| 02 September 2010
In a meaningless game, The Lions overcame a meaningless 16-0 1st half deficit, and beat the Bills 28-23 in meaningless come from behind fashion. The meaningless four game exhibition season is now over, and the Lions can prepare for non-meaningless games that truly count.
OK, maybe I'm being a tad harsh. But only a tad. A smidgen, maybe.
It's always a good thing to win, even if it's the Lions' backups and players soon to be placed on waivers beating the Bills' backups and players soon to be placed on waivers.
A win is a win, ugly though it may have been.
Much of the ugliness came from the Lions' starters playing as if they wanted to be anywhere but a nearly empty Ford Field. The most blatent example being a blah performance from Matthew Stafford, who threw a pick the Bills retruned for a touchdown, on the first of his two series. But none of the starters stood out.
To be honest, I can't blame them. There's no good that can come out of the final exhibition game. Play a series or two, don't get hurt, and get the Hell out, performance (or lack thereof) be damned.
Personally, I was more concerned about the Lions getting through the evening with their starters remaining healthy. Mission accomplished. The only injuries were to a couple of undrafted free agents who definitely weren't going to make the 53 man, and most likely aren't going on the practice squad.
During the game, defensive end Korey Bosworth was carted off the field with a knee injury. Cornerback Aaron Berry left the game after one series and had an ice pack taped to his right hamstring but it isn't known if he aggravated the injury.
Defensive tackle Sammie Hill was also banged up, but it didn't look serious. At the News, Chris McCosky mentions one more possible injury...at a position the Lions can't afford to lose another player.
Late in the game, back-up linebacker Vinnie Ciurciu limped off the field with an apparent leg injury.
Uh...CRAP!
Ciurciu is a backup who was signed to play special teams, but damn, the Lions are running out of linebackers. But if this is the most serious injury the Lions have to deal with to a player who is actually going to make the final roster, then they didn't come out of the night in bad shape overall.
Once again, Drew Stanton was the quarterback of record in an exhibition comeback victory, as Sparty's finest was under center from mid-2nd quarter on. But his numbers were nothing to brag about (5-13, 38% passing), yet strangely, were also brag worthy (2 TD's, 7.2 YPA, 103.8 QB rating). Go figure.
With there being recent speculation the Lions may start the season with only two quarterbacks, Stanton may have saved his job as primary clipboard holder and sideline baseball cap model with his performance.
As for the running back battle, Kevin Smith put the Browns debacle behind him, even if 13 of his 18 yards rushing came on one play. He also caught three passes, and didn't fumble. Smith is going to make the team, people. So can we please stop the bitching?
Aaron Brown solidified his hold on a backup job, mostly due to his being the the primary kickoff return man. Maurice Morris popped a 16 yard gain, Jerome Felton was given the ball three consecutive times inside the Bills' 5 yard line, getting the Lions a 1st down, then a touchdown.
DeDe DorseyDorsey led the Lions in both rushing and receiving yards, scoring a touchdown...but he also fumbled deep in Lions' territory midway through in the 4th quarter when the Lions were trying to run clock and nurse their 21-16 lead. That's the second time this exhibition season DorseyDorsey put the ball on the turf late in a game. That's not a good way to enamor yourself to a coaching staff...or win a roster spot, which doesn't look likely at this point.
Other than the lack of injuries to core players, and a few positional battles, there isn't much else to talk about. But there were a few plays worth mentioning. The spectacular diving interception by linebacker Ashlee Palmer, a 25 yard TD catch by DorseyDorsey, the game clinching 102 yard interception return by cornerback Paul Pratt (Though I'm still trying to figure out where the Hell Bills' quarterback Levi Brown was trying to throw the ball...to the ghost of Terrell Owens?) and...that's really about it.
In the media scrum after the final gun, Jim Schwartz put the meaninglessness of the game in perspective:
"Preseason don’t count; how we did in training camp doesn’t count; it’s how we respond during the season – 16 regular season games and on after that. Try to put preseason where it is; let’s not read too much into in and let’s go to work next week for Chicago.”
I have to agree with The Schwartz. I'm done trying to read into what I've seen over the past four meaningless games.
Becasue, as they say, the shit's about to get real.
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