Yes it was only a preseason game and yes the last time the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason they ended up going 0-16 in the regular season. Yes starters (for the most part) only went about a half and yes preseason games have no impact whatsoever on the regular season standings.
However during the first half, it was apparent that both teams came into this game wanting to show their best and wanted to win the half.
In the end the Lions came out on top but more importantly they came out on top when their starters left the game. And while the Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Lions 1st team offense and defense were on the sidelines reveling in their total dominance of the Patriots on both sides of the ball, New England head coach Bill Belichick opted to keep most of his starters out in the second half perhaps a punishment for their very poor play.
Looking back on last night’s game, there’s even more positives to take out of it.
First, was Jason Hanson deliberately trying to take advantage of a potential Lions strength on special teams? According to Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com, despite the NFL’s attempt to take out the physicality of the game on kickoffs, Hanson was kicking the ball short in hopes pinning New England deep in their own zone.
Here’s what Kowalski had to say regarding the Lions’ special team coverage…
Safety Aaron Francisco did a good job of firing down and forcing Tate to change direction almost immediately. What makes the Lions’ coverage unit so good is that they’re disciplined in staying in their lanes and, just as importantly, they’re tough to block and when they do get blocked, they don’t stay blocked. The Lions have a lot of confidence in this unit and you can expect to see more “short” kicks in the future.
Second, and we touched on it Saturday night, Aaron Brown is making a serious case to earn a spot on this roster when the regular season rolls around.
Saturday night Brown made a number of plays showcasing his speed, potentially giving the Lions some depth at the position especially when there’s plenty of questions surrounding Jahvid Best’s health heading into 2011.
“I’m really focusing in on the details and it’s crazy how little things like that make a huge difference in how you play and how you feel as a player,” said Brown, a third-year back out of Texas Christian. “When you gain confidence in yourself you kind of play relaxed and fast.”
He finished with 78 total yards (48 receiving) and a touchdown in the Lions’ 34-10 victory over the Patriots.
Source: Detroit News, Mlive.com