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Last Updated: Sunday, 07-06-08 1:01 pm PDT

Still Two Games Left and No One Cares - (12/17)

If you go back to November 4th, the Lions had destroyed the Denver Broncos to improve to 6-2 and unheard of excitement existed in regards to Lions football.  With hopes of a playoff run on everyone's mind, we all as fans made the mistake of raising our expectations.  If you were skeptical throughout all of this, then kudos to you as your expectations probably never did go up.  For everyone else, we are all looking at another disappointing end to a once promising season.
Despite the fact that the Lions did win 6 games, to me, I don't see this season as being any more successful than 2006's 3-13 team.  You can say all you want about how great the first half of the season was, but what matters is the final record of a team, not how many wins you have after 8 games.
The problem with Detroit is that they are about to finish the year on an 8-game losing streak.  Although a Chiefs team that is almost as bad as Detroit comes to town on Sunday, there's still a great chance the Lions will lose.  Being that there really is nothing left to play for in the public perception, many fans have officially given up on the Lions.  Granted people officially putting the Lions to rest came a little later than usual, but in the end it still happened.
Although most fans have lost interest in this team, these next two games are important.  If the Lions can beat Kansas City, then one goal coming into this season would be accomplished: lose less than 10 games.  Again, it may not mean much to us considering this team could have achieved that goal over a month ago, but for this team it is big.  I would like to see this embarrassing streak come to an end, and all it takes is 1 win.
Should the Lions win on Sunday and then pull off an upset in Green Bay (keep dreaming considering the Packers could be playing for homefield advantage), an 8-win season would be great to see.  Reaching .500 has been something I wanted the Lions to do for a while now, and although the path taken to 8 wins wouldn't be pretty, 8 wins is 8 wins.
If you just looked at the Lions record when the season is finished but didn't see how they got there, then 6-10 would provoke a reaction of something like, "sounds about right."  For me personally, I predicted them to go 6-10, so that would be a record I expected.  Should Detroit end up at 7-9 or 8-8, then looking at the record alone, many would say this was a successful season, as sad as that may sound.  Problem is, there is more to a record than wins and losses.
It's one thing to lose one week and win the next, but to start the year 6-2 and realistically have a shot at finishing 6-10 is simply inexcusable.  I'm getting sick of watching this team go out there one week and play well enough to win only to follow it up a week later with a complete joke of a game.  As harsh as this may sound, Rod Marinelli's job should be in question if the Lions don't win at least one of their final two games.  Mike Valenti of 97.1 FM The Ticket shared similar thoughts about the situation, but he called for Marinelli to be fired if this team finishes 6-10.
I don't disagree at all with a statement like that.  Valenti was right on as no team should end the year on an 8-game losing streak after such a promising start, especially since it's not like injuries played a huge factor or something like that.  Sure, Roy Williams being out has hurt us lately, but before that most players were perfectly fine.  Even though some may think Marinelli should get his walking papers if the losing streak continues in these final two weeks of the season, there is no chance of that happening, just as there is no chance Matt Millen is fired.
What it all comes down to for me is that this team pulled a fast one on us.  It wasn't intentional by any means, but of course, the football gods were looking for new ways to torture Lions fans.  Rather than just give us another possible 10-loss season for the Lions, we get our hopes up as the team starts out the season 6-2.  Believe it or not, Detroit making the playoffs was a realistic possibility.  Even after the loss to Arizona and the loss to New York, and to Green Bay and Minnesota, the playoffs were still reachable.  There was no excuse for losing all of those games in the first place, but there was still a chance.
Then came the game that sums up this season.  Detroit plays great and leads for 59 minutes and 42 seconds against Dallas.  Then, as time is starting to run out, the Cowboys score after the Lions had two chances to put the game away, and that was it.  2007 officially came to an end.  Now, the rest of this season is just going through the motions for me and it appears to be the same for the team.  If they don't care, then why should we?

Week 15 Fantasy Take: Playoff Stunner - (12/17)

All season long my two fantasy teams (one on CBS and one on Yahoo!) have really been complete opposites.  My CBS team stunk for the first 7 games of the season, winning 0 games.  Things got better as the season finished considering I managed to win 5 out of the final 6 games, but there was just far too much ground to make up in the playoff race.  At the same time, my Yahoo! team had been great all season long.  After a couple of early slip ups, I got a big winning streak going before falling in the final week of the year.  Regardless of the loss to close out the regular season, I was still very confident going into the playoffs.
As I sat out the opening week of the playoffs with a bye, my team scored enough points to beat all of the other teams in the playoffs if I had been playing someone.  Going into the second week of the playoffs, the same thing could be said, almost.  I outscored every team except one, and it happened to be my opponent.  Despite the dominance I had all season long and my usual ability to outscore any team I played, this time I came out on the wrong end of things.  Although I did score 93 points, my opponent dropped 119 on me to advance to the finals.
Overall, I am very disappointed to see my reign as champion come to an end.  Winning back-to-back titles would have been great, but the one time my opponent scored a ton of points came at the worst possible time.  There are many times I could go back and wonder why I made some decisions relating to the draft or who I started, but we all can do that for anything.
I do have to admit, this was a pretty fun season for fantasy football.  Most of the top draft picks didn't deliver, which really shook things up for a change.  I would say I am already looking ahead to the draft next summer, but honestly, not worrying about which player did what for a change will feel nice.
Although I didn't come out on top in the end, I didn't lose by a single point to be eliminated, and I didn't have to watch Brian Westbrook stop a yard short of a touchdown on Sunday, which actually prevented a lot of fantasy teams from winning, so no matter how bad it feels to lose, I can't even imagine the feeling of losing like that.

Lions Blown Out By Chargers 51-14 - (12/17)

And now the season is officially over. Detroit went to San Diego yesterday hoping to pull off an upset to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.  Instead of prolonging the false hope another week, the Lions decided to pack it in once and for all.
The Chargers came out and were the better team from the get go, and that continued all day long.  I'll be honest with you guys, I watched 1 quarter of this game before turning it off.  The effort out there was just too pathetic for me since it seemed like they were just going through the motions and that was that.  With a slim chance at making the playoffs still existent, there is absolutely no excuse for losing 51-14.  Not when your season is on the line.
I really don't have much to add to the score itself as I'm just simply disgusted right now, so take a look below at how the score got as ugly as it did and hopefully the end streak at least comes to an end next Sunday.  The lowly Chiefs come to Ford Field on a 7-game losing streak themselves, so hopefully the Lions can finally get their 7th win.  Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

Sorry Yogi: Lions Prove its Over Before its Over - (12/16)

Eight down, and six in a row, and two to go. What fools we have been. Playoffs? What the, who the, how the?!? PLAYOFFS (credit to Jim Mora Sr.)? If I understand it right, with one more loss (Chiefs in Detroit, at Green Bay), the Lions will become the third team in NFL history to [...]

Game #14 - Detroit Lions (6-7) at San Diego Chargers (8-5) - Open Thread - (12/15)

Chargers win 31-20 Week 15 Injury Report - (12/15) DETROIT LIONS Position Player Injury Status WR Roy Williams Knee Out WR Troy Walters Concussion Out TE Casey FitzSimmons Shin Probable DT Shaun Rogers Knee Probable S Kenoy Kennedy Knee Probable SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Position Player Injury Status QB Philip Rivers Knee Questionable FB Lorenzo Neal Fibula Out WR Buster Davis Achilles Probable TE Antonio Gates Back Questionable OG Mike Goff Foot Probable DE Luis Castillo Ankle Doubtful DT Jamal Williams Ankle Questionable LB Shawne Merriman Knee Out NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE Status Definition Probable 75% chance that the player will play in the game Questionable 50% chance that the player will play in the game Doubtful 25% chance that the player will play in the game Out 0% chance that the player will play in the game Win a Pair of Lions Posters From WallDaddy.com! - (12/14) Prepare for the Michigan Winter with Reebok - (12/14) Anyone that has ever spent a winter in Michigan knows how unpredictable the weather can be. It can go from being sunny one minute to snow the next. At the same time, the one thing that is usually constant is the temperature. Now that December is fully here, the mercury is starting to drop as each day passes. One thing is for sure, if it doesn't feel cold to you yet, just wait another month or so. With that being said, the best way to prepare for the cold that we will experience over the next few months here in Michigan is to get some Lions gear from Reebok. Not only will it be great to combat the frigid temperatures, but if you need any last-minute Christmas gift ideas, then this new Reebok gear will make for a great present to any Lions fan. Reebok's "Zero Degrees" line is meant to keep you warm during the cold. To do that, there are four main items out there for sale right now or in the near future that will accomplish the goal of keeping you warm and toasty during the winter. . Can the Lions Jolt the Bolts? - (12/14) Its a tale of two cities, the re-charged San Diego and the Motor City Kitties. San Diego is back on track, which coincides with Ladainian Tomlinson’s re-emergence into the league rushing race, a mere 22 yards behind Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker. And with last week’s come from behind road win against the Titans, the Bolts are [...] What's Wrong With Shaun Rogers? - (12/12) The Lions' season hasn't been the only thing to absolutely suck since the Denver game.  Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who started the season off playing great, has just been horrible lately.  Not only has his level of play diminished, but he isn't even playing as much as before. "As we started off the season, we put him on (the Physically Unable to Perform list) early and that was my plan for conditioning and get him in shape and his knees and all those things. We started the season probably with around 30 snaps a game -- we had a rotation for him. We were probably building it as the season went on and I would say that most of these players were at about 44 or 45 snaps. I just think that as the season has worn on, he can't practice as much, we can't condition him as much with the (sore) knees and so we just need to limit some of the reps." The main problem with Rogers is that he isn't in shape.  With all of the extra weight he is carrying around, his knees are taking a beating every time he goes in for a play.  As the season has gone on and taken a toll on everyone, it appears that Rogers has felt the worst of it.   Rogers has been suffering from knee problems for the last few years and any time it appears progress is being made things fall apart.  This past offseason was big for him not necessarily in the sense of getting into shape as he was recovering from getting his knees scoped, but more along the lines of getting the right attitude.  The problems seemed like they were gone as Rogers was a force on the defense line, but ever since the Denver game he has been nowhere near as good. I don't necessarily think that Rogers playing bad is why the Lions have lost 5 straight, but it is a contributing factor.  At the same time, Rogers' play really sums up the Lions' play since the game against the Broncos.  Detroit absolutely demolished Denver in impressive fashion and had the great game capped off with a Shaun Rogers interception return for a touchdown.  Things seemed great at that time.  The Lions were 6-2 and Rogers was playing well, but since then it has been a tough to watch. Knowing that Rogers has such a tough time getting into shape and the fact that being overweight takes such a big toll on his body, there are rumblings that the Lions may be looking to get rid of Rogers in the future.  As Tom Kowalski suggests, he could be gone by the draft next April. Don't be surprised, when April finally rolls around, if Shaun Rogers is dealt in a draft-day trade. Right now, the odds of that happening are about 50-50. Rogers, the Detroit Lions talented defensive tackle, has disappeared on head coach Rod Marinelli at the most important part of the season. Rogers' play has declined in recent weeks and this is when Marinelli needs his star players to step up, not stoop over and gasp for air. If Detroit did make a move like this, it would basically happen because the Lions are giving up on Shaun Rogers.  I can't say that I blame them considering he hasn't been able to maintain a great level of play at all times, and that is largely due to his weight problems. There's a chance that Detroit could just get fed up enough where they cut him sometime during the offseason, but if they knew for sure that he was on his way out, then a trade would be more likely.  The question then becomes: What can you get for Rogers?  The answer to that isn't a simple one, but the general consensus is a third-round pick from what I've heard.  Some are willing to go as far as a second-rounder, but I don't see that happening considering he has struggled so much with his knee problems. Out of all the possible draft scenarios, the most intriguing I heard was suggested on 97.1 FM The Ticket in the last couple of days.  I don't remember exactly who suggested it, but it was that the Lions could trade Rogers and their first-rounder for another team's first-rounder to move up.  Right now I believe the Lions are looking at getting a first-round pick somewhere around 17, 18, or 19.  Somewhere in the general area.  Anyways, if they could trade Rogers to move up to get a great player, then I wouldn't mind seeing that happen if Rogers would be traded or cut no matter what and if the player picked is a good one. Nothing in the near future appears likely, but I imagine we'll hear more on Rogers' future once the draft gets closer next year. Shawne Merriman to Miss Lions Game - (12/11) Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman is not going to play on Sunday due to an injury suffered on this play: Merriman sprained a ligament in his left knee, which is why he won't play on Sunday for San Diego. He's not the only injured Charger either. Quarterback Phillip Rivers was banged up last Sunday and although he will play, I doubt he'll be 100% healthy. Quarterback Philip Rivers is in a little better shape, saying he expects to play against the Lions even though he, too, has a sprained left knee. Rivers either didn't want to be specific about his injury or was told not to discuss it with the media. "I'll leave that up to the coach and the trainer as far as giving you the information," he said. "I don't try to get caught up in all the scientific words that are used." Rivers wore a knee brace to his news conference on Monday. "It was pretty sore this morning, but it shouldn't be anything I can't manage and get better during the week," Rivers said. With Merriman being out I bet Jon Kitna is breathing a sigh of relief. And at the same time, if Rivers isn't completely healthy, that could be a bad thing in the sense that LT will get the ball more. That though alone scares me. Assessing the Lions Dwindling Playoff Chances - (12/10) The loss to Dallas yesterday was disappointing enough by itself considering it was a Lions win for all but 18 seconds of the game, but when you think about the ramifications it had on Detroit's playoff hopes it hurts even more. Going into yesterday there was a slim chance of Detroit making the playoffs even though they were in a three-way tie for the final wild card spot.  The reason their chances were so slim is due to the fact that Detroit doesn't hold the tiebreaker over most teams tied or almost tied with them, and also because the schedule isn't favorable down the homestretch.  Even so, an upset win yesterday would have vaulted the Lions back into the playoffs if the season ended this week. Just to see the "what if" scenario, here is what the wild card standings would have looked like had the final minutes against Dallas gone in Detroit's favor and ended in a Lions win: New York Giants (9-4) Detroit Lions (7-6) Minnesota Vikings (7-6) Washington Redskins (6-7) Arizona Cardinals (6-7) Believe it or not, despite the thrashing Minnesota gave Detroit only a week or so ago, the Lions hold the tie-breaker over the Vikings since they split in head-to-head matchups and have a better record in the division.  Unfortunately, "what if" scenarios don't count in real life, so this is what the actual playoff picture looks like for the Lions. New York Giants (9-4) Minnesota Vikings (7-6) Washington Redskins (6-7) Arizona Cardinals (6-7) Detroit Lions (6-7) The Giants will likely clinch that first wild card spot pretty soon, so let's just go ahead and say they're in.  After New York, Minnesota is in good shape when it comes to the final wild card spot.  They are a game better than three teams right now (possibly 4 if New Orleans wins tonight) and control their own destiny.  The rest of the schedule for the Vikings is also much easier than what the Lions face in the final weeks of the year. For Detroit to even have a chance, the Vikings have to lose at least one of these games: December 17 - vs. Chicago December 23 - vs. Washington December 30 - at Denver We really should just be worrying about what Detroit does as another loss kills all that I'm laying out right now, but still it's something interesting to think about.  Assuming just for this scenario's sake that the Lions pull out a three-game winning streak to finish the season and end up 9-7, a Minnesota lost has to happen in one of those above games.  Moving down the checklist of what is needed for the Lions to get into the playoffs, Washington and Arizona also have to lose a game, and possibly New Orleans should they win tonight. Since Washington and Minnesota play, one of these needs will be taken care of, but regardless, the Redskins have a very tough schedule as they still have to play at the Giants and at home to the Cowboys along with that game at Minnesota.  For the Cardinals, their schedule isn't too bad.  They head to New Orleans this Sunday before finishing the year at home against Atlanta and St. Louis, which are two beatable teams. As you can see, a lot needs to happen for Detroit to make the playoffs.  They have to first win their three remaining games and then can start to worry about everything else that needs to fall into place.  The odds of everything working out are slim simply because Detroit has to close the year out with three straight wins, which is a tough task without the playoff implications, but at least there's a chance.  Talking playoffs in nearly the middle of December with respect to the Lions isn't exactly something I was expecting to happen.  Even if things don't work out, it is a very welcomed change.  I'll take discussing playoff scenarios over draft scenarios any day. Kitna's Prediction No Longer Reachable - (12/10) When the Lions beat Denver in dominating fashion to improve to 6-2 way back at the start of November, Jon Kitna's prediction that Detroit would win 10 or more games was in great shape.  With 8 games left, all the Lions had to do was go .500 in the second half of the year to reach that prediction.  I knew it wasn't likely to happen just because the schedule got a lot harder, but the fact that there was such a solid chance of 4 more wins gave me hope. I think I said something like I would spend a week basically bowing down before Kitna if the Lions won 10 games, but unfortunately I no longer have to worry about that possibility.  Now that there are only 3 games remaining in the season, there is no chance of Kitna's prediction coming true as the Lions would need 4 wins.  Had they beaten Dallas then they still would have had to win out, but since they choked that game away the prediction fell apart now rather than later. Going back and looking at what Kitna said, I wouldn't call it crazy at all.  Kitna truly believed that this team had 10 wins in them, and if you go back and look at four out of the last five losses, all of those games presented Detroit with a chance to win.  I'm not saying that one play could have changed the outcome or something like that, although that was the case against Dallas, but in four out of the last five losses a win was in reach. As I said, the comments weren't crazy at all when you think about it considering they were likely just for motivation anyways.  But when you think about the actual comments, 10 wins was a possibility for much of the season, which is a great accomplishment by itself. I don't remember if there were any parameters for when 10 wins could happen, so by chance if the Lions win the final three games of the season, make the playoffs, and win in the first round, they would end up with 10 wins for the season.  Like I said, I don't remember if Kitna meant that they would win 10+ in the regular season only, but regardless, if he can lead this team to three wins to finish the season and a playoff win, I'll dedicate this site to him for more than just a week, and that's a promise. Lions Choke Away Upset Bid to Dallas in 28-27 Loss - (12/09) With its season on the line, the Detroit Lions were in a tough position on Sunday.  After dropping 4 straight games and falling out of second place in the wild card, it really wasn't a choice to win, it was a necessity.  Going up against the Dallas Cowboys made that necessity look impossible, and even I said that a win wouldn't happen all last week.  My prediction was for this game to be a blowout, but instead it went down to the final seconds.  The end result was the same - a loss - but to be honest, a blowout would have been easier to watch.  The Lions led almost the entire game before Dallas came back to score the go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds, getting them a 28-27 win.  Detroit missed out on chances to put the Cowboys away twice in what will go down as the probable season-ender for 2007. Dallas got the ball first to start this game and all Lions fans knew that if an upset were to happen, Detroit had to get things going in the first quarter.  In most of the losses this year the Lions waited until it was too late to get the offense clicking, so an early score or two would definitely be nice.  First, though, it would be the defense that needed to make something happen.  With that in mind, the defense did get a stop, putting the Cowboys in a position where they had to kick a 50-yard field goal.  Nick Folk pushed it wide, and the Lions came away after 1 possession still tied 0-0. Since the running game has been so nonexistent in previous weeks, Mike Martz put together a solid gameplan that included running the ball.  As surprising as that may sound, it was even more surprising that running the ball worked so well.  Kevin Jones carried the ball 3 straight successful times to get the ball into Dallas territory before T.J. Duckett came in to finish the job.  Duckett got a handoff and rumbled down the field 32 yards and into the endzone to put the Lions on top 7-0.  I was truly sunned as the running game looked better on one drive alone then it did the rest of the entire season.  Plus, with an early 7-0 lead, momentum was in Detroit's favor. After a quick three and out by Dallas, the Lions got the ball back and again moved the ball.  Eventually getting down to the 1-yard line after a couple of 3rd down conversions, Detroit had 1st and goal only a single yard away from making it a 2-touchdown game.  Looking back, this is really an opportunity that Detroit couldn't afford to miss.  Even though the Lions had 3 attempts at scoring a TD from only a yard away, they were shut down each time.  Having to settle for a field goal was just disappointing when it happened, but in hindsight, it really was one of the many things that cost them this game. Following the touchdown, Dallas answered back with a big kick return.  It was almost broken for a touchdown, but Jason Hanson forced the returner out of bounds.  Hanson was only delaying the inevitable, though, as Dallas scored in only 5 plays.  Marion Barber put the ball into the endzone from 20 yards out on 3rd and short to score the TD, making it 10-7 in favor of the Lions. Detroit added another field goal on the proceeding drive and then held Dallas to another three and out.  In position to really increase the lead, the Lions did just that after getting the ball back.  Using a perfect combination of runs and passes, the Lions advanced the ball down the field efficiently before Kevin Jones capped off the great drive.  Jones ran into the endzone for a 2-yard touchdown, putting the Lions on top 20-7. Hoping to cut the deficit before the half, the Cowboys put together a scoring drive with only 1:41 to go on the clock.  In reality, Dallas played its best ball in its 2-minute drill offense as we would later see in the fourth quarter.  It was no different in the second quarter either as the Cowboys moved the ball quickly and eventually scored on an 8-yard pass from Tony Romo to Barber.  That TD was big as it cut the lead down to 20-14 going into the half. The start to the second half was shaky as the Lions opened with a three and out, but their fortunes would change after a Detroit punt went out of bounds at the 3-yard line.  Dallas had trouble advancing the ball and was forced to punt as well, only difference was their punt was not good at all.  The Lions took over in Dallas territory and again moved the ball thanks to a balanced pass-run attack.  I know I've criticized Mike Mart a lot recently, but I'll give him props for this week's game plan.  It was perfect, and this drive just showed that off.  Jones eventually crossed the goal line from 3 yards out, making it Detroit 27, Dallas 14. The Cowboys answered back as they had to get something going with time running out.  Tony Romo led his team down the field before Marion Barber punched the ball in from a yard out.  That cut the lead down to only 6 points with nearly an entire quarter left to go, putting the Cowboys in good shape.   The next few drives really were a roller coaster ride.  Getting the ball back, Detroit again put together another great drive and got into field goal range before it stalled.  From only 35 yards out, one would usually be correct in saying that a kick like that was a gimme for someone like Jason Hanson, but this was a rare occasion where that statement was false.  Hanson just barely missed the attempt that he would usually make, and the Lions blew their chance at making the lead 2 possessions.  At the time it seemed like a crushing blow, and in the end that would prove to be true. Getting the ball back with momentum, Tony Romo again was able to orchestrate a great drive.  He kept finding his receivers and got the ball down the field.  It appeared he would score with ease, but then the one-time play of the game for the Lions happened.  Romo hit tight end Jason Witten, who had a career day with 15 catches, inside the 2-yard line.  Witten tried to stretch the ball into the endzone but right before falling to the ground lost control of the ball.  Greg Blue, who was in the right place at the right time often for the Lions during this game, quickly grabbed the ball before Witten could recover.  At first glance it looked like Witten was down, but the referees correctly gave the ball to the Lions. Finally Detroit caught a break they needed desperately.  After the Cowboys came up only inches short, the Lions got the ball out of their own endzone and started using the clock.  Following a couple first downs, the Lions were literally one more first down away from being able to take a knee as Dallas wasted two of their timeouts and used their final one on this drive.  It just wasn't meant to be as things began to unravel when Detroit had to punt the ball away. Dallas got the ball back down by 6 with at their own 17 with only 2:15 to go.  Tony Romo was moving the ball again and had what appeared to be little trouble completing passes as their usually was a receiver open.  Even so, Romo made one mistake that nearly ended this game for good.  He was scrambling around and had the ball knocked out of his hand by Jared DeVries.  The ball fell forward and appeared to go right into the hands of Lions middle linebacker Paris Lenon.  All Lenon had to do was fall on the ball and the game was over.  Sounds simple, right?  Well, you would think so.  Instead of falling on the ball, Lenon tried to pick it up and ended up kicking it forward, right into the possession of a Cowboys lineman.  This play felt exactly like the missed field goal by Hanson as it was a chance to put Dallas away for good.  In this case, literally, Lenon recovering the fumble would have ended the game as Detroit would have just had to take a knee. Following the missed opportunity to taste victory instead of just smelling it, Dallas took things up a notch.  Romo completed his next 5 passes (not counting a spike) with the last one going to Jason Witten for a 16-yard gain and a touchdown.  Witten redeemed himself after fumbling inches away from a touchdown and continued his domination on the day.  Why he was always so open I'll never understand, but he was all day long.  Nick Folk made the extra point and with only 18 seconds left, Dallas led 28-27.  The Lions made nothing of those final 18 seconds, so the Cowboys went on to win by that same score. In the end, Detroit missed more than just opportunities in this game.  A win would have put them back into the playoffs as Arizona lost yesterday.  That knocked them out of the wild card and put the Lions into a tie with only the Vikings, who they miraculously hold the tie-breaker over according to FOX's Joe Buck.  Since this game resulted in a loss instead of the upset, Detroit now is tied with 2 other teams (3 if New Orleans wins tonight) a game back of the final wild card spot.  Normally that would still leave you with a chance, but the red hot Vikings control that final wild card spot and there is no sign of them slowing down any time soon. On paper this season isn't over, but it would take a miracle for the Lions to make the playoffs now.  We will always go back to this loss and think what could have been in regards to this season in general as it really was that big of a deal.  Regardless, the Lions will have to hope to end this losing skid next week as they head to San Diego to face the Chargers.  Kickoff is 4:15 p.m. ET on FOX. Merry Christmas Dallas, 28-27 - (12/09) Pick up the ball, Paris Lenon. When will the players in the NFL get off the glory kick. Paris Lenon falls on a Tony Romo fumble late in the fourth quarter with the Lions ahead 27-21 and the game is over. Instead, he tries to pick it up and run with it, and kicks it [...] Game #13 - Detroit Lions (6-6) vs Dallas Cowboys (11-1) - Open Thread - (12/08) Cowboys win 44-17 Week 14 Injury Report - (12/07) DETROIT LIONS Position Player Injury Status WR Roy Williams Knee Out DE Ikaika Alama-Francis Hamstring Probable S LaMarcus Hicks Ankle Out (IR) DALLAS COWBOYS Position Player Injury Status WR Terry Glenn Knee Out WR Patrick Crayton Ankle Probable OT Marc Colombo Ankle Questionable CB Anthony Henry Ankle Probable NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE Status Definition Probable 75% chance that the player will play in the game Questionable 50% chance that the player will play in the game Doubtful 25% chance that the player will play in the game Out 0% chance that the player will play in the game 5 Questions With Blogging The Boys - (12/07) BTB: Dallas most definitely uses the short-to-intermediate game to beat defenses in the passing game. Both Marion Barber and Julius Jones are very capable receivers out of the backfield and Romo will utilize them often. We also have TE Jason Witten who is very adept at working the zone between the linebackers and the safeties. Tony Romo is willing to take those passes if you give them to him. Lions Notes: Tigers Know How to Win - (12/07) I imagine most of you have heard about the blockbuster trade the Detroit Tigers made earlier this week.  If you haven't heard, they dealt 6 prospects to the Florida Marlins in order to acquire third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis.  The trade was just absolutely great as the Tigers instantly have become World Series contenders, and the amount of excitement surrounding the team right now is off the charts.  Just from this trade alone you can see the difference between the Lions and the Tigers.  The Tigers have an owner and GM that are in it to win it, whereas the Lions are always a few steps behind.  Man do I wish Mike Ilitch owned the Lions. For more on the Tigers check out Bless You Boys. During a challenge in last week's game against the Vikings, there was a very random and hilarious situation out of the field.  While all of the players were waiting for a decision on the challenge, it appeared as though they all were more interested in socializing rather than playing football.  The long wait gave the players a chance to catch up as rookies were casually talking to other rookies, Jon Kitna and Tarvaris Jackson were shooting the breeze (although Kitna did most of the talking), and the rest of the players were making chit-chat.  I'm not going to say it's a bad thing that everyone became so unfocused at that instance, but I do just find it hilarious as you rarely see a moment where players forget about the game that quickly. Mike Martz addressed some of the issues with the running game yesterday with the media. Pride of Detroit favorite Ikaika Alama-Francis will be active on Sunday.  He's been suffering from a hamstring injury for a while now and has only played in 2 games all season, so it will be nice to see him get back on the field for a change. Sunday Will Have Extra Intensity - (12/07) Normally a Lions-Cowboys match-up would be nothing more than a game between two NFC teams.  As usual, the Lions are struggling and the Cowboys are winning.  We saw the same thing last season when Detroit upset Dallas in the final game of the year.  A team that only became 3-13 because of a win over a playoff-bound team at the time probably shouldn't have bragged too much about the win considering their record, but Jon Kitna obviously didn't get that memo.  Although he wasn't necessarily bragging, Kitna gave the 'Boys added incentive to win this time around when he made some comments to a Seattle radio station early in 2007 in regards to the Lions' win over Dallas. "That No. 56 looked like he didn't know where he was about half the time," said Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna, the week after the Lions lit up the Cowboys' defense in the regular-season finale. We definitely felt like Terence Newman was the best corner that they had, so we knew we needed to be careful with him. But even with him, I mean, he's not Marcus Trufant in my opinion. He doesn't have that kind of ability. It wasn't like you were scared to throw at him, I guess." The comments weren't needed by Kitna, but even so, remember that these were made at the start of 2007.  With that in mind, you would think these comments would be forgotten by now.  Right?  As Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend.  Dallas cornerback Terrance Newman didn't forget what was said about him, and he said this about Kitna earlier this week. "Basically what it boils down to is you've got to watch what you say. Your mouth can't write checks that your [expletive] can't cash. That's what it comes down to," Newman said. "Everybody's going to see those quotes. He better just hope I don't blitz off the edge, because I've got 15, 25, 30 [thousand dollars], however much it would be for a fine. I've got that much for one fine. Revenge will be sweet definitely." I can understand why Newman is upset, but to basically say that you're out for blood is wrong.  It's one thing to play dirty and purposely go after a certain player, especially a quarterback, but if that really is your intention, then why broadcast it to the public?  Now that he has put it out there that he doesn't mind getting a fine if revenge happens, the NFL scolded Newman and will be keeping an extra eye on him on Sunday. "Be advised that your comments will now compel us to carefully monitor your activities in this weekend's Cowboys-Lions game," read part of the letter signed by Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president for football operations. "As you know, flagrant fouls may subject a player not only to fines, but to suspension as well. So conduct yourself accordingly." I applaud the NFL for making it known to Newman that he is being watched as the last thing I'd like to see is for Kitna to get hurt or something.  I'm not saying that the NFL's warning won't deter Newman from going after him, but if he still did despite the letter, then expect a hefty fine worth more than just $30,000. In the end, this war of words could end up actually having an effect on the game or it could mean nothing.  I have no doubt that the Dallas defense will be playing extra harder to stand up for Newman and James, but I'm wondering if the Detroit offense will do the same for Kitna.  Center Dominic Raiola has made it clear from his own comments that he's got Kitna's back, but one offensive lineman isn't enough.  I don't expect every player to come out publicly saying they have his back because that would just add fuel to the fire, but I'm hoping that I see it on the field.  In a game where an upset could jump-start a late run at the playoffs, everyone has to be at their best, and maybe these comments will get this team at a level of intensity needed to win. Lions: A Bout With Them Cowboys - (12/06) Closing out a dismal 2006 season last year with a 39-31 win over the Cowboys in Dallas last New Year’s Eve was like leaving with the third place door prize at bingo night down at the VFW. Its a nice parting gift, but not what you really want. You want the big prize and hope [...] Week 14 NFL Schedule - (12/05) Week 13 treated me very nicely as I had a great 12-4 record in picking the games. That tied my season-high for the most correct picks in one week as I have had 12 right a couple times before. Now, though, heading into the final four weeks of the season, I am looking to keep up this great pace. It won't be easy as there are quite a few close match-ups this week, but hopefully things will go in my favor. For the Lions-Cowboys contest, do I really even need to give an explanation for my pick? Dallas should win this game in a blowout. If ever there was a time for an upset it would be now, but this is the Lions we're talking about. With Roy Williams out and the Cowboys hungry for Jon Kitna, I expect this to be ugly. Watch and enjoy! NFL NETWORK THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 8:15 PM   Chicago @ Washington FOX NFL SUNDAY 1:00 PM   St. Louis @ Cincinnati 1:00 PM   Dallas @ Detroit 1:00 PM   NY Giants @ Philadelphia 1:00 PM   Carolina @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM   Tampa Bay @ Houston 4:05 PM   Minnesota @ San Francisco 4:05 PM   Arizona @ Seattle NFL ON CBS 1:00 PM   Miami @ Buffalo 1:00 PM   Oakland @ Green Bay 1:00 PM   San Diego @ Tennessee 4:15 PM   Pittsburgh @ New England 4:15 PM   Cleveland @ NY Jets 4:15 PM   Kansas City @ Denver NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 8:15 PM   Indianapolis @ Baltimore ESPN MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 8:30 PM   New Orleans @ Atlanta Roy Hopes to Get Back for Green Bay, Remain a Lion Beyond 2008 - (12/05) Lions receiver Roy Williams likely is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, but there is still a small chance that he could get back on the field for the season finale at Green Bay.  It depends on how it heals in the next few weeks and obviously if that is anything worth playing for against the Packers.  If Detroit is simply trying to get a 7th win still, then I would expect Roy to sit the game out in order to prevent further injury heading into the offseason. "My goal is Green Bay," he [Williams] said, referring to Detroit's Dec. 30 regular season finale. "They told me that I'll miss three to five weeks, so if I can make it three, I can play against the Packers." Coach Rod Marinelli has the same hope, and said the Lions will wait until the last week of the year before placing Williams on injured reserve. "I think he's got a chance to get back, so we'll wait," he said. "If we can get Roy Williams back on the field, even for one game, that's huge for our team." I'd like to see Roy get back out on the field for one more game before the end of the year, but again, as I already said, there's no point to risk further injury unless he is 100% or the Lions are playing for something.  I expect him to be put on the IR eventually, but we'll just have to wait and see how the knee heals. Returning for the Green Bay game may not be the only hope that Roy Williams has.  Thinking back to yesterday, Tom Kowalski wrote an article the basically said Williams and Kevin Jones are going to leave Detroit after next season as their contracts expire.  Although it was just speculation, it certainly would not be a surprising move by either player.  Still, though, Williams is coming out and denying that his intentions are to leave as he would like to stay with the Lions. "I don't think that's an issue," Williams said. "(Detroit) is my second home. Just because I talk about Texas and the Texas Longhorns and Odessa in every interview doesn't mean I want to go play for Odessa Whatever. "If I wanted to leave, I'd say I want to leave. That's not a problem." Although I don't doubt that Roy tells the truth with nearly everything he says, I don't buy that he would come out and say he wants to leave if that were the case.  Saying that makes no sense and just creates a problematic situation, so I would expect him to say the right things until something with his future becomes more concrete.  It would be great if Detroit could bring him back, and it would be great if they could bring Jones back, but I would understand if one or both of them wanted to find a new team. Week 13 Fantasy Take: On to the Playoffs - (12/05) The regular season finally is over for both of my fantasy teams and one of them gets to continue its quest for a league title. My CBS team ended up finishing 5-8, which surprisingly is actually a solid record considering how this team started the season.  After having a horrible draft in hindsight due to taking Steven Jackson and Drew Brees, my team started 0-7.  By then I had no chance of making the playoffs, but I did want to put together a respectable finish.  After going 5-1 down the homestretch, I did put together a great finish and don't have to look at that horrible of a record now.  If only my team would have played like this all year, I probably would be talking playoffs for this league. Shifting gears to a successful team, my Yahoo! one, I ended up finishing with a record of 10-3.  That was good enough to secure 1st place in the standings and now I get to enjoy a first-round bye for the playoffs.  The route I took to get to 10-3 is an interesting one after I started the season with a loss.  After that, I rattled off 3 straight wins before suffering loss #2.  Then things really went well.  I won 7 straight games and was able to clinch 1st place because of that.  My winning streak would have been 8 consecutive games had I won the regular season finale, but I lost by 9 points.  Unfortunately, people haven't bought the excuse that I was resting my players for the playoffs since I had 1st place locked up already.   Although I didn't finish the season with my Yahoo! team the way I would have liked, I still am feeling good about the playoffs.  Had I started Packers running back Ryan Grant last week I would have won, so it's not like I didn't have the ability to win, I just made some poor lineup decisions.  Either way, I am only two wins away from winning my second straight title in this league, so here's to getting this dynasty started. Roy and K.J. Looking to Leave Detroit? - (12/04) Detroit's pair of first-round draft picks from 2004 will be entering the final year of their contracts next season.  That pair is Roy Williams and Kevin Jones, who are two big contributors to this team.  With the contract year coming up in 2008, decisions will have to be made in regards to where Roy and K.J. will be playing in 2009.  Whether that means trading them, franchising one of them, or working out a long term deal, all are options.  Even so, Tom Kowalski reports that we probably shouldn't be too optimistic in getting both back. Williams and Jones, who were both first-round draft picks in 2004, will become unrestricted free agents after next season and sources close to the players say they've had enough and want out. Kowalski goes on to explain that a number of things are contributing to this alleged attitude of them wanting to leave Detroit.  For Roy, it's the fact that he loves Texas.  That's his home, and according to Kowalski, he tries to get down there every chance he gets.  Along with that, Williams isn't exactly a happy camper anymore when it comes to the Mike Martz offense as he really hasn't been utilized to the fullest of his abilities this season.  Against Minnesota it appeared that changed, but an injury cut a potential great game short. For Kevin Jones, it is obvious why he wants to leave: there is no running game in Detroit.  It's one thing for a running back to have to carry the ball behind a bad offensive line, but now that the running game appears to be getting phased out altogether, I can't blame Jones for wanting to escape. In the end, as I said, there are options.  If Detroit knows for sure that they won't be getting one or both of these players back, then a trade could be made to get something out of the eventual loss.  At the same time, if Detroit wants to keep one of them, there's always the franchise tag, which has been used twice in the last two years by the Lions to keep Jeff Backus and Cory Redding in the Motor City. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't be surprised if the franchise tag is placed on one of them, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if other options are explored, such as a trade.  I highly doubt the Lions are able to keep both Roy and K.J. in Detroit, but hopefully one of them can be brought back. >>More Detroit Lions blogs... FootballNewsCenter.com | Site Map | Contact Us | Copyright ©2005 FootballNewsCenter.com. All rights reserved. FootballNewsCenter.com - Your resource to NFL Football news, columns, blogs podcasts and links for every NFL Football team. 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