| 15 October 2009
As fans prepare for another NFL weekend, and the Lions prepare for another trip to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers, I prepare for another of Rev. Spielman's roundtable Q & A's hosted by The Church of Schwartz!
Three questions, three answers. Let's rock...
1. With the expected absence of Megatron this Sunday, how do you attack the Packers defense with the weapons you have?
Megatron has a blown whee...whoops, wrong Mega-dude.
Megatron has a blown wheel, leaving the Lions without their biggest (literally and figuratively) weapon.
Let's not forget the Lions will also be without Matthew Stafford as well, which is an even bigger loss to the Detroit offense.
Yardage-wise, the Packers' defense is almost as bad the Lions' put upon defense, giving up 335 YPG to Detroit's 358 YPG. In fact, their run defense is just as bad as the Lions', giving up one yard less a game, 112 to 113. It's safe to say the Lions are not facing a juggernaut on defensive side of the ball.
With Kevin Smith claiming earlier this week the lack of a running game was his fault, what better time to put his theory to the test? Give Smith all the carries he can handle, which should keep the mistakes made by Daunte Culpepper to a minimum. I trust Smith to do the right thing with the ball much more than I do Culpepper. That being, not turning it over!
Another reason to give to ball to Smith? The Packers are tied for third in the NFL in interceptions, with 7. After watching Culpepper hold onto the ball too long and throw it up for grabs against the Steelers, the last thing I want is watching Stafford's backup doing the same against Green Bay.
The Lions need to keep the Packers' offense off the field. The best way to do so is to attack the Pack with Smith.
2. Which player have been the biggest surprise to you this year? I'd like 2 players: one positive surprise and one negative.
Postitive: OT Gosder Churilus. The massive offensive lineman carries the weight of being the final number one pick of the worst general manager in sports history, Matt Millen. Churilus didn't play all that well as a rookie, as he couldn't beat out incumbent at right tackle, the oft benched and constantly ridiculed George Foster, in training camp. He finally took over the position 3 games into the regular season, but never stood out in the way you'd hope the 17th overall pick of the draft would.
This season, Churilus has been rock solid from day one. There are plenty of issues on the Lions' offensive line //cough//JeffBackus//cough//, but the 2nd year tackle has not been one of them. For all the talk of playing for the future, and many of the veterans on the current roster not being around in a year or two, Churilus will be a Lion for the long haul. He, along with fellow number one picks Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, will be a big part of what's hoped to be the resurgence of the Lions under Jim Schwartz.
Negative: One player stands out. OLB Julian Peterson. Say what you will about the player the Lions traded to get Peterson, Cory Redding, he did fill a need for the Lions on the defensive line. The Lions weakened what was already a not very good D-line in order to get Peterson, who was supposed to be the Pro Bowl caliber play maker the Lions have needed since...well, damn near forever.
Though it was obvious he was beginning to decline in his last season with Seattle, it was hoped a new environment, and the Lions honoring a contract Seattle was thinking of lopping off of their roster, would give Peterson a new lease on football life. For whatever reason (scheme, teammates, or the most likely reason, age) Peterson has not lived to his glittering reputation.
Peterson has been average at best, far from the Pro Bowl shoo-in he once was, while Larry Foote and DeAndre Levy have picked up the linebacking slack. If Peterson doesn't step up his game, I can see 2009 being his only season in a Detroit uniform.
3. What's your projected score for Lions-Packers?
The Lions haven't beat the Packers at home since the Majik Man, Don Majkowski, was scrambling around the frozen tundra for the Pack. That was 19 games ago, as the Lions have lost 18 consecutive road games to Green Bay.
Yes, the Majik Man was once a Lion. And not a very good one...
Another of Detroit's long losing streak continues, as a Lions team without Stafford or Johnson doesn't have a chance in Hell of beating the Pack at Lambeau Field. The man who replaced the man who replaced the Majik Man, Aaron Rogers, has a field day picking apart the Lions' defense, while Stafford's caddy at quarterback, Daunte Culpepper, continues his struggles in the red zone.
Green Bay 35 - Detroit 16.
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