Kitna's predicted 10 wins for Lions at halfway mark
Jon Kitna subjected himself to ridicule, saying before the season he would be disappointed if the Detroit Lions didn't win at least 10 games.
No one is laughing at Detroit's quarterback anymore.
The Lions are 5-2, the lone NFC North team without a loss in the division and only one in the conference undefeated at home. Detroit's strong start -- and startling turnaround -- gave Kitna enough confidence to say special things are possible.
Such as?
"I don't play this game for any other reason but to win a Super Bowl," Kitna said with conviction and a steely glare as he grabbed a reporter's recorder. "I'm not trying to go to the playoffs. I'm not trying to win 10 games. I'm not trying to do moral victories.
"I'm trying to win in a Super Bowl."
On the eve of training camp, Lions coach Rod Marinelli insisted he didn't have a problem with Kitna's bravado.
As the team prepares to hit its midway point of the season at home against Denver, Marinelli wasn't bothered by the latest bold statement from his quarterback.
"Every team in this league has a vision of what they want to be," Marinelli said after Wednesday's practice. "But in reality, it's the day-by-day preparation."
The Lions have embraced Marinelli's one-snap-at-a-time mantra, and it has appeared to help them win five times in the final quarter with clutch plays by all three units.
Detroit was routed 56-21 at Philadelphia and 34-3 at Washington, but bounced back to win the last two games, including Sunday's 16-7 victory over the Bears at Soldier field.
Suddenly, people outside the locker room are believing in the franchise coming off one of the worst six-season stretches in NFL history.
The former laughingstock of the league is slowly gaining respect, but Marinelli insists he doesn't care.
"It doesn't mean anything," Marinelli said. "If it helped us win, I'd care.
"It certainly doesn't mean anything as we prepare to play Denver this week."
If Detroit beats the Broncos, it will double last season's win total; match the most victories from the Matt Millen era; and reach six wins halfway through the season for the first time since 1999, the last season it made the playoffs.
The Lions are vastly improved chiefly because they're creating turnovers -- five more than they've given up -- and taking advantage of them.
They lead the NFL with 20 takeaways, 13 interceptions and 69 points off turnovers. At this point last year, Detroit was 1-6 after forcing 11 turnovers, including just three interceptions.
"The first thing you look at is their turnover ratio," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "Anytime you win the turnover battle, you've got an excellent chance to win football games.
"It's also another year of the defensive and offensive system under their belt."
Falcons' Hall remains silent: DeAngelo Hall made it through Day 1 of his media blackout.
"I ain't doing nothing the rest of the season," the Atlanta Falcons cornerback said Wednesday when approached by a reporter. "I'm done talking."
Done talking? DeAngelo Hall? That's a good one.
Even his teammates had trouble believing the outspoken Pro Bowler could make it through another nine weeks boycotting the media except on game days.
Fullback Ovie Mughelli actually started laughing when someone brought up Hall's don't-bother-asking-cause-I-ain't-telling policy.
"I think he can do it because he knows everybody is watching him and looking for him to break it," Mughelli said. "He's going to do his best to prove you guys wrong. It's going to be interesting, but I ain't putting any money on it."