Detroit Lions Beat Chicago Bears: Lions Could Go 7-1 In First Half Of Season

Sep 29, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions free safety Louis Delmas (26) celebrates after the game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. The Lions won 40-32. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

It was a classic match-up of the black and blue division at Ford Field and it was a victory the Lions needed to have in  order to stay ahead of the pack in the NFC North.

The result: Detroit Lions beat Chicago Bears 40-32.

The impact: The Lions find themselves in first place in the NFC north and have an excellent opportunity to stay there for the forseeable future. In fact the Lions could be 7-1 the next time they meet the Bears at Lambeau Field. Here is how the Lions upcoming schedule could work out before the bye in Week 9.

Lions Upcoming Schedule

Detroit @ Green Bay

Next week the Lions have a good chance to get a rare win at Lambeau Field. The Packers are out of sync and having trouble finding their offensive momentum.  If they play the way they played against the Bears the Lions should win this road game.

Detroit @ Cleveland

A couple of weeks ago the Browns traded away Trent Richardson to the Colts for a first round pick.  The move made it look as if the Browns were throwing in the towel on 2013.  But a change at QB to Brian Hoyer helped the Brown win the battle for Ohio over the Bengals 17-6.  So are the Browns on the upswing? Maybe, but they should still be no match for the Lions.  Fans should expect a win here.

Detroit vs Cincinnati

The Bengals have high expectations to meet after appearing on HBO’s Hard Knocks. A couple of early season wins and a breakout performance by QB Andy Dalton have helped to fuel those expectations.  However, the loss to the Browns shows they are a team still trying to learn to win on the road.  Although the game against the Bengals happens at Ford Field, this is a trap game for the Lions who should come into this game 5-1.  The Lions have the talent to beat the Bengals but may get caught looking ahead to the Cowboys. That said Fans should expect a win here.

Detroit vs Dallas

If the Lions take care of business they will be entering this home game against the Cowboys 6-1. It may be crazy to think but the Lions have a great chance to win a close game at home against the Dallas just before the bye week.  The difference here is home field advantage. Fans should expect a close win here but if this game were on the road game it would be a win for Dallas.

That’s right Detroit could be 7-1 by the time they play at Chicago in Week 10.  If they can do that, Lions fans will be foaming at the mouth for the playoffs to start.  Assuming of course the Lions can avoid a second half collapse.