Week 8 Preview

Redskins @ LIONS

A number of us will be following this game via our phones or the Wembley scoreboard as we will be at the International Series game watching the Broncos taking on the 49ers. For those of us at Wembley the nightmare scenario will be the Lions handing out another beating (a la St Louis Rams) while the 49ers & Broncos serve up a stinker in the rain. 

As the Redskins were one of the two opponents we managed to beat last season we should feel reasonably confident about doing the same again this season. Before we put this one in the bank though we need to add a note of caution, these Redskins are better than last season's team. The Lions are also improved and their win/loss record this season could, and perhaps should, be much better than the 1-5 it is. It is also worth noting that this will be only the third game the Lions have played at home this season.

Coming off the bye week it is to be hoped that the injury niggles have cleared up and Schwartz and his coaches have managed to find a way to minimise, if not eliminate entirely, the dumb penalties that have been perhaps the single biggest reason why we have not had more than one win. There are 10 games remaining in this season and this game offers the opportunity of making a statement about how the remainder of this season will go. To hand out another beating similar to what they gave the Rams will send a message even to the likes of  the Jets and Patriots that Ford Field is no longer the place to come looking for easy victories but the place where you're glad to be going home from and hoping never to return,

Stafford looks like he's back and we, along with the Lions organisation no doubt, will all be hoping he survives the game. Hill did an adequate job while Stafford was on the sidelines but you've got to believe that we would be at least two victories better off had Stafford stayed healthy. The trio of Pettigrew, Scheffler and Burleson may see a lot of action early and Best should see a lot of short passes too as the Redskins are susceptible to RB's receiving the ball. It'd be nice if the Lions could finally get some sort of ground game going too but I'll settle for the O-Line not giving up any sacks to allow Stafford to find his targets.

The consistency of the D-Line and the improved play of the secondary have the defense looking to be a more formidable proposition now. The Redskins have not been lighting up the scoreboard so far this season but McNabb is still a QB that deserves respect. The loss of Follett for the season may be offset by the return of Levy and the introduction of new addition Bobby Carpenter to the linebacking trio where Peterson has picked up his game. 

I'm not convinced that this Redskins team is as good as it's record suggests (much like the Rams) and think that the Lions are better than their record suggests so am reasonably confident that this will be win number two of the season for the Lions. The form of the NFC teams has been very patchy this season with no real stand out team as yet and so I think that the Lions should beat all their remaining NFC opponents at home.

Prediction: Redskins 20 LIONS 31

Week 6 Preview

LIONS @ Giants

After an indifferent start to the season the Giants have become serious playoff contenders with two emphatic victories in their last two games. It seemed like the Giants D were sacking the Bears Jay Cutler every time he took a snap a couple of weeks ago while last week they went into Houston and shut down the Texans Arian Foster led run attack which had done so much damage, and scored many fantasy points, previously. This game should therefore be an easy one to put in the W column for the Giants before they move on to divisional foe the Cowboys in Dallas next Monday night. But, as Lee Corso says on College Gameday, not so fast my friend.

These Lions are not the push over they once were and whilst I am not expecting them to beat the Giants I am prepared to say that if the Giants don't bring their A game they may well find themselves involved in the upset of the week. 

The multi faceted Lions offense will face a stiff test in the Giants defense which has really clicked into gear the last couple of weeks. It is to be hoped that Hill avoids the beating Cutler took and Best scampers for more yards than his fellow rookie Foster managed for the Texans. With Calvin Johnson still an injury doubt the onus  for a successful offensive performance from the Lions may well fall on the twin tight end threat of Pettigrew and Scheffler. This game will be a major test for the Lions offensive line and they will need to contain the dominating Giants D line to give the Lions offense a chance to produce. 

If the Lions fail to generate any offense then this game could get ugly very quickly as the Lions D is not yet at the level where it can dominate an opposition (last weeks shut down of the Rams became easier as the Lions pulled away on the scoreboard). The Giants offense will try and establish the run and if the Lions can stop that there is every chance they can rattle the younger Manning brother into throwing the odd interception and taking a sack or two. 

Special teams will need to continue the good work of recent weeks and healthy return yardage may well be a vital aspect in ensuring reasonable field position for the Lions offense. If the game is close then Jason Hanson is still about as reliable a kicker as there is in the NFL so the Lions will have no need to fear if the game comes down to a field goal attempt with time expiring.

I'm going to say the Giants don't make the mistake of underestimating a rapidly improving Lions team and win what turns out to be quite a close game but I'm hoping they do have one eye on next Monday and the Dallas Cowboys and so allow the Lions the chance to pull off a shocker.

Prediction: LIONS 24 Giants 31

 

Validation

Rams 6 LIONS 44

You could have forgiven Schwartz and his team if they had run round Ford Field after this game with a banner proclaiming "we told you we were better than our record suggested". This was about as emphatic a statement as it is possible to make in a game of football as the Lions dominated in all three phases of the game.

There was no hint of what was to come in the first quarter when the Lions failed to capitalise on the rather bizarre Rams decision to begin the game with an onside kick. Fortunately the Rams offense seemed to be struggling to get going too and as they kicked off at the beginning of the 2nd quarter they must have been cursing themselves that two trips to the red zone had resulted in just the field goal they ended the 1st quarter with. Stefan Logan's record equalling return for a TD not only ignited the crowd but the team also seemed ignited and their self belief seemed to grow with each subsequent play. As the belief grew so the mistakes seemed to diminish and there was a confidence in the play of the Lions that has not been seen in quite some time.

Much credit to Schwartz and his coaching staff for sticking to their beliefs when the wind of opinions blew against them these past few weeks. This victory was a reward for that dogged belief of the coaching staff as much as it was a reward for the fans that have suffered through the years of lop sided defeats. Now that the game is consigned to history let us not diminish in any way the magnitude of the result. Yes a victory was expected by most Lions fans but not in the manner it was delivered, that was beyond most of our wildest dreams. It is also true to say that the Rams are not the sternest of oppositions but pre-game there were a number of analysts stating that the Rams had the edge (albeit slight) in talent from the coaches through the offense and defense right down to special teams. 

The offense benefited from the return of Burleson and he was able to demonstrate why Linehan was so keen to add him to the mix. When Stafford returns at QB the offense could really begin to take off and by the seasons end it could well be as good as any in the NFL. Hill is proving to be the able backup we believed him to be and everyone seems to be settling in nicely around him but Stafford will bring an extra dimension once he returns. That return is looking likely to be after the bye week when the Redskins come to Ford Field.

The defense was rewarded for the admirable displays they'd put up in the previous four games in which they'd always kept the Lions in the game. Against the Rams they just got better and better shutting them out of the end zone for the entire game and keeping them off the scoreboard for the entire second half. The D-Line was dominant as predicted but the performance of the secondary was an unexpected bonus and given their youth could well develop into more a strength as the season progresses. The linebacking group continue to struggle but they are getting nicked up and have yet to achieve consistency in the lineup as a result of the injuries.

Special teams provided the spark that lit the fire in this game and the value of even an ok Special Teams unit can never be under estimated in the NFL. It was nice that Logan returned one all the way after his muff against the Vikings.

It's amazing how much better the world seems after a victory like this one and in this instance it is even better, because all those notions we have had that the Lions could finally be putting together a team that will compete in the NFL for the next decade, have received a great big validation stamp. But before we dream of future Super Bowl glories there is an improving New York Giants team to be faced but with our increasing confidence and our own improving performance we should have no fear in saying....

Bring on the Giants!!!

Week 5 Preview

Rams @ LIONS

I seem to remember going into the corresponding fixture last year being similarly optimistic of a Lions win only to find myself scratching my head afterwards wondering how we'd managed to lose to what had to be considered one of the few weaker teams than us. But lose we did (in what turned out to be the Rams only win of the season) and one season on I am trying to temper my optimism for a first Lions win of the season by remembering how it all went wrong last year.

This years Rams arrive with a 2-2 record and a young rookie QB getting rave reviews for his performances so they deserve our respect. The Lions are off to an 0-4 start so on the face of it there shouldn't be so much optimism that this is the game the Lions will break their duck in the W column. My optimism stems from an examination of the games played so far and my belief that if the teams had played each others schedules the Rams would likely be 0-4 while the Lions would be 3-1 or even 4-0. When you throw in the fact the Lions have played three of their first four games on the road while the Rams have played three of their four at home you might start to recognise where my optimism is being fuelled. 

The final step for demonstrating the improvement to the team that I believe Schwartz has made to the Lions is in the Win column and this game is the first real test of that improvement. The performances so far have left a feeling of what might have been as they have been, essentially, better than may have been expected while the games and results have been close enough to allow for the belief that the Lions had legitimate shots at winning each. There is, apparently, widespread belief among the playing staff that so far this season they have beat themselves, been unfortunate with officials call and played close games on the road which will go the other way when they play at home. For the confidence within the team to remain high a win against the Rams is vital as it will validate their existing belief that they are better than their record has thus far indicated. 

For me the key to a Lions victory will be putting in a mistake free version of this seasons performances which may be easier said than done. Linehan and Hill seem to have finally got themselves on the same page with the offensive game plan and I would expect to see the same well balanced attack they put out against the Packers. The return of Burleson offsets the likely loss of Schefler and there is every chance we get to see in this game why the Lions were so keen to snap him up when free agency opened. The biggest threat for the defense is likely to be Stephen Jackson and limiting his yardage is going to come down to the back seven bringing him down when he does break through the D-Line. Preventing him from making large single gains should mean he is restricted to having just an ok day. Further improvement from the secondary could well go towards making this a most uncomfortable day for rookie QB Sam Bradford as I'm sure Ndamukong Suh is desperate to renew a Big 12 rivalry with the Oklahoma alum. Special Teams showed up big in the Packers game and I'm hoping, if faced with a similar situation to last week, that Schwartz shows more faith in Hanson's ability to kick the big ones.

I've reached the end of this preview and not managed to talk myself out of the belief that this will be the Lions first victory of the season so it's time to pour out a cold beer and get ready for the game.

Prediction: Rams 24 LIONS 37

Cheesed Off!!

LIONS 26 Packers 28

I apologise for the delay in posting and the lack of game preview for this one but I was rebuilding my staircase last weekend and so was unable to find sufficient time to write anything. The delay in posting this though does allow for calm reflection rather than an immediate post game hair pulling rant.

The 2010 Lions are maddening for the most confusing of reasons. Take this game for instance. They pretty well wiped the floor with the Packers on virtually every game measurable apart from two, points total (admittedly this is the most important measurable in any game) and penalties (13 for 102 yards against 3 for 31 yards). Once again they went into a game with few, if any, believing they were capable of winning and yet come out of it with most believing they had a real shot at winning the game and many believing they should have won it. Is it fair to be angry that they didn't complete a job I felt them incapable of doing before they undertook it? Is it right of me to be mad at them for raising my expectations due to their improved play only for them to eventually fall short of the new level of my expectation? I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering.

I'm going to restrict my negative comments to the decision to punt from the Green Bay 37 yard line in the 4th Qtr rather than attempt a 54-yard Field Goal that if made would've put the Lions ahead by 1 point. Schwartz chose to punt, gained 27 yards in field position and backed his defense to hold out the Packers. Now in fairness to the D, the Packers didn't get into the end zone and if the Lions had have been up by a point then the Packers would likely have kicked for 3 with time expiring so we could be now looking at a score of 29-31 rather than 26-28. But if the kick had been blocked or missed then the Lions would have won by a point. Now I know all this is hypothetical and hindsight is a wonderful thing but just as I disagreed with Schwartz for not taking the points when they were on offer against the Eagles so I disagree with the decision to punt here. Hanson had already hit one from 49 yards earlier in the quarter so was it really that much of a stretch to think he had a legitimate shot at making a 54-yarder? Whether you punt or kick the Field Goal you have to back your D to keep the Packers out so why not at least give yourself a shot at taking the lead so your D has that extra bit of motivation? It may well be that Schwartz took the percentage decision and most coaches would agree with him but if I was calling the play I would try the kick every time.

That the offense clicked into gear so efficiently was most pleasing, it was unfortunate that they came up short when it really seemed to matter, whether that be giving away stupid a penalty or failing to make a catch/accurate pass or turning the ball over. Given they have been without their number one QB and number two WR I think we can take heart from the performance of the offense in this game and if they can achieve what they did in Green Bay (home of this years Super Bowl favourites) what are they capable of achieving at home?

Although the defense failed to prevent the Packers from progressing up the field and running out the clock to end the game they also impressed with their performance. Houston is looking like he could be a passable CB and Smith showed enough to suggest that he could soon be displacing Wade from the starting lineup. Suh had his 3rd sack of the season and could well end up setting all sorts of records for a rookie DT this season. The linebackers are still very much a work in progress, as is the secondary, but given the injuries to both Levy and Delmas this is more about our lack of talent depth.

Special Teams stepped up in this game and we will look back on it wondering if they could have won it for us if they'd been given the chance to.

Overall then enough to top up the confidence levels to look forward to the next game in the belief that it will bring our first win so.....

Bring on the Rams!!!!