14. The 2007 Detroit Lions
Record: 4.5
- Jon Kitna guaranteed ten wins. The fact that he only came up three short in the end is pretty incredible considering the infrastructure for 0-16 the next year was fully in place. 7-9 seemed like a collapse considering how the season finished, but with the benefit of hindsight, the magical first half of 2007 seems more and more absurd.
Achievements: 2.5
- Started off the year 6-2 including 4-0 at home during that stretch
- Ranked dead last in scoring defense, kicking off a three-peat for that dubious feat
- Lost four games by 30+ points. To get a little perspective of just how ridiculous that is: over the past ten years combined, the Lions have only lost a game that badly TWICE.
Star Power: 1
- QB Jon Kitna, a lifetime backup who briefly became a folk hero around Detroit when it looked like he might actually speak his ten wins into existence.
- Rookie Calvin Johnson, showing only a few glimmers of what he was about to become
- DB Ramzee Robinson, “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2007 NFL Draft. I include him partially as a joke, but partially to illustrate that this was NOT a very talented Lions team.
Entertainment Value: 8
- Maybe it’s just because I was in college, and the excitement and importance level of everything is magnified during those years, but I was absolutely bought into this team.
- Jon Kitna’s irrational confidence, overtime against the Vikings, the 34 point fourth quarter in the first Chicago game, the Shaun Rogers pick-six, leading by two touchdowns late in the game against the 10-1 Cowboys…this Little Engine That Could (Until It Couldn’t) definitely had its moments.
- It’s probably also the first season where I’d say my Lions fandom bordered on being unhealthy, which I won’t get into here
Final Score: 16