This may sound like a broken record, but, I don't have any idea how to explain the Lions game in New Orleans. They lost a 31-17 decision to the Saints, and the same issues that hurt them against Green Bay did them in again against New Orleans.
Penalties that stop drives kept them from controlling the ball. Hey, they moved the ball decently against the Saints, but they couldn't overcome holding calls, and offensive pass interference and unnecessary roughness penalties. It is frustrating and maddening that they have become their own worst enemies. They CAN play with these "elite" teams. While it seems like the game was lost badly, don't forget the Lions were within one score of tying the game up in the fourth quarter. They didn't get blown out, even though that may be how it feels at the end. They were a play away from tying it up late, and putting the Saints under some real pressure. But, when it got down to bait cuttin' time, they went into self destruct mode and let the Saints off the hook.
The other issue is consistency. On defense they played well against the Saints at times. They forced some three and outs. They gave themsleves a chance to climb back in it, but, they are sporadic with that kind of play. They've got to be more consistent within a game. Every series has to be a gold standard. They can't wait around to get going. A lot of it is adjusting from one series to the next. The other guy is going to adjust and you have to match him. The Lions can do it, they have proven it this year. What they cannot afford is a lull in their play. It seems to get them behind the eight ball, and while they have come from behind on a lot of occasions this year, you can't keep going to the well and expect to come back every week. They are good enough to get out quick and bury the other guy, it's time to do it, and be the team you can be!
Now, lets get to what is on everyones mind. Discipline, or the lack of it in the Lions case. It is the most frustrating of all the issues the Lions seem to have. The penalties against Titus Young, Stefan Logan, and Brandon Pettigrew, all of them after the whistle were avoidable penalties and are unacceptable. It was not any of those guys first rodeo. They've been in the NFL for a while and they know guys talk and take late shots to get you to react. All of them reacted. All of them got flagged. All of them hurt the Lions chances to win.
While there are those out there who want to place blame on others for this behavior, like Coach Schwartz, I am not one of those. These guys have played football for a long time. At every level they have been told to keep their cool in these situations. From Pop Warner, to High School, to College, these situations have come up and in every case, they have been told to not react. They have been told to be disciplined and let the other guy get the penalty. If you are going to react to a cheap shot, you do it legally with a hard but legal hit. It falls directly on the player to be disciplined and not get lured into a situation that can hurt you and your team. Now, if the same guys continue to do the same things, it is on the coach to put a stop to it. Schwartz made that perfectly clear to me in the post game interview. Believe me, I do not think he will tolerate this stuff anymore. If it continues then we have another discussion.
Here is the difficult part of this situation. The Lions now have a reputation for this kind of thing, so every team out there, and every player that lines up against the Lions is going to try and get under their skin. I guarantee the opponents are going to try and get an edge, and they are going to be chippy, and try to get the Lions to react. The officials are already looking at the Lions with a microscope, and if there is a benefit of the doubt, the Lions will not get it. The Lions will have to be choir boys while the opponent is going to be a playground bully, and they'll get away with some of it! The Lions must play above it all. They are marked men. The bullseye is on their back. They placed it there themselves, and the only way to remove it is to not give anyone the chance to interpret your actions as anything but within the rules.
And by the way, on the officiating front. 2 of the three offensive pass interference calls against Nate Burleson were bogus. One of them was legitimate, no question, a good call, but the other two were not. The officials also missed a clear offsides on the field goal attempt by the Lions right before the half. The New Orleans player who blocked the kick was off sides. I am NOT a conspiracy theory guy, but, the Lions I don't think are gonna get any help from the zebra's. The thing is, they don't want any help, just don't give the other guys any. It's hard enough to win in the NFL.
