Mangini Madness

I was Surfing through some Lions articles earlier today and I stumbled across one by Tom Withers, writer for The Canadian Press, about Browns head coach Eric Mangini claiming that some Lions players were faking injuries in an attempt to slow down the Browns no huddle offense.
"I'm just saying there were a lot of them" Mangini said in a Monday press conference after noting that many Lions players left the field with injuries only to return later in the game. Browns wide receiver Chansi Stuckey was in supportof Mangini's theory. "Definitely," he said. "I knew that. That's what their coach does. If someone tries to do that to us, I would expect our guys to do the same thing. Unless it gets into that under two-minute situation where that causes a timeout, any other time its fine, I would do the same thing. When Lion's coach Jim Schwartz was posed with the accusation he had this to say "He's way out of bounds on that, tat couldn't be further from the truth. Both teams were running no huddle, and the officials did a very good job of standing over the ball, so there was no need to do that."

I found this article to be very interesting, it has never really occurred to me that faking an injury is such an effective strategy to slow down an offense that is in its two-minute set. While obviously unethical, if this story is true it surely switched the game in the Lions favor. I just thought I would get this story out there to see what some of you think about this faking an injury business.

If you would like to read the full story, you can find it at http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iVKfeVJz6-g5i0XeBKZ1jwIV3xqQ

Pack in the Turkey as the Packers put away our Lions

Ok it's time for a thanksgiving preview and not a good one. Coming off their second victory the Lions will have to play the Packers on short rest for the enjoyment of Thanksgiving viewers and the agony of Lions fans.

The outlook is not pretty for this game, I'd love to say that last Sunday's momentum would carry our Lions to a victory this week, but with Matt Stafford likely out for the game and Calvin Johnson also day to day the offense looks to have a rough day ahead of itself. In my opinion the O-line is going to have to step up with their biggest game of the season if the Lions are going to have a chance. Since Dante Culpepper will likely be starting he will need as much time in the pocket as possible as I'm sure we can expect him to be rusty. Trust me, I know this is no menial request.

The defense didn't look all that great against the Browns, who are statistically the worst offense in football, so I don't expect much improvement against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings. In order to have a chance I think the defense will need to be incredibly opportunistic, every mistake Rodgers makes needs to be taken advantage of this week or I could see this game being a blowout.

I know the guys are feeling good after last weeks victory, but unless everything goes their way I don't see another win this week; so my suggestion to you is to take in the game from afar and spend that valuable time with your family. There is some upside....at least Dallas plays later that afternoon.

Stafford Injury

On the second to last play of the Lion's second victory, Matthew Stafford was sent to the ground in an attempt to throw a last second touchdown pass. After the play, which resulted in defensive pass interference and put the Lions on the one yard line, Stafford walked off field with obvious pain in his shoulder and even though he returned to throw the game winning touchdown pass it is now being reported that he likely won't start in the Thanksgiving game against the Packers.

"I don't know, but I'm in a pretty good amount of pain" said Matt Stafford the following day in an interview with Mitch Albom. If this pain holds up I agree that it will be unlikely that Matt Stafford will play against the Packers and rightly so as the Lions need to do everything in their power to protect the sizeable investment they made in this quarterback. It is however unfortunate that this injury came on a career day for Stafford and a hopeful one for all Lions fans. Now it appears we will be forced to watch Dante Culpepper start against the Packers and if his earlier play this season is any indication for this game, it could be another long day for Lions fans.

If you would like to read more on Matt Stafford's injury, coverage can be found at www.freep.com and www.detnews.com

Lions break through against Browns

It didn't start off the way Lions fans had hoped. Falling behind 24-3 in early in the first half, Lions fans were treated to their first come from behind victory in over two seasons. On what was potentially the last play of the game Matt Stafford scrambled out of the pocket to fire a pass into the end zone that was picked off by the Browns, luckily the Browns were called for pass interference in the end zone and the Lions were given one last chance on the Browns one yard line to punch the ball in for a touchdown. The score stood 37-31 in favor of the Browns before Stafford threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game to fellow rookie Brandon Pettigrew. After the extra point the final score was 38-37 in favor of the Leos, giving them their second victory on the season.

In a game this high scoring it's hard to decide on a defensive MVP, so I'm going to go with two offensive players this week. Obviously Matt Stafford showed us what he is capable of doing as an NFL quarterback this week, passing for 422 yards and five touchdowns (according to ESPN.com this was the most touchdowns by a rookie in the modern football era), but also Calvin Johnson had a big game this week and will hopefully quiet some of the naysayers after going for 161 yards and a score in today's ballgame.

If you would like to read more coverage for this game full articles can be found at
www.detnews.com and www.freep.com

Calvin Johnson: Is he getting enough attention from his QB?

I know that this post calls the previous post about the offensive line into question, but I still think Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson aren't connecting as much as they should be. I know with a bad O-line it's hard for deep routes to develop and even harder for the quarterback to deliver the ball down field, but on occasions when Stafford has ample time in the backfield I don't think he is looking for Calvin Johnson enough. Yes he is the only threat the Lions have and is therefore often double covered, but being a man of his abilities I know there are occasions where he is either open or at least capable of coming down with the ball. In order for this team to gel offensively and to start putting points on the scoreboard our two biggest offensive guns need to be hooking up more often then they are right now. I'm not talking about short slant routes either, we need Johnson to be down field and have a ball heading his way. Who cares if we throw a few interceptions, we have won one game in a season and a half, lets at least see what potential there is for future seasons.

Offensive line is.........Offensive.

For years now we have been complaining about the offensive line for the Detroit Lions and over that same period of time we have yet to see any vast improvements. Well I'm am personally fed up with these offensive linemen and the poor performances they give week in and week out. I'm fine with drafting skill players early in the draft, even if you don't have a stellar offensive line because some players are just difference makers, but I refuse to sit by and listen as people bash Matt Stafford's performance this season when he has absolutely no protection up front. I have decided that if I don't see a significant improvement in this offensive line in the next two seasons I will be forced to swear off the Lions forever. I won't remain a fan of a team that lets a second first round quarterback go the way of Joey Harrington.

Well at least there were no picks

As I'm sure we all predicted, the Lions fell earlier today to the first place Vikings in a 27-10 effort. While I can't say I'm happy about the loss there are some positives that came from this game. We all know Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin are dangerous and that Brett Favre has been killing us for years, but what we didn't know is how Matt Stafford would respond after his worst outing of the season. After a five pick game in Seattle, I thought Stafford responded today with a solid outing, allowing for everything that was stacked against him, he still passed for over 200 yards and threw for one touchdown. Most importantly from this effort is the fact that he threw no interceptions and in my opinion to come out against one of the leagues better defenses and refuse to turn the ball over is a sign I like to see from a rookie quarterback. Maybe I'm just feverishly looking for the silver lining in yet another Lions loss, but these are signs that make me like the pick of Matt Stafford more than I did at draft time.

If you would like to read more about the Lions vs. Viking game, you can find coverage at the following websites.

www.freep.com
www.detnews.com

Pettigrew: a new pedigree of tight end?

Instead of continuing to rant on the Matt Stafford situation I figured I would focus on something with a little brighter upside. I don't necessarily agree with the decision to take tight end Brandon Pettigrew at 20th overall in this years draft, but against the Seahawks he definitely showed what a good receiving tight end can do for an offense. Pettigrew, the one bright spot on an otherwise horrible day for the Lion's offense, had seven receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown and made himself available to Stafford almost the entire day.
Even though I would have preferred a top flight defensive player with this draft pick, I see a lot of potential in this tight end and I'm sorry to say I believe he may end up being the most productive player in this Lion's draft class.

Stafford or Manning....how is this even a debate?

I know my posts have been really focused on Matt Stafford to this point, but lets face it he is the face (and hopefully the future) of the Lion's franchise. If you've been following the team closely this season you also know he has been the topic of much debate, whether its been the question of starting in the first game or wondering whether his first injury would be one of many to come. I've been able to hold my tongue on these debates until I heard some people making the comparison between Matthew Stafford's and Payton Manning's rookie seasons.
The comparison being made was in the amount of interceptions Manning threw his rookie season (26) and the amount Stafford is on pace to throw (24). Ok I can see that comparison, but don't tell me these rookie seasons are even remotely similar. If you recall Manning also threw 24 touchdown passes that year and Stafford is only on pace for about 12. Even more important than the numbers is how they were achieved. Manning in the last four weeks of that season threw six more touchdowns than picks which means he showed improvement as the season went on. Stafford on the other hand has regressed in his past two games; he managed to put together one drive against the Rams and threw a ridiculous five picks against the Seahawks (a team that by the way only had picked off three passes all season). So the next time you hear someone saying that Stafford isn't all that different from Manning at the same points in their career just remember that one of these guys actually showed progress and the showed incompetence.

From Clicking to Picking: A Matthew Stafford Story

Today started off as a great day for the Detroit Lions. The defense forced two early turnovers and by the end of the first quarter the Lions had jumped out to outstanding 17-0 lead. In that first quarter Matt Stafford threw for two touchdown passes, one to tight end Brandon Pettigrew and the other to wide receiver Bryant Johnson. Unfortunately that was the end of the Lion's good fortune. On their way to another debilitating loss Matthew Stafford found a way to throw five interceptions, tying this season's high mark for all quarterbacks, and was the main contributing factor to the Lion's futile offense for the next three quarters. In the end the Seahawks pulled off their third victory of the season by beating the Lions 32-20.

Time for a Rebound?

This week the Lion's have a chance to grab a second victory for the season. Detroit enters Qwest Field with the possibility of their three biggest weapons returning to the field. For the first time in weeks Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and Kevin Smith all can potentially play this week according to www.freep.com.

If you ask me this could provide enough of an offensive boost to make the Lions competitive in any game they play in this year. Stafford has been progressively better in each game this year, Kevin Smith provides a solid presence in the backfield and Calvin Johnson is one of the best wideouts in league. Against a team with a 2-5 record I would like to tell you that this would be enough to get the Lions another victory, and I would if this game were being played at home. Unfortunately this game will be played at Qwest Field, often considered the loudest stadium in the NFL, where the Seahawks have already shutout two teams this season. The Seahawks shutout the Jaguars 41-0 earlier this season and the Rams, who beat the Lions last week, 28-0.

So while I would like to reassure you and tell you that this is the week the Lions get another elusive victory I think the Seattle just plays to well at home for the Lions to steal this one. So to answer my question "Is it time for a rebound?" well, maybe next week.

Raiola does some Blocking off the Field.

At this point I'm looking for anything to talk about other than the depressing Lions loss to what WAS arguably the worst team in football. So instead of writing about that debacle I'm going to focus an interesting story that came out of this game.

At one point some fans were heckling new Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and this apparently got under the skin of his starting center Dominic Raiola. Raiola, who has been one of the few vocal leaders of the Lions in the last few years, told fans that they needed to lay off Stafford. "Back him up," Raiola said. "It's his first year here. You want to run him out of town already? You know what I'm saying? That just hit home with me because I've been through it with Joey. They sent him packing. Quick. And they're not going to do it to this guy. I'm going to be right here next to him."

I don't know what the reaction of most Lions fans is going to be on this subject, but I know that I enjoy seeing my players show some unity. Even though the Lions still have problems this situation makes me think tha there is a chemistry in this locker room that hasn't been there in a long time. I believe that in the past Lions teams were content with losing, but with a new coach and a new style its starting to look like these guys finally have some fire in their belly.

Now I know there are gonna be some of you out there that think Raiola is just getting into another arguement with fans (fined $7,500 for shooting some hecklers the bird last season), but I don't think thats the case. Raiola is tired of losing and I think he thinks Stafford is the right guy for the job and if thats the case I would be upset if he wasn't defending his quarterback in the press.

Well thats my take on the topic, but I want to know what your thinking. If you've got something to say leave me a comment or two and I'll do my best to defend my position.

Also if you would like to read more about the Raiola situation you can read articles from the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News respectively at the following links.

http://www.freep.com/article/20091102/SPORTS01/911020338/1049/sports/Raiola-Show-Stafford-more-patience-than-Joey

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091102/SPORTS0101/911020351/1265/SPORTS08/Dominic-Raiola-confronts-fans--defends-Stafford