Pride Of Detroit

Lions Blow 17-0 Lead, Lose to Seahawks 32-20

2009-11-09T00:30:17Z

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

about 1 hour 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)

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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.

Lions at Seahawks - Overflow Thread #3

2009-11-08T23:33:18Z

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

about 3 hours ago: Detroit Lions' Bryant Johnson, right, catches a pass to score a touchdown as Seattle Seahawks' Jordan Babineaux, left, looks on in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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The Lions are trailing 22-17 after three quarters.

Lions at Seahawks - Overflow Thread #2

2009-11-08T22:36:09Z

Halfway through the game, the Lions lead the Seahawks 17-13.

Lions at Seahawks - Overflow Thread #1

2009-11-08T21:49:09Z

After one quarter of play, the Lions are up on Seattle by a score of 17-0. No, I'm not joking. The Lions are actually ahead 17-0 after the first quarter.

Game #8 - Lions at Seahawks - Game Thread

2009-11-08T21:01:09Z

DETROIT LIONS (1-6)	GAME #8	SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-5)
	AT

Date:	November 8, 2009	Location:	Seattle, WA
Time:	4:05 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Qwest Field
TV:	FOX	Favorite:	Seahawks by 11.0
Weather:	Click Here	Over/Under:	42.0
SBN Coverage:	Field Gulls	Injury Report:	Click Here

Lions-Seahawks Inactives

2009-11-08T20:56:17Z

Below are this week's inactives. It should be noted that both Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson are not on the list, meaning both are active and will start for the Lions.

Detroit Lions

QB Drew Stanton
FB Jerome Felton
OT Jon Jansen
OG Daniel Loper
DT Grady Jackson
LB Vinny Ciurciu
DB Jason David
DB Marvin White

Seattle Seahawks

QB Mike Teel
WR Mike Haas
WR Ben Obomanu
TE Cameron Morrah
OG Mike Gibson
OG Mansfield Wrotto
DT Red Bryant
DB Jamar Adams

Week 9 Injury Report

2009-11-07T15:17:45Z

DETROIT LIONS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Matthew Stafford	Knee	Probable
RB	Kevin Smith	Shoulder	Questionable
FB	Jerome Felton	Ankle	Questionable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Knee	Questionable
DE	Jason Hunter	Ankle	Probable
DE	Dewayne White	Elbow	Probable
DT	Sammie Hill	Ankle	Probable
DT	Grady Jackson	Knee	Probable
LB	Jordon Dizon	Foot	Probable

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Matt Hasselbeck	Rib	Probable
WR	Ben Obomanu	Oblique	Questionable
OT	Sean Locklear	Ankle	Probable
LB	Will Herring	Shoulder	Probable
CB	Ken Lucas	Neck	Probable
S	Jordan Babineaux	Hip	Probable

NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE
Status	Definition
Probable	75% chance that the player will play in the game
Questionable	50% chance that the player will play in the game
Doubtful	25% chance that the player will play in the game
Out	0% chance that the player will play in the game

Friday Notes: Kevin Smith Returns to Practice

2009-11-06T16:24:21Z

Kevin Smith returned to practice on Thursday, splitting No. 1 reps with Maurice Morris. Calvin Johnson also practiced again on Thursday. It appears both will be game-time decisions for Sunday's game, but if I had to make a prediction right now, I'd say that the Lions will have all of their offensive weapons against Seattle.
A lawsuit against Dennis Northcutt that brought about some pretty serious accusations was dropped.
Although twins are on the way, Nick Harris will be with the team in Seattle this weekend.
Unlike Julian Peterson, Sunday's game is not circled on Cory Redding's calendar.
Chris Osgood used to be a Seahawks fan, but the Lions are his favorite team now.
This year's Thanksgiving game halftime show will be "A Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute." For more information, click here.
The 49ers signed former Lions cornerback Keith Smith and already released Carson Butler from their practice squad.
SB Nation's mid-season studs and duds awards are out.

Thursday Notes: Calvin Johnson Practices, Kevin Smith Sidelined with Shoulder Injury

2009-11-05T16:02:13Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

7 days ago: Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith is stopped by St. Louis Rams defenders Quincy Butler (36), David Vobora, Paris Lenon and James Laurinaitis (55) in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Although he was listed as limited, Calvin Johnson practiced on Wednesday with the No. 1 offense. That's a good sign, because even Matthew Stafford was listed as limited in practice. He was listed as limited last week as well, but he obviously ended up playing. For Calvin, it looks like he will be a game-time decision, which is probably what Kevin Smith will be as well. Smith missed yesterday's practice because the shoulder he injured during the Rams game is still sore. If Smith is unable to play on Sunday, Maurice Morris will step in as the starter, and you can probably expect to see more of Aaron Brown as well.
Jason Hunter finally returned to practice after missing a couple games. It would be nice to get him back for this weekend.
Wide receiver Eric Fowler has been signed to the practice squad by the Lions.
It looks like Manny Ramirez and Jon Jansen are competing for the starting spot at left guard.
Danny Amendola, the returner that got lit up by Zack Follett, has a concussion. When asked about the hit, Amendola said this:

"The hit didn't hurt, but my mind wasn't working," Amendola said. "I walked off, I think. Just got my head buzzed a little bit."
Zack Follett: he will hurt your mind.
Roy Williams complained to the media about how Tony Romo's passes to Miles Austin are thrown much better than when they go in his direction. I still can't believe we got a first- and third-round pick for him.

Lions Announce Details of "Pride of the Lions" Display

2009-11-05T15:38:51Z

Press release from the Detroit Lions:

The Detroit Lions will unveil the team’s Pride of the Lions, a permanent stadium display honoring the greatest players in team history, during a celebration at halftime of the Lions’ November 22 home game at Ford Field against the Cleveland Browns. The Pride of the Lions includes a 12-member charter class.

"The players who will be honored represent the very best of the best to ever play for the Lions," said Lions President Tom Lewand. "It is an honor to induct them as our Pride of the Lions charter class. The names of other Lions’ greats will be added to the Pride in the future but we could select no better representatives for our first class than these 12 standouts."

The Pride of the Lions will be a very visible feature on the old Hudson’s warehouse of Ford Field (south suite levels) that will include the players’ jersey number, name and years played with the Lions.

The charter class is a collection of the most outstanding Lions’ of all-time. All 12 players are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and they represent virtually every generation of Detroit Lions Football.

During the halftime ceremony, members of the Pride of the Lions charter class will be announced accompanied by photos and highlights of their careers. Upon the conclusion of the introduction, the names of the charter class will be simultaneously unveiled.

The Lions have 13 Hall of Famers to choose from for the 12 spots, so I wonder who will be part of the first "Pride of the Lions" class. The 13 Hall of Famers are Charlie Sanders, Barry Sanders, Lou Creekmur, Lem Barney, Doak Walker, Yale Larry, Dick Lane, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christiansen, Alex Wojciechowicz, Bobby Layne, Bill Dudley, and Earl Clark.

Comcast Red Zone Recap: Week 8

2009-11-05T14:19:06Z

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel.

Lions - 1 score on 2 chances (1 interception/safety, 1 touchdown)

I suppose if you're only looking at whether or not the Lions scored points, then they technically were 2/2 in the red zone against the Rams. Since a turnover happened before the first points were scored, though, I'm not going to count that as a successful trip inside the 20. Though it did produce points, a successful trip inside the red zone is when a touchdown or a field goal is scored, not when Matthew Stafford throws an interception and it turns into a safety because the defender decides to run back into the end zone and gets tackled.

The Lions' other trip to the red zone was a short and successful one. Following a big pass to Bryant Johnson that put the Lions on the 5-yard line, Matthew Stafford scored a touchdown on a run two plays later. The 2-point conversion following the touchdown was also successful, making for one heck of a sequence of plays.

Rams - 1 score on 2 chances (1 field goal, 1 interception)

NFL.com recorded 3 trips to the red zone for the Rams, but I am not going to count the last drive where they ran the ball once and took a knee twice. Yes, that drive started and ended in the red zone because the Lions turned the ball over on downs, but that was not really a red zone opportunity considering the Rams were just trying to run the clock out.

As for their 2 real red zone chances, they were not very good, to say the least. Both trips inside the 20 lasted only one play. The first time a holding play moved the Rams from the 13 to the 23, and they were unable to move the ball at all after that. Josh Brown did make a field goal to salvage something out of the drive, but it was a pretty quick red zone appearance. The same goes for when the Rams made it to the Detroit 17 in the third quarter. After two straight incompletions, Marc Bulger had his pass tipped into the air and intercepted by Dewayne White, meaning 0 points were scored on this drive. Not only did this red zone appearance not alter the score, but it gave the Lions the momentum that led to their game-tying touchdown.

Overall

The biggest problem for the Lions' offense is that they are still not taking more drives into the red zone. Quite a few times they were able to move the ball, but the drive stalled before they were anywhere near the Rams' 20-yard line. That is a big part of why they only managed to put 10 points on the board against St. Louis, which was a really disappointing effort. It's good to see that they scored one way or another when they did get into the red zone, but I'd still like to see the number of trips increase in the future.

The defense was just the opposite for the Lions. Not only did the defense limit the Rams to only a couple real red zone opportunities, but those opportunities only produced a field goal. The first red zone chance only lasted a play because a holding penalty took St. Louis outside of the 20, and then Dewayne White brought the second chance to an end by making a great interception. Let's hope the defense keeps up their great play in the red zone long enough for the offense to figure it out for at least one game. If the Lions get a solid red zone performance out of both the offense and defense on the same day, it could be enough for their second win of the season.

Lions Place Demarcus Faggins on IR, Sign Jason David

2009-11-04T11:36:30Z

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

21 days ago: Detroit Lions Demarcus Faggins (38) defends as the Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver (80) hauls in a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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Cornerback Demarcus Faggins was placed on the injured reserve on Tuesday, bringing his season to an end. Faggins, who had worked his way into the cornerback rotation, was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Rams. I'm not exactly sure what he injured, but the severity of it was enough for the Lions to shut him down for the rest of the season.

To fill Faggins' spot on the roster, the Lions signed cornerback Jason David. David played the first few seasons of his career for the Colts before going to New Orleans for a couple seasons. He was waived by the Saints in August of this year, and the Lions will be the first team he has played for since then.

I hate to say this, but David will probably fit right in with the Lions' usually lackluster secondary. David has been known to give up big plays, something that really started in his first game with New Orleans, which actually was against his former team, the Colts.

In other roster news, the Lions signed running back Cedric Peerman to the practice squad last week and released Tristan Davis, who showed off his excellent speed in the final game of the 2009 preseason.

Watch Out for Zack Follett

2009-11-04T08:41:08Z

A quick note to returners who play the Lions in the future: keep your head on a swivel and make sure you keep an eye on where Zack Follett is at all times. If you don't, this could happen:

Follett's hit was one of this week's Sprint Can't-Miss Plays, and it has led to the discovery of this hilarious picture from 97.1 The Ticket:

There's actually an entire page dedicated to Follett on Karsch and Anderson's section of the website, and it is definitely worth checking out. As we quickly found out after he was drafted by the Lions, Follett is something else.

Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Rams' 17-10 Win Over Lions

2009-11-03T12:36:12Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

7 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)

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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.

The Lions had another promising drive going thanks mainly to their ground game but also because of a 15-yard screen pass to Kevin Smith. That play moved the Lions into St. Louis territory as the opening quarter came to an end.

2nd Quarter

The Lions continued to move the ball and made it down to the 12-yard line before this drive came to an interesting end. It was 3rd and 10 for the Lions, and Matthew Stafford had Aaron Brown open in the middle of the field on a crossing route. The ball went right through Brown's hands, though, and was picked off by a Rams player. The disappointment over the turnover quickly faded thanks to a mental error by the Rams player. He made the interception in the end zone and ran out a few yards before heading back across the goal line. Kevin Smith brought him down right as he went back into the end zone for a safety, meaning the Lions actually scored 2 points on the play. It was an odd way to score points, but hey, the Lions now only trailed the Rams by a score of 3-2.
Kevin Smith continued his good start by picking up 19 yards on another short pass, moving the Lions close to midfield. Stafford found Aaron Brown for a gain of 5 on third down to move the Lions into Rams territory. It looked like they were going to score some points in a more traditional way, but an incompletion on 3rd and 4 led to a Nick Harris punt.
The Rams' offense finally got back on the field for the first time in about 11 minutes of game action. The wait wasn't worth it for St. Louis fans, because the Rams were forced to punt after picking up a couple first downs.
Following a Lions three and out, St. Louis had the ball on its 9-yard line with 3:01 left in the half. Steven Jackson quickly improved that field position with a 26-yard run, giving the Rams a chance to do something before halftime. Marc Bulger completed his next 4 passes, moving the Rams into Lions territory. A false start penalty prior to his 4th completion backed St. Louis up a bit, making for what appeared to be a 53-yard field goal attempt after a couple incompletions. St. Louis originally sent its offense out on 4th and 8 to go for it, but the Rams took a timeout to think about the decision. In reality, this was all probably an act, with St. Louis trying to make the Lions think that there was actually a decision to think about. When the field goal unit came onto the field instead of the offense following the timeout, conventional thinking was that they decided to settle for the field goal. Well, not so much. The ball was flipped to Josh Brown from the holder, and Brown threw it to a wide-open Daniel Fells, who ran down the field, broke a tackle attempt by Cliff Avril, and went into the end zone for a stunning 36-yard touchdown.
The Lions had 54 seconds to put something together before halftime, but they failed to move the ball past their 43-yard line and went into the locker room down 10-2. It would have been one thing to simply be trailing to St. Louis, but for it to happen the way it did was just completely disheartening.

3rd Quarter

There was absolutely no action in the third quarter until about midway through. Before the Rams started moving the ball, it was nothing but three and outs and punts.
The Rams did finally appear to put together a good drive after starting near midfield, and it looked like they were about to essentially put this game out of reach. That is when Dewayne White stepped it up and made a big play. On 3rd and 10 at the 17, White deflected Marc Bulger's pass into the air and intercepted it. Not only did the pick keep St. Louis from adding to its lead, but suddenly the Lions had a wave of momentum.
As the third quarter winded down, the Lions moved the ball again mainly on the ground but also with a Matthew Stafford pass every so often. One of those passes, a 13-yarder to Brandon Pettigrew, closed out the third quarter by moving the Lions down to the St. Louis 41-yard line.

4th Quarter

The fourth quarter got off to an amazing start. On the first play, Matthew Stafford faked a handoff and calmly threw the ball downfield to Bryant Johnson, who made the catch at the 5 in spite of a defensive pass interference penalty. Two plays later, Stafford stepped up, started scrambling to the right, quickly cut upfield, and leapt into the end zone for a touchdown. Needing a 2-point conversion to tie the game, the Lions' offense stayed out there and Stafford made another big play. Dennis Northcutt went in motion and Stafford faked a handoff to him. Stafford then threw a bullet to Maurice Morris, who made the catch in the end zone to tie the game at 10.
I didn't think the Lions could gain any more momentum after what had just happened, but Zack Follett gave them even more by absolutely destroying Danny Amendola on the proceeding kick return. I mean, he absolutely ran him over and flattened him, sending everyone in Ford Field into a frenzy. The defense didn't ride that enormous wave of momentum and make a stop immediately, but it did eventually force a punt right after the Rams crossed into Lions territory.
The Lions now had a chance to go down the field and take the lead, and with the way Maurice Morris was running the ball, it seemed like that was going to happen. Morris started the drive with runs of 3, 13, and 15 yards, and life was good for the Lions, or so it seemed. The next play was really deflating and started to turn the tide of this game a bit. Morris was dropped for a loss of 7 yards, and the Lions were unable to move the chains as a result. Nick Harris' punt went out of bounds at the 4-yard line, though, and a penalty on St. Louis backed them up to the 2.
The Rams again put together a decent drive before it stalled in Lions territory. This time their punt was downed at the Detroit 6.
It looked like the Rams were going to be starting their next drive in Detroit territory after the Lions went three and out, but Harris boomed a punt 52 yards.
The Lions forced St. Louis to go three and out, but a Louis Delmas pass interference penalty gave the Rams a second chance at scoring the go-ahead points. It only took two plays for that to happen. Steven Jackson ran for 17 yards on the first play after the penalty, and he followed that up with a 25-yard touchdown run one play later. Just like that the Rams took a 17-10 lead, leaving the Lions with only 1:38 to put together a touchdown drive of their own.
There not only would be no touchdown drive, but the Lions' last shot at tying the game was a complete failure on every single play. Stafford threw an incompletion on first down, and a 7-yard pass to Dennis Northcutt was wiped away by offsetting penalties on second down. A holding penalty on Jon Jansen made it 2nd and 20, and a pair of incompletions made it 4th and 20 from the 10-yard line. Stafford heaved the ball downfield, but it went nowhere near any Lions receivers and sailed out of bounds to essentially end the game, giving the Rams a 17-10 victory, their first in over a year.

I can't say a whole lot about how certain players or units performed simply because I didn't actually get to watch most of the game, but based on what I heard and simply based on the stats, the following conclusions can be made:

The rushing game was solid. Maurice Morris ran for 63 yards on 14 carries and had some big carries during the game. Kevin Smith ran for 45 yards on 16 carries, and the reason Morris got so much playing time was because Smith suffered an injury in this game.
Calvin Johnson can't return soon enough. The passing game is lacking because Calvin isn't out there and because other receivers apparently can't catch the ball. I can't even remember how many times I heard or read the word "drop" on Sunday; it was that bad.
The defense did a good job of containing Steven Jackson until the end of the game. He had a solid day even without those last two runs, but until Jackson's touchdown, the defense had really only given up a field goal.
The other touchdown obviously came on a fake field goal, which is just a really crappy way to get scored on. Not that most didn't already wonder this before Sunday, but what's it going to take for Stan Kwan to get canned? (Required Seinfeld reference: Is he going to have to run on the field during a game in a body suit?) Fake field goals are going to catch most teams off guard, but even so, there should always be one player ready to combat a fake. (And don't feed me the crap about how well the Lions' punt coverage was as something Kwan did. Nick Harris played great and two of his punts bounced out inside the 5. Unless Kwan ran out there without anyone seeing and knocked those balls out of bounds, explain to me how he had anything to do with a couple lucky bounces.)
In general, it's clear that this team has a lot of work to do. Rather than worry about what teams the Lions could upset the rest of the season, it's obvious that we should first be concerned with the Lions beating the teams they're supposed to. Of course, the only time they will be favored again is when Cleveland comes to Detroit in a few weeks, but after what happened on Sunday, I honestly don't think this team will win more than 2 or 3 games this year. Maybe I'm reacting a bit too hard to one bad game, but it was the Rams for crying out loud. Like many of you have said, if you can't beat St. Louis, who can you beat?

Monday Morning Telescope: Week 8

2009-11-02T16:37:39Z

I had hoped to wake up this morning in a less foul mood, but nope... still seething. My anger and frustration is at a number of levels for a number of reasons. Sure, a lot of it comes from the fact that the Lions actually lost this pitiful game, but that's not the sole reason I am angry. There is no typo. I purposefully changed the title of my post from the Monday Morning Microscope to the Monday Morning Telescope. You see, in order to use the phrase "put something under a microscope", you have to be able to examine something closely. And in order to examine something closely, the first step is to actually be able to SEE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT! Ahem... sorry. As you can see, I am fuming over not being able to watch the game yesterday. No, I couldn't even get the grainy, pathetic internet stream to work on my computer. I was left listening to the radio and following the POD play-by-play. Not that I don't enjoy some aspects of those elements, but it is hardly the environment for me to be able to really "get into the game". Since I can't give my opinion on the game because I haven't seen it, this is going to turn into a mini-rant... so please indulge me for a moment if you have one to spare.

Most of you have been on POD long enough to know where my allegiance lies and how deep that loyalty goes. Week-in and week-out, I spend countless hours blogging and combing the internet and television looking for information on the Lions. Football and the Lions in particular have become a genuine hobby and true love and passion of mine. Each year, the attachment gets a little stronger. But here's the real kicker. If I were to sum up all the time I spend talking, reading, thinking and writing about the Lions and then compare it to the actual game time... there would be a monumental imbalance. Think about it... the Lions usually only play 16 meaningful (and that's being generous) games a year, with each game lasting about 3 hours. That's 48 hours total. That's it. It's the equivalent of two measly days in an entire calendar year that we spend watching the Lions play. Hell, I spend at least 20 hours alone watching the draft. And I can probably say with a straight face that I spend more time than that in a single month talking, reading, thinking and writing about the Lions.

As of now, the Lions have played 21 hours of football and we have had to miss 6 of it already. That's over a quarter of the season that we've not been allowed to see. And for the idiot that's going to come in here and leave the comment "just go to the game and you'll get to see ‘em all"... I live 2 hours from Ford Field and have two small children. It's just not possible for me to get season tickets. I usually can only make one or two games a year in person. But see... I spend my money. I took my brother and son to the Vikings game and dropped about $400 on the weekend. Along with a jersey for my son, an authentic jersey for myself and miscellaneous other Lions paraphernalia... it adds up. I invest time and money and then get shafted when one of the only 16 gamedays do in fact come around. The emotional and monetary investment is not worth the very short amount of time I actually spend watching Lion's games. It's a dismal and confusing conundrum.

I'm not going to spend any more time complaining about the idiotic blackout policy. It won't do any good. They are not changing it, so we are stuck. Goodell and his staff will never understand the passionate fan and the investment, both emotional and monetary, that we sacrifice. We all know the league has enough money to subsidize the few stadiums that don't sell out. It's greed, pure and simple. It's disenchanting and segregating the fanbase of teams struggling to get better. But enough of this, because the problem is really the product we see (or don't see) on the field.

From what I could hear, the outing from the Lions yesterday was pathetic at best. What progress that had been made has been all but stripped away. They've regressed in every facet of the game. I knew they weren't going to be a good team this year and these games have confirmed that. But it now looks like we are going to have to endure another poor year next year as it seems that the talent base is still very, very rotten. How disheartening. I know that sounds very pessimistic, but I am just being realistic. They could still start progressing and get a few more wins this year, but I think that the progress is going to be slow and we may not be able to realistically hope for a winning club in 2010. We just lost to the worst of the worst... at home. The other three teams in our division are vastly better than the Lions. We have so many holes... it is beyond obvious now. Yesterday stripped much of the short-term optimism from me. I still believe that Schwartz is a winner and will eventually build the Lions into one as well. But the full magnitude of the Millen roster-wreaking havoc is now clearly and undeniably evident.

For me, I've come to a crossroads in my fandom. I cannot continue to spend as much time on the Lions as I have when I ultimately cannot even watch the game. It's a fruitless venture that is more unbalanced than Mr. Ford's mind. There are simply too many things in this world that are far more important and give a much better return. I have to know when to scale things back and for me, now is that time. Let's be clear about something, though... I am NOT publicly renouncing my fandom or becoming a fair-weather fan or even saying that I am going to stop writing for POD. I'm just scaling back my investment a little... selling a few shares, so to speak. I am going to take that extra time and put it into some of my more beloved stocks, like my kids and family. The return on that is immeasurable. I cannot allow my emotions and mood to be linked to something that can never live up to the hype and expectations I place on it. I need to find the balance between just watching and enjoying a football game, rooting for my favorite team and then walking away somewhat unaffected by the outcome. It's going to be hard to find that balance, but I have to try.

So with slightly less emphasis... Go Lions!!

Rams Beat Lions 17-10 Thanks to Late Steven Jackson Touchdown

2009-11-01T21:21:54Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

7 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)

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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.

Lions vs. Rams - Overflow Thread #2

2009-11-01T20:13:40Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

7 days ago: St. Louis Rams safety James Butler (37) sits in the endzone after being tackled for a safety by the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The Rams are still up on the Lions by a score of 10-2 after the end of the third quarter.

Lions vs. Rams - Overflow Thread #1

2009-11-01T19:27:55Z

The Lions are trailing St. Louis 10-2 after one half of play.

Game #7 - Lions vs. Rams - Game Thread

2009-11-01T17:30:27Z

DETROIT LIONS (1-5)	GAME #7	ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-7)
	VS.

Date:	November 1, 2009	Location:	Detroit, MI
Time:	1:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Ford Field
TV:	FOX	Favorite:	Lions by 4.0
Weather:	Domed Stadium	Over/Under:	43.5
SBN Coverage:	Turf Show Times	Injury Report:	Click Here

Matthew Stafford In, Calvin Johnson Out

2009-11-01T17:17:05Z

The official inactive list is out, and there is both good and bad news stemming from it. The good news is that there is no Matthew Stafford on the list, meaning he will start today. The bad news is that Calvin Johnson is on the list, meaning his return will have to wait at least another week. Here is the full list:

Detroit Lions

QB Drew Stanton
FB Jerome Felton
WR Calvin Johnson
OG Manny Ramirez
OG Daniel Loper
DE Jason Hunter
CB Anthony Henry
S Marvin White

St. Louis Rams

QB Keith Null
WR Tim Carter
WR Ruvell Martin
OT Phil Trautwein
OG Roger Allen III
OG Richie Incognito
DE C.J. Ah You
S Anthony Smith