Pride Of Detroit

Back-up Center?

ferg1975 — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:29:24 -0000

I was looking at the Lions' depth chart today I noticed that only one player is listed as a center, Raiola. Was wondering if anybody knows who the team plans on using as a back-up? I don't think any of the guards listed have any experience at center, so now what? Free Agency? I personally think Raiola is an average center at best, I have seen him get blown up by tackles over and over. Maybe the change to zone blocking will benefit him. At any rate, because I have to make this 75 words long, I was just wondering who else can play center that is on the roster currently?

Cliff Avril

ferg1975 — Sat, 03 May 2008 03:28:08 -0000

As we all know rookie mini camp started today and there was a Q&A posted on detroitlions.com. Looks like Marinelli drafted some defensive lineman that he likes. I did not like losing Sean Rogers even though he was lazy, but perhaps the coach does know what he is doing. I am interested in seeing how quick Cliff Avril is, the coach says he has got some juice. It would be nice to see a LIon register double digit sacks in a season again.

RECEIVER??????

ferg1975 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:48:15 -0000

Can somebody explain to me why the team needs a receiver? Here I think Millen is doing somewhat decent, although he might be giving up more than he needs to. Is this guy a great return guy or something? Unfortunately I don't follow college football enough but I do know what the Lions roster needs are and receiver is on the bottom of the list. Offensive lineman depth is questionable, was there no lineman out there? Somebody help me out here!

Kevin Smith

GAKnight — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:22:56 -0000

Hello, Lions fans from a Georgia based UCF fan. Believe me when I say, you got the better back when you picked Kevin Smith over Tashard Choice. I am a Tech grad and follow both teams (20 year UCF season ticket holder) and there is NO comparison. It is not a stretch to say you got the steal of the draft. This kid is one great guy who ran for just under 2,600 yards and 30 TD's counting the one receiving. He can catch, block and has great feet. He is not exactly Barry Sanders but you will be reminded of those days. He is powerful, faster than the so-called experts think and has great durability. He had but one injury in college that kept him out of four games his sophmore season. He hold the NCAA record for carries and his teammates adore him. Congrats to the Powder Blue!

Welcome to the new Pride Of Detroit and SB Nation

clockwerks — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:55:57 -0000

Hey Pride Of Detroit,

Today is the big day. We've switched your community over to the new SB Nation sports blog platform. My name is Trei, and I'm here to help you get adjusted to the new home we've built for you. If you have questions or trouble with the new system, post a comment in this thread and myself or one of the team (lovitt, sixfoot6 or odacrem) will try to point you in the right direction.

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What Has Changed

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This one is probably the most obvious change of all. Like other major websites working to improve readability for their audience, we've adopted a fixed-width layout optimized for the 1024 x 768 resolution used by the majority of Pride Of Detroit and SB Nation network users. Use the switcher below the user menu if you prefer the wider layout designed for 1280 monitors. We've introduced a top navigation bar with quick links into old and new sections of the site. We also polished a few edges, made some things larger, others smaller and moved a few boxes here and there. More changes and adjustments to come.

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What's New

Schedule, Scores, Stats and Roster

Pride Of Detroit now has all the basic information about the Detroit Lions and hundreds of other teams. During games you'll see a regularly updated line score, and as the season progresses we'll track team stat totals and leaders. This is just our first step, so look for us to publish more detailed and archival stats in the future. The best part about all this sports data is that we've integrated it directly into the blog so. We now have special pages that aggregate all blog posts written about games, players and teams.

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Reminder

Sean Yuille — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:55:14 -0000

Pride of Detroit 2.0 is coming tomorrow. I expect the switch to be made sometime overnight, so when you wake up POD will have a new look. I'll be around all day to answer any questions that may arise as at first this will take time to get used to.

Best, Worst gqames of '08

Jettero2112 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:52:56 -0000

Here's an article from Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports picking the best and worst games of the '08 season. Guess what. Lions are listed as 3 of the worst games. Here they are:

Week 1 against Atlanta
Week 12 against Tampa
Week 15 against Indy.

He doesn't have much good to say about Detroit and, from the recent trends with that idiot Millen in charge, I can see why. Very sad.

Draft HQ Update

Sean Yuille — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:14:54 -0000

Just wanted to let everyone know that Draft HQ (located on the left sidebar) is coming together. I should have a draft tracker for all 7 rounds finished by tonight and will have a few other things up as well in the coming days. Since the draft is now under three weeks away, it is time to start focusing solely on that, and that is exactly what I plan to do barring any other breaking news.

Who is getting the Axe or traded?

ferg1975 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:45:56 -0000

Spring roster cleaning should be coming soon in order to clear cap room. Roy Williams is supposively safe since trading him apparently will not help. I was wondering who could be cut or traded to help? I have a hard time believing that the team is in this situation. Oh I almost forgot; we have Millen the Clown running the circus! The only two players I see on the roster (other than those that probably won't make the roster anyway) that may be cut or traded are Mike Furrey and Dan Campbell, anybody have any other ideas? Mike Furrey may even get some trade offers, he has shown that he can be a dependable possession receiver.

Marinelli must Buc this trend

Jettero2112 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:56:43 -0000

Here's a nice article from Rob Parker of The Detroit News.

The Lions are falling into a pattern of reaching into Marinelli's past and getting former Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here is the link to the article.

I have to say I agree with his thinking and don't like the way this off-season has been shaping up in the free agent market. There was a bit of decent talent out there and Millen signs guys on the downside of their careers, all ex-Bucs and almost all with recent injury histories. Why the hell is he still in charge?

Florence Signs with Jacksonville

Sean Yuille — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:58:50 -0000

Just a quick note...

Cornerback Drayton Florence, a player the Lions supposedly had interest in, has signed with the Jaguars.

J P Losman

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:25:14 -0000

I was just at Detroit Airport and saw JP Losman hop into a Limo. Has anyone heard anything about Losman being traded to Lions. He has a cannon of na arm and can run like the wind. At first I thought it was Adam Sandler, but the Limo driver was holding a sign that said "Losman".

Go Lions!!!!!

Super Bowl 2009

Rogers To Denver??

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:28:47 -0000

At least that is what the Rocky Mountain News is reporting --

You can see the details Here --

http://www.milehighreport.com/story/2008/2/25/184155/825

I know that my feelings are mixed on this, as are many of my readers over at the MHR.....

Obviously when Rogers is motivated he can be a monster. We saw that first hand in the drubbing the Lions handed the Broncos. Can he do that for 4 quarters a game over 16 games???

Mike Leach

harendaman365 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:13:00 -0000

I just joined this website, so here goes...

I think the lions should hire Texas Tech coach Mike Leach as at least their offensive coordinator. With an extraordinarily innovative offense he has made an offenseive powerhouse out of Texas Tech, setting passing records with no names such as the illustrious Kliff Kingsbury and BJ Symons. Point is, dude's a genius.
"But Calvinist365, what about Bobby Petrino, Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban and other college coaches who went to the NFL and flopped badly? How do you know Mike Leach wont do the same?"
Simple answer. Texas Tech is not a big school. They dont get all star recruits like bigger colleges. The coaches who win, do so because the play with great players. Its not hard to put together a winning team for say, Notre Dame if every single Catholic kid in Indiana who can throw a football wants to be a fighting Irish. However Leach has assembled a prolific offense with the guys every other team rejected.
In conclusion, do we know whether Mike Leach will be a good coach? No. Is he worth the chance? I think so. Look at Michael Crabtree's stats. Then imagine Mike Leach with Calvin Johnson.

For more info, see this article written by Michael Lewis, same guy who wrote "The Blind Side" and "Moneyball"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/magazine/04coach.html?pagewanted=all

Lions Team Report

Jettero2112 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:57:59 -0000

When the Lions introduced Jim Colletto as their new offensive coordinator, it quickly became clear that they were distancing themselves from Mike Martz and his methods.

Colletto said things like "You don't have to be a genius to figure these things out" and "It's not rocket science." Asked about his philosophy, he talked about a "balanced attack."

The story also comments on Shaun Rogers, hoping Kevin Jones is ready for training camp, resigning TJ Duckett and talks about the team, position by position. Good read.

The story can be read here

New Lions offensive coordinator preaches balanced attack

Jettero2112 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:37:22 -0000

Lions coach Rod Marinelli introduced two newly promoted assistants -- offensive coordinator Jim Colletto and assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Kippy Brown -- and the trio made it clear that Martz's complicated offensive scheme was a thing of the past.

"The philosophy of the team is going to be a balanced attack," Colletto said. "I want an offense that can run the ball and throw the ball."

The story is HERE.

Is Millen in hiding?

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:24:06 -0000

I think Matt Millen and Bill Ford ought to be required to stand on the sidelines during and after games. It would give the fans a focus point for their anger, disappointment, frustration, etc., etc. They are destroying the franchise, but prefer to do it in hiding.

I also would like to see, just once, one of our coaches pull somebody out of a game and send him or them to the locker room when they start playing like many of the guys did in the Green Bay game. What a disappointment for those who play their hearts out.

Thanks Mooch

Sean Yuille — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 02:04:16 -0000

Ugh, Millen actually wanted to hire current Packers coach Mike McCarthy as the OC a few years back, but thanks to Mooch that didn't happen.

I know we hate on Millen a lot, mainly because he deserves it, but damn, this really makes me mad at Mariucci. If McCarthy had come here and eventually had a shot at getting the HC job, imagine how things could have been different.

Link: http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1198638310259870.xml&coll=6

So close, and yet...same old Lions

ahtrap — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:35:26 -0000

Bumped from the diaries... I couldn't have said it better myself. The Lions were literally 18 seconds away from having a shot at making the playoffs.

Look at the standing, and you'll see a 9-7 team getting into the playoffs, with the NY Giants holding the top wild card spot at 10-5 currently, likely to finish at 10-6 after the Patiorts complete thie historic season. And then there are the Lions, currently at 7-8 on the heels of their devastating collapse after the "almost-had-us-believing" 6-2 start.

For the first time in forever, specifically since Paul Edinger's 50+ yard field goal paved the way for the Matt Millen error...I mean, era, Lions fans can actually indulge in a game of what might have been without completely deluding themselves.

The Lions will finish a game, or at worst, two out of the playoffs, and there are certainly two games on thisyear's schedule that could or should have gone a different way. Obviously, other teams can whine about Lions victories that they might have and probably should have taken (Tampa Bay comes to mind), but I'm looking at the Lions close calls here.

The two I'm thinking about are the games against the Giants and the Cowboys. In the first, it was an ugly game all around, but the Lions, down 16-10 late in the second half, had the ball twice, two chances to take it down the field and to finish the Giants. It was one of the games that could have had a domino effect, sending the Giants tumbling to another collapse, and Tom Coughlin to the unemployment line, but it wasn't to be. Twice in the final minutes, Jon Kitna turned to the 5'10" Shaun McDonald in lieu of Roy Williams or the 6'5" Calvin Johnson. The first time, the qb threw a jump ball to McDonald, who happened to be defended by a guy 6 inches taller than he. Short story maddening, the taller guy won the jump. That's usually how those things go.

The second, and last gasp attempt to McDonald occurred in Giants territory. A few more yards, and you haev a conceivable attempt at a hail mary. But instead, the ball goes through McDonald's hands, and the Giants escaped Ford Field with a victory they sorely needed, and used it to catapult themselves into the playoffs. I figure their stay there with be short, but they're in, and the Lions, well....

The second maddening game came against the team that will end the season with the best record in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys. Say all you want about jason Witten, but if you stuff Terrell Owens and hold Crayton down and keep Barber in check, and have Jason Hanson lining up a 35 yarder that would essentially put the game out of reach, and have Witten fumble at the goal line when the Cowboys were on the verge of taking a lead with a few short minutes to go and then have Romo fumble in their last gasp attempt and have that fumble go straight to Paris Lenon....you'd think the Lions could win that game.

But no. Sadly, no. Maddeningly, all too familiarly, not so much. It's the Lions. And as is their wont, they found a way to lose to the Cowboys, and Jason Witten. And Jessica Simpson's boy toy.

Maybe a word could be said about the Arizona Cardinals game, but negative rushing yards rerally doesn't cut it in the National. Football. League. But those two games above, they definitely fit into the category of woulda coulda shoulda, had to have it when you already did most of the work types of games that in previous years could be overlooked because the Lions were nowhere close to the playoffs. But this year, they hurt all the more, just because the Lions were right there in the playoff chase, because they were 6-2 at one point, and now face the very good possibility of finishing, yet again, under .500. And because, dammit, at 6-2, they almost had us believing.....not quite, but almost....and that, for a Lions fan, is more than we could say for a long time.

But after all, these being the same old Lions, we're left with the refrain, hey maybe next year thye might be able to sneak into the playoffs.

From Lions draftee to Astronaut

ahtrap — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:54:25 -0000

Found this on ABC.com, a nice little story about an athlete with a plan and a real career after he left the game. Posting about it here because there's a line in there about how Leland Melvin was originally a Detroit Lions draftee out of Richmond University back in 1986.

Maybe we should hire this guy instead of Millen....at least he's got a brain. Gotta wonder, if the Lions lose this weekend, and given the different directions the Lions and Cowboys have taken over the past 4 weeks, that's likely, even if the Lions have won this matchup the past two years, when will the first "fire Millen" chants of the year be heard?