Sorry this is late but due to some business on Monday and the election on Tuesday, I was a little tied up. Not sure if I will be doing a bye week “overview” of the team yet. If you guys would like that just let me know. I’m here to serve the people.
Best,
DP
This team will actually kill me. It can’t be healthy for my heart rate/stress levels to fluctuate that much in a short period of time, right? I’m no doctor, but I can diagnose this team as fun to watch. Boom, nailed that joke. But seriously, with 23 seconds left and the ball at the Lions’ 25 yard line they only had a .01% chance of winning (per some stat company). Matty Stafford and JBC dialed up 2 plays and then the game was on the foot of Prater. 58 yards between staying in the race for the NFC North or taking another step towards missed playoffs and a bad draft pick. He sailed it through the uprights. Hell, it was good from 65 yards. Then the Lions did the least Lions-y thing and got the ball to start OT and marched it down the throat of one of the best defenses of the NFL. Capped with a fantastic play by Golden Tate, and just like that, the Lions control their own fate in the NFC North despite a 1-3 start. I didn’t think this team had it in them, but give Jim Caldwell credit for keeping them focused. This team may not be good, but damn it, they are fun to watch.
The Good:
- Stafford: Disappeared in the 3rd quarter but not sure how much of it was him or if it was play calling. He did what he does though. You don’t need the stats; just know that there is always a chance with him at the helm.
- Matt Prater: Explosive leg, clutch, not Blair Walsh. 3 big reasons why he is in the Good this week.
- O-Line: Kept Stafford clean. Only allowed 1 sack and did a decent job run blocking. Big component of a win against a defense as good as Minnesota’s.
- Golden Tate: Made the biggest play of the game doing what he does best, yards after contact. 11 receptions for 79 yards and a BIG touchdown. That’s good enough to earn my weekly approval
The Bad:
- Defense: How many times do I have to say, they don’t need to be good but they need to be clutch. They weren’t clutch today. Couldn’t stop that last drive. Hopefully with this bye week coming up they can get healthy again. Slay will come back; Levy, don’t hold your breath waiting for him.
- Penalties: Too many. 6 for 57 yards. Clean it up. The one that stuck out was the offsides penalty on the Vikings final drive that gave them a first down. Cant have bad penalties like that.
The Ugly
- The Drops: Its become and epidemic within the receiving corps. They just have too many, they actually lead the league, and the worst part is that it isn’t just one guy. Its all of them dropped passes are almost as bad as penalties.
The Lions are a half game out of the NFC North, in the thick of a Wild Card race, and control their own destiny. What could go wrong? Everything of course, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
P.S.- The Cavs won a title for Cleveland, the Cubs broke 108 year old curse, and Donald Trump is the president-elect. Anything is possible Lions fans.