This one's optimistic / This one went to market
This one just came out of the swamp / This one dropped a payload
 - Radiohead, "Optimistic"

1) Where does this week leave the Lions?

In my view, a reassuring game that's puts the team back on the secular trend we've seen this season; unsteady but overall improvement, particularly as the role and participation of the rookie class has expanded. Even the injured players - I think it's great that it's not a question whether Stafford and Pettigrew could have contributed, but now a question of whether their being on the field could have tipped the balance given how the rest of the team performed.

What I'm personally happiest about is seeing some veterans responding from the past game and making the case to continue as part of the project. Guys in particular that stuck out to me on defense were Ernie Sims, Cliff Avril, and Ellis Hobbs. Each player is who he is, but they were playing at or above their talent level and mostly fundamentally sound football. Speaking of defense, Cunningham called a smart game, really balancing his looks and coverages. Oh, and Delmas is a playmaker... what a difference he can make.

Lastly on this topic, it's good to see that Schwartz followed through on his message of accountability from last week. A couple offensive linemen swapped at halftime after dumb penalties, some rotating around on kick returns, and obviously that QB change. I think it's getting through to (some of) the players, because that was probably the best Lions 3rd quarter I've seen all year.

2) Half of Culpepper and half of Stanton equals...?

A not very good performance from the QB position. Schwartz said it well in his post-game comments that "Daunte didn't miss blocks, didn't miss field goals," and so on, but as the coach put it later, he didn't get the team any points either. Stanton was clearly raw and made it feel like an adventure every time he threw the ball. But at this point you have something to gain by playing him and little to gain by playing Culpepper, and that's the way it will likely go. If some practice time with the first team and some game experience help salvage a second round pick into a solid backup QB, it's worth giving it a shot - the Lions need every pick they can use on other positions.

Interestingly, the emergence of Maurice Morris may be the best support Stanton gets, presuming he remains at QB the last two games. If Morris can provide a halfway effective running game, that will enable the pass, and ultimately enable us to see if Stanton can complete passes to Calvin Johnson. Again, a nice gem from Schwartz when discussing Morris' long TD run was that Calvin made it possible by drawing defenders away and then blocking effectively. If Stanton can't threaten to get Calvin the ball, the axis the offense tilts around will be gone.

3) What's the impact for April?

With Cleveland and Tampa Bay victories, the Lions jumped into the #2 draft position. With two games left, things are still in flux; St. Louis plays division rivals Arizona and SF to close out the year, while the Lions play SF and Chicago. Looking at the teams involved in all that, I wouldn't want to predict anything in terms of wins or losses.

That being said, if things stay the way they are, I believe the Lions will have an excellent shot at landing Ndamakong Suh with the #2 pick.

Opinions can vary widely, but consulting a few draft websites that I've grown to appreciate over the years (walterfootball.com, nfldraftcountdown.com) you have both experts offering that the Rams would be nuts to pass up a franchise quarterback with the #1 pick. Couple the value and impact of a QB next to nearly any position with the high cost of a #1 overall pick, and I tend to agree.

That said, it's too easy to draw the Aaron Curry analogies and expect (hope for?) a similar outcome. Aaron Curry was an incredibly fine college player, but Suh is a Heisman candidate. The language we often heard around Curry was that he would be the "safest" pick in the draft. Suh is outright described as the "best" player in college football.

The difference is that we're in December, and the draft hype machine hasn't started rolling yet. And when the machine starts rolling, it will be quarterbacks focused. Clausen and Bradford at least, maybe others. I can see the Rams fanbase playing out like ours, wanting a "safer," defensive oriented pick. I can also see the front office and coaching staff wanting to preserve their jobs by getting a franchise QB to build around. QBs are the kind of players you fall in love with in Combine season, and new coaches and new front office regimes doubly love bringing in "their guy" to be the cornerstone.

The biggest threat is that some team covets Suh so badly that they actually trade into the #1 spot to get him. Hard to imagine anyone trading to #1 given the financial disparity, but Suh is that special of a player it's a possibility.

But you never know... and that will make the march to April interesting.