You could have forgiven Schwartz and his team if they had run round Ford Field after this game with a banner proclaiming "we told you we were better than our record suggested". This was about as emphatic a statement as it is possible to make in a game of football as the Lions dominated in all three phases of the game.
There was no hint of what was to come in the first quarter when the Lions failed to capitalise on the rather bizarre Rams decision to begin the game with an onside kick. Fortunately the Rams offense seemed to be struggling to get going too and as they kicked off at the beginning of the 2nd quarter they must have been cursing themselves that two trips to the red zone had resulted in just the field goal they ended the 1st quarter with. Stefan Logan's record equalling return for a TD not only ignited the crowd but the team also seemed ignited and their self belief seemed to grow with each subsequent play. As the belief grew so the mistakes seemed to diminish and there was a confidence in the play of the Lions that has not been seen in quite some time.
Much credit to Schwartz and his coaching staff for sticking to their beliefs when the wind of opinions blew against them these past few weeks. This victory was a reward for that dogged belief of the coaching staff as much as it was a reward for the fans that have suffered through the years of lop sided defeats. Now that the game is consigned to history let us not diminish in any way the magnitude of the result. Yes a victory was expected by most Lions fans but not in the manner it was delivered, that was beyond most of our wildest dreams. It is also true to say that the Rams are not the sternest of oppositions but pre-game there were a number of analysts stating that the Rams had the edge (albeit slight) in talent from the coaches through the offense and defense right down to special teams.
The offense benefited from the return of Burleson and he was able to demonstrate why Linehan was so keen to add him to the mix. When Stafford returns at QB the offense could really begin to take off and by the seasons end it could well be as good as any in the NFL. Hill is proving to be the able backup we believed him to be and everyone seems to be settling in nicely around him but Stafford will bring an extra dimension once he returns. That return is looking likely to be after the bye week when the Redskins come to Ford Field.
The defense was rewarded for the admirable displays they'd put up in the previous four games in which they'd always kept the Lions in the game. Against the Rams they just got better and better shutting them out of the end zone for the entire game and keeping them off the scoreboard for the entire second half. The D-Line was dominant as predicted but the performance of the secondary was an unexpected bonus and given their youth could well develop into more a strength as the season progresses. The linebacking group continue to struggle but they are getting nicked up and have yet to achieve consistency in the lineup as a result of the injuries.
Special teams provided the spark that lit the fire in this game and the value of even an ok Special Teams unit can never be under estimated in the NFL. It was nice that Logan returned one all the way after his muff against the Vikings.
It's amazing how much better the world seems after a victory like this one and in this instance it is even better, because all those notions we have had that the Lions could finally be putting together a team that will compete in the NFL for the next decade, have received a great big validation stamp. But before we dream of future Super Bowl glories there is an improving New York Giants team to be faced but with our increasing confidence and our own improving performance we should have no fear in saying....
Bring on the Giants!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment