BcLion
08-29-2008, 10:07 AM
Perfection! Lions end preseason as NFL's lone unbeaten team
BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • August 29, 2008
Only one team has gone through the exhibition season undefeated. Only one.
Cue the dramatic NFL films music, please.
The Detroit Lions.
OK, stop the music.
The Lions' going 4-0 in the exhibition season for the first time since 1990 isn't quite like, uh, the New England Patriots' going 16-0 in the regular season for the first time in NFL history.
Though the Lions beat the Bills in their exhibition finale Thursday night, 14-6, it was about avoiding injury, not winning. The Lions held out 16 of their 22 projected offensive and defensive starters on a gray, wet day at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills held out 21 of 22. Not exactly the Super Bowl.
Asked what it meant to be the only team to go undefeated in the exhibition season, coach Rod Marinelli said: "Nothing."
Perhaps the most heart-pounding, hold-your-breath moment came not on a big scoring play, but when Buffalo's Leodis McKelvin caught a kickoff late in the first quarter.
McKelvin eluded a couple of Lions and ran up the right sideline -- right at kicker Jason Hanson, a 17-year veteran who just returned from a thigh injury. Hanson had to make the tackle. But he hopped up afterward, and the Lions could exhale.
The Lions suffered two injuries, both to players on the bubble when the roster is trimmed from 75 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday. Running back Brian Calhoun suffered a thigh injury, safety Greg Blue a hamstring pull.
"You come out of a game like this, you feel fortunate," Marinelli said.
But while people brush off the Lions' perfect preseason -- cynical after seven straight losing seasons and a half-century of disappointment -- what would people be saying if the Lions went 0-4? That it was meaningless? That it doesn't mean they're bad?
The Lions' going 4-0 doesn't mean they're going to be good. But at least it reflects solid play from the top to the bottom of their roster, and it can provide them a little boost of confidence heading into the real deal, the regular-season opener, Sept. 7 at Atlanta.
Except for their new zone running attack, which the Lions have struggled to establish, the Lions looked strong in most areas in the exhibition season.
The passing game was crisp, and the offense committed one turnover. The defense forced three turnovers in four games and added two safeties Thursday night. The Lions never allowed more than 10 points.
"The winning part isn't the key," Marinelli said. "It's: Are we laying a foundation? That's the only thing. I've said it from day one."
Asked to describe the Lions' foundation, Marinelli said: "Solid. ... Most of the second halves, some of the guys won't ever be here. So it's hard to say. But what it does, maybe it reflects what we're trying to teach. We played our base stuff. That's all we did the whole camp. Just trying to get guys in a groove. ... It really doesn't mean any more than that."
Tight end Michael Gaines, fullback Jerome Felton and right guard Stephen Peterman were the Lions' projected offensive starters who played Thursday night. And Gaines is projected to start only because Dan Campbell has been sidelined by elbow and hamstring injuries. Peterman, who might be fighting to keep his starting job, entered the game on offense in the second quarter.
Defensive tackle Cory Redding, safety Gerald Alexander and linebacker Alex Lewis were the Lions' projected defensive starters who played. Redding needed work after missing time with injuries.
Asked about the 4-0 record, Redding said: "The meaning of that is, to build on something. Everything we're working on, it shows up on tape. All our hustle. Running to the ball. Being in your gaps. We practice to win, and that's what we did. So we build a foundation in the preseason."
Now it's time to build the house.
I like what I have seen throughout preseason ( reguardless of record). The team has been playing in the mold of their headcoach. We need to improve our running game but I think we all expected a learning curve with the new zone blocking scheme. While the preseason W/L means jack, The way our team is playing every snap and the depth we are seeing from our backups makes me feel very good about the upcoming season.
The cuts over the next couple days are going to be hard ones for sure.
BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • August 29, 2008
Only one team has gone through the exhibition season undefeated. Only one.
Cue the dramatic NFL films music, please.
The Detroit Lions.
OK, stop the music.
The Lions' going 4-0 in the exhibition season for the first time since 1990 isn't quite like, uh, the New England Patriots' going 16-0 in the regular season for the first time in NFL history.
Though the Lions beat the Bills in their exhibition finale Thursday night, 14-6, it was about avoiding injury, not winning. The Lions held out 16 of their 22 projected offensive and defensive starters on a gray, wet day at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills held out 21 of 22. Not exactly the Super Bowl.
Asked what it meant to be the only team to go undefeated in the exhibition season, coach Rod Marinelli said: "Nothing."
Perhaps the most heart-pounding, hold-your-breath moment came not on a big scoring play, but when Buffalo's Leodis McKelvin caught a kickoff late in the first quarter.
McKelvin eluded a couple of Lions and ran up the right sideline -- right at kicker Jason Hanson, a 17-year veteran who just returned from a thigh injury. Hanson had to make the tackle. But he hopped up afterward, and the Lions could exhale.
The Lions suffered two injuries, both to players on the bubble when the roster is trimmed from 75 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday. Running back Brian Calhoun suffered a thigh injury, safety Greg Blue a hamstring pull.
"You come out of a game like this, you feel fortunate," Marinelli said.
But while people brush off the Lions' perfect preseason -- cynical after seven straight losing seasons and a half-century of disappointment -- what would people be saying if the Lions went 0-4? That it was meaningless? That it doesn't mean they're bad?
The Lions' going 4-0 doesn't mean they're going to be good. But at least it reflects solid play from the top to the bottom of their roster, and it can provide them a little boost of confidence heading into the real deal, the regular-season opener, Sept. 7 at Atlanta.
Except for their new zone running attack, which the Lions have struggled to establish, the Lions looked strong in most areas in the exhibition season.
The passing game was crisp, and the offense committed one turnover. The defense forced three turnovers in four games and added two safeties Thursday night. The Lions never allowed more than 10 points.
"The winning part isn't the key," Marinelli said. "It's: Are we laying a foundation? That's the only thing. I've said it from day one."
Asked to describe the Lions' foundation, Marinelli said: "Solid. ... Most of the second halves, some of the guys won't ever be here. So it's hard to say. But what it does, maybe it reflects what we're trying to teach. We played our base stuff. That's all we did the whole camp. Just trying to get guys in a groove. ... It really doesn't mean any more than that."
Tight end Michael Gaines, fullback Jerome Felton and right guard Stephen Peterman were the Lions' projected offensive starters who played Thursday night. And Gaines is projected to start only because Dan Campbell has been sidelined by elbow and hamstring injuries. Peterman, who might be fighting to keep his starting job, entered the game on offense in the second quarter.
Defensive tackle Cory Redding, safety Gerald Alexander and linebacker Alex Lewis were the Lions' projected defensive starters who played. Redding needed work after missing time with injuries.
Asked about the 4-0 record, Redding said: "The meaning of that is, to build on something. Everything we're working on, it shows up on tape. All our hustle. Running to the ball. Being in your gaps. We practice to win, and that's what we did. So we build a foundation in the preseason."
Now it's time to build the house.
I like what I have seen throughout preseason ( reguardless of record). The team has been playing in the mold of their headcoach. We need to improve our running game but I think we all expected a learning curve with the new zone blocking scheme. While the preseason W/L means jack, The way our team is playing every snap and the depth we are seeing from our backups makes me feel very good about the upcoming season.
The cuts over the next couple days are going to be hard ones for sure.