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2014 Detroit Lions
Will the Lions Roar in 2014?
Let's be honest: The Lions are not exactly my favorite team in the NFL. They're not many people's favorite. What does peak my interest is their standing in the league. In the 2008 season they finished No. 32, bottom of the list, 32 of 32, as in Omega to the Alpha, 32nd, LAST. Click Here to Read More
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The Lions went from No.1 in the 2008 pre-season to (Do I have to say it again?) LAST by the end of the 2008 regular season. Right now, just halfway through the 2014 pre-season, Detroit is 14TH in the league – 13TH in the conference – 4TH (Ok, LAST) in their division. Does this mean a better year for the Lions? Your guess (and I mean guess) is as good as mine.
Can you tell that I like to read stats. They can always make the worst team (or player) sound a little bit better. For instance, Detroit Lions are presently 3rd in the league in total yards gained with a total of 371. See what I mean? Who wouldn’t rather brag, “The Lions are 3rd in the league.” instead of “The Lions are 14th. Just think, you’re not even exaggerating by choosing the more flattering statistic.
I can think of at least one benefit of having the worst record of any team in the NFL - the DRAFT. Finishing last place in 2008 gave the Lions FIRST PICK. I really do understand the reasons for that rule - helping to keep a balance of talent and all that. But I still can’t help but to think about some of those 1st Round – 1st Pick Rookies. Imagine – all that hard work - the dreams – the records set – all the awards … and you are ranked #1 in the nation … finally you win … the spot on the BOTTOM team. (I try to avoid the word –WORST.) It will probably not be the winning team you have always been a fan of. Oh well, that’s a whole different story. It does make me think though. I wonder if any professional team has deliberately finished LAST in order to get that 1ST Pick. Imagine, your team is in a “rebuilding phase” (politically correct term for “period of excusable loss”) and you are losing anyway, what’s the difference between “almost last” to LAST? Now you see what I mean! That’s right, I did say that should be a different story, didn’t I?
Back to the Detroit Lions. Their 1st Round, 1st Pick was Matthew Stafford, QB from Georgia. The six year, $78 million contract should soothe the sting of trading the warmth of the South for the freezing temperatures of the North. That should also ease any doubts about the “LAST issue”(above). The Lions 2nd Pick also came in the 1st Round - Brandon Pettigrew, TE from Oklahoma State. As the top tight end prospect in the nation, he definitely adds both mental and physical strength to Lion’s running game. A total of 10 players were drafted this year, all expecting to contribute to a stronger football team.
At the end of the 2008 season, a new Head Coach topped the list of necessary changes made in the Lion’s Den. Coach Jim Schwartz headed North from the Tennessee Titans. He worked for 10 years under Head Coach Jeff Fisher. In his first year (1999) with the Titans, the club claimed the AFC Title and played in Super Bowl XXXIV. Schwartz went on to serve as Defensive Coordinator. In the 2008 season, Tennessee was ranked in the top 10 of several defensive categories. There’s those impressive sounding stats again. Coach Schwartz successfully transitioned from player to personnel to coach. His addition proves the commitment to a new and improved ball club.
This summer, a number of players have been signed, traded and cut. The start of the pre-season games already resulted in at least three players being placed on IR. The reports indicate the types of injuries that won’t be healed overnight – a ruptured Achilles Tendon – a torn ACL – ouch! Who was the player who hurt his thumb and was put on IR for the rest of the season? The regular season hasn’t even started yet.
If I’m writing about the Detroit Lions, I must touch upon the subject of No. 93. Even those who do not follow the National Football League probably heard of this tragedy. In February of this year, four friends did not return from a fishing trip off the Gulf Coast of Florida. Corey Smith (No. 93) who played three seasons with the Lions, friends Marquis Cooper of the Oakland Raiders, Nick Schulyer and Will Bleakley (both former football players from the University of South Florida) were reported missing when their families did not hear from the men when they should have returned to shore that Saturday evening. The Coast Guard began a search that continued through Tuesday afternoon. Schulyer was the only one found and rescued.
I can’t mention this tragedy without wondering what impact the absence of Corey Smith will have. A team is like a family. Divisions/Conferences/Leagues are only bigger families. When a family member dies, the surviving members react in varying degrees, according to their particular relationship with the deceased. It’s human nature. The football players and the rest of the Detroit family will feel the loss of No. 93.
The effect of all of these changes will be felt both on and off the playing field. To what degree won’t be known until after all of the “dust has settled” and until all of the “numbers have been crunched”. At the end of the 2014 regular season, I’ll either cheer or jeer the unpredictable results. No doubt, I’ll once again consult the stats and might even be able to say what went wrong or even right with this latest version of the Detroit Lions. I can’t wait to see what team comes in LAST.
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