Of all the significant factors that will play a role in the outcome of Sunday’s contest, the Lions’ inability to escape their own stupidity will be most crucial. Last week’s game in New Orleans served as evidence of how difficult it can be for a struggling team to overcome their own mental mistakes, especially when playing a superior team. It is debatable whether or not the penalties were the direct cause of the loss, but it is painfully obvious that a trend has started; one that will continue to plague this team if not corrected immediately.

I personally believe that the personal fouls, while grotesque and embarrassing to the organization, did not cost the Lions the game. With a quarterback like Drew Brees, and an injury depleted secondary forced to start the likes of Aaron Berry, even had Detroit taken the lead it would have proven difficult to keep it. That being said, this week’s matchup with Minnesota is a completely different story. The Vikings are not a superior team. In fact, they are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and by all accounts, have no business keeping this game close. A clean game from Detroit should easily lead to a 25 point victory. This is where the lack of composure can truly hurt. The constant battle to overcome long yardage situations, giving the opposition a new set of downs, all because of after the whistle penalties, can come with quite a cost. This is how good teams lose to bad ones. This is how playoff hopes are burned and buried, and progress is forgotten. A loss to the Vikings all but ends Detroit’s season, and Minnesota knows it. They have also undoubtedly watched the recklessness that Detroit has been playing with, and will use it to their advantage. The best chance the Vikings have of winning at Ford Field on Sunday is to sit back and let the Lions beat themselves.

(more…)

“Detroit had 10 days to get ready and prepare and we knew we would get their best shot here… I read somewhere that they thought this was their best opportunity and our guys had read this was their best opportunity (to win). They came out ramped up and we were a little bit off our game in the first half.

“Bottom line, they were in the red zone four times and had three field goals. We had a couple big fourth-down stops, one of those in the red zone right before the half that ends up being huge. A grind-it-out win. We will make absolutely no apologies for it.”

                                                                                                 -Vikings coach Brad Childress         

And it just wasn’t enough. The Lions could not execute in the red zone and in the end, I think that’s what will tell the primary story of the game. You can’t settle for a field goal time and time again and expect to win. And the Lions had every advantage possible. The Vikings didn’t realize they were playing a football game until the 3rd Quarter; The coaching staff then realized ‘oh right! We’ve got two of the best running backs in the NFC North, let’s run the ball!’ And run they did. All over us. 

So you could say that maybe the Vikings were our best chances of finally winning one… And that is sad to say in the context of this NFC North, which is really theirs for the taking. But we couldn’t execute when it counted. You can’t settle for 9 points when you should have 21. Even turning one of those field goals into a touchdown would change the face of the game. But we couldn’t because we can’t. That is simply the best reason I can come up with: 

We Can’t. 

We just aren’t good enough. And there were flashes of brilliance. Culpepper seems to be getting better, but he still looks like… Culpepper. Brilliance peppered with displays of “WTF WHY DID YOU JUST DO THAT” moments. I’d like to see him finish a game, his conditioning obviously still sucks and let’s take a moment to pat Calvin Johnson on the back. He is quietly putting together a really solid sophmore season. He’s beginning to really realize the potential of his natural talent. Kevin Smith actually appears to be a real talent, not just hype. The kid has some legs! Wait til we get a REAL offensive coordinator working under a REAL NFL coach! Think of the possibilities! 

13 used to be our magic number in the Millen era… we’ve never passed that one going winless until today, so history was in fact made today. This is the first time in Lions Franchise history we’ve been rendered 0-13. Yet another stellar accomplishment left in the wake of the Matt Millen experiment. 

So hunker down my brethren, those of us cursed with the scourge that is this team. There’s always the draft next year, there’s the massive firings that will be coming down in January and there is the hope that a new head coach hired by a new general manager can bring. 

The tunnel is dark my friends, we can’t see any light but we have to keep digging! May your shovel be sharp and your will be outstanding!