Wembley 2014

LIONS @ Falcons
Wembley Stadium, London, 2014 

Once the Falcons had been announced as one of the three host teams for the 2014 International Series game at Wembley the rumours that the Lions would be their opponents soon followed. Today those rumours have been confirmed and the Lions will indeed be coming to Wembley in 2014

It's great news for all those of us that have followed the Lions from this side of the Atlantic and as information comes through this site will continue to update and comment.

Week Two

LIONS @ Cardinals

After a first half in which they repeatedly found ways to beat themselves the Lions turned the second half of last weeks opener to the 2013 NFL season into a glimpse of what this team could do this season. The Cardinals showed that they were more than they were anticipated by many to be by running a talented Rams team very close in St Louis. They meet now in Arizona's home opener and the hosts may well be looking to last season as an encouraging sign of what to expect. That 38-10 defeat was pretty comprehensive and one suspects it took much of the off-season for the stadia staff to dispel the place of the whiff of Matt Stafford such was the extent to which he stunk out the joint in that game. The frustration, or perhaps it's a joy, of following the Lions is you never really now what to expect from them.

Week One

The Verdict

It's always good to start the season with a win, especially when it's achieved against a divisional rival. The game itself probably encapsulated much of what we can expect from the Lions this season and that is why my biggest issue with the seasons opener is with Coach Schwartz's comments post game.

Schwartz's refusal to apologise for the indiscipline of his team because they'd won says much about why discipline is even an issue with them. There can be no argument that three is talent littered throughout the Lions, both on and off the field, but if that talent is as good as it believes itself to be is another matter. It's a fine line between self confidence and arrogance and for Coach Schwartz he appears to have been drifting from the former to the latter throughout his tenure in Motown. 

Week One

Vikings @ LIONS

With this being Week One optimism for a successful season ahead should be high. A 3-1 Pre-Season record for the Lions should not be dismissed purely on the basis that 'pre-season games don't count' but nor should we be blind to the danger signs that were evident n those four games either. The quote that kept running through my mind as I watched the Lions pre-season was "those that fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are bound to repeat them". I hope I'm wrong but I think we are in for very few surprises this season in how the Lions approach games and as in the past two seasons we will be competitive to a point. If I allow myself to be optimistic then I can see a ceiling of 10/11 wins and a possible play-off victory but no more. If I get despondent then I can see a repeat of last season and therefore another classic Lions season. 

The opener against the Vikings will provide a good indicator of where the season is headed. The Vikings 2012 season was similar in many ways to the Lions 2011 season and many are tipping them to have a similar drop off to the Lions following a winning season. The Lions meanwhile, as you'd expect, are making all the right noises about how this season will be different because '(insert reason)'. The off-season moves both in Free Agency and the Draft have been encouraging without really being accompanied by the wow factor and that may well be a good thing as it could indicate solidity rather than flash. I'm interested to see how this opening game plays out and find myself very firmly on the fence between optimism and pessimism. 

Reasons to be Cheerful

1) The Defensive Line looks like it could be the best in the league and capable of winning games on its own. The Defense looks set up to be much more solid against the run which means if the opposition is forced to throw a lot they then make it a game of how long they can keep their QB upright. 

2) Reggie Bush is what Jahvid Best may have become so the offensive game plan has its feature multi use back. This should allow for a better balance of offensive play calls and keep the opposition guessing. Joique Bell has also continued to improve so this could well be the most potent Lions run game for some while.

3) Special Teams looks like it won't be the burden it has been in the past. Given the close nature of so many of our games over the last couple of seasons it's not hard to envisage that having regularly better field position having a positive effect on our win column.

Reasons to be Fearful

1) Matthew Stafford just doesn't look to have developed as we would have hoped after his 2011 season. There were worrying signs in 2012 and these were clearly evident throughout the pre-season. The 2012 version of Matt Stafford does not get this team close to the playoffs irrespective of how good others in the offense perform. Just ask Calvin.

2) Despite another overhaul the Secondary looks as vulnerable as it ever did and the way the Lions appear to grab waived corners suggests that the team are not fully convinced by the group they've assembled either. If the D-Line fail to exert sufficient pressure on the opposition QB then this group could be badly exposed.

3) Aside from a few new faces among the supporting cast, both on and off the field, where some are stronger than what was here before and some are weaker this is essentially the same team that we went into the past two seasons with. Schwartz has stuck to his beliefs and, importantly, has retained his two principal co-ordinators believing continuity is the key to success. I'm not convinced last seasons failings can be excused away as being the result of key individual errors and the negative influence of a bad apple wide receiver.

The Vikings may not be able to fully test all the elements I've listed but I think they'll have enough about them for this to be a close game. I'm hoping that home field makes the difference and the Lions get off with a win. As for the season I think momentum will be the key on how it pans out. If they win a couple of the close ones (like this Vikings game) belief could see them get on a roll and make the playoffs but at this point I'm leaning ever so slightly to the glass being half empty and so see a 7-9 record. This may be enough for Schwartz to hang on to his job but I would think he could only do that if he were ready to be bold about cutting adrift Linehan and Cunningham. 

Prediction: Vikings 16 LIONS 20