Sports

Yashinsky: While Wolverines Dominate Headlines, Lions Dominate on Field

October 01, 2014, 8:39 AM by  Joey Yashinsky

A story is brewing down at Ford Field.  Only, it’s one of those, “If a tree falls in the forest” routines.  

The lead item on every radio and TV show talks about Brady Hoke, David Brandon and the chaos surrounding the Michigan Wolverines.  

Next in level of importance would be the Detroit Tigers.  They begin the playoffs Thursday against Baltimore, and the possible lineups and rotations are already being second-guessed more than 24 hours before the first pitch.

All the while, our professional football team is in first place at the quarter pole of the NFL season.  They just happen to be doing it quietly.

Typically, the Lions storming out of the gate like this would drum up massive amounts of enthusiasm throughout the city.  The upcoming schedule would get dissected, playoff tickets would start getting printed, and the beginnings of a DeAndre Levy statue, flowing beard and all, would commence right beside Joe Louis’s fist.  

But the madness in Ann Arbor and the baseball postseason have sent the Lions tumbling to the back page. 

Quick!  Who do Matthew Stafford and the boys take on this weekend?  

If you answered Buffalo at home, you’d be right; but chances are it’s the first time you’re hearing it.

And this citywide shift in focus might not be such a bad thing.

Is It Real This Time? 

The Lions have been here before, and it generally doesn’t result in a parade down Woodward.  Okay, generally isn’t the right word.  Never would be more appropriate. 

In 2007, they similarly began 3-1, then ran it to 6-2.  They’d win just one more game and finish out of the playoff picture.

Again last year, the Lions won three of their first four, then pushed the record to 6-3.  They’d win just one more game and finish out of the playoff picture.

Yet this time feels a little bit different, somehow.

Stafford appears confident and relaxed when he leads his offense onto the field.  It’s year six for the former top overall pick, and he’s playing like he knows that the “youth and inexperience” excuses no longer pass muster.

Golden Tate has been a critical addition to the offense.  Nate Burleson was never young or speedy enough to really complement Calvin Johnson.  Tate, just 26, has taken on the role with aplomb.  If rookie Eric Ebron continues to get more involved, the offensive engine might really start to hum.

Defensively, the Lions have been tenacious and almost impenetrable.  In the NFC, only the Cardinals have allowed fewer points, and they’ve played just three games to the Lions four.  

The long-heralded defensive line finally looks to be coming into its own.  Gone are the days when opposing quarterbacks could take slow and relaxed seven-step drops with no fear of a Lions defender clouding their downfield vision.  Now the pocket collapses with regularity.  It’s no coincidence Aaron Rodgers had one of his worst games as a Packer two weeks ago in the Detroit Dungeon. 

Of course, any fan of this franchise knows to take it all with a grain of salt.  The house of cards could come crashing down at any moment.

But this looks like a group that might be in it for the long haul.  Part of it is the way they’ve collected their victories.  It hasn’t been done with a freak play, or good fortune, or a slew of last-second comebacks.  It’s just been a methodical, fundamental, conquering of the opponent three times out of four.  

Heck, the biggest problem this team has had is an inability to celebrate success properly (see: Tulloch, Stephen).

The underwhelming Bills arrive  Sunday carrying a two-game losing streak and a starting quarterback (Kyle Orton) that hasn’t been relevant since 2009.  

It’s a slam dunk win from every angle.  

The next day’s standings will reveal a Lions team firmly nestled in the top spot of the NFC North with just a single loss to its name.

Whether anybody around here notices, that remains to be seen.



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