The Detroit Lions Are Undefeated, But for How Long?

This is the time of year that hope springs eternal in the hearts and minds of Lions fans around the nation.

And though I’ll be the first to recognize that the size of the “national fanbase” is somewhat depleted due to an unprecedented string of football futility, I would also argue that when you’re talking to a Lions fan, you can be pretty sure that you’re talking to a LIONS FAN, not some team-hopping, trash-talking, know-nothing, glory hound bent on bolstering their own pathetic existence with an undeserved and completely vicarious thrill.

So now you know how I feel about team hopping (there’s dirtier words for it).

Lions fans understand the long haul, and believe me it’s been a loooooooooooooooooooong haul, and for better or worse, we’re not going anywhere.

Honestly, the day I have to contend with the free-lancers, I suppose I’ll be a happy man, because it’ll mean that the Lions are winning for once.

What does this have to do with the Lions being undefeated? Well, I guess not too much, only that I don’t see many bandwagoner’s jumping on the Lions' express due to some nifty play in the preseason. 

But let me tell you something...they should be.

Now, some might call me foolish for getting my hopes up a little too high, but let them scoff, I’ve got this all figured out. And though I understand that preseason games are essentially meaningless, there are a couple things that could be gleaned from the few snaps that our first team took while on the field.

The defensive line looks solid. 

Though much has been made of the loss of “Big Baby” Shaun Rogers (if there was ever a more appropriate nickname, I haven’t heard it) to the Cleveland Browns, anybody that’s followed the Lions over the past few years knows differently.

In one game a year, “Big Baby” would show up as the most dominant force on the planet (early in the season), only to somehow get more out of shape, get injured, get lazy, get entitled, get 50 Big Mac’s, get limited to 10 plays a game, get steroids, get suspended, and in the final analysis, get traded. 

"Big Baby," though possessed of limitless potential, had not helped the Lions win games in years. Without Rogers, the Lions have witnessed some good play from former standout DT Cory Redding, who has been popping off the ball nicely, and causing trouble up front in the preseason.

Add to this a healthy Dewayne White, who was having a phenomenal season last year until he was limited by injuries, the addition of run-stopper Chuck Darby, and the continued performance of Jared Devries, who’s coming off a career year, and the Lions' defensive line seems to be in better shape than most give them credit for.

Is it the prototypical "Tampa Two" line? Can they provide the pressure they need to take some heat off the secondary? The answer to the first question is probably no, but I think the preseason has demonstrated their unexpected ability to pin their ears back and go after the quarterback.

They also have impressive depth, with tackles Shaun Cody and Langston Moore, to help out up the middle, and unproven, though promising, second-year player Ikaika Alama-Francis and rookie Cliff Avril flashing impressive speed off the end.

The Lions kept 11 defensive linemen on their final roster, meaning that we can expect plenty of platooning to keep them fresh.

"Big Baby" was not a loss. He was a 400-pound malignancy removed from the ass of the Lions. And oh yes, somebody actually gave us some value for him. Which brings me to my next point.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?