Folks if your into theatrical football, this was the game for you. Titanic efforts by both defenses allowed only 758 yards of total offense.  Extra added spice was mixed in by the referees reviewing game altering calls.  For a change, the best ‘reviewed’ calls went in the Lion’s favor this time.  Golden Tate’s review was a classic beauty.  Both teams were infected by the  ‘stupid penalty’ virus.  Noticeably, Lion’s fans especially give thanks to the Bears for the ‘roughing the passer’ call that allowed Detroit to survive for another play.  Well, a win is a win and historical stats will not contain any footnotes describing any mitigating circumstances in the games’ outcome.

A bright spot if any was passing by Stafford.  Deep passes to Johnson harked back to yesteryears of highlight reel quality.  May you be reminded that Stafford had time to throw but it was generally due to a sub-par Bear’s defensive line and not  Detroit’s sterling offensive line.  Remember back to Stafford running for his life in recent games?  Future opponents will not be as ‘charitable’  as the Bears.

It’s painful, but as fans, we must remember that “putting lipstick on a pig” does not change anything.  Dawn still is still out there representing our 59th year of rebuilding.

Even under a local anaesthesia or effects from recreational pharmaceuticals this game was nothing but a “Nightmare at Ford Field”.  When you have exhausted all the ‘creative’ ways to lose games revert back to the old tried and proven techniques of pass interceptions and fumbles.  And boy the Lions put on superb how-to demonstration on Sunday.

Someone needs to apply a ‘root cause’ analysis of the Lion’s problems and discontinue all the ‘wishy-washy’ B***S*** trying to explain the latest dismal performance.  The Lions have a problem with: the offensive line, quarterback, running game, defensive secondary or coaching staff or any combination thereof.  Speaking of coaching, did you notice that Caldwell has started to exhibit that ‘deer in the highlight look’ last seen by B. Ross?

The fans have taken notice and will become more vocally vociferous as the seasons drags out.  Remember the grocery paper bags worn by fans in previous years?  That is assuming they even have the fortitude to show up on home game day.  After 58 years of rebuilding we the fans deserve better.  Other NFL teams have arisen from the ‘ashes’ to excel again but our Lions somehow skipped that history lesson.

The 59th year of rebuilding can’t start soon enough!

Where to begin.  First the obvious, Seattle is not the team it was last year.  But the absence of M. Lynch was a gift to the Lions.  Now onto the game.  The Lion’s offence was totally ineffective.  Forget the last minute heroics.  To many 3 and out series when they had the ball.  Kinda begs the question why some version of plays in the ‘hurry up offence’ are not reflected in the overall game plan?  And yes, I realize Seattle was in some type of ‘prevent defence’.  Did not have much effect.  The Lion’s running game is still sub-par.

The Lion’s defence did prove that blitzing will keep Wilson running for his life.  He will not last long as a running QB if this continues.  Also, missed tackles helped make him look like a version of Houdini.   Why can they play almost one half of the game with a single penalty and go back to the ‘old ways’ in the second half of the game?

The referees did ‘blow’ the fumble and swatting of the bad out of the end zone.  Think back to the Dallas game and the pass interference call that was reversed.  Is this part of the Lion’s curse and burden to bear forever?  What is going to haunt them is all the injuries incurred in this game.  Sadly, a 6-10 won lost record is about the best outcome for this season.

Now is the time to see what the ‘new guys’ can do.  Give the ‘wounded warriors’ a chance to heal properly and the ‘new guys’ experience they need to adapt to the ‘big show’.

Maybe if all beleaguered Lion’s fans appeal to the ‘on high’ that we have paid our penitence and it is time for the Bobby Lane curse to expire.  If not, it’s on to our 59th year of rebuilding.

First the good.  Stafford did not get carried off the field in the ‘cart’.  All the rest was just ugly.

How about that running game with 19 carries for a whopping net of 28 yards.  Stafford had to be quick on the pass release in order to avoid being impaled by Denver’s defence.  No results from the accumulated passing yardage to speak of.  Erringly similar to the last game, the offensive line was in the “Silver Sieve” mode of operation.

The Detroit Lions must hold the record for being the most charitable team in the league.  Who else will generously create a penalty for a second chance field goal or a fresh set of downs in the red zone?  Speaking of the defence, did you notice that the “old man Manning” only managed to throw for 324 yards and complete passes when it counted?  We can write off the overloaded line rush on a punt as a “brain fart” by the Lion’s secondary.

A favourable outlook for the season is now in the rear view mirror.  Expect a massacre next week in Seattle.  It’s not premature to start planning the seasons’ funeral.  Die hard Lion’s fan, masochist that we are,  can start fantasizing about our 59th year of rebuilding.

If this game was a demonstration of Lion’s progress in our 58th year of rebuilding,  we’re already ‘screwed’ for the season.  Beyond pathetic are the words that immediately come to mind.  I think allowing an expensive QB to function as a piñata is something new even for the Lions.  So much richly deserved criticism is like shooting fish in a barrel.  Lets start with Stafford being the leading rusher.  Was he rushing for yardage or trying to save his life?  Based on the beating he took, I think it was the latter.  Now we have the “Silver Sieve” offensive line as part of the game plan.  Oh, did I mention the running backs took the week off.

Fear not, as a gesture of good will, the Lion’s perfectly executed an insane penalty on a crucial goal stand line giving the Vikings a second chance for a touchdown.  Somehow, when your two biggest pass threats are ineffective, it’s a good move to institute plan “B” passing schemes.  On the other side of the line, A. Pererson had a great day against the Lion’s defence.  Who possibly could have anticipated that performance?  Yes good people we’ve seen the same scenario from games past.  Last but not least, pass receivers developed a terminal case of ‘stone hands’ instead of catching the ball.

It’s hard not to be deflated as a fan but fear not, Lion’s paraphernalia will shorty be on the 50% off table at Sam’s Club if this level of execution continues.

After the first 21 points you could sense the ‘ghost’ of seasons past.  Then things began to fall into place.  The first was the ‘stupid’ encroachment penalty giving San Diego an automatic first down and subsequent touchdown.  From then on it was “downhill” in a hurry for the defense.     Stand back and watch San Diego score a ‘shit load’ of unanswered points.

We knew the pass defense was suspect but this performance was despicable.  And C. Johnson was totally absent from the offense.  If pass coverage was that tight with double coverage, who the hell was open?

Maybe this week was a ‘fluke’ but it could be the start of another ‘Nightmare in the Motor City’.   Do the Lion’s have any ‘killer instinct’?  It did not show up in San Diego.

Setting aside the final score, the stats tell the ‘real’ story.  It’s to early to concentrate on our 59th year of rebuilding but the ghostly apparition of Bobby Lane’s famous curse is in the air.

Now that the pre-season is in the review mirror,  the ‘real deal’ playing starts.  What can we expect?

Stafford is in his ‘make or break’ year.  He’ll move on up in stature or become just another ‘coulda bin’.

The newly reorganized running back scheme will make or break the season. No running game just guarantees lots of blitzing by opponents with Stafford trying to pass while falling on his “ass”.

Same goes for the offensive line.

Can C. Johnson continue his spectacular performance with advancing age and will G. Tate repeat last years performance?

Pass defence has to ‘show-up’ big time this year!

Is the kicking game for real?

Discipline by special teams has to be a given.

Way to many variable have to come  together to end THE DROUGHT.  But the season could be fun to watch.

Stay tuned.

Well, the boys got beat.  In the end our defence could not hold Dallas for the entire game.  Our pass coverage in the middle of the field was our Achilles heel.  We can debate the absolute terrible reversed pass interference call that changed the entire momentum late in the game but that goes into the ‘breaks of the game” category.  Errors by our special teams unit did effect the game’s outcome.  An atrocious punt late in the game, decision early on to run a kick-off out of the end zone into good coverage and ongoing sloppy open field tackling were a few notable uncalled for errors.  Will no one ever learn that arm tackling a huge tight end under a full head of steam is not going to work?

Since television coverage did not show down field coverage of C. Johnson, it’s not fair to critique the lack of ‘deep’ throws to loosen up the pass rush.  But, the ‘oldie but goodies’ critically timed penalty deserves honourable mention especially when it gives another set of downs at the goal line.  Mistakes are the gifts that results in losses.

So now we drift off into the winter doldrums dreaming of what can be in our 58th year of rebuilding.  Can you hear Bobby Lane still chuckling?

Blessedly, I only saw the ‘screwed-up’ punt returned for a Green Bay touchdown before boarding a three hour plane flight.  Saved a lot of consternation and agony.  Our boys in Honolulu blue trotted out almost every conceivable mistake possible in pro football.

The ‘Coup De Gras’ was Suh’s apparent flagrant stomping of Rodger’s leg.  He would have been better off just falling on him after he stumbled on the first step.  And now the single game suspension is lifted in lieu of a fine.  Sponsors probably figured with him out no one would waste time watching the game. Or, maybe the ‘bookies’ weighed in.

You have to admit the on-side combo punt-kick-off was pretty slick.  That tactic may have some ‘legs’.

Off we go to Dallas and what most likely is to be a stirring but brutal defeat unless the Lions shed their ‘Big Running Dumb-****” ways and somehow play a game befitting of a contender.

With the ‘Golden Boy’ Harbaugh returning to University of Michigan, maybe hell did freeze over and our 58th year of rebuilding will be the Lion’s fans salvation.

Fortunately I was unable to see the last two games live on television.  Forced to wait for update ‘tweets’ and instant updates on the internet were much less stressful than watching the games ‘live’.  However, the summary for both games is that for two teams that should have been handily defeated were allowed to look respectable.  Where to start.  Stafford was ‘ugly’.  The pass rush was marginal.  Rushing offence was mediocre.  Penalties were still ‘stupid’ and timed for the most negative of effects.  Red zone efficiency was unacceptable.  These are the qualities of a team looking forward to the 58th year of rebuilding.

The play-offs do not have a ‘next week’.  Unless all the pieces-parts of the Lion’s team come together into a cohesive unit with continuity, the post season will be short and bitter.  The finally game with Green Bay would be a good game to matriculate into a contender.  Much to my chagrin, I see a cold and bitter winter just over the horizon.