Week 7 Win for the Detroit Lions

It doesn’t happen very often, but once in a blue moon, an NFL front office decision unintentionally benefits the Lions.

This turned out to be the case when the league released its 2010 game schedule on April 20.

It just so happens that Detroit’s Week 7 bye was exactly what the team doctors would have ordered if they could have looked into the future.

Through the first six games of the regular season, the Lions have suffered from prolonged injuries to a host of key players including Matt Stafford, DeAndre Levy, Kevin Smith, Louis Delmas, Nate Burleson and Turk McBride.

During Week 6 itself, Calvin Johnson played despite a shoulder injury, in a game during which backup QB Shaun Hill broke his arm and Zack Follett suffered a neck injury that left him temporarily paralyzed.

The injury toll this year also includes six players already placed on the IR list (which to-date is far better than the 23 players the Lions had on IR last season).

Until now, Lions fans could only imagine how a line-up of our “ones” would perform on game day.

But thanks to a well-timed bye week, it looks like we’ll finally get a chance to see relatively healthy offensive and defensive first team starters work together during Week 8.

Detroit was able to sit and rest 19 players during the Thursday practice following the game against the Giants.

The Lions lighter bye week practice schedule will allow the entire team a much needed opportunity to recuperate and refocus on the remaining ten games of the regular season.

Stafford, Levy, Smith, Delmas, Burleson, McBride and turf-toed Jahvid Best will probably benefit the most from the bye and should all be healthy enough to contribute to a win over Washington on Halloween Day at Ford Field.

Detroit has to put their five losses behind them and treat Week 8 as if it were the first game of a fresh new season, which in many ways it will be.

It would be a real Halloween treat for Lions fans if all our returning players stay healthy and the wildly inconsistent NFL zebra hobgoblins actually start calling good games for a change.

Conversely, it would be a cruel trick if Detroit loses another game because of bad calls combined with stupid and unprofessional penalties committed by players who should know better.

If Detroit beats the Skins and remains healthy enough to pull off another victory at home the following week against the Jets, fans should consider this Week 7 bye a big win for the Lions.