Detroit Lions Fan Blog

I’ve promised an in-depth view on the Detroit Lions for some time. I’ve put it off long enough. Here’s what I think.

The Lions seem to be two different teams right now. They are the tough talking, Rod Marinelli driven “old school” defense that favors “pounding the rock” and managing the clock. That old school team has talked a good game, but hasn’t delivered much. They are also the wide-open, shoot ‘em up offense that Mike Martz has quickly brought to the table. One team (the offense) has looked great (even in defeat) and the other, well… Did we mention that the Lions are 1-5? The defense has underperformed all season long. Injuries and stupid penalties haven’t helped. The defensive unit has a lack of focus and is not picking up the new cover 2 system as quickly as I had hoped.

There are also two teams in terms of personnel. There are tough, self driven playmakers like Roy Williams. Mike Furrey and Jon Kitna. And then there are the whiny, selfish players like Charles Rogers (gone) and Mike Williams (soon to be gone). The gutsy guys are guys that fit the new Lions. The failures are the guys that fit the old Lions. The Matt Millen Lions.

So… Where to go from here? Well, obviously, the defense has to at least show improvement. I don’t buy the argument that it takes years to get a defensive unit up to speed. The players simply need to execute better and cut back on the penalties. Sure, they need to upgrade the personnel in the off-season, but I believe that these guys are underperforming. They should be doing much better. The Lions defense is simply not scaring anyone. In fact, in my fantasy league, a matchup against the Lions means “start all your players”. They are that bad.

Here’s a crazy idea. If the defense doesn’t improve by the end of the season, and the offense continues to look like it could be the next “greatest show on turf”, why not hand Mike Martz the keys and let him drive? He’s won in St. Louis and he’s shown he can install and run a great offense right here in Detroit. Marinelli’s defense hasn’t been impressive and his line coach is constantly getting arrested for driving drunk (and naked). While they are at it, why not fire Matt Millen, bring in a proven team president and let Martz be the GM? He seems to be the only guy that has actually delivered on his promise to improve the team. The offense is getting better, we can see that, week in and week out. And that’s what this team needs right now. Because talk is cheap. Sooner or later, the wins have to come, or someone’s gotta go. Winning is important, guys. At least, it is to the other teams in the NFL.

Now go out there and crush the Jets!