Year 4 CFM - Detroit Lions - lyonsjor's Blog

lyonsjor's Blog

Year 4 CFM - Detroit Lions

Posted on September 7, 2016 at 12:50 PM.

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Before checking out Year 4's results, make sure you are up to date on Years 1-3.

Year 4

2019-20 Offseason
Coming off of a surprise Super Bowl run and win, I thought I would mostly focus on depth and addressing a hole at free safety in my defensive backfield. On the free agent market, I picked up Jeremy Langford to be my 3rd RB since Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah have been known to get hampered with various injuries. In league news, Carson Palmer signed with the Bears making them into a viable playoff team.

With the last pick in the 1st round of the NFL draft, I selected Marcus Williams (FS) out of Utah. It turned out to be an awesome pick. He is 78 overall with Superstar progression. He would end up being rated 87 before the season was over. Josh Rosen, DeShone Kizer, Jake Browning, and Calvin Ridley all went in the first round as well.

Regular Season
It was different being the ones with the target on our back all year and we had a tough schedule to open up the season. We started 3-2 and faced the improved Bears early on. Fournette and Palmer proved to be lethal and they handled us at home. Marvin Jones and Eric Ebron were also injured early on making it tough to move the ball through the air.

As they returned, we picked up steam. We won 8 out of 10 games going into Week 16. With just a couple of weeks to go, the Bears, Pack, and the Lions were vying for the division. This would be the first year that I would sweep the Packers. I also swept the Vikings and split with the Bears. The Bears would stumble at the finish line though, losing their last two games. Both the Pack and my Lions won out. In the Lions final game, we stomped on the Panthers in the first half sealing the NFC North. The final standings were:
Lions (11-5)
Packers (10-5-1)
Bears (9-6-1)
Vikings (6-9-1)

Regular Season Stats/Awards
- Stafford had his best year with 4500 yards (4th in league), 38 TDs (3rd in league), and 19 INTs
- Abdullah had 1300 yards rushing (8th in league), 437 rec yards, and 14 total TDs
- Theo Riddick added 750 yards
- Golden Tate had 1000 rec yards and 11 TDs, Paul Richardson had just under 1000 yards this year
- Reuben Foster had 147 tackles and 4 INTs which earned him the NFC Defensive MVP in his third year in the NFL
- Ziggy Ansah (16 sacks) and Myles Garrett (15.5 sacks) scared the daylights out of opposing QBs
- Lions ended up 3rd in Offense and 9th in Defense overall
- Andy Dalton took home his first MVP for the Bengals with a league leading 44 TDs, 4000 yards, and 8 INTs
- Aaron Rodgers threw for 5000+ yards and 40 TDs

Playoffs
After getting a week of rest with our bye, the Lions faced off against the New York Giants. Earlier in the year, the Giants handled Stafford early on forcing fumbles and INTs. Then, after a furious comeback, the Giants kicked a last second FG to win at home 34-31.

Round two was another tough game. The Giants started with an opening drive FG. Then, Stafford threw an INT leading to a Giants TD. Half way through the 2nd, I kicked a FG to make it 10-3, but then two late and stupid INTs from Stafford made it 20-3 at half. I came out with a quick strike passing TD to narrow the gap, but the Giants D was too stingy. Down 29-17 with under 2 minutes and deep in the red zone, Eric Ebron sealed my fate by dropping a 4th down pass that would have made it a one score game with all of my time outs remaining. A disappointing end to the season for the defending champs.

The Giants would go on to make the Super Bowl to face the New England Patriots. Jacoby Brissett led the Pats to a route of the NYG, 44-7. He threw 3 TDs and no picks. Eli threw 3 INTs.