Detroit Lions: NFC North Wind Taken out of Fans' Sails

I've noticed that my posts and responses to articles have been, let's say, a little less than what I have done in the past.

Part of the reason is that, while I still am a huge fan of the Lions (and always will be), I have become disillusioned this season with yet another 0-4 start.

That's not to say this year's version of the Lions isn't a vast improvement over what the Motor City has had to endure over the past decade or so.  From Russ Thomas and his penny-pinching ways, to Matt Millen's ineptness, the struggles have been well documented.

It is hard to fathom that an established team such as the Lions have not tasted the sweetness of a Super Bowl win, let alone an appearance.  The closest we got to getting into the Super Bowl was in 1992, when we were a mere one game away from getting to the promised land.

The Lions had drawn a first-round bye that year, waiting for the outcome of the NFC Wild Card game between the Bears and the Cowboys.

We also had the home-field advantage in the divisional playoffs, and with all the excitement the Lions gave the fans that year, the roof on the Silverdome was tested to its maximum limits.

I had gone to several games that year, and was lucky enough to get tickets to the game against the Cowboys.  I never in my wildest dreams ever thought the Lions would put on such a dominant display over the Cowboys.  And that Dallas team was nothing to sneeze at with such stars as Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Jay Novacek.

The Cowboys also boasted one of the best defenses in the NFC with Russell Maryland, Ken Norton Jr., and Jack Del Rio.

Lions QB Erik Kramer had a career day, throwing for 341 yards and tossing three TDs.  Defensive back Melvin Jenkins scored on a 41-yard interception return, and Barry Sanders topped it off with a 47-yard rushing touchdown.

And the highly potent Dallas offense? A mere two field goals. The final score was 38-6.

Of course, we tanked just as bad the next week against the eventual Super Bowl champions Washington Redskins, losing in Washington 41-10. 

But it didn't matter right?  We had the makings of a perennial playoff team, right?  The Lions were going to be the force of the NFC Central for years to come, right? 

We had an accurate quarterback in Kramer.

We had one of the best wide receivers not named Jerry Rice in Herman Moore.

We had one of the best running backs ever to set foot on an NFL gridiron in Barry Sanders.

We had a solid defense with Chris Spielman, Jerry Ball, Ray Crockett, and Bennie Blades.

So what happened?

The same thing that always does. With all of the high expectations going into the 1992 season, the Lions fell flat on their collective faces, starting off the season 1-4. They finished the year at 5-11, and were out of playoff contention by October.

Yes, I know that after that, the Lions had a run of making the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but the records for those years, 10-6, 9-7, and 10-6, never got us a home playoff game, and the Lions have a rotten road record as we lost all of the wild card games....one-and-done for three consecutive seasons.

I had, like many Lions fans, high expectations the Lions were going to sustain a high quality team after the 1991 season—which, in retrospect, appears to be a fluke. For that one glorious year, the planets aligned just right, and we were the talk of the NFL.

The Lions are still the talk of the NFL, but in such a negative way that it will take a long time to gain respectability again.  Two losing streaks of more than 20 losses on the road.  Lousy and highly questionable draft picks and free agent signings.  And of course, the worst season ever in 2008, going 0-16.

I still am a believer in the direction the Lions are going.  Martin Mayhew, despite the Lions record during his tenure, has made some very shrewed moves, and continues to work hard to constantly look for players who will help this team win.

Jim Schwartz, despite criticisms of being to conservative, is the right man for the job.  He's a low-key but very intense coach, and the players have bought into what he is attempting to do.

If I had the opportunity to give Schwartz some advice, it would be to quit trying to not lose games—instead, play to win.

The Lions should be 3-1 right now.  They had the Bears game.  They had the Eagles game.  They had the Packers by the throat.  But in each instance, when they got close or had the lead, they played not to lose instead of keeping up the pressure and playing to win.

That's my biggest complaint this year.  And I know part of the reason is that the Lions lack depth.  We do have good starters, but our second- and third-string players would have been cut by most teams.

I hope the Lions can turn it around. I hope they can restore my faith in them.

But for right now, the wind is out of my sails, and I'm looking for that NFC North breeze to kick in and get the ship sailing again.