Detroit Lions Are Playoff-Bound, but Not Playoff-Caliber Yet

The Detroit Lions, along with the Detroit Tigers, have the beleaguered city and the entire NFL buzzing about their potential after a torrid 4-0 start.

Unfortunately, Lions fans may be met with a harsh awakening from the dreamworld they find themselves in.

The Lions started out with a quality win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite not playing to their capabilities. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Jim Schwartz both pointed out that the team needed to improve, but believed it was a good sign that they won notwithstanding all the mistakes.

Overcoming your miscues is normally a positive indicator of the potential success of the team, but that is only if the team learns and progresses. It can be argued that this team has regressed in each game so far this season.

The Lions crushed the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3 in the home opener. However, they struggled mightily against the run and did not take control of the game until the second half.

The wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys demonstrated that the Lions have the guile and grit to continue competing when all seems lost.

As Kevin Seifert wrote on Sunday, Detroit had a combined two percent chance of winning those games. Therefore, if not for Tony Romo's poor decisions, along with some help from the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, and the Vikings' inexplicable decision to run Adrian Peterson a total of five times in the second half, Detroit would likely be sitting at 2-2.

There are definitely bright spots this season that show they are a team to be reckoned with, particularly the connection of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Nevertheless, there are troubling concerns going forward. The offensive line has failed to consistently open holes for the running game and the much-hyped defensive line has yet to make a real impact on a game this season.

The Detroit Lions have the capabilities to make a serious postseason run, but they must replace the word "potential" with "execution."