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.

Considering that they generally don't turn up until the fourth quarter it is surprising that the Lions have the second ranked offense in the NFL and the top ranked passing offense. We can only imagine just how good the stats would look if they played the first three quarters of games like they play the fourth. The performance against the Vikings was all too typical of this season and the consistency of the Lions offensive inconsistency is cause for increasing concern. Given the slow starts the players preparedness for games has to be questioned and that is down to the coaching staff. Similarly the play calling, especially on offense, has to be questioned as the Lions are repeatedly giving the opposition head starts. I've advocated a greater commitment to the ground game and I still believe that if this season is to be turned around it will be the running backs that lead the way. Despite not gaining more than 19 yards on any single run this season they've averaged 4.1 yards per carry which suggests should they wish to they could steadily move down the field. Linehan's play calling has been predictable and the Lions generally run the ball with Reiff in as an extra Tackle which probably has a lot to do with why there have been so few long runs. They flag up the run and then manage only to create space for the back to get through the line of scrimmage with the opposing linebackers rushing in to fill the void. Putting two backs on the field at the same time with the plan that one will act as lead blocker once through the line of scrimmage would likely see greater gains. The short dump off passes favoured by Stafford or designed by Linehan are often knocked down by the opposing linemen and have occasionally led to interceptions. Despite Matthews missing this game the Packers will still look to get to Stafford and will likely follow a similar game plan to that of the teams we have already faced. Cover the receivers, particularly Calvin, and dare us to try and run the ball seems to be the plan and sadly it has worked too often.

The defense has either mirrored the offense and been slow out of the blocks or has come out smoking and then and then tailed off late. The Packers have the kind of offense that could put points on the board but in fairness to the defense, despite their short comings, they have kept the Lions in games. The plan has to be once again for the front seven to pressure the QB and stuff the run at the line of scrimmage as our banged up Secondary looks ever vulnerable. The Lions have a great deal of their salary cap tied up on the defensive line and the dollar commitment has yet to receive value for this investment. Whilst they have not played poorly, although Vanden Bosch has not been good, they have not dominated games as they should. Getting the better of the Packers O-Line and Aaron Rogers should be something the Lions D-Line is capable of doing and if the Lions are to start playing playoff football on a regular basis dominating teams within the NFC North is a requirement.

The staff have backed the players on Special Teams and the reward for that faith will be how the players perform in the remainder of the season. Attacking a shorter field is the benefit of good returns and defending a longer field is the benefit of good coverage. We can only hope that once again our Special Teams don't lose us the game and are able to keep us in it. Jason Hanson remains a reliable weapon and if the game is close is perfect to give us a shot at winning it with a Field Goal.

I'm a long way from being convinced by this years Lions and also think that they must be one of the easier teams in the league to prepare for such is the predictable nature of our play calling. I fear that our season ends here with another stuttering display that ends with a vain comeback but am going to go with my heart and say they keep the season alive with a close one in another shootout. The game is on Sky for those that subscribe so it'd be nice if we didn't live up to our stereotype.

Prediction: Packers 34 LIONS 38