We had a lot of momentum going in to halftime, but the Saints came out in the second half and were impossible to stop.
We had trouble tackling all night long, which I feel is the main reason for the result. Too many times it looked like we had one of those slippery running backs stopped in the backfield, and too many times they bounced off for an extra few yards.
We did well to stop the deep threat in the first half, but Brees showed that the Saints have too many weapons to just focus on one threat. When we tried to stop the underneath plays and the running game, they came out and beat us deep.
It's hard to win a game when the other team keeps their offense on the field. The Saints never punted. They only missed three third downs, but followed each one up with a fourth down conversion. None of them were really blowouts either. We were always half a second late to a stop before they made the first down.
Despite the positive first half outcome, we failed to take advantage of the two fumble recoveries. Scores off those turnovers would have been big momentum swings.
We also dropped three sure interceptions. Aaron Berry had a pick in the second quarter go through his hands, plus another one in the fourth. Eric Wright had one go through his hands as well.
The offense played well while the game was close. I think Stafford's playoff debut is nothing to be ashamed of. His first interception was costly, and a result of him trying to force a deep ball to Titus Young. He was quite accurate throughout the game. I'll take 28 for 43, 380 yards, and three touchdowns any day of the week.
Calvin Johnson was simply unstoppable. His 211 yards receiving was an NFL record for a receiver making his postseason debut.
The defense was clearly the problem tonight. If we could have gotten a couple stops in the second half than this would have been a very different game. The past couple weeks have caused me to reevaluate my offseason plan for this team, but more on that in the third part of the season review.
Overall, as Lions fans, we have no reason to be sad after tonight's game. We won 10 games for the first time in forever, we made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, and we gave a really good team a great fight for most of the playoff game. A couple more pieces are all this team needs to join the ranks of the NFL's elite. Let's just say I am looking forward to the 2012 season.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Wild Card Preview: Lions at Saints
For the first time in the history of this blog, I am writing a seventeenth preview of the season. That's right the playoffs are back and we couldn't be more excited.
Or pessimistic, it seems.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of people giving the Lions a chance at this game. Whether it's the media, fans, the opposition, or even Jim Harbaugh, we are solid underdogs heading into our first postseason game since 1999.
But despite the seemingly long odds, nothing about tomorrow night's game makes it impossible to come away with a victory. For evidence, let's look back to the regular season clash at the Superdome. We lost by 14 points, but it was only a seven point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. We were without two of our top defensive players, Louis Delmas and Ndamukong Suh, both of whom are playing tomorrow. Chris Houston also missed that game and he is 100% and ready to go. We hope to have Nick Fairley and Kevin Smith for the entire game, too.
Aside from the rampant injury plague we came down with before that prime time clash, we played easily our dumbest game of the season.
So, with the entire defense alive and with a steadier head about us we should be able to compete this time around.
Our success will mostly depend on our defensive line. If they can harass Drew Brees enough to disrupt his timing, maybe even get a few sacks, our weak secondary's job becomes a lot easier. If Gunther Cunningham learned from the last game in the Big Easy, he will know that sending a blitz on Brees is a bad idea. He will simply pick it up and dump a pass off to Jimmy Graham, or whoever, in the vacated area for a big gain.
If the front four can pressure the passer on their own, it allows more resources to cover the Saints many receiving threats. Leaving seven guys to cover four or five receivers could cause Brees to come off from his first read, giving the line an extra quarter of a second to penetrate the pocket, possibly causing him to scramble or even get sacked.
Our offense simply needs to pick up where it left off. Remember, the Lions have a 5,000 yard passer of their own. Had it not been for the likes of Brees and Brady also hitting that barrier, we would be talking about Stafford having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.
The Saints will do everything in their power to limit Calvin Johnson's impact tomorrow. We need to get Calvin involved anyway. It's possible that there is no pair, or trio, of defensive backs that can truly cover our all-pro receiver, so throw him the ball anyway. If New Orleans does stack their coverage on Calvin, remind them that we also have Nate Burleson, Titus Young, Brandon Pettigrew, and Tony Scheffler on the field.
I don't expect to see Stafford throw for 500 yards and five scores tomorrow, but I do think we will see one of his better games. He simply needs to be efficient with his throws and not turn the ball over.
Speaking of that, here are three keys to the game.
So, here it is, the biggest game of our Lions' fandom so far. Win or lose, our season will be considered a success, perhaps ahead of our planned rebuilding schedule. But, you know what, it's so much more fun to win. So let's go out and take this one so we can book a trip back to the Frozen Tundra to do it all again.
Or pessimistic, it seems.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of people giving the Lions a chance at this game. Whether it's the media, fans, the opposition, or even Jim Harbaugh, we are solid underdogs heading into our first postseason game since 1999.
But despite the seemingly long odds, nothing about tomorrow night's game makes it impossible to come away with a victory. For evidence, let's look back to the regular season clash at the Superdome. We lost by 14 points, but it was only a seven point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. We were without two of our top defensive players, Louis Delmas and Ndamukong Suh, both of whom are playing tomorrow. Chris Houston also missed that game and he is 100% and ready to go. We hope to have Nick Fairley and Kevin Smith for the entire game, too.
Aside from the rampant injury plague we came down with before that prime time clash, we played easily our dumbest game of the season.
So, with the entire defense alive and with a steadier head about us we should be able to compete this time around.
Our success will mostly depend on our defensive line. If they can harass Drew Brees enough to disrupt his timing, maybe even get a few sacks, our weak secondary's job becomes a lot easier. If Gunther Cunningham learned from the last game in the Big Easy, he will know that sending a blitz on Brees is a bad idea. He will simply pick it up and dump a pass off to Jimmy Graham, or whoever, in the vacated area for a big gain.
If the front four can pressure the passer on their own, it allows more resources to cover the Saints many receiving threats. Leaving seven guys to cover four or five receivers could cause Brees to come off from his first read, giving the line an extra quarter of a second to penetrate the pocket, possibly causing him to scramble or even get sacked.
Our offense simply needs to pick up where it left off. Remember, the Lions have a 5,000 yard passer of their own. Had it not been for the likes of Brees and Brady also hitting that barrier, we would be talking about Stafford having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.
The Saints will do everything in their power to limit Calvin Johnson's impact tomorrow. We need to get Calvin involved anyway. It's possible that there is no pair, or trio, of defensive backs that can truly cover our all-pro receiver, so throw him the ball anyway. If New Orleans does stack their coverage on Calvin, remind them that we also have Nate Burleson, Titus Young, Brandon Pettigrew, and Tony Scheffler on the field.
I don't expect to see Stafford throw for 500 yards and five scores tomorrow, but I do think we will see one of his better games. He simply needs to be efficient with his throws and not turn the ball over.
Speaking of that, here are three keys to the game.
- Don't blitz. I covered this above, but in the first game against the Saints, their biggest plays came from us sending too much of our defense into the backfield. The same went for last week against Green Bay. We have to keep the blitzing to obvious run situations and give the secondary as many resources as they need to slow down this super fast passing attack.
- Win the turnover battle. One turnover can force the entire game to change tomorrow night. If the Lions are the one causing New Orleans to turn it over it can go a long way. We also have to protect the ball.
- Play our game. We don't need to bother setting up any kind of running attack, we only need to do enough to let the Saints know that it's there. We are a passing team with a quarterback having an amazing season. So, please, throw early and throw often.
So, here it is, the biggest game of our Lions' fandom so far. Win or lose, our season will be considered a success, perhaps ahead of our planned rebuilding schedule. But, you know what, it's so much more fun to win. So let's go out and take this one so we can book a trip back to the Frozen Tundra to do it all again.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Ugly Defensive Showing Costs Lions in 45-41 Loss
The defense was never pretty today and that is what cost us a win today. You can blame the refs for terrible calls, but in the end it was the fact that we could not stop Matt Flynn and the Green Bay offense. I mean, any time you set a record for the most combined passing yards in NFL history, it is more than just good offense.
Today was also proof that Green Bay is more than just Aaron Rodgers. He is a product of a great offensive system and a great supporting cast. Matt Flynn's success shows that you could take a superstar like Rodgers, put him on the Cleveland Browns, and he would probably play terribly.
So, I doubt the outcome would have been any different had Aaron Rodgers and his crew been in the game. Sure, Flynn isn't what anyone would call a good quarterback, but I don't think the passing numbers can get any more inflated than they did today. Flynn didn't do anything special, the Lions gave him everything he took. Aaron Rodgers would have thrown for six touchdowns today, probably no more.
Take away his interception and Alfonso Smith had a terrible game. I don't know whether his cleats were too short or if he just wasn't right in the head today, but he got burned all day long. Amari Spievey also had a poor showing. He bit hard on a route fake by Donald Jones on Green Bay's final scoring drive that really killed us.
Tactically, Gunther Cunnigham really needs to stop blitzing. Every time we send more than five people any quarterback simply throws to the vacated space of the field. Drew Brees ripped us apart with that in our meeting earlier this year and he will do it again if we let him. Today, we got better pressure on Flynn with just the defensive line rushing.
The offense, however, was fantastic. Stafford had a great game, except for his final pass. Calvin Johnson continued to exceed our expectations of him. Tony Scheffler made plenty of huge catches. Brandon Pettigrew showed how good his hands can be. Kevin Smith, while nothing special running the ball, was a great force as a receiver out of the backfield.
New Orleans doesn't have as many holes in their defense that Green Bay had today, but we can still light up the scoreboard against them.
After today, we know where the hole in this team is. We need to fix this defense in a hurry. if we are going to have a chance at the Saints. That means a great deal less blitzing than we did today and a lot more responsible coverage. I hope today was a wake up call for what we need to change in order to win our first playoff game since 1991.
It is comforting to know that this isn't the last Lions game of the season. My season recap will wait a week, hopefully more.
Today was also proof that Green Bay is more than just Aaron Rodgers. He is a product of a great offensive system and a great supporting cast. Matt Flynn's success shows that you could take a superstar like Rodgers, put him on the Cleveland Browns, and he would probably play terribly.
So, I doubt the outcome would have been any different had Aaron Rodgers and his crew been in the game. Sure, Flynn isn't what anyone would call a good quarterback, but I don't think the passing numbers can get any more inflated than they did today. Flynn didn't do anything special, the Lions gave him everything he took. Aaron Rodgers would have thrown for six touchdowns today, probably no more.
Take away his interception and Alfonso Smith had a terrible game. I don't know whether his cleats were too short or if he just wasn't right in the head today, but he got burned all day long. Amari Spievey also had a poor showing. He bit hard on a route fake by Donald Jones on Green Bay's final scoring drive that really killed us.
Tactically, Gunther Cunnigham really needs to stop blitzing. Every time we send more than five people any quarterback simply throws to the vacated space of the field. Drew Brees ripped us apart with that in our meeting earlier this year and he will do it again if we let him. Today, we got better pressure on Flynn with just the defensive line rushing.
The offense, however, was fantastic. Stafford had a great game, except for his final pass. Calvin Johnson continued to exceed our expectations of him. Tony Scheffler made plenty of huge catches. Brandon Pettigrew showed how good his hands can be. Kevin Smith, while nothing special running the ball, was a great force as a receiver out of the backfield.
New Orleans doesn't have as many holes in their defense that Green Bay had today, but we can still light up the scoreboard against them.
After today, we know where the hole in this team is. We need to fix this defense in a hurry. if we are going to have a chance at the Saints. That means a great deal less blitzing than we did today and a lot more responsible coverage. I hope today was a wake up call for what we need to change in order to win our first playoff game since 1991.
It is comforting to know that this isn't the last Lions game of the season. My season recap will wait a week, hopefully more.
Week Seventeen Preview: Lions at Packers
The last game of the season is mostly meaningless, but it still can have a large effect on how the Lions do in the playoffs. A win means we face the eventual NFC East champions as opposed to the red hot New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round. I think we can march in to Dallas or New York and come away with a win, while a trip to Bourbon Street would be a difficult afternoon.
Green Bay has literally nothing to play for and seems to be mailing it in. They are sitting Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, James Starks, Randall Cobb, Clay Mathews, and Charles Woodson. Basically anyone who matters to Green Bay is going to watch from the sidelines in warm street clothes.The highest scoring offense in the league will be a little out of whack, and the second worst passing defense will be losing two of their best players.
With the likes of Matt Flynn playing, the Lions stand a good chance today, and Vegas agrees. I am seeing that the Lions are favored by 6 1/2 points.
Indeed, the biggest thing working against us this afternoon could be the weather. It is 31 degrees in Green Bay with winds gusting to 45 mph. That isn't conducive to our high passing attack. The run game might have to make an appearance today, for better or worse.
Here are three keys to winning this game:
Green Bay has literally nothing to play for and seems to be mailing it in. They are sitting Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, James Starks, Randall Cobb, Clay Mathews, and Charles Woodson. Basically anyone who matters to Green Bay is going to watch from the sidelines in warm street clothes.The highest scoring offense in the league will be a little out of whack, and the second worst passing defense will be losing two of their best players.
With the likes of Matt Flynn playing, the Lions stand a good chance today, and Vegas agrees. I am seeing that the Lions are favored by 6 1/2 points.
Indeed, the biggest thing working against us this afternoon could be the weather. It is 31 degrees in Green Bay with winds gusting to 45 mph. That isn't conducive to our high passing attack. The run game might have to make an appearance today, for better or worse.
Here are three keys to winning this game:
- Keep the passes short. I know we probably won't run the ball well, or very often. The pass will be difficult to execute due to the harsh winds, so keep things short and high percentage.
- Pressure Matt Flynn. Flynn is no Aaron Rodgers and he is plenty prone to making mistakes. If we sent our defensive line at him aggressively, we can not only get a few sacks, but force plenty of errant throws.
- Don't get hurt. It may seem difficult to list this as a key to the game, but we don't need Stafford, Johnson, or anyone else getting injured for the playoffs. Everyone will start the game, but if things start getting out of hand, one way or the other, we should sit the stars to keep them healthy for next weekend.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Manning Over Stafford in the Pro Bowl Makes Me Sick
And here I was thinking that we were watching our first Pro Bowl quarterback since Greg Landry.
I know the Pro Bowl is the most pointless of all major all-star contests, but it is still an honorable recognition worthy to be proud of. Matthew Stafford had a Pro Bowl caliber season and he got robbed by Eli Manning.
Eli Manning, the often ridiculed quarterback of the average New York Giants football team. A team that will only make the playoffs because they play in a division with equally hapless opponents.
Let's compare Stafford and Eli head to head.
Stafford has a higher completion percentage, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, fewer fumbles, and a higher quarterback rating. Sure, Manning has more yards, but take away a 99 yard touchdown, one that was mostly caused by the Jets inability to tackle, and Stafford has him beat. Stafford has even shown the ability to use his legs in a pinch, look at that 3.5 yards per carry.
Stafford plays for a ten win team that will finish second in the toughest division in the NFL. Stafford has led a 98 yard game winning touchdown drive, and three other double digit comebacks. Manning has probably blown as many games as Stafford has helped save.
Other than the three game stretch where he played with a broken finger, he has been a superstar quarterback. Time and time again Magic Matt #9 has taken a beating, gotten back up, and led his team into the end zone.
To make thing worse, the only Lion in the game will be Calvin Johnson. Yeah, the guy is the best receiver in the NFL so he deserves it. I'm sure Ndamukong Suh missed out due to dirty reputaion, but what about Cliff Avril? The guy has had a career year for us. He has a career high 11 sacks (7th in the NFC), six forced fumbles (tied for most in the NFL), and one of the most amazing looking pick sixes I've ever seen.
I'm sure it all comes down to Eli plays in glamorous New York and Stafford plays in dirty Detroit. The Pro Bowl is a popularity contest after all. I know that Stafford's day will come where he gets honored for his talents, but this year he got robbed by an inferior quarterback in 2011.
Hey, maybe we will get a chance to prove that Stafford is the better in the Wild Card round. If both the Lions and Giants win next week they are set for a date in the playoffs.
I know the Pro Bowl is the most pointless of all major all-star contests, but it is still an honorable recognition worthy to be proud of. Matthew Stafford had a Pro Bowl caliber season and he got robbed by Eli Manning.
Eli Manning, the often ridiculed quarterback of the average New York Giants football team. A team that will only make the playoffs because they play in a division with equally hapless opponents.
Let's compare Stafford and Eli head to head.
| G | GS | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sck | SckY | Rate | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | FUM | Lost | |
| Matthew Stafford | 15 | 15 | 385 | 604 | 63.7 | 4518 | 7.5 | 36 | 14 | 34 | 239 | 96.6 | 22 | 78 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Eli Manning | 15 | 15 | 335 | 556 | 60.3 | 4587 | 8.3 | 26 | 16 | 26 | 184 | 90.3 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
Stafford has a higher completion percentage, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, fewer fumbles, and a higher quarterback rating. Sure, Manning has more yards, but take away a 99 yard touchdown, one that was mostly caused by the Jets inability to tackle, and Stafford has him beat. Stafford has even shown the ability to use his legs in a pinch, look at that 3.5 yards per carry.
Stafford plays for a ten win team that will finish second in the toughest division in the NFL. Stafford has led a 98 yard game winning touchdown drive, and three other double digit comebacks. Manning has probably blown as many games as Stafford has helped save.
Other than the three game stretch where he played with a broken finger, he has been a superstar quarterback. Time and time again Magic Matt #9 has taken a beating, gotten back up, and led his team into the end zone.
To make thing worse, the only Lion in the game will be Calvin Johnson. Yeah, the guy is the best receiver in the NFL so he deserves it. I'm sure Ndamukong Suh missed out due to dirty reputaion, but what about Cliff Avril? The guy has had a career year for us. He has a career high 11 sacks (7th in the NFC), six forced fumbles (tied for most in the NFL), and one of the most amazing looking pick sixes I've ever seen.
I'm sure it all comes down to Eli plays in glamorous New York and Stafford plays in dirty Detroit. The Pro Bowl is a popularity contest after all. I know that Stafford's day will come where he gets honored for his talents, but this year he got robbed by an inferior quarterback in 2011.
Hey, maybe we will get a chance to prove that Stafford is the better in the Wild Card round. If both the Lions and Giants win next week they are set for a date in the playoffs.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Lions Roll Into Playoffs with 38-10 Win Over Chargers
Three years ago it was 0-16, and now we're in the playoffs. The Lions are back to relevancy for the first time in twelve years.
On a day where the Lions could clinch a playoff birth we perhaps played our best game of the season. How about some of these numbers:
Things started to look shaky in the third quarter when San Diego climbed on the scoreboard and followed up with an onside sneak. For once, Norv Turner made a smart coaching decision with that call. The Lions defense, however, held strong and held the Chargers to only a field goal.
The Lions showed their aggressiveness right from the start. The deep ball to Calvin Johnson showed that we were not messing around in this one. That led to an opening drive touchdown and we never looked back.
Stafford easily had his best game of the season. Sure, he has thrown for more yards and more touchdowns before, but he was surgical with his passing precision. He was 29 for 36 (80% completion percentage), 373 yards, and three touchdowns. He was quite literally flawless.
Brandon Pettigrew stepped it up in a big way after a poor showing in Oakland. He had a career day with nine catches and a touchdown. Calvin Johnson was stellar as ever, crossing the 100 yard barrier for the 20th time in his career. His touchdown catch almost looked too easy to be true.
The run game was modestly successful and helped us salt the game away in the waning moments.
Overall, this is the best Lions Christmas present we could have asked for.
Kind of a short post today, but it's Christmas Eve. It is time to spend with family and friends, not analyzing football. So, Merry Christmas, from !snoiL oG- The Lions Blog.
On a day where the Lions could clinch a playoff birth we perhaps played our best game of the season. How about some of these numbers:
- The Lions were 9 for 13 on third down for an unheard of 69% success rate.
- We only had three penalties for eight yards. I don't need to say any more.
- We didn't punt in the first half and only punted three times overall.
- We scored on five of our first six possessions.
Things started to look shaky in the third quarter when San Diego climbed on the scoreboard and followed up with an onside sneak. For once, Norv Turner made a smart coaching decision with that call. The Lions defense, however, held strong and held the Chargers to only a field goal.
The Lions showed their aggressiveness right from the start. The deep ball to Calvin Johnson showed that we were not messing around in this one. That led to an opening drive touchdown and we never looked back.
Stafford easily had his best game of the season. Sure, he has thrown for more yards and more touchdowns before, but he was surgical with his passing precision. He was 29 for 36 (80% completion percentage), 373 yards, and three touchdowns. He was quite literally flawless.
Brandon Pettigrew stepped it up in a big way after a poor showing in Oakland. He had a career day with nine catches and a touchdown. Calvin Johnson was stellar as ever, crossing the 100 yard barrier for the 20th time in his career. His touchdown catch almost looked too easy to be true.
The run game was modestly successful and helped us salt the game away in the waning moments.
Overall, this is the best Lions Christmas present we could have asked for.
Kind of a short post today, but it's Christmas Eve. It is time to spend with family and friends, not analyzing football. So, Merry Christmas, from !snoiL oG- The Lions Blog.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Week Sixteen Preview: Chargers at Lions
This is the biggest game in the last twelve years. Sure, it isn't technically a do or die scenario, but if we win, we find ourselves in the playoffs for the first time in recent memory and we win our tenth game for the first time since 1993.
San Diego will not make this feat easy.
The Chargers are another team with an electric offense. They are lead by the esteemed Phillip Rivers at quarterback. Although he is having a sub par season by his standards, he is on a bit of a hot streak. He has back to back games with three touchdowns and he hasn't thrown an interception since the November 20 game against the Bears. Some may say, however, that he is due for a let down this week.
His number one target is Vincent Jackson, who expects to play despite a sore groin. He is a 1,000 yard plus receiver who has eight touchdowns on the year. The league's sixth best passing offense also finds a threat from Antonio Gates. He has long been one of the strongest pass catching tight ends out there. He is right behind Jackson as far as Rivers's favorite targets are concerned.
Our banged up secondary will once again be tested. We will likely be without Louis Delmas and Aaron Berry again, so that will hurt. However, Amari Spievey, Chris Houston, and Chris Harris are all listed as probable, so it could be worse. I think we can contain Rivers as long as we don't have to throw John Wendling or Rasheed Davis into the secondary again.
This team can also run the football, which doesn't look good for us. They have a nice speed-power combo brewing with Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert. Matthews is the little speed guy who racks up the yards. He has crossed the 1,000 yard threshold this season. Tolbert, however, is the bigger ground and pound guy who racks of touchdowns in short yardage situations.
We could have Nick Fairley and Corey Williams back for this one, so that should shore up the run defense a little bit, but I am not expecting it to be extremely sharp. We need to keep those guys human at worst if we are to win the battle when San Diego has the ball.
Our offense is going up against a strong pass coverage unit. Free safety Eric Weddle is having a career year with seven interceptions. He will likely be the man over the top of Calvin Johnson, keeping him from going deep. Magic Matt #9 is going to have to find success in short passes to guys like Nate Burleson and Titus Young. Our tight ends might even need to get into the mix. The number one priority in the passing game is for the receivers to hang onto the ball. Eight, nine, or ten drops will destroy our offense, as well as Stafford's fantasy numbers.
Our variety at receiver could be our greatest strength. Teams will try and take Calvin away, but we need to show that the other guys can do just as well.
As I said in last week's reap, I am giving up hope on our ground game. We should try it every now and then, especially with a lead. But if it isn't going anywhere then let's not waste time and downs with it. Let the air attack take us forward.
The three keys to the game are as follows:
San Diego will not make this feat easy.
The Chargers are another team with an electric offense. They are lead by the esteemed Phillip Rivers at quarterback. Although he is having a sub par season by his standards, he is on a bit of a hot streak. He has back to back games with three touchdowns and he hasn't thrown an interception since the November 20 game against the Bears. Some may say, however, that he is due for a let down this week.
His number one target is Vincent Jackson, who expects to play despite a sore groin. He is a 1,000 yard plus receiver who has eight touchdowns on the year. The league's sixth best passing offense also finds a threat from Antonio Gates. He has long been one of the strongest pass catching tight ends out there. He is right behind Jackson as far as Rivers's favorite targets are concerned.
Our banged up secondary will once again be tested. We will likely be without Louis Delmas and Aaron Berry again, so that will hurt. However, Amari Spievey, Chris Houston, and Chris Harris are all listed as probable, so it could be worse. I think we can contain Rivers as long as we don't have to throw John Wendling or Rasheed Davis into the secondary again.
This team can also run the football, which doesn't look good for us. They have a nice speed-power combo brewing with Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert. Matthews is the little speed guy who racks up the yards. He has crossed the 1,000 yard threshold this season. Tolbert, however, is the bigger ground and pound guy who racks of touchdowns in short yardage situations.
We could have Nick Fairley and Corey Williams back for this one, so that should shore up the run defense a little bit, but I am not expecting it to be extremely sharp. We need to keep those guys human at worst if we are to win the battle when San Diego has the ball.
Our offense is going up against a strong pass coverage unit. Free safety Eric Weddle is having a career year with seven interceptions. He will likely be the man over the top of Calvin Johnson, keeping him from going deep. Magic Matt #9 is going to have to find success in short passes to guys like Nate Burleson and Titus Young. Our tight ends might even need to get into the mix. The number one priority in the passing game is for the receivers to hang onto the ball. Eight, nine, or ten drops will destroy our offense, as well as Stafford's fantasy numbers.
Our variety at receiver could be our greatest strength. Teams will try and take Calvin away, but we need to show that the other guys can do just as well.
As I said in last week's reap, I am giving up hope on our ground game. We should try it every now and then, especially with a lead. But if it isn't going anywhere then let's not waste time and downs with it. Let the air attack take us forward.
The three keys to the game are as follows:
- We need to play our game and not allow San Diego to dictate our play. We need to use our air superiority and not force any kind of running game to come out if it isn't going anywhere.
- We need to make Phillip Rivers look ordinary. The guy can make plays if we allow him to, so we need solid, but not overdone, pressure in the pocket to keep him from having it easy.
- Finally, we can't let Matthews as Tolbert run wild. If San Diego finds themselves ahead, they will use these two to salt the game away. If we can keep their impact to a minimum, we can climb back from any deficit with our quick scoring offense.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Johnson and Stafford Lead Miracle Comeback Win
The defense struggled to get stops. The offense never seemed to be able to move. Even the punting game was struggling. But, in the end, it was Stafford to Johnson for the win.
I thought of a scene from The Blues Brothers, for some reason. Similar to Jake and Elwood, we were 98 yards from the end zone, down by six points, and we only had two minutes. Stafford looked at his offense and said, "Hit it." And hit it they did. The magic was in Calvin Johnson's 48 yard catch and in his game winning six yard touchdown. It was quite nerve racking, but it was a ton of fun at the same time.
The real play of the game came on the Raiders final attempt at victory. Cliff Avril's sack of Carson Palmer was the most important play. Not only did it set the Raiders back a few yards, but it forced them to use their final timeout prematurely, giving them very little time to set up a field goal. On the last scrimmage play, I told the people I watched with that anything under ten yards is okay to give up. Yet, when they only got six, I still half expected Janikowski to hit from 65 yards. Thankfully, Ndamukong Suh ended my fears.
Despite the story book ending, we are still going to look at this game and see the Lions' many flaws. We had a ton of trouble stopping the Raiders' run game. 132 yards rushing is way more than we ever want to give up. I thought that our coverage was way too soft all game. We routinely played our corners seven yards off the line of scrimmage and we routinely got burned by receivers sitting in soft zones. Carson Palmer proved on several occasions that he was unable to hit a wide open receiver deep, including with only 2:27 remaining on a play that would have won the game.
The offense also sputtered for much of the game. I am officially declaring the run game dead for the season. We only had 57 yards rushing against one of the worst rush defenses in the league. I no longer have faith in us to run against anyone, so I will stop hoping that we manage to break out with a huge rushing performance.
The other major issue was the eight dropped passes. Stafford laid many great passes into his receivers' hands only to see them flop to the ground. Stafford was 29 for 52 on the game, which is only 55%. If his pass catchers didn't have eight drops, he jumps to 71%. A much prettier number indeed.
I hope nobody ever question's Stafford's toughness ever again. The guy has taken a beating nearly every game this year and he has always managed to get right back up and stay in the game. He has lead this team to come back victories more than any Lions quarterback I can remember, and he is only in his third season. Today's 98 yard winning drive confirms that Magic Matt Number Nine has what it takes to lead my team any day.
To sum everything up, we have out first nine win season since 2000 and we are on the doorstep of our first playoff birth since 1999. A win next week clinches a playoff spot and our first 10 win campaign since the 1993 division championship. This season has been a success, regardless of how it finishes. We still have a ways to go, bu we have come a long way since 0-16. Now, let's go out on Christmas Eve and clinch ourselves a spot in the postseason party.
I thought of a scene from The Blues Brothers, for some reason. Similar to Jake and Elwood, we were 98 yards from the end zone, down by six points, and we only had two minutes. Stafford looked at his offense and said, "Hit it." And hit it they did. The magic was in Calvin Johnson's 48 yard catch and in his game winning six yard touchdown. It was quite nerve racking, but it was a ton of fun at the same time.
The real play of the game came on the Raiders final attempt at victory. Cliff Avril's sack of Carson Palmer was the most important play. Not only did it set the Raiders back a few yards, but it forced them to use their final timeout prematurely, giving them very little time to set up a field goal. On the last scrimmage play, I told the people I watched with that anything under ten yards is okay to give up. Yet, when they only got six, I still half expected Janikowski to hit from 65 yards. Thankfully, Ndamukong Suh ended my fears.
Despite the story book ending, we are still going to look at this game and see the Lions' many flaws. We had a ton of trouble stopping the Raiders' run game. 132 yards rushing is way more than we ever want to give up. I thought that our coverage was way too soft all game. We routinely played our corners seven yards off the line of scrimmage and we routinely got burned by receivers sitting in soft zones. Carson Palmer proved on several occasions that he was unable to hit a wide open receiver deep, including with only 2:27 remaining on a play that would have won the game.
The offense also sputtered for much of the game. I am officially declaring the run game dead for the season. We only had 57 yards rushing against one of the worst rush defenses in the league. I no longer have faith in us to run against anyone, so I will stop hoping that we manage to break out with a huge rushing performance.
The other major issue was the eight dropped passes. Stafford laid many great passes into his receivers' hands only to see them flop to the ground. Stafford was 29 for 52 on the game, which is only 55%. If his pass catchers didn't have eight drops, he jumps to 71%. A much prettier number indeed.
I hope nobody ever question's Stafford's toughness ever again. The guy has taken a beating nearly every game this year and he has always managed to get right back up and stay in the game. He has lead this team to come back victories more than any Lions quarterback I can remember, and he is only in his third season. Today's 98 yard winning drive confirms that Magic Matt Number Nine has what it takes to lead my team any day.
To sum everything up, we have out first nine win season since 2000 and we are on the doorstep of our first playoff birth since 1999. A win next week clinches a playoff spot and our first 10 win campaign since the 1993 division championship. This season has been a success, regardless of how it finishes. We still have a ways to go, bu we have come a long way since 0-16. Now, let's go out on Christmas Eve and clinch ourselves a spot in the postseason party.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Week Fifteen Preview: Lions at Raiders
The story of this game has been if we win, we're in the playoffs. While a victory certainly doesn't clinch a spot in the postseason, it really does give us the inside track.
Now, what do we have to be mindful of in order to come out on top against the Silver and Black?
The Raiders' most valuable offensive weapon is their ground game. They may be without superstar Darren McFadden, but the sixth ranked rushing attack in the league still has a man named Michael Bush. Bush is averaging 3.9 yards per carry with seven touchdowns on the ground. One key to the game will be containing him and/or making sure the Raiders aren't in a position where running can win them the game.
Oakland's passing attack is less stable. The picked up Carson Palmer midway through the season and he has been decidedly average since signing on. In his seven starts he averages only 247.4 yards per game. That may seem like a lot, but in today's pass oriented league it is right around the mean. He has nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions, clearly not a ratio you want to see from your starting quarterback.
Palmer has been without two of his main weapons in Jacoby Ford and Demarius Moore. Both have been sidelined with foot injuries, making throwing the ball difficult for Oakland. Darrius Heyward-Bey has been picking up the slack. He is their leading pass catcher with 43 catches and 620 yards.
Moore should be returning for this game, however.
The Lions have returning defensive weapons of their own. Ndamukong Suh is the first name that comes to mind. His presence will play a vital role in slowing down Oakland's rush first offense. Should Nick Fairley play, the defense becomes even more solid. Chris Houston figures to return to the secondary for the first time since Thanksgiving. This will make us more able to stop any type of passing attack that Oakland can construct. Louis Delmas, on the other hand, did not travel with the team and will sit out at least another week.
As for our offense, this is a game where the ground game can see some light. Kevin Smith was practicing and expects to start tomorrow afternoon. Couple that with the fact that Oakland is ranked 29th in the league against the run and they are mired in a bit of a slump. They have allowed 517 yards on the ground in the last three games. All of this means that it isn't a stretch to expect one of our better ground performances of the year.
Oakland's average secondary also provides a good chance for Matthew Stafford to have a solid game. He doesn't have to be amazing, just capable, in order for us to win this game. Either way, expect us to put some points on the board. Oakland has given up 30 or more points five times this season and has found themselves in a 34-0 hole in each of the last two weeks.
Here are three keys to tomorrow's game.
Now, what do we have to be mindful of in order to come out on top against the Silver and Black?
The Raiders' most valuable offensive weapon is their ground game. They may be without superstar Darren McFadden, but the sixth ranked rushing attack in the league still has a man named Michael Bush. Bush is averaging 3.9 yards per carry with seven touchdowns on the ground. One key to the game will be containing him and/or making sure the Raiders aren't in a position where running can win them the game.
Oakland's passing attack is less stable. The picked up Carson Palmer midway through the season and he has been decidedly average since signing on. In his seven starts he averages only 247.4 yards per game. That may seem like a lot, but in today's pass oriented league it is right around the mean. He has nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions, clearly not a ratio you want to see from your starting quarterback.
Palmer has been without two of his main weapons in Jacoby Ford and Demarius Moore. Both have been sidelined with foot injuries, making throwing the ball difficult for Oakland. Darrius Heyward-Bey has been picking up the slack. He is their leading pass catcher with 43 catches and 620 yards.
Moore should be returning for this game, however.
The Lions have returning defensive weapons of their own. Ndamukong Suh is the first name that comes to mind. His presence will play a vital role in slowing down Oakland's rush first offense. Should Nick Fairley play, the defense becomes even more solid. Chris Houston figures to return to the secondary for the first time since Thanksgiving. This will make us more able to stop any type of passing attack that Oakland can construct. Louis Delmas, on the other hand, did not travel with the team and will sit out at least another week.
As for our offense, this is a game where the ground game can see some light. Kevin Smith was practicing and expects to start tomorrow afternoon. Couple that with the fact that Oakland is ranked 29th in the league against the run and they are mired in a bit of a slump. They have allowed 517 yards on the ground in the last three games. All of this means that it isn't a stretch to expect one of our better ground performances of the year.
Oakland's average secondary also provides a good chance for Matthew Stafford to have a solid game. He doesn't have to be amazing, just capable, in order for us to win this game. Either way, expect us to put some points on the board. Oakland has given up 30 or more points five times this season and has found themselves in a 34-0 hole in each of the last two weeks.
Here are three keys to tomorrow's game.
- First, we need to score early. Oakland's uncanny ability to allow points of late could allow us to gain an important early lead. Plus, the Raiders probably won't be trotting out a running quarterback should Carson Palmer fail, so we should be able to hold on to a lead.
- Second, should we get ahead, we need to run the ball on first down. Oakland's rush defense is terrible and our number two running back is returning. We can't fear the running game if we are to hold on to a lead.
- Finally, we need to contain Michael Bush and/or make him a non factor. We can either stop him, or get on top of Oakland quickly and force Carson Palmer to throw the ball. Bush is their best weapon, but he can't help when his team is behind by a couple scores late in the game.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Ndamukong Suh Fails During Weekly Interview on 97.1
Ndamukong Suh talks with 97.1 The Ticket's Valenti and Foster every Wednesday during the 5 o'clock hour. This was the first time he has appeared on the show since the Thanksgiving Day stomping incident and the interview didn't exactly go well for number 90.
The hosts asked the questions that needed to be asked. They, and the fans, wanted to know Suh's reaction to the suspension, whether he was going to be able to control his on-field actions, and what happened with the car accident he got into during his suspension.
Suh, on the other hand, had no desire to answer any of those questions. In fact, answered all of them pretty much the same way. Each response was your typical spin doctored public relations crap that tells the listener absolutely nothing. The only thing he managed to make clear during this interview was that he wanted to move on from the stomp and the accident. No apology, no sense that he learned anything, no nothing.
It was rather frustrating to hear.
Hear the full interview here, and some audience reaction over at 97.1 The Ticket's podcast.
My favorite was when Suh was asked if he had spoken or apologized to his teammates. He responded with the whole "What I say to my teammates stays with my teammates" routine. Translation: "No."
Now, It's great that he wants to put this whole debacle behind him so he can get back to playing football. That's really what I would like him to do. But don't dodge questions during a planned weekly interview and respond with that bull crap. You should have known those questions were coming, if you didn't have the will power to answer them truthfully then cancel the appearance. Just don't answer questions with crap answers and then proceed to walk out on the interview.
If you ask me, all he needed to do to clear the air and allow Valenti and Foster to move on to the Oakland game was say that he made a mistake, he knows what he did was wrong, and that he is ready to move on and play smarter in the future. That would have made me happy.
Props to Valenti for asking hard hitting questions that many journalists wouldn't have the balls to ask. You knew what you and the fans wanted to know, great job following through.
The hosts asked the questions that needed to be asked. They, and the fans, wanted to know Suh's reaction to the suspension, whether he was going to be able to control his on-field actions, and what happened with the car accident he got into during his suspension.
Suh, on the other hand, had no desire to answer any of those questions. In fact, answered all of them pretty much the same way. Each response was your typical spin doctored public relations crap that tells the listener absolutely nothing. The only thing he managed to make clear during this interview was that he wanted to move on from the stomp and the accident. No apology, no sense that he learned anything, no nothing.
It was rather frustrating to hear.
Hear the full interview here, and some audience reaction over at 97.1 The Ticket's podcast.
My favorite was when Suh was asked if he had spoken or apologized to his teammates. He responded with the whole "What I say to my teammates stays with my teammates" routine. Translation: "No."
Now, It's great that he wants to put this whole debacle behind him so he can get back to playing football. That's really what I would like him to do. But don't dodge questions during a planned weekly interview and respond with that bull crap. You should have known those questions were coming, if you didn't have the will power to answer them truthfully then cancel the appearance. Just don't answer questions with crap answers and then proceed to walk out on the interview.
If you ask me, all he needed to do to clear the air and allow Valenti and Foster to move on to the Oakland game was say that he made a mistake, he knows what he did was wrong, and that he is ready to move on and play smarter in the future. That would have made me happy.
Props to Valenti for asking hard hitting questions that many journalists wouldn't have the balls to ask. You knew what you and the fans wanted to know, great job following through.
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