Advice to Marinelli for bye week: Play Madden

By Os Davis  |   Friday, October 27, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Detroit Lions
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All right, everybody knows that the vantage point of a journalist or couch jockey quarterback is an easy one from which to make off-hand judgment calls. The actual duties involved in NFL coaching are surely unimaginably myriad and the job is insanely difficult. Fair enough, but at 1-6 and in the midst of that four-decade rebuilding program known as the Detroit Lions, you'd think Rod Marinelli would be willing to take advice from all corners.

Now this is not to suggest that some RealFootballer such as myself should be imparting wisdom to the man (although Os Davis did enter the 2006 season having run up as many games in the head coach position as Marinelli had). Instead Marinelli should spend some quality time during the bye week constructively, dedicating a few dozen hours to a guy who's been there, who has that ring: John Madden.

It's a bye week. Are you ready, coach Marinelli, for some Madden? Heck, the old marine could even play "coach mode," and thus really gain some tips for his team other than "hit the X button, then A, then juke the stick in rapid progression."

Right now, this PC is in the throes of a Lions simulation, in fact. Though still using the 2006 version of the game, the silver-and-Honolulu blue's core is essentially the same. Since Jeff Garcia retires after 2005, we've got a Jon Kitna clone at QB. We're even using the Cover 2 defense as a default. Just trying to help you guys in Detroit. And check out what you can learn:

First, please, run with Kevin Jones. The game against the Minnesota Vikings was a classic chicken-and-egg situation: Did Jones run for under one yard per carry, because he wasn't getting the ball enough, or was Kitna not giving him the ball because he was continually being hit for a loss? Madden says it doesn't matter. If the offensive line is adequate (and let's generously say the real-life 2006 Lions' is), you've gotta make that back find the holes! As Madden's buddy Al Michaels says, "They're gonna continue with the running game, no matter how ineffective it is." And it may be this simple: When Jones runs, you win. Jones goes for 127 yards against Buffalo, you win. When Jones gets 93 yards against St. Louis, you ... well, you should have won. In Madden, you give him carries like real-life Edgerrin James and he amasses 1,600 yards-plus for the season.

Um, about that passing on third down ... The greatest cliché in all of Madden is "Now, that's the kind of play that just drives me crazy. Does the receiver not know where he needs to go to get the first down?" Well, does he not? A couple of microcosms of "Lions Football" re: third-down success. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, Detroit was 5-of-14 on third-down conversions. In 11 of these situations, a pass was called. Just twice was first down gained by air. You score six points, you lose. Last week against the New York Jets, the Lions gained a pulse (not to mention some proper route running). When playing desperate, the Lions went 3-of-5 with one TD on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down. "Just let your receivers go out and fling it in there."

Maybe Madden - like real-life football - shouldn't be played so conservatively, but kick the field goal, man! The real-life Lions mostly sit Jason Hanson. Dude's got a 92 ranking in my version of Madden. Twice for the Lions he's nailed kicks of 57 yards and once for 58; his kick even made that satisfying "plunk" sound off the bottom of the crossbar to bounce in. Sorry, what's that? So he's one out of three from 50-plus ... when the special teams play is as lacking as Detroit's, you might want Hanson teeing off from 63 yards every game.

Seriously, now, let's talk about that defense. In the 1990s against Elway and long bombers, great defense. Today, in the day of "Bradyball," not so good. Perhaps it's time to admit that the Tampa 2 may simply just not work. A "bend but don't break" philosophy is fine, but without a serious all-pro secondary, it's going to break. And aside from exploiting the potential of above-average quick and below-average size like Ernie Sims, the Tampa 2 allows short-yardage and hurry-up game plans way too much liberty for today's style of play.

Tampa 2 adherents in the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 18th and 27th in total defense. Mike Tomlin's schemes for the Minnesota Vikings are succeeding this year to the tune of No. 7 'D' in the league. Marinelli et al might want to try a different offense with a bigger Madden playbook or see if there are any 85s hanging around in the free agent pool.

Finally, ditch the uniforms. The fewer ties to the present, the better. Don the throwback blues with the white helmet. Or check out the sweet, seldom-used black versions of the Lions' uni. Why are they not used more often? When my Madden Lions are in the Honolulu blue, we're 1-3.

Too bad you can't hit RESET in real-life, eh? Happy Maddening!

(PS: If you play the Lions on Madden, you don't even have to fire Millen. Though you probably should pretend to, anyway.)

RealFootball365.com: Where we cover virtual and actual Detroit Lions.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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