Who would have thought the Detroit Lions would be 3-1?

Things are rosy in Motown for Lions fans who are loving their Detroit Lions following their exciting come from behind victory over the reigning NFC Champion Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon.

Let’s get one thing straight…..as much as I would love to think the Lions are playoff-bound and likely to challenge the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title, the fact is I am still very skeptical that this Lions group ends up above .500 this season. I am pleasantly surprised with the heart and determination this group has shown in the 4th quarter this season in their wins vs. Oakland, Minnesota and Chicago. The players deserve some praise for their resiliency which can also be attributed to the attitude changes fostered by their General, Coach Rod Marinelli.

But the lack of talent and plethora of errors that continue to plague this team can’t be ignored going forward as the schedule stiffens. On offence, my main concern remains that Jon Kitna will be hard-pressed to take every snap this season at the rate he is getting sacked and hit by the opposition. The Lions have to find a way to protect their offensive leader or else the season will be squandered if Kitna is lost for any significant period of time.

In addition, Mike Martz has to consider going with Kevin Jones as his primary running back. I know that he may still be less than 100% returning from his foot injury last December, however he still provides the Lions with the best option of providing a somewhat decent running game.

On the defensive side of the ball, I have to give credit to this group for their determination and ability to turn the ball over. That being said, their decent performances came versus the offensive juggernauts known as Oakland, Minny and Chicago.

The front four is definitely the strength of this defense with Shaun Rogers, Cory Redding and Dewayne White leading the way. Ernie Sims is solid in the middle. The main concern remains in the secondary. In particular, if/when the Lions face pass-oriented offences, it could be an uphill climb for the Leos.

Nevertheless, for all of my complaining, I am ecstatic that they are 3-1. They are winning games that in the past they would have thrown away in the 4th quarter. But let’s not forget that Steve Mariucci also had the Lions at 3-1 in 2004 only to end up finishing 6-10. Hopefully this year’s edition of the “Honolulu” Blue and Silver are more successful at finishing what they’ve started!

I’ll be back on Friday with a preview of the Lions trip to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Redskins.

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