MichiganCardinal

I don't love the idea of playing the Rams in the wildcard, but it's the playoffs. They aren't supposed to be easy. If the playoff picture ends as expected and the wildcards are the Cowboys, Rams, and Seahawks, there is not an easy out in that field. Ford Field will be rocking no matter who the opponent is, we just have to hope the offense takes care of the ball and Barnes finishes his tackles.

I agree. It was an up and down game, but the last drive he orchestrated was really great. I think you can pretty much pick a game at random from 2021 and it would be worse than his game against the Cowboys. I'm not really worried about him, so long as he's healthy. Not sure what happened to Jackson. Dude is supposed to be fighting for a big boy contract and he was out there looking like Colby Sorsdol.

I'm not convinced that Caleb Williams will be the next big thing. Particularly if he ends up in a bad situation with a coach who isn't prepared to control him. He just seems like Trevor Lawrence with a far worse attitude, or Josh Rosen with actual talent... Young Baker Mayfield comes to mind too... Take your pick. Either way, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who will be the leader of a locker room of millionaires, or the kind of guy who will react appropriately when the league humbles him early and often.

The procedure is fine. It's Brad Allen - and any official who could make such a boneheaded mistake and then lie about it afterwards - that needs fixing.

I think if the game had absolutely no value, we would rest all starters. As it stands though, only two other games have to swing our way with a win to get that two-seed. In a vacuum, the Cowboys should beat the Commies and the Eagles should beat the Giants. But the Cowboys are 3-5 on the road, and the Eagles are reeling, having lost four of their last five, and are also on the road. Stranger things have happened.

If they win the next five, I won't complain for months.

vs. Setting: 01/07/2024 1:00pm EST on FOX Site: Ford Field in Detroit, MI Weather: Climate Controlled Opening Spread: Lions -2.5 All-Time Series Record: Vikings lead, 80-42-2 Last Meeting: 12/24/2023, Lions won 30-24 Minnesota Vikings (7-9) Head Coach: Kevin O'Connell (2nd Season: 20-13) Projected Starting QB: Nick Mullens (7th Season: 5-14) or Jaren Hall (1st Season: 1-1) Last Week: 33-10 L v. Green Bay Packers (8-8) Playoff Picture: To make the postseason, needs W @ Lions; Bears W @ Packers; Cardinals W v. Seahawks; and either Panthers W v. Buccaneers or Falcons W @ Saints Your Detroit Lions (11-5) Head Coach: Dan Campbell (3rd Season: 23-26-1) Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (8th Season: 65-50-1) Last Week: 20-19 L* @ Dallas Cowboys (11-5) Playoff Picture: NFC North Champions and will be no worse than the #3 seed. May advance to the #2 seed with W v. Vikings; Commanders W v. Cowboys; and Giants W v. Eagles. Elsewhere in the NFL Saturday: Steelers @ Ravens (4:30), Texans @ Colts (8:15) 1:00pm: Browns @ Bengals, Jaguars @ Titans, Jets @ Patriots, Falcons @ Saints, Buccaneers @ Panthers 4:25pm: Broncos @ Raiders, Bears @ Packers, Eagles @ Giants, Seahawks @ Cardinals, Chiefs @ Chargers, Rams @ 49ers, Cowboys @ Commanders 8:20pm: Bills @ Dolphins

I stand corrected! They should be eliminated anyway for being hot garbage.

Yes they are. They may go with Hall just to get him some game experience, which would be nice for us.

I spoke too soon, I’m done for.

I just need Jefferson to not score 61 fantasy points in the second half to secure a back-to-back championship in this league. I like my chances with Hall under center.

Somehow, someway.... Mike Tomlin is 0.500 again.

If the defense plays how it did against Dallas..... and makes tackles it should make.... @Barnes...... I don't think the Super Bowl is an unrealistic aim. This season.

Bills/Dolphins will decide the AFC East. I expect that will get flexed to Sunday Night. Colts/Texans will decide either the AFC South or a wildcard spot, so I would expect that to be a contender for Saturday Night. They might even put Titans/Jaguars on the Saturday afternoon game so that the teams will know in advance. Saints/Falcons might be worth a national spot for the Saints. They need a Bucs loss too though I think, which is unlikely. I'm pretty sure that Lions/Vikings will be 1:00 Sunday. No real implications there on its own. Even if the Vikings win tonight they would need a Seahawks or Rams loss in addition to beating the Lions to make the playoffs. Seahawks/Cardinals and 49ers/Rams both make sense as 4:05 games on Sunday.

I'm curious if he saw the replay that clearly shows him acknowledging Decker and walking away before he made those comments that double down on Skipper having reported. If so, he's just a moron who is so full of himself he can't face the truth that he's not perfect. You made a mistake, own it. If not, he should get the chance to revise his statement. I'd like to think there are more Jim Joyce's out there than ass hole terrible officials. The combination of him being told pregame about the play, Decker reporting correctly, Decker lining up eligible, Skipper lining up ineligibly, and him ignoring all of that information to erroneously say that nah, Skipper reported? He should feel terrible. He cost the Lions the game.

I didn't realize that they'd secured the one-seed until after I posted that. Definitely possible.

I wouldn't say almost certainly. A lot can change. Seahawks have the Cardinals and the Rams have the 49ers next week. If the Seahawks beat the Steelers today, I would say it's more likely to be Lions-Seahawks.

The redemption arc for the Lions. Wildcard against Seattle at Ford Field, Divisional Round against Dallas in Jerry World, NFCCG against the Rams and Matt Stafford in Ford Field. Super Bowl against Baltimore.

The NFC South seems pretty intent on beating themselves at the moment.

I think John Harbaugh is giving Mike McDaniel a piece of humble pie for what they did to the Broncos earlier this season.

Cardinals beat the Eagles. If the Lions beat the Vikings, Giants beat the Eagles, and Commanders beat the Cowboys, Lions would be the two-seed. Otherwise, they’re the three-seed.

It’s not a challenge though, or even a review. It’s just a replay official giving him an out, asking him “are you SURE, because that’s not what it looks like on video at ALL” For all we know they did and he was too stubborn to acknowledge the possibility he ****ed it up

It's also why replay should have gotten involved to save him.