Reggie Bush says lack of chemistry hurt Lions

The Detroit Lions are just a few plays from being in the hunt for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Then again if my aunt had a package, she'd be my uncle. It's not good being close, you have to find a way to get over the hump and the Lions couldn't do it.

The team was hurt by it's inability to get crucial third down stops on defense and untimely turnovers on offense. The Lions couldn't find a way to overcome the avalanche of bad luck that caught up to them.

Lions running back Reggie Bush seems to have an idea what went wrong for a team that had such a promising start to missing the playoffs.

"There were certain games where maybe the offense was playing well and the defense struggled," he said, per the Detroit Free Press. "Then there's games where defense played well and offense struggled. Or there's games -- I'm thinking of the Philadelphia game -- where special teams just played lights out and offense and defense couldn't really get it together.

"I just think that maybe our chemistry as a team definitely struggled and lacked a little bit -- and obviously the turnovers and big plays, making more plays when needed."

Bush is probably the only Lion in the locker room with the credibility to be a team leader. He's won national championships at USC and was on a Super Bowl winning team in New Orleans as a member of the Saints.

 “As a team, when you have kind of have that mentality that no matter what the situation is, you can always overcome it and come out with a win. That type of chemistry. ... And you’re feeding off each other, too. When offense scores a big touchdown and defense goes out there and gets a big stop or defense gets a turnover, offense goes out there and kind of answers with a touchdown. Something kind of like that.” 

When Bush and Nate Burleson talked about having a team meeting to get things right after losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Matthew Stafford shot down the idea.

I'm not saying that would've made a difference, but maybe things might've changed and the team might've shown more of a sense of urgency instead of just talking about it. I think Bush might have been alluding o that moment.

"It begins in the offseason," Bush said. "It's not something that happens overnight. From my experience, it's something that builds. It's a culture, a mentality that's built from the offseason and not in Week 1 or Week 2."

The Lions need to make a few changes and do some soul searching during the offseason. This was a golden opportunity and the Lions blew it. They have to come back next season and play like a team on a mission, not one hoping for a few lucky breaks that they didn't capitalize on this season.

Reggie Bush says Lions preparing to be without Calvin Johnson this week

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson missed practice which opened up speculation whether he would play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Reggie Bush isn't so sure. Bush isn't holding out hope on seeing Johnson in uniform on Sunday. Bush says the team is prepping for Sunday's game as if Johnson won't be playing.

"Yeah, that's what we have to do," Bush said. "He didn't practice today, so that's what we have to do. We have to prepare as if he's not going to play."

The offense struggled in last week's 22-9 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Bush is hoping that his teammates can raise their game and bounce back from last week's lackluster showing.

"We knew what was at stake last week, so now, our sense of urgency has to go up, as a unit," Bush said. "Everybody has to step. We all have to do a little bit more this week. Our focus has to go up a little bit more. Our sense of urgency has to go up a little bit more."

Easier said than done. Cleveland is no Green Bay but the Lions must make more big plays in all facets of the game if they hope to pull out a win with or without number 81 on the field.

Bears think Israel Idonije gave their line calls to Lions

Some Chicago Bears players told a Chicago ESPN reporter on Sunday that they thought former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, who now plays for the Lions, had tipped the Lions off to their stunts because every time they ran a power stunt, Reggie Bush saw it and made the most of it.

“I really think that’s ridiculous, I think it takes away from the players on the field.’’ Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “We rushed for a lot of yards because we blocked them and Reggie Bush broke tackles. To say Reggie Bush is 8 yards behind the quarterback and he can hear what a line call is I think that’s ridiculous.’’

Bush ran for 139 yards including a 37-yard touchdown scamper.

“I’d also like to point out they signed Landon Cohen last week,’’ Schwartz said. “Landon had been here a long time and we haven’t changed our scheme since Landon was here I didn’t see that being a big difference in the game. Stuff like that comes up, it’s just the nature of the NFL.’’

"I like to concentrate on the players on the field and what happens on the field and stuff like that."

"I like to say that our guys did a good job of being in position and blocking and ran the ball well," Schwartz said. "We ran the ball for a lot of yards and it wasn't for any reason other than we blocked well and had a good scheme. Our running backs did a good job when we gave it to 'em."

Even if Idonije did tip the Lions off about the Bears' schemes it's up to the coaching staff to mix things up so whatever knowledge a former player might have is nullified. If they didn’t change the calls, knowing Idonije was on that line for 10 years, it’s just bad coaching.

Forfeits

Former USC star running back Reggie Bush turned in his Heisman Trophy for receiving improper benefits.Either to go to USC or while he was there is beyond me, since I never really bothered to look at any in depth stories that were out about this particular situation. I personally don't like the fact that he gave up his Heisman that he won on the field. If it wasn't at USC, it might've been any other school in the nation. I don't like the idea of forfeiture. If you knowingly used a player that shouldn't have been there, like for being academically ineligible and that player still played, sure take whatever they won away. Or using someone like a ringer. A player that is just a body in school and doesn't go to class. That I could also understand. I know it's wrong for anyone in college to receive improper benefits, but if you're good enough, that is gonna come your way, regardless. Those benefits didn't enable Reggie Bush to juke countless Fresno State defenders on that breathtaking run.





Benefits didn't enable him to be the best college running back in the nation, or the best player for that matter. That was all done on the field.

Although it wasn't right, Ed Martin didn't get Michigan and the Fab Five to two Final Fours. Why should they take the banners down and expunge the records. In the end there was just too much talent for them not to get that far. Should that make Temple feel better about that loss in the Regional final. I don't think so.

I know it's wrong and I don't agree with steroids, but should Jose Canseco be ordered to return any extras he received for winning the AL MVP. I'm sure Mike Greenwell didn't feel good about it then and he damn sure doesn't feel good about it now.

I'm sure there have been plenty of schools that have used a player that received extra benefits, or had a term paper written for them, or had money paid to a family member to steer a kid to a particular school. Some of them just haven't been caught.That's like if the recruits Bruce Pearl  and his staff made extra phone calls to came to Tennessee and won a national title. Does that mean Tennessee should forfeit the national championship. I don't think so.