The Detroit Lions have started the season fast. They have victories against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings and most recently, the Dallas Cowboys.
They have all been nice wins against some so-so teams, but this week comes the game that will test the power of the Lions’ heart. The Lions host the Chicago Bears at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Ford Field on ESPN; the game will be nationally televised. The Lions are 4-0, and the Bears are 2-2.
This game has many implications that will determine whether the Lions are “for real” this year. The Bears clinched the NFC North last year en route to reaching the NFC championship game. If the Lions are looking to clinch a playoff spot, and make some noise in their division, they must prove their ability to the Bears, the NFL and the rest of the NFC North on Monday night.
The Lions, according to Fox Sports NFL power rankings, sit at No. 4 on their list while the Bears are No. 15.
Much of this is credited to the exceptional play from Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Stafford has 11 touchdowns, three interceptions with 1,217 passing yards and a .621 completion percentage. “Megatron” Johnson this season has eight receiving touchdowns on 24 receptions with 321 receiving yards.
The defense, led by end Kyle Vanden Bosch and tackle Ndamukong Suh, has created an identity for the team of
being a blue-collar, always hard-working engine that has been great in late-game situations.
The Lions have been winning with second-half comebacks. The first was against the Vikings, who were 0-2 at the time, when the Lions came back from a 20-0 deficit at the start of the second half to get the 26-23 in overtime at Ford Field.
They did it again last week when they came back from a 20-3 at halftime to defeat the Cowboys, who were 2-1 at the time, in the “House that Jerry built.”
The Lions stand at the top of the division beside the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are 4-0. The Packers and Lions face each other week 12 at Ford Field. The Packers are at No. 1 on the Fox Sports NFL power rankings for week four.
