National Football League

These teams will challenge Lions for futility in '09

Published Aug. 21, 2009 3:05 p.m. ET

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Peter Schrager

Showtime's "Inside the NFL" did a magnificent job capturing the Detroit Lions' locker room after an embarrassing 31-21 loss in Green Bay last season. Uncomfortable silence, weary veterans and a defeated coaching staff strolling around haplessly with their hands in their pockets moments after the NFL's first 0-16 season was officially in the books — an entire fan base's collective frustration was captured on film. The footage said everything you needed to know about the worst NFL season of all time.




The Lions will win a game in 2009. I have no doubts. They're too improved, too angry, too well-coached not to. Jim Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham bring a defensive intensity that's been missing in Detroit for years. Julian Peterson, Jon Jansen and Larry Foote provide much needed veteran leadership to the locker room. Rookies Matt Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew bring hope, talent and unlimited potential to a team that was void of playmakers in '08.

The Lions will win a game in 2009, hell, maybe even four or five. But there are three other teams in the league that I'm not as sure about. Here are the three NFL teams that I could see going WINLESS in '09.

Cleveland Browns

Things haven't gone too well for the city of Cleveland this summer. The Cavaliers were shocked by the upstart Orlando Magic in the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals in May, LeBron James has since come out publicly and said he's not re-signing anytime this summer, and the Indians — viewed as a favorite in the American League Central prior to the season — are one of baseball's biggest disappointments four months into the season.

And then there are the Browns.

The same day Cleveland fans jumped for joy over news of a Brady Quinn 51-yard touchdown pass in a scrimmage on Sunday, No. 2 receiver Syndric Steptoe's agent came out and publicly blamed new coach Eric Mangini for the season-ending injury his client suffered Saturday.

"The coaches should more carefully weigh the risk of injury in practice decisions,'' agent Jerome Stanley said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "My understanding is that the team was on the field for a walk-through the day before the scrimmage. The walk-through turned into a full practice in a driving rain."

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