Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

You guys know what a mirage is as it relates to women, don’t you? It’s the chick that looks decent from a distance, but as you get closer you realize what you saw really isn’t there. You know what I’m talking about, right?

Well, that’s what the Detroit Lions offense is, and has been, to fantasy football players.

Perhaps no team has carried such offensive promise year after year…high draft picks left and right when you look at the skill positions. Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones. Every training camp you hear the same thing; this is the year these guys bust out and start putting up huge numbers.

Well, Harrington and Rogers are gone. But that didn’t stop the hype machine from shifting into overdrive for the 2006 Motor City madmen. That’s because Mike Martz, “The Offensive Genius,� was taking over as coordinator. Never mind that he’d usually blow all three of his timeouts midway through the 1st and 3rd quarters when he ran the Rams. Never mind that he stubbornly refused to run Marshall Faulk in the Super Bowl because he wanted to beat Bill Belichick “his way.�

“Just wait till you see what this brain surgeon will do for the Lions� we were told. John Kitna will morph into Johnny Unitas. Kevin Jones will play like Marshall Faulk. And start engraving Roy Williams’ bust for Hall of Fame weekend, 2020. The Lions offense was ready to roar.

Yeah, right!

A closer examination after two weeks shows Jones averaging 3-yards per carry, with 3-fumbles and the endzone remaining unchartered territory. Kitna is also a stranger to the goal line, posting a goose egg in the TD column while averaging a “whopping�230-yards passing. Roy Williams has at least put 9-receptions and 107-yards on the board, but like his teammates, he too would need Mapquest to find paydirt.

Granted, there’s often an adjustment period with any new system. And the opponents (Seahawks and Bears) bring very good defenses to the table. However, the early signs are not promising, especially for this owner who got fooled into drafting various combinations of these supposed studs in my three leagues.

The schedule shows Green Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota up next. If you don’t see signs of life, and soon, it’s time to cut your losses and realize these attractive “ladies� were never really there in the first place.

By the way, the monster you see in this large picture is the same one in the tiny photo on top…a true Mirage!

What’s your fantasy football take on the Detroit Lions? Is there hope for those of us who drafted these guys? As always, feel free to chime in with your fantasy related questions and suggestions for the upcoming week!