Lions vs. Saints: 5 Reasons This Is the Biggest Game of the Decade for Detroit

Have we all heard enough about the Ndamukong Suh stomp/suspension yet? Ready to move on with life?

Good, because the Detroit Lions are still 7-4, still in the thick of the playoff hunt and about to play the New Orleans Saints in what will be the biggest game the team has played since before the Matt Millen era.

So, even with everything else surrounding the team right now, it's time to look ahead to this weekend. Because a win this weekend would completely change the focus of the team and the media covering it.

The Lions have been needing a big win ever since they started losing, and all they've succeeded in doing is picking on the woeful Broncos and Panthers. They could probably do the same with the Vikings, Chargers and Raiders (maybe), but even in that case, they still haven't proven anything.

With all the doubt and distraction circling the Lions, this is the game that will show which direction the team is headed, both this year and for years to come.

Think I'm overselling it? Not so fast...

It's Time to Party Like It's Not 2007

The biggest reason this is such an important game?

Because the elusive .500 season is within reach, and if nothing else, they need to get there with some semblance of legitimacy.

In 2007, the Lions started 6-2, and a blowout victory over the Broncos capped the first half of what looked like a magical season. In 2011, the Lions started 6-2, and a blowout victory over the Broncos capped the first half of what could still be a magical season.

There are a couple teams left on the schedule that the Lions could likely roll over to get that eighth win, but doing it against the Saints means something. It sends a message, not just to the fans or the NFL, but to the team itself.

Right now, the team would do well to convince itself that it isn't a fluke. Even if the Lions only win one more game this year, climbing to 8-4 over a playoff-caliber team would mean a whole lot more than crawling to 8-7 over the Chargers.

But really, that's not how it works. This game is going to set the tone for the remainder of the season, especially after the regrouping effort that likely followed the Packers game.

The Lions likely need to win three of their last five to have a fighting chance at the playoffs. If they can somehow beat the Saints, they head into a very winnable stretch of games against the Vikings, Raiders and Chargers with confidence, momentum and an 8-4 record.

Lose, and they drag a 7-5 record into a stretch of games that no longer looks all that winnable, and the 2007 season looms, as everyone wonders if the fast start was just another bait-and-switch.

The Lions Are Flexed into Their Second National Game in Two Weeks

The Lions should feel fortunate. They were flexed onto Sunday Night Football a couple of days before their Thanksgiving implosion.

Had the league office seen Thursday's events before making the decision, it's unlikely they would have put the team in front of a national audience for a second straight week.

But the Lions are indeed playing Sunday night, and if they want to get any reasonable consideration for prime-time games next year, they need to play good football and play it clean.

This is really all about legitimacy. The Lions-Packers game on Thanksgiving was supposed to be the first decent game the Lions played on Thanksgiving in years. Instead, they embarrassed themselves, both in terms of score and public perception.

If they lay another egg on national television, you can kiss any positive national coverage goodbye for a long while.

The Lions earned this prime-time spot with their play thus far this season, and now it's time to prove they deserve it.

Jim Schwartz's Job Security

I can't even believe we're talking about this considering what Jim Schwartz has done with an 0-16 team in less than three years. Effectively, Schwartz has brought parity back to the Detroit Lions. It took him about 40 games to take the NFL's most laughed-at team and turn them into the NFL's most hated.

Now, that hate doesn't come without a fair share of success (other widely hated teams: Patriots, Steelers, Packers), but the kind of hate coming down on the Lions lately is the kind you don't want. This kind of hate is the kind that has nothing to do with winning games.

If anything, much of it has had to do with the Lions being sore losers. If the Lions can't rein in all this nonsense and do so fast, it's going to look an awful lot like Schwartz doesn't have any control over his team. And if that's the case, we have to start talking about whether it's time to pull in somebody who does.

Now trust me, I'm not calling for Schwartz's head right now. Schwartz is already the best coach the Lions have had since Wayne Fontes and maybe even since Buddy Parker. I have full confidence that he can bring discipline back to the team.

But we can't turn a blind eye and act like this is something new. Penalties and a lack of discipline have been a trademark of the Schwartz regime. We used to say the Lions needed to "learn how to win." At 7-4, we might be beyond that anecdotal point.

The stupid mistakes are piling up, and they're starting to increase in scope. A couple of years ago, it was a late hit out of bounds or a questionable roughing the passer call. Now it's handshakes spawning shouting matches and stomps and suspensions.

You could argue that some of the stuff Schwartz was supposed to clean up early on has actually gotten worse. He needs to make it better, if only to prove that he can.

Playoffs?

Of the six teams currently in the NFC playoff picture, the Lions have played five.

The Saints are the sixth.

The Lions are currently 2-4 against playoff-caliber teams, with their only wins coming in freak accident-fashion against the Dallas Cowboys and on Monday night against the Bears.

For a team trying to institute a culture of winning, they certainly don't do a great deal of it against other teams with a culture of winning.

This game is a chance for the Lions to turn that around. One of the greatest battles the Lions have faced this season is the one to gain legitimacy. They started earning it with their fast 5-0 start, but have since fallen into some of their old habits and dropped games as the schedule has gotten tougher.

The Lions have gotten more positive national press this year than they have since Barry Sanders retired. As I said earlier, this is the time to prove they're worthy of it or watch it all turn sour as they're placed in the "poser" category.

Tiebreaker with the Bears

Right now, the Chicago Bears win a narrow tiebreaker with the Detroit Lions based on record in common games. That alone is the reason they make the playoffs and the Lions miss.

But it doesn't have to stay that way.

The Chicago Bears have two teams coming up on the schedule that the Lions beat earlier this year: the Chiefs and Broncos.

Presumably, both are winnable games for the Bears, but consider that the Bears are playing without Jay Cutler, the Chiefs just pushed the Steelers for 60 minutes (and now possess former Bear Kyle Orton) and the Broncos are somehow on a ridiculous winning streak.

If the Bears lose either of those games, they lose ground on the Lions. But the Lions can also turn the tables with a win at New Orleans. The Saints beat Chicago earlier this year, so the Lions gain a game in the "common games" category if they can pull out the win.

Added bonus: The next tiebreaker category is "wins within the conference," so beating the Saints counts towards that (and would, again, put the Lions in Bears in a virtual tie), too.