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Detroit Lions: Best and Worst of 2017 (part 2)

By Payne Schanski

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 29: Glover Quin #27 of the Detroit Lions celebrates his fumble recover with Darius Slay #23 against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 29: Glover Quin #27 of the Detroit Lions celebrates his fumble recover with Darius Slay #23 against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 10: Kenny Golladay #19 of the Detroit Lions catches a fourth quarter touchdown next to Justin Bethel #28 of the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field on September 10, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 35-23. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 10: Kenny Golladay #19 of the Detroit Lions catches a fourth quarter touchdown next to Justin Bethel #28 of the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field on September 10, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 35-23. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Plays of the Year

Best: Kenny Golladay’s “Welcome to the NFL” catch in week 1

I’m partial to this play for numerous reasons. 1) I definitely had my eye on Golladay based on the training camp and exhibition game hype he’d been getting. 2) I always love it when underdogs and dark horses rise up. 3) It happened during my annual pilgrimage to Ford Field, so I was in the building for it. 4) It was an incredible catch at a key moment of a close game, just minutes after another strong Golladay touchdown grab gave the Lions their first lead of the afternoon. I can get used to another decade or so of these plays from Kenny.

Honorable mentions: Marvin Jones catch vs Chicago, Jamal Agnew punt return @ New York, Marvin Jones catch @ New Orleans, two point conversion vs Green Bay

Worst: 9 men on the field.

Playing 9-on-11 is quite a piece of personnel mismanagement under any circumstances. On a key third and seven when you’re down by a touchdown? When your quarterback is in the middle of completing 20 passes in a row?

Yeah, well. I guess plays like that one on the road against Baltimore explain a lot. For one, it helps explain why the head coach is no longer the head coach, despite another winning season (although Teryl Austin claimed the blame for this particular play).

Next: Detroit Lions season in review - Best and Worst of 2017 (Part One)

The ________ part about missing the playoffs in 2017

Best: No false sense of contentment or feeling like the team is “right there” and that no major off-season moves are needed. The Lions definitely looked pretty good at times in 2017, but never as if they had a chance to win another game if they ended up sneaking into the playoffs. They’re still about two or three pieces away from being a true contender.

Worst: Missing the stupid playoffs.

Make no mistake though. Expectations are going to be HIGH in Motown in 2018.

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