Game day look at the Lions
Big Blue View will be taking a look at the Giants' opponent every week of the season, and we start with the first preseason game of the year against the Detroit Lions. Ed will post a Game day Open Thread a bit later on.
Detroit Lions
2007 Record: 7-9
Head Coach: Rod Marinelli
Last time they met: Giants beat the Lions 16-10 in Detroit, Michael Strahan sacked Jon Kitna 3 times, and the Giants picked Kitna off twice down the stretch to preserve the victory. Kitna said after the game the Giants "were not the better team", and called them the "worst 7-3 team he has ever seen".
Changes: Mike Martz and his pass happy offense are gone, replaced by O-line coach Jim Colletto. The Lions offense should be more balanced this year, with the question being how effective rookie Kevin Smith and 2007 disappointment Tatum Bell can be. First round draft pick Gosder Cherilus is being counted on to anchor an inconsistent offensive line.
Defense: Marinelli set about overhauling the highest scored upon defense in the off season, bringing in some of the players he had in Tampa; tackle Chuck Darby and defensive backs Brian Kelly, Dwight Smith, and Kalvin Pearson. Detroit will run a Cover-2 defense.
Here is a story from the Detroit Free Press on the Lions preparation for the game:
Lions Prep For Giants--Detroit Free Press
Matchups: Hard to gauge player vs. player matchups in a preseason game, but the Giants have stated they will play all 4 QB's tonight. Eli will play a series or two, then the other three QB's will split the remainder. Look for the Giants to try and throw the ball deep, in their never-ending search to be more explosive on offense. Please God let Kenny Phillips hit someone tonight