Detroit Lions Can Beat Seahawks; Other Detroit Teams Have Faced Longer Odds
By Matt Pelc
Fans writing off the Detroit Lions in the playoffs may remember other times when they did the same thing, and the Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons surprised.
The Detroit Lions had a home playoff game after all. It was last Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Sure, it was a regular season game, but because it was winner-take-all for the NFC North, it was all but a home playoff game.
As they have done in their previous two games, the Lions were flat throughout the second half and lost that “pseudo” playoff game to the hated Packers. This forces them on the road for the wild-card round. They have lost eight straight playoff games, the last seven coming on the road.
Certainly, this was disappointing. For the second time in four years, the Lions led the division by two games with five to play and coughed it up both times. The Lions got cold when they needed to be hot. The fact that they were hot earlier, not losing a game in the month of November, pushed them into playoff position to begin with.
It’s apparent that this Detroit Lions team is not ready for prime time. They beat the teams they should’ve beaten (except for Chicago and possibly Houston), going 8-1 against teams at .500 or worse, and 1-6 versus teams above .500. Another good draft and free agent signings, and they could take the next step, but right now the Lions are one of the 12 playoff teams.
You wouldn’t believe it by some of the fan reaction. After Sunday’s loss it was largely negative and most are not giving the Lions much of a chance to upset the so-so Seattle Seahawks.
Yet, when you think about it, the Lions, who clearly overachieved this season, will likely be the ONLY Detroit team to make the postseason in 2017.
This is a very real possibility as the Detroit Pistons have cratered, the Detroit Red Wings appear to be on the verge of snapping their 25-game playoff streak, and the Detroit Tigers directionless offseason has them slightly weaker than the team that just missed the postseason last season.
Yet, each of these teams have faced similar circumstances as the Lions. They were also faced with long odds and a doubting fan base. The one thing all of them had in common was that they’d defy the odds and win some form of a championship along the way.