What is wrong with the Detroit Lions?

At 1-3 it is pretty safe to say Detroit Lions fans are in a panic over what this team has and can do in 2012. The three losses have been ugly, and yes the scapegoat of the year so far has been the Special Teams but it seems that we thought this team was a heck of a lot better than it actually is. At one point last season they were 5-0. They rode that hot start to their first post season apperance it what felt like forever. However since losing the sixth game of the 2011 season to theSan Francisco49ers they are just 6-9 in the 15 regular season games played since. When we add the playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints they are just 6-10 over their last season’s worth of games. That isn’t all that great.

Here is how DJC would rank the issues for the Lions in 2012:

Sep 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) loses the ball but eventually ruled down against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Vikings defeat the Lions 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-US PRESSWIRE

1. Matthew Stafford- Stafford has been inconsistent and there is no doubt about this team wins or losses on what kind of day this young man has. Sure the receivers have dropped a ton of balls but he needs to make better decisions. WhenStaffordplays well the Lions win, however, he has only played well in spurts so far in 2012.

2. The secondary- this is the fault of GM Martin Mayhew, he did not improve the talent level of a suspect 2011 secondary and when that happens other NFL team get better and what they do and your team looks foolish. NFL teams have to get better every day, and they have to take every opportunity to improve talent levels and make roster decisions that address where the team is weak. Mayhew has failed to address the defensive secondary and I don’t want to hear about injuries or Aaron Berry. Simply put the talent level in this secondary is not good enough and we have seen that played out several times in both 2011 and 2012.

3. Leadership- there are stories and rumors out there that Lions players do not care to play special teams, and we already know about the off season of bad decisions and entitled behavior. This is a locker room lacking leadership and we really have to call into question the effectiveness of the coaching staff. The offense looks lost, and they seem to lack a true identity. The Special team coverage units are a mess and that speaks to flaws in the scheme no matter how many times Jim Schwartz denies it. Speaking of Schwartz it is starting to look like a NFL head Coaching job is too big for him. That might be harsh, but it seems to be the truth.