SB Nation User Blog: KDawg

With the 4th pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, The Detroit Lion select Russell Okung

KDawg — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:50:24 -0000

Guys, I posted what I am about to say in a different thread, but it was so long that I am not sure if anyone will reply to it without making it a different Fanpost all together. So anyway, here it is:

Since it is likely that Suh will be gone and I do not see McCoy or Cody as top 5 picks, I think the Lions will opt for the best LT at pick 4, and that is Okung.

Therefore I would be looking for us to take a DT in round 2…..like one of McCoy, Cody, Arthur Jones, or maybe Marvin Austin (if one of them falls to the second round) or one of Geno Atkins, Jared Odrick, DeMarcus Granger, or D’Anthony Smith if the other 4 are gone in round 1. The biggest problems with these guys is that Jones projects as a DE in a 3-4 (at 295 lbs), McCoy will be a solid 4-3 DT but he is not worth a top 5 pick, Cody projects as an anchor type DT in a 3-4, Marvin Austin is a Junior who may not declare at all, and the other 4 guys are marginal as prospective starters (and I am unsure of how well they fit our 4-3 scheme).

That said, if Marvin Austin delcares (and Gerald McCoy is taken in the 1st round) I like him the most of who will likely be available at pick 4 of round 2. If McCoy is still there, then it is a no brainer…..we draft McCoy.

If we were to follow this LT/DT idea, and we were looking at corners in round 3, it is quite likely that Javier Arenas, Myron Lewis, and Stephan Virgil will still be available. All three are projected as likely starters, but I definitely like Arenas best of these. Of course, we might also be looking in the opposite direction here and go for LeGarrette Blount (CLF would love this) or Jon Asamoah (the guard from Illinois).

Then in round 4, if we were looking at a guard and if we followed my idea of LT/DT/CB, it is likely that Mike Johnson (Alabama) would still be there. He is projected as a likely starter, and he is a solid interior lineman. If we went RB or G in round 3, our choices at CB will likely be pretty slim in round 4…..so much so that we would likely be looking at a safety in round 4 (such as Chad Jones if he declares (projected as a likely starter)). While Mike Johnson would be a good pick in my opinion, it may be in our best interests to take a WR such as Bryan Anderson out of CMU (6’5, 215…..sure hands) here. I think the deepest positions in this draft are at Guard and Safety, and I think we can get very good ones in the 5th and 6th rounds.

If the choices were LT/DT/CB/G, and we were then looking at safeties in round 5, it is likely that we would be reaching for a safety that we could get in the 6th or 7th round. That is another reason I say we should draft a WR in round 4 (and I really like Bryan Anderson as a WR2). If we drafted a Bryan Anderson in round 4 (so now our picks would have been LT/DT/CB/WR), it is likely that Dan Doering (the guard out of Iowa who is projected as a likely starter) will be available. Iowa has been surprisingly good this year, and Doering is one of the big reasons why.

If we were to pick LT/DT/CB/WR/G, and were then still looking at needing a safety or a KR/RB, I think we could get a pretty damn good safety in Ahmad Black (from Florida) if he delcares (maybe even in round 7!). So if Black did declare, and we thought he would fall to us in the 7th, we could look at a guy like Ben Tate at RB in round 6. I don’t know much about the RB prospects, other than the higher round ones, but I have heard Tate’s name a few times this season and I have seen him play.

In conclusion, here is a mockup (assuming everyone declares):
Round 1 – Russell Okung OT Oklahoma
Round 2 – Marvin Austin DT North Carolina
Round 3 – Javier Arenas CB Alabama
Round 4 – Bryan Anderson WR Central Michigan
Round 5 – Dan Doering G Iowa
Round 6 – Ben Tate RB Auburn
Round 7 – Ahmad Black S Florida

Whack away....:o)

Post Bye Week - Defensive Player Based Analysis

KDawg — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:04:49 -0000

By popular demand, I am going to go ahead and re-rate each of the players for the Lions, now that they have passed their bye week and are heading into the second half of the season. First of all, I want to be clear that I am going to use my old analysis as a mold, altering it with updated stats and opinions. This is because I have much of the same feelings now as I did then, and I do not want to take as much time to do it as I did after week 3. Because of these facts, I have split the analysis into 2 parts (Offense and Defense - one yesterday and one today) and provide the link to my prior analysis for comparison. I will also add my rating of the offensive line to the end of this analysis, as a unit. Here is the link:

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2009/10/1/1064932/guys-i-am-super-bored (you may have to copy and paste).

Please keep in mind that I will base my analysis on actual stats, and I will add my own personal opinion to it. I hope that this post will be enlightening and interesting to all of you, and I look forward to your comments and additions. I will give each player a rating based on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being useless, 2 being poor, 3 being slightly useful, 4 being below average, 5 being average, 6 being above average, 7 being solid, 8 being very solid, 9 being amazing, and 10 being the picture of perfection. The analysis will begin after the jump.

Defense:

MLB - Larry Foote

Larry Foote has been great so far this season. He is a force against the run and he has shown that he can cover guys over the middle. He is leading the team in tackles with 46 (up from 28 at the last analysis) and he has 1 sack. He has not gotten another sack since my last analysis, but he remains our best tackler on defense. Again, he impressed me with his desire to play for the Lions, and so far his play has not disappointed. I love his addition to our team, and I hope they sign him to at least a 4 year deal after this season (barring career ending injury....knock on wood). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 8.

OLB - Julian Peterson

Peterson has continued to step up his play since my last analysis, even though at times he left many wondering where he was. I still feel that he has far more potential than he is showing us, even though he now has 26 tackles and 3 sacks (up from 7 tackles and zero sacks......remember he only had 5 sacks last year in Seattle, and that mark is still easily within reach). He continues to play well in coverage, as I have not seen him get beat or blow a coverage assignment yet. I think we would all like to see the pro bowl caliber LB that he can be, so I continue to hope for improvement from him this season. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 6 (above average, but not good enough to be solid so far).

OLB - Ernie Sims

Ernie Sims, who has dealt with injury this season, has not done much since the injury. He still has a goose egg in the sack department (0), and he has only recorded 1 tackle since my last analysis (15 total, up from 14). Keeping in mind that he has not played much since my last analysis, along with the fact that Sims has never really been expected to get a ton of sacks, as he was expected to be more of a coverage linebacker, it is really difficult to say that he has improved or digressed in his production. I believe he has done a good job in his role, when he has played, and he had been solid in run support until the injury. He had been the picture of durability until this year, and I hope that he can return to form soon. Rating on a scale of 1-10, keeping in mind the fact that he was injured and has not played as much since, as well as what he has done this year while he was playing, I am forced to lower his rating from a solid 7, to a 6 (above average). If he returns to form this season, I have no doubt that he is still a solid coverage linebacker.

OLBs - Jordan Dizon and DeAndre Levy

Dizon has come in to spell Sims, and now Levy, on multiple occasions this season. At my last analysis he had done pretty well in that role. However, I have not been impressed at all with his play since my last analysis, as he has only made 4 tackles and he has not done well in coverage (13 total tackles, up from 9). What he has done on an average basis is help out against the run when he has played. His size and durability are still my main concerns, and it is yet to be seen if he could play every game for an entire season (I still doubt he could, nor that he would do well if he did). He is a backup at best in my opinion, and is better suited to a ST role. On the other hand, DeAndre Levy has exploded onto the scene since Sims's injury, playing at an unexpectedly high level even as a rookie. He now has 29 tackles (up from 8) as the replacement for Sims. I still say that Levy's size and upside are superior to Dizon's, and apparently the coaches agree as Levy taken a majority of the snaps as Sims's replacement. Levy has done a much better job in coverage than Dizon, in my opinion, and he continues to improve. I still say both men could improve on their coverage skills, but both have shown pretty good tackling skills against the run. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give Dizon a 4 as a linebacker (5 as a ST player) and Levy a solid 6 (leaning toward a 7 as he continues to develop).

DT - Grady Jackson

Grady Jackson continues to serve his purpose of being a space eater and a gap plugger. In my opinion, he continues to do well in this role, as evident in our defense's improvement against the run this year. Grady Jackson was never expected to be a great pass rusher in Detroit, but rather he was expected to do what he has done so far, which is take up space and be hard to move. He now has 12 tackles (up from 4). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 6 for his expected role (however, if I were rating him on his overall ability to generate a pass rush as well as stop the run, I would still say he is a 4 (below avg)). He is a stop gap player, who is not getting any younger....the Lions are likely to look to make improvements at this position through the draft.

DT - Sammie Lee Hill

Contrary to Grady Jackson, I believe that Hill is expected to utilize his size and athletic ability to generate a pass rush in the middle of the defensive line, as well as to eat up space and stop the run in his respective gaps. He has been out with injury, yet I still include him in my analysis as he will likely return this week. Hill has not gotten a sack yet, and he still has only 3 tackles. He is still a rookie with a huge upside, and being a raw talent who was thrust into a starting role as a rookie, I think he was doing admirably well before the injury. He still has a long way to go before he will be the dominating force that the coaching staff wants him to be, but he is getting valuable experience which will hopefully translate into improvement quicker than not (my same hope still goes out to Matt Stafford). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a 5 (I would decrease this to 4, but I think he will be back this week and he will pick up where he left off).

DT - Landon Cohen

In a backup role in a D-line rotation, Cohen has not really done too much to write home about and his amount of playing time has not increased at all. He now has 9 tackles (up from 2) and still has not shown a strong pass rushing ability considering his amazing strength. I still think that his lower body strength must be something to be desired, as we all know how strong his upper body is considering the number of bench press reps he can do at 225. He needs to work on his leg strength and utilizing leverage if he ever wants to be anything more than an afterthought. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a 4 and this will not improve until he acquires some strength in his legs and gets a push in the middle.

DT/DE - Andre Fluellen

Flu had impressed me at the point of my last analysis, but he has fallen off since then due to injury. When healthy, his size allows him the versatility to play both DT and DE. Until his injury, he had been playing well, but since my last analysis he has only collected 1 tackle, and has not recorded another sack (7 total up from 6 tackles and still just 1 sack). I really like the fact that he can play both DT and DE, and his versatility will likely keep him around longer than guys like Cohen (who can only play one position) if he can stay healthy. Rating on a scale of 1-10, because of his injury and lack of production since, I give him a 5 (down from a 6) until he can come back and improve my opinion.

DE - DeWayne White

White has also been injured since my last analysis. DeWayne White had not been an unstoppable force even when he was healthy, but he was not doing a horrible job either. He was getting a good push on the outside, but with no push in the middle he was simply washed out of most plays. He still has 4 tackles, but no sacks. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 5 until he gets healthy and improves my opinion.

DE - Cliff Avril

Avril had been disappointing to me at the time of my last analysis. He was injured early and only had 1 tackle with no sacks. However, since returning from the injury he has looked like a man on a mission and has played quite well. I'll even go so far as to say that he has begun to look like he did last year as a rookie. My hope that he could come back and significantly improve seemed to be answered, as Avril now has 14 tackles and 2 sacks since returning from injury. Jason Hunter had looked to be the far superior player, but now he is injured and Avril is shining. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I am raising his rating to a solid 5 (up from a 4) and I would say he is a 6 (above average) if he continues to play at his current level.

DE - Jason Hunter

The offseason free agent acquisition had been the best pass rusher we had upon my last analysis. He was consistently in the backfield, pressuring the QB and making plays. Upon my last analysis, he was the only bright spot on our DL, in my opinion. Since then, he was injured and had only gathered an additional 3 tackles with no sacks (14 total, up from 11 and still 2 sacks). I still think that he can be a valuable rotational player when healthy, as Avril has returned from injury and started playing well, and White is coming back as well. I had thought that Hunter had won the starting job, but with his injury and Avril's recent contributions on defense, I think he comes back from injury as a backup (unless White is not getting the job done). Rating on a scale of 1-10 I still say he is an above average player, but because of his injury and the likelihood that he will now be a backup I must lower my rating to a 6 instead of a 7.

DEs Copeland Bryan and Turk McBride

Both of these two guys came in as FA acquisitions for depth while White, Hunter, and Avril were injured. Both men played exceptionally well before both of them were also injured. Bryan recorded 5 tackles and a sack before his injury, and McBride recorded 6 tackles and a sack before his injury. Until Cliff Avril had returned with a fire under his ass, both Bryan and McBride were looking pretty solid as rotational players (much like Jason Hunter). Ratings on a scale of 1-10 I give Bryan and McBride both solid 5s, as I feel they did an adequate jobs for what they were expected to do, and they looked just as good as Dwayne White or Cliff Avril (prior to Avril's return from injury).

CB - Anthony Henry

Anthony Henry is another player who has been a pleasant surprise on our defense this year. However, whether it be because teams have stopped throwing his way as much or because his age is finally catching up to him, Henry has not had as much success since my last analysis. He had been the best corner on our team this year, and I thought he had played above and beyond many of our expectations (considering we all thought he had lost a step and should be playing safety), but now his play is starting to look like we may have been right. I still have not seen him get beat deep, and I do not think he has blown any coverage assignments (to the best of my knowledge), but he has only had 6 tackles since my last analysis and has not gotten another INT. Rating on a scale of 1-10 I had previously given him a solid 7, but I think he has fallen to just an average 5 since. I think our idea that he needed to be moved to safety is still something that should be considered, however Marquand Manuel and Louis Delmas have been playing well as of late. Henry will likely remain at CB, but I am not expecting great things from him for the rest of the season.

CB - Phillip Buchanon

Buchanon was supposed to be our play maker at CB this year. So far he has pretty much been a non-factor. He was benched in favor of William James, and James has continued to play. On the season, so far, he has 10 tackles (up from 5) and no INTs. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 4 (down from a 5). I think Buchanon may have seen his better days.

CBs - William James and Eric King

There isn't much to say about Eric King, who has only added 1 tackle (7 total up from 6....no INTs) since my last analysis and has really done nothing to speak of, but William James is another story. James has gone from a backup role to the starting corner in replacement of a lackluster Phillip Buchanon, and he now has 17 tackles (up from 6) and 1 INT (a pick 6). I am not overly impressed with James, but it is my opinion that James is obviously better than either King or Buchanon at this point. Even though James has done an average job, I still do not see either James or King as anything more than average at this point. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give James a solid 5 and King a 4 (down from a shaky 5).

S - Louis Delmas

The rookie out of WMU, who was the defensive rookie of the month for the month of September, has continued to play very well. He has accumulated 37 tackles (up from 17) with no INTs, but he has now recorded a sack to his credit. Again, his tackle totals could indicate that too many running backs are making it into the secondary, but all in all Delmas has been solid. He is still a rookie, who has obvious room for improvement, but he may very well be the DROY if he continues to play at this level. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 7 (he has continued to be solid, and he is certainly better than above average for a rookie).

S - Marquand Manuel

Marquand Manuel has continued to surprise me. Contrary to what I had heard about Manuel being a liability in pass coverage, I have only seen him get beat once that I can recall. He has accumulated 32 tackles (up from 17.....69 tackles over 6 games for the safeties combined....not a good sign) with no INTs. I still do not see Manuel as a ball hawking type of safety, but he has been good in run support and has proven to be a good tackler. Durability is still the only concern I can see at this point, but so far so good in that regard. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 6.

S - Kalvin Pearson

Pearson has seen limited play in a situational role as a backup so far this season, and has mostly played on special teams. He has garnered 10 tackles (up from 6) and no INTs. I have never been a big fan of Pearson, but he is not been the worst player I have seen. Yet, he still has not done anything that jumps out at me. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a shaky 5 (a 4 or even a 3 as a safety).

DB - Ko Simpson, Demarcus Faggins, Kevin Hobbs

These guys have all done a relatively decent job as backups and depth players. Ko Simpson has an INT and 4 tackles this season in a limited role. Faggins has recorded 3 tackles, but has not looked very good in general. Hobbs has done slightly better than Faggins with 9 tackles, but has not made himself very noticeable either. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give Simpson a solid 5 for his limited role, and Faggins and Hobbs both a 4.

The Offensive Line:

I could break down the offensive line position by position, but I see them as one unit and so I am going to rate them as such. The offensive line had shown vast improvement over last year's unit in both run blocking and pass protection, upon my last analysis. Since then the O-line has had some issues, particularly with pass protection and blitz pickup and recognition. The Lion's offensive linemen have now allowed 22 sacks (17 over the last 3 games, up from 5 over the first 3). Only Green Bay and Kansas City have now allowed more sacks than the Lions, and Washinton has only allowed 20 (to put it in perspective). The Lion's are now 30th in the league in sacks allowed. The guys up front have also shown that the new agressive, downhill blocking scheme is far superior (at least for them) to the zone blocking scheme that was used last year, however they have shown more recently that they can not handle it when teams really turn it up and bring it. Still, the offensive line can be credited for doing a much better job this year in run blocking, as compared to last year at this time. Our concerns with Jeff Backus are starting to show true again, but maybe with Jansen getting the nod at LG from here on out will make a positive difference in Backus. The reality of the situation now is that the stupid penalties, the lack of blitz awareness and ability to pick it up, and the fact that our offensive line has not done as well against better defenses is an all too real problem. Maybe Stafford makes the difference, but even he was sacked 10 times over the 4 games that he was part of. Backus is still the weakest link, whether he is the most durable or not. He went from playing half way decent at the start of the season, to being all but a ghost over the past 3 games. He has simply been dominated, and it has hurt us in a bad way. All of the good feelings that I had for the offensive line over the first 3 games is now gone. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give the unit a 4 (below average) as a whole.... and that is really sad considering the fact that they are much improved over last year.

And that about sums it up for now Lions fans......please feel free to comment, make additions, or make suggestions. Enjoy......I will comment if you have something intelligent to say.

Post Bye Week - Offensive Player Based Analysis

KDawg — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:18:59 -0000

By popular demand, I am going to go ahead and re-rate each of the players for the Lions, now that they have passed their bye week and are heading into the second half of the season. First of all, I want to be clear that I am going to use my old analysis as a mold, altering it with updated stats and opinions. This is because I have much of the same feelings now as I did then, and I do not want to take as much time to do it as I did after week 3. Because of these facts, I am going to split the analysis into 2 parts (Offense and Defense - one today and one tomorrow) and provide the link to my prior analysis for comparison. Here is the link:

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2009/10/1/1064932/guys-i-am-super-bored (you may have to copy and paste).

Offense:

QB - Matthew Stafford

Again, I must tread lightly here as I am over the entire QB debate here. Stafford is a rookie in this league, and he has only played in 4 games this season. We have seen flashes of greatness out of the young gunslinger, and we have also seen him make some boneheaded decisions that make it obvious that he is a rookie. Stafford has attempted 139 passes over 4 games, completing 79, for 894 yards. His completion percentage is 56.8% (which is an improvement from the last analysis) and he has thrown 3 TD passes versus 6 interceptions thus far. He has been sacked 10 times now (twice as many as before) and his QB rating has improved from 57 to 65.5, albeit still pretty weak. I believe he still has work to do to improve his accuracy and, subsequently, his completion %. He has a 2 to 1 interception to touchdown ratio currently, which is bad but understandable (if not expected). He is showing improvement in his reads (pre-snap and after the snap), and is making better decisions on when to throw the ball away or take the sack. He has rushed for 50 yards and a rushing TD on 7 rushing attempts. He had shown steady improvement up until the knee injury, and I feel he has done a pretty good job so far as a rookie QB in Detroit. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 6 (above average) as he is still developing and has work to do before he will be solid.

RB - Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith seems to have regressed a bit since week 3. He has had double the rushing attempts (109, up from 55, which shows that the play calling has remained pretty consistent) since week 3, but has only gained 144 more yards (for a total of 348, up from 204). He has 3 TDs (he has only scored twice while rushing since week 3). His YPC has dropped from 3.7 yards per carry to 3.2. I still think he is the real deal, but he is going backwards from my previous target of 4 YPC. Maybe it is the defenses we have faced, or maybe it was his shoulder, but we need him now more than ever and he must step up. He also has 20 catches for 149 yards (up from 12 catches for 80 yards), so he is still able to get it done on multiple levels. He can still have a very good season if he continues on his current pace. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still say he is a 7.

RBs - Aaron Brown and Maurice Morris

Neither one of these two backs has done a whole lot since my last analysis. In fact, Aaron Brown has only had 3 rushing attempts since week 3 and he has only gained 16 yards rushing since then. He has had 1 catch for 14 yards since week 3. His main role since week 3 has been as a kick returner, where he has been less than consistent even though he did manage to gain 141 return yards on 7 kick return attempts since week 3. His kick return total is up to 455 yards on 20 attempts for a 22.8 yard average (down 1.4 yards on average, from 24.2, since week 3). His dropped attempts and lack of consistency in the return game has brought on an increased role for rookie Derrick Williams in the kick return game. It is a similar story for Mo Morris, who has only had 2 rushing attempts since week 3, for a gain of 18 yards (bringing his total to 43 yards on 12 attempts). Morris has not scored since my last analysis, and he has only caught 2 passes for a gain of 17 yards (bringing his total to 4 catches for 29 yards). Ratings on a scale of 1-10, my opinion here has changed. As of right now I give both Brown and Morris a 5 at best, they need to pick up their games.

FB - Jerome Felton

Felton has continued to impress me as a blocker and a short yardage back. He has increased his YPC from 1.5 to 3.3 since my last analysis, further proving that we can count on him when we need a yard. He also continued to show that he is a legitimate receiving threat, as he has increased his totals from 1 catch for 21 yards to 8 catches for 85 yards this season. While his role has still mainly been as a blocker, he has also increased his rushing totals from 9 yards on 6 attempts to 33 yards on 10 attempts. Again, as I said before, as the season progresses I hope that the Lions utilize him more in the offense. He has done a great job so far in his role. Rating on a scale of 1-10 (for his role), I still give him a solid 8 for being a surprisingly solid fullback.

WR - Calvin Johnson

We have all seen what happens when CJ is injured now.....our offense struggles. Even with the injury, CJ has increased his totals from the last analysis, from 13 catches for 190 yards and a TD, to 22 catches for 325 yards. He has not scored since my last analysis however, but he did add to his rushing total as well (4 for 37 yards up from 3 for 25). He is averaging 14.8 YPR (up from 14.6), and I think we still know that he is the best player we have. Even though he has not had spectacular production numbers since my last analysis, we all know that he is still one of the best WRs in the game today. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 9 (10 being perfection).

WR - Bryant Johnson

Bryant Johnson had been a pleasant surprise in his emergence this season, until weeks 4, 5, and 6. He had 8 catches for 118 yards and a TD, with a 14.8 yard per catch average as a compliment to Calvin Johnson after week 3. Since then, he has hauled in another 8 catches but he has only gained 80 yards (bringing his totals to 16 catches for 198 yards). He has not scored since my last analysis. Without Calvin Johnson on the field, Bryant Johnson has shown that he does not have what it takes to step up and be a #1 WR. He has shown that he can take pressure off of CJ and our other receivers, which makes him a valuable #2 WR, but he has struggled without the threat that Calvin Johnson presents to opposing defenses. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a high 6 now, borderline 7........down from the 7 I had previously given him. He is a 7 when CJ is playing, and only above average without him.

WR - Dennis Northcutt

Northcutt did not impress me through the first three weeks, but since then he has come on pretty strong. As a punt returner, he has been pretty average, but as a receiver he has played very well since my last analysis. He has 17 catches for 151 yards and a TD (averaging 9.5 YPR), which is up from 5 catches for 38 yards and a 7.6 YPR average. I was saying before that Northcutt needed to step up his game, and I feel he has delivered nicely for a #3 WR without a big play receiver on the field to garner attention. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I am going to increase Northcutt's rating from a shaky 5 to a solid 5.....I still do not think he is above average, but he is playing much better now.

TE - Brandon Pettigrew

Pettigrew has still shown excellent blocking skills and the ability to get open in space, but he really needs to catch the ball, especially when it is hitting him in the hands! Once again, there is obvious room for improvement and he is a rookie. I still feel that he is doing a pretty good job for being a first year player at TE, but the drops are inexcusable in my opinion. He has 12 catches for 152 yards and a 12.7 YPR (up from 6 catches for 67 yards, with an 11.2 yard per catch average). Not entirely bad by any means, but again I would like to see him get open more in the red zone, or at least have his large frame utilized in such a role, and I would like to see him work on catching the ball. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I still give him a solid 6, as he is still above average for a rookie TE in my opinion.

TE - Will Heller

Heller has not only been a decent blocker, but he has also emerged as an excellent option at receiving TE in my opinion. He has 9 catches for 131 yards and a TD, with a YPR of 14.6 (up from 4 catches for 40 yards, with a 10 yard per catch average). As a TE2 (if you can call him that), I think he has come along quite a bit since my last analysis and shown that he is a viable option for whoever our QB is. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I am increasing Heller's rating to a 6, up from a solid 5.

TE - Casey Fitzsimmons

2 catches for 10 yards since my last analysis? I have three words for you.....Bring up Gronkowski! Rating on a scale of 1-10, Fitzsimmons is a definite 3 now as he is only slightly useful as a ST player (I almost deleted him from this analysis completely).

K - Jason Hanson

Ok guys.....here is where I give my highest rating (not much change from my last analysis). This man is near 40 years old, and he is still banging FGs right down the middle of the uprights, like clockwork, from 50+. Hanson is 9 for 10 so far this season on FG attempts (missing only on a 49 yard attempt I believe), and perfect on XPs. Even after a minor knee surgery, he is still kicking balls close to (if not into) the goal line on kickoffs. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give Jason Hanson a 10 (even though he missed once, I still give our all time leading scorer a rating of 10 at 40 years old).

P - Nick Harris

There is not much to say about Nick Harris, other than the fact that he has been there when we needed him for a long time now. He has punted the ball 28 times so far this season, pinning 9 of them inside the 20. He is averaging 41.1 yards per punt and has a long of 55 this season. He is not the picture of perfection, but he is getting the job done. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 8.

I will continue with my defensive ratings tomorrow. Talk amongst yourselves....I gave you the topic......:o)

I AM a Lions fan!!!

KDawg — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:26:54 -0000

Are you a Lions fan? I'm not just talking about a fair weather fan who will come around and be happy when the team starts winning and we make the playoffs. I'm talking about a true Honolulu Blue, die hard, stick with your team no matter how bad it gets, how much you hate the players, coaches, owners, or front office staff and their decisions type of I WILL NOT GO AWAY FAN!! WHAT ARE YOU!?!?! ARE YOU A MAN OR ARE YOU A BOY?? DO YOU BLEED HONOLULU BLUE AND SILVER OR ARE YOU A LOWDOWN PATHETIC CUR WHO ONLY CHEERS WHEN IT SUITS YOUR AGENDA??

I AM a true blue, die hard Lions fan who WILL NOT go away! I am a true fan who WILL stand by this team until the day I die, NO MATTER WHAT! I don't care if they NEVER win another game in my life, THEY ARE MY TEAM!! If you do not share MY PASSION, then GET THE F OUT! I don't want to read your pathetic dribble, or see your whining and crying ANYMORE! If you want to STICK TO YOUR GUNS and BE A TRUE LIONS FAN, the jerk that smoke wagon and GO TO WORK! I SAID THROW DOWN BOY!

Poll

WHAT ARE YOU??

I AM A TRUE LIONS FAN! DEATH TO ALL BANDWAGON CURS!!

83 votes

I am a pathetic bandwagon cur. I am a fair weather worm who deserves to be chopped into tiny pieces and thrown into the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

2 votes

85 votes | Poll has closed

Guys....I am super bored

KDawg — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:36:15 -0000

I know it is pretty early in the season, and many of you guys do not like analysis of players when they have had so little time to get their feet wet. However, out of sheer boredom and pure personal interest, I am going to do an individual player based analysis of where our guys (the starters and maybe a few backups who play) stand so far this season. I will try to keep it simple, and I will keep in mind that it has only been three weeks. Please keep in mind that I will base my analysis on actual stats, and I will add my own personal opinion to it. I hope that this post will be enlightening and interesting to all of you, and I look forward to your comments and additions. I will give each player a rating based on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being useless, 2 being poor, 3 being slightly useful, 4 being below average, 5 being average, 6 being above average, 7 being solid, 8 being very solid, 9 being amazing, and 10 being the picture of perfection. The POD server seems to be having issues today, so I have no idea what happened to the jump....lol.

Offense:

QB - Matthew Stafford

I have to be very careful here, since this is a very touchy subject and I do not want to rekindle the QB debate. Stafford is a rookie in this league, and he has only played for 3 weeks. We have seen flashes of greatness out of the young gunslinger, and we have also seen him make some boneheaded decisions that make it obvious that he is a rookie. Stafford has attempted 103 passes over 3 games, completing 55, for 598 yards. His completion percentage is 53.4% and he has thrown 2 TD passes versus 5 interceptions thus far. He has been sacked only 5 times and his QB rating is a weak 57. Personally I think we would all like to see him completing over 60% of his passes, so he has work to do in that area as he needs to improve his accuracy. He has a 2.5 to 1 interception to touchdown ratio currently, which is bad. He also needs to work on making better reads (pre-snap and after the snap), and better decisions on when to throw the ball away or take the sack. On the bright side, he has shown good mobility, rushing for 30 yards and a rushing TD on 5 rushing attempts. All in all, he has shown steady improvement over the 3 weeks of the season, and because of the fact that he is a rookie playing in Detroit I would say he is doing an average job right now. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6 for now (don't read too much into that number, but realize that at this point his stats are not that great and he has a ton of work to do).

RB - Kevin Smith

Gentlemen, I think we can all agree that Kevin Smith has been backing up his talk with solid performances. He has had 55 rushing attempts in 3 games, for 204 yards and 1 TD, and has been an integral part of our offense. He is averaging 3.7 yards per carry. I think we would all like to see him averaging at least 4 yards per carry, but 3.7 is not far off from that mark and he has shown that he is the real deal. He also has 12 catches for 80 yards, so he is getting it done on multiple levels. If we project these stats over the remainder of the season, if Kevin Smith stays on the exact same pace he is at currently he will rush for roughly 1088 yards on 293 attempts, with approximately 6 rushing TDs. He will also have 64 catches for 427 yards for a combined total of 1515 yards from scrimmage. There is obviously room for improvement here, but I would say that these are conservative figures. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 7 for now.

RBs - Aaron Brown and Maurice Morris

As backups to Kevin Smith, these two guys have been nice change of pace backs when Kevin Smith needed a play or two of rest. Aaron Brown has shown us great athletic ability outside the tackles, with 25 yards rushing on 10 attempts to go along with his 2 catches for 12 yards. He has also been an outstanding kick returner with 314 return yards on 13 attempts for a 24.2 yard average, and this is where he has been the most valuable so far. Morris has been a decent short yardage back, also rushing for 25 yards on 10 carries, with 1 rushing TD to go along with his 1 catch for 12 yards. Morris has shown good blocking skills as well. Again there is room for improvement here, and we may very well get a much more extended look of both backs with Kevin Smith being banged up a bit. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give Brown a solid 7 and Morris a solid 6.

FB - Jerome Felton

I think we can all agree that Felton has been a beast as a blocker and a short yardage back so far. He has been a 1.5 yards and a cloud of dust kind of guy for us so far, but by averaging 1.5 yards per carry it shows that we can count on him when we need a yard. He also showed that he can catch a pass, as he caught 1 for 21 yards this season. He has mainly been used as a blocker though, and as such he only has 9 yards on 6 rushing attempts. As the season progresses, I hope that the Lions utilize him more in the offense. He has done a great job so far in his role. Rating on a scale of 1-10 (for his role), I give him a solid 8.

WR - Calvin Johnson

I am pretty confident that we all agree that Megatron is our best player on offense. He is the heart and soul of the offense, and without him the rest of our offense would probably struggle mightily. Just the threat of him being on the field forces teams to game plan for him specifically, and opens up the rest of the offense by taking some of the pressure off of the other players. CJ has 13 catches for 190 yards and a TD over three games so far, and he has added 25 yards rushing on 3 rushing attempts. We have all witnessed a few TDs that he could have (and probably should have) had, so his numbers are not entirely indicative of his play. He is averaging 14.6 yards per catch. If he were to stay on this same pace, he would have 69 catches for 1013 yards, with approximately 6 TDs. I think we all believe he will have more than 70 catches, more than 6 TDs, and more than 1013 yards this season. However, if he doesn't, these numbers are not terrible to say the least. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 9 (10 being perfection).

WR - Bryant Johnson

Bryant Johnson has been a pleasant surprise in his emergence this season so far. He has 8 catches for 118 yards and a TD, with a 14.8 yard per catch average as a compliment to Calvin Johnson. He is showing that he can take pressure off of CJ and our other receivers, which makes him a valuable #2 WR. Projecting his current stats over the rest of the season, BJ would have approximately 43 catches for 629 yards and 6 TDs if he remained on this same pace. I would love for him and CJ to take us back to the days of old, when Herman Moore and Bret Perriman set the tandem receiving record with over 100 catches each, but for now the above projected numbers would make me more than happy. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 7 so far.

WR - Dennis Northcutt

Northcutt has not really impressed me so far. As a punt returner he has had 64 yards on 4 returns, with 6 fair catches. His punt return average is 16 yards per attempt, but I have only seen him make one great return and that is it. He has 5 catches for 38 yards and a 7.6 yard per catch average. I sincerely think that we need to improve in this area. Northcutt is a crafty veteran who has been good in the past, but so far he has not shown me much that leads to my being impressed. We need him over the middle, and we need him to get us solid field position on punt returns. If he can't get it done, there is a rookie waiting for another chance. I'm not sure if he is just not getting open, or what the deal is, but I feel that he needs to step up his game. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a shaky 5 (average, but leaning toward slightly below).

TE - Brandon Pettigrew

Another rookie who is staring in his first year, Pettigrew has been an excellent blocker and has shown that he can get open in space and catch the ball. Once again, being a rookie there is obvious room for improvement. However, I feel that he is doing a pretty good job for being a first year player at TE. He has 6 catches for 67 yards, with an 11.2 yard per catch average. I would like to see him get open more in the red zone, or at least have his large frame utilized in such a role. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6 for now.

TE - Will Heller

Heller has also been a decent blocker who has gotten open a few times and made some nice catches. He has 4 catches for 40 yards, with a 10 yard per catch average. As a TE2 I would say he is doing an average job, not bad but not outstanding either. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 5.

TE - Casey Fitzsimmons

Fitzsimmons has been a disappointing player in my opinion for several years now. While he has shown the ability to stretch the field and make some nice catches, his durability has been a major concern. He has been relegated to TE3 because of his constant nagging injuries, and as such he has only garnered 2 catches for 13 yards this season. I sincerely think that Gronkowski is the better option at TE3 at this point, and if the Lions insist on keeping Fitz around I think it is solely for special teams needs. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a shaky 4 (below average, but leaning toward only slightly useful).

K - Jason Hanson

Ok guys.....here is where I give my highest rating. This man is near 40 years old, and he is still banging FGs right down the middle of the uprights, like clockwork, from 50+. Hanson is a perfect 6 for 6 so far this season on FG attempts, and perfect on XPs. Even after a minor knee surgery, he is still kicking balls close to (if not into) the goal line on kickoffs. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give Jason Hanson a 10 (he has been perfect so far).

P - Nick Harris

There is not much to say about Nick Harris, other than the fact that he has been there when we needed him for a long time now. He has punted the ball 15 times so far this season, pinning 6 of them inside the 20. He is averaging 39.9 yards per punt and has a long of 55 this season. He is not the picture of perfection, but he is getting the job done. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 8.

Defense:

MLB - Larry Foote

Larry Foote has been great so far this season. He is a force against the run and he has shown that he can cover guys over the middle. He is leading the team in tackles with 28 and he has 1 sack over three games. He impressed me with his desire to play for the Lions, and so far he has not disappointed. I love his addition to our team, and I hope they sign him to at least a 4 year deal after this season (barring career ending injury....knock on wood). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 8.

OLB - Julian Peterson

Peterson seemed to step up his play over the last two games, and I was also impressed with his desire to play for the Lions. However, I think he has far more potential than he has shown thus far. He only has 7 tackles so far, and zero sacks (he had 5 sacks last year in Seattle, and that mark is still easily within reach). What he has done well is play in coverage, as I have not seen him get beat or blow a coverage assignment yet. I think we would all like to see the pro bowl caliber LB that he can be, so I continue to hope for improvement from him this season. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6 (above average, but not good enough to be solid so far).

OLB - Ernie Sims

Ernie Sims, on the other hand, has played pretty well up until his injury last weekend. He has not lit the world on fire by any means in the sack department (0), but he has 14 tackles. It was recently pointed out to me that Sims has never really been expected to get a ton of sacks, and he was expected to be more of a coverage linebacker. I believe he has done a good job in this role, as well as being solid in run support so far this season. He has been very durable in his 3 seasons thus far, and I hope that his injury is minor enough that he can continue his consecutive starts streak. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 7 for what he has done so far this year.

OLBs - Jordan Dizon and DeAndre Levy

Dizon has come in to spell Sims on multiple occasions this season, and he has played pretty admirably. He has 9 tackles and has been solid against the run when he has played. His size and durability are my main concerns, and it is yet to be seen if he could play every game for an entire season. As a backup, in a backup and situational role, I think he has played well. Levy has also played at an unexpectedly high level so far, even as a rookie. He has 8 tackles in a role similar to that of Dizon's. I like Levy's size and upside more than I like Dizon's however, and if Sims is not going to play I would like to see Levy take a majority of the snaps as a replacement. In my opinion both men could improve on their coverage skills, but both have shown pretty good tackling skills against the run. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give Dizon and Levy both a solid 6.

DT - Grady Jackson

Grady Jackson is a big man. He is a space eater and a gap plugger. I think his purpose has been well served and made evident in our defense's improvement against the run this year. Grady Jackson was never expected to be a great pass rusher in Detroit, but rather he was expected to do what he has done so far, which is take up space and be hard to move. He has 4 tackles. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6 for his expected role (if I were rating him on his overall ability to generate a pass rush as well as stop the run, I would say he is a 4 (below avg)).

DT - Sammie Lee Hill

Contrary to Grady Jackson, I believe that Hill is expected to utilize his size and athletic ability to generate a pass rush in the middle of the defensive line, as well as to eat up space and stop the run in his respective gaps. Hill has not gotten a sack yet, but he is a rookie who is still learning. He has a huge upside, and being a raw talent who was thrust into a starting role as a rookie I think he is doing admirably well. He has 3 tackles so far. He has a long way to go before he will be the dominating force that the coaching staff wants him to be, but he is getting valuable experience which will hopefully translate into improvement quicker than not (my same hope goes out to Matt Stafford). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 5.

DT - Landon Cohen

In a backup role in a D-line rotation, Cohen has not really done too much to write home about. He has 2 tackles and has not shown a strong pass rushing ability considering his amazing strength. I can't help but think that his arms and upper body are amazingly strong, but his lower body must be weak. He needs to work on his leg strength and utilizing leverage if he ever wants to be anything more than an afterthought. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 4 so far.

DT/DE - Andre Fluellen

Now here is a guy that continues to impress me. He is big enough to play DT, but also versatile enough to play DE. Not only has he played very well in his backup/rotational role, but he also has collected 6 tackles and a sack while playing both DT and DE. I really like the fact that he can play both positions, and his versatility will likely keep him around longer than guys like Cohen who can only play one position. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6 for the role he is playing so far.

DE - DeWayne White

None of our defensive ends have been spectacular, but one thing that can be said about them is that they are getting a good push on the outside. I have seen them within arms reach of the QB on multiple occasions in all 3 games so far. If our DTs could get a push in the middle, forcing the opposing QB to flush left or right, then I think our DEs would be getting a lot more sacks. DeWayne White has not been an unstoppable force, but he has not done a bad job either, considering the circumstances. He has 4 tackles, but no sacks. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 5 so far.

DE - Cliff Avril

Avril is another guy that I have been disappointed with this season. He has 1 tackle, no sacks, and he has been injured. I am starting to believe that he is too small to play DE in a 4-3 scheme. If he is not moved to OLB, or if he does not have the ability to make that transition, I think he will be on his way out of Detroit sooner than later. I like the guy, don't get me wrong, but he has yet to show us that he can consistently play at the level he did last season as a rookie. I have hope that he can come back and significantly improve, but as of right now Jason Hunter is the far superior player. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 4 for now.

DE - Jason Hunter

The offseason free agent acquisition has been the best pass rusher we have had so far this season. He has consistently been in the backfield, pressuring the QB and making plays. I am very impressed with him thus far, and he has been the only bright spot on our DL in my opinion. He has garnered 11 tackles and 2 sacks in relief of the injured Cliff Avril. I think he has won the starting job, unless Avril comes back with a vengeance. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 7 so far.

CB - Anthony Henry

Anthony Henry is another player who has been a pleasant surprise on our defense this year so far. Not only does he have one of our only 2 INTs, but also he has racked up 22 tackles (2nd only to Foote). The fact that he has 22 tackles does not bode well for our defensive line and their ability to get to the QB, but it does show that Henry is a good tackler who is always around the ball. Henry has been the best corner on our team this year, and I think he has played above and beyond many of our expectations (considering we all thought he had lost a step and should be playing safety). I have not seen him get beat deep (however, I do not know who got beat by Santana Moss last sunday for that 57 yard TD....was it Will James?), and I do not think he has blown any coverage assignments (to the best of my knowledge). Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 7 so far.

CB - Phillip Buchanon

Buchanon was supposed to be our play maker at CB this year. So far he has been a bit lackluster. This fact was made clear last Sunday when he was active, but benched in favor of William James. On the season, so far, he has 5 tackles and no INTs. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a 5 so far.

CBs - William James and Eric King

There isn't much to say about these two guys, but they have been average as backups and situational players. Each man has 6 tackles on the season, and no INTs. I am not overly impressed with either one, but it is my opinion that James has a slight edge over King (obviously as he got a start in place of Buchanon and not King). However, I do not see either player as anything more than average at this point. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give James a solid 5 and King a shaky 5.

S - Louis Delmas

The rookie out of WMU has been pretty impressive thus far, earning defensive rookie of the month honors for the month of September. He has accumulated 17 tackles and no INTs. Again, his tackle totals could indicate that too many running backs are making it into the secondary, but all in all Delmas has been solid. I think it is obvious that he has room to improve, being a rookie and all. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a shaky 7 (meaning he has been mostly solid, but until he improves he is leaning toward only above average....however, he is certainly above average for a rookie).

S - Marquand Manuel

Marquand Manuel has been a pleasant surprise to me as well. I had read that he was a liability in pass coverage, but so far I have seen little to support that claim. He has accumulated 17 tackles (34 tackles over 3 games for the safeties combined....not a good sign), 1 fumble recovery, and no INTs. I do not see Manuel as a ball hawking type of safety, but he has been good in run support and has proven to be a good tackler. Durability is the only concern I can see at this point. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a solid 6.

S - Kalvin Pearson

Pearson has seen limited play in a situational role as a backup so far this season. He has garnered 6 tackles and no INTs. I am not a big fan of Pearson, but he has not been the worst player I have seen. On the other hand, he has not done anything that jumps out at me either. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give him a shaky 5.

S - Ko Simpson and Darnell Bing

These two guys have done a decent job as backups as depth players. Ko Simpson has the only other INT this season (other than Anthony Henry's) and he has made 2 tackles in a limited role. Bing has made 3 tackles in his limited role. Ratings on a scale of 1-10, I give both Simpson and Bing a solid 5 for their limited roles.

The Offensive Line:

I could break down the offensive line position by position, but I see them as one unit and so I am going to rate them as such. The offensive line has shown vast improvement over last year's unit in both run blocking and pass protection. So far, the Lion's offensive linemen have allowed only 5 sacks over 3 games. There are only 11 teams in the league who have allowed less than 5 sacks, and there are 8 teams (including the Steelers and Packers) who have also allowed 5 sacks. The Lion's are currently tied for 14th in the league in sacks (the middle of the pack....isn't it great!). The guys up front have also shown that the new agressive, downhill blocking scheme is far superior (at least for them) to the zone blocking scheme that was used last year. Kevin Smith has gotten off to a pretty nice start against 2 very good run defenses (Washington and Minnesota). The offensive line can be credited for that. While some of us still have our concerns with Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola, the reality of the situation is that Raiola, Ramirez (not so much Loper), Peterman, and Cherilus have been relatively solid (minus some stupid penalties here and there). Backus is still the weakest link, whether he is the most durable or not. That said, even Backus has done a relatively decent job on all but one play that I can think of this year (the phantom block on Jared Allen). All in all, I have been extremely pleased with the play of our offensive line so far this season. Rating on a scale of 1-10, I give the unit a solid 6 so far as a whole....much improved over last year.

And there you have it guys.....let's hear it, what you got?

PROBABILITY - A Reason for Optimism

KDawg — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:50:07 -0000

I came across another very interesting article, written by a well known statistician from Detroit named William M. Briggs. The article asks, and subsequently answers, the question "What is the probability the Detroit Lions lose every game (again!)?". Everyone here, who is a Lions fan, should be very happy with the results of the study he conducted, as it pretty much says that we have less than a 1% chance of losing every single game again this year. The article also shows the probability of winning and the odds against winning for 1-16 games, with multiple sets of data. It is a great read, and the author does a great job explaining how he arrived at the conclusions. He does conclude that we do not have a very reasonable chance of a winning season, but winning six or seven games is not only possible, but even relatively probable. Here is the link to that article:

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=1028

Look guys.....I am posting this because a lot of good people here are getting tired of all of the negativity that is going around. I realize that I may have contributed to some of it, but definitely not all of it. Even though I do not see eye to eye with a lot of people on various issues, does not mean that I do not like them or that I want them to quit posting here so I do not have to read what they have to say. I think we all need to come back to the common ground here, which is the fact that we all love the Lions and want them to succeed. The probability that we will win some games is on our side, regardless of the fact that we have a rookie QB starting and a completely overhauled team (in all actuality that probably adds to the likelihood that we will win some games).

This is what I propose. I propose that we all take a minute to realize that we are here to show our love for a football team, among others who share that love, and that the negativity, arguing, pessimism, and bickering are doing none of us any bit of good. We all need to take a step back, stop telling others what to post and what not to post, and generally calm down. It is ok for everyone to express their opinion, their disappointment, and even their wants, desires, hopes, and dreams related to the Lions. If someone posts something that you do not like as an individual, just skip it! Please, move on to something else. It will save us all a lot of stress that we probably do not need. Not only do derogatory comments, insults, and belittling statements hurt, and not only does negativity, arguing, and becoming angry to the point of vulgarity just cause more bad feelings, but also these things are not conducive to what it means to be a football fan! Like my friend LondonLion said in another thread "Do unto others as you wish to be done onto you".

Sean, I know that you planned to post something like this at some point during the week, so I hope I am not stepping on your toes. I just figured it fit well in my post right here and right now, and I figured it would save you some time as well. Please feel free to add to what I have said if you so choose, or write a completely different post if that is what you want to do. POD.....I love the Lions. I want what is best for them. I want us to all be united in supporting our team. Cheers!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOO LIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STOP SAYING THAT!!!

KDawg — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:59:32 -0000

There is something that I have been reading quite a bit here since the loss yesterday, and it is really bothering me for some reason. I am already tired of seeing people say "I don’t think anybody could have realistically expected the lions to win this game". Why the hell not? Because we were 0-16 last year? Because the Saints are supposedly so good that nobody can possibly stop them? The Lions are a professional football team playing in the National Football League. They are not the London Monarchs playing their first season in the NFL. I do not, and will never, believe that ANY professional football team (no matter how bad they were last year or how bad they have been in a given season) has absolutely no chance at beating ANY other professional football team on any given Sunday.

Yes, the Saints were favorites to win and the Lions were severe underdogs......but that does not mean that we could not realistically expect them to be able to WIN against the Saints!! I definitely expected them to win, and I was more than sure that they COULD win. I do not think it was so unrealistic to think that my team would win against a team who was obviously pretty confident in themselves. Why shouldn't we realistically expect the Lions to win against the Saints? We have what? 17 guys on the active 53 man roster that played on the team last year? 1 coach that was on the staff from last year (Kwan)? A new GM and team president? Several new rookies and a QB who was the #1 pick in the draft? It is a completely different team, with different coaches, and different systems. How can anyone say that it is unrealistic to expect them to WIN??

Do you guys who feel this way actually contend that, just because 3 of our 5 offensive linemen are the same, that we have the same RB, the same old Megatron, the same 2 defensive ends, and 1 linebacker from last year's team, it is unrealistic to expect that this new team would win against the Saints? For God's sake, none of us even know what we really have yet! This new team went out there yesterday and played a full game against a very good football team. Yes, they lost the game, but the opportunities to win WERE there! If 3 or 4 things had happened differently, we would all be on cloud nine right now and the entire U.S. population would be in shock, because our own Detroit Lions would have beaten the New Orleans Saints. It didn't end up that way, but it is NOT unrealistic to have thought that the Lions WOULD OR COULD beat the Saints yesterday, just like it is NOT unrealistic to think that we WILL OR CAN beat the Vikings next weekend. If it was unrealistic to think we would or could beat the Saints, then it is equally unrealistic to think that we have a snowballs chance in HELL against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. Where the Saints are awesome at getting it done in the air, the Vikings are equally as good at getting it done on the ground.

I think having faith in your team and believing they will or can win is admirable, regardless. Waiting until the outcome and then saying "Well, it was unrealistic to think we would win" SUCKS.

Michigan State upset by Central Michigan!!!

KDawg — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:29:57 -0000

Ohhhhhh!!! What a game!! Dan LeFavour is the real deal, and The Sparties shot themselves in the foot today! I bet there was nobody predicting that to happen. In fact, I was listening to 107.3 The Ball today, and everyone was saying that State would win BIG! Some were saying 34-17 State, some said 44-17 State.....but none were correct. The Chippewas come away with a BIG WIN after failing to convert a go ahead 2 point conversion, successfully recovering an onside kick, and then getting an extra 5 yards on a offsides against Michigan State. Aguila kicks a 42 yarder, Central squibs the kick with 3 seconds left.....it hits a front line State player, bounces off, and THE KICKER recovers!!! Central WINS!!! LMMFAO!!!!!

GO BLUE!!!!

Jim Schwartz and the Great QB Debate

KDawg — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:59:16 -0000

Well guys, here we go again. From what I just read, head coach Jim Schwartz expects Daunte Culpepper to be back on the field on Monday. It doesn't sound like Culpepper's injury is as major as some people wish it was. To me, it either says that Daunte Culpepper has been chosen to be the starter in week 1, or they HAD chosen Daunte Culpepper to be the starter in week 1 and now they are hoping to evaluate his status in practice during the week. Anyway, I guess we will have to wait and see, but here is the link to the article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-lionsroster&prov=ap&type=lgns

Just for kicks

KDawg — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:26:30 -0000

Here are a couple of YouTube videos I found in response to seeing the Keyshawn Johnson pic on LionsFan619's post about our LB corp. I found videos of Keyshawn getting knocked the F out by Corwin Brown in a Sunday night game vs the Bucs, and a video of the hit by Brian Kelly that injured Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco) in the preseason last year. Enjoy! (Videos after the jump)

Where am I? No, I'm ok.....damn it ref, I'm Batman!

Ouch!!