Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving Day Win Proves Team Headed in Right Direction

After two disheartening Detroit Lions losses in a row, it was easy to get discouraged about the postseason prospects. Negativity abounded, and the dreaded phrase "Same Old Lions" crept back into the common vernacular. 

The impressive, decisive 34-17 win over the visiting Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving is just what the doctor ordered. There was a palpable sigh of relief across the Lions fanbase on social media when James Ihedigbo picked off Jay Cutler in the end zone to end the game. 

Those wavering playoff prospects suddenly look a lot more realistic, and the sting of losing consecutive games to the current No. 1 seeds in each conference feels a whole lot better. 

The playoff push had to commence with a clear-cut victory over Chicago. The Lions needed to prove they could rebound from the demoralizing defeats in Arizona and New England with an emphatic win over an inferior opponent. Anything less would be further cause for concern. 

So many lingering questions were answered affirmatively:

• Can Matthew Stafford handle the pressure?
• Is Calvin Johnson still capable of greatness?
• Will the defense bounce back from the pounding in New England?
• Can the Lions really trust Matt Prater as the kicker?

Stafford was fantastic. It was handily his best outing of the 2014 campaign:

"

Matthew Stafford's line today: 34 of 45 for 390 yards and two touchdowns. #Lions

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) November 27, 2014"

After wildly missing an open Calvin Johnson on his first attempt, Stafford settled into an amazing groove. He completed 22 of his remaining 25 attempts in the first half, vaulting the Lions to a 24-14 halftime lead.

Chicago jumped out to an early 14-3 lead, and there were legitimate worries the once-mighty Detroit defense was irreparably harmed in the 34-9 trouncing in New England. That's when defensive coordinator Teryl Austin quickly adjusted to Chicago's barrage of screens and quick-hit perimeter passes. 

The Lions suffocated the Bears offense for the rest of the game:

Plays	Yards	Outcome
6	55	TD
3	14	Punt
2	5	TD
11	28	Punt
3	3	Punt
1	-1	End of Half
5	12	Punt
5	9	Punt
2	7	INT
3	-3	Punt
6	72	INT

To be sure, the Bears were expressly complicit in their own defeat. They ran the ball just once in the second half, while their defense stubbornly clung to a passive zone which allowed Lions receivers way too much room to operate. 

"

This #Bears pass defense is so elementary. Like throwing against scout team in practice. Not good.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) November 27, 2014"

Riddick's perspective is important. Chicago's defense lacks talent at all three levels, and it now ranks last in the NFL in points per game at 28.1. This is not a quality opponent, and the level of Chicago's incompetence cannot be ignored when discussing Detroit's offensive renaissance. 

Still, it was wonderful to see Stafford get into a rhythm and attack the vulnerable Bears. No. 9 was sizzling in carving up the Chicago defense all over the field. 

"

RT @ttwentyman: Stafford’s 75.6 (34/45) completion % is highest in #Lions history by a QB with 45+ attempts pic.twitter.com/2blZMJdY7s

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 27, 2014"

Eleven of those completions went to Johnson, who looked much more like the transformative Megatron talent than he has since returning from his ankle injury. He wasn't the only receiver to break out in Ford Field, as noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

"

After two straight sub-par games against top cornerbacks, Calvin Johnson had a field day against Bears rookie Kyle Fuller Thursday. Johnson finished with 11 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. His first score was typical Megatron, when he went up with three defenders closing in and held on tight to the ball. Golden Tate (eight catches, 89 yards) shook Ryan Mundy out of his shoes with a juke move on a bubble screen, Ebron caught three of the four passes thrown his way and the Lions eradicated the drops that killed them last week.

"

My game notes indicated just one drop on Johnson. It was especially nice to see Eric Ebron show some positives after a dismal showing versus the New England Patriots. He even showed enough confidence to hurdle a defender on his first reception.

The sweet victory essentially ended Chicago's fledgling playoff hopes, turning the NFC North into a two-team race between Detroit and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are 8-3 and host the Patriots on Sunday with a chance to stay a game up on the 8-4 Lions. The two teams meet in Green Bay in Week 17. The Bears are now 5-7 and three full games behind the wild-card teams in the NFC.

Detroit is back in the playoff business, and business looks good.

"

The Lions are in great shape to make the playoffs. Have by far the easiest remaining schedule of any NFC contender.

— Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) November 27, 2014"

Between now and that fateful game in Lambeau Field, the Lions play three teams with losing records.

Week	Opponent	Record
14	Tampa Bay	2-9
15	Minnesota	4-7
16	at Chicago	5-7
17	at Green Bay	8-3

The Lions figure to be favored to win the next three games. If they accomplish that feat, a playoff berth is a virtual certainty even if Detroit drops the finale in Wisconsin. 

After the Philadelphia Eagles' big win over the Dallas Cowboys, the NFC playoff picture looks like this:

Seed	Overall	NFC Record	Remaining Schedule
1. Arizona	9-2	7-1	@ATL, KC, @STL, SEA, @SF
2. Philadelphia	9-3	5-3	SEA, DAL, @WAS, @NYG
3. Green Bay	8-3	6-3	NE, ATL, @BUF, @TB, DET
4. Atlanta	4-7	4-4	ARI, @GB, PIT, @NO, CAR
5. Detroit	8-4	6-2	TB, MIN, @CHI, @GB
6. Dallas	8-4	5-4	@CHI, @PHI, IND, @WAS
Seattle	7-4	5-2	@SF, @PHI, SF, @ARI, STL
San Francisco	7-4	6-3	SEA, @OAK, @SEA, SD, ARI
Chicago	5-7	4-4	DAL, NO, DET, @MIN

The Lions are the only contender not playing at least two others currently in the playoff picture. That means a lot of guaranteed losses around Detroit.

Moreover, the conference record is the first tiebreaker in situations where two or more teams are deadlocked and did not all play head-to-head. The Lions are sitting mighty pretty in that regard, even if they happen to drop one of the next three, because of the inherent cannibalization between the other teams. 

Of course, the easy way to ensure a playoff berth is for Detroit to take care of its own business and win out. The way the Lions performed under the national spotlight against Chicago proves they have the capability to run the table if they execute like they did against the Bears. 

As Kyle Meinke of MLive noted, the Lions escaped this victory in great shape on the injury front. 

"

Lions don't suffer a single known injury while throttling Bears http://t.co/WbsgdB1JjC

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) November 27, 2014"

Left tackle Riley Reiff and right guard Larry Warford could both return in the next couple of weeks, which would provide a nice boost heading into the homestretch. Getting the original starting offensive line intact can only help going forward. 

The Lions emerged from the rough patch of the schedule on shaky ground. After Thursday's resounding win over Chicago, coach Jim Caldwell and his troops proved they have the resilience needed to survive and advance.