(My Sportsbook) - If you're reading this, chances are you have a relative or close friend who plays for the Detroit Lions. Otherwise, your interest in this article makes very little sense. Reading about the Lions is a lot like watching Scooby-Doo: slightly different theme each episode but with the same predictable ending.

There seemed to be a different tale unfolding Sunday at New England, where the two-win Lions were orchestrating a shocking upset for the first 52 minutes of the game. However, in the final eight minutes, Detroit blew an eight-point lead thanks to the usual heroics of living legend Tom Brady, plus two interceptions and a fumble by Jon Kitna.

"I severely let this team down today," Kitna said. "I don't know that I ever felt worse about letting a team down the way I let them down today. You can't do that stuff as a quarterback. I feel so bad for these guys in the locker room. They busted their butts and I let them down the way I let them down."

Of course, in a game as complex as pro football, it's never just one player's fault. The Lions had their usual struggles with pass-protection, they averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on the ground, they had a few untimely penalties, and of course, it wasn't Kitna who let Tom Brady throw for over 300 yards and Corey Dillon reach the end-zone three times.

"We had our chance to win," running back Kevin Jones said, "but at the end of the game, we gave it away."

Rod Marinelli had his usual "let's keep moving forward" mantra after the game, saying, "From day one it's about letting it go and moving on to the next snap. Those are the things you have to teach and obviously they just don't happen that quickly. We've got to understand a mistake has happened -- we turned it over or there's a penalty -- then we've got to move to the next snap and keep playing."

The Lions will keep playing by facing all three of their NFC North division foes over the next three weeks before concluding their season in Dallas on New Year's Eve. At 2-10, they are in position to claim the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL draft. Of course, that's not what they're playing for (even though Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson is an enticing receiver).

MCCOWN PLAYS RECEIVER

We've hammered it into the ground many times before, but the wide receiver situation in Detroit just seems to get more and more bizarre. First, we looked at Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams and said "Can you believe they have three talented No. 1 picks?"

Soon after, we became flabbergasted at how Rogers and Mike Williams were floundering. We were astounded at the fact that the Lions had three No. 1 picks, yet players like Scottie Vines and Glenn Martinez were on the field. After that, jaws were dropping (or would have been dropping had we not all come to expect this type of thing from Detroit) when Rogers was cut and Mike Williams became a regular on the inactive list. Eventually, nontraditional receivers such as return specialist Eddie Drummond and ex-safety Mike Furrey were getting more playing time than every first-round receiver save for Roy Williams.

On Sunday, the problems at the receiver position seemed to come full circle when backup quarterback Josh McCown lined up in the slot. Three first-round picks since 2002 and here we are, four years later, with the second-string quarterback getting playing time at wideout. And not for trick plays - McCown has actually been taking snaps in practice at the position and, against the Patriots, he was out there for approximately a dozen plays. He wasn't that bad, either, catching two passes for 15 yards.

However, he did have a blatant pass-interference penalty called against him, and his routes had the fluidity and smoothness of mountain biking.

It could be worse though - he could be Mike Williams. The ex-USC star has one catch on the year.

"Mike is coming along," McCown said. "There are a lot of things Mike has learned and is still learning, how to play this position.

"Hopefully, this continues to push him. That if a quarterback can step in there and be effective that maybe he will continue to grow as a receiver."

Push him? Which way - down, over, or to the back of the line?

Mike Williams did not make any comments after the game and Marinelli was vague about playing his quarterback in the slot, referring only to how McCown got time because of certain packages that were called.

WHO'S HOT

Wide receiver Mike Furrey had nine catches for a career-high 123 yards against the Patriots. He also reached the end-zone for the fourth time this season. Furrey's 65 catches are the most on the team, though his 773 yards are second to Roy Williams, who is second in the NFL with 1,043.

WHO'S NOT

Jon Kitna blamed himself for the loss at New England. He threw for over 300 yards, though that is almost to be expected in this offense. What's not expected (or intended, at least) are the three interceptions and one lost fumble that he had.

NEXT UP

The Lions return home to face the 5-7 Minnesota Vikings.

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Andy Benoit is the author of Touchdown 2006: Everything You Need to Know About the NFL This Year. For more information or to contact Benoit, visit www.touchdown2006.com