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    Lions' Marinelli likely to rest stars to avoid injury

    by Tom Kowalski
    Thursday August 28, 2008, 12:30 AM

    Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna has played well all preseason. Lions coach Rod Marinelli wants to keep him healthy heading into the regular season.

    ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli was only kidding. Well, maybe half-kidding.

    "They're coming down with a little cough,'' Marinelli said a few days ago, referring to starting quarterback Jon Kitna and wide receivers Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson.

    Marinelli is well aware of how former Lions coach Wayne Fontes dealt with star running back Barry Sanders in these situations. It was the darnedest thing, but every year -- right about the time Sanders was scheduled to play in the final preseason game -- Fontes would say Sanders was coming down with "flu-like symptoms.''

    When the league sent memos to all the teams strongly encouraging that starting players at least make an appearance in preseason games, Fontes famously replied: "It's not the league who's going to get fired if Barry gets hurt in a preseason game.''

    LIONS AT BILLS

    Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

    Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.

    Preseason records: Lions 3-0, Bills 2-1

    Last year: The Lions finished 7-9 and third in the NFC North while the Bills also finished 7-9, placing second in the AFC East.

    Injury Report: Tight end Dan Campbell (hamstring) and running back Aveion Cason (ankle) will not play. Defensive tackle Cory Redding (ribs), defensive end Cliff Avril (back) and fullback Sean McHugh (ankle) are questionable.

    Henson to play: Free agent quarterback Drew Henson, who was only signed a week ago, is expected to get significant playing time in the second half. With starter Jon Kitna not likely to dress for the game, backup Dan Orlovsky will start and probably go early into the third quarter. Henson will then take over and play the rest of the game.

    And now, with the Lions traveling to Buffalo to play the Bills at 6:30 tonight in the final preseason game for both teams, Marinelli is weighing risk and reward.

    Marinelli wants to make sure the Lions are fully prepared for their Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but he also wants to make sure his team stays as healthy as possible.

    "It's a double-edged sword,'' Marinelli said. "You want to get them in game-shape ready, but a sprained ankle here or there and a guy's out for three weeks.''

    While several key starters may sit this one out, Marinelli can't bench them all.

    "You've got to be careful because if somebody's sitting and that other guy is banged up a little bit, you can't finish,'' Marinelli said.

    While the starters won't play a lot, they still have some important work to do. While Detroit's passing game has been clicking on offense, the running game has struggled.

    "That's usually how it goes with this system,'' said right tackle George Foster, who played in a similar scheme for several years with the Denver Broncos. "Running the ball takes a lot of cohesiveness and everybody has to be on the same page at the same time -- all 11 players. It takes a little time, but I honestly believe we're getting better.''

    Foster is in a battle for the starting job with rookie first-round pick Gosder Cherilus.

    Another position fight is at right guard where Stephen Peterman is trying to fend off a challenge from Manny Ramirez. Regardless of who is in the lineup, Marinelli said he wants to see some execution in the running game.

    "I think it's critical, I don't want let up in any area,'' Marinelli said. "There are four areas -- reducing penalties, protecting the quarterback, running the ball and the run fits (on defense) have got to be exact. Because there will be guys in there competing for jobs, right now, and we have to see who we can trust."

    The Lions need to cut 22 players by Saturday to get down to the mandatory 53-man roster limit and there are going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made. One of the most unsettled positions is in the offensive line.

    "We want to see who can run block, we've got battles still going out there,'' Marinelli said. "We want to see guys who can move their feet, get their proper pointing aim and get movement."

    See more in Lions Stories
    COMMENTS (101)Post a comment
    Posted by Carlito2Cool on 08/28/08 at 2:17AM

    Hilu all youz lions fanz, this am be Carlito am postin.

    Carlito am think that am restin them thar starterz is am very good am idea, does Carlito.

    Posted by Zamiel on 08/28/08 at 2:43AM

    Are you drunk Carlito?

    Anyway, yeah sit all the key players except offensive linemen and Dizon.

    Posted by hopetowin on 08/28/08 at 6:17AM

    Carlito2Cool,

    you are not cool - you are not fuuny

    YOU NEED TO GIVE IT A REST!

    Posted by CHIEFGER139 on 08/28/08 at 6:44AM

    THE ARTICLE
    makes me miss fontes and barry-FONTES ALWAYS HAD SOME GOOD ONES-my favorite was him wipin out the cigar on the monday night game the bears got beat and we won the division-thats the year we crushed dallas in the playoffs-good move to sit them and this is a good sign-means rod thinks were gonna win way more than 5 games or he wouldnt do this, otherwise he'd play everyone figuring they need more experience and practice and figuring so what if someone gets hurt , not like will win anything anyhow. figure coach rod's thinking those 11 wins this year are very probable.
    LIONS GREAT IN 2008-PLAYOFFS AND BEYOND!!

    Posted by drew74 on 08/28/08 at 6:44AM

    Maybe English is his second language so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. A tip though Carlito, the word am usually follows " I ", as in I am. If you take out the 6 times you put "am" in your sentence, then it will be much better grammatically.

    I agree with Carlito though...don't play the studs. The reason for backups is to replace a starter if they go down, so why not start your second string and see what they do against the Bills starters, even if it is only for one series?

    Posted by CHIEFGER139 on 08/28/08 at 7:02AM

    CARLITO USE TO BE
    on here a while back and he's just trying to be funny with that post, he usually has better grammer.

    Posted by mmmcornbread on 08/28/08 at 7:17AM

    We need to get some "STARS" before you can rest them.... It kind of sad when we consider john Kitna a star. The only proven star we have is Roy Williams...C. J. has not done enough to be "Star" status...Yet IMHO


    Go Lions!

    8-8 in 2008, We are on the right track!

    Posted by willy410 on 08/28/08 at 7:21AM

    Tonights game appears to be on channel surfing. Scroll down.

    http://www.channelsurfing.net/

    Posted by LeoStrong on 08/28/08 at 7:24AM

    That's right. Carlito, you need to be consistent with how you do that funny grammar. Your older stuff was much funnier when your grammar was better but you talked about yourself in the 3rd person.

    Go Lions. IN ROD WE TRUST!

    Posted by mrfunkadelic on 08/28/08 at 7:41AM

    BARRY! BARRY! BARRY!

    Posted by robdale54 on 08/28/08 at 7:42AM

    Its interesting to read the Marinelli quote....
    "We want to see who can run block..."

    The key words here are "we want to..." meaning they haven't seen it yet which agrees with what I have not seen yet and worries me. Run blocking has not improved much with the first unit.

    THe run game doesn't have to be tremendous to start but has to establish SOME consistent positive yards. I would feel a ton better if I saw more improvement from the first unit OL on the field tonite .

    Posted by spartymclion on 08/28/08 at 7:42AM

    carlito and that accent have never been funny. It just makes his posts way to hard to read. i just scroll by anymore not even worrying about it. only reason to talk like that is because you really either dont have anything to say.

    Posted by shempp on 08/28/08 at 7:56AM

    carlito = bizarro superman

    Posted by A2Leo on 08/28/08 at 8:23AM

    They need to shorten the preseason and lengthen the regular season. -1 preseason game, +1 regular season game. The NFL needs to recognize that the preseason games are scrimmages and stop charging full ticket prices. The teams should be able to do whatever the hell they want, ie not play any starters in the preseason at all if thats what they want.

    Agree with the posters who say sit the primary starters (that they can). Absolutely no reason to risk Kitna on a naked boot only to see him get nailed by some third stringer tryin' too hard to make the squad. Then we're back to watchin' KJ lost for the season on a meaningless play...frikkin stupid. With 75 guys currently on the roster there is no way I play CJ, RoyBoy, Smittie, Corey, Ernie, Alexander, Kelly, Bodden, Kit or Dom (to name a few). Get those practice dummies out there and figure out which one of them ain't a dummy ;-)

    Posted by motownmettle on 08/28/08 at 8:25AM

    Ugh...Carlito is back at it. Carlito2stupid. The sad thing is, based of "actual" posts by him, I think he's no longer a child. Just acts like one. Please Carlito, tell me you don't have a vanity plate.

    Posted by stillion on 08/28/08 at 8:34AM

    Carlito is obviously looking for attention.

    Posted by detroitfan99 on 08/28/08 at 8:53AM

    Smith ought to be rested as well. Our key defensive guys should be out of the game as well.

    Posted by Isphet on 08/28/08 at 9:03AM

    Fontes was a funny dude, heh. You have to appreciate his insight and that comment about getting fired was spot-on.

    Oh lord, to think that the Fontes years were the glory years of the Lions. I think my eyes are bleeding.

    Posted by liontomyself on 08/28/08 at 9:21AM

    Tonight we'll see what kind of O-line we really have. Orlovsky is obviously not as comfortable on boot legs as Kitna. He's a pocket passer and the O-line will have to do a little more work on pass blocking. And who really thinks that the coaches will ask Henson to air it out so they can get a good evaluation of him? He's just there to fill a roster spot and as a sacrificial lamb so #1 and #2 don't get hurt when the Bills' third and fourth team D-linemen are doing everything they can at the end of the game to get to the quarterback and win a roster spot.
    Bacause of this I'm sure the offense will run more 3 and 5 step drops when they do pass, and A LOT more run plays. Wouldn't surprise me to see up to 40 run plays against 16 to 20 pass plays. They'll keep it on the ground, try to control the ball, and keep the spotlight on the linemen.
    And that goes for both sides of the ball. It seems to me that there are still key decisions to make on the D-line and linebacking corps too. Tonight will be all about the line of scrimmage.
    He who wants it most will win.

    Posted by lionless on 08/28/08 at 9:21AM

    Carlito = Lay down the crack pipe

    Posted by WCFiasco on 08/28/08 at 9:25AM

    Stars? I didn't know we had any.

    Posted by bubbybaker on 08/28/08 at 9:27AM

    A sign of any good team with depth is when you have to cut someone you'd rather keep.

    While we don't have outstanding athletes at LB, facing the fact that we might have to cut Buster is a sign we have some solid depth at that position.

    Going to be some tough decisions for Marinelli.

    Posted by fudog2 on 08/28/08 at 9:28AM

    willy410,

    I assume it will be the Buffalo feed. Anybody know if the game is blacked out in the Buffalo area? They tape delay the game in Detroit. I don't know what they do in Buffalo. I would imagine the same thing but who knows...

    Posted by popeww on 08/28/08 at 9:28AM

    i want the Oline together all game. you can swap out ramirez/peterman and gosder/foster all you want, to test compatibility, but if you're talking about needing 'time to gel', i say there's no time like the present. dominic and backus are tough, you know they'll be fine, and if mulitalo gets hurt again, i guess that would tell us something, as well. but 'gel' for free now, not when it counts against our record. the nfc north is going to be won by one game, possibly just by a tie breaker.

    Posted by liontomyself on 08/28/08 at 9:30AM

    Hey everyone, lay off Carlito. He can't help it if his parent were cousins.

    Go Honolulu Blue!

    Posted by popeww on 08/28/08 at 9:35AM

    liontomyself:

    good points about the run game. it would be only fair to get every HB in the running at least 7 or 8 touches, wouldn't it? really find out who wants it. henson is just going to turn the ball over if you let him.

    Posted by SARGE82375 on 08/28/08 at 9:44AM

    I just want to say i was born and raised in Michigan and have been a diehard Lions fan since i could watch football!Even when i was in combat overseas i would make sure i watched them every sundaythis is the TEAM THIS YEAR!!!!!! The offence is wicked and the DEFENCE WOW i Predict 12-4 seriously!!! AND WILLY410 THANKS for that link for channel surfing ^5 BRO finally i can watch them at home before regular season WOOOO HOOO!!!! GO LIONS 2008 IS OUR YEAR

    Posted by SARGE82375 on 08/28/08 at 9:45AM

    I just want to say i was born and raised in Michigan and have been a diehard Lions fan since i could watch football!Even when i was in combat overseas i would make sure i watched them every sunday this is the TEAM THIS YEAR!!!!!! The offence is wicked and the DEFENCE WOW i Predict 12-4 seriously!!! AND WILLY410 THANKS for that link for channel surfing ^5 BRO finally i can watch them at home before regular season WOOOO HOOO!!!! GO LIONS 2008 IS OUR YEAR

    Posted by SARGE82375 on 08/28/08 at 9:45AM

    I just want to say i was born and raised in Michigan and have been a diehard Lions fan since i could watch football!Even when i was in combat overseas i would make sure i watched them every sunday this is the TEAM THIS YEAR!!!!!! The offence is wicked and the DEFENCE WOW i Predict 12-4 seriously!!! AND WILLY410 THANKS for that link for channel surfing ^5 BRO finally i can watch them at home before regular season WOOOO HOOO!!!! GO LIONS 2008 IS OUR YEAR

    Posted by liondownnow on 08/28/08 at 9:45AM

    It's obvious this last game is lacking interest since Carlito is the major topic on here.

    Go Lions!!!

    Posted by lionheart20 on 08/28/08 at 9:51AM

    Carlito is to funny ...what Aaron Gibson was to diet pills

    Posted by lionheart20 on 08/28/08 at 9:52AM

    Carlito is to funny ...what Aaron Gibson was to diet pills

    Posted by kawachunk on 08/28/08 at 10:05AM

    You can't shorten the preseason because then the starters won't play the 3rd game. Then the second...ETC.Injuries are part of the game and the Lions are cursed. They need to dig up Jimmy Hoffa from under Ford Headquarters and end the misery.The Lions look pretty good right now ,but they looked good last year at 6-2.

    Posted by TNlionsTN on 08/28/08 at 10:10AM

    Thanks Willy.

    Posted by TNlionsTN on 08/28/08 at 10:10AM

    Thanks Willy.

    Posted by 0talent on 08/28/08 at 10:15AM

    Marinelli likely to rest stars to avoid injury..... Starter yes, Stars maybe...some.

    Posted by SoCalTony on 08/28/08 at 10:22AM

    Bring back Mark Champion over Dan Miller ! ! !

    Nothing like walking out of the silverdome after a victory and having the speakers blast the post game show and walking across the street to Hilton suittes and getting faded while harrasing packer fan! ! !

    In Rod we Trust

    Posted by longballz on 08/28/08 at 10:23AM

    I'm with WCFiasco...

    They ain't got no "stars" yet. Good players? Ok. Stars? Not till they show it every week when it counts.

    Posted by willy410 on 08/28/08 at 10:50AM

    Lets hope its a Lions feed. That one should be live.

    Posted by le0sfan on 08/28/08 at 10:51AM

    Well here's my prediction. The right side of the line should have Ramirez starting in place of Peterman if he is looking that bad. If we are focusing on the run, this guy was a run needs work on pass blocking evaluation coming out of Texas Tech. With that being said if were running the ball why isn't he in there. Also with the zone blocking system that should help him in the passing game. I read an article regarding the pass pro in this scheme and it stated it's most noted that the zone blocking system works for both run and pass blocking. I see a possible shake up in O line with cuts coming up. Can anyone tell me if Mulitalo can play the backup center. This is my prediction and I don't have a clue when it will happen. How many OL are they going to keep? If it's eight here's how I see it.

    RT- George Foster - Jonathan Scott
    RG- Manny Ramirez - Stephen Peterman
    C- Dominic Raiola - Peterman/Mulitalo
    LG- Jeff Backus - Mulitalo
    LT- Gosder Cherilous - Jonathan Scott

    Not sure if this would work, but it would allow for some flexibility without having to cut someone from the core.

    Thoughts!!!!Go Lions!!!!Make us proud!!!!9-7!!!!

    Posted by MIfaninMN on 08/28/08 at 10:55AM

    To say they have no stars is a good thing. That means they have a bunch of good players playing together as a team. I believe that is why our defense has looked as good as it has. Everyone has stated there are no pro-bowlers and Ernie is as close as it gets. I say good.

    However, I would disagree and say that Roy and CJ have the talent and potential to be pro-bowlers. They will be stars but, "thank the stars" neither acts like the other so called stars. "Look at Me" guys like Ocho, T.O., Moss, etc... Glad none of them are here. Talented...yes. Distractions...yes. Things not needed here. Let's see if we can get a couple "stars" on the D side now. Say, Dizon or Avril in the next couple years.

    GO LIONS!

    Posted by 11andFive on 08/28/08 at 11:17AM

    mmmcornbread:

    I think you'll adjust your definition of a star player if Kitna or CJ get injured in a meaningless pre-season game!

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 11:26AM

    Like Pit78 suggested yesterday about the O, sit the Skill and play the Beef. A few drives in we might see:
    Gos/Ed/Dom/Manny/George

    On the D, there are guys that MUST play. Cody must be NEW; Alama-Francis, Fluellen, Avril, and Hardie need more of a look(Smith and Moore are what they are.) I hope any of the starting D-Line is used minimally.

    Other than Sims and Lenon, all the LBs need a real good look. The same goes for all the DBs after the top 5. Bullocks might be a real spark.

    The thing about injuries that's tough to accept for a guy my age is that today's athletes are such high-performance machines; they require an extreme level of fitness. Perhaps that's the argument behind negative comments concerning the handling of Bailey, K.Edwards, Lehman, etc.

    I'm all for sheltering players from UNNECESSARY injury(starters in P4) but there has to be a limit to how much fragility becomes an emphasis in Football.

    RUB SOME MUD ON IT

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 11:31AM

    BTW

    Not having any 'Stars' worked out pretty well for the Pistons a few years ago. The term itself is completely subjective anyway. 'Star' is as much a reflection of popularity as anything else.

    The rule is: De gustabo non disputandam est(about matters of taste, there can be no argument.)

    Posted by xprtobserver on 08/28/08 at 11:43AM

    Ooooh! After tonight count the previous Millen picks that finally cough up their playbooks. I am sure they are all nice people. Football players is a different story.
    Remember that is not the final roster. We can get New England's, Dallas's, San Diego's, all the biggies castoffs after saturday. Some of them have to be better than what we have now. Yippee1 Let the cutting begin.

    Posted by xprtobserver on 08/28/08 at 11:44AM

    Ooooh! After tonight count the previous Millen picks that finally cough up their playbooks. I am sure they are all nice people. Football players is a different story.
    Remember that is not the final roster. We can get New England's, Dallas's, San Diego's, all the biggies castoffs after saturday. Some of them have to be better than what we have now. Yippee1 Let the cutting begin.

    Posted by 5Bakerstreet on 08/28/08 at 11:51AM

    When you put preseason game 4 on the scale of weights and balances, with the positives of what a team {not just the Lions} can gain out of this game on one side of the scale .... and .... on the other side of the scale of weights and balances with the negatives of what a team (again, not just the Lions} can lose as a result of preseason game 4, I think all those who suggest in reducing the preseason to 2 or 3 games and then adding a game or two onto the regular season have a valid point, and I hope that the NFL does do something to reduce the number of preseason games.

    Save the marquee players for the regular season, play positional matchups vying for starting lineup no more than a quarter, then let those remaining players (currently numbers 54-75) on the depth chart play the rest of the game to determine who will fill the lower ranks of the Lions.

    I absolutely dread preseason game 4, too many bad things can happen.

    Posted by coding69 on 08/28/08 at 12:09PM

    I don't know who is a bigger bonehead. Carlito or all the slappies that respond to his posts. WAKE UP! the only reason he posts in that manner is to get a reaction. If it bothers you that much the best response is no response.

    Its no wonder that the Lion's keep selling out home games when they have such a lousy record.

    "Stupid is as stupid does."

    Forest Gump

    Posted by pit78 on 08/28/08 at 12:20PM

    guys i seen rod marrinelli on the news last night making a speach, and he had a look of determenation in his eye that i've NEVER seen a lion's coach have. he said the most important thing about his team is "they will,lead the league in effort",,,and i believe him.

    IN ROD WE TRUST!!!

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 12:42PM

    hey guys.. just wondering if it is a given that the Lions are keeping 4 RBs now? I saw VanHouven's article and am wondering if that is where things actually stand..

    wish they would cut Bell, but looks like he isn't going anywhere

    Posted by handsopen on 08/28/08 at 12:49PM

    Marinelli should be fined by the league.

    Posted by EK1 on 08/28/08 at 1:12PM

    No, we have to play the starters cuz if the Lions are perfect in the preseason that ALWAYS translates into atleast an NFC Championship trip. (Wink, wink)

    Posted by MIfaninMN on 08/28/08 at 1:18PM

    If they keep 4 rb's, it better be Smith, Cason, Pinner and Calhoun. Bell needs to be gone. Period. No effort, no 'tude, no skills, no help to this TEAM. They need a Standeford. This guy only catches everything. Play him tonight the entire game, Rod. Watch the white man jump. Watch the white man catch. He has proven himself and should stay, not Bell. Besides, why not carry 5 wr's? I don't want to see them lose Moore, Middleton or Bellamy but, I think Standeford has proven he's better now (couldn't have hurt playing with the Colts last year either).

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 1:24PM

    Click

    yah, I think since Cason is strong on special teams, they can take 4..

    what's your call Calhoun or Pinner? Pinner is dependable.. but Calhoun has speed and is still improving.. i think i would have to tip my hat to Calhoun since our running game is still really undeveloped

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 2:05PM

    I forgot about De Grate and Cohen(7r) earlier. They've both made some plays. I seem to recall Cohen throwing some OSU guys around a year or two ago. I think Marinelli mentioned he was better than expected last month. That's 13 guys competing for 10 spots on the D-Line.

    Are Davis, Gardner, Joe, and Cannon competing for one spot? If so, Blue is a Sack/Deflection away from making the squad.

    I think the final O Cut might come down to who can best help establish the Run. The Team already has an accomplished Pass; better blocking is critical.

    QB 3
    OL 9
    FB+TE 5?
    RB 4
    WR 4

    I guess that actually looks like a Run-HEAVY breakdown. Maybe if Williams and Johnson each counted as 1.5...but no. 5WR means losing a TE/FB or an RB. Considering that talent pool, I think losing a TE/FB more likely.

    So Standeford or Middleton(maybe Moore, Ellis) should have a better shot than Owens before tonight, and maybe Pinner, Bell, and Calhoun are competing for 2 spots.

    Keep Moore if he does well, Standeford to the PS, or vice versa if not. I hope Moore and Middleton get all the returns tonight.

    GO LIONS

    Posted by 0talent on 08/28/08 at 2:08PM

    9-7 or better.

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 2:09PM

    yah, i hate to admit defeat.. but looks like Tatum is staying.. maybe Martz was part to blame for Tatum's poor attitude last year

    ease up on Carlito.. you guys are treating him worse than some of those those losers that come in here bashing the Lions.. give the kid a break

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 2:11PM


    Good afternoon fellow football fans,GAMEDAY,hope i didnt offend anyone with the cap,pretty fun yesterday when all the big boys picked on that guy for useing cap,MAYBE EXPLAINING TO HIM WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER]just a thought to our REAL DEAL LEADERS.than that guy socaltony,correcting his spelling only to be corrected himself i thought was great.

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 2:11PM

    Above post: LBs competing for 2 spots. Duh. Sorry about that.

    Posted by WHOMDAT on 08/28/08 at 2:16PM

    I THINK I'M MORE INTERESTED IN HEARING OF THE CUTS BETWEEN TONIGHTS GAME AND SATURDAY RATHER THAN THE GAME ITSELF. AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHETHER OR NOT THE LIONS WILL SELECT SOMEONE OFF THE WAIVER WIRE.

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 2:25PM

    just a thought but shouldnt we cut the rb other teams are least likly to pick up,that way thay will be there if we need them.OPINIONS PLEASE!
    lionpride

    Posted by chriswill90 on 08/28/08 at 2:28PM

    Question? is it Possible to trade Backus for MLB?
    he can't be moved to LG. (money, new position, etc.)just trade him. One thing I know about him is, he won't get any better. Gos at LT, Fos at RT. build from there, time to move on.

    Posted by pit78 on 08/28/08 at 2:28PM

    well guys i'm on top of the world today and regardless of a win or loss today is the best day of my life.

    i just got back from our ultrasound and i'm having a daughter! : ]

    i was shocked i thought i could only have boys..

    3 boys and now we get our baby girl and i couldnt be happier!

    maybe my good fortune will translate into a lion's win tonight..? [fingers crossed] : ]

    GO LIONS!!!

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 2:34PM

    pit

    Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 2:40PM

    Pit78,congrads on the daughter! i havetwo of them and their great a different world as you will soon learn,lots of love coming for daddy.
    lionpride

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 2:41PM

    Pit78,congrads on the daughter! i havetwo of them and their great a different world as you will soon learn,lots of love coming for daddy.
    lionpride

    Posted by pit78 on 08/28/08 at 2:44PM

    thanks guys i truly am on top of the world today : ]

    i bet we kick the hell outta the bills tonight!

    Posted by li0nsjunkie on 08/28/08 at 2:50PM

    Pitt...

    Congratulations man i'm glad to hear it.

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 2:52PM

    congrats Pit

    4 kids, you are a strong and brave man.. bottle what you drink to keep up your energy and you can compete with Red Bull

    atta boy

    Posted by schmidtfan on 08/28/08 at 2:55PM

    blucat

    You're right about that being part of the strategy. If there are, say, 28 guys who exhibit the skills necessary for the Offense, and 5 are on the bubble, then considerations for the Cut may be: who hurts the Team least, who is least multi-talented, which guys are unhealthiest, etc.

    chriswill90

    Most Teams would say that Backus is too little for a brute guy or too slow for an agile guy, or even too light for a Guard. He has been a tremendously healthy player for years. I think that sort of like Cody, Backus has to bring something new to his game or he will be 2nd string by mid-season. There is no question about his toughness, but his technique needs to improve immediately.

    SUPERCLICK

    Thanks for the link. There is a ton of competiton to make this year's Team.

    Posted by li0nsjunkie on 08/28/08 at 2:55PM

    I usually like to take my life one day at a time but i really can not wait for sept. 7th i don't know what i am going to do till then hopefully I can get into college football again to pass the time.

    The lions will make the playoffs. Great D= first round bye

    9-7 to 12-4 based on D

    RRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    Posted by thepacer on 08/28/08 at 2:56PM

    Pit
    Congrats on the daughter. I wish your wife and baby all the luck in the world. Daughters truely are special gifts to dads. I'm happy for you Bro.

    Posted by roggy on 08/28/08 at 2:57PM

    Pit, congrats and enjoy her when she is young. When she hits her tween and teen years, you will lose your hair and the rest will turn gray. Maybe the Lions will be domininate in 10 years so it will be a diversion!

    Posted by thepacer on 08/28/08 at 2:59PM

    I'll tell you what having energy is all about. I am 50 years old and married a woman last year who was thirty. She has a 11 year old boy, a 10 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. Not to mention my 28 year old son. they keep me hopping all the time. I wouldn't trade them for the world. I have already converted the wife and the oldest of her sons into Detroit fans. Yahoo!

    Posted by thepacer on 08/28/08 at 3:03PM

    I have 6 sisters. They drove me crazy growing up but I love every one of them now. LOL. I also have 2 brothers who are both older than I am.

    Pit
    The good thing is she will have 3 older brothers to watch after her. That's cool.

    Posted by MIfaninMN on 08/28/08 at 3:19PM

    2 cool man...

    I have 3 little dudes and couldn't convice the wife to try for that girl once more. Oh well. Glad to hear it brother, one more Lions fan in the world is a great thing to have. Best of luck though. My little bro has 3 girls and his 4th was a boy. His oldest is 14 and the stories he tells...

    If Standeford ends up on the practice squad, he's gone. It was enjoyable watching him during his Purdue days. As of now, I can't figure out why Indie couldn't hold onto him. Am I missing something!

    Get rid of Bell!

    GO LIONS!

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 3:26PM

    click that was soooooooo fun about the alter ego,ive heard that before?oh i no it was when you got caught with your alter ego.lol my thought about why their not playing moore is hes showed enough in pratice to keep him,but not enough to make the roster this yr.so thier hoping to get him on the pratice squad.opinions please.
    lionpride

    Posted by CHIEFGER139 on 08/28/08 at 3:33PM

    congrats pitt
    blu-cat you werent that cap locks guy i hope-i even tried being friendly to the guy and he kept being an ass anyhow-even told him i used to do the all cap thing too until i think det fa79 slammed me big time for doin it. my 53 man roster is on det fan79's site-we had to post ours a few days ago. what happened to carlito-must be a one blog wonder

    Posted by addison on 08/28/08 at 3:42PM

    pit:
    Good for you and the Mrs. Don't worry about the "tween" years. Even those year will be over before you know it. Just love 'em and enjoy.

    I gotta believe the first words out of her mouth will be "GO LIONS".

    Posted by pit78 on 08/28/08 at 3:47PM

    thanks everybody for the congrats and the advise and yes click she'll be running dline drills just like her bro's! lol

    maybe she'll be the red shirt QB in the drills,, ROFL!

    GO LIONS!!!

    2 hours til pregame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by popeww on 08/28/08 at 3:49PM

    pretty sure kenneth moore is a dead man walking.

    seems like a hard working kid, but he's just not gonna make it. it's definitely down to middleton or standeford, IMO... middleton has proven useful in the redzone, which is where the lions have historically had problems, and that may give him the edge.

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 3:51PM

    blucat

    tough to figure out what the Lions intentions were with Moore.. your explanation makes the most sense out of most theories i can think of... seems like Moore hasn't been given much of a shot to return kicks... maybe Moore's lack of receiving skills/special team skills and the Lions feeling Cason just fills more holes on special teams and helps at a RB means that we start the year with Cason, and if he doesn't do anything on returns and the running game is going well with Smith et al.. we give Moore a shot

    your guess is as good as mine...?

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 4:03PM

    chief,i think capman is clicks altar ego lol.
    my point was explain to him instead of jumping on him.i read his post &seen nothing wrong until we started jumping on him for a lack of knowledger,i thought as lion fan we should be better than that.
    lionpride
    16-0

    Posted by jamie81 on 08/28/08 at 4:04PM

    Hey guys i was reading this story on nfl.com, and it is talking about hybrid defensive players do we have any of those for the lions?? Im not sure if sims is one or not??

    Posted by endstrong on 08/28/08 at 4:06PM

    I'm not sure Bell s/b cut. He is a vet and knows when to show'em and when to hold'em. When he got the ball in '07 he performed well. He was pi**ed aainst Oakland and ran really well. Pinner is desparate to make the team, Bell maybe more talented. Its not a big thing, but we need all the help we can get at rb. If Bell is healthy he may show well in the regular season.

    Posted by Carlito2Cool on 08/28/08 at 4:15PM

    Roflmao is Carlito at all you adults(?) is Carlito, with boldened, highlighted, and uppercase emphasis on the question mark by points out Carlito.

    Carlito adds: You so called adults{?} hastily point out flaws in the fantasy characature of Carlito "having fun" with football, but you so called adults{?} are blind to your 24/7/365 addiction to football, fantasy football, mock drafts, your so called "having fun" with football.
    Which is crazier, Carlito's characature or your addiction. Guess what Carlito's answer to that question is you so called adults{?}.


    With all the things going on in the world, and Carlito would hope your lives are active too, and by extension psychologically you so called adults(?) would have some kind of balanced perspective of life rather than a nonstop addiction to football which is only a game children.

    Congrats Pit78, and I would hope your full time attention would be with your wife and newborn baby rather than some meaningless preseason Lions Bills football game tonight.

    Posted by bgksr on 08/28/08 at 4:29PM

    Pit-Congrats on the baby-girl. You'll never be able to look at dirty movies the same way again, you'll be too busy thinkin "I hope my lil girl doesnt do this" LMAO

    Just a thought-You guys have heard the term practice players, and guys that just excel on game-day. I think Peterman might be one of those guys, hear me out. He signed with us two years ago in the middle of the season, if my memory serves me correct. By the end of the season he was our RG. Last season Woody wins the job, Peterman is caught in a glut of lineman with a few others, Peterman gets in, Woody goes inactive and then comes back as a RT. Off season Woody bolts,and Peterman is in a fight for his gig again. Watch who the RG is at the end of the season or once the games count.

    10-6

    Posted by endstrong on 08/28/08 at 4:31PM

    Carlito -

    Am did am endstrong am hear am that right?

    Posted by BDog66 on 08/28/08 at 4:37PM

    PIT
    Congrats Bra, I have a Daughter myself and you will soon find out, they have a way of wrapping you around their tiny little fingers. again congrats.........GO LIONS, GET LITO, CONGRATS PIT............I guess we have a future female poster to look forward to LOL!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 4:39PM

    bgksr

    i think you are right on Peterman.. but he needs to watch out, he is not Roy Williams and can't put in a half effort while we are trying to put in a running game.. plus the 50% / play when it matters might not work with Rod's mantra

    hope Peterman steps it up, because we need the help on the O-line

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 4:42PM

    i see pacman has been let back in the leauge for the stinken cowboy,if it was any other team he would have to wait another yr.lionpride

    Posted by bgksr on 08/28/08 at 4:51PM

    CDNLion-I dont know if its lack of effort. Some guys just dont shine in practice. Some guys are practice all-americans, or OTA Hall of famers's, but when the pads come on or the season starts, they just fizz out. It'll be interesting to see. Thanks for your response.

    10-6

    Posted by spartyfi on 08/28/08 at 4:54PM

    CONGRATS PIT!!!

    Posted by CDNLion on 08/28/08 at 5:04PM

    bgksr

    not sure if you remember this too.. it might be in the archives.. i think a year back.. actually, i think it was a couple years ago the last game of the year against Dallas, i think Killer talked about Peterman being a big game-day player..

    cheers

    Posted by gr8lake on 08/28/08 at 5:26PM

    congrats pit!!! Its a whole different ballgame with girls (after they get older).

    While I agree with most people that only bad things happen in game 4 of the preseason....I have seen a toughness in this year's Lions that I haven't seen in a long time (if ever in my 40+ yrs of being a fan) and I would hate to send the wrong message. Of course Rod could only lose in playing starters...he would be crucified if anyone got hurt. I hope that they keep hitting like they have been....this season looks really promising!! Say it every year....but this is the year for the Lions...really...I mean it this year...LOL.

    GO LIONS!!!!!!

    Posted by herman84 on 08/28/08 at 5:36PM

    Other questions that need to be answered tonight :

    1. Who on earth sees something in Tatum Bell, cause no one I talk to seems to see anything? It's a three way race for back-up RB but everytime it seems Bell is a GIVEN, yet he hasn't shown anything. Are we sure that this guy isn't related to Marinelli in some way? I never liked ANY of our old backs ie calhoun/pinner/sedrick Irvin?! LOL...but in the pre-season Pinner has impressed, not with stats, but he runs hard and you can see the effort..always keeps his legs moving and doesn't always fall down from an arm tackle like calhoun/irvin/Glenn Milburn/ron rivers.

    2. How is Greg Blue for blocking? Cause I'm thinking he can't be any worse than 75% of our O-lineman. If Marinelli is true to his word about attitude and effort guys, then Blue will be a Lion in some respect.

    3. Was the critism of Martz passing 90% of the time warranted? Was it by design, choice and his system, or was it just due to the fact that the Lions have not been able to have an O-line move the ball one yard in the last decade plus.

    I am excited about a lot of our boys this year and am comfortable with Kitna, Calvin and Roy. I think Kevin Smith could have a very respectable year. Ernie Sims is sick and is getting better with every play! He stands out like a sore thumb on our D, head and shoulders above anyone. I feel better about an upgraded secondary.

    I'm hoping we are competitive in every game. However, looking at how neglected a priority our O-line has been, all I see is a potentially great house, built on match sticks. Just when I start to get excited I'm reminded of Peterman and Foster.

    I refuse to give up on the season before it even starts but all Rod's talk of high motor, playing as a unit, best effort, new zone blocking systems etc...is all out the window if the O-line talent is inferior. And I don't see anything that makes me feel it's ready for the NFL, let alone be a BLOCK the sun out, pound it on the ground type team. It's a great idea and sounds awesome....but reality is 3rd and 8 much like the last decade plus.

    Please prove me wrong!! I sincerely hope Millen is glued to his Blackberry and the waiver wire for experienced O men getting released. The line is a 58/100 right now and one injury away from being a complete disaster for the entire year.

    Please ADDRESS THE PROBLEM NOW!!!!

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 5:41PM

    click,dude look back and show me where i said i was mcgraw.the booze must be taking over.lol
    lionpride

    Posted by herman84 on 08/28/08 at 5:55PM

    Superclick : Where you at?!? I too hope it's on-line and I have a good feeling about it.

    Posted by blucat on 08/28/08 at 6:17PM

    click,read the line i was talking about capping GAMEDAY,THE SENTENCE WENT .PRETTY FUNNY YESTERDAY WHEN EVERYBODY JUMP ON THAT GUY FOR USEING CAPS.just like you half truth still dont make you right whyman.
    lionpride

    Posted by mrfordsblue on 08/28/08 at 11:20PM

    OK, so the lions are 4-0! next week every one starts out 0-0! I'm a die hard detroit lions fan,but put a side its pre season game! the lions looked good & coach marinelli has done a good job of molding the lions into his football team! the test starts next weeks!

    Posted by mmmcornbread on 08/29/08 at 8:50AM

    11andFive,

    The closest thing Kitna is to a "Star"is a "STAR-ter" If you believe anything else your are a dillusional dreamer...