This playlist needs a cold, hard kick in the ass. I’m not trying to insult my coworkers’ selections for our 2022 Detroit Lions Songs of the Seasons—their choices properly matched the misery of the first two months of the year—but it’s time to turn things around.

Any good playlist has a banger of a song to raise the energy of the album to make sure the listener doesn’t get bored or complacent. What better time to start, than at the midway point of the 2022 season with the Lions on a two-game winning streak.

Detroit Lions Week 10 Song of the Game: “Ulysses” by Franz Ferdinand

Well I sit and hear sentimental footsteps
Then a voice say, “Hi, so
So whatcha got, whatcha got this time?

Two weeks ago, this team was 1-6 and the fanbase was in a familiar space—looking at the 2023 NFL Draft class with 10 games still left to be played. With the No. 1 pick, it was time—again—to have the quarterback conversation. It was a miserable place, and as someone who believes draft content should be a couple weeks—not six friggin months—long, I could already sense fatigue setting in.

Well I’m bored, I’m bored
C’mon, let’s get high”

But then the Packers game happened, and the Lions won in a way I’ve never seen. They picked off Aaron Rodgers not once, not twice, but three times. And most importantly, after the offense failed to put the game away and everyone in Ford Field was certain they were about to witness yet another Rodgers game-winning drive, they stood tall.

I found a new way

I found a new way, baby

So sinister, so sinister
But last night was wild

And sure, that was fun. Any time you get to watch Aaron Rodgers throw a tantrum 15 times in a three-hour span, that’s a huge win. It was a nice little one-night stand, a little fun for a fanbase that needed it. It wasn’t anything sustainable, right?

What’s the matter there?
Feelin’ kind of anxious
That hot blood grew cold

It sure seemed that way through three quarters of Sunday’s bout with the Chicago Bears. Justin Fields was an absolute menace, and the frustrating, struggling defense we had all come to know and hate had returned. Hell, even the secondary miscommunications were back. Truly, the Packers game was fluke.

I found a new way

I found a new way, baby

The Lions defense was damn near perfect in the fourth quarter. The Bears ran 17 plays in the final 15 minutes of the game, and only three plays gained more than 5 yards. The only first down they gained the entire quarter was on a defensive penalty, and it was followed by two sacks, an incomplete pass, and a 7-yard checkdown. Justin Fields was 2-for-6 for 13 yards, one interception, and two sacks. Counting in those two sacks, Fields had NEGATIVE TWO net passing yards in the fourth quarter.

This is not normal. This is not the Detroit Lions we have known for a very long time. They don’t win on defense. They don’t stop opposing quarterbacks. They give up fourth-and-17s. They lose on Hail Marys and 66-yard field goals.

But for the last two weeks, they’ve found a new way to win. I can’t say for sure it’s going to stick, but it’s starting to change my perception of the game. Maybe next time the Lions score a go-ahead touchdown with over two minutes left, my immediate thought won’t be, “Left too much time on the clock.”

Maybe it’ll be...

You’re never

You’re never

You’re never

You’re never

Going home

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Each week, we’ll be providing a Song of the Game to create a full-season playlist. You can listen to previous year’s soundtracks right here: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

You can find the 2022 playlist here (or below):