Game 11: Vikings @ Lions *Thanksgiving* Thread

[Tonyballs2]

As I said my good friend Tony. The Vikes are better, top to bottom.

I'll eat crow on that. Keenum isn't better than Staff tho. Keenum is surrounded by a great team IMO..

 

[mhughes0021]

The run game has sucked for 15 years...not sure why you're complaining about it now?

We lost today cause Stafford played awful and the defense couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs in the first half.

 

[Tonyballs2]

The run game has sucked for 15 years...not sure why you're complaining about it now?

We lost today cause Stafford played awful and the defense couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs in the first half.

Meh. Stafford threw for 2 scores and decent yds. If it wasn't for him we'd score 6 points a week.

 

[mhughes0021]

I'll eat crow on that. Keenum isn't better than Staff tho. Keenum is surrounded by a great team IMO..

Dude they have the 4th best passing offense in the league. It was so good today they were able to shut it completely off the entire 2nd half and still won by a touchdown. Keenum completely outplayed Stafford today.... it's not even a question.

 

[dtroitlionsfan951]

Now can you show where the lions rank on this graph? I don't think anyone is saying the lions need to be the dallas cowboys with ezekiel elliott. I think the point being made is you can't be like historically bad. You can't go like 4 years without a 100 yard rusher, and expect to score consistently based purely off of the arm of Stafford. It's hard enough to play a team like the Minnesota Vikings defense. Add in the fact that he has to score all the points himself versus very talented teams and its a recipe for disaster like his record vs winning teams.

 

[brewer229]

Meh. Stafford threw for 2 scores and decent yds. If it wasn't for him we'd score 6 points a week.

Keenum threw for 2 and ran for 1. 21 points for their QB. 14 for ours.

 

[dtroitlionsfan951]

Now can you show where the lions rank on this graph? I don't think anyone is saying the lions need to be the dallas cowboys with ezekiel elliott. I think the point being made is you can't be like historically bad. You can't go like 4 years without a 100 yard rusher, and expect to score consistently based purely off of the arm of Stafford. It's hard enough to play a team like the Minnesota Vikings defense. Add in the fact that he has to score all the points himself versus very talented teams and its a recipe for disaster like his record vs winning teams.

There is no quarterback I've ever watched who can take teams on like the vikings with strong defenses, running games, and playmakers and just defeat them all by themselves. At least not at a near consistent level.

 

[brewer229]

Now can you show where the lions rank on this graph? I don't think anyone is saying the lions need to be the dallas cowboys with ezekiel elliott. I think the point being made is you can't be like historically bad. You can't go like 4 years without a 100 yard rusher, and expect to score consistently based purely off of the arm of Stafford. It's hard enough to play a team like the Minnesota Vikings defense. Add in the fact that he has to score all the points himself versus very talented teams and its a recipe for disaster like his record vs winning teams.

I'm 100% agree you can't expect to win on Stafford's arm.

Aaron Rodgers had a long stretch of no 100 yard rushers won a MVP and Superbowl. But to be fair that is an elite QB, possibly best in the game.

Brady had a couple years with worse running games than the lions,.

But again elite QB. Elite QBs overcome being given sub part around them.

Average QBs play to the level of those around them. Stafford is much closer to average instead of elite.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

Meh. Stafford threw for 2 scores and decent yds. If it wasn't for him we'd score 6 points a week.

This is an argument I think you're both right.

Stafford wasn't good today. He absolutely did get outplayed. This team will only go as far as Stafford takes us. And today he took us to 23 points when 35 was easily attainable. He has to get that ball to Riddick on that screen. Terrible awareness. He missed open throws 5-7 different times.....some in critical 3rd down situations.

But.....he is better than Keenum. Keenum just had a better day. It happens.

I think the entire team was sloppy today and it costs us a victory. Quarterback gets the bulk of the glory and the criticism. Probably deservedly so. But today was a team clusterfuck.....and that's a big issue. Here are just some plays I can think of that killed us.

1. Fells drop. Ball in his hands and he lost it trying to tuck it away. Again. Our TE's suck.
2. Tate's catch and run backwards that cost us a first down. Can't happen. Terrible awareness.
3. Abdullah fumble. Stafford put that ball almost dead center......Abdullah didn't seem to be expecting it. If he was expecting it, why wasn't he even ready?
4. Multiple easy 3rd and short conversions for Minnesota.

This team simply misses too many opportunities to make game changing plays that are right in front of them.

I hate Caldwell. As long as he is here this is exactly how this team will play. Good some days.....bad others. Mostly mediocre. We'll always start slow and struggle to make adjustments. He needs to go!

 

[brewer229]

The thing is 90% of the league is "only going as far as the QB takes you". That is why we been so average the past number of years.

 

[dtroitlionsfan951]

This is an argument I think you're both right.

Stafford wasn't good today. He absolutely did get outplayed. This team will only go as far as Stafford takes us. And today he took us to 23 points when 35 was easily attainable. He has to get that ball to Riddick on that screen. Terrible awareness. He missed open throws 5-7 different times.....some in critical 3rd down situations.

But.....he is better than Keenum. Keenum just had a better day. It happens.

I think the entire team was sloppy today and it costs us a victory. Quarterback gets the bulk of the glory and the criticism. Probably deservedly so. But today was a team clusterfuck.....and that's a big issue. Here are just some plays I can think of that killed us.

1. Fells drop. Ball in his hands and he lost it trying to tuck it away. Again. Our TE's suck.
2. Tate's catch and run backwards that cost us a first down. Can't happen. Terrible awareness.
3. Abdullah fumble. Stafford put that ball almost dead center......Abdullah didn't seem to be expecting it. If he was expecting it, why wasn't he even ready?
4. Multiple easy 3rd and short conversions for Minnesota.

This team simply misses too many opportunities to make game changing plays that are right in front of them.

I hate Caldwell. As long as he is here this is exactly how this team will play. Good some days.....bad others. Mostly mediocre. We'll always start slow and struggle to make adjustments. He needs to go!

+1 to hating Caldwell. It was the worst decision to extend that bum. I like Stafford and think we can win with him. No, he isn't brady or rodgers. He's next tier to me, like most of the league. He just needs a good team around him.

 

[brewer229]

The offense averages just over 16 points from TDs a game. It's tough to win like that.

 

[dubbsco]

Yes, Stafford is a substantially more talented QB. But, Keenum made the plays on a big stage today, and that's what we want out of our QB.

There were plenty of times Keenum was pressured, but he seems to know exactly where to go.

 

[brewer229]

Yes, Stafford is a substantially more talented QB. But, Keenum made the plays on a big stage today, and that's what we want out of our QB.

There were plenty of times Keenum was pressured, but he seems to know exactly where to go.

That's what you want out of a QB. Make the plays any NFL QB can make then make a few tougher plays a game. Don't blow the easy ones.

That is what separates a top QB form an average one.

 

[kdp1980]

Yes, Stafford is a substantially more talented QB. But, Keenum made the plays on a big stage today, and that's what we want out of our QB.

There were plenty of times Keenum was pressured, but he seems to know exactly where to go.

That almost sack by Tabor was a prime example. Shrugs off Tabor and gets the ball out and hits his receiver right between the numbers. That some real ****ing poise there. The TD pass to Rudolph was also huge. He took a shot there, and still dropped a dime

 

[kdp1980]

I don't know about you guys, but this loss is getting less embarrassing. Minnesota is the real deal

 

[dubbsco]

No, it's still embarrassing. It effectively ends the season. At what point will this team get a big win?

 

[tigermud]

No, it's still embarrassing. It effectively ends the season. At what point will this team get a big win?

Next year

 

[grandy]

This team doesn't look ready at times and I tend to blame coaching for that, just look at some of the early drives in both halves...we can all point to individual plays late in the game, but those 2 TDs were enough to keep the Vikings in control throughout the entire game. They can get away with slow starts against teams like the Bears and Browns, but better teams aren't so forgiving and the Lions will never be contenders if they keep this up.

 

[dubbsco]

In game decisions still baffle me.

Why not challenge on that first down?

And why are you going for it at 3:30 when you have a time out and the two minute warning from your own 15-20 yard line?