• Many fans are calling for the Lions to bench Jon Kitna, and although I really can't disagree that his three interceptions on three straight drives is uncalled for, do you really think Dan Orlovsky would be any better?  Once Drew Stanton is healthy again (supposedly at the start of October), I can understand benching Kitna for him if the season is already over, but for right now, at least, Kitna sadly is the Lions' best option at QB.
• George Foster was benched and replaced with rookie Gosder Cherilus after one half of Sunday's game.  Foster gave up a couple sacks and Cherilus played very well considering that was his first real playing time in a regular season game.  If I'm remembering correctly Cherilus didn't give up a single sack, so that was great to see.
• Although it was said last week that Jordon Dizon would play more, he actually never got into the game on defense.  He played on special teams, but that was it.
• According to a reader that was at the game, a "Fire Millen" chant broke out after the Lions went down 24-9.  How long until we start to hear "Bench Kitna" during a home game?
• This really was one of the worst performances I've ever seen by the secondary.  Even though there was talk about how bad they were last week against a rookie, they just looked flat out confused against Green Bay.  Cornerbacks were falling down, missing assignments, and simply letting Packers receivers run right by them.  It was really an ugly sight to see.
• Safety Gerald Alexander sustained a concussion and tight end Casey FitzSimmons hurt one of his thumbs on Sunday.  Alexander was actually benched in favor of Daniel Bullocks before this game and FitzSimmons played well as he made a few nice catches.
• I know they were playing from behind again, but the Lions only rushed for 49 yards yesterday.  They actually only ran the ball 12 times, and you can really take 1 attempt away since Jon Kitna took off and ran once.
• The defensive line really disappointed me in this game.  They only had one sack, which came when Dewayne White forced a fumble, and Aaron Rodgers was able to escape pressure over and over again.  Sometimes he would not only avoid the sack, but proceed to complete a pass downfield.
• Can the Lions defense make sure to play on every down from now on?  The Packers went 9-16 on third down conversions, whereas the Lions went a dismal 2-12.
• Jason Hanson did all that was asked of him.  He nailed all three of his field goal attempts and didn't miss an extra point.
• Both Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams dropped a pass when they were wide open.  Roy looked like he looking upfield before he actually made the catch and Calvin pretty much just dropped it.
• I think we can forget about the drop Calvin made after the amazing game he ended up having.  His two fourth quarter touchdowns gave the Lions the lead for a short period of time and he really showed off his physical ability, especially his speed.  In the end, Johnson finished with 6 catches for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• Roy Williams added 3 catches of his own for 48 yards, but as we saw in the preseason, it looks like Calvin Johnson has become this team's top receiver.
• Going back to Calvin for a second, the coaches did make a good adjustment with him in the passing game.  Johnson was struggling to get off the line of scrimmage at times, so the coaches started to run him across the middle.  That is how Johnson scored his two touchdowns, so I do give the coaches credit for making that change.
• Daniel Bullocks led the team with 12 tackles.
• Aaron Rodgers torched the Lions defense as he went 24-38 and threw for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• A couple fans said that they couldn't even give tickets away for yesterday's game.  If Detroit loses this week then there is no doubt the Chicago game on October 5 (their next home game) will be blacked out unless a company again steps in.  If they can't even sell out the home opener against the Packers by themselves then there is no way they will do so against the Bears, especially if they are 0-3 at the time.
  

The Lions announced who their 2008 team captains are earlier today and they are no different than 2007.  Quarterback Jon Kitna, center Dominic Raiola, defensive tackle Cory Redding, linebacker Ernie Sims, and kicker Jason Hanson will serve as this season's captains as voted on by their teammates and coaches.  The five players were also captains last season.

This is the second season where captains will wear a "C" patch on their jerseys, and since all five of the Lions' captains are the same as last year, each will have two stars filled in on the patch.

• The Lions practiced outside in helmets and shorts on Tuesday afternoon.  It appears there will not be any practice today as the Lions are having their annual kickoff luncheon.  And on Thursday they will head to Buffalo to play the Bills.
• Rod Marinelli said after yesterday's practice that Jason Hanson is 100% healthy "according to the trainers."
• Marinelli also said that it's possible that Drew Henson could play as much as an entire half against Buffalo.  The playing time he gets will depend on how many plays he has learned, so the coaches should have a pretty good idea of where he's at right now.
• Dan Campbell will not play tomorrow against Buffalo.  Daniel Bullocks, on the other hand, should play.
• Sports Illustrated has predicted the Lions to go 7-9 for the second season in a row.  It is only the preseason, but the Lions seem like they have improved quite a bit on defense and on offense (sans the running game).  If they can move the ball on the ground successfully then I think 7-9 is certainly a possibility.  I might even be inclined to say the Lions could get to 8-8 or better.
• While on the topic of predictions, I projected the Lions to go 6-10 back in late May/early June.  I'll reevaluate that prediction before the season starts, and I feel like I'll probably agree with SI and give them a 7-9 record.
  
• Roy Williams believes that he and Calvin Johnson are the NFL's third best receiving duo.  He doesn't think they're quite on the level of the Colts' Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne or the Bengals' Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh just yet.  I would agree with him considering Calvin Johnson's rookie season wasn't out of this world amazing or anything like that, but this season Roy and Calvin have a great chance to move up that list.  C.J. is due for a breakout season and if Roy can be Roy, the numbers won't lie.
• Michael Strahan is going to stay retired.
• The official Pride of Detroit Fantasy Football League's draft was held last night and it went smoothly.  I'm not exactly thrilled with how some of my picks went, but you can read more about that in a separate post.  The overflow league's draft will take place tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

• Drew Stanton, Jason Hanson, Dan Campbell, and Cory Redding will not play against the Browns this afternoon.  There's no point to risk bringing Hanson back too soon, so that move makes perfect sense.  Campbell hasn't even practiced yet I believe, so obviously he's not going to play.  And as far as Redding's status goes, he's still nursing a ribs injury.
• Expect Lions starters to play more than they have in the first two preseason games against Cleveland today.  20-25 plays is the estimate for "key players."
• Tom Kowalski analyzed the Lions' roster situation.  On Tuesday the roster will be trimmed down to 75 players, but that probably won't make predicting the 53-man roster any easier.  Tuesday's round of cuts will just get rid of players that we knew had no shot of making the team, so not much clarity will be provided.
• Jordon Dizon will not be a starter when the regular season begins.  He surprisingly hasn't been moved to strong side linebacker yet and apparently will stay in the middle as Paris Lenon's backup.
• Drew Stanton kept his teammates in the dark when he ran the naked bootleg that scored a TD against Cincinnati last Sunday.  Other than Artose Pinner, every other player on the field for the Lions thought it was actually going to be a handoff.  Stanton did that to really sell the play, and judging by how well he faked the handoff I'd say that decision was a good one.
• Speaking of Stanton, he reportedly will be on the active roster going into the regular season, meaning Drew Henson's Lions career will be a short one.  We won't get a look at Henson today barring an injury to Dan Orlovsky, and on Thursday he probably will just be in the game to hand the ball off.
• Lions tight end Michael Gaines is actually a good singer.
• Former Lions and current Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers basically said that today's game is no different than any other even though he has a chance to play against the team that really gave up on him.
• J.T. O'Sullivan, who was Jon Kitna's backup last season, is going to be the 49ers' starting quarterback this season.  I guess following Mike Martz to San Francisco was a smart move.

• The Lions headed indoors on Thursday and practiced in helmets and shorts.
• So far I haven't heard anything about Saturday's preseason game against the Browns being blacked out, but we'll have to wait and see if anything comes out today.  If it was going to be blacked out I imagine we would know by now, so hopefully that means we'll get to watch the Lions live at 4:00 p.m. ET.
• Speaking of that game, I will be doing live updates once again in the comments section of the game thread.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to do live updates for the final game of the preseason on Thursday as I'll be busy moving to Ann Arbor that day, so check back next week for an update on the status of that game thread.
• Kevin Smith is positioning himself to start at running back.
• Daniel Bullocks and Shaun McDonald are expected to play tomorrow against Cleveland, whereas Dan Campbell will not.  Jason Hanson is a game-time decision.
• Game On believes Calvin Johnson will be a player to watch this season.
• Artose Pinner is making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster.
• Lions offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo helped the Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. High School band go to China to play at the Olympics.
• Tickets are still available for the Lions' kickoff luncheon on August 27.
• I was a guest on Dynasty Rogues Radio earlier this week to talk about the Lions.  You can listen to the interview here.

• The Lions practiced in shells on the outdoor field yesterday.
• Tatum Bell really hates Mike Martz and loves the Lions' new commitment to running the ball.  He better start having more success when running the ball or he won't get a chance to be part of that commitment come the regular season.
  
• Five of the Lions' seven sacks this preseason have been by rookie defensive linemen.
• Fullback Jerome Felton is impressing players and coaches on the field, and off it he is very, very intelligent.
  
• According to Rod Marinelli, Jason Hanson has been limited to stretching in practice.  Marinelli went on to say that he is "getting a little work," and that his target return is this week.  I certainly hope that's the case.
• Rod Marinelli isn't sharing his starting linebacker plans with anyone just yet.
  
• As long as the Lions win, Roy Williams has no problem with Calvin Johnson catching more passes than him.
• I wholeheartedly agree with Philip Zaroo from MLive; I'll gladly drink to Kyle Orton being the Bears' starting quarterback.
• Brian Kelly and Rod Marinelli get along quite well.
  
• Game On, a blog on the USA Today's website, thinks the Lions are one of five teams that were under .500 last year that will "take a leap forward in 2008."
• Along with Derek Anderson, these five Cleveland Browns are not expected to play against the Lions on Saturday:
  

  Running back Jamal Lewis (hamstring), receiver Braylon Edwards (foot), kick returner Josh Cribbs (ankle), safety Brodney Pool (concussion) and linebacker Willie McGinest (groin) also didn't practice.

  If Anderson doesn't play that means we'll get to see a lot of Brady Quinn.  That means I'll have to get ready to boo until I can't boo anymore because I hate Brady Quinn.  My hate for him stems from his days at Notre Dame, and I'll just leave it at that.
• The Pride of Detroit overflow fantasy football league still has two spots open, so if you want to be in it leave a comment and I'll send you details of how to sign up.
  
  UPDATE: The league is now full.

• The Lions returned to the practice field on Friday and had one practice in helmets and shoulder pads.  This comes after Thursday's practices were canceled by Rod Marinelli.  Today, the team is having only a walkthrough before traveling to Cincinnati for tomorrow's game against the Bengals.
• Training camp will officially end on Monday as the players have the day off, and when they come back will follow a regular season-like practice schedule.  They will only have a single practice each day instead of two as it is time to start getting into a routine similar to the one they will have during the regular season.
• Roy Williams drafted himself in ESPN's Fantasy Draft Special earlier this week.  He is one of eight owners in the league and is the only active player in it.
• ESPN's Kevin Seifert answered some questions about the Lions.
• Jon Kitna will be moving around more when he is making passes.  We already saw that quite a bit in the first preseason game as he would rollout or do a bootleg before making a pass.
• Former Lion Mike Utley hopes to one day walk off the field under his own power.
• Lions starters will get more playing time during tomorrow night's game against the Bengals.  Rod Marinelli said they will be in the game for around 18-22 snaps, which could be an extra drive or two compared to last week's game.
• Fullback Jon Bradley, safety Daniel Bullocks, tight end Dan Campbell, and kicker Jason Hanson will not play against the Bengals due to injuries, and wide receiver Shaun McDonald might not play.
• Finally, just as I did last week, I will provide live updates of the Bengals game in the comments section of tomorrow's game thread.  Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

• After having Friday off, the Lions returned to their indoor field on Saturday and had an early evening practice in helmets and shorts.  The Lions then went back to their usual two-a-days format on Sunday and practiced in both the morning and afternoon.  Both sessions were held in helmets and shorts.
• If you didn't check out Pride of Detroit over the weekend, then you may want to catch up on some transactions that happened and had an effect on the Lions.  For starters, Jason Hanson is out for at least a week (probably more) due to an injury, so the Lions waived Eddie Johnson and signed former Michigan State kicker Dave Rayner.  Similarly, Stanley Wilson is done for the season, so the Lions replaced him with cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas.  Also, Detroit released and signed a pair of offensive linemen.
  
  Finally, in a move that indirectly affects Detroit, the 49ers signed linebacker Takeo Spikes, who at one time appeared to be close to joining the Lions.
• Due to a bruised leg, wide receiver Calvin Johnson didn't participate in practice on Sunday and is day to day according to Rod Marinelli.  Also absent from practice were Jon Bradley, Cory Redding, Langston Moore, John Owens, Gilbert Gardner, and the three players on the PUP list.
• Although Kevin Smith practiced with the starting offense on Sunday, Rod Marinelli says that we shouldn't read into it as "there's no rotation right now."
• Dave Rayner is excited to play for the Lions.
• Decisions about what to do if the Lions win the coin toss will be made on a game-by-game basis.
• Marinelli was "pleased" with the way Lions rookies played in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants.
• If you caught any of the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills over the weekend, you may have noticed Ben Curtis, who finished tied for second, was sporting Lions gear throughout the tournament.  Quite a few people were wondering if he was a Lions fan or was just doing it because he was in Michigan, but actually Curtis has a sponsorship deal with Reebok to sport NFL clothing, so he was wearing Lions apparel for contractual reasons.
• Also an interesting note from the PGA Championship is that the winner of the tournament, Padraig Harrington, is the second cousin of former Lions quarterback Joey Harrington.

Lions cornerback Stanley Wilson, who, like Jason Hanson, was injured during Thursday's game against the Giants, is out for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon.  Wilson will have surgery next week and isn't expected to fully recover until next June at the earliest.

With Wilson being waived injured (he will end up on the injured reserve as long as no team claims him), the Lions signed cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas to fill the opening on the active roster.  Detroit also waived center Nick Jones and replaced him with tackle Damion Cook.

Finally, to make room for the newly signed Dave Rayner, the Lions waived kicker/punter Eddie Johnson.  Johnson is more of a punter and missed a field goal in the Giants game.  Plus, Rayner has a much bigger leg, which will come in handy for kickoffs, especially since Hanson is expected to miss at least a week of practice.  In reality, though, I would be surprised to see Hanson back before the final game of the preseason just to be on the safe side.

With Jason Hanson nursing an injury, the Lions have signed kicker Dave Rayner, according to Adam Schefter.  If Rayner's name sounds familiar it's probably because he kicked at Michigan State in college before being drafted in 2005 by the Colts.  Since then he has played for the Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, and most recently, the Dolphins.

Rayner will join the Lions only until the end of the month as long as Hanson's injury isn't serious enough to keep him from being the starting kicker.  Rayner does have the potential to be a starter in the NFL, but hopefully it won't come to that and he will only be a temporary starter over these next few weeks while Hanson heals.