Roy Williams partied Tuesday night like a prisoner paroled.

"He and I hung out before he left town," said Calvin Johnson. "He was happy. And I was happy for him. He's going to a playoff team."

They're happy for him because he has been liberated.

The Lions spent their first day Wednesday without Williams, peddled to Dallas on Tuesday just before the NFL trading deadline for three 2009 draft picks — including a first-rounder.

"It's strange staring over to his cubicle and seeing it empty," Jeff Backus said. "It's great for Roy, but it's something that we've got to roll with. I knew that it was a possibility because you guys had been talking about it for a while. We didn't get anything that could help us right now. It's definitely a move for the future. Nobody denies that."

Coach Rod Marinelli remains in denial.

This season officially is up in flames after the Lions dealt Williams and placed quarterback Jon Kitna on injured reserve. But Marinelli won't even acknowledge the burning smoke in his eyes.

It was the right football decision. Cut your losses. Maximize your assets. But it's admitting that the organization effectively waved the surrender flag for this season. Suggesting otherwise insults reasonable intelligence.

"Oh, we're playing for now," Marinelli said following practice Wednesday. "There's no doubt about it."

Is he serious? Who is he fooling?

There is no "now" for the Lions. There's only tomorrow.

NFL players aren't stupid. They can see through a con job. And Marinelli sounded like a back-alley grifter, spinning a deceptive web of competitive relevance in the Lions' remaining 11 games.

Why don't the Lions just admit what everybody else plainly sees: Their 2009 season officially began Wednesday. It's all about self-preservation now. Football remains a collective sacrifice, but the Lions are pretty much a collection of individuals now with everybody more interested in covering their own back pockets. It's all about keeping their jobs, proving their worth to those entrusted with making the organization's important decisions next season — even if those people currently aren't Lions employees.

A number of players spoke about how they couldn't talk for others in the locker room, but they definitely weren't quitting. But these remaining 11 games become a litmus test for those truly devoted to working through another rebuilding process.

"I'd be stupid if that hasn't crossed my mind," Backus said when asked whether he would ever demand his emancipation from this madness. "But I've committed to this team like the team has committed to me. Until my role on this team changes, I'm committed to playing the best and giving the best that I can. It's frustrating when you invest all the physical effort in preparing for this game, but the final results haven't changed for the eight years you've been here."

They are professionals. They are paid very good money to nonetheless dedicate maximum effort for minimal short-term results. But NFL players aren't robotic. Their body language in the locker room Wednesday spoke volumes. The aggravations of the first five losses turned to resignation when confronted about their chances this season without one of their few offensive playmakers.

"I don't think that the front office quit on us," Cory Redding said. "I can't think that because I'm committed too deeply into this. I've got to believe that they did what they thought was best long-term for the health of this franchise."

But when asked how the long-term aspects of trading Williams and shelving Kitna obviously conflicts with the short-term realities of a winless team that's suddenly less talented than it was 24 hours earlier, Redding admitted that there's no alternative but taking that leap of faith.

"That's all we can do," Redding said. "This was a front-office decision. I'm just a player."

It's every man for himself now with the Lions. That's what happens when the ship sinks.