MichiganCardinal

I have my own rant about that.

In fairness, they are 7-0 on the road this season. Counterintuitively, the patchwork defense may have an easier time on the road, when the crowd is quiet and they don't have to rely on silent signals.

With the defense, my hope is that knowledge of the season situation (even if not consciously) is contributing to the lackluster performance tonight. If your body knows that you have a bigger game in six days, you may only be giving your 80% without even meaning to. I also do think getting Anzalone back will make a difference, at least in the run game.

Several strong contributors, highlighted by Puka Nakua, were selected after Jake Moody in that draft. I just don't understand selecting special teams contributors that early, when you can bring ten UDFA kickers into training camp and likely find a competent kicker in the bunch.

Love Moody for what he did in Ann Arbor, but there is a reason you don't take kickers in the 3rd round.

Clock should be running right now unless SF called a timeout.

Gotta be OPI right?

The defensive line looks surprised when they actually get pressure and don't finish anything. The secondary just looks gassed. On the bright side, since the Lions never lose back-to-back games, next week is a lock if this game trajectory doesn't change.

That's probably ball game. Can't afford to not score 7 on every possession.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions go for two when they score on this drive. And even more than once in the second half where it wouldn't normally make sense. Stealing a point or two may make the difference in the game when both defenses don't appear to have made the trip.

Speaking of the short week, there really shouldn't be Monday Night Football this week, or in the wildcard round. Teams should be on even footing for the most important games.

They haven't started his clock yet I don't think. I would expect them to do so tomorrow, so it's probably going to be hard to get him back on only three days practice, especially on a short week. I expect he'll be back for the first playoff game, whichever week that lands.

There is too much money at stake for them to not throw everything they can at it. Not saying it would be successful. But when USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten, it shocked everyone and it happened overnight. Not even the UC Regents knew it was coming. I just think this kind of seismic shift would be the same. There won't be whispers, it'll be a press release and probably immediate.

This is why Campbell onside kicked it against the Bills. They're swiss cheese on defense.

I wonder what kind of difference getting Anzalone back will make. The defense just looks clueless.

Going from 2nd and 24 to a touchdown in two plays could be a dagger to a defense's morale.

That should have been a personal foul against Winters.

I don't think a breath of that will be spoken until it has been decided and done. They won't want to give the NCAA or other conferences a second of preparation to their legal arguments.

If it requires unanimity I don’t see any incentive for anyone outside the Big Ten, SEC, and Notre Dame to want this. How many years would that change actually benefit an ACC, Big 12, or any other conference champion, as opposed to the current setup?

I trust Campbell so completely that I don't think the difference between will and should are that distinct for me. Obviously I understand the perceived benefit to resting key starters, and he's not above reproach, but I just am not one to question a head coach who is 35-10 in his last 45 and took the Detroit Lions to the NFC Championship Game last year. His methods are clearly working, I kind of think they should do whatever he says they should do.

I'm not one to judge locker room celebrations, but out of context I would have expected this was a clinching celebration for them.

It's just not the Dan Campbell way. If the Vikings had lost today and the Lions won tomorrow, Campbell would have played all the starters against Minnesota too. You don't take the foot off the gas, ever.

I assure you they will not. Every starter will play the entire game.

A ****ty performance by the opponent and the Vikings win by 2. A Minnesota classic.

They cost themselves probably a minute of clock by not stepping out of bounds on the pass to the 3 and then running up the middle for no gain on 1st and gaol.