Sometimes you’re right. Sometimes you’re really right. And sometimes you’re a Taylor Decker-level of right.
Last week, the Detroit Lions‘ left tackle took a hard stand against the naysayers following a 28-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, claiming “this isn’t the (expletive) same old Lions anymore.”
He took a lot of heat for that comment, mostly from a fanbase understandably scarred and skeptical from more than 60 years of disappointment.
After Sunday’s 40-14 bludgeoning of the Jacksonville Jaguars that looked more like a game of “Madden” played on “rookie” against the computer, Decker stood in the locker room a vindicated man.
“A lot of people that owe me an apology in my (expletive) Twitter DMs,” said “@__taylordecker“. Yes, that’s two underscores.
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Of course Decker was right on Thanksgiving. And of course it was tough to hear after a tough loss on national television that dropped the Lions to 4-7, ended a three-game winning streak and put their slim playoff hopes on life support.
But Decker knew what he was talking about.
“I’ve just I’ve been here seven years now,” he said Sunday. “And, you know, I kind of just know what it feels like when we’re playing good ball and playing confident.
“And, you know, that’s how it’s felt. It’s felt like we’re playing good ball. We’re confident we’re going out there to play to win.”
What Decker is talking about is resilience. The Lions are loaded it with it right now. They know how to shake things off and bounce back, and maybe even heave themselves over the hump of mediocrity.
“I feel like this is five weeks in a row we continue to grow and get better,” coach Dan Campbell said. “I felt like this was a big win for us, I did. ’Cause I just feel like this is a game that can catapult us through December.”
The Lions are going to need all the catapulting they can get, with time running out to make up ground in the hunt for a wild-card playoff spot. The playoffs aren’t impossible, but a tie between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants hurt the Lions’ chances.
But that’s the future. Before we get too wrapped up in crystal balls, flux capacitors and clinching scenarios, let’s appreciate the present and what this victory signified.
I’ll be completely honest. Throughout the whole game, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. After every good play, every scoring drive, every defensive stand and converted field goal, I wondered how the Lions were going to shoot themselves in the foot. Because how could things keep going this good?
A forced fumble turns into a touchdown that should have been an interception.
An early challenge is successful and leads to a field goal.
A 10-second runoff that ends the drive and the first half — for the other team.
Not a single punt.
Last week, Campbell paid the Jaguars a lot of respect and made comparisons between the two 4-7 squads. He called both teams “dangerous” and noted how they played mostly well in defeat.
“So I just think in that regard, yeah, we are very similar,” he said.
If there’s a coaching bible, the first gospel would probably start with this line: “Thou shalt not underestimate an opponent!”
Since there’s no penalty for overestimating an opponent, besides being gently chided in a column, ahem, coaches like Campbell almost always take this tack.
But let’s set the record straight. The Jaguars are not the Lions. They aren’t even close. Because the Lions did two things Sunday that distinguished them as not only an improving team but as an outright good team: They did what they were supposed to do by beating an inferior opponent at home, and they beat them resoundingly, dragging them around the field by Trevor Lawrence’s hair.
Sometimes we get caught up in points and records and wins and losses. It’s the most obvious way to measure a team, but always not the most accurate. You have to closely observe a team and absorb its mood and manner. I have, and it’s impressive. The coaches and players haven’t wavered in their approach through the losing and the winning.
“They are unbroken, they are unshaken and they just go to work, man,” Campbell said. “It’s a group of guys that just go to work. They believe in the game plan and they have a lot of confidence right now. They trust the guy next to them and we’re clicking right now. We’re clicking at the right time.”
OK, back to the future. The Lions are 5-7 and their path to the playoffs is getting steeper and shorter. This is a team that believes in itself and believes it can play with anyone. It can. The Lions may not get the chance to test themselves against the NFL’s best teams in January, but that doesn’t mean Decker and Campbell aren’t right about how good this team is and where it’s headed this season — and possibly the next.
Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.