2007-08 Detroit Lions
OK, so Kitna got a bit ahead of himself with his 10 guaranteed wins. However, there is no doubt that Detroit will improve upon last season's 3-13 number. The offense looks sstronger and Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett form an interesting 1-2 punchm and the Wide Receiver corps looks to be the strongest in the division. However, the defense needs some work as well - but, unlike last season, this year they are healthy. So things look promising for Lions fans, even if 10 guaranteed wins is a bit too much to ask.
Previous Seasons
While the city of Detroit will host the 2006 Super Bowl, Lions’ fans will be unable to cheer for the home team. The 2005-2006 team endured its fifth straight season of misery. This season’s major events included a mid-season coaching change and a media frenzy surrounding cornerback Dré Bly’s disparaging comments regarding quarterback Joey Harrington’s performance. After six years of absence from the playoffs, many fans in Detroit believe that the team needs a change in the front management office. Now playing in the newly arranged NFC North division, the Lions will once again use the off-season as an attempt to repair a broken team.
Originally, the franchise was named the Portsmouth Spartans before their move to Detroit and official name change, and the team’s greatest success occurred early in their history. Led by Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne, the Lions won three NFL Championships in the 1950s before the title was officially called the Super Bowl. After the 1950s, Detroit struggled to finish with a winning record. Between 1970 and 1990, the Lions only reached the playoffs three times, but they finally reached the NFC Championship in 1991 due to the help of one of the game’s greatest players, running back Barry Sanders.
Sanders is arguably the best player to ever wear a Lions uniform, leading the NFL in rushing yards during four seasons and making 10 trips to the Pro Bowl. During his tenure with the team, the Lions reached the playoffs five times. However, the Lions needed more than the star running back for any postseason success, and the team only managed to continue past the first round of the playoffs once. Sanders finished his career with the team and retired in 1999 to the surprise of many fans. He was voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2005.
While Detroit Lions football tickets may be fairly easy to find because of the team’s inability to compete with nearly anyone during recent years, the Lions remain the team of the Thanksgiving holiday. The NFL has played an annual game in Detroit since 1934, and the past few seasons have served as a reminder for television viewers across the country of the dismal level of play in Detroit.
In the off-season, the Lions hope to improve an offense than ranked third to last in the NFC in total yards gained. Fans at Ford Field continue to wait for one of the NFL’s oldest teams to shed the label that it has earned as one of the NFL’s worst teams. New head coach Dick Jauron faces what appears to be an uphill battle as the Lions work for a winning season. Harrington will devote the off-season to improving his passing skills and capitalizing on the presence of young wide receivers Roy Williams and Eddie Drummond. While the Lions do not have a replacement running back that can mirror Sanders’ success, the team’s reorganization will hopefully return a sense of pride to football in Detroit.
