Bucs vs Lions. What a great week 1 matchup!
 

Freeman vs Stafford.

McCoy, Clayborn, Bowers vs Suh, Fairley, Avrill.

Both secondaries will have it rough against the talent at QB and WR/TE for both teams. If Benn isnt 100%, Briscoe needs to pick up where he left off.

Looks like we face Ponder in week 2 (if he starts the season) and Kaepernick in week 5 (unlikely to start but who knows).

Any other new thoughts about the schedule post-draft?

Facing Detroit early is probably for the best. I definitely don't want to play them when Suh and Fairley have a few games under their belts and are more familiar with each other.

As for Ponder and Kaepernick. Let's just hope both of them are starting because that should mean two wins for us! :)

That is an exciting week one matchup.
And don't under-estimate how important week one games are.
I've seen, so many times, teams get off to good starts, or bad starts, and it kind of propels them up, or down.

Cases in point were last year, Lions at Bears week one, and Cowboys at Redskins week two.

Lions had that game won with the Calvin Johnson TD at the end, but the ref went over under the hood and was given the wagering info straight from Las Vegas that there was too much money on the Lions, so it was ruled not a catch. Bears went to 1-0 (and within the division which was the tiebreak that got them the division title vs the Packers), while the Lions went to 0-1 and never threatened.

The Cows had high expectations, and would have rolled the Redskins, but a stupid playcall at the very end of the first half resulted in a turnover = TD for the Redskins, and then the final play of the game a TD to the Dallas TE was overturned on another holding call on RT Alex Barron. Game Redskins.
Dallas 0-1, within the division, and it stayed off track all year, with a week 2 close home loss to the fortunate Bears.

I can recall some other big week one games that swung a team up or down.

Is this game in Tampa or Motown? It's gotta be a 5*star game. I can't wait to watch it. Our game is the only juicer matchup I reckon (hosting New Orleans).

Game vs./ Detroit is in Tampa. I think it'll be a nice test. Remember, most d-lineman take a few games or even years to really develop. Look at McCoy last year. Started off hot, lost Price, came down a bit, and then really tore it up. Suh is just in a class of his own.

I think our d-line can really take advantage of Detroit's in that game, since they really didn't address the O-Line .

Is that game sold out already?
They all should be for the season actually.
That game is ironic considering what hapened in week 16 last year between these 2 teams. It should fuel a mini-rivaplry. The old NFC Central!

The Bay of Pigs?

The battle of the Bays?

Yeah, Detroit is no slouch. If Stafford can stay healthy, I can see a rivalary between these two up and coming teams for years to come. The young and talented players added by their GMs, I think both have built contenders for the long haul. Detroit was playing extremely well with Stanton running their offense, so if they keep Stafford healthy, then they could push Chicago for #2 in the North.

I'm excited to see Freeman prove without a doubt that he's better than Stafford.

Suh was pretty much handled by Hardman last year so we'll see what happens with our line likely at full strength. Fairley doesn't have the strength to anchor in the NFL yet but his quickness is terrifying for offenses. He's more of a threat to disrupt an offense than Suh imo. Suh eats smaller guards alive but if you pit him against a bigger guard with long arms that can engage him, he struggles. Fairley can just outquick anyone.

Honestly, I don't think Stafford is going to be that guy that plays a full season year in and year out. I think he might be too fragile. He's shown when hit, he's out. Knee and shoulder injuries. I liked what I saw out of Stanton. Remember, they play behind the same o-line.

I don't want to play the Bucs week one. Bowers will be unlikely to be injured yet specially if there is no pre season and I fear for Stafford's health. If you guys could go and not injure our franchise QB with your epic D-Line I would appreciate it. Thanks

I think there will be a preseason. Apparently they're ruling on a stay most likely by tomorrow, so hopefully they lift the lockout again. The NFL is eventually going to cave. They'll lose too much money if they take this thing into the season anyways.

Aaron Rodgers couldn't stay healthy when he was just bakcing up Favre during his first few years in the league. It's far too early to say the guy will never stay healthy, Rodgers has been pretty durable since becoming the Packers' starter.

It's far too early for us to say that Fairley will do ANYTHING better than Suh in week 1. It took McCoy (who was more athletic than Suh as well) far longer to adjust to the speed of the game than Suh.

Actually Bowers' injury is one that will be monitored on a regular basis and could become a problem at any time. We will have to limit his reps in training camp and keep him from overworking. It's a nagging thing that could affect him all year/career.

Also Rodgers had 2 concussions this year.

There are lots of reasons to believe Fairley will have trouble adjusting to the NFL, but his quickness is unprecedented from the interior and that alone is difficult to stop. Suh will always make effort plays but he can be contained with the right gameplan. Fairley is much more disruptive to an offense because of penetration.

Stafford can take normal hits now. He couldn't after he got rocked by Peppers and came back too soon midseason but he has had surgery. I still think there is some risk now but as long as the docs say it's not going to effect or limit him going forward, I have no reason to think Stafford will be hurt. The Peppers hit and the Hail Mary hit were not normal every game hits to a QB. It's unfortunate it has happened twice now(just the Lions luck) to both shoulders. Both injuries from 2009 had no effect on 2010 though. Now with surgery 2010 injury should have no effect on 2011. Stafford is 100% and we just need a little luck Stafford only gets normal sacks from now on and not planted into the ground on his shoulder. A shot like Stafford took by Peppers would have taken out alot of QBs IMO. And the hail mary hit would have taken out 100% of QBs in this league. If it happens a 3rd time though well then the Lions will have a tough decision to make at QB and I'll be very upset.

Lions pass pro was actually solid last year other than the whiff by Backus with Peppers. I think what a rookie stud LT would have done against Peppers in his first ever game and then I remember that rookie stud LT in 2010 would mean no Suh on this team. Then I get happy Suh is a Lion and Backus played well the rest of the year and has been solid the last 3 years. 27 sacks only which was 6th best in the league, 9th best when you add in QB hits/hurries. Pass pro isn't the problem per last year with the Oline, it's run blocking and Best's toes.

As for Fairley, he'll progress but as for Week 1 we are not heavily relying on this guy like the Bucs are with the rookie DEs, although McCoy will be deadly now IMO and take some pressure off Bowers/Clayborn to perform and aid them in doing better earlier. I think this will help Stylez White too. Fairley is the future and Corey Williams/Sammie Lee Hill played well last year and will see alot of time in the rotation too with Fairley while he develops. Suh will continue to be a man among boys. We had 44 sacks last year KVB,Suh,Avril and rookie Fairley are going to bring it and in 2012 and beyond hopefully be downright unstoppable. No pressure to perform on Fairley in 2011. Anything he does is gravy IMO and keeps Corey Williams and Suh fresher to dominate. CW was a sack beast when he rotated more in Green Bays 4-3 a few years ago.

I think this will be a great game and a good measuring stick for both teams. Hope the result is the same as last year though for Detroit.

I wouldn't say Stafford can take normal hits now. In my opinion, he might be "fragile" as a football player. He's already had the 2 shoulders and knee injury in his 1st 2 years in the NFL. Sorry, but thats not a good sign, especially since guys like Stanton and Hill have been clean and protected behind the lions o-line. I hope I'm wrong because Stafford is one heck of a talent at QB, but I just hope he isn't an injury prone QB.

I'm just saying they weren't normal hits that he took and what I've read on the surgery the injury shouldn't effect him for this year, which would worry me the most that his throwing shoulder had limitations. But they don't. His bones aren't any softer than any other QB and he's not some super skinny guy. I've seen Stafford take sacks in college and 2009. I guess we'll find out this year if he can't take hits or if it was just very unlucky very hard hits in 2009 and 2010.

And Hill wasn't exactly clean. He broke his forearm and missed a few games because of that. Giants game Osi was blocked, dove hit him low and Hill braced himself and broke his forearm. I don't consider Hill injury prone because of that. And if someone drives Hill into the ground with all the weight on his shoulder I wouldn't consider him injury prone. If Backus plays solid the way he has been the last 3 years, that blindside crushing shouldn't happen.

The past is usually a pretty good indicator of the future. I love Stafford, but he is easily one of the most injury prone starting QB's in the league.

Remember when Rex Grossman was an injury prone QB. Missing most 2004 and most of 2005 season with the Bears. Then in 2006 he played in every single game. He lost his job in 2007 and has been a backup since but he can stay healthy. How about Aaron Rodgers getting hurt all the time when he was the backup in GB? Tom Brady could take another helmet to the knee and be out another year. Every QB can be taken. Staffords just happen to be two years in a row.

If it happens again to Stafford I'll be on your side on the injury prone, but just watching both those hits that took him out, they are rare hits that I don't usually see in the course of NFL games.

And I'd like to ask why he is injury prone? He's fairly mobile, good pocket presence, Lions Oline was 6th best in sacks last year, reports indicate after surgery his shoulder shouldn't be limited or is it you know something about his bone structure that I don't. He took two hard hits. If he avoids rare hits like that he has a chance to make it 16 games.

Rex Grossman is a bad example. He was injuy prone, played 1 full season after that, then lost his job because he was terrible. You can't judge him because quite frankly, he never plays.

I loved Stafford as a prospect coming out and him and Freeman were the only 2 QBs I liked before the 2009 draft because I hated the so called "darling" Sanchez. Stafford was tearing things up in the preseason and whenever he was on the field during teh regular season in 2010. He needs to stay healthy because the Lions are really building something there and so are the Bucs. These are 2 teams on the rise and I can see a real rivalry between Freeman v. Stafford (if he's healthy) over the next 10 years.

Also, the Lions should hold on to that Stanton guy. Always liked his potential and really flashed some ability in the end of the 2010 season.

Grossman hasn't played from mid 2007 on because he stinks though. We don't know if he would have gotten hurt or not but we do know he did play all of 2006 season after 2 injuries in 2004/2005 and being labeled super injury prone. I think Stafford could play all of the 2011 season due to the fact the injuries were not normal hits. One more major injury or an injury that lingers across seasons then I'll agree with you. Staffird played 10 games in 2009 and full college seasons in the SEC. We're talking 6 more games from 2009.

I hope a good rivalry develops. I think the win by Detroit last year and good game Week 1this year could spark the rivalry.

Stanton did get a little better but he has been pretty much junk. I'm shocked he did so well against the Bucs. We put a 2nd round tender on him so he'll be a Lion this season. Shaun Hill is clearly the backup though and a solid backup at that.

This Game Is Gonna Happennnn :)

Lions have a month and a bit to get ready for the Florida heat, and revenge...

Mikel LeShoure is out for the year with an Achilles tear. Nick Fairley will probably be out for the game with a foot injury. Titus Young is also hurt and missing practice time.

Lions can't catch a break.

Stafford will ball out against our secondary if we don't generate a pass rush early and often. I see Clayborn giving Backus a hard time all game long. Hopefully McCoy is in beast mode, and Price is heavily involved in the rotation. Last time Calvin Johnson put up 150+ plus yards on us, i doubt that occurs again though since Talib will be here. No need to say what Blount will do to that run defense :p.... I'll come back and make my prediction after a few pre-season games.