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Lions: A Bout With Them Cowboys

Closing out a dismal 2006 season last year with a 39-31 win over the Cowboys in Dallas last New Year’s Eve was like leaving with the third place door prize at bingo night down at the VFW. Its a nice parting gift, but not what you really want. You want the big prize and hope the next time, you win the jackpot.

The Lions started the season out at 6-2 and looked like they would be at least invited to the dance for an initial date. After losing four straight games, the Lions are ready for their usual wallflower status, standing by and watching everyone else have a good time. And after last season’s game with the Boys, Lion quarterback Jon Kitna better hope his offensive line helps him play hard to get.

After getting back home to Seattle, Kitna was a guest on a local radio show and made comment (light-heartedly he asserts) about some of the Cowboy defensive players, namely linebacker Bradie James.

“We didn’t feel like their interior linebackers were very effective,” Kitna said that day, on air. “There were some times that we were watching on film before we played Dallas that we really felt like No. 56, sometimes I don’t know that he knew where he was at.”

Which James didn’t take as comical.

“Everybody knows that a guy on the opposing team has been talking a little too much,” James said Wednesday. “So, we’ll see. I might have to take someone out to lunch after the game.”

Kitna didn’t stop with there, he decided Cowboy corner Terrance Newman wasn’t quite … well, Marcus Trufant.

“We definitely felt like Terence Newman was the best corner that they had, so we knew we needed to be careful with him,” Kitna stated. “But even with him, I mean, he’s not Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant, in my opinion. He doesn’t have that kind of ability. It wasn’t like you were scared to throw at him, I guess.”

With all of that and his current dilemma in his own back yard (“We don’t have a lot of people in our boat right now”), Kitna may want to consider leading more by example that orally in the media. That said, who knows which Lion team will show up this week, but I have a pretty good idea of who’s coming to dinner; the 11-1 and angry Dallas Cowboys.

Lions: Offense

No Roy Williams (knee) means rookie Calvin Johnson assumes the role of “big play threat”. Whether or not the Detroit offensive line can weather the Dallas storm early on will dictate how effective the passing game will be. As I state pretty much weekly, one way to slow the pass rush onslaught will be to at least try an establish a running game. Run Kevin Jones until his foot falls off and then bring in T.J. Duckett to run it some more. With the rumors of both Williams (denies it) and Jones wanting to flee the Motor City when their contracts expire, the should be looking to appease Jones’ hunger for carries, and in turn (and hopefully) keep Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo and the destructive Dallas offense off the field.

Lions: Defense

After having been called out in the press, the Lions need put to rest the emphasis on team “loafs” and revive the pride they had played with early in the year. They have been back on their heels during the current four game losing streak and with everything (playoff hopes, dignity, public opinion) on the line, nothing short of a Herculean effort will suffice. The Lions simply must get to Romo, keep him in the pocket and hit him hard. They have a massive offensive front and stunts and blitz packages will need be prominent on the menu if the team is to have any shot. Things could get ugly in a hurry, and I don’t just mean on the field. Lion fans have heard enough excuses, even in this season of vast improvement.

Prediction

You may question my sobriety, but this thing really could go either way. The Lions have basically taken themselves out of serious playoff contention and would need a cavalcade of assistance to make the post-season at this point. That said, the team is notorious for playing its best with nothing to gain, as it did last season in Irving. Dallas has wins over Green Bay and the Giants, so a loss derails nothing. Looking past the Lions is possible, and Detroit may just have the planets aligned.

Please understand I am a hopeless homer, and picking the Lions 28-24. Do not feel sorry for me, but just wonder if I stayed sober throughout the game and THAT hangover isn’t as bad as the one Lion fans suffer every off-season.

For a much brighter outlook on the game, check out The Cowboy Roundup on MVN.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 1:49 pm and is filed under Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Tony Romo, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, NFL, Football, Blogroll. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.