Posted on 12/12/2006 10:07:00 AM PST by SunkenCiv
...With a record of 2-11, the silver-and-Honolulu blue are firmly entrenched at No. 32 on any power poll in this spiral arm of the galaxy. Entrenched, that is, until another loss drops them behind Ohio State, Florida and the Hamburg Sea Devils. Think it can't get worse? Hey, this is the Lions. NFL schedule makers saw fit to arrange the endgame Kitty Cats' so, so long season likewise: at the Green Bay Packers where the Lions haven't won since a guy named Brett Favre took over there (that's right, 1992); against the Chicago Bears in a game which figures to see Motor City backers immortalize the chant "Fire *&#!!%&ing Millen!"; and at the Dallas Cowboys , who on New Year's Eve will probably looking to bag the No. 2 seed in the NFC... Kevin Jones, who was knocked out of the loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, figures to be out for the remainder of the season... Pro Bowl nominee Shaun Rogers... was slapped by the commissioner after testing positive for steroids. The judgment had Rogers forcibly sitting out four games and giving up $250,000. Naturally, "Big Baby" was innocent, protesting that the positive test represented a product that the 354-pound Rogers used to help him control his weight. Or he has asthma. Or he thought they were Shawne Merriman's Pez. Or something... Team officials announced yesterday that WR Mike Williams - you remember him: the former first-round draft pick cum The Most Useless Player in the NFL Today - flunked a weigh-in. At 240 pounds, Williams only missed the target set by Rod Marinelli and Co. by 20. Though no punitive measures have been mentioned, any punishment would seem pointless other then some quality time on the bench... Fire &#!!%&ing Millen.
(Excerpt) Read more at realfootball365.com ...
They’re 6-5 now.
Vikings, Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs, and Packers remain on the schedule, and three of those are road games. The Lions have to beat the Vikings on the 2nd in order to remain credible for a breakeven season, much less a winning one. To break even, they need two more wins, and three to end 9-7.
They’ll need to beat the Vikings and Chiefs; the Chargers are only 5-5, maybe there’s a shot there. The Cowboys and Packers just happen to be 10-1 at this time. There’s an outside chance that the Lions will beat the Packers. I doubt that 9-7 will be good enough for wild card. The Giants (7-4) are likely in there, even though the Vikings beat them, as any tie will favor the Giants (Detroit lost to ‘em).
The Giants’ schedule finishes with the Bears, Eagles (division), Redskins (division), Bills, and Patriots. Getting two wins to tie a possible 9-7 Lions doesn’t look too daunting.
http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=26257
[snip] Eli Manning tied a career-high by throwing four interceptions, including three that were returned for touchdowns by Darren Sharper (20 yards), Dwight Smith (93) and Chad Greenway (37). [end]
That same article referred to “playoff contenders Chicago and Philadelphia” — if Chicago is a playoff contender, who *isn’t*? Funny that the writer didn’t mention the Lions, who have a couple of games on the Bears. Okay, it sez here, they came back to beat the Broncos, 37-34, 39-yard field goal in overtime.
Bears’ remaining schedule: Giants, Redskins, Vikings, Packers, Saints.
Bears are 5-6 — beat Chiefs, Packers, Eagles, Raiders, and Broncos, lost to Chargers, Cowboys, Lions, Vikings, Lions, and Seahawks.
They’ve got a shot at 10-6, all they have to do is beat the Giants, Redskins, Vikings, Packers, and Saints. Okay, they’ve beaten the Packers once this season, but they’ve been beaten by the Vikings once. They’ll probably wind up 8-8 (Redskins, Vikings, Saints), even 9-7 (adding the Giants).
Okay, I see what the guy means, they’ve got an easier schedule.
And a QB problem.
BTW, I love to watch Devin Hester. Me and everybody. “Hester took an amazing 11th return in 27 career games back for a score.” (NFL homepage)
The Lions were pathetic in their loss to the Vikings. It started to come apart in earnest when they followed their touchdown with another Special Teams fiasco, allowing a runback for a TD.
Another piece of stupidity was on their first drive, when it was 3rd and 3, and close to the end zone, and instead of going for short yardage and a 1st down (and a new set of downs, need I say it?), failed to score a TD and settled for a field goal.
Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs, and Packers remain on the schedule, and half of those are road games.
In order to finish 8-8, they’ll need two wins. This has been an up and down season for me as a spectator, but I have zero confidence in them. I doubt they’ll win even one more game, and thus will finish 6-10.
The Eagles, Redskins, Bears, and Saints lost yesterday and trail at 5-7, and Detroit has a better divisional record than Minnesota, which is now also at 6-6. But the Giants won today, and I don’t see anyone catching them, certainly not the perennial blue and silver losers.
| W | L | T | |
| 1957 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 1958 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 1959 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 1960 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1961 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| 1962 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1963 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| 1964 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1965 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
| 1966 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 1967 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 1968 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| 1969 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 1970 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 1971 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 1972 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| 1973 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
| 1974 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 1975 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 1976 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 1977 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 1978 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| 1979 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| 1980 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 1981 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1982 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1983 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 1984 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| 1985 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| 1986 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1987 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| 1988 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| 1989 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| 1990 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 1991 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1993 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 1995 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 1996 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1997 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 1998 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1999 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 2000 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 2001 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 2003 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 2004 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 2005 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 2006 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 320 | 405 | 17 |
Perdogg boils down the championship race:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1935844/posts?page=135#135
Lions lost to Chargers, 51-14, one week after they nearly x’ed the Cowboys. This is pathetic. I’m glad I didn’t waste a minute watching them live up to their nickname, which is still feline, but isn’t something I can post here.
Y’think the Lions will beat the Chiefs at home, or the Packers on the road? To finish 8-8, they’ll need both wins.
I know! Let’s start to complain about the QB!!! Or call for another new coach (it’s not too soon)! Let’s get chased around the stadium carrying “Fire Millen” signs! He’s been picking the coaches and hiring the players!
I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re witnessing the “Major League” scenario — WCF is trying to come up with a team so bad that when he moves it out of Detroit, no one will care. What’s the alternative interpretation — that he wants to sell it and is destroying what’s left to minimize the price?
Link only, not a quotable site, last season tickets for this guy, he blew off the last home game, and won’t go again until either Ford or Millen (or both) are gone.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2007/12/at_least_one_lions_fan_has_giv.html
The Lions were headed for a blowout of the Chiefs, had ‘em down 19-0, then nearly lost the game. Had it not been for a small mental error by a KC receiver, the Chiefs might have won it with a no-time-left TD.
What happened instead is, Millen keeps his job for at least another year, and probably gets a raise. I don’t have the kind of money to get season tickets, but if I did, I wouldn’t. I’ve never been to a live game, and wouldn’t start now.
Nothing will help the Lions except a winning season, followed by another winning season and an earned trip to the Super Bowl (not just sitting in the stands, playing in it; not necessarily winning it, but playing in it). Without that, they’re just going to continue to be pathetic Honululu Blue and Silver losers.
Green Bay wins, 34-13. What a huge surprise.
Gee, blame the QB has started in earnest:
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2007/12/lions_play_laughable_at_lambea.html
Writing in the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp sez it’s time to scorched-Earth the whole Lions organization, and notes that Rod Marinelli has already replaced the defensive coordinator once, and that the Lions have been WORSE on defense since then. The good news is, since they’re worst in the NFL on defense, they can’t get worse per se. He also recounts that the Lions just finished their best-ever season during Millen’s regime, 7-9, with a 31-81 record overall.
The GR Press’ Brian VanOchten lays down the Five Simple Rules for Fixing the Lions. Huh, I just read through it, and saw nothing about beeotch-slappin’ or drug testing. Oh well, talk about missing the boat. ;’) Actually, these look like five good and necessary steps. My view is, the Lions should be putting together an over-the-hill gang, but drawn only from teams which have a history of winning. Everyone else on the team can learn from them.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2007/12/fivestep_plan_how_to_fix_the_l.html
Just revisited that story about the guy who didn’t use his last-ever season ticket seats, noticed the stat that under WC Fields, er, Ford, the Lions’ record has been 280-373-12, and his 31st losing season (out of 44). I guess now those numbers are 281-374-12.
mjolnir’s above remarks are interesting.
Gosder Cherilus? I guess they didn’t think they could grab him out of free agency. Or later in the draft.
Detroit Lions 2008 NFL Draft Needs
(before the fact, sez they need OT, DT, ML, RB, DE, TE, Return Specialist, and CB)
http://football.about.com/od/teamneeds/a/teamneeds_DET.htm
Lions Complete 2008 NFL Draft (AP)
http://www.wilx.com/sports/headlines/18318774.html
OT (Gosder Cherilus), LB (Jordon Dizon), RB (Kevin Smith), DT (Andre Fluellen), DL (Cliff Avril), return man (Kenny Moore), FB (Jerome Felton), and DB (Caleb Campbell). Lions DB Kalvin Pearson was arrested for domestic violence on Saturday, which probably made that last one pretty obvious. After day one, the booze must have worn off, because these are not bad picks. Word is that the Redskins made the best draft moves overall.
So, compared with that “About” page list of needs (for example), the Lions hit four.
Hey, turns out the Cardinals haven’t won a playoff game in 58 years. I feel a little better now. But anyway...
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?team=det
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/SPORTS01/304270005/1049
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/SPORTS01/804270690/1049
-befores-
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2008/04/hey_lions_heres_your_nfl_draft.html
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/SPORTS01/80424006/1049
-and-
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/BLOG21/80427038/1049/SPORTS01
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/SPORTS01/80427022/1048
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/SPORTS01/804270631/1049
I think I read that the Pistons and Sixers had a 50-50 split during the regular season, and were even 50-50 on each other’s floors. The saga continues...
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/SPORTS03/80427054/0/SPORTS01
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