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Detroit Lions: Remaining schedule has favorable matchups

By Forrester Solmen

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 15: Head coach Jim Caldwell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 15: Head coach Jim Caldwell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Injuries are piling up, but the Detroit Lions made it through their toughest games 3-3. Things will get easier if they get healthy and keep it that way.

One thing is for certain, the Detroit Lions should never be counted out of a game. Matthew Stafford has done a phenomenal job orchestrating game winning drives ever since he has entered the league. No one has more 4th quarter comebacks in the NFL since 2011 than he does.

Even with all of their struggles on the field and with injuries accumulating week after week, the Lions are still a good team. Their record of 3-3 isn’t so impressive, but the way they have won and lost these games is encouraging to say the least.

Luckily, the rest of the opponents Detroit has left are fairly beatable. Everyone knows in the NFL that any team can win on any given day, especially Lions fans. It seems that they find a new way to lose and don’t come up big like they should against weaker opponents.

Within their division, they play a struggling Chicago Bears and an Aaron Rodgers-less (for now) Green Bay Packers twice along with an injury stricken Minnesota Vikings at home. All of the AFC North teams, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns visiting Motown, and the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the last team left to play in the series with the NFC South (0-3).

To say this schedule is a cake-walk would be inaccurate, but it isn’t exactly daunting either. If Stafford is in the lineup, they have a good chance of pulling out a win. His offensive line is tied for the most sacks (23) yielded to the opposition, and yet he fights on.

One man can only do so much. Not only does Detroit need to protect its quarterback better by keeping him upright, but providing a steady running game to take some pressure off him. Receivers creating more separation would come in handy.

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Any way you slice it, the optimism remains high for the Lions to take the NFC North, given its circumstances. Unfortunately, the injuries and slow starts could flip the script on the season and things could turn ugly. No matter what happens, every game day for Detroit Lions fans will always be an emotional rollercoaster that’ll tug on your Honolulu blue and silver heart-strings.

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