The Detroit Lions were able to claim their first win of the season last week, but their work is just beginning.
The Detroit Lions traveled to the Arizona desert and found victory last week. But make no mistake about it, there’s plenty of work left to do.
Did anyone else notice the collective sigh when Matt Prater hit the game-winning field goal to beat the Cardinals? That was the sigh of head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn seeing a ray of hope to keep their jobs.
What the Lions accomplished in Arizona wasn’t a masterpiece that fans will hang on the wall and admire. Quite frankly, with the expectations that surrounded this team entering the season, it was expected.
The mandate did leave some leeway for interpretation, but when all is said and done, it was expected that Matt Patricia’s Lions would play ‘meaningful games in December’. You don’t have meaningful games in December without winning some games in September, October, and November.
The Lions did what good teams are expected to do; go on the road against a team that isn’t significantly better than them and win. It sounds simple, but for Lions fans, this has never been a rule they have been able to master.
We all have to give Matt Patricia and his team some credit for doing their jobs, but last week was last week. What are they going to do against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday? Will it be another step in the right direction? Or will they come crashing down to earth against Drew Brees and company?
If we’re being honest, Matt Patricia is now in the middle of a catch 22. Either keep up the winning and become a contender or watch this whole awful experiment blow up in his face and become the latest casualty of the ‘Same old Lions’,
While the pressure seems to have been relieved for another week, the truth is that it has created more pressure to find another victory. If the Lions can even their record against the Saints going into their bye, they will have created an opportunity for themselves that would have seemed impossible just last week.