Detroit Lions enter do-or-die portion of 2018 schedule
By Zac Snyder
The Detroit Lions got a nice win over the Dolphins to even their record at 3-3 but it will the next five weeks that defines their 2018 season.
After an inauspicious start to the 2018 season, the Detroit Lions have righted the ship. Losses to the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are turning into distant memories, replaced by wins over the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins to improve the Lions’ record to 3-3.
The turnaround has been nice, but whether it means the team is poised for a playoff push or simply making the season more palatable remains to be seen. There are certainly positive signs with the offense playing well.
Matthew Stafford has been as efficient as ever and now has the benefit of an effective ground game. The defense remains far from perfect but the pass rush is finding ways to get to the quarterback, often as a result of coverage holding up behind them.
It is fair to wonder just what this group of Lions is, or could be, given the combination of good wins and bad losses we have seen through their first six games. What the 2018 Detroit Lions turn out to be may largely be defined by what happens over the next five weeks.
Consider the upcoming schedule:
- Oct. 28 – vs. Seahawks
- Nov. 4 – at Vikings
- Nov. 11 – at Bears
- Nov. 18 – vs. Panthers
- Nov. 22 – vs. Bears
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With the Seahawks, the Lions return home to meet an NFC opponent with the same record at 3-3. All conference games are big but that’s especially so in games pairing teams grouped in the middle of the conference standings.
Then come two very important division road games against the Vikings and Bears. It will be the first meeting with the Vikings and Bears and the result will go a long way in determining whether the Lions can remain in the NFC North race or fall behind the pack.
Results in division games are always important but that is even more true with the way the four teams are currently tightly grouped through the first seven weeks.
The home game against the Panthers currently feels a lot like the upcoming game against the Seahawks. It’s another conference opponent with a similar record to what the Lions currently have. With losses to the 49ers and Cowboys already, the Lions may need to boost their conference record for possible tie-breaking scenarios at the end of the season.
And there there is the final game of this five game stretch: the Thanksgiving meeting with the Chicago Bears. If all goes well, the Lions could be looking to put the Bears in the rear-view mirror for good. If the previous four games don’t go as well as hoped, this could be a last-ditched effort to keep afloat in the NFC North race.
The Bears and Lions will enter week 8 with identical 3-3 records but the Bears have the benefit of an easier schedule before the two teams meet at Soldier Field on Nov. 11. Before the Lions can set their sights on trying to take down the Vikings or Packers in the division standings, they have to worry about the Bears. While the Lions have the Seahawks and a road game against the Vikings over the next two weeks, the Bears have the Jets at home and a road game against the Bills.
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Is it too early to be worrying about the standings and how things might shake out in the playoff picture? Maybe, but that won’t be the case after five more games. Depending on how these five games play out for the Lions given the important nature of each one, the playoff picture may or may not be all that relevant to Lions fans.