Off Season Musings #2

On The Field

The main moves of Free Agency have taken place and after them the Lions appear a stronger team than before them. The key additions were Reggie Bush at Running Back, Glover Quin at Safety and D-Lineman Jason Jones while the headline losses were that of O-Lineman Gosder Cherilus to the Colts, Defensive End Cliff  Avril to the Seahawks, Linebacker Justin Durant to the Cowboys and Defensive Tackle Sammie Lee Hill to the Titans. It doesn't seem as if the Lions were too fussed about losing Durant, Cherilus or Avril and were resigned to losing Hill as he sought more playing time. There was also the retirement of long time starting Left Tackle Jeff Backus to add to the earlier departures of Titus Young Snr, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Peterman. The most significant Free Agents they retained were all on the defensive side of the ball with former 3rd round pick Linebacker DeAndre Levy returning along with Secondary stars Chris Houston at Cornerback and Louis Delmas at Safety. Of the Free Agents yet to find a home only Lawrence Jackson remains as a possibility to return.

Off Season Musings #1

Off The Field

From the absolute depth of a 0-16 season the progression curve was supposed to be upward and up until last season it was. The 2011 roster had returned relatively unscathed and whilst some anticipated a slight regression in form most were predicting continued progression in 2012 with another tilt at the playoffs come January. If doubts had been expressed about Coach Schwartz or GM Martin Mayhew before the 2012 season they tended not to come from Lions fans or the local beat writers that make their living following the team. If there were any mutterings at all then they tended to be from fans not entirely convinced by the performance of Schwartz's Co-Ordinators. The regression to a 4-12 season though put everyone's performance under the microscope and for Schwartz and Mayhew, in particular, the scrutiny was intense.

Whilst there were probably questions raised at the highest level about whether to retain GM & HC I doubt that these questions prompted too much discussion. There is much to be said for continuity of personnel in key management positions and it's no coincidence that successful teams have this and unsuccessful ones don't. Both had done enough in the restoration of the Lions to earn the right to correct the mistakes they had made through 2012. It should also be remembered that both Schwartz and Mayhew have no previous experience as Head Coach or GM and so it would be unrealistic to expect them to be error free as they continue to develop in their roles. The key to both of their futures now is to prove they have learnt from last season and to demonstrate they are evolving into the kind of managers that lead winning organisations.

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.