Concerning drafting Ebron, let's not forget that our incoming offensive coordinator that season was Joe Lombardi, longtime successful offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the Saints. Ebron was going to be for the Lions what Jimmy Graham was for the Saints -- an H-back of sorts who'd line up anywhere and give defenses fits. The fact that Lombardi and Stafford never jibed was problematic in hindsight.
Also, not often accentuated of late is that the Lions' offense was decimated by injuries, the most severely felt being those to RBs Ameer Abdullah at the season's beginning and Theo Riddick -- the latter being an important receiver out of the backfield. Defenses had absolutely zero respect for our running game. Combine all that with Stafford's finger injury and I think it was quite an achievement to reach the playoffs at all! Remember, we were positioned as the second playoff seed in the NFC as late as three or four weeks ago before Stafford's finger injury, a result of playing mostly mistake-free football against mostly mediocre teams.
I also have to agree that the Lions are getting zero respect from the refs. That veteran receiver Anquan Boldin would receive personal foul and unsportsman-like conduct penalties while Stafford was picked up and dropped like a hay bale without a call was beyond the pale!
Besides, I think there are far too many pass interference calls being assessed - let them play fergodsakes!
"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris