ESPN Sportsnation poll about the NFC North


1) Which team has the best offense?

44.8% Detroit
25.7% Chicago
20.7% Green Bay
8.9% Minnesota


2) Which team has the best defense?

51.7% Chicago
28.9% Detroit
12.7% Green Bay
6.7% Minnesota


3) Which team will win the division?

43.5% Chicago
33.6% Detroit
16.3% Green Bay
6.7% Minnesota

Total Votes: 48,819

:emo kid:

Ouch. I can understand why people might want to bandwagon the offense - considerring how they started to come around last year, then with the additions of 2 notable WR, 2 RB, and 2 OL. But the defense? Really? And winning the division? Come one.

I'm afraid to play Madden 08, the Lions will be THE team online this year. But people actually thought they had the second best defense?

*insert crack smoking emoticon*

I agree with the offense. We will have the best offense in the north. The defense is troubling. The Bears should have about %90 of the votes and the rest it doesn't matter. As far as the division goes, I do think we have a better chance than GB or Minny but that is not saying a whole lot. I would put our chances closer to %10-15 on that one (If the offense really clicks with CJ and a healthy KJ).

6-10.

6-10.


I agree with Hermy

6-10.

I would probably agree. Although GB and Minny suck even worse.

GB has Favre, Morency/Drive/Jennings as their offense and a defense that is just average.

Favre has a bad OL, no RB, and average WR's. He'll be running for his life.

Minny has Tavaris Jackson/Wade/Williamson/Taylor&Peterson on offense and a poor defense.

Taylor and Peterson is nice, and they have a nice OL, but teams will stack the line with shitty WR's and an unproven QB.

Sadly, I think we could actually win some games just because of this shitty division. By no means do I think we are a playoff team though.

The Vikings are actually considering going with Brooks Bollinger at QB.

Worst division ever.

The Bears are like the Red Wings of the NFL. The Wings pile up victories over Columbus, St Louis and Chicago.

The Vikings are actually considering going with Brooks Bollinger at QB.

Worst division ever.
Actually, back in the 90's the NFC west was horrible. St Louis sucked, Atlanta sucked, and New Orleans wasn't great either. You basically had Steve Young's 49ers and that was it. They went 13-3 and the rest of the division had losing records. They were so bad the Panthers made the playoffs pretty fast as an expansion team.

Nothing like Hebert, Banks and Everett as your trio of starting QB's in that division.

16-0 BITCHES!

I voted this poll about a week ago and voted all Detroit. Just a habit.

I'm afraid to play Madden 08, the Lions will be THE team online this year. But people actually thought they had the second best defense?

*insert crack smoking emoticon*



Agreed, any defense that has Stanley Wilson and Keith Smith as your starting Corners is destined for another top five draft pick, regardless of who your WR's are.


Bring on Jake Long!!!!

I hate to sound cliche, but games are won by the offensive and defensive lines. I don't care how many weapons Kitna has, he can't throw from his back. You can tell me their line has improved, but I'll believe it when I see it.

5-11.

The DL should be better since Rogers, Cody and some other guys missed a lot of time. I'll believe the hype when I see it on the new OL players. They never pan out here. keep in mind we had no running threat either last year. That allowed teams to rush Kitna like crazy. Just having Duckett, Bell and KJ will give Kitna a little more time. Nobody worries about Bryson burning them if you miss on a blitz.

C- Dominic Raiola
OG- Damien Woody
OG- Edwin Mulitalo
OT- Jeff Backus
OT- George Foster


all guys who were either A) drafted too high (Foster, Backus) or B) are way past their prime (Mulitalo & Woody)...


wheres Lomas Brown when you need him?

Plus you take away a good blocking fullback like Schlesinger and open up an offense where we don't even have a fullback, you lose another blocker for Kitna...

I think OL is a two-fold thing. Any OL looks bad when your team is one dimmensional. If you're just a passing team, they can drop guys into coverage and blitz the rest. You have 5-6 guys in the secondary and nobody can get open and you're trying to avoid the blitzing OLB's your line will look bad. If you're a running team they can put 8 in the box and decimate your line.
I think the additions at the skill positions should keep the defense honest. If anyone is doubled, there should be several other guys in single coverage capable of getting a first down at any time. That takes pressure off the line. Even a mediocre line looks above average at that point.
That being said, I'm willing to consider that the line is a little better anyhow. If they can develop any chemistry, the offense should be vastly improved.

That's nice and all, but we might have to win games with Arena League scores. Remember, there's a cloud hanging over Rogers head right now and you can't assume anything from him. There's also a certain franchise tag on the DL that needs to be resolved. And oh the secondary. If they can grasp the scheme they don't have to be outstanding, but I should put IF in a massive font.

Plus you take away a good blocking fullback like Schlesinger and open up an offense where we don't even have a fullback, you lose another blocker for Kitna...

It sounds like he's going to use TE's as H-backs a lot. That way he has a huge blocker that can also go in motion and catch passes. i'm not saying that will work great or not. They won't be able to hit the corner with the run that way (Corey had a lot more ability to get outside and block), but power running should be better. Blitz pickups will also suffer when using an H back since they won't be able to get out to chip on anyone.

You know what, this is the one time of the year that I can honestly be excited about Lions football because the losing hasn't started yet.

Therefore, I'm going to be a little more optimistic. I think the defense will suck, but the offense should be pretty fun. It is true that the line will definately hinder some of that, but they'll still put up some points. They may only win 6 games or so, but at least they'll be fun to play with on Madden. LOL

In terms of the offense, let's put it this way:

IF Johnson is as good as everyone says he is and he is supposed to be, then we have the best receiving corps in the NFL with Furrey, Roy and CJ. However, we don't have a consistent QB to get them the ball. We have a swiss cheese O-Line to protect that inconsistent QB. And we have an injured RB, along with a "power" RB, and a system RB (shades of Olandis Gary).

I'm less than optomistic.






Go Blue.

In terms of the offense, let's put it this way:

IF Johnson is as good as everyone says he is and he is supposed to be, then we have the best receiving corps in the NFL with Furrey, Roy and CJ. However, we don't have a consistent QB to get them the ball. We have a swiss cheese O-Line to protect that inconsistent QB. And we have an injured RB, along with a "power" RB, and a system RB (shades of Olandis Gary).

I'm less than optomistic.

I think Kitna can get the job done. I'm not talking Pro Bowl, I'm just talking solid. I'm also high on Ducket. Not because I'm a State guy, but because he always played well for Atlanta. He just didn't get the carries because Dunn played so well. I'm not saying I'm optimistic, I'm just saying let's not assume they are the same old until they've proven so after a couple of games.

Ya gotta at least be excited about watching our WRs.

'08 Lions in Madden = '07 and '06 Eagles?

Better. '08 Lions in Madden = 49ers, Bills in Tecmo Bowl. (I would include Giants and Chiefs but they had defense.) If the running game doesn't work out, they're at least Dolphins, Oilers in Tecmo.

It sounds like he's going to use TE's as H-backs a lot. That way he has a huge blocker that can also go in motion and catch passes. i'm not saying that will work great or not. They won't be able to hit the corner with the run that way (Corey had a lot more ability to get outside and block), but power running should be better. Blitz pickups will also suffer when using an H back since they won't be able to get out to chip on anyone.


If we're going to use the TE this way, why the F didn't we sign a TE that can make big plays?? Dan Campbell & Casey FitzSimmons aren't athletic enough to drop his block and then get open, we should've signed a TE like Randy McMichael who can get downfield faster & block.

ESPN Radio (Mike/Mike) was laughing at Kitna this morning for first stating that the Lions will win 10 games this year and then, correcting himself "once he looked at the schedule" that the Lions will win more than 10 games this year.

They proceeded to go game by game on the schedule and laugh at that assertion.

So much for setting the bar low and then exceeding expectations, lol.

I guess we can go ahead and give Kitna the "Roy Williams Award".

I think Kitna means there are at least 10 winnable games on the schedule, 8 of which we will blow right at the end. We will also win 2 games we weren't supposed to and 1 at the end of the season when a team rests its starters for the playoffs, giving us a solid 5-7 wins this year.

I'm going to drop a request to rename this thread "Cornbread."

campaign slogan of 07 lions season: "lets get this over with."

bump

title change

props e-ray

I wish Lions players would stop opening their mouths, I cringe whenever the Lions get talked about on those ESPN shows and get mocked.

mike furrey says 10-12 EASY!

kitna says atleast 10!

roy hasnt even spoken up yet!

time to get excited!!

Roys predicting 20

Roy's gonna predict 19 because the Lions are gonna have that first round bye in the playoffs, remember?

He'd still predict 20. The Lions will singlehandedly win the Pro Bowl.

Maybe 21 too if Mel Kiper gives them an A+ on the draft.

I know how Kitna can get the 10 wins. I think he means that 10 current starters will be playing in the one game they win. If you count a win for each of them, you have 10. Furrey just thinks the team will be a little more healthy.

But based on that logic I figured the team could manage 50-60 wins between the 22 starters. I guess I eat more cornbread than the players that are actually there to see just how bad the team really is.

One thing's for sure through Jethro, you can't have MY cornbread.

oh, i guarantee we all have a moment of weekness where we think "kitna really was ok last year. with roy williams and calvin johnson, plus mike furrey, all we need is a 1/2 decent line and something from the running game and we really could be something".

its happened to me. it'll happen to you.

I guarantee the first play of preseason will be a TD to Calvin Johnson and this whole board will be in a frenzy. In fact I'm so sure of this I am going to save this.

Maybe he is counting moral victories as well.

Maybe they meant 10 first downs this year?

Good a place as any I guess:

What a disaster this team has been:



NFL.com: 16 WRs taking up Lions' cap space (http://blog.mlive.com/highlightreel/2007/07/nflcom_16_wrs_taking_up_lions.html)

Posted by Bill Emkow (http://blog.mlive.com/highlightreel/about.html) July 08, 2007 13:06PM

Categories: Personnel (http://blog.mlive.com/highlightreel/personnel/)

According to a Pat Kirwan story about the money paid to players no longer on that team because a new coach cleans house, (aka "dead money") the Detroit Lions are paying 16 wide receivers in 2007, and that doesn't include Calvin Johnson.

July 3, NFL.com (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10245197): A quick look at the Detroit salary cap, and you quickly realize the Lions have used a lot of salary-cap space to figure out the position -- and they haven't even signed Calvin Johnson yet. On the 2007 books, there are 16 wide receivers using up cap space. Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, Corey Bradford are no longer on the team but will eat up $10,229,720 of space this season (close to 10 percent of the cap). When Johnson finally signs his contract, the Lions will have close to $28 million in wide receivers alone. Throw in the dead money Ross Verba, James Hall, Dre Bly, Josh McCown and Marcus Pollard represent (a combined $6.4 million), and you can see the cost of getting a roster corrected.
It's interesting to note the emotional state of the present Lions players -- remember Jon Kitna's 10-win prediction? -- is at an all time high. No one seems to miss any of the departed players.

Maybe McCown should count in our WR money.