Should the Detroit Lions Tank?
What a year it has been... The hype of Matthew Stafford coming back after a heroic season, the hope of our new and improved O-Line could help sort out the rushing attack once and for all, and the horror of seeing it all come crashing down once again. As a lions fan, missing the playoffs is always a possibility and most of the time expected; but even so, we always seem to get way to hype about our offseason. Then, of course, reality smacks us in the face when we watch the same problems year after year come back and haunt us.
So the question is: "Should the Lions tank these last four games?"
I would have to say yes, as sad as it is I think we need to. After giving Stafford the biggest contract in the NFL (for now) I don't think we should rush him back into the games with his hand being as crippled as it is. Stafford is a beast and he will try and play through it but with the state that our O-Line is at with Wagner and Swanson out, I don't think it is a good idea. Seriously though, what do we gain from winning these last four games... a slim chance at a wildcard spot and a lower draft pick. I don't know about you but I'd take the higher draft pick and sit Stafford at least for this week to get healed up.
Another reason I personally would want us to tank is so Bob Quinn will seriously consider restarting with his own coaching staff and not his inherited one. I am done dealing with JBC's 1st down: Run up the middle 2nd down: Screen pass 3rd and Long: underneath route for 5 yards. I am done with Jim Caldwell showing no emotion, basically acting like he could care less about our season or if we win or not. And I am done with Teryl Austin's same old defense that worked with Suh wrecking havoc in the middle but since then has be getting absolutely torched in both the passing game and the run game. To be fair, losing Ngata is a huge loss as well as Ansah (Don't even get me started) not staying on the field constantly, it has been a tough year injury wise for our D line but even so adjustments needed to be made and they simply have not been made and there is no excuse. It is time for Quinn to get his own guys around the coaches table and prove to us that he is willing to go the extra mile to get this team to the promise land.
As for the higher draft pick, I think it is too early to really be looking at specific players but obviously the D line, RB, and interior O Line should be our main targets. If we could do something like:
1st round: DE
2nd round: RB or OL
3rd round: RB or OL
4th round: DT or OL
5th round: OLB or DL
6th/7th round: other needs/ depth
I would be very happy with a draft like that. Yes it is very stacked with D line and O line players but as they say; the game is won in the trenches, and to be honest we are dreadful in said trenches. For the RB, I am of the opinion that we need a total power back who can play 3 downs and come in on 3rd and short and bust through for 3 yards. I think Tion Green has potential to be a great short yardage back but I don't see him being a 3 downer so I think this is crucial.
In all honesty, what are 2-3 more wins actually going to do for us. I don't care about us being 9-7, I want us to be 11-5 or 12--4 winning playoff games and I don't think our current coaches are capable of it. We need to tank these last 4 games and we need to rethink this situation we are in, Stafford's prime should not be wasted trying to figure out if Caldwell can figure out how to coach or not. Stafford deserves a championship for all he has been through and where better than MoTown to win it.