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Schein 9: Lions should stay on Thanksgiving menu

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Adam Schein

Adam Schein hosts the "Sirius Blitz" on Sirius NFL Radio from 11-3 ET. He also co-hosts "Loudmouths" on Sports Net New York every weeknight at 6 ET. He is a weekly columnist, files weekly video reports and makes NFL picks "video style" for FOXSports.com.

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Updated Nov 29, 2009 9:14 AM ET
     
 
You always choose pumpkin pie over apple pie on Thanksgiving. That's a boom. The other 364 days, you go apple. Thanksgiving is different. And only serve the real stuffing. For more delicious opinions on the NFL, here's our latest SCHEIN 9, boom or bust style.

1. The Lions should play on Thanksgiving every year

I cannot stress this enough. This is an absolute boom. I understand. The Lions have been one of the worst franchises in professional sports this decade, if not the single most horrendous organization. Tennessee could've put up 100 last year if they wanted to. Green Bay will make mincemeat out of the Lions. I get it. But why bail on tradition? There are so few things we can bank on in sports. The Lions and Cowboys on Thanksgiving are as much a part of the holiday as turkey. And every so often the Lions give you a great effort and surprise you. It hasn't always been this bad on Thanksgiving. Barry Sanders was always fun to watch. And Detroit is getting better. Matthew Stafford is a gutsy ball player with talent and leadership who is committed to the cause of making the Lions relevant. Jim Schwartz has this team playing hard. I know some games on Thanksgiving are over before the meal is even served. It will get better. Trust me. Don't abandon tradition.

2. Brad Childress deserved his contract extension before the playoffs

There are some Vikings fans who are very concerned about the timing. Sure, the Vikes have the third-best record in the NFL at 9-1. But there's a segment of the population wanting to see Childress carry the team to the Super Bowl before rewarding him with security. And then there's the opportunity to scoop up a coach who owns a Super Bowl ring who is currently unemployed. Calm down. It's a boom. Brad Childress is a very good coach. The Vikings have made the playoffs under Childress. They are having a dominant year and Childress can guide them to the Super Bowl. And even if the Vikings don't make it, you have to call this season a major success. When you haphazardly fire your coach or general manager, it can lead to major instability. Giving Childress the extension now gives him even more credibility with his players. The Vikings are moving in the right direction and Childress should be rewarded for that.

3. The NFL should change its overtime rules

This debate became hot and heavy once again when the Giants blew a 31-17 lead, won the coin toss to start overtime, and Atlanta never touched the ball as the Giants marched down the field and scored. It's a major bust. There are three phases to football: offense, defense and special teams. You can win or lose in all of the above. Make a stop on defense. Make a tackle or create a turnover on special teams. I hate the college overtime rules. It's too much of a gimmick. It's not real football. And in the NFL you have to concern yourself with player safety and length of games. Ask Tony Dungy his take. He lost a playoff game in overtime and Peyton Manning never touched the ball. Dungy wouldn't change a thing.

4. Gary Kubiak should be held accountable if Houston misses the playoffs

This is a huge boom. I thought Kubiak's use of timeouts on the Texans' final drive was awful. He wasted so much time in between the two completions to David Anderson. Kubiak got caught with an extra timeout and burned it only to have Matt Schaub center the ball for Kris Brown. That could've easily happened with Schaub spiking the ball at the line of scrimmage. Houston should've been able to run one to three more offensive plays, which could've gotten Andre Johnson involved and equaled an easier kick for Brown, who managed to miss the entire stadium from 49 yards out. Texans owner Bob McNair told us in the preseason that he expected his club to make the playoffs. I totally agreed and picked them to do as much. This club should have seven wins minimum right now, not 5-5 and hanging on for its postseason life after a devastating Monday night loss to Tennessee. The talent is there. Schaub has had a Pro Bowl season. Kubiak needs a major finish to establish a future in Houston. There are no more excuses.

5. Chris Johnson is currently the offensive player of the year

It's an interesting year at quarterback. Peyton Manning is my pick for MVP. Brett Favre has been great. Drew Brees' numbers are what you would expect. Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, Phil Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and others have put up gaudy stats as well. But nobody has had a classic year like what Brees accomplished last season. Enter Johnson, and enter a boom. Johnson shredded the Texans' run defense for 151 yards. And Johnson carved off big chunks of real estate in big spots. Johnson has five straight games of over 120 yards on the ground, averaging over five yards a pop. He's been the catalyst for the Titans' four-game winning streak, allowing Vince Young to blend in and manage the game.

6. The NFL should expand the season

I am begging Roger Goodell to remember Nov. 22, 2009. Kurt Warner got hurt. So did Ben Roethlisberger. Tony Romo was banged up. The Packers lost two of their best players on defense. The Chargers lost a key offensive lineman. Philadelphia had injuries all over the field. Washington can't keep a running back on the field. That's just the tip. For a league that claims player safety is the top priority, you cannot add more games. I understand it will equal more money. Don't sacrifice players' health. And just like last year with Brian Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson, you will have injured stars come playoff times. Great teams won't even be recognizable. I comprehend that injures are part of football and I get it. But don't make it even worse. It's the biggest bust.

7. Raheem Morris is overmatched

That's a boom. The Bucs are unwatchable. His game management is goofy. His original hires for offensive coordinator and defense coordinator both didn't make it until 2010. That's a huge problem. Tampa has one win. Other than that, it's working out.

8. Kerry Rhodes is playing for his Jets future

This is a total boom. Our Jay Glazer broke the story on Tuesday night that Rex Ryan is benching Rhodes for the Carolina game. And Ryan should. Rhodes hasn't made one play all year. He doesn't have a pick, sack or forced fumble. Plus, Wes Welker of all people blew him up on Sunday. That can't happen. And from talking to people inside the organization, it wasn't lost on Jets coaches or players that Jim Leonhard played on Sunday after thumb surgery and he outplayed Rhodes. While those Ed Reed comparisons and expectations were ridiculous and far-fetched, I thought Rhodes would take a major step forward this season under Ryan. Instead he has regressed on the field while still staying prominent in the public eye with various appearances around New York, causing some inside the locker room to wonder about Rhodes. The Jets have traded a lot of draft picks away over the past few years. If Rhodes doesn't get it together, he could be used as bait to recoup some picks in the offseason.

9. Matt Millen is a welcomed guest in your home on Thanksgiving

The site of him on the NFL Network Thursday night will make Lions fans cough up their dinner. His era in Detroit was an epic error. Heck, I even evoke the name of Matt Millen every Tuesday on FOXSports.com to discuss the ugliness in the NFL. I can't believe I am saying it. But it's a boom. I know it's tough and I understand. Some can't listen to Matt Millen talk about Michael Crabtree when he drafted Charles Rogers and Mike Williams. You can't listen to him discuss Chad Henne when he plucked Joey "Blue Skies" Harrington. If you can, try to get past it. Millen is fantastic on television. His opinions. His first guesses. His breakdown of what happened and why. Matt Millen is a must-watch and must-listen. Am I getting soft? What's next, acknowledging Favre's greatness? For a daily Boom or Bust on New York Sports, watch Schein and Chris Carlin weeknights at 6 o'clock ET on SNY (DIRECT-TV 639). Listen to Schein and Rich Gannon on the Sirius Blitz from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Sirius NFL Radio Channel 124. On NFL Sundays, join Schein for the Sirius NFL Tailgate show from 9 a.m. to noon and then immediately after every Jets game on SNY for Jets Postgame Live. Follow Schein on Twitter at twitter.com/AdamSchein
Tagged: Brett Favre, Kerry Rhodes, Wes Welker, Cowboys, Broncos, Lions, Packers, Titans, David Anderson, Colts, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Raiders, Chiefs, Dolphins, Vikings, Patriots, Charles Rogers, Saints, Vince Young, Andre Johnson, Giants, Kris Brown, Jets, Eagles, 49ers, Aaron Rodgers, Redskins, Ravens, Michael Crabtree, Steelers, Chargers, Texans, Jim Leonhard, Brian Westbrook, Peyton Manning, Chad Henne, LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Chris Johnson, Ed Reed, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Schaub, Mike Williams

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