Every week, NFLFanHousehits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.
This has nothing to do with the 26-0 shutout the Packers laid on the Lions last Sunday.
Typically, this space is reserved for a player or players whose performance on a given week made his coach's week miserable or job status shaky. But we're going a little bit bigger picture this week.
In this instance, it was the Lions' brass playing the role of coach killer on a coach manning sidelines over 500 miles south.
NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face.
NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face.
Consider this hypothetical: what if two coaches met in a dark alley and threw down in a no-holds-barred brawl? Who would emerge victorious?
First, some background: back when I was in high school, when my friends and I were pretty creative in finding ways to avoid actually paying attention in class, we'd create brackets (think NCAA Tournament) where we'd pit our teachers against each other**. Whoever we thought would win in a fight advanced to the next round. It always ended with our offensive line coach against our wrestling coach in the finals and a huge argument as to who would come out on top.
Anyway, last week, the Back Porch staff somehow ended up discussing whether Rex Ryan or Tom Cable would win in a old school playground scrap. I passed along the above information, and shortly after that, an idea was born -- NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament.
As the Detroit Lions' one-game winning streak was officially snapped Sunday in Chicago, fans were left holding their breath. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper might have been in the game only after it was out of hand, but he was also in there because rookie starter Matthew Stafford had gone down with a knee injury.
While it doesn't sound like Stafford's injury will be a long-term issue, the Lions appear to be planning on him missing Sunday's game against the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
In any case, Stafford and Sanchez will start Sunday in New Orleans and Houston as the NFL season finally gets under way after what seems like an eternal offseason.
There are other QB story lines the first week (although folks often forget there are 21 other guys on the field).
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews." We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Without playing a game, the Detroit Lions have matched their 2008 regular season win total. Naturally, this is an embarrassing fact, and one that Lions fans are probably sick of hearing. However, it also serves to show how easy it will be for head coach Jim Schwartz to be hailed as a genius this season. The Lions will win a game (or more!) in 2009, and Schwartz has done some things in the offseason to point this franchise in a positive direction. It's time now for the players to see the benefits of their hard work during the spring and summer.
There's a full boat of NFL preseason games throughout the day Saturday. The games run the gamut for drama, with guys fighting for roster spots, starting quarterback positions, and for the right to clang footballs off a large scoreboard.
Since there are nine games on the docket, we'll hit the key storylines that fans will want to keep an eye on throughout the day.
Both Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford looked pretty good in the Lions' preseason opener against Atlanta. This past Saturday, neither was all that great in a loss to Cleveland.
As Detroit prepares for its third preseason game, which is the one starters usually see the most time in, the Lions have yet to pick a starting quarterback.
Despite last year's win-column goose egg, just to fill the glass halfway for a minute, the Lions have some things to be optimistic about -- new franchise quarterback, superstar wide receiver, revamped defense, intelligent and likable head coach. With training camp underway, it's even reasonable to think that Detroit's future is looking up.
And then something like this happens: Wide receiver Bryant Johnson, whom the Lions added as a free agent this offseason, could miss a couple weeks of camp after getting banged up in an accident.
Following a historic 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions have undergone a franchise makeover -- both on and off the field. Martin Mayhew has taken over for the maligned Matt Millen and Jim Schwartz is now the head coach. They have made myriad changes via trade, free agency and the draft.
Thus, they look toward training camp with a new motto. Detroit is "The Land of Opportunity." The meaning to the phrase is that Schwartz and Mayhew have instilled a new philosophy, which they are calling "no starters, no depth chart." The theory is that nothing is set in stone and anyone can win a job in training camp (though I'm guessing Calvin Johnson is quite safe as the starting WR1).
Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.
As the 
Training camps have wrapped up, the 
Both 
Despite last year's win-column goose egg, just to fill the glass halfway for a minute, the 
Following a historic 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions have undergone a franchise makeover -- both on and off the field. 
