Week Thirteen

LIONS @ Saints

The trials and tribulations of the Public Enemy No 1 Ndamukong Suh have diverted attention from the team performance against the Packers. This is unfortunate for Suh who is taking one for the team in more than one sense as, for me, he has become a victim of the NFL's publicity machine as much as he is a victim of his own stupidity. Now he's been tagged as the face of evil there will need to be much work done by both player and coaching staff to prevent his career from suffering for his reputation. Suh's suspension from this game has hopefully provided the catalyst needed for both players and coaches to focus their efforts on beating the opponent rather than beating themselves. Having been flexed into prime time we have to hope it will be the Monday Night Lions rather than the Thanksgiving ones that turn up to play the Saints in front of a national audience in America and insomniacs here on this side of the pond.

Matthew Stafford has apparently been taking snaps with his bare glove free hands which has to be encouraging given his dire record playing with gloves. If he does return to the form he was showing before the broken finger then I do believe that questions need to be asked of both the player and the coaches. Of course it could just be a psychological issue rather than physical but I do maintain that the play calling needs to return to the balance that was shown in the Broncos game. The Lions are supposed to have a balanced attack, just like the Saints and Packers in fact, so it would be nice if we saw some balance with how the ball is progressed upfield.

Hopefully Kevin Smith will return from injury to lead the Lions ground game but if he doesn't then I hope Linehan has faith in Morris or Williams to get the job done. The average yards on the ground have been good enough to keep the chains moving so they deserve some respect from their own team if not the opposition. Nate Burleson has struggled for form all season long and Titus Young appears to have been offering an alternative to Burleson rather than Johnson. For the Lions to be successful I think they need Young stretching the field with Johnson not darting between linebackers with Burleson and the Tight Ends looking for those quick slants underneath. The Packers are not alone in having scored points against the Saints so there is encouragement for the Lions offense should they need it. Jeff Backus should set a new Lions record for consecutive starts and that fact should tell you all you need to know about the Lions.

Suh's absence offers the chance for Nick Fairley to shine and if the Lions are to win this game then Fairley will need to take the most of his opportunity. Drew Brees is one of the best QB's in the league and if given the time has the ability and the receivers to torch the Lions secondary. Darren Sproles offers a dual threat out of the backfield in the way that Jahvid Best was supposed to for the Lions. Sproles also has the kick return ability of a Devin Hester which means he has the potential to win the game on his own even if the Lions contain Brees and his top rated passing attack. The Lions defense has only really shown itself to be vulnerable twice this season in the first halves of the Cowboys and Panthers games. Aside from those two occasions the defense has done a good job of containing the opposition whoever they may be and however potent their offensive stars. The loss of Suh should focus the discipline and a return to the controlled domination that gave Tim Tebow and his Broncos such a torrid time would provide the platform for a Lions victory in the Superdome. 

Special Teams continue to disappoint and the confidence placed in this group at the start of the season was most definitely misplaced. The Saints are well stocked to take advantage of poor Lions return coverage and missed tackles while Logan has yet to justify his roster spot as our return specialist. This may be the game that the Special Teams unit lives up to its potential but I have my doubts.

Despite the Saints home record and their league leading offense this is a game the Lions are very capable of winning. In order for them to do so they need to be at the top of their game in each and every aspect of the team. Unfortunately after seeing how the Lions have performed since coming back from the bye week break I don't have the confidence that they will perform at their best. I'm hopeful they will respond to the spotlight but think the odds are weighted towards those of us burning the midnight oil wondering when we are beyond comeback territory and safe to go to bed. Fortunately for our playoff prospects I do think this a game we can afford to lose so am not too disheartened and will take encouragement from an improved display as we head towards the series of must/should win games.

Prediction: LIONS 24 Saints 38