More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball while being tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson (59) after picking up a first down in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

Browse more photos »

(Note: Apologies for the lack of posting the last couple of days.  I've been swamped with class-related things and have had quite a few technical issues as well.  Expect a bunch of posts in the next 24 hours or so as I catch up on everything.)

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Vikings beat the Lions by a score of 27-10 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

• The Vikings got the ball first and quickly moved down the field, picking up a pretty decent amount of yards on each play.  Eventually they ended up with the 3rd and 7 inside the Lions' 10-yard line, and the defense came up with a big stop, bringing Adrian Peterson down at the 4-yard line.  Ryan Longwell connected on a 22-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
• For the second straight game, the Lions moved the ball well on their first drive of the game and had it end on a missed field goal.  After picking up one third-down conversion thanks to a 7-yard pass to Calvin Johnson, the offense stalled.  Matthew Stafford found Derrick Williams for a gain of 6 on 3rd and 10, which actually proved to be an important play.  On the ensuing punt, a Vikings player jumped offside, giving the Lions free 5 yards and a first down.  The offense didn't pick up another first down on the drive, but the penalty extended the drive helped put them in field goal range.  Unfortunately, like last week, Jason Hanson made another rare mistake, kicking the 48-yard field goal just wide right.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

5 days ago: Detroit Lions safety Ko Simpson (30) brings down Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice after a nine-yard pass from Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Browse more photos »

Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass around 54 times today, and he was hurried, hit, or sacked on about 70% of those plays.  That stat alone sums up how today's game against the Vikings went for the Lions, because Minnesota pummeled Detroit and beat them up both statistically and physically.  The Vikings out-gained the Lions in the total yards department by a whopping number of 492-297 and won the game by a score of 27-10.  It seemed like at least 10 different players got hurt for the Lions during this game, including a few defensive backs, a receiver or two, and also Stephen Peterman, who had to be carted off to the locker room.  There were others who got banged up but either returned to the game or stayed in, and in general it's evident that this team is hurting right now quite a bit.  It was a rough day for the Lions in more ways than one, and I imagine the injury report will be quite big next week.

The Lions' biggest problem in the first half of this game was a lack of offensive production.  The defense gave up a ton of yards, but Minnesota only managed to score 10 points because of turnovers and a big fourth-down stand by the Lions' defense.  The issue was that Minnesota's defense was playing an amazing game, containing the Lions' rushing game and not even giving Matthew Stafford a chance to effectively pass the ball.  He had defenders in his face about 1 second after the snap on most plays, and although he managed to escape pressure on a few occasions, the Vikings just didn't let him do anything.  The offensive line played terrible and Stafford paid the price.

Minnesota came out and started the second half with a fumble recovery on the first play of the third quarter and a touchdown run on the very next play.  It looked like the Lions were going to fall apart and get blown out like we have seen so many times this season, but Detroit answered with a solid drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass to Will Heller.  That got the Lions within 7 points of Minnesota, but the Vikings eventually put the game out of reach thanks to more solid defense and a bunch of big plays made possible by Brett Favre.  It didn't help that Lions receivers dropped quite a few passes yet again, because the offense needed to play perfect to have a shot at winning on this day.

Next up for the Lions is a home game against one of the teams that is just as bad as them, the Cleveland Browns.  There will be a quick turnaround after that game with Thanksgiving coming up the following week.  The Packers will come to Ford Field just four days later, making for what will be the Lions' third game in 11 days.  With the way injuries piled up today, it will be important for this team to get healthy quickly and not get banged up any more next week against Cleveland.  If that happens, Detroit may have a tough time even fielding a team when Green Bay comes to town.

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

12 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leaves the field after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown as Seattle Seahawks' Lawrence Jackson celebrates behind in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 32-20. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Browse more photos »

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Seahawks beat the Lions by a score of 32-20 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

• The Lions opened the game by putting together an outstanding drive.  The ground game was working, as was the intermediate passing game.  There were third-down conversions and even one fourth-down conversion that the Lions ran so quickly that Seattle didn't get all of its players off the field in time.  The drive did eventually come to a disappointing end, though, when Kevin Smith was stuffed for no gain on 3rd and 1 at the 15.  Many wanted the Lions to go for it, but they decided to kick a field goal to simply get points.  Well, they didn't get points either way, because Jason Hanson made a rare mistake and kicked the 34-yard field goal off the right upright.
• The mistake was quickly forgotten when Louis Delmas intercepted a Matt Hasselbeck pass on the very next play.  Delmas undercut the route and appeared out of nowhere to make the interception.  He returned it to the 2-yard line, giving the Lions a golden opportunity to take the lead.
• It looked like the Lions were going to find a way to screw this up.  On 1st and goal, Kevin Smith was hit as soon as he got the ball and fumbled.  Luckily Brandon Pettigrew was flagged for a false start, meaning the play never happened.  It was probably the best false start ever, especially since Pettigrew made a catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown on the very next play.  Matthew Stafford threw a bullet over the defense and Pettigrew made the catch to give the Lions a 7-0 lead.
• Just like their last drive, the Seahawks gave the ball right back to the Lions after only one play.  This time Hasselbeck completed his pass to the right team, but the fullback who made the catch had the ball stripped by Julian Peterson.  Ko Simpson fell on it, and the Lions suddenly had the ball at the Seattle 29-yard line.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

12 days ago: Seattle Seahawks' T.J. Houshmandzadeh cheers after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Browse more photos »

The Lions started today's game by playing their best quarter of the season.  It got off to a rough start when Jason Hanson missed a 34-yard field goal, but the Lions followed that up with an interception by Louis Delmas, a touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew, a fumble recovery by Ko Simpson, an amazing touchdown reception by Bryant Johnson, a big stand on fourth and short, and a field goal.  All of that gave the Lions a 17-0 lead after one quarter, and it looked like the Lions had complete control of the game.

Apparently the Lions forgot how to play football as soon as the second quarter began, because they absolutely fell apart.  The Seahawks slowly scored points with field goals and a couple touchdowns and just chipped away at the Lions' lead.  Detroit couldn't get anything going offensively, as every decent drive seemingly ended with an interception.  That trend continued in the second half, and Seattle took the lead late in the third quarter.  The Lions made it a 5-point game with a field goal in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win the game on multiple occasions.  Matthew Stafford didn't have any fourth-quarter magic, though, and instead he just kept throwing interceptions.  His fifth of the game came with less than a minute remaining and was returned for a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a 32-20 victory.

Two different teams showed up for the Lions today.  The first was the team that came out at the start of the game and played great football.  They were forcing turnovers, moving the ball, and most importantly, scoring points.  A different team showed up for the final three quarters, and boy were they awful.  The offense couldn't sustain a drive.  The defense couldn't stop Seattle from dinking and dunking their way down the field.  And finally, the special teams played rather poorly by failing to do a good job of covering kickoffs.  When Jason Hanson is the person responsible for stopping kick returns on multiple occasions, there is a definite problem.

The Lions will look to rebound next week by traveling to Minnesota.  Considering how well the Vikings have been playing, it looks like the Lions will be lucky to simply make the game look competitive.  Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on FOX.

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

19 days ago: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson rushes for a 25-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. St. Louis won 17-10. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Rams beat the Lions by a score of 17-10 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

• The Lions got the ball first and immediately established the run.  The first four plays of the game were handoffs to Kevin Smith, and they were effective.  Smith picked up 5, 4, 3, and 5 yards on the carries, and Maurice Morris came in and ran for 7 yards, picking up right where Smith left off.  The drive was going great and was very promising until Brandon Pettigrew was flagged for holding.  This was the beginning of the end and when the drive started to stall.  Smith picked up 12 yards on a pass from Matthew Stafford on the very next play, but he was dropped for a loss of 1 on second down.  A Will Heller false start made third and long even longer, and an incompletion led to the first punt of the game.
• Everyone's nightmare was that despite how poorly the Rams have looked this season, the Lions would be the team that made them look good.  On St. Louis' first drive of the game, that is exactly what happened.  The Rams absolutely shredded the Lions' defense and didn't even face a third down until the 8th play of the possession.  A false start, unlike in the Lions' case, turned third and short into third and long.  Marc Bulger threw an incompletion that would have ended the drive, but Julian Peterson was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty.  I still haven't seen a replay of the call, but going off of what some of you have said, it was a weak one.  Either way, the Rams picked up a holding penalty on the next play and their drive went absolutely nowhere.  Josh Brown did connect on a 41-yard field goal, giving the Rams an early 3-0 lead.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

19 days ago: St. Louis Rams place kicker Josh Brown (3) celebrates after throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells (46) on a fake field goal against the Detroit Lions in an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, injured on the play, lies in the foreground. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

The Rams picked up their first win in over a year by going into Ford Field and beating the Lions by a score of 17-10.  St. Louis led for much of the game until the Lions' offense finally scored some points in the fourth quarter.  Before a 4-yard Matthew Stafford touchdown run and a successful 2-point conversion, the Lions' only points were from a safety that happened after an interception.  A Stafford pass went right through Aaron Brown's hands and was intercepted in the end zone.  The defender ran out of the end zone, went backwards, and was tackled by Kevin Smith for a safety.  That cut the Rams' lead down to 1 point, but St. Louis later went up by a score of 10-2 on a fake field goal that turned into a touchdown.

Stafford's touchdown run tied the game up at 10 in the fourth quarter, setting up an exciting finish.  Both teams had plenty of chances to take the lead, but it wasn't until a Steven Jackson touchdown run that the Rams went ahead.  The TD put St. Louis on top 17-10, which is what the final score was after the Lions failed to do anything on their last drive of the game.

I don't know what's worse -- the fact that the Lions lost, or the fact that the Lions lost to the once-winless Rams.  Anytime the Lions are actually favored to win a game, they have to take advantage of the situation and come away with a win.  That didn't happen today, though, and we all saw just how much work still has to be done by this team.  Obviously they need to get healthy first and foremost, but as a whole the team really needs to improve rather than regress, which is what they did today.

The Lions head to Seattle next week and then stay on the road for a game at Minnesota on November 15.  Detroit's next home game is against the Browns, who very well could be the worst team in the league.  Once again Detroit probably will be favored, and once again it will be a golden opportunity for a victory.  First they have to deal with the road games against the Seahawks and Vikings, though.  Here's to hoping for an upset.

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

about 1 month ago: Green Bay Packer Donald Driver makes a one-handed catch as Detroit Lions' Demarcus Faggins (38) defends in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Driver became the all time franchise leader with receptions in the game. Green Bay won 26-0. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Browse more photos »

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Packers beat the Lions by a score of 26-0.

1st Quarter

• The Packers took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, but a holding penalty brought it back to the GB 20-yard line.  That didn't stop the Packers from eventually scoring a touchdown, though.  After a couple more penalties on both teams, it eventually was 3rd and 7.  Aaron Rodgers had Greg Jennings wide open in the middle of the field, and Jennings made an outstanding catch to pick up 26 yards.  After Ryan Grant picked up 4 and 0 yards, the Packers were again faced with third down, and they again made a play.  Rodgers hit a wide open James Jones downfield, and he made a couple defenders miss to score a touchdown on the 47-yard play.
• The Lions' start went from bad to worse when Daunte Culpepper was intercepted on a screen.  It was 3rd and 15, and I don't know what Culpepper was thinking, but the awful pass was intercepted by Cullen Jenkins, giving the Packers the ball at the Lions' 17-yard line.
• Green Bay did its best to make scoring a touchdown as tough as possible by getting an unnecessary roughness penalty after the second play of the drive, but it just delayed the inevitable.  Rodgers completed a couple 8-yard passes to Jermichael Finley, and Ryan Grant ran for 4 yards in between.  After the second 8-yard pass, Rodgers found fullback John Kuhn wide open in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown.  Only halfway through the first quarter, Green Bay led Detroit 14-0.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

about 1 month ago: Green Bay Packers linebacker Aaron Kampman (74) sacks Detroit Lions quarterback Drew Stanton (5) during the second half of an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Browse more photos »

It would be accurate to say that the "Same Ol' Lions" showed up today at Lambeau Field to play the Packers.  The Lions were terrible on offense, defense, and special teams, and some of the coaching decisions were questionable as well.  All of those things led to the Packers shutting down Detroit and winning 26-0.  Despite how poorly the Lions have played over the years, this was the first time they were shut out since December 2001 when the Bears won 24-0 and handed the Lions their 14th loss of the season.

Just like we saw many times last year, the Lions fell behind early and were basically out of it from the start.  Although the Packers had a touchdown on the opening kickoff called back because of a holding penalty, they scored soon after on a long touchdown pass to James Jones.  The Lions couldn't do anything on offense when they got the ball, and the Packers answered that with another touchdown.  Things slowed down considerably after that and the Packers were unable to get into the end zone again during the rest of the game despite moving the ball effectively so often.  They had to settle for 4 field goals instead, giving Green Bay 26 points on the day.

Although the Lions weren't technically out of it until the second half because the defense kept holding Green Bay to field goals, it was obvious Detroit had no chance of winning.  The offense was downright atrocious from start to finish, and only twice did they threaten to score.  The first threat ended on 4th and short when Kevin Smith was dropped for a loss, and the second threat ended when Drew Stanton was picked off in the end zone. 

Wait.  Drew Stanton?  Why was he in the game?  Well, Daunte Culpepper appeared to tweak his hamstring while scrambling on the second play of the third quarter, and he came after the next play and never returned.  Stanton didn't play all that bad up until the interception in the end zone, as his first pick was really Brandon Pettigrew's fault.

The Lions are on a bye next week, which really couldn't have come at a better time.  The injury list was bad enough coming into this game, and it only got worse when all was said and done.  The Lions' starting quarterback, top receiver, and the majority of the defensive line are injured.  Beyond that there are a ton of players that simply need a week off, because they are just banged up.  The bye week will hopefully allow the team to get healthy enough to the point where they can come back in a couple weeks against the Rams with all of their weapons intact.  Losing to the winless Rams would just suck, and I honestly don't know if the Lions can win if they are without Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson yet again.