Coach Jim Schwartz/Lions photo.
To accomplish something special in sports, you need epic performances.
You need clutch shots in the waning seconds, hobbled superstars gutting it out for one more night, and unsung heroes stepping forward when least expected. Championships are claimed with near-perfect execution; laser-beam focus when the stakes are highest.
But to reach such an apex, you must also be able to do one thing during the ascent:
Win ugly.
The regular season in any sport is a long and winding road. No squad is expected to bring their A-game every time out. The forgettable teams succumb to circumstances on these days, chalking it up to injuries, or freak plays, or an unfavorable whistle.
But the championship team is different. They regroup. They decide at some point during the 60 minutes of play, “This may not be a masterpiece, but we’re still not leaving this building without a victory.”
The Lions had such an opportunity on Sunday in the desert.
Far From Flawless
It was far from a flawless afternoon.
The offense was uninspiring and again, lacking in creativity. While the rest of the NFL seems to be evolving with no-huddles, zone reads, and different looks, the Lions are stuck in neutral.
It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is they lack, but as a whole, the unit just seems too conventional. Double cover # 81, force Matthew Stafford to go elsewhere, and you’ve pretty much solved the Detroit Lions offense.
The defense did its best bend-but-don’t-break act for most of the afternoon. Continually allowing Carson Palmer and his band of unknown receivers (Kerry Taylor, anyone?) inside the 30, they held strong for the most part.
The Cards had to settle for four field goals and only converted 1 of 11 on 3rd down. The D even put up a touchdown themselves, providing for the Lions only points of the second half. But when it came time to make one final stop, the semi-leaky defense could hold the line no longer.
David Akers Was Not So Hot
David Akers looked like, well, the David Akers of one year ago. The lefty was just 29 of 42 with the 49ers last season. Things were no better yesterday. All told, Mr. Akers lined up three times to kick field goals and not once did the ball fly through the uprights (technically he was just 0-2, with one retried after a penalty).
Missing multiple kicks in an indoor stadium really doesn’t happen in today’s NFL. Many wrote it off as a mere gimmick this pre-season when the Lions gave some reps to Internet sensation Havard Rugland, aka Kickalicious. Turns out the wacky kicker might have deserved more than a gander.
The road team also fell victim to a bit of home cooking. Officials flagged the Lions at crucial points throughout the game. The roughing the passer personal foul on Israel Idonije was neither rough nor personal.
After a Carson Palmer throw, Idonije brought him down ever-so gently by the legs. Such a “hit” probably occurred thousands of times in this league’s history with nary a single piece of laundry adorning the field. But today’s game, evidently, is quite different. The “Tom Brady Rule” was enforced, the Lions got docked for 15 yards, bringing forth yet another indication that today just might not be their day.
Vanilla Offense
And yet, there they were. Ahead, 21-19, in possession of the football, with just a handful of minutes left on the clock. A few timely first downs and all is forgotten. The vanilla offensive approach, the single measly sack on the statue that is Carson Palmer, the myriad of questionable calls; one 30 or 40 yard drive melting a few minutes off the clock and you’re talking about an undefeated team flying back to Detroit.
That’s what great teams do. They coast to victory on the good days, and they squeak by on the mediocre ones. It might be sloppy and it might not be saved in the franchise archives, but they secure a W nonetheless.
But the Lions are the Lions for a reason. For whatever reason, historically, these are games they let slip through their fingers.
Typical Lions' Response
When that ultimate offensive series arrived at the end of the game, with a rabid opposing fan base raising their noise level to complement the moment, our Lions responded as they have so often before. Three and out. Punt. Game, set, match.
If the franchise is ever to change its culture and become known for something besides its historic ineptitude, they will have to learn to win ugly. Last night let us know that this lesson is yet to be mastered.
And so the gauntlet resumes next week, a date with the Redskins awaiting in the nation’s capital. Robert Griffin and company will be chomping at the bit.
The defending NFC East champs are winless thus far and will be in no mood to see that streak continue any further. The Lions have also dropped an eye-popping 21 consecutive ballgames in Washington. To borrow a line from the Liam Neeson classic Taken, “Good Luck.”
