The Detroit Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention after their 26-17 debacle of a loss to the hapless Bungles. Yes, the same Cincinnati Bengals that fell to the 5-10 Chicago Bears 33-7. The Lions, who were playing for their playoff lives, couldn’t match the intensity, the effort, or even the coaching of a team playing with a lame-duck head coach.
So… What now?
Last year, the Lions had a semi-decent excuse with Matthew Stafford injuring his hand with four weeks to play, and still backed into the playoffs. Last year was their first year without stud wideout Calvin Johnson, and still backed into the playoffs.
http://gty.im/898118356
This year? Matthew Stafford became the game’s highest-paid player, Ameer Abdullah was fully healthy, Marvin Jones Jr. had another year of experience with Stafford, and Eric Ebron was healthy and ready to go. And yet, somehow, the Lions are going to finish at 9-7 at best, in a year where Aaron Rodgers was knocked out midseason, Minnesota played their 3rd-string quarterback basically all year, and Chicago is in a complete rebuild.
So… What now?
Jim Caldwell has had 2 winning seasons (could be three if they win against the Packers) since coming to the Motor City four years ago, and that has to count for something, right? I mean, for a team that went 0-16 in 2008, and only had two winning seasons since 2000 pre-Caldwell, Caldwell’s potential 3-for-4 is something to be hopeful about. Except it’s not. Because the Lions still just don’t get it. And the fact that their own offensive coordinator is delusional, shows how much they do not get it.
Let me tell you something you already know: if you suck at running the ball, you will never be a good football team. Not in the NFL anyway. And the Detroit Lions are, and have been, one of the worst at the ground-and-pound. This year they are 31st (there are 32 teams), last year they were 30th, in 2015 they were 31st, in 2014 28th.
https://twitter.com/BallDayNNight/status/945039627051610112
I could go on, but dating back to 2003, the Lions have NEVER been in the top half of the league in rushing. So when Cooter mentions some crap about how versatile the Lions’ run schemes are, it falls on deaf ears. I, no, WE don’t care how versatile and imaginative you think you are at running the ball, the simple fact is, YOU SUCK AT RUNNING THE BALL.
So what will it take for the Lions’ organization to figure out how to win? What will it take for ownership to take ownership of this consistently sinking ship?
If 0-16 was rock bottom, yet nine years later the team has the same shortcomings as its predecessors, are the Lions not the definition of “Insanity”? We’ve seen head coaching changes aplenty, and running backs galore, yet the end-result is still the same.
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/945037744237096962
The simple fact is, Matthew Stafford needs help, and I’m not talking about more wide receivers and tight ends. I’m talking about an actual running game. A running game that can be depended on to move the chains and eat the clock. And that starts with an offensive line that can actually run-block. Injuries happen and this year’s offensive line has had their fair share, but I just gave you 15 YEARS WORTH OF INEPTITUDE at the run-game, so don’t tell me it’s because the line was injured. It’s much deeper than that.
So… What now?
Accept it, when we do get a running game, Stafford well have moved on and we will be talking same stuff, only we need a great QB. Again, my father died hoping for a Lions super bowl win, am on way out hoping the same damn stuff. With Lions it’s always an endless circle!
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