What they get wrong about the Detroit Lions

Life is tough for Detroit Lions fans. They’ve had to endure decades upon decades of fruitless fandom. It takes the patience of a saint to follow and devote one’s self to franchise, but for some, there just isn’t any other option.

But times are beginning to change. On Monday, Jim Caldwell won his 29th game as the Lions head coach. He now has the best record of any Detroit coach through 50 games since Buddy Parker in the 1950s.

I bring this up because SB Nation is running a theme this week entitled “What they get wrong about your team.”

The Lions are 2-0. They are in first place in their division. And they’ve taken down two teams that were expected to compete for a playoff spot this year. Despite all of that, the Lions are still not getting much respect from “them,” the national media.

Both ESPN and CBS dropped the Lions in their power rankings this week, despite defeating a desperate Giants team on the road. Pro Football Focus ranks the Lions 18th in their PFFELO rankings (behind the Bills???). And then there’s FOX, who is covering the NFC showdown between the 2-0 Lions and Falcons this week. They’ve decided to go with their No. 4 broadcast team of Chris Myers and Daryl Johnston to cover the event.

So what do “they” get wrong about the Detroit Lions? I think they focus too much on the history and not enough on the present. There are plenty of reasons to doubt this current Lions team. Their defense has yet to be truly tested, and their offensive line has some clear questions, especially on the left side.

But let’s not get it twisted. The Lions have been one of the better teams in the NFL since 2014, and have never been treated like it. Just look at how good they’ve been since Jim Bob Cooter took over offensive coordinator duties.

This is a new Lions team and therefore deserves a new recalibration of expectations. Sure the Lions still have yet to take the next step and win a playoff game, but they’ve made the postseason in three of the past six seasons. They deserve to be considered as real contenders in the NFC, regardless of what has happened in the past six decades.

What do you think “they” get wrong about the Lions?