Is 0-3 a Death Blow for the Underachieving Detroit Lions?

This was supposed to be a new era for the Detroit Lions. Instead, disappointment abounds for head coach Jim Caldwell and his crew after an underwhelming 0-3 start.

You likely saw all of the stats regarding teams that lose their first two games. Allow Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com to put the proper perspective on the current situation:

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Lions drop to 0-3 with 24-12 loss to Denver. Will try to become just 4th team since 1990 to make playoffs after 0-3 start. #DENvsDET

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) September 28, 2015"

Make no mistake. Detroit has enough talent to be a playoff contender, which is why this season has been as hard to swallow as the last season of Game of Thrones. Don't watch HBO? Maybe a better comparison is when my girlfriend said I could decorate the living room.

Spoiler alert: She vetoed the multiple television idea.

So where does this team go from here? Well, it's a complicated issue that requires looking to the past and the future.

It All Starts—Or Doesn't—Up Front

General manager Martin Mayhew knew he had a problem last season when the offensive line produced the fifth-worst rushing attack and allowed 45 sacks. His main focus this offseason was to correct those issues through the draft and shrewd trades.

Through two games, his approach can only be described as laughable.

Detroit's running backs enjoyed maybe two or three passable running seams all game. The Lions averaged 1.5 yards per carry this week, which is only 37 percent worse than last week's 2.4-yard average.

The hope was that LaAdrian Waddle's return would be the tonic for the stalled run game and porous pass protection. Lions fans must consider that dream dashed, considering Denver Broncos' outside linebacker Von Miller, via Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News, wasn't even sure who that is:

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Von Miller said it took a few plays to even realize the Lions changed right tackles. Guessing film will show Waddle wasn't much upgrade.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) September 28, 2015"

Even Andrew Luck is proving the worth of a decent—or lack thereof—offensive line this year with his Jay Cutler-like numbers. Nobody can save this team, unless the big men in the trenches start helping out.

Big Players Aren't Making Big Plays

All in all, the defense played well against the Broncos, although it should be remembered that Denver came in with the league's worst offense statistically through two games.

And there was a decided lack of big plays from big-time players when things mattered most.

Unfortunately, Darius Slay is the perfect example of this problem. Here he is getting victimized by Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who is actually one inch shorter than Slay:

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Ripped it out his hands RT @TheCauldron GIF: Tremendous catch by Emmanuel Sanders over Darius Slay pic.twitter.com/UJdDsIaNJ8

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) September 28, 2015"

That play essentially clinched the game for Denver, but it might not have been his worst display of defense. Just before halftime, with the Lions down by a single point, the much taller Demaryius Thomas performed the same procedure before waltzing into the end zone.

Those two plays were the pivotal type that can swing a game. Had Slay came up on the better side of one of them, Detroit would have had a chance.

He wasn't alone, though, as the offense contributed a few bonehead plays too. Both of Stafford's picks required the defender to make an athletic play, but both also showed a lack of vision:

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Stafford never saw Bruton leak out to that side of the defense. Great play to make the interception, though.

— Dave Hogg (@Stareagle) September 28, 2015"

Every team has at least one or two holes. The good ones find a way to make that extra play that pushes it over the top. Needless to say, Detroit isn't in that group.

Now What?

The question has changed from "how many wins for Detroit" to "when will its first win come?"

The Lions travel to Seattle next Monday for a showdown with the NFC's two-time champ. The next week brings the red-hot Arizona Cardinals to town.

0-5 isn't just a possibility, it's a probability.

The Chicago Bears should offer some relief in Week 6, but will it matter when there are still two games against the Packers and an overseas matchup with the Chiefs?

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The Bears, Colts, Eagles, Lions, Ravens, Saints, Seahawks and Texans are all looking to avoid 0-3 starts today pic.twitter.com/d1ebD505RO

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 27, 2015"

Truth be told, every game outside of those five is winnable, yet that still only equals eight wins. It'll take something beyond what Detroit has shown thus far to steal the two wins necessary from those teams mentioned here to sneak back into the playoffs.

Additionally, it should be noted that the footnote of that ESPN stat mentions the 1995 Lions. They were one of the three teams to bounce back from a horrendous start and still play meaningful football in January. However, it'll take help from the offensive line, as mentioned above, and an ability to adapt on the sideline. Katzenstein relayed a comment from Bradley Roby:

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Broncos CB Bradley Roby on the Lions offense: "We pretty much knew what they were gonna do, and they did it."

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) September 28, 2015"

Detroit's season isn't over yet, but it's on life support. This team needs the coaching staff to take a hint, or the offensive line to make a block. At this point, neither seems likely.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.