Madden Trois

Two years away from Madden after so many calendars on it during Madden Deuce and Madden Deuce: Part Deux, a return to the greatest sports video game franchise of all-time was due.

During Madden Deuce, I found wild success with my friend, Jon. Over 20 Super Bowl titles. I didn’t expect to see that achievement again. For as talented as I can be at offense at times, my defense on Madden is gross, or at least it was long ago. It had been eight years since I’d played defense.

Madden 24 was also very different from the Madden I had become accustomed to. In many ways, the yearly drop of Madden is the same but over time, Madden from five years ago doesn’t even feel applicable to the experience you’re living now.

My friend, Willie and I created a new Madden universe and each of us took a team chained in the doldrums of football misery. Willie took the Houston Texans, a franchise afterthought the last few seasons but with offensive and defensive rookies of the year C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., things are looking up.

I chose the Detroit Lions, outside of the Cleveland Browns and maybe Jacksonville, the most hopeless organization in football. The Jets have won a Super Bowl, were responsible for the merger. The Bears have their ‘85 season to rammer on about. The Vikings at least made four Super Bowls and the same with Buffalo.

The Lions have nothing, only Hall of Fame players who retired in the middle of their careers rather than continue to play in the pale blue. 2023 was the best season in the history of Lions football, a season that produced their first division title in 30 years and multiple playoff wins.

It was fun, watching Detroit compete after so many years of incompetent management. Finally, Detroit is a real team, maybe. The Jaguars had their AFC Championship game with Jalen Ramsey and then blew up the team so who knows but I’d like to believe it’s to stay.

I had brought Super Bowls to the Raiders, returned them to their former glory in The Madden Experience. I had turned Jacksonville into sports’ greatest dynasty in Madden Deuce and Madden Deuce: Part Deux. Now, I would take on the heartache of another fan base and try with all my might to take them to glory, a heaven they’ve never known.

Wars begin in the trenches and we would have the best lines in football. Many years have past in my Madden journey but my formula, for the most part, has stayed the same: own the trenches, run the ball at will, rush four and play defense.

So most of my best players are linemen and I’m good with it. With protection like this, a team will find it hard not to compete.

Alas, much of the draft did not go well. I waited too long to take a WR and QB so my passing attack would be anemic. Jameis Winston and Joe Flacco would be the worst QB duo I’d ever had to compete with.

I purposely waited on RB because with this line, I don’t need a star or a bell cow. A platoon of capable backs, like former starters Jerick McKinnon and Dalvin Cook, would succeed. My secondary was exceptional, with Sneed, Bland, the Honey Badger and Hufanga, an emerging star.

Perhaps the biggest problem, even more so than the quarterback room, was age. The team was older than I would have liked. I missed on a lot of younger talent and depth would be an issue.

Our head coach would be Marshall Mathers, commonly known as Eminem, the pride of Detroit. If nothing else, our team would be motivated.

I’ve always been a fan of the west coast offense so I started with Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers playbook on offense and the GOAT, Bill Belichick, on defense.

The inaugural draft of the 2023 Detroit Lions:

QB: Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Nick Foles
RB: Jerick McKinnon, Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Matt Breida
FB: Alec Ingold
WR: Tyler Lockett, Rashid Shaheed, Marquise Goodwin, Julio Jones, Brandon Powell, Velus Jones
TE: Zach Ertz, Logan Thomas, Marcedes Lewis
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Donovan Smith
LG: Joe Thuney, A.J. Cann
C: David Andrews, Ben Jones
RG: Chris Lindstrom, Gabe Jackson
RT: Morgan Moses, Kelvin Beachum
LE: Calais Campbell, Denico Autry
DT: Javon Hargrave, B.J. Hill, Shelby Harris
RE: Brandon Graham, Leonard Floyd
LOLB: T.J. Watt, Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Jordan Hicks
ROLB: Quincy Williams, Melvin Ingram
CB: L’Jarius Sneed, DaRon Bland, Taron Johnson, K’Waun Williams, Tavon Young, Xavier Rhodes, Troy Hill
FS: Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner
SS: Talanoa Hufanga, Kareem Jackson
K: Jake Elliott
P: Bryan Anger

Unfortunately, I left pre-existing injuries on, meaning Hufanga would miss the season with his ACL injury. I drafted him in the top-seven rounds so this hurt a lot.

After the draft, my team ratings were 87 overall, 84 offense, 91 defense.

Finished with a rough 0-3 preseason, I decided to make playbook changes, switching to Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel on offense and Andy Reid’s defense. McDaniel’s offense is built around speed and my receivers were nothing if not fast. Steve Spagnuolo is a HOF-caliber assistant coach and his defenses have been notable for a long while. Maybe these playbook changes would provide a spark. I also switched to a base 4-3, moving Watt to defensive end.

With this scheme change, I needed MLB depth, so I traded a sixth-round pick and a practice squad player for Mack Wilson to be my MLB3.

I had extra ends so I traded Leonard Floyd to Cincy for a fifth. I might have been able to get more but he was going to be a preseason cut so it was a net positive.

A godsend came after the preseason: speedster Raheem Mostert. Some idiot cut him. Our running game was already going to be a problem. Now Mostert, who this past season set the Dolphins single-season touchdown record and had won me a fantasy football championship, would bring speed and explosiveness we didn’t have.

Preseason adds: RB Raheem Mostert, TE Jonnu Smith, MLB Kamu Grugier-Hill, CB Patrick Peterson, FS Tashaun Gipson

Preseason cuts: RB Matt Breida, WR Brandon Powell, MLB Josh Bynes, CB Xavier Rhodes, CB Troy Hill, FS Lamarcus Joyner

Preseason MVP: S Kareem Jackson. I’m convinced preseason Madden is even harder than playoffs because I was crushed in all contests. Our preseason MVP was Kareem Jackson, who made some plays and would need to make a lot more as the starting strong safety with Hufanga injured.

Head Coach Marshall Mathers
Offensive Coordinator Erik Aguilar
Defensive Coordinator Dean Fuller

My team captains going into the season: Wirfs, Lockett, Watt, Wagner, Mathieu.

As in prior Madden Experiences, we would start on All-Pro.

1/Mostert Magic

Our first regular season game was a huge success, winning 28-10. Detroit amassed nearly 300 yards of offense, including 169 yards rushing. Mostert, without any preseason with the team, had 18 carries for 115 yards. Latavius Murray ran in two touchdowns. An offensive line shoutout to David Andrews at center, who was exceptional.

Jameis, despite real concerns from me, was strong: 11/15 for 117 and two scores. The Famous Jameis Bakery was only cooking touchdowns today. Marquise Goodwin excelled in the slot, leading the passing game with five receptions for 66 and a score.

Other cut week adds Jonnu Smith and Patrick Peterson also made splash plays, with Smith catching Winston’s second touchdown and Peterson snagging an interception. The Chiefs fearsome run duo of Bijan Robinson and Kyren Williams amassed only 65 yards combined.

With Seattle starting Carson Wentz in week 2, a 2-0 start felt very feasible.

Jameis would throw two more scores, a bomb down the seam to Shaheed and a second on the season score to Jonnu Smith but a red zone interception proved costly.

Tied at 14 at the two-minute warning, Mathers’ marauders would force a punt, giving Winston a chance to secure his first 4th quarter game-winning drive.

Winston didn’t have to do much, handing the ball to Mostert on four straight plays as the offensive line opened huge holes, including A.J. Cann, subbed in for an injured Joe Thuney at left guard.

Then, Jake Elliott, one of the best kickers in the sport, missed a 27-yd field goal to win.

In overtime, Mostert and the line once again ran the Seahawks front over but got stalled at the 45. We punted and the clock expired before Seattle could score. 14-14 tie.

Talk about a game slipping away. The Lions rushing attack managed nearly 200 yards, including over 150 from Mostert.

It came down to faltering in the red zone. Between the Winston pick and Elliott’s miss, we’d squandered 10 points. If Detroit missed playoffs, this tie would haunt them for a while.

It would not get easier next week. Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold would miss that contest with injury. Atlanta’s Patrick Mahomes would sit behind one of the league’s best offensive lines and run the spread. The red birds would finish with nearly 500 yards. Mahomes would finish 23/26 for 381 and five touchdowns, a perfect performance.

McKinnon would run for 77 in his first start and Winston would throw for a season-high 227 but it was nowhere near enough. 42-24 Falcons.

I decided to make my first contract extension following the loss. I ended up misunderstanding the contract structure, signing guard Chris Lindstrom to a gargantuan five-year, $165 million contract, making him the highest-paid lineman in NFL history. I meant to offer him half that, a five-year, $85, $17 million per year.

This was a huge misfire. Not only had I wasted a third of my available cap space for the upcoming season, I had put a potential chokehold on my cap in a few years.

The lesson had been learned. That would not happen again.

On the positive side, Lindstrom should be a top-three guard for the next five years so at least that money would be going to a team leader.

In further bad news, Joe Thuney showed no interest in re-signing with the Lions. We would have a new starting left guard next season.

After our humiliation against Atlanta, we would rattle off four straight wins, including holding the Lamar Jackson Ravens to under 100 yards. Mostert would go over the century mark in all of his starts before we ran into Andy Dalton, who turned on God mode and beat us handedly 28-7. Three Winston interceptions didn’t help but we were 5-2-1 at the bye.

The biggest game of the season came against the Chicago Bears, led by Jalen Hurts and Derrick Henry. Henry rolled and the Bears defense was exceptional against the run. Jameis would throw two picks to start, one a pick-six and the Lions would find themselves down 17-0 in the middle of the second quarter. Detroit would run the ball down the field, convert a 4th-and-2 and score before half.

Right out of half, Winston threw his third pick. MLB Jordan Hicks would level Henry, forcing a fumble. Flacco would come in and kicker Jake Elliott would convert from 39. The Lions D would force a punt and Mostert would break the season’s biggest play, a 65-yard touchdown run. Coach Eminem would decide to go for two with the momentum on his side but the Bears would maintain the 17-16 lead.

Chicago would drive down to the goal line and on 4th-and-1, Hurts threw a ball that was tipped and L’Jarius Sneed would return the pick 100 yards for the score. This time, the 2pt try would succeed, making it 24-17 Lions.

Chicago would drive for a tying touchdown with 17 seconds. Flacco would throw an out route to Goodwin with two seconds left, giving Elliott a chance at a 65-yarder, which came up short.

The Bears would win the coin toss and win in overtime. Despite coming back from 17 down, the Lions lost and they’d lose to the 2-8 Packers in another overtime game the following week. Green Bay had 170 yards rushing, a season-high for the Lions D.

On the road against New Orleans, a playoff-caliber team, Elliott hit a walkoff field goal to end the losing streak and keep Detroit, at 7-4-1, at the top of the NFC North.

That ended the following week when Chicago once again went up 17-0 on the Lions. The Bears were built like Detroit: strong run defense, strong run game. It was a battle of trench warfare and through two games, Chicago had won handedly.

They had Jalen Hurts. We had Jameis Winston. That felt like the difference. If Chicago couldn’t run, Hurts could deal. Winston didn’t have that ability.

We had our rival.

On the plus side, Raheem Mostert signed a two-year, $30 million extension. He was the team MVP. Without him, I don’t know if our offense would have a pulse. We still had the best offensive line in football and that was not to be disregarded but Mostert was on pace to lead the league in rushing.

I offered Winston, who had been one of the worst quarterbacks in football, a one year, $23 million contract extension. Flacco and Foles were both free agents and it would be hard to replace the entire quarterback room.

Winston declined. He’d thrown 16 interceptions.

A loss to Denver the following week was our fourth loss in our last five games. We were 6-2-1 and leading the division.

Now, we were 7-6-1 and in danger of missing the playoffs.

A large part of the problem was we were getting no pressure. T.J. Watt, my top draft pick, had two sacks. We were in week 16. It was inexcusable.

In an effort to light a fire under him, I took his captaincy and gave it to Mostert, who had more than earned it. Watt record a sack in his next game and the defense would explode, intercepting Tua Tagovailoa three times in a crucial divisional win over Minnesota.

After Winston threw another two picks, I offered him a smaller offer: one year for $20. Now realizing how bad he was, Winston accepted. That’s a ton of money to pay for a backup but if I didn’t get a gem quarterback prospect, we’d be stuck turning to the Jameis Bakery next season.

The following week was a defensive masterclass. Detroit held Dallas out of the end zone, all the way to the buzzer and the Lions managed a fourth quarter score to win 7-3. Watt, no longer weighed down by the captain’s armband, had three sacks, including one defending his own goal line to seal the win. He received NFC defensive player of the week for his performance.

Winston had 22 passing yards. He was looking like a spring cut. That contract already looked awful.

In a must-win final game to make the playoffs, Winston threw two picks, showing who he is. Luckily, the defense had their best pass rush game of the season, registering five sacks and a safety, which was the winning margin, 19-17. Detroit was in the playoffs as the sixth seed at 10-6-1.

The Bears, our hated rival, won the NFC.

‘23 Season Stats:
Winston 140/228 for 1772, 61%, 60.4 rating, 9 TDs, 21 INTs
Mostert 272 carries for league-leading 1758, 6.5 ypc, 9 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Lockett 33 receptions for 593, TD
Watt 42 tackles, 13 TFL, 7 sacks, FF
Hargrave 21 tackles, TFL, 7.5 sacks
Peterson 62 tackles, 2 TFL 2 sacks, 2 INTs, FF (Defensive MVP)
Sneed 58 tackles, 3 TFL, 5 INTs, TD
Elliott 13/16 for 81%, 35/35 XP for 100%
Anger 49.8 avg, 48.1 net, 11 inside the 20
Team Stats:
Offense: 4217 (32nd), 1643 pass (32nd), 2574 rush (1st), 18.6 ppg (31st)
Defense: 4263 (1st), 2907 pass (1st), 1356 rush (2nd), 17.1 pag (1st), 30 sacks, fumble, 18 INTs

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Mostert, Ingold, Wirfs, Thuney, Lindstrom, Moses (6)
COY: Mathers (8th)
RB: Mostert (3rd)
OL: Wirfs (2nd), Lindstrom (4th), Thuney (6th)
CB: Sneed (4th)
K: Elliott (8th)

The league’s best defense, no Lions defenders made the Pro Bowl. Mostert wasn’t even nominated for MVP or NFC Offensive Player of the Year and finished third for the conference’s best running back despite leading the league in rushing. We’d be taking these snubs personally.

Our first playoff game would be a rematch against Atlanta and Patrick Mahomes, who predictably led the league in passing. That first matchup was our worst defensive performance, a 42-21 beatdown. Mostert, our best offensive player, missed that contest with turf toe.

In this playoff game, we’d be on the road, odds stacked against us and without T.J. Watt, who would miss with a PCL sprain.

Mahomes would be held to 75 yards passing and throw two interceptions, including on the first play of the game to Bobby Wagner in a dominant Detroit defensive performance. Brandon Graham and Calais Campbell, the old vets, would both record sacks and regular pressure in Watt’s absence.

Mathers’ boys would run for 178, including 121 from the league’s leading rusher, Raheem Mostert.

Our first playoff win now under our belt, the following week would be against Seattle after Carolina’s Brock Purdy upset the 1-seed Chicago Bears. We tied Seattle in week two because kicker Jake Elliott missed a 27yd field goal as time expired in regulation, sending the game to overtime and an eventual tie.

Winston would play his way out of Detroit. Mostert would run at will and the team would go over 160 yards but Winston would throw for only 48 yards and two interceptions. Elliott would miss a game-tying extra point and between the turnovers and kicking woes, we would lose, 17-16. It was Elliott’s second straight postseason game with an extra point miss. Winston’s contract was a mistake and would be remedied. Elliott was done in Detroit.

Both were released after the Super Bowl. Winston’s extension and cut incurred $13 million in dead cap for the upcoming season. We’d have an all-new quarterback room in 2024.

Willie’s Texans, led by Stroud, McCaffrey, Aaron Donald and the legend known as Tre’von Moehrig, would win the Super Bowl over Purdy’s Panthers 35-7.

2/Wheeling and Russelling

Re-signs:
RG Chris Lindstrom 5yr/$165
RB Raheem Mostert 2yr/$30

FA losses:
LG Joe Thuney 2yr/$33 with BAL
TE Jonnu Smith 4yr/$27.6 with ARI
MLB Krys Barnes 3yr/$10.4 with GB
QB Jameis Winston 2yr/$10.1 with MIA
K Jake Elliott 1yr/$2.45 with CHI
FB Alec Ingold 1yr/$2.39 with ARI
P Bryan Anger 1yr/$1.81 with LAR
Retirements: RB Jerick McKinnon, RB Latavius Murray, DE Calais Campbell
Unsigned: QB Joe Flacco, QB Nick Foles, CB Patrick Peterson, FS Tashaun Gipson, SS Kareem Jackson

We lost over a fourth of our roster but there were significant opportunities to make our team better in free agency, with the prize of the offseason being a running back, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker. It was very enticing but Mostert had already signed a two-year, $30 extension and I do my very best to honor contracts (the Winston one would be my one mulligan). Alas, I stuck to my old ways, eager to see what would come at the draft and would make do with what was left afterwards.

FA adds:
RE Yannick Ngakoue: 2yr/$8

Despite our dire need for quarterback (we lost our entire QB room), I drafted who I believed was the best player available that still filled a position of need. Oklahoma’s Joey Wheeler was one of several promising tight end prospects and a draft philosophy I’ve always had is if a position has a strong class, take one, even if it’s not a position of need for you. Tight end was a need for the Lions with Zach Ertz approaching his swan song and Jonnu Smith no longer around.

A few picks into the second, Detroit traded that year’s second and third, a modest price, to Dallas to move up nearly 30 spots in the second round and select Ole Miss Rebel Maxwell Russell as the team’s next starting quarterback. He had no mobility and would be mostly a statue in the pocket but his accuracies and composure under pressure were phenomenal. This was the field general we needed.

Much of the rest of the draft was underwhelming and many of the prospects I had on my board got snatched before my next selection. I ended up trading back a few times and added capital for next season.

‘24 NFL Draft:
1/TE Joey Wheeler (Oklahoma)
2/QB Maxwell Russell (Ole Miss)
4/LG Matt Barnett (USC)
5/LB Jimmy Dugan (Texas A&M), LB Kenya Pressley (Virginia Tech)
7/LB Nigel Jackson (Syracuse)

After the draft, we returned to free agency to fill out our roster, adding Super Bowl champions Carson Wentz, Leonard Fournette and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Former players Patrick Peterson (our defensive MVP last season),Tashaun Gipson and Kareem Jackson, who had started at safety for us the previous year, returned after failing to sign in free agency.

Preseason adds: QB Carson Wentz, QB Kyle Trask, RB Leonard Fournette, FB Nick Bawden, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DE Leonard Floyd, CB Patrick Peterson, FS Tashaun Gipson, SS Kareem Jackson, K Younghoe Koo, P Logan Cooke

Preseason cuts: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, FB Khari Blasingame, WR Equanimeous St. Brown, WR Scotty Miller, TE Logan Thomas, DE Morgan Fox, OLB Melvin Ingram, CB Ronald Darby, CB Tre Herndon, FS Damontae Kazee

Preseason MVP: RB Kirk Merritt. Merritt was on the Lions practice squad last year and had played his way onto the active roster. MLB Chance Campbell and WR Deven Thompkins also made it to the roster from practice squad.

New starters: QB Maxwell Russell, FB Nick Bawden, LG A.J. Cann, TE Joey Wheeler, DE Brandon Graham, LB Jimmy Dugan, S Talanoa Hufanga, K Younghoe Koo, P Logan Cooke

Our captains from last season (Lockett, Wirfs, Mostert, Wagner, Mathieu) all returned but our overall ratings had dropped significantly. We were now an 83 overall (-4), 80 offense (-4) and 87 defense (-4).

Our first game was against Willie’s Texans and it was a demolishment. Lockett and first-round tight end Joey Wheeler both ran extremely poor routes, leading to interceptions. Russell was held out to dry in his first start, throwing five picks, four to safety Kyle Hamilton. The Texans d-line with Aaron Donald, Travon Walker, Koby Turner and fresh first-round pick DT Damien McClain bottled the run and Detroit was helpless. It was a 30-0 loss, as decisive a loss as we’d had. I had severe lag and that meant I couldn’t kick or punt but regardless, it was a humiliating performance.

Rookie quarterback Maxwell Russell didn’t let it affect him and neither did the rest of the team. Against the former NFC champion Carolina Panthers the very next week, Russell went a perfect 8/8 for 65 and a touchdown. That was all he needed to do. The offensive line roared back with a vengeance and the run game went for 200. Sneed took a pick-six 94 yards for a touchdown as the half expired a la James Harrison. Hufanga also got a red zone pick in a 24-3 win in our home opener.

Russell had the best game of an Eminem quarterback against division-rival Green Bay the next week: 13/18 for 182 yards, 2 TDs and a pick in a 24-17 win. Slot receiver Marquise Goodwin had the first 100-yard receiving game of the Eminem era: 7 for 100 and two scores.

Russell was very good for a few games before a three turnover, 2 pick-six performance versus Jacksonville. Down 14-3, Wentz would rally the team to an 18-17 win.

We would have a rematch against Seattle in our final game before our bye week. We would go into the fourth up 10 and squander the lead. We would end the game in yet another tie. In three games against the Seahawks, we had tied two and lost a playoff game. I hated Seattle.

Come the bye week, a valuable name popped up on free agency: RB James Conner. He was added to the team and fullback Nick Bawden was cut. Third-string tight end Brayden Willis would switch to fullback, allowing Leonard Fournette to stay on the roster. Conner’s first game would be excellent: eight carries for 50 and a score in another win over Green Bay.

We’d suffer an embarrassing defeat to the 2-6 Rams at home 38-13, with Russell having another three turnover performance. Los Angeles came in with the most yards allowed on defense. Russell was such a huge improvement over Winston but was having trouble with interceptions.

We’d suffer another humiliation at home the following week to the 2-7 Bears, who had lost seven straight coming in. For the second straight contest, Russell would throw three picks.

We had lost back-to-back games to 2-win teams at home. This felt like a new low.

We were now 0-3 against the Bears in the Eminem era.

We would fall behind to New England early. They were a very good team. The Patriots were second in passing with Mac Jones and had an excellent defense against the run.

Russell would respond to the adversity, leading a 99-yard, 5:30 drive to tie the game late in the fourth. New England would kick a field goal with :53 and no Lions timeouts. Russell would respond again, putting Detroit in range for Younghoe Koo’s 43-yard equalizer. The game would go to overtime, Detroit would receive and Mostert would fumble for the first time in his Lions tour. New England 23-17.

It was our third straight loss but unlike the previous two, we had played a strong game, responded to adversity and took an excellent opponent down to the wire. This felt like a step in the right direction despite going from 5-1-1 to 5-4-1.

Our offensive line allowed five sacks, their worst performance of the season and Russell did not crumble. Our rookie quarterback looked like a franchise player, completing 12/14 for 143 and a score and most importantly, no turnovers.

If Maxwell Russell played like that on a consistent basis, we would win a lot of games.

We’d win our next three and narrowly lost a match against Arizona, the current one-seed. We might not be a Super Bowl favorite yet but we were a contender.

We’d lose our fourth straight game to Chicago the following week. The Lions defense was a carpet all afternoon, allowing over 400 yards and 7/8 third down conversions. God, I hated the Bears so much.

The loss knocked us out of the division lead and we now were holding on to the playoffs by a thread at 8-6-1. Every member of the organization was in a rage. God help whoever we played next.

That poor soul was the Titans. We throttled them 28-7. Russell had the best game of his career: 16/22 for 229 and three TDs. Mostert had 13 carries for 73, TD and 3 catches, 50 yards, 2 TDs. Joey Wheeler also had his biggest day: 7 receptions for 82.

With our spot in the playoffs clinched, our final game would decide if we won the division or be traveling on the road as the seven-seed. The defense would carry the day against one of the league’s best aerial attacks (Darnold/Jahmyr Gibbs/Davante/Hockenson) while the rushing attacking abused Washington’s league-worst run defense in a 27-13 win.

For the second straight season, the Lions would finish 10-6-1.

Willie’s first round tight end, Michael Hamm, would set the rookie receiving and receptions record (118 for 1694), leading the league in both.

The Houston defense would force 56 turnovers, third-most in the Super Bowl era. CB Jaylon Johnson would lead the league with 12 interceptions and the team as a whole would collect 44 picks, a new Super Bowl era record, en route to their league-best 14-3 record.

Houston coach Matthew McConaughey (yes, really) would win his second straight Coach of the Year. Four of his defenders finished in the top-10 of Defensive Player of the Year voting (Kyle Hamilton, Jaylon Johnson, Jack Campbell, Ernest Jones), with Hamilton and Johnson finishing 1/2 in the AFC best defensive back race. TE Michael Hamm won Offensive Rookie of the Year but was robbed of OPOY by Lamar Jackson.

‘24 Season Stats
Russell 168/267 for 2034, 62%, 70.3 rating, 16 TDs, 23 INTs
Mostert 233 carries for 1423, 6.1 ypc, 6 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Wheeler 41 receptions for 482, 3 TDs
Lockett 30 receptions for 502, 6 TDs
Goodwin 38 receptions for 485, 4 TDs
Williams 98 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF, INT (Defensive MVP)
Watt 62 tackles, 15 TFL, 7 sacks
Hargrave 25 tackles, 4 TFL, 8 sacks
Sneed 52 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 7 INTs, TD
Koo 13/16 for 81%, 34/34 XP for 100%
Cooke 50.7 avg, 43.0 net, 4 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 4427 (32nd), 2039 pass (32nd), 2388 rush (2nd), 20.0 ppg (31st)
Last year: 4217, 1643, 2574, 18.6
Defense: 4255 (1st), 2961 pass (1st), 1294 rush (2nd), 19.5 pag (2nd)
29 sacks, 5 fumbles, 24 INTs
Last year: 4263, 2907, 1356, 17.1, 30, 1, 18

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Moses, Sneed, Mathieu (5)
COY: Mathers (9th)
OROY: Wheeler (3rd)
Best RB: Mostert (9th)
Best OL: Lindstrom (1st), Wirfs (7th)
Best DB: Sneed (1st), Bland (3rd)
Best K: Koo (9th)

Detroit’s Raheem Mostert was once again left off the MVP and NFC’s Offensive Player of Year ballots. Mostert was a meager ninth in the NFC’s best running back voting after leading the entire league in rushing in 2023 and finishing fourth in ‘24. Didn’t even make Pro Bowl.

Guard Chris Lindstrom and L’Jarius Sneed won awards for best offensive lineman and best defensive back respectively. Still, we as a team felt disrespected, having won zero player of the week awards. We intended to remind everyone who we were.

Our first home playoff game in the Eminem era would be against Brock Purdy’s Carolina Panthers, who last season won the NFC Championship. Von Miller was the 2023 DPOY. We hosed Carolina back in week two 24-3 but as we all know, the playoffs are a different animal.

The defense would play well, forcing two Purdy interceptions but the offense was a dumpster fire. Carolina would get away with DPI and snag an interception. They’d be gifted another on a failed screen in the red zone when Mostert couldn’t get through traffic. Russell would throw for just 100 yards and three picks in his first playoff start. Mostert and the ground game would be bottled most of the game as Von Miller and Calijah Kancey were all over, especially in pass rush. Russell had little time to throw and many of our play designs didn’t have time to develop. The Carolina Panthers were a very good team and currently, a better one. Our first home playoff game would be our first home playoff loss: 17-7 Carolina.

Despite the loss, I still had full confidence in Russell. It wasn’t the performance anyone wanted but Russell had shown moments during the season of what he could be. Russell had a bright future.

My biggest takeaway from the season and that playoff loss was the dire need for a pass rush. We had been one of the league’s best defenses two straight years because of our exceptional secondary and our clock-draining offense but had been posting middling sack totals. We had just 29 in ‘24, good for only 21st-best.

T.J. Watt was my first round pick in the draft. I selected him because I know how important a pass rush is but while the usual suspects like Garrett, Parsons and Miller all reached 20 sacks, Watt had managed just seven in back-to-back seasons despite getting regular 1v1s in my 4-3 scheme. My nickel and dime packages were four defensive linemen and Watt had done little with it. 28 players had more sacks than Watt this season, including defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who had led the team in sacks each year despite extra attention. Watt was a $20 million run stuffer. That playoff loss would be his last game in the pale blue.

While I believed the Lions’ postseason bumps were a personnel issue, offensive coordinator Erik Aguilar had a hot seat. Our offense had been dead last in yardage for two straight seasons and second-worst in scoring. Some of that was the time possession style we play but much of it was a failure to execute. Defensive coordinator Dean Fuller was holding teams under 20 regularly and forcing turnovers without much of a pass rush. Expecting much more from him was unrealistic.

In 2025, the offense needed to get out of the dungeon.

Meanwhile, Willie’s Texans would repeat as Super Bowl champions with no real opposition.

3/To the Dungeon

This offseason hurt far more than the last, especially after a one-and-done postseason.

Nine of my 12 practice squad players were poached by other teams, including seventh-round pick Nigel Jackson.

We brought back Tristan Wirfs, who became the highest-paid lineman in NFL history, netting $35 million a year and corner DaRon Bland was paid a healthy $17 per for his services. James Conner was offered a 2yr/$20, $18 fully guaranteed but still said no. $10 million a year for a backup running back was far past fair but Conner likely wanted a starting job, something I couldn’t give him with Mostert still performing.

Brayden Willis was a nice story. He had started as a tight end on my practice squad and was signed by another team mid-season in 2023. In ‘24, he returned to Detroit, fought his way onto the 53 and transferred to fullback. He’d now get a tryout year at the position on a $2 million deal.

For the second straight year, most of our backup offensive line would leave. We had draft pick Matt Barnett at left guard but we’d be looking for new backups on the offensive line this summer.

Re-signs:
LT Tristan Wirfs 5yr/$175
CB DaRon Bland 5yr/$85
CB Taron Johnson 1yr/$12
C David Andrews 1yr/$8
MLB Jordan Hicks 1yr/$4
QB Carson Wentz 1yr/$4
CB Tavon Young 1yr/$3
FB Brayden Willis 1yr/$2

FA losses:
QB Kyle Trask 1yr/$1.11 with KC
Retirements: C Ben Jones, DE Brandon Graham, DE Denico Autry, DT Shelby Harris, LB Justin Houston, CB Patrick Peterson, S Tashaun Gipson
Unsigned: RB James Conner, RB Leonard Fournette, WR Marquise Goodwin, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DE Leonard Floyd, S Kareem Jackson, K Younghoe Koo, P Logan Cooke

For the second straight season, we’d lost a fourth of our team. This particular summer was an indictment on my management. Unlike my last two Madden franchises, my initial draft went quite poorly. I mentioned this at the beginning of this story. I had drafted too old.

Of those who left for free agency, all but one either retired or remained unsigned come fall. The other 31 teams looked at a quarter of my 2024 roster and said, “Nope, we can do better.”

It was a slap in the face and a well-deserved one. I messed up. I’d learn from this.

As I mentioned after our one-and-done playoff exit, T.J. Watt would not be on the team come fall so we needed to splurge on defensive end. Our prize of the free agent class was Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. In real life, Okoronkwo is a fifth round pick who as of this writing hasn’t developed yet but man, we needed something from him this season.

Ironically, the bar for Ogbo was seven sacks, which is what Watt managed in each of his two seasons. If Ogbo could manage that, he’d be just as productive as Watt. Ogbo would serve as a bridge player until we were able to find a franchise pass rusher.

Taylor Lewan was one of the best left tackles on the market and would serve as a mentor to freshly-minted Tristan Wirfs. We added further depth along the offensive line and a reclamation project in former third overall pick Jeff Okudah at corner.

The top prizes of the offseason were Davante Adams, Keenan Allen and Jonathan Allen but all were too old for what was already an old team.

FA adds:
RE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo 2yr/$16
LT Taylor Lewan 1yr/$8
RG Will Fries 2yr/$11
RT Thayer Munford Jr. 2yr/$13
CB Jeff Okudah 2yr/$7
RG Cody Ford 2yr/$4

Then, it was time for the draft and we would be taking a big swing.

We would move all the way up to four, trading Watt and two firsts for two firsts and a second from the Cincinnati Bengals. It was essentially two first round pick swaps and a second, with Cincy’s picks being earlier in the draft. With the fourth overall selection, we chose corner Jonathan Aldridge from Buffalo, a slam dunk man coverage specialist with an excellent combine. We would reaquire my original 2025 first from Cincy to select Jonathan Walford at defensive tackle, a premium run stuffer with an above average pass rush repertoire.

We spent a lot of draft capital on these two players. Aldridge would, at minimum, be our new slot corner and would play outside in the near future. Walford would be in regular packages and may be the starter before long with Hargrave winding down. I hoped it was worth it.

We got a talented right guard in Edward Fowler in the third. With Chris Lindstrom the highest-paid right guard, maybe a move to center would be in the cards for him.

The defensive end class was top-heavy so we sadly missed on a potential future starter but Michigan’s Jared Messina might become something. The steal of the Lions class was back Isaiah Weaver, who had both speed back and power back skill sets. A potential unicorn?

As is tradition, we turned some of our late selections into additional picks the following year.

‘25 NFL Draft
1/CB Jonathan Aldridge(Buffalo), DT Jonathan Walford (Florida State)
3/RG Edward Fowler (Missouri)
4/DE Jared Messina (Michigan), LB Trevor Pratt (Notre Dame)
6/RB Isaiah Weaver (Notre Dame), WR Luke Williams (Mount Union), FS Casey Peerman (Boise State)
7/DT Dexter Vernon (Missouri), SS Troy Dodson (California)

Following the draft, Jonathan Aldridge was revealed to be an 81 overall, the highest of his draft class, with 95 speed and 81 man coverage, a true blockbuster player.

Free agent signee Will Fries put himself on the trade block, apparently frustrated he wouldn’t see starting time behind Lindstrom. The Lions, already desperate for pass rush help, turned Fries into young Georgia draftee Nolan Smith.

Detroit also needed a receiver with size to play the 1. Lockett had done the best he could but at this stage of his career, his size was becoming a problem. There were too many slot receivers on this team and not enough physical targets to attack the ball in contested situations.

We drafted Luke Williams from Mount Union, who needed help with his route tree but provided size we didn’t have and traded a future first rounder and defensive tackle B.J. Hill for Courtland Sutton, an underrated WR1 in real life for the Denver Broncos.

A look at free agency after the draft wasn’t all bad. James Conner, who had been offered a 2yr/$20 just months earlier, had gone unsigned. He’d return to Detroit for just $3.3. Time he fired his agent. K Younghoe Koo also returned after failing to secure an offer over the summer.

Preseason adds: RB James Conner, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., TE Maxx Williams, DE Keion White, LB Yasir Abdullah, S Marcus Maye, S Jordan Poyer, K Younghoe Koo, P Blake Gillikin

Preseason cuts: RB Dalvin Cook, WR Deven Thompkins, QB Isaiah Beckett

Preseason MVP: WR Luke Williams. I was hesitant to draft Williams in the first place because speed and a sharp route tree are what I look for in receivers and Williams wasn’t polished in either area. He immediately impressed, collecting 8 passes for 91 yards in his first preseason game. I drafted him expecting him to be a practice squad project. Instead, he’d be WR4.

New starters: WR Courtland Sutton, LG Matt Barnett, LE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, RE Nolan Smith, DT Jonathan Walford, MLB Mack Wilson, CB Jonathan Aldridge, P Blake Gillikin

Our team overall remained an 83. Our offense actually improved three points with the addition of Courtland Sutton, a total of three new WRs, better depth along the offensive line and rookie Isaiah Weaver in the backfield.

The defense had fallen from an 87 to an 83. Our line was decimated by retirements the last two seasons and the Watt trade obviously shaved points off the score. All of our ends were new except for Yannick Ngakoue but we still probably had the best corner crop in football with Sneed, Bland, first-round pick Aldridge, Taron Johnson, Jeff Okudah and Tavon Young.

Week one, we would lose against Chicago for the fifth time in a row. After Detroit rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit, the Bears’ Jalen Hurts would drive for the winning score with 50 seconds left. Russell would miss a wide open Sutton down the seam on the last drive.

The Bears were our arch rival, even more than Seattle and thus far, we had failed to beat them in five tries. It was becoming psychological.

It was especially painful because the defense played so well despite Hurts’ near perfect day, registering five tackles for a loss, an Ogbo sack and a Bobby Wagner interception.

The Lions culture and history is failure and coming up short. It would be a tough nut to crack and it would take time but we would write our own history, a new chapter.

Quarterback Maxwell Russell was the first one to grab a pen, putting together a career day: 13/16 for 169 yards and two scores in a 21-16 victory after falling behind 10-0 early yet again. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave would record two sacks on defense.

Detroit would blow a 10-point lead in their first home game. Russell would throw three second-half picks in the loss. First-round pick Jonathan Aldridge got his first interception, a pick-six, in the 24-17 loss.

Russell would throw three picks again the following week in a 21-16 loss to Cincinnati and our old friend, T.J. Watt. The Lions defense would register four sacks and a pick from L’Jarius Sneed.

Through four games, we were 1-3. Our schedule was rough to start, with four of our first five on the road but that was no excuse.

Russell had just four touchdown passes now to a league-leading seven picks. His seat was getting warm.

Mostert and the ground game was not as dominant as in years past. Mostert’s deal ended after this season and his future on the team was in question.

Offensive coordinator Erik Aguilar’s seat was scalding hot. The offense was once again dead-last in yardage and in the basement in points at 16.8.

Yet another loss the following week to Minnesota felt like a new low for Eminem’s Cats. After a strip sack on the Vikings’ first possession, Russell would throw a pick-six on his first pass in the red zone. He was benched for the rest of the game for Carson Wentz. Wentz didn’t fair much better, throwing three picks himself. Tua played his best game for the Vikings in the rivalry: 186 yards and two scores, a 28-7 Lions loss, cementing a 1-4 start.

Morale was at an all-time low. If someone didn’t respond in the immediate future, our season was over. Moves needed to be made.

QB Isaiah Beckett, who was a preseason cut, was brought in as a third quarterback option. MLB Chance Campbell, the former practice squad player, was an upcoming free agent. He was an unfortunate release.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga was drafted to be a franchise player, on the team for a long time, a captain but with Hufanga’s deal expiring, he had rejected 5yr/$75, 5yr/$90 and 5yr/$100. He evidently had no interest in being a leader on this team.

With no first round picks for the next two drafts after the Aldridge, Walford and Sutton trades, Detroit moved Hufanga and Taylor Lewan to Washington for firsts in ‘26 and ‘27.

Hufanga would sign a 5yr/$70 extension with Washington. He apparently hated Detroit so much he was willing to chuck $30 million away. That hurt.

DT Dalvin Tomlinson and center Connor McGovern joined the Cats for their next game. Marcus Maye would be the starting strong safety going forward.

And if anyone thought things might get easier for Detroit, they were sorely mistaken. Into Detroit’s second home game came the Arizona Cardinals, the best rushing attack and second-best scoring defense in football, the reigning NFC #1 seed.

Really, really needing a performance from Russell, he did not answer the call, throwing for just 57 yards and two picks. Despite his best efforts to lose Detroit the game, the defense would not allow it, surrendering just three points until the very end of the fourth quarter. The biggest play was Bobby Wagner forcing a Kyler Murray fumble that resulted in a short field for the Lions offense, with Mostert seizing the day. 14-11 Detroit.

2-4 was still awful. A lot better than 1-5.

Raheem Mostert had been the heart and soul of this team since day one. He agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract extension after the win.

The following week, Detroit returned to the loss column in a 31-13 loss at Lambeau. The Detroit defense did not show up much of the contest and neither did the offensive line, allowing six sacks.

A bounceback against the Steelers, a top-10 offense and defense, tasted delicious, going 3-5 into the bye. Despite the week off, Mostert sprained his ACL and Lockett a dislocated wrist. Both would miss against the 6-2 Commanders, another loss.

Offensive coordinator Erik Aguilar was fired. Despite having more talent than last year, it was demonstrably worse than the last two seasons. The offense had failed to score 18 points in six of their first seven games.

Aguilar was a multiple zone run specialist and had been great in the ground game but his inability to develop a quarterback or a passing attack had hamstrung the offense for years. Enough was enough. The offense and Russell’s turnovers would likely cost us a playoff spot despite a top-five defense.

Kevin Stokes, who ran the west coast zone run scheme I preferred, was hired. The hope was a fresh face and mind might salvage the season.

Russell’s unit responded to the change, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives and a season-high 29 points in a road win over Philly.

We’d once again lose to Chicago the following week, our sixth straight loss to the Bears. Through three seasons of the Eminem era, we’d yet to beat the fucking Bears.

Now at 4-7 and last in the division, we’d likely have to win out to make the playoffs. Four of our last six were at home but the home crowd wasn’t going to win any games for us. Playoffs or not, we needed to finish this season as strong as possible.

First challenge on the docket was Cleveland. They had the worst scoring defense, total yards against and passing defense in football. They were third-worst against the run.

They also had the best passing offense with Dak Prescott at quarterback and the fifth-best ground game with Nick Chubb.

Despite the position we found ourselves, the entire team’s morale was high. There was belief.

That belief showed through in Cleveland, holding the Browns to just 184 yards and 7 points. Mostert had the best day of his Lions career: 21 carries for 209 yards and two scores, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Conner added 71 and a score as the offensive line carried the day. Detroit had 308 yards rushing and scored on each of their first four drives in a 28-7 masterpiece.

Next week against Baltimore started well, with L’Jarius Sneed picking off Lamar Jackson’s first pass and the offense rewarded him with an offensive score.

Down 14-7 in the waning seconds of the first half, QB Maxwell Russell would fumble on a scramble in the red zone. Russell would throw a pick-six in the fourth quarter to seal the game for Baltimore.

The story of this season was Russell’s inability to take care of the football. I was furious. We had 52 players on that field that day, just not a fucking quarterback. Russell’s seat was scalding.

We’d put up a Mathers career-high 33 points in a 20-point win versus Denver but Russell would turn into a pumpkin again the following week, fumbling once and throwing two picks. The Lions defense was phenomenal, forcing three Atlanta field goals against a Patrick Mahomes/Christian McCaffrey/Kenneth Walker offense but Russell once again cost the team a win, a 16-6 soul crusher. With two games to go, he’d be benched the rest of the season.

Carson Wentz played quite well in relief, with only two interceptions in the contests and neither were his fault. He earned himself a one-year contract extension.

Detroit would win both games, including a 38-10 home win against Minnesota to conclude a disappointing 8-9 season. We would miss the playoffs.

‘25 Season Stats
Russell 154/246 for 1852, 62%, 71.3 rating, 12 TDs, 18 INTs
Mostert 187 carries for 1122, 6.0 ypc, 8 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Sutton 36 receptions for 616, 4 TDs
Lockett 48 receptions for 539, 4 TDs
Williams 96 tackles, 8 TFL, .5 sacks
Smith 36 tackles, 6 TFL, 9 sacks, FF (Defensive MVP)
Okoronkwo 22 tackles, 3 TFL, 8.5 sacks
Sneed 70 tackles, 4 INTs
Aldridge 51 tackles, 2 TFL, sack, 2 INTs, TD
Koo 12/12 for 100%, 34/34 XP for 100%
Gillikin 54.6 avg, 45.5 net, 5 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 4149 (32nd), 2074 pass (32nd), 2075 rush (6th), 18.6 ppg (31st)
Last year: 4427, 2039, 2388, 20.0
Defense: 4306 (2nd), 3056 pass (2nd), 1250 rush (2nd), 19.0 pag (2nd)
34 sacks, 4 fumbles, 13 INTs
Last year: 4255, 2961, 1294, 19.5, 29, 5, 24

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Wirfs, Lindstrom (2)
OROY: Weaver (6th)
DROY: Aldridge (5th)
Best OL: Lindstrom (1st), Andrews (9th)
Best DB: Sneed (8th)
Best K: Koo (1st)

Willie’s Texans had another historic year:
C.J. Stroud would throw for 5500 and 51 TDs, run for 10 more. He’d finish with a 124.9 passer rating and a Herculean 15.3 yards per attempt, both league records, en route to the MVP.
WR Tank Dell would blow the single-season receiving record out of the water with 2554 yards and 25 TDs, winning OPOY.
Future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald would annihilate the sack record with 30 and win DPOY.
Houston rookie corner Joel Tyson won AFC DROY.
Matthew McConaughey would claim his third straight COY and the Texans would complete the three-peat, this time toppling the Saints.

4/From the Depths

And then Marshall Mathers was fired. It was hard to believe. The Pride of Detroit, let go after one losing season?

Weeks would go back and ownership would reverse course. Mathers would be back but the pressure was on. A new fire had been started in the Lions den.

As in previous Madden experiences, we’d now be jumping to All-Madden. Willie’s days of cruising were over (hopefully). The change to All-Madden gave me low expectations. My goal every season is a playoff win. That means you’re truly contending. Our first season was a success but our second year we lost our only playoff game and last season we missed the dance entirely at 8-9. With the increase in difficulty, it seemed missing the playoffs was a certainty.

We were losing 20 players this year, nearly half the roster.

Mostert, despite agreeing to an extension during the season, decided to retire. It was crushing to read. I don’t know what we’d do without him. He had been our offensive MVP all of our first three seasons and was the most valuable player on the team. A large hole to fill.

We’d also be losing Tyler Lockett, another captain and corner Taron Johnson, two big losses.

Re-signs:
RB James Conner 1/$5
SS Marcus Maye 1yr/$4.5
QB Carson Wentz 1yr/$3

Once again, many of our free agents would go unsigned, 11 total, over a fifth of my roster. Our team needed to get a lot better, fast. Many of these players were preseason adds to fill out the team but we needed to get to a place where draft picks and free agents filled out our team, not bargain bin buys.

The biggest free agent was QB Jordan Love, who had just taken the Saints to the Super Bowl, losing to Willie’s Texans. Stunningly, New Orleans chose not to re-sign him and he hit FA. Despite my efforts, Love chose Cincinnati, joining T.J. Watt. Other available stars were corners Tre’Davious White and Devon Witherspoon, who Willie signed.

FA losses:
WR Tyler Lockett 2yr/$17.8 with SF
LB Yasir Abdullah 2yr/$5.42 with WAS
CB Taron Johnson 1yr/$4 with NYJ
DE Keion White 1yr/$2.5 with KC
WR Terrace Marshall Jr. 1yr/$2.36 with DEN
FB Brayden Willis 1yr/$1.35 with BAL
QB Isaiah Beckett 1yr/$1.11 with GB
Retirements: RB Raheem Mostert, TE Zach Ertz, C David Andrews
Unsigned: RB Kirk Merritt, TE Maxx Williams, LG A.J. Cann, C Connor McGovern, DE Yannick Ngakoue, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, MLB Jordan Hicks, CB Tavon Young, S Jordan Poyer, K Younghoe Koo, P Blake Gillikin

We needed a playmaker, physical receiver and real-life Colts draftee Alec Pierce from Cincinnati fit the profile. A reasonable three-year deal. Michael Carter was brought in as a third down specialist.

FA adds:
WR Alec Pierce 3yr/$15
RB Michael Carter 1yr/$3.5

The draft was our biggest day of the year. With the increase to All-Madden, it might be the best day of the ‘26 season.

Right tackle Chuck Jacobs would start over Morgan Moses by mid-season and the same for pass rusher Jalen Lynch, who I moved up for. Hopefully the pick I traded Willie to move up wouldn’t be in the top-ten.

Near future starters in safeties Taylor Ross and Angelo Telfer and linebackers T.J. Weston and Deontay Hillman inspired hope for the future.

But the night is darkest just before the dawn.

‘26 NFL Draft
1/RT Chuck Jacobs (Tennessee), DT Jalen Lynch (Washington)
2/SS Taylor Ross (Texas Tech), MLB T.J. Weston (Florida)
3/OLB Deontay Hillman (Ohio State), OLB Rishard Kirklin (Oregon State)
4/C Ben Powers (Michigan), TE Trent Stephenson (Boston College)
5/FS Angelo Telfer (Grand Valley State)
6/QB Patrick Thorne (Youngstown State)
7/K Sterling Foster (USC)

Multiple quarterbacks I had on my board were taken a round earlier than projected, leaving me with Youngstown State’s Patrick Thorne. His ratings did not inspire confidence, a 58 overall. I also failed to draft either of the two first-round centers I had circled on my board. Powers was not ready to start so I’d be forced to move Lindstrom to center and start second-year guard Edward Fowler at right.

I also broke my own rule and drafted a kicker. You should never draft kickers, punters or fullbacks. Sterling Foster would be put on practice squad. He barely made a 50-yarder in preseason.

Preseason adds: FB Nate Ford, WR Zay Jones, WR Jauan Jennings, TE Maxx Williams, LG Cody Whitehair, DE Derek Barnett, CB Stephon Gilmore, K Younghoe Koo, P Bradley Pinion

Nate Ford ended up beating Nick Bawden for the fullback job. Maxx Williams and Younghoe Koo returned to Detroit after going unsigned and punter Bradley Pinion stole the punter’s dollars from Blake Gillikin.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who was signed to be QB3, was unplayable. He couldn’t throw past 20 yards and his radar was all over the place. In six exhibition drives, he’d throw four picks and have a turnover on downs.

Preseason cuts: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, FB Nick Bawden, P Blake Gillikin

Preseason MVP: QB Patrick Thorne. Despite his report card, Thorne showed poise, presence and mobility, winning a competition that wasn’t much of a battle with Jimmy G.

New starters: RB Isaiah Weaver, FB Nate Ford, WR Alec Pierce, C Chris Lindstrom, RG Edward Fowler, DT Jalen Lynch, LOLB Deontay Hillman, MLB T.J. Weston

My captains: Wirfs, Lindstrom (new), Sneed (new), Wagner, Mathieu

Team overalls all dropped going into this season (81 offense, 80 defense, 80 overall) but we now were younger and growing.

We’d suffer a soul-crusher in week one. After Detroit built a 14-0 lead dominating time of possession, Chicago would take control of the game with 30 seconds left in the half. Derrick Henry was a non-factor but Hurts was exceptional. New Lions receiver Alec Pierce didn’t reach for a pass in the fourth quarter that would lead to a pick-six, an extremely bad first impression. A late Lions touchdown was meaningless. 32-28 Chicago.

That really felt like a win we deserved. Isaiah Weaver would run for 149 yards and a score in his first career start and still we came up short. Seven Bears games, seven Lions losses. When would it end?

After a loss to Green Bay, we’d be down three with 1:30 and one timeout. Russell would drive the field down to the three and a Weaver run on the final play for the win would end up one yard short.

Chicago wins. Again. Times eight.

In three games, the defense had generated no sacks, interceptions or fumbles. We had lost those three games by a combined 11 points.

We had traded our first rounder next year for DT Jalen Lynch. It was time to get that pick back.

Courtland Sutton, despite leading the team in receiving last year, was a huge disappointment. He also led the team in drops and was bad at the catch point. He’d regressed six overall points since I acquired him last season. He wasn’t the physical threat I had hoped.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave had been great for us but was on an expiring contract with two very young, first-round defensive tackles behind him begging for reps.

I had started Chris Lindstrom at center the last three games and it was punishing me at right guard. Edward Fowler, a draft pick, had struggled.

The team as a whole had been moving in the wrong direction the last year and a half. It was time to tear it down and rebuild.

In an attempt to infuse some energy and capital into the team, the following moves:

Going out:
WR Courtland Sutton
DT Javon Hargrave
RG Edward Fowler
RB James Conner
WR Zay Jones
WR Jauan Jennings
DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
CB Jeff Okudah
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th round picks

Coming in:
WR Rashee Rice
DE Myles Murphy
C Mitch Morse
1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th round picks

This is not how I like to build a team. I like to build through the draft but the players I had in place while those draft picks developed weren’t good enough. All the players traded other than Edward Fowler, the draft pick, were on expiring contracts. I really didn’t want to move him but he was one of the few assets I had to move.

WR Rashee Rice was on the trade block last season and I wasn’t able to acquire him. No failure this time. He was on a team-friendly contract (3yr/$24).

Myles Murphy was an impending free agent but at only 24, had a lot of upside. He’d have the rest of the season to earn a contract. I was desperate for pass rush.

Mitch Morse would be a one-year bandaid at center.

Five new players were added from free agency to fill out the roster, including Ravens starlet running back Keaton Mitchell. Isaiah Weaver had become a bell cow and would take over the power role as well.

After this mass exodus, only nine of those drafted in the inaugural draft remained. L’Jarius Sneed was one of them and despite the turnover and 0-3 start, wanted to continue as a captain on this Lions squad. He agreed to a two-year for $28 and I thought he was worth closer to $19 or $20 per year as a 92 overall player, a huge bargain.

Russell would throw for a career-high 280 yards in a 24-14 win over New England. New WR1 Rashee Rice would catch 8 passes for 180, a high in the Eminem era. I benched Mathieu and starting strong safety Marcus Maye for the two rookies, Angelo Telfer and Taylor Ross. Both recorded TFLs and Telfer had a game-sealing pick-six, our first takeaway of the season. It seemed Mathieu’s time as a starting safety might be over.

Russell would go full Jameis the following game, throwing three picks in the first 8 minutes.

The Lions defense was exceptional, forcing a three-and-out on the Buccaneers first drive. They had done that all five games this season. The Cats allowed 72 yards but still lost 17-10.

Russell needed to get it together fast or not only would he not be the starter next season; he wouldn’t be on the team. Detroit was now 1-4. We were at DEFCON1.

We’d go into the bye week with a win and a 3-5 record, meaning we’d have to go 6-3 minimum the rest of the way to return to the playoffs.

I don’t know what happened during the bye but something did. Russell had his first perfect game in a win over the Bills: 14/14 for 169 and two touchdowns a week after a three-touchdown win the week before. We’d win our first three games after the bye. The offense, for the first time in the Eminem era, scored at will.

We’d stretch the winning streak to five in a 27-7 win over the Joe Burrow-led Giants. Running back Isaiah Weaver had 92 yards rushing and three scores. The following week was a career-high 42 points against the 0-12 Jaguars, our sixth straight W. From 2-5 to 8-5 and leading our division. It was hard to believe this was the same team as a few months ago.

A significant reason for the change in course was QB Maxwell Russell. He’d had an awakening during the bye and had put together multiple multi-touchdown games. Finally, interceptions were down. Team scoring was higher than it ever had been. Offensive coordinator Kevin Stokes deserved a lot of credit.

Down 14-0 against the Jets, Detroit rallied but it wasn’t enough. At the 2-minute warning and one timeout left, another Jets first down would end our winning streak. Rookie MLB T.J. Weston, who I had put in the starting role over Bobby Wagner two games prior, snagged an interception for a touchdown, winning the game.

We had started the season 1-4. We had gone 8-1 since then and now it was a seven-game winning streak. We had risen from the depths. This was the best football of the Mathers tenure.

A meeting with Atlanta’s Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey was no contest. Russell had a career day: 11/15 for 198, 3 TDs. Isaiah Weaver had three rushing scores in a dominant 42-6 win.

The Lions would end the season on a 10-game winning streak, finishing 12-5, winning the NFC North and returning to the playoffs.

This was the most impactful draft class I’d had thus far: Chuck Jacobs at right tackle, Jalen Lynch at DT, Taylor Ross at SS, T.J. Weston at MLB, Angelo Telfer at FS. That youth infused life into this team and that paired with the Rashee Rice addition made all the difference.

’26 Season Stats
Russell 212/314 for 2891, 67%, 99.6 rating, 24 TDs, 17 INTs
Weaver 299 carries for 1725, 5.8 ypc, 18 TDs
Rice 68 receptions for 1062, 6 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Wheeler 52 receptions for 679, 5 TDs
Williams 80 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 INTs
Smith 29 tackles, 4 TFL, 11 sacks (Defensive MVP)
Murphy 26 tackles, 5 TFL, 7 sacks
Bland 50 tackles, 3 TFL, .5 sacks, 3 INTs, 14 PDs
Koo 15/16 for 93%, 50/50 XP for 100%
Pinion 50.9 avg, 44.5 net, 3 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 5054 (32nd), 2818 pass (32nd), 2236 rush (5th), 24.2 ppg (18th)
Last year: 4149, 2074, 2075, 18.6
Defense: 3598 (2nd), 2881 pass (2nd), 717 rush (2nd), 15.8 pag (2nd)
32 sacks, 1 fumble, 14 INTs
Last year: 4306, 3056, 1250, 19.0, 34, 4, 13

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Weaver, Wirfs, Lindstrom (3)
COY: Mathers (3rd)
OPOY: Weaver (4th)
DROY: Telfer (6th), Weston (8th)
Best RB: Weaver (3rd)
Best OL: Lindstrom (1st)
Best DL: Smith (9th)
Best K: Koo (1st)

Willie’s Texans would go 17-0. Donald reset the sack record with 32.5 and Houston set the team record with 75.

Detroit’s return to the playoffs would be at home versus the Packers. Our best pass rusher, Nolan Smith, would miss the game with a hip pointer.

Corner Jonathan Aldridge would pick off Green Bay’s Bryce Young on the first play of the game. The defense would snag a safety, Aldridge would grab a second pick and Weaver would run for 132 yards and two scores in a 26-7 win, Mathers’ second playoff win. Maxwell Russell did not play well in this game, throwing for only 67 yards but he finally had his first playoff win. Derek Barnett, playing in Smith’s stead, would gather two sacks in his first start.

The divisional game would be against Mahomes’ Falcons, who we had hammered 42-6 weeks earlier. Our best player, Tristan Wirfs, sprained his PCL during practice and would miss the game. Morgan Moses, who had started at right tackle each of the last three seasons, would start at left.

Stephon Gilmore would pick off Mahomes’ first pass, giving Detroit a short field, which led to an early lead but as we’ve seen time and time again, Maxwell Russell would throw the game away. He’d throw three interceptions, including a pick-six to start the second half. We’d score the game-tying touchdown and go for two but we wouldn’t get it. The Lions defense forced a three-and-out but Russell would chuck another one to the Falcons in a 24-23 loss.

I didn’t know what to do with Russell. His numbers had improved from his previous two seasons but in his now three-year career, he had 52 touchdown passes to 58 interceptions. That’s horrid.

That 10-game winning streak was magical. It felt like it was our year. And then it wasn’t.

5/General Patton’s War

Nolan Smith would reject deals for $10, $12 and $15 per year so we used the franchise tag for the first time. Koo, off back-to-back conference Kicker of the Year awards, deserved a check. Wagner and Quincy Williams agreed to mentor the young linebackers for one more season. Tyrann Mathieu decided to retire, another team captain lost.

Re-signs:
CB L’Jarius Sneed 2yr/$28
DE Nolan Smith tagged at $21.3
DE Myles Murphy 2yr/$20
RB Keaton Mitchell 3yr/$11.1
K Younghoe Koo 2yr/$9
LB Quincy Williams 1yr/$5
MLB Bobby Wagner 1yr/$5

FA losses:
WR Rashid Shaheed 3yr/$14.9 with CHI
MLB Mack Wilson 3yr/$12.5 with LV
RT Thayer Munford Jr. 1yr/$3.19 with NYJ
P Bradley Pinion 1yr/$1.31 with LV
Retirements: QB Carson Wentz, C Mitch Morse, RT Morgan Moses, DT David Onyemata, CB Stephon Gilmore, FS Tyrann Mathieu
Unsigned: RB Michael Carter, FB Nate Ford, WR Bryan Edwards, WR Trevante McBride, TE Maxx Williams, LG Cody Whitehair, RG Cody Ford, DE Derek Barnett, CB Desmond King, S Marcus Maye

Desperate for a solution at quarterback, I offered Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray deals but both turned me down for smaller fair elsewhere. Bijan Robinson and Nick Chubb were both available at RB and Chase Young at edge, who turned down $25 million.

Our prize of the offseason was Treylon Burks. He was a project player, a former first-rounder with upside. If we could get him to his potential, this would be a bargain.

Garrett Bradbury would be a bridge player at center, with hopefully one coming in the draft as well.

FA adds:
WR Treylon Burks 3yr/$15
DE Jonathan Greenard 2yr/$14
C Garrett Bradbury 1yr/$7
RB Austin Ekeler 1yr/$4
FB Reggie Gilliam 1yr/$4

I felt like my hand was forced with Russell so I drafted the best quarterback available, 5’11” scrambler William Patton. I prefer quarterbacks who sit in the pocket, that’s my offense but another option other than Russell was a welcome addition. This draft class was top-heavy and very thin so this spring, we doubled up on capital in 2028.

’27 NFL Draft
1/QB William Patton (Kansas)
4/LT Jalen Garrison (Arkansas), LG Javier Ridley (Texas)
6/TE Bradley Compton (UAB), QB Gill Fox (Auburn)
7/FB Joe Faulkner (USF)

Preseason adds: RB Aaron Jones, WR Jalin Hyatt, WR Kyle Philips, RG Shaq Mason, RT Terence Steele, DT Arik Armstead, MLB Micah McFadden, CB Taron Johnson, CB Benjamin St-Juste, SS Jason Pinnock, P Justin Harden

Preseason cuts: LB Nigel Jackson, SS Troy Dodson

Preseason MVP: QB William Patton. He was a raw prospect with upside. It was hard to pin what he was: Terrelle Pryor or Lamar Jackson?

New starters: FB Reggie Gilliam, WR Treylon Burks, C Garrett Bradbury, ROLB Deontay Hillman, P Justin Harden

Captains: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Wagner, Sneed, DaRon Bland (new)

For the first time, our team overalls went up, now infused with youthful fire. 83 overall, 84 offense, 83 defense.

It was a do or die year for Russell and he did not disappoint, fumbling on the goal line. The Lions would start 0-1 because their quarterback is a pumpkin, again.

He’d throw four interceptions the following week, his last game as a Lion. The team had quit on him. The Chargers’ Bijan Robinson ran for 182 yards, an alarming performance from the pale blue defense.

I had given Russell a far longer leash than he deserved, a mistake I would have to live with. I had wasted three excellent defenses because of shit quarterback play. Russell had lost us so many football games.

Russell would finish his Lions career with 53 TDs and 63 picks. He was one of the worst quarterbacks I’d ever had in Madden, a complete and absolute bust. I shipped him to Philly for two first-round picks, a much greater haul than he deserved.

Coincidentally, we would play Philly in week three and Russell would introduce himself quite well. In his five possessions, Russell would go three-and-out, interception, interception again, three-and-out and turnover on downs. The Eagles would muster only 38 yards of offense.

Patton would have a boring 79-yard game while running back Isaiah Weaver and the offensive line went to work. Weaver would run for 175 yards and a score in a 20-0 clinic, the first shutout in the Eminem era.

Patton would rally the team from down 10 and down 6 in the fourth quarter the following week, scoring the game-winning touchdown with seconds on the clock. Patton was 2-0 to start his career. He would throw two picks but responded to the adversity instead of flopping over like a pancake like Russell. Don’t throw picks, win football games. Sometimes, it’s that easy.

We’d lose to San Francisco and fail to beat Seattle for a fourth straight time, our other bitter rival. We might be the Detroit Lions but Chicago and Seattle were our owners.

But all was not lost. Following the loss, a trade request came in. Turned out, WR Jaylin Hyatt was frustrated with his lack of playing time and put his agent to work on facilitating a trade and a golden opportunity presented itself.

Back in the 2025 draft, Detroit drafted corner Jonathan Aldridge and defensive tackle Jonathan Walford but there was a third player the Lions wanted but were unable to trade up for: defensive end Ben McClain, the draft’s best defensive end by our scouting department’s reporting. He was drafted by Philly and in the two years since had blossomed. The North Carolina State product had become a strong power rusher and by rating was a top-30 defensive end.

Philly, reeling from an 0-4 stretch since trading for the dumpster fire known as Maxwell Russell, was desperate to find another receiver to help their disastrous new acquistion. The Eagles offered McClain and a young receiver prospect, Deonte Stroud, for Hyatt, a gross overpay by Philly. The green would double down, signing Russell to a four-year extension.

McClain had only registered 7.5 sacks in two and a half years but this could be the pass rusher we’d been looking for.

Our next game would be against the Bears and Patton would come to play: 19/26 for 238 yards, 3 TDs, INT. He’d complete a two-minute touchdown to steal the win from Chicago at Soldier Field, 20-19. The losing streak against the Bears was over. We had our first win over those damn guys.

We’d make our final trade before the deadline, trading malcontent Nolan Smith and a depth linebacker for a first in two seasons. Smith had been our most valuable defender the last two years but had no interest in staying in Detroit. He’d registered just one sack in seven games playing on a $21 million franchise tag.

We’d rattle off a three-game win streak, including a shutout of Green Bay, before the offensive line no-showed, allowing seven sacks to a 1-9 Vikings squad, a game we really should’ve won.

Now 5-5 through 10 weeks, the Thanksgiving Day game was against those damn Bears and we’d come out with the turkey, 28-25.

The next five weeks would be against five playoff teams: Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona and Kansas City. Detroit would win all five by 10+ points, finishing the season on a seven-game win streak. Mathers would have his second consecutive 12-win campaign.

Willie’s Texans would complete their second 17-0 season and Travon Walker set a new sack record at an astronomical 35.5.

‘27 Season Stats
Patton 180/257 for 2,462, 70%, 107.8 rating, 22 TDs, 13 INTs
Weaver 259 carries for 1487, 5.7 ypc, 15 TDs
Burks 65 receptions for 912, 6 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Rice 39 receptions for 650, 3 TDs
Wheeler 37 receptions for 491, 5 TDs
Weston 95 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks, INT
Murphy 17 tackles, 2 TFL, 7.5 sacks
Lynch 24 tackles, TFL, 6 sacks
Bland 46 tackles, TFL, 5 INTs, 14 PDs (Defensive MVP)
Koo 11/14 for 78%, 48/49 XP for 97%
Harden 59.1 avg, league-leading 52.3 net, 6 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 4750 (32nd), 2533 pass (32nd), 2217 rush (3rd), 22.8 ppg (23rd)
Last year: 5054, 2818, 2236, 24.2
Defense: 3582 (1st), 2528 pass (1st), 1054 rush (2nd), 16.2 pag (2nd)
30 sacks, fumble, 18 interceptions
Last year: 3598, 2881, 717, 15.8, 32, 1, 14

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Bland (3)
COY: Mathers (3rd)
OROY: Patton (4th)
Best RB: Weaver (2nd)
Best OL: Lindstrom (3rd)
Best DB: Bland (7th)
Best K: Koo (9th)

Our first playoff game was against division-rival Green Bay and our injury report was a nightmare. Starting outside backer Jimmy Dugan would miss this week with a dislocated wrist and superstar corner Jonathan Aldridge and starting center Garrett Bradbury would each miss our first two playoff games with broken fingers. Second-year center Ben Powers would be thrust into his first career start.

Bryce Young and the Packers started on fire, scoring on each of their first three possessions. Back Travis Etienne was a problem, bouncing for 135 yards and three 6’s.

Patton struggled in the snow and was stripped while scrambling, allowing Green Bay to jump up 14 with five minutes in the fourth quarter. Detroit would convert on two fourth downs, one a one-handed catch by stud Treylon Burks, and score eight. It was 28-22 Green Bay.

The pale blue defense would get the stop and Michigan’s city would get the ball with 1:50 and one timeout, converting a fourth down once again to Burks. Burks would snag the game-winning score with six seconds left as Ford Field imploded. Detroit had completed the 14-point comeback and beaten Green Bay for the third time in 2027.

Patton was a pedestrian 12/24 for 187 and two scores but performed when we needed it most. He also scrambled for 63 yards and six. Burks caught six for 85 and both Patton air scores.

Our hearts in our throats, we’d be on the road in Los Angeles against the 13-4 Rams, the second-highest scoring offense. We had beaten them in week 15 during our end of season win streak.

Bobby Wagner, now 37, forced a fumble that was the nail in the coffin for Los Angeles. The Lions shut out the Rams in the second half. Patton completed only six passes but for two touchdowns. Weaver and the run game carried the day as the Lions made it to their first NFC Championship Game, 25-13.

The conference ‘ship was against the New York Giants and league MVP Joe Burrow, the league’s most dynamic air attack. The Lions defense didn’t get the memo, shutting out the Giants and Burrow. New York had 48 yards of offense.

Patton was exceptional: 22/28 for 273 and two scores. Burks had nine receptions for 115 and those two scores. Patton and Burks had developed a special connection.

We’d lose the Super Bowl to Willie’s Texans, a 93 overall team. It was 23-13 Texans going into the 4th quarter before the game got away from us but there were a lot of positives to take away.

Quincy Williams got a pick-six to start the game and Alec Pierce beat Trent McDuffie for a long touchdown. The run game was still a factor, the defense was stout.

We had nothing to hang our heads about. We had brought Detroit its first conference championship, its first Super Bowl appearance and done it with a rookie quarterback.

Mathers was a fired coach. He’d rallied with back-to-back 12-win seasons.

We would be back.

6/Sophomore Slump

Our first draft class hit free agency. Outside backer Jimmy Dugan was given the first extension, a modest two-year and Matt Barnett, a two-year starter at left guard, was given a one-year, likely as a backup. Taron Johnson did well in his return and was brought back for another year. Quincy could still play and was paid after his playoff performance and punter Justin Harden, who led the league in punt average, was the Lions first returning punter in the Mathers’ age.

Bobby Wagner, a captain since the beginning, retired, an expected loss but a painful one all the same.

Re-signs:
LB Jimmy Dugan 2yr/$6
LB Quincy Williams 1yr/$5
CB Taron Johnson 1yr/$3.5
LG Matt Barnett 1yr/$3
P Justin Harden 1yr/$2.5

FA losses:
LB Kenya Pressley 2yr/$7.72 with KC
FB Reggie Gilliam 1yr/$3.62 with MIN
CB Benjamin St-Juste 1yr/$2.37 with NE
C Garrett Bradbury 1yr/$2 with SF
DE Jared Messina 1yr/$1.87 with TB
RT Terence Steele 1yr/$1.23 with KC
Retirements: RB Aaron Jones, RG Shaq Mason, DT Arik Armstead, MLB Bobby Wagner
Unsigned: QB Gill Fox, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Kyle Philips, MLB Mike Russo, SS Jason Pinnock

Daniel Rayburn, an 80 overall end, was brought in to fortify the pass rush. He registered nine sacks for the Rams last season. Julian Love would provide some veteran leadership at safety.

FA adds:
LE Daniel Rayburn 3yr/$22.5
FS Julian Love 2yr/$12

At long last, we got a star receiver at the draft, a local prospect named Javier Hopkins out of Michigan State. Physical and he would attack the ball in contested situations. Daniel Mobley and Khalid Staton would provide more end help, giving us plenty of toys to play with and we took yet another defensive tackle in the first round, Jacoby Keyes. We drafted new starters at left guard, center and a Wagner replacement in Rashard Stockton. My hopes for him were sky high. In total, 12 draft picks, our largest draft haul thus far.

’28 NFL Draft
1/WR Javier Hopkins (Michigan State), LE Daniel Mobley (Louisville), DT Jacoby Keyes (Oklahoma)
2/LG Justin Johnson (Ole Miss)
3/MLB Rashard Stockton (Oklahoma), C Patrick Cash (Oregon), RB Ben Shivers (Georgetown)
4/QB Gabriel Tatum (Colorado State), LE Khalid Staton (LSU), WR Michael Gilmore (Florida), C Spencer Batch (Rutgers)
6/LB Dee Hall (Texas Tech)

Prior to preseason, we didn’t make any adds other than our fifth corner, Rasul Douglas but after preseason, Nick Chubb found himself cut. A horrendous bit of management by whatever team did that (it was the Jaguars. Jacksonville, never change). Chubb, still a 91 overall, was traded to the Rams for a second round pick.

Preseason adds: RT Jack Conklin, CB Rasul Douglas

Preseason cuts: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, RB Nelson Langford, K Sterling Foster

Preseason MVP: RB Keaton Mitchell. Mitchell posted his first 100-yard game and nearly six yards per carry during the preseason. Mitchell would see more usage in year two of his three-year deal.

New starters: FB Joe Faulkner, WR Javier Hopkins, LG Justin Johnson, C Patrick Cash, RE Ben McClain, MLB Rashard Stockton

Captains: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Sneed, Bland, Jonathan Aldridge (new)

By overall, this was the best team we had had since Year One (we were now an 84, bested only by Year One’s 87) and the best offense we’d ever had (85).

The defense balled out week one, registering five sacks, three picks and a safety in a 22-6 win to start the season. Star back Isaiah Weaver would suffer a torn labrum, missing the next month of action. That Chubb trade had already aged extremely poorly.

The Bears had curiously cut King Henry, who had tortured me for years. The Lions brought him in and cut backup right tackle Jack Conklin to make the space. Keaton Mitchell would go over 100 in his first Lions start and Henry would add 70 in a Lions revenge game over Atlanta, who had beat us in the playoffs two years ago. The defense again snatched three interceptions.

We’d start the season 4-1 but Isaiah Weaver would suffer a ruptured disk in his return to action, missing another five weeks. Despite all the injuries, I still extended Weaver in appreciation of what he’d done and because I still think he could be an elite back.

Patton would have the worst game of his career in an NFC Championship rematch against the Giants, throwing three picks. Despite our 5-2 record, Patton was in a sophomore slump, throwing 10 picks. We needed him to return to freshman form if we were gonna be a true contender.

Patton would throw five TDs in his next two games and Detroit would record the third career shutout of the Mathers era, 31-0, over Green Bay, who had curiously let Bryce Young walk. Gardner Minshew was not the solution.

A rematch against Willie’s Texans did not go well. The second half we narrowly lost 21-16 but we fell behind 28-0 in the first. The lag was a serious issue, prevented us from running screens or QB scrambling. I was unsure how we’d overcome but we would have to find a way.

After a pretty frustrating loss, many of the Lions mainstays were paid, including franchise stars Chris Lindstrom and L’Jarius Sneed. Draft pick Joey Wheeler was kept at tight end and even Rashee Rice believed in what we were building. Despite the humiliations against the Texans, we knew from the top of the organization down we had something special here.

We’d play the Eagles the following week and Maxwell Russell would once again turn into a pumpkin, throwing a pick-six to middle linebacker T.J. Weston, who won NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Weston was having a phenomenal year and getting consideration for DPOY.

We’d lose the following week after another disastrous performance from Patton. He’d thrown 19 picks in 12 games.

We were 8-4 at the bye week but we were far from a Super Bowl team. Something needed to change.

Patton’s turnover struggles would continue against a bare kitchen Packers squad, fumbling what would have been a go-ahead scoring drive on the two in a 16-14 loss.

Patton’s rookie year highlights felt like a far distant memory. He’d completed fallen apart.

He’d throw another pick to the infamous corner Amari Harris the following week versus Minnesota and be benched. No Lions QB could have won this game; the offensive line didn’t come to work, allowing a season-high six sacks. We had lost three straight games and our hold of the NFC North.

We’d respond, winning our fourth-straight Bears game after having lost the first eight. Sneed and Weston would record pick-sixes in a road win in Miami but Patton would throw a career-worst four interceptions in the finale against Washington, costing us the division and the playoffs.

We ended the season on a 2-4 collapse, finishing 10-7.

Willie’s Texans cruised, per usual. Rookie running back Cordell Cowan set the league rushing record, 2158, in an MVP season, scoring 33 touchdowns. Rookie defensive end Cordell Rose set a new sack record at 37. The rich kept getting richer, a sixth Lombardi.

‘28 Season Stats
Patton 203/304 for 2648, 66%, 88.2 rating, 26 TDs, 25 INTs
Mitchell 177 carries for 1046, 5.9 ypc, 5 TDs
Burks 61 receptions for 848, 9 TDs (Offensive MVP)
Rice 53 receptions for 732, 5 TDs
Weston 96 tackles, 5 TFL, 4 sacks, 5 INTs, FF, 2 TDs (Defensive MVP)
Walford 33 tackles, 8 sacks
Sneed 52 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, TD
Aldridge 62 tackles, 4 INTs, 14 PDs
Koo 13/15 for 86%, 40/40 XP for 100%
Harden 53.5 avg, 43.9 net, 2 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 4704 (32nd), 2519 pass (32nd), 2185 rush (4th), 21.8 ppg (29th)
Last year: 4750, 2533, 2217, 22.8
Defense: 4031 (2nd), 2435 pass (2nd), 1012 rush (2nd), 17.7 pag (2nd)
37 sacks, 4 fumbles, 19 INTs
Last year: 3582, 2528, 1054, 16.2, 30, 1, 18

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Wirfs, Lindstrom (2)
COY: Mathers (4th)
OROY: Hopkins (2nd), Shivers (10th)
Best OL: Lindstrom (3rd), Cash (9th)
Best K: Koo (9th)

7/Wagging and Weaving

Defensive coordinator Dean Fuller was fired. Fuller had been one of the league’s best DCs since we’d started but his inability to develop a dominant pass rush had reached a breaking point. In six years with him at the helm, we’d never broken into the top-ten or reached 40 sacks.

New hire Sammy Wagner specialized in 4-3 cover 3 defenses.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Stokes was also on the hot seat. Mathers’ minions had been dead-last in yardage every year and while the scoring had improved under Stokes’ watch, there was still room for improvement. Stokes’ first task would be revitalizing the offense.

We’d be switching to new playbooks in 2029, scrapping McDaniel/Reid for LaFleur/Steichen.

Re-signs:
RG Chris Lindstrom 3yr/$60
CB L’Jarius Sneed 3yr/$45
TE Joey Wheeler 4yr/$40
WR Rashee Rice 2yr/$40
RB Isaiah Weaver 2yr/$24
LG Matt Barnett 3yr/$9
K Younghoe Koo 1yr/$4

Beyond frustrated with our pass rush, we cleaned house at defensive end, leaving free agent signee Daniel Rayburn and former first-round pick Daniel Mobley left. Alec Pierce, who had caught our only touchdown in our Super Bowl appearance, walked. Franchise stalwart Quincy Williams called it a career.

FA losses:
DE Myles Murphy 2yr/$16 with ATL
DE Ben McClain 2yr/$16 with BAL
WR Alec Pierce 1yr/$2.65 with IND
Retirements: RB Derrick Henry, LB Quincy Williams, CB Rasul Douglas
Unsigned: WR Luke Williams, DE Jonathan Greenard, CB Taron Johnson, FS Casey Peerman, P Justin Harden

Micah Parsons was the top gem of free agency and I offered $70 million over two years, beyond desperate for a pass rush. Parsons spurned Detroit for Seattle and those damn Seahawks, our cross country rival, for four years and short of $120. Our lone signing, Asante Samuel Jr., gave us a dominant CB4 at a CB2 price I was willing to pay, making the best cornerback room in the league even better. Even Willie’s Texans couldn’t compete with the Lions.

FA adds:
CB Asante Samuel Jr. 1yr/$10

Patton’s time as starter was over. I had held onto Russell too long. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

It wasn’t just Patton’s interceptions. Patton had begun to freeze in the pocket, causing sacks when there were open targets. The dude needed a reset and some time on the bench might help with that.

Clemson Tiger Jeremy Wagner had A grades at all accuracies and A throw power. It took two first rounders to move all the way up to 2 to snag him and a similar trade up was made for the draft’s top pass rusher, Wolverine Sidney Moorehead.

A generational corner, Aleon Pleasants, went first overall, another player I desperately wanted but the truth was I didn’t have a dire need at corner. It hurt to watch Willie trade up and snag him but he would have been my CB4 and I’d have a $10 million CB5 who wouldn’t see the field in Samuel Jr. I had had Sneed and Bland since the beginning and I wasn’t moving either. Aldridge was still my best draft pick. He wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t do it.

After the draft, Pleasants ended up the lottery’s top-rated prospect.

Nearly all our capital spent, WR Terrell Gates would be our only other selection but we now had three game changers added to our roster. Complacency was not an option.

Patton would remain with the Lions. Despite his awful second year, I still believed he had potential. I just wasn’t willing to pass on the best QB prospect in six drafts.

’29 NFL Draft
1/QB Jeremy Wagner (Clemson), DE Sidney Moorehead (Michigan)
2/WR Terrell Gates (Georgia)

We got veteran leadership on defense and a former first-round back in Matt O’Neal. (95 speed, 97 accel).

Preseason adds: RB Matt O’Neal, RG Will Hernandez, DE Mike Danna, DE Kenny Clark, CB Kendall Fuller, SS Jamal Adams, P Justin Harden

Preseason cuts: RB Ben Shivers, FS Ifeatu Melifonwu

Preseason MVP: WR Terrell Gates. Gates was an accomplished route runner with serious wheels. He’d be our new slot receiver before long.

New starters: QB Jeremy Wagner, LE Daniel Rayburn, RE Sidney Moorehead

Captains: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Sneed, Bland, Aldridge

Our team overalls maintained at 84 across the board.

Wagner’s Lions career would start rough, throwing a pick-six in each of his first two starts, both one-score losses.

We’d lose twice to Minnesota, who had developed one of the league’s best pass rushes with 99 overall Aidan Hutchinson and top-five pick Trae Starks. We were 2-3 going into week six against Mahomes’ Falcons.

Middle linebacker T.J. Weston would make yet another splash play, taking a goal line pick-six the other way. Despite a still struggling pass rush, the defense was exceptional, holding Atlanta to seven points in a 24-7 win.

One Lion was pissed off about this win and that was Treylon Burks. Despite leading the team in receiving for the third straight year, Burks was pissed he wasn’t getting the ball more. This was not the first time he had a blowup in the locker room; he had requested a trade last season.

I had enough. Burks was in the final year of a bargain 3yr/$15. He had been great, a huge value for the team, worth at least double his deal but I had a talented rookie in Gates who would start in the slot next season. Burks had earned a raise I likely couldn’t afford, not with so many of my stars needing contracts. Corners Jonathan Aldridge and DaRon Bland had both signed $20/yr deals, left tackle Tristan Wirfs had inked $30 and SS Taylor Ross had agreed to a team-friendly $10 AAV. With Burks once again being a manchild off the field, we’d reached the end of the line.

It was likely from the beginning of the season one of my starting key contributors would hit free agency. Burks had made the decision for me. He was traded to the struggling Browns for a high second.

We’d push our win streak to three games. Wagner was disciplined with the ball, throwing only four picks halfway through the season.

After missing most of last year with injuries, Weaver had become a Derrick Henry prototype, bouncing off of tacklers and gaining yards after contact. I had signed him to a short two-year at a more comfortable $12 per but continued production like this and Weaver would get another extension and a well-deserved raise.

Sneed and Ross would both grab pick-sixes in a thumper over Chicago, our fifth-straight Bears win after losing our first eight matchups.

We’d finish a five-game win streak before our bye, reaching the line at 7-3. Going into the rest week, middle linebacker T.J. Weston was leading the league in interceptions with five, two for touchdowns. He would sign a $60 million extension.

Defensive starters Weston, Aldridge, Bland, Ross, Walford and Telfer all signed long-term deals. Asante Samuel Jr. also agreed to another mercenary contract, 1yr/$10. In total, my top-four corners now cost $65 million, a heavy penny, but all were top-20 corners by rating. The best cornerback room in football would be together a little longer.

We’d lose to the Bears for the first time in three years coming out of the bye, ending our five-game win streak. The series was now 9-5 Bears.

Wagner would throw multiple picks in his first four out of the bye and we’d lose two, falling to 9-5. The defense, after allowing over 20 twice in their first 10, allowed 20+ in three.

Firing defensive coordinator Dean Fuller had proven to be a mistake. The defense had regressed and the sack totals had gotten worse, not better. It was still a top-unit but stirring the pot hadn’t worked. Fuller was now in Carolina and the Panthers were a top-five scoring defense, top-10 against the run and 9-5.

An interesting name popped up on free agency after week 16: WR Amari Cooper. He was 35 but still an 82 overall. He had played six seasons for the Chiefs and this season, Kansas City sat him on the bench and gave him no reps. He’d mentor the young guns and get them ready for the playoff push.

Wagner would beat his older brother, Washington Commanders starting QB Brayden Wagner, in week 17, 21-14.

We finished with our third 12-5 season.

Willie’s C.J. Stroud had his best ever year, throwing for over 6,000 yards and 62 TDs with a 144.6 passer rating, all league records. WR Garrett Wilson and Tank Dell were first and second in receiving, with Wilson over 2200. The Texans would finish with their third undefeated regular season. Coach Matthew McConaughey would finish with his seventh-straight Coach of the Year award. He hadn’t coached a season without winning it.

Outside of the four-game stretch out of the bye, Wagner had put together a strong rookie campaign. He had less than 10 interceptions in those 13 games.

The defense scored an impressive 10 defensive touchdowns and poached a record 27 picks but 24 sacks, fourth-worst, was alarming.

’29 Season Stats
Wagner 231/350 for 2837, 66%, 94.4 rating, 25 TDs, 17 INTs (Offensive MVP)
Weaver 238 carries for 1385, 5.8 ypc, 16 TDs
Rice 55 receptions for 613, 6 TDs
Hopkins 47 receptions for 594, 5 TDs
Weston 103 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 INTs, 2 TDs (Defensive MVP)
Moorehead 21 tackles, 7 TFL, 7.5 sacks
Ross 70 tackles, 3 TFL, sack, 5 INTs, 3 TDs
Sneed 58 tackles, 2 TFL, 6 INTs, 2 TDs
Koo 19/20 for 95%, 50/51 XP for 98%
Harden 55.0 avg, 53.0 net, 9 inside the 20
Team Stats
Offense: 4570 (32nd), 2578 pass (32nd), 1992 rush (7th), 25.6 ppg (20th)
Last year: 4704, 2519, 2185, 21.8
Defense: 3818 (2nd), 2825 pass (2nd), 993 rush (2nd), 15.9 pag (2nd)
24 sacks, 2 fumbles, 27 INTs
Last year: 4031, 2435, 1012, 17.7, 37, 4, 19

Awards:
Pro Bowl: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Weston, Sneed, Ross (5)
COY: Mathers (3rd)
OROY: Wagner (4th), Gates (5th)
DROY: Moorehead (2nd)
Best RB: Weaver (7th)
Best OL: Cash (10th)
Best DB: Sneed (1st), Ross (3rd), Bland (4th)
Best K: Koo (1st)

After getting swept by Minnesota during the year, we’d stomp them in the wild card round. The defense allowed under 150 yards and only 10 points, while Wagner went an efficient 11/14 for 144 and two scores in his first playoff win.

We’d throughly demolish Mahomes’ Atlanta 42-10. Weaver had perhaps his best playoff performance (22 carries for 184 yards) while Wagner went 8/9 for 103 and two scores.

Our first home NFC Championship Game was a disaster…for the Saints, a 38-3 stomping.

In three playoff games, the Lions defense allowed 23 points.

Detroit would return to the Super Bowl with a rookie starting QB against Willie’s Texans, who would win their seventh straight Lombardi.

Willie was simply a better player with a superior team and better internet connection. For me, making it to the Super Bowl was my Super Bowl. Still, the goal was to win it for the Lions and city of Detroit. It hurt, knowing whenever we made it to the big game, we only had a 1/100 chance. It was a successful season, a great year but still short of the ultimate prize.

Maybe Stroud would get hit by a car.

8/The Sophomore Curse

In total, we spent $449 million on contracts this season but I believed in the players. Most of these names were team captains or soon-to-be leaders. It was a gargantuan sum but our stars were strong and could take us to the top.

Kicker Younghoe Koo, our specialist for six years, would hit free agency along with both starting outside linebackers.

Re-signs:
CB Jonathan Aldridge 5yr/$100
LT Tristan Wirfs 3yr/$90
CB DaRon Bland 3yr/$60
MLB T.J. Weston 5yr/$60
SS Taylor Ross 5yr/$50
DT Jonathan Walford 3yr/$42
FS Angelo Telfer 3yr/$24
CB Asante Samuel Jr. 1yr/$10
RB Keaton Mitchell 2yr/$10
FB Joe Faulkner 2yr/$3

FA losses:
RB Matt O’Neal 2yr/$8.7 with SEA
LB Deontay Hillman 1yr/$2.4 with ATL
K Younghoe Koo 1yr/$2.1 with DEN
LB Jimmy Dugan 1yr/$1.9 with TB
LB Rishard Kirklin 1yr/$1.9 with PHI
P Justin Harden 1yr/$1.4 with BAL
C Ben Powers 1yr/$1.3 with NYJ
TE Trent Stephenson 1yr/$1.2 with GB
Retirements: WR Amari Cooper
Unsigned: WR Darnell Mooney, RG Will Hernandez, DE Mike Danna, DE Kenny Clark, CB Kendall Fuller, SS Jamal Adams, SS Julian Love

This was the most active I had been during free agency but the draft board at some positions was lacking or it was unlikely the player I wanted would fall to me. Some affordable one-year fixes, including Scary Terry at receiver.

FA adds:
LT AJ Jackson 1yr/$6
WR Terry McLaurin 1yr/$5
DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah 1yr/$5
SS Ji’ayir Brown 1yr/$4
RG Conor Robinson 1yr/$2

I also made two trades prior to draft day. Defensive end Daniel Rayburn had signed a three-year, $22 million contract with us in free agency two years ago. In those two years, he had just two sacks. He was one of the worst signings of my career. That contract had to go. Tampa Bay traded us an early second.

QB William Patton deserved another chance to start but that opportunity seemed unlikely to materialize in Detroit. Hoping he might still serve Detroit’s interests, I shipped him to Indianapolis, where he would face Willie’s Texans twice a year. The Colts surrendered a second and a first next year.

With no first round pick after the draft day trade last year for pass rusher Sidney Moorehead, we missed out on a few premium prospects at outside linebacker, right tackle and tight end but they were players I wanted, not athletes I needed.

WR Justin Springs was one of two promising resumes at WR, George Scott would strengthen the secondary and Rushing and Redding the offensive line. After letting three outside linebackers walk in free agency, I missed on the draft’s best at the position, which would leave a glaring hole in the roster card.

’30 NFL Draft
2/WR Justin Springs (Wisconsin), FS George Scott (Notre Dame), RT Logan Rushing (Utah), C Norman Redding (UCLA)
4/LB Austin Verdon (Auburn)
5/LB Larry Rhodes (USC)
6/RT Jonathan Priestley (Boise State)
7/QB Anthony Burr (UAB)

Willie and I have a three-trade limit per season and I’d make my final trade before preseason even started. Willie had a talented pass rusher named Stephon Nails on his bench. He was in the final year of his rookie deal. I traded a fifth for the rental and hoped Nails could rediscover the talent that had made him a top-10 draft choice.

Kyler Murray and Shaquille Richard, a RB I missed out on in one of our earlier drafts, both were cut after preseason. Kyler would obviously provide mentorship and Richard would be a talented RB3.

Many former draft picks were sadly cut. Sometimes, prospects don’t work out.

Preseason adds: QB Kyler Murray, RB Shaquille Richard, TE Dallas Goedert, DE Montez Sweat, DE Stephon Nails, LB Bradley Chubb, MLB Owen Pappoe, CB Eric Stokes

Preseason cuts: QB Gabriel Tatum, RB Brian Robinson Jr., LT Jalen Garrison, C Spencer Batch, RG Javier Ridley, DE Khalid Staton

Preseason MVP: QB Anthony Burr. Burr was a seventh-round pick and I expected him to be QB3 but he really impressed, an improviser when the play broke down. Gabriel Tatum, who had been a drafted backup the last two years but hadn’t been asked to do anything, was god awful, throwing seven picks and two pick-sixes in five quarters. Not only did he lose the backup job to Burr, he lost his roster spot to Kyler.

Marcus Matthews, an undrafted player who had marinated on practice squad and Dee Hall, a sixth-round choice two years ago, would start at outside linebacker. I’m mostly in nickel or dime but they would see the field in 4-3, 46 Bear and goal line formations. Hopefully, the run D wouldn’t suffer too much.

Kicker Josh Randolph and punter Allen Carr both took over starting roles after a year on practice squad.

New starters: RE Stephon Nails, LOLB Marcus Matthews, ROLB Dee Hall, K Josh Randolph, P Allen Carr

Captains: Wirfs, Lindstrom, Aldridge, Bland, Sneed

Our overalls were the highest they had been since our introductory season (87 overall, 88 offense, 87 defense).

Week one was against Joe Burrow’s Giants, who now had T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa. They were a scary team and it got to Wagner, who threw three picks in the first half but the Lions defense held, with middle linebacker T.J. Weston stealing a Burrow pass on the goal line.

Down 10-0 at half, I would usually bench a QB who had thrown three picks but something told me to keep Wagner in. This was a moment of adversity for him. I wanted to see how he responded.

He’d drive us to a score to start the second half, MLB Rashard Stockton would kidnap another Burrow pass and Wagner and company would capitalize again. Burrow would answer, taking a 17-14 lead with three minutes in the fourth but Wagner had gotten over his jitters. Detroit would score with under a minute to go and the defense would hold again. 21-17 Lions.

Some wins are ugly but often those victories say more about your team than the pretty ones. This one said we could overcome adverse circumstances.

Weston would record 11 tackles, a TFL and an interception, yet another game-changing performance among so many. I had five captains on my team since the beginning but for the first time, we’d have six. Weston had earned it.

Wagner would have another three-pick first half but the team responded again. The rushing attack put up over 300 yards as our offensive line bullied Miami all day. Weaver would have a career-high 36 carries and 219 yards and Keaton Mitchell would add 11 for 86 in a 21-14 win. Adversity overcome but Wagner needed to eliminate the picks immediately. We overcome adversity, not create it. The goal for my QBs is 10 picks a year. Wagner already had 6.

The Lions secondary would torture the Vikings’ Tua, intercepting five balls and returning two for scores. We were 3-0 and would stretch it to five. The defense allowed seven points or less three straight games.

We’d finally beat the Seahawks (0-4 previously), winning a blockbuster in overtime, 34-28. T.J. Weston would record nine tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and two picks. What an incredible player he had become.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Walford would suffer a torn labrum in the contest and miss the next month.

A win over Mahomes and the Falcons would take us to 7-0 and we’d go a perfect 8-0 into the bye, our.best ever start. In those eight games, the defense allowed 17 or less points in seven.

Isaiah Weaver took our latest Bears rivalry game personally: 210 yards and three touchdowns. We’d win by 20 and stomp the Rams in LA the following week, stealing five picks and a strip sack. Justin Springs would record the first punt return touchdown during Mathers’ tenure.

Wagner would have his worst game of the year, throwing two picks and fumbling a strip sack in the first half. He’d be benched for preseason MVP Anthony Burr, a seventh-round rookie, who delivered an inspiring 8/9 for 124 yards and a score. Weston would score a pick-six and the Lions would escape a 21-7 deficit for a 28-21 win, remaining undefeated.

Despite the roar back from adversity, there was some sad news. Starting defensive tackle Jonathan Walford tore his pec, ending his season. Osa Odighizuwa was signed off free agency.

Our record 11-game winning streak would come to an end the next week. Wagner would struggle and the 49ers would torture the dominant Lions d, a 35-14 defeat.

This was the best Lions team we’d had in Mathers’ career but Wagner’s sophomore slump was a steep decline. It was demoralizing. A traditional loss to Willie’s Texans came the next week.

We were 0-4 against Houston and I didn’t think that was ever gonna change. We were 11-2 and it felt like the season was already over.

Wagner would continue his Jameis Winston impression for the rest of the season. After four seasons of suitable to acceptable quarterback play, Wagner had returned us to the Maxwell Russell era.

Our team was all but dead in the water.

The End

It was here we called it quits. It wasn’t that Willie’s team was significantly overpowered (it was). It wasn’t that he was a much better player than me (he is). It was that the internet connection was so poor, I had accepted I never had a real chance to win. I’d be playing for second place every season and that didn’t sit right with me. Willie had won seven straight bowls. He was bored, too.

It hurt. I had failed the Lions. I had salvaged the Raiders with Kyle, recreated the Jaguars with Jon but I had failed Detroit solo.

I hoped to one day avenge all the great players I had who never got to win a ship with the pale blue, like Raheem Mostert, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Lindstrom, L’Jarius Sneed, DaRon Bland, Bobby Wagner, Quincy Williams, Tyrann Mathieu, Isaiah Weaver, Joey Wheeler, Jonathan Aldridge, Taylor Ross, Jonathan Walford and Jalen Lynch.

This sucked. A sad ending to what could’ve been.

Summary:
’23: Divisional Lions 16-17 Seahawks
’24: Wild Card Lions 7-17 Panthers
’25: Missed Playoffs
’26: Divisional Lions 23-24 Falcons
’27: Super Bowl Lions 13-37 Texans
‘28: Missed Playoffs
’29: Super Bowl Lions 26-48 Texans
’30:

All-time stats:
Passing:
‘23: Winston 140/228 for 1772, 61%, 60.4 rating, 9 TDs, 21 INTs
‘24: Russell 168/267 for 2034, 62%, 70.3 rating, 16 TDs, 23 INTs
’25: Russell 154/246 for 1852, 62%, 71.3 rating, 12 TDs, 18 INTs
’26: Russell 212/314 for 2891, 67%, 99.6 rating, 24 TDs, 17 INTs
’27: Patton 180/257 for 2462, 70%, 107.8 rating, 22 TDs, 13 INTs
’28: Patton 203/304 for 2648, 66%, 88.2 rating, 26 TDs, 25 INTs
’29: Wagner 231/350 for 2837, 66%, 94.4 rating, 25 TDs, 17 INTs
’30:

Rushing:
‘23: Mostert 272 carries for 1758, 6.5 ypc, 9 TDs
‘24: Mostert 233 carries for 1423, 6.1 ypc, 6 TDs
’25: Mostert 187 carries for 1122, 6.0 ypc, 8 TDs
‘26: Weaver 299 carries for 1725, 5.8 ypc, 18 TDs
‘27: Weaver 259 carries for 1487, 5.7 ypc, 15 TDs
’28: Mitchell 177 carries for 1046, 5.9 ypc, 5 TDs
’29: Weaver 238 carries for 1385, 5.8 ypc, 16 TDs
’30:

Receiving:
‘23: Lockett 33 receptions for 593, TD
‘24: Wheeler 41 receptions for 482, 3 TDs
‘25: Lockett 48 receptions for 539, 4 TDs
‘26: Rice 68 receptions for 1062, 6 TDs
‘27: Burks 65 receptions for 912, 6 TDs
’28: Burks 61 receptions for 848, 9 TDs
’29: Hopkins 47 receptions for 594, 5 TDs
‘30:

Defense:
‘23: Peterson 62 tackles, 2 TFL 2 sacks, 2 INTs, FF
‘24: Williams 98 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF, INT
’25: Smith 36 tackles, 6 TFL, 9 sacks, FF
’26: Smith 29 tackles, 4 TFL, 11 sacks, FF
’27: Bland 46 tackles, TFL, 5 INTs, 14 PDs
’28: Weston 96 tackles, 5 TFL, 4 sacks, 5 INTs, FF, 2 TDs
’29: Weston 103 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 INTs, 2 TDs
’30:

Team Offense:
‘23: 4217 (32nd), 1643 pass (32nd), 2574 rush (1st), 18.6 ppg (31st)
‘24: 4427 (32nd), 2039 pass (32nd), 2388 rush (2nd) 20.0 ppg (31st)
’25: 4149 (32nd), 2074 pass (32nd), 2075 rush (6th), 18.6 ppg (31st)
’26: 5054 (32nd), 2818 pass (32nd), 2236 rush (5th), 24.2 ppg (18th)
‘27: 4750 (32nd), 2533 pass (32nd), 2217 rush (3rd), 22.8 ppg (23rd)
’28: 4704 (32nd), 2519 pass (32nd), 2185 rush (4th), 21.8 ppg (29th)
’29: 4570 (32nd), 2578 pass (32nd), 1992 rush (7th), 25.6 ppg (20th)
’30:

Team Defense:
‘23: 4263 (1st), 2907 pass (1st), 1356 rush (2nd), 17.1 pag (1st), 30 sacks, fumble, 18 INTs
‘24: 4255 (1st), 2961 pass (1st), 1294 rush (2nd), 19.5 pag (2nd), 29 sacks, 5 fumbles, 24 INTs
’25: 4306 (2nd), 3056 pass (2nd), 1250 rush (2nd), 19.0 (2nd), 34 sacks, 4 fumbles, 13 INTs
’26: 3598 (2nd), 2881 pass (2nd), 717 rush (2nd), 15.8 pag (2nd), 32 sacks, 1 fumble, 14 INTs
‘27: 3582 (1st), 2528 pass (1st), 1054 rush (2nd), 16.2 pag (2nd), 30 sacks, 1 fumble, 18 INTs
’28: 4031 (2nd), 3019 pass (2nd), 1012 rush (2nd), 17.7 pag (2nd), 37 sacks, 4 fumbles, 19 INTs
’29: 3818 (2nd), 2825 pass (2nd), 993 rush (2nd), 15.9 pag (2nd), 24 sacks, 2 fumbles, 27 INTs
’30:

Mathers
‘23: 10-6-1 regular season, 1-1 postseason, 6 Pro Bowlers, 87 overall/84 offense/91 defense
‘24: 10-6-1, 0-1, 5 PBs, 83/80/87
’25 8-9, 0-0, 2 PBs, 83/83/83
’26 12-5, 1-1, 3 PBs, 81/80/80
’27: 12-5, 3-1, 3 PBs, 83/84/83 52-31-2, 5-4
’28: 10-7, 0-0, 2 PBs, 84/85/84
’29: 12-5, 3-1, 5 PBs, 84/84/84 74-43-2, 8-5
’30: 11-3, 87/88/87

Final record: 85-46-2, 8-5 playoffs

The Invisible Man/The Scarecrow

Seen but unseen

Saw but saw through

Noticed but not recognized.

Such is the life of The Invisible Man

A creature who falls into the background

Never resides in the foreground of people’s perception

Because visibility is in the eyes of the beholder

And it’s hard to see what you do not know

And do not wish to know.

Invisibility is only a superpower until you have it.

It’s a power but it is not super.

It is a curse, to walk city ways and street corners

Under bright headlights and skyscrapers

To hike peaks, skate lakes, dive depths

To fail, to falter, to struggle, to tear

To accomplish, to succeed, to achieve, to aspire

And know all too well no one saw any of it

Because your dreams feel foolish to them

And your fears make them uncomfortable

But perhaps most of all

You scare them.

You are a scarecrow, an intimidating shroud

Built to protect but mistaken for an assailant

And they’re even more frightened when you take off the mask

Because the truth is often more terrifying than the lies.

The mask stays on and you go through life a bystander

Rather than an active member

A technical participant

But not one anyone recollects.

Voyages at masquerade parties bring brief relapses of enjoyment

Slides across the dance floor in a banquet hall with granite columns and crystal chandeliers

Dramatic dresses and pompous palettes

But eventually, the night ends and the act is over.

The curtains draw

And everyone returns to their daily lives

Honestly themselves

Leaving the Scarecrow in his thoughts

Knowing, unlike everyone else, his mask must stay on.

People do not just not see The Invisible Man

They do not hear him.

He is not just invisible. He is unheard, unknown.

Invisibility is all-encompassing

And there is no length he can go to escape it

No phrase to break the spell

No test of wills.

What scares them the most is how different he is

And different has never been celebrated, only ostracized.

It is never welcomed or sought out.

It is forewarned.

There is no alteration he can make to himself to change that.

He can be loud or quiet, abrasive or malleable

But who he is at his core

That cannot be changed

And so neither can his reality.

Thousands of people passed and seen by none.

Decades lived and never viewed

A cassette from another era never spun.

Melodies, harmonies and ballads played but never heard

A lonely pianist at the keys but no ballroom audience

Not a one.

If a song is played with no listening ears,

Was it ever played at all?

A novel penned without a reader ever written?

Art is given purpose, message and value by its recipients, not its creator

And so is life.

A life unknown is a life wasted.

My Time on Overwatch 2

After my career on Apex Legends (post linked), I wasn’t sure what to do with myself gaming-wise. When you spend three and a half years in a relationship, whether it’s with a person, a business or in this case, a game, it feels like your compass has lost its north. You’re used to doing things a certain way for so long that when you don’t have that north in your life anymore, you have to rediscover it.

Three and a half years is a very long time and I seriously considered stepping away from the console for a bit. Maybe I just needed a break from that part of my life.

In came Overwatch 2.

Like Apex, Overwatch is a class-based shooter, which made it immediately appetizing.

Unlike Call of Duty or Battlefield, class-based shooters offer unique characters, skill sets and personalities. Main-stream shooters remind you constantly you’re playing a video game. You have customizable loadouts, appearances and sprays but the voice lines and flair aren’t there. Grunt 1, Officer A, it all feels detached. Apex and Overwatch feel like stories.

I was a Moira main and I do not apologize for it. Mei was my queen, Torb my king and the more I played, the more diverse my hero catalog became.

I’m a marksman/support style player and that’s where I tended to reside in-game. I did not play much tank.

That changed over time. Reinhardt’s appearance reminded me of one of my favorite animes, Akame ga Kill. That’s something else main stream shooters don’t have: creative character design. I started maining Rein specifically cause of his look, not even his abilities.

Overwatch offers a wide range of play styles and during my year and a half on there, I explored them all. Some reminded me of my days on Team Fortress 2, an old PC game. Pharah was Soldier, Junkrat was Demoman, Widowmaker was Sniper, Torb was Engineer. It was reliving younger days.

By my time’s end on Overwatch, I regularly played Moira, Zenyatta, Rein, Mei, Torb, Brig, Reaper, Pharah, Dva, Zarya, Lifeweaver, Orisa, Kiriko, Widow, Junker Queen, Genji, Hanzo, Mercy, Sojourn and Junkrat.

Blizzard, unlike Respawn and Apex, seemed to listen to player feedback because many of my complaints with game balancing were often addressed. Of course, no game is perfect and some things, like Sombra’s existence, were never removed, though they did eventually rework her.

Overwatch felt like even more of a community that Apex did in some ways because of this open communication. It felt like all of us together wanted to make this game great.

In other ways, however, Overwatch was agonizing.

Why I Left

Part of a class-based shooter is class/hero counters. Some play styles specifically counter others and continuing to play said character and ignore the counters put in place by the developers to encourage game variety puts yourself and your team at a huge disadvantage. If you are one of the greats or even a very, very good player, you can overcome counters but an overwhelmingly large number of players are not that person. I wasn’t most of the time. Refusing to switch characters makes everything harder on yourself and your team and on Overwatch, more than on any game I’ve ever played, players would rather lose than switch when they’re getting decked in the mouth.

A significant portion of the player pool doesn’t play the game to win. They don’t even play to be competitive. They only care about playing a particular character and if they die a dozen times in a row, they don’t care. The world revolves around them. “Who cares if I’ve made the gaming experience absolutely miserable for my four teammates?”

Wide, complex maps like Apex Legends offers gives every character playability, even if they’re outside the meta. Overwatch maps are much more compact and they’re 5v5, not 60-pool lobbies.

Apex is built so that you can hardmain one hero if you wish. Overwatch is not. The developers themselves would tell you that.

So when you enter a ranked lobby and your tank picks Doomfist, you want to chuck your console into the river. The dude just chose to lose when there’s a Bastion on the other team.

People like this make Overwatch’s ranked system extremely hard to climb, harder than Apex. For all my complaints and bitterness towards Apex, Apex’s competitive play had safeguards in place to protect players from de-ranking if they got a teammate who decided to YOLO.

Overwatch has no such protections. Overwatch also doesn’t take play quality into account. If I played well on Apex but finished sixth, I could still gain rank points at certain levels. Higher up, I had to finish fourth. On Overwatch, I could go 50/5/5 with 25,000 damage and if I lose because of a teammate who doesn’t respect class counters, I de-rank. This is wildly unfair to me.

Despite Apex being a three-player game and running with randoms left me at a disadvantage, I could still compete. Overwatch actively hates solo players and have built their game to heavily favor pre-stacks, groups of players who squad into a lobby together.

In quick play games, you don’t have to be the best team. You just have to be the team who doesn’t have a rage-quitter on it.

What finally pushed me over the edge though, more than the self-centered players, was Overwatch’s strategy in releasing new heroes.

For three heroes out of four, Blizzard purposefully cranked their new characters’ viability to 12. Upon release, Rammatra’s ultimate was the strongest in the game, Illari was the best support character and now Mauga is the strongest overall hero on the server just weeks after drop.

This philosophy, that the newest character must be the game’s strongest by an overwhelming margin or no one will play them, is foolishly flawed. People enjoy new stuff, regardless of how viable it is. Ironically, Overwatch’s best hero introduction was Lifeweaver. He was weak initially and over the last few months, players got to witness his growth. Blizzard sees the Lifeweaver reveal as a failure.

When you release a character like Mauga, who has two Gatling guns with an over 300-bullet clip, no mobility but a decreased headshot multiplier and over 500 hit points, you’re telling the entire community the game revolves around him.

Mauga, as a tank, put out so much damage, you couldn’t outheal it. You had to play Zen/Ana or accept you were going to lose 70% of your games.

A hero who not virtually but completely eliminates half the heroes you can play at the selection screen is awful for the game.

I’m a Moira main who couldn’t play Moira because Moira doesn’t do enough healing to output Mauga’s damage but also doesn’t put out enough damage herself to take him down. I’m a Rein tank main who couldn’t play Rein because Mauga destroys my shield and still has 100 bullets to finish me off. I’m a marksman player who gets penalized for hitting headshots while Mauga sprays and prays and dominates the lobby.

The game became literally unplayable.

If I had genuine hope this would never happen again, I would still be on Overwatch but this was the third time Blizzard made a season of their game obnoxiously painful and stressful over character release philosophy. They nerfed Mauga mid-season and walked him back as they did with Rammatra and Illari before him but the next hero introduction will be the same. For weeks if not months, the game will once again become unplayable for a significant portion of characters, Blizzard will introduce nerfs to finally institute stability only to flip the table again around the bend.

For all those reasons, I’m out.

I reached master open queue and diamond all roles before I dipped so I accomplished what I wanted before this season from hell pushed me out the door.

I’m not sure what the next step of my gaming journey will look like but despite the bitterness I currently feel, I’m thankful for my chapter on Overwatch as I’m thankful for the Apex Legend I once was.

The One That Got Away

You were stunning.

I remember the first like it was yesterday

The first glance, the first hair flip, the first strut across the dance floor.

From the very moment, I was mesmerized

Spellbound, all the cliches are true.

Entranced, written into the storybooks and lovesick novels.

A reality in a fairy tale or a fairy tale in a reality?

I was never one to be impressed

My attention is not so easily attracted and harder still to hold onto

But as the first word broke your lips, I heard it.

When you hear the right chord progression

Or the right taste comes across your palette

You don’t just feel it. You sense it.

I’d never been so sure of something in my life.

You were a diamond.

Your laugh was a melody I couldn’t quit

A shot of adrenaline to my day.

You stoked the embers of my being

Made my fire burn like it never had

Like I didn’t know it could.

My light was always passionate

But now it roared with newfound fervor

Burned not red but a deep blue

Lively, energetic and most of all, hopeful.

Your presence alone was a spark.

Your eyes made me seen.

Your ears gave my voice bravado.

Your mind made me known.

But you were never mine.

I never felt I deserved you and so it didn’t bother me.

Being given the time of day felt like a blessing.

I idolized you. I really thought you were perfect.

I never saw aiding you in your studies as a chore.

I viewed it as a responsibility, something I owed you.

Lending my ear to your struggles was just something a good friend would do.

Supporting you wasn’t an obligation.

It was something I wanted to do.

I wanted to see you win

Because I believed you could go further than I would ever make it.

As a child, everyone around me wanted to be Batman.

Everyone wants to be the hero, the protagonist of life.

I always wanted to be Robin, the sidekick

The one who never got the respect or the credit

And never asked for it

The one who lifted others

So they could reach higher.

I was the Beast

Maligned and misunderstood

Ostracized and shunned

Labeled and characterized.

I was The Invisible Man.

Unseen but seen through

A concept more than a person

An NPC more than a character

A masked vigilante rather than a memorable face.

You were my Belle.

The first person in so many years

To not just notice me

But see me.

People don’t understand what a gift that is

To be recognized as you are.

It is one of life’s greatest treasures.

In exchange for that, I was willing to do nearly anything.

As long as it didn’t betray who I was, it was on the table.

I was willing to sacrifice everything for your aspirations.

I poured so much of my energy into you

And saved none for myself.

And then that rodent dumped you

And you shattered like glass

Withdrew from the world.

Your light died.

You wouldn’t accept that all you were was in spite of that thing, not because of it

But over many months, I watched you, my rose, wither away.

You closed the shutters on your windows

You locked the door

And you stopped dancing.

You moved back home to chase that cesspool of a creature

A being that never treated you with a shred of respect or dignity.

I never heard from you again.

For years, I longed for that voice to reverberate in my ears again

For my heart, a dormant volcano, to become active again.

I’ve questioned what I did wrong to lose you.

For a decade, I’ve shamed myself

For letting you crumble

For not being strong enough to lift you up.

”How did you let her get away?”

But the truth is, you weren’t the one who got away.

I was.

It’s taken me so long in life to see my own value

But I know now there isn’t anything I could have done

To lift you above yourself.

You weren’t Batman.

You were a damsel in distress who encouraged said distress.

You had the power to be Batman and Robin

But you stepped in your own way.

You hooked your wagon to people who not only didn’t support you

But sucked the life out of you.

You saw me for me but also didn’t.

You took my dedication, character and loyalty for granted.

You saw my perspective, my selflessness, my humility

And thought it wasn’t enough.

The truth is, I am the Batman of my story. I just didn’t know it.

We all are the heroes of our stories, the protagonists of our journey

Whether we want to be or not.

With great power comes great responsibility

And it’s much easier to shed the responsibility you have to yourself

Than it is to embrace it.

You are as strong, or as weak, as you allow yourself to be.

I saw you as above me

When really, I looked up at you from above.

All that I believed you could accomplish

Is the self-belief I never allowed myself.

So I no longer regret those decisions.

The days I longed for you in my life are past.

I’ve realized that melody I heard when you spoke?

That melody was mine.

The feelings I had of self-acceptance

Are inside myself.

The passion and energy I felt is what I created, not others.

You cannot rely on people for self-worth, for outside validation.

Your identity verifies your validity.

I’m the one who got away.

I hope as age and wisdom come to you

As it comes to us all

You’re able to appreciate the rose you once had.

Shoot Your Shot

Shoot your shot.

Shoot your shot because it is what you were born to do.

Shooting is your purpose.

Shooting is your life.

Shooting is your meaning, your existence, your everything.

You’ve never thirsted for anything like you do for shooting.

You hunger for not just the success but the adrenaline that comes from pursuing it, the fervor that reaches every corner of you.

You know of no greater sound than the swish of the net and the brief interlude after, that elusive shiver down your spine.

Shoot because you want to hear the arrow whistle past your ear.

Swing away because it’s wrong not to.

Shoot because you can’t imagine life without it

Because not shooting makes you feel dead inside.

Because a stagnant wind has no rush.

Because to see the peak of the mountain but only see it, not live it, is no way to live.

Failing isn’t failure. Success is often bred by failure, often cannot come into existence without it.

Think about all the shots you’ve missed in your younger years.

Pull

Release

Clank.

Pull

Release

Clank.

Stroke: Embarrassing.

Technique: Sloppy.

Knowledge of craft: Elementary.

The net looked like a pinhole.

The hoop was in the heavens.

The ball in the strike zone was a pixel.

Shooting with success was impossible, defied logic, defined a fool’s hope.

And yet you shot again.

You shot because even though everything rational in your life told you not to, you knew you were supposed to

Because shooting was like breathing.

It was not a choice but a bodily autonomous function, an action.

You were built to.

For all your flaws, all your hazards, losses and detours

Shooting was undoubtedly you

And so not shooting is a disservice to you and the world.

Failure is not shooting.

Failure is refusing to serve.

Failure is fear and fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Shoot in the face of defeat.

When the odds are stacked against you, shoot anyway because your purpose cannot be taken from you.

Your spirit, your faith, your self-worth, your identity: only you can relinquish these.

Shoot in the glare of denial.

When someone says you can’t do something, shoot because you can or even because you can’t

Because regardless of result, shooting is what you do. That is where you belong.

When someone says you’ll never be the same after a setback, don’t be.

Be greater.

When you’re the underdog, embrace the challenge.

Because we often are capable of more than we ever believed.

Shoot during the pain of loss.

Shoot because shooting is how you honor them.

Shoot because shooting is how you cope.

Shoot because shooting is how you gain.

Shoot because every shot is an opportunity to shock the world, no matter who you are or what you’ve done before and more importantly, to revitalize yourself.

Shoot because you remember the shots you missed.

It empowers the shots you make.

Don’t afford yourself the opportunity to remember the shots you didn’t take.

Shoot because the next shot could be your moment.

Because it’s how you become immortalized.

Because you are a writer of history.

Because we all make it.

Bleed in pursuit of it. Blood isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a display of heart.

Break.

Crumble.

And rise again stronger.

Run faster.

And fire away once again.

Do your best to treasure it.

The path to the gate of success is half the experience.

It is long.

It is hard.

It is insufferable.

It is agonizing.

And yet you continue to shoot.

It is dark

And you shoot.

It is thundering with doubt

And you shoot.

The tunnel is long and sometimes feels like a void you’ve recessed into, doomed to never escape.

Weighed by guilt, tortured by regret, punished by questioning your identity.

But you are both an immovable object and unstoppable force.

You are as strong as you allow yourself to be.

You have a purpose, a direction, a goal.

Nothing can hide it from you, no one can restrain you from it.

The promised land, as far as it seems, is still greater than you dream.

Flex like Ali.

Jump like Jordan.

Shine like Rapinoe.

Rejoice like LeBron.

Revolutionize like Steph.

Stun like Secretariat.

But most of all,

Shoot

Your

Shot.

Regret

You’re ever-present

Never more than a step behind

The curse that can’t be cured.

No matter how much I achieve or how high I reach

Like gravity, I feel your weight

Always dragging me down

Shaking my foundation, stinting my drive

Questioning my ability

Interrogating my choices.

My hopes, the only thing that sustains me

You mock.

You jest, you cackle, you scold the impossibility.

You deride my faith.

You remind me of who I was

And what I became

How far I’ve fallen

Who I am now.

You’ve never wanted to help.

You’ve never wanted to teach.

You’ve only wished for my demise

My suffering, my submission and acceptance

Of you and your vision

Because if I overcome

If I taste the actualization of my dreams

It would mean the end of you.

It would mean your existence was moot

That when I failed

When I fell

When I took the wrong path

When I crumbled and was pushed to the breaking point

And then rebuilt and shattered again

It would mean that all of it

From start to finish

Was worth it.

It would mean I took the road less traveled and won anyway

And it would mean you would have to face yourself.

You’d have to deal with the heartache

The paralysis, the emptiness and the doubt.

For once, you’d have to question your existence and purpose

Not me, not anyone else.

You survive on my pain.

You exist because of me.

You’re a parasite; you cannot live without me.

But I can live without you.

I can achieve in spite of you.

I can climb despite your sway.

If I can just believe

If I can just breathe

If I can just stand

If I can just close off my senses to all but my aspirations.

If I can just hear the beat of my heart

Pounding like a cavalry drum

The roar of the brass at my back

The strength of the strings by my side

And just realize that rhythm

Echo that melody.

If I can just remember the vigor of my younger days

If I can just hold onto that passion with an iron fist

If I can just relive the taste of achievement

If I can just savor the strength of a lost self

If I can just stir the embers of my heart

And feel the quenchless, raging fire of my soul once again

What can you do to stop me?

What can you do to prevent me?

Perhaps you should regret yourself, Regret

Because I’m coming for you.

We all are.

Keep your head on a swivel.

Your days are numbered.

They may be many, they may be more than I’ll ever see

But you will not be forever.

One by one, you’ll lose.

While we may spend a lifetime of falling

We’ll keep running, charging forward with intensity you can’t match

Succeeding in ways you never could.

You prey on the gutted and the lost.

You dare not battle with the strong, with the found.

If we all discover ourselves, there’ll be no place for you in this world.

I may not achieve what I dream with all my heart

But you will not win, Regret.

You may win today, you may win tomorrow

You may win for the next week, you may win for the next month

You may win for years and years more

But I will fight you every step of the way

For every blade of grass

For every mountaintop

For every dream

For every vision

For every sunset

For every winter’s snow

For every inch of my being.

It’s worth fighting for

Every chord, every scene, every shred of art

Every love lost, every friend foregone.

You may take it all from me, Regret

But the war for my soul is mine.

I Was One of the Best at Apex Legends. Here’s Why I Quit.

I’m not special.

I’m a normal guy with average abilities and talents and while that may sound fine and well, it can be debilitating if you’re ambitious, if you never lost your childhood aspirations and dreams.

Your imagination runs wild as a kid. You truly believe you can accomplish anything. Some of it is youthful arrogance but much of it is unwavering self-confidence.

Your parents tell you, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

The media you watch and read teaches you about superpowers, to believe in yourself. Values, principles, ideals, faith, you get all of that as a minor and you should.

You’re taught to believe and that leads you to accomplish things you didn’t think you could. That expands your mind, your heart, your soul. That’s one of the most beautiful things about being a parent, is watching that grow in so many ways.

But eventually, that stage of your life ends.

Eventually, you hit a wall. Everyone does. There comes a point when things get hard.

And the mirror you look in every day starts to come into stark focus, no longer clouded.

That youthful fire leaves you and you have to build your own confidence and self-belief.

My dreams, my mind, heart and soul from those days, are still very much intact but I’ve lost the swagger. I used to be great at everything or allowed myself to believe that.

Now I feel very average, very invisible.

I found Apex Legends in February of 2019.

It had been the first time I had picked up a new video game in years.

I was not good at first. I have played first-person shooters my whole life but the rust from having not really played anything in some time showed.

But as I said, not everything from my childhood has left me. I refuse to lose. It was a motto for me. I do not take defeat easily and so I kept trying.

After a year, according to game company Respawn’s own statistics (creator of Apex Legends), I was in the top 2% in my region.

If someone told you, “You’re 98% better at this than anyone around you,” it’s probably normal to feel a sense of accomplishment.

But I didn’t. As a child, I had erroneously programmed myself to believe I needed to be the best, 1/1.

That’s one part of childhood I think American society has gotten wrong: you don’t have to be the best, only your best.

Much of Apex Legends is strategy-based if you’re unfamiliar with the game. It is a character battle royale, a 20-team, 60-player game designed to leave one team standing. For that reason, shooting an enemy team is not always wise. There are a lot of intricacies I’d rather not get into (this post will already be long) but if you’ve played a battle royale before, you know what I’m referring to: third-parties, positioning, timing, it all comes into play. For being a simple game, Apex Legends is actually quite technical.

If you were experiencing this quandary for real, the correct approach would not to be “American” and start shooting everything that moves.

Other teams will eliminate each other. Avoid fights where you don’t have high ground, where your positioning leaves you vulnerable, where the weapons you have aren’t advantageous for the current engagement.

Apex Legends is a strategy game that includes shooting, not a first-person shooter that involves strategy.

For that reason, I was a natural. As a youth, I was a chess prodigy, won a couple local tournaments, competed in my city of Pittsburgh. This game reminded me of those days, when I wasn’t just good at something.

I was great.

The COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and I lost my job. During a time when it felt like the world was ending, leaving my apartment terrified me. Neighbors, people in my community were dying every day. I assumed we’d all be dead by the end of the year.

So I played Apex Legends.

I reached a point where I could identify weapons and character footsteps by sound.

Bullet drop was muscle memory. I do not have strong eyesight and it didn’t matter. I subconsciously knew where I needed to shoot, even if at times from great distances all I could visibly see was a pixel. I felt it more than saw it.

Utilizing different heroes, I knew how to play a situation from all character approaches and how to win.

Strategy was a natural-born talent, easily harnessed, one skill I still had.

For the first time in many years, something hard, at times, felt easy.

Do you remember the last time you had that?

After year two, I had reached 1.25% in the player base. Respawn has never been fully forthcoming about how their regions are drawn and how they pick players but I was playing players from all along the east coast of the United States down to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and I surmise much of South America and Canada. That has how unique I had become at one particular thing.

To be clear, being very good at a video game is not impressive to me. It’s not something that changes people’s lives, it’s not something I can put on a resume but it is a form of entertainment to some people and sometimes people just want to get away from their lives for a little.

Twitch and other streaming platforms have become popular among gamers and many have turned it into income. That is not an avenue I ever pursued, though I developed an interest in video and sound editing and made basic clips. Looking back, I know I left money on table.

It was not a career, it’s not something that brought me professional accomplishment but it was a skill and much of adulthood is monetizing what skills you have, no matter how small.

I retired from Apex Legends in October of 2022 after three and a half years as one of their most avid players. In a player base at the time of over seven million, I was just outside the top 70,000 players.

That’s not good enough to become a professional gamer and I never entertained the idea anyway but I had become part of something, an exclusive club of talented individuals. That made me feel like I mattered, in some extremely small way.

“Why did you quit, Tim?”

Apex Legends requires three people on a team and I am almost exclusively a solo gamer. I also do not run with a microphone because you may be surprised to hear this but people on the internet can be very mean and even more racist. I don’t have much to say.

Apex has a ping system that allows you to communicate basic elements without a mic but when the other team has three players, all with mics, who also play Apex for a living, that leaves you at a large disadvantage.

Yes, that is how good I got. I was playing against 50,000+ kill accounts, professional streamers and prominent Youtubers.

That’s just a number if you’ve never played but I assure you that’s an obnoxiously high figure.

For context, you would have to kill 100 players a day for a year and a half to get there. I would say a fair kill-death ratio for a streamer is 5, meaning 20 games played a day on average. Each game of Apex is time-controlled and averages between 13-18 minutes but competitive games during this time almost always reached 20 minutes. Do some quick math and these are players dedicating a minimum six hours a day to gaming. This is a hard figure to maintain religiously while enjoying employment and a social life.

A friendly reminder that those 50,000 kills are on one character, not their entire profile and no professional gamer plays only one hero. Doing so becomes monotonous and leads to apathy and eventually, quitting. So add some more kills, more games and more hours onto that.

During my three-and-a-half years on Apex, I did not reach 20,000 kills in total. I was never a kill-chaser. I was a winner.

Prominent YouTubers sometimes only play an hour or two but then have editing and advertising to work on and gamers often talk to their viewers about burnout because so much of their life revolves around it.

As I said at the beginning, I’m not special. I’m an average guy with average abilities but I had reached such a level of Apex Legends that Respawn had no one else to battle me but professionals. Some of these guys had league holosprays, cosmetics you can only get by participating in professional tournaments and/or on licensed teams.

I had conquered everyone like me on this planet at something. I had reached the mountaintop.

I didn’t want to believe that at first, I wanted to keep going so for another year, I battled these professionals, one versus three. I had teammates but the three people we were fighting played together for months, often years. A pickup basketball game between some guys in the neighborhood you’ve never played with before against the Los Angeles Lakers minor-league team would not go well. Neither did these.

Eventually, you lose. I do enjoy hyperbole and I will admit for a little while, I felt like Alexander the Great: “And Alexander wept, for he saw he had no more worlds to conquer.”

I had maximized my potential and I think that’s one of the greatest emotions one can experience, that inner peace and acceptance.

Respawn also stopped caring about their product, introducing more and more pay-to-play cosmetics and LTMs (limited-time modes) but fully abandoning game maintenance, making the game more and more unbalanced. (If you main Seer, I hope you burn in Hell forever, you wall-hacking slimeball.)

In some very weird way, the heroes I played became my friends. They had their own lore, own powers and each game of Apex Legends is unique to the next. It was another chapter in their story.

They had voicelines that said impactful things about life, things that really made you think, not just taunts. Crypto has one that says, “You can run, you can hide but you can’t escape yourself.”

So I do miss my friends.

I miss Wraith phasing, her search for herself. From start to finish, she was always my girl. (To any Apex gamers reading this, no, I was not one of the toxic Wraiths we all hate so much.)

I miss Mirage, the comedian and illusionist. At the game’s beginning, he was the weakest character but over the years through reworks and patches, he became one of the game’s most fun. Bamboozled!

I miss Caustic’s sociopathic tendencies but deep down, his care for his friends. He also became one of the only counters to overly aggressive players, filling enclosed spaces with toxic gas and traps.

I miss Valkyrie, the Japanese pilot who flew like no one could. Her mobility was 1/1. Repositioning in a game like this is so, so important and her ultimate afforded her whole team that ability.

I miss Octane, the crackhead. He zoomed and bounced around maps and bullets no matter the consequences.

I miss Loba’s butt, I won’t lie but I miss her teleporting bracelet, her ultimate that stole loot for her team and the traumatized little girl she’s still trying to make strong.

I miss Bloodhound scans, his ultimate tracking form and his longing for his destroyed home. I learned the game playing Wraith, Bloodhound and Pathfinder.

I miss Ash cutting holes through time and tethering people who tried to run. In a game where mobility was paramount, she was a counter to common play styles.

I miss Crypto’s thoughts on life. His quips played a role in how I think about myself today.

I miss totem-spamming with Revenant just the slightest bit even though it was one of the most broken game mechanics for much of my career. Like Mirage, he was very weak when he was introduced but became playable and fun in his own macabre way.

I miss how Pathfinder, the humor bot, used to be. At the beginning of the game, he had mobility no one else had but as more heroes joined, he became less viable and the developers forgot about him. When I left, he had one less unique ability than every other character and had been at this disadvantage for over a year.

I miss Rampart walls and gatling guns because every once in a while, aiming is overrated. Spraying is more fun.

And I do miss Wattson, a hero who was never strong but was always played by some of the game’s greatest players.

Perhaps most of all, I miss feeling very good at something. Even after all I accomplished, I still don’t think I was ever great. My standards for myself are so astronomically high that I never allow myself the pick-me-up or compliment of being great. I’ll always show humility over boasting.

But for just one day, for a few hours, I wanted to write this and allow myself to say,

“You know what?

Maybe you weren’t great

But you were one of the best.”

My Depression

So much has happened,

yet so little at the same time.

I don’t know what this space is now. So many years ago, this was where I discussed art, the tapestries of words and film that intertwined itself with my heart, made me feel alive. It was a podium for posturing, a metronome of melodies and meanderings, a lexicon of letters and lessons learned through film, sports and my life. It was how I expressed myself, explored myself. It was how I said I love you to me.

It was taken from me, not by anyone or anything. I took it from myself. I told myself it didn’t matter, I didn’t matter, that what I said, what I conjured, painted and crafted with all the passion I could produce and all the breath I could breathe, wasn’t good enough.

I’ve dealt with depression most of my life, all throughout my 20s and my way of dealing with it was to not, to not only allow it to speak but to offer it a seat at the table it did not deserve, to let it spew self-hate, disgust and distaste without so much of a retort in protest. Depression is a sickness, a poison of the mind, a creature whose sole pleasure is destruction of the soul.

I allowed it a platform by shaping it as motivation initially. I used it as fuel for my ambitions, energy for my academic endeavors, protein for my physical aspirations. That worked for a time but hate corrodes all. Like a medication, a little self-deprecation to motivate me wasn’t enough anymore. I needed more and like an addict, I despaired for it. No one was going to give it to me. Few people then went around telling people they sucked, they were garbage, they should quit. Even now, strangers don’t generally bump into you and call you a slur that should walk into traffic.

But I did.

If I did poorly on an exam, if I fell short in basketball practice, if I performed poorly in the studio or messed up a relationship, I said those things and so, so much more.

“You’re abhorrent.”

“You’re a disease, a tumor, a cancer. You need removed and tossed away.”

“Your friends don’t even like you. They’re embarrassed by you.”

“Your family is ashamed of you. They’ll never respect you. You’ll never bring honor to the family.”

When the girl I loved left:

“No one’s ever gonna love you.”

When I lost my scholarship:

“You’re pathetic.”

When my grades fell:

“What a sad excuse for a creature.”

When I failed to develop a career:

“Your whole life is a mistake.”

Every pitfall, every misstep, whether small or large, I lit fire to myself.

“It’s all ruined. It all needs cleared, burnt to ash.”

But I couldn’t. For all my shortcomings, I’m a person, not a piece of lint or a slice of timber.

And so I shamed myself more. I hurt more. I struggled more. I tortured myself emotionally and psychologically to the point of no return, to the point I lost joy, happiness and most important of all, hope.

I had dug a hole so deep trying to take myself off this planet that I forgot the sky. It was just filth, worms, gnats and sewage and I was just stuck in the muck, telling myself if I just dug a little further, there’d be air on the other side. The air was above and behind me, it had always been there but I had forgotten. I had left it behind.

My life had been like this for so long, for so many years that I could barely see the stars in the night sky, the wonders of light that used to speak sweet nothings in my ear: “You can be anything if you put all of yourself into it. You can be the star of your own sky.”

By the time I looked back and realized what I had done, it was too late. I was too far gone.

Friends and family tossed rope down the hole but I was crumbled on the floor, stuck in the quicksand of negative self-talk I had foolishly fed for so many moons. I couldn’t even muster the strength to move let alone stand. The shovel laid in front of me, covered in blood and gunk, chipped and hacked through all the rubble I’d fought. It was like the nub from Shawkshank Redemption. What was I to do with that?

With hope sniffed out, I lived in the darkness I allowed depression to manifest. People begged me to change and I wanted to but I didn’t know how and even now, I still don’t.

Eventually, many of the people I grew up with, who loved me, gave up. There’s only so much yelling down the pit one can do. The pen is mightier than the sword but I was the one with the pen, the one least equipped to write the messages I needed to hear, needed to echo echo, needed to believe.

Now the loneliness I had told myself I had, that no one was there for me, was more honest than ever.

I have lost so much. I’ve lost everything.

Turns out you can burn it all away. Some days I feel I don’t even know myself, like my id left me with everyone else.

So I’m rebuilding, assembling what I can with what I have to try and get out of this chasm. I want this blog to be one of those tools.

So expect more pieces like this, ones with depth discussing not just my life but so many other lives. I have some sports stuff I’d like to get around to, some films I’d like to ponder but I truly don’t know where I go from here. Learning to stand again as a 29-year old is pretty humiliating and it will be some time till I can walk.

I may never run again. My younger self was so much smarter, so much stronger. I wish I could apologize to him. Maybe that’s what my next piece will be.

If you’re reading this and you relate, feel you may be in this hole with me, know I believe in you. Whatever you’ve done, I believe in your redemption and salvation. You have talent, skills lost but that can be regained.

The prefix “re” comes from Latin and translates to “again; anew.” You may never be who you once were. A sorrow and sadness comes with that, an emptiness which may never be fully filled.

But rebirth, renewal, refresh? Those things ARE possible.

I find it so easy to believe in others, a Herculean task to believe in myself. So do me a favor: I’ll believe in you. You believe in me.

Together, we’ll see the sky again and rejoin the stars.

Love, Peace and Respect,

Tim

I’m Back

I’ve been gone from this blog for a couple months and I guess I’d like to briefly discuss why that was and what my vision is for the future of this platform.

I’ve dealt with depression for a long time but the last two years especially have been a real struggle and sometimes doing the things you love feel like the most daunting task in the world. I also recognize that I had begun to put a tense post schedule on myself where I felt like I had to review every movie I watched and that began to feel like a job and less like something I enjoyed, began to feel more like an obligation, something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.

I intend to return to film critiques this year but the days of me reviewing everything I watch are over and are never coming back. I’m sorry if that upsets some of my readership but I write because it’s something I enjoy and I want it to stay that way. Sometimes, you watch a film to get away from things, to breathe. I need that just as much as anyone else.

The days of me starting a series of content and then stopping after a few installments are over. The pages currently on this channel (Best Picture Journey, Book Vs. Film, Winners And Losers) will all be revived in the coming weeks. How often those posts will come, I don’t know (monthly?). The days of me instituting a post schedule are over but they will come. Once those are back and running, I may look at introducing additional pages.

Posts revolving around current events, sports talk/features and life advice will become more frequent. I want to get into more longform content, around a 10-minute read length on my longest pieces. I’ll pay attention to the analytics and who supports what, what runs better with the audience but this is my intention regardless of view rate for the time being. Art should be done because it is a way for an artist to express themselves, not for the dollar sign or eyeballs attached to it. Doing art for the right reasons will bring those things in time.

Despite not posting since March, December 2020 was the most traffic I’ve ever gotten in a month and November was third. I’m unsure what caused this but I’m thankful for the support.

This month, we passed 27,000 views and 19,000 unique visitors. I say we because I don’t consider this an individual accomplishment. I just wrote some things on a website. Anyone can do that. This is an achievement that belongs to you, the reader.

A common denominator of depression is feeling lesser in some way. In my case, that inadequacy comes from feeling purposeless or feeling you haven’t left your mark, per se. 19,000 people is not something to be disregarded. Even if that was one view on one critique, maybe they didn’t even like it, they gave me a shot. That means something to me so whether you’re one of the regular readers on this space or one who came and went, thank you.

A sports feature regarding the NFL coaching landscape will be up in the next few hours.

Love, peace and respect,

Tim

A Tear in the Fabric

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

-Albert Einstein

April 16, 2007 was one of the saddest days of my life. That was the day one of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history took place at Virginia Tech.

Up to that point, I had maintained some level of childhood innocence. I had lived through 9/11 but had not yet grasped the impact it carried. More on that in a bit.

I was old enough, however, to feel the sense of loss and despair of Virginia Tech the same way I mourned the innocents at Sandy Hook, children who had not yet played their role, were never given the chance to make their mark. I remember the broken heart I carried that whole week, many times that month. I wish I could say I didn’t still feel it.

Since 2012, there have been hundreds of mass shootings, though that number varies based on definition criteria. An overwhelming majority have happened in the United States, seemingly the only country on the planet who is still befuddled by firearm regulation. Mass shootings do not happen with regularity in other countries; they generally do not happen at all and when they do, swift action occurs.

In New Zealand this year, two mosques were the targets of mass shootings. 51 dead and 49 wounded.

Within a month, New Zealand had passed a ban on semi-automatics and similar weapons in an unanimous vote.

New Zealand has taken further steps since, including the consideration of a national registration and more stringent vetting process.

It has not been without obstacles. There have been hurdles, as there are with all major legislation but action and progress nonetheless.

No such action has occurred in America.

We had Orlando.

Las Vegas.

Stoneman Douglas in Parkland.

And yet nothing.

Having a conversation is deemed politicizing an event that is by nature political. It is human to ask how to prevent a tragedy and posing such questions does not desecrate the lives of the lost. Inaction does and the U.S. has been a stagnant protector for a long time.

Avoidance and deflection have become part of the playbook. Among the many excuses paraded: media, video game culture, bad egg, lack of religion and of course, the most denigrating one of all: now’s not the time.

Not the time.

It wasn’t the time in 2007 nor the time in 2012 when parents put their children on the school bus for the last time. It wasn’t the time when the slaughter of homosexuals transpired nor after a man unloaded multiple magazines over a concert ground in Las Vegas. It wasn’t the time last year when my hometown of Pittsburgh had a synagogue shot up.

Not the time.

If a murder occurred and no evidence was collected nor leads investigated for a decade, those responsible would be in prison for dereliction of duty and the cover up of a crime. Our leaders have abandoned their post regarding this matter. All of them.

One party deflects, the other calls for change but ignorance nor press conferences will create gun control or a better mental health system. Neither qualifies as action.

This absolute silence from elected officials has caused a tear in this country’s fabric, one which began with 9/11. That infamous day changed both policy and perception in this country and in that sense, Osama Bin Laden accomplished what he had set out to do: he had made America fearful and vulnerable. This country has been afraid ever since and continues to demonstrate that nearly every day when our politicians and president lash out with derogatory, hate-filled rhetoric towards minorities and people they deem from another place, people they believe don’t belong in the texture of America. Such a faith directly contradicts our founding principles. Bin Laden punctured a hole in this country’s heart and it’s been unraveling, becoming thin and fragile.

The flag used to be a bright red, white and blue symbol of integrity and prosperity but now hangs from the staff as a distant reminder of what was. Now, the flag cries tears of blood while its wave seizes with the loss of life and direction this country is suffering. Things some believed conquered, such as racism and inequality, seem injected with a new vigor. Steps taken forward have been retracted, deemed unsatisfactory.

For those reasons, it is hard to take pride in standing during the anthem. I confess I purposely knelt during the anthem for a year in protest because it is difficult to be brimming with zeal for something as lost and far from what you once believed. It is arduous to applaud a place which does not take seriously the murder of its members nor the healthcare or livelihood of all of them, regardless of status, culture, religion or race. That does not mean I should “go back to where I came from,” only that the ideals and values which brought me here, that I long for, I wish to fight for. The first step of recovery is acceptance, the second, action but those in authority have become accustomed to the greed and sloth of corruption.

There was a time, perhaps only in my imagination, when politicians and leaders of this country served as stewards for the needs of the people. For most of my life, they instead have stood at attention for private interests, auctioning their influence to the highest bidder. On days and weeks like the ones following tragedy and travesty, it is daunting if not entirely impossible to not look at the so-called system as fraudulent, an assemblage built with the purpose of feigning order and control while chaos makes itself at home. White noise, not genuine language, fills the dead space but does not bring it life.

Instead, that dead space has widened with bigotry, xenophobia and chauvinism from our commander-in-chief. There are now more groups deemed infestations in this country than are welcome. Objective truth is questioned daily and false claims are paraded without shame while scandal, nepotism and controversy drown the administration.

There are human beings caged like animals on our southern border. This is not up for interpretation. This is an event that has happened, is happening and will likely continue to happen. Despite the uproar, no moves have been made, no changes enforced.

White supremacy and elitism have been given a wide platform while the foundations of equality and diversity have been targeted and scapegoated. Division, not unity, has become political policy.

This is America.

The days of me believing the story told to me by this nation, that America is the greatest country in the world, the land of opportunity and the beacon on the hill, are over. This country is not great. It is deeply flawed, rife with prejudice, bribery, denial and disenfranchisement. This place once had nobility, integrity and pride, served as a nation of unalienable rights and unwavering bravery in the face of tyranny. When countries were on the brink of collapse, America took on the role of savior. When people suffered and starved, America was looked upon as a refuge, a house of honor and limitless potential. America had a dream. We the people had a dream but dreamers are not allowed to dream anymore. Now, they’re deported.

There were times we had heroes.

When storms approached, we charged forward into the fray.

In our darkest hours, men, women and children of this country rose to the occasion.

When our national identity was in question, our position in the world in limbo, young men took the podium.

When our hope faltered, our leaders inspired hope, reminded us of our history and not only promised change but fulfilled that oath.

When oppression became a national identity, a leader arose to speak of a greater tomorrow.

But now, near 56 years later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is still only artwork of the imagination. Freedom does not yet ring in the land of the free and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not yet guaranteed to all now 243 years after that promise was made. This country for too long has been indignant, for too long has been ignorant of systemic oppression, police brutality and the imperfections of the criminal justice system.

Words used to mean something. Values and creeds used to be cherished. Visions, with hard work, determination and direction, used to become realities.

Used to.

I do not take joy in writing this. Succumbing to sorrow and sadness is never enjoyable, nor is the realization you were sold a false vision, a faith you wanted with all your heart to believe in undone.

I come from a family of immigrants, like many others in this land and my ancestors came, worked here, prospered here and died here because they believed. My ancestors from England believed life could be more than it was, dared to travel to America and were brave enough to fight for not just the land and the resources and the people but for an idea, the mere figment of independence.

My ancestors from Yugoslavia came to escape turmoil and an impending revolution. My ancestor left Nazi Germany and friends and family behind and everything he ever knew because America was the self-proclaimed land of opportunity. It would not be easy but step by step and brick by brick, he built the life he sought.

They all made the greatest of sacrifices because they believed with their whole hearts in what this country said it stood for. So did I.

But this court cannot be privy to the evidence and still empower false narratives. It is not who we claim we are but what we do that defines us. We have become frozen in our fears, volatile because of our insecurities and blamed our brothers and sisters for problems we all share responsibility for. We have abandoned the badge we once wore with such pride and distinction for a crown of personal gain. The stories of that badge are treated as fairy tales no longer repeatable rather than identities discarded. We have become a nation of “That’s not possible” rather than the country of manifest destiny. We’ve become the populace of “We don’t have the money for that” rather than the people of aspirations but worst of all, we’ve become the speaker of “send her back” rather than the gatekeeper, saying, “welcome to the home of the brave.”

America went to bed mourning a tragedy in El Paso, Texas and woke the following morning to the pain of a new one in Dayton, Ohio. A familiar nostalgia arose: a fierce want for change.

But now is not the time.

And I no longer can say with confidence that time will come again.