NFC Super Wildcard Weekend: Los Angeles Rams (10-7) @ Detroit Lions (12-5)

[Jason_R]

9 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I also feel like Glenn held his cards close to the vest. The Lions really ran a vanilla defense against Minnesota. With 3 good safeties plus Branch, I think we are going to see looks we haven't seen all year. There's just not tape out there with these safeties plus Branch. 

Yes, lots of dime coverage, and hopefully the front five can contain the LA running game. 

[Motown Bombers]

1 minute ago, Jason_R said:

Yes, lots of dime coverage, and hopefully the front five can contain the LA running game. 

CJGJ and Branch are pretty good against the run so you wouldn't be sacrificing a lot against the run. 

[Sports_Freak]

48 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

The Lions defense is wild. The Lions lead the NFL is pressure percentage, QB hurries, and QB hits but rank 24th in sacks. If they can convert a few of these pressures into sacks, it would help the secondary a lot. 

The fact that Stafford isn't mobile may be to our benefit. We just need consistent pressure. No long 3rd down conversions or stupid penalties.

[Cruzer1]

St, Brown and LaPorta are both fascinating case studies. Neither has top end speed, and if you went by 40 time alone, you'd probably knock St.Brown off  the draft board.  Both have a special knack for getting open, and if it was easily taught, then they wouldn't pop out the way they do.

[Motown Bombers]

What are you talking about? Laporta had the third best 40 of any TE at the combine. Better than all the other top TE candidates. 

[RandyMarsh]

Straight line speed is highly overrated, yeah everything else being equal sure I'll take the guy with better straight line and top end speed but there's no way in this day and age I'm putting too much stock into just that without breaking down all his other numbers.

The fact is you rarely ever run long distances uninterrupted in the NFL, you almost always have to stop and start, juke, change directions etc. so even if you are a true track star you seldom get a chance to really put that to use. Bottom line give me the guy who can change directions quickly, and accelerate quickly vs. a guy with higher top end speed.  

 

[Cruzer1]

25 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

Straight line speed is highly overrated, yeah everything else being equal sure I'll take the guy with better straight line and top end speed but there's no way in this day and age I'm putting too much stock into just that without breaking down all his other numbers.

The fact is you rarely ever run long distances uninterrupted in the NFL, you almost always have to stop and start, juke, change directions etc. so even if you are a true track star you seldom get a chance to really put that to use. Bottom line give me the guy who can change directions quickly, and accelerate quickly vs. a guy with higher top end speed.  

 

Tell that to Tyreek.  Speed will always kill, St.Brown and LaPorta are outliers.

[RandyMarsh]

15 minutes ago, Cruzer1 said:

Tell that to Tyreek.  Speed will always kill, St.Brown and LaPorta are outliers.

Tyreek is an outlier, I think of guys like Tavon Austin, Darius Heyward-Bey, John Ross among a host of others who had blazing straight line speed and everybody thought it would translate onto the football field and it never did.... cause it rarely does in fact unless they have other skills to go with it. 

Edited January 13, 2024 by RandyMarsh

[Cruzer1]

4 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

Tyreek is an outlier, I think of guys like Tavon Austin, Darius Heyward-Bey, John Ross among a host of others who had blazing straight line speed and everybody thought it would translate onto the football field and it never did.... cause it rarely does in fact unless they have other skills to go with it. 

If you weren't watching, the NFL is built on speed. Every team is loading up with speed. Except for the Patriots.

[Dan Gilmore]

Using Hill as an example for WRs is like using Brady for QBs. They are the definition of outliers.

[Motown Bombers]

Laporta is fast for a TE. What in the world am I missing? 

[RandyMarsh]

4 minutes ago, Cruzer1 said:

If you weren't watching, the NFL is built on speed. Every team is loading up with speed. Except for the Patriots.

I'm not arguing that the NFL as a whole isn't built on speed but what I'm arguing more is how you correctly measure that speed. You seem to be of the belief that St. Brown and LaPorta don't have speed cause of their 40 time, and to me that just isn't accurate.  I think 40 times are highly overrated and more times than not don't correlate to the type of speed/athleticism you need to succeed at the NFL level. 

[buddha]

third fastest 40 time for a tight end.

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, RandyMarsh said:

I'm not arguing that the NFL as a whole isn't built on speed but what I'm arguing more is how you correctly measure that speed. You seem to be of the belief that St. Brown and LaPorta don't have speed cause of their 40 time, and to me that just isn't accurate.  I think 40 times are highly overrated and more times than not don't correlate to the type of speed/athleticism you need to succeed at the NFL level. 

True. Consider if a corner gives a receiver a 7 yrd cushion, it takes a very large difference in 40 time for that receiver to beat the corner to a spot on a 40 yrd straight line sprint. Ability to change direction is just as important, as in practice that is how most receivers get open most of the time. And likewise for defenders trying to stay with them but even worse because they have to react and then follow. And all that gets trickier to hang numbers on. It's great if a defender has the speed to run down a ball carrier from behind, but once you get to that you've usually already given up a big play!

Now it *usually* holds that if a guy can do one thing fast he can do other things fast, but it's not necessarily going to be a one-to-one correlation.

[buddha]

corner is the one position where you must have speed.  otherwise youre a safety.

ask teez tabor.

[RandyMarsh]

BTW for those that care about these type of things the Lions are going to be sporting the blue jersey and pants look on Sunday. No real surprise since it seems like they don't wear the silver pants with blue that much anymore. 

[buddha]

they should weat the 91 throwbacks like michigan wore its 97 throwbacks.

 

[KL2]

Cruzier walked into that one

[Motown Bombers]

 

[KL2]

34-14. Easy win

[RandyMarsh]

I guess at the very least he could be a good decoy for plays around the goal line or big 3rd or 4th down conversions but lets hope that he can be more than just that. 

[RandyMarsh]

I mean this isn't surprising but I have to admit that it is pretty annoying to me that now even the NFL is focusing more on Stafford's return than the Lions actually hosting a playoff game for the first time in 30 years. 

 

[Motor City Sonics]

Home field seems to be a big advantage.  Let's hope so.   

Could  you imagine if this was an outdoor game?   Have you been outside this morning.   Even my dog was like "What the **** is THIS?"

[MichiganCardinal]

15 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

I mean this isn't surprising but I have to admit that it is pretty annoying to me that now even the NFL is focusing more on Stafford's return than the Lions actually hosting a playoff game for the first time in 30 years. 

 

If I see either one of those signs tonight I’m accidentally spilling a $14 beer onto them

[RandyMarsh]

10 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

If I see either one of those signs tonight I’m accidentally spilling a $14 beer onto them

I'd accept the "We Love number 9" sign on the requirement that it has a picture of Jameson Williams attached to it!