The Detroit Lions have been riddled with injuries the past two seasons. They need all the rest they can get, right? From a healing standpoint, yes. From a competitive standpoint, the answer is quite a surprise.
With their 41-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions now fall to 2-4 on the season when they have more days of rest than their opponents. With this past instance, the Lions had three more days of rest than the Rams, as the Lions played on Thursday, December 4th, while the Rams played on Sunday, December 7th.
The Lions' only two wins in such games this season came against the Chicago Bears (10-4) in Week 2 and the Jake Browning-led Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) in Week 5. The four losses came against the aforementioned Rams (11-3), the Kansas City Chiefs (6-8), the Minnesota Vikings (6-8), and the Philadelphia Eagles (9-5).
The Chiefs and Vikings were both coming off demoralizing losses, with the Vikings' game coming after the Lions' bye week. The Eagles were coming off an underwhelming 10-7 win over the Green Bay Packers. It's not like the Lions were going up against hot teams on a dominant stretch. Each of those four teams was every bit as desperate to pick up a win as the Lions were and, despite the shorter rest, wound up more prepared than the Lions, making these losses even more inexcusable.
This 2-4 record spills over from last season's playoffs, where the Lions, despite having a first-round bye, were embarrassed by the then-upstart Washington Commanders led by rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels.
Is this all just a coincidence, or is there more to this oddity? More clarity on this will come in the coming weeks as two of the Lions' final three opponents will play Detroit on shorter rest, which includes a pivotal division matchup.
The Lions' next opponent will also be on shorter rest
Head coach Dan Campbell's ability to avoid back-to-back losses will collide with this strange record as the Lions' next opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, play in Week 15's Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Lions have little wiggle room, as their playoff hopes depend on them winning out the remaining three games. Luckily, this game against the Steelers will be at their warm, indoor home as opposed to their previous matchup in 2021 in outdoor Pittsburgh. That 2021 game featured an unwatchable display out of both teams, culminating in a 16-16 tie. That tie, at least, was the first non-loss of the Campbell and Jared Goff era in Detroit.
The Lions will also play one more such game with more days' rest than their opponent. Since the Lions play the Vikings on Christmas Day, they will have more rest than their Week 18 opponent, the Bears, who will play on Sunday Night Football that week.
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It's difficult to pinpoint why the Lions have such a poor record in an otherwise advantageous situation. Of course, the Lions' greater need for rest days thanks to a plethora of injuries could factor in. Like in the playoffs last season, poor health catches up to players and teams at some point. The Lions' two victories with more days' rest than their opponent did come early in the season, for what it's worth.
Assuming this trend is not a coincidence, then that would mean something is off in the way Campbell and the training staff prepare the team and manage the health of their players. The organization already needs to confront another season plagued by the injury bug, and this record will give them another element to consider as they explore making much-needed changes this offseason.