Tom Greene | October 15th, 2019
If you’re reading this, you’re in a mood. Either an amazing mood, as the Packers walk away with a 23-22 victory over the Lions, or a mood as only Stephen A. Smith could describe, which is the mood of most Lions fans-including yours truly. We feel like the Herman’s Hermits line that was in this title, “Oh me, oh my”, we’re Leaning on the Lamp Post. It’s something that happens year after year with this team. From the batted ball against Seattle to the 10-second runoff against Atlanta, and do I even mention the picked up pass interference flag against Dallas in the playoffs? The list goes on and on.
Any fanbase except for Green Bay watching that game has to feel for the Lions. The Lions will most likely also receive an apology from the NFL that will be perceived as “too little, too late.” Just ask our @jball0202 about the Saints. (Ok, maybe not, I can feel his frustration as he reads and edits this). This article could solely be dedicated to the refs, and lots of people would feel I have every reason to. But, these recaps are meant to look at three things the Lions should take away from this game in preparation for the rest of the season. Let’s look at those three things now.
1. Special Teams
The unit was having trouble up until the bye week, but the unit played very well under the circumstances. The turnover battle at Lambeau was won by the Lions, 3-0. Matt Prater, who holds the longest field goal record (64 yards) was on point, hitting five field goals. Sam Martin made effective punts that put Aaron Rodgers to work each and every drive. The unit had their best game of the season, and it helped the Lions defense out the best they could. This was going to be the main focus of this recap until bad calls ruined Monday Night for Lions fans.
As written in the 53-man roster preview, any time you have beer, goats, and Nastia Liukin on the side of your special teams unit, great things are bound to happen. They may not necessarily show up in the box score, but it helps towards the record.
2. Continuing to Score
For the first time in a while when the Lions had the lead, they continued to score. As Shannon Sharpe pointed out on Undisputed earlier, they were field goals and not touchdowns, but the Lions continued to score. In a one-point (or even one-possession) decision, every single play is analyzed and criticized, but let’s give credit where it’s due.
The Lions have always had a problem continuing to score points after jumping out to a lead, and in this game, they addressed this. They still may not have won the game, but consistently putting points on the board helps. A call here, a play there, and this game turns out differently. Which brings me to the third and final point.
3. Hang in There
This is what the Lions did, despite losing, but this is what I encourage Lions fans reading this to do. It feels like the sky is falling, similar to the dropped touchdown by T.J. Hockenson (Which, like Kenny Golladay‘s non-score against the Chiefs, could have been ruled a score). But, the Lions have a 2-2-1 record. It may be last place in the NFC North for now, but 2-2-1 is better than what a lot of NFL experts thought they’d be at this point of the year.
To quote Rocky Balboa- “It ain’t about how hard you hit: it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”. Hang in there. Things will get better.
What’s Next?
The Lions must now shake off that loss and come home to face another NFC North divisional foe, the Minnesota Vikings. After Adam Thielen called out Kirk Cousins, Cousins has been on fire, throwing touchdowns to he and Stefon Diggs with ease. It’s up to the Lions secondary to combat this and get back into the thick of things in the NFC North on a short week. How will the Lions respond to egregious calls, another Rodgers defeat, and a short week? We’ll find out this coming Sunday afternoon.
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