A week ago former NFL head coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy referred to Detroit as the "same old Lions" following their road loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Well, one week later the Lions are coming off of their first win over the Redskins in Washington, D.C. in 75 years as they head into a showdown for first place in the NFC North at home against the Chicago Bears.
Guess what people, these are not your same old Detroit Lions.
Want to bitch about Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan's boring and predictable play calling? Maybe you didn't notice, but the Lions are regularly mixing in the read option.
Keep your eyes on the receivers. They're actually running pass routes and don't start blocking until they see that Joique Bell has been handed the ball after Stafford reads the defense.
No, Mathew Stafford may not be the most mobile quarterback, or even a running threat at all, but that hasn't stopped Peyton Manning from running the read option as a form of play action to keep
defenses honest.
How about the Lions secondary, where their most recent street free agent, Rashean Mathis, almost gave up a 57-yard touchdown pass to Redskins WR Aldrick Robinson?
Well, the key word was "almost," because despite getting beat, Mathis still managed to catch up to Robinson as he was trying to catch the ball in the endzone. That was just enough to jar the ball loose, and the catch was overturned on instant replay.
If all that wasn't enough, the Lions not only successfully converted a key 4th and 1 late in the 4th quarter, but they did so by running to the left side of their offensive line, between center and left tackle.
And while that center was Dominic Raiola, the left tackle was not Jeff Backus...So no, these are not your "same old Lions" by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think there might even be more "new Lions" to come.
With Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh starting off the
2013 season embroiled in controversy for a personal foul against Minnesota
Vikings center John Sullivan, there was no shortage of opinions from the wanna
be talking heads in the NFL media.
Sage Rosenfels, a former backup quarterback for the Vikings,
Dolphins, Texans, Giants and Redskins (although I’m not sure any of those teams
would actually claim him as theirs), took to Twitter and said, “Detroit is a
classic example of big bullies who think they are better than everyone else, but have low self esteem. #Posers.”
Look! Up in the sky! It's not a bird, nor a plane! It's Sage Rosenfels...sigh.
Bart Scott, who once took issue with the Lions play as “too
dirty” when he was a linebacker for the New York Jets, used his new position as
an analyst at CBS to rip the entire Lions organization as being dirty from the bottom
up.
“They’re teaching them how to be fake tough guys. You’re a
tough guy between the whistles. All the other stuff — pushing and shoving
afterward — that’s being taught to them.”
My favorite opinion, however, was that of former Minnesota Viking
and current ESPN analyst, Cris Carter.
Carter is no stranger to making uneducated comments
pertaining to the Lions, having been forced to backtrack from his opinion prior
to the 2011 season where he claimed that Calvin Johnson was not one of the top
five wide receivers in the NFL, listing him behind DeSean Jackson and Greg
Jennings, amongst others.
In regards to Suh’s hit on Sullivan Carter said, “Ndamukong
Suh has been fined four times that we did know about. In those games guys, he
had no sacks and only four tackles. In the Minnesota game this past weekend he
played 46 snaps and did not make a tackle, but on the interception he goes
after a guy’s knee…Frustration.”
Carter’s attempt to make it seem as if Suh is acting like a
thug as a result of having been bottled up by Carter’s former team couldn’t be
further from the truth.
In fact, it was Suh's fierce pressure on Vikings QB Christan Ponder that caused Ponder to
recklessly throw the ball up for grabs in the first place, allowing Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy to
make an easy interception (which would have been returned for a touchdown had it not been for Suh's illegal block).
Suh also blew up a Vikings double team that gave fellow defensive
lineman Nick Fairley an unabated path to sacking Ponder on a stunt.
Regardless of his stat line, Suh was regarded as
having one of his most dominant games as a Lion against the Vikings in week 1.
Once again, Carter’s opinion in regards to Suh’s play was a
sloppy attempt to gain attention, devoid of fact, and a flat out indication
that he doesn’t even watch the games that he’s being paid to comment on.
Or as Cris Carter himself would say on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, "C'mon Man!"
In overcoming the ghosts of seasons' past, the Lions just might have treated their fans to something we didn't see coming...An unstoppable red zone offense, or at least a red zone offense that can only be stopped by the Lions themselves.
We even withstood a swift kick to the gnards when Adrian Peterson took the Vikings first offensive snap of the season 78-yards for a touchdown, reminiscent of Matt Ryan converting his first ever NFL pass into a 62-yard touchdown on opening day in 2008.
And even after leaving between 28-31 points on the field attributable to a
dropped FG snap, dropped passes, a dropped interception that would have gone for a touchdown, a needless
penalty that negated another potential interception return for a touchdown, and Brandon Pettigrew's best efforts to turn Ford Field into a bowling alley (and that was just in the first half!), the Lions finally teased us with a reason for some optimism...Their red zone offense.
The Lions already have the game's most fearsome receiver in Calvin Johnson, who combines size, speed and strength in a way that the NFL has never seen before.
In fact, last year teams even began covering him in the red zone in ways that had never been seen before, such as putting "gunner" coverage on him to prevent him from getting off of the goal line, or bracketing him with a safety over top and a linebacker underneath of a cornerback playing man coverage.
Of course, the Lions front office remedied that coverage problem this offseason by signing Reggie Bush, who can make teams pay underneath either as a running or receiving threat out of the backfield when they double or triple cover Megatron.
Like Megatron (and unlike Mikel Leshoure last season), Bush is an offensive weapon that defensive coordinators must account for on every single play. That alone takes away the opposition's ability to bracket Johnson with a linebacker as they did for much of last season.
Look for the Lions to play plenty of "21" personnel (2 TE's and 1 RB) in the red zone this season, with hybrid TE Tony Scheffler proving to be too big for safeties to cover, and too fast for linebackers.
But the most pleasant surprise of the Lions week 1 victory over the Vikings was the way they utilized undrafted free agent rookie TE Joseph Fauria.
Standing 6'8 and having exceptional hands, Fauria is an absolute nightmare of a match-up for opposing defenses in the red zone, especially when he will most likely be faced with single coverage given the attention that they will have to pay to Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush.
That much was evident when Fauria scored on an all but uncontested 1-yard TD over Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, who was unable to muster much opposition at all to the lob pass that Mathew Stafford threw to his new towering and isolated target.
Throw Ryan Broyles in the mix, and the Lions have the makings for an unstoppable red zone personnel grouping this season.
While Broyles did not play in week one as a precaution from his his offseason knee
surgery, once he returns Broyles will be the perfect compliment given
his stellar route running and propensity to find seams in zone defenses, which
is what NFL teams predominantly play in the red zone.
On paper, this looks good...Maybe even too good. Now all that's left is for the Lions to execute and stop stopping themselves.
The
2013 NFL season is finally upon us. This season already promises to be
better than the last if for no other reason than NBC finally got rid of
that God awful theme song by Faith Hill for Sunday Night Football,
replacing her with...Well, a crappier knockoff version of Faith Hill.
Okay,
NBC still sucks, but at least they don't have a pre-game show with some
of the most forced unlikable personalities in all of football, and yes,
I'm talking about you Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino and
anyone else that CBS thinks would be a good idea to bring into their
studio.
The
important thing is that we can all go to the sports bar where we can
watch the games without any volume, which is slightly more exiting than
listening to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman call a game for Fox.
In any event, here are my predictions for the 2013 NFL season!
NFC
East 1. Washington: 10-6 Yes, I
have questions about RG3's knee, but even if he is slightly less mobile
this year, I still thought we was one of the best pocket passers that I
ever saw coming out of college, and he did nothing last year to change
my opinion. Where the Pigskins stand to gain the most is on defense with
stud DE's Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan returning from injury. By the way,isn't
it time for the Redskins to change their team name to one that isn't a
racial slur? If the team would just change their name from the Redskins
to the Pigskins, it would not only become less offensive, but they could
continue to call themselves "The Skins." Throw in a hog related logo
pay homage to their fans from their glory years in the 80's and early
90's and to generate merchandise sales, and I think we have a perfect
solution.
2. Dallas: 10-6 The
Cowboys have greatly improved their offensive line by drafting C Jason
Ferguson and luring G Brian Waters out of retirement...That is, assuming
he has anything left in the tank. Tony Romo looks to be as in sync with
his offense as at any point in his career, and Dez Bryant is destined
to break out as a superstar. If Monte Kiffin's new defense can gel
despite not having the ideal personnel for the front of his new 4-3
defense, Dallas could be the NFC's surprise team this year. 3. New York Giants: 9-7 This
team is built more for the playoffs than the regular season...They just
need to make sure they find a way to make it to the post season with
what looks to be an aging and beat up offensive line. 4. Philadelphia: 6-10 Chip Kelly's run
first hurry up offense is an ideal fit for Michael Vick. The problem is
that the quarterback for Chip Kelly's run first hurry up offense is
Michael Vick. With a revamped offensive line, the Eagles should be able
to run the ball with a deep corps of running backs, which should be
their focus on offense to cut down on Vick's propensity to fumble or throw a "Vick six" to opposing defenses when he tries to do too much. North 1. Green Bay: 11-5
Last
year's top two draft picks Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy should return
from injuries this year to provide much needed support rushing the
passer at OLB and DE for Clay Mathews. Even with huge question at LT
with Bryan Bulaga lost for the season, rookie running back Eddie Lacy
should take some pressure off of all world QB Aaron Rogers and the
offensive line.
2. Detroit: 9-7 There
was no important free agent signing this offseason than Detroit inking
Reggie Bush. Even with Calvin Johnson facing man coverage while being
bracketed by a linebacker and a safety on nearly every play, and facing
gunner coverage from defenses in the red zone, Detroit's running backs
couldn't take advantage of seeing the least number defenders in the box
all season than any other team. Not only will Bush pull defenders away
from Calvin Johnson, but he'll give Mathew Stafford a safety valve who
can make big plays as a receiver out of the backfield that he hasn't had
since Jahvid Best was forced to retire due to concussions. Throw in
one of the best defensive lines in football and a secondary that hopes
to upgrade to mediocre after drafting Darius Slay, as well as the return
of Louis Delmas and the signing of Glover Quinn at S, and the Lions
look to be in the mix to make the playoffs again.
3. Chicago: 8-8 Marc
Trestman brings his experience coaching in the CFL to Chicago, which
may not be a bad thing considering that Jay Cutler throwing the ball on
third down doesn't always work out so well. Actually, I'm not quite sure
why Lovie Smith was fired, as the Bears problems on offense had
more to do with talent than scheme, and their defense was one of the
better ones in the NFL when it came to making big plays last season.
In
addition to his CFL background, new Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman
also has a law degree...I'm sure that will go along way with his locker
room cred.
4. Minnesota: 5-11 Despite
a plethora of high draft picks and free agent signings, I'm not sure
that the Vikings will have anywhere close to the record they had last season. Even if
Cordarelle Patterson is ready to replace Percy Harvin, I'm not convinced
that Christian Ponder is a starting caliber NFL QB. On defense the
Vikings have issues with their back seven, and that's not a good problem
to have in the NFC North. South 1. Atlanta: 11-5 While
Atlanta really aired the ball out last season, look for them to balance
things out this year with addition of RB Steven Jackson, especially in
the red zone. Osi Umenyiora should be a nice replacement for John
Abraham, although I am concerned about the depth in Atlanta's secondary,
especially with New Orleans poised for a comeback year. 2. New Orleans: 10-6 Sean
Peyton returns, which should bring stability back to the Saints
offense. I'm also really liking the addition of rookie WR Kenny Stills,
who should team up with veteran Marques Colston and the under
appreciated Lance Moore to give Drew Brees one of the leagues best trios
of WR's, not to mention TE super-stud Jimmy Graham. The big question is
whether the Saints defense can produce, as they lack impact players at
nearly every position except for safety.
There's nothing better in football right now than Drew Brees and his pre-game chants.
3. Tampa Bay: 8-8 The
Buccaneers have been very aggressive in the offseason the last two
years, but have very little to show for it on the field. Darrelle Revis
should be a nice addition to the Buc's secondary in a pass happy
division. On offense, Josh Freeman faces a make or break season with a
full stable of receivers, a premier running back and what looks to be a
strong and healthy offensive line for the first time in his career. 4. Carolina: 6-10 Why
the Panthers have kept their backfield intact when they continue to get
ten cents on the dollar return from DeAngelo Williams, Mike Tolbert and
Jonathan Stewart is beyond me. One of these days the franchise might
even use some of that money to find a quality receiver to play opposite
of Steve Smith before he retires or gets a lifetime suspension for
bludgeoning an opposing player (or maybe even a teammate) to death. West 1. San Francisco: 12-4 Can the
49ers overcome the loss of WR Michael Crabtree for the season? With Alex
Smith? No. With Colin Kaepernick and the league's best defense? Yes.
Amazingly, the 49ers not only dumped Smith, who was a disappointment as
the #1 overall draft pick, but they somehow conned the Chiefs into
giving them a First Round pick for him. That's the best trade in the NFL
since the Lions fleeced the Cowboys out of a first round pick for Roy
Williams. 2. Seattle: 10-6 Seattle
has a huge home field advantage plus the good fortune to play in a weak
division. With Percy Harvin sidelined for eat least most of the season,
the burden will be on Golden Tate to emerge and Sidney Rice to return
to his former self to give Russell Wilson serviceable targets, because
I'm thinking that Mike Williams has pretty much run out of chances.
Fortunately, a strong defense and strong running game should make the
Seahawks contenders even if their receivers don't pan out. 3. St. Louis: 7-9 I
love the Rams secondary, I like their defensive line, but I don't like
their offensive line or receivers. I think by the end of the season Sam
Bradford and the Rams will start to show some progress under new coach
Jeff Fisher, but I'm thinking that a slow start to the season will be
too much to overcome. 4. Arizona: 6-10 I'd
like to say the Cardinals underrated defense will keep them in games,
but Carson Palmer's propensity to throw the ball to the wrong team. While
Carson Palmer may not help the Cardinals win many more games than they
did last season, at least he'll help Larry Fitzgerald's fantasy stats. NFC Wildcards: New Orleans and Seattle NFC Conference Championship: Green Bay over San Francisco AFC East 1. New England: 11-5 The Patriots
may have one of their worst teams talent wise in years, but their
record wont suffer much, if any, by virtue of being in the worst
division in football. But at least Tom Brady is a man's man from
Boston. Wait for it....
2. Miami: 7-9
A rookie campaign from Ryan Tannehill that failed to excite anyone
gives Miami the second best quarterback situation in the AFC East...By
far. In desperate need of a deep threat for their vertical passing game,
the Dolphins overspent on WR Mike Wallace, who seems to be having a
tough time getting adjusted to his new surroundings. Miami's defense
does have a chance to be good, but it looks like they have too many
other problems to overcome. 3. Buffalo: 6-10 The
Bills took a big step in the right direction last offseason...Buddy Nix
resigned as their GM. While E.J. Manuel seems like he could be the long
term answer at QB for Bills, his missed time during the pre-season
damaged any chances they had at being competitive this season, although I
do look for them to finally turn the corner next year. 4. New York Jets: 8-8 I've
tried to be a Rex Ryan supporter, but bringing Marc Sanchez in to play
the 4th quarter of a pre-season was one of the dumbest coaching
decisions since Bobby Ross unsuccessfully had the Lions attempt a 2
point conversion while trailing by 4 points with 5:26 left in a game,
only to lose when Detroit got the ball back and drove down the field,
but was forced to score a touchdown instead of what would have been an
easy game tying field goal. Fortunately for Rex Ryan, Sanchez got hurt
before he could reclaim the Jets starting QB job.
What's
creepier than Rex Ryan's foot fetish video with his wife? How about the
tattoo he got on his arm of his wife butt ass naked aside from a Marc
Sanchez jersey!
The only tattoo creepier than Sexy Rexy's is this tat of a naked Native American riding a corn dog.
North 1. Cincinnati:10-6 The
Bengals may not be great, but they're solid across the board, starting
with a top notch defense. If Mohamed Sanu can step up as a playmaker
opposite A.J. Green, this team could go from just making the playoffs,
to contending for a Super Bowl. 2. Baltimore: 10-6 After
winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens defense lost future Hall of Famers
in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. However, Elvis Dumervil will team with Terrell
Suggs and Haloti Ngata to give the Ravens solid posts on the edges and
interior of their defense, which may even wind up being better than they
were last season. Ray Rice's demise is also highly exaggerated, and the
Ravens will be right back in the mix to win the AFC again this season. 3. Pittsburgh: 9-7 The
Steelers are aging rapidly on defense, while attempting to rebuild
their running game and offensive line. While Ben Roethlisberger and the
passing game can keep Pittsburgh competitive, the Steelers sorely need
rookie RB Le'Veon Bell to return from a foot strain and establish a
power running game. 4. Cleveland: 7-9 I
look for TE Jordan Cameron to have a breakout season, as well as Josh
Gordon at WR, at least once he returns from suspension. All in all, I
like what the Browns are doing on defense, and if Barkevious Mingo
doesn't die he could develop into a pretty nice outside pass rusher.
With so many young pieces seemingly in place, the Browns badly need
Brandon Weeden to step up his game this season, or else the franchise
will be set back another 2-3 years as they go back to the well looking
for yet another quarterback to develop. South 1. Houston: 11-5 With
the Texans finally finding an outside receiver to compliment Andre
Johnson in DeAndre Hopkins, Matt Schaub may be able to make defenses pay
for stacking the line against Arian Foster if he can stop bitching
about getting hit by Ndamukong Suh. I am a
bit concerned that Andre Johnson has bulked up so much that he looks and
plays more like a slot tight end, but if he can resemble his old self
for just one year they might have something special in Houston this
season, as their defense has the talent to help the Texans get to a
Super Bowl. 2. Indianapolis: 9-7 The
Colts had an emotional season last year where the team really rallied
together. With Bruce Arians moving on from Colts offensive coordinator
to head coach of the Cardinals, I expect a mild regression this year for
Andrew Luck, but that doesn't mean that they won't find themselves in
the playoff hunt. 3. Tennessee: 7-9 With
Chris Johnson in camp and in shape all pre-season, the Titans should
see their running game re-emerge, especially with the addition of guard
Chance Warmack. If so, that would make things much easier on Jake Locker
at QB. However, questions still remain at defensive end and in the
secondary. 4. Jacksonville: 4-12 Bad news, Blaine Gabbert is still the Jags quarterback. Good news, the Jaguars can still sign Tim Tebow and relocate to London. West 1. Denver: 10-6 Peyton Manning
has regained much of the arm strength that was lacking last season
after spinal surgery, which is scary considering that the Broncos are
giving him two extra targets in slot receiver Wes Welker and Julius
Thomas, who has the athleticism and potential to become a big play TE. Unfortunately,
Denver's front office was too busy getting arrested for DUI's to
properly document re-signing key DE Elvis Dumervil with the league
office, which caused him to become a free agent and served as a huge
blow to the Broncos Super Bowl chances. 2. Kansas City: 8-8 Andy
Reid called Alex Smith the best quarterback in football. Sadly, it
appears that heroin addiction runs in his family. While Dwayne Bowe is
promising a born again break-out season, I'm skeptical that Smith has
the arm strength to get him the ball down field where he excels.
3. San Diego: 6-10 While
Antonio Gates is healthier and in better shape than he's been in years,
Danario Alexander's season ending knee injury derailed any chance of
Phil Rivers re-establishing himself as one of the NFL's top QB's. Fortunately,
the Chargers are going to feature Ryan Mathews at RB this year to take
the pressure off of the passing game. What was that you ask? That was
the sound of Rivers saying, "Oh fuck!" 4. Oakland: 2-14 With
no offensive line, no receivers, and a featured running back who can't
stay healthy and runs like he's wearing speed skates, the Raiders might
have one of the worst teams if NFL history. If Terrell Pryor can work
some magic with his legs while mixing in some read option, the Raiders
might overachieve and win a game or two. AFC Wildcards: Baltimore and Pittsburgh AFC Conference Championship: Houston over New England
I began following the Detroit Lions in 1980 at the age of eight.
That was the first year that I became aware of individual players aside from Roger Staubach and Lynn Dickey (the Packers were my parents' favorite team), or that there were teams in the NFL other than the Cowboys, Steelers or Packers.
As a kid growing up in mid-Michigan, where I was taught from an early age that "Channel 12 loves you," I was drawn to the prospect of a young and hip locally based team that was off to a surprising 4-0 start to the 1980 season.
And as an 8-year-old, a catchy rap version of Queen's Another One Bites the Dust that the team celebrated their victories to sure didn't hurt either.
Recorded by CB James "Spiderman" Allen, TE David Hill and CB Jimmy Hunter, the Detroit Lions rap version of Another One Bites the Dust was ahead of its time, coming out a full five years before the more popular Super Bowl Shuffle by "various artists" from the Chicago Bears.
The 1980 Lions also sported their vaunted "Silver Rush" defensive line, where Al "Bubba" Baker would still be the NFL record holder for single season sacks with 23, if only sacks were an official statistic in 1978.*
*Because apparently the NFL lacks the capability to go back and review old game film and retroactively record sacks as an official statistic....Fuck you Roger Goodell.
Throw in an electric rookie named Billy Sims, who went on to "karate kick" any defender who was foolish enough to get in his way to the end zone, and I was hooked....For better or for worse.
And in hindsight, it might have been "for worse."
Amazingly, since the time that I became a Lions fan, the team has only had two regular starting kickers. Eddie Murray, who took over for Benny Ricardo to start the 1980 season; and their incumbent kicker, Jason Hanson.
Oh, Benny Ricardo...I hardly knew thee.
Think about that for just a second...Over the past 32 years, the Detroit Lions have only had two fucking kickers! The only exceptions have been very brief injury fill-ins by Rich Karlis (in 1990), Remy Hamilton (in 2005) and Dave Rayner (in 2008 & 2010).
Since Jason Hanson took over the Lions full time kicking duties after inexplicably being drafted in the second round out of Washington State in 1992, he's gone on to set several NFL records including:
-Most field goals over 50 yards for a career; -Most field goals over 50 yards for a season; -Most games with one franchise; -Most seasons with one franchise; and -Most game winning field goals in overtime.
He's also the third all time NFL leading scorer, and with an 82.3% success rate, he's the 16th most accurate kicker in NFL history.
While his once powerful leg strengh on kickoffs has diminished now that he's reached the age of 42, Hanson still remains an integral part of the Lions team, having served as a team Captain since 2007.
Sure, the Lions could use a kicker with a stronger leg to take advantage of the new NFL rule where kickoffs are spotted at the 35-yard-line.
Sure, a strong legged kick-off man would be a precious commodity given the flaming bag of dog shit that the Lions special teams coverage units have been in 2012.
In fact, the Lions' special teams have been so bad that I can almost hear Toby Caston screaming in disgust from his grave, and I'm pretty sure that Stan Kwan keeps dropping off his resume at the team's facilities in Allen Park on a daily basis.
The Lions could go a different route and consider signing a punter who also has the ability to handle kickoffs...As it's not like the Lions menage a trois of punters over the past three seasons (Nick Harris, Ryan Donahue and Ben Graham) has done anything to make me hate soccer players any less.
Fucking soccer players...
However, what Jason Hanson lacks now in leg strength, he makes up for in dependability.
Case in point, this weekend when he kicked four field goals to help defeat the Eagles 26-23 for the Lions first road victory in Philadelphia since 1986. Ironically, Hanson was only 6 years away from taking over for Eddie Murray at that time.
Not only was Hanson kicking in a hostile environment this weekend, but the Fox broadcast booth of Darryl Johnson and Kenny Albert both noted how he had struggled with the swirling wind at Lincoln Financial Field in his pre-game warm-ups.
How did Hanson respond?
Not only did he make field goals from 46, 34, 19, and 45 yards in front of a hostile crowd, the last two of which with the added pressure of having the outcome of the game on the line, but all of his kicks were dead solid perfect.
Holy Jim Arnold sightings! Jason Hanson has been through a lot as a Lion over these last 22 years, and through no fault of his own...It's almost as if he's like one of the fans.
I know that Barry Sanders may be the most exciting player to watch in NFL history, but it's hard to argue that the skinny kicker that the Lions burned a 2nd Round draft pick on back in 1992 wasn't the best pick that the franchise ever made.
And after 22 record breaking seasons, he may even be the all-time face of the Lions franchise...For better or for worse.
