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Week Seventeen: Chicago Bears (3-12) @ Detroit Lions (7-8)


MichiganCardinal

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13 minutes ago, buddha said:

i can see the need for a running back, but i hope they dont take robinson that high.  they really really really need talent in the secondary.

I expect them to make at least one defensive splash in free agency this offseason too. Last year was full of prove-it deals and re-signing their own guys. I think they’ll be ready to find at least one starter this time around.

Jamel Dean (TB CB), Marcus Davenport (NO EDGE), and James Bradberry (PHI CB) are all possibilities that would be immediate plug-and-play options. If you can address one layer of the defense in free agency, I would be perfectly okay with taking a stud running back and another layer in the first round, and then another defender or two in the second round. If you leave the off-season with four upgrades on the defense, I think you’re in really good shape to compete for the North.

Offense is what wins championships in the 2022 NFL. If you see Bijan Robinson as the Kamara to your Saints or McCaffery to you, I think you take him even if it’s with the first pick. With the comps I’ve seen for him, I don’t think he makes it past #10.

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23 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

I expect them to make at least one defensive splash in free agency this offseason too. Last year was full of prove-it deals and re-signing their own guys. I think they’ll be ready to find at least one starter this time around.

Jamel Dean (TB CB), Marcus Davenport (NO EDGE), and James Bradberry (PHI CB) are all possibilities that would be immediate plug-and-play options. If you can address one layer of the defense in free agency, I would be perfectly okay with taking a stud running back and another layer in the first round, and then another defender or two in the second round. If you leave the off-season with four upgrades on the defense, I think you’re in really good shape to compete for the North.

Offense is what wins championships in the 2022 NFL. If you see Bijan Robinson as the Kamara to your Saints or McCaffery to you, I think you take him even if it’s with the first pick. With the comps I’ve seen for him, I don’t think he makes it past #10.

Perfectly said. And with Detroit being so close to being a serious contender, it may be an appealing place for a FA to come to. We may be able to draft for depth instead of need. I guess it depends on which free agents we sign.

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55 minutes ago, buddha said:

i dont think detroit is close to being a serious contender.  theyre in the muddy middle right now, and theyre close to being near the top of the muddy middle, but they are far away from buffalo or the chiefs or even philly.

Isn't great QB play what really separates Buffalo, KC, and Philly? If you put Goff on either of those 3 teams are they still in the elite class of the NFL? And doesn't that then make the case that if you want to be elite like those teams are that you have to move on from Goff? I'm not saying I want to move on from Goff, just that it's basically one player at one position that separates those 3 teams from the rest of the league.

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10 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Isn't great QB play what really separates Buffalo, KC, and Philly? If you put Goff on either of those 3 teams are they still in the elite class of the NFL? And doesn't that then make the case that if you want to be elite like those teams are that you have to move on from Goff? I'm not saying I want to move on from Goff, just that it's basically one player at one position that separates those 3 teams from the rest of the league.

the lions defense is also atrocious.  they dont have the offense consistently enough to make up for it.

another solid draft, a free agent or two, and you might have a team to challenge for the division if/when rodgers leaves.  right now they arent there.

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4 minutes ago, KL2 said:

We don't know that 

If they come out and go 4-13 next year, it won't loo so sustainable 

Depends on how you look at it. We will own all our picks and a very low team payroll and tons of youth under control for a few more years. Plus 4-13 would most likely put us in the top 5 draft pick range. 

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3 hours ago, KL2 said:

We don't know that 

If they come out and go 4-13 next year, it won't loo so sustainable 

Detroit has the fifth highest scoring offense in the league, despite multiple injuries to OL, RB, WR. Five of their eight losses were by a combined 17 points. 

Every season is its own thing, but Holmes has probably had the two best back-to-back drafts in Lions history, and for his third he has five of about the top 80 picks. 

Next year they should challenge for the division title.

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20 hours ago, buddha said:

i dont think detroit is close to being a serious contender.  theyre in the muddy middle right now, and theyre close to being near the top of the muddy middle, but they are far away from buffalo or the chiefs or even philly.

We played both the Bills and the Eagles and we were a play or 2 away from winning either game. After this years draft, I expect them to be even better. Maybe winning some of those close games. Whether we admit it or not, this team is trending in the right direction. We should contend for the division next season. 

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1 hour ago, Sports_Freak said:

We played both the Bills and the Eagles and we were a play or 2 away from winning either game. After this years draft, I expect them to be even better. Maybe winning some of those close games. Whether we admit it or not, this team is trending in the right direction. We should contend for the division next season. 

they've been shredded by the pats, jets (wilson with 300 yards!), and panthers om defense.  their secondary has looked like absolute garbage for over a month.  their running game has been bad for the last 4 or 5 games too.  the vaunted offensive line just hasnt been that strong in the run game, imo.

hey, its the nfl.  every new season is a chance for some nothingburger team to come out of nowhere and surprise people with some lucky wins (like the giants and vikings this year).  that could totally be the lions next year.

but as a team to compete against the best?  i dont see it.  not until they upgrade at playmakers on offense (most notably at qb) and the talent on defense improves (especially the secondary).

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I see Bijan Robinson mocked as early as 4 and as late as 31. 

If he is available when the Lions have their first round pick (somewhere around 18) should they bite? We have seen how explosive the offense is when Swift is on his game, but he is so often off his game, and he is unlikely to make it to a second contract. 

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There are a lot of secondary RB prospects I like that I think will go in the 2nd/ 3rd rounds. 

Gibbs might not make it that far...

But Zach Evans, Zach Carbonnet, Tank Bigsby all look like they could fit the bill as good as, or just a cut below, than Bijan. Just guessing... but I could see all defense in the 1st round and a RB/ 3rd defensive guy split in the 2nd round. I would prefer it that way to be honest...

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On 12/31/2022 at 10:32 AM, Tigeraholic1 said:

Secondary needs a total overhaul.

I think "a total overhaul" is not correct.

"More juice" is all they need. One high round (top 3 rounds) draftee at CB and Safety, one each, and Holmes selecting the "right guy" with those picks.. and the secondary will be better.

But... this isn't in isolation either. Use the top 3 rounds to also find another edge pass-rusher, a LB'er, and if we are so lucky a pass-rushing interior D-Lineman (Jalen Carter if we could get so lucky) and that also improves our secondary.

I don't think we are anywhere near needing a "total overhaul".

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Are the Lions better than the Bears? Absolutely. But I suffer from something called PLSD (Post Lions Stress Disorder). If you grew up watching them - you know. I recall a game in 2000. Lions were 9-6 - taking on the lowly 4-11 Bears at home. All they needed was a win against those lowly Bears and they were in the playoffs. Then Bears rookie kicker Paul Edinger lined up for a 54 yard field goal with 2 seconds left. His longest, to that date, was 51 yards. Wouldn't you know, he nailed it. Not only did it mean no playoffs for the Lions, but the Lions fired everyone and brought in Matt Millen - didn't make the playoffs for over a decade. That's kind of what I expect today -- a crushing disappointment. Sorry, this is a life time of PLSD.   I hope I am wrong, but always expect the worse with this curse. 

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16 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

Are the Lions better than the Bears? Absolutely. But I suffer from something called PLSD (Post Lions Stress Disorder). If you grew up watching them - you know. I recall a game in 2000. Lions were 9-6 - taking on the lowly 4-11 Bears at home. All they needed was a win against those lowly Bears and they were in the playoffs. Then Bears rookie kicker Paul Edinger lined up for a 54 yard field goal with 2 seconds left. His longest, to that date, was 51 yards. Wouldn't you know, he nailed it. Not only did it mean no playoffs for the Lions, but the Lions fired everyone and brought in Matt Millen - didn't make the playoffs for over a decade. That's kind of what I expect today -- a crushing disappointment. Sorry, this is a life time of PLSD.   I hope I am wrong, but always expect the worse with this curse. 

No, I see a Detroit win this week. And a Green Bay win. That gets next week's game flexed to a night game, winner goes to the playoffs. This is the game where we get our hearts broken. But meaningful games this late in the season? I'll take it....

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