Detroit Lions Will Continue to Contend in Crowded NFC North After Week 1 Win

Coming into the season, few teams had the hype of the Detroit Lions, and on Sunday, they didn't disappoint.

For years, fans and media members have been waiting for the Lions to find a way to contend for a playoff spot only to be disappointed with awful campaigns and failed dreams. Matthew Stafford is the quarterback of the future, but hasn't been able to stay on the field long enough to live up to his draft status out of Georgia.

The Lions have weapons and they have a head coach who has changed the culture within the organization to make Detroit a place where young players can develop and thrive. Defense has become a priority, and it shows on the field.

Detroit has been tabbed as one of the surprises of the 2011 season, and inevitably, teams like that fail to deliver come Week 1.

Detroit wasn't one of those teams.

The Lions came out and they took the fight right to Tampa Bay, last year's Cinderella, and walked away with the win. Not only that, but Stafford was masterful in his command of the offense, proving that if he can stay healthy, he can be a dominant pro passer.

In the end, that's what it comes down to, and this year is Stafford's. He will stay healthy and he will continue to terrorize opposing defenses with deep passes to Calvin Johnson. Jim Schwartz has this team believing that they can contend, and finally, Detroit has a real shot at a Wild Card berth.

As a town that is so football crazy, few fanbases deserve a winning season quite like Detroit, where the fans have hit the lowest of lows with the team, yet have stuck around through it all.

This is the Lions' year to shine, and Stafford will help put the franchise back where it belongs. Detroit won't dominate, and there will be ups and downs, yet the team will rise above it all and give the city something they've craved for years—competitive football.