Mike Martz had only good things to say about Rod Marinelli on his way out of town, but don't think for a second there aren't hard feelings there. Fired last week as Lions offensive coordinator, Martz resurfaced Monday in the same role with the San Francisco 49ers.

Lucky for you Lions fans (and even better for us reporters), Martz's new team will play his old one sometime next fall. Times and dates won't be announced until the spring, but the Lions are scheduled to visit the 49ers sometime in '08. Think Martz won't have that game circled on his calendar?

Last year, the Lions played the Rams, Martz's old stomping grounds as head coach, and Martz pulled out all the stops to win (only to be done in by, surprise, three Jon Kitna turnovers). He never admitted how much that game meant to him publicly, but Roy Williams said as much when asked about Marinelli playing his old team, Tampa Bay, earlier this year.

"If I was ever to get traded or go to another team I'd want to come out here and beat you guys," Williams said at the time. "(Marinelli) wanted to win. Everybody would. Coach Martz wanted to win against the Rams (last year)."

The 49ers should be improved next year, closer to the team that challenged for a playoff berth in 2006 than the 5-11 team that regressed this year. Expect some fireworks to ensue.