| 21 August 2010
Locally, tonight's Lions game is on WWJ-TV, channel 62, at 9PM. I hope the production quality has improved since last week's public access level broadcast. It would have been laughable...if I hadn't wanted to watch the damn game...which instead made it painful.
If you aren't in Detroit, but do live in the mitten, the UP, or in NW Ohio, and want to witness the awfulness of televised exhibition games, tune here:
WXMI – Grand Rapids
WNEM – Flint, Saginaw, Bay City
WSYM – Lansing
WFQX – Cadillac, Traverse City
WJMN – Marquette
WNWO – Toledo, OH
Out of the local broadcast area? The first place I check for a working web stream is the sports section at MyP2P.eu. The forum thread for NFL exhibition week two confirms there will be a feed available...they post it close to game time. Asking around on Twitter is another good way to scrounge up illicit feeds. The Lions' radio flagship, 97.1 FM, The Ticket, should have a stream of the radio play by play...though they do so only for the exhibition season.
The list of players unavailable to play this week has gotten much shorter (but not as short as I'd like it to be):
CB Aaron Berry
DE Jared DeVries
DE Lawrence Jackson
CB Jonathan Wade
CB Jack Williams
That MLB DeAndre Levy and S Louis Delmas aren't on the list is a good sign and somewhat surprising. I don't expect them to play much, but even a little playing time is better than none.
So what would I like to see tonight?
Prove the pass rush in game one wasn't a fluke: More than anything else, this is what I want to see...
Vanden Bosch left his mark on Leftwich...several marks, actually.
Not this...
Uh, guys? It's called "contain" for a reason!
Pass pressure in one game is a fluke. Two could be considered lucky. Three? People, we have a trend. Let's see if the Lions' defensive line can get to two.
Levy and Delmas play, and play well: The young up the middle of the Lions' defense has done little working out in training camp due to their respective injuries (Levy with a back issue, Delmas with his "high groin" strain)
They've missed enough time for me to be concerned, but not enough to find me curled up in the fetal position. But I'd regain much of my mellow if the young heart of the defense played effectively against the Broncos, even for just a quarter. The Lions desperately need a healthy Levy and Delmas if they plan on winning a game this season.
UPDATE: It's been reported Delmas is not playing.
The News' Chris McCoskey on Twitter:
Delmas is out, Randy Phillips starts at FS. Levy, Pettigrew and Smith are dressed for warmups.
Jebus, it's not looking good at this point. Even if Delmas does play in game one of the regular season, you have to wonder how long he'll remiain healthy enough to play. Delams is turning into the story of training camp...for all the wrong reasons.
The rushing tandem of Kevin Smith and Jahvid Best gash the Broncos: Smith is going to get his first action of the season tonight. Best showed moves against the Steelers we haven't seen since (I'm not comparing him, I'm just saying...) Barry Sanders had happy feet.
But I"m curious to see how the Lions use their top running backs. Is there a plan to their use, or are they just going to trade series? Will they compliment each other, or will one standout? Who's in on 3rd and short? 3rd and long? Passing situations? Who's better at blitz pickup? Catching the ball?
Right now there are more questions than answers with the Lions' going to a two back system. Hopefully we'll get some answers tonight.
Stafford continues his growth: Last week Stafford's throws were accurate, the one turnover didn't faze him (let alone it wasn't Stafford's fault), he spread the ball around...but still made sure Calvin Johnson got the ball, and for all the world looked like a legit NFL signal caller.
I want to see more of the same. Period.
The return game returns: Anyone else about ready to write off Derrick Williams? When he fair caught a punt at the f'n three yard line...well, this happened.
A FAIR CATCH? FFFFFFFUUUUUUUU....
The Lions drafted Williams for a reason. To be the primary return man. If he can't do it, find someone who can.
For that matter, the Lions shit-canned this man...
...for due cause.
Now that Kwan is long gone, I want to see kick ass special teams. For decades, if there was one position group I was confident in their performing week in, week out, it was Lions' special teams. Special teams were special! That went away over the past decade, to the point where Rod Marinelli only wanted his special teams to not make a mistake, instead of making plays.
I want to see special teams that make plays again!
Final note: Like last week, I'll bet you dollars to donuts I'll be posting on Twitter tonight, trading bon mots with Lions fans. Follow along at @Big_Al_TWFE.
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