Quick summary: Martz comes in, hopes are high...3-way competition at QB, starter is named in late July...offense struggles throughout preseason and even early into the regular season... Seems similar to our situation, with the BIG exception that we lack a proven veteran QB like Kitna (bad news for a Martz offense). Good news is that our running game is a lot better than Detroit's was.

April 14, 2006
Martz makes quick impression at camp (link to story)

Mike Martz not only is beginning his overhaul of one of the NFL's worst offenses, but he's making a quick impression. That attention to detail often has been a matter of yards. ``There's more coaching. He says 2 yards outside the number, he means 2 yards. Not a yard and a half,'' said receiver Roy Williams, who led the team with eight touchdown catches last season. ``That's different than what I'm used to.''

July 27, 2006
Kitna named No. 1 QB (link to story)

Martz apparently sees a lot of potential in this group. But there's a ton of work to be done...Martz praised Kitna, giving him an A+ in intelligence, toughness and accuracy. Martz even compared Kitna to Kurt Warner, whom he helped turn into an MVP and Super Bowl winner in St. Louis.

September 10, 2006
Kitna confident in offense (link to story)

The fans have yet to see the explosion. But Lions quarterback Jon Kitna sees it. He sees it in practice. He sees it in private meetings with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and he sees it in his teammates. Unfortunately, the fans are still waiting for the Lions' offense to become productive. It was mostly dormant during the preseason and it struggled again in Sunday's opener against the Seahawks. The Lions settled for two Jason Hanson field goals during a 9-6 loss that was decided on the final play.

September 19, 2006
Lions are making a mess of Martz's offense (link to story)

Asking the Lions to execute Mike Martz's offense might seem like asking a bunch of butchers to perform brain surgery. And so far, well, let's just say they have made quite a mess on their aprons.

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Note: Kitna went on to have one of his most productive seasons, and the Lions passing offense finished 7th in the NFL in 2006. I expect our passing game to finish in the late-teens to early-twenties and our running game to finish in the early-teens or even top-ten.