Post by D6 on Sept 26, 2021 22:35:27 GMT -5
Instant observations: Detroit Lions lose on NFL-record field goal that bounces over crossbar
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Detroit Lions lose on NFL-record field goal that b...
The Lions hosted Baltimore on Sunday in their continued search for their first win of the season.
Instant observations: Detroit Lions lose on NFL-record field goal that bounces over crossbar
Updated: 5:58 p.m. | Published: 4:23 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- A loss that feels like it could only happen to the Detroit Lions.
They stormed all the way back from a 13-0 deficit on second-half touchdowns from D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, then a field goal from Ryan Santoso that gave them a 17-16 lead with 68 seconds to go. Hang on for just 68 more seconds, and Dan Campbell would have his first win in improbable fashion, and against a title contender at that.
Then Sammy Watkins got loose in a broken coverage on fourth-and-19, Lamar Jackson raced to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball, and then Justin Tucker ran onto the field for a 66-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.
No one in the history of the game has ever hit a field goal from there. No one. Not ever. And Tucker bounced that ball off the crossbar and through the uprights at the horn for a wild 19-17 win on Sunday against the Detroit Lions (0-2), who have found yet another inventive way to lose.
They’ve dropped seven straight games overall, the third longest streak in the league, and nine of their last 10. Only Jacksonville and Atlanta have lost more games in a row.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “I just — I didn’t think it would make it. I know he can reach it if you kick it low. But you just — if you said that, ‘They’re going to hit a 66-yarder to win the game,’ you’d take those odds. But he made it. Kudos to him.”
Detroit came out of the game with complaints about what appeared to be a blown call during Baltimore’s frantic go-ahead drive. After the 36-yard pass to Watkins on fourth-and-19, Jackson spiked the ball to kill the clock with 7 seconds left. Then Baltimore wanted to run one more play -- with Jackson wasting the ball out of bounds -- to drain more time off the clock before the field-goal attempt. But the play clock showed double zeros before the ball was snapped, suggesting delay of game should have been called.
The back judge is responsible for calling delay of game, and usually gives the offense a grace period to get off the play with zeros on the clock. But the broadcast copy of the game shows Baltimore got about 1.77 seconds of extra time to get off that play, which is well beyond a reasonable period.
“That feels to me like it’s longer than the normal progression,” former NFL referee Gene Steratore said on CBS.
Based on the clock used on the TV broadcast, Baltimore should have been flagged 5 yards, which would have pushed Tucker’s game-winning kick to 71 yards. And that might have been outside even his considerable range, considering the 66-yarder clanged off the crossbar on its way through the uprights.
That spoiled a valiant second-half comeback by the Lions. After getting blanked in the first half, they came out in the third quarter feeding D’Andre Swift the football. The shift in tactics worked, as the second-year back turned six touches into 49 yards and a 2-yard touchdown that drew Detroit to within 13-7. Then in the fourth quarter, Swift and Jamaal Williams touched the football eight straight times for 32 yards. That last yard was the biggest, with Williams plowing into the end zone for a goal-line touchdown that drew Detroit to within 16-14.
The Lions still needed another stop to have a chance down the stretch, and like they did throughout the day against Lamar Jackson, they got it. Linebacker Alex Anzalone came up with a big sack to force a third-and-long, then cornerback Amani Oruwariye picked off Jackson’s desperation heave to give Detroit the football with 5:33 left.
Goff has been at his best when targeting his running backs and tight ends this season, and went right back to that well with the game hanging in the balance, connecting with tight end Darren Fells on a 24-yard pass that moved Detroit to midfield. Then Goff started to get his receivers involved too, finding wideout Kalif Raymond with passes of 19 and 22 yards to move Detroit into position for the go-ahead field goal. Ryan Santoso, playing for Austin Seibert (COVID), pounded the 35-yarder threw the uprights for a 17-16 lead that sent the Ford Field crowd into the kind of frenzy that hasn’t been heard in a very long time.
There were still 68 seconds left, but that didn’t seem like it was going to be enough to save Baltimore once Charles Harris and Romeo Harris got home for sacks to help set up a fourth-and-19 from the Ravens’ own 16-yard line with 26 seconds left. But then Sammy Watkins got behind safety Will Harris for a 36-yard catch, Jackson stopped the clock with his spike, and then he got some help from the apparent blown call on the delay of game.
Justin Tucker trotted onto the field, and bounced a one-in-a-million shot off the crossbar to break Detroit’s heart at the horn.
“I love Detroit,” Tucker said after the game. “I’m thinking about getting a place here.”
**** Incredible game, historic kick by Justin Tucker, heartbreaking loss for the Lions. Memories of Tom Dempsey's then record setting 63 yard FG to give the Saints a 19-17 win over the Lions in 1970 came back today. The Lions are on the wrong side of history yet again.
It's difficult to find criticism with the Lions strategy late in the game. When an NFL game comes down to the opposing Kicker needing to make a 66 yard FG to win the game, something no one has done before in NFL History, I'll gladly take my chances. Even with Tucker, who made an tremendous clutch 61 yard Kick on MNF against the Lions, on a night he went 6 for 6 on FGs. Props to him. He's arguably the best to ever Kick in the NFL. But before today, no one in NFL history even made a 65 yard FG.
A Delay of Game Penalty should have been called before the Incomplete pass the Ravens bench sideline. There's no way of knowing what would have happened if the penalty was called. There wouldn't have been a 10 second runoff because Lamar Jackson spiked the ball into the ground on the previous play. ****
Let’s get to some instant observations:
-- The Lions’ comeback bid fell short, and the blown call will sting for a long time, but like they so often do, they also put themselves in that position by playing a lot of bad football. Jared Goff opened the game with one of the worst passes you’ll ever see, and was still netting negative yardage per pass late into the second quarter. He completed just three passes to his receivers in the first half overall as the Lions settled for six straight punts.
**** The Lions Offense struggled mightily in the first half. The Lions got outplayed, outcoached on that side of the ball, and committed many unforced errors. There's plenty of blame to go around****
Darren Fells jumped early on a fourth-and-short play, killing another drive, and then Penei Sewell did it too on yet another. And then there was guard Jonah Jackson, who was flagged for holding on an 8-yard run while Detroit was backed way up against its own end zone. Then on third down, Jackson was flagged again for a personal foul, forcing Jack Fox to punt out of the back of the end zone.
**** As a veteran player, Darren Fells needs to help set the tone of not committing lack of discipline / focus penalties, instead of committing that type of penalty. Otherwise, Fells seemed to have a good all around game on Offense. But that early penalty was costly. ****
The Lions actually recovered a fumble on the punt, but rookie Jerry Jacobs was flagged for running out of bounds. So instead of a Lions first down at Baltimore’s 15-yard line, the Ravens had a first down at Detroit’s 35. And Lamar Jackson needed only a few moments to connect with Devin Duvernay on a 19-yard touchdown pass that gave Baltimore a 10-0 lead late in the half. In a game decided by about 1 or 2 inches, those kinds of penalties -- drive-killers and field-flippers -- are lethal.
**** The penalty by Jerry Jacobs occurred on the next Lions Punt. It was a very costly mistake. It's part of having a team full of rookies and overall relatively inexperienced players. A positive is the Lions did a good job avoiding mental / focus lapses in the 2nd Half ****
-- The biggest reason Detroit was still within striking distance at all was three dropped touchdown passes by Baltimore receiver Marquise Brown, all in the first half. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, which is saying a lot, because I’ve covered the Detroit Lions since 2013.
**** At least two of the passes, both on the Ravens final first half drive, were drops. I'm not sure if one or both would have resulted in TDs. But at the very least, the Ravens would have been in prime position. The drops by Marquise Brown easily could have cost them the game. ****
-- Anthony Lynn and Duce Staley said this week they wanted to see more from D’Andre Swift, but they didn’t get to that page in the playbook until the third quarter. But once they did it, there was so much to like. Swift was especially good, turning six touches into 49 yards and a 2-yard touchdown that drew the Lions to within 13-7. He finished with 107 yards on 21 touches and scored Detroit’s first touchdown. Williams tacked on another touchdown at the goal line that made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, and finished with 67 yards on 14 touches. That duo is so good, and playing more competitive games like this one will help Detroit take better advantage of them.
**** Both RBs came up big. D'Andre Swift looked like the best player for the Lions on either side of the ball. IMHO, this was Swift's best receiving performance since he came into the NFL. ****
-- The Lions said they were trading Jamie Collins because they wanted to take a look at the young guys at linebacker, but actually announced Jalen Reeves-Maybin as the starter and ran him out there with the starting defense, before subbing in rookie Derrick Barnes before the first play. Reeves-Maybin, by the way, was the longest-tenured Lions player on the field against Baltimore. Clearly, this whole thing was more about their disillusionment with Collins -- whose effort was questioned by head coach Dan Campbell -- than anything else.
Reeves-Maybin showed early why he’s playing too, coming up with a tackle for loss on third-and-short to open the game, then getting another third-down stop in Lions territory on the very next series, leading to a missed field goal. He finished with three tackles overall. Fellow inside linebacker Alex Anzalone also has caught a lot of heat for his play the first two weeks of the season, but rewarded the faith of Dan Campbell with a nice bounce-back game against Baltimore. He did a great job helping to contain the game’s best rushing attack, plus came up with a huge sack in the fourth quarter that put Lamar Jackson in a tough spot on third-and-long. Jackson forced the ball downfield on the next play, and Amani Oruwariye intercepted it to set up the go-ahead drive.
****Alex Anzalone looked like a different ( much better player ) with Jamie Collins not on the field. There's no question that the Lions are better off without Collins.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin was one of the Lions best performers today, on either side of the ball. Derrick Barnes as expected had some difficulty with mental components of the game. The Ravens Offense is very hard to defend. Barnes did a good job on a number of players shedding a blocker. He should continue to improve with more practice reps and game snaps. I'm glad he had a much greater opportunity in this game****
-- Bobby Price moved from safety to cornerback a few weeks ago, then got his first NFL start against Baltimore, taking the place of Jeff Okudah and Ifeati Melifonwu, both of whom are on injured reserve. Lamar Jackson tested the young defensive back too, although he seemed to really hold his own, including smothering Sammy Watkins on a bomb up the right hash in the first half.
**** All things considering, Bobby Price exceeded my expectations for him in this game. Price helped break up a pass on the Ravens final drive. He clearly earned another opportunity as a starter.****
-- Anthony Lynn’s playcalling hasn’t really been the issue for Detroit’s offense, although he should probably take whatever that track play was in the first quarter and just rip that page from the playbook. Penei Sewell was put in motion from left to right, then Jared Goff got the ball to D’Andre Swift moving right before Swift twirled around and tried to get the ball back to Goff. But Swift was hit as he threw, and the ball was nearly intercepted. The officials originally ruled the play a fumble that Baltimore recovered, although a review turned the play into an incomplete pass. Disaster averted. Still, just burn that page, Anthony.
**** The Lions got a huge break on that play. ****
-- Godwin Igwebuike was benched in favor of Corey Ballentine as the kick returner. Igwebuike had major issues hanging onto the football the first two weeks of the season, although he also uncorked his first substantial return last week on Monday night as well.
**** Reliability is essential on Kickoff Returns ( and Punt Returns ). No viable Kickoff Return opportunities for either team today. ****
-- Calvin Johnson made his long-awaited, highly anticipated return to Ford Field for a halftime ceremony honoring his enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. Cool stuff. Of course, it was also a stark reminder of just how absurdly long his absence has been. I don’t know of a single time he’s step foot into Ford Field for a Lions game since his retirement more than a half-decade ago, or even the club’s Allen Park training facility. I probably don’t need to tell you about the bad blood between Calvin and the Lions, but his return to Ford Field was just another reminder of how badly Detroit continues to treat its greatest players. And the fans showed they haven’t forgotten, booing the Ford family vigorously during the halftime ceremony. Owner Sheila Ford Hamp was booed so loudly that her speech -- absolutely no part of it -- could be heard from the press box. Really hope the Lions spent that $1.6 million in good health, because this billion-dollar organization continues to take a beating over an amount of money that equates to them finding some loose change in their couch cushions. This is an own-goal of epic proportions. The Lions are in Year 6 of the post-Calvin era, and not only do they not have a relationship with the greatest receiver in franchise history, but their fans hate them for it. And now here we are, in 2021, trying to finally honor the guy after he was inducted into the Hall -- and his ceremony will be most remembered for ownership getting their faces booed off. What an embarrassment.
**** Fans at the game made a statement. I think it's time for the Lions to present Calvin Johnson a $ 1.6 million check, with no strings attached.****
.......
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Ravens preview: Game # 3 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1195/lions-ravens-preview-game-2021
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Detroit Lions lose on NFL-record field goal that b...
The Lions hosted Baltimore on Sunday in their continued search for their first win of the season.
Instant observations: Detroit Lions lose on NFL-record field goal that bounces over crossbar
Updated: 5:58 p.m. | Published: 4:23 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- A loss that feels like it could only happen to the Detroit Lions.
They stormed all the way back from a 13-0 deficit on second-half touchdowns from D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, then a field goal from Ryan Santoso that gave them a 17-16 lead with 68 seconds to go. Hang on for just 68 more seconds, and Dan Campbell would have his first win in improbable fashion, and against a title contender at that.
Then Sammy Watkins got loose in a broken coverage on fourth-and-19, Lamar Jackson raced to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball, and then Justin Tucker ran onto the field for a 66-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.
No one in the history of the game has ever hit a field goal from there. No one. Not ever. And Tucker bounced that ball off the crossbar and through the uprights at the horn for a wild 19-17 win on Sunday against the Detroit Lions (0-2), who have found yet another inventive way to lose.
They’ve dropped seven straight games overall, the third longest streak in the league, and nine of their last 10. Only Jacksonville and Atlanta have lost more games in a row.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “I just — I didn’t think it would make it. I know he can reach it if you kick it low. But you just — if you said that, ‘They’re going to hit a 66-yarder to win the game,’ you’d take those odds. But he made it. Kudos to him.”
Detroit came out of the game with complaints about what appeared to be a blown call during Baltimore’s frantic go-ahead drive. After the 36-yard pass to Watkins on fourth-and-19, Jackson spiked the ball to kill the clock with 7 seconds left. Then Baltimore wanted to run one more play -- with Jackson wasting the ball out of bounds -- to drain more time off the clock before the field-goal attempt. But the play clock showed double zeros before the ball was snapped, suggesting delay of game should have been called.
The back judge is responsible for calling delay of game, and usually gives the offense a grace period to get off the play with zeros on the clock. But the broadcast copy of the game shows Baltimore got about 1.77 seconds of extra time to get off that play, which is well beyond a reasonable period.
“That feels to me like it’s longer than the normal progression,” former NFL referee Gene Steratore said on CBS.
Based on the clock used on the TV broadcast, Baltimore should have been flagged 5 yards, which would have pushed Tucker’s game-winning kick to 71 yards. And that might have been outside even his considerable range, considering the 66-yarder clanged off the crossbar on its way through the uprights.
That spoiled a valiant second-half comeback by the Lions. After getting blanked in the first half, they came out in the third quarter feeding D’Andre Swift the football. The shift in tactics worked, as the second-year back turned six touches into 49 yards and a 2-yard touchdown that drew Detroit to within 13-7. Then in the fourth quarter, Swift and Jamaal Williams touched the football eight straight times for 32 yards. That last yard was the biggest, with Williams plowing into the end zone for a goal-line touchdown that drew Detroit to within 16-14.
The Lions still needed another stop to have a chance down the stretch, and like they did throughout the day against Lamar Jackson, they got it. Linebacker Alex Anzalone came up with a big sack to force a third-and-long, then cornerback Amani Oruwariye picked off Jackson’s desperation heave to give Detroit the football with 5:33 left.
Goff has been at his best when targeting his running backs and tight ends this season, and went right back to that well with the game hanging in the balance, connecting with tight end Darren Fells on a 24-yard pass that moved Detroit to midfield. Then Goff started to get his receivers involved too, finding wideout Kalif Raymond with passes of 19 and 22 yards to move Detroit into position for the go-ahead field goal. Ryan Santoso, playing for Austin Seibert (COVID), pounded the 35-yarder threw the uprights for a 17-16 lead that sent the Ford Field crowd into the kind of frenzy that hasn’t been heard in a very long time.
There were still 68 seconds left, but that didn’t seem like it was going to be enough to save Baltimore once Charles Harris and Romeo Harris got home for sacks to help set up a fourth-and-19 from the Ravens’ own 16-yard line with 26 seconds left. But then Sammy Watkins got behind safety Will Harris for a 36-yard catch, Jackson stopped the clock with his spike, and then he got some help from the apparent blown call on the delay of game.
Justin Tucker trotted onto the field, and bounced a one-in-a-million shot off the crossbar to break Detroit’s heart at the horn.
“I love Detroit,” Tucker said after the game. “I’m thinking about getting a place here.”
**** Incredible game, historic kick by Justin Tucker, heartbreaking loss for the Lions. Memories of Tom Dempsey's then record setting 63 yard FG to give the Saints a 19-17 win over the Lions in 1970 came back today. The Lions are on the wrong side of history yet again.
It's difficult to find criticism with the Lions strategy late in the game. When an NFL game comes down to the opposing Kicker needing to make a 66 yard FG to win the game, something no one has done before in NFL History, I'll gladly take my chances. Even with Tucker, who made an tremendous clutch 61 yard Kick on MNF against the Lions, on a night he went 6 for 6 on FGs. Props to him. He's arguably the best to ever Kick in the NFL. But before today, no one in NFL history even made a 65 yard FG.
A Delay of Game Penalty should have been called before the Incomplete pass the Ravens bench sideline. There's no way of knowing what would have happened if the penalty was called. There wouldn't have been a 10 second runoff because Lamar Jackson spiked the ball into the ground on the previous play. ****
Let’s get to some instant observations:
-- The Lions’ comeback bid fell short, and the blown call will sting for a long time, but like they so often do, they also put themselves in that position by playing a lot of bad football. Jared Goff opened the game with one of the worst passes you’ll ever see, and was still netting negative yardage per pass late into the second quarter. He completed just three passes to his receivers in the first half overall as the Lions settled for six straight punts.
**** The Lions Offense struggled mightily in the first half. The Lions got outplayed, outcoached on that side of the ball, and committed many unforced errors. There's plenty of blame to go around****
Darren Fells jumped early on a fourth-and-short play, killing another drive, and then Penei Sewell did it too on yet another. And then there was guard Jonah Jackson, who was flagged for holding on an 8-yard run while Detroit was backed way up against its own end zone. Then on third down, Jackson was flagged again for a personal foul, forcing Jack Fox to punt out of the back of the end zone.
**** As a veteran player, Darren Fells needs to help set the tone of not committing lack of discipline / focus penalties, instead of committing that type of penalty. Otherwise, Fells seemed to have a good all around game on Offense. But that early penalty was costly. ****
The Lions actually recovered a fumble on the punt, but rookie Jerry Jacobs was flagged for running out of bounds. So instead of a Lions first down at Baltimore’s 15-yard line, the Ravens had a first down at Detroit’s 35. And Lamar Jackson needed only a few moments to connect with Devin Duvernay on a 19-yard touchdown pass that gave Baltimore a 10-0 lead late in the half. In a game decided by about 1 or 2 inches, those kinds of penalties -- drive-killers and field-flippers -- are lethal.
**** The penalty by Jerry Jacobs occurred on the next Lions Punt. It was a very costly mistake. It's part of having a team full of rookies and overall relatively inexperienced players. A positive is the Lions did a good job avoiding mental / focus lapses in the 2nd Half ****
-- The biggest reason Detroit was still within striking distance at all was three dropped touchdown passes by Baltimore receiver Marquise Brown, all in the first half. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, which is saying a lot, because I’ve covered the Detroit Lions since 2013.
**** At least two of the passes, both on the Ravens final first half drive, were drops. I'm not sure if one or both would have resulted in TDs. But at the very least, the Ravens would have been in prime position. The drops by Marquise Brown easily could have cost them the game. ****
-- Anthony Lynn and Duce Staley said this week they wanted to see more from D’Andre Swift, but they didn’t get to that page in the playbook until the third quarter. But once they did it, there was so much to like. Swift was especially good, turning six touches into 49 yards and a 2-yard touchdown that drew the Lions to within 13-7. He finished with 107 yards on 21 touches and scored Detroit’s first touchdown. Williams tacked on another touchdown at the goal line that made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, and finished with 67 yards on 14 touches. That duo is so good, and playing more competitive games like this one will help Detroit take better advantage of them.
**** Both RBs came up big. D'Andre Swift looked like the best player for the Lions on either side of the ball. IMHO, this was Swift's best receiving performance since he came into the NFL. ****
-- The Lions said they were trading Jamie Collins because they wanted to take a look at the young guys at linebacker, but actually announced Jalen Reeves-Maybin as the starter and ran him out there with the starting defense, before subbing in rookie Derrick Barnes before the first play. Reeves-Maybin, by the way, was the longest-tenured Lions player on the field against Baltimore. Clearly, this whole thing was more about their disillusionment with Collins -- whose effort was questioned by head coach Dan Campbell -- than anything else.
Reeves-Maybin showed early why he’s playing too, coming up with a tackle for loss on third-and-short to open the game, then getting another third-down stop in Lions territory on the very next series, leading to a missed field goal. He finished with three tackles overall. Fellow inside linebacker Alex Anzalone also has caught a lot of heat for his play the first two weeks of the season, but rewarded the faith of Dan Campbell with a nice bounce-back game against Baltimore. He did a great job helping to contain the game’s best rushing attack, plus came up with a huge sack in the fourth quarter that put Lamar Jackson in a tough spot on third-and-long. Jackson forced the ball downfield on the next play, and Amani Oruwariye intercepted it to set up the go-ahead drive.
****Alex Anzalone looked like a different ( much better player ) with Jamie Collins not on the field. There's no question that the Lions are better off without Collins.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin was one of the Lions best performers today, on either side of the ball. Derrick Barnes as expected had some difficulty with mental components of the game. The Ravens Offense is very hard to defend. Barnes did a good job on a number of players shedding a blocker. He should continue to improve with more practice reps and game snaps. I'm glad he had a much greater opportunity in this game****
-- Bobby Price moved from safety to cornerback a few weeks ago, then got his first NFL start against Baltimore, taking the place of Jeff Okudah and Ifeati Melifonwu, both of whom are on injured reserve. Lamar Jackson tested the young defensive back too, although he seemed to really hold his own, including smothering Sammy Watkins on a bomb up the right hash in the first half.
**** All things considering, Bobby Price exceeded my expectations for him in this game. Price helped break up a pass on the Ravens final drive. He clearly earned another opportunity as a starter.****
-- Anthony Lynn’s playcalling hasn’t really been the issue for Detroit’s offense, although he should probably take whatever that track play was in the first quarter and just rip that page from the playbook. Penei Sewell was put in motion from left to right, then Jared Goff got the ball to D’Andre Swift moving right before Swift twirled around and tried to get the ball back to Goff. But Swift was hit as he threw, and the ball was nearly intercepted. The officials originally ruled the play a fumble that Baltimore recovered, although a review turned the play into an incomplete pass. Disaster averted. Still, just burn that page, Anthony.
**** The Lions got a huge break on that play. ****
-- Godwin Igwebuike was benched in favor of Corey Ballentine as the kick returner. Igwebuike had major issues hanging onto the football the first two weeks of the season, although he also uncorked his first substantial return last week on Monday night as well.
**** Reliability is essential on Kickoff Returns ( and Punt Returns ). No viable Kickoff Return opportunities for either team today. ****
-- Calvin Johnson made his long-awaited, highly anticipated return to Ford Field for a halftime ceremony honoring his enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. Cool stuff. Of course, it was also a stark reminder of just how absurdly long his absence has been. I don’t know of a single time he’s step foot into Ford Field for a Lions game since his retirement more than a half-decade ago, or even the club’s Allen Park training facility. I probably don’t need to tell you about the bad blood between Calvin and the Lions, but his return to Ford Field was just another reminder of how badly Detroit continues to treat its greatest players. And the fans showed they haven’t forgotten, booing the Ford family vigorously during the halftime ceremony. Owner Sheila Ford Hamp was booed so loudly that her speech -- absolutely no part of it -- could be heard from the press box. Really hope the Lions spent that $1.6 million in good health, because this billion-dollar organization continues to take a beating over an amount of money that equates to them finding some loose change in their couch cushions. This is an own-goal of epic proportions. The Lions are in Year 6 of the post-Calvin era, and not only do they not have a relationship with the greatest receiver in franchise history, but their fans hate them for it. And now here we are, in 2021, trying to finally honor the guy after he was inducted into the Hall -- and his ceremony will be most remembered for ownership getting their faces booed off. What an embarrassment.
**** Fans at the game made a statement. I think it's time for the Lions to present Calvin Johnson a $ 1.6 million check, with no strings attached.****
.......
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Ravens preview: Game # 3 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1195/lions-ravens-preview-game-2021
