Chiefs vs Lions: 6 Things We Learned from Detroit's 48-3 Win

I am thoroughly unaccustomed to seeing the Lions win a 45-point rout.

In fact, everyone is. The 48-3 rout is the biggest win margin in franchise history, so quite literally, nobody has ever seen the Lions win like this.

There was a lot to take from this game, both good and (surprisingly) bad. The Lions led 20-3 at halftime, but it certainly didn't look like they were in position to put on a major rout at the time. If anything, there was a clear indication of how the Chiefs could get back in the game.

Instead, the Lions outscored the Chiefs 28-0 in the second half and forced six turnovers in the game, most of them killing attempted comeback drives.

So what did we learn about this potential playoff team, now 2-0 for the first time in four years?

The Lions Can Close

This game was the polar opposite of last week's win over Tampa Bay.

Where the Lions jumped out to a big early lead against Tampa and let them back in it late, this week the Lions started a bit slow, turned it on just before halftime, and never looked back.

Maybe it's the home field, or maybe it was the lack of cramping in a 100-degree environment. But the Lions came out with a killer instinct in this game, and never quit, even when the game was well in hand late.

On a related note, the Tampa Bay Bucs came back from 17 down to beat the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome, so maybe they're just a really good second-half team.

Matthew Stafford Is Tough...

In Tampa, Matthew Stafford was neither sacked nor hit.

This week, he wasn't sacked, but he was knocked around quite a bit, especially in the first half. The Chiefs combined for six hits on Stafford, some of them big ones.

Other times, Stafford was flushed out of the pocket avoiding more hits. One of those hits resulted in an ill-advised interception, which the Lions were lucky to have Jon McGraw fumble away as soon as he caught it.

And every time Stafford took a shot, he would wince a little, and we would all hold our breath, and he would stand back in there and keep playing lights-out football.

Two games is way too early to say anything for sure, but Stafford is well on his way to dispelling the "injury-prone" tag. 

...but He Shouldn't Have to Be

The good news is, Stafford can take a hit.

But isn't that also bad news? Tamba Hali was in the backfield all day, earning four of the Chiefs' six hits on Stafford.

Sure, it's great that Stafford got up after each hit, but let's not overlook the fact that the Lions' offensive line was porous today.

This is something we've all known deep down and hoped it wouldn't come to fruition, and the Tampa game made it look like things were okay up front for now.

This game did not. The Lions ran up the score, sure. But when the game was still close, the Lions had no balance. They couldn't run the ball, and that let the Kansas City pass rush get into the backfield and disrupt Stafford's rhythm early.

It has to be better. I've given the line the benefit of the doubt up to now, but from here on, they will be judged on their performance, plain and simple. No more excuses. None.

The Secondary: Better Than Advertised

Sure, let's give the front four credit.

Sure, some of those picks were a result of passes going through shaky receivers' hands.

Sure, the Lions aren't going to be playing 14 more games against Matt Cassel, who looks like yet another Patriot castoff set to flounder in his new home.

But still, the Lions secondary through two games looks aggressive, instinctive and just all-around impressive.

Wasn't this supposed to be a team weakness?

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how this unit stacks up against a decent passing attack. Sadly, that isn't going to happen for a few more weeks (say, Week 7 vs. Atlanta?).

The Ground Game Needs Help on Both Sides

The Lions ran for a combined 89 yards (3.0 YPC) in this game and never really established a sense of balance. That number should be much higher, especially considering how long the Lions led in this game.

On the other hand, the Chiefs gashed the Lions for 151 yards, which is surprising considering they had to basically abandon the running game in the second half. The Lions gave up more rushing yards in the Chiefs first drive than they did the entire game against Tampa Bay.

Obviously, there are problems on both sides. The Chiefs would have run for even more if their star back Jamaal Charles hadn't left the game with a knee injury late in their first drive. That was effectively the end of the Chiefs' offensive production for the day.

Meanwhile, the Lions' issues on the offensive line are well-documented, and the loss of Mikel Leshoure for the season hurts a little on every play.

If there's some good news, it's that Keiland Williams was effective in cleanup duty and could be a long-awaited answer to the Lions' short-yardage back deficiency.

Jim Schwartz Is a Bill Belichick Disciple

Fourth-and-goal situations faced by the Lions: two.

Touchdowns on fourth-and-goal: two.

Number of fourth-and-goal touchdowns scored when the Lions were up by more than 30 points: one.

Does this aggressive, pedal-to-the-metal, never-let-up attitude remind you of anyone?

The 2011 Lions are not the 2007 New England Patriots, but their coaches are showing some similar tendencies.

After the Lions were criticized for "safe" or "vanilla" playcalling late in the Tampa game, they set out today and did the exact opposite.

The Lions passed the ball when up a bunch of points in the fourth quarter. They kept putting up points. They went for it on fourth-and-goal when the game was over.

These are all the kinds of things that brought Bill Belichick both acclaim and criticism when the Patriots were beating teams by 50 every week.

I said it then, and I'll say it now. This is professional football. If you don't like it, stop it. Nobody thought anything of it when the Lions were being beat down week in and week out, so now that the tables are turned, the challenge is out to the rest of the league.

The Detroit Lions are coming. Stop them if you can.