Lions vs. Bengals - Week 15

A lot of Bengal orange filled Ford Field. A local Detroit radio station had “called” for a fan revolt and went as far as cowardly asking the angry fans to wear orange. Coincidentally, the color was also the same color of the well-traveled Bengals. Knowing that picking orange would make their agenda look better; they chose that color. With that said, the revolt was less than stellar, and although the fans are frustrated, the revolt wanted was not there.

Matt Millen, certainly himself, is not happy with the performance of the team, but he certainly is not the main culprit in this whole soap opera we call the Detroit Lions. I will attempt to paint a better picture of the uncertainty and turmoil surrounding the Lions after the last game. For now, it certainly is understandable why the casual observer thinks Matt is the issue, but for those who are close and see it on a regular basis, we know otherwise.

The Lions came into the game still being led by the hapless and weak Jeff Garcia. Like one Lion had told me earlier in the week, “I just wish that if Jeff was not going to win, or play better, for that matter, that he would just shut up!”

Garcia continued his excellence in futility however, and the entire game was a flop. Far out gunned by the red-hot Bengals, the Lions were unable to get any momentum and were simply outplayed in their house. The team from another city had clear home field advantage (due to the number of Bengal fans). “Yeah, it hurts to see it like this, it was hard to be playing at home, but it felt like a road game,” said Jeff Backus. “It was really weird, when we had the ball it was so quiet for us. I think even more quiet than at home.
Our fans are such great supporters that they came up here and really made it a home game,” said Carson Palmer, the QB for the Bengals.

I asked Bengal’s coach Marvin Lewis how it felt to win the division while seeing the Lions (a team that was re-building when he was hired) struggle. He said, “I really don’t concentrate on other teams. I do admit, however, that it makes me feel really fortunate to experiences this.”

One thing was learned today, the end of the season can’t come soon enough and the Bengals are a young force that will have to be dealt with for a long time. Sadly, at the beginning of this season, that was what so many people said about the Lions for this season.

I will, however, make one strong prediction. Based on the mood in the locker room and based on one Lion’s official speaking to me on the condition of anonymity, even though Coach Jauron says that Garcia is the man, Joey will start on Saturday in San Antonio. I predict the Lions will win.