Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions' Defensive Line Take Some Sting out of 0-2 Record

The Detroit Lions-Philadelphia Eagles game took a bit of a toll on me, in case you missed it.

A second straight week of near-miss comeback attempts was almost too much for me to take, and I went on a tirade, both here and on Twitter (self-promotion FTW).

The worst part about the loss was how hard I tried not to believe it. To illustrate, here is the exact transcription of the text messages I sent to my fiancee (who made me promise to give her systematic game updates while she was at work) yesterday afternoon.

4:05 PM: Eagles just converted 3rd and long. And there's a TD. 35-17. That ought to do it.

4:12 PM: The good news is, your Fantasy team is crushing. Best just scored another TD.

4:15 PM: 4 minutes left. Game's over, barring a HUGE miracle.

4:28 PM: Lions pulled within three points, 1:50 left. Still need an onside kick, though.

4:30 PM: LIONS BALL!

4:32 PM: 1:30 left, one timeout, only need about 25 yards to get into Hanson's FG range for the tie!!!

4:34 PM: eagles win.

4:35 PM: And one more week, the Lions lose in the most painful way possible.

See what happened there? It took a half hour, exactly 30 minutes, to go from certain loss, to possible (even probable?) win, to official loss.

But I slept on it. At least, to the extent that I was able to sleep. I may have also eaten a pint of ice cream.

Today is a new day, and I am now at a point where I can think about the game without going into the fetal position.

Turns out, it wasn't all that bad. In fact, there's a lot to be thrilled about, starting with a handful of first-round picks.

Jahvid Best, Brandon Pettigrew, and Ndamukong Suh all put in eye-opening performances against the Eagles,

By now, you've heard about Best becoming the first NFL rookie to have 75 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards, and three TDs in a single game. He was electric, although it's mind-boggling to think of what he could have done if he wasn't so silent for the majority of the second half.

Pettigrew appears to have picked right up where he left off before ACL surgery sidelined him after the Thanksgiving game last year. In addition to his 100-yard receiving game, he picked up a key block to help spring Best on his 75-yard screen pass.

And then there was Suh. Suh, in addition to leading the team in tackles (no easy feat for a DT), told me everything I needed to know when he sacked Mike Vick by putting a hand on his shoulder.

Vick got yanked down so hard—with one hand—by a man being blocked to the ground, the nearest ref assumed there was a face mask involved, given the way Vick's head snapped back. Nope, that was just a professional athlete being swept off his feet because of a tug on his shoulder.

Ndamukong Suh appears to have begun his "Remember Me" QB tour. He doesn't get three sacks a game, but when he gets to the QB, it looks ugly and painful. He possesses superhero-like strength, and he seems to be improving in each game he plays (even into the preseason).

It will be interesting to see what happens if he finds himself singled up with Steve Hutchinson next week. Brett Favre's career might be in Hutchinson's hands.

Of course, it could also be up to Bryant McKinnie, who has drawn the suddenly unenviable task of controlling red-eyed wild man Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has been perhaps the most fun player to watch on the Lions defense this year.

There has been a lot of talk about depth, rotating linemen, and fatigue this year when it comes to the Lions defense. Kyle Vanden Bosch, it seems, is exempt. It's not that he ignores the talk. It's more like he stares down anyone who suggests he might like a rest until they shut up.

If you want to do something really fun next Sunday, locate No. 93 before the snap. And watch him the entire play. He'll fight the left tackle, tirelessly, to get to the quarterback. If he doesn't get there, he'll turn and chase down the play.

It doesn't matter if the quarterback just launched a pass 50 yards downfield, Vanden Bosch will run it down at a full sprint. And once in a while, he'll get there. It's exceptionally fun, I've found, especially if you really understand what you're seeing. Never before have I seen a defensive end make so many plays in so many different areas of the field.

Another fun fact? Vanden Bosch had 1.5 sacks on Mike Vick. But Vick is left-handed, so Vanden Bosch wasn't even coming from Vick's blind side, which is normally considered an advantage in pass rushing.  Actually, it was Turk McBride coming from Vick's blind side, and he got a fumble-sack out of the deal.

Granted, nobody on the Lions defensive line has played anything like an elite offensive line just yet this season, so it's hard not to reserve judgment. But regardless of conditions, the Lions are tied with the Green Bay Packers for the NFL lead in sacks with 10.

That's 10 sacks through two games. A team that notched 26 sacks last season is now on pace for 80.

And sure, the Lions have still given up a boatload of passing yards. It's not a perfect defense. Nothing on this team is perfect right now, which is why they're still losing heartbreakers like the "close, but no cigar" effort against the Eagles.

But after the heartbreak passes, there's a lot of good left over. Individual losses are, of course, hard to take. But considering the schedule thus far, the fact that they've been missing key starters, and the fact that most of us predicted 4-6 wins for the Lions, they're actually on track for where they should be.

Of course, it's hard to be satisfied with an 0-2 record. And I'm not. But there are a lot of things I'm satisfied with in the performance they put up to get there.

And that's not something I have often said in recent years.