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For decades, Lions fans have had a tradition. The day after game days, we rise early, jump in our blue-collar vehicles on our way to our blue-collar jobs, listen to sports radio, and mope. The Fan 590 is a nice local option if you ever want to join in.
We didn’t mope because we lacked faith, or resolve, or work ethic. We moped because our team went out and found a way to break our hearts week after week, season after season, year after year.
The 2022-2023 season didn’t start out any better.
The same old Lions (SOL) were on the field for the first half of the season. Over the first 7 weeks, Detroit went 1-6. But then, something started happening. In week 9, the Lions beat the Packers and a little flicker began to appear in the eyes of the populace of Detroit and Windsor (the Lions are an international affair).
After that, it was 2 more wins, in a nail-biter against NFC North foe Chicago, and with a dominant showing against the ATS hero Giants. At that point, the morning sports show chatter started to turn from ‘SOL’ to ‘Could be real.’
Still, fans were skeptical.
Every Lions fan has been down this road of heartbreak before. I recently watched my dad, a lifelong Lions fan, pass away without ever witnessing the team win a Super Bowl (we rescheduled his funeral around the Lions’ opening day). Hell, even a playoff game now and then would have made him happy.
It’s not that we didn’t or don’t want to believe, it’s just that having that belief potentially – actually, maybe – rewarded, is a new concept to Lions fans.
After hanging tight with Buffalo for four quarters before dropping that one by a field goal, the hometown Detroit Lions are now on a two-game win streak with wins against both Jacksonville and NFC North division leader Minnesota (10-3).
It’s already a pretty good season based on pre-season expectations but Lions fans want more. Damnit, they need more.
With 4 games left on the schedule, the Detroit Lions are 6-7 straight up, 9-4 against the spread, and in a legit hunt for a wildcard in the NFC playoffs, at least according to Head Coach Dan Campbell. That is a helluva lot more than the Monday morning sports radio crowd has had going around here in a long time.
With one of the easiest routes to the playoffs by remaining Strength of Schedule (opponent win % = .385), a deadly efficient TD% in the offensive red zone (75% overall, 90% in the last 3 games), and a defense that’s punching above its weight in December, the Lions are worth talking about as a playoff contender.
For the sake of long-suffering Detroit Lions fans everywhere, I hope it lasts.
