racosun
10-24-2006, 03:38 PM
I know, you're thinking "how can he make a thread about the bye week," but at least this could be one of the more positive threads all season. We're guaranteed not to lose. I think most people thought the Lions would improve under this new coaching staff, and that doesn't really seem to be what has happened. It's unlikely anyone thought we'd be 1-6 heading into our bye week, but here it is, and here we are.
The thing that was supposed to improve the most was the defense, since that's what we drafted with our top picks, and that is our head coach's forte. Sure, we've lost some guys to injury on that side of the ball, but nothing major. Kenoy Kennedy is probably the most valueable guy we've lost, at least to injury, but we're getting quality play (most of the time) from rookie Daniel Bullocks. We're still without Shaun Rogers for another three games, but that's a suspension, so that can be strictly placed upon Rogers. The defense was one of the positives of last season, and it was supposed to be a keystone for this season as well. It could be that the players haven't quite grasped the system concepts yet, or it could be we just don't have the players. And again, it could be the playcalling and coaching.
Easily the most positive thing about the season so far is Roy Williams and the offense. Kitna came into the season saying he'd put up nice numbers this year, and they are pretty decent. He's second in the league in passing yards, behind only MVP candidate Donavan McNabb. His TD/INT ratio sucks, though, with nine of each. That's mostly attributed to a lack of talent in the receiving corps. Roy Williams has become the go-to guy and is having a break-out season. Just think of how long Roy Williams and Matt Leinart could have tore up the league, and it would have been a cheaper option at QB than Kitna and back-up Josh McCown. I was skeptical about Mike Furrey at the beginning, but he's proven he's a capable WR and has loads of heart and toughness. He's definitely a blue-collar Detroit kind of guy, and he could be a fan favorite fairly soon, if not already. Furrey is 16th in the league in receiving yardage, which nobody saw coming except perhaps Mike Martz. There was only one sighting of last year's top-ten bust, Mike Williams. He'll probably ride the season out on the bench (no matter how hard he works), then be released. I guess it'll be less of a cap hit if we do it after this season, but not sure how that works.
There's still plenty of season left, and who knows what could happen. Hopefully the team can gel on all sides of the ball, and some key groundwork can be laid for next season. A .500 season seems unlikely right now, however. This team might be the next 2003 Tigers. Hang in there, true fans. Someday....
The thing that was supposed to improve the most was the defense, since that's what we drafted with our top picks, and that is our head coach's forte. Sure, we've lost some guys to injury on that side of the ball, but nothing major. Kenoy Kennedy is probably the most valueable guy we've lost, at least to injury, but we're getting quality play (most of the time) from rookie Daniel Bullocks. We're still without Shaun Rogers for another three games, but that's a suspension, so that can be strictly placed upon Rogers. The defense was one of the positives of last season, and it was supposed to be a keystone for this season as well. It could be that the players haven't quite grasped the system concepts yet, or it could be we just don't have the players. And again, it could be the playcalling and coaching.
Easily the most positive thing about the season so far is Roy Williams and the offense. Kitna came into the season saying he'd put up nice numbers this year, and they are pretty decent. He's second in the league in passing yards, behind only MVP candidate Donavan McNabb. His TD/INT ratio sucks, though, with nine of each. That's mostly attributed to a lack of talent in the receiving corps. Roy Williams has become the go-to guy and is having a break-out season. Just think of how long Roy Williams and Matt Leinart could have tore up the league, and it would have been a cheaper option at QB than Kitna and back-up Josh McCown. I was skeptical about Mike Furrey at the beginning, but he's proven he's a capable WR and has loads of heart and toughness. He's definitely a blue-collar Detroit kind of guy, and he could be a fan favorite fairly soon, if not already. Furrey is 16th in the league in receiving yardage, which nobody saw coming except perhaps Mike Martz. There was only one sighting of last year's top-ten bust, Mike Williams. He'll probably ride the season out on the bench (no matter how hard he works), then be released. I guess it'll be less of a cap hit if we do it after this season, but not sure how that works.
There's still plenty of season left, and who knows what could happen. Hopefully the team can gel on all sides of the ball, and some key groundwork can be laid for next season. A .500 season seems unlikely right now, however. This team might be the next 2003 Tigers. Hang in there, true fans. Someday....