Setting aside pregame fervor coupled with post game depression, this game was almost a duplicate of a season’s earlier game where Lion’s functioned flawlessly and finished with a whimper. At first half’s end, initiate Super Bowl plans. Detroit ran all over San Fran on the ground and in the air. The other ‘guys’ can’t score if they don’t have the ball. Time of possession was almost criminal.

Oh wait, must play two more quarters of football. Other team makes second half adjustments and nothing seems to work. Did Lion’s counter adjust? Maybe, but now receivers could not hang onto passes, passes were slightly errant of hurried or both. Run game became stagnant and ‘football gods’ granted favor to the 49ers.

Time to ‘suck it up’, conjure up sensible ways to address fixable flaws on both sides of the game and stride confidently into our 67nd year of rebuilding.

Incremental improvements continue to evolve. Game with Tampa Bay Bucs again not deigned as a defensive duel with almost 800 yards of total offense. Lions donated only 17 penalty yards, committed no fumble and threw zero interceptions. Lion’s defensive rush made QB sacks when they counted. Play calling had its moments, seemingly innovative or ‘bland’ depending on your risk tolerarnce.

J. Goff had a great 4th quarter surge and needs to find a way to go ‘balls out’ from start to finish. Downfield pass defense is still weak and containment of ‘running QBs’ is suspect. At this stage not much can be done to mitigate pass defense shortcomings except score big allotment of offense.

Looking ahead, San Fran’s 49ers can be had. B. Purdy needs to be contained and allowed minimum time to work his pass progression. Lion’s need a strong run game from Montgomery and company.

Every game is ‘crunch time’. No need to waste on ‘what ifs’ at this juncture.

This playoff game with the LA Rams had it all. From the opening methodical Lion’s drive for a touch down to LA’s Staffords final drive for failed win salvation. Defense made the difference when it counted. In no way can you ascribe over a total 640 yards of passing offence as a defensive duel. Lion’s defense rose to the occasion when it really counted in the ‘red zone’. Throughout the game, Lion’s defense harassed Stafford and for the most part forced quick progression to receivers with errant or dropped passes.

Lion’s offensive line and Detroit rushing game allowed Goff the keep LA’s defense ‘honest’. Zebra intervention almost evened out with the exception of a ‘call’ on Decker that was a ‘Ray Charles’ faux pas. Ram’s A. Donald was mostly held at bay but Lion’s cadre of Anzalone, Hutchinson, Gardner-Johnson and Campbell had a productive day.

If a ‘cliche’ ever fit a game, this was it. The Lions bent but never folded and our ‘boys’ in Honolulu Blue earned this win.

For a moment set aside the last game with the Vikings and relish gains made this season. Even with external forces outside of anyone’s control, the Lions had a very good season. Yes, the division was less robust than historical norms but the Lions are undisputed NFC North champions. From here the road traveled becomes treacherous and unforgivably fatal to those that falter.

Now onto the Viking’s game. No denying the Lion’s pass defense is still lacking. Viking’s N. Mullens, far back in the QB rotation, still passed for over 400 yards against Detroit. Based on the game ‘stats’ this game should have been a blowout. Rushing yards and time of possession were grossly lopsided. Unfortunately, victory came with unintended injury consequences.

No matter what the post season brings, the Detroit Lions are for real. They may be solid, ragged, sloppy or ugly in any given game but they will show up to play warts and all.

Could the egregious non pass interference call in the 2015 wild card game with the Dallas Cowboys with the Lions be surpassed? Rising to the challenge, the referees snatched victory from the maws of the Detroit Lions with a combo of cockamamie penalties. Compounding the refs absurd explanation was video highlighting the exact opposite.

Ask yourself, was this a deliberate, preemptive move to avoid tarnishing the half time anointment of preeminent coach J. Johnson to Cowboy Sainthood? Guilt by association is potentially possible.

Rest assured the Gods of football do not take kindly to folly of this kind and future retribution is allocated. As poet Longfellow translated from the ancient Greeks, “The mill of the gods grind slow but exceeding fine”. No amount of indulgences can buy J. Jones’s Dallas Cowboys out of this self induced coincidence.

Congratulation to the boys in Honolulu Blue. Year 66 of rebuilding pays dividends. Winning Sunday’s Viking’s game was a combination of events starting with Viking’s mistakes. Even with their charity our Lions committed three really ‘dumb’ penalties approaching game’s end. Two delay of game and one offside penalties were totally beyond belief. Failure all around almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Based on time of possession, this game should have been a ‘blow-out’. However, dumb penalties and catastrophic lack of pass defense stuck out like a ‘sore thumb’. If you allow a fourth string QB to pass for over 400 yards, don’t even consider was a semi competent QB could achieve.

But here we are with a secure invite to participate in post season. Advancement in the playoffs is contingent on which Lion’s team shows up. Jekyll or Hyde?

This Bronco’s game demonstrated how to hamper the effects of a mobile QB. Let’s hope the Lions remember the tactics for the next three games, especially with Dallas’s D. Prescott

Not a lot of ‘flash or dash’ in this game. Only basic execution demonstrated by solid offensive blocking, crisp pass routes, defensive swarming and with only a few exceptions, crisp intelligent passing connecting to sticky hand receivers. Running back performance proved the old axiom that solid running opens up passing opportunities.

Having viewed earlier Viking’s games, the Lions should have success on mid field pass completions. If Viking’s linebackers compensate, D. Montgomery and J. Gibbs will extract more than a ‘pound of flesh’.

This season’s culmination is is the hands of the coaching staff. It’s their job to keep the team and its performance of this side of the ‘Looking Glass’.

Sundays Bear’s game should remove all doubt that this season is kaput. A cursory analysis of the remaining NFL North games can construct a scenario where the Lions assist the Vikings to a ‘backdoor’ entrance into the top of the NFL North winners status. Lions go 1-3 and the Vikings for 3-1.

Complexion of play in the NFL has moved on to a new paradigm. We’re in the era of very mobile, athletic and ‘smart’ QBs. In recent weeks athleticism of QB have made critical difference in outcomes.

These individuals are fast, strong and intelligent enough to ‘take a slide’ and avoid being obliterated by a humongous line backer or ordinary sprinting 300 lb lineman.

Our Lions have ‘budding’ potential standouts in key positions but stand at the precipice of age, talent and durability in several key areas. Adaptation of coaching is also in the ‘question’ column.

Year 66 of rebuilding was a pleasant interlude but work on year 67 of rebuilding requires more than incremental shuffling or rearranging of deck chairs.

One pertinent key indicator of a championship team is consistent performance. Four quarters of play executed with minimal errors and an absence of charity awarded to opponents is a winner’s standard. Sunday’s display was an antithesis by definition. How do you produce a ‘cliffhanger’ from what should be a ‘no mas’ ending? Play like the Detroit Lions before a national audience.

No sane fan expects four quarters of razzle dazzle but surely when reversion to ‘up the middle, up the middle, incomplete pass and punt becomes the ‘creme de la creme’ of coaching it is nauseous.

Yes, there were moments of self induced drama by passes almost caught, blocks missed and tackles blown offset by needle threaded passes, text book pass routes and QB pressure but these are not the hallmarks of a team destined to travel to the Super Bowel promise land.

The remaining Lion’s schedule will be a dichotomy of fulfillment or entree into year 67 of rebuilding.

In this case the game stats are deceiving. However, this game was ‘over’ at first half’s ending. Two unassailable facts were evident. Number one is that J. Love was so unmolested in pass attempts, Stevie Wonder could have found an open receiver. Secondly, Packers defense spent as much time in the Lion’s backfield as D. Montgomery.

Overall play calling hearkened back to the ‘good ole days’ of two up the middle, incomplete pass and punt. Setting aside proverbial 20/20 hindsight critique, the ‘fake punt’ call deep in your own territory was not warranted. Campbell’s retroactive acceptance for the blunder did not make it any less onerous.

Let’s us hope the ‘other’ Lion’s team makes timely appearances for the rest of the schedule or our 66th year of rebuilding will be indistinguishable from all previous iterations.