Four games in, and the problem of hope

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Always a good time to evaluate.

We finished last season ranked 31 out of 32 defensively.
We’re currently 32 out of 32 defensively, with zero indication we’ll make any progress.

Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic about this team, there’s the objective reality of requiring progression to demonstrate improvement.

We’ve, instead, gone the other way.

Some of this is on Brad Holmes. He did precisely nothing in free agency to address arguably the league’s worst defense. I was screaming for us to do something, ANYTHING, to improve the defensive side of the ball, but somehow people did logical backflips to suggest Holmes was Jedi mind tricking the rest of the league, and that I was just a hater.

Sigh. OK, fine.

But today’s performance underscored not just Aaron Glenn’s inability to call a defense, but just how dire the situation truly is, courtesy of—and I can’t believe I’m writing this—Geno F*&%ing Smith. Geno Smith. GENO Smith. They were the 28th ranked offense coming into today and DROPPED ALMOST 50 ON US.

Hope is a funny word with a billion connotations. For a Lions fan, though, it hangs precipitously on the glimmer of something different. Dan was/is “different,” but it seems, much in the same way of Marinelli’s pad levels. Hope—and despair—can blind us to reality. But those clinging to the latter would only point out that things are supposed to improve.

That Dan hired both Anthony Lynn and Aaron Glenn.

That Brad didn’t make any meaningful free-agency additions on defense.

That Dan’s in-game decisions leave quite a bit to be desired.

That we’re staring a likely 1-10 record in the face heading into December.

There isn’t a single Detroit Lions fan who wants Dan Campbell to fail. So before you take any of this personally, understand that we all genuinely want the same thing. But it’s equally important to acknowledge reality if we’re going to have any adult conversations going forward.

And it’s hard to do that when last week, some here said, explicitly “Dan is the greatest coach in the league.”

He wasn’t even the best coach on the field today. And it wasn’t remotely close.

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Those words don’t have a place on a Lions board. Haven’t you learned that by now? I mean you own the place.

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If we end up going into December 1-10 Dan Campbell should be fired. I don’t want him to fail but it would be time to cut our losses.

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Next 8 games. Find me the win.

@NE, @DAL, Miami, GB, @CHI, @NYG, Buffalo, Jacksonville.

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After watching this defense today I am still atruggling to come to terms with it. 555 yards of offense to Geno Smith? It seemed like the Seahawks continued to run the same offense from the first series throughout the whole game. No punts? From Geno Smith??? A career backup? I know we don’t have alot of talent on defense but there’s something else going on here. I’ve seen absolutely no improvement on defense in the last 4 weeks and it appears to be getting worse.

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If our offense plays like this we’re not going 1-10.

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OK. Against who.

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This is how I look at it. Holmes and Campbell inherited a disaster of a roster. We all agree on that. Last year we were bottom of the league in both offense and defense. Campbell and Holmes spent the off-season fixing the offense. The results so far is the #1 offense in the league. Even despite a rash of injuries that would have buried lions teams in the past. That speaks to roster depth and coaching. I’m as frustrated and disappointed in the defense as anyone in this board , but I’m willing to give Campbell and Holmes the off-season to fix it. If they make the same strides on defense as they have on offense this team is going to be a legitimate contender. If they can’t then questions need to start being asked about both.

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@NE, @CHI, @NY and MIA w/ Bridgewater. I bet we get two of those.

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The giants and jets don’t have the offensive firepower to hang 50 on us. If they do the entire defensive coaching staff needs to be immediately dismissed.

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Miami with bridgewater can absolutely hang 50 on us with that receiver group.

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What are you talking about?

GENO SMITH AND THE SEAHAWKS JUST PUT 48 ON US.

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AG is going to get poached from us. We can’t have that happen

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We’ll see. I don’t see Teddy turning into the mad bomber.

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BUT GENO SMITH IS THE MAD BOMBER?

Christ almighty.

Everyone is broken.

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No. But Geno Smith has played tremendously well all year.

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Yes they did. But it isn’t like they have zero weapons. Who on the giants and jets compares to metcalf, Lockett and fant?

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Penny is a deadly runner when healthy. Career YPC of 5.7.

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He doesn’t have to be. As far off as our corners will play he’ll have short easy completions all game. And his receivers have the speed to take those short passes to the house on any given play.

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I can’t believe I’m hearing this.

THEY WERE THE 28TH RANKED OFFENSE IN THE LEAGUE COMING INTO TODAY.

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