What do you call a group of guys who were used to sucking, started off the 2011 season on fire, and have reverted to their losing ways over the last month? If you guessed the Detroit Lions, you’re absolutely right. Detroit looked like one of the best teams in the NFL through the first five weeks, but a shellacking from the Bears last Sunday marked their third loss in the last four games. So what will it take to get the Lions back on track and on the playoff trail? Perhaps an f-bomb will do.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson huddled the players at midfield before Wednesday’s practice and ended the breakdown with two simple words: “(Expletive) them.” Matthew Stafford said that is the attitude the team needs and it helped set the tone for a great practice.
“Absolutely,” Stafford said when asked if Jefferson’s f-bomb motivated the team. “It was a good one. I think we had that attitude coming out already. We were ready to go. We understood what happened, we watched the film, we learned from it, we put it behind us, and we’re excited for a new week.”
If the f-bomb didn’t work, maybe Brian Urlacher’s comments about beating up on the Lions would. Detroit is facing a must-win this weekend at home against Carolina. Normally a team with a 6-3 record would have a little room to falter, but the Lions host the Packers in Week 12. In case you haven’t been following, Aaron Rodgers and company look pretty good this season.
