Lions hope for storybook year in NFC North

Team could be next to go from worst to first

September 03, 2008
By Robert Jackson
Sports Editor

Green Bay fans might wonder if they’re in Green Bay anymore when they see the Packers take the field for the first Monday night game on Sept. 8 without a familiar #4. The Bears have to wonder if they’ll ever find a QB with enough brains to figure out game management is more important than big passing plays. And the Vikings have to wonder if Adrian Peterson has the heart for 400 rushing attempts, a feat that’s only been accomplished once since 2002.

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The Lions? Well the Lions have been so bad for so long, having not made the playoffs since 1999, having not finished in the top ten in either total offense or defense since 1997, having no AP all pro player since 2004, that people have forgotten about them. The Lions took a backseat this off-season to Brett Favre, training camp coin-flips to decide practice reps, sophomore running back hype, oh and Warren Sapp being confirmed for “Dancing with the Stars”— which is probably the most exciting news of all. If Warren Sapp barks at a dancing rival to put a jersey on if they think he or she is so tough, it might be the greatest moment in TV history.

But if you look at this year across American sports, where else would you want to be but last and forgotten? Worst-tofirst in your division is what all the cool teams are doing like the Washington Capitals in the NHL, the Tampa Bay Rays in the MLB, and the Boston Celtics in the NBA. Even USA Basketball dunked their way to Gold after a disappointing Bronze.

Entering the 2008 season the Lions will have the most experienced QB in the division in John Kitna, probably the best combination at WR with Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, and Kevin Smith who had 2,567 yards rushing in college at the University of Central Florida. The Bengals also released bruising 220 lbs. tailback Rudi Johnson, who would be a nice compliment to the current tailbacks on Detroit, if he signs with the Lions.

But it might be the Lions’ defense that prevents the team from sitting at the coveted worst-tofirst lunch table this season. If the Lions manage 8-8, or even 9-7, they could find themselves amongst NFC playoff teams. An average of three new NFC teams that weren’t in the playoffs the year before has made the playoffs the year after since 2001. When five new teams made the playoffs in 2003 in the NFC, the Lions had just five wins.

The NFC North will be an open race all season long. The team that staggers with a 9-7 or 10-6 mark to the finish line might just win the whole division. And in week 17, when the Lions travel to Lamebeau Field to play the Packers, it could be the game of the year, the game that decides the NFC North. The Lions will at the time have to wonder what went wrong in a year when every possible domino lined up for them, or wonder if they can find the courage to finally make the playoffs, ending a seven year slump.