MVN - Most Valuable Network

Lions Beat Browns

The Lions defeated the Browns 26-6 in the Great Lakes Classic to remain undefeated in the preseason.  However, Cleveland was without seven key players for the contest.  The Lions were missing three.  Regardless of who the teams were missing, the Lions took care of business, in dominating fashion.

While the Lions will be more committed to running the ball in 2008, they came out passing.  They went shotgun, no huddle, as they wanted to get the starters a little practice in the two minute drill.  The opening drive resulted in a field goal.  Once again, QB Jon Kitna was very effective in limited action.

For the first time during the preseason, the running game was able to break a couple of long ones.  Rookie Kevin Smith took it to the end zone from 35 yards out.  Brian Calhoun broke loose for a 40 yard gain.  The rushing attack picked up 129 yards on 30 carries for the game, which the coaching staff would be elated to see in a regular season match up.

The story on defense was the continued effectiveness of the pass rush.  The defense harassed QBs Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey throughout the game.  This Lions fans is a good thing, a very good thing.  While the Browns were missing QB Derek Anderson, WR Braylon Edwards, and RB Jamal Lewis, the offensive line was intact.  The Lions held the Browns to 250 total yards for the game.

While it would have been nice to see the two teams compete with everyone healthy, it didn’t happen.  The Lions controlled the game, looked very good, and didn’t sustain any injuries.  Mission accomplished.  They close out the preseason this Thursday in Buffalo. 

Lions Preaseason Update

Well Lions fans, after two games of the preseason, after two preseason victories, it’s time to take a look at where the Lions stand with the regular season quickly approaching.  The Lions defeated the Giants and Bengals in their first two encounters.  While preseason victories are meaningless, we witnessed several good things on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.  Since it is preseason, much of what we see needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  Here is a look at the Lions halfway through the exhibition season.

There were a lot of questions regarding the Lions offense with the departure of Mike Martz.  Many thought getting rid of Martz and turning over the reins of the offense to Jim Colletto and Kippy Brown would be a huge mistake.  Many felt the offense would tank without Martz.  Who knows what will happen once the regular season starts?  However, I love the new offensive plan of Colletto and Brown.  I think it will work.  The offense will look a lot different and I think it will be productive.

The 2008 team is going to be committed to running the football.  Colletto is switching to a zone blocking scheme and there will be growing pains.  They have been far from impressive in the first two games.  They did improve from game one to game two.  There is still a lot of work to be done to get the running game in order for the start of the regular season.  Rookie OT Gosder Cherilus looked horrible against the Giants, but he put in a solid performance in Cincinnati.  The running game won’t need to rack up the yards.  They will simply need to help keep the defense honest and help control the clock.  The running game was an afterthought during the Martz regime, it won’t be in 2008.

There are several new wrinkles in the passing attack.  It appears that Colletto and Brown are going to focus on getting the ball to the playmakers.  No more controlled mayhem designed to open up a big play.  They have Calvin Johnson and they are going to use him.  Look for Johnson to have a huge year and Roy Williams to put up big numbers as CJ will draw double and triple coverage.

QB Jon Kitna will not be the sitting duck he was the last two seasons.  The staff is mixing up the drops and they are using rollouts.  With the commitment to the running game, the play action pass is part of the offense, as well as the bootleg.  Opposing defenses can’t just rush to the same spot anymore.  Kitna has showed mobility and the ability to throw on the run in his limited preseason action.

Many of the new acquisitions on the defensive ball have played well.  CBs Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly have improved the secondary.  The defense has been putting pressure on the QB.  Rookies Jordon Dizon, Cliff Avril, and Andre Fluellen have looked good.  It won’t take much to improve on the defensive side of the ball.  The 2007 unit was at the bottom of the barrel statistically.

Preseason is preseason but I have liked what I have seen from the 2008 Lions.  The Lions host the Browns in the third preseason game this Saturday.  We should have a better idea of where things stand after that one.  So far so good.

Lions “Believe in Now”, But Questions Remain

To parrot head coach Rod Marinelli, everything is a process. The process of the off-season is over and training camp opens today at Allen Park. Matt Millen and the franchise have pushed a credo of “Believe in Now”, which is what Lion fans have been doing since their last championship in the 1950’s. The end result, more often than not, has been disbelief at another campaign without a trip to the Super Bowl.

Yet here we are again, the start of camp at Optimism Central. While much of the attitude landscape has changed, the results really have not. With the “win now” mentality in pro sports, how much more time can we expect Marinelli to have to implement his military style philosophy and imprint his character on the players?

As long as I have been a staunch fan of the Lions, over 30 years, the “now” is about the shot we have unless something happens at the quarterback position. While Jon Kitna is serviceable and has statistical success over the last two seasons due to zero commitment to running the ball in Mad Mike Martz’s pass-happy offense, he is not a Super Bowl caliber quarterback. Never has been, never will be.

What lies behind this season is scarier than that. With former Viking, Dolphin, and Raider Daunte Culpepper calling the Lions looking for work, isn’t obvious that the quarterback position is in flux? Kitna is cemented as the starter in ‘08, but who is the future? Dan Orvlosky? Drew Stanton? Makes you think that with Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson on the outside and a re-commitment to the run game, I would hold the same opinion on C-Pepp as I would Simms. Why not? Take a shot, he is now three years removed from the knee injury that changed his life, maybe he’s ready to change ours.

The team have their draft picks signed (almost) and ready to roll. Right tackle Gosder Cherilus, linebacker Jordon Dizon (get signed, who do you think you are?), runningback Kevin Smith, and defensive end Cliff Avril are all being counted on to make an impact. “Believing in Now” is going to mean these young cubs roar early, and loudly.

Rumors are still circulating that former Eagle Takeo Spikes is interested in coming aboard and the Lions are eager to sign him, but this talk has been going on for more than a week. He finished second in tackles in Philadelphia last season and would be a good fit to man the middle of Detroit’s Tampa Two. Why wait?

Both lines will be the focus of this camp. The offensive line has much to prove as they were not a fit for the Martz offense and claim coming off the ball and playing smash mouth is. The defensive front will make or break this club as gone is man-child Shaun Rogers is gone to Cleveland and Cory Redding, owner of one of the richest defensive contracts in the league HAS to become a Pro Bowler, or real close to it.

Is last season’s free agent prize Dewayne White the answer to the ever-present pass rush shortage? Will Ikaika Alama-Francis develop in his second season to help him? Will Redding prove to be worth $49 million? What about former Pac-10 defensive player of the year Shaun Cody? Is playing for a contract all he’s good for? Is he a dependable defensive tackle? Why didn’t the Lions make a run at Jason Taylor? Without improvement to the D-front, the improved secondary will still struggle and suffer.

As camp opens, all best case scenarios seem possible and the first pre-season games are right around the corner. “Believing in Now” means should the team open 6-2 again this season, they should be able to close it out with a playoff spot, maybe a playoff win.

At least we have football back, huh?

Chris Simms? Lions Should Take a Chance

Image details: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mini Camp served by picapp.com

You can already hear the noise. Another Tampa Bay player? Aren’t there any other teams in the NFL to deal with or former players of other clubs?

The Lion quarterback situation is hardly ready for much beyond this season. The fact is that a contingency plan must be in place if current back-ups Dan Orlovsky or Drew Stanton aren’t NFL-caliber signal callers.

There is a lot of pressure in Detroit. After such a long record of futility, the team has  scrambled year after year in an attempt to get back to the playoffs. Orlovsky has played in two games since being taken in the 5th round in 2005 and has had a host of offensive coordinators and coaches. We simply don’t know if he’s ready.

Last season’s second round draft choice Drew Stanton was placed on the injured reserve list after sustaining a knee injury in camp and is yet to even see any game action, pre-season or otherwise. Mike Martz is gone and had begun to tear down his entire game and rebuild to fit his offense. He is a rookie all over again.

Jon Kitna is a career back-up with a couple seasons as a full time starter. He is well into the twilight of his playing days and is a year or two away from retirement. Lets face it, he isn’t Brett Farve and playing beyond the age of 38 is not an attractive option for the Lions and for Rod Marinelli to keep his job during that time frame, he is going to have to get a bonafide productive starter at the position.

This is what makes Chris Simms a sensible gamble. He won’t be 28 years old until near the start of the season, has starting experience, and enough upside in the right system to be successful. He has the “quarterback pedigree” from his father Phil, a salary in the $2 million range, and an availability that would mean a low round, stipulations-added draft choice to acquire him. He is currently fifth on the Bucs’ depth chart; he is not going to be there this season so the Bucs need to move him.

The quarterback situation in Detroit has a distinct pecking order as it sits. It is Kitna, Orlovsky, and Stanton. There isn’t an open competition nor should there be. Bringing in Simms, who has drawn interest from the Bears and Cowboys as well, would be one of the wiser moves the Lions could make without forfeiting much of the future.

The Lions are getting the point in the Marinelli era where some significant results are needed. Improvement, steps forward, a competitive product on the field. Marinelli has a knowledge of Simms and the team has done ample business in acquiring Tampa players for the knowledge of the coach, their defensive system, and for their “football character”. Simms has proven a toughness (coming back from a near fatal spleen injury) and would be a smart move on Matt Millen’s part were he to bring him in.

Why let him go to an NFC power like Dallas (who need a back-up to Tony Romo) or worse yet, a division foe like the Bears who are in need as well who may be close to landing former Lion Kevin Jones as well? With camp opening soon, Detroit would be wise to make this move.