When Dan got here nobody had expectations of the lions. They played hard, loose and had fun. For the first few years that was true. But unmet team expectations, mounting injuries, staff changes and increased pressure to get to the BIG GAME seems to have taken over. The team seems to play tight. They don’t seem to enjoy the ride as much. Just look at 4th downs. It used to be that going for it was not only novel but edge setting and exciting. Now it is common and just a pressure point to succeed. Seldom do we run trick plays. We seem to tighten up and screw up execution over and over again in critical moments. This team just needs to loosen up and start having fun again. That dynamic was part of who they were. Nothing wrong with grit but when it puts added pressure and disrupts execution it can be as harmful as playing with no grit. DC seemed to balance the two well for the first several years. It is out of balance now. This team needs to play like the legion of whom. When they do they play loose, have fun and also show grit. Simplify things, ease up a little on tough practices, put in some fun/trick plays. Enjoy the game again!
The team deflated once Holmes didn’t make a deadline move. This group needed a shot in the arm and Holmes failed to provide that. Once the deadline passed this was a different group. They didn’t believe they had a chance to win it all because Brad didn’t give them the boost they needed.
Tell Ratledge that as he’s peeling himself off the field. Or Goff when he’s getting rocked every other play.
Exactly! Nobody has fun getting punched in the mouth!
Your psychic abilities are incredible.
Just need a working set of eyeballs and a functioning brain. I can see how you would struggle coming to the conclusion I did.
I agree. Joy feels lost in the pressure of expectations. They have to get back to playing loose and having fun. Offensive play calls can play a role in that too.
Oh don’t worry, once we are completely out of it the they will show up. It’s the Lions thing to do.
Since I have both, I can see why you came to the conclusion you did.
I get the handle. You post like Mike McMahon played QB.
I don’t know if the team deflated because a lack of a move at the trade deadline. At the same respect we weren’t “ good “ like Brad Holmes said on 97.1. Even to the point he was a condescending dick about it.
That would probably start by not reading forums or talking to sports media.
أقدر تفاؤلك، لكن المتعة الحقيقية الوحيدة التي سيشعر بها جاريد هي عندما يعود إلى منزله وزوجته ذات الصدر الكبير.
This gets more accurate the more you think about it.
Full speed ahead and with reckless abandon. Missing tons but occasionally hitting a big play.
Being benched for a dork from the pacific northwest? Maybe that comes next.
To the OP; you are onto something and so is Mike. The team hasn’t been vibing right outside of a couple games this year AND that could have potentially been adjusted by a deadline pickup.
Hey! Oh, you mean that other dork from the Pacific Northwest.
Getting punched in the dick IS fun!
Right?
Been saying this to my Dad all year long. They’re playing tight. Watching New England tonight, they’re playing the way the Lions played in 2023 and 2024.
I think goff is having a blast getting all that free chiropractic work. It’s not quite the ring dinger but his back is definitely getting adjusted repeatedly during games.
There’s pressure to perform once you’ve been up on the big stage. Add to that the coaching losses and injuries and you’ll see the struggle to stay on top is real.
We see that all over the league. Team is bad for a long time and then hits the magic, becomes strong and a team nobody wants to face, then the degradation starts and then it is evident how hard it is to stay on top. Dynasties are rare.
I’m just a fan looking in from the outside! 60 year fan, not a Lion fan or hater, and a fan of The League. Born in Detroit in its heyday.
A recent commercial or spot on the local news was hailing the successes of the Land Bank Program in Detroit. It’s number one success was the demolition of over 25,000 homes.
