I’m in my 50’s and have never enjoyed true success with the lions, as I suspect most non-boomer fans can relate. We had a few good seasons but no structural success was ever built into the team….that is until now.
This team feels different and I suspect this mostly has to do with MCDC, BH, and SFH. This is what gave me hope last year for this year’s season, and they have met expectations…mostly.
That is why the games since the Ravens have been so disheartening. It is enormously frustrating to see a team struggle against inferior teams when they can do better. It’s a let down. We know this team is different. We know they can succeed, but for some reason they can’t help but get in their own way, whether it’s offense, defense, and more likely, coaching.
In the past, watching the lions was kind of a masochistic affair. I enjoyed the game but when they lost it was SOL. Now? It hurts. It hurts because the organization is a real team…top to bottom and they’ve given this city and it’s fans REAL hope.
We want them to succeed so badly because it’s been so long since this city and fans have enjoyed anything positive. Detroit and southeast Michigan are full of awesome people and great history. But we’ve been the punching bag for the rest of the nation. Whether it’s being the poster child of urban blight and decline, or high crime and unemployment, or simply being has-beens that aren’t worthy of anything good, this city has endured endless ridicule and humiliation on a national level.
And I’m tired of it. That is why the lion’s shortcomings are so much more hard to take right now.
That being said, I do think this team embodies the best of this city and state. I believe we will make it there if we stay the course, maybe with a few tweaks and adjustments. In the end, I know I will be completely done with this team if they lose their focus and revert to SOL. But for now, I have faith in them and belief that Detroit’s best days are ahead of her.
So my concerns with the Lions this year are mainly the defensive scheming, not so much the defensive players, and Jared Goff’s limitations.
We’re not going to oust Aaron Glenn at 8-3 but in the losses and narrow wins it has felt like the in-game adjustments just aren’t there. AG’s pick is sharp, his shovel is sharp and he’s quite content with staying the course. When he said the Lions were a top 10 defense after a couple games where that side of the ball looked suspect, I checked out on AG.
As for Goff, he’s great at his game, if he’s allowed to play that game. When he’s under consistent pressure, he’s little more than a better version of Jon Kitna or Scott Mitchell. He has no scrambling game and when he’s forced out it’s a danger of fumbling. Unlike those two, I love that he seems to keep a cool head when faced with adversity. But it’s better not to F up in the first place.
Which brings me to my next point. I love that this team stays focused regardless of what the score is. I’ve seen so many good Lions teams in the past get silly or check out mentally or get into “extracurriculars” in the past, to the point where I think that was really what killed them. The Schwartz era comes to mind. This team keeps it reeled in, they stay focused even when down 2-3 scores.
They might have some things to iron out yet and maybe this year won’t be the year for the Super Bowl, I’m still holding out for playoffs win, but overall they’re in a good place.
Next year, Goff is welcome but I say AG should take his self elsewhere.