Detroit Lions Fan Blog

I see improvement. The Lions offense is clearly in synch with the Mike Martz system and players who “fit the roles” are stepping up. The Lions traded punches all day long with the St. Louis Rams, but in the end the Lions defense was worse than the Rams defense, and the Honolulu Blue got the loss. Even though they fell to 0-4, and their season is now pretty much down the drain, I saw several things that make me optimistic.

I won’t go into a play by play recap of the game. Basically, the Lions and the Rams scored at will, especially in the passing game. Jon Kitna looked sharp (as usual) and he did not make the stupid mistakes that have plagued the position in years past. One thing for sure about the new Lions - the Joey Harrington/Scott Mitchell fumbles and wrong read interceptions are over. Kitna knows this offense and can put the ball where it is supposed to be. If the play isn’t there, he checks down to the next guy or throws the ball away.

Roy Williams can actually catch the ball with a decent rate of reliability and Az Hakim and Mike Furrey are decent #3 receivers. They still need to find a dominant #2 WR. The Rams have Bruce and Holt. Williams is as good as Bruce (and maybe Holt) but the Lions need another top notch WR to keep the pressure off Williams. For the record, I don’t think Mike Williams can be that guy.

Kevin Jones looked good. Not great but good. He is a good fit for this offense and is a tough, hard nosed runner that moves the chains. I still think the Lions could improve over Jones but he’s definitely adapted to the new offense well. I’d love to see the Lions get a speedy, Jerious Norwood/Warrick Dunn type runner in next year’s draft.

As for the defense, the same old story unfolded on game day. No pass rush. The much talked about Detroit Lions defense has not been that good this year, and if you own them in your fantasy league, it’s time to cut them. They simply cannot get to the quarterback on a consistent basis. Marc Bulger had all kinds of time to set up and throw, and he ripped the Lions for 328 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions.

As a huge fantasy geek, I must admit that I don’t keep up on the defensive players as much as I do the offensive players, so I can’t single out single players for poor performance. But it is obvious that the defensive line is not getting enough pressure on the QBs, and frankly, I don’t think the defensive play calling is that effective. Why isn’t the team blitzing more? I am no defensive guru but I think that if you aren’t getting a solid pass rush straight up, it’s time to sneak some blitzes into the package. If those aren’t working, then you need to re-evaluate your system. The offense has improved each week, but the defense seems to be taking steps back.

So where does that leave us Lions fans? Well, let’s face it - I can be optimistic all day, but the truth of the matter is that this team is not going to the playoffs this year. Sure, they could go on a tear, but with the defense playing this poorly, I doubt it. They are going to score alot of points, but their defense is not going to be playoff caliber.

The Lions travel to Minnesota next week, and I like their chances there. I think the Rams are better than the Vikes and if they play mistake free football, they might come up with their first win. After that, they play the surprisingly potent Buffalo Bills at home, and then go into the Meadowlands to face the Jets. Then they go into the bye week. My guess is that they get their first win either on the road against the Vikes, or at home against Buffalo. They’ll be 1-6 at the bye and that’s the perfect time for the management to upgrade at the most important position: President and CEO (hint, hint).

Lions Box Score For Week Four:
Rams 41, Lions 34