Today, I'm going to write about the Lions' next opponent, the Minnesota Vikings. For our reader in Minnesota (yes, I know you're out there cuz I got Google Analytics!), perhaps this will make up for all the anti-Twin postings.
The Vikings are 0-2, just like the Lions. But that's where the similarities end.
The Vikings are a perennial playoff team with a Hall of Fame quarterback (Favre), a Hall of Fame lineman (Hutch), and potential Hall of Fame running back (AP). In 2009, the offense also sent Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, and Bryant McKinnie to the Pro Bowl. That's over half the team on offense!
On the other side of the ball, they've got a Hall of Fame lineman (Kevin Williams), who partners with two other Pro Bowlers - Pat Williams and Jared Allen. Another Pro Bowler, Antoine Winfield, patrols the secondary. While he doesn't have the same accolades, the Vikings strongside Linebacker, Chad Greenaway, is significantly better than any Lions' LB. To top it off, the Vikings' boast superior Special Teams as well. Percy Harvin is one of the best at returning kicks, Longwell is better than Jason Hanson, and even their punter is better!
Oh, and the Vikings will be playing the Lions at home, where the Lions haven't won since 1997.
So, why oh why did I spend my evening drive listening to countless Lion fans proclaim their team will win? Where does this blind faith come from? Certainly not past or current performance.
Curiously, most of the blind Lion fans added that they expected the Lions to lose the following week to the Packers - who, like Minnesota, are superior to the Lions in every facet of the game. So why did they single out Minnesota? My guess is because of Brett Favre. After watching this man singlehandedly destroy the Lions for close to 20 friggin' years, Favre may finally be showing signs of age. It's my belief that Favre will get young in a hurry against this piss-poor Lions' secondary, but many fans hold a glimmer of hope that Favre may indeed be succumbing to Father Time. They believe Ndamukong Suh will get one of his nasty paws wrapped around Favre's neck and fling the QB to the turf like a crash-test-dummy. They believe Calvin Johnson and Jahvid Best will cause nightmares for the Minnesota D. And they believe, at long last, that the Lions are due for some good fortune.
Folks, my father is 67 years old and has been waiting almost as long for the Lions to get their good fortune. After Sunday, he'll still be waiting.
The Lions will lose Sunday because life doesn't work like a Hollywood script. This matchup strongly favors the Vikings, and, while "on any given Sunday" any team can beat any other, that simply doesn't apply to our beloved Lions. They're the one constant in the NFL. They can always be counted on to disappoint. They're the North Star of ineptitude.
Something Positive
I decided after my last post that I should counter the negative Lions post with something positive. Unfortunately, there's nothing terribly positive about the Lions, so I'll have to look to another team, another sport. In this case, the Tigers.
While the season was a sad disappointment, I was pleasantly surprised by Justin Verlander. Back in April, I questioned his ability to be a true ace. Folks around here like to lump him in with the Cy Young winners like Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. The truth is that Verlander rarely delivers on the road. Until he overcomes that obstacle, he'll be stuck in the 2nd tier. Regardless, I think Verlander performed very well in 2010.
He rarely had his best stuff, and yet he somehow managed to get 17 wins and post a 3.46 ERA. Teams often beat up on him early, but he usually settled down and delivered 7+ strong innings. In fact, since his forgettable April, he started 26 games and went 7 innings or more 18 times. These aren't Hall of Fame numbers, of course, but I think they illustrate that Verlander was able to fight through a sub-par season, both for the team and personally, and deliver quality starts.
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