NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

The greatest mystery of the Universe is how Matt Millen, seen here shaking hands with Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, can keep his job

The real question is how the Detroit Lions remain in the NFL.

You have Strahan calling them out on Fox TV saying you could see it in their eyes; they just don’t want to play. He got so bad even Jimmy Johnson tried to quiet him down, but he was just expressing what all of us have witnessed for 44 years of the William Clay Ford regime. The Lions stink.

One playoff victory in 44 years of Bill Ford ownership.

Today his son, Bill Ford Jr. called for Matt Millen’s head. Matt is the losingest GM in any sport anywhere all time. Here is Bill Ford Jr. at the Detroit Economic Club where they talk about Michigan’s 8.9% unemployment.

“It was an embarrassment, the fans deserve better, and if I had the authority, I would have fired the general manager,” Matt Millen, Ford said.

When asked again a few minutes later if he would fire Millen, he said, “Yes, but I don’t have that authority.”

source

The season has turned into a mockery. The latest loss has two former Lions coming back to haunt us with J.T. O’Sullivan and Coach Mike Martz both of the San Francisco 49er’s combining to destroy the Lions.

O’Sullivan ran around and slung the ball as if he couldn’t have been more confident. In one stretch, he threw three straight completions, covered 67 yards and finished with a touchdown. It took a little over a minute.

And Martz? Well, this was like Dr. Evil playing basketball against Mini-Me. He was able to use double-reverses, over–the-top passes and running back Frank Gore, whom he sent into the teeth of the Lions’ worst-in-the-NFL rush defense — OK, not teeth, gums — only to see him burst out the other side for 130 yards and a touchdown.

source

My complaints earlier pointed towards firing Coach Rod Marinelli thinking Matt Millen untouchable, but now? Hey, who knows?

It only gets worse as my complaints about the Lions failing to develop a backup quarterback to take over when Jon Kitna falls apart got worse as J.T. O’Sullivan looked pretty darn good and the games have gotten to the point that it does not matter if there is a backup QB.

Meanwhile, the Lions may have lost their starting quarterback. (Only in Detroit would this rank as the bottom third of a column.) Jon Kitna, who was getting mauled all game long, left the field with a knee injury in the final two minutes.

Kitna plays as if he’s ready to die on the field, and afterward, he looks like he has. He rightly points out that you can’t do much when you’re always two or three touchdowns behind.

By the way, the actual backup, Dan Orlovsky, came in and threw a screen pass for an interception. That pretty much seals his fate as the next starter. What else could you do with a Lions quarterback that actually threw a ball that was caught by someone?

Photo source Newscom

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
80 to 1?

So that is like saying there is a chance, right?

If they play 80 seasons then the Lions would win it all 1 time? One time? Really? That is awesome!

Can they play 80 seasons next year, because we have waited for like forever, you know?

That would only be 1,280 games. That is a lot of Ford Truck ads for the Ford Family. Not that anyone buys a truck anymore with 4 buck per gallon gas.

Jon Kitna will pass in a more balanced attack now that Coach Mike Martz is gone

Image details: Detroit Lions v Minnesota Vikings served by picapp.com

We could win, because the offense is more balanced.

Offense - Jon Kitna is a veteran QB and will get the starting nod when the 2008 season kicks off because of it. But if his play heads south, don’t be surprised if the Lions start developing Drew Stanton, a second round pick last year. Without Mike Martz calling the shots, we can expect a much more balanced attack under new coordinator Jim Colletto.
source

That running attack will be led by…by, oh you know who, uh, well by whoever shows up.

Oddly, the balanced attack will lead to a better passing attack, star receiver Roy Williams and star in the future Calvin Johnson will not have to put up with deep safeties on every down. The Mike Martz offense of last year passed on almost every down.

The defensive line is weak at every position and that is hard to do. The linebacking? It is bad, except for Ernie Sims.

The defensive backfield will be much improved.

The Lions secondary has pathetic in 2007, allowing opponents to complete 70.1 percent of their passes. This was not helped by a defensive line which was not able to put enough heat on the QB either. An infusion of new players such as cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly and safeties Dwight Smith and Kalvin Pearson should improve this unit.

The Jimmy Boyd prediction is to have the Lions finish fourth in a four team division.

But don’t forget, one time in the 80 seasons of next year the Lions will win it all!

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

And out of the mist came Calvin Johnson

Why do we all think that later on we know better?

Let us go on record here. Your intrepid author wanted Calvin Johnson last year. Still do.

My friend, RonB, actually beat the drum for Adrian Peterson. Did he know something the rest of us didn’t? Maybe. Ask him.

Of course, it is easy to look backwards and say you should have picked the Lottery numbers that won.

Oakland, in my estimation, would have done better to trade their pick away for multiple picks. They are just too weak at many positions. But Al Davis was set on JaMarcus Russell and all his gaudy tryout stats. In other words, he fits the mold of a possible great one. How many of us disagreed with Al? Is that a hand in the back of the room?

Now there are many that are seemingly all knowing and criticize last year’s picks.

Is everybody finally ready to concede what’s now painfully obvious? The Lions blew it when they drafted Calvin Johnson last year with the second overall pick instead of offensive tackle Joe Thomas or running back Adrian Peterson. The final piece of damning evidence against the decision is the team’s preparation for next month’s draft. source

Now you put me in the position of defending the General Manager of the Detroit Lions, Mr. His Name We do not Speak. Not being privy to what other teams were really offering for the pick, Calvin was the obvious choice. Obvious.

Joe Thomas was a left tackle. The Lions had one already.

Adrian Peterson had a history of injuries in college and Kevin Jones was due to return and Tatum Bell was under contract.
Calvin Johnson would fit Mike Martz offensive scheme.

But, more important, the Browns and Vikings are both on an upward trajectory, thanks largely to those selections.

The Lions are headed downward.

The underlying message is irrefutable. Wide receivers aren’t building blocks for success. They’re merely supportive components.

Hope Jerry Rice is not listening or Randy Moss or Terrell Owens.

Wait, did he say the Browns and Vikes are headed up?

The Vikes improved because of Read more

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Jon Kitna does happy dance move. Predicts he will Dance with the Stars to victory

The Detroit Lions.

Does anymore need to be said?

Last year Jon Kitna predicted 10 victories. We laughed.

When asked about the prediction, Jon admitted that they may win more. We laughed harder. Who needed the comedy channel?

This year Jon predicts, you got it, 10 victories. Do you laugh or order the straight jacket?

“Last year was not a prediction, it was a statement of fact that if we didn’t win 10 games, we would be disappointed, and I would say that would still hold true this year,” Kitna said. “We will be disappointed, but we’re going to be a better football team.” source

Let us see, they are missing a few linemen. Oh, well.

The running back is Tatum Bell, the guy that told them last year to trade him. Ouch.

They cut their defensive end. Who needs two of them anyway?

Three of their linebackers signed elsewhere. Hey, they were popular!

Do we need to hear it again? Maybe Jon Kitna was predicting world peace and we mis-heard it?

“We will be disappointed to not win 10 games because, as I’ve said, to not win 10 means you’re not in the playoffs. That’s why we play. So that’s the same expectation level we’ll have this year. source

They cut one of their corners and expressed disappointment in the other. Is this called cutting corners? Don’t we all do that?

They signed several over the hill former Tampa Bay players. You gotta like Bucks…er Bucs.

They traded their former All Pro Defensive Tackle. He ate too much at the training table. Others were starving.

They play 7 teams that made the playoffs.

Ok, counting the victories, 1, 2, 3, 4…uhh, 5 maybe?

NFL Football Fan Question Would you pay Jon to read your palm?

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Hey, looks like the foot injury for Kevin Jones ended up in the removal of the foot?

Well, maybe they got one right this time, but the Lions still need to find a running back and defensive end.

The Detroit Lions cut Kevin Jones and Kalimba Edwards.

The 5-foot-11, 228-pound Jones missed the start and the end of last season with foot and knee injuries. He has played four pro seasons, all with Detroit.

Jones has 750 career carries for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 141 passes for 1,006 yards and three touchdowns.

The 6-6, 265-pound Edwards has spent his six NFL seasons with the Lions. He has 26 career sacks. source

At times, Kevin Jones was the whole team, until his foot injury a year ago. This past year under Mike Martz, as the offensive coordinator, the run was an afterthought. The games that Jones had significant carries, the Lions did well.

Kalimba Edwards always showed promise, but little else on the field. Good bye, good riddance. Letting him go was expected and should have happened before now.

Letting Kevin Jones go was a surprise and makes you wonder if he is a step slower after the foot injury healed or maybe it never fully healed.

So the Lions signed Tatum Bell, but already said he would not be the every down back.

So who will be the every down back?

They just signed safety Kalvin Pearson. They only have about 10 safeties now. Maybe one of them can run?

My guess is the Lions will go after Shaun Alexander, who was cut by Seattle.

NFL Football Fan Question Can anyone figure out the Detroit Lions?

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Coach Rod Marinelli looks to the sky and confuses Buck hunting season with Buc signing season

In one of the oddest set of player pickups in years, the Detroit Lions have signed 7 former Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the last two years.

It was strange last year to see ex-coach Mike Martz request and get several former St. Louis Rams. He claimed they knew his offense already. Evidently they did not, because he is gone to the 49ers.

This year and last, Coach Rod Marinelli keeps asking for former Bucs to visit Detroit and sign. Now some of them were not on the Bucs last year, but here is the list.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli, a former Tampa Bay assistant, sure loves former Buccaneers. Brian Kelly, above, is the seventh former Buc the Lions have signed since Marinelli became coach. Years with Tampa in parentheses.

• Jon Bradley, FB (2004-06)

• Chuck Darby, DT (2001-04)

• Brian Kelly, CB (1998-2007)

• Kalvin Pearson, S (2005-07)

• Corey Smith, DE (2002-04)

• Dwight Smith, S (2001-04)

• Dewayne White, DE (2003-06)

source

Marinelli claims he knows them already and what they can do, but it sure does seem as if a lot of them are in the downside of their careers.

Oh well, it is the Lions, so what do you expect.

When your GM is…Oh we don’t speak his name around here and it is not Lord Valdemort, you have to expect something strange.

The GM will go to the Matt for Marinelli and he is Millen those Bucs to become Lions.

NFL Football Fan Question Just how do you think these moves will turn out?

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

More blogs about football.

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
Ok, where is the Top Ten?

Sorry, Squibster is a little under the weather and in danger of being fired by the wife after a tough Valentines evening.

She took it well, but who knows.

Anyway, the USA Today Sports Staff in their Sports Scope article highlighted 6 coaches on the hot seat.

Ok, where is the Top Seven?

Your gallivanting author added the seventh. My comments will be in italics.

1. Brad Childress:

A five-game winning streak down the stretch may have saved him from the ax this offseason. But Childress must hope that stud RB Adrian Peterson can propel this team to the postseason or that his investment in Tarvaris Jackson as the starting QB doesn’t becoming his undoing. source

Jackson has a lot to show to become a good enough QB to take the Vikings to victory. Peterson is awesome, but so was Barry Sanders. Can a running back carry a team to anything more than a .500 record in today’s pass happy league?

2. Jon Gruden:

The win in Super Bowl XXXVII seems like so long ago. Gruden led the Bucs through the weak NFC South this season, but their playoff flop to the Giants exposed the team as a pretender. The heat will turn up significantly if this team doesn’t look like a Super Bowl contender next season.

Gruden’s job seems a little safer, because they did reach the playoffs with a weak team in a weak division, but so much more was expected out of Gruden when he came to Tampa Bay.

3. John Fox

The USA Today writers mention a weakening team needing a good draft and maybe a replacement for Delhomme at QB.

Fox is in big trouble, with only a very weak division to save him. North Carolina competes with the Saints, Bucs, and Falcons.

4. Mike Nolan

The USA Today writers mention that Nolan lost control of the team and the respect of his QB, Alex Smith.

This one seems so impossible a year ago Read more