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The Detroit Lions stand alone at the bottom of the NFL. I would say it’s familiar territory for Lions fans, but this really isn’t a comparable situation. With the talent this team has, there is no reason they should be winless at this point and worse, no reason they should have lost their previous game in such a fashion. Losing to the top ranked Cardinals doesn’t really bother me as much, but it’s HOW the team lost that makes it such a devastating loss for the team and its fans. It’s the kind of loss that leads to firings. Like every week, there are good and bad takeaways, though this week seems particularly slanted towards the ‘stock down’ type.
Stock Up: The Offensive Line
After stinking up the first four games, the offensive line finally started to look like a unit that isn’t begging for a complete overhaul. Starter LaAdrian Waddle was benched in favor of turnstile Cornelius Lucas, but Riley Reiff at left tackle and Manuel Ramirez at guard had a far better showing than we’ve been accustomed to this season.
They weren’t good as a unit. Stafford was still pressured more often than you’d like, though it was pretty obvious they were protecting better in the pass game. The run game didn’t get any real push, which has been par the course, but there were a few moments when it looked like they might be getting something started. Often times, these were erased by a penalty.
In a game with so many negatives to choose from, it’s somewhat ironic that the offensive line wasn’t one of those negatives. It’s almost as if they are incapable of playing well unless the skill players are struggling, and vice versa. A balance has to be found soon, though I’m not confident it will happen soon enough to turn the season around.
Next: A Quarterback Meeting the Pine
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