Detroit Lions: There are no moral victories in another lost season
By Robert Jones
The Detroit Lions season is basically over and there are no moral victories. It’s time for the owners, coaches, and players to figure out how to win.
The Detroit Lions season is in essence over. The turnaround needed, not to mention how much help they would require to make a run at the playoffs, is beyond the reality of what has been displayed so far this year.
In other words, the 2019 season has become the same as all too many that have proceeded it; a lost campaign that leaves us with no reason to believe that they will get it right next year.
Despite what some others may think, there is no more miserable fan base than the poor Honolulu Blue and Silver faithful. Behind every ‘silver lining’ is another losing season and more reasons to be utterly frustrated with this franchise.
Once the word became official last Sunday morning that Matthew Stafford would not be playing for the first time in 136 games, I think most Lions fans knew the season was over.
But Stafford not being able to answer the bell wasn’t the real frustration. I think we all knew that the turnaround needed to get themselves right and even have a possibility of sniffing the playoff race wasn’t overly realistic.
No, if we look long and hard at how the 2019 season has unfolded, there are some major question marks that need to be answered before this franchise can actually move forward and become a winner.
The defense has been mostly putrid and while the passing game has flourished under Stafford, the ground game has continued to be a disappointment.
If we compare season two of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn’s regime to last year, where are the improvements that signal this team is building towards a championship? Look I get that injuries happen and sometimes teams underachieve, but for teams that are building towards becoming a championship-caliber franchise, they at least create an identity for themselves.
So the question is; what exactly is the Detroit Lions identity? What can they hang their hat on that would make any of us believe that next year things will finally start to click?