Early Thoughts (Week 12): The Detroit Lions Are No Longer Asleep
It used to be a trip to Detroit on Thanksgiving was a good thing for the visiting team.
That has certainly changed in recent years as the Lions have finally gotten the hang of that Turkey Day thing.
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More importantly in 2015, Jim Caldwell’s team is playing its best football of the season as of late and on Thursday afternoon at Ford Field, made easy work of the Philadelphia Eagles, 45-14.
Nov 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) scores a touchdown while being pressured by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eric Rowe (32) during the second quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, we haven’t seen much of the Detroit offense for the most part this season as the Lions scored fewer than 20 points in eight of their first 10 contests. But quarterback Matthew Stafford, he of 15 touchdown passes and just 12 interceptions entering Thursday’s contest, riddled the Eagles for 337 yards and five scores without being picked off. Three of those touchdown strikes went to wideout Calvin Johnson, entered the contest with just three scores on the season.
There was a time that the Lions dreaded this holiday. But Thursday’s 31-point win marked the team’s third straight Thanksgiving Day win and all have been in convincing fashion, victories over the Packers (40-10), Bears (34-17) and Eagles (45-14) by a combined 119-41 count. Before that, Detroit had dropped its previous nine Turkey Day tilts by a combined score of 319-144.
Back to this season. One aspect of the team that has really upped its game is the defense as of late. In a Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London, England, Caldwell’s club allowed 45 points and 206 yards on the ground.
During the club’s current three-game winning streak, the Lions have surrendered a combined 43 points while the Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles teamed for 155 yards rushing.
Nov 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) sacks Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) during the second quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
In fact, Teryl Austin’s defenders had given up 133.8 yards per game on the ground during the club’s 1-7 start – 180 or more yards in three of their setbacks.
With defensive end Ziggy Ansah leading the charge with 11.5 sacks (3.5 of those in the win over the Eagles), the Lions’ defense could make things rough for the remaining five teams on their schedule. There’s a rematch with the Packers next Thursday night, followed by games with the Rams, Saints, 49ers and Bears. All but San Francisco have a better win-loss record than the Lions at the moment but this is a Detroit team playing with much more confidence these days.
While Caldwell’s squad plays three of its final four games on the road, that mid-November win at Lambeau Field may have done more for this team than any victory in recent times.
Next: Week 12 NFL Power Rankings
Are the Detroit Lions a playoff team in 2015? It’s highly unlikely given the traffic jam in the NFC as well as the Lions’ current 3-4 record in conference games. But it certainly appears that Caldwell’s improving team plans on going out with a bang.