Chargers vs Lions: 6 Things We Learned from Detroit's 38-10 Win

The Detroit Lions needed losses by the Seahawks, Cardinals and Bears.

But instead of waiting on those, they just forced a loss by the San Diego Chargers and earned their way into the playoffs.

So the speculation of "if" is over. It's time to talk about what the Lions do when they play their first playoff game of the century.

As a long-suffering Lions fan, it would be easy to talk about how special this is. But the Lions have changed the culture. Not only are they a playoff team, they're a playoff team with enough talent to be dangerous.

Not only is the team winning, they're making believers out of the fans. Going into this season, I was just hoping for the Lions to break .500. Now they've won 10 games, made the playoffs and have the fans hungry for more.

With that in mind, let's talk about some of the lessons we took from this that might apply to the Lions' 17th game this season.

The Lions Will Not Be Backing into the Playoffs

As the Lions continued to put themselves in playoff position, I kept watching everyone else.

Did the Falcons win? How about the Bears? Who had to lose to get the Detroit Lions into the playoffs?

Turns out, the only teams the Lions were worried about losing were the ones on the field with them. They got some help, sure, but they never let up from beating the opponent in front of them.

The Lions started hot this season, cooled a bit, but appear to be rounding back into form and hitting their stride just in time. They're riding a three-game winning streak with a potentially meaningless game at Lambeau Field coming up next week.

After that, it's playoff time, with the Lions playing some of their best football of the season.

Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson Is the Best Tandem in Football

I'm just saying somebody predicted this a few months ago.

Though Calvin Johnson has been neutralized at times this season, the biggest difference down the stretch has been the connection between Matthew Stafford and Johnson returning to unstoppable status.

And there's no better time for an elite receiver to come on than in the stretch of a playoff run.

But Johnson isn't just playing good football, he's making defenders look silly, two at a time. He's setting team records, and Stafford is right there with him.

This isn't just the best QB-WR tandem in football right now, it's the best in Detroit Lions history. Already.

Oh, so THAT'S What the Lions Look Like Playing Mistake-Free

Maybe just getting to the playoffs wasn't a lofty enough goal for these Lions.

The Lions looked dominant against a team that had been tearing through their opponents by 24 points a game. This wasn't just the Lions beating up a three-win team or making the playoffs because of another team's loss.

They took the field with their destiny in their hands, and they seized it in a big way. The momentum looked like it might shift in the second half after the Chargers engineered a successful onside kick, and then the Lions responded with a stop in the red zone and a subsequent touchdown.

They owned this game. No turnovers, no stupid penalties, no blown coverages, nothing.

It wasn't a perfect football game, but it was as close as most teams get against a dangerous opponent.

If they play their next two games like that, there might be a third. Or more.

It's Not Saying Much, but This Is the Best Statistical Lions Team Ever

There's no question that the game of football has changed since a decent portion of the Lions' record book was written.

Remember when a 300-yard game was the gold standard for quarterback performance? Now the 400-yard passing game is the new 300-yard passing game.

And the Lions still haven't had somebody throw for over 300 yards more than eight times.

Scott Mitchell held the previous team record for 300-yard games with eight (eight!), and Matthew Stafford has surpassed that mark in less than two seasons' worth of games.

Does that mean Stafford is the best QB in Lions history? Bobby Layne has more championships with the Lions than Stafford has full seasons. So no.

But is Stafford the best Lions QB in the modern era?

Let me rephrase that for you. Take your pick of Staffford, Mitchell, Charlie Batch, Joey Harrington and Jon Kitna.

I'll even throw Greg Landry in there for good measure.

Stafford is now the Lions record holder for passing yards in a season, the Lions have set a team record for touchdowns in a season (on offense and defense), and Johnson is about to write Lions legend Herman Moore clean out of the record book.

The Defense Can Play Elite Football

It never happens for long stretches at a time, but the defense, from time to time, looks elite.

The San Diego Chargers, in the three weeks leading up to this game, outscored everybody in the NFL.

In the first half against Detroit, they scored as many points as I did as I sat on my couch.

Sure, the Chargers broke up the shutout in the second half, and the Lions don't exactly play the most consistently dominant defense. But they can play up to anybody's level, and they show it every time they play an elite offense.

Especially when that elite offense is trying to punch the ball into the end zone from the two-yard line.

Chris Houston Is That Important to the Lions' Defense

This was a game in which the Detroit Lions generated precious little in the way of pass rush.

Philip Rivers was barely touched, much less sacked. Yet the San Diego Chargers barely scraped together 10 points, three of which came courtesy of a successful onside kick.

How? Excellent coverage. Chris Houston made play after play, knocking down passes in the end zone, snatching game-clinching interceptions and shadowing receivers all over the field.

Rivers had all day to throw, but checked down for most of the game because of blanket coverage downfield. When he did throw deep, the safeties swarmed to the ball, the corners got a hand on it and the linebackers separated the ball from receiver.

Chris Houston leads the charge in the secondary, which was the most dominant (yes, I said dominant) defensive unit on the field for either team.

The defensive line was neutralized for most of the day, but for them to see that the secondary hold up against a very dangerous passing offense when Rivers had time, that has to make the defense feel good as a unit.

Gunther Cunningham for Coordinator of the Year?