Shutdown Corner - NFL

Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:15 am EST

The Lions are about to play some serious ball

Today in the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp writes about how he severed emotional ties with the Lions a long time ago. Stuck in the column, though, are some neat little factoids that suggest that the New Orleans Saints don't know the hell that awaits them this Sunday in Detroit. Read on.

If it's possible to "blow" 0-16, they'll do it.

Why?

They're entering the peak of their performance level during the Age of Millen -- the final two games on the schedule. The Lions are 6-8 in their final two games the past seven years. They've lost their last two games only once during that time -- in Marty Mornhinweg's second and final season as coach in 2002.

That's a .429 winning percentage.

A winning percentage of .429? You know, for the Lions, that's pretty fearsome. It's still not a great football team (for example, the Buffalo Bills currently sport a .429 winning percentage), but it's something you might expect from a real, actual NFL franchise.

And just the shock alone of going into Detroit and finding a real NFL franchise might be enough to shock opponents into a state of confusion. You go in thinking you're about to play the saddest team in Michigan since before Ed Monix turned around the Flint Tropics, and the next thing you know, you're saying to yourself, "Hey, these guys are almost as good as the Bills!"

And then you realize you'll have to play an actual football game that day, and it might not be until the second quarter that you actually bother to put pads on, stretch, or actually call plays in the huddle, instead of just saying, "All right, who wants to score this time?"

Advantage, Lions.

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51 Comments

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  1. *M*
    1. Posted by *M* Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:31 pm EDT

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    0-16, sad but it will happen
  2. Nick
    2. Posted by Nick Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:27 pm EDT

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    The LIONS will WIN this weekend, done and done.
    Bet of the week, Lions +7
    They've covered the last 3 weeks handily. Look for the trend to continue.
  3. tim lionhearted
    3. Posted by tim lionhearted Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:15 pm EDT

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    the lion will win sunday, they will not let thier fans down and be the only team to lose 16 games in a season.
    GO LIONS
  4. o4saints
    4. Posted by o4saints Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:43 pm EDT

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    My Saints, will not be the reason for the Lions not to have a perfect record.
  5. dont have one
    5. Posted by dont have one Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:07 pm EDT

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    callllllllvin calllllllllllvin callllllllllllllvin. i need them to win and tampa to lose and falcons to win. i hope they win cuz calvin johnson has been the man on that team but without a quality qb and a defensive line i dont see 1/3 of that senario happening.
  6. Scott E
    6. Posted by Scott E Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

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    Lions don't have a chance without a pass defense. They better play like banshees for them to have a chance. And they must do so for all 4 quarters.
  7. FarmerJ
    7. Posted by FarmerJ Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    0-16 please guys. Don't give up on the dream
  8. Hitman
    8. Posted by Hitman Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    A pathetic statement for the NFL and parity. The Lions are and have been a disgrace for years. All Lions season ticket holders should file a joint lawsuit against the Lions and the NFL for selling a fraudlent product. Any rational human being that spends another dollar supporting this franchise should be admitted for counseling- they obviously are not rational or thinking clearly. Pathetic- just pathetic.
  9. diehard_wings_fan134096
    9. Posted by diehard_wings_fan134096 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    I hope they complete the perfect season but knowing the lions I'm sure they will find a way to screw it up......
    0-16 ALL THE WAY!!
  10. Chicho!
    10. Posted by Chicho! Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:21 pm EDT

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    Hahahahaha the lions beating the saints????? thats a new one.lol
    lions are a joke and will be the rest of the year. 0-16 . history will be made this year by the lowly lions.............
  11. Scott E
    11. Posted by Scott E Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

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    Hitman - Don't sugarcoat it; tell it like it is. LOL
  12. Buck Joose
    12. Posted by Buck Joose Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT

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    Go Lions Go....beat the Saints!! Grrrrrr......Git 'em!!!
    Steelers Rule!!!
  13. p
    13. Posted by p Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    Destiny...0 - 16....here we come. It's time to embrace that fact with open arms....
    Watch....this Sunday be the day when Joey Harrington finally throws for 400+ yards at Ford Field.
  14. Josh T
    14. Posted by Josh T Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    "the lion will win sunday, they will not let thier fans down..."
    so what have they been doing so far this season... and for the last... uh... long time?
  15. Joey
    15. Posted by Joey Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:25 pm EDT

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    @pmartin....remember Joey already has come back to Ford Field and destroyed the Lions...remember that Miami game where he threw 3 TD's? But that would mean that the Saints would have to lose both Brees and Brunell...and let's face it, our defense ain't that fierce to knock out 2 QB's
    I'm hoping just for the sake of something coming out of this season that they go 0-16. Otherwise its just another crappy season and it'll mean we still haven't hit the absolute bottom. You go winless and there's no place to go but up.
  16. Thomas
    16. Posted by Thomas Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:32 pm EDT

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    I've been to all 7 losses this year, why not make it 8 maybe I'll get a refund on my tickets.
  17. p
    17. Posted by p Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    @ Joey...I actually do remember that Miami game. I laughed as much then as I do about it now. While I know the odds of him playing Sunday are one in a million, it just seems fitting if he were able to play he should post some monster numbers as a means of piling on......
  18. g mack
    18. Posted by g mack Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

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    lions will pull this one out, ive betted on them and taken the points and came up....ill do the same this weekend sitting next to a fat girl at my local bar
  19. central scrutinizer
    19. Posted by central scrutinizer Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    The Saints have a history of winless teams getting thier first win against them. Like the Lions, they are playing for nothing. If I were a betting man, I'd take the Lions and the points. The Lions may not find a way to win, but the Saints always seem to find a way to give the winless team the victory.
  20. Terry H
    20. Posted by Terry H Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:01 pm EDT

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    the lions should have folded their tents and called it a season after they went 4-0 in the preseason. they would have saved their fans a lot of heartaches. mr. ford would have still made money. he could have rented out ford field for some actual sporting contests, sold lots of $12.00 beers and nachos, and the team would have saved themselves a lot of wear and tear and painful mondays. it has now been fifty one years since the lions have won anything that matters, and i fully trust that they will screw up the opportunity they have this year to make real meaningful changes.
  21. BareBear
    21. Posted by BareBear Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:19 pm EDT

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    We are going to see the Lions of the 2000's. Not only are they NOT going to win this week, they will accidently win the last week of the season, by some fluke, JUST to screw up a perfect season. I can just see it now, Score 28 14, Lions down by 14, two minutes to go, ball on the Lions 10 yard line. Both Rodgers and Flynn are out of the game to give Brian Brohm a shot at playing. The ball is snapped and Brohm starts to scramble, but someone catches his helmet and it twists sideways- his only vision is via the ear hole in the helmet…he just keeps running…seems like a long scramble…but no one has caught him, he zigs…he zags..he eyes the end zone and dives in…only to realize it’s the Packers End Zone.
    That’s OK…still up by 8 points, the extra point is good…OK, now 7 points…the Lions kick off and right to DeShawn Wynn, the 4th string return man- who fumbles the ball and starts to chase after it, never QUITE getting his hands on the ball, it bounces and bounces into the end zone and Wynn dives for it- landing square on it. TD Lions!!!!!!, still, down by a point…NAH, Packs won’t lose this one. All they have to do is prevent a 2 point play and go into overtime- surely the Lions would want to go for the win- right. Well, the Lions line up- snap the ball- right to Orlovsky who fades to the side looking for a receiver- Orlovsky sees FitzSimmons in the back of the end zone- he fires, a wobbly pass but on target but Packers DE Treamon Williams is RIGHT there and has his hands on the pass, only to stumble on a loose shoe lace and tip the ball in the air, right into the waiting hands of Jerome Felton (who just so happened was supposed to be blocking on this play but miss understood his assignment), who break the plane of the goal line and scores. Lions win 29-28….wow…that felt great and made up for the season. Big rumor going around- I have heard that the Lions are going to fill the “Bye” week next year and play Riverside Middle School from Dearborn Heights- and RMS is a seven point favorite (but hey, it’s still early to be projecting those odds).
  22. Hitman
    22. Posted by Hitman Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    Denmark240- for your own sake, reread the part about seeking counselling. As much as I miss Barry Sanders, in my estimation the best running back I have had the pleasure to see, Why do you think he walked away from football? Simple, he got tired of being underappreciated and carrying the Lions. Except for him, name any other reason to buy a ticket to watch the Lions. By the way, Barry has been gone a long time- it is time to face reality.
  23. Hamilton Tigers
    23. Posted by Hamilton Tigers Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    The Lions can't even beat the Toronto Argonauts or any other CFL team...
  24. Stop looking at me.
    24. Posted by Stop looking at me. Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

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    This article was writtem by a complete moron.
  25. Stop looking at me.
    25. Posted by Stop looking at me. Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

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    Written... as it were.

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