As we start our annual process of ranking the NFL franchises from bottom to top, we start with the bottom.
The very bottom.
And there’s no lower than any team can go than our No. 32 team went a year ago.
They are, to no surprise, the Detroit Lions.
Even with the coaching change and the new personnel and the arrival of No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford and the sense of optimism that comes from a 0-0 record, we couldn’t in good conscience put any other team beneath the Lions, even though we were tempted to do so.
But this isn’t a prediction on where teams will finish. It’s just a snapshot as to where they currently stand.
Indeed, the Lions could be this year’s version of the 2008 Dolphins, winning some games early, building momentum, and possibly getting in position to compete for a wild-card berth down the stretch.
Running back Kevin Smith could be poised to break out, and receiver Calvin Johnson already is one of the very best in the league at what he does.
On defense, veteran linebackers like Julian Peterson and Larry Foote will benefit from the presence of larger linemen and a hard-hitting rookie safety, Louis Delmas, who could be the next Bob Sanders.
So if new coach Jim Schwartz isn’t the latest example of the Peter Principle played out in pro football, things could be moving in the right direction in 2009.
We close things out with a few category-type entries designed for the ADD generation.
Key player: Kevin Smith. If he can move the chains without high-end blocking, the passing game led by Matthew Stafford could take root, allowing points to be scored and pressure to be reduced on the defense.
Rookie to watch: Louis Delmas. Stafford was too obvious; Delmas brings attitude and enthusiasm to a team that desperately needs to turn the page.
Best veteran acquisition: Larry Foote. The veteran linebacker comes home with two Super Bowl rings and a geniune desire to be in Detroit. His presence will go a long way toward putting last season in the rear-view mirror.
Key game: Week Two, vs. Minnesota. The Lions came close on two occasions to beating the Vikings in 2008, and Detroit could find itself breaking the string of futility early in the season. Getting to 1-1 would go a long way toward permanently shelving 0-16.
Projected finish (i.e., complete guess we feel compelled to make): 5-11.
7-9
I didn’t read your write up. Preseason power rankings are worthless. This can be proven by looking at your preseason power rankings for last year. I think you had the Falcons dead last. Even with all your analysis, you were totally off.
I think the Browns are a much worse team than the Lions (and I’m a bears fan).
If you go position by position, the Lions are either better or as good (or as bad) as the Browns.
I’m guessing they will be #31 then?
Best veteran acquisition: Larry Foote.
Dont’ forget about a healthy Julian Peterson.
May the Schwartz be with you!
I was really, really hoping that the Lions would at least not be last. You did do your homework, and made a lot of astute observations about where and how much the Lions appear to be better than last year. You even correctly noted that if they get things going early, their schedule is favorable enough that they could flirt with .500; even the playoffs.
Still, Kool-Aid and cornbread aside, it would indeed be disingenuous to rank anyone but the team coming worst season of all time at the bottom of the initial power rankings for this season. Here’s to a swift climb up the ladder!
Peace
Ty @ The Lions in Winter
http://thelionsinwinter.blogspot.com
I won’t predict great things for the Lions, but on paper right now looking at overall talent I think they have just as much talent as the Raiders do and that’s saying somehting since they easily didn’t have much talent last year. I think the Lions fiugre out this year how to go 3-13.
Agree, although I think 5 games may be a stretch. And thanks again for having the Most Intelligent Football Fan on your site, The TMQ. Will look forward to his odd analyses.
sorry, i have to say its the raiders, because their offense is straight up awful…at least the lions have calvin
I guess there is nothing more to be written about Michael Vick and Brett Favre tonight?
When you think of the NAMES they added: Dennis Northcutt, Bryant Johnson, Julian Peterson, Larry Foote, Philop Buchanon, Brandon Pettigrew, Louis Delmas and Matt Stafford, you think, they sure added a lot of guys who’ve either had some degree of success in the NFL or are top prospects.
The Rams added Jason Brown and lost Torry Holt, Pisa Tinoisamoa, and Orlando Pace. I think that, despite Steve Spagnuolo being a great defensive mind, they will be thinking about how they may have to bring their families to a new city, and they will have a worse record. Of course, power rankings are about where they are now but I still think you gotta go with the Rams.
Hmmmm?…Denver Broncos belongs here!
Sweeping the vikings will do a lot for the Lions confidence. If it weren’t for a couple of bad calls they would have swept the vikings last season.
This season they play the NFC West and those 2 weak Ohio teams of the AFC North.
They can find find 3 more victories to go with their sweep of the vikings for a 5-11 season.
I was expecting you to place the Rams at 32, or possibly the Broncos after they got rid of Cutler for some very poor draft decisions.
I think Broncos and Browns are in a worse position than the Lions at the moment.
The Lions’ organization as a whole, exemplify the Peter Principle.
Something you guys need to remember about the Browns is that they were 10-6 two years ago and last year they started 4 QB’s due to injury. They were not as bad as their record. Look at the Giants game before QB’s started dropping like flies.
“# Bob Nelson says: August 13, 2009 4:39 AM
Sweeping the vikings will do a lot for the Lions confidence. If it weren’t for a couple of bad calls they would have swept the vikings last season.
This season they play the NFC West and those 2 weak Ohio teams of the AFC North.
They can find find 3 more victories to go with their sweep of the vikings for a 5-11 season.
I was expecting you to place the Rams at 32, or possibly the Broncos after they got rid of Cutler for some very poor draft decisions.”
If they can sweep the Vikings (and I think you’re being very generous by deciding that they will), they can at least go 8-8.
I’m intrigued by the Lions this year. I think they made a mistake at the draft. If I was in charge, I would’ve used the pick they used on Pettigrew to draft Michael Oher. At the same time, there’s nowhere to go but up, and judging by the fact that everything on that team has changed aside from the stadium they’re playing in, I think they’re in for a bit of a resurgence. These players didn’t win a single game last year and they were taunted by their fans in a way that reminds me of the Eagles in the 7os. They’re going to do anything they can to make sure nothing even close to last season happens again, and with a new coaching staff and a new leader on defense, they should do somewhat better. As long as Stafford isn’t a bust, if they can improve their offensive and defensive lines, they have a bright future. I guess.
Browns.
Despite the meaninglessness of pre-season rankings, I like the analysis.
With a few exceptions (Thanksgiving), the Lions weren’t always BLOWN OUT last year…
They kept it close in quite a few games, right up into the 4th.
They were robbed of AT LEAST one win against the Queens, who I assume paid the refs off with Starcaps, bong hits, Super Bowl tickets, and boat rides.
(They tried to give that same ref tickets to their home playoff game, but he didn’t want them).
Turnarounds happen fast in the NFL.
History, the ultimate evidence, says so.
And if you can get a defense to play tough, you can hang in every game. (And the Lions have definitely added some legit players to their defense).
I can EASILY seeing the Lions winning 5 games this year–starting with Week 2–but I also can’t see them winning more than 8.
Browns, Rams, Raiders Chiefs and Broncos are all worse than the Lions this year.
The Browns are hurting.
Quinn starts the season, so Mangigni can pull him in favor of Anderson.
Broncos and Browns i think browns havent been good for a long time and the broncos are makeing some vary bad decisions and are going to be the new lions for next ew years as i see it
Florio, let me go ahead and take care of #31 for you right now. stiller43 is on the right track….
#31 Cleveland Browns
Eric Mangini is the new head coach and he sucks. He tries to do everything Bill Belichick used to do at practice, except he’s not Bill Belichick. He tries to talk tough, give players pop quizzes, have them tear ligaments practicing in rainstorms, and force guys to take bus rides to places they don’t want to go. He’s an Australian rules football coach masquerading as an NFL coach.
The quarterbacks are Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson and both them suck. Quinn is a 50% passer. Anderson is an interception machine.
Jamal Lewis is the starting running back and runs like he’s in quicksand.
Braylon Edwards wants out of town. They have no other receivers on the entire roster.
The defense has two good players. Shaun Rogers and Kamerion Wimbley. Nobody else on the starting 11 would start for any other NFL team.
Projected finish: 1-15
There you go, Mike. Have Rosenthal run with this one and you can move right along to the Rams, Chiefs or Broncos when you feel like it.
Detroit is not better than cleveland. Look no farther than the O-line, Browns have a solid re-vamped O-line with Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Alex Mack, Floyd Womack, John St.Clair…. The Lions have no form of O-line, they got a good LB core and 1 good WR…thats it.
3-13 looks about right. the lions rarely overachieve.
“But this isn’t a prediction on where teams will finish. It’s just a snapshot as to where they currently stand.”
—————-
Then we already know it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers at #1….
My personal favorite was the year he put the Packers at #24 when they went to the NFC championship. Here’s some highlights:
“Really, are the Packers doing anything to try to get better? Sure, there’s the draft. But the draft is only part of the picture when it comes to making a team better.
Meanwhile, there’s no running game to speak of, and the receivers are so-so.
The defense is okay, but will be hard pressed to make up for an offense that simply doesn’t have the players at the skill positions to be a real threat.
Brett, you deserve much better. The ever-loyal fans do, too.”
# Bob Nelson says: August 13, 2009 4:39 AM
Sweeping the vikings will do a lot for the Lions confidence. If it weren’t for a couple of bad calls they would have swept the vikings last season.
This season they play the NFC West and those 2 weak Ohio teams of the AFC North.
They can find find 3 more victories to go with their sweep of the vikings for a 5-11 season.
I was expecting you to place the Rams at 32, or possibly the Broncos after they got rid of Cutler for some very poor draft decisions.
It’s safe to say the ONLY division games the Lions have a chance at winning would be against that 3rd place team just to the East of Minnesota. Have fun battling it out for the cellar you Cheesehead IDIOTS.
Daffy87:
You forget that the Lions running back is 100x better than your old ass FB Jamal Lewis that you masquerade around as a RB. The Lions secondary this year is 100x better than the Browns DB’s. You have 1 receiver if you wanna call that bum that because the only things he receives are the awards for most dropped passes in NFL history. The lions have at least 3 legitimate receivers now. Oh yea and the Browns have NO I’ll say it again absolutely NO QB that is worth a shit on their team. Cleveland Browns will be lucky to win one game.
Believe me. . .it’s not the Vikings that need to worry about getting swept by the Lions in 2009. It’s the team that will be competing with. . .and, most likely, surpassing. . .the Lions for the NFC North basement, and that’s the bunch of losers from Green Bay, with their idiot coach and their pathological liar GM.
Book the Vikings for the top spot in the NFC North. . .because, really, who’s going to take it from them. . .and book a Pier Six brawl between Detroit and Green Bay for the division basement. What about Chicago, you say? Really. . .who cares?