More on Matty

I just read Peter King's glowing review of Matthew Stafford's performance on Sunday and it has only deepened the admiration that I have for this kid. As reckless as it is for him to run back on to the field with a probably dislocated shoulder, it shows that he wants to be the leader of this team and will do anything and everything necessary to gain the trust and respect of his teammates. It is enormously disappointing to think that the whole country won't be able to see Matty lead the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, but for this team, it was worth it to get the win on Sunday.

Theeeeeeeeeeee Lions Win!

I know I might encounter some disagreement on this, but let me just confirm one fact before I get going. The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team. Yes, I know, sometimes it doesn't seem possible, but the Cleveland Browns are indeed made up of men who are paid large sums of money to play and coach football. Knowing this, let's move on.

Detroit Lions, I am very proud of you. Any team that doesn't fold up the tent after going down by 3 touchdowns in the first quarter has my respect. Any team that can come back form that deficit, nearly blow the game, and then come back again? That team has earned my admiration, regardless of who they played against.

We knew going into this year that the Lions did not have the talent to make the playoffs. In seasons like this, it's all about making progress. For Jim Schwartz, tt's about finding out what you have, installing your system, creating a culture that breeds winning, and putting down the stepping stones that will eventually lead to future success. That's what wins like this are. As a team, this kind of win builds trust between the players and the coaching staff. On an individual level, the amount of confidence that a rookie quarterback like Matthew Stafford can draw from a comeback like this is immeasurable. Sure, Stafford made mistakes, throwing back-breaking interceptions in the first and fourth quarters and taking a sack in his own end zone, but his 5 touchdowns (thrown to 5 different receivers) demonstrated the full suite of throws in his arsenal. In no particular order, Matty tossed TDs on a screen pass, a play-action rollout, a 75-yard bomb, and a check-down before squeezing a bullet between two defenders for the game-winner.

Not to focus completely on Stafford, but this win further cements what I talked about in my last post about the Lions' quarterback. Aside for all the obvious physical gifts, it is becoming more and more apparent that Matty has the mental makeup to be a successful NFL quarterback. For the first time in my life (I'm 24), I have some measure of confidence in the quarterback of the Detroit Lions.

Now, let's keep this in perspective. Do the Browns suck? Of course they do. Is this a feather-in-the-cap win for Jim Schwartz anyway? Fuck yeah it is.

I Really Like Matthew Stafford

Let's put all of the cards out on the table; the Lions are not a very talented football team and it was plainly on display during Monday's beatdown at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. The front seven couldn't tackle, the secondary couldn't cover, the o-line couldn't block, and the receivers couldn't catch. It was a well-rounded, horrible team performance. Except for one bright spot.

Matthew Stafford is one tough dude.

He is a gutsy leader who shows command of his team. He has a cannon for an arm and knows it, but for the most part, does not force throws have no chance to succeed. He seems to have a good grasp of the offense and the full support of the team and coaching staff. In the face of all of the hits he's taken this year, he plays the position with tremendous confidence and not an ounce of fear. And even more than everything that he does, the thing I like most about Matthew Stafford is what he doesn't do. He has absolutely no sense of entitlement, something that has become all too common with top draft picks. Stafford knows that as the quarterback, he needs to be the leader of his offense, but at the same time, he recognizes his status as a rookie. Yesterday, when Calvin Johnson dropped a pass that would have resulted in a big gain at a key point in the game, Stafford didn't yell and scream at him, he patted Megatron on the back and they calmly discussed the play on their way back to the huddle.

After about half of a season, it has become patently clear that Matthew Stafford is everything that the Lions' last rookie quarterback, Joey "Blue Skies" Harrington, wasn't. Matty has all of the physical tools and seems to have his head on straight as well. The Lions still have serious concerns on the offensive and defensive lines, but for the first time in a long time, they seem to be headed in the right direction at quarterback.

Baxter signs Foote

The Lions have officially signed linebacker Larry Foote to a 1-year contract. Not exactly an earth-shattering move, but this is the kind of signing that can the lift sloppy drunkard that is the Detroit Lions up off the barroom floor and drag them slowly toward the front door of respectability.

Signings like Larry Foote are what take teams from last place to the playoffs. Obviously, I'm not saying that the Lions are going to make the playoffs this season, but I am saying that veterans like Foote are invaluable to the development of players like Ernie Sims, Jordan Dizon, and Louis Delmas. Rebuilding teams can't be made up completely of "unready" young players, nor can they be made up of only "past-ready" players. In order to rebuild, you need to stock the pantries with young talent and then supplement that with guys who can keep the seats warm until the young guys are ready to take over. Foote isn't going to be a great middle linebacker for the Lions, but he will be good enough to force younger players to the bench, and ultimately aid in their development. Although this one kind of fell into his lap, I've got to give Martin Mayhew credit for yet another surprisingly smart move.

Once again, good boy Baxter.

Good boy, Baxter

Although it's been three days, I still thought should submit my opinion on Baxter's (that's the Lions if you haven't read this before) haul in last weekend's 2009 NFL Draft...

First Pick: Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
As SEC quarterbacks go, he reminds me more of Rex Grossman than Peyton Manning...which is unfortunate. There's no debating that all of the physical tools are there, but Stafford definitely has a little Favre in him, and not the good kind. He knows that he has a cannon and consequently tries to fit the ball into places that he shouldn't. Either way, I can't really argue with the pick, it seems like the Lions coaches really like this kid. I would have rather taken Aaron Curry or Jason Smith this year and then looked to draft Colt McCoy or Dan LeFevour next year, but like it or not, we are stuck with Stafford.

Second Pick: Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State
I did not see this pick coming at all, but I love it. Pettigrew strikes me as a guy with tremendous talent, but who is drafted later than he should be because of the position that he plays. If Pettigrew turns out to be the blocker and receiver that Mel Kiper says he is, he is going will help out all of the Lions top offensive players. He can help Stafford in pass protection and as an safety blanket on third down (also giving me an excuse to make a Stafford/Linus from The Peanuts joke), he can help Kevin Smith turn 5-yard runs into 15-yard runs by sealing off the edge and opening up the outside, and he can help Calvin Johnson get more one-on-one coverages by occupying the middle of the field and drawing the attention of the opposing teams' safeties. Honestly, I was hoping for Michael Oher with this pick, but from what I have seen and read so far, I am really excited about Pettigrew.

Third Pick: Louis Delmas S Western Michigan
On looks alone, he seems to have some Bob Sanders in him. Jim Schwartz needs a ballhawk on his defense and I think Delmas can be just that. The Lions' secondary was putrid last year, and it needed to be addressed. I have absolutely no problem with the Lions passing on Rey Maualuga. I understand they have a huge need a middle linebacker, but that can be partially covered up by Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims and at the strong-side and weak-side linebacker positions, respectively. The more important thing to consider here Schwartz needs a smart leader (ala Keith Bulluck) to call the signals on his defense, and Maualuga is not that. He is a very instinctive player who plays with fantastic intensity, but he isn't the brightest bulb in the lamp. He scored in the low teens on the Wonderlic, which I understand is only a small part of the evaluation process, but even so is really alarming for a guy who has to run the show for your defense. Maualuga might be the better player, but Delmas is a great fit for Baxter's back four.

Of the Lions' other picks, people tell me that Sammie Lee Hill is going to be a force in the middle of the line, but the one that jumped out at me was Derrick Williams. I think he can contribute as a slot receiver, but even more so in the return game. After Rod and his Shovel completely ignored the return game (I am not exaggerating this, he told his returners to fair catch every punt for fear of penalties or turnovers), it's great to see a defensive who actually recognizes the effect that a great returner can have on field position. What a novel concept! A defensive-minded coach who understands that field position is his most important commodity...Who knew?

Anyway, I'm pleased overall with Baxter's picks. They added some potential stars on offense and some nice depth on defense. The one glaring omission is a top-flite left tackle, but come on, we have Jeff Backus!

Odds and Ends from this Weekend

I’m not generally one to say, “I told you so”, but to the dude who called me an idiot when I wrote that Tony Romo is average and the most important stat in quarterbacking is Game-Altering Mistakes…HAH! Romo proved again this weekend that he is the most overrated player in the NFL because he routinely makes more mistakes than his team can afford. In a year when two rookie quarterbacks have led teams coming off of losing seasons to the playoffs, it’s fitting that Romo’s previously anointed Cowboys will spend the postseason at home. The impromptu trick play to Witten was fantastic, but that moment of quarterbacking brilliance cannot overcome two backbreaking fumbles and a game full of questionable decision-making. Yes, Tony Romo is still a very talented young player, and maybe he will eventually grow out of this turnover-prone phase, but in the meantime, Romo had better home that Jim Johnson and Steve Spangnuolo get head coaching jobs somewhere, because with the way he struggles against their pressure defenses, the Cowboys will never succeed consistently against in the NFC East.

Moving on…

From now on, I am just going to start referring to the Detroit Lions as “Baxter”. Every time that I think they have hit the pinnacle of embarrassment and ridiculousness, they eat a whole wheel of cheese and poop in the refrigerator. Today, the Lions promoted Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew to President and General Manager, respectively, and in the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, “I’m not even mad, that’s amazing.” It really is nothing short of amazing that this team continues to operate as if it is being run by a blind three-legged dog. I am awestruck at the complete lack of vision, intelligence, common sense, and any other attribute that you might expect to find among the brain trust of a competent professional football organization.

For the Love of God....Play Drew Stanton!

Duante Culpepper? Are the Lions serious? Does this make absolutely no sense to anybody else? It’s nice that the Lions have realized that Dan Orlovsky (once considered potentially their quarterback of the future) sucks. It is not so nice that now they have decided that the best course of action for a franchise that is completely in rebuilding mode is to go after a washed-up 300-pound statue who left his last NFL gig after he couldn’t beat out Andrew Walter. Looking at this situation from a distance, one would think that the Lions must be desperate; they must have no other option at quarterback. Well, one would be wrong. In actuality, there is a second round pick who has spent the first 8 weeks of the season carving out a 4-inch deep ass groove on the Lions’ bench. I’m not saying that Drew Stanton is going to save the Lions’ season, but why not see what the guy can do? In my humble opinion, Stanton should have been in the lineup as soon as Dan-O started scoring points for the opposing team. I understand that playing Stanton is the equivalent of waving the white flag to the rest of the NFL (mercifully) and this is a hard pill for a fighter like Rod Marinelli to swallow, but this season is a lost cause. I appreciate that they guy works hard and wants to win, but he has entered coaching senility at this point. His press conferences are like presidential debates, no matter what questions the reporters ask, Marinelli just spews the same crap about “pounding the rock” and how great the team looks in practice. Of course they look good in practice, everybody looks good when they play the Lions! He is about one more loss away from pulling a Mike Singletary and dropping trow in a team meeting. By the way, can somebody please make sure that the 49ers hire Singletary full time? What he gives up in intelligence, he makes up for in sheer comedic genius. This dude makes Dennis Green look like Bill Belichick. His sound byte after the Niners loss last Sunday is already in the pantheon of ridiculously great coach speeches, and Singletary has only coached in one game! Can you imagine the hilarity that will ensure after a week of having Shaun Hill as his starting quarterback? Anyway, back to the Lions. Marinelli has stressed time and again that Stanton is not ready to be a starter in the NFL. Is anyone surprised? How many other Lions are ready to be starters in the NFL? By my calculations, Stanton fits right in! All jokes aside, the Lions need to figure out what they have in Drew Stanton. Based on Matt Millen’s past draft record, Stanton is probably not very good, but the Lions might as well confirm that suspicion. Who knows, maybe Stanton is the second coming of Randall Cunningham, rather than the second coming of Mike McMahon. Mr. Ford has to be curious, right?

Vince Young to the Lions?

I was listening to radio today and the discussion was about who might start next season under center for my beloved Honolulu Blue and Silver. Normally, I would make a joke here about how sad it is that we are already considering next season and it’s only Week 8, but at this point, it’s not funny anymore. Anyway, the possibility of trading the Dallas Cowboys’ first round pick to the Titans for Vince Young was brought up and it very much intrigues me. The trade could definitely help both sides. By benching Young, the Titans have all but killed VY’s career in Tennessee. Young has lost the trust of that coaching staff and I think both sides know that, barring an injury to Kerry Collins this season, Young will not be back under center for the Titans again in his career. The best solution for both parties is for Young to be traded and the Titans will not get a better offer than a mid-first round pick that’s getting higher and higher with every snap that Brad Johnson takes. From the Lions’ point of view, it is obvious that they need a quarterback. Hell, for the sake of comedy, let’s run down the Lions current QB situation. They have Jon Kitna, who apparently tweaked his back because he has been sleeping with Mike Martz’s playbook under his mattress, Dan Orlovsky, who obviously struggled to color within the lines as a child, Drew Stanton, who seems to have proved to the coaches that he is unequivocally worse than Orlovsky, and Drew Henson, who was once beaten out for a QB job by Quincy Carter. The Lions have nothing close to an NFL starting quarterback and will probably use one of their two first rounders next year to get one. No matter who they hire as the new GM, I do not trust the Lions to draft a quarterback in the first round (see Andre Ware and Joey Harrington for reasons why) and trading for Young would eliminate the possibility of using their inevitable top-5 pick on risky quarterback (read: Tim Tebow). I would rather see the Lions use their higher picks to build from the trenches and trading for Young would go a long way toward ensuring this. Young would also help the Lions to be more successful right away, as his mobility would take pressure off of Detroit’s terrible offensive line. On the surface, it looks like a win-win, no-brainer move, but I think that this whole situation rides on how Young is reacting to his benching and the Titans’ subsequent success. My feeling on Young is that he puts too much pressure on himself. He knew how good this Titans team was and when we felt that he was dragging them down, he flipped out. I don’t think hearing the fans booing would have bothered him if he didn’t know in his heart of hearts that he deserved those boos. Now has been benched and his team is rolling without him. Does he feel sorry for himself? Or is he determined to validate his status as a top-5 draft pick? Based on Mr. Young’s work at Texas, I would lean toward the latter. Much like his first couple of years with the Titans, Young struggled early in his career at Texas, but with time and hard work, he turned himself into one of the greatest college football players of his generation. Now, I’m not saying that Vince Young is going to become a transcendent NFL quarterback, but I think that he has the tools to be a damn good one. I know that he has struggled in the NFL, but I just find I hard to believe that somebody who was so dominant against elite competition in college (he beat Michigan and USC by himself in consecutive Rose Bowls) could turn out to be a dud as an NFL player. Who knows, maybe I’m wrong and Young just peaked too early, but I have a feeling that the talent, poise and leadership and VY showed in Austin is going to translate to success in the NFL eventually. Long story short, the Lions need to take risks if they’re going to dig themselves out of Matt Millen’s grave, and this is certainly a risk that is worth taking.