Week 13 Cheat Sheet: Lions' historic run ignored
Before you moan and groan about having to sit through a Titans-Lions blowout on Thanksgiving afternoon, take a bit of time to be thankful.
After all, you have it easy.
You only have to watch the Lions once this entire season. Sure, it might make your turkey go down a little rougher, and yes, it may force you to watch a Real Housewives of Orange County marathon on Thursday instead, but have a heart.
I mean — imagine being an actual Lions fan.
Yikes.
With the city's local politics draped in corruption, the presidents of the Big Three auto manufacturers all taking individual private jets to Washington D.C. last week, and Michigan football having just completed its worst college football season in decades — it hasn't been easy for natives of the 313 this fall. The Lions are 0-11, and barring a Thanksgiving miracle, are about to be embarrassed on national TV.
Of course, Lions fans have grown accustomed to such morbidity in recent years. Consider some of these numbers:
Since 2001, the Lions have never finished better than second to last in the NFC North.
Since 2001, the Lions have not finished a single season with even a .500 record.
The Lions have lost 92 games in 7 years — an average of 13 losses per season.
Over their past nineteen games, the Lions have won once.
And yet, for as bad as the Lions have been this decade, they've never been worse than they are right now. The 2008 Lions are a study in futility. Consider some of these numbers:
The 0-11 Lions have lost only one game by less than 3 points; a contest decided by a safety in which their quarterback inexplicably stepped out of the end zone while rolling out for a pass in the first half.
The Lions are ranked dead last in the league in total defense, giving up 31.5 points per game.
The Lions are ranked dead last in the league in rushing defense, giving up 166.7 rushing yards per game.
The Lions are dead last in the league in interceptions, with just two the entire year.
The Lions are among the bottom five teams in the league in scoring offense (17.5 points per game), total yardage (270 yards per game), rushing offense (83.4 yards per game), first downs (14.6 per game) and time of possession.
Someone throw Lions coach Rod Marinelli a lifeline, please. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
And a soft part of their schedule is not exactly right around the corner, either. After their "bout" with 10-1 Tennessee on Thursday, the Lions take on the 6-5 Vikings, the 7-4 Colts, the 6-5 Saints, and the 5-6 Packers. Each of those teams should be fighting for their postseason lives when they take the field with woeful Detroit. I don't see a win coming in any of those games.
The amazing thing is that the Lions are en route to an 0-16 season, and it's not even a big national story. No one's really talking about it, because no one's really surprised. The Lions jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter versus Tampa Bay last week, only to find themselves down by halftime. They eventually lost the game by 18, giving up 35 points in two quarters. And yet, all that was buried at the bottom of the highlight packages on the Sunday night recap shows.
It's like we're almost numb to it by now. "Oh, the Lions squandered a 17-point lead and lost by three scores? So, what? What's for dinner, mom?"
Going through the annals of NFL history, no team has ever gone 0-16. The '76 Bucs went 0-14, but they were an expansion team. The 1960 Cowboys, also in their first year in existence, went 0-10. A bunch of other teams during the WWII and Depression eras — ones with cool names like the Columbus Panhandles, the Muncie Flyers and Louisville Brecks — have gone winless, too. But no squad has done the 0-16 trick, and only the '76 Bucs lost more than 10 games of all the winless wonders.
It looks like the '08 Lions are well on their way to such infamy.
At least hope is right around the corner, though, right? Sadly, not really.
Their quarterback situation is bleak, aside from Calvin Johnson, no recent first-round draft pick is doing much of anything (Ernie Sims may still be enjoying that piggy-back ride into the end zone from DeAngelo Williams two weeks ago), and the defense could pass for an actual piece of Swiss cheese. As the guys at the Lions blog FireMillen.com wrote this week, "Week after week, game after game, the Lions continue to hemorrhage. They are on life support, but are brain-dead."
And on Thursday, they'll be on a platter for an entire country to digest. With the Titans angry after a disappointing loss last weekend, and the Lions having lost four straight Thanksgiving contests by an average of 20.3 points per game — this one has the potential to ruin an entire nation's appetite.
If you don't have a stomach, at least have a heart.
After all, one fan base has to watch this team every weekend.
Reply With Quote
![[PinPals]Apu's Avatar](images/avatars/MAGUSS.gif "[PinPals]Apu's Avatar")
Originally Posted by [PinPals]Apu
He backs up Clinton Portis. I actually wish him well, but his salary was huge (especially considering his post-injury production) and Ruskell was right to cut him last year.
