Exhibition Hit List: Pub for Stafford, Redding at Home in Seattle, Lions QBs Better than. Browns
Open Mike | by Mike O'Hara | 08.22.2009/6:48AM
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Matthew Stafford: He is the Lions’ marquee player. Everything he does will be scrutinized in a way no Lion has experienced since Barry Sanders.
When Coach Jim Schwartz announced Friday that Stafford would start against Cleveland on Saturday night, it made the crawl on ESPN and the headlines on ESPN’s website: “Stafford Gets Nod at QB vs. Browns.”
It doesn’t matter that it was a predictable part of Schwartz’s rotation – Daunte Culpepper starting the first game, Stafford in Game 2.
Know what? It’s good for the Lions. The more players such as Kevin Smith make bold predictions about making the playoffs, Culpepper and Stafford battle for the starting job and Schwartz talks about his love of hard rock, the further away the Lions get from having to dwell on last year’s 0-16 record.
Lions vs. Browns: I’d rather have the Lions’ 1-2 QB rotation of Stafford and Culpepper than the Browns’ duo of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. And that won’t change if Quinn and Anderson combine to pass for 700 yards tonight and Culpepper and Stafford have every pass intercepted.
Cory Redding: There is life after football in Detroit, and the early evidence indicates Cory Redding is experiencing a revival in Seattle. Redding was traded to Seattle in the offseason in a deal that sent linebacker Julian Peterson to the Lions.
The results from Seattle’s first exhibition game show that Redding has found a home at an old spot—left defensive end. He was primarily a left end in Detroit until midway through the 2007 season, when he was moved inside to tackle when Shaun Rogers went out for the year.
In Seattle’s win at San Diego last week, Redding had a tackle, a sack and a quarterback hit. Don’t read too much into that, but a good start is better than a bad start.
Louis Delmas: There’s a buzz about the rookie safety making his first start tonight. He made a big hit on rookie Aaron Brown in practice this week, but that was just practice. Delmas wants to prove he’s a big-time hitter. He laughed when I asked him after practice Friday if he hopes the Browns run the ball on their first play so he can lay the wood on somebody.
Nothing hurt the Lions’ defense more last year than missed tackles in the secondary – particularly the safety.
Leigh Bodden: Speaking of hitters, that does not apply in any way to cornerback Leigh Bodden, whose one season with the Lions was a disaster. He showed no desire to play in Detroit last year after coming over in a trade with Cleveland. After the season, he criticized the coaching staff, saying he didn’t feel comfortable about being moved to right cornerback from the left side.
In the offseason, Bodden signed with New England, where he started the first two games – at right cornerback. I wonder if Bodden has had the gumption to tell Bill Belichick he is more comfortable on the left side.
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