Tag: in the news
Lions can bolster playoff chances with win at Black Hole
Oakland, Calif. — The last time the Lions walked off the field at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, patrons showered them with shot glasses and batteries.
"That was fun," Lions center Dominic Raiola said, chuckling. "Those are crazy fans. It gets you excited to play football."
Neither team will need any environmental aids Sunday. The stakes are clear. The Lions (8-5) need to win to maintain control of their playoff aspirations. The Raiders (7-6) need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, too.
"There's no room for error, especially with all the other teams that are in the pack," Raiola said of the playoffs chase. "Nobody is really out of it yet, so all we can do is keep on winning."
The Lions hold the second and last wildcard spot in the NFC. Chicago (7-6), Dallas (7-6), Seattle (6-7) and Arizona (6-7) remain in the hunt.
"One at a time," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "As cliché as that sounds, that's the way it has to be for us. We can't look too far ahead. You see it on TV (playoff talk) and you hear it on the radio. Everybody knows what's in front of us, but we have to go out there and execute it.
"This team has a great attitude right now. We understand what we have to do."
Raiola wouldn't mind another postgame "shower" from the fans at the Black Hole, because that would mean they won. The Lions' last game in Oakland was a 36-21 season-opening win in 2007. It's the only win the Lions have had on the West Coast in eight games the past 10 years.
"You hear the stories," receiver Calvin Johnson said. "But, hey, I played (at Oakland) my first pro game and we won. We like playing on the road. We like going places and trying to shut up other teams' fans."
Coach Jim Schwartz said the venue — as crazy as the Black Hole can be — will be the least of the Lions' concerns.
"We've had success on the road (4-2) and there's not any difference from one place to another," he said. "There's a certain mentality that goes to playing on the road and you have to prepare for the crowd noise, but it's not our first road trip — whether the fans are dressed as gladiators or anything else won't affect us very much."
What may impact the Lions, though, are injuries, particularly to a defense that has given up an average of 30 points the last four games.
They will play the Raiders without starting safety Louis Delmas, who did not travel with the team. He will miss his third straight game with a Grade 2 MCL tear.
Also out will be cornerback Aaron Berry (shoulder) and defensive end Lawrence Jackson (thigh).
Defensive end Willie Young (ankle), defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), outside linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring) and cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring) will be game-time decisions.
The defense will get a huge lift, though, from the return of two key starters — defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (suspension) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee).
"Yeah, we got a lot more weapons (this week)," defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said. "We are still banged up here or there, but every team is this time of the year. I think the biggest thing for our football team on defense is learning the attitude you got to have going into the final couple weeks; knowing how important each game is.
"We talked about four games to go; well now it is three games to go. They are all into it and focused, but they have been all year. It is just magnified now."
The offense is expected to get back running back Kevin Smith (ankle), who practiced this week, albeit in a limited capacity. The question will be, how long will he last?
"I made it two quarters last time; hopefully I can go four," he said.
This would be a good week for Johnson, the Lions' quiet Pro Bowl receiver, to have a loud game. Defenses the last few weeks have gone to extreme measures to take him out of the mix, especially in the red zone. After scoring 11 touchdowns in the first eight games, he has one in the last five.
"He's not a decoy at all, but if he's taken away, then you have to go other places," Schwartz said. "We never go in planning on using him as a decoy, but you also need to make smart decisions.
"We didn't have any turnovers (against the Vikings), didn't have any turnovers against New Orleans — two teams that were really trying their very best to take him out. If you press it too much, then you end up getting turnovers. Our game plan every week is to try to get him the ball, but we have to make smart decisions — smart decisions trump getting him the ball sometimes."
To get Johnson the ball downfield, the offensive line is going to have to give Stafford a few extra seconds. There were several plays against the Vikings where Johnson got open but Stafford didn't have time to wait for the route to develop.
"It's all about being a great offense," Stafford said. "He's a great player and when we have one-on-one shots, we're going to take them. But teams aren't giving us those very often. We had some plays called last week to get him the ball downfield but for one reason or another it didn't work out.
"But the great thing about Calvin is, he only wants to do one thing and that's win games. That's what you love about the guy."
Said Johnson, "Man, as long as we're winning, that's going to keep everybody happy. That's what everybody wants."
So the Lions continue their own version of March Madness; it's survive and advance time. If they win out, they end their 11-year playoff drought.
"We are excited about the possibilities," defensive end Cliff Avril said. "But we are even more excited to be playing games that matter in December. We need to keep winning to have a chance to make something special happen. I think we are up for the task."
Lions at Raiders
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV/radio: Fox/97.1
Records: Detroit 8-5, Oakland 7-6
Series: Oakland leads 6-4 (Detroit 36-21, Sept. 9, 2007)
Line: Lions by 1
Author SA SportswriterPosted on December 18, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags Calvin Johnson, chicago 7, chris houston, coach jim, county coliseum, crazy fans, Detroit Lions, dominic raiola, Eric Wright, great attitude, in the news, Jim Schwartz, Kevin Smith, news, Nick Fairley, playoff chances, shot glasses, West CoastLeave a comment on Lions can bolster playoff chances with win at Black Hole
Chris Houston, Kevin Smith, Nick Fairley back in action for Lions
Allen Park — Slowly but surely, the wounded are walking back on to the playing field for the Lions.
Back at practice Wednesday were cornerback Chris Houston, who missed two games with a knee injury; running back Kevin Smith, who has been battling an ankle sprain; and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who missed last Sunday with a foot injury.
Houston and Fairley went through the individual drills, but it is unknown whether they were full participants the rest of the way. Smith, who appeared to be moving well, worked on the side with a trainer during position drills.
Still not on the practice field were safety Louis Delmas, out the last two weeks with a knee injury; defensive end Lawrence Jackson, out the last four weeks with a thigh injury; outside linebacker Justin Durant, who has a hamstring injury; cornerback Eric Wright, who injured a hamstring Sunday; and cornerback Aaron Berry, who injured his shoulder last Sunday.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz reiterated Monday that none of those players were facing season-ending injuries.
"They're all going to get back, it's just a question of when," he said. "It's still too early to tell for this week."
Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch took his normal Wednesday rest day.
Author SA SportswriterPosted on December 14, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags ankle sprain, chris houston, coach jim, Detroit Lions, Eric Wright, foot injury, in the news, injury, Jim Schwartz, knee injury, Kyle Vanden Bosch, linebacker justin, lions coach, news, season-ending injuries, thigh injuryLeave a comment on Chris Houston, Kevin Smith, Nick Fairley back in action for Lions
Matthew Stafford proves he can stay healthy, is on pace for Lions' records
Vikings at Lions | 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
Allen Park— Start with a subplot.
Who had Matthew Stafford getting to Game 13 without missing a start? Outside of the coaching staff and Stafford himself, probably not too many.
Stafford, who started just 13 games in his first two seasons combined, will make his 13th straight start against the Vikings on Sunday.
"I never had any concerns of myself," Stafford said Wednesday when asked if he felt he'd beaten the "fragile" tag. "You guys can answer that question. I am just where I expected to be — healthy and ready to go this week."
He's fought through an ankle injury and a fractured index finger on his throwing hand. He's also fought through a few erratic weeks. Through it all, he's on a pace to record the most productive season any Lions quarterback has ever had.
"We've never doubted his toughness or his durability or anything like that in here," center Dominic Raiola said. "That's never been an issue with us. We have complete faith in his ability to lead this offense and get it where we want to go."
Stafford has thrown for 3,527 yards this season. That's 811 yards shy of Scott Mitchell's 1995 team record of 4,338. He needs to average just 203 yards over the last four games to eclipse the record.
He is five touchdown passes shy of Mitchell's single-season mark of 32. He's also in range of breaking Jon Kitna's single-season completion percentage mark of 63.3. Stafford has completed 63 percent through 12 games.
"I don't think about that stuff," Stafford said. "All that matters is winning games."
Playing for something
Which brings us around to the main plot for Sunday — can the Lions shake off all the injuries, fines, suspensions and negativity they've dealt with the past couple of weeks and get back to winning games?
"I think the problem for our team, if there is one, is we don't think we are 7-5," defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said. "I think if we start thinking that way, we are going to play that way."
At the start of the week, Cunningham wrote two large numbers on the board inside the defensive meeting room — a seven and a five.
"I said it was about time we start acting like that team," Cunningham said. "You lose some and you win some in the NFL, but the final result is to get to the playoffs. People need to start focusing on that in our room.
"We're not some pushover team. We will play anybody at any time. I am not going to make excuses about injuries, but let's line up our 11 starters against theirs and see what happens. We will get that chance again down the road and I can't wait."
For this week, though, Cunningham's defense will line up without as many as six key players. All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is serving the second of his two-game suspension. His replacement, rookie Nick Fairley, isn't likely to play because of a foot injury.
Defensive end Lawrence Jackson (thigh) already has been ruled out.
In the secondary, starting cornerback Chris Houston and starting safety Louis Delmas are expected to miss their second straight games with knee injuries.
Outside linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday or Friday and he's questionable.
"Ain't nothing to it," veteran defensive tackle Corey Williams said. "We have guys who will step up if other guys can't play. Gun's right, man. We have to realize that we do have something to play for. We're not just trying to finish off these final games. We've got a reason. It's been 11 years since this team has been in the playoffs.
"We had a good week (of practice); crisp and sharp. We just need to get that winning taste back in our mouths."
Discipline wanted
The Lions started 5-0. They have gone 2-5 since. Yet, they still control their wild-card destiny. If they can win three of the last four, they stand a good chance of getting in. The question is, can they reclaim that "winning taste" they had earlier in the season. Or are they beyond reclamation.
"I don't know about reclamation," said defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch. "We still have everything in front of us — all our goals that we set out for ourselves. Essentially, our playoffs start this week. We are neck and neck with a bunch of teams, so this is a must-win if we want to keep our playoff hopes alive."
You have to wonder, though, if they are capable of staying out of their own way. The foolishness has gone on all season.
Going back to post-whistle fouls against Gosder Cherilus and Stephen Peterman in Week 1, to coach Jim Schwartz's on-field woofing with Cowboys' receiver Dez Bryant to his postgame verbal shot at Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, to his handshake dustup with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, to a tunnel scuffle before the game against Atlanta, to the team's open mocking of Denver quarterback Tim Tebow, to Suh's stomp on Thanksgiving Day, to the three post-whistle fouls last Sunday in New Orleans — it's been one thing after another.
Officials may or may not be watching with a more wary eye, but opponents will certainly be looking to push their buttons and trigger the temper.
"Officials officiate what they see," Schwartz said. "But as far as other teams pushing the issue, that's a reality in the NFL and that's something the last two weeks we haven't done a good job responding to."
Schwartz has spoken privately to the team captains and the captains have carried his message to the players. Whether the message has sunk in, the jury is still out.
"I don't know that it's a reflection of the leadership or the coaching," Vanden Bosch said. "I think the mistakes are on the individual. Guys need to understand that you can't do things because you feel you've been wronged (on the field) and go after guys. You have to understand that has an effect on what we're doing as a team.
"We are an aggressive team and we have a history of not backing down. We need to understand that's what we are — a physical, aggressive team. But we need to handle that between the whistles."
As Schwartz said repeatedly this week — it's down to a four-game season and the margin for error, for selfishness, for any on-field indiscretion is nil.
"We understand we can't continue to beat ourselves anymore," Vanden Bosch said. "We're a good team, we just need to be a little more disciplined. If we play the way we're capable of playing, and play smart, everything should work out for us."
Vikings at Lions
Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Ford Field, Detroit
Records: Minnesota 2-10, Detroit 7-5
Line: Lions by 91/2
Series: Minnesota leads 66-32-2 (Detroit 26-23, OT, Sept. 25, 2010)
Did you know? Of their four remaining games, the Lions play two teams with winning records (Raiders and Packers).
Author SA SportswriterPosted on December 11, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags Allen Park, ankle injury, Atlanta, completion percentage, Denver, Detroit, Detroit Lions, detroit news, dominic raiola, four games, in the news, jon kitna, New Orleans, news, Nick Fairley, percentage mark, productive season, scott mitchellLeave a comment on Matthew Stafford proves he can stay healthy, is on pace for Lions' records
Lions coach Jim Schwartz: Ndamukong Suh crash no issue
Eric Lacy/ The Detroit News
Lions coach Jim Schwartz says he isn't worried about the car crash defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was involved in last weekend in Portland, Ore.
Schwartz told a Detroit radio station Tuesday he believes Suh is under "too much of a microscope" because of the incident.
"We just worry about him on the field," Schwartz told 97.1 during his weekly radio appearance. "Ndamukong is a hard-working guy; he hasn't had any kind of issues with the law, including this one. Let's worry about him on the field and those things, get him back playing well."
Schwartz told the station he heard Suh wasn't injured in the crash, but said he hasn't been allowed to contact Suh because of the player's two-game suspension. Suh stomped on the right arm of Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving Day, was ejected, and then suspended by the NFL.
"He can't be in our building, that's why he's in his hometown of Portland," Schwartz said. "He can't go to meetings. We can't have contact with him. We did get word that he was uninjured, and that's about all we really know."
Suh served the first game of his suspension last weekend and is off the active roster for Sunday's home game against Minnesota. He's expected to return for the Dec. 18 game at Oakland.
Suh's image took a hit after his ejection, and remains under scrutiny because of the crash. Schwartz, however, claims the criticism of Suh's character isn't more of a problem than that of any other player.
"I'm concerned about every player we have," Schwartz said. "I think that was not something he wants on his resume, particularly after what happened on Thanksgiving. And in fairness to him, that's really the first thing he had after the whistle, something that wasn't part of the play."
Russell Spielman, Suh's marketing agent, wouldn't speculate about his client possibly losing endorsement deals with Chrysler, Subway and Nike, or if Suh plans on speaking publicly about his off-field problems before his suspension ends Dec. 12.
"When we're ready to speak, we'll speak," Spielman said
More than a fender bender
Schwartz described Suh's accident as a "fender bender," but a police report obtained by The Detroit News paints a slightly different picture.
The report includes interviews from two female passengers among the three passengers in Suh's vehicle.
The women claim Suh was driving his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle at an uncontrollable speed around 1:14 a.m. on Dec. 3 in downtown Portland before the car spun and crashed into a light pole, water fountain and tree near Dante's night club.
Police amended the original report after the passengers reported their injuries, but no citations will be issued and no one will be charged, police said.
Suh told police he tried to drive around a parked taxi on the dry, paved street before he lost control of his vehicle.
The two women, according to the report, claim otherwise.
"There was never a taxi," a passenger told police. "He was just going too fast and he could have killed someone at Dante's."
Attempts by The News to reach employees at Dante's were unsuccessful.
Police also didn't administer a sobriety test on Suh because they said he showed no signs of impairment. Police also said Suh was "very cooperative" after the crash and provided a valid driver's license and proof of insurance.
Attempts by The News to reach Suh were unsuccessful.
The report also said two female passengers were hurt in the crash and required hospitalization. The second injured person was quoted as saying, "He was driving unsafe. It was just clear to me that we were going too fast."
It also mentions one injured passenger had a "laceration to her forehead that required five stitches, a black eye, a 'busted' lip and a torn shoulder muscle."
Suh, according to police, called 9-1-1 to report the crash. A Portland TV station, KGW, obtained a recording of that call.
When asked, "Are you sure you don't need an ambulance?" the station reported Suh replied, "Yes, everyone is fine."
Yet, in the police report, a passenger said she told Suh repeatedly she was hurt and needed a doctor. She said he refused and told her she was fine.
She had her husband pick her up and take her to Oregon Health and Science University for treatment.
Messages left on the cell phone of Blaine Smith, a witness mentioned in the police report, weren't returned.
A witness named Allan, who also called 9-1-1 to report the crash, spoke Monday to KGW.
He said the driver "floored it" when a stoplight turned green at 3rd and Burnside streets. He said it looked like the driver was trying to "show off."
Allan also told KGW there were no cars in front of Suh's vehicle and he did not see a taxi.
Two of the passengers told police they wanted their names to remain confidential because they feared for their safety because Suh has "lots of friends and family" in the Portland area.
Past accidents
The accident last weekend wasn't the first such incident Suh has been involved in.
Last year, Suh was in an accident in Royal Oak (11 Mile and Campbell) with a 30-year-old Shelby Township woman.
Police said the woman was at fault because she disobeyed a traffic signal as she attempted to turn southbound on Campbell.
The woman's Honda Civic struck Suh's Land Rover as he headed east on 11 Mile.
Suh wasn't injured, and alcohol wasn't involved, but police said the woman suffered minor injuries.
According to the Associated Press report, Suh was in an accident at Nebraska.
Suh pled guilty to negligent driving and paid a $60 fine after crashing into three parked cars.
Suh, reportedly driving his mother's SUV, said he swerved to avoid a cat. He also paid $48 in court costs.
eric.lacy@detnews.com
twitter.com/EricLacy
Author SA SportswriterPosted on December 7, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags car crash defensive tackle, coach jim, Detroit Lions, detroit news, detroit radio, driver, endorsement deals, game suspension, in the news, Jim Schwartz, lions coach, ndamukong suh, news, offensive lineman, player, radio appearance, valid driverLeave a comment on Lions coach Jim Schwartz: Ndamukong Suh crash no issue
Lions' Suh crashes car in Portland; not injured
Portland, Ore.— Police in Oregon say Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh crashed his car into a tree in downtown Portland, but was not injured.
Police say Suh was not impaired and was cooperative with officers following the accident at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday. Suh lost control of the 1970 Chevrolet Coupe he was driving, which then hit a curb, light pole, drinking fountain and tree. His vehicle was towed from the scene.
Suh had two passengers in the vehicle. They were not injured.
Suh is a graduate of Portland's Grant High School. He was the NFL's 2010 defensive rookie of the year. On Tuesday, the league suspended him for two games for stomping the arm of Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Author SA SportswriterPosted on December 4, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags chevrolet coupe, defensive rookie, Detroit Lions, dietrich, drinking fountain, grant high school, in the news, National Football League, ndamukong suh, news, Portland, portland ore, Portland's Grant High School, rookie of the year, suh, the NFL, two gamesLeave a comment on Lions' Suh crashes car in Portland; not injured
John Niyo: Ndamukong Suh, Lions must tread carefully
John Niyo
Allen Park — He's gone, but hardly forgotten. And he'll be back, perhaps sooner rather than later.
So even as the Lions tried their best Tuesday to ignore the elephant notin the room, the question remains: What do they do with Ndamukong Suh?
The NFL weighed in with its initial answer, handing down a two-game suspension in response to Suh's helmet-grinding, foot-stomping ejection in last week's loss to Green Bay.
And the Lions all-Pro defensive tackle countered with his own reply, appealing the suspension at the urging of the NFL Players Association and others, no matter how tone deaf that strikes some in Suh's growing legion of critics.
But while the expedited (and likely fruitless) appeal won't change the immediate plans — Suh is expected to miss Sunday's game at New Orleans and next week's home game against Minnesota — it still left the entire organization, and particularly the players, stuck in an awkward limbo.
Not just because the team returned to practice without its best defensive player. But also because his absence leaves his teammates to answer for him, literally and figuratively.
And while none of them cared to reprimand Suh publicly Tuesday, I think it's safe to say they've had enough of the nonsense, just like most everyone else, including the league's disciplinarians.
After getting tossed for stomping on Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith — not to mention the Ford family's treasured Thanksgiving tradition — Suh spent a good chunk of last Friday meeting with coaches and teammates before finally issuing his day-late, dollars-short apology to the Lions and his "true fans" via Facebook. Team officials also issued a statement then, expressing all the proper regrets to try to minimize the public-relations damage after a nationally televised meltdown.
But Suh has yet to speak to reporters since his defiant postgame news conference took a bad situation and made it immeasurably worse. (He also has yet to apologize to Dietrich-Smith, as far as we know. The Packers guard avoided the media Tuesday in Green Bay.)
Suh was back with the team in Allen Park on Tuesday morning, but got the anticipated phone call from the NFL about the suspension — one that included a ban from the practice facility — and just like that, he was kicked out. Again.
So we'll have to wait a while longer to hear from him directly about where he goes from here, or how he truly intends to make amends and start repairing his reputation while the Lions try to salvage a playoff berth.
"He's going to have to deal with the repercussions of it personally," said veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, a team captain who said he had a 1-on-1 talk with Suh last Friday. "We'll handle the effects it has on us as a team. But it's gonna be tough for him."
Short on contrition
It'll be tougher still, because for all of Suh's good qualities — on and off the field — contrition doesn't appear to be one of them, at least publicly.
Yet, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he's had "a lot of conversations with (Suh) the last two days and I think he is in a different spot," than he was — emotionally — after the game.
"I think, for sure, he understands the position that he put his team in the game, and also the position that we're in right now," Schwartz added. "And he feels a tremendous sense of responsibility for that. There's an accountability for what we do on the field and he — particularly these last couple days — is well aware of that."
And yes, I'm well aware contrition isn't exactly what the Lions — or their playoff-starved fans — need from Suh to reach the postseason. But therein lies the real challenge going forward.
Now that one of the team's cornerstone players — the face of the franchise, alongside quarterback Matthew Stafford — has crossed the line, how will he handle this tightrope walk? How will he handle the backlash? How will he handle his emotions? And, quite frankly, how will it affect his play on the field?
Because if Suh thought he was a target before all this — and that's why he said he went to New York to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and others — it's going to be far worse for him now. Everyone from Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene to Suh's head coach was saying that this week — "Everybody knows that he's had this one, and players are gonna push him to the edge," Schwartz said — as this Suh saga spiraled out of control.
Keeping his cool
Look, the sooner he returns, the sooner his teammates can forget about what he has done. And the sooner he can start doing something about it.
But for the foreseeable future, the question is always going to be whether Suh can keep his cool.
"It's difficult," Vanden Bosch said. "A lot of things happen in the game and you're taught to be aggressive, you're taught to be as physical as possible, and when people are doing things to you throughout the course of a game to try to antagonize you … sometimes it's difficult to swallow your pride and walk away and move on.
"Especially in the heat of the moment. A lot of people just want to say, well, he just should've walked away. And even though that's the right thing to do, in that moment, a lot of people don't understand how difficult that is to do."
Maybe not, but Suh better understand now.
And I think that's the real appeal here — not to the NFL, but to Suh. He better swallow his pride — easy for me to say, I know — before he lets it swallow his career.
john.niyo@detnews.com
twitter.com/JohnNiyo
Author SA SportswriterPosted on November 30, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags Detroit Lions, disciplinarians, entire organization, ford family, game suspension, in the news, initial answer, john niyo, ndamukong suh, news, nfl players association, thanksgiving tradition, true fansLeave a comment on John Niyo: Ndamukong Suh, Lions must tread carefully
Lions face a crisis point
Allen Park— What's done is done. If you are the Lions, nothing good can come from looking back and trying to rationalize the penalties, the turnovers or the absurd meltdown by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on Thursday.
All of it is indefensible.
"They can say what they want about us," coach Jim Schwartz said after the 27-15 loss to the Packers.
Oh, they have. The Lions, by their own actions, have turned perception into reality. And until they provide evidence to the contrary, they are what the rest of the country has been saying they are — a reckless, undisciplined football team.
There is ample talent on both sides of the ball, but until they can collectively get their emotions properly harnessed, until they prove they can play big in the big moments, they can't be considered legitimate playoff contenders.
At this point, even though they are still in the chase at 7-4, how can you consider them anything but a long shot to get a wildcard spot?
The losses are to arguably the four best teams they have played — the 49ers, Falcons, Bears and Packers. That cannot be dismissed. They are 2-4 since starting 5-0. They have lost three of their last four at home. They are melting down as the stakes get higher.
The season and their reputation are certainly salvageable, but this is a crisis point for the Lions. They will have a chance at redemption, a chance to re-stake their claim on a wild-card spot, a week from Sunday in New Orleans.
They will have the national stage again — NBC "Sunday Night Football." They have an opportunity to show they are a quality team, not a collection of talented thugs.
But you have to wonder if too much damage already has been done — to their reputation and to their roster.
The Lions may have to play against the Saints' high-powered offense without two key defensive starters: Suh and safety Louis Delmas.
Expect Suh to be suspended for his untimely unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejection in the third quarter Thursday.
Delmas injured his knee in the first quarter and said via Twitter he could miss the next couple of games.
In addition, the Lions on Friday put starting running back Jahvid Best (concussion) on injured reserve; he's done for the season. Kevin Smith, who took over the starting spot on Thursday, is questionable with a high ankle sprain.
Cornerback Chris Houston left the game with a knee injury.
Schwartz has a lot of fires to put out before he can even begin working on the team's emotional balance. But it has to start with Suh. Even if the league doesn't suspend him — the consensus is they will — Schwartz needs to.
Schwartz has had Suh's back to a fault, up until now. If he doesn't take a drastic step to get Suh's temper under control, he runs the risk of doing long-term damage to one of the franchise's biggest assets.
He punished right tackle Gosder Cherilus for a lesser offense in the season opener, not playing him in Week 2 after he took a late personal foul penalty. He would be hard-pressed explaining to his team the double-standard if he didn't sit Suh for at least a game — playoff chase or not.
"I know Suh. I've talked to him several times," former running back Marshall Faulk told NFL.com. "The person and the player that we see at times, there's a disconnect. Something's going on and he needs to get to the very bottom of it to find out what it is that, when someone is getting the best of him, angry Suh comes out."
Somebody needs to show Suh how to restrain angry Suh. The league will take first crack at it.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday that Suh's stomping on the arm of Packers offensive guard Evan Dietrich-Smith was likely to be reviewed for possible disciplinary action.
"We have said nothing about a timetable but we have said this — plays from Week 12 to be reviewed for potential discipline will be done so under our normal procedures after the completion of all games," Aiello wrote in an email.
Tuesday is the day, typically, that the reviews are done.
Suh has been fined three times already in his young career, so he would be considered a repeat offender. Former Tennessee Titan Albert Haynesworth was suspended for five games back in 2006.
Earlier this season, Minnesota's Brian Robison was fined and not suspended for kicking Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang in the groin.
Expect Suh to get a one- or two-game suspension from the league, which Suh and the Lions should graciously accept and then start making reparation.
Let the rest of football nation take their shots and make their judgments. There's no defense to the accusations right now. It's circle-the-wagons time. The Lions have five weeks to be the team we all thought they were through the first five weeks — the team with the dynamic offense led by a smart, strong-armed quarterback and a violently aggressive, though law-abiding, defense.
They are 7-4 with games at New Orleans, at Oakland and at Green Bay, and home games against San Diego and Minnesota.
If they can regain their balance, physically and mentally, and manage two or three more wins without any more incidents, they will have the last laugh on their critics.
Even if they don't make the playoffs, they will still be considered a team on the rise. But if this goes completely off the rails these last five weeks, then, say it with me — it's the same old dysfunctional Lions.
Author SA SportswriterPosted on November 26, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags coach jim, cornerback, crisis point, defensive starters, Detroit Lions, detroit news, evidence to the contrary, in the news, Jim Schwartz, national stage, nbc sunday night football, news, offensive guard, playoff contenders, quality team, quarterback, spokesman, tackleLeave a comment on Lions face a crisis point
Lions' Thanksgiving victory in '62 still a feast to remember
Gregg Krupa/ The Detroit News
Detroit — The Vince Lombardi who arrived in Detroit for the game against the Lions was a man and a coach, not yet the legend.
By November 1962, he had resurrected the Green Bay Packers, a team in decline for two decades. In a few years, Lombardi would embody America's ideal of a football coach.
Before the legend, though, comes the playing of the games.
As he walked into Tiger Stadium early on that raw, slate-gray Thanksgiving Day with a few snow flurries flying, Lombardi and his powerful Packers were four wins shy of the first perfect season in NFL history. Other than the Lions, the Packers would play only the lowly 49ers and, twice, the hapless Rams.
But, in the Lions locker room, a great menace stirred.
"To this day, I don't know if I have ever been in a locker room quite like that one," said Dick LeBeau, a Lions defensive back and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who has coached in the NFL for 39 years, including in six Super Bowls.
"It was a group of men who came together with a singleness of purpose that they were going to win a game that day."
The Lions have played more games on Thanksgiving than any franchise. Their most frequent opponent is the Packers.
They will face each other Thursday with the best records for both teams in the 20 Thanksgiving games they have played. The Packers are 10-0, and the Lions 7-3. On November 22, 1962, they were 10-0 and 8-2.
Loss primes rematch
Anticipation for that game burst the boundaries of the city.
It was the only game that day, and it drew 30 million viewers. At the time, it was the largest television audience ever for CBS.
"People today forget that big national, TV audiences were still a little bit new, then," said Joe Schmidt, the eight-time all-Pro middle linebacker and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"It was an opportunity to show people across the United States the kind of football team you were."
The concept of people in one part of the country showing interest in two teams from another had yet to be tested.
"That game is one of the prime movers in the NFL becoming a national spectator sport," said LeBeau, defensive coordinator for the Steelers.
"That television audience was one of the first ones that made them think, 'Hey, people want to watch this!'"
Outside Michigan, few believed the Lions would win.
But the Lions had deep determination, born in a loss to the Packers that season.
Detroit had a 7-6 lead in Green Bay when, inexplicably, with the clock nearly expired, quarterback Milt Plum dropped back to pass.
Plum tossed an interception.
A few plays later, the Packers kicked a field goal to win 9-7.
"A few guys raised Cain with Milt Plum for throwing the ball," Schmidt said. "It wasn't Milt Plum.
"The play was called in from the sideline, and the receiver, Terry Barr, slipped. It was a well-thrown ball. If Terry hadn't slipped, he would have caught the ball."
Jerry Kramer, the great Packers guard, recalls the scene he heard emerging from the Lions locker room.
"They were throwing garbage cans around the locker room and cursing mightily," Kramer said.
The game still jabs at Schmidt's gut, 49 years later.
"Of all the games I played in and all the games I coached, this Green Bay situation remains in my mind," said Schmidt, who coached Detroit from 1967-72. "As great as the players were that we had that season, it just goes unnoticed, to this day, because we lost that first one to Green Bay.
"To this day, no one knows who we are."
Lions held the aces
That regret glowed red hot for the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
"We had a vendetta," said Roger Brown, the first 300-pound lineman in the NFL, who played defensive tackle in both games for the Lions as part of the first "Fearsome Foursome."
"We gave them a gift up in Green Bay, and we wanted to set the record straight."
It started unceremoniously for the Lions, who drove to the Packers 17 only to fumble.
The Packers moved the ball, a bit. But, on three consecutive plays, the Lions began what is considered one of the greatest defensive performances in history.
*On second down from the Packers 47, defensive tackle Alex Karras, the four-time all-Pro, broke through Kramer to dump a running back for a three-yard loss.
*On third down, Karras, Schmidt and defensive end Darris McCord broke through and sacked Bart Starr.
*After the play was negated by a delay of game against the Packers, Brown drove through Packers guard Fuzzy Thurston on third down to drop Starr for a 15-yard loss.
Then, the Lions offense went to work with uncharacteristic speed and precision.
"We had a thing all year, Milty and I, where I was doing a lot of simple curls and crossing patterns," said Gail Cogdill, a Lions wide receiver.
"Well, on Thanksgiving Day, instead of running out a little and turning one way or the other, I just kept going straight. I think we caught them off guard."
Plum and Cogdill combined for two touchdowns — 33 and 29 yards — in the first half.
"All I can say is that the whole game felt like we were playing cards and you knew we had the best hand," Cogdill said.
With a 14-0 lead, the Lions kicked off. It hardly mattered.
A play later, Brown broke through Thurston again, forcing Starr to fumble. Defensive end Sam Williams picked up the ball and, as the scorer for the game typed on the score sheet, "waltzed" into the end zone.
The Lions kicked off — and the Packers may have wished they had not.
On the first play, Brown tackled Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor for a loss.
A play later, Brown, a man both fast and huge, was free in the Packers backfield, chasing Starr.
Brown grabbed him in the end zone for a safety.
"As far as anything extracurricular that we did, I would say the whole darned thing was motivation," Brown said.
"We had some stunts and some nutty sorts of things, but we were determined to get to Bart Starr."
'A little bit of a nightmare'
With a brilliant plan drawn up by the 32-year-old defensive coach Don Shula, who would leave Detroit at the end of the season to become defensive coordinator in Baltimore, the Lions repeatedly were stunting ends, tackles and linebackers.
Officially, the Lions sacked Starr 11 times for 110 yards. It left the Packers with 49 yards passing.
Karras often was called "Tippy Toes" because of his great deception and a habit of running on his toes with short choppy steps. But on one play, available on YouTube, Karras simply bull rushed Kramer, pushing him from about the Packers 10 into the end zone, where he shoved the guard aside with a slip of his left shoulder and flip of his left forearm.
Starr somehow avoided a second safety.
"Along with Merlin Olsen, Karras was the greatest defensive tackle I ever faced," said Kramer, a five-time all-Pro.
"The Lions absolutely kicked our butts all day long. They played with extreme emotion."
A photograph, which over the years became a symbol of defensive tenacity in the NFL and still hangs in the Lions offices at Allen Park, shows Starr beginning to fall as he nearly disappears in the arms of four Lions, Williams, strong safety Bruce Maher, Karras and Schmidt.
"Bart has nothing but respect for the Lions and the way they attacked that day," said Keith Dunnavant, a biographer of Starr, whose book, "America's Quarterback," was published in September. "He talks about Alex Karras and Roger Brown and those guys, and it's the most respect a guy can have.
"But it probably remains a little bit of a nightmare for him. How could it not?"
When Green Bay rushed, it did not go much better. Detroit had five tackles for loss.
"I recall looking down at my jersey in the fourth quarter," LeBeau said. "Now, remember this was November at Tiger Stadium, and it could be a little mucky out there.
"But I looked down at my jersey and I recall there wasn't a mark on it. Our front seven played so well that day, I was never on the ground.
"They really didn't even have to launder the thing."
The Packers scored twice in the fourth quarter, one on an interception return by Plum.
The Lions won 26-14.
After the game, Lombardi smiled wryly and said, simply, "Well, you didn't think we were going to win them all, did you?"
Opposing forces
The most common opponent for Detroit on Thanksgiving Day is Green Bay. The teams play their 20th game Thursday (records before the game):
Sources: Elias Sports Bureau, NFL
gregg.krupa@detnews.com
Author SA SportswriterPosted on November 23, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags all-Pro middle linebacker and a member, coach , not yet the legend, defensive coordinator, Detroit Lions, dick lebeau, football coach, football hall of fame, green bay packers, guard, in the news, middle linebacker, news, pro football hall, pro football hall of fame, slate gray, thanksgiving games, tv audiences, vince lombardiLeave a comment on Lions' Thanksgiving victory in '62 still a feast to remember
Author SA SportswriterPosted on November 19, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags blitz packages, cam newton, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Detroit Lions, detroit news, good success, greg olsen, gunther cunningham, in the news, j moore, linemen, news, rookie quarterback, Stephen Tulloch, tim jennings, Vince YoungLeave a comment on Cam Newton poses a dilemma for Lions defense
Lions coach Jim Schwartz denies magnitude of Bears game was too much
Allen Park— Don't try telling the Lions they've lost some of their swagger. Don't try telling them they're in a slump, even though they've lost three of four.
And don't try telling them that maybe they weren't ready to handle the responsibility of being legitimate playoff contenders.
They aren't buying any of that.
"There is no hitch in our giddy-up," receiver Nate Burleson said Monday. "We're ready to get back to work. We are fired up for a big game at home Sunday against Carolina. Our focus isn't on what's wrong with us, it's 'let's get back to doing what we do best — winning football games.'"
That apparently was the tone in position meetings Monday following a 37-13 loss in Chicago.
"I have concern because we lost the last game," coach Jim Schwartz said. "Have we lost confidence? Absolutely not. We still have seven games to play. The important thing is to identify the reasons (for the loss), take the steps to correct those and move on past it."
The uncharacteristic six turnovers and the poor response to them were viewed as a correctible anomaly.
"It was a little bit off personality for us," Schwartz said.
Schwartz and the players will fight you if you suggest they were knocked off their personality by the size of the stage and magnitude of the game.
"Nah," Schwartz said. "Everybody was thinking it was the Chicago Bears, not thinking about the wild card or controlling our destiny or anything like that. It was just the first game of the second half of the season."
Still, the Bears have played in playoff games and the NFC Championship game. The Lions are playing meaningful games in the second half for the first time in four years, and had a chance to put the rival Bears in their rearview mirror.
Maybe the moment was too big for them.
"Not at all," Burleson said. "You talk about being fired up. Guys were ready to rock. That locker room was electric. Guys were ready to play ball. It had nothing to do with the type of game it was. It's more just the situation we put ourselves in with the turnovers.
"You can't attribute anything to nervousness or guys having high anxiety. It was just one of those games."
Rashied Davis, who played for Chicago, put it this way.
"You can't recover from six turnovers against a team like Chicago," the Lions receiver said. "They are like a pack of ravenous wolves. But we have to shake it off. We lost, but in the grand scheme of things, we are 6-3 and they are 6-3."
Going forward, Schwartz said there were no additional concerns about the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Schwartz didn't back off his postgame comments — it was the wind that bothered Stafford, not the fractured index finger on his throwing hand.
"He obviously had a glove on," Schwartz said. "He had a splint on the very tip of his finger so the glove was just so he had a good grip of the ball. He threw the ball well Thursday and Friday. The issue was the wind, and it affected both quarterbacks.
Both completed about 50 percent of their passes and both are 60 percent throwers.
"The difference was, because of the turnovers and the special teams scores, one team had to throw the ball a lot and the other didn't."
Stafford wound up throwing 63 passes, Jay Cutler 19.
"Does it feel different (throwing with a fractured index finger)? Yeah. But it didn't affect his actual throwing," Schwartz said.
Players don't look at the record and see 1-3 in November. They see 6-3. Players don't add up won-loss records to see their three losses — to the 49ers, Falcons and Bears — are to the three toughest opponents they've played.
Players also rarely, if ever, admit to losing confidence.
"We think we could have beaten every team we lost to," Burleson said. "I feel we are better than Atlanta, San Francisco and Chicago. Obviously, after losing to them I can't say that. They've got the upper hand.
"But this is the same team nobody was quite sure about at the beginning of the year. A lot of people were saying we might win five games. We've won six and we are well above water. We are a good team and there's not a guy or a team on our schedule that we are scared of. We are the same confident team we were at the beginning of the year."
There is a thin line in sports between being confident and delusional. The Lions have seven weeks to prove they are not the latter.
Panthers at Lions
Records: Carolina 2-7, Detroit 6-3
Series: Carolina leads 4-1 (Carolina 10-0, Nov. 16, 2008)
Did you know? Detroit has a winning percentage of .200 against Carolina, worst against all teams the Lions have played.
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Author SA SportswriterPosted on November 16, 2011 Categories In The NewsTags Allen Park, chicago bears, coach jim, Detroit Lions, in the news, Jay Cutler, Jim Schwartz, lions coach, Matthew Stafford, Nate Burleson, news, nfc championship game, playoff contenders, playoff games, Rashied Davis, rearview mirror, six turnoversLeave a comment on Lions coach Jim Schwartz denies magnitude of Bears game was too much