The Problem with the Lions
By Kyle Bauer
Wow....Fucking wow.
Could the Lions just give into the rest of the countries demands and have their annual Thanksgiving day appearance pulled, so I could actually feel at peace on the holiday?
Likely they wont but I’m sick and tired of this team ruining my Thanksgiving every year and I’m sure everyone else in the country are tired of seeing this team getting their asses whipped every Thanksgiving.
As the rest of the Lions empire of mediocrity has fallen, so has the Thanksgiving game. For the Lions this was their obligatory Superbowl as we’ve known that there was no chance in hell of them getting to the real show 45 of the past 50 seasons. So in this game you would see more heart and effort than in most Lions games. There would actually be energy and a thirst for blood in the tone set by the Lions. Some years they lost but you knew they would at least give you a damn good effort/game.
This year was one of many embarrassing efforts seen from this team on traditionally the one day where the Lions would play worth a damn. 2003 withstanding, in the Millen era the Lions haven’t belonged on the same field as their opponent on Thanksgiving, yet these douschebags would be the first to berate anyone who dare suggest they’re not worthy of getting the national spotlight for one game. These arrogant bastards, stuck in their fairy land where they can do no wrong and anyone who speaks an ill word of their losing ways is stripped of their respect and voice.
That brings me to the first problem...The attitude.
This team still has not grown up. Despite having their "leader" John Kitna, its still a team of immature jackasses.
Already you wonder about Millen’s ability to scout not only talent but character. Remember the gems that were Charles Rogers, Mike Williams and Joey ball game. All 3 were tops picks, all 3 busts not only on the field but off.
I hate to question Mike Furrey, someone who is the epitome of blue collar, fighting through the XFL and Arena Football League before getting into the NFL and willing to take a spot at safety for the Rams to earn playing time. He’s a great story but his comments have shown that his underdog upbringing and charity work for animals and impoverished families still cannot prevent the Lion blue from coursing through his veins.
This Lions blue creates the blue blood ideal of entitlement, lack of accountability and undeserved arrogance with a touch of cowardness.
With his boastful "All you in the media can kiss my ass!" After the Lions victory in Chicago showed that Furrey still wasn’t looking at the big picture, along with the rest of this team. You know if a guy like Furrey is challenging the media after a win in the 4th week of the season, you know this remains a psychologically troubled team that has no idea how to win or what it is to win.
Of course there’s that fat ass Shawn Rogers. Once again a man with talent but a tongue that has been much rather served slurping down an ice cream cone than showing the poise an NFL star should hold.
In last years disastrous season, he was left sulking, not about his underachieving play but columnists rightly pointing out that he wasn’t living up to his potential. So he proceeded to have a temper tantrum. He ordered the defense that he was so wrongly appointed captain of last season, not to talk to the media after games. Once again, Lions blue blood, ducking accountability. Of course the media shouldn’t have any questions about a perpetually losing franchise and a tub of lard with all the talent in the world that wont apply himself in most plays and games. You would figure that last year, when he took all that time away from the evil media that he would be watching game film, maybe working out and fallowing a diet but I have a feeling he was eating donuts and brandishing guns in strip clubs on 8 mile.
Rod Marinelli gives me a mixed response. I like him in many regards, I think he’s a hard ass that could toughen up this team with time. Part of me believes that he has this team on the right track attitude wise but when I see the acts of Shawn Rogers, the comments of Roy Williams and Furrey, then Kenoy Kennedy’s DUI that maybe he'll never really get hold of this team. Could be me talking prematurely but confronting the media, talking down to them and repeating a bunch of jackass clichés doesn’t always get the job done. Maybe preaching to your inept secondary to bump and check some receivers after 5 yards would make more of a difference. But I see some of the Lions blue blood in Marinelli. His standoffish attitude win or lose has transcended into this team which I believe is only feeding into the current ora of "it's not my fault" that glows around the Lions locker room. Its not mature to be a prick. It's also not mature to lose 3 games in a row and look like shit in each.
On the field what can I say. In the Thanksgiving game I couldn’t complain too much about Mike Martz half assed "please get me a job in San Diego" offense. I wanted to see him to Calvin Johnson more and he went to him a ton of times. Unfortunately in the first game where CJ got more than 5 looks, he didn’t look so good with 3 huge drops. Still caught 5 balls and a touchdown, solid. The problem was that he flipped the switch on us. He didn’t touch Roy Williams. The Lions have solid pieces in place for an explosive offense so maybe putting some balance and distribution in the playbook would be better.
Think like, run with Jones 15 to 20 times and Duckett 5 to 10 touches. Go to CJ 10 times, Roy 12 times, the find Furrey, McDonald and Walters around 2 to 6 times each. You can spread it out even more than that if the Lions could stop giving teams 10 yard cushions over the middle, on defense, so that maybe they wont be dominated by 15 minutes on time of possession each game.
I hate to say it but John Kitna isn’t the man for the job. He maybe a great guy off the field but on the field he’s lost. With this offensive line, I believe he’s playing scared. He'll be the last to admit but he doesn’t have any confidence in the men blocking for him. You can tell by how he’s stopped making reads and will often lock onto his target for 3 to 5 seconds. Dosent often find any check downs or the open man, he's in tunnel vision and is telegraphing his passes making it hard for recievers to get seperation after the initial route.
He'll lock up in uncertainty, not wanting to waste a down but at the same time being blindsided as the right end of the line collapses. Kitna doesn’t seem to know how to time being a Lions quarterback which in a weird way I think is causing his hesitation, instead of him throwing it away all the time. Maybe drop him back in shotgun...I don’t know.
How about praying that Jonathan Scott can stay healthy because he makes a huge difference for this Lions offensive line. As long as Scott is out the running game will struggle, the pass protection will be non existant and this offense will be dead. Without his protection, Kitna is playing completely unsure of his surroundings and himself. There's seems to be no communication and he cannot get anyone on the same page.
We'll see what happens with Stanton next year but his mobility maybe what the Lions offense needs. Sure, no Martz offense has ever required a mobile quarterback but those QBs had Orlando Pace and great offensive line protecting them, not the case with the Lions. I don’t believe Martz will be here next season anyway.
Until then, spread the ball out and run at least 20 times, please.There’s so much more that’s wrong with this team but I’ve gone on long enough already. Most of this begins with what’s going on in the locker room. I just cannot wait for the draft again so then I can go into who the Lions will need but I honestly couldn’t do it now because I’m not sure where the Lions will end up on the board and who would be available at what position but this team has many gaps. There is much cleaning to be done.
They still can go 9-7...I guess, but 7-9 or 8-8 is looking much more likely. Either way, these past 3 games have left a horrible taste in my mouth and given me the impression that nothing has truly changed except the record might have a couple more wins than usual.
I like the Pistons depth this year, fastest and most talented bench they’ve had since 2004. If they stay healthy they’ll come out of the East. More of that later but there’s your promised Pistons talk.
Hasek is looking slow. He's playing in the back of the net and not getting to his angles fast enough. Either Hasek is finally washed up or he's still hiding a lower body injury. More on that later but there’s the Hasek talk I promised.
You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.
Wow....Fucking wow.
Could the Lions just give into the rest of the countries demands and have their annual Thanksgiving day appearance pulled, so I could actually feel at peace on the holiday?
Likely they wont but I’m sick and tired of this team ruining my Thanksgiving every year and I’m sure everyone else in the country are tired of seeing this team getting their asses whipped every Thanksgiving.
As the rest of the Lions empire of mediocrity has fallen, so has the Thanksgiving game. For the Lions this was their obligatory Superbowl as we’ve known that there was no chance in hell of them getting to the real show 45 of the past 50 seasons. So in this game you would see more heart and effort than in most Lions games. There would actually be energy and a thirst for blood in the tone set by the Lions. Some years they lost but you knew they would at least give you a damn good effort/game.
This year was one of many embarrassing efforts seen from this team on traditionally the one day where the Lions would play worth a damn. 2003 withstanding, in the Millen era the Lions haven’t belonged on the same field as their opponent on Thanksgiving, yet these douschebags would be the first to berate anyone who dare suggest they’re not worthy of getting the national spotlight for one game. These arrogant bastards, stuck in their fairy land where they can do no wrong and anyone who speaks an ill word of their losing ways is stripped of their respect and voice.
That brings me to the first problem...The attitude.
This team still has not grown up. Despite having their "leader" John Kitna, its still a team of immature jackasses.
Already you wonder about Millen’s ability to scout not only talent but character. Remember the gems that were Charles Rogers, Mike Williams and Joey ball game. All 3 were tops picks, all 3 busts not only on the field but off.
I hate to question Mike Furrey, someone who is the epitome of blue collar, fighting through the XFL and Arena Football League before getting into the NFL and willing to take a spot at safety for the Rams to earn playing time. He’s a great story but his comments have shown that his underdog upbringing and charity work for animals and impoverished families still cannot prevent the Lion blue from coursing through his veins.
This Lions blue creates the blue blood ideal of entitlement, lack of accountability and undeserved arrogance with a touch of cowardness.
With his boastful "All you in the media can kiss my ass!" After the Lions victory in Chicago showed that Furrey still wasn’t looking at the big picture, along with the rest of this team. You know if a guy like Furrey is challenging the media after a win in the 4th week of the season, you know this remains a psychologically troubled team that has no idea how to win or what it is to win.
Of course there’s that fat ass Shawn Rogers. Once again a man with talent but a tongue that has been much rather served slurping down an ice cream cone than showing the poise an NFL star should hold.
In last years disastrous season, he was left sulking, not about his underachieving play but columnists rightly pointing out that he wasn’t living up to his potential. So he proceeded to have a temper tantrum. He ordered the defense that he was so wrongly appointed captain of last season, not to talk to the media after games. Once again, Lions blue blood, ducking accountability. Of course the media shouldn’t have any questions about a perpetually losing franchise and a tub of lard with all the talent in the world that wont apply himself in most plays and games. You would figure that last year, when he took all that time away from the evil media that he would be watching game film, maybe working out and fallowing a diet but I have a feeling he was eating donuts and brandishing guns in strip clubs on 8 mile.
Rod Marinelli gives me a mixed response. I like him in many regards, I think he’s a hard ass that could toughen up this team with time. Part of me believes that he has this team on the right track attitude wise but when I see the acts of Shawn Rogers, the comments of Roy Williams and Furrey, then Kenoy Kennedy’s DUI that maybe he'll never really get hold of this team. Could be me talking prematurely but confronting the media, talking down to them and repeating a bunch of jackass clichés doesn’t always get the job done. Maybe preaching to your inept secondary to bump and check some receivers after 5 yards would make more of a difference. But I see some of the Lions blue blood in Marinelli. His standoffish attitude win or lose has transcended into this team which I believe is only feeding into the current ora of "it's not my fault" that glows around the Lions locker room. Its not mature to be a prick. It's also not mature to lose 3 games in a row and look like shit in each.
On the field what can I say. In the Thanksgiving game I couldn’t complain too much about Mike Martz half assed "please get me a job in San Diego" offense. I wanted to see him to Calvin Johnson more and he went to him a ton of times. Unfortunately in the first game where CJ got more than 5 looks, he didn’t look so good with 3 huge drops. Still caught 5 balls and a touchdown, solid. The problem was that he flipped the switch on us. He didn’t touch Roy Williams. The Lions have solid pieces in place for an explosive offense so maybe putting some balance and distribution in the playbook would be better.
Think like, run with Jones 15 to 20 times and Duckett 5 to 10 touches. Go to CJ 10 times, Roy 12 times, the find Furrey, McDonald and Walters around 2 to 6 times each. You can spread it out even more than that if the Lions could stop giving teams 10 yard cushions over the middle, on defense, so that maybe they wont be dominated by 15 minutes on time of possession each game.
I hate to say it but John Kitna isn’t the man for the job. He maybe a great guy off the field but on the field he’s lost. With this offensive line, I believe he’s playing scared. He'll be the last to admit but he doesn’t have any confidence in the men blocking for him. You can tell by how he’s stopped making reads and will often lock onto his target for 3 to 5 seconds. Dosent often find any check downs or the open man, he's in tunnel vision and is telegraphing his passes making it hard for recievers to get seperation after the initial route.
He'll lock up in uncertainty, not wanting to waste a down but at the same time being blindsided as the right end of the line collapses. Kitna doesn’t seem to know how to time being a Lions quarterback which in a weird way I think is causing his hesitation, instead of him throwing it away all the time. Maybe drop him back in shotgun...I don’t know.
How about praying that Jonathan Scott can stay healthy because he makes a huge difference for this Lions offensive line. As long as Scott is out the running game will struggle, the pass protection will be non existant and this offense will be dead. Without his protection, Kitna is playing completely unsure of his surroundings and himself. There's seems to be no communication and he cannot get anyone on the same page.
We'll see what happens with Stanton next year but his mobility maybe what the Lions offense needs. Sure, no Martz offense has ever required a mobile quarterback but those QBs had Orlando Pace and great offensive line protecting them, not the case with the Lions. I don’t believe Martz will be here next season anyway.
Until then, spread the ball out and run at least 20 times, please.There’s so much more that’s wrong with this team but I’ve gone on long enough already. Most of this begins with what’s going on in the locker room. I just cannot wait for the draft again so then I can go into who the Lions will need but I honestly couldn’t do it now because I’m not sure where the Lions will end up on the board and who would be available at what position but this team has many gaps. There is much cleaning to be done.
They still can go 9-7...I guess, but 7-9 or 8-8 is looking much more likely. Either way, these past 3 games have left a horrible taste in my mouth and given me the impression that nothing has truly changed except the record might have a couple more wins than usual.
I like the Pistons depth this year, fastest and most talented bench they’ve had since 2004. If they stay healthy they’ll come out of the East. More of that later but there’s your promised Pistons talk.
Hasek is looking slow. He's playing in the back of the net and not getting to his angles fast enough. Either Hasek is finally washed up or he's still hiding a lower body injury. More on that later but there’s the Hasek talk I promised.
You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.
posted by Kyle Bauer at 12:24 AM
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