| 19 September 2009
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EDT, Ford Field
Television: WJBK-TV FOX Ch.2 (Blackout narrowly averted!)
Play-By-Play: Ron Pitts
Color: John Lynch
Lions Radio Network Flagship: 97.1 FM The Ticket, WXYT-FM
Play-By-Play: Dan Miller
Color: Jim Brandstatter
Sidelines: Tony Ortiz
2009 Records: Lions, 0-1; Vikings 1-0
Previous game: Saints 45 - Lions 27, Vikings 34 - Cleveland 20
What I'm watching: When it comes to the Detroit Lions, the only thing that matters is the "streak". Currently at18 straight losses and counting, as if you needed a reminder. The "streak" will be the first thing the FOX announcers mention when they bring up the Lions, and the last thing we want to hear.
There are some on the the intrawebs saying the Lions will end the "streak" against the Vikings. The Lions seem to play the Vikes tough as of late, and had inexplicable (if relative) success in containing Adrian Peterson. The Lions could have made all the "streak" BS moot last season in the Baggiedome...
...if not for Dan Orlovsky's brain cramp in thinking the end zone was 12, rather than 10, yards deep...
...and outright bad refereeing, thanks to a blatantly wrong, should have been a no-call, late game pass interference against Leigh Bodden, setting up Minnesota's game winning score.
They (they being the so-called NFL experts) say losing 16 games is near impossible, as teams normally win at least 1 or 2 games by accident. The Minnesota game was Detroit's accident game, only to have it taken away by incompetent referees.
But it's a new season, and the Lions have a new regime, a revamped roster and...pretty much the same chance of beating the Vikings. Slim, at best.
The Lions are a work in progress, and work has only gone as far as ridding the roster of Matt Millen and Rod Marinelli approved dead weight. Replacing them are, for the most part, rookies, former backups, role players and special teamers. It's going to take time, and lots of it, to sign and draft talent, build an NFL quality roster, to essentially clean up after a decade of front office ineptitude.
I like most of what Jim Schwartz and Martin Mayhew have done, and it did show on the field last week against the Saints, despite the final score. The Lions didn't roll over, curl up, and die when they fell behind 2 touchdowns almost immediately, as they would have under Marinelli. Detroit, amazingly and unexpectedly, came back to make a game of it for 3 quarters.
In other words, it's all about baby steps, folks. What we are watching for are baby steps. I'm not expecting the Lions to blow the Vikings right out of Ford Field. Not going to happen. But I do expect maximum effort on the field and the sidelines. I want to see competency. I know it's not asking for much, but again, it's about those baby steps.
Once we see baby steps, you need to walk, then run. Maybe, just maybe, we'll see this team run by the end of the season. But we're only 2 games in, and the Lions, like toddlers, need to gain confidence walking, before they even think about running, so to speak...
Prediction: Some baby steps, but more often than not, stumbling and falling. If Mike Bell, nothing more than a journeyman, can run wild against the Lions defense, there's no way in Hell the Lions can contain an All-Pro like Adrian Peterson. It'll be a another frustrating, infuriating, embarrassing loss, and the last sell out we see 'til Thanksgiving rolls around.
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