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Couple of random thoughts about the Detroit game.
I note that some ascribe our defensive improvement to playing lesser or colder offenses of late (SF, LA, Denver, Seattle). Fair enough.
Detroit has the league's worst pass defense (at least by my favorite metric, opponents' passer rating, they're 32nd). Here are the QBs they've faced: Bradford (2x), Luck, Rodgers, Osweiler, Mariota, Hoyer, Wentz, Hoyer, Keenum, Cousins, Bortles. Now, a couple of those guys are having decent years, but....no Brady, Brees, Ryan, Prescott, Wilson, Eli, Rivers, Carr....you get the picture.
Detroit has yet to beat a team with seven wins. In fact, Detroit has yet to play a team with seven wins. They're opponents (so far) are a combined 52-69-1. And they've trailed in the fourth quarter of every game, so they've pretty much played to the level of their competition so far, so kudos to them for pulling out so many wins, but there's a lot of home magic, they're 2-3 on the road. Meanwhile, we've played more than half our games against teams with seven wins (Oak, KC, Den, Atl, Sea, NYG) and are 1-5 but with three heartbreaking losses, some when our D was at far less than full strength. Basically, the Lions are playing a schedule with on killer games, and we're running through a meat grinder. Even the below .500 teams we played included SD (now 5-6) and Carolina 2x (4-7 but defending NFC champs). The only gimme was SF.
As far as scoring, you hear a lot about Stafford as a dark horse MVP, but they've broken 30 points only twice in 11 games (season opener at the hapless Colts, at home vs. the Rams), and in the last five games broke 20 points in regulation only once (at home against the Jags; they scored 22 at Minnesota when Prater hit a 58-yarder at the buzzer to send the game to OT, when they won with a TD).
So they have to come face the league's best offense, on our home turf, where we've put up a 40-burger in three of the last five home games and hung 375 yards on Seattle and Denver in splitting those two, and should have won both.
I have some slight concerns of a post-Gregg letdown, and the karma gods may not look kindly on that WR pass.
But when you step back a little and look at "2016 Lions in November on the road" versus "2016 Saints in November at home"....I like our chances.
WHO DAT!
I note that some ascribe our defensive improvement to playing lesser or colder offenses of late (SF, LA, Denver, Seattle). Fair enough.
Detroit has the league's worst pass defense (at least by my favorite metric, opponents' passer rating, they're 32nd). Here are the QBs they've faced: Bradford (2x), Luck, Rodgers, Osweiler, Mariota, Hoyer, Wentz, Hoyer, Keenum, Cousins, Bortles. Now, a couple of those guys are having decent years, but....no Brady, Brees, Ryan, Prescott, Wilson, Eli, Rivers, Carr....you get the picture.
Detroit has yet to beat a team with seven wins. In fact, Detroit has yet to play a team with seven wins. They're opponents (so far) are a combined 52-69-1. And they've trailed in the fourth quarter of every game, so they've pretty much played to the level of their competition so far, so kudos to them for pulling out so many wins, but there's a lot of home magic, they're 2-3 on the road. Meanwhile, we've played more than half our games against teams with seven wins (Oak, KC, Den, Atl, Sea, NYG) and are 1-5 but with three heartbreaking losses, some when our D was at far less than full strength. Basically, the Lions are playing a schedule with on killer games, and we're running through a meat grinder. Even the below .500 teams we played included SD (now 5-6) and Carolina 2x (4-7 but defending NFC champs). The only gimme was SF.
As far as scoring, you hear a lot about Stafford as a dark horse MVP, but they've broken 30 points only twice in 11 games (season opener at the hapless Colts, at home vs. the Rams), and in the last five games broke 20 points in regulation only once (at home against the Jags; they scored 22 at Minnesota when Prater hit a 58-yarder at the buzzer to send the game to OT, when they won with a TD).
So they have to come face the league's best offense, on our home turf, where we've put up a 40-burger in three of the last five home games and hung 375 yards on Seattle and Denver in splitting those two, and should have won both.
I have some slight concerns of a post-Gregg letdown, and the karma gods may not look kindly on that WR pass.
But when you step back a little and look at "2016 Lions in November on the road" versus "2016 Saints in November at home"....I like our chances.
WHO DAT!