Detroit vs. Oakland (1 Viewer)

[Pittsburgh United]

This is an intriguing week 1 match-up, and one that's difficult to predict. It seems to me like there could be a lot of fantasy points to be had from this game for the crafty fantasy coach.

Is Oakland's D really that good? Are they strong in the secondary but weak against the run?

How will Calvin Johnson be utilized this first week out, and will he have much success against the Oakland secondary?

How about Tatum Bell and the Detroit ground game? Can the Oakland D line be exploited?

On the flip side, how do you think the Oakland offense will fare against the Detroit D? Is the Detroit secondary any good? Will the Oakland WRs put up big numbers against them?

Could we see a return to 2005 form for LaMont Jordan?

 

[dmac37]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.

If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Calvin will get some action, but it's hard to say. He really drew a lot of attention from defenses considering he is a rookie. I think the Lions will be throwing a lot this game. The running game was unimpressive in preseason, especially between the tackles. Bell looked hesitant hitting the holes, and did not catch a pass in preseason.

The Lions secondary is atrocious, possibly the worst in the league. If the Lions can't generate a pass rush with the front four, the Raiders could have a lot of success throwing the ball.

 

[Sinatrasdead]

I'm a big Lions fan and I think it's going to be a scoring fest but it's going to be hard to predict. Other than Kitna I think it's tough to call who will score for the Lions I see them putting up 3-4 touchdowns but I think there is an almost even chance of Roy, Furrey (still the #2 for now), CJ, Shaun McDonald (he will surprise people he comes in with more knowledge of Martz's system then Furrey did and has been huge in the preseason), Bell, Duckett or possibly even KJ. I think Kitna, Hanson and Roy are solid starts, Bell's a good flex play unless KJ plays and any of the WRs are good WR4s if you start that many (we do).

Their secondary gets a lot of ridicule and on paper is very weak but the only wild card is that most of the guys have a lot of Tampa 2 experience or are in their 2nd year in it. Plus the change from Donnie Henderson (who had to learn the T2 D) to Joe Barry (who's been teaching it for years) can't be overlooked. I think the Oakland QB will be sacked and will throw picks but they will also throw a few TDs. I see them (Pepper or McCown) being rusty and not worth starting this week. They also have a lot of weapons, a young creative coach and are hard to predict. Lane Kiffin supposedly likes to throw to the backs and TEs and will use multiple TEs which takes away from the value of all of his TEs. The ball will be spread a lot. I think Lamont Jordan is a good flex play this week and Culpepper (or McCown) might be a good QB2 (if you start two) but that's about it.

 

[Sinatrasdead]

Reading what the others wrote I'm reminded of one thing... don't overthink the Lions rushing numbers. The amount of balls the RBs will catch will make up for the potentially low rushing numbers. The other thing to keep in mind is that some say the Lions will run best in 3 WR sets because D's will have to cover Roy, Furrey and CJ so they can't stack the line which should make it easier for Bell to run and we didn't see this much in the preseason (because Martz doesn't like to show his hand). Again though if the Raiders do stack the line Kitna will just toss it to whoever the Raiders leave open or 1 on 1 in their deep receiver corps.

 

[Silver & Black]

Obviously a Raiders homer here, but I think Oakland is gonna crush Detroit. In a big way.

Trust me, the Oakland defense is the real deal, especially against the pass. I like the run defense to be better this year and I think Oakland is going to cause oppossing offenses fits all year long.

The offense is not only going to be better than last year (how could it possibly be worse), it is going to be significantly better. We have a real blocking scheme in place now and Kiffin has the team ready to play. I think the players are going to respond on offense and play to make everyone forget about last year's debacle.

Look for a shut down day by the Oakland defense. If Detroit scores 10 poitns, I will be surprised. I think C-Pep, Porter and Jordan all have nice fantasy days as well as Oakland sets the tempo for 2007!

 

[LawFitz]

Oakland 24, Detroit 17

Look for ball control from Oakland with a rink and dink, pound it out, hold the ball strategy that will work well against a sub par Detroit D. Expect 2 rushing TDs and one passing TD along with at least one pick.

Detroit will struggle on offense for many of the snaps, but on at least a few drives, they will move the ball in huge spurts. Look for Calvin or Roy (whoever gets matched up against Fabian Washington) to have at least a couple huge plays. Fab is a very good CB, but is dramatically undersized compared to these two WRs. The Raiders might try to counter this by putting Fab on Furrey and Michael Huff on the Calvin, but Huff's cover skills are not as good even though he has more size. Look for several picks and a lot of yards from Kitna.

The Raiders D is legit, but this game will be more about containing the Lions passing game than stopping it.

 

[palmerski]

Detroit man here.....I hate to say it (after soooooo many years of trying to believe) but this might be the year....i am starting Tatum as #3 back in this game over Benson for the fact that Oakland won't be able to stuff the line. Too many weapons on the outside (martz finally has a #3 and #4 receiver) it will be a shootout but i see detroit winning 35-28. all skill players on both sides are worth playing even ronald curry and mcdonald

 

[Pittsburgh United]

Detroit man here.....I hate to say it (after soooooo many years of trying to believe) but this might be the year....i am starting Tatum as #3 back in this game over Benson for the fact that Oakland won't be able to stuff the line. Too many weapons on the outside (martz finally has a #3 and #4 receiver) it will be a shootout but i see detroit winning 35-28. all skill players on both sides are worth playing even ronald curry and mcdonald

Do you see Tatum Bell having a nice game?

 

[palmerski]

Detroit man here.....I hate to say it (after soooooo many years of trying to believe) but this might be the year....i am starting Tatum as #3 back in this game over Benson for the fact that Oakland won't be able to stuff the line. Too many weapons on the outside (martz finally has a #3 and #4 receiver) it will be a shootout but i see detroit winning 35-28. all skill players on both sides are worth playing even ronald curry and mcdonald

Do you see Tatum Bell having a nice game?

i think at least 100 yrds, not sure if any td's (think they will all come through the air)

 

[MSULions]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans. Lions 31Oakland 16

 

[MSULions]

And why again can't the Lions run the ball? they have a much improved O-line that's healthy for a change....last year was a disaster, but only because they had 3rd and 4th stringers starting by the midpoint of the season...no other team started more oline players than the Lions due to injuries. They've upgraded at two spots, and are in their second year in a much more simplified system. The run game is going to be just fine. Tatum will approach 100 yards and He and duckett will account for 2 tds.

 

[Silver & Black]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans. Lions 31Oakland 16

Most people are thinking along similar lines about Oakland this year. I am going (and have been) on record as saying that this is a big reason why Oakland is going to go 10-6 this year.Everyone will be looking past the Raiders this year. Oakland's offense isn't going to be slightly improved, its going to be vastly improved. New coaching, new attitude and some big bodies on the O-line, who from what I hear, are all playing for pride at over how much crap they took over their performance last year. Oakland's offense is going to be mediocre to average this season. C-Pep has looked great. Not quite his old self, but I have seen him run out of the pocket and hit defenders with purpose. He also seems to be moving much more comfortably within the pocket. Those factors, coupled with a very, very good defense leads me to believe they go 10-6 baby. Starting this week 24-6 over Detroit.

 

[shakeybarn]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans. Lions 31Oakland 16

Wow, what a myopic post.Oakland = slightly improved O, no RBs, gimpy disaster QB, 12 TDs via Andrew Walter, Brooks, WRs who would be a #3 on the likes of the Bills or Houston, Lions hand-me-downs, Lions = very good, vastly improved, a secondary that isn't really too bad off.Wow. Raiders D getting very little respect. LBs and DBs are certainly athletic. Everyone just pulls up their rushing defense stats, and thinks it'll be a walk in the park. Those stats from 2006 are inflated, by the likes of Tomlinson x2, Larry Johnson x2, Frank Gore, Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker. Last I checked, that's 7 games vs RBs that are in the first round of any/all drafts. It's in Oakland too. Detroit still wins, thusly no garbage time points.... as I'm not sure this is the shootout many expect.

 

[Sinatrasdead]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans. Lions 31Oakland 16

Wow, what a myopic post.Oakland = slightly improved O, no RBs, gimpy disaster QB, 12 TDs via Andrew Walter, Brooks, WRs who would be a #3 on the likes of the Bills or Houston, Lions hand-me-downs, Lions = very good, vastly improved, a secondary that isn't really too bad off.Wow. Raiders D getting very little respect. LBs and DBs are certainly athletic. Everyone just pulls up their rushing defense stats, and thinks it'll be a walk in the park. Those stats from 2006 are inflated, by the likes of Tomlinson x2, Larry Johnson x2, Frank Gore, Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker. Last I checked, that's 7 games vs RBs that are in the first round of any/all drafts. It's in Oakland too. Detroit still wins, thusly no garbage time points.... as I'm not sure this is the shootout many expect.

Yeah, things should be much better this year considering they’ll only see LT twice, LJ twice, Travis Henry twice, Fred & MJD, Chester & Adrian, Ronnie & Chatman… you guys are screwed again. Why would anyone throw the ball against you when you allow everyone to run all day... game one Bell will rack up yards and if you stack the line we'll just hit whoever you left open out of Roy, CJ or Furrey. If you’re lucky maybe Russell will put on a few pounds sitting on his ### this year and you guys can use him on the DL to stop the run next year.

 

[massraider]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans. Lions 31Oakland 16

Wow, what a myopic post.Oakland = slightly improved O, no RBs, gimpy disaster QB, 12 TDs via Andrew Walter, Brooks, WRs who would be a #3 on the likes of the Bills or Houston, Lions hand-me-downs, Lions = very good, vastly improved, a secondary that isn't really too bad off.Wow. Raiders D getting very little respect. LBs and DBs are certainly athletic. Everyone just pulls up their rushing defense stats, and thinks it'll be a walk in the park. Those stats from 2006 are inflated, by the likes of Tomlinson x2, Larry Johnson x2, Frank Gore, Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker. Last I checked, that's 7 games vs RBs that are in the first round of any/all drafts. It's in Oakland too. Detroit still wins, thusly no garbage time points.... as I'm not sure this is the shootout many expect.

Yeah, things should be much better this year considering they’ll only see LT twice, LJ twice, Travis Henry twice, Fred & MJD, Chester & Adrian, Ronnie & Chatman… you guys are screwed again. Why would anyone throw the ball against you when you allow everyone to run all day... game one Bell will rack up yards and if you stack the line we'll just hit whoever you left open out of Roy, CJ or Furrey. If you’re lucky maybe Russell will put on a few pounds sitting on his ### this year and you guys can use him on the DL to stop the run next year.

You bring a lot to the forum. Welcome.

 

[NYCGangGreen]

So Detroit homers.....of the top 3 WR's....how do you see it play out???

Roy, Furrey and C.J. will all get plenty of targets from Kitna as they throw and keep pressure off of Kitna from the front 7....what kind of stats do you predict?

catches/yards/td's for the WR's???

 

[Skinsfansince72]

Every year there's a team that gets highly touted in the preseason. It's been Detroit before. It's been Arizona. Then the season starts and the harsh reality sets in. Detroit is still Detroit. They have a mediocre Qb. and no running game. Martz was a "genius" when he had Faulk to work with. The stud running back does wonders for the passing game. Also, Martz had Holt(one of the best in the business) and Bruce. Roy Williams is great but he's no Holt. Calvin Johnson is a rookie(how may times has Detroit had a "can't miss" rookie wr only to have him fall flat on his face?). Raiders win this one easily. The Raider qb will out perform Kitna.

 

[shadyridr]

Every year there's a team that gets highly touted in the preseason. It's been Detroit before. It's been Arizona. Then the season starts and the harsh reality sets in. Detroit is still Detroit. They have a mediocre Qb. and no running game. Martz was a "genius" when he had Faulk to work with. The stud running back does wonders for the passing game. Also, Martz had Holt(one of the best in the business) and Bruce. Roy Williams is great but he's no Holt. Calvin Johnson is a rookie(how may times has Detroit had a "can't miss" rookie wr only to have him fall flat on his face?). Raiders win this one easily. The Raider qb will out perform Kitna.

You DO realize Detroit was top 5 in passing LAST year.

 

[Sinatrasdead]

Every year there's a team that gets highly touted in the preseason. It's been Detroit before. It's been Arizona. Then the season starts and the harsh reality sets in. Detroit is still Detroit. They have a mediocre Qb. and no running game. Martz was a "genius" when he had Faulk to work with. The stud running back does wonders for the passing game. Also, Martz had Holt(one of the best in the business) and Bruce. Roy Williams is great but he's no Holt. Calvin Johnson is a rookie(how may times has Detroit had a "can't miss" rookie wr only to have him fall flat on his face?). Raiders win this one easily. The Raider qb will out perform Kitna.

Just so I'm clear... the Lions ranked 7th in passing offense last year (http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=TEAM_PASSING&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2006&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&Submit=Find) you take that and add an improved line (Edwin Mulitallo and George Foster), Calvin Johnson, Shaun McDonald (whose played in Martz's system), Tatum Bell and TJ Ducket and you think they've gotten worse? Um, ok.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

The Lions MUST try and run the ball vs. Oakland. The Lions know that Oakland's strong against the pass so to not even come out and try to move the chains on the ground and with some nice short passes would be a mistake.

I look for Tatum Bell to look decent. Will he score.......maybe. I don't look for C. Johnson to come out and have a big game. I think Roy Williams has a solid day, I think Kitna does OK and I think either Furry or McDonald make a big play in the game.

I think Oakland moves the ball just because Detroit is poor on defense. I think some players on Oakland will score that people haven't drafted and people will rush to pick up those players on FA. Those players probably won't score again for weeks but Detroit will make them look like fantasy contenders when they're still just pretenders.

If Oakland's defense is as good as everyone says and their offense is decent....they should win at home. I still look for Detroit to try and move the ball rather than just trying to get a bunch of big plays to keep their D off the field or atleast attempt to and I believe the Lions will not lay down under Coach Marinelli. The Lions lost a lot of close ball games last year, including a 9-6 opening game last year vs. Seattle.

 

[Skinsfansince72]

Every year there's a team that gets highly touted in the preseason. It's been Detroit before. It's been Arizona. Then the season starts and the harsh reality sets in. Detroit is still Detroit. They have a mediocre Qb. and no running game. Martz was a "genius" when he had Faulk to work with. The stud running back does wonders for the passing game. Also, Martz had Holt(one of the best in the business) and Bruce. Roy Williams is great but he's no Holt. Calvin Johnson is a rookie(how may times has Detroit had a "can't miss" rookie wr only to have him fall flat on his face?). Raiders win this one easily. The Raider qb will out perform Kitna.

Just so I'm clear... the Lions ranked 7th in passing offense last year (http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=TEAM_PASSING&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2006&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&Submit=Find) you take that and add an improved line (Edwin Mulitallo and George Foster), Calvin Johnson, Shaun McDonald (whose played in Martz's system), Tatum Bell and TJ Ducket and you think they've gotten worse? Um, ok.

Calvin is a rookie. Jones is injured. Bell stinks. Duckett is worse. No "faulk like" back. Ignore the "draft dominator" on this one. You bought garbage if you bought into Detroit lighting it up this year. Just an opinion but one that is not without precedent.

btw-why are you mentioning Calvin Johnson? He's a rookie wr on bad team. How many other rookies wr's have they drafted in the last 5 years? How many

of them have been busts(I believe one of them is out of the NFL and the other is hopinng to be 3rd wr on oakland). "Can't miss" wr prospects misss all the time.

And, as I said, this is Detroit we're talking about. A miserable organization with a starting qb who is more likely than not to toss more pics than td passes.

 

[Skinsfansince72]

Every year there's a team that gets highly touted in the preseason. It's been Detroit before. It's been Arizona. Then the season starts and the harsh reality sets in. Detroit is still Detroit. They have a mediocre Qb. and no running game. Martz was a "genius" when he had Faulk to work with. The stud running back does wonders for the passing game. Also, Martz had Holt(one of the best in the business) and Bruce. Roy Williams is great but he's no Holt. Calvin Johnson is a rookie(how may times has Detroit had a "can't miss" rookie wr only to have him fall flat on his face?). Raiders win this one easily. The Raider qb will out perform Kitna.

You DO realize Detroit was top 5 in passing LAST year.

yep. Didn't translate to many scores though. I am also aware of their record. I'm also aware that their qb threw more pics thantd's. And if we're going to go by last year, Radiers had a pretty good pass d. Or so the statistics tell me. No Faulk Like back means that there won't be Rams like scoring on this team. Sorry. That's just the way I see it.

 

[Da Guru]

Calvin will get some action, but it's hard to say. He really drew a lot of attention from defenses considering he is a rookie. I think the Lions will be throwing a lot this game. The running game was unimpressive in preseason, especially between the tackles. Bell looked hesitant hitting the holes, and did not catch a pass in preseason.

The Lions secondary is atrocious, possibly the worst in the league. If the Lions can't generate a pass rush with the front four, the Raiders could have a lot of success throwing the ball.

That is why KJ did not go on PUP.Bell is a 10 carry guy, not a feature RB.

 

[maul52]

This is an intriguing week 1 match-up, and one that's difficult to predict. It seems to me like there could be a lot of fantasy points to be had from this game for the crafty fantasy coach.Is Oakland's D really that good? Are they strong in the secondary but weak against the run? How will Calvin Johnson be utilized this first week out, and will he have much success against the Oakland secondary? How about Tatum Bell and the Detroit ground game? Can the Oakland D line be exploited?On the flip side, how do you think the Oakland offense will fare against the Detroit D? Is the Detroit secondary any good? Will the Oakland WRs put up big numbers against them?Could we see a return to 2005 form for LaMont Jordan?

I don't have any fantasy players on either of these 2 teams, but I am a Raider fan so you can take this w/ a grain of salt if you want. With the way that Martz's offense "leaves QB's hanging out to dry" (can't remember where I read this quote but I agree w/ it), the aggressive style of the Raider's D (they put some serious pressure on QB's this preseason), and the Black Hole as the 12th man..... I see Kitna throwing multiple INT's and landing on his butt quite a bit this game. With LB's Thomas Howard entering his 2nd year and Kirk Morrison his 3rd, along with Terdell Sands being an immovable object at DT, I expect the Raider's play against the run this year to be much improved. In addition, if the O can get ANYTHING going (unlike last year) teams won't be able to play as conservatively against the Raider's D, which I think will improve the rush defense. I'm also not big on Tatum Bell (if he couldn't produce #'s in Denver I don't see him doing so in DET) and the Lions run game.

 

[maul52]

Oakland has a strong secondary but Detroit still has no run game. I still see Martz going with an air attack but with fairly modest numbers considering that is Oaklands strong suit and they know the Lions can not run the ball. From what I've heard I don't expect Calvin Johnson to see starters reps for the first few weeks.

If they start Culpepper he should be able to shred the Lions secondary, they have nobody with any skill or experience.

i find it hilarious that people think Culpepper can just join a team two weeks ago and step right up and start "shredding" defenses Oakland's Offense may be slightly improved, but i don't think that's saying much. Rhodes and Bush are out, leaving Jordan the only NFL rb on their roster. Cpepp is a Gimpy disaster waiting to happen - and frankly i hope he gets the nod over McCown, but I don't think he will. There has been zero indication that he's ever going to be anything close to his former self. Oakland scored TWELVE touchdowns last year. 12. in 16 games. or .75 a game

Lions front seven are very good. they will get NOTHING on the ground and be forced to pass....with their top 3 WRs being guys who would be lucky to be a #3 on just about any other team. Their two biggest Offensive acquisitions were Lions castoffs! THe secondary certainly has issues, but it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. With a vastly improved pass rush vs. an atrocious O-line, whoever the Raiders put in at QB will be running for his life most of the game, which will more than compensate for any secondary weaknesses. First game in a new system = a LOOOONG day for Raiders fans.

Lions 31

Oakland 16

IMO their 2 biggest offensive acquisitions were Zach Miller (TE) and Tom Cable (O line coach). Not to mention a coaching staff that will employ an offense that isn't over a decade old! McCown has very little going for him other than mobility (I'm really embarrassed that he even is a candidate for starting QB, Culpepper has looked very mobile and has been money on 3rd downs this preseason) and Mike Williams looks like a new man since reuniting with Kiffin. Our pass pro should be MUCH improved this year and having a TE that can actually catch the ball is going to really help our offense this year.

 

[MSULions]

So Detroit homers.....of the top 3 WR's....how do you see it play out???Roy, Furrey and C.J. will all get plenty of targets from Kitna as they throw and keep pressure off of Kitna from the front 7....what kind of stats do you predict?catches/yards/td's for the WR's???

in all honesty, I think over the course of the year, McDonald will end up the 2nd best wr in Detroit fantasy wise. He looked really really good in preseason and knows the system. As for the Raiders game:Roy: 7/84 1tdFurrey: 5/54 0tdCJ: 3/43 0tdMcDonald: 6/65 1td Roy is going to have a monster year and finish top 5 among WRs. He admitted he was lost a bit at times last year. They are all on the same page now, and half of those INTs were the result of someone running the wrong route and the bad O-line. both problems are gone. Kitna will not throw 20 ints again this year.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Calvin will get some action, but it's hard to say. He really drew a lot of attention from defenses considering he is a rookie. I think the Lions will be throwing a lot this game. The running game was unimpressive in preseason, especially between the tackles. Bell looked hesitant hitting the holes, and did not catch a pass in preseason.

The Lions secondary is atrocious, possibly the worst in the league. If the Lions can't generate a pass rush with the front four, the Raiders could have a lot of success throwing the ball.

That is why KJ did not go on PUP.Bell is a 10 carry guy, not a feature RB.

KJ didn't go on the PUP because he can now practice with the team off the PUP and potentially come back quicker than he would have. He still won't play for about a month and if Tatum's still healthy even then it'll be in limited rolls and certainly not someone you'll want to just throw in as your FB starter.Bell WILL have more than 10 carries this game and probably the first month at least.

 

[buster c]

Lions 13 (on their way to 8-8)

Raiders 12 (on their way to 3-13)

 

[texasheat]

A couple predictions for this contest -

OAK 24 DET 20

C Johnson goes 3-30 in his debut

T Bell rips off a 50+ yard score

ROY finds the endzone

Cpep 250+ yds passing

Curry and Lamont find the endzone

OAK d scores a TD

.....I don't know what I'm talking about, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

 

[duaneok66]

Anyone who thinks that Detroit cant score this year is kidding themselves . . .

a name is a name - a few years ago, people were still trashing the Bengals, but now they have a dominant offense . . .

last year Detroit piled up yards WITH that mediocre QB and only two receivers and a HORRIBLE OL . . . the OL should be better, and they have two more receivers, and Martz will get a chance to use alot more of his playbook . . .

watch out people . . .

 

[CalBear]

Q: What do you get when you combine last year's #32 overall offense with last year's #32 rushing offense and a passing attack led by Jon Kitna?

A: An unwatchable game.

 

[Traders2001]

Det 21 - Oak 34

C pep is benched after 20 minutes 2 lost fumbles 1 int , McCown takes over and lead the Raiders to victory .

 

[duaneok66]

Q: What do you get when you combine last year's #32 overall offense with last year's #32 rushing offense and a passing attack led by Jon Kitna?A: An unwatchable game.

suit yourself . . . should be a very good game (to watch) . . .of course, Chi-SD is on at the same time . . .

 

[Skinsfansince72]

Anyone who thinks that Detroit cant score this year is kidding themselves . . . a name is a name - a few years ago, people were still trashing the Bengals, but now they have a dominant offense . . .last year Detroit piled up yards WITH that mediocre QB and only two receivers and a HORRIBLE OL . . . the OL should be better, and they have two more receivers, and Martz will get a chance to use alot more of his playbook . . . watch out people . . .

The Bengals went out and got themselves a stud qb. The Lions got a retread who thows more interceptions than td's. No running game. Kevin Jones is LT compared to what's taking his place. I'll wait until they actually do something beforegranting them anything. FF is about consistent points. Not seeing them in Detroit this year.

 

[duaneok66]

Anyone who thinks that Detroit cant score this year is kidding themselves . . . a name is a name - a few years ago, people were still trashing the Bengals, but now they have a dominant offense . . .last year Detroit piled up yards WITH that mediocre QB and only two receivers and a HORRIBLE OL . . . the OL should be better, and they have two more receivers, and Martz will get a chance to use alot more of his playbook . . . watch out people . . .

The Bengals went out and got themselves a stud qb. The Lions got a retread who thows more interceptions than td's. No running game. Kevin Jones is LT compared to what's taking his place. I'll wait until they actually do something beforegranting them anything. FF is about consistent points. Not seeing them in Detroit this year.

no, Kitna is not Palmer, but it's a good offensive scheme . . .assuming the OL is better, the Lions will be fun to watch . . .

 

[CalBear]

assuming the OL is better, the Lions will be fun to watch . . .

Jon Kitna, throwing against a top secondary with no running game, will likely be fun to watch, but not for Detroit fans.

 

[Saint]

I don't know if we can write off Johnson for the first game. Why?

I wish I had stats on how many three-receiver sets are run in a Mike Martz offense. I'm pretty sure it's a high percentage. When I look at Detroit this year, I am basically seeing what was going in Arizona a few years back. Anquan Boldin... rookie year.. out of no where.. monster season. Larry Fitzgerald a year later... same deal. There's history on teams that do not have a strong running game being able to spread the ball around.

I think this is a tough game to call to be honest and I think it is any person's game. I am actually giving the edge to the lions only because I don't think Oakland's defense can stop the 3 or 4 receiver sets. McDonald is the underrated man as we knows the offensive system from his previous history with the rams. Roy and Furrey have a couple of years experience in the Martz system and know the routines. In addition, CJ being the explosive receiver he is, has to draw some coverage. I think he'll have a lot of 1 on 1 matchups since they'll be using him as the 3rd WR. Look for RW to have the double coverage which will open the underneath routes for the WR3 and WR4 positions.

That's my 2 cents... I am thinking around Lions 24, Oakland 21. I'm taking the points in the spread.

 

[duaneok66]

I don't know if we can write off Johnson for the first game. Why?

I wish I had stats on how many three-receiver sets are run in a Mike Martz offense. I'm pretty sure it's a high percentage. When I look at Detroit this year, I am basically seeing what was going in Arizona a few years back. Anquan Boldin... rookie year.. out of no where.. monster season. Larry Fitzgerald a year later... same deal. There's history on teams that do not have a strong running game being able to spread the ball around.

I think this is a tough game to call to be honest and I think it is any person's game. I am actually giving the edge to the lions only because I don't think Oakland's defense can stop the 3 or 4 receiver sets. McDonald is the underrated man as we knows the offensive system from his previous history with the rams. Roy and Furrey have a couple of years experience in the Martz system and know the routines. In addition, CJ being the explosive receiver he is, has to draw some coverage. I think he'll have a lot of 1 on 1 matchups since they'll be using him as the 3rd WR. Look for RW to have the double coverage which will open the underneath routes for the WR3 and WR4 positions.

That's my 2 cents... I am thinking around Lions 24, Oakland 21. I'm taking the points in the spread.

good point . . . last year it was 61% (4th in the NFL) . . . I think it will be even more this year with the addition of McDonald and CJ . . .

 

[meeka]

I don't know if we can write off Johnson for the first game. Why?

I wish I had stats on how many three-receiver sets are run in a Mike Martz offense. I'm pretty sure it's a high percentage. When I look at Detroit this year, I am basically seeing what was going in Arizona a few years back. Anquan Boldin... rookie year.. out of no where.. monster season. Larry Fitzgerald a year later... same deal. There's history on teams that do not have a strong running game being able to spread the ball around.

I think this is a tough game to call to be honest and I think it is any person's game. I am actually giving the edge to the lions only because I don't think Oakland's defense can stop the 3 or 4 receiver sets. McDonald is the underrated man as we knows the offensive system from his previous history with the rams. Roy and Furrey have a couple of years experience in the Martz system and know the routines. In addition, CJ being the explosive receiver he is, has to draw some coverage. I think he'll have a lot of 1 on 1 matchups since they'll be using him as the 3rd WR. Look for RW to have the double coverage which will open the underneath routes for the WR3 and WR4 positions.

That's my 2 cents... I am thinking around Lions 24, Oakland 21. I'm taking the points in the spread.

good point . . . last year it was 61% (4th in the NFL) . . . I think it will be even more this year with the addition of McDonald and CJ . . .

Took long enough to get to a rational answer. I am a Lions fan, but some of the points being made here are way out there. Both team's fans are looking at this game as a must win for thier team. Why? Simple. If your team can not roll up a team that had a top 2 pick in last years draft you have little hope of having a good season. I think this will be a close game with plenty of mistakes being made on both sides of the ball. I think the Lions have a slight advantage in talent, but lets face it the Lions are top 2 when it comes to making mistakes that cost them football games. The only thing is the other team that ranks pretty high in that catagory is Oakland. It is a good game to debate, but by week 8 we are probably talking about 2 2-5 or 3-4 teams. JMHOGo Lions.

 

[MSULions]

Anyone who thinks that Detroit cant score this year is kidding themselves . . . a name is a name - a few years ago, people were still trashing the Bengals, but now they have a dominant offense . . .last year Detroit piled up yards WITH that mediocre QB and only two receivers and a HORRIBLE OL . . . the OL should be better, and they have two more receivers, and Martz will get a chance to use alot more of his playbook . . . watch out people . . .

The Bengals went out and got themselves a stud qb. The Lions got a retread who thows more interceptions than td's. No running game. Kevin Jones is LT compared to what's taking his place. I'll wait until they actually do something beforegranting them anything. FF is about consistent points. Not seeing them in Detroit this year.

Kitna threw exactly ONE more int than touchdowns last year...21-22. His last year before Palmer took over he threw 26tds and 15 ints. for his career it's 129/126...so even with a couple bad early years where he was still learning for his career he's got more tds than ints. Is he Carson Palmer? of course not. But neither is he the pantywaste "retread" you seem to think he is. He was in the first year of a complicated system behind an oline that was decimated by injuries and depending on 3rd stringers. Two of them have been replaced by proven starters in the league. a good percentage of his interceptions were due to trying to make a play while under considerable duress or broken plays...neither of which will be a problem on anything close to the same level as last year. Not sure where your attitude comes from with respect to Kitna and detroit, but it's unwarranted. 9 of their 13 losses last year were by one score or less. win half of those this year and they are back to 8-8 and flirting with a wild card. The raiders meanwhile lost ten of 14 games by MORE than 7 points. scored 10 or less points in half their games, and were shut out THREE times. I don't care who the new coach is, that's not fixed in one preseason. I think they are going to end up a lot like Detroit was last year....more competitive, but not there yet. Meanwhile, they're new QB options are a Lions cast-off and a true retread in Culpepper who was terrible before his injury and worse in his appearances last year. They still have zero running game. they will be lucky to score 10 points any given week. They will be better, but still won't win more than 5 games. And week one is unlikely to be one of them.

 

[Addai's Adidas]

Ok, I'm calling it:

Second play from scrimmage for Detroit

False start

 

[Skinsfansince72]

Anyone who thinks that Detroit cant score this year is kidding themselves . . . a name is a name - a few years ago, people were still trashing the Bengals, but now they have a dominant offense . . .last year Detroit piled up yards WITH that mediocre QB and only two receivers and a HORRIBLE OL . . . the OL should be better, and they have two more receivers, and Martz will get a chance to use alot more of his playbook . . . watch out people . . .

The Bengals went out and got themselves a stud qb. The Lions got a retread who thows more interceptions than td's. No running game. Kevin Jones is LT compared to what's taking his place. I'll wait until they actually do something beforegranting them anything. FF is about consistent points. Not seeing them in Detroit this year.

Kitna threw exactly ONE more int than touchdowns last year...21-22. His last year before Palmer took over he threw 26tds and 15 ints. for his career it's 129/126...so even with a couple bad early years where he was still learning for his career he's got more tds than ints. Is he Carson Palmer? of course not. But neither is he the pantywaste "retread" you seem to think he is. He was in the first year of a complicated system behind an oline that was decimated by injuries and depending on 3rd stringers. Two of them have been replaced by proven starters in the league. a good percentage of his interceptions were due to trying to make a play while under considerable duress or broken plays...neither of which will be a problem on anything close to the same level as last year. Not sure where your attitude comes from with respect to Kitna and detroit, but it's unwarranted. 9 of their 13 losses last year were by one score or less. win half of those this year and they are back to 8-8 and flirting with a wild card. The raiders meanwhile lost ten of 14 games by MORE than 7 points. scored 10 or less points in half their games, and were shut out THREE times. I don't care who the new coach is, that's not fixed in one preseason. I think they are going to end up a lot like Detroit was last year....more competitive, but not there yet. Meanwhile, they're new QB options are a Lions cast-off and a true retread in Culpepper who was terrible before his injury and worse in his appearances last year. They still have zero running game. they will be lucky to score 10 points any given week. They will be better, but still won't win more than 5 games. And week one is unlikely to be one of them.

Oh, he's a retread alright. Just about Every team that's had him went out of their way to draft a qb in the first round and then got rid of him. btw-I'll take Lamont over and Detroit back(except perhaps a healthy Jones).

 

[vichawkfan]

I'm not excited to watch Kitna drop back and have his feet slide under that terrible dirt field, and then get tee'd off on by a front 7 that's pretty darn good.

 

[Dexter Manley]

1. I'm a redskin fan. I have own players from both teams in multiple leagues: Kitna, Curry, Jordan, CJ. To be blunt -- I have no bias.

2. Oakland will be significantly better this year simply based on the fact that they're running an up to date nfl offense this year. Detroit will be better because it's their 2nd year in the Martz system (and not to hijack, but this is something that's grossly underrated (being in the same offensive system for 2+ years).

3. My O/U on the game: 47. I have no idea what Vegas has the line at, but I'm guessing I'll prolly be betting the over this week.

4. Detroit adding CJ and SM to their team almost isn't fair. Wasn't that Furrey guy a backup that was moved to safety in part due to SM? And CJ is the best WR I've ever seen coming out of college. And for the people doggin Kitna, if the Bears, for example, had him last year, they would of actually had a good chance at winning the super bowl. Add tater and duckett, which together aren't a significant dropoff from the perenially overrated KJ, and the Lions, which were the #4 passing offense last year (if I'm not mistaken), are going to have a monster year on offense as long as Kitna stays healthy. If Kitna performance-wise was a ?, the Lions would have persued an upgrade at qb in the offseason, no?

5. Detroit's secondary should still be horrible, if not worse. If Culpepper starts, the Raiders will move the rock and put some points on the board.

6. Kitna and Roy are must starts this week. Jordan is a solid start as a rb2. Curry and CJ are decent starts in that order. Tater is a questionable start. Neither defense is a start, unless you get crazy points for sacks/to's, then Oak is a decent option.

 

[Garrett]

6. Kitna and Roy are must starts this week. Jordan is a solid start as a rb2. Curry and CJ are decent starts in that order. Tater is a questionable start. Neither defense is a start, unless you get crazy points for sacks/to's, then Oak is a decent option.

Asomugha is shutdown.I think CJ might lead the lions in receiving this week.

 

[duaneok66]

6. Kitna and Roy are must starts this week. Jordan is a solid start as a rb2. Curry and CJ are decent starts in that order. Tater is a questionable start. Neither defense is a start, unless you get crazy points for sacks/to's, then Oak is a decent option.

Asomugha is shutdown.I think CJ might lead the lions in receiving this week.

last year, Asomugha (Oakland's CB1) only covered the WR1 for the opponent 37% of the time . . .but the Raiders WERE #1 against the WR! of the opponent last year, which (suggested by PFP 2007) probably means that Huff helped out alot . . .

so I wouldnt say that NA is "shutdown" . . .

 

[Dexter Manley]

6. Kitna and Roy are must starts this week. Jordan is a solid start as a rb2. Curry and CJ are decent starts in that order. Tater is a questionable start. Neither defense is a start, unless you get crazy points for sacks/to's, then Oak is a decent option.

Asomugha is shutdown.I think CJ might lead the lions in receiving this week.

I agree that Asomugha is ridiculous. That being said, Roy is a bona fide wr1 and is a must start every week.I'm assuming Washington will cover CJ most of the time. I've watched Fabian since his frosh year as Nebraska, and he rarely gets beat deep. He'll give up the underneath stuff to a big, stud wr like CJ, but I can count the times on one hand that I've seen him get beat deep in college (3 year starter) and the nfl.I'm pretty high on Curry this year and think he'll lead Oak in receiving this season if he stays healthy. Jmo.

 

[DeadStroke]

Ok, yes, I'm a Detroit homer, so I am bias, but here are some facts about Detroit's offense.

1) The offensive line was decimated with injures 12 different players started on the offensive line at some point or another during the season. Three projected starters missed a combined 29 starts and on top of that, the original backups were injured and missed starts as well. Yes, I said 12 different players lined up for Detroit on the Oline and the starters missed a combined 29 starts, if you don't know the significance of that, you don't understand football. They went out and got Edwin Mulitalo and George Foster who, even if they don't play well, will still be a vast improvement over what they had last year, they were pulling guys off the street, putting them in the starting lineup and asked them to execute the extremely complex Martz system. They won't give up 63 sacks this year and the run blocking will be improved this year, but our running game will suffer until we get KJ back. He's a good back that has played behind a bad and often injured offensive line.

2) Martz and Kitna never had a viable option for a third receiver last year, there was a revolving door for the 3rd receiver (vital in Martz' offense) . . .they tried Bradford, Drummond, Mike Williams, Kevin Kasper, DeVale Ellis, etc . . .they even played Josh McCown at WR. None of them could hang on to the job. This year, they are not only bringing in Calvin Johnson (who I don't think is going to have a huge year), but they also brought in S. McDonald who, like Mike Furrey, was very familiar with Mike Martz' system from his time in St. Louis. So not only can they properly execute Martz' 3 WR sets, they will also be able to run 4 WR sets as well.

3) A lot of Kitna's interceptions were a result of poor route running by the Receivers. He had his share of mistakes last year, but more than half the interceptions (A number that Martz gave in an interview) were because of poor route running.

Detroit will score points and they will score points against Oakland, they will run, but probably not effectively. But as many points as Detroit gets, they're liable to give up just as many, I just don't know how well Culpepper will do with 2 weeks of practice or McCown in a new system after riding the pine in Detroit. With a healthy Shaun Rogers, Detroit's run defense has always been solid, Oakland will have a tough time running the ball, but should have success through the air.

 

[duaneok66]

Ok, yes, I'm a Detroit homer, so I am bias, but here are some facts about Detroit's offense.

1) The offensive line was decimated with injures 12 different players started on the offensive line at some point or another during the season. Three projected starters missed a combined 29 starts and on top of that, the original backups were injured and missed starts as well. Yes, I said 12 different players lined up for Detroit on the Oline and the starters missed a combined 29 starts, if you don't know the significance of that, you don't understand football. They went out and got Edwin Mulitalo and George Foster who, even if they don't play well, will still be a vast improvement over what they had last year, they were pulling guys off the street, putting them in the starting lineup and asked them to execute the extremely complex Martz system. They won't give up 63 sacks this year and the run blocking will be improved this year, but our running game will suffer until we get KJ back. He's a good back that has played behind a bad and often injured offensive line.

2) Martz and Kitna never had a viable option for a third receiver last year, there was a revolving door for the 3rd receiver (vital in Martz' offense) . . .they tried Bradford, Drummond, Mike Williams, Kevin Kasper, DeVale Ellis, etc . . .they even played Josh McCown at WR. None of them could hang on to the job. This year, they are not only bringing in Calvin Johnson (who I don't think is going to have a huge year), but they also brought in S. McDonald who, like Mike Furrey, was very familiar with Mike Martz' system from his time in St. Louis. So not only can they properly execute Martz' 3 WR sets, they will also be able to run 4 WR sets as well.

3) A lot of Kitna's interceptions were a result of poor route running by the Receivers. He had his share of mistakes last year, but more than half the interceptions (A number that Martz gave in an interview) were because of poor route running.

Detroit will score points and they will score points against Oakland, they will run, but probably not effectively. But as many points as Detroit gets, they're liable to give up just as many, I just don't know how well Culpepper will do with 2 weeks of practice or McCown in a new system after riding the pine in Detroit. With a healthy Shaun Rogers, Detroit's run defense has always been solid, Oakland will have a tough time running the ball, but should have success through the air.

outstanding post . . .