Examining the Lions’ game as Giants await

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, November 13, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Detroit Lions
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A bit sadly perhaps, the Detroit Lions appeared to return to form against traditional beatdogs the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, getting chumped in a 31-21 contest that wasn't nearly that close. At 6-3, the Motor City Kitties are still in the playoff race, make no mistake about it. However, now the difficult bit of the schedule lies ahead, with the 6-3 New York Giants coming to Detroit this weekend.

Nervous, Lions backers and assorted bandwagon jumpers? You might be justified in that. A few aspects to consider going into the game make the possibility for a needed Detroit win look slightly shaky at best.

The running game. No genius is required to assess Sunday's effort of minus-18 yards was brutal. One for the ages, in fact, going back to a showing turned in by those unforgettable 1946 Boston Yanks.

The blame for the Arizona game can be spread thoroughly among those responsible for play-calling in addition to the runners themselves. Eight run plays called against 45 passes just two weeks after Kevin Jones hauled it 23 times for 105 yards against Chicago? Huh?

Of course, this sort of run-this-week, pass-next-week game planning while simultaneously arbitrarily ditching players like Tatum Bell by the roadside has been characteristic of Mike Martz and Rod Marinelli's decision-making all season, and more baffling by the week.

Um, guys, your team is in contention! You can stop messing around with the pieces for a week or two! Except on the offensive line, where you refuse to for some bizarre reason! Exploit that top-10 passing attack like the last time Kitna topped 300 yards back in Week 3! Use Bell and Jones in free-substituting tandem with Bell on passing downs!

Sheesh. Good thing the Detroit 'D' is so good. Speaking of which ...

The Lions have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Detroit is No. 2 overall in interceptions at 15 and third in the NFL in defensive TDs with 18, though Shaun "Big Baby" Rogers' touchdown stagger might have been credited as two based on sheer replay value.

In 2007, as the defense goes, so go the Lions. Against the Cards, Detroit was lit up for four TDs against one measly interception; naturally, Kenoy Kennedy's 38 yards gained after the pick was the Lions' play of the game. Also naturally, the Lions lost this game.

This week, the Lions line up against Eli Manning. With the exception of the Miami game in London, Manning has been good for one or two picks per week. Until the loss against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, however, the Giants QB had only been sacked more than once on one occasion: against Washington in Week 3. With the generally low-pressure Tampa 2 scheme the Lions employ, Manning will have plenty of time to throw; Detroit will need to make the best use of the few inevitable turnovers against the New York passer.

Home field advantage. Much was made of the fact that the Lions lost in Arizona last Sunday, and with good reason. Would you believe these guys are 4-0 at home? Together with the 2-3 record as a visitor, Detroit currently possesses the most valuable 12th man in the NFL aside from Tampa Bay. If ever the Lions need home-field advantage, it'll be this week.

The question of competition. Incidentally, does anyone realize that the Lions may have played one playoff team this season thus far - Washington, against which they were pummeled 34-3 in Week 6? Does anyone realize that, as a head coach, Marinelli has beaten a playoff team - those brilliantly imploding Cowboys in Week 17 last year - exactly once?

Detroit backers have to be biting fingernails down to the quick at the thought of Tom Coughlin coming to town to face off against Marinelli & Co. (see "Game plans, inconsistency of," above) this weekend. You have to figure the New Yorker's going to outdo the Marine mentally; it's merely a question of scale.

The offensive line. Kitna ate turf four times against the hardly indefensible Arizona pass rush and twice lost fumbles. That makes 40 sacks allowed on the year and on pace for 71, just shy of the 72 the legendarily bad Oakland Raiders allowed last season. What do you suppose the over/under on sacks against the Lions will be when the league-leading Giants (nearly four sacks per game against all teams, just about three per week against all teams not named the Philadelphia Eagles) come to Detroit? Six?

Prediction: It'll be the Giants 28, Detroit 16, and for the sake of plucky underdogs everywhere, may this prove wrong ...

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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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