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If the Detroit Lions were trying to prove they had really turned a corner after their two-game winning streak, getting blown out at home against the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t a particularly effective strategy.
After beating a pair of one-win teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons, Lions fans were cautiously starting to get back on the side of head coach Matt Patricia and maybe even general manager Bob Quinn. Overall confidence in the team, according to our weekly Reacts surveys, had climbed to 35 percent. Hardly enough to absolve the team of their sins from the past, but certainly an indication that many were hoping everything was finally clicking.
Well, it was nice while it lasted. Because after Sunday’s 41-21 drubbing at the hand of Philip Rivers and the Colts, confidence is now at a new low for 2020: A measly eight percent.
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At this point, there’s only one team with a lower overall confidence level: the 1-6 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Detroit certainly has a chance to bounce back with a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but even then, it’s hard to imagine a huge spike next week. The Vikings are just 2-5, and Detroit needs to prove they can hang with a real contender. One early-season win over the Cardinals isn’t going to cut it.
In case you’re wondering, here’s where the confidence level stands for the rest of the NFC North:
Vikings: 34% (up 26% after win over Packers)
Packers: 40% (down 57% after loss to Vikings—poll taken prior to Thursday’s win over 49ers)
Bears: 17% (up 5% after OT loss to Saints)