Detroit Lions
2011 PFF All-NFC North Team
It’s time to take a look at the All-NFC North team for 2011. As ever, we’e being a little creative with the formations to try and get the best possible players on the field and, in this instance, that leaves us with a truly destructive looking offense.
The “Black and Blue” division doesn’t let us down when it comes to defense either, with only safety being a notable weak point on a side stacked with stud players. No team in the division has fewer than five players selected to this team which shows that despite some teams struggling (well, the Vikings), there is talent all over, and no one team is in power all the way through.
So let’s take a look at the rundown. Read the rest of this entry »
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Re-Focused: Lions @ Saints, Wild Card Round
The Detroit Lions will surely look back on this game with a mixture of frustration and disappointment as a mad five minutes in the fourth quarter saw them throw away their opportunity to hand the New Orleans Saints another Wild Card playoff upset. It was far from a surefire thing as their defense had hemorrhaged yards and points in the second half, but they were in the game and with Calvin Johnson firing on all cylinders once again, anything was possible. When the Saints picked up two touchdowns and a turnover in the space of just over two minutes, the game turned finally to the Saints. Missed opportunities were the key for this inexperienced Detroit team and they should come back next season hungry to better their first playoff game in more than a decade.
PFF Focus Points: Ndamukong Suh vs. the Saints
For the second of these articles, what better way to complete the Saturday set of Wild Card games than by comparing and contrasting another defensive tackle going against an equally accomplished line. Ndamukong Suh hasn’t had the greatest of sophomore years, but here was an opportunity to live up to the hype by making plays against a Pro Bowl interior. The Lions may have come up short but how did Suh measure up?
This season the Lions coaching staff has deliberately cut down on Suh’s snaps. Presumably the plan here is to either allow him more energy later in the game, give other players a chance, extend his playing career, or more likely a combination of all three. In his rookie year he averaged 90% of all defensive snaps, but this year that has been reduced to 78%. Interestingly, that is very close to what he got in this game too (75%), playing almost all of those snaps at left defensive tackle. He was used on two occasions as a left defensive end, but not once on the right side.
Three to Focus on: Lions @ Saints, Wild Card Round
One team is coming off breaking all sorts of passing records, the other wondering just how they gave up six touchdowns and 480 yards to a backup quarterback. On the surface of things, this is a rematch of the Week 13 encounter that saw the New Orleans Saints hammer the Detroit Lions which doesn’t hold much appeal here. After all, the numbers suggest the Lions secondary are likely to be on the wrong end of a Drew Brees-inspired beatdown.
However, we’re in the postseason now, and you don’t need to tell the Saints about how the playoffs can play host to shocks and surprises. It was a year ago the no-hope Seahawks ended New Orleans’ dreams of repeating with a certain running back entering Beast Mode. So why can’t the Lions cause the upset? Why can’t Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson decimate the Saints secondary? Why can’t this be where Drew Brees has an off day?
Let’s look at what the Lions will need to do to shock the world, and what the Saints will have to do to stop them.
Re-Focused: Lions @ Packers, Week 17
So this is a game that the Packers didn’t care about; they’d simply rest their big names, run the ball at every opportunity, just take the loss and move on? Yeah right.
Matt Flynn is a free agent in February and he and the coaches had other ideas about giving up a 22 year home winning streak against the Lions. Instead they gave him the opportunity to shop his wares to all the NFL teams struggling at the QB position and condemn the Lions to the playoff gig no one wants; away to the offensive juggernaut of the New Orleans Saints. Matthew Stafford together with Calvin Johnson played about as well as you can but still came up short in a game that had plenty of interest for interested parties and neutral fans alike. Here’s what I thought of some of the key players:
Three to Focus on: Lions @ Packers, Week 17
Green Bay coaches have yet to tip their hands on how they’ll approach what for them is a “glorified scrimmage” against the Lions. The guess here is they won’t be offering up many of their key starters as fodder for a hungry, and often reckless Detroit team that still has plenty to play for.
A victory for the Lions would assure them the fifth seed and keep them out of a first round visit to either New Orleans or San Francisco–teams they’ve already lost to this season.
Let’s take a look at how some Packers backups could fare in extended duty against the Lions starters.
Re-Focused: Chargers @ Lions, Week 16
They had it all to play for here. With a win they remained in contention and possibly kept their head coach around for 2012. Either that wasn’t enough motivation for the San Diego Chargers or they just simply were not good enough. Are they now a franchise who has seen ‘it’s time’ pass them by without the Super Bowl they craved?
While San Diego appears to be heading in the wrong direction, you can’t say the same thing about the Detroit Lions. The main reason for the Chargers poor showing here was that they were simply overpowered by a Lions outfit that seemed to remember just how explosive they can be when they’re geared up.
Their reward is a long overdue playoff appearance where we’ll really get to see them tested. If they can play like this though, then ask yourself; who couldn’t they keep pace with?
Three to Focus on: Chargers @ Lions, Week 16
This AFC West/NFC North matchup finds both teams who still have hopes for the postseason. However, those dreams are much more realistic for the 9-5 Detroit Lions, who control their own fate in terms of earning a wildcard spot. The 7-7 San Diego Chargers have looked good the last two weeks, especially last week against the Baltimore Ravens, considered by many to be one of the best teams at least in the AFC, if not the NFL. It may be too late for their usual late-season rally, however, since their division has grown more competitive recently.
The Lions have also been inconsistent, looking dominating at times (their 45-10 beat down of Tim Tebow and the Broncos in Denver comes to mind), while amateurish at other moments, plagued with self-inflicted penalties (like the infamous Ndamukong Suh stomp or Nate Burleson’s three PI-flag performance against the Saints). They’ve also had a couple of close comeback wins, like their 28-27 win over the Raiders in Oakland last week. Regardless of which versions of these two squads shows up on Christmas Eve, it should be an entertaining contest.
Re-Focused: Lions @ Raiders: Week 15
With both teams in the thick of the playoff hunt it was a must win for each side. The Raiders were trying to keep pace with Tim Tebow and the Broncos while the Lions were fighting to keep a tight grasp on their wild-card lead.
Oakland’s offense seemed to be back on track after going through a slump, while their defense had no answer for “Megatron” late in the game. The Raiders’ losing streak needs to end if they are to have any shot at taking the AFC West crown, which is as wide open, as it was when the season started.
As for Detroit, another comeback victory was just what the doctor ordered. With little help from the defense despite the return of Ndamukong Suh and Chris Houston it’s safe to say the Lions will go as Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson go. Is there a better duo in the NFL right now?
Three to Focus On: Lions @ Raiders, Week 15
It’s “must win” time for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders. At 8-5, The Lions are in line for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC while the Raiders just lost their grasp on the AFC West and currently sit one game out of the Wild Card race in the AFC.
It was a close call for the Lions as they nearly blew a 28-7 lead last week against the Vikings, but linebacker DeAndre Levy’s sack and forced fumble on the goal line ended the rally. They’ll welcome the return of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from his two-game suspension.
The Raiders have been downright awful the last two weeks. Quarterback Carson Palmer continues to turn the ball over and their defensive line has been handled fairly easily. Both Palmer and the line will need to improve to give the Raiders a chance to get back in the playoff hunt. With so many teams battling for the last Wild Card spot in the AFC, their best chance may be through winning the division, but they better hope that Denver Broncos’ opponents figure out a way to stop their fourth-quarter magic. Read the rest of this entry »
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