Into the bye week on a very sour note: Final thoughts on Lions - Redskins

I missed the much of the 2nd half thanks to the hamster that powers the local Detroit Edison plant deciding to hop off it's wheel, and take the afternoon off. So the entire 3rd quarter, and over half the 4th, was spent listening to the Lions' radio broadcast.

On the radio, listening to Dan Miller and Jim Brandstatter, who take the term "Homer" to new heights, the game wasn't a blowout. The Lions only needed to score 4 times, and we'd have a game!!!

Anyway, here's the links to my interrupted live blogging...

Kitna is getting beat up: 1st quarter Lions - Redskins thoughts

It's deja vu all over again: 2nd quarter Lions - Redskins thoughts

I didn't miss much, it's still a debacle: 4th quarter Lions - Redskins thoughts

1. It happened again. The Lions lose in D.C. They are now 0-21 against the Washington Redskins. If the Lions want to change the perception of the fans and media, they can't have have losses that are outright debacles. You cannot deny this loss was anything other than abominable. In fact, it's the 2nd awful performance in 3 games. In their last 12 quarters played, the Lions have played well in just 1, the 4th quarter against the Bears. That's it. The other 11 quarters the Lions have played have been pure excrement.

Today's score wasn't as lopsided as it was in the Philly loss, but it was just as dominating of a performance by the Redskins. The Lions were manhandled on both sides of the ball. They were dismantled, discombobulated, disgusting, disconcerting, and any other dis word you can think of...

2. More strange game management from Rod Marinelli today. There is no reason to have Jon Kitna take every snap, especially when you are down 4 scores late in the 4th quarter. I can tell you right now that Marinelli will give some bullshit answer like, "We were still competing."

You can claim to be competing all you want, but to put your ONLY EXPERIENCED QB at such risk, after he's been hit every damn time he attempted a pass, is short sighted stupidity on Marinelli's part. Jaw dropping, short sighted, stupidity.

If the Lions' coaching staff can't find a way to protect Jon Kitna, he is not going to survive the season. The man is taking a beating, and there's no sign of that assault upon the Lions QB will end anytime soon.

3. The Lions offensive line was...I don't think there is a word that could aptly get across how truly awful they were against the 'Skins. It wasn't as if Washington was blitzing, they were putting max pressure on Kitna with a 4 man rush. Kitna rarely had time to throw the ball, let alone set up in the pocket.

One play spotlighted how inept the offensive line was today. (I have to go by the radio call, but but was quite descriptive) On the Kitna sack for a safety, the highly paid, and supposedly the best lineman the Lions have, Jeff Backus, was mauled by the Redskins Andre Carter. On his way to sacking Kitna for a safety, Carter tossed Backus aside like a rag doll.

No matter the play call, the Lions' offensive line couldn't execute.

4. The running game was, once again, non existent. Subtract 4 Kitna scrambles, and the Lions RB's ran the ball 16 times for 65 yards. Their longest run was for all of10 yards. You aren't going to win many games with that sort of production, especially on a day where the passing game couldn't get untracked.

The Redskins defensive line came after Kitna with their ears pinned back. You'd think that calling draws and screens would be successful against such aggressive defense. But you'd be wrong... It was as if the 'Skins knew that the Lions couldn't beat them with their ground game. The Lions couldn't beat a high school team with their limp ground game. I was going to call it a running "Attack," but "Attack" is the last thing the Lions do with their running backs.

5. The Lions go into the bye week leaving a sour taste in our mouths, but they also have a 3-2 record. A winning record, but also a fraudulent record.

It's all well and good that the Lions have won 3 times, but they had to struggle mightily in all 3 wins against bad competition. It's in their losses where the Lions have truly been exposed as frauds. The Lions were never in either game with the Eagles and Redskins, and were dominated in every way, including most prominently, on the scoreboard.

The only thing that gives me a shred of hope is that the NFC is God awful. So the Lions still have a chance to make some noise, as bad as they may be.