Three games down, three wins up.....

What can we take away from the Lions game against the Vikings, other than the victory?  Well, there are several things that need to happen.

1. The Lions are officially now a "good" team.  Reason?  Good teams find a way to win, even when they don't play well.  Certainly there were players who did well, such as Stafford, Pettigrew and Calvin.  But overall this wasn't a well played game, particularly by the offense.  No running game, questionable pass blocking, and certainly the play calling in the first half was nothing to write home about. 

2. The Lions need to make a decision on Jason Fox, quickly.  His not being available is hurting the team, mostly because both Gosder Cherilus and Jeff Backus aren't playing as well as they should be.  Granted, both of them are not 100% healthy, with Gos trying to overcome the long term effects of microfracture surgery on his knee, and Backus having suffered the torn pec muscle early in camp. Corey Hilliard is the only backup tackle we have, and he can't play two spots at once.  Either put Fox on the Injured Reserve list and sign a veteran to help, or get his butt on the field of play to get him into football shape.

3. When CJ is being single covered, just throw him the ball.  No reason to look for someone else, just get him the ball.  Both Kansas City and Minnesota tried to single cover Calvin, and he made them pay almost everytime that the ball went his way.  There were times in yesterdays game that the Vikings were single covering CJ, but the Lions didn't throw the ball to him.  Take my advice, and take advantage of the mistakes being made by the defense...just get CJ the ball.

4. Matthew Stafford can take a hit, it seems, and will be fine.  He took some shots yesterday, but bounced right back up, which was a welcome sight to Lions fans.  Despite not getting sacked in the first two games, he did take some hits.  However, yesterday he was getting pounded. 

5. And last, but not least, what the Hell is the OC for Minnesota thinking?  With a 20-0 lead going into the second half, how can you run Adrian Peterson just four times in the entire 30 minutes?  How can you give the ball to Toby Gerhardt on 4th and 1?  WHY would you give ANYONE the ball there, and not kick the field goal?  Minnesota fans are steaming, and rightfully so.  They had the game won, and gave the Lions a gift, making numerous mistakes in the second half, both on the field and on the sidelines.

Just remember Lions fans, the Vikings LOST that game more than the Lions winning it.  But, in the end, it end it was the Lions who did what was needed to win the game.  And for those of us who cheer on the Honolulu Blue and Silver clad team, that's all that matters now.

Two games in......

So, Lions fans, we are now two games into the season, and the team is looking pretty good.  However, they are far from perfect.  The Tampa Bay game was closer in score than it actually was on the field.  Dumb penalties was the story of that game, as was the domination of the Detroit defense versus the power running game of the Buccaneers.  Despite making mistakes, the Lions were able to come out of the searing heat in Florida with a victory.  Their first home game of the season against Kansas City was a laugher, but there are things that the team still needs to address.  Foremost among these items is dropped passes.  The Lions receivers need to hang onto the ball better.  While Stafford's numbers are very good, they could be much better if these players focus on the task at hand.  There is also some concern with the inconsistent running game the team has had.  While there was some level of success against Tampa Bay, and the Lions did score twice on the ground against the Chiefs, there is no rhythym to the ground attack.  Detroit cannot count on its ground game to eat up clock or control the tempo of a game, and that is a concern.  I don't think it relates directly to the backs or the line, I believe it's a combination of the two.

Now, on to the good news.  Matt Stafford is having a strong season, building on his excellent pre-season performances.  To date the Lions QB has not suffered a sack, much to the credit of the offensive line and receivers, as well as the quick release Matt has.  However, he has throw a couple picks that should not have happened, particularly the one against the Chiefs.  Matt has to learn to either take a sack, or give up the play and throw the ball away.  Defensively, the back seven that was thought be a potential problem actually has done fairly well.  DeAndre Levy seems to still be adjusting to his new position on the outside, but is still making plays.  Justin Durant and Stephen Tulloch have done well, and as a unit these three will continue to get better as they get settled into their roles.  Bobby Carpenter is doing a good job as the teams fourth linebacker, brought in for special packages.  The secondary is vastly improved, that much is clear.  Amari Speivey is quite comfortable as the teams "other" safety, and Eric Wright is playing well and consistently.  Chris Houston was a key re-signing in the off-season, and hopefully keeps up the level of his performances.  The defensive line is still playing strong and getting to the quarterback to force mistakes.

To date, though head coach Jim Schwartz will tell you they aren't perfect, the Lions have been pretty good.  Penalties were greatly reduced in game two, and the team isn't giving up a bunch of points.  What the Lions need to work on is playing against an offense with speed, like that of the Chiefs.  The Chiefs used misdirection and pre-snap movement to get the Lions confused and run with some success before Jamaal Charles sufferened his ACL tear.  The Lions also have to be better on third down conversion effieciency.  To date, they have successfull converted only 7 of 26 attempts to get the first down.  Good teams win by having the advantage in turn over ratios, and by converting third down plays into first and tens.

But, it's still early....and things are looking very, very promising.