The Lions concluded this football season on a sour note. In the final game of the season, they lost to the Green Bay Packers 34 -13. The worst part of the loss was that for half the game or so, the Packers played a lot of second and third stringers and the Lions continued to play the starters and yet we could do absolutely nothing.

Our vaunted offense continued to sputter against the Packer backups - very sad indeed. While prior to the game their was much speculation and rumor about Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz being fired or let go, there still has not been a formal announcement to that effect. I think the Lions need it though to move forward. Its obvious that the Martz show in Detroit was not a success. Personally, I feel that Kitna needs to leave town with him in order for this team to continue to build on the improvements made this year. I would be surprised, however, if Kitna is not back next year.

What bothers me the most about this season and the way it played out is that if you had asked me before the season what I thought about a season where the Lions would go 7 and 9, I would have called it a success and definite progress. However, with the 6 - 2 start, and then to close the last have at 1 - 7, it leaves a very sour taste in your mouth. I cannot call it a successful season because of that finish. There are probably more questions to be answered this off season than there was last season. Still, I am hopeful.

The Lions made a definite statement at home this year. They made Ford Field a true home field advantage. Now, we need to figure out how to play some football on the road. If we can make similar road progress as we did at home this year, we might have a season.

Some key players stepped up and made themselves known this year. Ernie Sims was stellar at linebacker. Kevin Jones and TJ Duckett showed a solid one two punch at RB when they were healthy. Calvin Johnson, though he faded like many rookies late in the season, showed some brilliance at WR. Damien Woody looked pretty good when he moved over to right tackle - too bad it was so late in the season.

Other players showed themselves to be a problem for the future. Jeff Backus gave up the most sacks in the NFL. Jon Kitna had more interceptions than touchdowns. None of our cornerbacks can cover worth a damn. Kalimba Edwards got his big salary during the offseason and disappeared - so much so you may never see him in a Lions uniform again. Shaun Rogers is in poor shape and not capable of dominating a game anymore.

This should be an interesting off season! Happy New Years!