How are you feeling on Victory Monday?
In the past two weeks the Detroit Lions have won exactly zero style points. Luckily, style points aren’t a real thing, and the only thing that really matters is wins and losses. Detroit has eked their way by against two subpar opponents, but in the end, they’ve come out with a three-game winning streak heading into Thanksgiving.
As a result, Detroit is just on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. They may not have gained any ground on the Minnesota Vikings, but they did separate themselves from some of the other NFC wild card contenders. That distance could prove essential should Detroit not compete for the NFC North crown.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. The Lions did not play like a very good team on Sunday. Offensively, they still moved the ball well despite the complete lack of a run game. Defensively, the were absolutely steamrolled by the running game for the second week in a row.
So today’ Question of the Day is:
Do you feel better, worse or the same about the Detroit Lions after their win over the Chicago Bears?
My answer: A little better.
No, I don’t really feel any better about the team itself. In fact, I probably feel a little worse knowing that this run defense problem is likely here to stay. Obviously, if/when Ezekiel Ansah returns from injury, it will help a little, but everyone else on the defense is here to stay, and they’ve struggled often enough to realize this is no longer a passing problem.
So why do I feel a little better on this Monday? Because the following teams lost on Sunday:
- Cowboys (5-5)
- Bears (3-7)
- Packers (5-5)
- Washington (4-6)
- Cardinals (4-6)
In other words, our Week 11 rooting guide went 4-1 on Sunday. There’s a chance it goes 5-1 if the Seahawks lose on “Monday Night Football.” Even if they don’t, the Falcons would then lose, and Detroit would jump them in the standings.
It was a very good week for the Lions in the NFC playoff picture, and even though Detroit looks extremely flawed, I’m happy this Victory Monday.
Your turn.
This post first appeared on Pride Of Detroit, A Detroit Lions Community, please read the originial post: here
