Detroit Lions

ALL
OUTSIDER

Who among us can really judge Steve McNair?

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

It's been four plus days yet seemingly months ago since Steve McNair was taken from this earth in a violent and unnecessary way. I've taken in the talk on sports radio and I've read the feedback submitted by Ravens fans and clearly the opinions vary on how McNair will be remembered. When I think back, I recall the nickname Air McNair as the former Alcorn State Brave emerged on to the NFL scene as the third overall pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft. At the time I thought the nickname was a bit unusual since his legs can be credited with most of his early success. Right around the time McNair was maturing as a professional my son Tyler, to the delight of his proud Dad began to really develop an affinity for the NFL and in large part the credit for that can be attributed...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Eddie George, Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans

RAY LEWIS ISN'T PAID TO BE A BABYSITTER

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

Whenever an NFL player becomes available who might be a match for the Ravens on the field yet is a problem off the field or in the locker room, fans inevitably look to Ray Lewis and conclude that he can be the voice of reason and stave off any potential issues. Fans think that Ray can turn a drama queen into his own little dancing queen who will march to his beat on demand. Look up babysitter in the NFL Glossary and fans expect to see the willing and smiling face of Ray Lewis. And given this widely held belief among fans, they precipitously conclude that the problem child flavor of the month can be the missing ingredient for the Ravens - particularly if the player is a wide receiver. Plaxico Burress - bring him on! Brandon Marshall - no worries, besides what has he been CONVICTED of... If either...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis

Can the Ravens surpass Steelers without No. 1 WR?

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

This article was written by Tony Lombardi of Ravens24x7.com The Ravens are just a wide receiver away from overtaking the Steelers in the AFC North. How many times have you HEARD that? If the Ravens had a true No. 1 receiver they may have advanced to and won Super Bowl XLIII. How many times have you SAID that? The Ravens would love to have a player in the mold of Larry Fitzgerald or one with the skills of Brandon Marshall. But is that the only way for the Ravens to take that next step? Can they take that next step with the wide receiver talent currently on their roster provided they improve in other areas? That's a reasonable assumption don't you think? But before we go there, let's look at the receiving talent the Ravens do have heading into the 2009 season. Derrick Mason: It's safe to say that...

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: baltimore Ravens, Derrick Mason, Joe Flacco, Marcus Smith, Mark Clayton

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Carolina Panthers

By Staff Report | July 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Joe Coward from CatCrave.com gives insight into what to expect from this year's Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers, 2009 Season Preview Some Negative Comments Most Carolina fans think of the horrendous playoff game Delhomme last played more often than the season opener he won for Carolina in San Diego. Some call Delhomme's extension a blessing in disguise, for salary cap room, if nothing else. In time we will sort it out and see if a contract extension for Delhomme was right or wrong. Some worry about Julius Peppers. He will have a solid season in 2009 if he wants to move elsewhere that bad in 2010. Some Positive Comments Carolina has become a force...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Carolina Panthers, NFL

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Kansas City Chiefs

By Staff Report | July 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Josh Knox from KCChiefsFootball.com shares his insight on the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs. Check in on other teams here.Chiefs 2009 NFL Season Preview Last year was a very rough year to be a Chief. One positive that can be taken from this is finishing 2-14 there is really nowhere to go but up and Chiefs seem to doing everything in their power to make the best on and off the field decisions to help their organization for both now and the future.. Let's talk about some of the key losses for the Chiefs and then we will go on and see what they added. . Key Losses: Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Donnie Edwards, Patrick Surtain If you watched...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Pittsburgh Steelers

By Staff Report | July 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Donald from Steelerstoday.com gives insight into what to expect from this year's Pittsburgh Steelers.2008 regular season record: 12-42009 predicted record: 13-3Predicted finish in AFC North: 1st The Pittsburgh Steelers ended 2008 by taking home their sixth Lombardi Trophy. However, repeating in 2009 is not going to be an easy task. Steeler Nation is not going to like hearing me say this, but I don't think the Steelers were the best team in the NFL last season. However, the Steelers got hot at the right time, and had a few breaks go their way. Next thing you know, they're throwing a parade in Pittsburgh. Key Weaknesses:If the Steelers hope to repeat, they are going to have...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers

TWFE sends condolences to the Detroit Lions family over the loss of Ricky Sandoval

By Big Al Beaton | July 2, 2009 | The Wayne Fontes Experience

Sad news from the Lions today, though not totally unexpected. The Lions announced their long-time director of security, 49 year old Ricky Sandoval, has passed away after a 3 year long fight with pancreatic cancer. Sandoval lived more than 2 1/2 years longer than his original prognosis, absolutely amazing if you know how devastating a disease cancer, especially pancreatic cancer, can be.From the Lions press release: LIONS DIRECTOR OF SECURITY RICKY SANDOVAL DIES AT AGE 49Team's indoor practice field named "Sandoval Field" earlier this week Allen Park, Mich -- Ricky Sandoval, the team's beloved director of security, died Thursday morning at Harper University Hospital in Detroit after a courageous and extended battle with pancreatic cancer that lasted more than three years. He turned 49 on June 30 and is survived by his loving wife, Gael.As someone who considers himself quite lucky to have a mother who bravely fought, and survived,...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Detroit, Detroit Lions

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Carolina Panthers

By Staff Report | July 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Carolina Panthers, NFL

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Kansas City Chiefs

By Staff Report | July 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Josh Knox from KCChiefsFootball.com shares his insight on the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs. Check in on other teams here.Chiefs 2009 NFL Season Preview Last year was a very rough year to be a Chief. One positive that can be taken from this is finishing 2-14 there is really nowhere to go but up and Chiefs seem to doing everything in their power to make the best on and off the field decisions to help their organization for both now and the future.. Let's talk about some of the key losses for the Chiefs and then we will go on and see what they added. . Key Losses: Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Donnie Edwards, Patrick Surtain If you watched...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Pittsburgh Steelers

By Staff Report | July 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Donald from Steelerstoday.com gives insight into what to expect from this year's Pittsburgh Steelers.2008 regular season record: 12-42009 predicted record: 13-3Predicted finish in AFC North: 1st The Pittsburgh Steelers ended 2008 by taking home their sixth Lombardi Trophy. However, repeating in 2009 is not going to be an easy task. Steeler Nation is not going to like hearing me say this, but I don't think the Steelers were the best team in the NFL last season. However, the Steelers got hot at the right time, and had a few breaks go their way. Next thing you know, they're throwing a parade in Pittsburgh. Key Weaknesses:If the Steelers hope to repeat, they are going to have...Read more

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers

NFL Top 10: The Best Offseason Moves Not Made

By Greg Trippiedi | June 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We tend to judge coaches by how their actions effect games. We tend to judge front office types by their acquisitions. These are fair game of course, but the best offseason moves are often the ones that weren't made.In today's NFL Top 10 column, we'll take a look back at all aspects of the offseason, and narrow down just ten player personnel moves that were not made, and how the discussed party is much better off.10. The Detroit Lions pass on an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL DraftThis is coming from a man who thinks that Jason Smith should have been the pick at No. 1, the prior Lions regime might have decided that after taking Matthew Stafford at No. 1, the No. 20 pick should have been the best lineman available. And even with OT Michael Oher available, the Lions decided that TE Brandon Pettigrew...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, NFL Top 10, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

NFL Top 10: Best Storylines heading into 2009

By Greg Trippiedi | June 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

I really love spending hours putting together the research for a long-winded heavy analytical post, but sometimes, a fan needs to appreciate the game from a different perspective. This isn't going to provide any insight into why teams will win and lose this year, but because it's June, and we're two months from training camp, I'll forgive myself.Today, NFL Top 10 takes a look at the best storylines entering 2009, as well as those potential developing storylines that could shape the upcoming NFL season.10. Ray Lewis, Rex Ryan, and defense in the AFCIf the Baltimore Ravens are going to make good on my super bowl appearance prediction, they can't allow the media to even speculate that they might be missing Rex Ryan. The effect of defensive coordinator on a team's defense has certainly been overstated throughout the years, so we'll never know if the Ravens are actually missing Rex Ryan. ...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins

NFL Crystal Ball: Projecting the Rookie Quarterbacks

By Greg Trippiedi | June 1, 2009 | MVN Outsider

It was universally agreed upon by draft analysts that the 2009 NFL Draft's quarterback class was one of the weakest in memory. But when the first round was said and done, the results suggested that the teams disagreed: 3 quarterbacks picked in the first round, all before the 20th pick was made.On this kind of thing, history suggests that the majority draft opinion usually produces more first round names than there are actual first round talents. The bust rate for all rookie QBs is around 50%, but that figure is considerably lower in the top 20 picks of the first round, which more directly applies to the three gentlemen who will be the primary focus of this article: Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, and Josh Freeman.I will rely heavily on historical draft position in this analytical and predictive column. Draft position helps to separate the elite prospects from the good prospects,...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Detroit Lions, New York Jets, NFL Draft, Predictions, Prospects, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Great Debates: What to Do with Michael Vick?

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which team is the best spot for Michael Vick if he overcomes the enormous hurdles necessary to get on the field this year?Greg Trippiedi says Vick shouldn't be a starting quarterback:It's pretty clear that Michael Vick is not going to have a job waiting for him when he gets back. He's 29 years old -- too old and too young in different ways. Vick's open field running abilities were already in decline when we last saw him, and that was in 2006. But that doesn't mean he won't stick somewhere. He's still got a good five or six seasons ahead of him as an effective athlete. The question though remains: Where will Michael Vick fit in, and who will take a chance on him? I don't think Vick is a good fit on a team with a clear need...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NFL

NFL Crystal Ball: Detroit Lions will be NFL's Most Improved

By Greg Trippiedi | May 23, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Well, okay. Not exactly making an outlandish statement there.But I'll go a step further than the title suggests: I'll say right now that the Lions will win at least three games in which they come in as an underdog of 6.5 points or more.Sure, you'd expect the Lions to handle the Rams when they come to town following the teams' bye week, but looking at the Lions schedule, you might not expect them to be particularly competitive against the AFC North, or even the rest of the NFC.But, you know what, do not be surprised if the Lions jump out to a 2-0 start in 2009, traveling to the Superdome to play the Saints in week one, and then handling the Vikings at home in week two. You see, the Lions did a fantastic, Miami-like job of turning over the players who were primarily responsible for the 16 losses in...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Detroit Lions, Predictions

MVN: Most Valuable Network