The Lions are undefeated!
It certainly hasn’t come the way we expected, but through two weeks of NFL football, the Detroit Lions have not lost a game. This comes with the caveat of a tie in Week 1, but the Lions officially got into the win column on Sunday with a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. However, it was not a pretty game.
The Lions were quite good for three quarters against the Arizona Cardinals last week, but the wheels fell off late. This week was a different story. The Chargers and Lions traded touchdowns in the first quarter, but both teams made a lot of mistakes from then on. The Lions had a missed field goal and a pair of interceptions, while the Chargers suffered two missed field goals and a goal-line fumble.
The Lions were able to come out victorious thanks to a huge touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay. Matthew Stafford’s two interceptions were long bombs, yet he came through when it mattered most.
A win is a win.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Do you feel better, worse, or the same after the Lions’ victory over the Chargers?
My answer: I feel the same about the Lions.
I think this offense looked much better against Arizona. However, the Chargers boast a much better defense, especially along the defensive line, so the Lions being able keep Stafford clean was a huge improvement. This also came with Tyrell Crosby starting in Taylor Decker’s stead. Stafford’s interceptions were definitely bad mistakes, but it shows that they are willing to play the long ball, and as we saw with Golladay’s touchdown, it can work.
The defense held the Chargers to a mere 10 points, but the Chargers had ample opportunities to score, including two long touchdowns being called back on penalties — that drive ended in the goal line fumble. They put up 424 yards on offense, so while the 10 points shows they are bending-but-not-breaking, they still have plenty of holes.
The defensive line in particular was bad at creating a pass rush, as usual. Meanwhile, teams are finally figuring out that running around studs Damon Harrison and A’Shawn Robinson is a good idea. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson both did a lot of damage, and that is something to be concerned about.
However, as I mentioned last week, the Lions needed a win in wake of the disappointing tie, and beating a solid Chargers team is a good start. In the end, the Lions are 1-0-1. Here’s something to think about.
Here's the bright side:
— John Whiticar (@Whiticar) September 15, 2019
If you told me the Lions would beat the Cardinals and tied the Chargers before the season, I would've been happy.
Basically the same, right?
Are there problems? Definitely. Can the Lions still compete in the NFC North? Definitely. The coming weeks will be huge.
Poll
How do you feel about the Lions after their win vs. the Chargers?
This poll is closed
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10%
A lot better
-
56%
A little better
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25%
The same
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6%
A little worse
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1%
A lot worse