Week #13: @ New England Patriots

[racosun]

Tom Brady and his Super Bowl rings. Need I say more? How about 8-3 versus 2-9? Guess which record belongs to Matt Millen's team? This game has blowout written all over it. The only thing left for Lions fans this season is: Will Millen finally be fired?; Will the team tank the rest of the season to get the #1 overall pick?; Is Rod Marinelli leaving along with Millen (if it happens at all)? Hmmm......the excitement is almost too much to handle. If having Joey Harrington return to Detroit and rip us a new one doesn't get Millen fired, I don't know what will. Mike Williams is expected to play again, although he isn't a favorite target of Kitna right now. Kevin Jones is expected to return as well, although there is no word yet about Shaun Rogers.

The Lions (believe it or not) do have enough talent to beat the Pats. But they also have enough inner-turmoil to beat themselves no matter how well they play. Obviously players aren't happy to have a Lion on thier helmet, and even though they love the paychecks, they don't love the signature that signs them. I don't need to start in on Millen again, as I've been doing all season long. His record and (lack of) accomplishments speak for themselves. He shouldn't even be here right now, and he shouldn't have been here last year either. The attention needs to be turned to owner William Clay Ford Sr., and his ill-advised faith for Matt Millen. The younger W.C. Ford wants Millen gone, but the old man is standing pat and seeing if Millen's plan still holds untapped genius. Guess which one runs the team?

[tigers527]

sometimes I feel that my time would be better spent throwing poop into a fan then watching the Lions....never more so, of late, then this game....Oh well, since the season where a fan is right at hand has passed, I guess I will watch the Lions.

[racosun]

I admit that I was rooting for Jumpin' Joey on Turkey Day. The funny thing was that he played just as good as he'd done for the Lions, but he had better players around him, and a coach that believed in him and had his back. He never got a fair shake in Motown, IMO. Playing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" during footage of his face on the big screen was, as Joey put it, clever, but it still shows just how foolish this organization is. Yes, we all know Harrington plays the piano. Why is that dumb again? Having a little knowledge of something outside of football and that requires brain skills is dumb? Uh, okay. Nice burn, I guess. "Hey, Joey, you're too smart and classy for football! Get a life, loser!" Yeah, that makes alot of sense. We only want knuckleheads playing for us, and we're quite successful at weeding out those lousy smart players. Anyways, it was good to see him stomp us in his return. I really thought Millen would get axed for it right away, though. I guess the Lions always find a new way to disappoint me.

Going through all those lean years rooting for the Tigers is probably what keeps me watching the Lions nowadays. It definitely ain't the spectacular football they keep showing me week after week. I never stopped rooting for the Tigers, and they finally rewarded me this summer (and fall). I can only hope that the Lions have the guts to rebuild again when the latest rebuilding project doesn't work out. The Lions version of the Tigers' Randy Smith (Millen) needs to go for that to happen. Then the Lions must erase those past mistakes and yet again start from scratch. This time, find a good President and GM, ala Dave Dombrowski. Replacing a clown with another clown doesn't make any sense at all. Then us fans will have to sit through another two or three years of ugly football, as the new system takes hold. Then, finally, we could be rewarded with the sweet taste of playoff victories and bona-fide superstar players. That'll make this season, and the previous five, worth it all. But it isn't easy being a Lions fan, that's for sure. I'd never root for the Packers, but I'm pretty close to jumping ship and finding a new team to follow. I'll say if Matt Millen is still involved in any capacity of running the Lions next year, I'm gone.

[racosun]

OUT
Lions - T Rex Tucker (Injured Reserve)
Patriots - S Rodney Harrison (shoulder); LB Junior Seau (Injured Reserve)

DOUBTFUL
Lions - none
Patriots - none

QUESTIONABLE
Lions - WR Devale Ellis (shoulder); DT Shaun Rogers (knee)
Patriots - WR Chad Jackson (groin); CB Ellis Hobbs (wrist); TE Daniel Graham (ankle); T Ryan O'Callaghan (neck); CB Chad Scott (groin); LB Corey Mays (hamstring); S Eugene Wilson (hamstring)

PROBABLE
Lions - none
Patriots - DE Richard Seymour (elbow); QB Tom Brady (shoulder); CB Ellis Hobbs (wrist); TE Daniel Graham (ankle)

[tigers527]

I admit that I was rooting for Jumpin' Joey on Turkey Day.

I have heard that sentiment quite a bit, and I for the life of me can't understand why? How Joey was "treated" by the organization, and heck even us fans, is enough to root against the Lions? The one thing that really bothered me about Joey was his almost total lack of personal accountability, in regards to the teams preformance, while he was here. Being in the local market, sports radio would often go through many a monday (most times many days later) breaking and re-breaking down most of the post game comments by all players/coaches and anyone else that mattered. Joey would rarely acknowledge any of his mistakes, but would point out the "drops" lack of running game etc. In my opinion it was his lack of accountability that fractured the team, last season. The whipped topping of this whole endeavor, was his more less pouting his way to a trade this past off season. While the system NFL owners and the PA work under is a total farse, Joey could and should of been more open to trying to work with Marks, given that he was under contract. Since he kind of played the jilted ex girlfriend of the Lions to get his ticket out, he really soured me to ever rooting for him again. Besides, he only fetched the Lions what a 5th round pick? The Lions gave up a 4th for FREAKING TY DETMER!!!!!

That'll make this season, and the previous five, worth it all. But it isn't easy being a Lions fan, that's for sure. I'd never root for the Packers, but I'm pretty close to jumping ship and finding a new team to follow. I'll say if Matt Millen is still involved in any capacity of running the Lions next year, I'm gone

Well, I hope you don't follow through on that one. For me, it is ROOT ROOT ROOT for the home team. I know in your circumstances the home team is such a long way from home, perhaps making it a little easier to "move on" from the fiasco that is Lions football. If my father and my fathers father can go through those 30 odd years of Russ Thomas, I certainly can put up with Millen. At least the current Lions aren't trying to lowball the minimum amount of decent talent they do have, unlike the Thomas years.

My thoughts are the Lions need to give a football man full and singular authority to run the football operations, allowing them to hire and fire all people currently involved. The example of how this has yet to be done, is Monte Clark. Monte Clark still has a consulting job for the Lions, if anything that should be a clue as to the Lions troubles. Until pragmatism can overcome loyality in the Lions front office, I think this team is going to be what it is. No matter who steps in to fill Millens shoes, it is next to impossible to move ahead while holding on to so many less then assets, for no other reason then loyality.

Oh well....GO LIONS!!!!! BTW sorry, I guess week 13 thread was not really the place to air all of the Lions probs.

[racosun]

How Joey was "treated" by the organization, and heck even us fans, is enough to root against the Lions?

That's not why I was rooting for Joey. I wanted so badly to see Millen get egg on his face and be booted out the door. It's not like I'm a Dolphins fan, and follow Joey everywhere he goes. It was a one-game deal. Joey got the job done, now I'll root for Tom Brady (U-of-M product) for a game. Basically, since it's too painful to root for the Lions when everyone knows how inept they are, I'll root for that #1 draft pick to come to town and save us (again). I still love my Lions, and most likely will never change sides. The sweetness of a successful Lions team will probably taste even better than the dish the Tigers served up this summer.

Oh well....GO LIONS!!!!! BTW sorry, I guess week 13 thread was not really the place to air all of the Lions probs.

It's fine. I gripe about stuff in every thread here. Not many people even pay attention, so right now it doesn't matter. Besides, there are so many things wrong with the team right now, it's not really off-topic anywhere in this forum.

[tigers527]

I don't know...I just feel that "Joey" brought upon much of the misery that befell him here...sure the team stunk. But it still does, and I would think that Kitna isn't going to have the same vemon from the fans when he moves on, that Joey received.

[racosun]

THIS close. THAT close. No matter how close we come to a win, close doesn't count unless we're playing horseshoes. Roy Williams said we are a "good 2-10." Is there such a thing? How good of a 2-10 team can we be, when we lose to teams like the Niners and Cardinals? Like I said previously in this thread, the Lions have the talent to beat these guys. And for most of today's game, they showed that talent. But like I also stated before, they find ways to beat themselves, even when it seems they have a good command over a game. The Lions final three possessions: three turnovers. That's almost always a loss in the making.

One more month, then we can move on, hopefully without Matt Millen. Our best chance to win a game over our final four chances is a chilly afternoon at Lambeau, where we haven't won a game in who know's how many years. Go Lions!

[racosun]

New England Patriots 28, Detroit Lions 21
Passing:
Lions - Jon Kitna, 22-for-38, 314 yards, 1 TD, 3 picks, 1 fumble
Patriots - Tom Brady, 27-for-38, 305 yards, no TD's, 1 pick

Rushing:
Lions - Kevin Jones, 19 carries, 56 yards, no TD's, 1 fumble
Patriots - Corey Dillon, 9 carries, 25 yards, 3 TD's

Receiving:
Lions - Mike Furrey, 9 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD
Patriots - Reche Caldwell, 8 catches, 112 yards

Kicking:
Lions - Jason Hanson, 4-for-4 FG's, 1-for-1 XP's
Patriots - Stephen Gostkowski, 2-for-2 FG's, 2-for-2 XP's