Pride Of Detroit: FanPosts

I dont get all this melo-drama bullshit....

2009-11-07T07:35:05Z

We were 0-16. I mean really.. it will take a few years. I dont think anyone here realizes how bad the Lions really were. Alot of people look to the Dolphins as a reference. Loook where they are now. F%@# 3-4. 11-5 last season. Parcells took the short cut, of signing a bunch of FA. Mayhew and Schwartz are building through the draft. It will take more than one draft to get the job done.

Jesus H. Christ... What do you expect? The calling cry of this site before the season was " Any given Sunday" Well, guess what. It works both ways. Just because the Lions lost to the Rams. It means the Lions are the worst team in the league? Give me a break. I, mean the Eagles lost to the fuckin Raiders for Christ sakes. The Skins, in back to back games lost to the Lions. Than to the Chiefs. Really what do you want? How many starters do you think the Lions really have? Do you think that White is a starter on 2/3's of the NFL teams? Maybe,maybe not. Give Stafford more than five games. The Lions drafted a big time quarterback. Give him a few years. Look how many rookie are getting playing time. When has that ever happen a Millen draft? Never.

Whats funny to me is. That we all were here through the " defeated season". You all can see the progress that is being made. So, why cry now? I just dont get it. The Lions were being blowin out 42-10 almost every game last season. Fuck. This is one of the watchable season that I have seen in a long time.

I am loving these Lions. I am savoring every minute they play. I just dont get why would anyone be disappoint with this team. I see them on the field. Are they giving up? Hell, no. They have had a brutal schedule so far.

Just kept the faith. The direction the Lions are taking is the right one. It will take a few years. But for the ones who will stick around. It will be something great. I have never had more faith in a Lions team. Than I do with this one. And I have seen plenty of Lions teams.

All this misplace negativity. " this player got into it with fans." " this player is missing tackles." ect. ect. Than you put pads and you suit up. Those players. If they are shit. Well they will be gone soon enough. But it takes time. Millen really fucked us. You have to come to terms about that. We had the worst front office in football history.

Anyone that has been here at the POD since before the draft. You know my post. I am not a overly emotional person. My post's are stat or fact base.

I am not trying to call out any posters here. I love all the different opinoins and personalities we have here. ( and yes that includes you rbanner). I think, all the people who post here are what I call the 1%ers. We are the hardest of the diehards. We all want the Lions to to great. We just have different views on how for them to get there. All I am asking is have some faith. Have some faith that Schwartz and Mayhew have a plan. Have some faith, that some of the underachievers will blossom as players. Just...have faith. I love this Lions team. It is just hard for me to read a bunch of negative comments about them

Thank you.

Jakob Cruize

Im a sad, sad, Lions fan

2009-11-06T21:32:42Z

Hey guys, ive been thinking lately (which is dangerous in itself) and that loss last Sunday really, really felt like a punch to the gut. Although the Lions were 1-5, i thought they were a better team than the garbage that has been lining up over the past few years. I was watching the game with a few friends, none of whom were Lions fans, and they were shocked by how upset i was, this really was the conversation right after the game.

Friend 1: "B, why are you so upset ?"

Me: "We just lost to the FUCKING Rams !!"

Friend 2: "Yeah well they played the FUCKING Lions !"

Me: "get out of my house !"

Im hurting as a fan, i NEED this team to get better, it sucks soooooo much to be constantly ridiculed about my Lions, i havent posted anything on POD this week because im so bummed out. When are things gonna change ? How many top picks are we gonna have to go through before we are able to have a 7 win season ? I dont care about the playoffs at this moment, i just want this team to win more than 5 games. Im not going anywhere, im a Lions fan until i die but shit, how many more years of this crap are we gonna have to go through before there is a little payoff ?

i like Schwartz, i like Stafford, and there are definitely things that yo can be optimistic about but when Calvin becomes a free agent and the Cowboys, or Patriots, or any playoff team come calling, is he really gonna come back to us ? and do we have the right to be upset if he leaves ?

Please talk me off the ledge...

On Paper: Lions vs. Seahawks

2009-11-06T08:01:55Z

For an explanation on my “On Paper” previews, check out my first preview of the year. And please read my stuff at my website, too. I love you guys.

Lions Pass Offense (21st) vs. Seahawks Pass Defense (18th)

This week, I'm going to try something a little different in order to put some statistics in context. Previously, I listed how other teams have fared against the Lions' upcoming opponent. This week, I added how these other teams performed in comparison to their season averages. The purpose of this is to understand the statistics a little better. Letting Shaun Hill burn you for a quarterback rating of 86.1 may seem bad, but when you see that the 49ers are actually averaging an 83.2 ranking for the season, it's not as bad as it seems. Anyways, lets start the show.

Opponent	Season Avg Passing Yards	Passing Yards vs. Seattle	Season QB Rating	QB Rating vs. Seattle
Rams	171.5	191	69.4	63.5
49ers	174.9	144	83.2	86.1
Bears	226.9	247	80.6	126.4
Colts	316.3	353	110.8	107.1
Jaguars	216.1	190	77.9	75.7
Cardinals	263.3	276	81.4	100.8
Cowboys	263.6	256	96.8	108.1

Concluding from these stats, the Lions can expect a very average game, as Seattle seems to hold teams eerily close to their season averages. Looking at the QB rating, however, Seattle has allowed four quarterbacks to reach the century mark. Not surprisingly, the Seahawks rank 28th in opponents' QB rating.

Last week, the Lions pass offense took a big hit. Matthew Stafford completed a season-low 42% of his passes, while amassing just 168 yards through the air. That's all fine, he's a rookie; we knew he'd struggle. What's not okay is that the Lions played the Rams last week, who had the 25th ranked pass defense at the time.

The Lions look to rebound this week, and may have their number one threat back. Calvin Johnson has already practiced twice this week and seems quite likely to return to the field this week. His return will be welcomed after the other receivers seemed to have suffered a bad case of swine flu last week. Did I say swine flu? I meant "Holy Crap, you're actually getting paid seven figures to catch passes for a living?" disease.

In terms of protection, Seattle poses a pretty big threat. They rank 7th in the league in sacks (18), and have veteran Patrick Kerney playing like a stud again. Kerney currently has four sacks and is on pace for 12 for the season. Surprisingly, this pressure has not amounted to a high number of interceptions, as the Seahawks have a league-worst three picks on the season.

Jeff Backus and company will have to rebound if they want to keep Stafford clean on Sunday. Backus may have another new partner to his right, as the left guard position is once again unsettled. Many, myself included, were convinced the spot had been locked up by newcomer Daniel Loper, but last week Loper lost his job to Jon Jansen, whose performance did not seem much better. Loper is now a backup right tackle, and Jansen is now battling with Manny Ramirez for the starting job. At this point, any change will likely be an improvement as the Lions have given up 24 sacks in 7 games (29th).

Like I stated before, I expect a pretty average day from Stafford and the Lions pass offense. This will probably amount to around 200 yards, a touchdown and probably at least one turnover. Because Calvin in back, the Lions get the slight advantage, Lions +1.

Lions Run Offense (20th) vs. Seahawks Run Defense (10th)

Opponent	Season Avg Rusing Yards	Rushing Yards vs. Seattle
Rams	116.1	77
49ers	100.4	256
Bears	93.4	85
Colts	87.3	78
Jaguars	135.6	38
Cardinals	64.9	62
Cowboys	147.6	113

Wowsa. Despite being only ranked 10th overall, the Seattle defense has held six of their seven opponents under their season averages. Especially impressive is their performance against the Jaguars, in which they held Maurice Jones-Drew to 34 yards on 12 carries.

Obviously, the 49ers game sticks out as an outlier, with Seattle giving up 256 yards. In this game, Frank Gore had two rushes for 79 and 80 yards. Take away those two runs and San Francisco is, too, below their season average.

Despite these impressive stats, Seattle is still giving up a very average 4.2 yards per carry (T-16th). They certainly aren't unbeatable.

Detroit had a bit of resurgence in the run game last week against the Rams, totaling 128 yards on 33 carries. Detroit may be without Kevin Smith, who hurt his shoulder last week. However, this is unlikely to change the matchup much, as Maurice Morris stepped in his place last week and picked up an impressive 4.5 yards per carry (though Smith may be missed in the passing game). He’ll have some extra motivation this week going against his former team.

Though Detroit is unlikely to have a breakout game on the ground, there's no reason to bury them. Perhaps the biggest defensive threat to this lineup is rookie Aaron Curry, who ranks second in the team in tackles. Every tackle he makes against the Lions will sting just a little more (as most fans wanted the Lions to draft him), but I still think the Lions to pick up a fair amount of yards. Overall, I expect the Lions to get around 80 yards total on the ground, which won't be enough to give the offense the advantage. Seahawks +1.

Seattle Pass Offense (17th) vs. Lions Pass Defense (27th)

Opponent	Season Avg Passing Yards Allowed	Passing Yards Allowed vs. Seattle	Season QB Rating Allowed	QB Rating Allowed vs. Seattle
Rams	238.6	279	91.9	96.9
49ers	252.1	217	84.2	61.0
Bears	199.4	261*	84.0	74.1*
Colts	180.1	257*	68.0	94.4*
Jaguars	242.4	241	100.8	125.1
Cardinals	233.0	114	82.4	32.5
Cowboys	237.1	249	90.4	92.8

*Seneca Wallace starts

Now we come to my least favorite part of every previews: the Lions pass defense. Detroit's ranking is actually a little inflated after facing St. Louis and their horrible pass offense. Despite holding Marc Bulger to a passer rating of 51.6, the Lions are still ranked last in opposing passer rating.

Anyways, looking at their past opponents, Seattle looks pretty inconsistent. Matt Hasselbeck had a great performance against Jacksonville, but followed it up with an awful showing against Arizona. Seattle has a respectable 85.8 team passer rating (Hasselbecks' is 87.0) which puts them right in the middle of the pack at 15th overall.

Seattle's receiving core is more than solid. Not only do they have solid starters in Nate Burleson and T.J. "just copy and paste my last name" Houshmandzadeh, but their backups include rookie Deon Butler and Deion Branch. Detroit counters with Will James and Phillip Buchanon. Yikes.

Seattle has given up 18 sacks (12th most), while Detroit ranks 21st in sacks. The Lions hope to get Jason Hunter back this week, who can provide some depth to a poor defensive line.

It seems that Seattle thrives against poor pass defenses and struggles against good ones. It's pretty clear which category the Lions fall under. No chance the Lions ever get the advantage in this matchup: Seattle +2.

Seattle Run Offense (29th) vs. Detroit Run Defense (21st)

Opponent	Season Avg Rusing Yards Allowed	Rushing Yards Allowed vs. Seattle
Rams	134.8	167
49ers	84.9	66
Bears	110.6	103
Colts	112.0	49
Jaguars	128.3	143
Cardinals	96.4	14
Cowboys	105.0	79

Not surprisingly, the Seahawks only managed to beat the season averages in their two wins against the Rams and the Jaguars. All of their other performances are quite horrible, including a 14-yard day against the Cardinals' 8th ranked run defense. This week, Seattle dropped their dead weight by releasing aging running back Edgerrin James. Julius Jones continues to be mediocre with his 3.9 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, the Lions almost squeaked out an adequate performance against Steven Jackson last week. They did a pretty good job holding him in check until the fourth quarter, where Jackson picked up 80 of his 149 yards on the day. Detroit's ranking is a little deceiving as they are giving up a ridiculous 4.8 yards per carry (30th). However, Seattle doesn't pose a big enough threat to take the advantage in this matchup. Lions +0.5.

Special Teams

I'm not going to waste a lot of e-ink on this. Seattle doesn't pose a big return threat, as they rank in the bottom half of the league in both kick and punt returns. Detroit follows suit. Neither team is particularly good in return defense. Interestingly, Seattle ranks last in opponents punt return average.

Kickers, too, are a push. Olindo Mare, though old, is still solid. He's 10/12 this year to Jason Hanson's 9/10. Hanson's probably the better kicker, but neither kicker is likely to make or break the game.

Because neither team has a threat, no one gets an advantage. Push

Overall

Seattle comes out with a 1.5 advantage; a surprisingly close total for a game in which the Lions are ten point underdogs. Seattle is truly a mysterious team, and maybe that's why such the high total. Their two wins were quite impressive (28-0 and 41-0 blowouts) but the rest of their season has been ugly. I expect Seattle to win, but I don't see the Lions getting shut nor blown out. A lot of fans are pretty down on the Lions after their loss to the Rams, but the matchup this week is actually fairly favorable. 27-20 Seahawks.

Kevin Smith's Mentality

2009-11-06T04:20:45Z

I've always loved Kevin Smith as a Lion. From the time he was drafted, I've been happy he was a part of the team. He's a strong runner, a prolific talent that continues to improve. I think half the reason he's not been even better is because of our sour offensive line (what's new?). So, needless to say, I became even more content with Smith as our starting RB because of the following report from Yahoo! Sports:

"RB Kevin Smith is likely to play after leaving Sunday's game against St. Louis with a shoulder injury -- the second such problem he has had this season -- and knows he needs to produce better. Coach Jim Schwartz has talked about breaking big runs. Smith's longest is 20 yards. He averages 3.1 yards per carry. "We're all looking to kind of quiet the critics that Detroit doesn't have a running game," Smith said. "Because I get the ball first, I want to be that tempo-setter and that lead dog. I think enough's enough." The Lions are trying to give Maurice Morris and rookie Aaron Brown a few more carries, while keeping Smith as the No. 1 back. "We've got to, between the three of them, come up with a productive plan in the run game to win," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "We haven't gotten there yet." Smith bristled and declined to comment when asked if the coaches were increasing competition. But earlier he talked about feeling heat. "The coaches have expectations," Smith said. "Of course you want to prove to them that you can do your thing, but the most pressure is coming from myself, because I didn't come in this league to be a bottom-list rusher. ... I've got to stick with it. If it's not going my way, there's two things you can do: You can give up, or you can get better. There's only one option for me.""

I love the attitude. The commitment to improvement. We need guys like him on this team. It is things like this that let me know that they aren't quitting, that they are always focusing on improving, and that they are buying into the new coaching system completely. I feel good about this team's future, even though they've shown some major inconsistency through the season. We will get better. We just have to build more around our solid talent.

Restore the roar!

Longest Droughts in Sports ... Part Deux.

2009-11-06T00:15:47Z

The last post the other day looked at Championships, but ... the next step is ... you can't win anything if you don't even make the playoffs, so of the four major sports ... Who has the longest current Playoff Droughts.

1.)27 Seasons MLB Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos (Who had their best season the strike shorten season in which the World Series was canceled. Poor guys)
2.) 23 Seasons MLB Kansas City Royals.
3.) 16 Seasons MLB Pittsburgh Pirates
4.) 15 Seasons MLB Toronto Blue-Jays
5.) 14 Seasons MLB Cincinnati Reds
6.) 12 Seasons MLB Baltimore Orioles
7.) 10 Seasons MLB Texas Rangers
8.) 9 Seasons NFL Detroit Lions
9.) 9 Seasons NFL Buffalo Bills
10.) TIE 8 Seasons Florida Panthers NHL and Seattle Mariners MLB

The Longest streak in the NBA is 5 Seasons between the Knicks, Timber-wolves and Bobcats, but considering in Basketball and Hockey over half the teams make the playoffs. It was destined to be full of Baseball teams and even after the expansion the playoffs, it is a lot of the same teams over and over again. Oh congrats Yankees, sorry you had to wait so long for this one.

It is hard to believe as a fan its been 9 years since Satan in the body of a former NFL'er Matt Millen came to Detroit and with him came the locust and frogs, water to blood,his minion Granholm and by no coincidence the collapse of the auto-industry.

The playoffs would cure so much so a lot of these teams, including our Lions.

Hackerz Evaluation of the Secondary

2009-11-04T04:59:45Z

It seem a lot of people have been talking about the secondary lately, now like I said before I love Eric Berru and i would have no problem with the Lions taking him. Defensive line is really the problem though, you can put the greatest secondary out there and they still would get torched bc that defensive line cant get any pressure. Lions cant get any pressure on the QB and that secondary is getting torched, as uch as I love Eric Berry i still wouldnt take him over Ndamukong Suh DT , Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma , Russell Okung LT Oklahoma State.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE THE DL OR OL ANY LONGER!!!!!!

If the lions are ever gonna turn around a not just for 1 year but be a playoff contender every year then we have to get better up front. Thats it, there is no magical formula. If we wanna win we gotta fix these lines, THATS IT!!!!!!

This is the problem Lions fans have every year they flip flop, Mayhew and Swartz know they have to stay the coarse. Get a franchise QB get a monster DT or LT and draft well in all the rounds and sign some players along the way. You gotta be smoking crack if you want the lions to draft a CB with there first round pick, thats insaine.

We just have to stay the Coarse

Longest Droughts in Sports. The Hope and the Dread.

2009-11-04T00:59:43Z

I took the pinnacle of every franchise’s success (A championship) and compared every team among the four major leagues, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. Then listed them all from Longest stretch to shortest without a Championship. By franchise I take into account every location that team was in, an example would be the Arizona Cardinals, who won their last championship 61 years ago, but have been in Arizona since the 1980’s but this is more about the franchise then the city. I also count the years in St. Louis and Chicago and whereever else. (In making this list I also assumed the Yankees *have* won the 2009 World Series although this does not change the list really, The Yankees and Phillies were no where near the bottom of this list … hhowever it does add a season to all MLB teams)

The List of Longest Championship Droughts

1.) Was their any doubt the CHICAGO CUBS. MLB 101 Seasons.
2.) Cleveland Indians. MLB 61 Seasons.
3.) Arizona Cardinals. NFL 61 Seasons.
4.) Sacramento Kings. NBA 58 Seasons.
5.) San Francisco Giants. MLB 55 Seasons.
6.) Atlanta Hawks. NBA 51 Seasons.
7.) Detroit Lions. NFL 51 Seasons.
8.) Texas Rangers. MLB. 48 Seasons.
9.) Chicago Blackhawks. NHL 48 Seasons.
10.) Philadelphia Eagles NFL 48 Seasons.

Of these ten teams. The Texas Rangers, and Detroit Lions have never made it to their respective championships (In NFL I am counting the Super Bowl as current respective championship, although they did win the NFL championship many many many years ago, that was the old format, they have NEVER been to the Superbowl.) The Sacramento Kings since they won it in Rochester 58 years ago have not made it to the finals in any city, and the Atlanta Hawks only appearances in the finals where while they were in St. Louis.
The Eagles, Cardinals (Super Bowl) Indians, Cubs, Giants (World Series) Blackhawks (Stanley Cup)have all have in their current location been to the finals of their respective league since their last championship.

Of these teams, they is not a lot of hope of the losing tradition. The Eagles are decent and have their chances this year and few next, the Hawks are good, but would have to get by the Lakers, Celtics, and Cavaliers. The Arizona Cardinals until Warner retires and Blackhawks with some young talent have outside shots, (but the B-hawks should run into a Redwing buzz saw, once someone starts it up.) On the flip side …

I started this list and updating it back in 2006, I once finished I made the same list how it would have look ten years prior. (This would place it right before the Wings won the Cup that year.) there is noticeable change.

10.) TIE Atlanta Hawks, NBA. Detroit Lions, NFL. 39 years

9.) Detroit Redwings. NHL. 41 years. WON A STANLEY CUP

8.) San Francisco Giants. MLB. 43 years.

7.) Saint Louis Rams. NFL. 45 years. WON THE SUPERBOWL

6.) Sacramento Kings. NBA. 46 years.

5.) Cleveland Indians. MLB. 48 years.

4.) Arizona Cardinals. NFL. 49 years. FINALLY MADE A SUPER BOWL

3.) Boston Redsoxs. MLB. 78 years. WON THE WORLD SERIES

2.) Chicago Whitesoxs. MLB. 79 years. WON THE WORLD SERIES

1.) Chicago Cubs. MLB. 88 years.

Things do change for some but not for the others, the thing I think we will learn in the next few years after the Millen Era of Doom is ... Are we forever a Cub or King ... or are we wearing Sox? Wow, only in sports talk would that make any sense.

Fifty Years of Futility.

2009-11-03T21:21:49Z

In spite of the title, this will not be another one of my rage filled rants about some mundane story that may have nudged me a little too close to the edge. I've actually seen evidence of this discussion before on Pride of Detroit, but a recent radio show has further peaked my curiosity.

I recently celebrated, errr, drank away my sorrows of my 30th birthday. My apologies to those of you are well past this not-so-magical date, but I'm finding it a little depressing being 30 years old and not rich, nor famous, nor am I an astronaut, a fireman, or any of the other dreams that a much younger me once had. What probably depresses me the most is that rather than having discussions about my favorite football team's Super Bowl chances...we're spending the majority of the week discussing an embarrasing loss to the Saint Louis Rams. But I digress...

I have been blessed to be part of a big family and I have three younger brothers. My brothers are 28, 23, and 19 respectively and out of the four of us only two of us are Lions fans. My father isn't from the States, but he's lived here most of his life and in Michigan his entire adult life...he's not much of a fan either. Out of all of us, I'm the only nutjob who finds it worthwhile to spend so much of my time obsessing about the Detroit Lions. I know I have my reasons for this team tugging at my heartstrings...but it's never really crossed my mind why the others don't share my obsession.

Considering the five decades that have passed since the last Lions Championship, I'm always wondering what hooked most of us fans? Is there a certain age group that has more fans than others? Is it possible that if the Lions don't start to turn things around soon that fanhood could skip an entire generation? Anyway, my extremely long story short...how long have you been a Lions fan?

Poll

In what could be one of the most pointless polls ever, how old are you?

I don't know what to say

2009-11-03T20:48:35Z

The title of this post has several meanings for me.

First, I could rant about how lousy the Lions looked on Sunday but it was what it was and it wasn't pretty.

Second, I could apologize for not posting near as often as I had been when I was among the ranks of the unemployed. I found a temp job and the time I had to hang out on POD dropped to zero. (I'm slightly embarassed because I posted a complaint last spring about the lack of involvement on the site after the draft)

Third, I could post what I didn't get around to posting during the bye week. I wanted to list some things about football in general that have been bothering me and what could be done to correct them. Things like the FOX Robot that got old after about the 2nd quarter of the game in which it was first used. Then there is the 5 minute commercial break, followed by the 20 second kickoff and subsequent return, followed by another 5 minute commercial break. Get on with the game already. Rules that over-protect the QB. Sportcasters that have no business being in their profession. I had a lengthy list.

Fourth, and probably the most important topic I wish to talk about is that I'm leaving town, quite possibly for good. Last February, I applied for the U.S. Border Patrol. After a long period of pre-employment processing, I finally received my call. This Sunday, I'll be on my way. I don't know what kind of time I'm going to have to post comments and whatnot but I just wanted to thank all of you for being part of what got me through a lengthy period of unemployment. I'll try and keep up with POD as much as I can and know that I will be a Lions fan wherever I might be. Go Lions. Go Detroit. Go southeast Michigan. It'll always be home and the Lions will always be my team.

Won't bury the Lions

2009-11-03T16:22:30Z

I'm not going to kill the Lions for the loss against the Rams because without Calvin Johnson that offense is terrible. Imagine taking away Steven Jackson or DWade in basketball, those teams would struggle. Calvin is by FAR the #1 option of the team. He is the first read in probably 90% of the pass plays. I look at the game against Washington and the 1st three quarters of the Chicago game as the barometer of the Lions. They moved the ball offensively and struggled defensively. That is what this team is. We would have beat St. Louis and could have beaten Pittsburgh with a healthy Stafford AND Calvin. Those two are the most important players on the team and I am not going to put much into a loss against any team where those two didn't play.

Week 9 Trivia (ANSWER)

2009-11-03T15:35:47Z

Dear POD'ers:

Well its clear that we are all a pissed of bunch of fans due to this weekends loss to the Rams. Some on the site are losing faith in this season and frankly so am I. In fact I was gonna call this a loss to the "lowly Rams" but that would evince that we (the Lions) are truly beneath lowly and I honestly don't think we are (but unfortunately the W/L record proves otherwise).

ANSWER: the Lions last won the Central in 1993, just 2 years removed from going to the NFC Championship game. In 1993 they hosted the NFC Wild Card and lost on a last minute TD heave from Favre to Sharpe in the corner of the endzone. That play broke my heart. I can remember it to this day - I beleive it was a blown coverage by Tim McKeyer if I remember (I will have to check that though). Also of note, 1993 was the last year that NFL teams had 2 bye weeks during the regular season. I think we should go back to that format if that's what the Lions need!!!!

Poll

When was the last time the Lions won the NFC North/Central?

1999

4 votes

1993

10 votes

1991

13 votes

1995

7 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

Hackerz 2010 NFL Rough Mock Draft

2009-11-03T12:30:46Z

#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

With a defense that bad They need to start up front.

#2 St. Louis Rams Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

Belive it or not he's coming into a good situation. Has a top 3 RB, (questionable) franchise LT and now all they need to do is find a WR in the 2 round and that offense is on there way. Defense on the other hand..??

#3 Oakland Raiders Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

This is the best move for this team, stop the run and run the ball. Thrown as little as possible especially when your your QB only completes 35% or his passes.

#4 Cleveland Browns Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State

The Browns desperately need a play maker on offense.

#5 Detroit Lions Russell Okung LT Oklahoma State

Finally!!! Good bye Jeff "false start" Backus, oh and Okung is really really good too.

#6 Kansas City Chiefs Eric Berry S Tennessee

Cant go wrong with Berry he's a great player.

#7 Washington Redskins Jake Locker QB Washington

Snyder will want big big changes to his franchise and Locker has all the tool's to be a special QB in the NFL.

#8 Seattle Seahawks Trent Williams OT Oklahoma

Solid player who can play LT or RT on a theam that desperately needs some OL help. Oh and they need a RB and a QB how can play all 16 games.....

#9 Tennessee Titans Terrence Cody DT Alabama

A junior college to division 1, he's gotta be pretty good to start on Sabin's squad. He's a 365lb monster.

#10 Buffalo / Toronto Bills Brandon Lafell WR LSU

Maybe they keep T.O. around for a couple more years so he can mentor Lafell , there very similar players.

#11 Miami Dolphins Arrelious Benn WR Illinois

Chad Henne needs someone to throw it to, Ginn is more of a #2 or #3 WR but a very special WR/KR. Waych put for this team next season...

#12 San Fransisco 49's ( from Carolina ) Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

Clausen is the most gifted passer of this years draft, he makes throws that the others cant. Good situation to have him in with Crabtree, Davis, Gore and Coffee. Dont get any better than that for a rookie.

#13 Jacksonville Jaguars Taylor Mays S USC

Jaguars fan base needs a reason to go see there team bc winning aparently isnt enough anymore, so Taylor Mays is the guy WR's better keep there heads low because he's gonna crush some diva's.

# 14 Green Bay Packers C.J. Spiller RB Clemson

Play making RB that Green Bay has needed for a while.

# 15 Dallas Cowboys Joe Haden CB Florida

Grab the best CB on the board not too bad.

#16 San Fransisco Brandon Graham DE/OLB Michigan

Great player on a bad Michigan team, his motor never stops and he's gonna be good for a long time.

#17 San Diego Chargers Sean Weatherspoon OLB Missiouri

Great player that always seems to make things happen, hopefully he can pick up Merriman's slack. Hasnt been the same since he stopped the "juice".

#18 New York Giants Sergio Kindle OLB/DE Texas

why not?

#19 Denver Broncos ( from Chicago ) Colt McCoy QB Texas

Another great sistuation for a rookie QB..

#20 Houston Texans Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

Finally in the top half of the league, now lets work on that defense. How about another huge and fast QB night mare? OK!

#21 New York Jets Javid Best RB/WR California

Sanchise gets another amazing weapon to play with, think of him as kinda like Percy Harvin.

#22 Cincinnati Bengals Johnathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech

Benson Decided to play because his contract is up but why buy a Jeep When you can have Corvette???

#23 Denver Broncos Renaldo McClain ILB Alabama

Help's that Defense a ton.

#24 Baltimore Ravens Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma

Smart Pick for this team, they lack a target on offense and he is a complete TE like Brandon Pettagrew last year. Exspect big things from this guy.

#25 Atlanta Falcons Patrick Robinson CB Florida State

Another peice to there puzzle.

#26 Arizona Cardnials Aurthur Jones DT Syaracuse

Im suprised he did'nt go sooner, but they get a good DT to help with that solid run defense.

#27 New England Patriots Greg Hardy DE Ole MIss

Some say he's a top 10 pick so maybe he's a steal, maybe he's injury prone. At 27 he's worth the risk.

#28 Philidalphia Eagles Brandon Spikes ILB Florida

Hopefully he can help there run defense, but that offense is sick!

#29 Indianapolis Colts Brian Bulaga OT Iowa

Hopefully he can keep Manning upright.

# 30 Minnesota Vikings Jevan Snead QB Ole Mis

Damn! Anther great place for a rookie to come into and leard from the best! I said it doesnt get any better than this with Jimmy Clausen but I was dead wrong... Come in and Learn from Farve for a year! Man this kid has it made.

# 31 Pittsburgh Steelers Jason Pierre-Paul DE South Florida

Kid's got a ton of potential.

# 32 New Orleans Saints Ricky Sapp DE Clemson

blah blah blah..

Guys Give me a break, belive it or not this took like 4hrs and about 10 other mocks to get this right...

This is my projection, and belive me I put a lot, a lot of thought into these..... Thanks for all your comments guys!

This is so much harder and time consuming then it looks..

Let's Be Less Biased

2009-11-02T17:55:33Z

I found Pride of Detroit through a friend who told me it was a great site to find anything you're looking for on the Detroit Lions. The latest news, updates, injuries, inside info, etc. And while all of that is true (and props to those who make this site happen), there is one thing that bugs me -- this site is too biased.

There's a not so fine line between optimism and bias. Optimism comes from those who are confident in what they support. Bias comes from those who are prejudice in favor of what they support. I can't even count how many posts/comments on this site this past week pretty much chalked this game up as a win. It's one thing to be optimistic that the Lions can beat the lowly Rams. It's another thing to think they can win simply because we're fans of the team. I think the comments and posts on this site would be a lot more informational and productive if we all took a step back and looked at the reality of the picture before publishing our thoughts. I think the excitement of rebuilding a team this season has all gone to our heads a bit. As exciting as it is that we have a new coach, some good rookies and veteran leadership on the team, we need to be realistic and realize that this team is just not that good right now. We show signs of life here and there, but there's a long way to go before we start stringing together three-win streaks within a season. And it won't happen this year, and probably not next year either. And for a few of you who believe this team is playoff bound next year, or even the year after that, you need to open your eyes. Not everyone can be the Miami Dolphins. That just doesn't happen very often. This team has a long way to go before producing anything that looks like a winning season. And while I'm optimistic that we have the pieces in place to start that transition, I'm not expecting a whole lot anytime soon. It's not being a bad fan and it's not turning my back on my team. It's simply realism. We don't have all the pieces yet.

I'm sure this post will upset a few. And to those people, I'm sorry. This isn't meant to crucify anybody. It's simply an attempt to instill some sort of reality check withing the community. I'm a huge Lions fan, have been since I was young enough to know what football was. I just think we ALL need to take a harder look at this team to understand the full effect of what's happening this season, and what's in store in the seasons to come. We've got a long way to go, but for the first time in year, I'm optimistic that the system being put in place now is headed in the right direction. Let's gear up for Seattle and see if we can't put together 4 quarters of NFL-quality football.

Go Lions!

The Dom

2009-11-02T13:23:43Z

Dominic Raiola is beginning to remind me of...well, honestly, no one is quite like him. Number 51, starting Center for the Detroit Lions, is now a resounding 32-102 for his professional career. No, that's not a typo...32 wins, 102 losses. To be fair to The Dom, he wasn't actually named a starter until his second year in the league. Since that time, however, he hasn't missed a single one of those wins or losses. The rise and fall of Joey Harrington, Matt Millen, four head coaches, and what was once a proud franchise and fanbase...the former second round pick has been there through it all. One would think that through all that chaos, one might gain a little perspective, a little understanding, and possibly even a little insight to the frustrations of being a Lions fan. Instead...following what should have been an embarassing, humbling loss to the worst, correction, the second worst team in the NFL Dominic Raiola found himself in yet another screaming match with fans in front of the smallest home crowd in two decades...let alone the history of Ford Field. Congradulations Dumbinic...you've just won yourself a clue.

Not that I would really expect Mr. Ravioli to ever read this blog, in fact, at this point I'm not 100% sure the big dumb oaf can actually read. In case, however, his little buddy Matt Stafford wants to pay him back for sticking up for him after the fans were so mean...maybe he could fill him in on all the big words used here.

For starters, Dom, you claim you love the fans here...and that you love being here. Dude, the feeling is definitely not mutual. Normally I would have nothing but praise for a guy who has been entrenched in his position, without missing a game, for what has been almost a decade at this point. But Dominic is no Peyton Manning, he is no Brett Favre, hell I don't even know if he's a Jeff Backus. At least Jeff knows to keep his stupid overpaid mouth shut.

Second, I would love to respect you for defending your teammates...but Matt is making an obcene amount of money wearing that #9 jersey, he is absolutely fair game for criticism. You want to stand up for your teammate, you want to stop the criticism...start playing better!!! Be a good teammate by being part of a better team. Don't get after the fans because they're picking on your boy, let that boy become a bigger man than you will ever be...take that criticism and learn from it. Newsflash Dip$#!t...we didn't run Joey Blue Skies out of town, your lousy play and Joey's weak personality did that.

Last, but certainly not least. You're actually frustrated at the fans because you don't think they know what they're talking about. Wow...this one is almost hard to respond to. You may have one of the longest tenures with this franchise, but most of us have been around for a lifetime now. Those of us who actually showed up for that horrendous game on Sunday...do you think we just had nothing better to do? Do you think that the 40,857 that were in attendance are just your casual Lions fans only there to rag on you and your teammates? Matt Stafford and everyone of your aweful teammates deserved criticism for that dreadful performance. We know what we're talking about Dom, and frankly we're freakin sick of it! We're sick of watching your terrible offensive line get no push up front, and fail to protect your precious quarterback. We're sick of watching dropped pass, after dropped pass from one pathetic receiver after another (Lord knows we've drafted enough of 'em). We're sick of watching the defense "pump up the crowd" only to give up a 12 yard run with four mis-tackles. We're sick of excuses, sick of nonsense about picks and shovels, pad levels, and how high bars are set. We're sick of new attitudes, we're sick of new coaches, we're sick of rebuilding. We're sick of the draft being the most exciting part of the season. We're sick of all the freakin losing, and Dom we are sick of you!

You're pissed because the fans came after your teammates, and I'm pissed because you're coming after my fans. We've suffered through more bull$#!t than you can understand you overrated, undersized, pathetic excuse for a player. You don't like the heat, you better do something about it or get the F^ck outta our kitchen you douche bag...because enough is enough already. Get the hell out of the NFL and go give the pro-wrestling a shot, they're always looking for big morons with strong personalities. Was this clear enough for you Dom, can you now understand where I'm coming from...or do you need me to draw you a picture?

Poll

How do you feel about Dominic screaming at the fans near the end of the Lions 17-10 loss to the Rams?

How Bad are the Lions?

2009-11-02T04:35:21Z

1-15? 3-13? or Better?

Here are my thoughts

Ok first off my beef is with Scott Linehan, what the heck is this Playbook? i am so sick of seeing stupid screen plays run in 2nd and Longs and 3rd and Longs. We Drafted Matthew Stafford for his Arm and Decision making did we not? then why on earth do you have him get the ball turn and look to Kevin Smith and throw a Short little Screen? Please someone tell me. Next you have Clavin Johnson sitting on the Bench, why? because he is injured because you decided to throw to him behind or at the line of scrimmage where Safeties and Corners and even Linebackers can take full shots at him. Stupid,Stupid,Stupid. Next you drafted a big time TE then you run a stupid offense he has no part in, what the heck for? Get him involved you idiot! no about Kevin Smith, why the heck is he touching the ball so much? he isn't a established Veteran, he is one year removed from a decent Rookie year so please tell me why he is getting more touchs then anyone on the team? your treating this guy like he is Steven Jackson or Adrian Peterson, well i got news for you... He Sucks!

Ah now for you Kevin Smith, you suck end of story. i am sick and tired of hearing about how you are gonna break through NEXT game. Show up or Ship out. thats it no questions.

Defensive Line come on why don't you try to get through to the QB? i mean is it really to much to ask for? i didn't think so.

Special Teams, Tackle the Guy with the Ball because well thats the way you play Football

Jim Schwartz, why do you have Fitzsimmions on this team? Dan Gronkowski is younger and just as good so bring him up. Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams give them more touchs, i mean what can it hurt?

Martin Mayhew, if you don't Draft Eric Berry your an idiot.

oh and another thing Linehan Backus sucks but he is a better blocker then Felton get that through your head.

Basically that was my rant, i feel a lot better know after i get this stuff off my chest.

Detroit Lions 1-32 (Curse you Washington!)

The 2010 draft

2009-11-02T01:48:16Z

Now I know we all hope next season will be the year when our Lions start to turn it around, but there's some major holes on this team that they need to fill. Scary to think we need another WR next to Calvin but its the truth. We need that burner who can stretch the field and open things up for him. The defense is a mess, DE is a huge need for us. When we get more pressure on the opposing QB the secondary wont look as bad, one things for sure we sure as hell cannot take a CB in the 1rd or a WR. Rd 1, if we are picking between 2-7 my first choice is Eric Berry S, he's the best player in the draft and is a total game changer and is he best S prospect since Ed Reed (who everyone compares him to) but he will lay a nasty hit unlike Reed. Next to Delmas would be the best S combination in the NFL, and would put fear into any QB. The 2010 draft is very deep in defensive line prospects and Sammy Lee Hill has been another great move by Mayhew (who I have faith in), DT is the best move in rd 2 , putting him next to Hill and getting some pressure up front would extremely smart move for Mayhew.

Brandon Pettegrew has been kinda a lightning rod in Detroit, people need to understand that he's not an Antonio Gates type of TE, he's an amazing blocker and will find his way as a reciver. Just dont get too down on him, he's not a one dementional type of TE so he has a lot to learn but i know he will come around. Trust me this is a guy who doesnt half ass's , he takes ride in what he does. (he's no Roy Williams) Now Mayhew need to find his steal of the 2010 draft at WR and get Calvin some help. I still think we are about 4 players away from being .500 team next year if players stay healthy. Eric Berry is that cant miss type of player for the defense and even with all our other problems we cant afford to pass him up. (we would regret it for a decade)

I'd love to hear what you guys think... Let me know..

Blackout/ Streaming video

2009-11-01T14:53:37Z

Ok so i need your guys help. I remember reading on a post awhile back for the redskins game, for a website that actually streams the game. I cant remeber the name and im obviously in the blackout area, but on this website it was peerfect i just hooked the cord up to the computer and the tv and watched it like a regular game. I think it was justin.tv but the site looks different from before and i cant find the old post. So if anyone could shoot me a reliable web site let me know!

Where's a good place to watch the Lions outside of the blackout radius?

2009-10-31T20:56:09Z

My friends and I are die-hard lions fans and we want to drive outside the blackout radius and catch the game at a bar. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I think the radius is 75 miles from detroit, but I'm not certain. I'm sure there are bars out there where lions fan unite and watch. Also, I'm sure we're not the only crazy fans with this idea!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Draft 2010 What is the biggest need?

2009-10-31T05:54:07Z

We all know the Lions can again do BPA (Best Player Available) in the 2010 draft but what do you think the biggest needs are?

What do you think is the biggest need for the Lions. I think in 2010 we will be drafting around the 5th or 6th pick. Therefore it has to be DL S or LT.

Eric Berry looks intriguing. Suh or McCoy or Okung would also be possibilities

What position do you prefer?

Why this is the most important game of the year.

2009-10-30T16:36:10Z

I know what you're thinking. What is this guy smoking and where can I find some? The Rams? The most important game of the year?!?! Well it is. At least it's the most important game of the year so far anyway. This is why is think this. Our beloved, yet much maligned, Lions are attempting to make their way out of the moldy, smelly cellar of the NFL. In order to begin the climb they made key acquisitions in the offseason through the draft and free agency. Staff, Grew, Foote, etc. The next step in that climb is to win the games we SHOULD win. We beat a subpar Redskins team and we should've. Now we face the all-defeated Rams. The Rams who have a very good chance completing the season winless. This is a team we SHOULD beat. Only by keeping the Rams winless will the Lions continue their journey out of the cellar in an appropriate fashion. Only by keeping the Rams winless will the Lions begin to cement themselves as future contenders to anyone outside of this blog. Only by keeping the Rams winless will the Lions truly be on their way to restoring the roar. The real journey begins on Sunday. Let's beat the teams we SHOULD beat this year. We can worry about stealing games next year. GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!