What a difference from the previous weeks’ game with Denver. ‘Stats’ would indicate a close game favoring the Cardinals. However, “football gods” decided otherwise and implemented a complete role reversal. Arizona took every opportunity at critical junctures to screw up. Kudos to Lion’s offence and defense for not rejecting the blessed sacrificial offerings and injecting them into spaces where the sun does not shine. How refreshing.

This can be classified as a supreme example of how not to underestimate a wounded animal. Just like the movie, ‘The Replacements’, the outcome will long be remembered by Lion’s fans after the stink of an entire season dissipates. Credit is due to the coaching staff for putting together a disparate conglomerate of players to produce this type of outcome.

As an aside, marvinudy listened to remote regional live radio broadcast of the Vikings, Broncos and Cardinals games. Understanding that local team preference underlies live broadcasts, the stark contrast between condescension arrogance from the Viking’s broadcasters compared to Broncos and Cardinals was insipid and non professional. As stated in a previous blog, ” The mill of the gods grind slow but exceeding small”.

The Viking’s game started like so many with the inevitable outcome preordained. Build an early lead and then fold during the the stretch run for another valiant effort loss.

However, the sainted spirits of Ford field finally had enough of this scenario. With less than two minutes the Lion’s cast of ‘outcasts’ underwent a transmogrification of bodies possessed by heroes of yesteryear.

Goff threw ‘bullet’ passes, receivers ‘glue fingered’ pass catches and executed runs after catch just like in the play book. Meanwhile, Vikings clung to the cherished totem of ‘prevent defense’ and reaped the rewarding stigma of losing to the Detroit Lions who were unceasingly mocked on Minnesota radio stations live broadcasting the game.

Marvinudy knows this due to the broadcast blackout of Detroit stations, he listened to the game, via internet, of a local Minneapolis station. Somewhere back in time a famous philosopher said, “The mill of the gods grind slow but exceeding small”. If something as mundane as ‘football porn’ exists it is on youtube.com, season 13, Lions/Vikings game.

Knowing this was only a point in time, it up to coach Campbell to capture what ever ‘chemistry’ this scrambled cast of Lion’s put together as a foundation for the rest of the season. Welcome to the official start of our 65th year of rebuilding.

The Cleveland game was a harbinger of things to come for Thanksgiving day. In Cleveland, the LIon’s ‘Silver Sieve’ defense only granted 368 yards of offense to the Browns. Accomplishing this feat only required the Browns to run 66 plays from scrimmage and be ‘gifted’ 82 penalty yards compliments of the Lions.

Yes, Detroit’s Swift had a good day but Cleveland’s Chubb ‘ate up’ the Lion’s defense. Outcome no surprise.

Now on to the Turkey day. Ever inventive, the Lions managed to commit penalties rarely if ever seen. Twelve men on the field for Chicago’s PAT. Proving that incident was not a ‘fluke’ why not call illegal ‘back to back’ time-outs’?

However, with a slim chance to win the game, why not allow the Bears to methodically march down to field to score the wining field goal. And, the Lion’s graciously committed several ‘holding penalties’ as ongoing dedication toward the march to an 0-16-1 record.

Whatever derision earned by the Lion’s recent ‘Turkey Day’s performances was cemented on a national scale.

Forever upward and onward to our ‘next’ year of rebuilding.

marvinudy

Wow this one was close. Neither team seemed poised or really wanted to win. Yes, lots of ‘run’ yardage was accomplished by the Lion’s offense but to what end?

Goff missed what should have been a relatively open scoring reception. A missed extra point and sorry kick on a field goal attempt and blaming the weather is really lame.

Not much more to comment about for a ‘junior varsity’ effort by both teams. Expect more of the same from the Lions for the rest of the season.

Selection of words to describe this game with the Eagles is very short and succinct. Little was left to the imagination because futility was on real time display moment by moment. No reason to beat a ‘dead horse’ when the obvious is staring you up front in your face. This team has no run defense, pass defense and/or offensive capability. Depending on the opponent, the choice of weakness is exploited by their run game, passing game or both.

Presto, this is how you get to and 0-8 record with a genuine shot at a forever owner of 0-17 record to surpass the Lion’s enviable 0-16 season. We may see a spike in attendance as the season progresses as football history is in the making. Proliferation of the most loyal Lion’s fan discontent will result in an explosion of ‘grocery bag’ displays as the farcical second half of the season trudges to a dismal conclusion.

So much for our 64th year of rebuilding. The coaching staff can only do so much and as the old saying goes, “turn a pigs ear into a silk purse”. Not going to happen. A few gems may rise up by way of talent frost-heave in spite of the dearth of mediocrity but be not deceived, this team in a ‘clunker’.

Gentle Lion’s fans,

We saw some affirmations, both positive and negative, of preconceived notions. Foremost is that Goff is no Stafford. Goff failed to execute when most needed. Stats support that our Lion’s secondary pass defense is woefully inadequate. LAR offense was 87% passing. On a few carries by Swift, their were some ‘Barry’ moves of days long gone. The game plan with special team’s ‘wrinkles’ added some ‘spice’ to a game with a destined conclusion.

Based on post game commentaries by a wide array of pundits, Goff is now the official reason for the Lion’s 0-7 record. Your supposed to suspend belief the the same array of players could have executed miraculously under Stafford. Yep, just another trade characterized as ‘two in the bush is worth more that one bird in hand’. And, wallah were officially into our 65th year of rebuilding. What if LAR finish at or near the ‘top of the heap’ for the next two seasons? How far down in the draft picking order will two #1 picks be really worth? Not to misconstrue, Stafford deserved the chance to play with a full “deck” of supporting talent considering how much longevity he has left. George Bland he is not to quote “Yoda”.

The Lions may manage to win a few games during the rest of the season and avoid the coveted ‘trophy’ of two windless seasons in modern day NFL history.

Get used to the patina of defeat. After trading stupid penalties the game settled down into a familiar pattern of three and out for the Lions. As a natural follow on, the Bengals proceeded to eviscerate the Lion’s defense. Leave your defense on the field and eventually even the best of shape individuals will tire. Game over.

Cincinnati’s rushing game crushed the Lions and they responded with a meager output of 36 yards rushing. Goff’s passing was ineffectual at best.

The ghost of 0-16 is ensconced forever in record books and the ‘stink’ still prevails. Gentle Lion’s fans we have nothing to look forward to but more derision and satirical football comedy during the rest of our 64th year of rebuilding.

Humpty Dumpty is still broken with no chance of reassembly this season. “Silver Sieve” defense is alive and well. Additional key player injures enhance an outlook of a truly dismal season beyond the first five games. Fans will be treated to derision as permanent keepers of the “doormat” of NFL teams.

So far we’ve been surprised by a coaching staff willing to eschew 64 years of Lion’s tradition by not taking risks on 4th down situations. However, when the secondary defense is performance deficient, why is it sane to give even a mediocre opposing QB more time to execute critical passes?

By now the lack of scoring from within the ‘red zone’ is an accepted fact. Faith in a run game is only valid if it works when needed. More of the ‘same’ is the most we can look forward for the rest of this season.

Gentle Lion’s fans,

After four games into the season, this scenario should be blatantly familiar. Only item missing is a ‘sacrificial lamb’ who was exiled to the west coast.

What have we seen that is new? Well, an innovative way to fumble was superbly executed when a unexpected snap from center ricocheted off the QB into the arms of an opposing lineman. Goeff wishes he could have a redo on a few errant passes. Failure to score in the red zone is old hat for the Lions. And, not to beat a ‘dead horse’, the Lion’s secondary is mediocre at best.

After the upcoming Minnesota game the Lions have a splendid opportunity to gain a solid grip on last place in all of the NFL standings. However, all the prior 63 years of rebuilding have so calloused us fans that failure is our lot and place in football fandom.

Let’s hope that coach Dan Campbell has enough fortitude and toughness to survive until the seasons’ injury situation rectifies itself and in future seasons, draft choices can help rescue the franchise. Countless other teams have done the “Phoenix” thing in less that 64 seasons.

marvinudy

Gentle Lion’s fans,

First a look at the game. A quick review of the overall stats would seem to give you the impression that the Lions outplayed the Ravens and won the game. However, remember the 2-3 dropped ‘gimmie’ passes the Raven receivers committed early in the game? Gifts to the Detroit defense who struggled the entire game. Wide open receivers made for easy targets for Jackson. Fourth down calls were not controversial in my opinion.

What drives me nuts is the ‘prevent’ defense. You cannot stop the passing game by a ‘running’ QB so why not give him more time to pass or run the ball as an option. And, Detroit made its usual quota of penalties most effectively to each critical situation.

Now on the big ‘bug-a-boo’. Go back into history in 1970 when Dempsey kicked a record setting 63 yr field goal to defeat the Lions. Fast forward to the playoff game with Dallas when a penalty flag was picked up on a genuine ‘pass interference’ call. Videos of this call are probably used as part of an NFL referee training film on what ‘classic’ pass interference looks like. Moving forward, remember the invention of the famous “Calvin Johnson” ‘catch’ rule that sealed the Lion’s fate in another critical situation.

And, for all the non believers, we have a record setting 66 yd field goal executed after what appears to be kicked 2 seconds beyond the expatriation of time which should have been a delay of game penalty. Who knows, could have saved the Lions from the ignominy of having a 71 yd field goal kicked against them to ensure another loss.

It appears the “curse” permanently resides in Detroit City and does not transfer with players as a contagion. Those that watched our alumni M. Stafford manhandle Tampa into submission saw proof he was not contaminated.

marvinudy