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Jun
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Posted by Mack
June 29, 2008 |
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- Detroit Lions Look for Overall Improvement but National Press doesn’t agree
We are at the beginning of July and all the NFL off-season maneuvering has been completed. The player movement, trades, NFL Draft, the mini-camps and the Organized Team Activities have all been completed. Now comes the lull before NFL Training Camps open in late July. The Detroit Lions, as you would expect, believe all the off-season moves they made and the hard work since the 2007 NFL Season ended will lead to a good season and an NFL playoff spot come January. The National Media, as you would expect given the Lions long history, are not so optimistic regarding the Lions.
Your ‘Lion Eyes’ blogger has compiled some media quotes from the last month regarding what players and coaches from the Lions think of how the outlook for the Detroit Lions is for the team.
“Our expectation is we will be disappointed if we don’t win 10 games, because that will mean that we’re not in the playoffs and that (stinks),” Kitna says. “I can’t make it any simpler than that.”
“Obviously there’s going to be more pressure on my position in terms of getting us into the right things at the line of scrimmage, whereas before coach Martz watched all the film and broke it down,” Kitna says. “The pressure was on him to get us to the right play calls and to really be a step ahead of the defense.
“Now, it’s going to be on me to be able to do that stuff at the line of scrimmage, and that counts for preparation during the week.”
“This year, I know exactly what’s happening with the offense,” Johnson says. “I know what’s going to go on in practice, and I know how to practice. We have a great locker-room situation. The chemistry’s there.”
- Rod Marinelli praised the team for being lean and fast and what he wants:
“I want to shrink the width of this field. I want to narrow it with speed,” Marinelli says. “The thing about speed is, when you have it, you have to be tough enough to use it all the time. That’s the mental toughness.”
- Brian Kelly on playing the Tampa Two defense:
“I’m excited,” Kelly says. “It’s a lot of familiarity for me here. I’ve been watching the guys play for the last couple of years. There’s a lot of similarities of what we do in Tampa and what they’re doing here. It’s a simple system … guys that believe in each other and know that this man is going to take care of his position and this guy is going to take care of his position.”
- Cory Redding regarding players coming to the Lions that have played the Tampa Two defense:
“Now, they just have to get familiar with us. They’ve been around the scheme, and they know exactly what to do. The experience is the big part. Putting the Tampa 2 system in a couple of years ago, everybody was trying to figure out where they’re going to fit in, and it’s tough at times.
“Everybody’s moving quicker, because those guys are bringing their knowledge from playing in the system,” Redding said. “When they get out there and run it right and run it fast, the other guys behind them see how it’s supposed to be run.”
“But you have to buy into the system because the system works.”
- Jeff Backus on the difference he sees going into Rod Marinellis 3rd year as head coach:
“The atmosphere is awesome,” Backus said. “I think Rod has done a tremendous job of doing it his way and getting what he wants out of us and making changes when changes need to be made. I’m excited to see what happens this season.”
- Roy Williams on the change in Offense with Jim Colletto taking over for the fired Mike Martz and only have 30-40 plays instead of over 200:
“I’ll tell you what: With the plays that we’ve got in, we’re going to be real good at them,”
Source: Detroit Free Press
- National Media Views of the Detroit Lions
The National Media does not share the optimism expressed by the Lions. Here are some examples.
- Sporting News Not Impressed with Detroit Lions here are two examples:
Dewayne White is Detroit’s only consistent pass-rush threat. On the other side, the team will rotate veteran Jared DeVries and second-year player Ikaika Alama-Francis, who remains too raw to be consistent.
Detroit Lions. Detroit replenished its secondary with the acquisitions of cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly and free safety Dwight Smith — all of whom are expected to start. But the Lions still lack a dominant pass rusher.
Source: Sporting News
- Lions will miss the playoffs again says the Sporting News:
Like the Chiefs, the Lions have far more confidence than their talent level warrants. Quarterback Jon Kitna can’t keep quiet; he again has predicted 10 victories. It didn’t happen in 07, and it won’t happen in 08.
What have the Lions done to get better? The running back situation is a multi-headed crapshoot. The offensive line is average at best. And the defense is merely a collection of former Buccaneers who, if they were great players, would be current Buccaneers.
Picking the Lions to miss the playoffs hardly represents a full-body shimmy onto a rubbery tree limb. However, it’s important to nip in the bud the annual sense that the law of averages will come into play and that this year will be the year for the Lions.
Source: Sporting News
- USA Today Writers Jeff Ziglett and Nate Davis have a better Outlook for the Lions:
If the defense improves to the middle of the pack and the offense adapts to its new approach, the Lions can certainly be in the playoff conversation amid a wide-open NFC. If nothing else, the retirement of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, long a Detroit nemesis, should help the Lions be more competitive in the NFC North.
Source: Detroit Free Press Story
- Your ‘Lion Eyes’ Blogger Outlook
I am always hopeful for the Lions, especially this time of the year before training camp starts. That being said, all the things the Lions players and coaches are saying and doing seem positive. I just worry that if Detroit gets off to a slow start the players will fall into the ‘Same old Lions’ mode that we see so often. If that happens and the Lions have a 2 or 3 win record and get blown out on National Television on Thanksgiving day I suspect Rod Marinelli regime will end at the conclusion of the season. I hope my outlook is 100% wrong and Marinelli leads the Lions to not only the Playoffs but an actual Playoff win this year and is seen as the savior of the Franchise. But I am pessimistic that the Lions can improve as much as is needed for that to occur. Remember though, nobody thought the New York Giants would win the Super Bowl last year before the season started. So, there is always hope for the Detroit Lions to succeed.
Comments
I am a life long lions fan and we will have anther season of dread!! We have no quarterback and have not a playoff Q.B. since the late 50’s early 60’s!! we have no running game. Our defense is the biggest siv ever!! Please Mr. Ford get rid of Matt Millen! Spend some money on free agents. The past 6 years we have passed on shawne merriman, troy palamalu, ben rothlesberger, jay cutler, sean taylor, johnathon vilma, the list goes on and on!! Williams ans johnson are nice recievers, but they have no line to give them time for their routes!! Or a running game to set up play action!! Another dismal season is all I see!! Mr. Ford please sell the franchise to a real lions fan with money… oh wait, to be a lions fan IS TO BE BROKE!! BROKE IN NFC NORTH champinships
Hi Jeff, thanks for the comment. I hope you are wrong and the Lions have a break through year, but I have to agree that is not likely. You call out Matt Millen for his not getting those players in the drafts recently. It is worse than that, see my earlier post for how bad it really is.
http://detroitlions.contentquake.com/2008/01/08/will-the-detroit-lions-draft-better-in-2008/
To be perfectly honest I do see a lot of improvement in the Lions this year. The d-line is starting to look like the kind of line I watched Rod Marinelli take to the super bowl. You have to remember that your head coach is one of the men who are credited with inventing the Tampa-two defense wile he was still in Tampa. The defense will improve and has. The lions have the kind of drive and optimism that I have not seen from the team since the lions 10-6 season in “96â€. I also like the new tail back you have in Kevin Smith watch for him to have a break out season. Also I like Tatum Bell in this style of offence he will know what he is doing and is a good back. The o-line will get some help this year to in that Jim Colletto is now the offensive coordinator. Wile I am not a huge fan of Jon Kitna I do believe that the new offensive style is great for him. He has the experience and the knowledge to make good play calls and do it quickly to keep the defense off balance like new offence is designed to do. One place you will need help is at your strong side line backer! At the middle line backer, watch for Lenon to lose the job to the faster, smarter, Jordon Dizon, two or three games into the season. You were very lucky at getting the players you did at cornerback, you got a whole new core, every last one of them veterans that have helped take their teams to the playoffs or farther. On a comical note the curse of Bobby Layne is over this year. In all I expect to see the newly energized lions to go as good as a 11-5 if Kitna can keep up with the play calling and do it right, and if the d- line can match up to Marinelli’s expectations. On the down side if Kitna can’t keep up and the d-line stinks (neither of witch I see happening) the lions can go as low as a 6-10. One more thing to look at is the schedule the lions are playing this year maybe a mediocre one at best, not a hard season. The lions should be in the playoffs this year.
Matthew…Wow! thanks for the refreshing outlook that I also happen to share. I have been a Lions fan all my life and go to the Detroit Free Press website all the time to read Lions articles, and occasionally make a comment. I found this site while browsing and thought it was somewhat refreshing Lions site other than the disgruntled doom and gloom it all sucks comments that happened to find there way here also. I get sooo sick and tired of hearing the same old crap from I guess you would call them fans?… the QB sucks, the defense sucks, we have no running game, fire Millen he sucks, the Fords suck, we will prob only win 5 games because the Lions suck… etc… What do they want Vince Lombardi to get shot down from heaven in a lightning bolt and lead the Lions to victory with Elvis as QB?! The way I see it this is the best Lions team we have going into this season that we have had in a long long long time. Most of the holes that we had last year have been filled with alot of talented players. Merinelli has really had alot of work to get to the point where we are now. He has completely refocused the efforts and mindset of the team, and worked hard to bring in players with work ethic desire and drive to win. As for Kitna watch him shine when he’s not getting sacked the most times in the league. The draft was great we did fantastic, and the free agents we brought in was even more icing on the cake. There are too many positives going into this season to list.
This will be a breakout year for the Lions!
And to my Brother and Sister Lions uhh..fans if you feel the urge to uncontrollably spew negativity try bagging on one of our NFC North rivals not the Lions. Merinelli and the players have worked hard to turn it around, and their doing it.
Thanks again Matthew
Peace Yall!
Go Lions!
Its ridiculous to criticize Jon Kitna. There is no other quarterback in the NFL that gets pounded as much as him. To throw for over 4000 yards a year with simply no offensive line is amazing. What do people knock John Kitna on? His interceptions. If you are a true lions fan, you’d realize that half of Kitna’s interceptions aren’t even his fault. He throws a perfect strike to one of our “amazing” receivers and right into the secondary’s hands. How many easy drops did Calvin Johnson have last year? Too many. People criticize this team leader for trying to set realistic goals for an NFL football team? 10 wins for any NFL team should be realistic, or at least something to aim for. Who do you want as your QB… Tom Brady? I guarentee pretty boy wouldn’t put up Kitna’s numbers throwing off of his back foot all year. Kitna’s efforts in Detroit are of Hall of Fame esk, and for someone who get beat up week in and week out, I think he deserves more respect.
Other than John Kitna criticizers try to say the D-line will lose power based on the loss of Shawn Rogers. Well, they wont lose much based on the fact that he spent a majority of last season on the sideline sucking oxygen. Giving the practice reps to players who will actually play alot of downs should immediately improve the D-line.
Upgrades in the secondary should help but not fix the Lions yearly horrific pass defense.
And, if all else fails… we do have a great punter…hahaha.
Shame on all you Kitna haters!
James Czapek