Turns out that Rod Marinelli is as clueless as every other Lions head coach

For those of you who thought that Rod Marinelli deserves another year to prove himself, due to his having an anchor named Matt Millen around his neck, what do you say after yesterday's debacle?

Sunday's game was exhibit A, proving that Marinelli is in over his head.

When the Sarge passed up a sure field goal late in the game, when you were going to need one to tie the game anyway, is now being called, rightfully so, his "Marty moment."

It's a no-brainer. You kick, because if you don't get the TD on 4th down, the game is, for all intents and purposes, over. Come on, it's "Football 101." You need 10 points to tie. It's 4th and goal, and you have a gimme FG. Common sense, let alone conventional football strategy, says that you kick the FG. You take the 3 points, and let me do the math....Well what do you know? You are only down 1 score!

The way that Minny's offense was sitting on their lead, and factoring in that the Lions D was playing fairly well at that point, Detroit was going to get the ball back with plenty of time to drive for the tying TD.

As it turned out, the Lions last possession started with 1:50 left in the game. That's more than enough time, even if you are out of time outs, to get yourself a tying TD. It's not much time when you still need 2 scores, thanks to very questionable play calling.

Not kicking the FG was as dumb as Mornhinweg taking the wind to start OT, and Ross going for 2 when down 4. OK, maybe not as dumb as taking the wind...

It was just another bad decision by an inexperienced head coach. A head coach, we should remember, who has not even been a coordinator. At any level. And it shows.

He's a head coach that probably isn't worth saving, no matter what happens to Millen. But to keep Millen, if only to give an obviously struggling Marinelli another year? That would be a dumber decision than any Mornhinweg ever made.

Marinelli continues to confound everyone. For example, he has been preaching accountability all season. So why do we see none in the case of Jon Kitna? He has become a turnover machine, with 4 more yesterday, yet the Sarge steadfastly stands by Kitna. His reasoning being that it's not all Kitna's fault. From what I can see, a 34 year old journeyman who has thrown picks in 11 consecutive games is far from being fault free.

Marinelli also continues to preach that we don't see how close the Lions are to winning. That they are "THIS" close. The only thing the Lions are close to winning is the number 1 overall draft pick. This a team in a death spiral, with a roster counting the days till they can empty their lockers and get the Hell out of the D.

For all of Marinelli's bluster over teaching and coaching, from going by his 2-11 record, he has been about as effective a teacher as a student teacher would be on the last day of school. In other words, not effective at all. Despite all the supposed teaching and coaching, we still see bad penalties, blown assignments, clock mismanagement, the all around bad football that our Lions have become known for over the decades.

Marinelli now has the same look that everyone of his predecessors had. It's the look that we Lions fans have had for decades. Just what look is that?

The look of hopelessness.

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