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2024 Detroit Lions: Getting ready for the draft in Motown. (24 Viewers)

jurb26 said:
jon_mx said:
Remaining Games:

MIA (4-3) Winable at home, but no give me

@ARI (6-2) Probable loss

@NE (6-2) Probable loss

CHI (3-5) Bears are tougher than their record....critical game

TB (1-6) Must win game

MIN (3-5) Must win game

@CHI (3-5) Difficult road game, but possible

@GB (5-3) Probable loss
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There are certainly tough games on this schedule. All of them are winnable, though. Det can beat Arz in Arz IMO. That would be a huge win and very influential on the playoff standings. It could be the difference in a bye or WC. To me the most difficult games there are NE and GB. Both on the road vs. elite QBs. Really, at worst Det should be looking at only 3 losses here. Arz could beat them. It's a toss up IMO.Best case, Det has nothing to play for vs. GB at the end of the season.
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I love the optimism. 40 years of painful disappointment causes me to have some skepticism.

 
jon_mx said:
jurb26 said:
jon_mx said:
Remaining Games:

MIA (4-3) Winable at home, but no give me

@ARI (6-2) Probable loss

@NE (6-2) Probable loss

CHI (3-5) Bears are tougher than their record....critical game

TB (1-6) Must win game

MIN (3-5) Must win game

@CHI (3-5) Difficult road game, but possible

@GB (5-3) Probable loss
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There are certainly tough games on this schedule. All of them are winnable, though. Det can beat Arz in Arz IMO. That would be a huge win and very influential on the playoff standings. It could be the difference in a bye or WC. To me the most difficult games there are NE and GB. Both on the road vs. elite QBs. Really, at worst Det should be looking at only 3 losses here. Arz could beat them. It's a toss up IMO.Best case, Det has nothing to play for vs. GB at the end of the season.
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I love the optimism. 40 years of painful disappointment causes me to have some skepticism.
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White Sox & Red Sox fans waited twice as long as that for their payoffs. We are newbies by comparison.

 
Dal loss last night is big for Det. Dal and Arz play next week as well so one of them is sure to drop another game.

 
jurb26 said:
Dal loss last night is big for Det. Dal and Arz play next week as well so one of them is sure to drop another game.
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I still don't see the Lions as better than 10-6, so getting a bye seems remote. But then again, I am not sure anyone in the NFC is a 12-game winner. Dallas was exposed last night. Arizona has played well defensively, but I am not sold they are the real deal yet. Denver is the only team I think is a lock for 12 or more wins, with New England having a decent shot also. Perhaps Detroit can shock me and win 11 and get a bye, but I think it is a long shot.

 
jon_mx said:
jurb26 said:
Dal loss last night is big for Det. Dal and Arz play next week as well so one of them is sure to drop another game.
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I still don't see the Lions as better than 10-6, so getting a bye seems remote. But then again, I am not sure anyone in the NFC is a 12-game winner. Dallas was exposed last night. Arizona has played well defensively, but I am not sold they are the real deal yet. Denver is the only team I think is a lock for 12 or more wins, with New England having a decent shot also. Perhaps Detroit can shock me and win 11 and get a bye, but I think it is a long shot.
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I don't think Dal was exposed. If they stuck to what got them to 6-1, running the ball with Murray, they win that game. I guess it's easy to look at that game and think Dal just isn't willing to do that over a full season, though.
 
####### idiot.

Just when we lost Fairley as well. Still not sure if his two week ban means he somehow gets back for our game against Miami

 
TartanLion said:
####### idiot.

Just when we lost Fairley as well. Still not sure if his two week ban means he somehow gets back for our game against Miami
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I could be wrong but I think Coach Caldwell left himself some wiggle room. He wouldn't address it; the team statement was already out there. Two weeks, not two games.

OTOH, comments like "Next man up. Caron Reid is on the roster for a reason. If we have to, we'll have a LB out a hand in the ground" doesn't sound like he's ready to fudge the rules and move on.

 
That's the way I took it as well, that the two 'week' ban was vague and opened Mosley up to being back for Miami. It's a self imposed club ban as well so I'm sure we have the leeway to quietly re introduce him as long as it doesn't serve too bad an example to the rest of the squad that we are willing to bend disciplinary measures when it suits us.

 
So two weeks = 9 days. Good.

The Lions actually overstepped their bounds, going beyond the CBA in punishing Mosley, you have to get popped four times for weed before you get suspended. The league tests for THC, and they announce the date (it's between the draft and TC). You don't get tested again for a year unless you test positive. That's tacit approval from the league; oh yeah, we test for marihuana **wink wink**.

Incredibly, all three TEs are still hobbling. It's been six weeks since Fauria sprained his ankle. Will be nice having Megatron and Bush back, though TBH I'm ready to see more of the Chronicles of Theo. Miami has a tough D led by Delmas, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Tannehill revert to his mean.

Low scoring affair seems likely. Prater nails four FGs in a 19-17 nail biter.

 
Kyle van Noy was activated this week. Looking forward to seeing how he settles in.

Also, Lions have another away game in London next season against the Chiefs. I'm just glad its not one of our home games being eaten away, so I suppose its cause for happiness for me.

 
TartanLion said:
Kyle van Noy was activated this week. Looking forward to seeing how he settles in.

Also, Lions have another away game in London next season against the Chiefs. I'm just glad its not one of our home games being eaten away, so I suppose its cause for happiness for me.
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Lions seem to be one of the more popular teams over there for some reason. As long as it's an away game followed by a bye I'm ok with it too.

 
Really ? I am certainly not aware of them being that popular over here, although it was a strange sight to bump into other British Lions fans a couple of weeks ago.

 
TartanLion said:
Really ? I am certainly not aware of them being that popular over here, although it was a strange sight to bump into other British Lions fans a couple of weeks ago.
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The local Detroit news station sent a crew over there for the Falcons game and ran into a bunch of Brit Lions fans.

 
There's plenty of fans of all teams in the UK. For example, I did manage to see all 32 team jerseys being represented at the Lions game. There was a nice amount of Lions fans for sure, but I'd expect that to be the same for any team that was playing at Wembley i.e. British fans of said team will turn out and be vocal

 
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Early reports are Travis Swanson did well at RG. He's the center of the future and this is his first extensive action, good to see.

Rough losing the whole right side, hope Waddle & Warford are OK.

 
What's impressive is that this team does not come undone during crunch time. In fact, they seem to relish in that situation. They shot themselves in the foot all day until it mattered. That's the Caldwell affect IMO.

This is also a deeper team than we've seen. Bush goes down and Riddick stands out. CJ goes down and Tate takes the reigns. Tulloch goes down and Whitehead/Tapp/Palmer all contribute. Fairley goes down and Suh steps up his play along with Mosley and Johnson.

If this team can get back to healthy and Ebron/Fauria provide anything down the stretch, this is going to be a team to be reckon with.

 
Futz said:
What's impressive is that this team does not come undone during crunch time. In fact, they seem to relish in that situation. They shot themselves in the foot all day until it mattered. That's the Caldwell affect IMO.

This is also a deeper team than we've seen. Bush goes down and Riddick stands out. CJ goes down and Tate takes the reigns. Tulloch goes down and Whitehead/Tapp/Palmer all contribute. Fairley goes down and Suh steps up his play along with Mosley and Johnson.

If this team can get back to healthy and Ebron/Fauria provide anything down the stretch, this is going to be a team to be reckon with.
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:goodposting:

Next man up, across the board. It just doesn't faze them.

Quarterback A-

Matthew Stafford delivered yet another game-winning drive, taking the Lions 79 yards in 11 plays to snatch the win away from the Dolphins. Before that, it was looking like an average performance for the quarterback, which included great throws like his long touchdown to Calvin Johnson in the first quarter and a number of questionable decisions.

Stafford did throw an interception on a slightly underthrown ball in the first half, but it was more of a remarkable play made by Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes.

RUNNING BACKS: B+

It wasn't the most productive day for the backs, but they did well with their opportunities. Joique Bell and Reggie Bush combined to average well over four yards per carry and the group contributed five receptions for 66 yards.

The Lions did their best to keep Theo Riddick involved, but execution crumbled on the plays called for him until the closing seconds. He had negative yardage on his first five touches before hauling in the game-winning touchdown from 11 yards out.

WIDE RECEIVERS: A

Calvin Johnson topped 100 yards in his return to the lineup, including a long touchdown reception over Grimes, while Golden Tate continued to produce with 11 grabs for 109 yards on 13 targets.

Corey Fuller and Jeremy Ross disappeared, but that's not overly surprising with Johnson at full strength.

TIGHT ENDS: F

The tight ends contributed nothing in the passing game and both Brandon Pettigrew and Kellen Daivs were hit with holding calls.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C+

Dolphins defense end Cameron Wake has a way of getting his. He tallied a pair of sacks, one against starter LaAdrian Waddle and another against backup Cornelius Lucas. The Lions gave up a third sack, when Bush struggled to pick up a blitzing safety, but there was a second, free rusher the line missed.

The run game was better this week as both Bell and Bush averaged over four yards per carry.

A pleasant surprise was the play of Travis Swanson, who was forced into action after Larry Warford suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. The rookie lineman did get busted for a hold, but was otherwise solid.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

No Nick Fairley, no problem. The front four held the Dolphins' ground game well under three yards per carry while getting eight hits on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, including three sacks.

Ezekiel Ansah and Ndamukong Suh had standout performances, each racking up a sack and two other tackles for a loss. Ansah also forced a fumble.

LINEBACKERS: B

DeAndre Levy had a typical day at the office, racking up double-digit tackles and nearly intercepting a pass in the end zone on a third-down play that forced Miami to settle for a field goal.

Josh Bynes chipped in with a fumble recovery, showing good awareness in traffic after Ansah forced it loose. Ashlee Palmer, still seeing most of the reps at the other outside spot, delivered a half sack coming on a blitz in the second half.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: B+

James Ihedigbo had a monster day. Yeah, he missed a couple tackles, but came up with a 70-yard interception return and broke up another pass, a third-down throw in the end zone.

The rest of the secondary gave up too much cushion to Miami's receivers, allowing Tannehill to complete three-quarters of his attempts.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C-

What a strange day for Detroit's special teams, which included two fake punts, one of which was successful when Sam Martin found Jed Collins for a 24-yard gain across the middle.

Martin's punting wasn't as sharp as one of his efforts traveled just 30 yards and helped set up Miami for a short scoring drive in the third quarter.

Matt Prater made two of his three field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder, but a 42-yard effort was blocked in the second quarter and led to a Dolphins touchdown.

COACHING: B

What more can we say about defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's ability to get his team prepared? Without Fairley, the front four continued to not only produce, but dominate from the start.

On offense, the Lions attack was balanced and mixed in deep shots, but was still inconsistent. Still, you could see it trending in the right direction with Johnson back in the fold.

And how about the aggressive calls by Jim Caldwell, to fake a pair of punts and go for it on another fourth-and-7? Sure, one of the fakes backfired, but it didn't hurt the team based on field position. It was nice to see him buck his conservative nature, even if for just one day.
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Futz said:
What's impressive is that this team does not come undone during crunch time. In fact, they seem to relish in that situation. They shot themselves in the foot all day until it mattered. That's the Caldwell affect IMO.

This is also a deeper team than we've seen. Bush goes down and Riddick stands out. CJ goes down and Tate takes the reigns. Tulloch goes down and Whitehead/Tapp/Palmer all contribute. Fairley goes down and Suh steps up his play along with Mosley and Johnson.

If this team can get back to healthy and Ebron/Fauria provide anything down the stretch, this is going to be a team to be reckon with.
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Caldwell is so calm, it's like he isn't even there (in a good way). You never notice him because he never panics, he never gets frazzled, he doesn't get excited. I know a lot of people that made fun of him for that, but it is a good thing especially after the overly emotional Schwartz.

The depth on the team is really a pleasant surprise right now. Look at last years draft and UDFA signings, they are all contributors. Every single guy. Riddick, Martin, Fauria, Ziggy, Fuller, Warford, Waddle and Taylor are all contributing.

 
Swartz should have been fired two years ago. I was not that thrilled with the Caldwell hire, but so far he has done the job. I was not thrilled with the game management in the London game, but somehow it worked out.

 
Lions teams that won 7 or more of their first 9 games:

  • 1934 - the very first Lions season started out 10-0. They lost their last 3, missed the playoffs. Won the Championship year two, 1935.
  • 1951 - honorable mention here - in Bobby Layne's 2nd season, they started out 6-2-1. Lost 2 of their last 3.
  • 1953 - 7-2, finished 10-2, won the NFL Title over the Browns.
  • 1954 - 8-1, lost NFL Championship to Cleveland.
  • 1956 - 7-2 - started 7-1, lost 2 of their last 4 to lose the division to the Bears by a half game.
  • 1962 - 7-2, which they ran to 11-2 before losing 0-3 to Chicago in the last game of the year. Packers were 13-1 that year.
  • 1993 - 7-2 going into the bye week, lost their next 3, recovered to finish 10-6 and Central Division champs. That was Detroit's last division title.
 
Caldwell is off to the best start for a new Lions HC since 1931, when they were the Portsmouth Spartans.

How all Detroit Lions coaches have fared in their first nine games:

Jim Caldwell (2014) 7-2

Jim Schwartz (2009) 1-8

Rod Marinelli (2006) 2-7

**** Jauron (2005) 1-4*

Steve Mariucci (2003) 3-6

Marty Mornhinweg (2001) 0-9

Gary Moeller (2000) 4-3**

Bobby Ross (1997) 4-5

Wayne Fontes (1988-89) 2-7***

Darryl Rogers (1985) 5-4

Monte Clark (1978) 3-6

Tommy Hudspeth (1976) 5-4

Rick Forzano (1974) 4-5

Don McCafferty (1973) 3-5-1

Joe Schmidt (1967) 3-4-2

Harry Gilmer (1965) 5-4

George Wilson (1957) 5-4

Buddy Parker (1951) 6-2-1

Bo McMillin (1948) 2-7

Gus Dorais (1943) 3-6

John Karcis (1942) 0-8****

Bill Edwards (1941) 3-5-1

Gus Henderson (1939) 6-3

Dutch Clark (1937) 6-3

Potsy Clark (1931) 8-1

Hal Griffen (1930) 4-4-1

* -- **** Jauron was interim coach for the final five games of 2005

** -- Gary Moeller was interim coach for the final seven games of 2000

*** -- Wayne Fontes' first nine game spanned the final five weeks of 1988, then the first four of 1989

**** -- John Karcis coached the final eight games of the 1942 season

 
Great to see this team doing so well. Almost makes me think the owner knew what he was doing this off season, just as I'm fed up with him.

The rest of the session is shaping up nicely. Two tough games before four easier ones, culminating with an epic week 17 match. :banned:

 
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Had to catch the game late yesterday but mannnnn was our front four fun to watch ! Literally feasting upon and devouring Miami for the first 3-4 drives was breathtaking at times. No Fairley, no problem apparently.

Performances not dropping with injuries and the O line has been looking better ? Hope Warford is okay though.

We are in danger of becoming a very good team with Tate and Mega as a duel threat with differing qualities, the front four, the DBs doing better than expected, the O line holding together etc etc

Yes we left it late again, but a great win none the less.

Loved Bell running over people down the sideline.

 
jon_mx said:
Swartz should have been fired two years ago. I was not that thrilled with the Caldwell hire, but so far he has done the job. I was not thrilled with the game management in the London game, but somehow it worked out.
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So normally when you are not thrilled it works out? Should work on what thrills you then. :yes:

 
Love the aggressive play calling around the other team's 40. Even if it does not work every time, it makes the other team uneasy.

 
Penalties creeping back up again, that worries me down the stretch. Were keeping them down, but if my memory serves me that is 8,9,10 penalties the last 3 weeks.

 
Caught a break with Palmer going down, though Stanton is more mobile. Obviously playing the team with the leagues best record on the road is a tough match-up, but the defense can keep them in any game. This week is actually a winnable game.

Next week? Fat chance. Then it's a relatively easy stretch of four games. I expect the finale in Lambeau to be for the division title.

 
BobbyLayne said:
Caught a break with Palmer going down, though Stanton is more mobile. Obviously playing the team with the leagues best record on the road is a tough match-up, but the defense can keep them in any game. This week is actually a winnable game.
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Vegas has the Cards game as almost even. May to have to score more points than the team total of 20.

 
Drew Stanton has wanted an opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the NFL since the Detroit Lions took him in the second round of the 2007 draft.

The series of events leading him to that opportunity with Arizona has been unfortunate, but coach Bruce Arians is confident the Cardinals won't miss a beat with the career backup at the helm.

Stanton begins his journey as the starter Sunday as the league-best Cardinals seek a sixth consecutive victory both overall and against the visiting Lions, who have won four straight.

The 30-year-old out of Michigan State was drafted by his hometown team and made only four starts in three seasons for Detroit. Stanton didn't play a down in the NFL from 2011-13, but he went 2-1 as the starter earlier this season when Carson Palmer was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

When Palmer tore his ACL last week against St. Louis - two days after signing a three-year, $50 million extension with $20.5 million guaranteed - Stanton completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to John Brown in the fourth quarter to put the Cardinals (8-1) ahead for good in a 31-14 victory.

Now Stanton is faced with a new task: helping Arizona reach the Super Bowl, which will be played at its home stadium Feb. 1.

"It's an opportunity I've been looking forward to for a long time," Stanton said. "It's been eight years that I've been working toward this, so I don't take it lightly. It comes under unfortunate circumstances, without a doubt, but it's also part of my job description."

The Cardinals were unbeaten in each of Palmer's six starts, with the veteran throwing 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Stanton's numbers are underwhelming - a 49.5 completion percentage, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 81.6 - but he hasn't thrown a pick and has appeared poised during his opportunities.

"He's proven to everybody he's more than capable of finishing the job this team has started," Arians said.

Stanton will have a little more on his mind than football, though. His wife, Kristin, gave birth to a baby girl Monday night - the couple's second child. He'll try to remain focused while trying to help Arizona overcome Palmer's absence.

"You can't rest on anything that's happened in the past," Stanton said. "I think that's why we are where we are (as a team), because we don't look back and we're not looking ahead, either."

There's certainly no reason to look past Detroit, which boasts a league-best defense that allows just 283.4 yards per game. It held Miami to 228 and forced a pair of turnovers in last week's 20-16 victory that kept the Lions (7-2) atop the NFC North.

Detroit also led the division through nine games last season before dropping six of its last seven and missing the playoffs. For that reason, first-year coach Jim Caldwell isn't looking too far ahead.

"It's a journey, and we're still on that journey,'' Caldwell said. ''We've got the team with the best record in the National Football League coming up. You better get focused in on them quickly.''

He doesn't believe the Lions are getting a break with Stanton starting in place of Palmer, either. The Cardinals still have Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Brown as weapons in the passing game, and while Andre Ellington has struggled to run the ball, he has 37 receptions out of the backfield.

''The one thing about quarterbacks is that they don't have to go in there and do it alone," Caldwell said. "... (Stanton) can deliver the ball, he's an accurate guy."

Matthew Stafford hasn't been as accurate as he'd like, ranking 23rd in the league with a 61.4 completion percentage. His touchdown pass to Theo Riddick with 29 seconds left last week gave Detroit the victory, though, and it also marked the first game back for star receiver Calvin Johnson after he missed three with an ankle injury.

Johnson caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, while Golden Tate continued his strong season with 11 receptions for 109 yards. Tate's 66 catches rank second in the league, and he set a franchise record with six straight games with at least seven receptions.

He's also made some big ones in the final minutes of the last three games, which the Lions have won by a combined six points.

''We just fight. We have a really, really good team," Tate said. "Unfortunately it keeps coming down to the end, but the game is never over until it says zero on the clock."

Stafford threw both of his touchdown passes to Johnson in last season's meeting at Arizona, but Palmer guided the Cardinals to a 25-21 win. Detroit has lost all seven road matchups since a victory in 1993 and has dropped five straight meetings overall since 2006.

 
Looks like Waddle is a go, though Lucas did OK in his 30 or so snaps last week. Warford is wearing a knee brace this week and probably out for a few weeks, but Swanson had the highest blocking grade per PFF of any lineman last week. The rookie gets his first start this week.

Ebron and Fauria practiced in full today, and Pettigrew isn't even listed; healthiest the TEs have been since mid-September.

The chronicles of Theo continues this week. He had 41 points in the two games Bush missed earlier, plus the game winner v. Miami. I'm hoping Reggie sits; pound Joique, bring Riddick in on third downs. Would love to see him get more than seven snaps this week.

Cromartie on Tate and Peterson on Calvin seems likely.

 
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Birkett (Freep)

How will the best cornerback tandem in the NFL defend the league's best pair of wide receivers?

Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians isn't saying.

"Each week, it's the best matchup for those guys and how we feel like we can play man and zone and not, basically, be giving things away," Arians said in a conference call with Detroit reporters today. "We want to be able to continue some disguise. But the majority of it is who we feel handles the other guy the best."

Patrick Peterson shadowed Calvin Johnson for much of last year's Lions-Cardinals game, when Johnson caught six passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-21 Arizona win.

But while Peterson is considered one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, his counterpart in the Cardinals' secondary, Antonio Cromartie, actually might be having a better season.

Cromartie, who signed as a free agent this off-season, has three interceptions and 10 pass deflections in nine games. Peterson has two interceptions -- both in last weekend's win against the St. Louis Rams -- and three pass breakups and hasn't graded out nearly as well as Cromartie, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cromartie has a 10.7 rating, fourth-highest among all cornerbacks this year, while Peterson's PFF grade is minus-2.7.

"Peterson, he's a big corner, but he's not as tall as Cromartie," Johnson said. "Cromartie's a very long guy. Both of them have good ball skills. Peterson might be a little quicker. But overall, both of them are good corners."

Peterson and Cromartie have split work against some of the top receivers the Cardinals have faced this year.

Cromartie covered Denver's Demaryius Thomas one-on-one in most of Arizona's only loss of the season, when Thomas caught eight passes for a team-record 226 yards.

Peterson, who struggled with an ankle injury early this year, shut down Dez Bryant (two catches, 15 yards) when the Cardinals beat the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago.

Arians said Peterson will match up with Johnson at least some of the time Sunday, when the Lions (7-2) visit University of Phoenix Stadium (4:25 p.m., Fox). Johnson said he's looking forward to facing Peterson for the third straight year.

"I don't know if it'll be all the time, but it'll be matched up quite a bit," Arians said.

Johnson had a big game in his return to the lineup from a sprained right ankle last week, but Golden Tate has been the Lions' best receiver this year.

Tate ranks second in the NFL with 66 catches for 909 yards -- both career highs -- but he, historically, has not had big games against the Cardinals. In six career games, Tate is averaging just 29.7 receiving yards.

Still, Arians said the Cardinals (9-1) are keenly aware of how good Tate is.

"He's a heck of a player and he's a great run-after-catch guy," Arians said. "Whoever draws that one is a physical guy that plays with a linebacker mentality."

 
Here are three players to watch when the Detroit Lions face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday:

Guard Travis Swanson

Prior to last last week's game against Miami, Swanson had played as many snaps split out wide as he had at right guard this season. But when

Larry Warford went down with a knee injury in the first quarter, the rookie stepped in and did an admirable job.

Swanson will make his first professional start against Arizona and it will be far from an easy day at the office. While he likely won't see much of dominating pass rusher Calais Campbell, the Cardinals will challenge Swanson, and the rest of Detroit's offensive line, with a heavy dose of blitzes.

Working in Swanson's favor is his intelligence. A four-year starting center in college, his ability to recognize what defenses are trying to do and adjust on the fly is one of his strongest skills. He'll be tested mentally and physically by Arizona's aggressiveness.

Defensive end Jason Jones

Ezekiel Ansah is playing at a high level, but he draws a tough matchup in former Hillsdale College standout Jared Veldheer, who has allowed just one sack the past two seasons. We're just telling you now, lower your expectations for Ansah this week.

Arizona's weakness is the right side of their offensive line, and with Nick Fairley still sidelined, Jason Jones has the opportunity to pick up some of the slack on the pass rush. Rushing for the edge on early downs, he has been sliding inside during obvious passing situations, giving the team a little extra burst when the linemen pin their ears back.

Jones' versatility has been a welcomed addition to the front four this season after he missed most of the 2013 campaign with a knee injury.

Through nine games, he's recorded just three sacks, but has generated pressure on 23 other snaps and played a significant role in Detroit's dominant run defense.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford

With Calvin Johnson returning to action last week, Stafford played more aggressively against Miami, taking a number of downfield shots in the win. Combine that with three consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks and it's been a good month for the quarterback.

This week is a challenging matchup against the blitz-happy Cardinals who led the NFL with 14 interceptions. Stafford has to be patient and willing to eat some sacks if it means not forcing hurried throws into Arizona's ball-hawking secondary.

The Cardinals thrive on turnovers, so the best way to beat them will be protecting the football. That starts with Stafford's decision-making.
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Loving the game being a wee bit later as it's in Arizona. I was racing home with the clock against me and made it back bang on 6pm Uk time to find out were on the 9pm ish slot.

Defining game of the year for me. Stanton in makes this very interesting and you suspect it will be very very close. If we win we can swallow the expected loss next week against New England and still be in a fine position, lose today and two potential losses in a row will be a wee bit uncomfortable albeit with a good run in thereafter.

 
Da Guru said:
Things are falling into place this year. No way Stanton beats the Lions today.
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Lions have never been a very good road team. We will see, it would be a huge road win if they did.

 
What should happen:

  • lose in Foxboro
  • Win three straight at home against three terrible teams: Bears, Bucs, Vikings
  • 10-4 and in the playoffs
  • Road games at Soldier Field and Lambeau to determine the playoff seeding
We swept the Bears last year. The last time we won four straight against Chicago was 1972-73. The longest win streak against them is six, 1968-70. Everyone already knows we haven't won a division title since 1993 or won in Wisconsin since 1991.

The offensive line is the weak link on this team. Pretty hard to succeed when Stafford is under constant pressure and the run game is unsustainable. Bell had a decent stat line but we haven't been able to sustain long drives primarily because of the lack of an effective rushing attack. 5 of Joique's 14 runs were tackles for loss. Its a personnel issue IMO, and hard to see that improving much in 2014. We'll probably be replacing LG Rob Sims this off-season, and I think it would be for the better if Raiola hung them up. Swanson should be a decent center for many years if he stays healthy. Waddle was OK last year but even when healthy hasn't been as good this year. LT Reif and RG Warford are good foundation pieces.

Arizona stifled the offense and got four sacks off their base defense yesterday. If teams can get that kind of pressure without blitzing, we're not going to win a lot of games down the stretch. But presumably the Cardinals defense is one of the better units we'll face the ROS.

Oh, right...Patriots...yeah, that should be fun.

 
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Travdogg's Free Agency Predictions and 2 round mock (updated 4/8/22)
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rockaction
rockaction
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travdogg's 3 round mock draft
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Deamon
Deamon

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