Monday QB: Lions vs. Chargers
It's time to hand out the game balls following the Detroit Lions' embarrassing 51-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday afternoon.
Yes, there are a few to pass out. No fooling.
1. Gerald Alexander -- The Lions were road kill once more in the second half of the season due to a lack of tackling. Simple tackles. Yet, at least this rookie safety showed more heart, character and determination than anyone else on the Detroit defense by making 15 tackles, including 13 solos, against the Chargers. Sure, he made a lot of those in run support, but his 13 solos indicates he had a real nose for the football. There's no quit in Alexander. He even chased down LaDainian Tomlinson on a 49-yard run late in the second quarter, forcing LT out of bounds and saving a touchdown -- at least for the moment. That's the sort of hustle that needs to be rewarded on a defense where there's little hustle these days.
2. Calvin Johnson -- He gets a game ball because he had his first 100-yard receiving game for the Lions. Calvin Johnson played a full game at full speed. He made a spectacular grab leaping above three San Diego defenders on the final play -- a 49-yard Hail Mary pass from quarterback Jon Kitna -- at the 1-yard line. It's not his fault that Kitna's ball didn't reach the end zone. Calvin Johnson pulled in that pass in a crowd and nearly put his big body in the end zone. No one else on the Lions makes that catch. Now, if only offensive coordinator Mike Martz and coach Rod Marinelli could figure out how to make Calvin Johnson a bigger part of the offense, it might actually help the Lions win a few more games. That's still not happening. It might take a coordinator change for the Lions to fully realize the unique talent they've got in Calvin Johnson.
3. Matt Millen -- Hold on. Let me explain. The president of the Lions isn't getting a game ball, exactly. I'm handing him a Nerf foam football to slam into his forehead after each of the team's blowout losses. Immediately upon entering the Lions' locker room after Sunday's rout, Millen was sitting in a small room off to the side of a hallway with his head buried in his hands. He looked lost, confused and frustrated. Yep, normal. His face looked a little red, too. So, he gets a Nerf to pound his head against, since pounding it against the wall isn't working. Besides, it's the right and privilege of Lions fans to pound their heads against the wall. You've been doing it for almost five decades. It's not fair for Millen to steal your thunder, right?
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