NFL Preseason Thread - Training Camp

[Deity Dude]

OK - Call me a Lions slacky but here's my prediction.

Lions win the division and actually win a playoff game this year.

Even Vegas has them as 5th best in the NFC

Over/Under on total wins

Philadelphia 11.5
Minnesota 9.5
Atlanta 9.5
Carolina 9.0
Detroit 8.5

They have more offensive weapons at the skill positions than any team in the league. They've made some good pickups on defense. Hopefully they don't remain stubborn and insist on playing Harrington. With Joey they go 9-7. With Garcia it's a breakout season.....

Lions 11-5
Minn 9-7
GB 6-10
Chi 6-10

Remeber the Super Bowl is in Detroit this year

[Guynemer]

No friggen way.

9-7 or 10-6. No way they hit 11, and the only way they have a winning season is if they don't have more than one major injury: Harrington, Garcia, C. Rogers, R. Williams, M. Williams, Jones, S. Rogers, Bly, Law (if they sign him), pick any two OL.

Tall order, man. Real tall.

[Deity Dude]

I know it sounds crazy - and I am usually a pessimist when it comes to the Lions - but if you look at that roster objectively its pretty darn good.

Damien Woody was on the radio the other day and he said it had more talent the Patriot team he played on that won the Super Bowl. Of couse they inerviewers challenged him. His reponse was its one thing to have raw talent and its another to translate it on to the field.

Anyway you look at it they are stacked.

[Kidlicious]

I'd take the bet that the Lions win the division this year.

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by Deity Dude
OK - Call me a Lions slacky but here's my prediction.

Lions win the division and actually win a playoff game this year.

Even Vegas has them as 5th best in the NFC

Over/Under on total wins

Philadelphia 11.5
Minnesota 9.5
Atlanta 9.5
Carolina 9.0
Detroit 8.5

They have more offensive weapons at the skill positions than any team in the league. They've made some good pickups on defense. Hopefully they don't remain stubborn and insist on playing Harrington. With Joey they go 9-7. With Garcia it's a breakout season.....

Lions 11-5
Minn 9-7
GB 6-10
Chi 6-10

Remeber the Super Bowl is in Detroit this year

I bet you my bottom dollar that the Lions will not win the division.

[Guynemer]

I agree. Get a wild card? Very, very possible. But win the division? Not a snowball's chance in hell.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Man, the Lions love is a biiiit too much . I'm saying 8-8. Minnesota is winning that division boys. They added a LOT of talent to that defense and even without Moss that offense has firepower. They look poised to challenge for a first round bye.

[Solomwi]

Re: Re: Re: Re: NFL Preseason Thread - Training Camp

Originally posted by Darsnan


I'm of the opposite opinion. I think Saban's approach with Ricky is indicating that Saban is gonna stick with him this season, and if there is any serious interest from other teams in Brown (like a 1st paired with a 5th or 2 sixth round drafts) why Brown is gone. It makes sense from the perspective that the 'Phins can get much more for Brown than Ricky, that our salary cap can use the relief, and that Saban is looking to the future, not this season (if the 'Phins go 7-9 this season, then considering what a disaster last season was, why most of South Florida will be happy).


D

You may be right. I know in that position, though, I'd be more inclined to deal the potential headcase.

[OzzyKP]

That's great that Vegas has Detroit as 5th in the NFC. Of course they have Minnesota higher, so even if we don't have yet another predictable catastrophe and string of injuries, we probably won't win division.

I'd be quite happy with a wildcard spot.

Hell I'd be happy if we actually did make it to 8-8.

[snoopy369]

Bears

We really have a ... possible ... team. Not a sure bet - but there's a chance this team gels together for a playoff spot. Basically a lot of If's ... but getting back to that running game is key. Good defense, solid running (PLEASE sign, Cedric... we'll all chip in $5 and make your extra $3 million or whatever you need ... ) and a small tight playbook will make this work - if nobody big gets injured, and if Rex is back enough to do decently. Mushin is great, and Tillman is looking REALLY good at CB, one thing that was a bit of a question mark last year ...

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Man, the Lions love is a biiiit too much . I'm saying 8-8. Minnesota is winning that division boys. They added a LOT of talent to that defense and even without Moss that offense has firepower. They look poised to challenge for a first round bye.

Even though I love the Packers, you're probably right.

[OzzyKP]

It's NFC North title or bust for the Lions

August 1, 2005

BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

There's hope, there's optimism and then there's something else.

Confidence.

As quarterback Joey Harrington, coach Steve Mariucci and vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. spoke Sunday at Lions training camp, they showed a lot of it.

"There's no reason in my mind why we shouldn't win the division," Harrington said. "I don't think anybody should be scared to say that.

"I'm tired of losing football games. There's no beating around the bush on that one. I hate losing, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Mariucci had been vague about what he thought the Lions could or should accomplish this season. But when asked about Harrington's comments, he left no doubt the NFC North title was in his sights.

"In the recent past here, I don't know if people felt that they were confident enough to make that a realistic expectation," Mariucci said. "I think we are getting to a point where we make that as our goal and every intention.

"Everything we talk about is about beating the Packers, the Bears and the Vikings. Obviously there are other teams in the league, but if you can dominate and be on top of your division you are always in the playoff hunt. It's time for us to win that thing."

Ford liked what he saw as he surveyed the field during the morning practice.

"There's more talent on the team now," Ford said. "It's night and day versus what it was three years ago. I expect us to have a good year."

Asked what he considered good, Ford said: "Playoffs, and then from there anything can happen."

Yes, Ford allows himself to daydream about the Lions' playing in the Super Bowl at Ford Field.

"Of course I do," Ford said. "Absolutely. Ford Field in many ways to me was my dream. People told me not to do it. I got lots of advice that it would never work and that a stadium in the city was not going to ever be practical. And yet we went ahead and did it.

"To have the Super Bowl there, I'm going to love every minute of it, and of course, the one thing that would put it over the top would be to have the team in it."

The Lions won only 16 games the past four seasons. Only Houston won as few in that span -- and the expansion Texans have played only three seasons.

But the Lions' roster has changed dramatically.

Ford said you couldn't help but think about the 1991 team -- the only Lions to win a playoff game since the '57 team won the NFL championship.

"I like the fact that we have depth at virtually every position," Ford said. "I like the fact that our best players typically are ascending players, they're not descending players. And I like the fact that even our backups are guys coming into their prime, as opposed to prior years when we had guys who were on their last year. And I think that all of that really should make us a much better team."

Every team is positive at training camp every year, but ...

"This is different," Ford said. "There's some battles for positions. Ultimately you're going to see good football players on the street. That's a luxury we have not had in at least the last three years."

[Kidlicious]

I think the Lions have a lot more talent than Minnesota. I don't see why they couldn't win. One of these years they're going to do something.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You think the Lions have a lot more talent than Minnesota? In WR and RB, but where else? In the QB position, which is probably the most important position in the NFL today, Minny has a HELL of a talent gap on Detriot's signal caller. And Minny has upgraded their defense exponentially.

They look scary.

[Zopperoni]

The Lions play the AFC North and the NFC South this season. Some serious defensive quality there. They face the Bucs and the Steelers away, but the Ravens, the Falcons and the Panthers at home.

The Lions did manage to win some road games last season improving their away record over the last four years to: 3-29.

With this tough sked, 4-4 at home and 3-5 away is already pretty good.