After dropping their first two games of the season to division rivals, the Detroit Lions are digging themselves a hole not many teams find their way out of when in search of a postseason appearance.
Since 1990, when the NFL adopted the 12-team playoff format, a whopping 88% of teams that started 0-2 missed out on the playoffs. With how things have looked over the past five quarters of football, the 2020 Detroit Lions could very well become the next team to be lumped into that statistic.
Working in the Lions favor this year is the expanded playoff format from 12 to 14 teams with each conference adding an additional wild card team to the postseason dance.
Which leads us to today’s Question of the Day...
Is Week 3’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals a ‘must-win’ game?
That dreaded phrase should be put into the ground and die—in that exact order. It’s insufferable, it’s dumb, it’s literally illogical and I cannot express to you how much I hate it.
All that being said, if the Detroit Lions look as bad as they’ve looked in their first two games, it’s going to be a long trip home from the desert with three losses hanging from their neck. Would the playoffs be totally out of reach if they drop this one to the Cardinals? No, of course not. Would I be able to sit here and tell you things look promising for Detroit’s playoff hopes? What am I, stupid?
Don’t answer that.
Your turn.