Whether Detroit likes it or not, Millen will be back

A bittersweet victory over the St. Louis Rams has given Lions President Matt Millen and many of the sub-par Detroit players a chance to stick around.

"UGH!," groans Lions fans, as Millen has been given the green light for a fourth season. The A-Okay came so fast that it was probably given by Lions owners Bill Ford Sr. and Jr. before the 30-20 victory over the Rams was complete.

"The fans, and I don't blame them, are interested in the won-loss record and I guess that's the barometer you judge success or failure by if you're a fan," Ford said to the AP.

I'm sure wins or losses will have nothing to do with the coaches of nine other teams, such as Arizona, Washington, Oakland, Chicago, Buffalo, New York Giants, Minnesota, Atlanta and Pittsburgh, that may or maybe not be fired in the coming weeks. All of which had better win-loss records than the Lions the past three years.

Millen isn't a coach, of course. He is just the person running the franchise into the gutter. This guy has had just eight wins over the past three years and has blamed mostly injuries and players from the previous regime for the teams' problems.

While this is true to a point, Lions fans haven't seen injuries stopping teams like New England or Houston from playing far superior football than the Lions have played.

The Lions PR staff is spinning overtime saying that the drafts that the Lions have had under Millen will come in handy in the near future. Well, here is a rundown of some of the players they've drafted:

* If Joey Harrington would consistently throw darts to his receivers like he did Sunday, and they actually catch them, that would show Harrington deserved to be such a top pick. He has a strong-arm and a quick release, which prevents him from being sacked a lot of the time. However, he has thrown 29 TDs to 38 INTs, which is not good. A veteran QB should be brought into Detroit to challenge him for playing time, something Mike McMahon hasn't done over the past two years. McMahon was given playing time Sunday and went 26 for 36 for 236 yards and three TD passes.

* Boss Bailey has shown ability to be all over the field and has a great future in front of him at linebacker.

* Shaun Rogers looked like a man against boys his rookie season at defensive tackle, as he led all defensive lineman in tackles. However, in his second season last year, he was like a beached whale, weighing nearly 400 pounds. This year he kept his weight down and regained the form he showed as a rookie.

* Center Dominic Railoa has proven he can be a great emergency backup kicker as he has fulfilled that role in practices.

* Charles Rogers might have bright future at wide receiver. That is if he starts to lift weights to prevent all of the injuries he keeps getting.

* Tackle Jeff Backus has been good at times, but has been called for being offsides and holding at critical times too much.

* Receiver David Kircus' local star appeal at Grand Valley State probably won him a shot to remain on the team. Being one of the few receivers that can catch the ball will help him stay on the team.

* Mike McMahon might be the best athlete in the NFL to rarely have a need to buckle up his chinstrap and head into a game. His inaccuracy throwing the football, along with running around like a chicken without his head on, has plagued him at times. However, he has been very exciting to watch I must say

* Defensive linemen Corey Redding has rarely seen any playing time. A very athletic player from Texas, the Lions aren't sure whether to play him at tackle or end and have hardly tested him at either in his first season.

* Scotty Anderson barely made the team this year as a third year wideout. While he did score a 43-yard TD pass reception against Denver, he hasn't done much else and finished the season on the IR.

* Artose Pinner finally was healthy enough to get some carries by the end of the season. From an athletic standpoint, he was the Lions best back and was a welcome addition, as the running game became a big weakness for the Lions since they lost James Stewart for the year in their last preseason game.

* Kick/punt returner Eddie Drummond, out of Penn State, wasn't drafted by the Lions. He probably was given an opportunity to make the team because he came from the same university that Matt Millen did. However, last season he sparked the Lions with his return ability, and has filled in brilliantly for an injured Desmond Howard and Az Hakim, who couldn't catch punts. Drummond missed much of this season with a foot injury, however, if he hadn't been injured this year he'd be the best rookie acquisition the Lions have made by far.

So there you have the Lions' magic NFL Draft eight ball. These players have a bleak outlook at best, since these guys, for the most part, aren't Pro Bowlers, nor proven quality NFL standout starters.

Millen's free agency classes haven't been great either. The free agent receivers have been the biggest busts, as they have dropped more balls than a first-time juggler. Bill Schroeder's reputation of being scared to go over the middle from his time spent in Green Bay has resurfaced in Detroit on many occasions, and Hakim has been plagued by injuries and, also, dropped balls.

On the defensive side the Lions have had 11 or more cornerbacks... I'm not sure anymore because I have lost count. Other than Dre Bly', who was named to the 2003 Pro Bowl, they have all been lit up like a menorah. Actually, that's an understatement cause a menorah only has nine candles to light.

The defense has played well at home this season thanks in large part to Bly's six interceptions and five forced fumbles. They also started to blitz a lot in the second half of the season and were able to rattle, most notably, Brett Favre and Marc Bulger in their wins at home against Green Bay and St. Louis, respectively.

The Lions have lost a NFL record 24 road games under two coaches now. The first guy isn't he even worth mentioning, nor trying to spell his name. First year coach Steve Mariucci has won five games and has shown that he can win at home, at least. But two of their most embarrassing losses this year came at home -- one to Dallas, 38-7, and the other to lowly San Diego, 14-7. This makes Sunday's victory over St. Louis make everyone wonder why they didn't play that all year long.

Millen has been embarrassing off the field also. We all know about how he called former Lions receiver Johnnie Morton a homophobic slur. He apologized about 45 times for that, I believe.

Do these facts warrant Millen's job back? Well, for an organization like the Lions that lets regimes ride it out, I guess so. Wayne Fontes coached the team for seven mediocre years. Bobby Ross might have gotten all the time he wanted to coach had he not quit.

I guess if fans don't like the fact that Millen will be back, all they can do is boycott the team, because dollars and cents obviously matter more to the Fords than wins and losses.