• Jon Kitna missed practice again on Thursday, and it is looking more and more like he won't start for the Lions on Sunday.  It will probably be a game-time decision, but if Kitna doesn't play then Dan Orlovsky would likely step in to replace him, just as he did against the Bears.  I would hope Orlovsky plays better if he does start, but there really is no reason to believe he will.
• The Lions waived running back Marcus Thomas and signed fullback Moran Norris on Thursday.  Thomas was signed after the last round of cuts back at the end of August.  Before joining the Lions, Thomas was a member of the Chargers, who drafted him earlier this year.  Norris, the newest member of the Lions, played for the 49ers before being released during the final round of cuts.
• Detroit also signed defensive back Chris Roberson to the practice squad to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Kenneth Moore.  The Panthers signed Moore earlier this week from the Detroit's practice squad, giving Roberson, a former Eastern Michigan player, the chance to join the Lions.
• Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports thinks the Lions should trade Dewayne White, Brian Kelly, Roy Williams, and Cory Redding.
• Speaking of Brian Kelly, he isn't happy that he didn't play at all against the Bears and said something that Jim Mora would appreciate: "I'm not playing for the playoffs. Right now, I'm playing to win a game.''  That should be the focus of every Lions player and coach.  This team will not make the playoffs, so they should get their priorities in order.
• Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto admitted that the Lions' offense was terrible against the Bears.  What about the other games this season?
  
• SB Nation's Week 6 power rankings are out, and unsurprisingly, the Lions came in last place.
  

• Rookie running back Kevin Smith was asked about Shaun Alexander's recent visit with the Lions in his latest "Ten Texts" interview on Pro Football Talk, and his responses were quite interesting.
  

  Q:  What was your reaction to the news that they brought in Shaun Alexander for a workout?

  A:  LOL.

  Q:  That’s it?

  A:  Yup, I just laughed.

  I'm surprised that Smith was so candid with his thoughts about Shaun Alexander, but maybe that speaks more about the view of Alexander around the league.  After all, he has quickly gone from being an MVP to not even being able to find a job with any team in the NFL.  I wouldn't necessarily laugh at that myself, but I guess Smith isn't too worried about any added competition, especially from Alexander.
  
• Contrary to a report by an Austin TV station, Cedric Benson likely will not be signed by the Lions anytime soon.  It has been said repeatedly that the Lions are simply doing their homework and putting together a short list in case an injury happens to one of their running backs.  I had a hard time believing that was the case simply because we were told the same thing when Rudi Johnson worked out for the Lions and he did end up signing.  I guess this situation is different, though, as the Lions appear to be set with who they have at running back for the time being.
• Early indications are that Gosder Cherilus will start at right tackle for the Lions on Sunday.
• Dick Stockton will be the play-by-play announcer for the Lions-49ers game and Brian Baldinger and Brian Billick will both add color commentary.
• The broadcast maps for this weekend's games are out.
  
• Even though he isn't supposed to be 100% healthy until early October, Drew Stanton is ready to play if something happens to Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky.
• Drew Stanton, Corey Smith, Cory Redding, and Gerald Alexander are on this week's injury report.
• Here's a shocker: There are still tickets available for the Lions' next home game (on October 5 against Chicago).  The team is pushing the "Pepsi Pack" just as they did for the Packers game, so it's pretty much a guarantee that this game is headed for a blackout unless a company steps in again and buys the unsold tickets.
  
• The Vikings have benched Tarvaris Jackson and will start Gus Frerotte at quarterback this Sunday.  Jackson struggled during the first two games of the season and is one of the reasons why the Vikes are 0-2.  Frerotte certainly doesn't seem like he is that big of an upgrade, but he can't really be worse than Jackson.
  

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.