Detroit Lions: The Next Four Games Could Define 2019 Season
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Lions enter their week five bye with a 2-1-1 record. It’s not a horrible overall record when you consider the gauntlet of opponents they’ve faced. Plus don’t forget, ESPN expected the Lions to start the season 0-11–so there is always that. If you had told me before the season opener that the Lions would start with this 2-1-1 record, I would have taken it.
The issue with the Detroit Lions so far this season is not the overall record, it’s what their record SHOULD read. The Lions opened the season with a tie to the Arizona Cardinals, that after blowing an 18 point fourth-quarter lead. At that point, it felt like ‘same old Lions.’
They were able to rebound with wins over a couple of injury-riddled Chargers and Eagles teams. But the Detroit Lions like every other team in the league can only play against the players lining up across from them and take care of business; that they did.
After a four-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs; a game, they could have won the 2-1-1 record could easily read 4-0. That’s the difference between an elite team and a good team. The Lions took care of business in weeks two & three but failed to do so in weeks one and four. An elite team finds a way to get it done more times than not, similar to what the Chiefs accomplished on the road this past Sunday.
More from Detroit Jock City
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
After the bye week, the Detroit Lions travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers in primetime on Monday Night Football. With two weeks to prepare for Aaron Rodgers and company, I expect Matt Patricia to have plenty of surprises dialed up for the newly revamped Packers offense.
Also, Devonte Adams is battling a turf toe issue that has him highly questionable for this weekend; there are no guarantees he will be 100% healthy when the Detroit bus rumbles into town. It’s a very winnable game for Detroit who has owned the Packers over the last couple of seasons. Who knows, we may even see Matt Prater throw another touchdown.
After that, the Lions host the one-dimensional Minnesota Vikings. Under Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have become extremely run-heavy. When a team is winning everyone is quiet, but remember this team possesses two pro-bowl caliber receivers in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. When things start to go South players tend to speak up like Thielen did after a 16-6 Vikings loss Sunday to the Chase Daniel led Chicago Bears.
It wasn’t the fact that the Vikings lost to the Bears, it was how they lost. Refusing to throw the football down the field to their playmakers and running their backs into a wall of Bears play after play. Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Diggs was a no-show to Vikings practice for ‘non-injury reasons.’ It appears Mike Zimmer could be on borrowed time. Hopefully, he’s still the head coach when the Lions host the Vikes in week 7.
Weeks eight & nine are against the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders, both games Detroit should win. There is a real possibility the Lions will boost their regular season record to an impressive 6-1-1 through the first half of the season.
light. Trending. How Would Jalen Ramsey Impact the Detroit Lions?
If this were the case, it would set up a massive week ten matchup with the Chicago Bears for the NFC North division lead.