MICHAEL ROSENBERG of the Detroit Free Press writes:

"I've heard a lot of excuses for an NFL player missing voluntary off-season workouts, but none as hilarious as Roy Williams'. Williams missed the Lions' organized team activities two weeks ago. He said he missed Monday's workouts because he accidentally booked his flight a day late. He missed Tuesday's workout because of bad weather. And then he figured, why come for one day? So he skipped Wednesday.

For those scoring at home: that brings Williams to a total of three excuses. But don't worry, everybody! Williams pinky-swears he isn't bothered by his contract. Williams is in the last year of his deal and has not been offered an extension.

Of course he must be irritated, and you know what? It doesn't matter. Williams has no leverage. All he can do is try to play well and sign a deal after the season. The Lions will have the upper hand then, because they can slap the franchise tag on him.

It will be interesting to see what happens if Williams has a pretty good but not great year and the Lions are bad. Will he want out? Will they overpay him, as they have done with others?

These are legitimate and fair questions for the future. Meanwhile, Williams will remain a Lion, and probably a good one."

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All In Picks

After Marinelli brushed off rumors of Roy Williams being on the trade block months ago, recent reports are being released stating the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are interested in acquiring Roy. Marinelli and Roy, himself, already stated that he's staying with Detroit. Although he has one year left on a measley and quite modest contract, Roy is not being greedy and sitting out for a new contract, like Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Asante Samuel. Perhaps Roy wants to finish out the contract with dignity and leave for a contender next year? Maybe he's just waiting for Detroit to franchise tag him? What we do know is that Roy has been quoted saying that he wants to "take on a more prominent role as a leader" and Tom Kowalski seems to agree.

After picking up some veteran corners in free agency and trades, the Lions desperately need a solid running back, especially after releasing Kevin Jones and letting T.J. Duckett sign with the Seahawks. ESPN analyst and football guru, Mel Kiper, projects the Lions drafting Rashard Mendenhall in the first round with the 15th overall pick. Tom Kowalski writes the potential players the Lions might draft in the first round: "The following players, all believed to be on the Lions' wish list, were gone (in no particular order): Ryan Clady, Derrick Harvey, Jeff Otah, Chris Williams, Leodis McKelvin and Rashard Mendenhall".

And now on to the juicy stuff... Mike Martz is talking $h1% about the Lions now that he's free. "In Detroit we were not a good football team" said Martz. This just in: Gorbachev resigns, the Cold War has ended! I don't really feel like going through this garbage, so you can read the rest here.

Picture of the Day:

Links:

• ESPN Rumors
• MLive Lions (updates)

Special thanks to Bangem. Go Red Wings! Be back soon.

There was a rumor floating around recently from an "insider' on Rivals.com that the Lions and Eagles were going to swap Roy Williams for Lito Shepard (or Reggie Brown), a 2nd, 4th, and 6th round pick. While the trade seems to favor the Lions, it just doesn't make sense if you're a Lions' fan. Elite wide receivers are hard to come by in the NFL, so we'd essentially be giving up our best, most talented offensive player (we've already given up our two most talented defensive players in the last 2 offseasons). Philadelphia already made offers for Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald, who already signed with their respective teams, so Roy looks like their third choice, although it hasn't been confirmed by them. Even with Shepard's nagging MCL injury, do 2nd, 4th, and 6th draft picks sound appealing? Since the Lions' organization/front office is incompitent and inept at drafting, the trade is essentially Lito Shepard straight up for Roy Williams because we all know they would waste those draft picks anyways. I would have to say Roy Williams is the most talented WR in the NFC North and it would sound silly for the Lions not to franchise him. Roy has a very modest, base salary at $1.5m, while his apprentice, Calvin Johnson, signed a $62m+ deal last year. My prediction is that if Roy has a decent year, Lions will franchise tag him and give him a respectable contract, still not comparable to Calvin's, though.

News in the free agency world in the NFL was literally blowin' up for the first couple days. Since then, it has died down and teams are cleaning out their trash and lesser-known players are being signed to fill up holes pre-draft. Since the Shaun Rogers' trade, the Lions have been quiet and made the Brian Kelly signing official. Yes, its official, the Lions have signed half of the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that Marinelli and his son-in-law once coached on. For those constantly checking the free agency updates, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you will not find anything related to the Detroit Lions, unless it deals with someone leaving Detroit. Oh yeah, I forgot to add... the Detroit Lions have resigned Tatum Bell because he was, well, extremely productive last year!

News & Quotes Du Jour:

• Boss Bailey joins Pro Bowl brother Champ in Denver
• Detroit offered trade for Roy Williams from Eagles
• Vikings vault to top of NFC North - while Detroit ranks 3rd (out of 4)
• Vikings, Eagles rule roost of salary-cap manipulation, while Lions are dead last
• Lions free agency updates...
• NFL free agency updates...

Cheers.

Apparently, Shaun Rogers did the Detroit Lions' organization a huge favor by negotiating with the Cleveland Browns to put his $1 million bonus on hold so the Lions could trade for Bodden and the 3rd round pick with the Browns rather than foregoing the trade with Cincinatti (for a 3rd & 5th round pick). Since the trade, the Lions have officially acquired Dwight Smith, Bryan Kelly, and Michael Gaines. The Lions are obviously trying to fill the holes at the cornerback position. I'll update this later.

• Brett Favre officially retires... or does he?
• Teams interested in Roy Williams?
• Up-to-the-minute Lions updates

"DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions on Friday traded Shaun Rogers to the Cincinnati Bengals for third- and fifth-round selections in the NFL draft.

Detroit had been fielding offers for the talented but inconsistent defensive tackle. On Friday, the Lions settled on the Bengals' offer of two picks in the middle of the NFL draft in April.

Rogers is often among the most dominant defensive players in the league. But he failed to live up to expectations at times because of weight and off-the-field problems.

The Bengals, meanwhile, agreed to terms on a three-year contract with linebacker Dhani Jones.

Jones and linebacker Landon Johnson were two of the team's priorities to re-sign once free agency started Friday morning. Jones, who signed with the Bengals during the 2007 season after a number of linebacker injuries, was the first to reach an agreement. Talks continue with Johnson, who is an unrestricted free agent.

The Bengals lost safety Madieu Williams to the Vikings early Friday morning when he agreed to a six-year, $33 million contract.

Information from ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton and The Associated Press was used in this report."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3271113

*Again, I extremely apologize for the lack of updates for I have been extremely busy with midterms, but my spring break just started, so I'll have time to update the page more often.

'I'm very confident he's here. Very confident', were the words from Rod Marinelli on Roy Williams' future in Detroit. Detroit has been in the news since the free agency period officially started a couple hours ago. It all started a couple days ago when it was known that Detroit was willing to shop Shaun Rogers around. Shaun Rogers was then quoted saying that he would be happy to change teams. Since then, there have been trade rumors between Detroit, Denver, and the N.Y. Jets. The Lions were interested in Jonathan Vilma (who's already signed with the New Orleans Saints), Marcus Stroud from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and L.J. Shelton from the Miami Dolphins.

ESPN.com reports that a trade is imminent involving Shaun Rogers, it's just a matter of time. The Lions already signed former-Buc, Brian Kelly and Dwight Smith from Minnesota. Earlier this week, Detroit dropped CB Fernando Bryant. It's been reported that Detroit is shopping Shaun McDonald: "One possible destination for McDonald would be San Francisco, where he'd be reunited with Mike Martz, who drafted him in 2003 and now leads an offense lacking depth at receiver." Rotoworld reports, "The Lions extended tenders to restricted free agent QB Dan Orlovsky, DT Langston Moore, G Stephen Peterman, and CB Stanley Wilson."

I'm positive the Lions will come up with some deal involving Shaun Rogers within the next day, so stay tuned because this blog will be constantly updated.

• MICHAEL ROSENBERG Should the Lions keep Kitna, Roy Williams and Shaun Rogers?

• NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA'S BLOG Marinelli: Kitna to face competition, Williams to stay

• LIONS OFF-SEASON Marinelli expects Roy Williams back next year: 'I'm very confident he's here. Very confident'

Offensive Report Card for the 2007 NFL Season

Quarterbacks

Jon Kitna: Kitna started out with fire and passion throughout the first half of the season. He set three personal records in 2 games with most yards in a game (446 at Phi 9/23/07), best completion percentage (83.3 vs. Chi 9/30/07) and longest pass (91t at Phi 9/23/07). His numbers unexpectedly and surprisingly dropped from last year as he finished with a total of 4068 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Kitna was praised early in the season for his heart and compassion during gameplay, especially when he sufferred a concussion in week 2 at home against Minnesota. Kitna heroically layed his body on the line during some key third down conversions. Players and fans gained a newfound respect for Jon as he led the Lions to a 6-2 start. From that point on, everything declined and Kitna did little to nothing to help his team win more games. With a 7-9 finishing record, the best Kitna can hope for is one more year, otherwise he is done as a starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions and quite possibly for the NFL.

Final grade: C-

J.T. O'Sullivan: He came in at the right time (Kitna's revelation game) and helped secure the win against Minnesota. Besides that, he was given little time to prove himself. We don't know much about him as Martz and the coaching staff have little faith in him and Orlovsky.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton: Did not play.

Final Grade Incomplete

Running Backs

Kevin Jones: KJ was inactive for the first two weeks of the season and didn't really start playing until Week 4 at home against Chicago. He finished with 581 rushing yards (780 total) and 8 touchdowns in 13 games. Ever since his "explosive" rookie season, Kevin Jones has not amounted to much in his stay here in Detroit. Jones only rushed for 100+ once this season (@ Chi) and averaged more than 5 yards/carry once (TB). He got injured again the final home game of the season against the Chiefs. Many critics were saying that Kevin Jones, along with other offensive weapons on the Lions (we'll get to that later), was not being utilized enough receiving minimal carries in all their losses. KJ believers refuse to acknowledge his faults and weaknesses and contiunally blame the offensive line. We can all agree that our offensive line has its issues, but that's for another day. To sum it all up, Kevin Jones can absolutely not block, he can not play on third down (normally a throwing down), he can not catch and run with the ball, he dances around too much in the backfield, he is injury prone, can not break off long runs (34 yard run vs Chicago was his longest of the season), and he is a liability in the red zone. Do I think KJ has some talent? Yes, definitely. Do I think KJ belongs in Detroit? No.

Final Grade: D

T.J. Duckett: Everytime I saw him run, it would seem like he would guarantee the offense a 5 yard play. There were stretches during a game where he would run the ball consecutively, maybe 3 or 4 plays, and he would pick up at least 2 first downs. Duckett is by no means an elusive, first-string running back. He is a pure power RB, comparable to Najeh Davenport/Jerome Bettis of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's a great compliment to any offense. T.J. rushed for half the yards that Kevin Jones did with only 1/3 of the amount of KJ's carries. He finished the season strong with 335 yards and 3 touchdowns only on 65 carries! His average yards/carry was 5.2. yes, 5.2. Why did he not get the ball more often? He had a monster game against the Kansas City Chiefs with 102 rushing yards on 15 carries. T.J. has heart and fits perfectly with the Lions organization, in his home state.

Final Grade: B

Tatum Bell: So the Lions get ANOTHER 1000 yard product from the Denver Broncos. A mediocre running back will only run for 1000 yards with a good system, a good coach, and a good offensive line. The Lions have none of those, so they should look elsewhere for a running back. Bell had a great first game against Oakland with 87 yards on 15 carries, but he fumbled near the goal line in week 2 against Minnesota (seems like everything happened in that game, eh?) and Marinelli lost all confidence in him. The special thing about Bell is his elusiveness and speed after catching the ball. He is comparable to Westbrook of the Eagles. Bell demanded a trade, but the Lions thought it would be better to just put him on the inactive list instead of trading him or getting any value for him whatsoever. +1 to Millen! In reality, we were placed our best defensive player, Dre Bly, on the inactive list. D'oh!

Final Grade: Incomplete

Aveion Cason: We didn't see much of him running the ball, but he started to return the ball on kickoffs. He did a great job towards the end of the season, but it was too late anyways. Expect to see him back next year returning kicks.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Fullbacks

Jon Bradley: He showed some strength as a rare 300 lb. fullback. Like T.J., he was a short yardage go-to guy who can pretty much guarantee the offense a first down on a third and short. The coaching staff forgot they had him and failed to properly utilize him. He finished the season with 5 carries.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Casey FitzSimmons: Casey is a bit reminiscent to Cory Schlesinger with his hard work and determination. If anyone remembers, FitzSimmons returned an onside kick for a touchdown to seal the icing on the cake in the huge come-from-behind win against the Chicago Bears. If you were at the games, you would see him doing all the little things. He was all over the field, unfortunately, he's an enegry-type guy and not a playmaker. He is one of my favorite players, but I refuse to give anyone on this team an A.

Final Grade: B+

Wide Receivers

Roy Williams: Roy's numbers were skyrocketing in the beginning of the year but started to decline as Kitna played worse. Roy finished with 838 yards and only 5 touchdowns, being the lowest of his young career. He did not play the final 4 games of the season, so he obviously would have had bigger numbers. Roy dropped the ball several times in key situations but my motto is, "someone has to get the ball to him before he can catch it". He was not being thrown to enough. Rumors are flying about his preferred, future destinations being somewhere in or near Texas, closer to his hometown. Like I've said millions of times before, Roy is the leader of this team and if he left, the Lions would lose many, many fans.

Final Grade: B

Calvin Johnson: Like Roy, Calvin was unhappy because the ball wasn't coming his way enough. Calvin made some absolutely spectacular catches throughout the season, even though he was battling a back injury. It always seemed like his amazing catches came low rather than high. He is 6'5'', 235, and runs a 4.x in the 40. Throw the ball high and let him go get it! He is a monster, let him do the work. He finished with 756 yards and 4 touchdowns in 15 games. Many critics and analysts are saying that he was a huge disappointment this year, at least compared to other rookie phenoms, like Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. Calvin finished with the 2nd best statistics for all rookie wide receivers, behind Kansas City Chiefs', Dwayne Bowe.

Final Grade: B-

Shaun McDonald: McDonald led the team in total yards, being only 57 short of 1000. He finished with 6 receiving touchdowns. McDonald basically took Furrey's place and became a key addition to our offense. He was the darkhorse in the offense as he always seemed to be open. Sometimes, his "open-ness" caused many fans to moan at the playcall; McDonald would often become the go-to guy in key situations and failed to convert the big play. Why throw the jump ball to him when you have Roy and Calvin single covered?

Final Grade: B+

Mike Furrey: With the addition of Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald, Mike Furrey's numbers dropped significantly. He went from 1086 yards and 6 touchdowns to 664 total receiving yards and only 1 touchdown this season. Kitna and Martz favored McDonald over him and Furrey tended to catch the ball when it really didn't matter. Do not expect him to return next year.

Final Grade: C

Troy Walters, Brandon Middleton: Did not have enough gametime.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Offensive Line

Final Grade: F

Just kidding. I have to go for now, but I'll grade the offensive line, the defense, the special teams, the coaching staff, the management, and the ownership sometime later this week.

Here are final, overall grades by position:

• Quarterbacks: C-
• Running Backs: D+
• Wide Receivers: B
• Fullbacks: Inc.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line or leave a comment.

Kitna out.

Again, I extremely apologize for the lack of updates. The biggest news coming out Detroit so far is the reporting of the Lions supposedly wanting to fire Mike Martz regardless of last Sunday's outcome, despite gaining praise and acclaim from quarterback, Jon Kitna. Things became quite eerie when Rod Marinelli refused to comment on Mike Martz's "future" in the Detroit Lions organization. It's obvious that Martz's offensive schemes do not coincide with Marinelli's philosophies. Marinelli favors the run before the pass and Martz was highly criticized after the Lions put up 7, 8 & 9 rushing attempts during their losing kid. Although Mike Martz seems like he definitely wants out, Kitna has been quoted saying, "From everything he's [Martz] told me, he wanted to continue coaching me."

While the coaching seems like the least of Detroit's problems, questions are starting to arise regarding the quarterback, running back, offensive live, wide receivers, defense... hell that's the entire team. ESPN Insider has reported that 3 of Detroit's top players, Kevin Jones, Roy Williams, and Shaun Rogers all seem like they will not return to Detroit next year. So, the Lions finish 7-9 and miss out on the playoffs after a surprising 6-2 start. Should this be considered improvement? Should Millen get another contract extension? Does Detroit start over... again?

This is just the beginning. To sucess, you may ask? Naw. Tom Brady and LT on the Detroit Lions wouldn't even excite me at this point. I'll update again within the next few days with a grade report on all the Detroit Lions' players.

Happy Holidays.

Links 'n Things:

• Report: Mike Martz fired from Detroit?
• Marinelli's stance on Martz's future.
• Drew Sharp: Blow 'em up; Forget 7-9, Lions need to start over.

Again, sorry for the late post. I'll keep the misery short.

• The sad thing about losing by 37 points is that this isn't even our most embarrassing loss of the season.
• Kevin Jones had 5 carries for 16 yards and the Lions rushed for a total of 9 carries.
• Rumour is that Kevin Jones AND Roy Williams want to be traded. Roy, say it 'aint so!
• Jon Kitna had 5 interceptions.
• I am no longer a Jon Kitna fan.
• Calvin Johnson had a solid game for 102 total yards on 5 catches, but he looks extremely unhappy on the field.
• Was Calvin being utilized enough for a 2nd overall draft pick? He doesn't think so, although he's keeping quiet.
• 0, count that, 0 Detroit Lions made the Pro Bowl. Anyone think Ernie was snubbed? I honestly don't think he deserved a spot.
• Our sub-par run defense was certainly exposed by LT and Sproles, who?
• It seems like anyone who needs a huge confidence booster should play the Lions.
• I will no longer refer the Detroit Lions to "us" or "we".
• At the halfway point of the season, we the Lions were 6-2. They are now 6-8, with 2 games remaining.
• Is anyone reading this? If so, you are a minority.

This loss has certainly epitomized the last 7 years of mediocrity and embarrassment under Matt Millen. I remember I was driving back to school earlier in the year, fresh off a Lions' victory, still wearing my jersey. I'm listening to the post-game radio show. I'll try to paraphrase the best I can, but one of the radio announcers said, "The Lions aren't doing anything special. They are winning games that they deserve to win [but couldn't win in the past]. They are taking advantage of all their opportunities being given to them." I guess that stopped working...

Let's recap the Lions' victory defeat:

• Our kickoff return unit has proved to be a problem. I have been saying it for the entire season; our horrible coverage has cost us at least two games this year.
• Terrell Owens was almost shut out completely only catching 3 balls for 21 yards.
• Jason Witten picked up the slack and had a career game with 15 receptions for 138 yards including the game-winning touchdown.
• Marion Barber and Julius Jones only rushed fifteen times (combined) for a total of 66 yards.
• Our defensive line played well, getting pressure on Romo and effectively stopping the run.
• Marion Barber still tore us up even with 17 total touches (carries & receptions) for 3 touchdowns.
• Kevin Jones and TJ Duckett played a great game.
• Before Jason Hanson missed that field goal, the Lions had scored on 5 of 6 possessions, yet still lost.
• Jon Kitna played a mistake-free game, but it obviously wasn't enough.
• What was the average starting position for the Cowboys' offense? Their own 40 yard line?
• The game came down to horrible special teams coverage, a missed field goal, and a "botched" fumble recovery. When you're playing a team as good as the Cowboys, you can not afford to make any mistakes.
• The Lions would have had an easy victory if they could convert in the red zone.
• Paris Lenon pulled a Leon Lett.
• Our playoff chances have been decimated, especially the way Minnesota is playing.
• Jason Hanson said it best, "You don't say it's over, but that was the season." Spot on Jason, spot on.

“Be advised that your comments will now compel us to carefully monitor your activities in this weekend’s Cowboys-Lions game." This was NFL's message to Terence Newman's comments regarding Kitna.  Terence Newman originally said: "Basically what it boils down to is you've got to watch what you say. Your mouth can't write checks that your (expletive) can't cash. That's what it comes down to, Everybody's going to see those quotes. He better just hope I don't blitz off the edge, because I've got 15, 25, 30 (thousand dollars), however much it would be for a fine. I've got that much for one fine. Revenge will be sweet definitely."

Great. As if the 11-1 Cowboys needed any motivation... Those 10 wins that Kitna promised us seem to be fading away...

News between Cowboys-Lions:

• http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3144408
• http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3144391
• http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712070414
• http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007312070012
• http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712070416
• http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712070402

If things couldn't get any worse for the Lions, Roy Williams has suffered an injury to the PCL of his right knee. Supposedly, Stanley Wilson suffered a similar injury and was put on the IR. Although things aren't looking good for Roy, he is optimistic for his return, stating that he should be ready for the season finale at Lambeau Field. Though he may be outspoken, Roy is the definite leader of this Detroit offense and without him, who will step up? Calvin Johnson? Calvin is still learning the playbook to Martz's complex offense, running wrong routes and angering Kitna in the process. One thing is for certain, if the Lions want to keep any aspirations alive for the playoffs, they will need Roy Williams to play...

• Detroit Free Press
• ESPN Injury Updates

Ah. Sorry, I just woke up from a dream. The Detroit Lions just won their third consecutive playoff game. Even though the game was played at Lambeau Field, the glorious city, Detroit, had suddenly transformed into Royal Oak, just with more vibe, more zest, more life. An overcrowded Cheli's Chili; local bars flourishing from the recent success of the home team; Woodward backed up to all the way to Waddles; Detroit, notoriously known as a blue-collar city similar to the likes of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Oakland, can finally hide its' shame from the football world... Detroit is going to the Super Bowl, no joke. Did I just see a Mercedes SL600 drive past me on Bagley? Is the Leland Hotel seriously under construction for renovations? Did I just see a sexy super model walk, in a bikini I might add, across the street? No, no... I just keep thinking of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" music video. Well, as I was struggling to answer my phone, still half asleep, I realized that dreams can underline cruel, harsh realities of well, the real world. While it may have been a delirious phantasm, I was more upset to realize that Jennifer Granholm is still the governor of Michigan, Detroit Lions still never fail to disappoint, and indeed, Kwame Kilpatrick still drives that sharp, cherry-red Navigator, courtesy of the peoples' taxes.

Speaking of a wicked game, how 'bout them Lions? Here are my thoughts:

• I don't think I have reiterate myself. The Lions have the worst special teams/coverage in the NFL
• We officially rank last in the rushing attack in the NFL
• Roy Williams had a solid first half, but was sidelined due to a knee injury
• So much for our defensive line being solid... they got torn up against rookie phenom Adrian Peterson
• Tavaris Jackson had a 141.9 QB rating a couple plays before his interception
• I remember the Detroit Free Press ranked all NFL starting quarterbacks. Tavaris Jackson is ranked 31st (out of 32)
• How the hell did Jennie "from the block" Granholm get re-elected, seriously?

While it's tough to swallow, the Lions' playoff hopes have been pretty much shattered. No matter how they close out the season, even if they win 4 straight, it will never be enough vindication for the pain and suffering inflicted on fans and the city the past 7 50+ years. If you watched today's game, you know that pretty much every aspect of the game went wrong for the Lions. I could barely muster this discombobulated heap of mumbo jumbo; thats how disappointing this loss was. My uncle said it the best, "it was too pathetic to discuss".

Again, I sincerely apologize for the really late entry. I know the Thanksgiving game is off from most of your minds, but they pay me to talk about the Lions, so I'm here talking about it... just kidding about getting paid, of course.

After watching this game (from Ford Field, I might add), I came to some more conclusions. I'll just recap the game with important points, Need4Sheed style.

• Lions have the absolute worst special teams in the NFL.
• Even with a good kickoff return from Cason (who actually had a good game), our coverage was horrible.
• Cason was the Lions' leading receiver going into the 4th quarter.
• Green Bay's offensive line dominated our defensive line.
• Brett Favre was not sacked.
• Brett Favre was only pressured once... by Ernie Sims.
• Lions' red zone offense needs some work.
• It seems like they left too many points on the field in the first half.
• Martz came out trying to establish the run and Jones finished for 93 yards and a score on 20 carries.
• Roy Williams had a quiet day with only 32 total yards on 3 receptions.
• Defending Roy, it seemed like Lions were utilizing Calvin and somewhat ignoring Roy.
• All of Kitna's attempted passes towards Roy were thrown behind him.
• Brett Favre throws the best slant... ever.
• Our team relies heavily on turnovers.
• Things were looking optimistic when Favre fumbled the Packers' first offensive snap.
• The 11 point differential in the final score really doesn't say much. The Lions got blown out and the Packers let them come back.
• Kitna's numbers are declining.
• Lions' offense can no longer be considered "high powered".
• Somehow, someway, the Detroit Lions are still occupying that final wildcard spot, even with 3 straight losses.
• Green Bay fans are obnoxious and hard-headed.
• Packers' fans were proudly shouting "Go Pack, Go" in the streets of Detroit pretending like they have been some prestigious franchise and powerhouse football team. One winning season in the last 5?
• The most frustrating series happened in the first half when the Lions had the ball in Green Bay territory. They were in field goal range and strangely decide to punt the ball. The ball is returned by Charles Woodson to Detroit territory.
• The Lions dominated the first quarter and had their lead wiped in two plays.
• Lions ultimately settled for too many field goals and took their chances too late.
• Who is the Lions' MVP? Roy? Calvin? Kitna? Shaun Rogers? I don't see a leader out there.

I'm too depressed to type further. Sorry if this was post coherent. ly? Anyways, I guarantee victory against the Minnesota Vikings. I think the Lions will get back on track here and tease us a little more. I haven't really mentioned anything here, but I have been pretty hot picking games against the spread. Last week, I went 11 for 16, so for those reading, I thought I'd throw out a few games I like:

1. Green Bay Packers MoneyLine (I honestly think they win this game straight up. It's a risky bet, but I'm taking a chance)
2. St. Louis Rams -4.5
3. New York Jets +1 (The poor Fins will NOT get their first win this weekend)
4. San Francisco +3
5. Arizona -1 (This is my lock. Take it. Now.)
6. New Orleans -3

I'm sorry for the late update; I just got back from State for the weekend. I'll be able to add more content onto the site this entire week and weekend since I'll really have nothing else to do, except see the Lions on Thanksgiving, of course. As I'm typing this, "Gridiron Heroes", or the Detroit Lions' fight song, just finished and the next song on the shuffled-randomized playlist to play was "How Bizarre" by OMC. Irony? No... Why the hell do I have O-M-freakin' C on my computer? [deletes]. Speaking of weird coincidences... is it just me or does the guy who sings the Lion's fight song look eerily similar to Kwame Kilpatrick? You be the judge:

Okay, getting back to the depressing defeat for our first home loss last Sunday, I was convinced that we have one of the worst pass-defenses in the league. Disregarding the turnovers, it seems like every quarterback that plays against us has a great completion percentage. I remember when Jeff Garcia and Bucs came to town and he threw a total of 45 times and completed 37 of his passes. I know Tampa Bay was having troubles at the running back position, but that HAD to be a career high for Jeffie. I'll keep saying it, the Detroit Lions' defense heavily relies on turnovers, otherwise they get will get scored on 80% of the time, 99% of the time. Looking at the cold-hard statistics, the defensive line is good and getting stronger with Shaun Rogers at the helm. Not including Ernie Sims, everyone playing behind them is worse than mediocre.

Here are some interesting statistics:

• The Detroit Lions' defense ranks 30th against the pass.
• The Detroit Lions' defense ranks 9th against the run.
• The Detroit Lions' defense ranks 26th in total yards allowed.
• The Detroit Lions' defense ranks 5th in sacks.
• The Detroit Lions' defense ranks 24th in total points allowed.

Okay... what does this mean? The defensive line is stopping the run and sometimes pressuring the quarterback but the secondary is only gaining pseudo-acclaim from their interceptions and not getting criticized for their horrible numbers against the pass.

Regarding the loss to the New York Giants, I felt like we did not deserve to win that game. Sure, we had a chance to win it at the end, but we didn't. You can't blame Shaun McDonald. You can't blame Jon Kitna. Yeah, we all know... Calvin Johnson should be the one being thrown to in the end zone for a jump ball (see his touchdown) and not Shaun McDonald. Why throw to Shaun McDonald on the last pass? He was open. He catches it and the Lions end up winning, Jon Kitna is a genius. If the Lions' still end up losing, we'll find someone else to blame.

We're back to the same old problems from the last few years. We have no running game. How many times did we rush the ball against the Giants? 11? Pathetic. I seriously don't want to get started on the offensive problems. Seriously. There are probably like 10 total people reading this anyways. Another pet peeve I've come to develop lately is hearing so-called "fans" criticize the team. I'm eating dinner back at State and I overhear this gem, [referring to Jon Kitna's interceptions] "Wow, Jon Kitna sucks ^$*!~@&. I can't wait til Stanton gets healthy and takes over the team." A Michigan State student wants and thinks Stanton is a better option than Jon Kitna... no kidding? As I finish typing this, Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" starts playing. Talk about bizarre. [restores recycle bin]

Kitna Out.

Talk about beating a dead horse, eh? First off, I witnessed an extraordinary all-around game played almost perfectly by the Detroit Lions. For the first time this year, I couldn't attend a home game, so I watched from home and it's much easier to pick up on any deficiencies, miscues, flaws, and weaknesses. As expected, the Lions came out with trying to establish the run, something they've been trying to do for the past three or four weeks. They successfully ran over the worst rush defense in the NFL, but they failed to score early. One of the few problems that the Lions' offense experience is finishing off drives with touchdowns in the red zone. Some people are still skeptical on the entire team. Take a look at the Lions' season statistics (click here). The Lions' are outnumbered in first downs, passing yards, third down conversions, total yards, rushing yards, sacks, touchdowns, and time of possession. The only noticable number that's in favour of the Lions is the turnover margin which is at a gleaming +8.

Sure, I'm still a bit skeptical when asked about our "playoff chances", but I was always a firm believer, even through the rough, rough times. The two blowout losses that the Lions suffered still puzzles fans and media, but both those losses could possibly be put aside after yesterday's performance, a blowout of their own. Listening to sports radio and reading forum posts, I would continually here things like, "the Lions will never have the ability to put an opponent away, therefore, the games will always be relatively close shootouts." I guess not. I'm still pretty young (19), but I can actually remember the last time the Lions were 6-2. It was back in the Silverdome days when Gus freakin' Frerotte threw up a miraculous 57 yard pass to Germaine Crowell. The Lions went on to beat the eventual Super Bowl champions, the St. Louis Rams. It seems like it was yesterday, but Detroit is in a eerily similar situation; they traveled to Arizona in '99 and ultimately ended up losing and only winning two of their last six games. Next week, Detroit travels to Arizona.

So, are the Lions for real? They play @ARI, NYG, GB, @MIN, DAL, @SD, KC, & @GB to close out the season. I'm already drinking the kool-aid. The Detroit Lions are for real... Why? It's a combination of things. First, the coaching is doing an excellent job managing the game and "playing chess" with the opposing staff. The NFL is all about matchups and how well a team can take advantage of any flaws a team might openly present. The Lions' passing offense was gaining acclaim in the beginning of the season (and all of last season as well) because of their inability to run the ball and essentially becoming a slinger offense. Quietly, the passing game has went unnoticed while Kevin Jones has slowly and surely regained his rookie year composure. The second reason the Lions are winning is because of the overall attitude adjustment changes. Marinelli cleaned out the "bad guys" who negatively influenced the lockerroom. Speaking of, how great was it to see Dre Bly come back and have his team slaughtered? I've always thought Dre Bly was a decent corner, but I chuckle everytime I hear that he's an elite CB, placing right underneath Champ Bailey. Dre Bly played on a horrible defense (Lions 2003-2006), so he had the leeway to risk giving up the big play by constantly going for interceptions. Dre Bly is a mediocre cover and tackle CB, but he is obviously known for his interceptions. I'm sure most of you saw what happened to him in the overtime against the Packers last week on Monday. I'm not sure where it came from, but apparently Dre Bly has some class when he said after the game that he's happy for his teammates (for their recent success).

Roy Williams had a decent game with 3 catches for a total of 44 yards. Like I said previously, the passing numbers have decreased all around for Detroit, so everyone's numbers are affected. Mike Furrey just got his first touchdown of the season against the Broncos! Besides, like Roy, I would rather get a win than have him put up big numbers. Putting the serious stuff aside for a moment, I just purchased tickets to the Detroit-Green Bay game at Lambeau Field on December 30th for what possibly could be the legendary Brett Favre's last regular season game. Keep in mind that it could actually be a pivotal game deciding the winner of the NFC North. Who knows? I'm pretty excited since I've never actually been to an away game, so it makes it even more sweeter (and colder) that it's at Lambeau. If you're looking to buy tickets for that particular game, or any Lions' game for that fact, I would highly suggest that you do it soon before the prices get ridiculously high. Last month, a ticket for that game was averaging the $150 mark and since then it has more than doubled.

For all those Roy Williams' fans out there, Roy Williams will be doing an autograph session today (November 5th) at the Field of Dreams at the Somerset Collection in Troy. The session durates from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Call 248-643-6360 for information regarding the event, or if you want to preorder any items to be autographed, you can call 866-678-3683 or alternatively visit signaturecollectables.com. It costs $25 to have your picture taken with him; $40 for an autograph on a small item and $50 for an autographed polaroid. The exact information was extracted from the Detroit Free Press and the link can be found HERE.

Stay tuned, I'm planning to give away an AUTHENTIC (stiched) Calvin Johnson jersey along with a pair of tickets to an unannounced game this season. The website is 80% completed; the forum just needs some work. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment here, or e-mail me at alex@ckate.com. Cheers.

I'm sorry for the hiatus; I've been quite busy with midterms. Coming back to last Sunday's victory, I have to reiterate that the win was a definite positive and it was exciting for the team and franchise, but it just felt like we stole one from Tampa. It seemed as if Garcia's passing % was near perfect and a crucial fumble on our goal line ultimately determined the outcome of the game. From second in passing yards in the first couple weeks, Kitna's numbers are gradually declining. Kitna has had less than 250 yards in the last 3 games, two of which were wins. What's wrong with the offense and how are we winning games?

A 4-2 record, which does include two blowout losses, is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Beating less than mediocre teams, Minnesota and Oakland, are games that the Lions inevitably SHOULD win, but in recent history have failed to accomplish with any trend of consistency. We feasted on a literally beat-up Chicago team, who had five or six missing starters on defense. Tampa Bay's injuries keep piling up which obviously attributed to the Lions' Sunday win. I guess a couple positive things come out from all of this: 1) Lions are finally taking advantage of those game-changing opportunities that they never really could capitalize in previous history. 2) The Lions defense is still sub-par, although they are getting pretty good at generating turnovers. Everytime I'm watching them, I'm either expecting an opposing score or a turnover. Without all of the defensive turnovers, Detroit would probably be 1-5.

I can go on an on, but I'll end it here. I promise to everyone that content will be added shortly, now that I have the time. I promise!

Hello everyone. The site's logistics are now completed. Content, including a forum, should be up within the next couple days, or so. Expect brand new wallpapers with Roy Williams and other Detroit Lions' players. Expect highlight videos, pictures, interviews and alot more. Come back soon!

Leave a comment with suggestions, comments, concerns, and questions. If anyone else wants to trade links, leave a comment here.