The Detroit Lions fans showed up in full force last week at the 28-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and so did the team.
We poke fun at the Lions here sometimes, but it is genuinely nice to have a team of try-hards and a coach pouring his heart out there.
Of course, when you’re on the NFL’s fringes, you better be trying hard. And when your thing as a coach is your ability to lead and motivate, well then you better be saying the right things.
All that to say, let’s not do the 0-for season again.
This is the first time mentioning it for this column, but if these Lions lose to the putrid Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday, going into the bye week, 0-17 becomes a very real possibility.
This fan base has remained loyal, and we know there will be many, many losses down the stretch.
But please, just don’t do that again.
Here are five things to watch as the Eagles visit the Lions (1 p.m., FOX/97.1 FM):
► 1. Big. Play. Slay: There are likely to be as many No. 23 Lions jerseys at Ford Field on Sunday than almost any current player. That’s because of the return of Darius Slay, the three-time Pro Bowler for Detroit. Slay was a great Lion, was and is among the best cornerbacks in the league, and was accessible to local fans in a way I haven’t seen for a Detroit athlete, maybe ever. So of course Matt Patricia couldn’t manage Slay’s big personality and shipped him out of town. Losing on Sundays and the occasional childish outburst at press conferences weren’t enough for Patricia. He had to get rid of most of the players Lions fans actually liked. Sheesh.
► 2. Hand is on: Some good news on the injury front: Da’Shawn Hand is back. The Lions defensive lineman was activated Saturday from the reserve/injured list. Hand has at times been one of the few bright spots for the franchise the past few years, but that’s been overshadowed by his inability to stay on the field. It’s a long shot, but solid play by Hand could make him a piece for Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline or maybe even make other veteran D-line teammates more expendable.
► 3. Little bro: With all the “little brother” talk in the state this week, how about the Lions’ little brother? Julian Okwara, younger bro of injured Romeo, picked up his first two career sacks in the last two weeks. Detroit is looking for building blocks defensively and the second-year man out of Notre Dame has a chance during his rookie contract to prove he’s worth investing in.
More: Malleable, versatile Julian Okwara starting to deliver on potential for Lions
► 4. Get that kicker: Let’s face it, we’ve reached the point of the season for Lions fans where your fantasy team matters more than your real team. Hopefully you don’t spend much time picking your starting kicker each week, but how about this strategy? Go with the kicker who is playing the Lions each week. You know the offense will put up points against Detroit, so a handful of extra points is a decent worst-case scenario. And those devastating late-game, record-setting kicks? They might just win your matchup. This week, consider picking up Jake Elliott from the waiver wire. He’s only missed two kicks this year, both more than 45 yards, and one was blocked. Plus, unlike many kickers around the league this season, Elliott is perfect on extra points.
► 5. Up-down theory: There are all sorts of betting strategies and theories out there, but the best one for the Lions this year is a simple one from our own Bob Wojnowski. Wojo has been talking about the “up-down theory” for years, mostly about college football teams rolling with the swings of a season. The Lions have been up and down every week, covering the spread and then failing to cover the next week, etc., etc. If that form holds Sunday, the road favorite Eagles will cover the 3.5-point spread.
Matt Schoch covers sports betting for PlayMichigan.com.