2013 NFL Season Thread

[Maxx]

Wow, what the hell is The Wiz thinking? Detroit has one of the best players in the league, possibly in league history. It's a playoff caliber team with a few adjustments and some good coaching. Tennessee has...what's left of Chris Johnson and Jake Locker. Guess he really enjoyed those post Warner years in Arizona.


Meanwhile, just look at how excited Jim Caldwell is!

[gunnar hendershow]

The enigmatic charismatic Jim Caldwell you!

[VerbalPuke]

Oh well. Some of our fans bitched that Whisenhuts offense was too conservative. Shitty year to be looking for a coach either way. This it for Mayhew and Co. though, they better get it right or they are done.

Christ,Caldwell already has that soulless Lionized look.

[Mick]

Shitty year to be looking for a coach either way.

[buck...]

What is being said is that it was based on wanting to play 3-4 and GM and company said no......I don't want Caldwell, but the rumors of Dungy and Manning going to bat for him scares me.

[Meacon Keaton]

If the GM tells the head coach what kind of defense to run, maybe it's the GM that needs to go. I understand the roster has been built for a 4-3, but if you're going to fire a head coach and bring in a new one, maybe more than just one thing needs to change.

[gunnar hendershow]

Mayhew's an idiot for not wanting to change the defense up when a HC comes in and asks for it. He drafts the players, the HC makes them good.

Mayhew will be fired in <365 days.

[buck...]

Probably, but do you see how the Lions could run a 3-4 on D at even the same level they were at this year? The lions outside linebackers were a major weak point beyond Levy, hence why they played as much nickle as they did.

Edit: And god am I a resigned Lions fan when I don't even fan speak that the Lions GM could survive the season.

[Meacon Keaton]

The offseason is young, my friend. You can have a completely different looking defense next pre-season if you bring in the right coach.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah there's no excuse to not want to change. Worst case scenario you trade someone away who doesn't fit in your scheme and get something to replace them that does fit your scheme.

[buck...]

I think the reason Mayhew was against it was because he knows if they don't make the playoffs next year, he's gone. I think the Lions D is set up as as a 4-3 and to change now, would mean some great, great growing pains. I'm still at the point when I just don't want Caldwell. I like almost every other candidate out there, better then him.

[gunnar hendershow]

Rob Ryan came in to New Orleans, installed a new defense, and there were zero growing pains. Mayhew might think there'd be growing pains, but only if the coaching is shit.

[buck...]

Wasn't N.O. D much worst than what the Detroit D was this year? Detroit's D, in a 4-3 just need some help at Corner back to become one of the better D's in the league.

[VerbalPuke]

Problem with a 3-4 for us is do you want to move Suh to DE when he is already such a good DT? Fairley can't do it, so he woukd be the nose tackle. I was all for change but not sure about moving our DTs around.

[gunnar hendershow]

Wasn't N.O. D much worst than what the Detroit D was this year? Detroit's D, in a 4-3 just need some help at Corner back to become one of the better D's in the league.

The Saints D was in the top 10 in the league. The Lions were not, they could not stop the pass in a pass happy league to save their life. The 4-3 is great for stopping the run, which they're excellent at, but they need to stop the pass a 3-4 makes that much more feasible.

[buck...]

I thought the Saints D set a record in yards allowed last year.

[Maxx]

That was probably the Cowboys.

[gunnar hendershow]

I thought the Saints D set a record in yards allowed last year.

2 years ago yes. This most recent season they ranked in the top 10.

[buck...]

But that was Rob Ryan's first season. Detroit was lower than I thought,at 17th, but whoever come into Detroit isn't working from that blank slate that Rob Ryan and the Saints were. Or was Rob Ryan with the Saints last season (two seasons ago, including this season), and I'm mixing up timelines......by the by I don't really disagree with you, but I understand the idea of not wanting to switch to the 3-4 with the personnel.

[livid]

Transitioning to a 3-4 is never easy, especially not as easy as people are implying based simply on the Saints turnaround. The Saints had a lot of players that already fit the scheme, whereas Detroit has more that fit 4-3 than 3-4. It's not impossible but they would have to do so much roster turnover that it wouldn't make sense because I don't think they have enough cap room to make it work right away. Honestly, the Lions defense is only a piece or two away from being good as a 4-3 anyways so changing to the 3-4 seems mostly like a cosmetic move to show a coach putting his stamp on the team.