It's funny; In a perfect world, with a few breaks and a call or two in their favor in the waning seconds of a game, the Lions would, amazingly, be 4 and 0.
I pooped.
I pooped because that notion seems....pleasant?
...Unrealistic?
...Unrealistic yet conceivably, delightfully true?
Pooped!
It was almost unanimously agreed upon (it's true, I polled) that the Lions should have won Week 1 over the Bears. That rule, that hideously arcane and asinine "Process" rule, cost them. I don't care if it was properly enforced (which, theoretically, it was), it was devastating and unfair.
Week 2 saw them lose to the Eagles. Nate Burleson was injured the first play of the game. DeAndre Levy was still injured and didn't play. Michael Vick somehow avoided multiple sacks and the Detroit defense thought they could arm-tackle everyone. Shaun Hill tried too hard to force too many passes, and Scott Linehan just couldn't figure out short-yardage situations. That loss, that 3-point loss, could have been a win with a little luck and a lot less stupid.
The Vikings in Week 3? Frankly, Favre has the NFL in his back pocket, and it showed. It was an atrociously called game with two turnovers overturned by penalties that should not have counted (Chris Houston inception, anyone?), in addition to big plays negated by very questionable penalties. Detroit was absolutely jobbed out of that game, and the officials let the Vikings bully the Lions. Also, Stefan Logan killed me. It was Howie-Long-Mock-Disgust-bad.
And this week? Against the Packers? Criminal. Again, the Lions tried so hard, but came up empty with a combination of bad luck turnovers and cheap officiating. It's just....frustrating. Impotent frustration that no one can do anything about.
But.
After four games, I thought the Lions would be 1-3. And I thought they could finish 7-9. They have played 2 games against teams that were preseason Super Bowl picks (Minnesota and Green Bay), they played 1 game against a team that has been to the playoffs the last two years (Philadelphia), and a team that was supposed to ride a mad genius' offense for an absurd amount of points (Chicago), and they have hung tough for every game. They could have won every game. They could be undefeated right now, and they don't even have a full bloody roster yet.
Pooped again.
Matt Stafford, the quarterback that looked so.... fantastic... in the preseason hasn't played in the last three games. Burleson, the guy who was supposed to be everything Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, etc. wasn't, hasn't played in the last three games (one series against Philly? C'mon, chum. Blech). DeAndre Levy, the guy who was supposed to be the Middle Linebacker of the Future, has played one game. Everyone is nicked up. It sucks. It's ridiculous. And still, they could be 4 and 0.
I like the makeup of this team. I like the players. I even like the coaches (who are getting a lambasting recently in local media outlets). There is plenty of reason for optimism, and things should be getting better.
I just wish these jerks would get healthy. My gosh.
