Detroit Lions Fans Should Take Rival GM’s Comments With a Grain of Salt

Sep 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

A recent Pro Football Weekly article discussion the Detroit Lions’ problems took the internet by storm this week, mostly due to the comments of an unnamed rival general manager.

The comments start off with what could be considered fair criticism of the Lions offense so far this year but then goes on to what amounts to borderline hyperbole:

"The one thing that is clear – they are not as close as people have tried to make it seem. They are a one-dimensional offensive team that if the quarterback (Matthew Stafford) is not on, people are figuring it out. If you take (Calvin) Johnson out of the game, who else do they have that can beat you?They are not a team that I think is ready. If I am going there to take over the job, I am not thinking that is a quick fix."

In today’s NFL just about anything short of a complete tear down and rebuild is a quick fix. Any rebuild project starts with putting the franchise quarterback in place; is anyone looking to replace Matthew Stafford? I don’t think so.

The Lions went from 0-16 to 10-6 and the playoffs in three years. If this rival GM truly doesn’t see a quick fix with where they are today then he should feel fortunate to hold his current job.

The GM continues by getting a little personal:

"They don’t have enough good players, and the players they think are good are not that good. Suh belongs on the All-Hype team. Avril is not that good — put on any game and you can watch him get blocked time and time again. Corey Willliams is solid, but nothing that wows you or makes you wonder how you are going to block him. The other guy (DE Kyle Vanden Bosch) is a try-hard guy getting up in years that does not really threaten you. For as much as people talk about that D-line and all its depth, where are all the players?I have listened to the media hype about Suh since he got in the league — what has he done? Even the year he had all those garbage sacks, the guy took a million plays off and got pushed around in the run game. I have never thought he was a very good pro player. I liked him coming out and thought he had a chance. But I also never thought he was going to be the second coming that he was labeled. I am not sure who bestowed that on him, but it is kind of a joke."

Criticism of Ndamukong Suh is nothing new but does anyone believe that this unnamed GM would give the same statement regarding Suh or any of the other players he named if his name was attached to the quote? “Garbage sacks”, a “million plays off”? Those aren’t the words of a credible source. Call me a homer but this GM comes across like an internet tough guy looking to do nothing but stir up trouble on a message board. Are we sure Pro Football Weekly didn’t confuse a commenter at MLive.com for a rival GM?

Are the Lions a perfect team? No, certainly not and no one is claiming they are. It was easy to make a positive story out of the Lions at this time one year ago but the opposite happens to be true today. A rival GM getting in a few digs at the Lions’ expense is as predictable as a political attack ad. In the end, it just doesn’t matter what a rival GM thinks. Inflammatory comments makes for an interesting article and gets people talking but that doesn’t mean they worthy of much thought or should change the way Lions fans capable of viewing the team objectively see the team.