14 wins & Super Bowl bound, it’s going to be a VERY bad year to have the Lions on your schedule
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I fixed it for you. 
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Just like your grandpa
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Everyone, this year
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Weird. The cards fans I talk to say petzig will be a good fit here. He’s always had the cards in top 10 in rushing offense and he had a good scheme. They say he’ll be a great fit here.
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I have plenty of reservations for this team, but Anzalone sure looked like he was toast last year. Better to part ways a year to early then a year to late.
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Not very confident.
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That’s also my biggest concern. Offense should be fine but defense is still a box of chocolates
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I do not think the schedules in the NFL make a huge difference like back in 1990s.
In reality it is a 3 game swing and typically1 or 2 teams will be better than the 1st place teams schedule.
Offense is zero concerns. Will be tp 5 unless Goff gets injured.
Defense for me will be a prove it until MCDC can get it fixed. He has been super sub par for the Defenses he keeps rolling out. And I 100% put this on MCDC. If we are going to credit him for the Offense then he gets the same accountability for how bad the Defense has been since he arrived. I am now wondering if it is ego driven because you had a chance to grab a top 3 DC and maybe top Defensive mind in Flores. That was the blockbuster move the Lions needed in the off season that they missed on.
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I’m very confident in the roster… There are stars at every position and legit NFL starters filling the remaining spots. The wildcard is coaching… If Shep improves and Petzing is legit, then this team is a contender.
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Alex Anzalone.
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Defense was outstanding in 2024 until the wave of injuries. Defense was still good in 2025 until the wave of injuries. Prior to that, if anything it was Brad’s picks that stalled the development of the defense, taking injury-prone or unproven assets because of “value.” The biggest problem on D has always been health.
Prior to that, the organization’s strategy was to rebuild the offense first. That’s what gets people excited about the team, gets butts in seats, gets more nationally televised games, sells more jerseys.
MCDC isn’t an offensive guru, defensive guru, or playcalling guru. He’s a cultural guru who understands analytics.
And Flores was never in play – he wanted a head coaching job. Didn’t get it. Shep will be a head coach before Flores gets another promotion.
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3 games out of 17 is almost 18% of the season.
It also may be the difference between division champs that host a playoff game… and missing the playoffs.
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I’d be lying if I said that I have no concerns about the defense, I do think we may be “slightly better” than 2005, but like D + vs the E of last season.
Well, that is true, I think it’s always been far more about winning than getting asses in seats… it’s always been about winning, and you’re not gonna do that unless goff is protected
Golf is a completely different guy, when protected… He is one of the most OL codependent quarterback quarterbacks in the NFL. He has protection, he’s amazing. Literally the best there is. If not properly protected, he’s not great at creating place or escapability.
I think they’ve always been trenches first… Especially on the offensive side of the ball…And with Goff at the helm, oh well, first strategy is our best chance to win
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This is where this board in general loses me over and over.
It is always some excuse.
As far as 2024 the defense was solid.
As far as Flores…he is back coaching Defense, so he was in play and everyone has a number. So to let the Org off the hook on him is funny to me.
And finally, MCDC is absolutely an Offensive bent HC who knows exactly what he wants and how it should look. It is kind of funny to me that people act like he is “just a culture guy”. His strength is clearly on the offensive side of the ball where he rips through OCs until they do it the way he wants. And yes he is a great culture guy but to me he is clearly an Offensive minded HC who has a vision on that side of the ball and is unwilling to settle for anything but his vision. While on Defense it is kind of a mess. Lots of wasted individual talent due to scheme and leadership.
I get that my opinion may be a bit different than the prevailing one of tis board. But I am just tired of watching the Lions waste a possible HOF QB due to a lack of aggressive pursuit of Defensive excellence. Listen Scotty Bowman was not cheap when the Redwings went and grabbed him but they wanted the absolute best leadership to push that Org over the top. The Lions are clearly not that desperate. Because if you are telling me that with his Job on the line MCDC just stays pat at the DC position I would tell you that you are crazy. He is not getting pushed to improve or he would have demanded a DC upgrade.
And please this is not so much an anti Shep issue. Shep was put in a position to fail. He did not have enough experience to get the job in the first place. He needed to be exposed to the league more and would have benefitted greatly to be under another DC that was better than AG. Dude may be a great DC one day. But he is not one now. The Lions literally have a bottom 8 DC.
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I do agree that the easiest part of the team to fix and get the greatest impact is offense. It does not win championship exactly but it gets you competitive the quickest while you get the defense built. Which you must have a top 1/3 defense to win it all most years.
And I also 100% agree that the Trenches are where the Lions are focused.
Overall I love what the Lions Org has done. I also agree with most of Holmes approach to roster building and depth.
My only whiny complaint is the DC position. It needed to be upgraded.
The question I would love to ask MCDC and BH and actually hear an honest answer is what are they doing to get Shep better? How are they developing him? Who have they brought in to help him get better? If you are going to stick to your “we develop people” mantra then what is happening to get Shep up to speed? I actually do think they brought in some back office defensive minds so I will go check that out. Because if you are going to keep such a green DC in place you must give him some help.
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I fully agree with this.
The talent is there. If the scheme and injury luck go the right way, this team should be in the mix at the end of the season.
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You are assuming those 3 teams all better then the other teams 3. Which in most seasons it is almost a wash in general. I just do not see this huge swing based on 1st or last place schedule.
BUT with t hat said. I do think a whole Division can see an advantage is they cross over to a crappy Division or to a great Division.
Imagine not playing the NFC West Last Season but instead playing the NFC South. Huge delta IMO.
Last I checked we are favored in 13 games with Vegas right now. Our over/under is 11.5
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