Round 2 Preseason vs the Ravens

Starters

Going to do this one a little more live play by play almost with the starters only going to play a little bit.

Defense looked decent. A lot of good tackles. Loved the way the linebackers filled gaps. They lacked a little bit of shedding blockers along with the front four. Lacey got beat way to easy on a quick slant. Wendling laid  some surprising wood. Coleman made a nice open field tackle. He also got beat on the slant, but he can't get beat deep. There was a lack of linebacker drop by I believe Levy.

Running game and passing game looked average. Good for the running game bad for the passing game. Their front 3 are looking really good. Good run blocking on some plays and great patience by Smith. You don't like to end the first drive with a punt, but excellent coverage and tackle by the coverage team

Screen for the Ravens looks to easy. Front four is getting a great push. Just stupid penalties. 2 DEFENSIVE off sides already. One blatantly stupid late hit by Fairley. Looking like a similar team to last year with these penalties. I think the off season trouble clearly showing this team has an immature attitude and it's showing. Houston needs to look back. Scary to think he's are clear starting CB. Houston probably got away with one. A shocking great play from Wendling. Good drive on the ball. Red zone stop. Lions down 0-3

Another undisciplined penalty, Pettigrew was covered up making hi ineligible to go down field. Megatron slinger Stafford looking unstoppable. Running game still looking pretty good. Good patience by Williams, and great wash down by the OL. Ravens backside LB did a good job of staying back. Now going to lie was holding my breath while Stafford danced around to slide and get two yards. Stafford just flat and simply makes a stupid position. 4 yard dig route. Obviously a quick route, he's looking right, looking right, and then goes left and slings it over over towards the sideline. It may not be very far down field, but latterly it was. Should have been pick possibly 6, but Ravens drop it.

Several missed tackles. A third defensive offisde. Avril shows lack of discipline in giving up outside contain on a reverse. After that reverse they are just giving up. Levy misses Rice dead to rights in the backfield. Lions get RB for more than a 15 yard loss, but get caught with an incidental face mask. It happens, nothing intentional about the penalty. A good run for the Ravens look like the Lions D is just going to give up. Avril gives up outside contain again, but Coleman really makes an outstanding play. Wendling with a sack! I am going to have to eat my words. Hold them to a 50 yard FG attempt. Lions down 0-6.

A holding call, but Logan makes a great return. Stafford drops a 50 yard throw in the well. He didn't have to make that good of a throw, but he did. 57 yard gain Megatron. Megatron comes accross and just squares up. How do you defend that when he can beat you deep and you can't get around his big body. He just shields you off so well. Logan drops a key pass. As most of you know, I think Logan will get cut. The coaches aren't going to look past what Logan did on the return. Yes, it was negated, but he still did something special. Can't look past him short arming a big pass, even though the defensive off side negated it. Megatron touchdown. CJ already has 111 yards. Lions 7-6

Go ahead and say it. I was all for the Lions selecting a kicker and having a kickoff specialist. What a way of wasted roster spot. Jason Hanson 9 yards in the back of the end zone, touch back. Lions defensive starter dominate Ravens backup. Logan only gains a few yards, but looks dangerous doing it and wisely going north.

Offensive starters in for the Lions. Billick mentions that the Lions are probably wanting to see if they can actually run against a defensive like the Ravens. Logan gets hurt on a hand off to him that never happened. Hopefully he is alright. Walked off, but he was down for a while. Screen to Smith and he makes a juke and gets a big gain. Billick, "Jimmy Smith is getting schooled by Calving Johnson." Pettigrew gets involved in the game. OL looks great in pass protection. They do a good job run blocking, but it's not going to show as Williams gets tripped up a little bit. Young makes a catch for a big gain, breaks a tackle and scores. Lions 14-6.

Second team

Tigers 3-3 with the Orioles in the bottom of the 7th, make that top 8. I wish Billick was right. I wish we could have said hey Ravens we are running it can we do it. I know it's not a can you stop it. Who cares win lose. It was definitely nice seeing Young and Pettigrew getting on the stat sheet. It was really exciting seeing Smith on the screen. We talk about how the lions backup DL could be starters elsewhere aren't showing that. They do get a sack. Tahir Whitehead like glue on  the out and up route by the RB out of the back field.

As Broyles enters the game, my main concentration is on him. He makes a good catch across the middle. So far I really like his routes. Ravens playing off and Broyles makes a good gain and makes on man miss. Jason makes a 50 yarder. Had quite a bit of leg on it, just sneaks it in. I'd say at least 5 yards farther it would have still had the distance. Maybe I just love the lifer Lion too much. Billick mentions that this isn't indoors and it's a wet muggy night. Lions up 17-9.

A huge kickoff return brought back by a holding penalty by the Ravens. He did just barely step out. Scary you don't like to see that it took one holding to basically return it. Home run Prince Fielder Tigers up 5-3. On the defensive side I'm going to concentrate on the LBs after being harsh on them. Palmer got called for a NFL (no fun league) penalty. Head to head hit, he laid some wood. My opinion he turns and hits with his shoulder.

We do have quite the punting competition going on. Donahue made a great punt to do what iI call an unassisted down at the 2 yard line. Graham has now made a great punt .

I don't mean to disrespect Billick, because I do respect him a lot. Reiff has been very impressive throughout camp and preseason. He mentioned when was the last time a lineman from Firentz wasn't good.... Robert Gallery. Reiff is the real deal though, . Reiff has looked fantastic so far tonight. Reiff is on the right side showing great pass blocking ability. Like I mentioned last week his patience is amazing. I don't know why people are saying he needs experience in that area. He looks like a vet. I get the arm length thing I get, but skill is there. He has a good kick out and outstanding patience. Something that is just so difficult to teach.

Graham has a punt returned for a td brought back by a holding call. It will still give the Ravens awesome field position afterwards. I truly believe that  the kick was too low of a line drive punt. I really really like the speed of Tahir. and Lewis at the LB position.

Kellen Moore coming in the game. I'm surprised he almost dind't get the whole second half. He's kind of a huge factor. Do you keep a third qb or do you carry another rb or wr? Well Moore is going to be the deciding factor with that one. As much as I want Moore to  succeed I'm not seeing it as I've mentioned earlier. He has made two great throws so far. Third throw shows the difference between Stafford and Moore. The arm strength, Moore needs to anticipate earlier. He was late on one that Stafford could have hit. He shows great anticipation though. Clearly wanting to see Moore as they sling it accross the field. Moore shows a methodical intermediate route hitting drive that stalls around the 50.  Graham gets a fair catch at the 9.

I forgot to mention Doug Hogue, boy this guy can fly around the field. Alophonso Smith makes a great open field tackle and then proceeds to get tweaked up. There is a lack of tackling with the unit on the field. Special teams are where these players need to make a factor so there clearly needs to be an improvement. Return hasn't done much and coverage has looked horrible.