The Detroit Lions have tended to have success lately coming off their bye week

It will be a big upset if they win on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions have some good recent history coming off a bye.

With the news running back D’Andre Swift is unlikely to play, the Detroit Lions have moved back to being a 7-point underdog to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday (via FanDuel Sportsbook). Add in the game being on the road, and if the Lions win it will line up as the biggest upset on the Week 7 NFL schedule.

The Lions haven’t won a lot of games lately, and they haven’t won a lot of games consistently going back at least 30 years to Wayne Fontes’ tenure as head coach. But after a bye week, which was certainly a welcome early break this year, they have had some success recently.

Via Mike O’Hara of the team website, the Lions are 7-2-1 coming off a bye since 2012.

2012 win at Philadelphia Eagles, 26-23
2013 win at Chicago Bears, 21-19
2014 win vs. Miami Dolphins, 20-16
2015 win at Green Bay Packers, 18-16
2016 win vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-19
2017 loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-15
2018 win at Dolphins 32-21
2019 loss at Packers, 23-22
2020 win at Jaguars, 34-16
2021 tie with Steelers at Pittsburgh, 16-16

Detroit Lions have, at least, not regularly lost coming off a bye lately

Yes, the Lions were 2-1 coming out of a bye under Matt Patricia. They’ll extend their streak of not having a home game coming off their bye that goes back to 2017, Jim Caldwell’s last season as head coach, with Sunday’s game being in Dallas. They had a five-game winning streak coming off a bye from 2012-2016.

Since 1990 (h/t to Lions Wire), the Lions are 17-14-1 coming off a bye. Since 2000, they are 12-8-1 coming off a bye.

Being able to keep Sunday’s game against the Cowboys close throughout will be a positive mark for the Lions coming off their bye week. But a win? That would be something, and it would only be a continuation of recent success in their first game after a week off.