Detroit Lions 'Scalp The Monkey Off Their Back

Matthew Stafford showed why he was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Passing for 241 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, Stafford was able to showcase his strong arm and high football IQ. His decision making was remarkably improved against the Redskins, keeping his passes out of traffic and throwing the ball away on a number of occasions.

Stafford's best play however, was a first quarter scramble for 21 yards, setting up a touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson—capping off a 99-yard drive.

Yet, fans may be split on whether or not Matthew Stafford was the best rookie on the field this past Sunday.

DeAndre Levy was forced into a spot start against one of the better running backs in the NFL. Levy's tackle against Portis on the one yard line silenced a lot of his critics who believed he was a wasted draft pick.

Now, on Monday morning? The talk is about Ernie Sims as possible trade bait, our great linebacker depth—Jordan Dizon also had a good game—and if Levy should play MLB or WLB.

Knee jerk reactions are apparently still in season, even after a win.

Euphoria is needed for a team that hasn't won since 2007 and for a city that desperately needs it.

Detroit is, first and foremost, a football town. Yes, it's called Hockeytown—for good reason. Yes, the Tigers are reborn as contenders. Yes, the bells will chime for Big Ben once again in Auburn Hills.

But, Detroit is a football town.

The fan base battles between Michigan and Michigan State are never bigger than in Michigan's biggest town. The metropolitan area has more top level high school football leagues than this column has space to mention.

Detroit may be cynical and, at times, pessimistic about its professional team, but a couple of playoffs down the road would certainly challenge that.

Lions fans deserved this win and were well-rewarded for sticking with the third team in NFL history to go 0-19.

After a post-game prayer, the Lions returned to the playing field and went around the stands, thanking fans for sticking with the team through both the thick headed play and the thin talent.

Shield's Pizza, a locally owned landmark, is offering free pizzas to everyone in Detroit—celebrating the win.

Although one win is certainly not a valid indicator of future playoff berths, Lions fans are optimistic not only because of a mark in the win column, but also because this Lions team has made quantifiable steps in the right direction.

Even the most ardent Stafford critics know that he is a long term solution at the quarterback position. At the very least, they will admit he is an upgrade to Jon Kitna.

The offense is clicking—19.7 points per game isn't record breaking, but it is three full points better than 2008.

More importantly, the offense is balanced—averaging only 80 more yards through the air than on the ground.

On Sunday, fans were treated to see Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson get important yardage but also lesser known Lions like Jerome Felton, Will Heller, and Dennis Northcutt were able to pick up tough yardage.

Furthermore, Bryant Johnson proved that he is a player to be game planned for, and can beat single coverage—especially deep—leaving future opponents that much more wary to devote two or even three men to covering Calvin Johnson.

Most importantly, fans saw a bright sign in the confidence and swagger of Matthew Stafford who took what the defense gave him and made a number of great plays.

There is certainly room for improvement.

For now, let Lions fans bask in this one-game winning streak, the upside of this team's young stars, and the joy of being one game better than six of the NFL's other franchises.