Detroit Lions Losing Streak Snapped

Just how important and emotional was the Lions’ win over Washington on Sunday, which snapped the NFL’s second-longest losing streak ever at 19 games? Consider the case of center Dominic Raiola, who has probably lost a higher percentage of his games started than any other center.

Last year, Raiola was reprimanded for flipping off the fans and saying he wanted to fight them during the Lions’ 0-16 campaign. On Sunday, he couldn’t bear to watch the final few plays because he was wrapped up in the moment and wanted so badly to deliver a win for the fans.

Then, after the game, he blew kisses to the crowd and thanked them over and over again.

Even William Clay Ford, the Lions’ inconspicuous owner, who almost never seems to conduct interviews with the press, came out of the woodwork to celebrate with the team in the locker room.

But in reality, Ford’s appearance was much more depressing than uplifting. Here is a man who has failed on all levels to give his veteran players like Raiola the best chance to win, keeping Matt Millen even as his draftees washed out of the NFL and the losses piled up.

Hiring Millen in the first place straight out of the broadcast booth was bad enough, but refusing to admit his mistakes was even worse.

Ford said the Lions got King Kong off their back with the win and that they can now focus on simply playing football and trying to win games, which is true, but if they end up going 3-13 in 2009, which is highly possible, will anything really be accomplished?

The Lions have some potentially good pieces in the fold, but this is still a Millen constructed team. I wouldn’t recommend going to the BetOnline Sportsbook and throwing down even ten dollars on the Lions to win the NFC North despite +12,500 odds.

The Lions are still 10 ½ point underdogs this weekend to the Chicago Bears, and the Bears aren’t necessarily a Super Bowl contender. NFL teams don’t routinely lose by more than a touchdown like Detroit does, and moral victories mean nothing in a league where talent still trumps all.

At the same time, however, new coach Jim Schwarz has brought a winning attitude and attention to detail to Detroit that hasn’t been seen since in about a decade, and the Lions might be able to put something together in the next 2-3 years if Matt Stafford develops into a good quarterback. So far, the jury is out on Stafford, whose accuracy is questionable. The arm is there, but tons of QB’s have had great arms and haven’t amounted to anything in the NFL.

The only problem with that scenario is that current GM Martin Mayhew isn’t much more experienced than Millen was when he took over and was in fact part of the Millen regime himself.

But for now, Lions fans don’t want to hear about all that, they simply want to enjoy their first win since the 2007 season. And really, as bad as things are in Detroit right now, who can blame them?

Forget the water cooler talk, it’s time to break out the champagne this week at the office in Motown. For the select few who can actually afford it, that is.