The Lions look good as they defeat the Colts.

Once again, I was able to score some tickets to the Lions games today. Before mentioning the Lions, I want to give a shout-out to the Red Wings. I was also able to stop by Hockey Fest 2009 before the game and they did a great job with that. There were tons of things to do for the entire family. With that being said, the Joe is getting pretty old and I hope they get a new stadium soon. I think it will really take the excitement for the Wings to the next level.

Let's start off with the numbers, which were somewhat impressive.

-- 25 First Downs
-- 151 Rushing Yards
-- 261 Passing Yards
-- 411 Total Yards
-- Time of Possession: 34 min, 21 sec

So what was so good about these numbers? Well, 25 first downs is impressive because it means that they are moving the ball. In the past seasons, there have been way too many "three and outs" where the offense could not get anything started. The time of possession was also good because it shows that they were able to control the ball. Not only did I feel that these numbers were good, they all happened to be better than the Colts' respective numbers. The Lions offensive numbers were clearly better.

C. Johnson, B. Johnson and Pettigrew all made an immediate impact on the team. It seems like it is much easier for the team to control the ball when all of the weapons are in place. In the first two preseason games they were playing without any of their starting receivers. In today's game they definitely made Culpepper and Stafford look better. Calvin Johnson was sharp and almost hauled in two touchdowns. Once was a circus catch that even the best receiver would drop and the other was just out of bounds. Bryant Johnson caught a nice touchdown pass from Culpepper at the beginning of the second quarter. Pettigrew also looked pretty good when hauling in a couple of passes.


I was impressed with the Lions first two drives with Culpepper under center. They moved the ball well and utilized the screen pass with Kevin Smith. Stafford also looked okay, while Stanton looked impressive as usual. After watching this game I think that the offense will definitely be better this year and should be able to win some games, whether it is Culpepper or Stafford at the quarterback position.

My real problem is with the defense. In the first quarter, the Colts just walked through the Lions and did what they pleased. Now, I know they Colts are good, but there were times they were moving the ball without any pressure at all. That was my main problem with the Lions' effort today. I know they had a few starters missing, but I just don't see an overwhelming improvement. I hope I am wrong and they show that they are improved as the season plays out, but as of now it is still their week spot.

So the offense looks good and the defense looks bad. That is the wrap after the third preseason game. Oh and there is one other thing that I took out of this game. The Lions have the best third string quarterback in the league. Drew Stanton always seems to amaze. This is the second time that he has came in and took us to victory. This time he even added a two point conversion for the win.

They are the same old Lions.

The Lions preseason winning streak has come to an end after the Cleveland Browns won by a score of 27-10. Nothing looked good for the Lions today. I can't believe how bad the starting defense looked. Cleveland's starters were able to march down the field at their will. On the other side, the Lions' offensive starters could not get anything going. Stafford looked like Joey Harrington and that is not good.

I'm not sure what to think after this game. It might put everything into perspective. Is it possible they are the same old Lions and I have just been drinking the Kool-Aide? If the starting QB was based on only preseason games, Drew Stanton would be starting in week 1 and that is not a positive when you have a proven veteran and a kid that you are paying $72 million. I may have to go take another look at my 2009 predictions and make some modifications.

On the other hand, it is only preseason and it doesn't really mean anything. They don't have any of their top receivers playing, although I was impressed with Dane Looker. Not bad for a guy that was at home building a deck last week. All I can say is that I hope these really are not the same old Lions. The way they played in the first quarter, on both sides of the ball, really scared me. I'm not sure what to think. I said that Tom Kowalski was not showing any love to the Lions, but he might have a good reason after watching tonight's game.

Stanton Leads the Lions to Victory

After yesterday's game, the Lions' record has improved to 5-0 within the past two preseasons. The win against Atlanta was an outstanding game. It started a little slow, but the Lions took over in the end. I have not seen the Lions get a come-from-behind victory in a while. Yesterday's victory, even though most of it was played by the second and third stringers, was a classic.

From the very beginning of the game, the atmosphere of the fans was great. There was support for all three quarterbacks. When Culpepper was announced with the starting line up there were cheers. There were louder cheers when Stafford eventually came into the game. Although it was a great game, I fell that it really didn't tell us what we can expect from Culpepper and Stafford. They had absolutely no receivers to throw to.

The Detroit fans are great. The game started of with the usual singing of the National Anthem. The microphone cut out as the guy was singing it. All of the fans started singing it together in response. I thought that was pretty sweet. The game started with Atlanta on the offensive side. I thought about last year's season opener where Matt Ryan threw a bomb for a TD. They tried it again on the first play, but it was incomplete. I thought the defense looked solid, except on Turner's 40 yard TD run.

I was excited to see the new, slim and trim, Culpepper. Like I said earlier, there were no receivers to throw to, so Culpepper wasn't airing it out down field. He did seem like he was in much better shape. He proved to be pretty mobile when he was moving around in the pocket and on a couple keepers. He looked decent overall.

I was skeptical to see Matthew Stafford. He got plenty of cheers when he entered the game. He actually had some very nice passes, especially the touchdown to Derrick Williams. Unfortunately, most of these passes were dropped Keary Colbert. He could not hold onto the ball. He would have been off to the races for a TD with one of the drops. I was also impressed with Stafford's composure. He threw an interception for a touchdown and then came back by throwing a TD pass. That was impressive.

Then there was Drew Stanton. He did a good job in leading the offense and a great job getting the comeback win. He has the mobility to do anything, which he proved by running for 59 yards on only four rushes. I always wished that the Lions would have given him a real chance. I think he has some real potential.

There were two key to the game that I found to be most important. One was Aaron Brown. This kid has some skills. He is fast in the open field and can make people miss. I was glad to see this, especially after watching Cason ealy in the game. To me,Cason doesn't add much as a second running back. That is a position where Detroit may need some help. If Maurice Morris doesn't work out as a second option at RB, Brown might be able to make an impact. Speaking of running backs, Kevin Smith looked pretty good for the little time that he saw.

The other important thing that I noticed was the stats. On paper, Detroit easily beat Atlanta. They had 22 first downs! That's what I wanted to see. Even if they did not win, I want to see them move the ball down field. That is something that the Lions have always had trouble with. There are too many times where it was always three and out. Yesterday's game proved to be different.

I know it was just the preseason and it doesn't mean much, but I thought that the come-from-behind victory was huge. Could any group of guys have done that under Rod Marinelli. I'm not sure if they could have. Hopefully this win says something about Jim Schwartz and his coaching style. At this point, hope is all we can do.

If you missed the game, here are some links to the highlights from NFL.com:
Game Highlights
Matthew Stafford Highlights
Aaron Brown Highlights

Woodward Dream Cruise or Detroit Lions Game

I have not missed a Dream Cruise in the last ten years. I've always gone rain or shine. I didn't even miss it the year of the Great Blackout. This year it is going to be different. I was offered some tickets to go to the game today and I was not sure what to do. Should I go check out the greatest car show in the world or take a look at the all new Lions. Well, I decided to go with the Lions. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go see the $72 million dollar man in action. With that said, he better be the real deal.

I was able to make it down to the Dream Cruise last night. As many times as I have gone to this event, it never gets old. It truly is one of the best days of the year. Only in the Motor City can you see so many people and so many classic cars. Here are just a couple of pictures from last night.

2008 NFL Preseason Champs

Let's not forget about the magical preseason that the Lions had in 2008. They became the 2008 preseason champions by going 4-0. What does that mean? Starting today, they must defend their title. They need to bring their preseason A-game because Tony Gonzalez and the Atlanta Falcons are coming to town. Hopefully the Lions can improve this year by going undefeated in the preseason and winning at least one regular season game.