Scanning the Savanna

The only way to go from a winless season is up and that’s exactly where the Detroit Lions have gone.

Just two years after becoming the NFL’s first 0-16 team, the Lions have Pro Bowl starters in Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh and a cast of effective role players other teams didn’t want.

It has been that kind of a year for the Detroit Lions: As soon as they get their quarterback situation straightened out, another key position becomes unsettled.

Brandon Pettigrew is the third-leading receiver among tight ends in the NFL and he has had the most productive season any tight end has had in Lions history, surpassing the marks set by Hall-of-Famer Charlie Sanders.

Yet, he wasn’t even among the top five in the Pro Bowl selection process. Dallas’ Jason Witten and Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez will represent the NFC in Honolulu. San Francisco’s Vernon Davis, Washington’s Chris Cooley and New Orleans’ Jeremy Shockey were all on the list before Pettigrew.