There have been more than a few eyebrows raised over Washington tight end Chris Cooley’s comments that the Lions quit during the second half of their loss Sunday to the Redskins.
There shouldn’t be. Wasn’t it evident to anybody who watched the game? That was, to say the least, an uninspired effort. It was the second time this year the Lions turned in one like it. The other was, obviously, at Philadelphia.
Of course, that is an indictment of Lions head coach Rod Marinelli. Such a performance flies in the face of his message, which is, above all else, to play hard every snap.
I have no issue with Marinelli not calling out his team publicly. Bobby Ross used to do that and it was a disaster. But his message isn’t getting through to his players. Not when the going gets really tough. And it is, to say the least, disappointing.

Random Thoughts

- Two things factors would really help the Lions when they return from the bye week. One is incorporating Kevin Jones more into the offense. The other would be throwing Calvin Johnson the football at least a half-dozen times per game.

- With all due respect to Michigan’s Michael Hart and Michigan State’s Javon Ringer, the best running back in the Big Ten is Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall. He is vastly underrated and easily the biggest factor in his team’s surprising success. Illini quarterback Juice Williams, however, is overrated. He isn’t as mobile as advertised nor is he an accurate passer.

- What the Colorado Rockies are accomplishing is one of the greatest stories in baseball history. Has anybody noticed? Does anybody care? If it were happening in New York, what do you think the response would be?