Yardbarker: Gosder Cherilus

[Lions] Lions To Start OT Gosder Cherilus This Week?

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:38:46 -0500

The Lions apparently are planning on starting rookie Gosder Cherilus at right tackle Sunday against Washington, after igniting a minor firestorm last...

[Lions] Lions Benched OT Gosder Cherilus, OG Manny Ramirez

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:32:24 -0500

The Lions pulled tackle Gosder Cherilus and guard Manny Ramirez during the Week 6 loss to the Vikings due to poor play. The Vikings have one of the...

[Lions] Lions Benched OT Gosder Cherilus, OG Manny Ramirez

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:31:24 -0500

The Lions pulled tackle Gosder Cherilus and guard Manny Ramirez during the Week 6 loss to the Vikings due to poor play. The Vikings have one of the...

[Lions] Lions OT George Foster Not Expected To Play Sunday

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:51:18 -0500

Right tackle George Foster, who backed up Gosder Cherilus against San Francisco, suffered a hyperextended knee and is not likely to play Sunday....

Aloha, Matt Millen

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:35:44 -0500

Add Detroit to the places where Aloha means Goodbye.

Millen (Photo Courtesy of ESPN)

Only a couple days after William Clay Ford, Jr. (son of Lions owner William Clay Ford, Sr.) let his feelings be known publicly that he would fire Millen if he had the power to do so, someone with the power to do so agreed. At approximately 10:30 AM ET today, reports surfaced that the Detroit Lions ended their relationship with team President and CEO Matt Millen, thus ending an era that Detroit Lions fans would like to forget. As seen in my Tuesday FourCast, I pointed out that the Lions are the worst team in the NFL, and that Millen should be held responsible.

The Matt Millen Era in Detroit (2001-2008) was full of blunders. The coaching hires have been far from successful. We all remember Steve Mariucci and Marty Mornhinweg. However, the Millen Era will probably be most well known for the drafting of four wide receivers in the first round of the NFL draft in five years. Since I like to consider myself the resident draft guru, I will place my focus on Millen's drafts on a year-by-year basis.

2001: Day One was highlighted by three fixtures on the offensive and defensive lines. While day two, at best, provided a QB who started a few games, but caused an "Evil of Two Lessers" QB Controversy

1st: Jeff Backus - OT
2nd: Domanic Raiola - C
2nd: Shaun Rogers - DT
5th: Mike McMahon - QB

2002: What looked like a great Day One on draft day crashed and burned due to potential that was never realized. Day Two was nearly non-existent.

1st: Joey Harrington - QB
2nd: Kalimba Edwards - DE
3rd: Andre' Goodman - CB

2003: Rogers never lived up to his big play billing. Bailey was up and down and dinged up a lot. Redding has come around in the last 2-3 seasons, and was recently franchised by the team. Another weak Day Two yielded only two out of eight picks who had any impact at all (but both are out of the NFL now).

1st: Charles Rogers - WR
2nd: Boss Bailey - LB
3rd: Corey Redding - DT
4th: Artose Pinner - RB
5th: Terrence Holt - S

2004: Roy Williams has been one of Millen's better picks. Jones was serviceable when healthy and had one good season. Lehman and Smith offered value as part-time starters as well as coming off the bench. Day Two...still haunting Millen.

1st: Roy Williams - WR
1st: Kevin Jones - RB
2nd: Teddy Lehman - LB
3rd: Keith Smith - CB

2005: Another ugly draft. Mike Williams was a year removed from playing organized football. The next two picks in the draft were DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman. Cody's doubters, who questioned his size and desire, were proven right. Wilson, like Smith the year before has had some spot starts, but never fully cracked the starting lineup. Dare I mention the obvious?

1st: Mike Williams - WR
2nd: Shaun Cody - DT
3rd: Stanley Wilson - CB
5th: Dan Orlovsky - QB

2006: Sims is arguably Millen's best pick (Calvin Johnson was a no-brainer). While undersized, he has proven to be a tackling machine who plays all over the field with his speed. Bullocks was another good pick who has proven himself as an NFL starter. Calhoun showed promise before tearing his ACL (and possibly ending his career). Scott also showed promise before being cut earlier this season. Day Twoa??where are you???

1st: Ernie Sims - LB
2nd: Daniel Bullocks - S
3rd: Brian Calhoun - RB
5th: Jonathan Scott - OT

2007: Adding a franchise player like Calvin Johnson could have been key to saving Millen, but why get rid of a pass-happy OC in Mike Martz and add a Run-First OC in Jim Colletto? Jury is out on Stanton, but he can't beat Kitna for the job. Alama-Francis and Alexander have promise but the jury is out on them as well. Day Two still looks like a waste.

1st: Calvin Johnson - WR
2nd: Drew Stanton - QB
2nd: Ikaika Alama-Francis - DE
2nd: Gerald Alexander - S

2008: Seventeenth overall is kind of high for a right tackle. Cherilus may prove to be a reach. Dizon was a great pick. Kevin Smith won the starting RB job, but has proven to be very average. Fluellen and Avril make this list on potential alone. The Day Two Trend looks like it continues. (*Note: The 3rd round is now part of Day Two in the current draft format, but for purposes of this piece, 3rd rounders in 2008 will be considered first day picks)

1st: Gosder Cherilus - OT
2nd: Jordan Dizon - LB
3rd: Kevin Smith - RB
3rd: Andre Fluellen - DT
3rd: Cliff Avril - DE

Take any NFL General Manager, who has eight consecutive drafts, and there's a good chance that he has unearthed a couple of gems on Day Two. While some consider Day Two of the NFL draft a crap-shoot, some of the most successful GMs make their impact on that day (Ron Wolf, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson). Where the Lions go from here, it is hard to say. However, getting a GM who knows how to run a scouting department and can draft well will at least get this outfit back on the right foot.

Aloha, Matt Millen

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:28:38 -0500

Add Detroit to the places where Aloha means Goodbye.

Millen (Photo Courtesy of ESPN)

Only a couple days after William Clay Ford, Jr. (son of Lions owner William Clay Ford, Sr.) let his feelings be known publicly that he would fire Millen if he had the power to do so, someone with the power to do so agreed. At approximately 10:30 AM ET today, reports surfaced that the Detroit Lions ended their relationship with team President and CEO Matt Millen, thus ending an era that Detroit Lions fans would like to forget. As seen in my Tuesday FourCast, I pointed out that the Lions are the worst team in the NFL, and that Millen should be held responsible.

The Matt Millen Era in Detroit (2001-2008) was full of blunders. The coaching hires have been far from successful. We all remember Steve Mariucci and Marty Mornhinweg. However, the Millen Era will probably be most well known for the drafting of four wide receivers in the first round of the NFL draft in five years. Since I like to consider myself the resident draft guru, I will place my focus on Millen's drafts on a year-by-year basis.

2001: Day One was highlighted by three fixtures on the offensive and defensive lines. While day two, at best, provided a QB who started a few games, but caused an "Evil of Two Lessers" QB Controversy

1st: Jeff Backus - OT
2nd: Domanic Raiola - C
2nd: Shaun Rogers - DT
5th: Mike McMahon - QB

2002: What looked like a great Day One on draft day crashed and burned due to potential that was never realized. Day Two was nearly non-existent.

1st: Joey Harrington - QB
2nd: Kalimba Edwards - DE
3rd: Andre' Goodman - CB

2003: Rogers never lived up to his big play billing. Bailey was up and down and dinged up a lot. Redding has come around in the last 2-3 seasons, and was recently franchised by the team. Another weak Day Two yielded only two out of eight picks who had any impact at all (but both are out of the NFL now).

1st: Charles Rogers - WR
2nd: Boss Bailey - LB
3rd: Corey Redding - DT
4th: Artose Pinner - RB
5th: Terrence Holt - S

2004: Roy Williams has been one of Millen's better picks. Jones was serviceable when healthy and had one good season. Lehman and Smith offered value as part-time starters as well as coming off the bench. Day Two...still haunting Millen.

1st: Roy Williams - WR
1st: Kevin Jones - RB
2nd: Teddy Lehman - LB
3rd: Keith Smith - CB

2005: Another ugly draft. Mike Williams was a year removed from playing organized football. The next two picks in the draft were DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman. Cody's doubters, who questioned his size and desire, were proven right. Wilson, like Smith the year before has had some spot starts, but never fully cracked the starting lineup. Dare I mention the obvious?

1st: Mike Williams - WR
2nd: Shaun Cody - DT
3rd: Stanley Wilson - CB
5th: Dan Orlovsky - QB

2006: Sims is arguably Millen's best pick (Calvin Johnson was a no-brainer). While undersized, he has proven to be a tackling machine who plays all over the field with his speed. Bullocks was another good pick who has proven himself as an NFL starter. Calhoun showed promise before tearing his ACL (and possibly ending his career). Scott also showed promise before being cut earlier this season. Day Two...where are you???

1st: Ernie Sims - LB
2nd: Daniel Bullocks - S
3rd: Brian Calhoun - RB
5th: Jonathan Scott - OT

2007: Adding a franchise player like Calvin Johnson could have been key to saving Millen, but why get rid of a pass-happy OC in Mike Martz and add a Run-First OC in Jim Colletto? Jury is out on Stanton, but he can't beat Kitna for the job. Alama-Francis and Alexander have promise but the jury is out on them as well. Day Two still looks like a waste.

1st: Calvin Johnson - WR
2nd: Drew Stanton - QB
2nd: Ikaika Alama-Francis - DE
2nd: Gerald Alexander - S

2008: Seventeenth overall is kind of high for a right tackle. Cherilus may prove to be a reach. Dizon was a great pick. Kevin Smith won the starting RB job, but has proven to be very average. Fluellen and Avril make this list on potential alone. The Day Two Trend looks like it continues. (*Note: The 3rd round is now part of Day Two in the current draft format, but for purposes of this piece, 3rd rounders in 2008 will be considered first day picks)

1st: Gosder Cherilus - OT
2nd: Jordan Dizon - LB
3rd: Kevin Smith - RB
3rd: Andre Fluellen - DT
3rd: Cliff Avril - DE

Take any NFL General Manager, who has eight consecutive drafts, and there's a good chance that he has unearthed a couple of gems on Day Two. While some consider Day Two of the NFL draft a crap-shoot, some of the most successful GMs make their impact on that day (Ron Wolf, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson). Where the Lions go from here, it is hard to say. However, getting a GM who knows how to run a scouting department and can draft well will at least get this outfit back on the right foot.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions: Final thoughts - That SUCKED

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:42:41 -0500

I try not to put my final thoughts about any Lions game till I've had a few hours to let my emotions simmer down a tad. Otherwise I'd post in an insane rage nothing but "FUCK THE LIONS," over and over and over again, in 72 point font, till I blew up Blogger's servers.

Now that I've reached a mellow state again, I can sum up my thoughts about another FUCKING DEBACLE! I HATE THOSE GOD DAMN SON OF A BITC....Deep breaths, Al. Simmer down, blogger boy. It's only a game, it's only a game, it's only a game.

Christ, the Lions sure can harsh my mellow.

1. Jon ~~Shitna~~ ~~Pickna~~ Kitna put the FU in AWFUL today. His 4th quarter was as ugly as it gets with 3 picks, 2 returned for TD's. Overall, Kitna was only 50% on the day, ending with a QB rating of 58.6. I don't know how the NFL comes up with their convoluted beyond belief or common sense QB ratings, but bad is bad, and Kitna was B.A.D.D., BAD.

HEEEEEELP me Jebus!

He wasn't the only reason the Lions lost, but he was a BIG reason why. The Evangelist is also one of the main reasons why the Lions find themselves where they are tonight, at the bottom of the standings with fans at the end of their ropes. All due to Rod Marinelli hitching himself to Kitna's backside, Hell or high water. When it comes to Mr. I'm Going To Heaven And You're Not, Marinelli's wearing blinders. Kitna's the guy, period.

Before the start of the season I thought Kitna might have a decent year because the Lions' offensive plan was to run the ball more, and not ask Kitna to do near as much as Mike Martz's offense demanded from him. With the Lions going down 21-0 in both games, that strategy has gone right out the proverbial window. Kitna had to become the main focus of the Detroit offense, and win games with his arm. Asking Kitna to win games is like asking me to sing the praises of the the ~~porn 'stached goon~~ Matt Millen. It's not going to end well.

The hue and cry is going to come from the fanbase to bench the God Warrior, but I have to bring up the question those fans forget to ask. Replace Mr. It Was A Miracle with who, exactly? Dan Orlvosky is still untested after being in the NFL what seems like a decade. (Actually, it's 4 seasons) In very limited garbage time against the Packers, he didn't show much. He never has.

What about Drew Stanton? He's not healthy (HA! Stanton hasn't been injury free since elementary school), and he's not ready anyway. He's at least a year away, maybe more. The day the Lions moronically placed Stanton on the IR last season is a day they will long regret. Losing of year of football is never a good thing.

Hell, it's all moot. Changing QB's won't happen anytime soon, as it would mean the Lions would have given up on the season. Even though we may feel the season's over, I'm sure Millen and Marinelli don't. Not after 2 games. 2 ugly, embarrassing games.

One question was answered today. We know for sure who's the best QB in the NFC North. Jon ~~Shitna~~ ~~Pickna~~ Kitna = Old and busted. Aaron Rodgers = The new hotness.

2. As the losses begin to pile up (1-10 in their last 11 regular season games), you have to begin wondering about Marinelli's job status. His post-game pressers are becoming high drama, with the media pressing him for answers he doesn't have, and what answers Marinelli does give are dripping with anger and condescension.

I'm a defensive guru! The master of the Tampa 2!

Listen to me, dammit!

The honeymoon is over. Marinelli's now catching heat from all sides. The media, the fans, and ownership (that's not a given, though it should be). Unfortunately for Marinelli, there is no one else he can scapegoat. It's all on him, He canned his defensive coordinator after year 1, and his offensive counterpart after year 2. He's had talented players considered malcontents (Dre' Bly, Shaun Rogers) traded away, and brought in several former Buccaneers to preach the Marinelli way.

The result? A team with a 10-25 overall record, in salary cap Hell, one of the oldest rosters in the NFL with a league worst defense, and a fanbase ready to revolt (again). At this rate, I can't see how Marinelli gets another season at this rate. But when William Clay Ford is involved, for all we know, he's having an extension readied as I write this...

I can't wait to hear how Marinelli spins this loss in the Monday presser. People are fed up with hearing bullshit like "pounding the rock" and "we'll go back to work" after every loss. God forbid he goes on and on about tackling "angles" and "playing high" like last week. Marinelli sounds like a position coach in so far over his head he reverts using to the only thing he really knows, defensive jargon.

3. Despite all the pain, there were a couple of bright spots for the Lions.

Gosder Cherilus finally got to play, replacing George Foster after half time, and had an uneventful 2nd half. That a GOOD thing for an offensive lineman, as you can't say the same about the other tackles. Foster gave up a pair of sacks, and Jeff Backus had a pair of extremely untimely, drive killing, holding penalties.

Why it took the coaching staff halfway through the 2nd game of the season before they realized Cherilus was their best lineman is another one of those bizarre mysteries (Why Leigh Bodden wasn't starting last week, the disappearance of Jordon Dizon, their insistence on "rotating" inferior players into the lineup rather than keep their best players on the field) that never get answered.

There's only 2 of you to try and stop me? As if!

As for Calvin Johnson, there's aren't enough superlatives to describe his vast talent. His season has been no less than excellent. 2 games, 236 yards receiving, 2 TD's. Magatron is as close as there is to an unstoppable force in the NFL. If only he had someone like...say...Aaron Rogers throwing to him.

It's not stretching the truth to say Johnson alone carried the Lions to their short lived 4th quarter lead. The first 7 minutes of the 4th quarter were essentially the Calvin Johnson Show. Johnson wasn't perfect, as shown by his dropping a pass, but he was the best player on the field...for both teams.

We may finally have our Barry Sanders replacement.In other words, Calvin Johnson is our only reason to watch the Lions, even though they blow, and blow hard.

4. The Lions' claining the Atlanta Falcons just may have been better than originally thought proved to be as lame as their performance against them. Tampa Bay soundly beat last week's one win wonders, 24-9.

The 2 Falcons who had career days against the Lions came back down to earth when facing a legitimate NFL team. No Sportscenter highlights this week...

Matt Ryan: 13-33-158-0 TD's, 2 INT, 29.6 rating.
Michael Turner: 13 carries, 43 yards, 1 catch, 6 yards.

I'd laugh if I weren't stifling back the tears...

It's official. It's confirmed. Stamp and date it. It's done. Book it. The Detroit Lions are the worst team in the NFL.

5. I'll have more tomorrow. Right now I'm fed up with everything Detroit Lions.

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Rookie Cherilus To Play Against Packers

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:07:22 -0500

Rookie tackle Gosder Cherilus is expected to play this weekend in the team's home opener. Cherilus was drafted by Detroit in the first round and offensive coordinator Jim Colletto said he has earned some playing time. Head coach Rod Marinelli also indicated he will make some changes to the lineup. Cornerback Leigh [...]

Detroit Lions 2008 season preview: On second thought...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:26:56 -0500

If you visited SideLion Report while I was still blogging for Fan Sided (if you were wondering, there are some problems with their network redesign, but MVN is busy designing the "new" TWFE. You'll be the first to know when the move is imminent.), you may have seen the Detroit Lions season preview I wrote for Yardbarker. I did the best I could, given the restrictions in length and format.

But there was the unavoidable issue of having to write it so damn early in training camp. It went live after the first exhibition. I had to assume a few things, and guess at others. The Lions have also made a few unforeseen personnel moves. If I was writing the preview today, I might come to different conclusions. In other words, as is the right of chicks and bloggers everywhere, I reserve the right to change my mind.

So I've changed my mind about a few things I wrote in the preview. I've posted the Yardbarker original, with my new/changed/WTF commentary below each section.

Let's preview away...

Team MVP:

Quarterback Jon Kitna.

Anything the Lions will try to accomplish on offense will revolve around their bible thumping QB. He can put up the numbers, as 8000+ yards the past 2 seasons attest. But the reasons I call Kitna the Lions' MVP are due to the intangibles.

The Lions success or failure this season fully depends upon the health of Kitna. The backup QB situation is dire. With the unproven Dan Orlovsky, and the even more unproven Drew Stanton, who's yet to play a regular season game, behind Detroit's Holy Roller, Detroit's season ends if they have to take the reins for a significant amount of time.

Say what you will about Kitna, he's an average QB at best, a turnover waiting to happen, tries to do too much given his limited talent, they are all true. But something else is undeniably true. Kitna is the acknowledged leader of the Detroit locker room. Head coach Rod Marinelli backs him unconditionally. Kitna brings a swagger and confidence the team desperately needs. This team would follow him anywhere.

To put it simply, with Jon Kitna under center, the Lions have at shot at a decent season. Without him? The Lions would be in the hunt for the 1st overall pick.

Big Al: There's no change in my opinion when it comes to Jon Kitna. The Lions will go as far as he can take them. I can only hope we see more of the Good Kitna, than the Bad Kitna.

Good Kitna: Plays within himself, thus keeping turnovers to a bare minimum. A team leader who may be the toughest player, pound for pound, on the Lions. I know it's a cliche', but Kitna more effective when managing a game, rather than forcing the action.

Bad Kitna: When he forces things, really, really bad things happen. Will go for the high risk, low percentage play, when a lower Takes unnecessary risks when throwing, and running with, the ball. If he gets hurt while taking one of those risks (making like a running back, diving headfirst, rather than sliding)

Break-Out Player:

Defensive tackle Shaun Cody.

For a player whose career has been almost as disappointing as the "career" (term used loosely) of his USC classmate, Mike Williams, the Lions are expecting big things out of the 2005 2nd round pick. On a team devoid of defensive playmakers, and in desperate need of a tackle capable of giving an inside push; Cody has the talent to develop into that player.

Cody was motivated ordered by Marinelli to come into camp at the lightest weight of his career, 295 lbs, hoping the extra speed will mean extra sacks. (Not a hard feat when you have 1.5 sacks total...in 3 seasons) The playing time is there for him as well in '08, as former starter Shaun Rogers was traded to Cleveland. Everything is in place for Cody to have a big season.

There's one more reason for my picking Cody as the Lions' breakout player. He's in the walk year of his contract, and playing for a new long-term deal. Cody does not want to leave money on the table, so expect big things from a player who has only shown flashes of his considerable potential.

Then expect the Lions to vastly overpay to keep him in 2009.

Big Al: OK, I'm going to tell you guys something, but keep it on the down low. When I went with Cody, I was going for Sports Illustrated's patented "Make an outrageous, attention getting prediction in order to generate extra attention." I picked an out of the blue player for shock value. Plus there was a little voice telling me Cody just might just step up his game with it being his walk year, ala Cory Redding.

After watching 4 exhibitions, it's obvious Cody isn't stepping up anything, let alone his game. He's going to play, but will be pushed by the Lions' 2 interior d-lineman draft picks Andre Fluellen and Landon Cohen.

So the Lions' true breakout player in 2008 is going to be Megatron, Calvin Johnson. The was a man amongst boys during his limited exhibition action. CJ makes everyone around him better, especially Kitna and Roy Williams. Kitna can throw jump balls, harking back to Scott Mitchell throwing Herman Moore circa 1994-1997, knowing Johnson is going to come down with the ball 99 out of 100 times. Williams is going to get beatable single coverage as CJ gets double teamed.

If he (and for that matter, Kitna) can avoid injury, Johnson is going to have a 1300+ yard, 10+ TD, All-Pro style year. I'd definitely call that a "breakout" season.

Biggest Disappointment:

Matt Millen avoids getting fired...AGAIN.

Players and coaches come and go, the losing records don't, but there is always one constant. Matt Millen. Millen's tenure in Detroit has historically bad, legendarily bad. If there was a Hall of Fame of bad, Millen would be a charter member, in on the first ballot. He's been the sort of bad that will be talked about for generation after generation of Lions fans. When the apocalypse hits, the only things to survive will be cockroaches and Matt Millen.

Yet he does just enough to keep his job as GM and President of the Detroit Lions. What that is, I have no idea. Unfortunately, I see no reason to believe the '08 season will be any different. We fans know the drill. The Lions will struggle, but Millen will somehow convince octogenarian owner William Clay Ford he's "this close" to turning things around.

Then the never ending Detroit Lions circle of pain begins anew.

Big Al: Wouldn't change a thing. I don't care if the Lions make the playoffs, even win the Super Bowl. MILLEN. MUST. GO. He can take Stan "Not so special teams" Kwan with him.

Fantasy Stud:

Running back Kevin Smith

I know you would expect me to pick a wide receiver, either Calvin Johnson or Roy Williams, but I just can't do it. Why not? Because the turnover machine known as Jon Kitna is throwing to them, they'll split opportunities, meaning you won't get the consistent week to week production you do from a back and the Lions are committing to the run this season.

Why Kevin Smith? When the defacto number one back is Tatum Bell, you know the Lions 3rd round pick from Central Florida is being groomed to carry the load at running back, much sooner than later. With Marinelli and new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto vowing to revamp Mike Martz's pass first, last and always offense into a more ground oriented attack, expect Smith to have the best all-around season by a Lions back since Barry Sanders retired.

I'm not saying Smith is the next coming of the greatest back ever, but he's the most promising young running back the Lions have had on their roster since Barry's heyday. Trust me; Smith will be a middle round sleeper fantasy pick.

Big Al: I wasn't bullshitting anyone, I genuinely thought Smith would make for a great middle round FF pick, get you something close to 1100 yards and 8 TD's. That would be a great #3 RB or a swing W/R player. I even took my own advice, and took Smith as my 3rd running back in the one money league I'm in, The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes Blogger Invitational. (I did hedge my bets, grabbing Earnest Graham a round earlier. Hell, I went RB heavy, with Steven Jackson, Ryan Grant, Graham, Smith and Fred Taylor, as if you wanted to know...) Then the Lions had to go and sign Rudi Johnson. "Poof!" went my fantasy sleeper dreams.

Smith still should have a nice season, and I think the Lions success depends upon it. But it won't be as big, fantasy points-wise, as first expected. We all know the Lions are going to use Rudi Johnson as a co-lead RB with Smith, for better or worse, thanks to Rod Marinelli's fetish for veteran players. I'm leery of that strategy, as Johnson has been in decline for 2 seasons now.

Offensive Outlook:

The last two seasons, with Mike Martz in charge of the offense, the Lions would often have games with rushing attempts in the single digits. A dozen rushes in a game would be considered Martz's "committing"" to the run. That's going to change in 2008. With Colletto now calling plays, the days of giving up on the run before the game even started are over.

With the passing offense being scaled back, Jon Kitna may not throw for 4000 yards again, but won't throw 20 picks either. With less to do, and a more conservative mindset, he should be a much more effective QB.

The strength of the Lions offense still revolves around the wide receivers, but rather than Johnson and Williams being used as decoys (explaining why Shawn McDonald was the leading receiver in '07), the Lions plan on using the run to set up the pass. A foreign notion in Detroit, I know. They will then look to break games open by throwing to their talented wide outs, but only after softening defenses with the legs of Smith.

Big Al: Nothing I've seen so far changes my opinion...too much. The Rudi Johnson signing actually confirms it. The Lions are going to run more than last season, as Marinelli has laid down the law. Then again, if the Lions averaged 12 rushes a game, they would literally be running the ball more. If the exhibition season is any indication, 25-30 rushing attempts seems to be the Lions' goal. Sounds like a solid plan to me, especially if Johnson can find the fountains of youth and health.

Regardless of what Marinelli would prefer, the passing game, riding on the arm of Kitna, and the hands of Williams and Johnson, is what will make or break the Lions' season.

To really "make" the season, it's going to be all about the offensive line. The fact 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus is still backing up the overpaid Jeff Backus and the underwhelming George "Insert any joke referring to yellow flags, stupid penalties and/or snap counts here" Foster is not a good sign for the o-line. In fact, it's a MASSIVE FUCKING RED FLAG!

I want to buy into Marinelli's and Jim Colletto's revamped offense. But the o-line gives me pause...and a rug burn on Kitna's back.

Defensive Diagnosis:

There were big changes made in the Detroit defense this past offseason. The Lions, sick and tired of tackle Shaun Rogers and his overweight and under performing ways, traded the former Pro Bowler to Cleveland for Leigh Bodden. Bodden immediately became Detroit's best cornerback. That trade spurred the rebuilding of the defensive backfield, accomplished by the signing of 3 former Buccaneers (CB Brian Kelly, S Kalvin Pearson and S Dwight Smith) in free agency.

Linebacker Ernie Sims led the team in tackles, and is considered Pro Bowl material as an outside linebacker. He'll be joined by 2nd round pick Jordan Dizon, who is your prototypical Tampa Two middle linebacker, small and fast. Marinelli is loathe to give much responsibility to rookies though, meaning Dizon may move outside while the incumbent, the better suited to special teams Paris Lenon, remains as a weak link in the Lions defense.

The defensive line will be anchored by tackle Cory Redding and end Dewayne White, though it'll take more than one player to replace Rogers. They took 3 d-linemen in the draft, in hopes of plugging the might big hole left by the trade. In fact, the Lions may end up keeping 10 linemen, as Marinelli likes a deep line rotation, keeping his players fresh.

Going into the 3rd season of the Tampa Two, Rod Marinelli's job depends upon the defense improving. He was hired for the Lions job much thanks to his defensive guru reputation in Tampa. We've yet to see it translate on to the field in Detroit.

Big Al: From what I've seen to this point, the defensive backfield changes have been for the better. Much, much better. The defensive line is deep. 11 damn linemen deep, which is insane depth chart, and has the Lions short handed at a couple of other positions. The question I have is, if you have to keep that many linemen, how many are really any good?

Other than Ernie Sims, linebacker is, as always, a question mark. Jordon Dizon is a backup, and Paris Lenon is starting. Anyone else see something wrong this this picture? Lenon is not a starting MLB on a playoff team. I hope Marinelli realizes it sometime this season, the sooner, the better.

"Red Letter" Game:

Tennessee Titans on Thanksgiving Day

In Detroit, Thanksgiving Day is our Super Bowl, our only day to shine. It's been the only game nationally televised in recent years, a game the entire city and state points towards. With a relatively soft early schedule, with a win on Turkey Day, the Lions could be midst of a playoff run. The more likely scenario will be similar to '07, when a Thanksgiving Day loss accelerated what was becoming a massive late season collapse. But hey, it's our Super Bowl!

Big Al: Until further notice, or when we have better football team, Detroit's Turkey Day extravaganza is our Super Bowl,

But if you read the post below, I called the Lions opening day game in Atlanta a "must win." If they lose, the entire season could implode before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Atlanta is an extremely beatable team, and if the Lions want to keep what support they have with the fanbase, they need to take advantage of that fact.

Sounds like a "red letter" game to me.

Projected Record/Outlook:

Best case, 9-7. Worst case, 5-11. My projection? 7-9, and out of the playoffs.

The Lions '08 season could parallel '07 - Start fast, finish slow. Much like last season, the schedule has set up Detroit for an easy first half, with a second half full of playoff contenders. The Lions have yet to develop the depth to seriously contend, and if Kitna misses any significant time? It'll get real ugly.

If Kitna remains healthy, I think the Lions can hang around on the periphery of the wild card race, till a season ending stretch (at the Colts, home against the Saints and at Green Bay, where the Lions haven't won since the Majik-man days) ends their year on a 0-3 streak.

Big Al: The 4-0 exhibition record is meaningless. A 7-9 out of the playoffs finish still sounds about right. The Lions aren't getting much help from their draft class yet, and depth remains a major issue. The o-line, running back, linebacker and special teams are big time question marks. The Lions just don't have enough impact talent to to be considered anything more than playoff pretenders. They are getting better, but just aren't good enough to be anything more than disappointing...again.

Parting Smack:

It's tough, almost impossible in fact, to talk smack as a Lions fan, but...

Green Bay Packers: Didja hear about FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! I've never seen a franchise and fan base let themselves be lead on and on and on, all due to the whims of an attention whoring drama queen demigod who craves camera time more than anything else on the planet...Even winning. If the Packers think they can win without the love child of John Madden and Peter King under center, more power to them. Of one thing I'm sure. With no Mr. I Can't Make Up My Damn Mind, there's no way the Packers will get another chance to choke in the NFC title game.

Big Al: The Packers are still the best team in the NFC North, even without "Mr. Traded To The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets." Aaron Rogers is no "Mr. How In The Hell Is Favre Pronounced Far-ve?" but he's good enough to lead them to the division title.

Chicago Bears: If there is team with a worse QB situation than the Bears...Oh yeah, the Vikings! I'll get to them in a second. I only need to say 2 words about the Bears: Rex Grossman. Here are 2 more: Kyle Orton. What else is there to say? Other than the Bears expect their non-existent running game to be turned around by a Detroit reject, the gimp known as Kevin Jones, who would still find a way to suffer a season ending injury if fields were covered in pillows and the NFL made all hitting illegal. Whatever happened to Thomas Jones? I know! He was traded away because the Bears thought the bust known as Cedric Benson was a legitimate NFL running back...

Big Al: The Bears have no QB or receivers. The running game is dependent upon a rookie and a Lions reject. The Bears' defense is going to have to both shut out the opposition, and do all the scoring, to have any chance at winning. Not exactly a recipe for success.

Minnesota Vikings: The starting QB in Minnesota is Tarvaris Jackson. Let that sink in for a moment. Not Michael, Jermaine or Tito. Not Reggie, Jesse or Andrew. Tarvaris Jackson. Not even Adrian Peterson can make up for that much of a handicap. It must make Vikings fans pine for the likes of Joe Kapp. What I can't figure out is Brad Childress saw Jackson flail about up close all last season...Only to make him the starter again in '08. Even Bears fans can say, "At least our QB situation isn't as bad as the Vikings!"

Big Al: Peter King thinks Tavaris Jackson can lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. Uh...If you say so. The Vikings make the title game only if Jackson's on the bench, and Adrian Peterson handles the ball on every snap. Hey, if you have a better idea, I'm sure Brad Childress would love to hear from you. Too much caffeine obviously does weird things to one's mind. Lay off the Starbucks, dude. It's making you write certifiable bullshit.

I'm ready for the Lions to take the field in anger, folks! Let the ~~suffering~~ season begin!

The 2008 Detroit Lions draft = FAIL

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:13:27 -0500

As I was scrolling through my RSS feeds, I ran into the following headline at Scout.com's Lions site, Roar Report.

Analysis: Johnson Coming to Detroit to Start

As everything at Scout is pay to read, and I'm a cheap ass bastard who believes the internet should be free to all, not subscription based ($7.95 a month? You gotta be kiddin' me! I think I'm a well enough informed Lions fan without having to pay for Scout's regurgitated info), I couldn't read why they came to this conclusion. All I know is the preview lede...

Lions fans, forget what you've seen from Kevin Smith. Rudi Johnson didn't cancel his appointments across the league on Monday so that he could sit behind a rookie running back.

It's not much, but it's more than enough to raise a red flag.

Think about that for a second. Really think about it. I bet you came to the same conclusion as I did. It makes no fucking sense.

In 2007 Johnson was a productive as Notre Dame's Rudy than the Bengals' Rudi who ran for 1400 yards a season from '04-'07. But as we are talking about the Lions, run by a head coach who has an outright fetish for veteran players, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

The Matt Millen era in a nutshell

It also means the Lions' top 3 draft picks would be backups. On most any other team in the NFL, the top 2 or 3 draft picks should be expected to start. It's especially true when those players were drafted at positions the Lions have little or no depth, on a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2000.

Gosder Cherilus is backing up George "What's The Snap Count?" Foster. Thanks to the Kool-Aid and cornbread coming from the coaching staff, and the MSM taking it as gospel, supposedly the Lions' dumbed down offense has cured Foster of his nasty habit of jumping the snap count faster than John McCain vetted Sarah Palin. Too bad dumbing down the offense hasn't given Foster the ability to actually block someone.

Jordon Dizon, whom we were told was the model Tampa Two (or as I'm seeing the Lions D called, Tampa Too) middle linebacker. Instead, he spent most of camp as the number 3 MLB, and is backing up the below average Paris Lenon. The next time Lenon makes a big time play, it'll be the first. He is what he is, a journeyman. But Lenon is a veteran, which makes him golden in the eyes of Marinelli.

As for my opinion of Rudi Johnson over Kevin Smith, just see the post below. But it bears repeating, the Bengals let go of Johnson in order to make the immortal (and former Wolverine) Chris Perry their starter. Yet Scout believes the Lions signed him to start? God, I hope the Lions aren't that damn stupid.

So here we are on the verge of a new NFL season, and if what Scout.com says is true, the Lions' draft netted them not one single solitary starting player. Even if they're wrong, and Smith is the starting RB Sunday, the draft only gave the Lions one top of the depth chart guy. That may change, but as of today, for a team lacking quality players at several positions, the Lions were unable to find them via the draft.

The Lions needed more than just a bunch of depth guys. They needed to find a few impact players, whcih we've yet to see. When you go by that metric, you have to consider the Lions' 2008 draft to be an epic fail.

Lions 27 - Bengals 10: Calvin Johnson is scary good and “FIRE KWAN!”

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:48:29 -0500

For a game review, I thought I would go over the my "10 things I'm watching, dammit!" But before I review anything, Calvin Johnson deserves special mention. The Lions' wideout is a beast. A man amongst boys. A stud. A star in the making. Is silly good. Makes the Lions entire offense better. Utterly unstoppable.

Gameday thread: Detroit Lions (1-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:44:56 -0500

Game Information Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EDT Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH Television: WWJ-TV 62/CBS Play-By-Play: Gus Johnson Color: Desmond Howard Sidelines: Matt Shepard Lions Radio Network: 97.1 FM The Ticket (WXYT-FM) Play-By-Play: Dan Miller Color: Jim Brandstatter Sidelines: Tony Ortiz 2008

Pregame linkage: Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:53:25 -0500

I have the Lions' "unofficial" depth chart going into Sunday nights game. Just click to enlarge. The only major changes come from a pair of players who've been activated from the PUP list. Dan Campbell is now the starter at TE in front of Michael Gaines and Shaun McDonald, instead of Devale Ellis,

Lions - Giants day after thoughts: The QB’s rocked and FIRE KWAN

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:58:12 -0500

For my in-game thoughts, head here to check out my stream of conciousness style of live blogging. For the league approved highlights, NFL.com has you covered. For the New York POV, head on over to G-Men HQ. I usually try to have my thoughts about any Lions game posted a couple of hours after the final gun. With the God damn tape delayed broadcast wrapping up here in the D around 12:30 AM Friday morning, it wasn't going to happen for the first exhibition. So here are my several hours delayed post game thoughts on the Detroit Lions 13-10 victory over the New York Giants. 1. The QB's played well. Extremely well, in fact. Jon Kitna was extremely sharp in his limited time. Despite the media rumblings in the off season, he's unquestionably the starting QB. What I really liked from Kitna was his throwing to the big wide outs, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, rather than his slot receivers. If this game is any indication (and it's a bit of a stretch to come to any conclusions after the first exhibition), CJ and Roy are going to have BIG seasons. In the battle for the number 2 QB, Dan Orlovsky didn't look quite as good as the Holly Roller, but was better than Drew Stanton. Not that Stanton was bad, far from it. It's Dan O is more polished at this point of his career. The big difference between Dan O and Stanton was Orlovsky would look to throw downfield while Stanton would dump off or just run. As for the pride of Sparty grads everywhere, we finally got to see Stanton in action after his being moronically mothballed for a year. He lead the Lions on the game winning drive, and didn't have any "deer in headlights" moments. Stanton had a solid overall game, but did have the rookie (He's essentially a rookie on the field) tendency of not looking for other options, while being far too quick to pull the ball down and take off. You don't want QB to be your leading rusher, as was the case with Stanton. Though you could see what the Lions were thinking in drafting Stanton, as he's FAR more mobile than either Kitna or Dan O. I think Dan O is locked in as the number 2. Stanton has to make up for a lost season of doing jack shit. Thanks, Martz! 2. If the Lions commit to the running game in it's current state, the coaching staff should be committed. The zone blocking scheme was a huge disappointment, as the backs struggled to find holes. A 2.4 YPC is not going to cut it anytime, anywhere. Take away Stanton's scrambles, and the YPC gets uglier. Speaking of the backs... In the minus column, Tatum Bell showed me absolutely nothing (as expected) and Brian Calhoun showed me even less. He is not long for this team. More impressive was Kevin Smith, who showed he's the most talented back on the roster in his limited time. He found cracks and moved piles. (That doesn't sound good, does it?) Give the kid some blocking, he'll make something happen. As for Artose Pinner and Aveion Cason, they are what they are, special teams wedge busters/3rd string backs. The only difference being the Lions (For some ungodly reason) think Cason can return kicks, which is laughable. Pinner played decently, but did get bailed out when replay overturned what first appeared to be a drive ending fumble late in the 4th. I know it's early to make conclusions, but I really do think Smith ends up as the starter over Bell by the time the preseason ends. 3. The offensive line is a work in progress. Run blocking was nearly non-existent. The pass blocking was better, but the play calling had much to do with it. The coaching staff seems to realize their line has shortcomings, and mitigated the Giants' rush by having the QB's roll out early and often to buy time. Someone needs to take 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus aside, and inform him that George Foster is NOT someone to model your game upon. A pair of false starts and a holding call made for a very inauspicious debut for Cherilus. Not that Foster was any better, as he was nailed for...you know it, you expect it... procedure as well. Overall, the o-line was easily the least impressive of the Lions' units. 4. Defensively, I kept hearing a few names. LB Leon Joe made several tackles, same for LB Buster Davis. Joe is going to have a very tough time making the team, but he did impress last night. Rookie Jordon Dizon had a couple of big hits in what was an OK debut for the LB corps. One eyebrow raiser was the starting LB lineup of Alex Lewis, Paris Lenon and Tony Cannon. Uh, that's not gonna cut it, guys. Ernie Sims did not play, and Dizon is currently buried deep on the depth chart thanks to his rookie status, which explains the bizarre starting LB corps. There's not a playmaker in the bunch when Sims isn't playing, though Dizon shows promise. The d-line was less impressive, as the pass rush left something to be desired. The only sack credited to a lineman was by rookie DT Andre Fluellen. Admittedly, it was a big sack, as it came during the Giants' futile final drive of the game. The other rookie lineman, Cliff Averill, did get some pressure on the QB, but would make the rookie mistake of running himself past the qb, and out of the play The d-line wasn't much better than the o-line, and considering Marinelli's background, it's damn disturbing. The play has got to improve, and soon. The rebuilt starting defensive backfield held Peyton's little bro (2-6-19) in check, which was extremely encouraging. Considering the money spent and the talent traded in order to fix the ailing d-backfield, it was good to see. Unfortunately, the depth isn't there yet. Anthony Wright (9-13-116) and David Carr (10-13-104) picked apart the 2nd and 3rd teams. (The DB's weren't helped by the lack of a pass rush) One player probably packing his bags is CB Devonte Edwards, whom the Giants made a point to continually throw his way over and over and over again, to much success. After one game, it's already pretty damn obvious the Lions cannot afford an injury to any of their starting corners or safeties. Their defense is as deep as a kiddie pool. 5. I've long railed on Rod Marinelli for his game mismanagement and in-game decision making. Last night was one of his better games on the sidelines. There were no time management issues, an appropriate challenge was made, resulting in a costly fumble being taken off the board and the Lions didn't abandon their game plan after a handful of running plays failed. Save for Cherilus and Foster, penalties were kept to a minimum. Marinelli may finally be growing into the job. "May"being the operative word. The (not so) special teams were a major weakness last season, and from what we witnessed last night, is still a weakness this season. The Stan Kwan coached (not so) special teams has major kick coverage issues and the kick returns were laughable. The Giants' returners continually made Detroit's first coverage wave miss, setting up decent field position. As for their own returns, the Lions are DESPERATE for someone, anyone, who could at least be average. They kept throwing different bodies on the field and not a single threat to do anything more than catch the ball was seen. Players like Cason returning kicks will not cut it. For a team with a long heritage of excellent kick and punt returners, it's sad to see. Even worse than coverage and returns was the news the Lions' long-time MVP, Jason Hanson, strained his thigh. No word yet as to how long he's out. God forbid it's anything that lingers long-term. When it comes to the (not so) special teams, all I can say is...FIRE KWAN!

Gameday linkage: Detroit Lions vs New York Giants

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:23:56 -0500

I have the "unofficial" Lions depth chart going into tonight's game. Just click to enlarge. The only thing that really stands out to me is Marinelli's not having any rookie higher than 2nd string. Considering his well-known aversion to giving rookies major responsibilities, it's to be expected. I doubt players like Gosder Cherilus, Kevin Smith and Jordon Dizon will remain low on totem pole for much longer. The NJ Star Ledger lists their 3 things to watch for on the Giants side of the ball: The passing game, the progress of the G-Men's 1st round pick, safety Kenny Phillips and their backup QB battle. For more of the Giants POV, head over to Fan Sided Blogs' G-Men H.Q. I have a feeling they are expecting a walkover tonight... Mlive's list of things to watch is pretty much the same as their sister paper. It includes watching for the progress of Keith Smith and Jordon Dizon, how the new defensive backfield holds up and the backup QB battle between Dan Orloxsky and Drew Stanton. The Detroit News mentions much the same items as Mlive (Smith, Dizon, the QB's), and adds the OT position battle between 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus vs. illegal prodecure specialist George Foster and the revamped d-line post Shaun Rogers. Personally, I'm most interested in seeing Kevin Smith. I fully expect the 3rd round pick from Central Florida to carry the rushing burden this season. The Lions claim they have a renewed commitment to run the ball. Tonight is our first opportunity to see if they can do more than just talk about a good running game, and actually develop one. As for what's up tonight at SLR, I'm live blogging the game on a tape delay basis (God damn draconian NFL broadcast rules!). As this is my first gameday as lead blogger, I'll be using the exhibition season to see what works and what doesn't in blogging the Lions. It's my preseason too! See you in the gameday thread, which will be going live shortly.