Photo: Detroit Lions website
The Detroit Lions get their campaign underway later this afternoon on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.
A look back through the last decade of Lions openers shows this generally moribund franchise has actually been fairly competent in getting their season started. Of course, the momentum generally stops suddenly after Week 1, but at least things look somewhat promising for today’s clash with the Colts.
Here is how the Lions have performed in their last 10 season openers.
► 2006: 9-6 LOSS vs. SEATTLE
I remember nothing from this game. I must have blocked it completely from memory. I’m sure I probably watched the whole thing, but seeing as how there were zero touchdowns scored and the football being played was likely miserable, this game occupies no part of my brain’s storage. Not surprisingly, the offensively-challenged Lions would start this season 0-5 and finish 3-13 in year one of the apocalyptic Rod Marinelli era.
► 2007: 36-21 WIN at OAKLAND
Jon Kitna looked excellent in getting the Lions off to a fast start. They had a solid base of talent on offense, with Calvin Johnson as a rookie, Roy Williams the steady veteran, and Mike Furrey/Shaun McDonald rounding out a nice receiving corps. The Lions used this rare road triumph to propel them to a 6-2 record. Then the world started crumbling and Marinelli’s troops would win just one game in the season’s second half. Somehow he would keep his job for another year.
► 2008: 34-21 LOSS at ATLANTA
A truly horrific beginning to the season. The Falcons trucked the Lions right from the start. Michael Turner looked like a hall of fame running back on his way to a 200+ yard day. The Falcons as a whole rushed for over 300. Of course, this was only the start of what was to become the worst season in National Football League history. The Lions would lose the following week, then again the week after that, all the way to a historic and never-equaled 0-16 mark.
► 2009: 45-27 LOSS at. NEW ORLEANS
Photo: Detroit Lions website
Drew Brees saw little to no resistance from the Detroit defense. He completed almost every pass, threw for over 350 yards, and tossed a healthy six touchdowns along the way. This was also the debut of one Matthew Stafford. He had the opposite kind of day that Mr. Brees experienced. Stafford would get picked off three times, while throwing zero TDs. This game is notable too in that it got the Saints off to such a remarkable start that they would go on to win the Super Bowl five months later. The Lions might not have a SB title of their own, but they deserve a little assist on this one.
► 2010: 19-14 LOSS at CHICAGO
The infamous Calvin Johnson “process of the catch” game. There is no debate; the Lions were robbed in this one. However, I implore you to go watch that play again and explain to me why Calvin, who caught the ball comfortably with two hands, felt the need to transfer to a one-handed hold before he went to the ground. Receivers that go up and snatch the ball always then bring the ball in closer to their body and hold on tight as they brace for contact. Johnson, for unexplained reasons, quickly shifted to a single-hand grip and wound up paying the ultimate price.
► 2011: 27-20 WIN at TAMPA BAY
The Lions stormed out of the gate, winning four more to get to a sparkling 5-0. But they crashed hard after that, going 5-6 the rest of the way on their way to a first-round playoff exit. Again, it was Drew Brees in that playoff game torching the Lions like he had some long-held personal vendetta against the franchise. Stafford threw for 380 in that game and Brees still outdid him by almost 100 yards. Those Jim Schwartz defenses sure were stingy!
► 2012: 27-23 WIN vs. ST. LOUIS
The Lions build a little early season confidence with a solid home victory against the Rams. Said confidence would be dashed the very next week with a loss in San Francisco.
► 2013: 34-24 WIN vs. MINNESOTA
Again, the Lions cannot capitalize on Week 1 success. They’d fall to 1-1 the next week, losing in Arizona. Like the Pistons in Utah, the Lions cannot win in Arizona.
► 2014: 35-14 WIN vs. NEW YORK GIANTS
A blowout win on Monday Night Football had the Lions thinking big. But as they’d done in the two years prior, the Week 1 smile was replaced by a Week 2 frown courtesy of the Carolina Panthers. If the Lions do manage to best Andrew Luck today, the real test will come next week. They’ve started 2-0 just one time (2011) during Stafford’s seven years in the NFL.
► 2015: 33-28 LOSS at SAN DIEGO
Ameer Abdullah found the end zone. Glover Quin took one to the house. Eric Ebron hauled in a touchdown. The Lions had the Chargers reeling with a commanding 21-3 lead. Then, Philip Rivers & Danny Woodhead promptly led the Bolts on a 30-0 run; for all intents and purposes, the Lions season had ended with that collapse. They’d start the year 0-5 and then 1-7, holes that were far too deep to ever climb out of.
As we see in this rundown, the Lions are dead even (5-5) over their last ten openers, but with an encouraging 4-1 mark in the last five.
If the Lions are to accomplish anything of note in 2016, it must start with a respectable effort against the Colts.
