MichiganCardinal

Don't get much closer than this.

Decker did not have a great game. He stepped up when it mattered, but edge rushers ran right by him several times. His age may be catching up to him.

Justin Jefferson against the Lions the last four years: 2021 Game 1: 7/124 2021 Game 2: 11/182 2022 Game 1: 3/14 2022 Game 2: 11/223 2023 Game 1: 6/141 2023 Game 2: 12/192 2024 Game 1: 7/81 With the exception of that early 2022 game (also the last time we lost to the Vikings), he's been a Lion killer. Excellent work by the secondary to limit him.

I was going to wait until they beat the Titans to pull that out. 😉

But the counter-counterpoint is that in 2024, 4* QBs aren't hanging around in the wings as backups. If they're not starting, they're going somewhere where they will. Michigan had two starting QBs... until one of them transferred to Iowa. It's hard to convince a kid to come to any school - not just Michigan - for the chance to compete for the starting gig, if the kid ahead of you declares for the draft as a Junior. And if they stay, sorry, just keep holding that clipboard kid. Arch Manning is the exception, not the rule, and probably wouldn't be doing what he's doing if his last name wasn't what it is. Now, the fact that Orji is as bad as he is after multiple years of tutelage? No excuses for that.

By this time in the season, the very good teams are starting to look very good. The very bad teams are starting to look very bad. Each of these teams fits into one of those categories. Looking around the league, there aren't a lot of good games on paper this week. Vikings-Rams might be close if the Vikings have a post-Lions let down. Cowboys-Niners might be interesting. Eagles-Bengals maybe. Bears-Commies maybe.

vs. Setting: 10/27/2024 1:00pm EST on FOX Site: Ford Field in Detroit, MI Weather: Climate Controlled Opening Spread: Lions -9.5 All-Time Series Record: Titans lead, 10-3 Last Meeting: 12/20/2020, Titans won 46-25 Tennessee Titans (1-5) Head Coach: Brian Callahan (1st Season: 1-5) Projected Starting QB: Will Levis (2nd Season: 4-10) or Mason Rudolph (7th Season: 8-5-1) Last Week: 34-10 L @ Buffalo Bills (5-2) Looking Ahead to Week #9: Sunday v. New England Patriots (1-6) Your Detroit Lions (5-1) Head Coach: Dan Campbell (4th Season: 29-27-1) Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (9th Season: 71-51-1) Last Week: 31-29 W @ Minnesota Vikings (5-1) Looking Ahead to Week #9: Sunday @ Green Bay Packers (5-2) Elsewhere in the NFL Primetime: Vikings @ Rams (TNF), Cowboys @ 49ers (SNF), Giants @ Steelers (MNF) 1:00pm: Ravens @ Browns, Packers @ Jaguars, Colts @ Texans, Cardinals @ Dolphins, Jets @ Patriots, Falcons @ Buccaneers, Eagles @ Bengals 4:05/4:25pm: Saints @ Chargers, Bills @ Seahawks, Bears @ Commanders, Panthers @ Broncos, Chiefs @ Raiders

This has kind of been their MO in recent years. They like to start shaky and then go on a tear. That said, I don't think they're as good as they were the last two years.

Finally home after having to watch the game in like six different locations, driving all over the state today. What a god awful start. I don't get the fake punt call at all, though I'm still not sure if that came from Fipp/Campbell or JRM. Either way, not the time or place. Fake punts should come when you catch the defense on their heels, after a lucky third down stop, when they're hoping you're about to punt, when you need a score on that drive, and when you're 95% confident you'll convert. That fake didn't meet any of those categories, let alone all of them. After a dreadful start, major kudos to the coaching staff for not panicking, not throwing in the towel, settling the troops, and pushing forward with the game plan. If the Bucs loss was a coaching loss (Campbell says it was, I'm not so sure); this win is a coaching win.

This feels like Baltimore all over again

When Jack Fox is sending punts too deep you know the team is off their game.

They may have. It looked like they sent someone in motion at the line, may have liked the look and it’s possible JRM has a fake in the back pocket to shift to when they like the look.

Now can we get an edge?

I think Ben Johnson may head to the Eagles, if he leaves this year. That's a team with all the pieces in place but the coach.

I love that this is full of valid reasons for pessimism.... and then a 14-point win prediction. The kind of homerism this site was made for.

If I was Khan, I would hire Pete Carroll as HC-GM. He's not going to be there 10 years, but he can at least right the ship, save Lawrence's career (whatever is left to be saved), and transition to someone younger than him.

If the Jags don't fire Baalke at the same time, the next coach will be setup for failure. Pederson was never a good hire to begin with, but no one was going to succeed with Baalke.

I would have Sirianni higher. 4-8 since week 13 last year. If they don't right the ship and win a playoff game, I think he's gone.

Confession time. Preseason, I scheduled a family function for today, thinking if I had to coincide a function with a Lions game, week seven Lions-Vikings was the time to sacrifice. That game won't be of huge importance, right? Mistakes were made. Family has been warned.

Today will be interesting. We can't give Darnold all day. It's unlikely the Titans offensive line is much challenge for us. But then the Packers. I'd prefer to add another weapon before heading to Lambeau.

SEC officiating is positively reinforcing terrible fan behavior. If you announce a penalty, it should stick. It was a bad call, but you can’t change it after hundreds of Texas morons throw bottles onto the field.

Or maybe our strategy should just be to tell Kerby Joseph to legally tackle Justin Jefferson, have him get a fluke injury (because, you know, tackle football), and allow Vikings fans to all have an aneurysm.

A key to victory will be capitalizing on Minnesota mistakes. They have the 8th most giveaways in the league and are tied for the second most fumbles lost on offense (5), but have made up for it by having the most interceptions in the league on defense (11). Fun fact that I'm totally sure I won't regret pointing out tomorrow: the Lions are the last remaining team in the NFL to have not lost a fumble this season.

This game is hard to get a read on. I could see a Lions blowout win, a Vikings blowout win, or an incredibly close back-and-forth game that could go either way. The latter is probably most likely - statistically and intuitively. The Vikings at 5-0 have only really impressed once, against the Texans. They're very good, but beating the 49ers by 6 in week 2, Packers by 2 in week 4, and Jets by 6 in week 5 doesn't inspire confidence that they're about to go 15-2. But they'll be out to prove whatever doubters they still have that they're for real, and they're coming off a bye week. The further out we get from the Bucs game the more it looks like an outlier for the Lions. I'm still confused how this offense went 1/7 in the red zone. Coming off a laugher in Dallas, normally you would expect a letdown game, but this is a rare opportunity to play as the underdog, which Dan Campbell loves to do. Since the start of the 2023 season, they've only been an underdog in four games (@KC, @Baltimore, @Dallas, @SF). They're 3-1 ATS and 2-2 SU (and would be 3-1 if not for the fiasco in Dallas). I'll predict a 31-30 game without saying who will win.