Detroit Lions: 5 Things We Learned About the Team This Week

What happened to the Detroit Lions this week was an aberration—or so we hope.

Chicago had a statement to make and its point is well taken: It is a legitimate force in the NFC playoff race.

The Bears dismantled Detroit in such a way that fans were reminded of the laughingstock Lions of seasons past.

The Lions offense, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, played its worst game of the season, but the defense actually found a way to gather some forward momentum.

Losing three of four games is never a positive sign, but this is still a 6-3 football team tied for second in the NFC North Division.

Let's look at what we learned from the Lions' Week 10 debacle.

5. The Lions Will Protect Matthew Stafford

The third-quarter scuffle along the Detroit sideline is being blown way out of proportion.

Matthew Stafford was certainly wrong to throw D.J. Moore to the ground, but is it really wrong to see his teammates defend him once Moore retaliated?

It's like in hockey when an opposing player hits a goalie. Teammates simply cannot sit idly by and allow such action to take place.

Backing up Stafford was not only expected, but it was the right thing to do.

He was frustrated and made a stupid decision in haste, but I for one was glad to see the Lions bench rise to his defense.

4. The Running Game May Have Hope

Hidden among Matthew Stafford's 63 pass attempts was the solid performance given by the Lions backfield.

The running game was all but abandoned by the third quarter against the Bears, but there were finally some positive signs when the ball was handed off.

Kevin Smith's four carries for 19 yards were particularly impressive because of his lack of practice time or first-team reps.

The Lions have been completely unable to develop a consistent running game all season and maybe Smith's inclusion in the rotation will provide some spark moving forward.

Facing the Carolina Panthers' 28th ranked rush defense next week should provide Smith a chance to prove he can sustain a high level of play.

3. Matthew Stafford Should Not Wear Gloves

It is blatantly obvious to say that Matthew Stafford played terrible this week...but Matthew Stafford played terrible this week.

As a Lions fan with hopes of a playoff run, I would like to believe his abysmal play was due to an odd decision to wear a glove on his throwing hand.

Stafford consistently underthrew passes, and when he did hit open players they were wearing orange jerseys.

The Lions signal caller had a bad day. Every quarterback has them.

There is no reason to overanalyze what happened to Stafford in this game. What matters is that he does not have a string of bad games.

The Lions can't afford to lose their vaunted passing attack at this point in the season.

So, for now, let's assume that this game was merely a Matthew Stafford mirage, and hope he takes that glove off next week in Carolina.

2. Detroit Can Stop the Run

Chicago did not need a dominant running game to beat the Lions this week, not when its defense was scoring so many points.

However, it is worth noting that Detroit finally played stout against the run.

The Lions held the Bears to 109 yards on 35 attempts, a mere 3.1 yards per carry.

Matt Forte was a non-factor, and while the Lions offense forced the team out of this game quickly, the defense continued to play resilient football.

The front four have been heavily criticized for their inability to stop opposing rushing attacks this season.

While it's hard to silence critics in a 37-13 loss, this was certainly a step in the right direction for the Lions defensive line.

1. Next Week's Game Versus Carolina Is a Must-Win

The Chicago Bears are not going to fade into obscurity anytime soon. They have proven that they plan on hanging around in the wild-card picture.

And with the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers further distancing themselves from the NFC pack this week, the Lions need to start winning immediately.

The term "must-win" is often overused, but Detroit really needs to beat the Carolina Panthers next week because afterward the schedule gets extremely difficult. The Lions play the Packers and New Orleans Saints in the following weeks.

Much like beating the Denver Broncos rallied the Lions after two home losses, rebounding against the Panthers could provide the boost Detroit needs to survive the rest of the regular season.