Detroit Sports Thread

[NATEDOG001976]

Johnson 4 Td's VS. lions!

[Matt White]

Originally posted by NATEDOG001976
Motor City kitties will get crushed by the Vikes!! Vikes are playing some mean defense right now!

What would it matter?

Even if the "Vikes" make the playoffs...they'll choke...like always

[Keeyth]

Ouch!!

[ALinChainz]

Home game dudes ... Vikes have been tough at home ... lucked out against the Giants on special teams ...

This is the kind of thing that lights a fire ... if just for a week ...

Remember, they replaced the OC also ... back to the guy who finished up last season ...when Joey had his best 3 game stretch and Kevin Jones was lighting it up.

Johnson is nearing 40, who has he played yet who can provide a pass rush?

[Keeyth]

Bengals, Broncos or Colts will take it this year. Simple as that.

[ALinChainz]

Have never seen the Colts defense as tough as it is ...

How long can they keep it up will be the question ... we know the offense is the goods ...

[ALinChainz]

Garcia will start at QB for Lions against Vikings

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer

November 30, 2005

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Jeff Garcia will start at quarterback for the Detroit Lions on Sunday against Minnesota.

Dick Jauron made the announcement Wednesday, two days after taking over as Lions coach on an interim basis in place of the fired Steve Mariucci.

Jauron also said cornerback Dre' Bly apologized to his teammates at a meeting Wednesday morning. Bly was harshly critical of quarterback Joey Harrington and the team's management during media interviews Monday and Tuesday.

[ALinChainz]

MITCH ALBOM: Joey takes high road, but Bly deserves fine

November 30, 2005

BY MITCH ALBOM

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST


Dre' Bly has the right to his opinion. But he just lost the right to complain.

At his team's lowest hour -- the firing of its coach -- Bly decided what the world needed was for him to mouth off, so he went on TV and talked to the Free Press and shot an arrow at the quarterback, Joey Harrington.

He blamed Harrington for Steve Mariucci's dismissal Monday. He did the very thing that football players since the birth of the game have said you never do.

He turned on a teammate.

"One guy in particular ... is the cause of this whole thing," Bly said on the NFL Network. "It's not hard to figure out. ... The quarterback here has been bad. ... He has not really gotten the job done ever since I have been here. ... I really believe Coach would not have been fired if Jeff (Garcia) would have been healthy."

And he expounded to the Free Press.

"Joey's been here four years," he said, "and being the No. 3 pick in the draft, he hasn't given us anything."

Well, it's nice to know that Bly, a cornerback who has missed four of the 11 games due to injury, is such an expert on offense. And it's nice to know he thinks so highly of Garcia, who was last seen throwing a moon ball into the Atlanta defense. And as long as Bly is such a draft expert, he might point out that Charles Rogers, a No. 2 pick in the draft, hasn't given us anything, either. But Bly didn't blame him for Mariucci's axing.

Somehow, only Harrington is responsible.

What Bly did was classless, and every bit as bad as what Terrell Owens did in suggesting the Eagles would be better off with Brett Favre at quarterback. That controversy helped cost Owens his job.

The only reason Bly hasn't gotten similar attention is because nobody cares about the Lions.


Joey won't get into a public feud

I spoke with Harrington on Tuesday. He was clearly floored by Bly's quotes. But true to his personality, he tried to stay above the mud.

"I'm not even going to dignify his comments by getting into a public arguing match," he said. "What I will say is what Coach Jauron told the team last night: As a team we have to stick together. Without that, at this point, we have nothing.

"I don't think those comments are appropriate for a teammate to make. I've never believed it's OK to publicly criticize a teammate. I've stayed away from that all season, and I'm going to continue to stay away from that now. ...

"We've had a disappointing season. We are all frustrated and upset about it. But passing the blame is something that I have never done and I never will do."

Let's be clear about something. Joey Harrington didn't get Mariucci fired. No more than Roy Williams did by falling down on that Thanksgiving Day interception. No more than Shawn Bryson did fumbling a few minutes later. No more than Kevin Jones did with his disappointing season. No more than Charles Rogers did by flunking his drug test. No more than the offensive line did in collapsing or the defensive line did by racking up penalties. No more than the defensive backs -- including Dre' Bly -- did by allowing nobodies like Chicago's Kyle Orton and Carolina's Chris Weinke to have big moments.


Enough blame to go around for everyone

They all played poorly. And Mariucci coached poorly. Maybe Bly is going to miss a coach who didn't get on his case. But that's no reason to get on a teammate's.

What on earth did he expect to accomplish with those statements? Are the remaining five games going to be easier now -- or harder?

Not only should Bly apologize, but the team, if it had any guts, should fine him. With his comments, Bly has divided the locker room. In sports, that's the biggest no-no.

Look, we're not wearing blinders for Harrington. Of course he could play better. He'll be the first to admit it.

But last I looked, Harrington was benched by Mariucci and only got to play again when Garcia broke down. Garcia hardly shone. The play-calling was atrocious no matter who was the quarterback. There never was a running game. Yet through all the ugliness, Harrington never turned on Garcia or his coach. Publicly, his statements were all about support. Supporting Garcia. Supporting Jones. Supporting the team.

Which is more than you can say about Bly.

I know he was frustrated. I know he has a right to his opinions. But players are always telling the media no one player is at fault for a loss. For the rest of his career, if Dre' Bly ever complains about a reporter being critical, he becomes a total hypocrite.


Mitch Albom

[Brett]

Dre Bly isn't good enough to run his mouth.

Man that team is just a fucking mess.

Someone needs to fire Matt Millen already, how much more obvious could it be.

[DrMaddVibe]

Originally posted by Brett
Someone needs to fire Matt Millen already, how much more obvious could it be.

Less than the NFL ripping the team away from Ford.

[BITEYOASS]

Well I wonder when someone was gonna get the boot in the Lions. I'm just glad that soneone from my hometown is kickin absolute ass as an NFL coach. Yeah, that's right! Tony Dungy is from Jackson, MI! This is about as good as knowing that my hometown had an astronaut in the Apollo program. Pretty damn good for a city of only 38,000 and home to one of the largest maximum security prison's in the country.

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Less than the NFL ripping the team away from Ford.

The league loves Ford and the Lions.

The advertising money that Ford pours in is staggering.

[ALinChainz]

Olson calling the plays -- again

Reprises role of late last season

December 2, 2005

BY SHAWN WINDSOR

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER



Greg Olson spoke to the media for less than four minutes after the Lions' practice in Allen Park on Thursday. Loquaciousness doesn't appear to be part of the new regime's personality.

The new offensive co-coordinator did say a few things, however, and he wanted to set the record straight about his title and role with the team.

There was a misconception, he said, "that I was going to completely take it over."

Instead, Olson said, he and Ted Tollner will share responsibilities. They will put the game plan together. They will share sideline strategies during games. And they will get running back Kevin Jones the ball.

But in the end, interim head coach Dick Jauron said, Olson is in charge of the game plan and calling the plays, taking over from Tollner.

"For a guy like Ted, it's difficult," Jauron said, "because he is taking a step back a bit."

Tollner said of his partial demotion: "The role I had was to produce more points than our opponents, and we didn't do that, and, unfortunately, it hurt several people. If you don't win and score more points, there's going to be a penalty to pay, and so you accept it and move on."

For Olson, the former quarterbacks coach, it's a chance to prove the team's offensive success in the final three games last season wasn't a fleeting flourish. Olson called the plays then, and quarterback Joey Harrington had arguably his best three-game stretch with the Lions. Harrington passed for 361 and 346 yards in losses to Minnesota and Tennessee, respectively, and he beat Chicago.

Olson's new job also allows him to design a way to get Jones involved.

"We'd like to see Kevin Jones handle the ball 20-30 times a game," he said. "Hopefully, we will be able to accomplish that on Sunday."

Jones wouldn't comment on his potentially increased role.

As for Jauron's decision to start Jeff Garcia against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Olson said, "(He) gives us the best chance to win. Does that mean it's settled for the rest of the season? No. I'm not afraid to make a change."

Olson said Roy Williams will remain the featured receiver, but he's looking for others to challenge. "There is great competition in there right now," he said, "Charles (Rogers) has practiced better. We are trying to find a niche for him, a role for him."

Fullback Cory Schlesinger said the intensity has been different in practice this week. He credits Olson.

"He's not taking any crap," Schlesinger said. "He's going to have guys on the field that are performing at a level for us to win. He's making sure guys are working. You better be playing to your potential."

Schlesinger has an idea about how the Lions' offense can succeed.

"I like to see us in the two-back set, trying to pound the ball at guys," he said. "I think we were successful with it last year, in the last two games with Ollie calling the plays."

Olson applied for the coordinator's job last year but lost out when Mariucci brought in Tollner. With five games left, he gets his chance to run an offense. "I'm excited about the switch," he said. "It's an opportunity for me and an opportunity for this football team to win some games down the stretch."


The Freep

[ALinChainz]

Rogers gets time at top WR spot

December 2, 2005

FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES


Lions wide receiver Charles Rogers has wanted to return to Z, the coveted receiving position in the West Coast offense, and he got some snaps there the past two practices.

But he isn't jumping for joy yet. Roy Williams is still Z man.

"I really ain't going to get my hopes up too high, man, because it's all about getting snaps on Sunday," Rogers said. "They just working me in a little bit at Z to give Roy a spell or two. I guess if Roy gets fatigued, I'll probably get some at Z. Just staying ready, so whatever happens, happens."

Offensive co-coordinator Greg Olson, who is now calling the plays, sounds like he wants to throw to Rogers more often.

"Charles has practiced better," Olson said. "We're trying to find a niche for him or a role for him. Obviously Roy Williams is our featured receiver and we plan on getting the ball to Roy, but somebody else has got to pick up the slack there in that group."

That said, Rogers will have to earn it. Olson said Williams would be active Sunday against Minnesota and Scottie Vines had a "good chance." Rogers, rookie Mike Williams and Troy Edwards are competing for one or two spots.



The Freep

[Warham]

I like Scottie Vines.