Kitna Drinks The Kool-Aid

[Joemailman]

Has Rogers been cleared of sexual misconduct charges? If not,he could end up with a suspension. Also wasn't he hurt last year. Not exactly someone you can count on. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...706120358/1049

There are also questions about Kevin Jones. Marinelli said a couple of weeks ago that Jones may begin training camp on the PUP list.

[BallHawk]

Detroit ALWAYS plays tough on Thanksgiving, and seems to have added burst when they play the Packers. That game is not going to be an "easy" win if the Lions are winless come Thanksgiving.

I think that it's more "The Packers play like shit on Thanksgiving" rather then the Lions playing good.

Detroit plays its occasional good game on turkey day, but other days they just get carved up (excuse the pun.)

[Partial]

Lions in detroit is always a tough game. I don't care how bad their overall record is.

[Cheesehead Craig]

There was a guy on the espn comment boards on this article who said:

"Are the Lions playing 40 games?"

Dead on.

[Tarlam!]

What esoxx said...

Detroit won't be a walkover anymore. The coaches are capable and the offense has talented individuals hoping to become a team.

The NFC North will be hotly contested.

[esoxx]

Calvin Johnson will have a major impact on this team. They will be much better simply b/c they possess this fine weapon.

In the parity riddled NFC, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Lions have a big improvement record wise. Yes, one blue chip stud of Johnson's caliber could potentially make that big of a difference.

I could see him making a 3 game difference. But 7 games? A Pro-Bowl Veteran can't even do that.

You must have missed the '98 season when Randy Moss destroyed the league. And he was just a rookie.

BTW, I'm not saying they're a 10 win team. But to simply dismiss them as the "Same ol' Lions" is a mistake.

[4and12to12and4]

The lions db's aren't that bad. Numbers don't tell the whole story. You can't run against them, so offenses put crooked numbers each game in the air to move the ball. Their db's could've handled that pressure much better had their offense allowed them to stay off the field every once in a while. If Detroit does get it's offense on track, it WILL improve the defensive numbers. That's just a fact in football. The lions will probably botch this year, but I think, unlike most here, that they are due, and the fact that they haven't had any success pretty much ever, actually scares me. It seems like they are in the same position that the Bengals and the Buccaneers were once in. Always bad, and then suddenly very good. It could happen. Just like the last game of the season for us against the Bears could help with our teams overall confidence, the same could happen for Detroit. Remember, their offense was unstoppable against Dallas the last game of the season, as they beat them. Ten wins? Doubtful, when you have to play the Bears twice, the Boys, the Broncos, etc., but I do expect them to suprise many people this year.

BTW, I absolutely am sold on Calvin Johnson. He is an exact prototype of TO. This guy can be as good as any receiver out there. He scares the hell out of me. I hope that our old corners haven't lost a step, because, they will need to blanket him to even have a chance of stopping him, and even then, he may beat them due to his size and strength. He's the real deal. He will definitely open up their running game. Kitna is the perfect QB for them, toughminded, toughbodied, and can zip it when he needs to. He also doesn't make many stupid mistakes.

I know I'm bettng against history here, but I think that they will be vying for a wildcard berth the last week of the season.

[Freak Out]

With as many high 1st round picks that Detroit has had over the years they should have a hell of a team. Should. Who the hell is coaching them these days? Kitna can get the job done and with all those weapons on offense they should improve but like any other team in the NFL it is early a lots can happen before the season starts. Is Jones and the line going to do its part this year? When given time is Kitna going to make teams pay? Talk is cheap.

[Zool]

The lions db's aren't that bad. Numbers don't tell the whole story. You can't run against them, so offenses put crooked numbers each game in the air to move the ball. Their db's could've handled that pressure much better had their offense allowed them to stay off the field every once in a while. If Detroit does get it's offense on track, it WILL improve the defensive numbers. That's just a fact in football. The lions will probably botch this year, but I think, unlike most here, that they are due, and the fact that they haven't had any success pretty much ever, actually scares me. It seems like they are in the same position that the Bengals and the Buccaneers were once in. Always bad, and then suddenly very good. It could happen. Just like the last game of the season for us against the Bears could help with our teams overall confidence, the same could happen for Detroit. Remember, their offense was unstoppable against Dallas the last game of the season, as they beat them. Ten wins? Doubtful, when you have to play the Bears twice, the Boys, the Broncos, etc., but I do expect them to suprise many people this year.

BTW, I absolutely am sold on Calvin Johnson. He is an exact prototype of TO. This guy can be as good as any receiver out there. He scares the hell out of me. I hope that our old corners haven't lost a step, because, they will need to blanket him to even have a chance of stopping him, and even then, he may beat them due to his size and strength. He's the real deal. He will definitely open up their running game. Kitna is the perfect QB for them, toughminded, toughbodied, and can zip it when he needs to. He also doesn't make many stupid mistakes.

I know I'm bettng against history here, but I think that they will be vying for a wildcard berth the last week of the season.

You cant run on the Lions? They gave up 125ypg on the ground last year good for 21st in the NFL. I might go so far as to say you CAN run on the Lions.

[mmmdk]

Source: Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Detroit Free Press

Quarterback Jon Kitna has drawn a lot of attention lately for saying he thinks the Lions will win more than 10 games this season. But he isn't the only one with great expectations.

Said WR Mike Furrey, "Right now, on paper, we look like we should win 10 to 12 games, easily. We're seeing what we have, and we have guys in there now that believe in Marinelli. They believe in what we can do. And if you ask every one of us, we expect to win 10 games."

There's nothing like confidence and I won't bring that down; Detroit are in a division/conference where there's big room for improvement when you actually have playmakers. Detroit is more talented than Packers; read it and weep. Yet to say that Lions will win 10-12 games would be a big achievement indeed but 8 or 9 is what I expect from Lions; Packers & Vikings will have to work even harder to get that many wins. Still, you gotta play the games and that's where Lions have failed - even loaded with talent (Barry Sanders anyone?).

Here's a toast to the hope that Packers are talented enough to get 8 or 9 wins in 2007!