Can't blame it all on Spec Teams
by UniBallOut on Oct 5, 2009 8:16 AM EDT
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PrintOur offense didn't move the ball out of their own 15 during the last half. Unless you expect our punter to boot one 80 yards, there wasn't much we could do from keeping the Bear's out of scoring position. Obviously, our special teams unit sucked, that was plain to see. But our lack of offensive production in the 3rd and 4th quarters didn't help either.
The post by n4ry4 in the Time for Stan Kwan to go thread had some interesting stats showing our return game was solid, but stopping the other teams return game was really poor. This makes sense since it mirrors the Lion's own offensive and defensive production. We can move the ball nicely on offense, but on defense can't stop anything. Since the same players are out there on the return team as on offense, we should move the ball on a kick or punt. And since our defensive guys go out there on a punt or kick, it makes sense we can't stop anyone.
So I can't blame special teams for the entire loss. I think it shows that our team lacks talent in some major areas and until this gets corrected, we'll continue to see games like this one.
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We cannot give opponents...
…the field positions we did against the Bears yesterday if we expect to compete at all. Period. It kills momentum.
GO LIONS! RESTORE THE ROAR!
I equate this to the Saints game.
While I still believe the Saints matchup was just too much for the team at that time, this game was similar (especially in the second half). The Lions did very little correct in the second half. The defense did all they could do to keep the game close in the third, but fell apart in the fourth (even though the game had all but slipped away already). Special Teams was bad, REAL bad and definitely deserves a good portion of the blame. The offense was non-existent. This was another team effort loss of monumental proportions in the second half of that game and while I’m still not ready to be calling for anyones job…it is time these guys get back to work on making adjustments and showing improvement.
bottome line
you cannot win games when you give your opponent an average starting position of damn near mid field. yes the team shouldn’t have come out of the locker room for the second half, yes the offensive play calling sucked in the 3rd quarter…but come on. how many times can your defense hold up when all an offense has to do is gain 50yds? if the special teams pinned the bears to a starting position of the 30 even…now the defense looks great to hold the offense to 50yds/drive.
Yes
How many points were there off the short field? How many of our drives stalled because they stuffed the run on 1st when we were inside our own 10?
Sure our offense needed to come out and play the second half. Sure our defense needs to not give up the big play (Forte would have looked like crap if not for 2 runs). But our special teams has to be at least adequate. I saw two fumbled punts. I never saw the coverage. One punt the announcers actually commented that there wasn’t a Lion for 20 yards.
We need all the help we can get and right now, our special teams (other than our kicker and punter) are hurting us. If we can get that up to not hurting us or even helping us, then we are closer to win #2.
Oh, and since I am typing: Did anyone notice the tackling this game? The Bears defense was like glue on our guys. No bouncing off the first tackle and getting a couple yards. We need our guys to learn to tackle like that.
+infinity.....and beyond!
Average bears’ starting field position in 2nd half………………..LIONS’ 43-yard line!
Number of big kick/punt returns by bears’ KR/PR……………….I lost count.
Ugliness factor of those returns………………………………………….Matt Millen in a tutu.
The coverage unit was awful. I saw it with my own eyes. My eyeballs are still bleeding.
What? He can’t block a dead gopher? Humph, details.
Yeah GRlion
I though it was the 46 of the lions but after a quick peak you are rightit was the 43 of the lions, and that was happening the whole game but I still think that the game turned on 1 specific play and that was te horrible screen play that Staff infection threw that INT to Tommy Harris late in the second quarter, the team just never really looked in tune after that play. So once again the rookie kind of killed our chances to win again. I know he keeps looking bette and better every single week, but just for the record: in the 3 lose’s he’s thrown timely INT’s and in our 1 win NO INT! STAFF if you read the best blog site in the world hear me now andbeleave me later: JUST MANAGE THE GAME THIS YEAR. You don’t have to were the blue suit and cape with a big “S” on the front of it. Take a page out of the Baltimore playbook from last year, Flacco managed games last year he didn’t try to win it on his own; thats all we need from you this year. You have a cannon no doubt about it, but you don’t have to force anything let the game come to you!
I disagree
That INT, while not agreeable, wasn’t the turning point of the game. Stafford went out and lead a scoring drive after that I believe. 21-21 at half time, we were completely in the game. The kickoff return sucked the wind completely out of us, I’d choose that as the turning point.
2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).
by Hyperion Ecta on Oct 7, 2009 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Special teams hurt us
Failure to adjust to the Bears’ game plan change at halftime sealed the deal. I’ll have more tomorrow.
Read my Lions analysis at: http://www.studyofsports.com/?cat=142
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