Week One seems like a long time ago.<\/p>\n
After a thrilling 39-35 last minute victory over the Indianapolis Colts<\/strong> in the season opener, optimism was incredibly high<\/a> for the 2016 Detroit Lions<\/strong>. But three consecutive frustrating defeats later, particularly last weekend’s ugly 17-14 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears<\/strong>, the air is almost completely out of the balloon. At 1-3 and with a difficult upcoming schedule, there isn’t a lot of positivity surrounding this organization anymore. While a 1-3 start is by no means an indicator of a lost season, the pressure is most certainly mounting for one of the NFL<\/strong>‘s most enigmatic franchises.<\/p>\n So what does such a predicament mean for this club? For starters, it’s important to understand that what’s done is done. The team has dropped three straight games, and that’s not going to change. The Lions need to move forward and compartmentalize every remaining contest. Getting hung up on the fact that only 14 percent of 1-3 teams have made the post-season under the current playoff format since 1990 is not something the organization can afford to do.<\/p>\n The fact is, the schedule is about to get very tough, and the rocky start has left the Lions with very little wiggle room. Before the team goes on bye in Week Ten, they have home contests against the Philadelphia Eagles<\/strong>, the Los Angeles Rams<\/strong>, and Washington<\/strong>, before a two-game road trip that includes match-ups with the Houston Texans<\/strong>\u00a0and the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings<\/strong>. That’s no cakewalk.<\/p>\n Coming out of the bye, things don’t get much better. Over the final seven games of the season, the Lions’ slate includes the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/strong> at home, the Vikings at home, the New Orleans Saints<\/strong> on the road, the Bears at home, the New York Giants<\/strong> on the road, the Dallas Cowboys<\/strong> on the road, and the Green Bay Packers<\/strong> at home.<\/p>\n One glance at the upcoming slate of games indicates that the Lions have already seen the softest part of their schedule, and the degree of difficulty is about to get much worse. But does this really mean things are as bleak as they seem?<\/p>\n Not necessarily.<\/p>\n Quietly, the Lions have spent much of the early season short-staffed due to injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The absence of DeAndre Levy<\/a><\/strong> and Ezekiel Ansah<\/a><\/strong> has largely contributed to the downfall of the team’s stop unit. While the organization has offered little information as to the expected return dates of these players, there has been no indication that either man is headed for inured reserve. If one or both of these impact players can get back on the field over the next few weeks, the defense is a virtual certainty to improve.<\/p>\n Offensively, inconsistency rather than injury appears to have been the primary culprit. At times, this has looked like a top-flight NFL offense, seemingly moving the ball at will. However, in other situations they have seemed out of sync, struggling to maintain drives and failing to put points on the board at critical moment. These struggles have popped up from time to time, but largely the offense has remained effective.<\/p>\n In truth, Week Four was really the first clear instance of the Lions offense completely hitting the skids. A lot of people want to point to the Week Two, 16-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans<\/strong> as a poor offensive performance, but in reality, the team moved the ball well for much of the game. Ultimately, it was bad penalties that proved to be the team’s undoing. The team’s inefficiency was largely contained to the Bears game, and to panic and reach the conclusion that the offense is broken after one bad showing would be irresponsible and reactionary.<\/p>\n With that said, the trend could continue into Week Five. As mentioned earlier, playing host to a surging Philadelphia team will not be an easy task. One of the surprise teams of the year, the 3-0 Eagles have featured one of the game’s top defenses. Led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz<\/strong> <\/a>(yes, that Jim Schwartz), this unit has allowed only two offensive touchdowns in three games, and has not allowed a single passing touchdown on the season.<\/p>\nWhat 1-3 Means For the Detroit Lions<\/h2>\n
Cause For Optimism?<\/h3>\n
A Familiar Face at Ford Field<\/h3>\n