Lions can't succeed without better line

Minneapolis

On one play in the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford ducked and scrambled and fought off tacklers, then finally broke loose, half-running, half-crawling, falling forward, forward, forward.

And then he was down. And for all that effort, he got an 8-yard loss, and do I really need to describe much more?

The Lions perpetually are surrounded by bigger, faster bodies, and all they can do is search for daylight that's never there. This wasn't their worst effort, as they hung around and hung around before falling to the first-place Vikings, 27-10.

But this was a revealing effort for what it showed, for how badly Stafford got beaten up, got back up, and got beaten up some more. The Lions' wobbly offensive line got thrashed by the Vikings' terrific defensive front, not a surprise. But if you're really going to build around a top-pick rookie quarterback who needs time, it'd help if the line gave him a little time.

Stafford and the offense had no real shot in this one, even as the Vikings kept committing penalties and huge turnovers. For all the big plays by Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice, the Vikings beat the Lions where they always beat them, where the Lions have lost 16 straight on the road and 31 of 33 overall -- in the trenches.

Stafford hung in admirably. He threw 51 passes, completed 29 and didn't toss an interception, after his five-pick mess last week. He was sacked three times and clobbered a bunch more. He showed resiliency and toughness, but how often do the Lions really plan to test the resiliency and toughness of their quarterback?

(That's a trick question and you're not required to answer, Mr. Schwartz).

"We got our quarterback killed way too much," coach Jim Schwartz said. "We weren't able to protect him, he wasn't able to make throws. I'm not worried about Matt. I mean, goodness gracious, we don't need to sit there and worry about him every single time. This is about the team."

The Lions can't overly protect their young quarterback (figuratively), but they must protect him (literally) at least well enough to, you know, let him develop. I still have questions about Stafford's accuracy and touch, but he has a strong arm that should be catapulting the football to Calvin Johnson. Minnesota's front four, led by Kevin Williams and Ray Edwards this game, is so good, the Lions were reduced to quick throws just to get rid of the ball. Johnson had eight catches, none longer than 19 yards, and Stafford still was getting hit.

Stafford can only hang on

After that sequence in the fourth quarter -- the 8-yard sack, followed by a 15-yard scramble, followed by a fourth-down incompletion -- Stafford looked exhausted, a shoulder pad flapping from his jersey as he trudged to the sideline. Despite getting beaten up, he was determined not to give the slightest appearance of getting beaten down. As the game ended, he gave a fiery pep talk to his linemen, and on a brutally tough day, they appreciated it.

"That's why he's our leader, why he's our future," center Dominic Raiola said. "He can handle that stuff, and he still made some great throws. For him to come by and tell us to keep fighting, that shows a lot."

Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus said Stafford's message was blunt: Stick together, our day is coming. Simple laws of football physics say the Lions have to get better someday, but it'll never happen consistently if not done right, from the inside-out.

Essentially, Stafford has to hang on and improve until help arrives. The next big batch won't come until the draft, and with their 1-8 record, hoo-baby, the Lions are back in the hunt for the top pick. They could have their choice of a standout defensive tackle, with Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy possible No. 1 overall picks.

Vikings win in trenches

But that's next spring, and doesn't address the offensive line's gnawing needs. The Lions have lost 12 straight in Minnesota, and why do you think that is? It's not because of Peterson, only here three years, and it sure isn't because of the Vikings' previously spotty quarterbacking.

It's because the Vikings always have power and talent on the lines. Now that they finally have skill in key offensive spots, they're Super Bowl contenders. It's not a bad way to build, and the Lions swear they're trying.

There's no doubt they added solid pieces in rookie linebacker DeAndre Levy and rookie safety Louis Delmas, who missed this game with an infected tooth and jaw. And speaking of numbing pain, back to the quarterback's day for a second.

"It was tough," Stafford said. "If we make mistakes, we gotta be able to pick each other up."

Pick each other up -- figure of speech, right? The Lions were trying all day to find something, trying to keep their quarterback upright. He showed some guts. I have a feeling he'll get plenty of opportunities to show more.

bob.wojnowski@detnews.com">bob.wojnowski@detnews.com