0-16 Looming Large for Lions, Bengals

While I often make fun of Lions' fans for looking ahead at the NFL draft only a few weeks into the regular season, there at least will be one distraction keeping them busy in 2008. The Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals have realistic chances of going 0-16 this year, and fulfilling one of my dreams of seeing a team run the table in reverse.

Again this week Detroit looked good in spurts. I had to watch the game as a Michigan resident as only the Lions-Redskins and Jets-Chiefs were options. But, through some unseen force, perhaps the power of Matt Millen willing the team to even lower standards after his departure, the Lions found a way to lose. The commentators even stated, "It's like the Lions are waiting for something bad to happen." That statement describes the entire Rod Marinelli era in Detroit and certainly explains the 2008 season thus far.

For the Bengals week 8 was another non-competitive showing. Aside from a close loss to the Giants, Cincinnati has been just as pathetic as Detroit this year. Cincinnati has scored 104 points this season, while giving up 217. Detroit, 114 vs. 212. Looking ahead at their two schedules, Detroit truly has the opportunity to go 0-16, while Cincinnati holds an outside chance as well.

Detroit's remaining schedule includes Chicago, Jacksonville, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Minnesota, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Green Bay. Only two of those teams (Jacksonville and Minnesota) have losing records.

Cincinnati is half way to its quest of a winless season and has games against Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Washington, Cleveland and Kansas City. Sadly, Kansas City could be a spoiler at the end of the season and Baltimore's offense has been inconsistent enough to make them vulnerable to upset as well.

Could both of these teams finish 0-16? Only time will tell, but their combined 0-15 record to this point demonstrates the pathetic nature of both these franchises and further confuse fans as to how these coaches are still employed. Look out second half of the NFL season; while many teams will be fighting for the playoffs, these two teams will battle it out for the first overall draft pick and a season for the record books.

As if the 4th quarter effort on Sunday wasn't enough to tell you that the Lions players have given up, the trade of Roy Williams to Dallas and placement of Jon Kitna on IR signals the end of an era.