Detroit Lions: 5 Reasons to Get Excited About Upcoming MNF Matchup

It feels like it has been a lifetime.  Finally, Detroit has a team to be proud of.  A team that has embraced the characteristics of the Motor City itself: tough, gritty, aggressive and a never-say-die mentality. 

Detroit is going to get its first chance in 10 years on the national stage this Monday, October 10.

While everyone believes Comerica Park is going to be loud and electric while the Yankees are in town, the fans at Ford Field have been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time.  After enduring incredible hardships year after year, if any team's fanbase deserve this, it is Detroit's.  Don't worry, the Lions are fully aware of this and will not disappoint.

Here are five reasons to start getting goosebumps about the upcoming Monday Night Football game.

5. Big NFC North Matchup

While the Chicago Bears have been less than stellar so far, they are still a good team.  They have some great athletes on their team who can make plays at any moment. 

However, they do not have a Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson or a Matthew Stafford.

This is a revenge game for Matthew Stafford.  Sure, he will never actually admit to it, but how badly does he want to get back at the team that wrecked his 2010 season and forced him to the sideline with a shoulder injury that would need surgery?  Not that this game needs any more hype, but there is no question that thought will be sitting in the back of Stafford's mind.  The Lions are also ready to make up for that 24-20 loss they took back in December of 2010, which was a game they should have won.

The Lions have proved they have the ability to come back from any deficit against any team, and the Bears are a team that often gives the Lions trouble early. 

Look for the Lions to be running on all cylinders during this Monday night extravaganza.

4. Undefeated

I've never been a fan of carrying over wins from a previous year and adding them to a current win streak.  Different year equals different team.  However, in a city where the fans have been starved for a good football team for so long, I am going to make an exception.

The Lions are undefeated in their past eight games dating back to December 12, 2010.

It is hard to believe, but the Lions aren't finding ways to lose anymore.  Now, they are finding incredible ways to win.  It is happening all over the field. 

This team doesn't expect to lose; they expect and demand to win.  They will do whatever it takes to be successful.  For example, some may criticize Suh for his penalty late in Sunday's game.  He brings aggression, desire and heart to this Lions team, and without his play and leadership, they may not have been in a position to win the game in the fourth quarter. 

This team is fun to watch, not only because they are winning, but because they are having so much fun doing it.  Look for the high octane Lions to continue their party this Monday.

3. Attitude

The players are saying all the right things.  They talk about how they haven't done anything yet.  They talk about how it is way too early to be thinking about playoffs.  They say they still have a ton of work to do.

A lot of times when the general public hears these comments from the players, they tend to believe the players are hiding their true emotions.  In this case, there is no doubt the Lions are not only saying these things, but they are believing each comment.

While they may be a young team, Schwartz has done a great job at tempering his team's emotions.  He knows players can get excited when they get off to hot start, but he also knows how important it is to keep the players grounded through the long and exhausting regular season. 

They aren't taking anything for granted.  The Lions know they have to get better because they can't go into every half down by 20 or more points.  Based on their attitudes, they are going to get better, which is a scary thought for 31 other teams in the NFL.

The Lions are going to make the playoffs.  If you want a taste of what that is going to feel like, tune in to Monday Night Football next week.

2. Stafford to Johnson

There is no doubt that the hottest quarterback/wide receiver combination in the NFL is Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford.  They are fun to watch. 

It is almost as if these two guys have been playing together for years.  This Sunday, Johnson ran a seam route, looked at Stafford and threw a hand in the air telling him to put it up, and went and got the ball at its highest point in triple coverage.  What an amazing play from a duo that has plenty more of that to accomplish this season.

The man named Megatron and the quarterback who never quits, hear all of the comments.  Johnson is not an elite receiver.  Stafford is injury-prone.  The success can't last forever.  And yet, they continue to be successful week in and week out.

They have combined for 321 yards and eight touchdowns already this season.  Look for a big night on a big stage by both of these up and coming stars in the NFL. 

1. Monday Night in Motown!

There is truly no better place to be for sports than the city of Detroit. 

While many critics judge the city with outside eyes, it is a place where some amazing sports memories continue to be made.  The fans' love for their teams is unmatched anywhere in the nation. 

There is no professional franchise that has gone through more turmoil than the Detroit Lions.  However, they don't want your pity.  This is not the same Lions team we have been accustomed to over the past 10 years.  The past is the past.  Most of the players on this roster were not even around during the 0-16 debacle a few years ago.

With the Tigers inching ever closer to an ALCS bid and the Lions boasting a 4-0 record, Ford Field is going to be an incredible sight on Monday night. The atmosphere in and around the stadium will have a playoff feel and an electricity unlike any other experienced at Ford Field in its 11-year history, and the fans will not be suppressed.  Neither will the Lions.

No city deserves it more.