The Lions absolutely crapped the bed in their last preseason game vs. Cleveland. Really, I could care less if they win or lose in the preseason (always remember, 4-0 in 2008 led to 0-16), but I certainly want to see the starters play well. They didn't. They continued their penchant for getting whistled for rough play and the more annoying tendency not to score points or cover anyone. After all the moves they made (drafting Slay this year, Bentley last year, getting Quin in FA), the secondary still sucks. At the moment it seems they're willing to patch in cheap vets until one of the younger kids rises to the top.
Another problem is TE play. Pettigrew still can't catch. This is a problem. Stafford isn't good enough to overcome mediocre talent at every receiver position unoccupied by Calvin Johnson. He REALLY needs help at the TE spot, and he's not getting it. I know it's only preseason, but this offense is what will win Detroit games. It stalled too often last year, and I'm not sure how that gets fixed with the current personnel. Pettigrew looks more & more like a giant waste of a draft pick (drafted after him were Percy Harvin, Michael Oher, Clay Matthews, and Hakeem Nicks). Nobody besides CJ seems willing to step up.
I think a lot of this is on Stafford though. Yes, he has - outside of Calvin Johnson and probably Bush - ineffective tools to work with. He's able to do some basic QB things, but he hasn't shown much of that next level stuff like throwing a receiver open, or extending a play & making something good happen. His stats got a LOT of help from CJ last year, so I think they should be taken with a smallish grain of salt. If the Lions are going to make the playoffs like I hope (and predicted), Stafford will need to step it up.
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