well here's what i think happened cheesy. no proof obviously but from watching them this is what i have gathered. millen and ford have had too big of a hand in who plays and who doesn't. perfect example is joey harrington. Marty morningwood didn't want him, mooch didn't want him. they were forced to play him. That is obviously the biggest example but not the only time it happened i'm sure. This time it seems like the roster has been put in control of the people who are able to make good decisions. Rod for the defense and Martz for the offense. The lion's have had a huge change over in the roster in two years. only 23 players from last year are on the roster now. not to mention all the changes that happened last year. The locker room is solid for the first time since barry left. The change over also meant getting rid of good players that were bad for the team. Dre Bly for example. They are still trying to convert Sean Rogers but the jury is still out on him. It took a complete overhaul and coaches controlling things to get where we are. that is why i feel so confident about the team this year. Millen or not, things are looking good.
Thanks for the explanation. It does seem like Ford and Millen are finally just letting the football people do their jobs. Millen was badly lacking experience when he was hired, and maybe he is gradually figuring out how to be a GM.
I do think there are some gaping holes on that defense, however, and the O-line still seems a little spotty. The Lions will definitely be an exciting team to watch this season, but I don't see them as a playoff team, at least not yet.
The Thanksgiving game against the Packers should be a real treat, especially if both teams are in contention for playoff spots.