Despite the fact that the Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL with a 12-2 record, some analysts and fans alike are developing a sky-is-falling mentality.
That mentality mostly stems from the injuries the Lions have suffered on defense, which has soured what has otherwise been a sensational season for Detroit. It also didn’t help that the Lions just lost their first game in a month by giving up a whopping 48 points to the Buffalo Bills.
On the flip side, that was the first loss the Lions suffered since September, and Detroit still managed to score 42 points in the losing effort. Even if the defense continues to fall off, the Lions still have an elite offense capable of overcoming whatever deficiencies the team has on the other side of the ball.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn addressed the subject of the negative outlook some have for Detroit, and he’s not subscribing to it at all.
“We’re 12-2, we’re in the playoffs. Why the hell is the sky falling?” he asked, per Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. “Why should we sit back and wallow… it’s dumb.”
Rest assured, even with all the negativity from the injuries, the Lions are not going to just pack it in and call it a season. The culture built by head coach Dan Campbell simply won’t allow that to happen.
“We acknowledge the fact that we’ve lost players, we’ve lost really good players, but nobody cares. I mean, nobody cares and nobody’s gonna give us a pass or give us an asterisk next to your record,” Campbell said of the Lions’ injuries.
“We play with three units here, and we’ll do what we have to do to win a game. And that’s all that matters,” he added. “That’s all that matters from here on out is that you just need to have one more point than the opponent. Period.”
Entering the game against the Chicago Bears, the Lions have the most players on injured reserve in the NFL, with a grand total of 21, which is three more than the next closest team, the Cleveland Browns.
But the Lions have been thriving all season long, even with all of those injuries. Until they prove they can’t continue to do that, it isn’t time to smash the panic button just yet. One bad game against the Bills simply isn’t enough.
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