Yesterday's Loss Is Still All Shaun McDonald's Fault ... Or Is It?

I was pretty adamant in pinning yesterdays 16-10 loss to the Giants on Shaun McDonald, who fumbled and was then mostly responsible for two game-losing interceptions in the final two minutes. But like any decent team -- the 49ers don't apply in this instance -- no one in the Lions locker room was pinning the blame on McDonald except for Shaun himself.

Roy Williams put the loss on himself for making too many mistakes, including the inability to take advantage of blown coverage and extend for a catch with nothing but the end zone in front of him. That touchdown would have won the game like both of McDonald's chances could have. But the Free Press pins the loss on Mike Martz.

A few minutes earlier, Kitna heaved an end-zone prayer to McDonald that might have been a touchdown but was wrestled away by James Butler for a pick. And though Kitna maintained that was a great defensive play, Butler is 6-feet-3 and McDonald is 5-feet-10. Those plays work better when the personal stats are reversed -- as in 6-5 Calvin Johnson against 5-8 Kevin Dockery, which resulted in the Lions' only touchdown.

This is true -- just minutes before Johnson made the same catch McDonald couldn't, by extending over the defensive back and stealing the pass. Why Johnson wasn't involved in a jump ball opportunity to win the game is beyond me. Michael Rosenberg thinks it's a sign of Martz's greater ego.

Martz seems to prefer Johnson on the sideline. I don't know why. I thought maybe Martz figured that the tall Johnson would be the first guy on the team to know it is raining, but then I remembered this game was indoors. ...

Does Martz want people to think he is so smart that he can turn McDonald and Mike Furrey into productive NFL players?

Valid point. Martz has never been known as the most humble of guys, and he is quite thickheaded. Will he cost the Lions their season?