Since the chat system here on blogger is HORRIBLE, our friend Mick
had the idea to use the SBNation system instead. The great people at Maize and Brew were kind enough to let us do a fanpost for the game to chat live.
Stop in and say hello :D
Just be nice.
Linky, click here for the fun!!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Lions chat
Since the chat system here on blogger is HORRIBLE, our friend Mick had the idea to use the SBNation system instead. The great people at Maize and Brew were kind enough to let us do a fanpost for the game to chat live.
Stop in and say hello :D
Just be nice.
Linky, click here for the fun!!
Stop in and say hello :D
Just be nice.
Linky, click here for the fun!!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
thoughts on tonights exhibition game
The Oline is a work in progress and needs to get better fast.
Jones is going to be an asset at WR.
Stafford, if he can get decent protection, could shed his "gotta have Megatron to succeed" anchor hanging around his neck.
Tate is our #1.
Decker needs work, lots of it, but his talent is apparent.
Zenner is slowly solidifying his spot on the roster.
Papa Jim needs better people telling him to challenge or not.
I am not convinced that our depth is any better than it has been in years past.
Our defense is not good enough, top to bottom. Not even close. Massive improvement is going to be needed if we are going to compete for a playoff spot. Particularly on the D line.
Jones is going to be an asset at WR.
Stafford, if he can get decent protection, could shed his "gotta have Megatron to succeed" anchor hanging around his neck.
Tate is our #1.
Decker needs work, lots of it, but his talent is apparent.
Zenner is slowly solidifying his spot on the roster.
Papa Jim needs better people telling him to challenge or not.
I am not convinced that our depth is any better than it has been in years past.
Our defense is not good enough, top to bottom. Not even close. Massive improvement is going to be needed if we are going to compete for a playoff spot. Particularly on the D line.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Playing for a losing team is not easy...
CJ quoted saying....
In the category of not surprising, this wins. Barry left for the same reason. Playing for Detroit and their losing ways is not easy. Two one in a generation talents had the love of the game sucked out of them by the wretched stench that is our Lions.
I hope our new GM can get it done.
If we would’ve been a contender, it would have been harder to let go,
In the category of not surprising, this wins. Barry left for the same reason. Playing for Detroit and their losing ways is not easy. Two one in a generation talents had the love of the game sucked out of them by the wretched stench that is our Lions.
I hope our new GM can get it done.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Calvin's legacy
As the new season approaches , there's talk - some seemingly based off Matt Stafford's quote - that the Lions offense could be better off without Calvin Johnson. Calvin caused defenses to come up with new and creative ways to stop what the Lions wanted to do, and Matt's quote suggests that caused problems for the team.
Looking at it deeper, I see it as a problem with preparation and coaching. Preparing to face an opponent, if they were able to come up with exotic schemes to take Calvin away, that clearly caused the QB to struggle, I don;t see why they'd stop throwing exotic defenses at the Lions, even if they don't have to do it based on Calvin. The new exotic defense could take out Tate.
What I see needs to happen , is the execution and game plans need to be better- The Lions consistently added the missing "bauble" to the offensive weapons during Calvin's career, and each off season , we were presented with ideas as to how it would pay off... the coverage Calvin would demand will open it up for Nate or Reggie.
Some fought for the idea that the Lions would be better served by focusing resources on the oline and giving a real strong commitment to beefing up the run would be the best thing for Matt and CJ...,and this team , more than any in recent years seems closest making and reaping the benefits of that effort.
But if the coaches poorly anticipate what the opposing defenses will do to the Lions, then I fear Matt will still struggle since the offense will be confused by the defense, and take some time to figure out how best to combat it. it could still lead to slow game starts with poor execution.
It is sensitive for me as I see a narrative forming that seems to downplay CJ's greatness because he was ... too great.. too much of a weapon.. that Matt had no coaching or ability to self regulate and not throw the ball up for grabs to Calvin. The while idea seems to suggest to me that the team is better off not having a dominant performer on offense because that'll make it harder to work the other guys in, but that just doesn't sit well with me.
If it's an argument based on salary and getting talent around Calvin, that's another story but this new talent is largely afforded with Calvin's salary.
I can only think... if the offense is better this year... the oline improved... Matt continues to play at a high level and JBC is the real deal at OC..... how much better they'd be with a healthy Calvin.
Looking at it deeper, I see it as a problem with preparation and coaching. Preparing to face an opponent, if they were able to come up with exotic schemes to take Calvin away, that clearly caused the QB to struggle, I don;t see why they'd stop throwing exotic defenses at the Lions, even if they don't have to do it based on Calvin. The new exotic defense could take out Tate.
What I see needs to happen , is the execution and game plans need to be better- The Lions consistently added the missing "bauble" to the offensive weapons during Calvin's career, and each off season , we were presented with ideas as to how it would pay off... the coverage Calvin would demand will open it up for Nate or Reggie.
Some fought for the idea that the Lions would be better served by focusing resources on the oline and giving a real strong commitment to beefing up the run would be the best thing for Matt and CJ...,and this team , more than any in recent years seems closest making and reaping the benefits of that effort.
But if the coaches poorly anticipate what the opposing defenses will do to the Lions, then I fear Matt will still struggle since the offense will be confused by the defense, and take some time to figure out how best to combat it. it could still lead to slow game starts with poor execution.
It is sensitive for me as I see a narrative forming that seems to downplay CJ's greatness because he was ... too great.. too much of a weapon.. that Matt had no coaching or ability to self regulate and not throw the ball up for grabs to Calvin. The while idea seems to suggest to me that the team is better off not having a dominant performer on offense because that'll make it harder to work the other guys in, but that just doesn't sit well with me.
If it's an argument based on salary and getting talent around Calvin, that's another story but this new talent is largely afforded with Calvin's salary.
I can only think... if the offense is better this year... the oline improved... Matt continues to play at a high level and JBC is the real deal at OC..... how much better they'd be with a healthy Calvin.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Brett Perriman hospitalized.
The man is only 50 and he is in the hospital for high blood pressure. Please send your prayers, wishes and love to him and his family.
And get yourself checked out!
Update: Mr. Perriman is apparently on life support and fighting for his life............
And get yourself checked out!
Update: Mr. Perriman is apparently on life support and fighting for his life............
Saturday, April 30, 2016
If at first you don't succeed....
Never write another predictions post again.
So, uh....I've got good news and I've got bads news. Bad news is I totally struck out on my draft predictions. The good news is I'm officially qualified to write for ESPN.com. Seriously though, that draft was like nothing I've ever seen in my time as a Lions fan. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. There were a few picks I liked, a few that had me completely baffled as I feverishly checked online while at my day job and one pick that I wasn't a fan of at all. Yet, I can't bring myself to cast any judgment. Was that just a "winning teams" type of draft, hence my utter confusion as to what just happened? Or was that a rookie GM being overly aggressive towards only two positions of need and over zealous once his team was on the clock? Any thoughts Lions fans?
So, uh....I've got good news and I've got bads news. Bad news is I totally struck out on my draft predictions. The good news is I'm officially qualified to write for ESPN.com. Seriously though, that draft was like nothing I've ever seen in my time as a Lions fan. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. There were a few picks I liked, a few that had me completely baffled as I feverishly checked online while at my day job and one pick that I wasn't a fan of at all. Yet, I can't bring myself to cast any judgment. Was that just a "winning teams" type of draft, hence my utter confusion as to what just happened? Or was that a rookie GM being overly aggressive towards only two positions of need and over zealous once his team was on the clock? Any thoughts Lions fans?
There will be WAR for starting positions for our O line
Quin keeps drafting O lineman. This time a Guard Named Joe Dahl that could be a RT if everything fell perfectly for him.
I don't know if this is going to work out for us but it seems Quin is making it extremely clear that allowing Stafford to get sacked almost 90 times in 2 seasons is entirely unacceptable. There will be someone, young and hungry behind you on the depth chart. If you fuck up too much, that young hungry guy is going to get his chance.
And in the end of the 5th round we just drafted another LB. This guy screams special team pick to me but what do I know. He is described as big, strong and a little lacking in technique. Considering we played with 2LBs almost 2/3rds of the time last year, we seem to have a rather large number of them on the roster right now. Someone is losing their job.
I don't know if this is going to work out for us but it seems Quin is making it extremely clear that allowing Stafford to get sacked almost 90 times in 2 seasons is entirely unacceptable. There will be someone, young and hungry behind you on the depth chart. If you fuck up too much, that young hungry guy is going to get his chance.
And in the end of the 5th round we just drafted another LB. This guy screams special team pick to me but what do I know. He is described as big, strong and a little lacking in technique. Considering we played with 2LBs almost 2/3rds of the time last year, we seem to have a rather large number of them on the roster right now. Someone is losing their job.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Graham Glasgow
It looks like the Lions are going power running game. That right side of the O line with Decker at RT, Warford at RG and potentially Glasgow at center could potentially create a mauler side of the O line.
A guy can dream of the halcyon days of power running drawing up the Ss and freeing up the WRs to cut swaths of damage into the secondary can't he?
A review from Walterfootball a site I really like..... Not a perfect player but at this point in the draft, he just might end up being a steal. I can hope right?
A guy can dream of the halcyon days of power running drawing up the Ss and freeing up the WRs to cut swaths of damage into the secondary can't he?
A review from Walterfootball a site I really like..... Not a perfect player but at this point in the draft, he just might end up being a steal. I can hope right?
Why are the Lions picking so damn fast?
What is the harm of waiting it out a bit? Mayillen used to do this too and it pissed me off then. You are given an allotted amount of time. Why not use most of it waiting for a desperate team to blow you away with an offer?
This draft so far, in that way, feels extremely like a Mayillen draft. Overconfidence in their ability to pick a player yet both players are supposed "high upside" guys. We don't need that. We need guys that can't fail. Particularly in the first two rounds.
And this wait for our pick at the end of the 3rd round makes me want to scream....
Mayillen!!!! Why do you hate us!!!!!
This draft so far, in that way, feels extremely like a Mayillen draft. Overconfidence in their ability to pick a player yet both players are supposed "high upside" guys. We don't need that. We need guys that can't fail. Particularly in the first two rounds.
And this wait for our pick at the end of the 3rd round makes me want to scream....
Mayillen!!!! Why do you hate us!!!!!
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Taylor Decker OT from Ohio State (he is a Lions now, so we can forgive him, I guess)
That is our pick. We took the third best OT when we could have had the best Center. We needed help at RT, no question. I am not happy, I am not mad.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.....
Laremy Tunsil posted a video of himself taking a bong hit with a gas mask BEFORE THE DRAFT!!!!
If the Lions draft this guy I am going to fucking lose my mind. The level of stupidity involved in this action is astounding. Of course, his agent is saying his account was hacked bla bla bla. It was Tunsil. Why is he smoking pot? Why is he recording himself smoking pot? He got busted with pot. This collosal dumbass just doesn't get it. This isn't a red flag. This is a stop sign. Roger Goodell will be looking into this. I guarantee it. This kid is going to be in stage one of the leagues substance abuse program and he hasn't even taken a NFL snap yet.
What a monumental fucking idiot. There isn't much he could have done that would have hurt his stock than this.....
Fucking moron.
If he drops to us and we draft him I am going to lose my shit.
THANK YOU!!! MIAMI PICKED HIM!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Three predictions for the 2016 NFL Draft
So the draft is finally upon us Lions fans. I thought this would be a great time to do something interesting here at the site. By interesting, I don't mean adding to the several billion mock drafts currently making the rounds on the internet. Rather let's have a go at some predictions for the upcoming draft. If I'm half as good as the national experts, this should be a total failure...but why let a thing like accountability get in our way.
1. Four Quarterbacks will be selected in the first round.
We already know Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will go off the board in the first two picks. There has been some criticism of the Los Angeles Rams & Philadelphia Eagles for their recent trades to move into the first and second picks of this draft respectively. While there is validity in those criticisms, the fact remains. Quarterback is the most important position in the game and the most difficult position to fill. This creates quite the inflated market for young passers in each draft. I don't believe the buck stops with the top two players this year. I'd look for two more young passers to find their way into the event's opening night. Paxton Lynch out of Memphis is almost a certainty after wowing evaluators and the media alike with his combination of size, athleticism and throwing ability.
The fourth is a bit more tricky. There are a couple options to look for among the remaining passers. MSU QB Connor Cook has had an up and down draft process seeing many fluctuations in his stock but he remains a valued target for some teams that like his intelligence and what is seen as a pro ready game. Another guy I would look for is PSU QB Christian Hackenberg. No longer the shining, sure fire number 1 pick he was once seen as, questions of character and regression in play over the course of his collegiate career have marred the image of Hackenberg. However, two words will ultimately define him....ARM. TALENT. That's where he shines brighter than any other QB prospect and those two words could see him land in the 1st round. It'll be interesting to see where they go, if teams begin a trading frenzy and if so, how it affects the Lions if at all.
2. The Detroit Lions go OL in round 1....but not tackle
This is about as close as I'll come to a mock draft folks. I feel illness setting in simply typing the words. That said, I'm making predictions and I'm told this type of thing is done elsewhere. So let's get it out of the way shall we? The Detroit Lions like any other team come into the draft with a list of positions they would like to fill/upgrade. Most notable among pundits and Lions fans everywhere are the holes at right tackle and defensive tackle. Let's touch on those quickly. Starting with DT, there's a strong belief that the Lions should take aim at finally finding a replacement for Ndamukong $uh *AHEM* Suh. I'm not exactly a subscriber to that belief. The moves Lions GM Bob Quinn made this offseason suggest he may also not believe that theory. With the re-signing of Haloti Ngata, Tyrunn Walker and the addition of Stefan Charles to a group that already plays home to young players like Caraun Reid and Gabe Wright, needless to say...the position has quite a few roster spots occupied. It just doesn't seem as if it's the setup of a team looking to go DT in round 1.
Then there's the issue of right tackle. I say right tackle because if you think any rookie taken at pick 16(or possibly anywhere else) could come in and take Riley Rieff's job at LT...you're a bit out of touch with how tough the college to NFL transition can be. There are few positions where rookies can step in immediately and have a big impact...one of those positions however, is center. Full disclosure, I'm not in love with Travis Swanson. He has plenty question marks on him ranging from his functional strength to his durability. I don't know about you but I'm not keen on having a question mark squatting in front of the franchise. Alabama C Ryan Kelly has been gaining steam in recent weeks and it's even been reported by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller (Get your grains of salt ready) that Kelly is the Lions top target. You may not believe BR, but believe the tape...Kelly is good and I believe he will be a part of the pride before night's end.
3. The Detroit Lions will make 3 trades...and 2 of them won't be in the direction you want.
Can you hear them? TRADE DOWN....TRADE DOWN! Shaking their heads in self approval. That's what the New England Patriots would do and that's what Bob Quinn will do. No...stop it....control yourselves. The New England Patriots' philosophy is not to trade down, their philosophy is to do their homework, follow their board and get good players no matter where they present themselves. I'm looking for Quinn to bring that mentality to the Detroit Lions but he's stated he's not interested in a copy/paste philosophy. I anticipate some aggressiveness from our new GM. I think we could see it in days 2 and 3 of this year's draft. We as Lions fans may not know a whole lot about it but the thought process is that good players can be had in all rounds of the draft.
Coming into Thursday night the team will have a lot of draft capital to work with boasting 10 selections. Something major to note, the Cleveland Browns currently hold the Lions original 3rd round pick via the blockbuster trade with Philadelphia. As you, I and Roger Clemens may like to misremember...that selection was traded to the Eagles during last year's draft in exchange for a 4th round pick that turned into Gabe Wright. Although, we remain in the 3rd round with a compensatory pick, it's a long way from pick 46 in the 2nd round to pick 95 towards the end of round 3. This is a spot where we could potentially see one of the three predicted trades but I believe it's a lot more likely to see Quinn maneuver the board on day 3. It will be exciting to see how active the team is and who they target.
1. Four Quarterbacks will be selected in the first round.
We already know Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will go off the board in the first two picks. There has been some criticism of the Los Angeles Rams & Philadelphia Eagles for their recent trades to move into the first and second picks of this draft respectively. While there is validity in those criticisms, the fact remains. Quarterback is the most important position in the game and the most difficult position to fill. This creates quite the inflated market for young passers in each draft. I don't believe the buck stops with the top two players this year. I'd look for two more young passers to find their way into the event's opening night. Paxton Lynch out of Memphis is almost a certainty after wowing evaluators and the media alike with his combination of size, athleticism and throwing ability.
The fourth is a bit more tricky. There are a couple options to look for among the remaining passers. MSU QB Connor Cook has had an up and down draft process seeing many fluctuations in his stock but he remains a valued target for some teams that like his intelligence and what is seen as a pro ready game. Another guy I would look for is PSU QB Christian Hackenberg. No longer the shining, sure fire number 1 pick he was once seen as, questions of character and regression in play over the course of his collegiate career have marred the image of Hackenberg. However, two words will ultimately define him....ARM. TALENT. That's where he shines brighter than any other QB prospect and those two words could see him land in the 1st round. It'll be interesting to see where they go, if teams begin a trading frenzy and if so, how it affects the Lions if at all.
2. The Detroit Lions go OL in round 1....but not tackle
This is about as close as I'll come to a mock draft folks. I feel illness setting in simply typing the words. That said, I'm making predictions and I'm told this type of thing is done elsewhere. So let's get it out of the way shall we? The Detroit Lions like any other team come into the draft with a list of positions they would like to fill/upgrade. Most notable among pundits and Lions fans everywhere are the holes at right tackle and defensive tackle. Let's touch on those quickly. Starting with DT, there's a strong belief that the Lions should take aim at finally finding a replacement for Ndamukong $uh *AHEM* Suh. I'm not exactly a subscriber to that belief. The moves Lions GM Bob Quinn made this offseason suggest he may also not believe that theory. With the re-signing of Haloti Ngata, Tyrunn Walker and the addition of Stefan Charles to a group that already plays home to young players like Caraun Reid and Gabe Wright, needless to say...the position has quite a few roster spots occupied. It just doesn't seem as if it's the setup of a team looking to go DT in round 1.
Then there's the issue of right tackle. I say right tackle because if you think any rookie taken at pick 16(or possibly anywhere else) could come in and take Riley Rieff's job at LT...you're a bit out of touch with how tough the college to NFL transition can be. There are few positions where rookies can step in immediately and have a big impact...one of those positions however, is center. Full disclosure, I'm not in love with Travis Swanson. He has plenty question marks on him ranging from his functional strength to his durability. I don't know about you but I'm not keen on having a question mark squatting in front of the franchise. Alabama C Ryan Kelly has been gaining steam in recent weeks and it's even been reported by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller (Get your grains of salt ready) that Kelly is the Lions top target. You may not believe BR, but believe the tape...Kelly is good and I believe he will be a part of the pride before night's end.
3. The Detroit Lions will make 3 trades...and 2 of them won't be in the direction you want.
Can you hear them? TRADE DOWN....TRADE DOWN! Shaking their heads in self approval. That's what the New England Patriots would do and that's what Bob Quinn will do. No...stop it....control yourselves. The New England Patriots' philosophy is not to trade down, their philosophy is to do their homework, follow their board and get good players no matter where they present themselves. I'm looking for Quinn to bring that mentality to the Detroit Lions but he's stated he's not interested in a copy/paste philosophy. I anticipate some aggressiveness from our new GM. I think we could see it in days 2 and 3 of this year's draft. We as Lions fans may not know a whole lot about it but the thought process is that good players can be had in all rounds of the draft.
Coming into Thursday night the team will have a lot of draft capital to work with boasting 10 selections. Something major to note, the Cleveland Browns currently hold the Lions original 3rd round pick via the blockbuster trade with Philadelphia. As you, I and Roger Clemens may like to misremember...that selection was traded to the Eagles during last year's draft in exchange for a 4th round pick that turned into Gabe Wright. Although, we remain in the 3rd round with a compensatory pick, it's a long way from pick 46 in the 2nd round to pick 95 towards the end of round 3. This is a spot where we could potentially see one of the three predicted trades but I believe it's a lot more likely to see Quinn maneuver the board on day 3. It will be exciting to see how active the team is and who they target.
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