Defending the (In?)defensible: The 2009 Detroit Lions Draft

Long time no blog (mainly because I've been using Twitter so much) but sometimes you need more than 140 characters, and if I'm going to defend the 2009 Detroit Lions draft, I may need 10 times that amount.

If newspaper articles, calls to talk radio, reaction at the Lions' own draft party, and comments from friends and family members are any indication, Matt Millen would have had an easier time pleasing the Lions faithful than what new GM Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz put together. The newspaper columns are brutal, fans booed nearly every pick at Ford Field, I had to talk one friend off the ledge on the phone this afternoon, and another described the draft tonight as "TERRIBLE" (capitals included). Welcome to Detroit Matt Stafford and Jim Schwartz, where Lions fans have been bred to lose the "benefit of the doubt gene."

And there's every reason not to give the Lions the benefit of the doubt. After all, Matt Millen for eight years, produced eight years of wasted drafts. Two of the Lions first round picks of the Millen era (Charles Rogers and Mike Williams) are out of football. Another (Joey Harrington) is hanging on by a thread. Others aren't even with the Lions anymore (Roy Williams and Kevin Jones), and the ones that are (Jeff Backus, Ernie Sims, and Gosder Cherilus) have not lived up to expectations. And those late round gems every other team seems to find? Well, not so much with the Lions. Brian Calhoun has spent the better part of three years on IR though, and we've wasted more second round picks than most teams have had in eight years, so that's something.

All that is said to lay the foundation for this: Lions fans, I understand your frustration, and I understand your pessimism. But, let's also be honest, the Lions draft was far from "terrible" and it was certainly not the epic disaster most are portraying it as. We can disagree about the pick of QB Matt Stafford #1 overall, and had I been running the Lions, I probably would have taken Baylor left tackle Jason Smith (despite my love of Wake Forrest linebacker Aaron Curry, and I think he's going to be a leader in Seattle for the next decade, you can't take a linebacker #1 overall, give him $60 million, and then move him to middle linebacker, a position he's never played before -- you just can't do it), but if the Lions truly believe he can be an elite quarterback, they couldn't pass on him. You can't say "well, it didn't work out with Andre Ware or Joey Harrington or Chuck Long" so Stafford's destined to fail too. And I don't even mind the big contract, because, the Lions had no choice. Once they decided to take a QB #1 overall, the money was going to be outrageous. There was nothing they could do; they were slaves to the out-of-whack NFL rookie salary system.

The big problem Lions fans seem to have is that with both the team's second first round pick #20, and the first pick in the second round, #33, the Lions did not address a glaring need at middle linebacker. And there's no question, the Detroit Lions need a middle linebacker. With last year's starter Paris Lenon unsigned, there isn't one on the roster at the moment. That's a problem. But the Lions have a lot of problems. While we haven't had a Pro Bowl QB since the 1970's, that was also the last time the team had an elite tight end (and please, David Sloan doesn't count -- he was good, but certainly not great). And there's certainly no question the current Lions team also lacks a quality tight end. The team also lacks a play making free safety, in the mold of an Ed Reed or Bob Sanders.

So, with multiple holes, and only a limited number of picks with which to fill them, Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz did what they could. They went with the highest rated player on their board, pretty much regardless of position. And that meant taking tight end Brandon Pettigrew #20 overall, despite the needs on defense. This just infuriated most Lions fans, especially with MLB's Rey Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis on the board. But, Pettigrew was ranked as Mel Kiper's #7 overall prospect, was by far the #1 tight end in the draft, and is one of the most complete tight-end prospects in years. Not only does he have soft hands and NFL quality speed (though he's not going to blow by people) but he's a monster blocker thanks to his 6'5", 260-pound frame. So, not only does he give the Lions another weapon to take pressure off of Calvin Johnson, but he instantly makes the running game and the offensive line better because of his elite blocking skills. He can step in and start immediately, and he'll make a huge impact as a rookie.

Of course the Lions needed help on defense, but the fact that no NFL team thought it wise to take Maualuga or Laurinatis in the first round (or even into the second) ought to tell you something. It's easy to fall in love with big name players from big name college programs who we watch every week for years and are on the cover of Sports Illustrated (like Maualuga was the week before the draft) and see them make great plays and big hits, and say "we need that guy." And that's especially true when you are a team like the Lions who lack a defensive identity. But, this is a multi-year rebuilding process for the Lions. We're not going from 0-16 to the playoffs, we're not the next Miami Dolphins or Atlanta Falcons. We can't afford to pass up talent for need. We need players, at every position. We can't afford to be choosy.

The next sin, according to the local media and local fans, was passing up Mauluga nad Laurinatis again at #33 to take Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas. Delmas, though, was the #1 safety in the draft, and safety is becoming an elite, and vital position in the league (maybe even more so than middle linebacker). If Delmas lives up to his potential, Lions fans will be very happy, even if he's not a middle linebacker.

Jim Schwartz said today the Lions were not going to "fit square pegs into round holes" with the linebackers in this draft. Who am I, who didn't watch film on these guys, didn't interview them or see them work out at their pro day or the Combine, to say Schwartz is wrong? I know as Lions fans we have been conditioned to believe our coaches are bafoons, but I liked the hiring of Jim Schwartz. I have to at least give him one draft to get the types of players he thinks will fit best in his scheme.

Now, was I thrilled with all of the Lions picks? No. Day 2, while it obtained some depth at both defensive and offensive tackle, and brought us two potential kick returners (another desperate need), also included two outside linebackers. Maybe they can move inside, but the last thing we needed were more athletic outside linebackrs. And nary a defensive end or cornerback was taken. So, I was a bit less happy with Sunday than I was with Saturday.

So, maybe I'm just a Lions apologist, but I'm not expecting the Lions to rebuild overnight. We need players, everywhere and when you can leave a draft with the top player at three different positions of need (quarterback, tight end, and safety), even if you didn't address your most pressing need (middle linebacker) I can live with that. As Martin Mayhew said before the draft, as much as the draft is about next year, it's really about three, four years down the road. Of course we didn't fill all of our needs this weekend. But, this is a process, and one the Lions have just begun.

Lions Struggle in Free Agency, But Its Not Mayhew's Fault

Despite having almost $40 million to spend in cap room, and more starting positions to fill than almost any team in football, the Detroit Lions have had a quiet start to free agency. Sure, they've signed a backup running back (Maurice Morris, a solid pickup, sure), a second or third option at wide receiver (the talented, but always seemingly disappointing Bryant Johnson), and picked up a couple of cornerbacks (aging veteran Anthony Henry from Dallas in a trade for Jon Kitna, and former Tennessee Titan backup Eric King) but certainly, for a team that went 0-16, these signings aren't going to instantly make the Lions a contender for much of anything.

Yet, I'm not upset, nor do I even remotely blame new Lions general manger Martin Mayhew. In fact, I give Mayhew high marks for how he's handled this off-season so far. Why? Because had things gone according to plan, the Lions would be in a much different position right now, and for once, the plan was not foiled by the Lions ineptitude, but by that of other teams.

First, the Lions had finally filled the left guard spot vacated when Matt Millen, in his first season as general manager, balked at paying Pro Bowl guard Jeff Hartings a few hundred thousand dollars more to stay in the Detroit. Instead, Hartings continued to visit Pro Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Millen regime was off and running in the wrong direction (little did we know at the time just how much the Hartings decision was a foreshadowing of things to come). This time, though, the Lions had lined up a trade with Buffalo for guard Derrick Dockery. Dockery is in the prime of his career and would have been the first real replacement for Hartings in almost a decade. He would have solidified the offensive line and would have instantly improved the Lions team. So what happened? The Bills screwed up the paperwork and failed to get it to the league office in time before Dockery was due a roster bonus. They chose to cut him instead, and the Lions were left with nothing. And despite offering Dockery more money than he later received from the Washington Redskins, Dockery chose D.C., his previous home before he went to Buffalo two seasons ago. Mayhew tried, but forces beyond his control kept the Lions without a starting offensive lineman.

An even larger disappointment perhaps was when Denver backed out of a potential trade for Jay Cutler. The Lions were trying to use their second round pick to trade for New England QB Matt Cassel, who the Lions would have then shipped to Denver in exchange for Cutler, who would instantly become the best quarterback the Lions have had in at least four decades. Denver, though, ultimately decided against moving Cutler, and the Patriots sent Cassel to Kansas City.

So, had Mayhew had his way, the Lions, along with the signings of Johnson, Morris, and King, would have added a top LG and one of the league's best quarterbacks to the Lions. And both were very close to happening, and both failed due to no fault of the Lions. And yet, Mayhew didn't get discouraged, and instead, went back to work. He somehow was able to get something for Jon Kitna, the quarterback the Lions would have cut in the next 48-hours before a roster bonus came due, sending him to Dallas for Henry, who, while aging, was a starter on one of the league's best defenses last season.

Would I have liked to see the Lions acquire more talent so far in free agency? Absolutely. But, it hasn't been for a lack of effort. And I like how Mayhew's mind seems to be working, as he is trying everything possible, and considering every option, to improve the Lions. Let's just hope in the next few days, if the Lions have another blockbuster move lined up, he's actually able to pull it off.

I like Jim Schwartz Already

I'll have more thoughts on the hiring of Jim Schwartz later today after I have a chance to listen to his introductory press conference, but I saw this story at Pro Football Talk this morning and it already makes me feel good about the man the Lions have hired to turn the team around.

Now that Jim Schwartz is the new coach of the Detroit Lions, he’ll have to lure assistant coaches to a franchise that has won one playoff game since Dwight D. Eisenhower was running the country.

At the top of his list on the offensive side of the ball, per Chris Mortensen of ESPN, are Broncos quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Schottenheimer and Bates are two of the most respected, brightest young offensive minds in football. Schottenheimer is a head-coach in the making and Bates is credited by Jay Cutler as helping him become a Pro Bowl quarterback. Now, there's no guarantee the Lions will be able to hire either (Schottenheimer may become the head coach for the New York Jets, and even if he doesn't, the Jets may hold on to him; And Bates not only signed a three-year extension with Denver just a few weeks ago, but he's already being courted by Oakland to run their offense) but the fact that those two are the leaders in the clubhouse for the Lions tells me a lot. It tells me that Schwartz understands that he needs to bring a new perspective to the Lions offense, and it shows me that he isn't afraid to bring in an offensive coordinator who can pretty much run the offense on his own, allowing Schwartz to concentrate on fixing the Lions porous defense.

There are not two better names to hire as offensive coordinator, and the mere fact that Schwartz is focusing on them means he's looking exactaly in the right places to fix the Lions.

Thoughts on the Detroit Lions Coaching Search

As the Detroit Lions coaching search continues, a few quick hits:

* First, I'm happy to see that new General Manager Martin Mayhew, and team President Tom Lewand, are taking their time and talking to everyone. The team has already interviewed at least half a dozen candidates (including defensive coordinators Jim Schwartz (Tennessee Titans), Steve Spagnuolo (New York Giants) and Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings) as well as Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett) and, could expand to include San Diego Charges defensive coordinator Ron Rivera according to NFL Network's Adam Schefter. Talking to as many candidates as possible and not rushing into a decision or falling in love with one candidate to the exclusion of all others (like Matt Millen did with all of his coaches) shows a thoughtfulness and consideration which is a welcome change for this franchise.

* My top candidate, at least for the moment, is Titans' defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who is known for his "Moneyball"-esque analysis of defensive statistics (interceptions, much more than fumbles, are the key to winning and losing, and running on third and short is more successful than putting the ball in the air according to this fascinating profile on Schwartz from the New York Times.) Schwartz has done wonders with the Titans defense, has learned from one of the best coaches in the game, Jeff Fisher, and is ready to become a head coach. And the Lions like him, bringing him in for a second interview Monday, which will include owner William Clay Ford, Sr.

* But, I have my concerns too. While I understand the need to rebuild a Lions defense which is in desperate need of an overhaul, I can't help but marvel at what the Denver Broncos have been able to do. After stunning the football world by firing Mike Shanahan, the Broncos engaged in a whirlwind coaching search just like the Lions. And given the team's history of success, and the fact that the Broncos were interviewing many of the same candidates the Lions are looking at (like Frazier, Garrett, and Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles), it would be hard not to look at who Denver hired, and say, odds are, they are more likely to make the right hire. And they by-passed all of the Lions candidates (not even speaking to Schwartz, which honestly, does frighten me a little -- if he's such a sure-fire candidate, why didn't Denver even talk to him?) and hired New England Patriots young wiz-kid Josh McDaniels. Now, I'm not sold on McDaniels for a few reasons. The first being his age (32). While I don't think that'll be a handicap in Denver, which is much closer to turning back into a winner than the Lions, when you have a mess like you have in Detroit, I'd want someone with a bit more experience building a franchise. And the second being the very shaky history Bill Belichick's assistants have had as head coaches (two, Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel, have been fired, though Mangini was recently hired to replace Crennel in Cleveland, and the third, Charlie Weiss, has been a failure at Notre Dame). But, I have to say, the fact that Denver interviewed Leslie Fazier and Jason Garrett, and chose McDaniels tells me something. And McDaniels' first move as head coach does too. According to Adam Schfter again, he's hiring former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan to run his defense. A brilliant move. Nolan is a master defensive coordinator who has the experience to run Denver's defense on his own, allowing McDaniels to concentrate on Jay Cutler and Denver's offense. It's practically getting two head coaches for the price of one. Now, these kinds of arrangements don't always work out (see Detroit's ill-fated attempt to turn its offense over to Mike Martz so Rod Marinelli could run Detroit's defense as a perfect example of that) but something tells me, it will in Denver.

And with no knowledge of who would run the Lions offense if the team were to hire any of the defensive coaches the team is currently focused on, I can't help but look at Denver and ask, what do they know that the Lions don't? And I'm reminded of the answer Tim Matheson's character of John Hoynes gave on West Wing when he was asked that question by an inquiring Toby Ziegler: "The total tonnage of what I know that you don't could stun a team of oxen in its tracks. Goodnight."

Almost Time For the NFL Draft

This is perhaps my favorite weekend of the year (and we'll ignore for the moment the Detroit Pistons trying to ruin it by sleepwalking through Philadelphia -- Like the Tigers 0-7 start, I'm not upset or panicked because I just can't see the Pistons losing to Philadelphia in the long run, but if they play like they did Friday night, it'll be over, and not in a good way, by this time next week. Okay, speech over.) The NFL Draft, and even though the format has been tweaked a bit (Rounds 1 and 2 start 3:00 Saturday, Rounds 3-7 start bright and early at 10:00 Sunday) and the Detroit Lions, for once, aren't drafting in the Top 10, it's still veyr exciting.

And very nerve-wracking at the same time. This time last year, the debate was whether the Lions would stay where they were and take Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson (or even perhaps offensive lineman Joe Thomas) or trade down and take defensive end Gaines Adams or linebacker Patrick Willis. My top choice, at the time, was to trade down and take Willis who was a monster of a linebacker coming out of college. The Lions chose not to do that, Johnson was injured most of his rookie year with a back problem, and Willis won Defensive Rookie of the Year and was everything people thought he was and more. And linebacker continued to be a glaring need for the Lions.

Which is why the Lions can't make the same mistake again. If Keith Rivers or Jared Mayo are still on the board when the Lions draft at 15, unless Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey is too, you can't pass either one of those two players up. Yes, the Lions need help on the offensive line and a running back would be a sexier pick, but I'm so tired of the Lions drafting offensive skill players in the first round. I don't think it's a coincidence that Matt Millen's only successful first round draft pick (okay - Maybe Roy Williams should count as "successful") was a defensive standout, linebacker Ernie Sims. Paring Sims with either Rivers or Mayo would put bite into a Lions defense which really needs the help right now.

And thus we get to why I'm worried. While the Lions top choice, the aforementioned Derrick Harvey, is almost certain to be gone, and Rivers is too, Mayo seemed like a sure bet for the Lions at 15. Plus, because he's the better middle linebacker prospect, which is a more valuable position in the "Tampa 2" he may even fit the Lions scheme better. But, in recent days, as some players tend to do, Mayo has shot up the draft boards, and some have him now going in the Top 10 picks. It's very possible that Harvey, Rivers, and Mayo will all be gone by the time the Lions pick. And it's not like taking one of the better offensive lineman in the draft would be all bad (we do need a right tackle) or a running back (otherwise, as it stands now, Tatum Bell will be our starter, which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence) but we need such help on defense, it's imperative that Harvey, Rivers, or Mayo slide to 15 or the Lions consider trading up. To get Harvey, we'd only have to jump up 3 or 4 spots (he's likely going to Carolina at 13, two picks ahead of us) so maybe we can trade the third round pick we got in the Shaun Rogers trade, and slide up a few picks.

In the first three rounds, the Lions have four picks, and I would select Linebacker, Defensive End, Running Back, and Offensive Tackle, in that order. And if any other position is drafted in the first four picks, even cornerback, it's a mistake. LB, DE, RB, OT. Those positions have to be filled and have to be filled with players who can play.

Will the Lions do it, or will they take another wide receiver? In just over twelve hours we'll find out.

The Lighting Round: 21, Detroit Tigers, and More

So you start a new job, in the real world, after four years of undergrad followed immediately by three years of law school, and suddenly you lose track of your blog. Well, let's not make that a habit. So let's catch up on what I've missed.

* 21: The Movie - Good but not great * Last weekend I went and checked out the new movie, 21 based on the great and best selling book Bringing Down The House. For those unfamiliar, the movie, based largely on the book, follows a group of MIT whizkids who, with some help from one of their professors, put together a very successful card-counting operation which make them hundreds of thousands of dollars before the Vegas establishment catches on. The movie, staring Kevin Spacey as the morally suspect ringleader/professor, was good, and exciting, but could not hold up to the greatness of the book. And maybe I have been spoiled by NBC's great Las Vegas so casino-themed movies have a hard time measuring up. Las Vegas did such a great job of capturing the casino and Vegas atmosphere, I almost walked out of 21 thinking that had the TV show done a mini-movie with the same storyline, it would have been much better. That said, it was still a good movie, maybe a bit long, and yet with some storylines not fully fleshed out as they could have been (which probably tells you there's a bit of dead time in the movie which could have been better spent elsewhere) but in the end, worth seeing.

* Detroit Tigers start 2008 season 0-4 * Well, at least Jason Grilli is in mid-season form, giving up three straight hits in the seventh inning of yesterday's game against the Chicago White Sox including the game winning three-run home-run dropping the Tigers to 0-4. Obviously, this is not how the Tigers, who have the second highest payroll in baseball, and who have expectations through the roof, wanted to start the year. I refuse to panic though. Even though Nate Robertson struggled yesterday, for the most part, the problem has been the offense, and the slow start Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Shef...Well, everyone has gotten off to except for Clete Thomas, the kid who never played above AA before Curtis Granderson got hurt. The offense is too good to not turn around. So, let's not panic and get concerned. We'll turn it around. A month from now, if we are 5, 6, 7 games under .500, then we can talk, otherwise...

* NFL Draft Coming Up * I had a dream the other night (I wish I weren't kidding) that I missed the NFL Draft (which would never happen in real life) and as I was struggling with my cell phone to find out who the Lions drafted, I found out they traded up to the #2 pick in the draft to take some running back I had never heard of. I remember being so furious. Then I woke up, thankfully. The Draft is less than a month away, and I keep hoping the Lions don't waste their first round pick on another offensive skill player. Yes, we need a running back. But we need linebackers and defensive lineman and offensive lineman much more. I'm getting very nervous though it's going to be offense, offense, offense again.

* NHL and NBA Playoffs on the horizon * I haven't written much (if anything) about the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons in a long time, but now that the meaningless regular seasons are nearing their end-point, and the playoffs get ready to start, I'm excited to start really paying attention again and blogging again. Both teams have had great regular seasons, and the Pistons have really seen growth in their young stars, which has allowed them to rebuild without anybody noticing. It's amazing. But no matter how great the regular seasons were, if they don't win the playoffs, it won't matter at all.

And with that, time to see if the Tigers can win a game. Eventually we do, right?

Lions Cut Kevin Jones and Kalimba Edwards; Another Proud Day in the Millen Regime

It's another proud day in the Matt Millen regime as leader of the Detroit Lions as two more of his top draft picks have been cut from the Lions as the team has announced that both defensive end Kalimba Edwards (who just last season signed a lucrative extension with the team) and running back Kevin Jones are no longer part of the Lions team. While Jones may come back at a reduced salary, that isn't looking incredibly likely at this point, and Edwards won't be back.

Excellent. More top draft picks gone. So aside from Ernie Sims, Roy Williams (who himself isn't likely to be with the team past this season), Jeff Backus, and Calvin Johnson, is anyone left? Daniel Bullocks and Gerald Alexander I guess. Now, cutting Kalimba Edwards, I understand. He has consistently underperformed, he'd never lived up to expectations, and if Rod Marinelli, a defensive-line specialist, can't get anything out of you, it doesn't make much sense to keep you around.

Now Kevin Jones, that I don't understand. Yes, he's been injured. He missed most of the start of last season with a Lisfranc fracture and he tore his ACL near the end of the last season. But from all reports, he was ahead of schedule on his rehab and was all set to be ready for training camp. He and the Lions even just recently agreed that he'd be doing the rest of his rehab here in Detroit. Now, suddenly, he's gone. When healthy last season, Jones was very productive, and he's been productive his whole career when he's been healthy. And with the loss of TJ Duckett earlier this off-season, Jones was key to the Lions offense going into the 2008 season. Now he's gone, leaving the Lions with Tatum Bell, Aveion Cason, and Brain Calhoun (who spends more time on the injured list than Jones).

Which means the Lions will likely spend their first round pick on a running back in this April's draft, which is no less than disastrous. The Detroit Lions have so many holes in key positions (right tackle, defensive end, middle linebacker, outside linebacker) the last thing they need to do is spend ANOTHER first round draft pick on an offensive skill player. Matt Millen has already spent the majority of our first round picks on offensive skill players (Charles Rogers, Joey Harrington, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones, and Calvin Johnson) and only two remain with the team, and Roy Williams isn't likely to be with the Lions past this season. The only first round draft pick who has made a real impact (okay, maybe Roy Williams has too) is Ernie Sims, who not coincidentally is the only defensive player Millen has chosen in the first round. Wasting another draft pick on a running back when Kevin Jones would have been fine if supplemented with a third round running back is another in a long line of failures by the Detroit Lions.

If we didn't have so many other needs, then maybe. But with the way the team stands now? What a disaster.

Detroit Lions Take Step in Right Direction, Sign Cornerback Brian Kelly

The Detroit Lions took a step in the right direction on Saturday, as both ESPN and NFL.com reported that the team had reached a three year deal with veteran cornerback Brian Kelly. Kelly, a longtime mainstay in the Tampa Bay secondary, became another in a lengthening list of former Bucs to join up with their former head coach Rod Marinelli this off-season. Already safetys Dwight Smith and Kalvin Pearson and defensive tackle Chuck Darby have joined the Lions, and Kelly is a key addition.

One of the weakest parts of the Lions defense the past, well, forever, has been their secondary. And after trading away Dre Bly before last season, and cutting Fernando Bryant this off-season, it was looking like another lost year for the Lions secondary. But after acquiring a young ballhawk of a cornerback in Leigh Bodden in the Shaun Rogers trade, and signing veterans like Smith, Pearson, and now Kelly, who have extensive experience not just with the Lions defensive scheme but with the Lions defensive coaching staff, it's a net plus for the Lions. The team is now stacked at defensive back, with five quality safetys (although veteran Kenoy Kennedy likely won't be with the team next season), two new starting corners (Bodden and Kelly) and decent nickel and dime backs (the team re-signed both Keith Smith and Travis Fisher, and the underachieving but still learning Stanley Wilson will be back). That's a step in the right direction.

Now I know that this post has a different sound and a more upbeat feel to it as compared to yesterday's post criticizing the Lions free agent moves thus far this off-season but Kelly is a big addition at a key area of need. Since that post we also signed defensive tackle Chuck Darby, who while not nearly as talented as Shaun Rogers, brings a work ethic far superior to anything Rogers brought to the table. That's not to say I'm now thrilled with the Lions off-season, because I'm not. We still need a running back and an offensive tackle, and it looks more and more as if one of those two positions will be filled in the first round of the draft, something I wish wouldn't happen because of our past draft history and are desperate needs on defense. We still need at least one defensive end, a middle linebacker, at least one outsider linebacker, and probably another defensive tackle for good measure. This team still has a lot of holes, and needs a lot of improvement. But I always get sucked in to being bullish on the Lions chances.

As much as I love to complain about their coaching staff and their personnel moves, I'm an optimist at heart when it comes to the Lions, which I realize, given their history, is beyond silly. I always end up seeing the positive in the Lions moves, and see big things in their future. I feel that way today with how we've solidified our secondary and turned one of the biggest weaknesses on the team into one of the biggest strengths. There's a long way to go, but at least for one weekend day, it was a good day at Ford Field.

Underwhelmed by the Detroit Lions in Free Agency

We all knew the Detroit Lions were not going to be extraordinarily active in free agency. MLive.com's Tom Kowalski told us that weeks ago. A combination of a salary-cap crunch and the Lions not being thrilled with the players out there led to that, but so far, the Detroit Lions now have far more holes than they had a week ago, and for a team that wasn't very good to begin with, this is not good news.

We've lost both Boss Bailey (Denver) and Teddy Lehman (Tampa Bay) leaving us with who again at linebacker? The perpetually disappointing Paris Lenin and the oft-injured Alex Lewis. And Donte Curry, maybe? Of course we have Ernie Sims, but that's it. Now, yes, Bailey has never lived up to his potential, and Denver gave him a lot of money, and Lehman was also constantly injured, but still, it is not as if linebacker was a position of strength for the team where we had a lot of depth. Perhaps the theory is to draft a middle linebacker and shift Lenin to the outside, but I'm not encouraged.

We also have yet to find a replacement for T.J. Duckett, who took off for Seattle. As Nick Cotsonika writes in the Detroit Free Pres if the season ended today, due to injuries to Kevin Jones and Brian Calhoun, your starting running back if the season ended today would be Aveion Cason. And we wonder why the Lions are the way they are. Now, the Lions may draft a running back, but considering all the other needs we have, another top pick on an offensive player is the last thing the Lions should be doing. And for all the talk the Lions were going to sign Warrick Dunn, that seems more like wishful thinking than reality at this point.

We've also lost our starting right tackle (Damien Woody), cut our starting cornerback (Fernando Bryant), and traded away our Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Shaun Rogers). Now, that's not to say all these moved were bad. Rogers had more negative intangibles than positives he brought to the team, and I like the cornerback we acquired from Cleveland (Leigh Bodden). But our other additions? Two safetys (Dwight Smith and Kalvin Pearson) when safety is a position we were actually okay with (with two young players, Daniel Bullocks and Gerald Alexander, and a veteran Kenoy Kennedy) and a tight end (Michael Gains).

The Detroit Lions have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks and months. We need a running back, at least one offensive tackle, a defensive tackle (though rumors are we may sign Seattle's Chuck Darby to fill Shaun Rogers' shoes), at least one defensive end, probably two linebackers (at least), another cornerback. And the problem is, most of these are starters we need, not depth positions. And given how free agency has gone so far, I can't see the Lions being too successful in filling these holes.

I Still Write About Sports...Occasionally...I Guess....

Wow. I didn't really mean for Quo Vadimus to turn into all-politics, all the time, and certainly not into a de facto propaganda machine for the Obama campaign, but that's seemingly has been what has happened this month. I guess it makes some sense. Aside from studying for the Bar Exam, my time is pretty much spent watching MSNBC (Morning Joe and Hardball are daily rituals, and with all the extra debates and primary/caucus coverage, it adds up pretty fast) and sleeping, so it's little wonder that when I do find time to post, it's on politics and this fascinating race for both the Democratic and Republican nomination. And given my natural support for Obama, my posts tend to be (well, are) probably, well, a bit slanted. Let's try to change that a bit, both in terms of looking at the race a bit more objectively (we'll see how long that lasts, probably until the next Clinton attack, oh wait, there I go again) and instead focus on another of my passions: sports, which used to be the calling card of this young blog.

So the New England Patriots at 18-0 and going into the Super Bowl and I do have to admit I am a bit disappointed that it won't be Brett Favre and the Packers going up against Tom Brady's Patriots. To see Brady, perhaps the best quarterback of his generation, to potentially conquer Favre, perhaps the best quarterback ever, to give his team the Super Bowl and an undefeated season, that would have been something to watch. Instead we'll get Eli Manning on the Giants, the Manning that isn't funny and personable and isn't a big star (yet). But he's showing he has the talent to be known on his own regard and not just as Peyton's little brother. And you have to give the Giants credit. Winning at Tampa Bay, at Dallas, and at Green Bay was very impressive. Plaxico Burress is an incredible wide receiver and the Giants defense is strong. Strong enough to upend the Pats in two weeks? I doubt it. But stranger things have happened, and the Giants played the Patriots extraordinarily tough in Week 17, so we should see a good game at the very least.

What else is going on? The Red Wings and Pistons have cooled off a bit after incredible starts to the season, but honestly, I haven't blogged much (if anything) about them because no matter how well they play now, it's irrelevant if they falter in June. It's nice to Chris Osgood rejuvenate his career, and Henrik Zetterberg grow into one of the NHL's best and most exciting players, and it's great to see the Pistons bench (especially Jason Maxiell and rookie Rodney Stuckey) play so well and give the starting five some much needed and much deserved time off during the season, but all that matters is the post-season. So I'll watch a bit from the sidelines until then. The Tigers signed Nate Robertson to a contract extension last week, locking up 4 of their starters (all except for Kenny Rogers) for at least the next three years. Solid move. Now let's get Cabrera signed.

Rich Rodriguez on Ryan Mallet: "I think he's going to transfer."

University of Michigan Football coach Rich Rodriguez is being interviewed on the Jim Rome Show right now and he just said, when asked about the future of Ryan Mallett, that "I think he is going to transfer." He said that Mallett has not told him that personally, but that Mallett has apparently let people know in the program that he is planning on leaving, and Rodriguez sounded as if he was prepared for life with a new quarterback.

Whether that's prep-superstar Terrell Pryor, or somebody currently on the roster (like Georgia Tech transfer Steve Threet, high school quarterback-turned-wide receiver Junior Hemmingway) remains to be seen.

San Francisco Linebacker Patrick Willis Wins Rookie of the Year Award -- Of Course He Does

Sometimes, when it comes to the NFL Draft, I'll be the first to admit, I get it wrong. In 2005, for example, I was yelling as loud as anyone into my television that the Detroit Lions needed to draft USC wide receiver Mike Williams. Even though the Lions had drafted wide receivers the previous two seasons, Charles Rogers was looking like a bust and Williams, had he been eligible for the 2004 draft, likely would have been the #1 pick because of his incredible amount of pure talent. With three cornerbacks (another position of need) taken in the first 8-picks ahead of the Lions I was ecstatic when the Lions passed on Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson and selected Williams. Oops. We all saw how that turned out, as Williams never was willing to work to develop his immense base-talent and Johnson, on the other hand, has turned into a good and solid (if unspectacular) linebacker for Kansas City.

Last year though, I pleaded with the Lions to pass on the top wide receiver in the draft, Calvin Johnson, and this time take the linebacker, Ole Miss's Patrick Willis. (I even titled the post "2007 NFL Draft Preview aka Why the Detroit Lions Shouldn't Draft Calvin Johnson")

Despite Johnson's immense talent, and incredible potential, I think it would be a huge mistake to draft him if, as expected, Tampa Bay and Atlanta are fighting over themselves to draft Johnson, and the Lions are offered numerous second round draft picks to move down. And this feeling has nothing to do with the fact that the Lions have taken three wide receivers in the past four years in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft, with two of those picks, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams, being huge disasters. The Lions can't look back. They should only look forward. The draft picks they made in the past are a sunk cost. They can't go back. If the team needs a wide receiver (and their pursuit of Kevin Curtis this off-season shows that the team believes that they do) and Johnson is as good as everyone says (and there's little doubt that he's going to be a star) then the Lions should not let the fact that they have constantly drafted wide receivers in the first round stop them.

With all of that said, Johnson would not be the worst decision the Lions could make tomorrow (cough, Leon Hall, cough), and I'm not sold on Gaines Adams, the defensive end the Lions seem to be focused on if they don't draft Johnson. There are a lot of questions about Adams work ethic and football IQ, and Mississippi's Patrick Willis and LSU's LaRon Landry have no such question marks and both could step in and start at key positions which are hard to fill (middle linebacker and safety). So between Johnson and Adams, I would like to see the Lions take Johnson, even if technically, defensive end is a bigger "need" for the Lions. But, with the potential for a trade down, and Willis or Landry sitting on the board at #8, or even Adams on the board at #4 with additional second round picks in the wings, the Lions have to take that trade, no matter how much of a star they think Johnson may become.

So, while I may have been wrong in 2004, I can say I was right in 2007 as Willis, who is going to the Pro Bowl in his first season, was named Rookie of the Year today. And while I was impressed with Calvin Johnson this year (despite his late season drops and lack of concentration) and think he will be a special player, Willis already is a special player. Imagine him in the defensive backfield with Ernie Sims, crushing opposing offenses. And not only that, but the Lions would have earned a number of additional draft picks with their selection of Willis because it would have involved a trade-down.

Just another missed opportunity to add to the list of the Millen-regime.

Michigan Upsets Florida 41-35, Sends Lloyd Carr Out On Top

Good for Lloyd Carr. Good for Jake Long, Chad Henne, and Mike Hart, who won't leave Michigan 0-8 against Ohio State and in Bowl Games. Good for the Michigan program, which picked itself up off the mat and won a game in a hostile environment that nobody gave them a chance to win (I certainty didn't -- And neither did Las Vegas, which made Michigan a 10.5-point underdog against the Florida Gators). Michigan defeated Florida 41-35 in today's Capital One Bowl, ending Lloyd Carr's career on a high note, and giving Michigan's seniors the signature victory they have been starving for.

And what a strange game. Mike Hart, who fumbled three times in his entire college career before today, and not once in his last 1,002 touches, fumbled not once, but twice, both inside the red zone, both as Michigan was about to score a touchdown. Wide receiver Mario Manningham carried the ball seven times for 53 yards on reverses. Seven carries for a Michigan wide receiver. Michigan had four turnovers, Florida none, yet Michigan led for most of the game. And the offensive firepower of Florida? No match for Michigan, which put up 524 total yards of offense (compared to 399 for Florida). 524 yards of offense -- That may be what we'll expect to see from new Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez, but to see it from a Lloyd Carr coached team, just incredible. And how about that defense, blitzing even on Florida's final drive and putting pressure on Tim Tebow and Florida all game long? Where was that all season? Not at all the game that anybody expected, but in a very pleasant way for Michigan fans.

In many ways, this was not just the end of Lloyd Carr's tenure at Michigan, but the end of Michigan as fans have known it over the past few decades. Rich Rodriguez' spread offense (whether run by a returning (or potentially not) Ryan Mallett, or by somebody within the program like current wide receiver Junior Hemmingway, or by potential freshman recruit and #1 ranked high school quarterback Terrell Pyror). And what a way to go out. Healthy, aggressive, and successful. A vision of what could have been this season had Michigan not lost to Appalachian State and Oregon, and if Chad Henne and Mike Hart not spent most of the season fighting various injuries.

Today though is not a day to look back on what could have been, but a day to celebrate the ending of the Lloyd Carr era, and the end of the Michigan careers of Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long (and potentially Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington as well, who had a remarkable game, with some of the best catches I have ever seen in a Bowl Game). Lloyd Carr went out, deservingly so, on top, leading his team to a huge upset, in an incredibly exciting game that will be talked about at Michigan for years to come.

Rich Rodriguez Already Recruting #1 QB in the Country

Rich Rodriguez does not waste any time. In what must have been either minutes before, or minutes after, he told his West Virginia team that he was leaving the school to take the University of Michigan's head coaching job, he already was on the phone with one of the top recruits in the country, Terrell Pryor. Thanks to my buddy Mike who forwarded me the link to Scout.com where this report appears, Pryor called Scout to have them update his on-line profile because he was now considering coming to Michigan to play for Rodriguez, a school he previously had not considered.

Imagine the surprise of this writer as my cell phone rings ten minutes ago and it is the top player on the East Coast Terrelle Pryor telling me that he may have just unlocked the biggest coaching story of the year.

"Add Michigan to my list," Pryor said.

Michigan, the Wolverines? Of course I had to ask is Rich Rodriguez going there because its the only thing that would draw Pryor to Ann Arbor right now.

"I just spoke to Coach Rodriguez about ten minutes ago and he told me he is going to Michigan," Pryor explained. "He said they made him an offer an he can't refuse it."

Pryor, who Scout.com lists as the #1 quarterback recruit in the country, is compared favorably to Vince Young.

Pryor has great size and good quickness and speeed. He shows a good arm and great athletic ability in the pocket. He is a “Vince Young” type of signal caller in that is very dangerous in the open field because he has the ability to make a move or run right through would be tacklers. As a passer Pryor shows a good arm and can throw with accuracy and touch.

Not bad for your first afternoon on the job. No wonder ESPN.com reports that he's not coaching West Virginia in their upcoming Fiesta Bowl, he's got recruits to visit and kids to convince to come play for the new-look Wolverines.

Sporting News: West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez Negotiating With Michigan?

Thanks to my buddy Ben who sent this link along, the Sporting News is reporting that West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez is in Toledo today with his agent to negotiate a potential deal with the University of Michigan to become the team's next head football coach.

There's a new twist in Michigan's ongoing search for a head coach: University officials are meeting with West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, according to Sporting News Radio correspondent Michael Bradley.

Rodriguez and his agent are in Toledo today to negotiate with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and university president Mary Sue Coleman.

Michigan has been looking for a head coach since Lloyd Carr announced his retirement Nov. 19 after 13 seasons leading the program.

Rodriguez would be an incredible choice, may be every bit the coach Les Miles is, and would make the school two-for-two in stealing West Virginia coaches as Michigan hired former WVU men's basketball coach John Beilein last year. Rodriguez is 60-26 at West Virginia, an amazing turn around at a school which was 3-8 in his first season. Since that time (2001) he has never lost more than 4 games in a season, and the last three seasons he has led the Mountaineers to 11-1, 11-2, and 10-2 seasons with two BCS Bowl births (a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in 2005 and another trip this season against Oklahoma).

This would be a an amazing coup for Bill Martin who has not had a good few weeks. Pulling Rodriguez away from alma matter is going to be tough, but if Michigan could pull it off, it would certainly make up for the mess that was the Les Miles courtship. It's actually kind of surprising Rodriguez name has not come up substantively before now considering Michigan's early hiring of Beilein. And considering Michigan's other options at this point (Brady Hoke? Ron English?) Rodriguez would be everything a Michigan fan could ask for and more.

The Dream is Over: Les Miles Not Coming to Michigan

Despite increased hopes in the past few days that LSU coach Les Miles was once again Michigan's top candidate for their head coaching job, it's over. Miles released a statement, read on ESPN this afternoon, saying that while he did speak with Michigan Athletic Director Bill Maritn and University President Mary Sue Coleman on Friday, it was only to assist them in their coaching search and not to place himself in that search. He will not be coaching Michigan next year. LSU has now posted the statement in full on its website, and it's about as pretty clear-cut as you can get (which is saying a lot considering how ambiguous Les has been so far).

“I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics. I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.

“I’m not a candidate for that job and I will not be a candidate for the job. I was only assisting them in their search for a coach. I have a great job at a wonderful place, a place that my family calls home. It’s time that Michigan goes on with their search for a football coach. I’ll say it again, I’m going to be the coach at LSU next season.”

So, what now? M-Go-Blog is floating Marvin Lewis as a possibility. Despite his lukewarm success with the Cincinnati Bengals, I like Lewis a lot, and I think he'd be better than any of the other candidates interviewed or talked about so far. The only good news? It appears Cam Cameron is not interested in the job. Well, there's something positive.

Pro Football Talk: Michigan After Cam Cameron?

Well, if you can't get the coach of the potential NCAA Champion Louisiana State Tigers, Les Miles, and you can't pry Greg Schiano away from Rutgers and the potential future of Penn State's head coaching gig, and Kirk Ferentz decides to stay at Iowa, why not go to the world of the NFL? Great idea actually. Talk of Sean Payton, a successful, innovative, young offensive mind was a giant step in the right direction. Word of whom the Wolverines may be targeting now? Well, not so much.

According to ProFootballTalk.com, the Wolverines, instead of Les Miles, coach of the potential National Champions in college football, they are focusing on another former assistant coach, but one whose season, well, has not quite gone as well as LSU's. The coach's record? A mere 0-13. Yes, 0-13, and most likely 0-16, the first coach to ever lead his team to such a milestone. That coach? Former Michigan assistant Cam Cameron.

With Saints coach Sean Payton not interested in becoming the next head coach at the University of Michigan, there's talk in league circles that Athletic Director Bill Martin wants to pursue Dolphins coach Cam Cameron, if Cameron is fired.

Per one league insider, Martin believes that Cameron's 0-13 (and counting) performance in his first year as an NFL head coach is an aberration.

Cameron was an assistant coach at Michigan from 1984 through 1993, and he was the head coach at Indiana. The program is looking for an offensive guru to lead the team after the retirement of Lloyd Carr.

Thankfully, the website reports that Cameron would prefer to stay in the NFL and that alumni (like myself -- I will have two degrees from here in less than three weeks time, when do I get some pull?) aren't likely to warm to a candidate who has been an abysimal failure in his first NFL season. He wasn't much better as a head coach at Indiana, his alma matter, where he went 18-37.

Cameron's best work has come as an offensive coordinator and assistant. At Michigan, (1983-1993) he helped develop a ton of top talent, including Jim Harbaugh and Desmond Howard. In the NFL, he found success as offensive coordinator in Washington and most recently in San Diego, where he helped turn Drew Brees and some guy named LaDainian Tomlinson (who had a great profile on 60 minutes tonight -- Seems like a genuinely good guy and guy the NFL should be showcasing for both his on and off field behavior, which are both exemplary) into Pro Bowl players.

While Cameron may be an offensive genius, if he's proven anything over the past two decades, it's that he's not head coach material. He failed at Indiana. He failed at Miami. To be fair, Indiana is hard to win at, and the Dolphins were a disaster well before Cameron arrived on the scene, and injuries to both quarterback Trent Green and running back Ronnie Brown haven't helped. But, I'm just not convinced Cameron has what it takes to be a successful head coach. Rutgers is not an easy place to win either, but Greg Schiano found a way. Brian Kelly, who isn't even a candidate for the Michigan job because apparently he rubbed some people the wrong way at some point (probably by winning at a school, Central Michigan, where current assistant Mike DeBord was a complete failure), won at both Central Michigan and Grand Valley State, not football hotbeds before he came around. Good coaches can win at run-down programs and can win without five-star recruits. Cameron couldn't.

Is Cam Cameron a brilliant coordinator? Absolutely. But can he run an entire program? I'm just not sold. 0-13 takes a special kind of ineptitude, one the Detroit Lions never reached. Is that really who we want taking over Michigan at this crucial moment? Especially somebody who prefers to stay in the NFL, but can't because he's not head coach material, and somebody who likely would jump back to the NFL at the first opportunity? And somebody who failed at their first college head coaching job? Bill Martin needs to think long and hard about that.

The Detroit Lions...

...Wow, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I won't even go into the guts of this latest defeat, because I skipped the game despite my season tickets to attend a review session for one of last exams ever as a law student or any other kind of student, and my attempt to DVR the game failed, but seeing what happened today, I think somebody was doing me a favor. Jason Hanson missing a crucial field goal? The defense stopping the Cowboys from scoring on the one-yard line only to see the offense fail to run out the clock and then the defense lets the Cowboys march right down the field. At this point, losing the rest of our games will get us a better draft pick, so 6-10 after a 6-2 start seems, well, likely. I can't see winning at San Diego next week, and certainly not at Green Bay the last week of the season, so at this point, why win the Kansas City game in two weeks?

Amazing too, because 6-10 at the start of the year may have been somewhat acceptable. Not great, but acceptable. Now, it's a disaster. At least we ran the ball today.

What to do for next season? More talent, especially on defense and the offensive line, will help, as will a fully healthy Kevin Jones and Calvin Johnson having more experience in the offense. But, wow, there is a long, long way to go.

As my buddy Atanna told me today, The Detroit Lions, snatching defeat out the jaws of victory since 1957.

Greg Schiano Accepts Michigan Job -- Then Turns It Down -- Or Did He?

The University of Michigan cannot catch a break. First was the Les Miles fiasco, where apparently he was all set to accept the job but nobody could find Athletic Director Bill Martin because he was yachting (I wish I was joking about that, but I'm not) and now the next best candidate, and perhaps the only other candidate mentioned so far which would excite the Michigan fan base, has turned Michigan down. According to the New Jersey Star Ledger, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano accepted the Michigan job Wednesday night, but had a change of heart and is staying at Rutgers.

Greg Schiano told his players in an emotional team meeting this morning that he will stay as head football coach at Rutgers University , according to the parent of a player on the team.

The player's parent, who requested anonymity because of the nature of the meeting, said Schiano told the team he had tentatively accepted the Michigan job, but had a change of heart. The person said Schiano left the room in tears and it remains unclear if Schiano was indeed offered the job.

The Star-Ledger first reported last night Schiano had met with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin "for quite a while" Wednesday in New York City to discuss the Big Ten school's coaching vacancy. Those talks were described by a person who speaks regularly with Schiano and confirmed by a second party.

Schiano would have been a perfect guy for the Michigan job -- Demanding, intense, a defensive guru who not only demands the most out of his players, but gets it, and was successful at Rutgers where he had little talent and little power to recruit. Plus he was young and could have been the coach here for 15, 20 years if he wanted and he was successful.

Where does Michigan go from here, having lost their top two candidates (and their top three if rumors of Kirk Ferentz being near the top of the list but choosing to stay at Iowa are true)? I have no idea. Current defensive coordinator Ron English certainly seems like a stronger bet, but he's never been a head coach, and Michigan's defense has certainly not been the team's strongest link in English's tenure. And Ball State coach Brady Hoke, a former Lloyd Carr assistant keeps being named as a I candidate, but I can't see any way he gets the job.

The Detroit News reports the Wolverines may be interested in New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. That would be a great hire. He's young, innovative, successful. Would probably be a great recruiter due to his NFL pedigree (he was a Dallas Cowboys assistant before becoming the Saints head coach). I would also, if I were Michigan, contact Bill Cower and Jon Gruden. Michigan needs something out-of-the-box here. Hiring English isn't going to get the job done, and I fear that if English is the choice, we'll be in this same position three or four years from now, after a few 8-4 seasons leave us looking for a new head coach, again.

2:30 Update: As my buddy Seth points out in the comments, it now appears Schiano may have never accepted the Michigan job formally, but considered it strongly before at the last possible moment deciding to stay at Rutgers. I'll keep the above blockquote because that part of the New Jersey story is now gone, and it has been replaced with this:

Schianio never committed to going, the person said. The coach stayed up until about 1:30 this morning watching ESPN and went to bed not knowing what he was going to do.

Schiano had already told his players to assemble at the Hale Center on campus for a 7 a.m. meeting, even though he had yet to make up his mind. When he arrived, he told the players he "still had work to do" at Rutgers. Schiano said "this was a hard decision," according to a member of the football staff who attended the meeting.

The member of the football staff requested anonymity because of the private nature of the team meeting, but said Schiano looked "tired, beaten up and physically exhausted." He said the Michigan job was Schiano's if he wanted it, but the job was never officially offered.

Either way, not good for Michigan, as we are back to the drawing board.

I Have Nothing To Say About The Detroit Lions

Actually, that's not true. After all, when you fall behind 42-10 early in the third quarter, you have some things you want to say. Just they aren't worthy of publication and will make me look bad when day when I run for office and I need the financial backing of William Clay Ford Jr. Some quick thoughts because the Lions aren't worthy of longer thoughts.

** The Minnesota Vikings have no class. Now, usually, I've always been of the opinion that running up the score in college is unacceptable, because even those are athletes, they are still kids. Professionally, teams can score all they want. But, when I say that, I mean, keep running your offense, throwing late in the game up big, no problem. Running fake field goals in the 4th quarter when you are up 42-10? Running halfback passes when you are up 42-10? Give me a break. There's no reason for that. I lost a lot of respect for Brad Childress today.

** Adrian Peterson is a monster. Yes, the Lions defense is abysmal and missed more tackles than I can count, but Peterson, coming back off a knee injury which sidelined him the past two games, is really a sight to watch. Power, vision, speed. There's a reason why everyone was so high on him coming out of Oklahoma. And Chester Taylor is a heckuva player too. As my dad said as we were commiserating on the phone, when you look at both of those guys and compare them to Kevin Jones, the Lions running back, it's not even a contest. Makes Jones look like a high school back. And we think Jones is pretty good. Maybe he's not. In any case, Peterson, and Taylor, are an incredible backfield.

** Roy Williams getting hurt may prevent the Lions from winning any more games this season if he is out for any length of time. I'd say it's not good, and it isn't, but since the Lions pretty much have lost all hope for the playoffs, having Williams injured isn't as bad as it could be. So we started 6-2 and are likely to finish no better than 8-8, and I'm looking at 7-9 as the likely final record. While we would have taken 7-9 at the start of the season, after starting 6-2, and not having a lot of catastrophic injuries, that's absolutely unacceptable.

** Nice to see Jeff Backus get burned again, a few times, including a nice play where he whiffed on a block leading to Kitna's fumble/interception. And Calvin Johnson? Did he get snowed in back in Detroit? Didn't get a look in the first half at all, and in the second, even with Roy out, wasn't much there. I know he dropped some passes last week, but still. And I knew when I saw fullback Jon Bradley was undressed the Lions had no interest in running the ball. And they didn't. 2 runs in the first half and then the game was over anyway.

** It's over. The 2007 season is over. And it likely ended in the first quarter, Lions had the Vikings backed up 3rd and 14 from their own 10, and the Vikings were content to run the ball and punt, but the Lions defense folded, Chester Taylor gained 15 yards on a draw play, and the Vikings drove 80+ yards for the score. It was over then. Mike Furrey almost pulling a Plaxico Burress at the end of the game, and giving up the ball despite potentially not being touched, that was just gravy.