How do we beat the lions?

[PeterMP]

Are we ready to bail on the Coleman experiment, or do some LT need time to become reliable starters?

Some LTs need time to be reliable starters. He's played well enough that you don't have to completely give up on him as an LT, but not well enough that if you see a chance to get a better player that they don't take it. If they're drafting and the BPA is an LT, they should take him. If there is a reasonably good LT in free agency at a reasonable value, they should sign him. They still have lots of holes. They don't need force a move to get an LT.

And he can be your plan A, but you'll need a plan B.

[PeterMP]

Oh and run the ball.. Gotta figure out how to run the ball with someone other than 5.

I'd be tempted to give CRod some carried. BRob seems to have lost confidence. The OL isn't very but that means when there is a hole there you have to be that much faster in hitting it, and if there isn't much there, you've got to take what is there. 1 yard gain is better than 2 yard loss.

[GoDeep81]

I'd be tempted to give CRod some carried. BRob seems to have lost confidence.

Yea, seems like after the mid season sore knee, he doesn't run with the same confidence or anger he once did. Definitely hope they give CRod some carries!

[Warhead36]

Gotta get Cornelius back at LT. Coleman was a turnstile all night long. He's making me nervous.

He was horrendous. The worst I've seen him play all year. Is he hurt or something? He's always been inconsistent but never this bad. Admittedly 2nd half he was better, looked like we were giving more help.

Are we ready to bail on the Coleman experiment, or do some LT need time to become reliable starters?

I still like his upside long term, but he was absolutely awful in the 1st half last week. You gotta give Lucas more snaps if he's healthy. Its the playoffs, play your best players as much as possible.

[GoingCommando]

Coleman has been better than I expected this year, but getting lit up by blitzers and average rushers like YaYa Diaby was a pretty clear demonstration of how weak he is against outside rushes. That particular weakness disqualifies him as a long term option at LT for me. It breaks the passing game.

I think Coleman can be a good linemen, but he needs to move inside. Or at least move him to the right side and put his failures in Jayden's vision. As is, if Jayden tries to stay in the pocket and stay on time against teams sending real blind side heat outside, then it's only a matter of time before Coleman gets Jayden rocked and either hurt or causes a game-altering fumble. I don't want to be sitting on my couch in the future, watching Brandon Coleman cause a game-losing play in an NFC championship game because we couldn't do better at such a critical position.

[HTTR]

The Lions are top tier, nobody is denying that. I am at peace coming into this one because nobody expects us to win.

That being said I think we can surprise them if our defense can hold up in any capacity. A couple of stops, a couple of turnovers and for pete's sake no stupid penalties - if you can couple that with sustained drives resulting in touchdowns we might have something.

For us there seems to be a sliver of a team of destiny thing going on, most notably with the hail mary and the doink but there has been additional last second heroics. That all creates belief and sometimes that is all you need.

Thinking about Eagles-Rams there is a narrative as well. With the fires going on in LA you might see the Rams put the city on their back and come out swinging. Consider the post Katrina New Orleans success if I am remembering correctly. Anything can happen in these games.

Saturday night second round playoff football is something we have not seen in a long, long time. Going to enjoy it.

[PeterMP]

We need to convert on 4th downs. Last week we were 3 for 5.

I've got it as probably a +5 point swing vs. if they don't go at all. If they go for more with the same efficiency, go for more where it really affects the score (e.g. ones where they aren't already in field goal range) with same efficiency, or use the same approach to the same degree but are more efficient that could easily turn into about a 9 point swing and be the difference in the game.

And it isn't like the Lions defense is a lot better than the Bucs.

[Jumbo]

Hey everyone! Great to see PeterMP and so many other beloved ES'ers in a new gathering place.

There are so many things I miss about es, but as I'm sure many of you felt, it was so ironic that a season comes along full of so much success (even great media coverage) and promise for the future after so many years of fail and that's the time we lose our diehard forum.

But thanks to some of you, we have this now. Great work guys!

[Skinsfan1311]

The # 1 thing that we need to do to win this game is score more points than Detroit.
That would be my strategy...

[Jumbo]

That's the kind of in depth X's and O's analysis that will make this place a must destination!