Week Seventeen

Bears @ LIONS

The most disappointing of season's comes to an end today with the visit of divisional foe the Chicago Bears. Pre-season this particular fixture was seen as at worst a likely decider for a playoff position, and for the Bears it may still be, rather than the opportunity to salvage a little pride at the expense of a higher draft pick. The game also has the added bonus of affording the opportunity to Calvin Johnson to gain an unprecedented 2,000 receiving yards for the season. It is unfortunate that such a magnificent individual achievement should be entwined with such a woeful team performance but in many ways the poor form of this years Lions team actually enhances Johnson's achievement. As the season comes to a close there has been much speculation as to the reasons for the failure to meet pre-season expectations. Blame has been cast in the direction of ill-disciplined players as well as to the man that drafted them and the coaches that coached them. Without having knowledge of what has happened within the confines of Allen Park we can only speculate on what has gone wrong with the team and why it has happened. It's also difficult to say that Schwartz's refusal to point fingers or aportion blame other than to say we failed to make key plays is anything more than his attempt to keep his real thoughts within the team. As outsiders we can but look at what we see the team do on the field and now we must wait to see if moves those performances suggest should be made will be during what will be a longer off-season than last year.

Week Sixteen

Falcons @ LIONS

I'm sure I wasn't alone in being amazed at how the Lions capitulated in Arizona last week and I would think that abject display has left very few believing this game will be anything other than a Falcons win. It's perhaps worth remembering back to this game last season which was played while many of us were meeting up at Wembley for the International Series game. It was the second loss of the season but like the previous weeks defeat to the 49ers the game was close and could well have gone the Lions way. Sound familiar? Look back on those two defeats now and the warning signs of this season's collapse are glaring. Ill discipline and the inability to make the key plays whether to extend an offensive drive or to stop an opposition in their tracks. The games were close enough to suggest that all three teams were stocked with similar talent and yet this season the Falcons and 49ers look to be contesting the top two seeds in the NFC while the Lions head towards a possible top five pick in the Draft. If we accept that there is little between the teams in terms of playing talent then we must accept that the difference between them now is players attitude and coaching. If these Lions are serious about competing at the highest level then it is games like this that they must be able to perform in. It is also true to say the coaches must be able to cope with the pressures of such games too which is something they have yet to show themselves capable of.

Week Fifteen

LIONS @ Cardinals

This is a meeting of two teams heading in the same direction, unfortunately that direction is downwards and the speed of their descent is in danger of becoming terminal. The Lions need to find some sort of positive momentum from these last three games to take into the off-season if for no other reason than to feed the coaching staff's seeming belief that there has been little wrong with the team or their game plans this season. The Cardinals fall has probably already become terminal and it will be a big knock on the Lions if the Cards are able to arrest their run of defeats with victory over them. A few years ago there was good cause to almost hope the Lions would continue to lose so our Draft position improved but now there is a danger that high first round draft picks will be replacing former high first round draft picks that we can no longer afford to keep. The modern free agent salary capped NFL tends to negate many of the advantages that the Draft was intended to produce. Before the Thanksgiving game I likened the Lions situation to that of the Texans from recent years and the Cardinals also represent a potential model of what we may expect over the next couple of seasons. The Cards ensured they retained the service so of Larry Fitzgerald, just as the Lions have done with Calvin, but perhaps crucially they have not been able to replace the QB skills of Kurt Warner so maybe we can allow ourselves hope that the Cards path is one we won't be travelling. The danger is there though and the Cardinals are a good representation that sustained success is not guaranteed no matter how good an individual season may be.

Week Fourteen

LIONS @ Packers

Can the Lions set a new futility record this week by losing a lead in the last 2 minutes of a game for the fourth successive week? If the game is reasonably close going into the last few minutes then it would probably be a safe bet to say the Lions are likely to find a way to lose it. Whether that be by failing to prevent the Packers from scoring or by failing to mount an offensive drive to score themselves. The inability to win games they could or should have won has been what has distinguished this season and we can but hope for signs that this has not become a trait. With snow forecast for the game then it has to be hoped that the offensive game plan drawn up by Scott Linehan does not rely heavily on plays that are not conducive to such conditions. With the playoffs no longer something to aim for this season we have to look towards next season and establishing ourselves within our division with wins at Green Bay and home to Chicago would be a good step in this direction. Likewise with contracts expiring and roster spots for many not guaranteed there are plenty of reasons for the players and the coaches, for that matter, to keep themselves motivated.

Week Thirteen

Colts @ LIONS

The chances have been there throughout this season to win games that we've ended up losing. The reasons have been various and generally game changing events or chances could be attributed to individual player errors. In post-game press conferences Coach Schwartz would point to these 'individual errors' and justifiably point out that but for these we may well have won, not lost, said game therefore faith must be maintained by staff and fans alike in the game plan/scheme/call it what you will. 'Successful teams have faith in what they do and maintain that faith in times of adversity' was the message to all those that were raising concerns about the Lions performances this season. The teams was slow out of the blocks, the team seemed incapable of maintaining an offensive drive until the 4th quarter, Special Teams looked like an accident waiting to happen etc The coaching staff were absolved of blame and even those of us that were raising concerns restricted the criticism to the Co-Ordinators. But now as we head into the final five games of the season, all of which need to be won if we are to finish with a winning season, the spotlight, in my opinion, should be shone very brightly on Coach Schwartz.

Week Eleven

Packers @ LIONS

When the Lions used to lose what seemed like every week it was frustrating to watch because watching them just confirmed what we already knew, the players just weren't good enough to be truly competitive in the NFL. Yes there would be the odd game where they surpassed expectations and either came through with an unexpected victory or went down in flames in glorious defeat, as opposed to the usual inglorious defeat, but ultimately the frustration we felt came from the fact that the team seemed incapable of correcting what we knew was wrong. The frustration we feel now is different to what we felt then. Now we know our team is stocked with players of ability and that they are capable of beating all that the NFL has to offer.The fact that they seem unable to do so and even seem to find ways of losing games they should be winning easily has brought a whole new kind of frustration. If the old frustration was that of a resigned acceptance then this new frustration is one of anger and annoyance at an under performing roster and dubious play calling. What should have been a glorious continuation of last season's playoff run has turned into another season of struggle with the team winning just enough to keep itself on the periphery of the post-season places. For the Lions the playoffs effectively start here at home to Green Bay. We can only hope that they start to play like they need to win.

Week Ten

LIONS @ Vikings

Halfway through the season and the Lions are sitting at .500 at the bottom of the NFC North. Perhaps the most disappointing of the four defeats from the first half of the season was the home one to the Vikings and its impact on the season can be lessened with a result reversal in this fixture. A win would also leave the Lions at 5-4 with five of their remaining seven games to be played at Ford Field. Sadly the quality of the opponents that will be heading towards the Lions home is such that whatever advantage home field brings will be needed if they are to be overcome. As we head into the second half of the season the Lions form appears to be improving which is a good sign. The Vikings conversely, after a great start to the campaign, have struggled of late and will be looking for a win to get their season back on track.

Week Nine

LIONS @ Jaguars

Sadly for those of us on this side of the Atlantic this fixture has come a year too early with the Jaguars series of London games not beginning until next year. There may well have been a strong chance that the Lions with their array of young stars would've been the perfect opponent for the International Series game but we'll never know what might have been. Whilst it may be a disappointment for us on distant shores the Lions players will probably prefer the warm Florida air to that of a drizzly autumnal London. Encouragingly going into the game the Lions finally seem to be finding their form. Having resolutely refused to buy into the Game Plan I've been offering them the last few weeks the Lions persistent belief that they were right offensively received a much needed boost in last weeks victory over the Seahawks. It now has to be hoped that the team are able to build on that win and start to put themselves back into the playoff hunt.

Week Eight

Seahawks @ LIONS

Halloween weekend is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Michigan sports fans and the Lions have the opportunity to pull the states sports fans out of the horror weekend with a win over the Seahawks. Those watching the Tigers in the World Series may well have wondered if the Lions offense had been giving the Tigers lineup batting advice as they replicated the impotent offensive Monday night display against the Bears. Amid growing fan unrest Coach Schwartz has reiterated his belief in both his players and his staff so this would be a good place for them all to start repaying his faith. 

Week Seven

LIONS @ Bears

Whilst, unlike last week, I don't think a loss would end the Lions season I do believe a loss would put us in a position that, given everything I've seen of this current Lions team, would suggest they couldn't come back from. So a virtual must win game, if you will, but one in which a strong performance in defeat may just show a spark that turns into something the rest of the way home. A 3-3 record after this game would probably be what most were predicting pre-season and given that the schedule has been skewed to road games a 2-4 record would only be going with home field advantage. Those losses to the Vikes and Titans though have left the Lions with little wiggle room now for the remainder of the season and for the season to amount to something they will need to not only win the games they are expected to win but also a few that they may not be fancied to win. This game falls into the category of not fancied to win. The Bears go into it with an impressive 4-1 record but a quick look behind that impressive stat suggests they have yet to beat anyone of note. It should also be noted that their solitary defeat, to the Packers, highlighted weaknesses that the Lions should be perfectly set up to exploit.

Week Six

LIONS @ Eagles

It's Week Six, Game Five of the Lions season and perhaps no exaggeration to say that this game will define where the Lions season heads from here. Win and they can build their way back into playoff contention. Lose and they can start to think about who may be at the top of next years Draft (just like the old days). A 1-3 start is recoverable but a 1-4 start turns a season into one of damage limitation. Despite my own and the majority of Lions fans, according to various online fan polls, desire for the coaching staff to be shaken up there have been no dramatic changes since the Vikings defeat in either coaching staff or player personnel. It seems that them's the apples that have fallen from the tree so we are just going to have to hope they can correct the ills of the first four weeks. The Tigers late season surge into the playoffs in search of a World Series has taken some of the local media attention away from the Lions struggles. The return from the Bye Week sees this game providing the entree to Game 2 of the ALCS though so the focus will most definitely be on the Lions, and after Jose Valverde had the cities sports fans squirming in their seats with an epic meltdown, more of what they were serving up pre-Bye will not be appreciated.

Week Four

Vikings @ LIONS

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view) illness prevented me from posting a preview for the Titans game so this Vikings preview will begin with reflections on the two road defeats that have preceded this second home game of the season.

It would not be unfair to reflect that the Lions could have won both the games, rather than lose them as they did, as the chances were definitely there for them to win, make no mistake about that. The truth was though that despite there being more than a decent opportunity to win both of these games the Lions never looked like doing so. They failed to take advantage of a fairly lacklustre display from the 9ers, who having established their dominance early on chose to play out the game without really stretching themselves, and having given themselves an undeserved chance to steal the Titans game in OT with Young's fortuitous Hail Mary catch they then conspired to make a mess of a supposed attempt to drag the Titans offside. For me there were worrying signs with each element of the team that I believe the coaching staff would be unwise not to address. A 1-2 record is not cause for panic but a defeat to the Vikings would leave the Lions 1-3 going into an early bye week with road games at the Eagles and Bears when they resume playing meaning a 1-5 start is a distinct possibility. Victory today is essential if this Lions season is not to quickly derail and start undoing all the progress that has been made over the last few years.

Week Two

LIONS @ 49ers

Focussing on the spat between the coaches of these teams does, I believe, do the matchup a disservice. The hand shake at the end of last years game overshadowed what was, essentially, an upset win by the dogged 9ers over the flashy young Lions. It could be argued that it was the game that gave the 9ers team the belief that took them all the way to the NFC Championship game while it exposed a character flaw within the Lions that would be exploited again by others as the Lions eventually fell short of that early season promise. This season's meeting comes a little earlier than last years but is now a contest between two up and coming playoff teams which rightly has the prominence of national TV as it features as the NBC Sunday Night Football game. For those of us on this side of the pond that means free to air TV courtesy of Channel 4 and the game finishing just as the world around us is beginning to awake at the start of a new working week. The game should be gripping enough to ensure that fighting off the desire to sleep is not as difficult as it could otherwise be.

Week One

Rams @ LIONS

Football is back and after last year's winning season and playoff appearance the Lions will be looking to use that as a basis for a sustained period of success. Remarkably if this season ends with at least 10 wins it will be the first time in Lions history that they will have posted back to back double digit winning seasons. I mention that by way of caution and also to put some perspective into justifiably high expectations for the coming months. This opening fixture sees Coach Schwartz pitting his wits against his long time boss at the Titans new Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher. But whilst it may well be a meeting of minds the Lions should have a definite edge with the on field talent.

2011 Lion of the Year

Voting for the 3rd recipient of Lion of the Year has moved from the Newsletter to the Blog Page to hopefully make it easier for everyone to get involved. There is no Moment of the Year this year as successful seasons tend to provide far more 'moments' than their less successful counterparts.

As has been the case with previous seasons the candidates have not been restricted by having immediately noticeable 'good seasons',  So whilst Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Cliff Avril find themselves nominated for their outstanding on field seasons Louis Delmas makes the list for the noticeable drop off in the Secondary performance while he was injured (both on and off the field), while Kevin Smith makes it for fighting his way back onto the team after  being released and to then producing game winning performances having done so.

Remember we are looking for someone who has displayed the qualities of a Lion more than someone who has lit up the stats chart. That said the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive and in 2011 all five candidates ably demonstrated those Lion qualities.

The voting list can be found on the side bar and if you wish to add a comment in support of your choice you can do so below.

Week Eighteen - Wild Card Playoff

LIONS @ Saints

In the words of The Pointer Sisters "I'm so excited!" and I suspect I am not alone among Lions fans in not being able to hide it too as the Lions first playoff appearance since 1999 nears ever closer. Hopefully the players will be a little less excited and able to focus on the task at hand, namely beating the formidable New Orleans Saints. Having finished the Regular Season with a 10-6 win/loss record I am prepared to forgive the team for falling one victory short of my predicted 11 wins as the Packers game would surely have ended in victory had a perfectly legitimate TD catch by Titus Young not been ruled incomplete. The 'reward', had the Lions beaten the Packers, was a playoff trip to New York to face the Giants which media and fans alike regarded as much the more attractive prospect to travelling to the Big Easy to face the Saints. Personally I think the Giants would have proved to be the tougher game but, in truth, when you get into the playoffs as a Wild Card it's unlikely you play a game that isn't tough. So here we are in unfamiliar territory, it's January and we're watching the Lions play meaningful football. So, whatever the result, after the last decade that can only be reason to celebrate.

Week Seventeen

LIONS @ Packers

With victory over the San Diego Chargers ensuring a playoff berth for the first time since 1999 the Lions head into the final regular season game knowing that beating the Pack will not only give them the fifth seed heading into the post season but that they will have finished with their best regular season record since the 12-4 team of 1991. The contrast in fortunes with the Packers over the last two decades could not be more stark as the Packers will be completing their 9th 11+ win season during that same period and that doesn't include last years 10-win Super Bowl winning season. With the Packers already having secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and, thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs, with them no longer playing for an unbeaten season it is quite possible that as well as sit Aaron Rodgers they will rest other key starters for this game. A weakened Packers team may not be the pushover that many observers believe however and securing the fifth seed with it's trip to Dallas or New York may not be the reward many to believe it to be either.