FanHouse John Owens

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

I'm going to do my best to avoid use of the phrase "Well, things can't get any worse," or anything like that. Really, I am. But it's worth pointing out that this is a true statement. Things are looking up for the Detroit Lions because they absolutely can't get any worse.

With two first-round picks and a ton of available cap space, a well-managed organization could make a significant dent in one year.

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around with his finger in the air while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Here's Week 10 at a glance, where we point out the horses destined for the Kentucky Derby and jeer those headed to the glue factory.

Studs

Thomas Jones, RB NY Jets (26 carries, 149 yards, 3 TDs) -- Three weeks ago the Jets looked absolutely dreadful, losing their third of four games and having people question just about every decision they'd made (i.e., Brett Favre). Well thanks to Jones, who has scored in three straight, all victories, New York looks like they could sneak in the playoffs and play the role of team you wouldn't enjoy seeing on the opposing sidelines. In the largest victory in Jets history, Jones found holes in a pitiful Rams defense and decided to hang out in the end zone three times. Mr. Jones, how does it feel to be the AFC leading rusher?

No idea what the script for the Jaguars-Lions game would even look like -- there are so many subplots, it's hard to keep up with all of them -- but Daunte Culpepper, Pee Wee League football coach earlier this week, got the start for Detroit and promptly reintroduced fans to what made him so good in Minnesota: play-action fake and throw it as far as you can.

But instead of Randy Moss running underneath 50-yard bombs, Calvin Johnson now has the honors. On the Lions third drive of the game, Culpepper found Johnson on a 51-yard bomb, and two plays later Detroit made it down to the Jaguars two-yard line. And then things got weird. (Weirder?)

After a Detroit timeout, Drew Freaking Stanton calmly jogged onto the field like he was actually going to play in a real live NFL game or something. I can't imagine the range of emotions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto, who sits in the booth during games, must've been experiencing.

After a Stanton-to-Kevin Smith handoff for a small gain, a play later, Stanton rolled right and found tight end John Owens in the end zone. For a touchdown. That's right, the World's Most Embarrassing Player actually made a play. Fancy that.

Which obviously means one thing: there's quarterback controversy in Detroit. Or at the very least, the Lions have found their goal-line QB and, ironically, it isn't the fat guy.