| 13 September 2009
First off, links to the live blogging:
1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter, 4th quarter.
Moving on...
What did we know about the Detroit Lions before the season ever started?
1. The defense is going to be bad. Real bad. Painfully bad. Cover your eyes bad.
2. Matthew Stafford, talented though he may be, strong arm and all, is an early entry rookie QB being asked to run a bad team.
3. Jim Schwartz, smart though he may be, as successful and experienced a defensive coordinator he may have been, is a head coach for the very first time.
4. The defense is going to blow goats.
5. The offensive line, though having played together (save for Daniel Loper) all of last season, isn't all that talented.
6. The offense is going to score points, but the defense is going to give up even more.
7. The defense is so bad, your blood pressure will spike, and make your head hurt and nose bleed.
8. Calvin Johnson needs the ball in his hands as often as possible.
9. The Lions will have trouble getting Johnson the ball.
10. The defense is going to be beyond putrid.
So what, exactly, did we see against the Saints we weren't already expecting? Nothing, really.
Stafford showed flashes, but made all kinds of rookie mistakes, throwing 3 picks, and several more ugly passes. The Lions did score points, 27, which is more than they scored in any game all of '08. The offensive line had trouble opening any holes for the running game, caused Stafford to deal with more pressure than a rookie should and committed some inexcusable penalties in the red zone. Calvin Johnson made big plays, averaging 30 YPC, but in the end, Megatron only caught 3 passes. Jim Schwartz made the right calls when it came to red flags, used the clock correctly, didn't waste time outs, made his case to the refs often, and won a few arguments, a total 180 from Mr. I Believe In The Invisible. But Schwartz's defensive scheme, as implemented by coordinator Gunther Cunningham, couldn't have stopped a Pop Warner team today (Remember an obscure defensive play called a "Blitz?" Could you run one occasionally?).
And the Detroit defense? Words can't describe how bad it was, but we expected what we saw. The Lions would have given up 52 if Reggie Bush's late TD wasn't called back on a hold. There was no pass rush, allowing Drew Brees, a very good QB, to do whatever he wanted.
Am I correct in everything I said? Thought as much.
This is coming from someone who has been as hard on the Lions as anyone, but IT'S ONLY ONE GAME! I can't believe yours truly, Mr. EVERYBODY PANIC, who loses his mental shit during every Lions live blog, is trying be the voice of reason.
But when I read tripe like the following, via Cold Hard Football Facts, on Stafford...
"In a best-case scenario, he enjoys a Jim Plunkett-like rejuvenation with another team later in his career."
I have to again say to stop and think, then please, please, please remember, IT'S ONLY ONE GAME! ONE LOUSY GAME!
To say Matthew Stafford is a bust, or Jim Schwartz is going to fail as a head coach, after just one game is fucking moronic! Sheer lunacy. I'm sorry, but it's true.
The Lions are still a bad team, still the dregs of the league, and still suffering from 8 seasons of Matt Millen's blundering around as GM. This is a mess that is not going to be fixed anytime soon. Not in one offseason. Likely not in two.
Am I happy with how Stafford played, or with the embassarring defense? Oh Hell no! But I also expected it.
I'll also admit I did see some improvement. Where, you ask? Amazingly enough, on special teams! The return game was damn effective, and coverage was solid.
Want more? Louis Delmas has a nose for the ball, Calvin Johnson is a MONSTER, things were competently run on the sidelines, the team didn't roll up and die after going down 14-0, all of which we didn't see in '08.
So let's keep it in perspective. All is not lost. Even after one lousy game.A VERY lousy game.
Now if we're seeing this same old shit in game 14? I'll be joining you with the pitchforks and torches as we storm the Lions' Allen Park HQ...
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