Article by Nate Atkins, Chicago is playing better football, they have won more games including both against the Lions. One thing Nate left out was the Patriots made it to the super bowl and all the coaches that Patricia wanted were already taken. Remember the Lions bitching about that part of the process. So, basically the Bears are better then the Lions but they are going no where in the playoffs. Then a lot of the players were pissin and moaning about the practices being too hard. The learning curve to be champions is higher then trying to be competitive. This staff gets a pass this year from me.
4 Likes
Good stuff!
Just reading where it talks about Cassel and Godsey being here with JBC and how he no longer had his own QB coach… It reminds me of when Lombardi was here and surrounded by Caldwell, JBC and Orlovsky. It does take a little shine off the position of OC when you’re an outsider.
Personally I think that Patricia maybe meddling too much with JBC. I recall when hired that MP stated that he wanted to implement some of the NE playbook, make adjustments to our blocking scheme and be active in coaching our OL.
I guess I find it odd at how much our offense and ST declined from a year ago. I view our Def at a wash. The only logical explanation for the decline in play accross the board is coaching.
I don’t think Cooter has ever really been a great offensive coordinator. He got the benefit of taking over for Lombardi after the teeth of the schedule was done. And then all he basically did was re-install Linehan’s playbook and leave in the plays that Stafford wanted him to
2 Likes
Well, we knew that blocking was going to change and that he needed help with the run game. So I don’t consider that part meddling. Emptying the QB room of JBC guys and putting in NE guys… that’s meddling. He’s either the OC and you’ll invest in him as the OC, or you’re setting him up for failure. I don’t think you’re going to be able to turn him into a NE guy, so why try? If he wants a NE guy he should have put Godsey in there to begin with. Kinda like Caldwell with Lombardi. If you want that NO offense, why surround the OC with your own familiar offense? He said he had played against it and knew it was good, but evidently not good enough to really invest in.
I think JBC was successful in the beginning because he was new and knew what Stafford wanted to do.
The rest of the league has figured him out since then and JBC hasn’t adjusted.
Need a new OC, one that can work with Stafford, emphasizing his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses.
1 Like
Hmmmm…interesting.
"But Patricia and Quinn also made sure to add a Patriots influence to the offense, as they have done with all corners of the organization. They replaced Cooter’s hand-selected and trusted quarterbacks coach, Brian Callahan, with Tom Brady’s old mentor in George Godsey. They replaced his backup quarterback, Jake Rudock, with Matt Cassel, who backed up Brady. The result was a move toward more of a quick-strike, dink-and-dunk offense with fewer of the downfield shots and audibles that used to fit Stafford’s experience and arm strength well.
On one hand, that shift has resulted in a more balanced offense that sticks with run calls more than it did before. On the other, it has so far stripped away some of the explosiveness that used to turn Ford Field into a raucous track meet and the site of the most fourth-quarter comebacks in the NFL over the five years prior to this one.
More than anything, though, is it has Cooter in a place where he doesn’t have a bread-and-butter concept, and the play calling looks more timid than ever before."
I can’t wait to replace Cooter. He doesn’t suck, but he’s clearly not able to take this offense to another level. I want someone who’s willing to throw the ball all over the field. Make them defend every single blade of grass out there.
I don’t disagree, but I really doubt that’s the direction Quinn and Patricia are taking this team. I believe they’re both smart and want to play conservatively on offense with Stafford. I think the reason Matt has been down this year is because they’re handcuffing him, I’ve seen him want to go deep and instead check down or take a sack more times than I can count this year. That’s either because there’s no seperation (which never stopped MS before) or they’re pounding the table to not take chances. I want an aggressive style team, I don’t think that’s where we’re heading though…
Herein lies the problem. Thats not a winning formula for football. We slung the ball all over the field for years, and had middling results at the end of the day.
All of the best slinging offenses, feature a great RB. Goff/Gurley. Mahomes/Hunt. Brees/Kamara. Rodgers and Brady are exceptions, but even they are having “down” years by their insane standards, because no one fears their rushing game.
Some have taken my posts as Im not anti-Stafford. Im not anti-Stafford, but I am saying that Stafford is now hurting more than helping. Not all his fault, but his cap number hurts the team, and his performance doesnt justify his cap number.
I believe the Lions are trying to transition to more of a trenches based team, on both offense and defense, and they DID actually develop a running game. Its not all Kerryon, Blount just went for 80+ on the BEST run defense in football. When we needed the QB to make some plays, he couldnt. Sure he was missing Jones, but at nearly 30 million a year, you have to carry the team. He can’t. Its clear, we overpaid and will be in trouble for 2 more seasons. At that point Stafford will be forced to restructure, or we can actually trade and recoup some assests and cap space
Not so sure it’s 2 years. We could cut* him before 2020 season (*post June 1 cut) . We could even deal with a post June 1 trade in 2019. We’d ride $10M a year (5% of cap) on him until his contract is up, but Quinn made that deal so he’s tradeable even after this year. The other team gets him for $20M year…
Lombardi tried to make Stafford a Brees clone.
Now, Patricia and Godsey are trying to make him a Brady clone.
No wonder this offense has no identity.
3 Likes
I wanted MP here earlier than this year, but coming in and making stafford something different than what he is, is infuriating. I didn’t have a problem with changing our defense into a more 3-4 hybrid style, I like the 3-4 anyway and it gets more speed on the field. It’s slowly starting to show promise but it’ll take an offseason to get it better.
But what I HATE about a lot of coaches is “this is what I want to run, I don’t care your skillset” and doing this with stafford is killing him and souring him with the fans. Stafford is not tom brady. I mean that in a skills way, not a ‘winning’ way. Stafford was at his best with Linehan. His stats were better under caldwell but I think Linehan knew what stafford was and tailored the offense to him, give credit to schwartz for staying out of the offense and letting linehan run it. Stafford is a sandlotty strong arm deep ball guy. He’s very similar to Favre. I’ve been down on stafford because it’s getting old, but if MP came in here and said we need to run the O the NE way well that’s crap. Fire JBC because even before he wasn’t the answer to what stafford really needs, but bring in an agressive OC who will play to staffords strengths. the OLine is fine, the RBs are upgraded. We just need a tate-ish replacement, or not. Get another 6’3" + hands guy stafford likes the fades and jump balls.
dammit make an offense fit the QB, not the other way around. jerks.
The problem with the offense is scheme it isn’t personnel so much. All these guys can play. Play designs gets players open, as long as the QB has time to throw the ball.
Yeah, but where did that really get us?
Linehan was OC from 2009 - 2013.
When did Stafford actually get it?
Because it wasn’t 2013. It certainly wasn’t 2012… Had a big year in 2011, but it was mostly as a result of a weak schedule (we didn’t beat a single team that ended with a winning record). 2010 was the Shunned Hill show. And 2009, Stafford might have set a record for interceptions in a rookie season if he didn’t get hurt.
We’ve been catering to Stafford the whole time he’s been here. We drafted 2, not one, but 2 first round TEs so he’d have his mismatch. He’s also had the benefit of CJ in his prime. Triple coverage means even David Kircus would be open if on the other side. He just couldn’t find them. We drafted and hired as FA those kind of backs that you could fling passes to and they took the YACs to the house. Stafford was on the wrong side of 50% of his yards in the air.
You may remember highlight reels, but maybe someone should put together a lowlight reel. Stafford KILLED us down the stretch in 2013. THAT is the result of Linehan’s 5 year in the offense.
That said, I would have kept Linehan and Schwartz. Schwartz had the defense maturing in 2014 and the Lions brass stole that from him. With the same offense in 2013 and drafing Aaron Donald instead of Ebron (for crying out loud), we could have gone all the way. Same way the Giants did. I think 2 more wins in regular season gets us homefield. And the NFC was pretty weak that year…
Stafford’s to blame for 2013. No question about that. Go back and look at the last for games. We should have won at least 3 of them.
why did stafford kill us? was the wrong play called, or the wrong receiver thrown to or just a bad throw?
Angry, who was the #2 receiver in that stretch? Who was the #1 RB?
Name our top 5 offensive linemen during that time period?
Where did they go after they left the Lions?
Here’s a clue, everyone was all excited for Jahvid Best because he managed to make a “pro” flag football team.
Remember how many seasons ended with an injured Megatron? How many ended with an injured Stafford? Both still playing.
How many full seasons did Burleson give us?
How many full seasons did Best give us?
Why did they call that guy, “on your Backus”?
What was that Centers name that everyone hated? On yeah, Raiola.
Can you even remember another name from that line?
Okay, let’s talk defensive backfield. Name them.
I don’t think it was Matt’s fault at all!
Well, let me rephrase that. Matt was the least of our problems. Go to YouTube and look up Chris Durham highlights!
1 Like
How much detail you want? You sure you want to re-live this?
Generally speaking, 3 INTs in the Ravens game, we lost by 2. First pick we were in FG range and he threw a short pass to a short RB (Reggie Bush) a little high and little behind. It was defended up in the air. The last 2 were in the 4th quarter (2 of last 3 drives) His stat line was terrible that day, 18/34, 235, 1TD, 3 INT. And we were at home. First half, TD, punt, punt, punt, punt, INT… We got 119 yards rushing from Bell/Bush, so it’s not like you can blame the run game.
Giants game. We’re up by 4 in the 4th. at home. Since the Giants’ 4th drive of the game, the defense owned them. 5 punts(all but 1 were 3 and outs), safety, INT and fumble recovery. Terrible pass that went for 6. We’d have been better off taking a knee and punting. Very unlikely the Giants get in the end zone without that pass. And that’s not even mentioning the lack of scoring by the offense. (one of the TDs was a huge punt return by Ross and a 30yd field)
2 games of terrible play by Stafford
The other two games we got beat by backups. Foles and Cassel. The offense scored 10 points v the Vikings. The other FG was a negative yard drive.after a fumble recovery on the 20.
This was supposed to be the offense at its pinnacle, but the offense was awful in the last 4 games. I would excuse the snow bowl, that was more LeSean McCoy killing us than Stafford bumbling, If anyone bumbled on the Lions it was Joique’s fumbles. But to go 0-4 with 2 home games…
That’s right. It was Raiola who threw the pick 6 in the Giants game.
It was Backus who threw 3 picks against the Ravens…
Our QB was sacked the same amount of times in both Ravens and Giants game that the corresponding QB was.
Every one of Stafford’s passes down that stretch was perfect. Sorry to ruin your day with unfair and unreasonable criticism of Stafford.