Detroit Lions Weblog

Standing At the Crossroads

During the lead up time to recent Thanksgiving games for the Lions, they have usually been in a position where they have been completely eliminated from playoff contention, and are usually stuck gripping for any meager shred of positivity or moral victory that can distinguish their routinely embarassing season performances.  

The fact is, or what has disappointed me the most with the Lions recent rash of poor performances on Thanksgiving, in what usually constitutes their most high profile game nationally, that they have exhibited little toughness or pride in what this game has meant for this franchise throughout it’s team history.  In fact, they often seem nearly disinterested in playing and have been willing participants in their own dismantling in front of a national audience.

This season will hopefully be much different.  This game has an incredible amount of weight, both for this season and the future.  The inimitable “Killer” Kowalski has an excellent article about why the Lions (and they’re fans) should be thankful to be in their current position facing the Packers on Thursday.   This is put up or shut up time for this organization, though(also see this from AP’s Larry Lage).

The NFL fields a very strange game.   The Lions have no guarantees, ever, as their recent track record has made loud and clear.   There is no future guarantee that they will find themselves back in playoff contention again anytime soon.   After two disappointing back-to-back losses, the Lions need to circle the wagons and recapture whatever intangible that has gone missing in recent games.

The bottom line is that there is no better statement of arrival for this franchise, than to beat the freekin red hot Packers, and their mythically larger-than-life leader, Brett Favre, during a nationally televised game, in front of all of their peers, at home in front of a rabid, packed Ford Field.   There is no better game for the values that Rod Marinelli has been attempting to instill, to blossom and finally yield some fruit.