Mr.TaterSalad

The Soviet Union had elements of democracy in that people did vote for the leaders and officers in their local Soviet. It was single party rule and in that sense, totalitarian and authoritarian because it outlawed other parties, which is a very bad thing for the state to do.

I've heard TJ Lang and Jon Jansen talk about switching sides as an Offensive Lineman before on the Ticket. They've both said it can be very hard at times and isn't as easy as fans make it out to be. The synchronization you have with the guy next to you, knowing the run and pass block calls for your spot, make it more of a challenge then it would seem. These are guys whose opinions I trust on this.

No, there isn't a hard and fast rule. But if you can't run the ball, as they couldn't yesterday, it makes the play action far less effective because as we both know they won't have to key in on the run or stack the box as much.

It's trade deadline time. For all my crowing about Trey Hendrickson, the move I actually want them to make the most is to go out and bring back Kevin Zeitler. While Hendrickson would be amazing to have here, if he is cleared and healthy, we actually don't need another DE/Edge Rusher as much as we need a starting Guard. With Mahogany out for an unknown. lengthy amount of time, we need to get a replacement in there fast. This offense is built around and predicated on ball control, running the football, and using play action. Without a good offensive line, that all falls apart. So I want Holmes to go out and bring back Kevin Zeitler or a starting Guard of some sort. I'm also thinking it feels like we need depth at Tackle with how banged up Taylor Decker is. I would love to go out and get another depth piece along the offensive line at Tackle. We have the draft assets to go and do both. The question is, will Holmes make the move or will he hold firm with what he has and keep his draft assets?

Let me preface my points by saying that I love what Brad Holmes has been doing here in Detroit. He's been a very good GM all on his own accord. He's of course been a very good GM compared to the dog**** GMs we've had over the years from Russ Thomas to Matt Millen to Bob Quinn. My earliest memories of watching the Lions are from about 1992 when i was 5 years old and I think Holmes has easily assembled the most talented team of my lifetime. So I am very happy he is our GM and very happy with the job he has done. That said, I am impatient, as many Lions fans are. I want, we all want, a Super Bowl appearance. In the NFL, your window could be long or it could close in the next season. Just ask fans of organizations like Arizona, Carolina, Jacksonville who had success one season and dropped off a cliff the next season. I'm not saying we will drop off a cliff, I don't believe we will. I do believe though that you have to strike while the iron is hot and do everything you can to win while your window is open. Winning when your window is open doesn't mean you have to go full efff them picks mode like Les Snead in the Rams and trade the next 2-3 years worth of first round draft capital just to make a Super Bowl. I don't want our future completely mortgaged just to make or win a Super Bowl now. That said, something I feel that Holmes' former boss Snead and also Howie Roseman do understand is you have to be aggressive and strike while the iron is hot. They understand that you have a certain window to win and have to maximize your team's potential within that window. I don't think Holmes subscribes to this theory. Rather, I think Holmes is the turtle in the rabbit race. Slow and steady wins the race. Meaning, you work with your staff and put a plan together. A plan that involves building a roster of largely your players, that you've drafted or already had in house. It means valuing draft capital as an asset for the draft, not assets to be traded for name-value or current NFL players. No matter what the fanbase, the media, the pundits, or other organizations think the Lions window to win may or may not be, Holmes doesn't care. And nor should he. As a GM, you have to be confident in your plan and have faith in the process. That doesn't mean though that you can't deviate once in a great while if a really good player can help your team at a position of need or a help put you over the top in being the very best team. It's my and other fans impatience and notion that we are, already, a very good team, that makes us want to be more aggressive like a Roseman or Snead are. It's why we want Trey Hendrickson or Kevin Zietler or some sort of big time move to be made. When we see other, more successful GMs around Brad making moves and him largely standing pat or only making minor, depth-type moves, fans do get a bit frustrated. I know I certainly do.

Yes and that's why they are now looking for more help at DL/Edge Rusher.

Multi-time Super Bowl winning GM Howie Roseman strikes first, second, and third now with the additions of Jaire Alexander, Michael Carter, and Jaelan Phillips. The Eagles are clearly all in to win now.

You have to be able to run the ball first and this offensive line yesterday gave them no opportunity to do so.

A really dreadful performance today all around. This one isn't on Goff or LaPorta, they looked good. But this team looked like dog **** otherwise.

Well that's it. Damn.

Agreed. No need to onsides it.

Finally Morton gets Jaymo open and Goff drops it in the bucket for a TD.

JAYYYYMOOOOOOOOO OMG!!!!!!!!!!

Morton's playcalling has been a dumpster fire today. He looks totally unprepared and out coached.

CLOCK MANAGEMENT ANYONE???

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING THE FOOTBALL MORON???

2nd and 15 and Addison gets a 1st down. Terrible tackling and misses there.

HA ****ING HA! It's just not our day today.

Goff is running for his life today.

ANOTHER ****ING OFFENSIVE PENALTY TODAY!!!

WOW, carting Mahogany off. That's not good.

Ratledge out. Decker down. Mahogany down. Amik hurt.

Great job by Goff there to get the neutral zone infraction.

Take the field goal.