  Or, Zone Coverage is an Ineffective Defensive Strategy The Lions lost to the Chargers today, and while the score reflects a mediocre but fairly close game ( urlLink 14-7 ) the real story is far different. The Lions, in a word (or five), are the Worst Football Team in America. They lack so many different elements essential to even a functional football team that it's beyond sad. Rather than go into their functional shortcomings (defensive secondary, wide receivers, running backs, quarterback, special teams except kicking...), I'm going to address another, deeper problem. Heart . It's a very overused cliche to say that one team "came to win" and another team didn't, but in watching two back-to-back games (one win, one loss) I can tell you that despite their lack of any big-name talent, the Lions are capable of pulling a win out, or at least fighting a tough game. But the difference in their level of play on Thanksgiving (in front of a nationally televised audience) and today (in front of San Diego and Detroit audiences) is huge. The Lions are so mired in their own crap that they don't seem to even try anymore. The play calling is horrible, the players themselves don't do their jobs (I've never SEEN so many missed tackles and dropped passes), it's like watching a bunch of guys who were forced to play in the park on a Sunday afternoon.
The problem is, these guys are professional football players! They get PAID to play a GAME, and they do it with such a piss-poor attitude, you'd think they were digging ditches on a chain-gang in Alabama. Also I'd really like to see them get a break, like the Chargers got with Tomlinson. He's exceptional, and despite being surrounded by a mediocre team, at least he's a bright spot for the Chargers' future.
The Lions have no bright spot - Joey Harrington has the markings of a good, solid QB but he will need a much better receiver core (and a running back with some talent) to get there. If Az-Zahir Hakeem drops one more perfectly thrown pass I swear to God Almighty I will drive to Detroit and burn his house down. The defensive line is the one bright area, but an offensive line does not a winning team make. Okay, rant mode off. This is why I don't watch football involving teams I care about. I get too worked up. I was much angrier earlier, but blogger was (maybe fortunately) down and I couldn't update. 
