Well, well, well, hell can freeze over and the Detroit Lions can play football. Who could have guessed. For beleaguered Lion’s fans this performance shaped up to be an all to familiar scenario. Then the haunting legacy ‘Demons’ were seemingly, at least temporarily, put out to pasture and our Lions defeated last year’s Super Bowel champions, the Kansas City Chief’s Andy Reid’s juggernaut on prime time television. Kinda like an alternate universe.

First off, you play with the hand you are dealt. The win-lost column, despite talking heads imaginations, are not complete with asterisks or footnotes of what coulda, shoulda, woulda, maybe happen. Get over it! The Lions played a complete game with an air of “trying to win” and “not trying to lose” as we’ve seen off and on over the last 65 years.

No denying the absence of key KC players effected both teams play strategy. However, KC should acknowledge their lack of depth is a genuine long term weakness. Relying on Hahomes as rushing leader is clarion warning sign. Notable thanks should be extended to the ‘brick hands’ of KC receiving corps.

Overall, the Lions previewed realistic expectations for the season ahead. One may have seen a glimmer that old style “smash mouth” football is back in vogue in Detroit. Mongo would be proud. Watch ‘Blazing Saddles’ again if this one slipped by you.

After a quick look at the stats you might think Green Bay won the game but ‘turnovers’ were what sealed the deal for Detroit. Early on Goff was slightly erratic and the Lions did not molest Rodgers. As Detroit’s running game gained traction, momentum seemed to shift. Hutchington’s efforts reduced Rodgers the luxury of time combined with atypical errant throws and dropped receptions were apparent. Detroit’s Anzalone play helped stymie Packer’s run game. Detroit’s offensive line made Goff’s passing and William’s effort running the ball successful.

The game’s ending sequence of plays hopefully portend good things for the Lion’s future. They bent but didn’t fold and credit should be ascribed to the coaching staff. Particularly, the non Lion’s ‘gutsy’ pass play on 4th and one.

What better way to walk off the field at season’s end by denying the Green Bay ‘Baba Yage’ entry into the playoffs.

Regaling after the Bear’s game was enjoyable to say the least. Initially, that ‘ole’ pattern of Lion’s play looked to rear it’s ugly head. But then “surprise”, the ‘No Mas’ attitude rose from the graveyard of historical Lion’s ugly losing history. Once you get em down, finish the job. How satisfying.

The final game against Green Bay will be the defining definition of real progress or a repeat of past ‘faux pax’ improvement feigning. Apparently, the NFL gods have deigned to display this hopeful resurrection on a national broadcast.

Be not deceived, this game will not be a ‘lay-down’ performance by the Packers. Remember the ‘hail Mary’ pass by Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers into the end zone on the last play of the game allowing our beloved Lions to once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in 2015?

Coining the old adage by Yogi Berra, “it ant over until its over”. Will we definitely launch into our 66 yr of rebuilding or slink forward with the stink of history past?

If you’ve been Lion’s fan for any time in the last 50 years, this did not come as a surprise. Last week was an example of “guess who came to play today?”.

Against the Jets, rose petals and champagne were warranted. However, our local boys failed to show-up playing the Panthers. This game was ceded to the loss column at half time. Due to travel, Marvindy listened to the game narrated by a team of Panther,s announcers. By the third quarter what was derision describing Lion’s defense morphed almost into a pity party. Most notably was the 350 yards of rushing allowed by the Lions coupled with a modest Panther’s passing attack.

Stevie Wonder could chime in on recommendations for next years draft needs after this game. Let’s cheer for the Lions to express their full out frustration on Chicago and Green Bay in the last two games.

Did the Lions play exceptionally well or did the Vikings play poorly? For certain the Lions never let up and forced the Vikings to play ‘catch-up’ ball. Most glaring difference was rushing yardage. Passing yardage favored the Vikings. Goff continued to take what the Vikings allowed.

Initially, ‘stupid’ Detroit penalties portended an almost preordained conclusion. However, some ‘risk taking’ successfully helped maintain momentum to a positive game ending.

Do not lose sight that Vikings amassed over 400 yards of offense that hints issues still exist in the Lion’s defense. All in all this game was cathartic in some sense in that the Lions were on the winning side at games conclusion.

Some times your the ‘bug’ and some times your the ‘windshield’. Apologies to the ‘Men in Black’ franchise. The Lions did just about everything right to achieve the desired outcome. Scoring on the opening drive conjured up visions of prior games where this was the beginning of the end. However, the momentum continued to build in methodical steam roller fashion culminating in a ‘blowout’ win.

The game stats are so lopsided you want to verify that the Lions actually played in the game. Who knew you could play an entire game and incur only a single penalty?

More performance like this could conjure up confidence going into our 66th year of rebuilding.

Entertaining game with same old predictable outcome. Stats were not to far off except for the ‘biggie’. Lions allowed Bills to accumulate 400 yards of offense. Most siginificant ‘chunk’ was in the Bills last drive for the “W”. Lion’s pass defense operates on the ‘bend and crumble’ scheme.

Typical ‘turning points’ in the game included: well timed penalty, errant pass plays, red zone flame out and ‘run’ calls when only a snow blind Eskimo would not anticipate.

Best description of this game is that Buffalo played down to the Lion’s level.

Game stats do not tell the entire ‘story’ of how the win came to be. The Giants committed three turn overs that made the Lion’s win possible. Lion’s ‘run’ game and fewer penalties negated the Giants advantage in passing yards and game total yards.

Lion’s secondary pass defense was still lacking. Scrambles by Jones were also timely. Lion’s defensive pressure on Jones was adequate and inhibited completion attempts.

This game was and ‘oddball’ in that the Lion’s gave up over 400 yards of offense but still won the game. Definitely not a winning team strategy because the ‘football gods’ can easily bestow inflection in the opposite direction.

As a die hard Lion’s fan, it’s easy to take comfort in a two game win streak. Let’s face it, Green Bay had a really bad day. The look on QB Roger’s face said it all. He looked like he was actually pouting which would be an appropriate reaction to losing to the lowly Detroit Lions.

Where and why did the ‘swarming defense’ finally show up and harass Rogers? Some mysteries will only be answered by historians.

Now on to the Bears game. Why did coach Campbell decide to initiate the ‘little league’ defense in the first half? Aside from the fact that a ‘running QB’ has a very short half life in the NFL, this was beyond embarrassing. The offset to Field’s 167 yards rushing was the Bears benevolent contribution of stupid penalties when they really counted, ala Lion’s style.

Yes, it is only a two game ‘win streak’, but sometimes joy comes in small packages when most needed to generate hope going into our 66th year of rebuilding.

By now the familiarity of the game ending score should be self evident. Great try but no ‘cigar’. Failure to finish produces the same old results.

By my observation, the meltdown started with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter. A stupid penalty negated a good play. Follow this up with a few ‘false start’ penalties and it’s game over.

Game stats provide the glaring obvious, with apologies to Stevie Wonder. Opposing receivers with over 390 yards receiving tell the tale. Coupled with a ‘low rent’ running game and you have your expected conclusion. Fundamentally, the Lion’s pass defense is the hopeless flaw to our 65th year of rebuilding. Goff is not capable of offsetting this deluge of defensive weakness.

Discounting mental illness, let’s hope corrective actions do not include trading away current talent for a few ‘end of life’ players in a simplistic show of progress.