Week 17, 2019 Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers @ Home

2019.

The 3-12-1 Detroit Lions lose another close one to the division winning 13-3 Green Bay Packers 20-23. This game made it 14 out of 16 games that the Lions had a lead at some point in the game. Anyone who wants the Lions to draft offense in round 1 needs to re-evaluate the situation to be sure there isn't a difference maker in the 2020 draft that could help the Lions defense.

David Blough was 12 of 29 (41.38%) for a whole 122 yards and no TDs along with 1 interception. Yet that doesn't mean the Lions need a better backup QB, it means they need a better offensive line. But in order to obtain a better offensive line, you don't always need to draft OL in the first round. There are quality guards and even right tackles on day 2 and day 3 of the draft. The Lions also had 170 yards rushing with Kerryon Johnson the only RB to score a rushing TD. I think with better OL play and perhaps a new OL coach the Lions could have a pretty decent run game next year if all the RBs are signed for next year. That doesn't mean you can't draft another in the 2020 draft, it just isn't quite as big of an issue as it would otherwise be. The passing TD was thrown by WR Amendola, to Blough, who ran in untouched for the score in what was a lovely bit of trickery that didn't happen enough during 2019 if you ask me, even though earlier in the year there was a flea flicker that was a thing of beauty as well.

The Lions defense allowed Aaron Rodgers to go a very poor 27 of 55 (49.09%) for a very large number of yards (323 yards) and 2 TDs as well as one interception. The Lions defense also allowed 120 yards rushing without an scores. The Lions held the lead until the 4th quarter when the Packers finally tied up the game then with two possessions after the 2 minute warning, scored the game winning field goal as time expired. Once again, the Lions need a game changer on defense, actually, more then one. Luckily they'll have somewhere above $45 million in salary cap space to work with, though half that will be used to re-sign guys that would otherwise go in free agency... that is... if they evaluate them and decide they are all worth keeping and the player and his agent agrees with the offers. The normal off season kinds of stuff. Also normal is team firings on Monday after the final game of the season, which is Dec 30th (tomorrow) and I am still hopeful there will be an announcement from the Lions that they will be needing a new defensive coordinator.

So ends the 2019 season. The upcoming off season may include the Lions coaching in the senior-bowl, which could give them some much needed time with the draft prospects that are seniors this year. We also get to wait for all the juniors to declare that are leaving college early, and then there is the even longer wait for the combine towards the end of February. As Lions fans, we all know the drill. It's just a matter now of seeing if the Redskins can beat the Cowboys to determine the Lions draft position.

Week 16, 2019 Detroit Lions @ Denver Broncos

Go Redskins!

The 3-11-1 Detroit Lions lose to the 6-9 Denver Broncos 17-27 at Mile High Stadium.

David Blough was a horrid 12 of 24 (50%) for only 117 yards with 1 TD an 0 INTs. The three RBs (Bo, KJ, and Ty) totaled 96 yards and no TDs. Agnew had one TD on a punt return, the only bright spot of the game.

The Lions defense allowed Drew Lock of the Denver Broncos to go 25 of 33 (75.76%) for 192 yards and 1 TD with 0 INTs. They also allowed the Broncos to rush for 151 yards and 2 TDs.

Now to be fair, the Lions were playing without their starting left guard, their starting right tackle, their starting tight end, their starting quarterback, their second string quarterback and a number of defensive players as well. However, fully healthy the defense would still be looking bad in my opinion, though I do believe Stafford could've helped the Lions win at least 4 or 5 of the games they ended up losing because he was unable to play.

The Lions now hold the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 draft. If the Lions lose next week they could draft #2 overall (Bengals get the first overall pick now no matter what happens) if the Redskins can beat the Cowboys next week. The latest the Lions could draft is 5th overall now should they win against the Packers. Go Redskins!

The Lions play the Green Bay Packers at home in the final game of the 2019 season. The only way the Lions win that game is if the Packers sit their starters, and even that might not be enough. Meanwhile, Quinn (the GM) and Patricia (the head coach) were told they won't be fired at seasons' end and have one more year to get the Lions in playoff contention (whatever that means).

Week 15, 2019 Detroit Lions vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Home

Observation.

The 3-10-1 Detroit Lions lose to the 7-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-38 in a game that saw nearly half the Lion's starters not play on offense and defense due to injury. Not that that is an excuse, more of an observation really.

Third string QB David Blough went 24 of 43 (55.81%) for 260 yards no TDs and 2 INTs (he only had like 56 yards in the first half). Somebody name Wes Hills played starting RB (up from the practice squad) and he had 10 carries for 21 yards and 2 TDs. The entire stat for rushing only added up to 45 yards and the QB Blough had 19 of them. Ty Johnson lost a fumble to go with that. Talk about domination by the Bucs. This makes two weeks in a row in which the offense was just about as bad as the defense. Of course not everyone will agree with me on this, it's just my observation of the way things went.

The Lions defense allowed Jameis Winston to go 28 of 42 (66.667%) for 458 yards and 2 TDs with 1 INT. The Lions allowed only 49 yards rushing, so they finally managed to control a team's running game, more or less. The defense is in dire need of a superstar to go with Slay and Flowers. My hope is that they find that player in day one of the 2020 draft.

Next week the Lions go to Denver to play the 5-9 Broncos. With all the Lions players on IR or playing hurt and considering how many 3rd,4th or even 5th string players are starting, it's very unlikely the Lions will win that game, but it's not impossible.

Fans of the NFL Draft and the Lions are okay with the losses at this point, since each makes it more likely the Lions get a higher draft pick, yet at the same time I've been observing more and more concern as to whether Quinn should be the one doing the drafting. Same observation goes for the coaching staff, more and more I see fans wanting to replace everyone on the coaching staff except maybe the OC Bevell. I don't think that's the way to go, but I'm also not in Allen Park so I don't know for sure if there is more to it then the product on the field or not. Assuming there are no other reasons for firing the coaching staff, then it's likely they get one more season to prove they deserve the job. The only way that happens is if Quinn remains in charge, so that would mean one more Quinn draft as well. If next year isn't a good year for the Lions it would likely mean a complete sweep of the front office and coaching staff, assuming it doesn't happen before then. For now, the Lions remain the 5th worst team in the NFL and would be drafting 5th overall if the season ended today.

Week 14, 2019 Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

Improving their draft spot.

The 3-9-1 Detroit Lions lose easily to the 9-4 Minnesota Vikings 7-20 and for the very first time in 2019 did not have the lead even once in the game (they had a lead in all 12 previous games at least once). It was debatable going into the 4th quarter if the Lions would even break 100 total yards on offense. At least the Lions are improving their draft spot.

David Blough, the undrafted rookie QB for the Lions, went 24 of 40 (60%) for 205 yards 1 TD and 2 INTs. Bo Scarbrough went for 65 yards on 19 carries with the backup RBs getting 5 more yards on 3 carries. It was a pretty anemic offensive day for the Lions. But at least they are improving their draft spot.

The Lions defense allowed Kirk Cousins to go 24 of 30 (80%) for 240 yards 1 TD and 0 INTs. The Lions defense also allowed 120 yards rushing and a touchdown by Cook. Allowing any QB to complete 80% of their passes should be unacceptable as well as unlikely, but at least the Lions are improving their draft spot.

Next week the Lions host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are 6-7 right now, I won't be placing any bets on the Lions for that game either. At present the Lions would be drafting in the 5th position, a one spot improvement from last weeks 6 spot. I think they can do better then that yet, we just need to wait for the results of each games to find out.

Week 13, 2019 Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears @ Home

Adjustments.

The 3-8-1 Detroit Lions lost once again to the 6-6 Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving day by a score of 20-24. For the 12th time out of 12 times this year the Lions had the lead at one point in the game (in this case, the entire first half). For the 8th time this year the Lions blew the lead and then lost the game. I hadn't kept track how many times the lead change happened after half time like it did in this game, but to me that means the opposing team is making half time adjustments and the Lions can't counter.

The Lions were forced to play their 3rd string QB, David Blough, due to injury. Blough went 22 of 38 (57.89%) for 280 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT (last play by the offense as they were driving for the winning TD). Bo Scarbrough rushed for 83 yards on 21 carries, whole the rest of the RBs (and 1 yard by the QB) went another 22 more yards for a total team rushing stat of 105 yards. Why it wasn't half again more then that I don't know, but normally you would if you don't outsmart yourself, which seems to be a common theme these days.

The Lions defense allowed Mitchell Trubisky to go 29 of 38 (76.32%) for 338 yards and 3 TDs and 1 INT (only the 4th one this year by the Lions). The Lions defense also allowed the Bears to rush for 88 yards. The defense also only managed 1 sack by Flowers this game, I'm sure they make adjustments during the game but I'm not seeing results, of any kind really. To have the lead in every single game of the season only to lose 8 times (and tie once) is a testament to how poor the defense is playing.

I did some research on the job that Quinn has done, finding that there are no undrafted free agents that the Lions had choose on the 2019 roster from any year other then 2019. I also found that every single player on the roster was either found and signed by Quinn or was originally signed by Mayhew and has had a contract extension by Quinn since he started as GM 4 years ago. I didn't count how many other free agents that Quinn had signed over the past 4 years and are no longer on the team, but needless to say, it's a lot. So the entire roster is all Quinn. Now a large number of the players are young, and they may be able to turn things around with experience, or it's possible the coaching staff is incapable of coaching the players up. It's possible they aren't being used correctly, it's also possible that they are. I can't know, since no one is really saying much about it, yet. Still, most GMs get 5 years to prove themselves and most coaches get 3 years, both of which amounts to the end of next season (the 2020 season). So while it's possible that this will be the last year of this regime, it's probably slightly more likely that they will have next year to prove they are capable of doing the job despite it being 3-8-1 right now.

The Lions play the (currently) 8-3 Minnesota Vikings away in 10 days, I don't anticipate it going the Lions way simply because the team has not proven that they can get a lead and maintain it to the end of the game. I also don't anticipate the coaching staff to make enough adjustments to how they do things despite the few extra days they will have to prepare for it. Depending on how the other teams do today and Sunday (and Monday) we may be finding out the Lions will be looking at drafting in the top 5 in 2020 (they are at 7 right now I do believe). If Quinn does remain the GM and if the coaching staff remains at least partially intact (got to get rid of a scapegoat somewhere, probably the DC)... I pray they select a great player in the first round, a difference maker, one that can make plays to turn an entire game around all by themselves. That probably means someone on D and probably someone on the DL at that, though I can't rule out DB or LB. They need someone who is disruptive on defense, and they must get it right along with the rest of the draft and even the undrafted players after the draft. Someone they can use to make adjustments in game, every week, in order to secure wins. I hate talking draft in November, but that's where we are, so let's make it the last time we have to do so for many years.

Week 12, 2019 Detroit Lions @ Washington Redskins

Too many mistakes, still.

The 3-7-1 Detroit Lions lost to the 2-9 Washington Redskins 16-19. There was just too many mistakes, still.

Jeff Driskel was 20 of 33 (60.6%) for 207 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs. Bo Scarbrough had 98 yards on 18 carries and 1 fumble that was lost to the Redskins. Kicker Prater missed his first field goal attempt, but made the other three. Since it ended up being a 3 point game some will blame Prater even though it happened in the first quarter.

The Detroit Defense allowed Dwayne Haskins to only go 13 of 29 (44.83%) for 156 yards 0 TDs and 1 INT. They also allowed them to get a mere 86 yards rushing with no TDs. Special teams had a kick off return for a TD though. The rest were field goals, all made.

Considering how little the Redskins actually produced in total, the only thing to blame, once again, is the Lions themselves. They've played in 11 games so far and had the lead at least once in all 11 games. Yet they can not pad the lead nor stop the opponents when needed. It's pretty much the same thing every week, like a broken record. I do not know the exact reason why the Lions team is broken, but I suspect that fixing it will require some coaching changes. Maybe. Maybe it's truly a health issue. Maybe the depth just can't play mistake free football. Either way, the front office and the coaching staff has to accept the blame for the record, such as it is.

Next week the Lions play at home against the Chicago Bears. While the Lions should win that game, they probably will make too many mistakes in order to win. Why should they suddenly play mistake free in week 13 when they haven't for the 11 games prior.

Week 11, 2019 Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys @ Home

Next Year.

The 3-6-1 Detroit Lions lost to the 6-4 Dallas Cowboys 27 to 35 effectively taking the Lions out of playoff contention this season for all intents and purposes even if not yet mathematically (one more loss will do that).

Jeff Driskel was 15 of 26 (57.692%) for 209 yards 2 TDs and no INTs. The runners managed to rush for 121 yards and 2 TDs, including the newest RB, Bo Scarbrough, a player I had been hoping the Lions would've drafted the year Dallas drafted him in the 7th round.

The Lions defense however allowed Dak Prescott to go 29 of 46 (63.04%) for 444 yards and 3 TDs with no INTs. The Lions defense also allowed 75 yards rushing and another TD for Elliott.

There is still no word on when (or even if) Matthew Stafford will be back to work, but then again, unless he can play defense as well as QB then there is really no reason to rush him back on the field.

What I don't really understand though, is the Lions defense last year (the 2nd half of the year) and this year are so completely different, and yet most of the players are the same. Coleman instead of Lawson, Flowers instead of Ansah, plus a few others added through the draft and free agency, all of which should (on paper) have been upgrades, and yet the D is worse then last year. Last year though there was a lot (as in A LOT) more blitzing where as this year it happens seldom (though often effective when used). I don't know the exact usage difference but I seem to recall that Davis did a lot of blitzing be they delayed or designed, and this year it seems to rarely happen.

I doubt the front office is in danger of losing their jobs, and thus the coaching staff is probably safe for one more year, but I have to believe they must start showing improvement before too much longer or we'll be rebuilding from the ground up once again, and four times in two decades is not something I'm looking forward to.

At the present time, with 6 games to go for most teams, the Lions are looking at picking 10th overall in the first round. The Lions also have just under $20 million in salary cap space available that if unused this year will roll over into next year. There is just no reason for the team not to do what needs doing and begin to have success. Maybe too late this year, but unless something major occurs I don't see why there should be any reason for next year not to be highly successful.

Egads, I just said something similar to "just wait until next year"... how the Lions make me do that so often is another fact I wish didn't happen. Half way through November and we're once again looking at the off season moves and draft. Shame really.