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Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: The Lions opened the season at 6-2 following a 44-7 rout of Denver and appeared finally to have found a winning formula. Or not. Head coach Rod Marinelli thought he had built a mentally and physically tough team, but losing 7-of-8 games — plus rumors of infighting in the locker room and among the staff, inconsistent effort from the players and the demise of offensive coordinator Mike Martz — proved otherwise. The defense was terrible in the second half, and No. 1 pick Calvin Johnson didn’t produce as expected. The pressure on Marinelli is raised heading into a crucial offseason.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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at Oakland
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+2½
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36-21
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09/16/07
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Minnesota
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-3
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20-17 (OT)
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09/23/07
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at Philadelphia
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+5
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21-56
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09/30/07
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Chicago
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+2½
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37-27
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10/07/07
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at Washington
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+4
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3-34
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BYE WEEK
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10/21/07
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Tampa Bay
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-2½
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23-16
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10/28/07
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at Chicago
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+6
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16-7
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11/04/07
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Denver
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-3
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44-7
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11/11/07
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at Arizona
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+2½
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21-31
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11/18/07
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NY Giants
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+3
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10-16
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11/22/07
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Green Bay
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+3
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26-37
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12/02/07
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at Minnesota
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+5½
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10-42
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12/09/07
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Dallas
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+10
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27-28
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12/16/07
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at San Diego
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+9½
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14-51
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12/23/07
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Kansas City
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-6
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25-20
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12/30/07
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at Green Bay
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+3½
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13-34
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Team MVP: Roy Williams? Jon Kitna? Dewayne White? We’ll go with Ernie Sims, who was the best player on a bad defense. White was the only consistent pass rusher on the team, but he did hit a bit of a wall right about when the team went south. Sims, though, was mostly terrific. He fought through bigger blockers and made plays sideline to sideline, despite being the one true playmaker at linebacker.
Biggest surprise: There wasn’t much, by season’s end, to be thrilled about. But looking back over the course of 16 games, WR Shaun McDonald made himself an important member of the offensive personnel. He led the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns — on a team with Williams, Johnson and Mike Furrey, the 2006 NFC receptions leader, and that’s saying something. Sure, McDonald dropped some catchable balls at times. But he stepped up as the most consistent threat in a crowded group.
Biggest disappointment: Johnson was hyped as the can’t-miss prospect who would be able to step in and dominate early. Clearly, Martz’s offensive scheme proved difficult to digest, and Johnson battled a back injury much of the season. Pass protection and the lack of a run game also tempered offensive production. Yet, Johnson also struggled with drops, didn’t run crisp routes and might have been a bit overwhelmed by the daily rigors of NFL life. When the ball was in his hands, he often made big plays, and expectations remain high for the future. But Johnson didn’t make enough catches to do what many thought he could do as a rookie.
Offseason outlook: The defense will be the main area of attention, but the offense isn’t without its issues, either. The team will need to add major reinforcements at multiple spots in the secondary, add a middle linebacker who can play the “Tampa-2” defense and find another pass rusher to pair with White. But the Lions might also need a tackle. Cory Redding was a disappointment last season, and Shaun Rogers was alternately hot and ice cold. Rogers did little down the stretch, and that’s where his lack of conditioning really hurt. The Lions could cut him as a result. If the Lions do indeed want to run the ball more with Jim Colletto calling plays, another running back would help. So would a right tackle, in case Damien Woody walks in free agency. There’s a lot to accomplish.
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