MichiganCardinal

It makes a lot sense to move the Bills game to Detroit on Sunday. They’d probably commute between the games though. I’m not sure where they’d keep them if they were going to just stay here through the holiday, unless the Lions would be amenable to allowing the use of Ford Field as a practice facility for a practice or two. Allen Park is ours. They used the Silverdome as one practice facility for the Super Bowl. There aren’t many domed and available venues in the area anymore that can handle a large event like that on short notice.

Paschal seems like he’s working out so far. Still very early in a rookie year that didn’t have a training camp, but my hope is that Levi is a one-off for this regime.

I think these are two remarkably similar teams. Their common opponents are the Cowboys (both lost), the Seahawks (both lost), the Bears (both won), and the Packers (both won). If you swapped their non-common opponents and had the Giants play the Eagles, Commies, Vikings, Patriots, and Dolphins, I think they probably go 1-4 or 2-5 ... If the Lions had played the Titans, Panthers, Ravens, Jaguars, and Texans, I think they probably go at least 3-2 and have a record better than 0.500 right now. A road game against an evenly matched opponent should at least be a one-score game. I don't want to get blown out (obviously), but I also don't think it's fair to allow every game to be a referendum on the regime.

Will need him for the 2v7 game against the Vikings.

I forgot just how close last year's team was to losing multiple games. Wins against Rutgers by 7, Nebraska by 3, and Penn State by 4 before they took off. I find it hard to believe the B1G has taken such a step back that they would run the schedule like they have this year without having gotten at least a little bit better. It's really remarkable how easy they've made it look this year. Only one game decided by single digits (and that one was a 15-point game until 45 seconds were left). An average margin of victory of 30.2 points. Even removing the non-conference games, a margin of victory average of 21.8 points in conference. They've coasted through a B1G schedule. For context, the 2006 Michigan team had an average margin of victory of 17.3 heading into The Game (16.0 in conference). The 1997 National Championship team had an average of 19.7 heading The Game (18.7 in conference, 17.3 for the season).

Last year's success came as a total surprise because of 2020, but I do recall a steep upward trend in terms of the play-calling complexity and the offense's overall abilities to stretch the field when they wanted. It felt like after MSU, and particularly after Penn State, they really opened up the playbook. There were quite a few gadget plays against OSU (the flea flicker, the screens to Edwards, bringing in JJ for a couple plays) that when combined with Hassan's rushing and the line's domination never allowed OSU to stand tall. They were on their heels from the first possession. Then we saw much of the same against Iowa, who was completely outmatched by it... then much of the same against Georgia, who laughed in their face. I can recall them running a flea flicker against Georgia that it looked like Georgia was just absolutely anticipating from the jump. I doubt they've completely lost that ability to stretch the field. Maybe we'll start to see some flashes this week against Illinois.

Michigan on the whole is such an enigma this year. Clearly they’re good. You don’t go 10-0 without being good. But they could seriously be the #1 team in the nation or somewhere between #10-20, and I wouldn’t be surprised either way. Are they limited because their skill set is limited? Or because they have been able to be limited and still win games easily? Or do they just make it look easy? You can’t be upset at how they’ve won games, because it works. Take care of the ball, win in the trenches, take your points, and get out. Are they good enough at that style of play though to beat the Deep South Buckeyes and the SEC though? Are they doing that play out of necessity or convenience? Two weeks from now will be telling.

Same here and same for Stafford. I’d be okay if they shut him down soon, let him have his Tommy John surgery. They're probably less apt to do this soon without much draft capital to speak of, but it’s looking increasingly likely that there will come a point where the Rams invest in 2023 over 2022, which is a good thing for the Lions.

About the way I feel about Hooker. Why not both? If Penix starts to fail go get a Hooker. Nope. Can’t be trusted.

The difference in draft position that comes from particular games being wins and losses is often overstated. The Lions got Sewell two years ago at #7, who was probably #2 on their board to Lawrence. The Lions got Hutch last year, who was either 1a or 1b… to make significant difference, you’re talking about multiple games, and when you’re talking about multiple games in the NFL, you’re talking about the difference between making the playoffs and not. No matter where you’re picking, you just have to hit on those picks and your team will improve.

I think it’s very possible that one of the mid-range QB prospects (Levis, Hooker, or Richardson) ends up being the best QB to come out of the class.

I think he was definitely a kneecapper. He was a bit more reckless about it though, his teams were terribly undisciplined.

I still like Schwartz as a coach. I think he would have succeeded if he was given a second shot somewhere. He was young, made some stupid decisions, and didn’t have a good grip on how to manage his team, but was a good coach.

If we are on a similar path that Jim Schwartz took us (which I think is a similar rebuild in terms of sheer overhaul), we should be a playoff team next year. I don’t think that’s a surprising trajectory either, although the Giants and Jets have made that more frustrating to wait for. 2-14 to 6-10 to 10-6. 3-13-1 to 3-6(+)

What’s up with Swift? He didn’t have an injury designation on him, but if you watch his body of work from the Eagles game or Commanders game and compare it to yesterday or against the Packers, it’s night and day. He is far less explosive and agile. The 3rd and Goal run in particular was agitating - a starting running back should have been able to find the hole and punch that in, not get driven out of bounds. Is it still the same lingering injury they just stopped bothering to disclose? Did he take an inexplicable step back? I don’t get it.

Sounds like we are heading straight for seven straight wins and a wildcard berth for Christmas, right??

Cobb Kaline Gehringer Cabrera Brandon Inge and Bobby Higginson too, but really small, and in areas that no one but the chiseler and his drinking buddies know about.

It's possible. I'll be nicer I suppose. 🙂 It's not as bad as some departments I've seen, holding cases for months seemingly hoping that parties (victims) will forget. Surely that wasn't the case here, so I guess I should give them some benefit of the doubt.

vs. Setting: 11/20/2022 1:00pm EST on FOX Site: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ Weather: 44° High, 22° Low, 35% chance of rain, 11mph Wind Opening Spread: Giants -4 All-Time Series Record: Lions lead, 24-21-1 Last Meeting: 10/27/2019, Giants won 31-26 New York Giants (7-2) Head Coach: Brian Daboll (1st Season: 7-2) Projected Starting QB: Daniel Jones (4th Season: 19-26) Last Week: 24-16 W v. Houston Texans (1-7-1) Looking Ahead to Week #12: Thanksgiving @ Dallas Cowboys (6-3) Your Detroit Lions (3-6) Head Coach: Dan Campbell (2nd Season: 6-19-1) Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (7th Season: 48-43-1) Last Week: 31-30 W @ Chicago Bears (3-7) Looking Ahead to Week #12: Thanksgiving v. Buffalo Bills (6-3) Elsewhere in the NFL Primetime: Titans @ Packers (TNF), Chiefs @ Chargers (SNF), 49ers @ Cardinals (MNF) 1:00pm: Panthers @ Ravens, Bears @ Falcons, Browns @ Bills, Commanders @ Texans, Eagles @ Colts, Jets @ Patriots, Rams @ Saints 4:05/4:25pm: Raiders @ Broncos, Cowboys @ Vikings, Bengals @ Steelers BYE: Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I know this was tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think you need federal funding or resources to do this kind of investigation. Get the statements of the police who were present, take the statements of all victims and willing alleged perps, take the statements of any witness that comes forward, review the video, and type the report. I get that this was a more nuanced / high-profile investigation than the department is probably used to, but I still don't get how it takes two weeks.

I didn't know this until I read it here. If anything, I think it's another reason to rely on others (including LE) to manage the bulk of the investigation.

Just saw this thread today. Bacon is traditionally a very fair and balanced reporter for Michigan sports, and I think this is significant, and well worth the read. I think it's fully possible the Big Ten elected to wait until law enforcement concluded their investigation to start theirs. Bacon mentions this possibility briefly towards the end of his thread, but I don't know if he does that theory justice, because I could fully understand why the B1G would want to do that, from a corporate standpoint. It's an easy path 'out' from a toxic situation that's inevitably going to leave some of your constituents upset... Allow law enforcement to investigate first, let them do the dirty work, then come in from behind with clean-up if/where needed. If Crump and/or others are charged with assault this week, there is not much the B1G needs to do with them. MSU will likely formally boot them from the team, and they will likely be looking at a lengthy period of probation, if they get a reasonable judge (and assuming there is no criminal history). I don't foresee the B1G levying any sort of institutional charge against MSU, even despite what is contained here. Maybe the game officials or field mics can corroborate some of it, but a lot of it (language in particular) will be denied, and that's that. It's laying the foundation for a possible pattern of institutional behavior, but I can't imagine what the B1G would do with it on its own. A public reprimand? It's hard to say that MSU did anything wrong in their response to the tunnel incident, quickly suspending eight players and issuing public apologies. I will say - if this is what Warren is doing, there would be no harm in saying so. A two-sentence statement reading that the investigation remains ongoing and that the B1G is awaiting the results of the police report would silence a lot of this. I will further say (and this is somewhat political so I'll tread carefully) that a lot of the criticisms laid upon the feet of Warren here can be extended to the UMPD, short of something unknown being contained in the report. That assumption taken as true (that nothing new earth-shattering is going to come out that took them time to flesh out), Bacon is 100% correct that this two-week investigation could have been completed by a journalist in two days. There is no need to churn this out long-term, and police departments often do so for bureaucratic reasons (so-and-so is on vacation, this needs to be approved by X, this needs Y's signature too) that defy a sense of justice. Cases that can be forwarded to a prosecutor in two days should be forwarded to a prosecutor in two days. In this case, I still firmly believe that Crump should have been arrested the day of the incident. Dragging this out, and all cases like it, only hurts the victim(s), the alleged perpetrator(s), and everyone else involved. I'll step down from the soap box now.

I would be fine with that for the regular season. Maybe putting 5:00 on the clock if tied after both teams have had a possession... I think playoff OT could be expanded though, I would prefer both teams have a chance in today's offense-first NFL. I don't think a Mahomes/Allen AFC Championship showdown should end in OT without one of them touching the ball.

Why are NFL overtimes only 10:00? Even if Buffalo gets it back, they're already in a near two-minute offense. Might as well go NCAA and eliminate the clock altogether if you're going to a single 10-minute period.