Complaints? Not after the Lions beat the Rams.
Doesn’t matter if their vaunted offense sputtered at times, or if the depleted Rams and Matthew Stafford made it too close for comfort. The Lions showed their competitive character by steamrolling LA’s defense with one David Montgomery power run after another during overtime.
But while the Lions held up their end of the bargain, it was equally apparent they might face stiffer competition than anticipated in the NFC.
The Eagles, who suffered an epic collapse at the end of last season, seemed renewed in their win over the Packers. D’Andre Swift played well for Philly last season, but Saquon Barkley is on another level, and primed for a big-time bounce back now that he’s moved on from the Giants’ malaise.
The 49ers had so much offseason turmoil, tethered with the hangover of another Super Bowl loss, that they easily could have come out flat. However, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk resolved their contract issues in the nick of time. It was clear in an impressive rout of the Jets that Leonard Floyd gives San Francisco an ideal bookend for Nick Bosa along the defensive front.
Overlooked is San Francisco’s depth and knack for developing young players. Christian McCaffery missed the opener, but Jordan Mason filled in with 143 yards. He is a terrific power back, and an undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech in 2022. It’s amazing Georgia Tech was just 6-16 in the two seasons Mason and the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs were in the same backfield.
Aiyuk was rusty, dropping a certain touchdown pass. However, Jauan Jennings, a seventh-round selection in 2020, hauled in five passes for 64 yards, four netting first downs. He had a similar performance in the playoffs vs. Green Bay, and a TD reception in the Super Bowl.
Typically, the Cowboys are brutal in the playoffs. They were boat-raced last season by the Packers. Yet, facing a severe test in this year's opener at Cleveland, the Cowboys rolled.
The Lions are a terrific team. They aren’t going to be intimidated at this stage. But in order to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, having the best record in the NFC is imperative.
The Lions don’t want to be playing in Philly in January or in San Francisco again. Dallas is indoors, and the Cowboys are notorious chokers. But clearly, Ford Field with a Super Bowl appearance on the line is the preferable option.
The Lions are unlikely to get the No. 1 seed unless they improve on last season’s 12-5 regular season record. They play at Dallas and San Francisco where they lost a year ago. Those figure to be incredibly important games.
The type that could very well make or break their season.