Detroit Lions’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday was disappointing. In a game that a blizzard would force into being decided on the ground, the Lions’ being without their star running back was difficult. And the Lions’ rush defense—which has been tremendous this season—getting run over in the last quarter was demoralizing.
But it’s not time to panic. Here’s 3 reasons why:
1 – The Lions Have a New Weapon
With the exception of one good punt return in Week 4 against the Bears, Lions return man Michael Spurlock has given the Lions no help on field position.
It seemed every time Spurlock returned the ball, the Lions had to start their drive from farther back than the 20.
Then the Green Bay Packers cut Jeremy Ross after he fumbled a kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals. Their loss, Lions gain. Big gain. In the last couple weeks, Jeremy Ross has been incredible in the return game.
The difference a dangerous return man makes in a game is huge. Think about the damage Deion Sanders or Devin Hester have done to opposing teams with their return games.
You can’t really compare Ross to Hester or Prime Time and returning a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns was aided Sunday by the slippery conditions. But Ross has proven that he can give the Lions a significant boost, giving the offense a much shorter field to work with or even being a scoring threat on returns himself whether playing in the elements or in a dome.
2 – Detroit’s Rush Defense is Still Great
People are freaking out about the Lions’ run defense falling apart on Sunday. And it absolutely got demolished in the latter part of the game.
But you can’t think because the run defense lost its footing and got beat in a blizzard that it is suddenly going to be porous in normal conditions.
The Detroit Lions have one of the best rush defenses in the league. Period. It has been consistent all year long. Don’t let one bad game out of thirteen freak you out.
The next three games are all dome games, two of them being at home. If the rush defense struggles in these upcoming games, then you can start having something to worry about there.
3 – Detroit Lions Are Still in First Place
Yes, instead of putting away the division, the Detroit Lions are right back in a tight race with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
But the Detroit Lions are on top with three games to go. With tougher remaining schedules and more injury problems, neither the Bears nor Packers are more likely to win out than the Lions.
In fact, the Bears and Packers play each other in the last week, meaning at least one is guaranteed a loss there (unless they tie and neither gets a win). But the Lions don’t have to count on either team losing to win the division and clench a home playoff game. They just have to win.
Yes, a 50+ history of the Lions not winning combined with Detroit failing to hold three of their last four leads in the fourth quarter has people nervous about the Lions’ ability to win the division for the first time in 20 years.
But don’t panic.
The Lions are still in good position to hold their division as the fourth quarter of the season ends. This is one fourth quarter lead I don’t believe they’ll lose. If they do win out, they’ll gain momentum in the process and a home field advantage as they enter the playoffs.