Buck Will Start Against Montreal!

[Blitz]

Buck Pierce will get his opportunity to start against Montreal. Looking healthy and with his old 'quicks' back last game, Buck is ready is start.

Buck Pierce missed 13 games last season and only played brefly in one other game. He played injured during three of the four games he started early last season. He wasn't fully recovered from his shoulder injury when he started our first game. Buck has showed a lot of patience, been a team guy and complimentary and supportive of Jarious Jackson, even when he was itching to play again.

However, sometimes you have to take a step backward to go two steps forward. Buck's first season with our Leos provided him with the opportunity to play, following injuries to Dickenson and Printers in 2005. Jarious was hurt during the pre-season. It gave Buck a wonderful and opportunistic quick launching pad to his pro career. By 2006 he had become our second string quarterback and started six games. He was at the top of the league in quarterback efficiency and pass completion percentage. Those stats are helpful but even more importantly we won with him at quarterback.

Last season was a very tough season for Buck Pierce. Perhaps he should have sat out a couple of the games he started...it probably would have been wiser but how does a young quarterback, with that kind of opportunity, not do everything to compete and keep on starting? Very hard to do!

This season, after getting the start for the first game of the season, Buck has really experienced his first adversity as a pro, outside of his injury situation last season. That adversity will make him a stronger quarterback and better leader because this season his opportunity to start has not come easily. If we'd have kept on starting Buck after his first game this season, he not only would have been playing without being fully healed but he also would have had a lot of pressure on him, while he really still hadn't knocked all that rust off.

He's practiced hard, his shoulder has not had to endure a lot of punishment for seven games. Buck's fresh, he's looked ready to stand in there without flinching when he's had his recent opportunitiies to get game reps, and he's gotta be excited about playing. He's had the chance to look at the defenses being used by different teams this season and to analyze where we've been successful in the passing attack and where we've struggled.

I really believe that the setback Buck had this season was a learning experience for him. Success came quickly for Buck and sometimes early success also doesn't impose it's lessons on a young quarterback. Buck got a lot of breaks, in terms of our injury situations with our Leos and when he got his chance he showed his skill and his potential. The quarterback position is the most deamnding position on a football team, because the pressures there are enormous.

In the meantime, I also think it will be good for Jarious to sit. He got his opportunity last season, in a similar manner that Buck got his chance previously. He's started every game since Game 7 last season, outside of our first game this year and he got to play a bunch in that one. Jarious needs to see the game again from the sidelines. His early success as a starter, as he reeled off vcitory after victory, while often being inconsistent, also may have resulted in lessons not being learned. He will be able to learn some of those lessons by facing adversity again, after finally becoming a pro starting quarterback and be able to see the game again from the sidelines.

I think, at least right now, this is a good situation for both quarterbacks and whatever happens the rest of the way, we will have two better quarterbacks who have experienced both success and adversity and grown wiser and stronger for the experience.

[Blue In BC]

I hope he proves me wrong, but Pierce seems to be injury prone. Slid feet first and quit taking so many hits.

[Blitz]

I hope he proves me wrong, but Pierce seems to be injury prone. Slid feet first and quit taking so many hits.

Football injuries are unpredictble. A young quarterback like Buck could have suffered his string of injuries and not have one again for a very long time.

I just watched Global TV and Jarious was as classy as Buck has been in his comments. Jarious said that we have great quarterback depth and that Buck was probably itching to play after not getting a lot of playing time in the last seven games. These two both want to start but they really support each other.

[TheLionKing]

I hope he proves me wrong, but Pierce seems to be injury prone. Slid feet first and quit taking so many hits.

I've noticed that Buck has learned his lesson. He's sliding and avoiding the big hits.

[prairielion]

This is the best news in a while!!

[Don Miller]

I believe in buck. It doesn't matter who we have behind the center if the OLine don't give them time to step into their throw. There are a few who need to look in the mirror Murphy and others and start playing like it is their last game. The NFL cuts start tomorrow and I would think that Roy Shivers has a shopping list for a receiver, a linebacker and dback. If Buck is given time, he can be very effective with the short game and occasionally throw a longer ball.

[Bobbyp]

Lets hope the oline can BLOCK this week.

[pennw]

This is great news , now hopefully Stith will be named a starter for this game too , to make this more then a one game event .

[No Ka Oi]

This is good news and hopefully JJ is healthy enough to backup Buck and we won't have to rely on Zac Champion who hasn't taken a snap this year, I don't believe.

The unfortunate thing is that Jarius has not progressed this season. Like last year he is not finding his receivers or reading the defence, although he seems to have less time in the pocket this year. He will have to show some tangible signs of improvement if he wants to be anything more than a backup QB in this league.

[Rammer]

Buck will be in a difficult situation, he is expected to capture his early form by many fans. Realistically, if he provides some rest for the D, we should be able to rely upon the Logan joystick to create a few more and wait for the D to provide the big turnover, or a Smart return or two to shorten the field for BP.

You have to realize that BP is going to press somewhat and that puts us behind Cavillo and company in the QB department. Combine that with the Als attack style D and you know that they are going to be hungry with BP at the helm, not seeing much game action, they can turn up the game speed factor in a hurry.

PS Buck, make sure you fire the ball in the middle of the field, just too much traffic to ease a ball in that area of play. Count on the receivers to do their job, and use your feet early as the D will get some kind of tired trying to chase you all over, plus it will open up Logan.

[Lion Guy]

Finally. I'm tired of the Jarious show. Too inconsistent for me; reminds me too much of Damon Allen. When he's hot he's good, but when he's not............oh boy.

Here's hoping Buck takes the reins from here on in and Zack will be ready to backup next season.

[Spud387]

I have been a huge Buck fan ever since his first season with the Lions. I was very disappointed to see that his shoulder wasn't fully recovered and went out after only one game this year. Just watching the two, it looks like night and day. Jarious will see the receiver he wants early on, then gets tunnel vision. Buck looks for the receiver he wants then if the play isn't there does try to look for the secondary or at least Doesn't Panic!

[bclions16]

Just like the sun rises, another QB in BC gets his turn. Many of us were so polarized over BP and JJ this season, perhaps out of habit because fans were just used to QB controversies! BP and JJ are great team guys, easy to cheer for both.
Looks like Blitz was right about BP's shoulder needing more time. The rust never concerned me, but rust on a bad shoulder wasn't a good thing.

[Wakesbetterthanyou]

I hope he proves me wrong, but Pierce seems to be injury prone. Slid feet first and quit taking so many hits.

Football injuries are unpredictble. A young quarterback like Buck could have suffered his string of injuries and not have one again for a very long time.

I just watched Global TV and Jarious was as classy as Buck has been in his comments. Jarious said that we have great quarterback depth and that Buck was probably itching to play after not getting a lot of playing time in the last seven games. These two both want to start but they really support each other.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there, buck has "steve young syndrome" either he'll run and take the hit or he'll wait to the last possible second before throwing, and then get smashed as soon as he releases. would be nice to see him hook slide a little more. Until the last few games he had i think 96 pass attempts with no picks...tho one in each of the last two games. like jarious he needs to learn when to just throw the ball away and live to play another day

[bclions16]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there, buck has "steve young syndrome" either he'll run and take the hit or he'll wait to the last possible second before throwing, and then get smashed as soon as he releases. would be nice to see him hook slide a little more. Until the last few games he had i think 96 pass attempts with no picks...tho one in each of the last two games. like jarious he needs to learn when to just throw the ball away and live to play another day

Only time will tell if BP can stay healthy. One thing we can be certain of, is that on this team, the "other QB" gets his turn sooner or later. Probably a good time for JJ to watch for a bit and gain some perspective from that view.