Lions 2016

[garbear]

I would be the last guy to think the Lions Thanksgiving Day game would actually mean something. Surprise! Surprise! Stafford didn't throw a TD pass, but the defense played well and Ebron had a good game.
My Son was over for dinner as usual on Sundays, so we watched the Cards-Vikes game. Vikes defense had an outstanding game, so looking foreword to the "Turkey Day" game. Would love to see the Lions get the "W" because my Daughter and her Husband will be up from the Twin Cities, so it would give the "old Lions fan" a chance to gloat to the 3 Vikings fans.

[cpfan]

Lions playing the Stamps in CFL western final.

[garbear]

Hoping the Lions can play well against the Jags. With Blake Bortles you can always count on him to throw an interception or two. Darius Slay is back today, so that should help.
I see the Vikes having a difficult time with the Cards. Tough defense and the Vikes offense is out of sync. Heard this morning that no team has ever started the season 5-0 and then lost their next 5 games. I know my son is having a hard time dealing with the Vikes losing streak. Oh, well, it builds character.
Finally, I see the Pack having as much trouble with Washington as the Vikings did. Hopefully another "L" for the Pack.

[Denny]

Well for all you Lions fans and also fans of Matthew Stafford out there this weekend, "Beware of the Trap Game for this weekend!" The Lions play the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars at home on Sunday before the annual Thanksgiving Day game and rematch with the Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North. The Lions will have play good but, be very careful not to get caught up and also off guard playing the Jags as this could be a dangerous game and a trap game for the Lions before they take on the Vikes at home in a rematch with them weeks ago. Sometimes in games like this where the Lions are predicted to beat a team like the Jags, they play their worst games and teams that they are expected to beat that is when they play and look the worst. Hopefully that will not happen this Sunday with the Lions but, you never know. Go Lions and Win!

[Denny]

Hey garbear, sorry to say but I guess your predictions about the Vikes having a tough time in D.C. with the Redskins on Sunday was right. The Vikes lost to the Redskins and have now dropped four straight sorry to say that and even worse now they've fallen out of first place and are tied for first with the Lions now holding the tie-breaker over them. Who'd have thought that now after 10 weeks of the NFL season, the Lions would be sitting at the top of the NFC North with sorry again garbear the Vikes and Packers now looking up to the Lions in the standings? The Pack have been just horrible as of late and rumors are floating around that the Pack may be in for a coaching change and that McCarthy may be out in GB after this season. Keep in mind that McCarthy has only won one Super Bowl as Packers coach and now Green Bay is below 500 for the first time since 2008 Rogers' first season with the Packers. Lions still have to play the Vikes here in Detroit on Turkey Day and now that will make for an interesting game. As I mentioned earlier in a previous post, their December schedule is brutal with games against the Saints, Giants and Cowboys. That Cowboys game will really be ugly and nasty the way they are playing this season!

[garbear]

Reading the Star Tribune this morning I see the Vikings are trying out several free agent kickers this week. I remember Walsh during his rookie year he couldn't miss. Don't think the Vikes will have an easy time playing Washington in D.C. next Sunday.

[Darryl]

The division is up for grabs: could be Lions, Vikings or Pack. Vikings are blaming Norv Turner for the two Vikings losses before he left; and the loss after he left against the Lions. The same sports talking heads said the Vikings were going to be a dynasty for the next five years after the first five games. I don't know who's the bigger idiot, them or me for listening to them.

[Denny]

Well I agree in part tugboathunter but, the facts remain clear and I am not afraid to pin point that one! He has taken the Lions twice to the Playoffs and lost each time in the first round. The Lions and how many times do I need to address this and say this issue with them "Have yet to win the NFC North Division whereas all the other teams the Packers, Vikings and Bears have all at least once won the NFC North Division!" They are 5-4 and a half game out from first place and Yes, I know that they beat the Vikings on the road in Minnesota a tough environment. I give the Lions credit for them winning on the road and against Minnesota. However, look at the losses for them this year as they lost to Tennessee a team that they should have beaten 16-15 and then to the wholly Bears on the road in Chicago they lost to them 17-14 again another team that they should have beat. Then they lost to the Houston Texans on the road 20-13 after the Texans got trounced in Denver. So the Lions probably should have beat the Texans in that game. With the exception of the Tennessee home game, all of the losses that I had mentioned were road games. Lions still need to find ways to win on the road other than against Minnesota. They have three tough road games in December at New Orleans, New York Giants and also in Dallas on a Monday night after Christmas. Let's just wait and see then what the Lions can do along with the elite Matthew Stafford!

[tugboathunter]

Stafford doesn't actually play against other quarterbacks... the Lions defense does. It's hard for him to "beat" elite QBs when his defense can't stop them. Stafford is also much younger than all those guys you named. He has tons of time to build his already elite resume.

[Denny]

Well I give Stafford and the Lions credit as they looked good today and got lucky with the Win on the road in Minnesota. I still do not believe sorry to say that he is an Elite QB yet! The Lions need to do more than just beat Minnesota on the road as they have to beat other teams on the Road such as the Packers and later this year in Dallas with the Cowboys. They also play at the Giants as well so we will see how that goes? The Lions need to find ways to win more on the road something that has been an issue with them for a very long time. Also, Stafford needs to beat some of the top QBs in the NFL as well. Ones like Brady, Rogers, Big Ben of Pittsburgh to name a few of them. The Lions need to find ways to dominate teams every year like the Packers have dominated Detroit over the years especially in Green Bay. They need to make Detroit a place that nobody wants to come into and play! Take some of stadiums and fans such as Seattle and KC where the crowd noise and level is incredibly loud to record levels. The Lions have never had that yet! Also, the Lions have yet to win the NFC North something that the Packers, Vikings and Bears have all done. Time will tell with them.

[tugboathunter]

Lions are now 1/2 game out of first place in the NFC North.

[garbear]

It's tough being a Lions fan living in Duluth, but I had a chance to throw it back in my Sons' face today. He was texting back and forth to a buddy in the Twin Cities and they both ended up being disappointed today. Heck of a catch/run by Tate for the game winning TD. That game winning drive looked like an "Elite"(couldn't resist Denny) quarterback at the controls. Wasn't expecting the win, sure was great. Vikings have looked terrible the past 3 weeks. See what the rematch looks like on Thanksgiving!

[Denny]

Wow I cannot believe this and I must be dreaming this one so you had better pinch me to be sure of this! After checking my lineup on TV of NFL games today in the Detroit area I completely stunned on this one! After patiently waiting weeks for this the NFL has Finally put a truly good game on at 1 P.M. to compete with the Lions game in Minnesota today also at 1 P.M. on Fox. On CBS network the NFL decided to have the Steelers vs Ravens game on CBS TV today. All I can say to that is it is about time the NFL finally got with the program and put another 1 P.M. game on besides having the stupid and pathetic Lions on as the only early game each week. Now if only the NFL can keep on doing that schedule for the rest of the year, maybe I can see some teams that I haven't seen all year long so far. Next weekend the Lions "Finally have their bye week and it's about time!" So that means that next weekend we won't have any Lions to watch on TV and I can watch much more better games and teams play next week. Thank You NFL it's about time!

[Mike]

Kind of quiet on this thread BEFORE the Vikings game. I guess Denny and west are waiting until AFTER the game to give their views on this one !

[ed]

Anyone seen Mary Ford as of late ? last I heard she was going to be more involved with the Lions but, i have not seen her all season.

[Darryl]

An article said "the recently hired offensive line and tight ends coaches were both former NFL head coaches." Have to wonder if there may have been a little internal politics. I know one thing, I knew most plays before the snap. But also, a lot of injuries.

[garbear]

I see Norv Turner quit this morning as Vikings offensive coordinator. Pretty bad when you're in first place that one of your coordinators quit. Turner was supposed to be this offensive guru, but it's not his fault they have no offensive line, a less than mobile quarterback, and a running attack that's worse than the Lions, if that's possible.

[garbear]

Having watched every Vikings game this year I also think the Lions have a chance in Sunday's game. The Vikings offensive line is a shambles and without a line Bradford doesn't have much of a chance because of his lack of mobility. What was their strong point, the defense, played incredibly bad on Monday. I'd love to see the Lions win so I could laugh in my son's face. Don't know if they will, but I will give them a chance.

[tugboathunter]

I think the Lions defense has to be excited to face the Minnesota offense after that pathetic showing. It's not Minnesota's fault either - three of their starting offensive linemen are out, and the replacements just aren't good enough. Bradford is a serviceable quarterback, and McKinnon and Asiata are serviceable running backs, but without a good offensive line, their shortcomings are clearly on display. Bradford has no time to throw, and doesn't have any mobility to make up for it. The running backs aren't as dynamic or powerful as Peterson, and they don't have enough room to run when defenders are across the line of scrimmage as soon as they get the ball. This would be a perfect game to wake up Ziggy Ansah and the whole front 7.

Jordan Howard, the Bears' rookie running back (out of Indiana!), just torched Minnesota for over 150 yards. Unfortunately, the Lions don't have any running backs with nearly that kind of prowess, so I think their success will be based on how Stafford deals with Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith in the secondary. They will have to get creative in feeding Jones, Tate, Riddick, and Ebron the ball. Cutler had a pretty successful game against them, and Stafford is far better than Cutler, so maybe that will work.

Just my weekly analysis on the Lions. They have a chance.

[Denny]

Well if anyone didn't watch the MNF game last between the Bears and the Vikings, they were plenty of "Tricks and Treats in that game as the Bears got plenty of Treats last night while the Vikes had plenty of tricks as well." The end result was an upset win for the Bears at home over the Vikings which have now lost two in a row. Although it may be a small bit of hope, maybe there is still a slim chance the Lions could beat the Vikes at home this Sunday but I highly doubt it. The Vikes will be so ticked after losing two in a row and now headed back home that the Lions IMO will have no chance at all playing them and Zimmer's good Defense. I also say that after this season, look for the Lions to fire their coach in Jim Caldwell. If they fire the coach after this season, just wonder who they will get next season to replace him? The Lions have now tried everything with the Head Coach and nothing seems to be working out and they also can't afford to keep having top and high draft picks either. Just look at all of the money they spent now on Stafford and so far it hasn't paid off. Calvin Johnson played a few seasons here like Barry Sanders and Billy Sims once did and all retired at a relatively early and young age. Time will tell though.