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Week 1 lions @ Oakland

Off to a Good Start

September 9, 2007
Lions Hang Tough and Come Away with a 36-21 Victory at Oakland in Regular Season Opener By Chrissie Wywrot

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It is one of the greatest feelings in the NFL: winning the regular-season opener.

The Detroit Lions felt that rush of victory on Sunday afternoon, taking a 36-21 road decision from the Oakland Raiders in the loud and hostile environment of McAfee Coliseum.

It almost wasn't a win for the Lions, who went into the locker room at halftime ahead 10-0. It seemed Detroit cemented it's victory early in the third quarter when quarterback Jon Kitna found rookie receiver Calvin Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown and 17-0 lead, but the Raiders showed Detroit they weren't backing down.

Led by former Lion Josh McCown, Oakland mounted a comeback and ultimately took the lead, 21-20, with just under eight minutes to play in the game.

"The first thing I thought about when we went 21-20 (is) how many guys would go into the tank," said wide receiver Roy Williams. "I was the one that broke the offensive huddle down (by saying) 'let's win. One-two-three win.' And we marched the ball down there and we scored.

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DT Shaun Rogers played in his first game since Week 6 of the 2006 season. (Photo: Gavin Smith)

The offense did come through in the clutch, putting together a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that ended when a scrambling Kitna found wide receiver Shaun McDonald streaking across the endzone. McDonald's 32-yard touchdown catch put Detroit ahead 26-21 - the Lions were unable to convert the two-point attempt - and the defense took over with 4:06 on the clock and the game in the balance.

"(It was satisfying) just going out there trying to close the deal," said defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who made his first start since Week 6 of the 2006 season. "In the past we've had problems with the defense closing the deal and I feel like everybody had the same mindset out there: 'let's smother these guys when we regain the opportunity to win this game' and that's what we did."

The Lions certainly did,and with the help of key plays from first-year Lion Dewayne White. With Oakland on their own 41-yard line on 2nd-and-1, White snagged a McCown pass intended for Raiders' receiver Mike Williams to regain possession and set up a Jason Hanson field goal.

Up 29-21, White then sacked McCown on the very first play of Oakland's next drive, forcing a fumble that he ultimately recovered with 1:37 remaining. Detroit reached the endzone with three running plays to Tatum Bell - the last being a 14-yard touchdown run up the middle.

"Jason Hanson was big, (he) kicked field goals when we needed it," said Head Coach Rod Marinelli. "Our running game showed up when we needed it and we got some turnovers on defense and the rush showed up when we needed it. It was a team game and our coaching staff did a (heck) of a job preparing all year.

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Each phase of Detroit's game contributed to the Lions' victory on Sunday. (Photo: Gavin Smith)

The biggest thing to come out of this game is that it was a team victory. Detroit made plays on both sides of the ball, scoring four touchdowns via four different offensive weapons while forcing three turnovers: two interceptions and one forced fumble.

The offensive line was solid, allowing just one sack early in the game before buckling down and allowing Kitna plenty of time in the pocket for the remainder of the game. The defensive line created pressure throughout the game with Rogers as a catalyst up the middle.

It was a win that wouldn't have happened without contributions from every player on the Lions' roster.

"It was a team win cut and dry," said Marinelli. "Bottom line, there was no star in the game. It was a team win and that's something we've been building on: to win a game at the end and how to win and we never blinked. The whole game we just didn't blink. We had some adversity which, the game of football has adversity.

"Who can stay tough, who can stay strong all the way through it and that's something we're learning how to do - play one snap at a time."

What happened in Sunday's game is something that didn't happen a year ago. The Lions built a considerable lead and were dominant early, but allowed that lead to slip away. All of a sudden, Detroit went from a 17-0 lead to trailing 21-20 as the Oakland offense chipped away at the score and the Raider defense forced turnovers and stopped the Lions' offensive attack.

But what happened in Sunday's game that wouldn't have happened a year ago is that the Lions didn't hang their heads and stop fighting. They remained poised and made plays to regain the lead and secure the win.

"It's a different ball club," said Williams. "It's a different team mentality. My credit goes to Coach Marinelli for changing this ball club's attitude - (it's) mental state. (This win) means a lot. A lot of people are going to say, 'it was just the Raiders, they only won two games last year.'

"But this is the NFL. It's hard to win in this league and somebody had to lose and we just kept fighting and we came out victorious."

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Week 2 Minnsota @ Detroit

Another Team Win Detroit Overcomes Adversity to Take a 20-17 Overtime Win From the Minnesota Vikings By Chrissie Wywrot Detroitlions.com September 16, 2007

QB Jon Kitna left the game due to injury midway through the second quarter, returning midway through the fourth. (Photo: Gavin Smith)

DETROIT, Mich. -- Last week, the Lions showed they could overcome losing a significant lead on the road as they came back in the fourth quarter to beat Oakland 36-21.

This week, the Lions stepped up to a different type of adversity when they lost starting quarterback Jon Kitna to injury midway through the second quarter. Backup quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan took over, seeing his first significant NFL action, and kept Detroit in the game against a solid Minnesota defense.

Kitna ultimately returned midway through the fourth quarter and – with his arm and his legs – guided the Lions to a 20-17 overtime victory ended by a 37-yard Jason Hanson field goal.

“I just hate not being on the field for my team – I hate it,” said Kitna. “I’ve sat on the bench enough, that when you get your opportunity, you just want to be out there. You feel like you’re letting guys down. Of course (the coaches) need to be smart and they need to do their job.

“I didn’t want to press to get back in there, J.T. (O’Sullivan) was doing fine. I didn’t want to go back in and not do my job, but I felt like I could do my job and fortunately they let me get a shot to get back in there.”

During his time under center, O’Sullivan was able to put seven on the board with a 7-yard touchdown pass to rookie Calvin Johnson, giving Detroit a 17-7 lead with 10:11 left in the third quarter.

But the 10-point cushion was short-lived as the Vikings’ defense fought back to tie the game on a Ryan Longwell field goal and a defensive touchdown on a short fumble return.

With the game tied, the Lions’ offense marched down to the Minnesota 29-yard line, but an interception to end the drive had momentum sitting with the Vikings. All could have been lost for the Lions, but the Detroit defense – which turned out to be the story of the night – held strong.

“Team,” said defensive tackle and team captain Cory Redding. “Team man, believe it. Nobody blinked. We fought to the end. Everybody believed in one another and you could just feel the excitement on the sidelines. We’re always (going to) have some adversity.

“They are pros over there too. We are going to make mistakes, but it’s all about who’s going to fight through the mistakes, and fight until the end and that’s what we did. I’m so proud of our unit and our team. We just did it together as a team.”

Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry said he was mostly pleased with Detroit’s defensive effort last week at Oakland, with his primary area of concern being that the Lions were unable to maintain their high level of play for all 60 minutes.

Barry had to like what he saw against the Vikings on Sunday as they grabbed four interceptions and one fumble recovery while applying constant pressure to Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. The Lions also held running back Adrian Peterson, who had 163 all-purpose yards last week, to 66 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards and – perhaps most importantly – no breakaway plays.

“Jason Hanson did a great job of that; he missed a field goal, comes back, BAM, he drills it. He’s mentally strong, a mentally tough guy. That’s the type of team we want. They have ownership of that. That team is taking ownership of what they want to do as a football team. It’s them.”

Now 2-0, the Lions will watch film tomorrow to being preparation for their next match-up at Philadelphia. It will be yet another test for this team that continues to prove to itself that it has what it takes to overcome obstacles.

“This game was about toughness, toughness,” said Marinelli. “It’s what I’ve been talking about all this time: toughness. I can’t explain it to you if you don’t understand it. Character, I’ve been saying it from day one; and a bunch of men we’re going to play one snap at a time and it’s called team.

“It’s called a team, and that’s what I’m trying to do. That’s what these men are trying to do, that’s what these coaches are trying to do. There’s nothing else to say.”

Lions BLOG: Rookie Contributions Detroit saw solid contributions from a pair of rookies against the Vikings

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson scored his second touchdown in as many games, finishing with four catches for 61 yards.

With the exception of his touchdown catch, every single one of Johnson’s receptions went for 10-plus yards and he even ran a critical 7-yard reverse for a first down with under two minutes to go in the game.

Johnson on seeing QB Jon Kitna returning to the field: “It was huge to see that. He came down with a little concussion in the first half, and to be able to come back in there and make the big runs and throws that he did, that’s huge for us.”

Safety Gerald Alexander came away with his first-career interception (he had one in the preseason at Cleveland) in addition to five solo tackles and a tipped pass that led to Detroit’s first interception of the game by defensive tackle Shaun Cody.

Alexander on the leadership of DT Cory Redding: “It just gives you the energy when you see a guy going through such pain that he had. He’s very intent, he’s very into it. You have no choice but to feed off that intensity and that energy he’s bringing. It results in us succeeding today and getting that win.”

The Lions contained Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, holding him to 66 rushing yards, 52 receiving and no breakout plays. (Photo: Gavin Smith)

“First of all, I’ll say that he’s a great back,” said linebacker Ernie Sims, who finished with nine tackles (three solo). “I watched him in college, and I admire his running style. But it is all is attributed to staying in our gaps and doing our job. We were talking about him the whole week, how good of a running back he was, and we game-planned for him.

“The game-plan was for everybody to do their job. If you filled your gap, he won’t have any big explosive plays. That’s exactly what we did. We went out there and did our job.”

Today’s game may not have been the prettiest around the NFL – the two teams combined for a total of 10 turnovers (seven interceptions, three lost fumbles) – but these are the types of games Detroit more than likely would have lost in the past.

This is just another example of the type of team Head Coach Rod Marinelli is building in Detroit: a team that doesn’t crumble in the face of adversity, and he saw that mentality in each and every one of his players today.

“When I talk about toughness, I just sit one snap at a time and that’s the consistency,” said Marinelli. “That’s the toughness I’m talking about. You play that snap as hard as you can play it and you let it go; just keep playing.

A Bump in the Road Lions Drop First Decision of the Year on the Road Against McNabb and the Eagles By Chrissie WywrotSeptember 23, 2007 QB Jon Kitna threw for a career- and franchise-best 446 yards despite the loss. (Photo: G. Smith)PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --
QB Jon Kitna threw for a career- and franchise-best 446 yards despite the loss. (Photo: G. Smith)

The perception in this league is that each team is only as good as it's last game and Detroit's 56-21 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday was a perfect example of that.

The two teams headed into the game with opposite realities.

The Lions sported a 2-0 record after back-to-back victories at Oakland and against Minnesota. Their perfect record was a pleasant surprise to Detroit fans, who hadn't seen the Lions come out 2-0 since the 2004 season.

The Eagles came in with an 0-2 record after losses at Green Bay and to Washington. Their winless streak drew speculation that perhaps they weren't the playoff team many had picked them to be, especially with quarterback Donovan McNabb's struggles in coming back from knee surgery.

Heading into this game, however, the Lions knew McNabb and the Eagles would be a force to be reckoned with, particularly with Brian Westbrook in the backfield and the pressure-packed Philadelphia defense and -- as Head Coach Rod Marinelli knew they would -- they came to play.

"First of all, I want to give credit to Coach Reid and the Eagles - they did a great job," said Marinelli after the game. "They were well-prepared and they came out and played extremely hard. They out-played us as a coaching staff and they outplayed us as offense, defense, special teams - in all areas. I take my hat off to them. They came out to play and did a heck of a job."

It was clear the Eagles had "come to play" from the start of the game. The Lions won the coin toss to receive the opening kickoff but went three-and-out as the Philadelphia front seven brought pressure on quarterback Jon Kitna.

It then took Philadelphia just four plays to reach the endzone with McNabb using Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis as his primary weapons.

"They executed," said defensive tackle Cory Redding. "They had a great game-plan. Hats off to Andy Reid and his team for getting prepared for this game. We made a lot of mistakes, but my hats off to them. They played a hard game. We just, as a team, have to learn from this. We’ve got to learn from this, learn from our mistakes, and hang in there - it’s a long season. So we’ll go back to the drawing board, start working hard next week, and get ready for Chicago.

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RB Kevin Jones touched the ball four times in his return to game action including a 2-yard touchdown run on his first carry and a 16-yard reception. Jones said he felt good but was "not satisfied with the outcome of the game." (Photo: Gavin Smith)

Marinelli doesn't believe in a silver lining, but amidst Detroit's difficulties in this game, players reached offensive milestones. Kitna completed 29-of-46 for a career- and franchise-best 446 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while wide receiver Roy Williams had nine catches for a career-best 204 yards.

Both players would trade in those numbers for a win.

“It doesn’t matter at all," said Williams. "I would rather go back to week one and have 4-for-20 and come out with a win. We played as best as we could today. Hopefully we’ll see that team in the playoffs again. Westbrook had a monster day, we couldn’t contain him and they brought the pressure. Sometimes we defeated it, sometimes we didn’t.”

This game also saw the return of running back Kevin Jones, who had not played in a regular season game since injuring his foot last December. Jones was used in limited fashion but reached the endzone on his first touch of the game - a 2-yard run up the middle to put the Lions on the board.

“It made me feel good," said Jones. "You couldn’t dream it any better than to score on your first play. Of course, I’m not satisfied with the outcome of the game. There are a lot of people that are going to get down on us, we came out here and didn’t do to well against the Eagles. But I’ve still got high hopes for the team, and we want to make it happen.”

Aside from his touchdown, Jones rushed two other times and added a 16-yard reception to his stats line. Though it wasn't much, he looked strong on the field and felt good running and cutting at full tilt.

“Right now, I’m comfortable," said Jones of his foot. "They just have to be comfortable with having me in there and making sure that I’m okay. My safety is first, so they put me in there and slowed me up a little bit today and took me out towards the end because the game got out of reach.

"It is what it is, I’ve just got to have another good week of practice and hopefully I’ll have more of a load next week.”

The Lions will look to rebound next week against the Chicago Bears. Detroit's defense hopes to return to the form of Weeks 1 and 2 at Oakland and against Minnesota, after a difficult time with the Eagles. Westbrook finished with 110 yards on 14 carries while Philadelphia's leading receiver Kevin Curtis had 11 catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns.

Though the Lions stumbled this week, that doesn't mean their first two games don't count or matter.

DT Cory Redding says Philadelphia "executed" and that the Lions "have to have a short-term memory" regarding this game. (Photo: Gavin Smith)

We fought in those two games," said Redding. "We found ways to win the game. On this one, we just kept fighting and kept scratching, but at the end of the game they put more points on the board. They played hard, they found a way to win.

"That doesn’t take away anything from our first two games, nothing at all, because we won those games by just playing. We’ve got to learn from this and, as a team, look in the mirror and check ourselves. That’s all we’ve got to do.”

The Lions will return to their practice facility tomorrow to review film from this game before returning to the practice field and meeting rooms on Wednesday to start preparation for their division match-up with the Chicago Bears.

Players have no time to dwell on this loss and don't plan on doing so. With the Bears coming to town it will be a big game for the Lions, who will not only look to defend their home turf but to better their 1-0 division record.

"It will be easy (to let this game go)," said Kitna. "At least we didn't lose at the last second and have a heartbreak-type thing and we just move on. You know how tough it is to win on the road in this league and our goal has always been: 'let's defend home; let's be 8-0 at home and let's split on the road.'

"We obviously did not put our best foot forward today and we'll be better next week."

Momentum is a funny thing in the NFL; the Eagles entered this game struggling and the Lions on top of the world but roles were switched before the day was over. It just goes to show that Detroit shouldn't worry about this loss, but instead "play one snap at a time" and focus on the game ahead - the Lions could easily get right back on top with a win next week against the Bears.

“You have to have a short-term memory when you’re playing in this league," said Redding. "It’s a long season. You’ve got to put this one behind you. Learn from it tomorrow and put it behind us real quick. Forget about it. Delete your memory and get ready for Chicago, prepare hard for them.”

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-----------------Week-3-----------------------------------)

A Fight to Victory

Detroit Comes Away with an NFL-Record 34 Points in the Fourth Quarter for a Clutch Division Win By Chrissie Wywrot Detroitlions.com

September 30, 2007

Head Coach Rod Marinelli described this Lions' victory - and their other two - as "street fights." (Photo: G. Smith)

DETROIT, Mich. -- Head Coach Rod Marinelli described this Lions’ victory – and their other two – as “street fights.”

“This game was probably like me: ugly,” he said after the game, “but it’s also like me: just keep fighting, and that’s what I love about it.”

Detroit’s 37-27 come-from-behind gut-check win may have been ugly, but it was a hard-fought, well-balanced victory that gives the Lions a 3-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the NFC North.

After a tough defensive performance last week at Philadelphia in which Detroit surrendered 56 points, the Lions’ defense paced this game, keeping the Bears from breaking anything wide open with constant quarterback pressure and putting a virtual stop to Chicago’s running attack.

It allowed Detroit’s offense the opportunity to get the wheels turning after struggling over the first three quarters. With three touchdowns, the offense spearheaded a team effort that posted an NFL-record 34 points in the game’s final stanza.

“You’re going to have weeks like you had last week,” said quarterback Jon Kitna. “When that happens, you need the other side of the ball to step up and we had a chance to step up. We didn’t. But this week, our defense, they played great.

“They’re a hungry defense, and they’re going to give a lot of people fits. Last week, it was an aberration, in my opinion.”

Heading into this game, many were asking questions about Detroit’s defense and whether it could get the job done. But Marinelli had put his players through a challenging week of practice and they responded by being close to lights out.

They surrendered just one touchdown and one field goal – the other Bears’ touchdown was a kick return by Devin Hester – and kept Detroit plus-one in the turnover ratio with three clutch interceptions.

“Our defense stepped it up,” said Marinelli. “I challenged them: this is going to be a 15-rounder, and they took me to that. It was a 15-rounder – it was going all the way. I give credit to Chicago, they fought, and that was a crazy game.”

CB Keith Smith's fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown got the Lions' faithful at Ford Field back into the game for good. (Photo: G. Smith)

Though the Lions’ offense got off to a slow start, it found a spark late in the third quarter and into the fourth when Kitna put together a four-play, 70-yard drive to get Detroit within three points of the Bears.

That spark turned into a fire when cornerback Keith Smith intercepted a Brian Griese pass four plays later for a 63-yard touchdown and a 20-17 Lions’ lead.

“That play right there, I think was the play of the game,” said wide receiver Roy Williams, who finished with six catches for 53 yards. “That play woke the fans up, woke this team up – everybody’s hands were in the air.

“He is a guy that is going to get you picks and he got a big one today.”

It was that play that helped Detroit’s offense find a rhythm for the duration of the game.

“This is a team,” said linebacker Paris Lenon, who finished with seven solo tackles, two assists and one fourth-quarter sack for a 10-yard loss. “We’ve got to get the ball back for our offense as much as we can and as often as we can to allow them to be explosive and to make plays.

“It might be a little bit of a lull at times, but eventually there are going to find that spark and they are going to get going. That’s what happened today. Eventually they really found it and they got it going.”

Though Detroit surrendered a kick return for a touchdown to Hester on the following play, they responded with yet another example of coming through in the face of adversity.

After Chicago went ahead 20-17 on the touchdown, Kitna and the offense rebutted with a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead.

“I think it says a lot about this team’s character,” said center Dominic Raiola. “I think week-in and week-out we’re showing a lot of character on this team. We know that. I’ve been around these guys since March; this unit, this team has smarts.

RB Kevin Jones scored his second touchdown in as many games on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter. (Photo: G. Smith)

“I know this team has a lot of fight, we’ve got great leaders in our coaches and leaders on this team that won’t let anybody quit.”

Once the Lions’ offense found a way to get it going, they did so with more than just the usual weapons. After claiming their 24-20 lead early in the fourth quarter, the defense held Chicago to three-and-out, giving the ball back to Kitna and the Lions’ offensive attack.

Detroit then handed the ball off six times over eight plays, capping off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kevin Jones to give the Lions a 30-20 lead.

The scoring drive was paced by the run – something the Lions have been criticized for not turning to – accumulating 38 yards and two first downs via the ground game.

“That starts with the offensive line,” said Williams. "They picked it up in the second half and the holes got bigger in the run game as well and made a few explosive runs. The run game needs to be there. We want to have that game where there is 100 yards, where there is a 100-yard back, and it’s coming.”

Detroit will now hit the road to line up against the Washington Redskins, who entered this week with a 2-1 record and had a Week 4 bye.

The Lions will look to continue their winning ways with a sound and balanced attack, using all three facets of the game: offense, defense and special teams.

“It’s a great start,” said Kitna. “Every team that I’ve ever been on, they always talk about breaking the season up into quarters, every four games. That’s what you want to do. If you can win three out of every four, that’s a pretty good deal.”

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