Can the Detroit Lions Get to the Playoffs?

The Lions were riding high when they went into Dallas to take on the Cowboys. And despite the fact they were down big, the Lions ended up winning the game and extending their record to an amazing 4-0.

Are the Lions destined to be a playoff team this season? Can they lead the NFC North, get past the Packers and into the playoffs?

There are a few factors that have already contributed, and will continue to contribute to the Lions' success in the future.

The first factor is health. This team has been plagued by poor health in the past, and they are finally having success with that. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled to stay healthy, but so far he’s remained perfectly fine and has helped lead the Lions to their unblemished record.

The defense has had some problems keeping opponents from scoring a lot of points on them early, but this unit is a good one and will only get better as the season goes forward.

The big question with the Lions is whether or not they can continue to win games in the same way they have been winning them. They have fallen behind in their last two games, and even though they were able to overcome that deficit and win, if they meet a team with a strong defense, it’s possible they could get beat if their offense gets off to a slow start, like it has in the last two games.

It’s amazing that a team that has a good defensive head coach in Jim Schwart can have such a sporadic defense but a good offense.

The problem with the Lions defense lies with their secondary (remember some of the issues that they had last season in their game against the Saints on Thanksgiving), and until they are able to make some improvements there, they are going to struggle against their opponents' passing games.

Perhaps they will have an easy go of it against the Bears. Chicago has a strong running game but not that good of a passing game. And since the Lions can stop the run somewhat but struggle against the pass, the game might end up a win for them, hopefully continuing to cement themselves as one of the top teams in the NFL.

They also have to face the Packers (coming up on Thanksgiving, which will be their first game against Green Bay), and that will be a huge test. If they are still rolling at that time, then this will be a good game and could be one that decides who wins the NFC North.

We still don’t know if the Lions are for real, but they are definitely one of the NFL’s most surprising teams—not to mention, one of its bests. Sure, they have flaws, but they have so far been able to successfully overcome them and remain undefeated through the first four games of the season.

Will the Lions be able to make the playoffs? Anything is possible, but right now, it looks like they are a shoe-in to make it.