Getting an A on an exam you didn’t study for; Getting an extra jumbo shrimp in a five piece; Finding a dollar on the ground; The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns game yesterday. All are examples of a pleasant surprise.
Both teams took the field with a 1-8 record. In what was considered to be the worst game of the year. Turns out the Lions 38-37 victory over the Browns was the most thrilling game of the year.
The Lions were led by the heroics of rookie Matthew Stafford. Stafford charged the Lions down the field with 1:48 left on the clock and no timeouts. With eight seconds left on the clock Detroit had the ball at the Cleveland 32. Stafford scrambled around swarming Cleveland defenders and delivered a hail mary pass to the end zone. The pass was intercepted by Brodney Poole but the interception was negated by a pass interference penalty. Stafford was injured on the play from a violent hit he took from 305 pound C.J. Mosley.
The ball was spotted on the one-yard line. Out came Stafford in came Culpepper. Then Cleveland coach Eric Mangini called a timeout to get the right personel on the field. Out came Culpepper in came Stafford. The rookie put himself back into the game. Stafford threw the game winning touchdown pass to rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew. After the touchdown Stafford went to the sideline holding his shoulder in pain.
Stafford threw for an impressive 422 yards and five touchdowns. Becoming the youngest QB in NFL history to throw five touchdown passes in a game. More importantly, Stafford showed the toughness, and the grit this city has been looking for in a quarterback since Bobby Layne.
This was not just a meaningless win over the Browns. The Lions potentially avoided having the first pick in the draft. With a 2-8 record most fan bases would want their team to lose the rest of their games and lock up the first pick in the draft. The Lions can’t do that. They could not afford another guaranteed $40 million to a rookie.
This win also proved that the Lions have a bright future. It was the young talent that won the game yesterday. Stafford, Smith, Johnson, Pettigrew, and Delmas are players the Lions can take into the future.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Fantasy Owners Dream
Fantasy Football players dream about owning players going against the Detroit Lions. Yesterday, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Sidney Rice combined for 60 fantasy points against the Lions. Sidney Rice had a career high 201 receiving yards and Brett Favre had a season high 344 passing yards.
In week one New Orleans Saints Quarter Back Drew Brees had a career day against the Lions. Brees threw 6 touchdown passes for 37 fantasy points. Brees single handedly beat my fantasy team that week. So yes, I might be a bit bitter.
Even when the Lions win, they are still giving up season high fantasy points. Santana Moss and Jason Campbell combined for 46 fantasy points in their week three loss to the Lions. How dare the Lions defense allow Campbell to score 20 plus fantasy points? Campbell was the difference between a win and a loss for me that week. Once again I am being a little bitter.
Lions starters have not put up good fantasy stats. Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith were both projected to be taken in the first or second round of fantasy drafts. Both have been major fantasy busts. This season Calvin Johnson has only 53 points, 100 less than leader Reggie Wayne. Kevin Smith a projected top ten Running Back, is ranked 21st among Running Backs with 86 fantasy points.
The Detroit Lions have been turning average NFL players into that weeks fantasy stud. The Detroit Lions have given up the most fantasy points this season. If you need a position add, you should pick up a player going against the Lions. At this point, I would pick up a long snapper if he was starting against the Lions.
In week one New Orleans Saints Quarter Back Drew Brees had a career day against the Lions. Brees threw 6 touchdown passes for 37 fantasy points. Brees single handedly beat my fantasy team that week. So yes, I might be a bit bitter.
Even when the Lions win, they are still giving up season high fantasy points. Santana Moss and Jason Campbell combined for 46 fantasy points in their week three loss to the Lions. How dare the Lions defense allow Campbell to score 20 plus fantasy points? Campbell was the difference between a win and a loss for me that week. Once again I am being a little bitter.
Lions starters have not put up good fantasy stats. Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith were both projected to be taken in the first or second round of fantasy drafts. Both have been major fantasy busts. This season Calvin Johnson has only 53 points, 100 less than leader Reggie Wayne. Kevin Smith a projected top ten Running Back, is ranked 21st among Running Backs with 86 fantasy points.
The Detroit Lions have been turning average NFL players into that weeks fantasy stud. The Detroit Lions have given up the most fantasy points this season. If you need a position add, you should pick up a player going against the Lions. At this point, I would pick up a long snapper if he was starting against the Lions.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Mid-season Review
“Progress is measured with wins,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions have one win half-way through the season. Progress from last year? Yes! But have the Lions really progressed at all?
In my opinion, they have. The Lions have showed the benefits and struggles of playing young talent. The Lions will benefit in the future by playing these players. But this year those players have struggled catching up to the speed of the pro game.
The Lions rookie starters include: QB Matthew Stafford, TE Brandon Pettigrew, Safety Louis Delmas, and LB Deandre Levy. All of them have gotten better every game.
Last week I called Pettigrew out, I apologize. Pettigrew caught his first career touchdown yesterday. He is now among Lions receiving leaders with 21 receptions for 239 yards. Not to mention he did not get much playing time at the beginning of the season. He has emerged as a legitimate threat at tight end.
Matthew Stafford did not have a good Sunday. I am still going to defend this guy even after he threw 5 interceptions. A lot of QB had terrible rookie seasons, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions his rookie season. Stafford has all the raw tools to make it in this league at QB. And if the Lions could keep him and Calvin Johnson together; I see a bright future ahead for Stafford.
The Lions defense has slightly improved. I feel like they found two young leaders in Delmas and Levy. The two have combined for 82 tackles and each have made a fair amount of plays. Delmas is a candidate for defensive rookie of the year.
I am impressed with this years rookie class. But still not impressed with the Lions play thus far. They are not exceeding expectations, only meeting them. My mid-season grade for the Lions is a D +.
In my opinion, they have. The Lions have showed the benefits and struggles of playing young talent. The Lions will benefit in the future by playing these players. But this year those players have struggled catching up to the speed of the pro game.
The Lions rookie starters include: QB Matthew Stafford, TE Brandon Pettigrew, Safety Louis Delmas, and LB Deandre Levy. All of them have gotten better every game.
Last week I called Pettigrew out, I apologize. Pettigrew caught his first career touchdown yesterday. He is now among Lions receiving leaders with 21 receptions for 239 yards. Not to mention he did not get much playing time at the beginning of the season. He has emerged as a legitimate threat at tight end.
Matthew Stafford did not have a good Sunday. I am still going to defend this guy even after he threw 5 interceptions. A lot of QB had terrible rookie seasons, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions his rookie season. Stafford has all the raw tools to make it in this league at QB. And if the Lions could keep him and Calvin Johnson together; I see a bright future ahead for Stafford.
The Lions defense has slightly improved. I feel like they found two young leaders in Delmas and Levy. The two have combined for 82 tackles and each have made a fair amount of plays. Delmas is a candidate for defensive rookie of the year.
I am impressed with this years rookie class. But still not impressed with the Lions play thus far. They are not exceeding expectations, only meeting them. My mid-season grade for the Lions is a D +.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Lions Have to Many Holes
I need to change the intro to my blog. I can’t dedicate it to the weekly progress of the Detroit Lions, when they continue to regress. Last Sunday the Lions missed the opportunity to pass the biggest loser torch to the St. Louis Rams. But the Rams refused it and ended their 17 game losing streak at Ford Field.
The things that hurt the Lions the most last Sunday was not having Calvin Johnson, and dropped passes. The Lions receivers were treating the football like it was a hot potato. Drive killing dropped passes are just not acceptable on Sundays.
This game proved that the Lions still have a lot of holes to patch. Even after years of high draft picks, they still don’t have an offensive line, defensive line, running game, passing game, etc.
The Lions are set on building around Stafford and Johnson. So much that they started the building process 19 picks after Stafford was drafted. Rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew has to start playing like the 20th pick in the draft.
Stafford is begging for another target. He even gave someone in the seats a chance to catch a ball on Sunday. I have a feeling that if the Lions are looking in the stands they'll continue looking in the draft.
The things that hurt the Lions the most last Sunday was not having Calvin Johnson, and dropped passes. The Lions receivers were treating the football like it was a hot potato. Drive killing dropped passes are just not acceptable on Sundays.
This game proved that the Lions still have a lot of holes to patch. Even after years of high draft picks, they still don’t have an offensive line, defensive line, running game, passing game, etc.
The Lions are set on building around Stafford and Johnson. So much that they started the building process 19 picks after Stafford was drafted. Rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew has to start playing like the 20th pick in the draft.
Stafford is begging for another target. He even gave someone in the seats a chance to catch a ball on Sunday. I have a feeling that if the Lions are looking in the stands they'll continue looking in the draft.
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