The Detroit Lions are on a roll.
Despite struggling to close the game late against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the Lions looked dominant in a large portion of the game, entering the fourth quarter with a 28-3 lead. After taking their foot off the gas in the final stretch of the game, the Lions sweated a little, but still managed to come away with their fourth straight win. The most impressive part of the win was how the Lions' secondary was able to slow down the Ja'Marr Chase-Tee Higgins duo until the very end despite being very short-handed.
One of the biggest factors for this was the play of Amik Robertson. The 27-year-old defensive back was thrust into a larger role amid injuries to D.J. Reed and Khalil Dorsey, and arguably had his best game of the season. His first interception of the season set the tone for the Lions' defense in the first half, as they completely shut down the Bengals' offense.
Interestingly enough, it's what Robertson did after the game that should impress Lions fans the most.
Lions CB Amik Robertson Has Perfect Response to Big Game
Even though the Lions won on Sunday, Robertson told 97.1 The Ticket's Will Burchfield that he isn't satisfied with his performance.
"Me personally, I feel like (EXPLETIVE)," Robertson admitted. "Outside looking in, you might say, ‘He caught a pick and he started off fast, he’s all over the field,’ but it’s like, I do that sh*t in my sleep. This sh*t is all about finishing. Next week, I’ll finish."
While it may sound like the veteran defender is being unnecessarily harsh on him, he may have a point. In the fourth quarter, he was torched by Chase for a 62-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 28-17. He was left alone on an island with Chase on a third-and-long play, so perhaps it wasn't entirely on Robertson, but he probably could have been less aggressive to avoid the TD.
At the same time, Robertson's critique of himself and hunger to improve are exactly what head coach Dan Campbell wants in his players.
Robertson could have easily talked about how great it felt to get his first interception of the season, and how excited he is to have made the most of his opportunity. That would have been very understandable for a member of a team that just won its fourth straight game. Instead, he is looking inward and focusing on what he can do to help his team better next week.
That is all any Lions fan can ask for from this team, especially those who are hoping for a Super Bowl celebration to end the season.