2024 NFL Offseason and Draft Thread

[tower912]

Astonishingly bad call at the end of Cleveland Indianapolis.   Clearly uncatchable ball.

[lawdog77]

Colts get screwed on an uncatchable PI call.

[Lennys Tap]

Baltimore exposing the Lions.   The Ravens are good.    The talking heads have been way out over their skis in regards to the Lions.   Detroit will probably win the north.   Yay.    I am still not feeling much beyond that.

Teams that win the North haven’t done much beyond that recently.

[PointWarrior]

Meh, they are still the Lions.

Every team has a stinker

[tower912]

Meh, they are still the Lions.

I agree.   Until they win a playoff game.

[JWags85]

I don’t know how Brandon Staley survives the rest of the season.  Chargers go punch for punch with the Chiefs in a wild first half…then come out in the second half completely gunshy and conservative. 

Not to mention Justin Herbert is completely broken.  He went from a star in the making to a dude who is a mess and is almost guaranteed at least one costly INT per game

[MUBurrow]

As a Dolphins fan this has been a torturous game to watch.  Four of those goddamn tush push sneak plays, 10 penalties to 0, a bunch of injuries. 

[tower912]

Lions Super Bowl hype?

Quoth the Ravens, 'Nevermore'.

[MU82]

Lions Super Bowl hype?

Quoth the Ravens, 'Nevermore'.

That loss played perfectly into the stuff you've been saying all season, tower. Congratulations?

[Uncle Rico]

Lions Super Bowl hype?

Quoth the Ravens, 'Nevermore'.

They’re still very much a Super Bowl contender

[tower912]

With their remaining schedule, Detroit should win between 11 and 13 games.  Should win the north.   Will likely host a playoff game for the first time in 30 years.   A successful season.   Yesterday's games showed that Detroit still has a ways to go to be put in the upper echelon of the NFC with Phillie or a healthy SF.

[MU82]

With their remaining schedule, Detroit should win between 11 and 13 games.  Should win the north.   Will likely host a playoff game for the first time in 30 years.   A successful season.   Yesterday's games showed that Detroit still has a ways to go to be put in the upper echelon of the NFC with Phillie or a healthy SF.

I don't see, hear or read all the pundits, not even close, but the general national vibe I got about the Lions was this: "Up and coming team, player's coach who has command of the locker room, should only get better the next couple of years. Not ready to seriously challenge for a title yet, though."

I really don't think I've heard anyone say, "Look out, they're going to the Super Bowl."

So they've played this season right about at the hype level they've received. Losing one road game to a good, desperate team doesn't change that.

[JWags85]

With their remaining schedule, Detroit should win between 11 and 13 games.  Should win the north.   Will likely host a playoff game for the first time in 30 years.   A successful season.   Yesterday's games showed that Detroit still has a ways to go to be put in the upper echelon of the NFC with Phillie or a healthy SF.

For the umpteenth time this season, do you actually like/root for the Lions?  Or they are just the local NFL team so you sort of follow them for that reason?

In 2 years, Campbell and Holmes have taken this team from a 3 win season to strong playoff team.  The lost by 32 yesterday and still have the 4th best point differential in the NFC.  They are clearly in the drivers as the strong favorite to win the division for the first time in THIRTY YEARS.  And quite likely have a 12 win season for first time in 32 years

And despite all of this, you point out the negatives each week and throw cold water on the neutral observer optimism of everyone else here.  Its just odd.  You're not a troll, but its kind of similar to the clowns that only appeared when MU lost last year.

Campbell is a football lunatic in the most likeable way, they play fun football, enjoy it, this should be fun.  "Knowing the Lions will just let me down" fatalist mentality at this point just tells me you should stop watching/caring about the NFL as anything more than a casual overall fan.

[tower912]

Think Cubs fan prior to them finally breaking the curse.   I will assume the worst until the Lions actually accomplish something.



While wearing a mask when casually driving. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

82, Wags, while my immediate family is Packer fans, all of my extended family on my dad's side are Lions' fans. As far as Lions' fans go, Tower is a ray of goddamn sunshine.

[lawdog77]

Think Cubs fan prior to them finally breaking the curse.   I will assume the worst until the Lions actually accomplish something.



While wearing a mask when casually driving. 

I was going to equate it to Lucy pulling the football away, but that analogy doesn't work. The Lions haven't really been asked to kick the football until now.

[JWags85]

Think Cubs fan prior to them finally breaking the curse.   I will assume the worst until the Lions actually accomplish something.



While wearing a mask when casually driving. 

See as huge Cubs fan who literally was at the heart of Cubs land as a North Side Chicago resident from 2007-2018, I disagree.  2008?  Absolutely.  After getting swept in 2007, even winning back to back division titles, there was the impending doom feeling going into that self fulfilling Dodgers series.

But in 2015?  There was palpable excitement from mid summer on.  I'm sure some cynical fans were, but there was so much hope/buzz even feeling like they were a year ahead.  The NLCS sucked, but I don't think by that point most anyone was assuming misery.

Then 2016, I went to about 15 home games that summer.  Sat among grizzled long time season ticket holders for about half, and then a bunch of games with other 25-35 year olds who had only known Cubs mediocrity and Bartman...and it was positive anticipation and fervor.  Truly the only "here we go again" doubt I remember experiencing was down 3-1 during the WS.  But thats like Lions fans being like this while down 21-7 at halftime in the SB.  Not when they were still in position to run away with the division.

82, Wags, while my immediate family is Packer fans, all of my extended family on my dad's side are Lions' fans. As far as Lions' fans go, Tower is a ray of goddamn sunshine.

 


And I'm truly not trying to trash you Tower, I'm just genuinely puzzled/feel a disconnect to your sentiment.  And I'm saying that as a diehard Bears fan who has largely checked out from this season (besides watching some of Bagent yesterday with curiosity).  If there is nothing positive, its not worth the time or mental effort.  Its not fair weather fandom, I watched every game last year to see what there was to build on with Fields and the roster.  But if its a bad team with no direction or hope. F it.  Lions to me are the EXACT opposite.

[tower912]

JWags, I, too, am puzzled.  There is a Packer thread longer than the NFL thread.   Nothing but wailing and lamentations about one of the first rebuilds in a quarter century.   And yet my lack of confidence in the Lions is what vexes you.   I have said that I think the Lions will win the north.   I have said I will not truly believe things have changed until the Lions win a playoff game.   The second in my 57 years on this orb.   Why does this offend?

And TAMU is right.   Like in most things I AM a goddamn ray of sunshine compared to a lot of Lions fans.

[JWags85]

JWags, I, too, am puzzled.  There is a Packer thread longer than the NFL thread.   Nothing but wailing and lamentations about one of the first losing seasons in a quarter century.   And yet my lack of confidence in the Lions is what vexes you.   I have said that I think the Lions will win the north.   I have said I will not truly believe things have changed until the Lions win a playoff game.   The second in my 57 years on this orb.   Why does this offend?

And TAMU is right.   Like in most things I AM a goddamn ray of sunshine compared to a lot of Lions fans.

It doesn’t vex me. I’m not offended. I’m just puzzled/bummed for you. There are 10x more Packers fans on here than other franchises, so I’m not surprised at that thread.  And it’s the first season in 30 years that they don’t have a HOF QB.  They are spoiled and don’t realize how good they’ve had it, but I understand it.  Same as the recent lamentations of my friend who is a big Pats fan.

But like I said, potentially the best Lions team in decades, with an exciting rookie RB, a stud WR who is only 23, and a rookie TE who is unexpectedly a top 5 TE production wise.  Plus a top 10 defense with a superstar on the edge.

And all of that you seem completely unwilling to be excited and look for the negatives to confirm your pessimism about the franchise, that’s all I’m saying. And per your and TAMU’s statement about other Lions fans, I extend the same to them. It’s just odd to me that I’m more bullish and excited about a division rival, as a Bears fan, than their own fans are.  I guess it’s a perspective/mindset thing that implanted by Barry Sanders walking away that only Lions fans understand.  I can’t comprehend it but I can accept it.

Legitimately hope for your sake they get a home playoff game and win it so you can relax and enjoy it 

[tower912]

I also don't buy freshman hype at MU.    I am patient and accept they will get better, which is more than some.   But I believe if you are expecting a freshman to turn around a season, you are destined for disappointment.  Fun when it happens, but an unexpected gift.

There have been many opportunities for hope for Lions fans over the decades.   And they all ended the same.   This team hasn't accomplished anything other than a fast start yet.

[Uncle Rico]

I also don't buy freshman hype at MU.    I am patient and accept they will get better, which is more than some.   But I believe if you are expecting a freshman to turn around a season, you are destined for disappointment.  Fun when it happens, but an unexpected gift.

There have been many opportunities for hope for Lions fans over the decades.   And they all ended the same.   This team hasn't accomplished anything other than a fast start yet.

Enjoy the ride

[tower912]

It hasn't sucked so far.   I compare and contrast the Eagles-Dolphins game with the Lions-Ravens game.  Two teams showed they are ready for prime time.   Two showed there is still work to be done.

[Spotcheck Billy]

And it’s the first season in 30 years that they don’t have a HOF QB.  They are spoiled and don’t realize how good they’ve had it, but I understand it.

Some of us definitely know how good we had it, especially after suffering through the 70's and 80's. I feel for Tower and actually hope the Lions win in the playoffs this season.

[tower912]

Me, too.   

[tower912]

Some of us definitely know how good we had it, especially after suffering through the 70's and 80's. I feel for Tower and actually hope the Lions win in the playoffs this season.

I was in college for the Lynn Dickey, Randy Wright, Don Majkowski era of Packer qbs.  I know how good the Packers had it for the Favre-AR era.