This season of Detroit Lions football did not go as planned. After a 15-2 season with a premature exit in the playoffs, many expected the Lions to jump right back into contention and fight for their first Super Bowl appearance. Instead, as Christmas approaches, they’re on the brink of elimination with playoff odds lower than 10%.
On this week’s episode of the PODcast, we recap Detroit’s disheartening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. How did the Lions suddenly lose their entire identity of running the football on offense and stopping the run on defense? We also break down some severe coaching malpractice in the game, whether it be questionable play calling, poor game plans, or even worse in-game management.
Then our discussion moves to some bigger-picture questions. Changes are going to be made this upcoming offseason; it’s inevitable. On the roster side, there are north of 20 to-be free agents the Lions will have to make decisions on. So how will the Lions spend their resources? Will it mostly be on retaining players? Will they put a big focus on the offensive line, the defensive line? Do they need to overhaul their secondary… again?
Then there’s the issue with the coaching staff. Is Kelvin Sheppard in over his head? Does he need to be replaced? Does he need a veteran assistant to help out? Does the entire defensive scheme need an overhaul? And on the offensive side of the ball, is it time the Lions go out and get themselves a seasoned play-caller? How much blame does Hank Fraley deserve for Detroit’s uninspiring running game?
Or is all of this an overreaction to a team that faced a tough schedule, still it’s top-two in scoring offense, and was on the wrong side of end-of-game luck and injury problems? Could just a strong offseason of personnel building and self-scouting fix everything?
We discuss that and a whole lot more on this week’s episode of the PODcast. You can listen to it below or find it on any podcasting platform you prefer by searching “Pride of Detroit.”
A video version of the PODcast is also available over on our YouTube page. Make sure you’re subscribed over there for plenty of bonus content not included on our podcast feeds.
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