable it can be.  With 3 rookie guards rotating on the interior of their offensive line, next to a 3rd year center who is relatively inexperienced,  I can not imagine that Suh, Williams, and Hill will not be able to stop Blount dead in his tracks.  I also can not imagine that our pass rush will not get to Josh Freeman on a regular basis on Sunday.  In my opinion, Tampa Bay's 8-5 record much more accurately reflects how good they were WHEN they had all of their starters healthy, and that is not even mentioning how SOFT their schedule has been (they have wins against Cleveland, Carolina twice, St Louis, Cincinnati, Arizona, San Francisco, and Washington).  Every time they have faced a better team, they have lost (losses are to Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Atlanta twice, and Baltimore).  They are beatable, and we are going to do them up, even with our 3rd string QB at the helm.

The Lions are now 3-10 on the season.  With 14 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  In my opinion, it should prove to be a far less difficult task to beat Tampa Bay than it was to beat the Packers or the Bears,  and I would even say it is VERY possible that our road losing streak ends here.  We played the Pack pretty well, both in Lambeau and at home, and I feel that they are a team superior to Tampa Bay.  The Lions are building momentum, and I am confident that we will WIN this game.  I am going to try to keep it short and sweet again this week, and regardless of what the Vegas odds say, VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W15E begins after the jump...               

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Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The thirteenth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions doing battle with the Green Bay Packers, for the second time this season, at home in Detroit, MI, at Ford Field.  With just 4 games left in the season, and coming off of yet another loss in week 13 against the Bears, the Lions will play against a team that they already lost to once this season.  It is getting more and more difficult for me to write these posts, in the face of such a disappointing season, but as usual I still have great expectations for the Lions in this game.  Once again, the trendy norm of the odds makers has Green Bay as a heavy favorite against the 2-10 Lions, yet I STILL believe that the Lions COULD win this game.  The Lions are still faced with a plethura of injuries, but this time the Packers are pretty banged up as well.  Drew Stanton will start at QB again this week, and I think I have already made it clear that I do not see that fact as a major disadvantage for the Lions.  All of that aside, let's take a look at the injury reports for both teams:

The very first thing that JUMPS off the page at me when I look at this report is the fact that Gosder Cherilus is now listed as "doubtful", whereas he was listed as "questionable" when he played against the Bears last week.  This does not sit particularly well with me, considering that his listed backup is the 6'7" 303 pound unproven rookie out of Texas, Jason Fox.  I am confident that Fox can handle the call, but I certainly hope he is ready because not only will he have to contend with LDE Ryan Pickett, but also he will have Clay Matthews coming at him at times.  If Fox can not slow them down, then Stanton will be scrambling for his life for most of the day, and we all know this could spell disaster (even though I have hope that he will play it cool and make sound decisions under fire).

I am encouraged to see that Avril and Best will play, and whether or not Ekejiuba plays does not concern me due to the fact that Bobby Carpenter has been very impressive on special teams (in my opinion).  The fact that Alphonso Smith and KVB have been placed on the IR does certainly suck, but I am much less concerned about their losses than I am about possibly not having Cherilus.  I feel that Lawrence Jackson and Turk McBride can get the job done together, in place of KVB, and I have hopes that Nathan Vasher can hold down the fort on the right side of the defense (he is now listed as the starter at RCB), matching up with Donald Driver.  That matchup right there is one to watch this week, as Vasher's ability to stop Driver could be huge.

I am happy to see that Cullen Jenkins will be out for the Packers.  They do not really have a great replacement for him, as they are left with either CJ Wilson (a 6'3" 290lb rookie out of East Carolina) or Howard Green (a 6 year journeyman who has struggled to make teams...his longest stint being in 2004 with New Orleans, where he started in 12 games, played in 14, and had 27 tackles (17 solo) and one FF...he has not started in more than 1 games since, and that start was this year (he has 2 tackles (1 solo) and a FF).  Maybe the loss of Jenkins will give us a chance to run the ball against Green Bay this time around.  Last time Shaun Hill was our leading rusher with 53 yards rushing, followed by Jahvid Best with 50 yards on 12 carries.  With Drew Stanton, we might just have a solid weapon in a rushing capable QB this week.

The Lions are now 2-10 on the season.  With 13 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  It will be a difficult task to beat the Packers at this point, just like I said about Chicago last week, but it is not impossible.  We played the Pack pretty well last time around, in Lambeau, so I am confident that we will be in this game.  I am going to try to keep it short and sweet this week (really this time).  Regardless of how improbable it may seem, VICTORY can STILL be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W14E begins after the jump...

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Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The twelfth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions clashing with the Chicago Bears, for the second time this season, at home in Detroit, MI, at Ford Field.  Coming off of yet another loss in week 12 against the Patriots, the Lions will play against a team that they already had beaten once this season (only to lose on a BS call by the refs...call me whatever you want to for blaming the refs, but it is TRUE), but who is now heavily favored to win again.  The Lions will be led this week by Drew Stanton, and they will be without defensive leader Kyle Vanden Bosch, but as usual I still have great expectations for the Lions in this game.  Once again, practically no one is even giving the Lions a chance in this game, and again I believe that the Lions COULD still win.  The Lions are faced with a plethura of injuries, whereas the Bears have very few, but with a little luck it will not be the difference between a Lion victory and another loss.  Let's take a look at the injury reports for both teams:

Ok...so there are three major concerns for me when I look at this injury report for the Lions.  1) Drew Stanton will be the starting QB on Sunday.  Even though I like Drew, and I think he can get the job done, I would feel much safer if it were Matthew Stafford or even Shaun Hill.  Not because Shaun Hill is that much better of a QB, in my opinion, but rather because Drew Stanton has not had any time to get comfortable with the first team offense (other that a full week of practice this week and a few stints in relief this year).  2)  Kyle Vanden Bosch is doubtful.  That is not good.  He will probably not play this week, and that means we will see Cliff Avril and Turk McBride/Lawrence Jackson at DE most of the time during this game.  On the bright side, if KVB is inactivated for this game, maybe that opens the door for Willie Young to play this week.  I would like to see the young man (no pun intended) get a decent amount of snaps this week.  3) Gosder Cherilus is listed as questionable.  This may be the most concerning thing about the injury report to me.  Some say he has done an adequate job this year, and I will admit that he has been much better against the pass this season, but if he plays injured I seriously doubt he will be very effective at all on running downs (he needs his knees to drive block), and I am also afraid that it will hamper him in pass pro as well.  Look out DREW!!!  Time to make up those key words I talked about in the past...

Ummm...yeah.  We already know that Nick Roach can step right in for Tinoisamoa and not miss a beat, and the injury to Rashied Davis will make no difference in Chicago's passing game either, so the Bears are basically 100% healthy.

The Lions are now 2-9 on the season.  Point blank, that is pretty much all there is to it.  With 12 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  It will be a difficult task to beat the Bears at this point, but it is not impossible even if it is improbable (by whatever standard).  I am going to try to keep it short and sweet this week, as I am short on time and late as it is.  Regardless of how bleak it may seem, VICTORY can STILL be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W13E begins after the jump...

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the Lions to go after Michael Vick.  There, I said it.  Vick will be a free agent, once again, after this season.  For all of the naysayers out there who had many negative things to say about the bad press, about Vick's lack of ability as a passer, and about his personality in general, I think it is pretty needless to say that you were all wrong.  When Vick came out of prison, I suppose one could argue that it was a different story.  Maybe going to Philadelphia and playing for Andy Reid was exactly what Vick needed to transform his life and become something different.  Then again, maybe he COULD have come to Detroit and done the same thing.  I want to say that I STILL believe that Matthew Stafford is the QB of the future in Detroit, and I do not want to see anyone come in and take that chance away from him, however the injury history concerns make me want something other than Shaun Hill.

Don't get me wrong.  I think that Hill has done a pretty solid job as a backup in Detroit, and I think that he is a hell of a lot better than Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton, or anyone else we have had as a #2 in recent history.  That said, I believe that Michael Vick is a step above Shaun Hill, and that he is a guy who could step right in and make things happen in the event that Stafford is unable to stay healthy.  He is also a QB that is adept at avoiding the pass rush, and he is a guy who instantly adds credibility to our non-existent run game, with or without changes to our offensive line.  He is a proven starter in this league, and like him or not he is a threat that opposing teams have a lot of trouble accounting for.

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Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The eleventh installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions colliding with the New England Patriots, at home in Detroit, MI, at Ford Field.  Coming off of yet another setback in week 11 against the Cowboys, the Lions will play the traditional Thanksgiving Day game against a team that is considered unbeatable by them.  Not only do the Lions have to face the Patriots tomorrow, but also they must do so on a short week of practice and against all odds.  Yet, as usual I still have great expectations for the Lions in this game.  Practically no one is even giving the Lions a chance in this game, and I for one believe that COULD be a big mistake.  Let's take a look at the injury reports for both teams:

As Sean was quick to point out, it appears as though we will have the services of Cliff Avril, Corey Williams, and Isaiah Ekejiuba in this game, even though they are all listed as questionable.  Corey Williams is the most surprising of that bunch in my opinion, and I would not be at all surprised to see Avril and Williams play limited roles in this game, giving way to Sammie Lee Hill and Turk McBride.  I am concerned to see Shaun Hill on the list this week, and I hope that the quad injury is minor enough that it will not effect him, but otherwise I feel far less concerned about the Lion's injury report this week than I did last week, for some reason (maybe just because neither of our corners are listed there this week).

Perhaps the thing that stands out the most about the Patriots injury report is that QB Tom Brady is listed on it this week.  He has nagging foot AND shoulder injuries (his throwing shoulder), and he did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday, due to soreness.  Questionable is supposed to mean that the player has a 50-50 chance to play, but this IS Bill Bellichek we are talking about here, and it is likely that Brady will play.  However, it could bode well for the Lions that Brady is a bit banged up, and we need all the help we can get this week.  If I were making predictions, I would bet that everyone on their list will play, except maybe Jonathon Wilhite and Mike Wright.

The Lions are now 2-8 on the season, and I am finding it more and more difficult to point out the fact that their record does not reflect the talent and ability that the team has, or their potential to win games against good opponents.  The POTENTIAL IS THERE.  The Lions just have to figure out how to turn potential into tangible WINS.  With 10 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.

Statistically, the Patriots are not the best team we have faced this season, and in fact they are the very WORST team we have faced this season against the pass.  The Patriots are 30th overall in total defense, which ranks them as the 2nd worst team we have faced overall in that category (only Washington was worse). They are ranked 17th in the league against the run, placing them pretty much equal with the Packers in that aspect, but 10 teams BEHIND the Vikings in terms of stopping the run.  They are ranked 31st in the league against the pass, 2 spots behind the Redskins, which means there is no reason why we should not successfully pass the ball all day long.

On offense, the Patriots rank 17th in the league in total offense (2 spots ahead of the Lions), ranking 16th in BOTH passing and rushing offense.  Clearly, the Patriots have a very well balanced attack on offense, which is their greatest strength.  They are better than Detroit at running the ball, but they are nowhere near us in the passing game, which means that they are winning games based on clock management, field position, and special teams play.  Considering the teams we have already faced, not to mention the ones that we already beat, I think that the Lions should be able to win against the Patriots, and I most certainly laugh at the people who have already written the Lions off for a blowout loss this week.  VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W12E begins after the jump... 

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Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The tenth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions travelling to meet the Dallas Cowboys, in Irving, TX, at Texas Stadium.  Coming off of another head scratching loss in week 10 against the Bills has me wondering if our guys are up to the task this weekend, but it has not lowered my expectations for the Lions in this game.  Once again there are concerns for me, coming from our injury report, as it shows the following thus far (through Thursday):

My bet would be that Avril and Best will be listed as "questionable" when the official injury report is released, but I would believe that Jahvid Best will be playing Sunday.  Avril is another story, however, and I would not be surprised to see him sit this one out.  I would also bet that Jason Fox, Bobby Carpenter, Isaiah Ekejiuba, Calvin Johnson, Tony Scheffler, Corey Williams, Chris Houston, Alphonso Smith, and Turk McBride will be listed as "probable", if they are listed at all, and Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson, and Kevin Smith will be listed as "out" (Smith had thumb surgery and I would be surprised if he suits up this week).

On the Cowboys side of the injury situation, this is what we know thus far:

 
Terrence Newman is projected to play on Sunday, even though he has not practiced.  However I would bet that he will be listed as "questionable", along with Sean Lissemore and Kevin Ogletree.  I imagine that Jay Ratcliff, Jason Hatcher, Bradie James, and Mike Jenkins will be listed as "probable" if listed at all.  I doubt Tony Romo will play, and I think he will be listed as "out" again this week, leaving Jon Kitna as the interim starter against the Lions.

The Lions are now 2-7 on the season, regardless of the fact that their record does not reflect the talent and ability that this team has, or their potential to win games against good opponents.  With 10 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  The Cowboys are a team that is superior to the Buffalo Bills, even though the stats may not currently show it, and if the Lions go to Dallas and play like they did last weekend, we will be in for a very long day.  The Cowboys are 23rd overall in total defense, and they are also ranked 23rd in the league against the run.  They are ranked 21st in the league against the pass, which is where the Buffalo Bills, surprisingly, are the better team. On offense, the Cowboys rank 9th in the league in total offense, ranking 4th in passing and 31st in rushing offense.  Clearly, the Cowboy's strength is their passing game, and they are struggling even more than Detroit to run the ball.  Considering the teams we have already faced, not to mention the ones that we already beat, I think that the Lions should be able to win against the Cowboys.  Besides the fact that we handed the 0-8 Bills their first win last week, VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W10E begins after the jump...

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Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  I apologize for this coming so late, but it has been a CRAZY week!  The ninth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions facing the Buffalo Bills, on the road in Orchard Park, NY, at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  Coming off of a heartbreaking loss in week 9 against the Jets has not lowered my expectations for the Lions in this game.  However, the injury report does concern me very much.  This week's injury report lists Matthew Stafford (Right Shoulder) and Jason Hanson (Right Knee) as out, Isaiah Ekejiuba (Knee) as doubtful,  Cliff Avril (Quadricep), Chris Houston (Shoulder), Alphonso Smith (Shoulder),and C.C. Brown (Knee) as questionable, and Shaun Hill (Left Forearm), Jahvid Best (Toe), Kevin Smith (Knee), Stephen Peterman (Foot),Turk McBride (Ankle), Kyle Vanden Bosch (undisclosed), and Corey Williams (Groin) as probable.  The Lions are seriously banged up again after last week, and I feel that we are in BIG trouble if Avril, Houston, and Smith do not play, at the very least.

If Avril does not play, it may not be so bad as long as Turk McBride is able to play at near 100%...however, McBride does not possess the speed of Cliff Avril, and as such they play with completely different styles, with McBride not generally getting as much pressure on the QB as Cliff Avril does.  If Houston and Smith do not play, on the other hand, then the Lions will be forced to rely on Nathan Vasher and Brandon McDonald as their starting corners.  Needless to say, I believe if this happens we may very well see Ryan Fitzpatrick looking like Joe Montana on Sunday, as it is almost certain that he will have a QB rating over 100.  It is not that I have no respect for Vasher and McDonald, but it is simply that I feel they are best suited as backups and nickle backs to the surprisingly good combo of Houston and Smith.  Of course, I am also concerned about Shaun Hill and how well he will be able to play with a broken left forearm...but that could probably be a completely separate post all by itself.

On the Bills side of the ball, the injury report shows that Roscoe Parrish (Wrist), Andra Davis (Shoulder), and Shawne Merriman (Calf) are all out, Cord Howard (Shoulder) is doubtful, and Lee Evans (Ankle), Demetrius Bell (Knee), Eric Wood (Fibula), Chris Kelsay (Knee), and Reggie Corner (Ankle) are all probable.  The injuries to Parrish and Davis bode well for the Lions, as they will not have to worry about the Bills best safety over the middle, and they will not have to contend with Andra Davis (claimed on waivers) against the run (Shawne Merriman has been a non-factor all year, coming from San Diego off of waivers).  On defense, the Lions will likely face a backup at guard in place of Cord Howard, and the Bills are also banged up at OT and the other offensive guard position (Demetrius Bell and Eric Wood respectively).  The Bills run a 3-4 defense that already shows a seriously banged up linebacking corp, with Paul Posluszny being out with a long term knee injury, Reggie Torbor battling injuries all year, and Chris Kelsay's recent knee problems.  Kelsay will play Sunday at SLB, but he will likely be slowed some due to his injury, Torbor will play (not 100%) at JLB, and the Bills will then be left with free agent signing Akin Ayodele at MLB, with 5 year vet Keith Ellison at WLB.  We will also likely see 2 year vet Aaron Maybin at JLB at times.  The strength of the Bills defense is clearly their secondary (although they are not super tough), and they will still have Donte Whitner and jairus Byrd at safety, with Terrence McGee and Drayton Florence at CB.

The Lions are now 2-6 on the season, regardless of the fact that their record does not reflect the talent and ability that this team has, or their potential to win games against good opponents.  With 9 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  The Bills are arguably the worst team in the NFL at this point, with an 0-8 record.  They are 26th overall in total defense, ranked dead last in the league against the run.  Surprisingly they are ranked 6th in the league against the pass (which clearly shows that the strength of their defense IS their secondary).  On offense, the Bills also rank 26th in the league in total offense, ranked 23rd in passing and 18th in rushing offense.  Considering the teams we have already faced, not to mention the ones that we already beat, I think that the Lions (even with injury concerns) should have no problem beating the Bills.  Even though the Bill ARE still an NFL team, VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W10E begins after the jump...

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Well guys...not only has this post been delayed because of the fact that I have been very busy this week, but also I have struggled to find the heart to post it.  I come to you this week with a broken heart, as the Lions gave it all they had against the Jets, had a 10 point lead with 4:18 to go in the game, and STILL came up short by a FG in overtime.  Regardless of the fact that they lost, I saw one of the most entertaining games I have ever witnessed in person last Sunday.  With a crew of PODers, including SLH, CLF, TopherClaussen, Enforcer, Profiler, GRLion, and Coolbreeze, I screamed my fool head off for our team.  It was the loudest game I have ever been to at Ford Field, and I have been to my fair share.  The Lions are now 2-6 on the season, and once again Matthew Stafford is seriously injured (perhaps out for the rest of the season).  However, there is still a lot of football left to play, and I still BELIEVE that the Lions can beat any team they have left on their schedule, regardless of who we play at QB.  I am here to recap my weekly post and talk about the things that I predicted before the game, so without further adieu, I present you with the follow-up to my WS W8E edition, which begins after the jump...

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Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The eighth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions battling the New York Jets, at Home in Detroit, MI, at Ford Field.  Coming off of a HUGE week 8 win against the Redskins, my expectations for the Lions are once again very high.  I write this week's post amidst the feeling that I do not have the time to be doing it, and that only a select few people read it anyway, but still I choose to babble on and let my voice be heard.  Needless to say, I am SO ramped up for this game that it is ridiculous!  I am very excited to say that I will be AT this game in person, with some of our fellow POD members.  This makes the game even more important to me, but it can not possibly be more important for me than it is for the Lions.

This is the chance the Lions have been waiting for.  Should the Lions WIN this game against a highly touted Jets team, then not only are WE the fans going to go through the roof of Ford Field, but also the Lion players are REALLY going to start to BELIEVE that they CAN have a winning season THIS YEAR!  The Lions are now 2-5 on the season, but we all know that their record does not reflect the talent and ability that this team has, nor does it reflect their potential to beat some very good teams right NOW.  With 8 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!

This weeks injury report shows that the Lions will be without C.C. Brown (knee) and Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) for sure, and of course Shaun Hill is listed as doubtful with the broken left forearm.  Ashlee Palmer (hamstring) and Kevin Smith (knee) are both questionable (both were limited all week in practice and Smith DNP on Wednesday), and Louis Delmas (ankle, LP all week) and Brandon Pettigrew (ankle, LP all week) are listed as probable, while Jahvid Best (toe), Bryant Johnson (foot), Calvin Johnson (shoulder), DeAndre Levy (ankle), Turk McBride (ankle), and Matthew Stafford (foot) all practiced fully all week while being listed as probable as well.  On the other side of the ball, the Jets only list 4 players, all probable, on their injury report, and they are Brodney Pool (head, LP all week), David Harris (back, DNP Tuesday, FP Wed and Thur), Calvin Pace (foot, FP all week), and Darelle Revis (hamstring, FP all week).

As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  The Jets are a decent team, but I would not say that their defense is the best in the league by any stretch of the imagination, certainly not as good as the Giant's D, and I would say that their offense is about as good as St. Louis or Washington's.  I would not likely rank them as high as Green Bay, Philadelphia, the Giants, Chicago or even Minnesota overall (if not for the traditional end of the game INT by Brett Favre that went for 6, then the Jets win by 2...and if not for the 5 field goals by Nick Folk, or even if he just missed one or did not get one of the chances, then the Vikings win that game).  In fact, despite their record (they have some VERY shaky wins so far) and historical trends, I believe that the Jets are the third worse team that we will have faced so far (ahead of the Rams and Redskins, but not by much).  VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W8E begins after the jump...

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Well, well, well...it sure feels good to know that our very own Detroit Lions WON another game!!  WOOOO HOOOO!!!  It is even more satisfying, in my opinion, that we stuffed the proverbial apple in the mouths of the HOGS of the NFC East and stuck them up over a spit to roast for dinner!!  Oh MAN!  Can you FEEL IT!!  BURN BABY BURN!!  The Lions are now 2-5, and they have matched their win total from last season...and we are only half way through the season!  There is a lot of football left to play, and I for one still BELIEVE that the Lions can beat any team they have left on their schedule.  One thing that I took away from the game this week was the fact that I felt like the Lions players are truly starting to believe that they are a good football team.  That is so HUGE that there are no words that can possibly describe how important it is to the rest of this season!  I tell you what guys...if the Lions beat the Jets next weekend, they are going to turn some heads.  And the beauty of it is that I WILL BE THERE TO WITNESS IT!!!  YEAHHHHH!!!  I am so excited about the game yesterday that nothing has been able to bring me down from the natural high that I am on.  There are so many good things to talk about from the game, but I am here to recap my weekly post and talk about the things that I predicted before the game.  So, without further adieu, I present you with the follow-up to my WS W8E edition, which begins after the jump...

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Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the first post bye week edition of the Weekend Spotlight.  I am your host, KDawg.  The seventh installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions opposing the Washington Redskins, at Home in Detroit, MI, at our very own Ford Field.  Coming off of a week 6 loss to the Giants before the bye in week 7, my expectations for the Lions, as well as the expectations of many experts, are very high.  I am uber stoked for this game, as it will mark the return of Matthew Stafford and in all likelihood everyone else except for Shaun Hill and Zack Follet.  For the first time since week 1 of the season, the Lions look to be as close to 100% as they have been all year, and I believe this bodes well for our team.  In my last edition, I said that if the Lions could beat the Giants that it would prove they were for real.  Well, regardless of the fact that they lost that game I still feel that they have already proven they are for real...and I also think it is clear that nobody can take the Lions for granted anymore, even though the Lions are now 1-5 on the season.  With 7 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  Early reports have stated that Stafford is near to 100% healthy, Jahvid Best has practiced without limitations, Calvin Johnson is not on the injury report, DeAndre Levy has practiced all week and SHOULD start on Sunday, and it appears as though the Lions look to be ready to fire on all cylinders this week..  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  The Redskins are a decent team, but I would not say that their offense is as good as the Giant's, I would not say their defense is as good as Chicago's, and I would not rank them as high as Green Bay or Philadelphia likely (and certainly not as good as Minnesota when they beat us earlier this year).  In fact, despite their record and historical trends I believe that the Redskins are the second worse team that we will have faced so far (second only to the Rams).  VICTORY can be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W8E begins after the jump...

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Here we are once again, coming off a close loss to a very good team.  Should we hang it up and say that the season is over?  I say HELL NO!  There is a LOT of football left to play ladies and gentlemen, and we will have back our starting QB after next week's bye week!  The Lions are now 1-5 going into the bye week, but all is certainly NOT lost.  It is clearly evident that this team has vastly improved from last year and the year before in my eyes, and I am sure that a lot of you see it as well.  These are not the same old Lions, and they showed it by never giving up in any of their losses thus far.  Even when the chips were down yesterday, you could still see the Lions giving it everything they had.  Even after Shaun Hill and Zack Follet went down, the Lions did not give up.  Of course, I am disappointed right along with the rest of you that we did not win yesterday, but I can honestly say that I saw a lot of good things along with the bad.  Yes, Drew Stanton threw a game ending INT late in the 4th QTR...BUT he did come into the game cold, was calm, cool, and collected, and passed for 222 yards and a TD (mostly in the 2nd half) on 19 completions over 34 attempts (55.9%).  Some of you may be thinking "Yeah, and what is good about that?".  My reply would be to remind you just how crappy Shaun Hill was in his 1st appearance in relief of Stafford....9 for 19 for 88 yards and an INT in almost exactly the same amount of time.  Not only that, but Bryant Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew did not help with untimely drops, not to mention the unfortunate turnover by Nate Burleson.  I have said it a million times...Drew Stanton can be our #2 QB, if he were given a chance to get comfortable like Hill was.  That is beside the point here however, as I am here to recap my weekly post.  Without further adieu, I present you with the follow-up to my WS W6E edition, which begins after the jump...

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Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to another edition of the Weekend Spotlight (formerly known as The Saturday Night Spotlight).  I am your host, KDawg.  The sixth installment of my weekly series has the Detroit Lions paired up against the New York Giants, on the road in East Rutherford, NJ, at Meadowland Field.  Coming off of a huge victory over the Rams, and officially our first win of the season, I am once again getting ramped up for this game.  I believe that we are at a crossroads for this game, and if the Lions can pull off an upset this weekend it will speak volumes about the fact that the Lions ARE for real.  The Lions are now 1-4 on the season, and it is clear that our team is no longer the whipping boy of the league.  With 5 weeks of the regular season already behind us, once again I will reveal who I believe will be the key players, on the Lion's offense and defense, for a Lion VICTORY!  I would be lying to all of you, and myself, if I did not say that it looks like an uphill battle for this game, as we will almost certainly be without Calvin Johnson in addition to Matt Stafford.  I would also guess that DeAndre Levy will sit out again this week.  As usual, I will provide you with the logic behind the reasoning for my picks, including stats.  The Giants are clearly in a different league than the Rams, likely in the same echelon as the Bears, Eagles, Vikings, and Packers, but VICTORY can still be ours, and I'll tell you why and how as the WS W6E begins after the jump...

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And here we are...the big day following the Lions first WIN of the season, basking in all of the glory that we so painstakingly deserve!!  WOOT!!  Ladies and Gentlemen, our beloved Lions just hammered a young football team that could very easily be 4-1 right now.  Think about this...the Rams lost to Oakland and Arizona by a combined 6 points.  The Rams beat Washington like a red headed step child, and also won against Seattle in dominating fashion.  Oakland just won a decisive game against the Chargers yesterday, and Arizona beat the defending Super Bowl champs!!  The Rams have played some very good teams, and their total points spread was 77-52 (+15) coming into the game yesterday against Detroit.  Now if it does not make you feel totally AWESOME to know that their points spread is NOW 83-96 (-13) AFTER leaving Detroit, then I do not know what CAN make you feel good!  Yes, I did say that the Rams were by far the worst team that we were to face so far this season, but that really meant more about the rest of the teams we have played so far than it meant about the Rams.  To say the very least, I am ECSTATIC over the HUGE win by the Lions yesterday, and I am happy to present you with the follow-up to my SNS W5E edition, which begins after the jump...

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