Is the Lion's back 7 really that bad?

I keep hearing about how bad our defensive back 7 is. I keep hearing how desperate we were in the draft to grab a corner or 6 and about 11 linebackers as we are in such dire need. So, seeing as i'm a little fuzzy on this, I wanted to check it out.




Firstly, the Lions finished 16th in pass defense and 24th in run defense. Not great, but considering they were last for the previous 2 years it is a step back to respectability. They had 14 interceptions (19th overall) and 21 forced fumbles (6th overall) That doesn't sound so bad does it?


Even though the Lions were near the top of the league at sacks and tackles for loss, a very small number of these came from the linebackers and defensive backs. A lot of the credit for the Lions having a 16th ranked pass defense is given to the defensive line harassing the QB. But didn't we just improve our D-Line to best in the league by adding Nick Fairley? So why the worry? Let's break it down further...


Case 1: Chris Houston

It kind of goes without saying that the Lions need to keep Chris Houston. A high 2nd round pick in 2007, we got him on the cheap for a 6th and 7th round trade with the Falcons who had just broke the bank to get Dunta Robinson. As a restricted free agent as things stand we will get to keep him, hopefully we can sign him long term. He only had 1 interception, but actually had 3 more wiped off the board due to penalties. Even so his lack of picks gets him criticism. He is very fast and keeps with his man well. You rarely see him beaten. Even if he is not a stud number 1 corner, he is steady and a better than most number 2. Schwartz likes his safeties to make the playmaking while his corners play the run and tackle well. Houston fits the bill for a Schwartz and Gun corner and is a great player for the Lions.


CASE 2: Alphonso Smith

Martin Mayhew should be investigated for unethical trading by the IRS for how he ripped off Denver (and Dallas, and Seattle, and just about everybody!) in trades. He plundered them for Tony Scheffler and Alphonso Smith for next to nothing (and Denver went into this draft needing to get a Tight End and Corner urgently!)
When I think Alphonso Smith I recall happy memories of this insane pick of Aaron Rodgers, and the Carlton dance in the endzone against the Rams. He made 2 turnovers in that game and had 5 interceptions before going on IR. Considering he joined the Lions after training camp it is amazing to think of what he can do for Detroit going forward. The Broncos used a 1st round pick to get him and we gained him by giving up a 7th round tight end.
Unfortunately, I also remember him being torched by Tom Brady on thanksgiving and benched in the 2nd half. He grew a little too big for his boots it seems. With solid training and work with the coaches I think he can be at least a number 2, or a standout nickleback. He has really impressive athleticism.


CASE 3: Aaron Berry

No-one should forget about Aaron Berry. The guy who beat out Dre Bly and others to get a roster spot after being a highly sought after undrafted free agent. He started game 1 against Chicago and got an interception. He later left with an injury that required him going on IR and missing the rest of the season. His injury meant the Lions picked up Nathan Vasher who was very impressive as a starter on the Lions 4 game win streak.
Berry is packed with potential and despite only getting one game last year before injury, the coaching staff believe in him. He possesses all that is needed to be a starting corner in this league.

THE SAFETIES

Last year we were living off CC Brown, Ko Simpson, Marvin White or Marquand Manuel playing safety opposite Louis Delmas. Man life has gotten better! I am really pulling for Amari Spievey to improve and become a quality safety for years but this lockout will have stolen the opportunity to have a full offseason honing his skills. Randy Phillips had a few moments last year but really this has to be Eric Coleman's job to lose. The veteran knows his craft and looks like another shrewd pickup by Mayhew. He is much better than what we were facing last year but is missing the opportunity to grow with his new teammates. But here we have 2 quality starters with young promising prospects behind them, great!

THE LINEBACKERS

I can only put up a picture of DeAndre Levy as he is the only player we know for sure will be starting. And this is a place we know will be addressed at some point. However, Schwartz and Mayhew have both stated this offseason that both Palmer and Carpenter can start, or at least compete for one spot. Doug Hogue definately looks like he can be a starter...in 2 years. But again this is better than what we faced last year and with how strong (and now upgraded) the defensive line is, this corps is going to get plenty of opportunity to make plays in the backfield and we will see interceptions and fumble recoveries aplenty.

Here are my breakout players for 2011 on defense:

Breakout D-Lineman: Cliff Avril.
If he plays a full season he passes the 10 sack mark and makes his first pro bowl.

Breakout Linebacker: DeAndre Levy
Easy call here but if he plays a full season healthy he is a pro bowl player.

Breakout Corner: Alphonso Smith/Aaron Berry
If we have a legitimate number 1/2 corner to go with Chris Houston then Alphonso Smith will destroy QBs from the nickel spot and get 7-8 interceptions. Otherwise I think Aaron Berry will be the breakout corner this season.

Breakout Safety: Amari Spievey
I love the future of this guy. With the opportunity to develop in a full season under Delmas and Coleman and getting a share of playing time he can grow into the tackle/interception machine we want him to be. He may never get an opportunity as good as this.

So what is the prospect for the back seven this year? I think it is not as bad as people are saying. Comments to add? Please state below...

Wolves perfect, but not, in season opening kitted tournament

Wolves robbed in season opener by infamous referree decision

Considering they only won 2 games in last years British South Division the Wolves blew everyone away last weekend. After winning the opening 2 games without even conceding a point, the Wolves had the final match won only to have the winning play whistled dead by the official...for holding. On the next play, the final play, the London Warriors won the game and the Wolves were robbed of the perfect start. Despite the setback they sit 2nd after opening weekend and everyone knows the Marlow Wolves are for real.

GAME 1: WOLVES 6 LONDON BLITZ 0

The Wolves turned the Blitz over 3 times and never looked like conceding. Despite star running back George Roberts still missing due to a broken wrist, Phil Hellmuth was on fire, finishing the game with a rushing touchdown following an interception. Danny Aldridge forced and recovered a fumble and Alex Filipov had an interception in his first ever game. The scoreline was close but the Wolves controlled the match from start to finish. A welcome opening win!

GAME 2: WOLVES 15 KENT EXILES 0

The Exiles entered the game on a high after beating the London Warriors (the Warriors first divisional loss for over 2 years) but Marlow made short work of the game leading 15-0 at half time and then coasting the game out, taking the opportunity to give rookies playing time.
Phil Hellmuth ran in a touchdown either side of a fumble recovery from Danny Aldridge. The Wolves controlled the game the second half and spread out the reps to keep people fresh for the showdown ahead with the UK Champion Warriors.

GAME 3: WOLVES 21 LONDON WARRIORS 24

Rookie Nose Tackle James Honke got his first safety as a Wolf in this game which turned into a wild shootout with 3 lead changes in the final 2 minutes after a relatively quiet first half with the Wolves leading 7-6. Oli Tiliouine threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Phil Hellmuth.

The Wolves had the lead going into the final 2 minutes, then lost it, then regained it. Leading 21-18 after another Phil Hellmuth run and less than a minute to go, the Warriors drove downfield to the Wolves 20. Then the Wolves intercepted a pass (Phil Hellmuth again the hero!) and started returning it for a touchdown when the referree blew his whistle, for a holding penalty! The referree apologised for his error and after lengthy discussion as the play had been blown dead the down was replayed, with just 3 seconds left on the clock. The hail mary pass was tipped by a Wolves defensive back and caught by a Warrior for the game winning touchdown and time expired.

Needless to say the Wolves were devastated. They had rightly won the game, losing it to an officials error. But it will leave them stronger and if they play asthey did then they will succeed this year.

MVPs:
Offense: Phil Hellmuth, Danny Aldridge, Oli Tiliouine.
Defense: James Honke, Henry Wallace, Alex Filipov.

Detroit Lions 2011 Draft: Initial thoughts

This draft seems to have really split the opinions of Lions fans, whilst winning universal praise from everyone else. It is tainted severely by the fact that there has been no free agency period yet, meaning we have no idea if the needs and holes in the roster (most notably at corner and linebacker) will be addressed before the season kicks off. Mayhew is not a fool; those needs will be filled. So nobody needs to panic. And our draft is nowhere near as dubious as the Bears or Vikings drafts! The Packers sadly had an awesome draft (poo...)

Purely from a TALENT standpoint, this draft can only get an 'A' grade initially.

The picks the Lions have made are scheme perfect, talent and potential filled non-reaches. Three things you couldn't say about many Millen era picks. In a lockout dominated off-season these top 3 picks of Fairley, Young and Leshoure are 3 guys who won't need as much prep to contribute as others may have. We filled 2 large needs in a speedy deep threat receiver and a second power versatile back and in doing so have blown our offense wide open. Beautiful!

In Nick Fairley I think we immediately gained the best defensive line in the NFL. I remember Michael Irvin shouting "How they gonna run against that?!" over and over when the pick was made. Regardless of what people say about who else should have been taken, this was 100% the best pick, a no brainer, the Lions win!

I love the final 2 picks. Doug Houge will contribute well on special teams year 1 but has every potential to be a starter in the following years. He has everything you'd want and so much room to grow. As for Johnny Culbreath he is extremely underrated. The fact he can play guard as well gives him a great shot at playing too. I really believe that with Jason Fox and Culbreath growing behind the scenes we may be set at tackle for the next few years. The Lions don't waste picks (except Derek Williams)

Bring on 2011! I think we just won the NFC North. Fear no-one, Lions look fantastic!

Cutler, Rodgers and Ponder have 6 months to live...

You can't double team EVERYONE can you? The Lions stayed true to taking the best player available, didn't reach for players that eventually slid and now they may not even need a back 7!

Suh, VanDen Bosch, Avril, Williams, Hill, Lo-Jack, McBride...and now Nick Fairley!

NFL...meet the new Steel Curtain

Draft night - here we go!

Anything can happen. ANYTHING. It is the magic of draft, and with Mayhew running the ship we can be confident we will emerge strong and with top talent for 2011 and beyond. On primetime we know we are ideally placed at 13 to move around the 1st round up or down as talent slips down, teams reach for QBs and paranoia sets in. If we stay put, we can grab top talent anyway...anything can happen!

Martin Mayhew has said it is a safe bet that the Lions will move around. Tom Kowalski reckons we will emerge with 4 starters for week 1. I will be at home with friends, food and plenty of excitement. Bring it on! Hope you have a fun few days. Here's to Detroit finding the pieces to win the NFC North next year.

Bears in for a shock

I wrote a piece last month questioning whether or not the Bears can be viewed as contenders and how much the Lions should fear them. See

http://thebritishlion.blogspot.com/2011/03/schedule-preview-should-lions-fear.html

Now I know we are in a lockout, the draft is 3 days away, we haven't had free agency yet, and players cannot train with their coaching staffs yet, but it isn't keeping Bears fans out of of cloud cuckoo land. I read this yesterday by a Bears writer on Bleacher Report:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/674847-chicago-bears-insider-a-deeper-look-at-the-bears-2011-regular-season-schedule-w

Apparently the Bears are guaranteed to hit a home run in the draft despite picking 29th and having a less than impressive track record under Jerry Angelo. They are also guaranteed to land a top WR, DT and OLineman in free agency, then have a 13-3 season despite facing Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay in weeks 1-3. They could very well go 0-3 to start the season!

Still no respect, least of all for Detroit. Dream on Chi town!

Lions win in all scenarios

There are 4 short days to go and everyone is finishing off their preparations. The sports media world is busy adjusting their own draft boards and submitting their final mocks for our musing. Many of us have been through the mill of emotions attatching ourselves to various picks as 'the guy' to make Lions playoff calibre finally. Now it seems to me that the Lions can go in numerous directions with the 13th pick (including trading it) and hit on a solid contributor. Let us survey:
1. Scenario 1 - Aldon Smith, DE
It looks like Aldom Smith from Mizz is the new cool pic to Detroit. It also looks like all of a sudden Detroit could do with as many Defensive Ends as possible or we won't have a great line anymore. I personally don't think Smith slips past the Texans at 11. However, the possibility of that has raised talk of the Lions TRADING UP (with what ammo??) to ensure they get his services. Now I am not saying that getting Smith wouldn't be awesome. But I do think trading up would be silly. We need the picks and if anything, trading down is the smart move. Besides if Smith goes at 11, it probably means that Bowers or Quinn are still around at 13 which in my book is just as good. Even trading down could mean we have a shot at Ryan Kerrigan. All good. WIN
2. Scenario 2 - Tyron Smith, OT
Several mocks have us taking Tyron Smith or Anthony Castonzo to sure up the offensive line. Again most mocks seem to think we have dire need at OT and need to sure up our swiss cheese, sack alley of an o-line. Utter rubbish, but either of these guys are a big plus and sure upgrade for now and the future. Interior linemen are a bigger need but this pick is a WIN
3. Scenario 3 - Prince Amukamara, CB
My favourite pick and the biggest need on the Lions team right now. The Lions secondary is not as bad as advertised and is full of potential, but we live in the NFC North and if you want to make the playoffs, and make noise there, then you need that number 1 guy who can take the best receiver out of the game. The Prince can be that guy and if he falls to 13 we have to pull the trigger surely. Yes talented young corners can be found from rounds 3-5, but we already have guys like that. Grab the Prince, WIN
4. Scenario 4 - DeQuan Bowers, DE
He may never fully recover from his knee injury. His private workout showed his limitations due to the injury. He may only last 3 years in the league. Most of his sacks at college came from a clear run at the QB. But he led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. One thing is for sure, Mayhew will not take a risk if there is bust potential. He is too smart and will consider all his options. So if he drafts Bowers it is because all necessary questions were answered. WIN
5. Scenario 5 - Trade down further into round 1 and take Jimmy Smith or Akeem Ayers.
If the Lions trade down for more picks in rounds 2-4 that is very good news. There will be suitors at 13 for the best OTs, Julio Jones and any DEs that slide. The Lions will get good trade offers and if they can drop to the 19-32 range and build up a good number of picks it will most likely allow them a good, non-reach opportunity to grab Akeem Ayers or Jimmy Smith (if he is worth the risk). This is a win as long as good trade value is gained. I say go for it if we can collect more picks. WIN

The Lions Schedule: First forecast

The schedule is set and we are all anxiously awaiting 2011 football and September 8th. It is usually totally pointless to be making predictions now, the draft is a week away. If we have a season we will have some semblence of free agency too. You cannot account for injuries, the surprises and who will flop or rise out of nowhere. We do not know how the new coaches will fair, especially given how little time they will get with their players. All that being said, the general consensus is that the Lions are a sleeper playoff team and may get their first winning season this tear, so here is my take on how that may play out:
Week 1 @Tampa Bay - WIN
The Lions allowed Tampa a lot of rushing yards but with the offseason focus on stuffing the run this will not happen twice. Stanton was also able to pile up big yards so imagine what a healthy Matt Stafford could do? The Lions won't need overtime this time around.

Week 2 v Kansas City - WIN
The Lions open at home with a big win against KC who overacheived last year.

Week 3 @Minnesota - WIN
Whether it is McNabb or  rookie under centre I see Detroit winning this one as the Vikings have more holes to fill this offseason than can be filled in one go.

Week 4 @Dallas - LOSS
As much as I hate to say it, and as much as Detroit let this one get away in the 4th quarter last year, a healthy, stable Cowboys may be too much to handle on the road.

Week 5 v Chicago - WIN
The Lions will take care of business on MNF. BIG win here.

Week 6 v San Francisco - WIN
I do think the 49ers will be much improved this year, but I still see the Lions being the most improved in the NFL in 2011 with Stafford there. CJ rules and the Lions scrape a win at home.

Week 7 v Atlanta - LOSS
The Lions suffer a disappointing home loss to Matt Ryan and the Falcons

Week 8 @Denver - WIN
Denver has a long road back and I don't think they have enough to beat Detroit this year.
The Lions go into their bye 6-2.

Week 10 @Chicago - LOSS
This would suck but I think Detroit splits with Chicago in the wind and cold.

Week 11 v Carolina - WIN
The Lions run free against Carolina

Week 12 v Green Bay - LOSS
I think the Lions can handle Green Bay but it will be a sad thanksgiving I think. Tough, close defeat.

Week 13 @New Orleans - LOSS
Back to back defeats as Drew Brees and the noisy superdome play strong.

Week 14 v Minnesota - WIN
Back to winning ways against the Vikings

Week 15 @Oakland - WIN
Stuff the run and win big against Oakland. That is exactly what will happen.

Week 16 v San Diego - LOSS
No Christmas gift against the immense Chargers offense

Week 17 @Green Bay - LOSS
With playoffs on the line for both teams I think the freezing tundra of Winsconsin sends the Lions to 9-7 and a possible wildcard berth.

I think the Lions have potential here for a 10-11 win season. I don't think there's any way they win less than 7 games except for if they lose Calvin or Stafford to long injury. What do you think?

After 10 years...

 THE LIONS ARE BACK ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!!!

Respectability and the prospect of a good game has returned to Ford Field. In fact, it is the first time (apart from Vikings-Giants last year) that Ford Field will be on MNF.

The mojo continues to change :)

Restore the roar...

Marlow Wolves Flag Tournament 1 - Cadet report

A Wolves Cadet team with high expectations going into the season went to Solihull on April 16th to open the season. The team was missing QB Ben Truchard, WR Josh Osborne and Safety Joe Miller. Rookie Connor Crowe was starting at QB and the extravagant Jordan Barras is the only player on the 2011 squad who started the Britbowl against Studley last September.

GAME 1 - COVENTRY JETS - WON 20-0

Jets began on offense and a deep pass was intercepted by Jordan Barras playing safety. After 2 great runs by rookie running back Marty Filipov Jordan Barras took the ball 14 yards for a TD. The 2 point conversion was ran in by Barras for an 8-0 lead. The Wolves then intercepted the football and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. The xp was no good but the Wolves led 14-0 with little time left.

The Wolves got the ball back again and drove to the 4 yard line, then on 4th and goal Crowe connected with rookie receiver Josh Hall for a magnificent grab in the corner of the endzone. Connor's first touchdown pass and Hall's first touchdown catch. The game finished 20-0 and the Wolves were 1-0 to start the season.

PLAY OF THE GAME - Josh Hall was fully extended and kept his foot in bounds to bring in an amazing TD.

PLAYER OF NOTE - Marty Filipov was fantastic at running back for his rookie game.

GAME 2 - STUDLEY BEARCATS - WON 13-0

The Bearcats and Wolves were featuring almost entirely new teams to those who started the Britbowl. As they were down to too few healthy players to play so forfeited the result, taking the Wolves to 2-0. They partnered with Coventry to play a friendly which the Wolves won 13-0 after 2 Jordan Barras TDs and an extra point.

PLAY OF THE GAME - Jordan Barras' TD run went for 40 yards when he cut back across the field and outran the safety to the corner of the endzone.

GAME 3 - CHORLEY BUCANEERS - LOST 14-6

The Wolves saved their worst for last and played well below par against a good Chorley team that finished the day 3-0 and tournament champions. The Wolves played their part in the deteat with poor execution, bad line ups, missed exchanges, a TD called back for a penalty and Jordan Barras ejected from the game and suspended for the next tournaent. The Bucs running back was on fire, scoring on a beautiful rushing TD. They also scored on a reverse and gained a 2 point conversion off a play action pass. The Wolves tackling was poor and they were outplayed in every department. However they will only improve looked great in their first outing of the season, finishing 2nd and getting off to a promising 2-1 start.