Maybe it's just me, but it certainly seems that while the Detroit Lions are 5-0, it really doesn't feel like 5-0. Maybe I've just forgotten what it feels like to lose. It has been more than 10 months since the last time the Detroit Lions lost a game of any kind. But I have a feeling that Lions fans will the last group of people convinced that they're actually 5-0 good. And it hasn't gotten old yet. The Lions have been mixing it up by winning different types of games. They've executed second-half comebacks, squashed second-half comebacks, won blowouts, and most recently won a game they dominated everywhere except the scoreboard. San Francisco is coming to town to help Lions fans remember what a loss feels like, and they could be catching the Lions at a good time. Not [...] Continue reading →

Have you heard enough of "but they haven't played anybody" yet? Gotten enough of Bills fans saying they're better because of Buffalo's big comeback came against the mighty Patriots? Fired up to see the Detroit Lions shut more people up by beating down the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry World? That's good, you should be!  But also, maybe reel it in a little. This isn't going to be another "temper your expectations" article.  It wouldn't matter even if it was, since I have no delusions about my ability to quiet the buzz after a massive win at the Metrodome.  But I need everyone to wrap their minds around this concept. The Detroit Lions could very well lose in Dallas this weekend. Alright, calm down a bit [...] Continue reading → | Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions Undefeated, Lions vs. Cowboys, NFL Week 4 Preview

No Stephen Tulloch. That's what I've been saying since before the lockout started. There simply wasn't any way the Lions would be able to sign Stephen Tulloch. He would either be too expensive, or he would be looking to sign with a contender. Either way, he was going to be out of the Lions' scope. That, of course, was before Tulloch signed with the Lions, on a one-year deal worth just over $3 million. No matter how you look at it, that's a severe cut from what his market value ought to have been. For reference, Tulloch and Buffalo's Paul Posluszny were arguably the top two interior linebackers in this year's free-agent class. Posluszny got a six-year, $42 million deal from Jacksonville, with $15 million guaranteed. Tulloch got a similar, though slightly smaller, offer [...] Continue reading → | Detroit Lions, Lions free agent signings, Stephen Tulloch

The ongoing debate regarding the Detroit Lions' running game is very "chicked or egg?" Does a great offensive line create a solid running game? Or do great running backs? Can a skilled backfield make up for an average blocking line? Can a great line open holes for a running back with no burst or vision? The answer, of course, is yes. On all counts. Obviously, the best case scenario is to have both an All-Pro line and fantastic running backs. But that's a luxury few can afford in today's NFL, especially considering how much All-Pro linemen make. That doesn't mean only a few NFL teams ever field effective running games. Which brings us to the Detroit Lions, who have overhauled every area of the team except offensive line in the last two years. Dominic Raiola and [...] Continue reading → | Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions 2011 preview, Detroit Lions rushing, Jahvid Best, Mikel Leshoure

Can a team that has won only eight games in its last 54 really have five players bound for the Hall of Fame? In a word, no. In two words, no... probably. For starters, the Detroit Lions that closed out their 2010 season on a 4-0 run is vastly different than the team that closed out their 2008 season on a 0-16 run. Some of the current Lions with the best shot at the Hall of Fame were juniors in college when Detroit was making the Run for Irrelevance. Consquently, all but one of these players has at least a decade's worth of work left in front of them to deserve any mention of the Hall of Fame in a non-sarcastic sense. But hey, speculation is part of the game, no matter how far down the road it is. Will these guys all make the Hall? I guarantee they won't. But if I were to [...] Continue reading → | Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions Hall of Fame, Jason Hanson, Matthew Stafford

I told you this was coming, so don't get mad at me. Last week, I gave the case for why the Lions could field their first playoff team in over a decade in 2011. And I told you then I would be flipping the scenario the following week, because I'm not in either camp yet. See, it's not that the Lions are definitely going to miss the playoffs. They have a shot, and even the national media is starting to take notice. But there is far too much uncertainty surrounding not only the team, but the entire NFL season. I would have to be crazy to project a playoff berth for a team whose roster could (and very likely will) change drastically between now [...] Continue reading → | Detroit Lions 2011 preview, Detroit Lions 2011 season, Detroit Lions analysis, Detroit Lions playoffs

In 1971, Greg Landry made the Pro Bowl as starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions. Isn't it time we stop talking about that? Matthew Stafford's viability as starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions is one of the most difficult hurdles standing between the team and long-term success. Likewise, the biggest hurdle standing between Stafford and long-term success is, well, literally his viability. The general consensus regarding Stafford is that he has everything he needs to succeed: arm, athleticism, knowledge, receivers, mindset. And he has shown flashes of greatness in the time he has spent on the field. He just needs to show more flashes, more consistently, over the course of a lot more time on the field. This is the year for Stafford to do just that. As Stafford [...] Continue reading → | 2011 Pro Bowl, Detroit Lions Pro Bowl, Matthew Stafford, Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford Pro Bowl

Calvin Johnson is a bit of an enigma. He has the capability to lay claim to a decent portion of the NFL record books, and a majority of the Detroit Lions' records. Yet through some combination of injury, poor team play, and inconsistent quarterbacking, Johnson is still just scratching the surface of his capability. On paper, the Lions' offensive attack in 2011 will feature better balance, continuity, and quarterback play than it has in years. That raises the question: Is this the year Calvin Johnson becomes the unstoppable monster he's capable of being? I don't know if he's ready to lay siege to the NFL's single-season record books, but here are seven predictions for Megatron's fifth NFL season. 1. No Games Missed Notice how I didn't say "16 games [...] Continue reading → | Calvin Johnson, Calvin Johnson 2011 predictions, Calvin Johnson Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions 2011 preview

Nnamdi Asomugha is the best cornerback in the NFL, far and away the most sought-after free agent on the market this offseason. Cornerback is one of the Detroit Lions' greatest weaknesses heading into 2011. Seems like a match made in heaven, right? Maybe. But there are a number of reasons that Asomugha unfortunately doesn't make sense for Detroit. Asomugha was born in Louisiana and played his college ball at Cal. Just from a location perspective, with 32 teams likely to be after his services, why would he single out Detroit? He wouldn't. There would have to be something else involved, like money. So can the Lions afford to throw more money at Asomugha than any other team on the market? It's hard to say, with the labor situation in its current state. Where does the [...] Continue reading → | Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions cornerbacks, Detroit Lions free agency, Nnamdi Asomugha

The NFL appears to be winning the battle to shut down its own operations. With the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granting a stay-on-appeal to the NFL, and all but laying their cards on the table in terms of how they plan to rule on the appeal itself, it appears the NFL has the upper hand. Consequently, the 2011 season is once again in question, and the NFL is the battle to not play football. But none of that is stopping the Detroit Lions from organizing roughly half the team for an unofficial four-day workout. The benefits of player-organized workouts are questionable, but the Lions are able to get more out of it than most because of coaching continuity. The players participating in the workouts, [...] Continue reading → | Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions OTA, Detroit Lions workout, NFL Lockout