Comments on Armchair Linebacker: This Time, We're Bringing a Bazooka

Watching this game with a couple of my friends who...

2012-01-08T05:11:33.295-05:00

Watching this game with a couple of my friends who are Cowboys fans but polite enough to cheer for me when their team is already irrelevant, one phrase kept coming out of their mouths. "I'm sorry."

It was a legitimate gesture to be sure, and I shook their hands solemnly and thanked them for the support when all was said and done, but no apology need be made from anybody not employed by the NFL's officiating department.

Here's why, bear with me on a terribly redundant history lesson:

2008 was darkness incarnate. That's all I'm saying about that.

2009 was like one of those epic cockteases where a girl invites you to her place after drinks at a bar, then stumbles into the door, breaks her nose, vomits on the carpet directly underneath her face, and then has her husband patiently ask you to leave and offer to pay for your cab fare.

2010 was a premise that the pieces were in place, but the circumstances were wrong. So very, very wrong. I sum this up best in the moment during the Jets game, before(if I recall) Stafford got hurt, when Jason Hanson got hurt and Suh botched the extra point like some kind of circus accident, and I and everyone else in Ford Field slowly deflated as we got taken to OT, beaten, and were suddenly without the stability we so craved from our roster.

But this year, everybody kept thumping their chests and saying "playoffs or bust." Well guess the fuck what, we made it. 10-6 is admirable for any team, not just one of those copout "not bad for the Lions" results. We got put up against a team that wins their games under the pretense that most teams get bored of scoring points against them after a while and start coloring or playing with Hot Wheels. We lost. It sucked.

But we made the playoffs, securing a wild card berth in arguably one of the toughest NFL divisions, and continue to at least get Calvin Johnson the respect and fear he deserves even if Stafford gets baffingly swept under the rug for passing over 5,000 yards the one year where that's not really a big deal, I guess.

After the game, same Cowboys fans asked me almost immediately "So what's your guys' draft plan?" And I gave it a thought, answered with my personal opinion: "Cornerbacks, Offensive linemen, maybe a late RB." And I stared out the backseat window of the car at the city, smiling at the picture in my head of the Detroit Lions - 2012 NFC North champions.

Thanks for the camaraderie, everybody. Pick yourself back up, order a stiff drink and remind yourself that what you told people when you were being "cautiously optimistic" came magically true thanks to our personal heroes in the Honolulu blue.

And for all those guys in the zebra stripes who kept us from regaining any kind of momentum, I would like to quote a man I trust and respect a great deal:

"Hey, learn the fucking rules!" -- Jim Schwartz, September 25, 2011

Yeah . . .

2012-01-07T23:25:49.569-05:00

Yeah . . .

I hate the fact that the officials are soaking the...

2012-01-07T22:13:07.112-05:00

I hate the fact that the officials are soaking the Lions right now. The NFL are under no circumstances going to allow your boys to win this game. That last drive should have ended at the 17 yard line, where it was stopped, but the zebras spotted the Saints a yard for some reason. I'm sorry man, I really am, because the same thing's gonna happen to my Falcons tomorrow.

It's not "sports", it's "sports entertainment" come playoff time.

Sing while throwing up. Like smiling in the face o...

2012-01-07T16:01:07.439-05:00

Sing while throwing up. Like smiling in the face of the devil.

You are amazing, all you guys commenting are amazi...

2012-01-07T12:47:29.476-05:00

You are amazing, all you guys commenting are amazing, our team and QB are amazing. Also, I kind of want to either throw up or sing our retarded theme song or both. Go Lions!

Sandy, Yeah, I agree with a lot of that. The Sain...

2012-01-06T16:31:32.724-05:00

Sandy,

Yeah, I agree with a lot of that. The Saints lack of focus could mean all the difference in the world - provided that's what's actually going on here. But we can't forget that the Lions have to bring it too.

And I agree totally about being glad that we're not getting the now familiar Brennaman/Billick/Pereira three-headed hound from hell in this one.

Bubba, Hell yeah, man.

2012-01-06T16:28:08.423-05:00

Bubba,

Hell yeah, man.

Ryden, May the hand of God bless you during that ...

2012-01-06T16:27:25.397-05:00

Ryden,

May the hand of God bless you during that fateful moment. (Oh great, now I'm giving benedictions.)

"36 hours to go and I'm already hypervent...

2012-01-06T16:25:36.286-05:00

"36 hours to go and I'm already hyperventilating."

I hear the only cure for that is to drown a hobo in a ditch and then eat his heart. I mean, that's just what I hear.

Lord Anonymous, It seems like a lot of us are arr...

2012-01-06T16:24:28.199-05:00

Lord Anonymous,

It seems like a lot of us are arriving at the same conclusions/being struck by the same "weird" feeling you describe and I can't help but believe that there's a reason for that beyond simple wide-eyed optimism and hope. In fact, a lot of the people who are on board with this seem to be amongst the more level-headed of the fanbase/those who don't usually get caught up in the advances of that sweet seductress Hope, and I'm taking this as a good sign. Then again, maybe the playoffs have driven us all crazy and shattered our sense of context and truth and maybe we're all descending into a dumb anarchy of the mind, but then again maybe not and maybe we're actually right and on Saturday night we'll all end up happy fools with nothing but love in our hearts. Let's hope.

Right on, Marc. The Saints aren't even botheri...

2012-01-06T16:20:23.826-05:00

Right on, Marc. The Saints aren't even bothering to pretend that they're into this one.

Whiouxsie, I knew I loved you for a reason.

2012-01-06T16:18:51.036-05:00

Whiouxsie,

I knew I loved you for a reason.

"I’m getting worked up and I should probably ...

2012-01-06T11:43:25.058-05:00

"I’m getting worked up and I should probably take an ice bath or dive off the roof naked into the snow, but my neighbors complained the last time I did that." LOLs. Thanks as always for your perspective Neil.

My frame of mind going into this game is not to expect a win, but to expect a clean, hard-fought battle where the Lions can earn a modicum of respect from those who have only seen them play the hotheaded games on Thankgiving and the following week on national TV. I have to remind myself that this is one of the toughest stadiums (stadia?...following your question of penises / penii) to play in and an opponent that has had lots of time to gel with their schemes and their core players in place.

I find it hard to dislike the Saints for the way they carry themselves, but this has all the makings of a "trap game" for them, where they are looking past it and not having the kind of focus you talk about.

This has to be a three-phase, total team effort. Our secondary should be in much better shape for this game, and it helps that Lance Moore may not be available for the Saints. As for the D-Line, I can't help but think that they want to be defined by this game, make that redefined, and in a good way. That image of Fairley torching the O-Line while he was still in the first Saints match-up is still in my mind.

I just read Bill Barnwell's game preview on Grantland, and he seems to be a voice of reason, one of the few who acknowledges that the last game was a lot closer than the scoreboard showed. (He still has the Saints by 8 though.)

I actually think that the fact that nobody is picking the Lions means that they won't carry the weight of expectations, and will be able to just go out and execute. They are out to prove on offense that they have other big guns besides St. Calvin. I foresee Scheffler getting lots of targets and having a big game. On D, they are out to prove that Drew Brees is no Matt Flynn...well, not exactly that, but that they have SOME ability to slow down a QB. We need Tulloch to have a big game stopping the run and making Sproles one-dimensional. If Brees has to make close to 50 passing attempts, I feel like we can pick one or two off.

Final thought: Despite Al Michaels having a hard-on for the Saints,I am glad that we get the NBC broadcast team. Lions fans have suffered way too many games listening to that asshat league apologist Mike Periera, or Brennamen/Billick, or Buck/Aikman (recall that they didn't seem to know that the Lions-Cowboys game was OVER.)

We can deep six these Saints in the deep South. Win or lose, Saturday night is going to be a wild ride.

Whats up here ? half of you "Are not sure&quo...

2012-01-06T09:01:40.048-05:00

Whats up here ? half of you "Are not sure" that we will win ? The Saints are bringing a knife to a gunfight Loved Tombstone and Flight of the Intruder..Put your mask on it's gonna be a gunfight..lets go downtown. Lets go LIONS

I'm more excited for this game then Christmas ...

2012-01-06T08:58:57.607-05:00

I'm more excited for this game then Christmas and NYE rolled together.

I must have conviently blocked the memory of the 1st saints game because I totally forgot about all the BS calls in that game. The only thing that will make Saturday night more awesome is if I took shrooms beforehand and felt the hand of God when Staff/Megatron hooked up for their first TD

36 hours to go and I'm already hyperventilatin...

2012-01-06T08:21:52.171-05:00

36 hours to go and I'm already hyperventilating.

Dudes, I think we all have the same feeling for th...

2012-01-06T03:15:17.170-05:00

Dudes, I think we all have the same feeling for this one.

It will be a shootout and a free-for-all gun fight (complete with barrels and cactus and - hopefully - a brothel...all wrapped into one.

That D-Line can rise to the occasion. Remember the energy in that Monday Night game vs. the Bears? I think they will bring it.

Having Delmas back is HUGE. I think he covered up a lot of stuff in the defensive backfield.

I have a weird feeling about this game. "Good" weird. I'm not sure the Lions will win, but then again...maybe we will.

Lord Anonymous

Good write up Neil. I believe The Lions play bet...

2012-01-06T01:44:01.688-05:00

Good write up Neil.

I believe The Lions play better in the underdog role....underestimated and counted out.

Just so they can come out and beat the shit out of "the better team". I remember that last game against The Saints. I have seen all the pundits and so called experts with their "analysis"....*opines....as in anal that is*, and thats fine. The game I saw showed me that The Lions beat themselves....as U said.

The Lions have confidence and an Identity now. And even moreso, a chip on their shoulder....if its any1 that should be leery of what is to come, its The Saints....they can sit around in the drunken euphoria of their accomplishments all they want....

The Howitzer and his Gang are comin' a callin'....and their out for a reckonin'....

*apologies Neil....Tombstone is 1 of my favorite flicks as well....*

In a pass-happy league, the team with the great pa...

2012-01-06T01:00:16.428-05:00

In a pass-happy league, the team with the great pass rush is the team that can stop the other team's pass, and thus, the team that can win.

It makes the Giants dangerous for anyone, as you said (and New England fans still remember from 4 years ago). It's how the lowly Rams beat the Saints earlier this year, because sacking is the one thing they do real well.

Where are Detroit's best athletes on Defense? That's right, on the line, pass rushing.

They don't even have to get sacks per se, just jump up a lot and knock those short quick passes down, or push a guard back into Brees so he can't step forward and uncork a deep ball. Don't even have to do it all game long; just one or two more times than the Saints' D does it to Detroit's own big play pass-happy offense.

Very much a winnable game for Detroit. Doesn't mean they will, but they definitely can.

Exactly, my good man. Exactly.

2012-01-05T23:13:22.519-05:00

Exactly, my good man. Exactly.

Damn straight. Lions-Saints will not be a blowout,...

2012-01-05T21:59:35.077-05:00

Damn straight. Lions-Saints will not be a blowout, it will be a shootout.

Hell, the line is up to 11 points. I'll take that in a freaking heartbeat with the Lions' offense alone.

Well said about the previous game. For all the talk of it being a blowout in the MSM, I have to wonder if anyone really watched it. I still think the Lions did more to lose that game than the Saints did to win. The game should have gone down to the wire, but there was that pesky damn mental meltdown thing. I don't see that happening again.

Will the Lions win? I'm not confident they will. But do the Lions have better than a puncher's chance? Damn straight they do, and if the Saints go in overconfident...they'll be KOed by Stafford's right arm.