Detroit Lions End Losing Streak / Photo: Newscom

Following the game, a relieved Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said:

“Our guys were carrying the burden of 0-19, and it was unfair to them. But this gets us off of that and puts it behind us.”

Rookie starting quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t exactly tear up the league during the team’s 0-2 start this season, but he is developing some chemistry with receivers Calvin and Bryant Johnson, as was evident in today’s win. Johnson and Johnson (not related) combined to catch nine of Matt’s 21 completions for 122 yards and a touchdown. I’m not going to go way out on a limb and predict the Lions are headed to the playoffs. But as long as the team continues to improve and as long as they learn how to win close games like this one, losing streaks will be a distant memory for an organization trying to change a culture of defeat.

Source: DetroitLions.com

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Detroit Lions End Losing Streak

Dennis Northcutt traded to Detroit Lions / Image: Zuma Press

The Lions get a smart, veteran receiver who actually led the Jags in catches last season with 44 (for 545 yards). Dennis will provide depth at the receiver position and he’ll be a reliable target (who knows his way around opposing defenses) for either Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford.

Source: ESPN.com

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Dennis Northcutt Traded to Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions / Image: Zuma Press

Obviously, the two players’ on-field performances will be the determining factor in who wins the starting spot. But with a contract that includes $41.7 million in guaranteed money, you can be sure Matthew won’t be on the bench for too long. I guess you could say the handwriting is on the check.

One thing is for sure. Lions owner William Clay Ford won’t be the one calling the shots when it comes to any potential quarterback controversy. Mr. Ford acknowledged he has the right people for that job:

“I do not, contrary to public opinion, interfere with the football side of it. I mean, if so-and-so plays lousy, I’ll say ‘I think he’s a bum.’ But, no, I’ve never said, ‘Play this guy or that guy’ or “Don’t play him.’ No, these guys know more about the game than I do by 10 miles. I’m not going to try to second-guess them. Now, if it goes wrong, we’ll talk about it.”

Source: MLive.com

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Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford?

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions / Photo: Newscom

Matthew seemed to embrace the pressure that comes with that kind of investment:

“I was extremely surprised, you know, I didn’t know any of the numbers going in. I didn’t know what he (agent Tom Condon) was negotiating off of or anything. I just thank the Ford family for trusting me that much and putting their name out on the line for me because, you know, that’s a lot of positive pressure for me. I like that. It’s something I have to live up to and I have to prove that I’m worth, and that’s exciting for me ….. I think I’m prepared, I’ve been through a lot in my football career. Obviously in college you win more football games than you do in the NFL and you don’t lose as many. Every guy has to adjust to that coming from college to the pros, but I feel like I’m ready for the challenge. I’ve played in a lot of football games and I know what it takes to win. I’m anxious to learn what it takes to win at the NFL level. It’s going to be a learning process but something that I’m really excited about.”

I’m not saying Matthew won’t be a great quarterback for the Lions. I’m not saying he won’t be the first Lions QB since 1971 to make a Pro Bowl. And I’m not saying he won’t be able to take a winless Detroit team to the playoffs next season. What I am saying is this: all he has to do is win one game to move this team in the right direction. Those would be pretty low expectations, of course. But if Matthew can get the Lions to the playoffs, he’ll be doing what no quarterback has done for the team since 1999. Still, I’m wondering when he’ll get his chance. Returning starting QB Daunte Culpepper reported to minicamp in the best shape of his career and appears fully ready to assume the starting role. It will be a tough call, though, because the Lions have — you know — 41.7 million reasons to start Matthew immediately.

Source: NFL Media

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Matthew Stafford: ‘I Think I’m Prepared’

These new unis really aren’t much different from their previous ones. I mean, the Lion has a bit of furl in his fur. This logo alteration is the biggest difference. But as far as the new logotype, it just doesn’t sit well with me. And like I said, the uniform changes are pretty much unnoticeable to the casual observer. If the organization was trying to give the team a new look to go along with their supposed new outlook, they failed. I’m not saying this was a complete disaster or anything. But they could’ve done more with the opportunity.

Home Honolulu Blue Jerseys

• The Lions new home jerseys are Honolulu Blue, a color first established in 1934.
• The numerals were developed and customized specifically for the Lions uniform. They are Honolulu Blue, trimmed in silver and black.
• Above the new numerals is the new Lions logotype.
• On the collar, there are three trim lines of equal width, with two black trim lines outside a silver trim line.
• The sleeves are a new knit sleeve that features a wide silver trim, inside two smaller white trims and those all inside two black trims of equal width as the white trim. The new material is improved and more flexible for players. The trim is part of the knit-sleeve material, which was changed from the previous silk-screened sleeve.
• Numerals remain on the shoulders but are now in the customized Lions jersey numerals.
• Players’ nameplates on the back of the uniform have slightly modified block letters from the previous block letter names on the back of the uniform.

Road White Jerseys

• The road jerseys are the traditional “road whites,” with blue numerals trimmed in silver and black.
• Included above the front numerals is the Lions logotype.
• On the road jerseys, the collar is in the same black and silver trim pattern as the home uniforms.
• Sleeves are of the same new knit-sleeve material that are on the new home uniforms. The trim on the sleeves includes a wide Honolulu blue trim, inside two smaller silver trims and those are all inside two black trims of equal width as the white trim.

Helmet

• With the introduction of the new Lions logo, the helmet now features the new logo on each side. It is the most significant change since the Lions logo was first placed on the team’s helmet in 1961.
• The facemasks will remain black, but the new Lions logotype will be included on the front and the back of the helmet.
• At the top middle of the helmet, the striping pattern has been modified. Instead of a thick white stripe, two Honolulu blue stripes and a very thin black accent stripe, the helmet striping pattern is now a 5/8-inch Honolulu blue stripe, two 3/16-inch white stripes and two 3/16-inch black stripes. Part of the new brand initiative is to create consistency and one example of this is that the striping pattern on the helmet, at a smaller scale, is the same striping pattern as the team’s game pants.

Pants and Game Socks

• Detroit’s game pants will remain in the team’s traditional silver. Like the striping pattern on the helmet, the pants vertical trim on the side of the legs are now a thick Honolulu blue stripe inside smaller white stripes, which are all inside black stripes that are the same width as the white stripes.
• The game socks, which are the same for the home and road uniforms, now have a 5/8-inch black stripe on the calf midline. The top half is Honolulu blue and the bottom half is white.

NFL Shield, NFL Equipment Logo and Reebok Vector Logo

• The NFL Shield, NFL Equipment logo and Reebok vector will be placed on the same parts of the uniform as in year’s past.
• On the back of the Lions’ helmet, the NFL Shield is placed on the left (from a rear view).
• The NFL Equipment logo is prominently placed at the v-neck of both the home and road uniforms. It also appears at the top of the team’s left pant leg.
• Reebok’s vector logo appears on both top, side shoulders of the home and road uniforms, and the vector is placed on the top of the left pant leg.

Source: DetroitLions.com

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Detroit Lions Unveil ‘New’ Look

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Three years ago, the Seattle Seahawks gave linebacker Julian Peterson a seven-year, $54 million contract. When he refused the team’s proposal to reduce his $6.5 million 2009 salary yesterday (mostly because the Hawks are giving current linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill guaranteed money), they traded him to the Detroit Lions for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a 5th round pick in next month’s NFL Draft.

The whole thing is a bit odd as Julian has been to five Pro Bowls and was arguably one of Seattle’s best players. But the Detroit Lions — needy at pretty much every position — were especially interested in stockpiling linebackers and with Julian, they get a player with 46 career sacks and eight career interceptions. As far as Cory is concerned, I don’t really know what to expect from him in Seattle. Sure, the potential is there (he had a career high eight sacks three years ago), but can you really judge his (only) four sacks the past two seasons with the lack of talent that has surrounded him in Detroit?

Source: Seahawks.com, Photo: Newscom

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Seahawks Trade Julian Peterson

It is with great sadness that the search and rescue mission for NFL players Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper, and former South Florida football player William Bleakley, has come to an end. The Coast Guard covered 24,000 square miles in three days and were unable to find these men. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close said if there were any other survivors, they would have been found. Nick Schuyler was the only survivor on the boat and while he has been mostly unable to offer much information because of his condition in recovery, he did tell a friend that after putting life jackets on, Corey and Marquis got separated from the boat because of the intensity of the waves (reportedly around 15 feet on Sunday). Searchers came across a cooler and a life jacket 16 miles southeast of the boat, but saw no other signs of the men.

Source: NFL.com

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Search For Missing NFL Players Ends

NFL players Corey Smith (Detroit Lions) and Marquis Cooper (Oakland Raiders), and former University of South Florida football player William Bleakley, are still missing after their boat was found capsized off the Florida Gulf Coast today. The Coast Guard found the boat and one of its passengers, Nick Schuyler, also a former University of South Florida football player. Nick is in serious but stable condition at Tampa General Hospital. After finding him, the Coast Guard has now been able to narrow their search, but these men have been officially missing for nearly 48 hours so please keep them in your prayers as rescue workers try to find and save them.

Source: NFL.com

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NFL Players Still Missing

Two NFL players — Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith and Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper — are reported missing off Florida’s Gulf Coast in a fishing boat. Corey and Marquis (and two other men) were on a 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass for a fishing trip yesterday morning, but they didn’t return as expected according to the Coast Guard today. They’ve been missing for nearly a day in choppy seas. No distress signal was ever received from the missing craft. The search continues.

Source: NFL.com

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Corey Smith, Marquis Cooper Missing

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is the new head coach of the Detroit Lions. I want to say that Coach Schwartz will do well in Detroit, but what would make me think that? Detroit is a black hole. He will need to be some kind of miracle worker to turn the Lions into anything close to a contender. Coach Schwartz says he doesn’t shy away from challenges and this is a monumental one to say the least. He’ll start at quarterback:

“I think the important thing is finding the right person. I don’t think you tie yourself into positions. Obviously, there’s a lot of needs. I think the most important position on the team is quarterback. It’s probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne.”

I see he has a sense of humor, too. He’ll need that.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Lions Name Jim Schwartz Head Coach