The Lions can be a winning team if…

By Os Davis | Wednesday, September 06, 2006 | ( 5 )

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Little is expected of the Detroit Lions this NFL season, and it's something of a justifiable thought. After all, these cats haven't caught a whiff of a Super Bowl appearance since the 1992 playoffs and even then the 9-7 team was pummeled in the NFC championship.

Despite some optimism generated by new head coach Rod "Almighty" Marinelli and his no-nonsense rhetoric about "Lions football," few armchair oddsmakers have Detroit compiling a winning record at all. In fact, outside of some football columnist named Os Davis, only Michael Smith of ESPN says the 2006 Lions crack .500. Heck, Smith's colleague, Gregg Easterbrook, puts the silver-and-blue at a lowly 2-14. (This particular prediction seems quite egregious, as Easterbrook apparently figures the Cats to lose at least six times to NFC North opponents.)

Hey, how about a little opening-day positivity, huh? After all, it says here that Detroit is undefeated and in first place. This writer maintains that the Detroit Lions could well rack up an 8-8 or even 9-7 this year. How?

If Jon Kitna realizes that he may well be the best quarterback in this division. Seriously. Brad Johnson and Brett Favre will be spending most of the season having their performance compared to two other quarterbacks, namely the young Brad Johnson and the young Brett Favre. Meanwhile, the 2006 Chicago Bears may be the first team ever to get to the NFC championship and still not know who their starter is.

If Mike Martz has the intestinal fortitude (read: cajones) to continue calling plays for potential Pro Bowler Kevin Jones even when down.

If Marinelli is right about guys like Boss Bailey and Ernie Sims having the quickness and smarts to play the "Tampa 2" defense.

If Corey Bradford (or anyone else, really) can become a legitimate threat opposite Roy Williams, who is certain to see more double teaming than Andre the Giant.

If the team can't avoid a drop in morale after what figures to be an 0-2 start following games against the Seattle Seahawks and in Chicago.

If the team can take advantage of a light schedule in Weeks 3-11, which has it taking on the likes of the Buffalo Bills, the Arizona Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers. Going just 5-3 here should bring the Lions back up to .500, 6-2 is conceivable, and 7-1 is hardly impossible.

If, by Week 12, Marinelli and Co. have the guys believing in themselves enough to hang tough for a difficult final six weeks, which includes home games against the Miami Dolphins and Chicago, and visits to New England and Dallas. Going 2-4 or even 3-3 (the Thanksgiving Day game may be key here; see below) could put the Lions at 9-7 and, given the way teams in the NFC East will beat on each other in 2006, make this team a playoff-bubble threat. Holy unending futility, Batman, is this a dream?

If Detroit can give thanks in that Nov. 23 game against Miami. The Lions are just 1-4 in the traditional game since 2001. Is this game really important? Well, since 1991, the Lions have won the Turkey Bowl eight times; in six of those seasons, the team posted a winning record. In the seven seasons in which they lost, six ended in losing records. Call it a barometer.

If Matt Millen gets fired, providing a huge psychological boost to team and fans. Hey, it'll never happen, but if you think anyone can go an entire column and resist the suggestion, well, you've never covered Lions football.

Finally, if this team can consign the horrors of the past to the dustbin of history, the sky is the limit. And then, there's 2007...

Follow every nail-biting moment of the Detroit Lions in 2006 on RealFootball365.com.

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	About Os Davis Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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Comments: 5 | Sign Up View all comments


	No.1 Andy	08:17 AM 09/06/2006

	You're right about Millen. What is the deal with this guy? He must have pictures of Bill Ford with a goat or something! Quite...


	No.2 Os	10:07 AM 09/06/2006

	Andy, Andy, Andy ... never ever EVER forget Isaiah Thomas, a GM we'll be telling our grandchildren about long after the New York...


	No.3 KID ROCK	04:23 PM 09/06/2006

	PIZZA,PIZZA NOW THERE WAS AN OWNER WITH CLASS....BILLY SIMS,ERIC WHIPPLE, BARRY SANDERS,SCOTT MITCHELL,HARRINGTON,BUST...