2015 - Week #7 Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings @ Home

Nightmare.

The 1-6 Detroit Lions lost to the 4-2 Minnesota Vikings 19-28. Matthew Stafford was 18 of 26 (69.23%) for 256 yards 2 TDs and 0 INTs. The Lions led at the end of the first quarter 14-3 and both the offense and the defense looked pretty good and then like a switch was flipped both the O and the D couldn't do anything right. It was, in a word a... nightmare.

It would seem that when pressed the entire team has a problem with focus, and thus execution. I'm not just talking the players either, the coaching staff appear to be unable to handle in game adjustments or to find counter moves that work. The inability of the players to recognize blitzes, the inability of the coaching staff to find ways to slow blitzing down, and the inability of the coaching staff to keep pressure on opposing offenses by blitzing is like a broken record. Every game there is multiple breakdowns by multiple players and multiple "interesting" coaching decisions. In the world of NFL football this constitutes a nightmare, especially since it keeps happening.

Golden Tate has the body language of someone who hates his job, or maybe it's someone period. When the running game gets going well the team starts getting pass happy. There is not one aspect of the team that is functioning well. What is really odd is that the offense, sans two (considered not so great) offensive lineman are the same players as last year and the defense, sans two defensive lineman, are also the same players, and on both sides it's the same coaches and supposedly the same scheme. The entire coaching staff was brought in to win now and after going 11-5 last year it looked like they knew what they were doing. This year they continually say the players aren't executing the plays... yet they said a year and a half ago (and they were supposed to) tailor the plays/schemes to the players' abilities. How if you have tailored the playbook to the players' abilities are they suddenly a year later incapable of executing the plays they are best at? It's mind boggling. It can't be real. Someone is feeding us a line of bull. So let's see if we can't clarify it.

If the players can't execute the plays then either they are not being coached correctly or they shouldn't be on the roster. One shows a coaching issue, the other a front office issue. If the playbook is the issue it's a coaching issue... the coaching staff the front office hired and has not fired. If the problem is Matthew Stafford as some fans suggest then the playbook/scheme/play calling is NOT tailored to fit his strengths and thus a coaching issue. If Matthew Stafford is simply not a good QB then the front office has two issues, their starting QB and their lack of quality backup with no one being developed for the future. If the issue is Stafford calling the OL blocking schemes then either the schemes suck or Stafford sucks at it. If that is it then why is he still doing the calling? Why isn't someone else doing that? Why hasn't he been properly instructed on how to do it correctly? Why is it after 7 games still an issue? In fact, no matter what issue you point to, no matter which side of the ball, it comes down to "why is it still an issue after 7 weeks in year 2?" and that points to the coaches... and since the coaches are still coaching THAT points to the front office.

Our nightmare deserves to be shared, identify the culprit and fire him. If it's not a him then it's a them. Fire them. If the person in charge of firing won't do the firing, fire him. Etc. Sooner or later you'll get the right one. Since new front offices will want new coaches, and since new coaches will likely want a new QB, and since the Lions will have a lot of cap space in 2016 and a lot of draft picks, and a high draft pick in round one... this is the perfect time to start over. You don't have to wait until the end of the season. Wake up, end the nightmare, start handing out pink slips like they are candy... and don't let up until you get all those that are creating or have created this problem. The problem? 1 and 6 in the first 7 games following a 11 win season. Focus on that and nothing else. Do not listen to the bull they are giving out. Do not believe they know what is wrong, for unless it involves a mirror they are probably wrong. I realize it's a nightmare in its self to start over again from the top on down, but if the tower you built is falling over you don't have much of a choice. Get a new architect, a new contractor, use better materials, and stop the bleeding.