With the top 10 pick in the draft...

[biggunsbob]

Draft a tackle first and defense next then back to the offensive line third..

 

[kingofdetroit57]

Lewan was my #1 choice last year. Is he playing good for the Titans?

I know he was last year. Couldn't tell you about this season since I haven't watched much football yet. Probably only 2.5wks total games across the first three weeks of the season.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/tit...-taylor-lewan-two-postseason-honors/21749187/

 

[grandy]

The Lions have spent four top 76 picks on the o-line in the last four drafts, how many more picks do they need to spend? Perhaps somebody with more knowledge can elaborate...which o-line problems are specifically talent-related? Could it be improved with scheme, play calling, line calls, QB mobility?

I think it's great they want to build the lines, but I can't help but feel that there's a simpler, less costly solution, whatever that may be, to improving the o-line. The dart board theory is eventually going to lead to holes elsewhere.

 

[tonyballs]

The Lions have spent four top 76 picks on the o-line in the last four drafts, how many more picks do they need to spend? Perhaps somebody with more knowledge can elaborate...which o-line problems are specifically talent-related? Could it be improved with scheme, play calling, line calls, QB mobility?

I think it's great they want to build the lines, but I can't help but feel that there's a simpler, less costly solution, whatever that may be, to improving the o-line. The dart board theory is eventually going to lead to holes elsewhere.

Well, they need another DE, DT, CB, S and maybe another WR. That about covers it..lol.

 

[tonyballs]

The Lions have spent four top 76 picks on the o-line in the last four drafts, how many more picks do they need to spend? Perhaps somebody with more knowledge can elaborate...which o-line problems are specifically talent-related? Could it be improved with scheme, play calling, line calls, QB mobility?

I think it's great they want to build the lines, but I can't help but feel that there's a simpler, less costly solution, whatever that may be, to improving the o-line. The dart board theory is eventually going to lead to holes elsewhere.

It's everything you said though. From Stafford to Lombardi to Swanson....ALL of them. I think the biggest problem is the system. Staff showed some promise in his comp% last year and cut down on his INTs, but it was a boring offense. This year he seems to be at par or better with his comp% but his picks are up again. The offense is stagnant........something has to be done

 

[dubbsco]

I just think the franchise needs an overhaul. New HC, GM, franchise QB. This was the year that everything was supposed to click and surpass Green Bay as the best in the NFC North.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Out of the 2010, 2011, and 2012 draft classes, the Lions got a total of 1 starter and 2 backups. Riley Reiff is the starter, Whitehead and Lewis are backup LBs. Those 3 were taken in 2012, we have no one on the roster from the 2010 and 2011 drafts.

We're basically screwed. Our team should be lead and dominated by players from these 3 classes.

 

[dubbsco]

Forgot the exact number, but it was something along the lines of, in the last five drafts, Green Bay has kept all but 3 or 4 of their picks within the organization.

Here in Motown, there are entire draft classes that are gone.

 

[zyxt9]

It is absolutely the system. Let's examine the evidence:
1. Stafford throws for 5000+ yards
2. Offense in top 10 in points for several years.
3. Offense in top 10 in yards.
4. Coaching change.
5. Stafford is lucky to have 4000 yards.
6. Offense in the bottom 10 in points.
7. Offense in the bottom 10 in yards.

The talent level on the offense is higher than it was back when they were in the top 10 statistically.

Now, some will say that is all due to Stafford, and there is something to say for the fact he is not an elite QB no matter how much the slappies want him to be. However, when the new staff came in and "fixed" Stafford's issues, they actually broke him instead while simultaneously providing the worst schemes and play calls in the history of the NFL. Seriously. Even when they went 0-16 they had better schemes and play calls, they just didn't have the talent to execute. Right now, they have talent, but the scheme is so conservative and easy for DCs to figure out how to defend that it is only the sheer talent that allows them to move the ball with any amount of success. When something works, the OC outsmarts the opponent by no longer using that play. He's mad...and not a mad genius, must mad. He is the Anti-Vince in his family.

 

[tonyballs]

I just think the franchise needs an overhaul. New HC, GM, franchise QB. This was the year that everything was supposed to click and surpass Green Bay as the best in the NFC North.

Who said we were supposed to unseat GB as Kings of the North? That's insane

 

[tomdalton22]

It is absolutely the system. Let's examine the evidence:
1. Stafford throws for 5000+ yards
2. Offense in top 10 in points for several years.
3. Offense in top 10 in yards.
4. Coaching change.
5. Stafford is lucky to have 4000 yards.
6. Offense in the bottom 10 in points.
7. Offense in the bottom 10 in yards.

The talent level on the offense is higher than it was back when they were in the top 10 statistically.

Now, some will say that is all due to Stafford, and there is something to say for the fact he is not an elite QB no matter how much the slappies want him to be. However, when the new staff came in and "fixed" Stafford's issues, they actually broke him instead while simultaneously providing the worst schemes and play calls in the history of the NFL. Seriously. Even when they went 0-16 they had better schemes and play calls, they just didn't have the talent to execute. Right now, they have talent, but the scheme is so conservative and easy for DCs to figure out how to defend that it is only the sheer talent that allows them to move the ball with any amount of success. When something works, the OC outsmarts the opponent by no longer using that play. He's mad...and not a mad genius, must mad. He is the Anti-Vince in his family.

In theory their system and philosophy is a good one. On offense, have a somewhat balanced attack and don't turn the ball over which helps put the defense in a better position. That said...it clearly isn't working. They don't have the OL to run ball or protect the QB, the QB isn't accurate enough, makes questionable decisions and poor pocket awareness so they continue to turn the ball over and the defense just isn't good enough either. My guess is CJ is a little less of an athletic freak that he has been in the past. He probably isn't going to consistently make those freak plays to bail out Matt like he did over those "chuck it all over the place" days. He did save Matt from a 3rd INT yesterday when he snatched the ball out of Talib's hands!

 

[grandy]

The sad part is that the Lions are 27th in time of possession this season. They can't even do conservative right.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/average-time-of-possession-net-of-ot

 

[dubbsco]

Fans, Jim Miller (said Super Bowl champs), come on man, this was the year that EVERYTHING was supposed to come together. Deepest team in years, talent all over the board.

I get Lombardi sucks, but changing the OC doesn't fix this team. They have issues that run deep beyond what they call.

 

[tbone413]

It is absolutely the system. Let's examine the evidence:
1. Stafford throws for 5000+ yards
2. Offense in top 10 in points for several years.
3. Offense in top 10 in yards.
4. Coaching change.
5. Stafford is lucky to have 4000 yards.
6. Offense in the bottom 10 in points.
7. Offense in the bottom 10 in yards.

The talent level on the offense is higher than it was back when they were in the top 10 statistically.

Now, some will say that is all due to Stafford, and there is something to say for the fact he is not an elite QB no matter how much the slappies want him to be. However, when the new staff came in and "fixed" Stafford's issues, they actually broke him instead while simultaneously providing the worst schemes and play calls in the history of the NFL. Seriously. Even when they went 0-16 they had better schemes and play calls, they just didn't have the talent to execute. Right now, they have talent, but the scheme is so conservative and easy for DCs to figure out how to defend that it is only the sheer talent that allows them to move the ball with any amount of success. When something works, the OC outsmarts the opponent by no longer using that play. He's mad...and not a mad genius, must mad. He is the Anti-Vince in his family.

Agreed with this post and others that are blaming the scheme...

I blame Mayhew first and foremost, but for the CURRENT situation (as in the Offense looking like a JV football team) I blame Caldwell and Lombardi for the following reasons:

1. Caldwell and Lombardi were hired because of their (perceieved) ability to 'fix' QB's mechanics. This was all anyone talked about when they got hired...and as zyxt mentioned, they took an above average QB and top 10 offense, and totally neutured it. A 'Smart' coach would have come in and kept the foundation of the playbook the same, building layers and his own style to it. However, Caldwell decides to throw away the old (pretty successful) playbook, and instead install a highly (id say overly) complex system which is fitted for a QB known for his precision throws and low turnover rate (neither of which Stafford excels at).

In addition, they are forcing Stafford to play under center, when he has been MUCH more sucessful in the shotgun, and he is playing behind the worst Oline in the league...which leads me to my next point.

2. Lombardi's biggest mistake is his overly complex blocking scheme for the O-line. People seem to forget (or it doesnt get mentioned on here atleast), that our O-Line is extremely in experiened, averaging around 1 year worth of starts per player (Minus Manny R). We started the year with Reiff as the only player in the same spot as last year. We had a new LG,C,RG,RT, with basically all of them being inexperienced. Youd think a (smart) coach would realize this and install a fairly basic blocking scheme which would allow the guys to 'gel' and at the very least keep the QB upright. However, that is not the case, and it shows damn near every series when an O Line man flat out misses an assignment allowing a Defender to run full speed at Stafford. That is not a sign of 'lack of talent' on the O-Line (as we have spent some high Draft Picks on that group), it is a sign of young guys not understanding their responsibilities, which is 100% on the coaches.


Bottom line is this coaching staff has done absolutely nothing they claimed they would do when hired. They were only successful last year due to the Defense playing lights out behind a monster D-line which was essentially playing for a contract as an entire unit (and it showed).

 

[tbone413]

As for Mayhew - hes on my shit list for the following (among others):

1. He basically spends his entire tenure building up a 'Mega D-line' and bases the defensive personel around the premise of getting pressure on the QB. Then he allows basically his entire D-Line to walk away this season, and does almost nothing to fix it. It should come as no surprise that players who were brought into fit a certain system will now struggle when asked to fill a different role (Ngata...)

2. He hired Caldwell because he was the anti Shwartz (reserved personality vs brash, Offensive minded vs Defensive specalist). He was the classic reverse hire that so many teams tend to do. Caldwell has failed to deliver and that is on Mayhew

3. Caldwell (hired by Mayhew) hired Lombardi as his OC (which wasnt his first choice BTW), and there is no way to spin the ineptiude of Lombardi's skill as a offensive coordinator.

 

[detrisin]

Whisenhunt looks smarter on a daily basis for not taking this job.

 

[tonyballs]

Fans, Jim Miller (said Super Bowl champs), come on man, this was the year that EVERYTHING was supposed to come together. Deepest team in years, talent all over the board.

I get Lombardi sucks, but changing the OC doesn't fix this team. They have issues that run deep beyond what they call.

Fans and Jim Miller!! Lmfao....awesome! They were never taking the North this year...EVER. As long as Rodgers is upright, it's the Packers division.

And bottomline....the OC needs to go.

 

[tonyballs]

Whisenhunt looks smarter on a daily basis for not taking this job.

This is one of the dumbest things I have read in a while...lol.

 

[dubbsco]

Fine, and even giving you that, stop selling this team short before the season began. There was a TON of pub for them being a great team.

 

[tonyballs]

Fine, and even giving you that, stop selling this team short before the season began. There was a TON of pub for them being a great team.

There's always pub, man! Means jackshit. Hell, Ladanian Tomlinson on the NFLN picked them to win the division and they seem to get love every weekend. Bradshaw hypes up Stafford and the Lions weekly. It means nothing. They gotta do it!!!
I had them winning 10 games this year. Now it looks like they might not win 5 games lol. They have the talent on both sides of the ball. They have stars on both sides of the ball!!! Not just talent. Idk what the problem is but they need to figure it out right quick.