MichiganCardinal

I doubt they’re going out and killing each other in practice. I’ve watched mid season college practices before and when it’s offense vs defense it’s usually played “bang”, or when the contact is made the play is over. We are talking about a strained hammy and a (presumably) strained calf muscle, not bone bruises and concussions.

It’s frustrating but I also doubt we would be as good as we are if we didn’t practice.

I agree with this. But I also think we are a championship caliber team as we stand here today. I think we could beat any given team in the NFL on any given Sunday. Some could beat us on any given Sunday too obviously, but I’m not sure there is a massive amount of relative benefit to attaining the “stars” who might be available. I’d be surprised if Holmes makes a blockbuster trade before the deadline. I just don’t think one is necessary for us to win multiple(!) playoff games. That’s not to say I would be immediately opposed if he does make one, just that I think he is a good drafter and a confident drafter, and is cognizant that a lot (all of?) the core players we’ve got still haven’t been paid. With the core you’ve got here, you can build a legitimate dynasty with continued right moves in the draft. No need to throw that away for one 2020 Cleveland Browns run.

I do think Tampa’s strengths are most similar to Seattle’s strengths. They won’t beat themselves and they aren’t afraid to use the short pass game times 50. Try not to turn the ball over three times.

If the Lions can take over Arrowhead and Lambeau, Tampa may as well be the Detroit suburbs. Might be more Lions fans there than Bucs fans.

Campbell reported that he feels good about ASB returning, Branch and Gibbs are both day to day, and Mitchell is day to day, but a little behind where Branch and Gibbs are.

I think a home-and-home between Michigan and Texas probably generates more money on the whole than Michigan-Central Michigan. I think it is more strategic than just wanting more money (though of course all decisions are related to money). Ohio State last year went 11-1 and made the playoff, probably came within a field goal of winning the National Championship. If they had lost to Notre Dame on September 3rd (they won by 11), they'd have been 10-2 and Alabama (also 10-2, but from the SEC) probably would have gone in their place as the first two-loss playoff team. So why play Notre Dame, when you could play Timbuktu College, write them a check for a million or two, and be much more assured that you will finish with no more than one loss? Competition should get a little better with the expansion of the playoff, but I'm still not sure the incentive for a B1G powerhouse to schedule an SEC powerhouse (or Notre Dame) in nonconference. Why risk it? Michigan will play USC, Washington, Oregon, and Ohio State in 2024, then USC, Ohio State, and Washington again in 2025. If they go 10-2 in either year, they'll likely make the expanded playoff. Why are they playing Texas in 24 and Oklahoma in 25 and risking going 9-3 or worse? I don't see the relative benefit (outside of the money generated from a September Michigan-Texas game). The real money will come from the College Football Playoff, and that should be the goal anyway.

Similar to free agency, I doubt the Lions acquire any of the “flashy” players who might move - Chase Young, Pat Surtain, or Mike Evans. I don’t think Holmes will have interest in outbidding teams for a tool to add to what is already a well oiled machine. I think a role player or depth is a much more likely addition. Zach Ertz could be a cheap veteran addition to the offense for a playoff run behind LaPorta. Maybe a kicker if the Panthers will move on from Eddy Pineiro, the Colts from Matt Gay, or the Raiders from Daniel Carlson for cheap.

There are degrees to everything. The Lions are in “win now” mode in the sense that their realistic goal this season is to win the Super Bowl. But they’re not in “win now or the window is closed” mode like the Rams in 2021. They’re still a very young team, and it would be foolish to mortgage the future to make one run this season. They’re set up right now to have sustained success for the next 5+ years, longer if Holmes keeps drafting the way he is.

Basically the same player.

As we stand here today, there are not a lot of obvious holes on this team. The defensive backfield seems like it should be one with the absence of CJGJ and now Moseley, but Jerry Jacobs and Will Harris are playing outside of their minds after being forced into action. You can't complain with what they're bringing to the table. Defensive tackle was expected to be a weakness on this team, but it's turned into a strength with the #1 rush defense in the league. Wide receiver seemed to be possibly lacking in depth too, but they just put up 42 points while missing their WR1 and RB2. I'm sure Holmes will be active and make a move if there is a smart one out there to make us better, but he's not going to mortgage the future for it. We aren't some old team with a narrow window.

It's possible. That would be a weird transition for that offense to make midseason though, Ridder and Cousins are nearly polar opposites as far as their strengths go.

While on the Detroit Lions 2023 Revenge Tour™, the Bucs aren't as obvious a choice as the Seahawks, Panthers, or NFC North rivals, the 47-7 drubbing the team took from the Bucs in 2020 still pisses me off when I think about it. Practically the entire interim coaching staff was in COVID-19 quarantine, which for any other NFL franchise in 2020 would have led to the game being postponed until Monday or Tuesday, as was requested by the Lions. Instead, the NFL forced them to play on Sunday with zero game preparation and poor Rob Prince at the helm, who will forever have one of the sorriest NFL head coaching records of all time as a result. Stafford got hurt on the very first drive and the Lions never crossed midfield the rest of the game. Their only points came on a punt return from Jamal Agnew. But Tom Brady got to embarrass us en route to clinching a playoff berth, so the NFL was happy.

On the bright side for Minnesota they have a $66 million tight end.

I can’t imagine the market is exactly excited at the prospects of acquiring a 35yo rental quarterback with a propensity to fall flat on national television. Short of an injury happening to a contender I don’t see a lot of teams that really make sense. The Jets maybe, but they have nothing to offer and can’t pay him. The Titans if they find themselves hanging around and want to make one last push? The Patriots if they want to give up on Mac Jones early and see if Cousins is worth being their guy in 2024? Maybe Mac even goes the other way in that one. None of those teams would offer more than a 3rd or 4th round pick though, if that. Given the absence of demand they’ll probably hold out hope to make the playoffs for as long as they can.

What really excites me though is the untapped potential. In each of the last two years, we have really seen this team take off in the second half of the season. I still don’t think we have seen this team’s A-game. There is room for improvement.

Lions entering Tampa with a two-game lead in the NFC North. Through five games, the Lions appear to be the only team in the division with a pulse.

Is "the farm" draft picks or is it guys like Hutch, ASB, and Sewell? The former, probably. The latter, probably not... but maybe for Mahomes.... As long as he doesn't bring Taylor Swift with him. It's not really a fair question though. Guys who are actually untouchable don't get traded. Prime Brady or Mahomes aren't getting traded the way Rodgers, Watson, and Wilson were.

I think they're both prime examples of why it's stupid to sell the farm for Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, or Russell Wilson. Build a supporting cast and you can install a lot of quarterbacks. Having a good play caller helps, but if they have an oil-and-vinegar relationship, they won't go far either (see: Goff and McVay).

“bUt hE cAn’T hIt tHe dEeP BaLL¡” -someone, somewhere

I don’t think the Vikings will challenge the Lions for the division. I agree they’re not the four-win team they’re on pace to be, they might split with the Lions, but I think they’re looking a 5-7 win season in the face. To go above .500 and seriously contend for a playoff spot they’d have to go 8-4 from here out, which seems like an uphill battle. If Cousins isn’t the QB of the future, it might make more sense to look towards 2024. I wonder if they’ll consider acquiring Kyler Murray if the price is right? I’m not nearly as delusional as the callers to 97.1 right now saying they think we will go 15-2 or 16-1. I stand by my 12-5 prediction. The Vikings aren’t far removed from the Packers but I think will suffer from their 1st place schedule compared to the Packers 3rd place scheduled. Losing Bakhtiari hurts the Packers, but saying they just lost him is akin to saying the Lions just lost Moseley. It’s true, and it hurts, but it’s not like either have really contributed through five games. I think Belichick is too prideful (and his seat too hot?) to win less than 4-5 games. I don’t think I listed the Bears twice? The Panthers were the last team in purgatory.

I wish NFL+ would give the option of synching the radio feed with the video on replay. I would love to hear Dan Miller's call when I watch the replay after the game.

You're right, I should have included Goff.

This is where I see it right now... Super Bowl Contenders [serious contenders to win it all]: 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins, Eagles, Lions Super Bowl Threats [could win it all if everything breaks their way]: Cowboys, Ravens, Jaguars, Bengals Playoff Threats [could cause problems in the playoffs for the above teams]: Rams, Chargers, Seahawks, Browns, Falcons, Steelers Playoff Possibilities [could reach the playoffs unconvincingly]: Packers, Buccaneers, Saints, Texans, Colts Purgatory: Patriots, Vikings, Titans, Jets, Commanders, Giants, Panthers Caleb Williams Sweepstakes: Broncos, Raiders, Bears, Cardinals