lordstanley

Campbell will want to beat him hard in head to head games, but is surely thrilled for Johnson. It’s a feather in the cap to Campbell and the Lions too. When before has anyone ever wanted a Lion head coach or coordinator? Johnson did what’s best for himself, his family and his career, just like lawyers and accountants and salespeople and secretaries do all the time when they jump to a promotion with another company.

I've been checking out Twitter. Haven't seen fans turn on Ben Johnson so quickly since he tested positive for steroids 2 days after winning 100m gold at the Seoul Olympics.

I'm not fussed about Ben going to the Bears, but I wish he wasn't grabbing Dennis Allen too. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/ben-johnson-assembling-superstar-coaching-staff-chicago-bears-dennis-allen

And the Lions problem wasn't moving the ball. Their one and only punt was 67 seconds into the game. The only other times the Lions failed to either score a TD or get inside the Skins' 30 were the 1st interception by Goff and the interception by Jamo. The problem was the red zone fumble up 7-3, an interception into the end zone to end the 1st half, and a red zone interception in the final minute of the game. 11 drives: 1 punt, 4 TDs, 1 FG, 5 turnovers.

Highest total yards, 521, of the 8 teams. Only the Commanders were within 100 yards of that. 2nd most points scored of the 8 teams, behind only the Commanders of course. But no team in the other 3 games gave up more than 28 points, compared to the 45 points yielded by the Lions.

What do Chris Smith, Jonah Williams, Morice Norris Jr, Myles Adam and Stantley Thomas-Oliver III have in common? They all took snaps for the Lions on defense on Saturday.

Our coaching staff and players had no real chance. Once the Commanders won the opening coin toss and brilliantly chose to defer, I knew we were doomed and that the game was practically over.

Kasper scores the only goal in a 4-1 loss. Outscored a combined 9-2 this weekend.

Yeah the Stafford love if the Rams had won today would have been over the top, as if he's some magic man. The Lions have had a better record than the Rams each of the past 3 seasons, the Lions beat the Rams in the playoffs last season, and the Lions beat the Rams in the regular season this year. He has his Super Bowl. Great. Well done. He deserved it. But the trade is just as much of a win-win today as it was a week ago.

Wings are coming back down to earth this weekend. After losing 5-1 to Tampa yesterday, they trail Dallas 3-0 after 1 tonight.

Jamo is extremely talented but still a bit of a goofball. Who else on the Lions starts sticking the ball out and prancing around when still 15 yards from the end zone, like he did on his long touchdown. That’s on the coaches for putting Jamo in that position in that time and place. Might as well be throwing to Sewell or Skipper in that situation, not that I would’ve recommended that either!

Right, and completely unnecessary. Still a full 12 minutes to go and 1st down at the Lions 45. A standard mix or running and passes could have got the Lions into the endzone and down only 3 with around 9 minutes or so to go. Even if the Commanders went on a 6-minute FG drive after that, the Lions still would have got the ball back with time and a chance to win it. It was too soon to get desperate. Ben could have saved those trick plays for a tougher defense like Philadelphia.

Wow, had plenty of time to run it on 3rd and 2. Sack instead. Game over.

14 yards away!

Rams to get the ball back after a 13-second 3 and out by the Eagles.

Game not over. Back down to a 6-point game with 2:48 to go, Rams have all of their timeouts.

Saquon is magnificent. 196 yards on 24 carries. 4 receptions for 27 yards. His 2nd TD, a 78 yard run, just iced it. Philly was host the NFC Championship game

I kept expecting Washington to make a big mistake, an unforced error. Not because Daniels is a rookie quarterback, but because they’re a good not great team that won a wacky number of games on the final possession. And were playing on the road. But they kept converting 4th and short (excepting on their opening drive) and took few penalties (except a phantom facemask which should have been the break the Lions needed) and had no turnovers. Going into the game, on a 4th and 2 in a 3-point game I would have expected the penalty would be an illegal procedure on the Washington offense rather than a too many men by the Lions defense. It was a perfect storm. So on a totally sucky day a few points: a) thank God the team that knocked out the Lions was Washington not Green Bay, as I have nothing against the Commanders; b) with the defense again getting exposed and the Minnesota game looking like an outlier, even if the Lions had pulled it out I would have favored Philly vs the Lions; and c) a close flukey loss might have been even tougher to take, as last night so many facets stunk that I have hard a time saying that “if only this one play had gone differently….”

Schedule looks brutal and they will still lose both coordinators. 11-6 would have been easier to take coming off at least a Super Bowl appearance. The Lions will get back to work and they still have a ton of talent, and a great GM and the right coach. But one thing will change. They will no longer be the media darlings. Not until they get to the Super Bowl.

Turns out the Minnesota game was the anomaly of the past 6 weeks.

Setting up for a pass on 3rd and short up 7-3 will go down in infamy along with Michigan getting cute on 4th down on the opening drive of the TCU game. Set the tone for the whole game.

LIONS WEEP TONIGHT

INT is a perfectly fitting way to end this. 45-31 final.

93 seconds. TD, onside kick, TD, 2 pt conversion.

The OCD kicker can make it a 3- score game.