Game 9: Lions at Chicago Bears

Fix it.

The Lions lose this game before my local television station can get away from the Atlanta-New Orleans game that went into overtime. The final score 13-37 (the Lions game, not the Falcons/Saints game which I didn't want to keep watching but had no choice in the matter). The Lions need to figure out what is wrong and fix it.

You wouldn't think the Lions would be the losing team if all I told you about was Cutler. He managed a dismal 9 completions for 123 yards and no touchdowns. No, it wasn't the run game that killed them; Forte had only 64 yards and 1 TD. Obviously the wide receivers also had no touchdowns. So how did the Lions lose? By allowing their new found punter to kick to Hester and by playing their injured QB who threw not one but two pick sixes.

What was wrong with Stafford you ask? All game long everyone questioned why he needed to wear gloves when it wasn't raining, and wasn't cold. I was pretty sure something was up and sure enough, after the game, it was revealed, here's the link:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/13/stafford-played-with-broken-finger/

I think I can safely blame the coaches for playing their QB with the broken finger instead of one of their other QBs who have 10 good digits. I might even find blame for the coaching in having their fresh-off-the-street punter kick to Hester (who also got a TD today). I can't blame the coaches for allowing my local tv channel for not switching to the Lions game when it started, nor for the two fumbles that occurred during that time when I wasn't able to watch the game. But I'm sure if I re-watched the game I could find many more times to blame the coaches for something.

The 6-3 Lions aren't going to be going to the playoffs if they don't fix a few things. The list is short, yet covers a broad spectrum of "team".

Coaching. Fix it.
Quarterback. Fix it.
Kicking/Punting. Fix it.

Can't do much about the weather and since that affects both sides equally I don't even care. Can't do much about the officiating either, which is much worse then the ever changing weather. But the decisions being made by the coaching staff can be improved. The (by appearances) nonchalant acting quarterback (3 weeks now it seems like) can have a fire lit under his back side and his focus improved. I'm also a little tired with the kicking (most should be in the back of the end zone) and by the punting (why did we get rid of Harris again?). Fix it. All of it.

Get these few (but big) things fixed, then you can begin to work on the little things again. You got 7 weeks to win at least 4 games and none of those games will be a cakewalk. The Bears meanwhile, if you look at their schedule, is pretty much the opposite. Time to focus... every snap, every game, make them all count.

Starting with next weeks game and the one that is only 4 days after that on Thanksgiving day. Speaking of that, being that there are 2 games in the next 11 days, wouldn't it have been wise to sit the QB with the broken finger and... oh never mind, already said it. Once again, coaching, fix it.