The Detroit Lions battled tooth and nail against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day, and while the team didn’t come up with the win, they did continue to impress folks along the way.
Detroit was nobody’s punching bag on the holiday, and instead fought a Super Bowl contender to the final play of the game. That fight was admirable, and was something many were downright impressed by during and after the game.
Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd watched the Lions again, and as he has said so many times in the past, he is impressed with the entertainment that the Lions provide and how solid of an effort they give every week.
One of the more entertaining Lions teams I can recall. Strong effort almost every week.
“One of the more entertaining Lions teams I can recall. Strong effort almost every week,” Cowherd tweeted.
CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo took that thought a step further. As he said in the middle of the game following a score, the Lions are a team he considers as “for real” now, even though they ended up losing a very close game.
“THE DETROIT LIONS ARE FOR REAL”
Add it up and the Lions seem to be turning a corner with folks who watch the game and understand where the team is trending.
While the Lions didn’t win in the end, they competed hard again. In the future, they may be able to put away more close games the more their roster turns around and continues to evolve.
Barry Sanders Sees Lions Turnaround Coming
It wasn’t just folks in the national media that were impressed with Detroit’s ability to stand up and play well on the big stage. Running back Barry Sanders, who was synonymous with big plays on the holiday, tweeted his thoughts afterward.
As Sanders said, he sees the Lions continuing to learn how to win games and make progress in their process. As a result, he sees the team’s future looking brighter.
“No moral victories, but we are learning how to win and games like this are part of that process. I see this team’s future getting brighter. Happy Thanksgiving to all the players, the front office and the Fords as well and their families,” Sanders tweeted.
Naturally, Sanders is right. Moral victories are not something which folks will be happy with, but at this stage of the team’s rebuild, it’s hard to see the team not making tons of progress.
Detroit’s Defeat to Buffalo Felt Different
Many will be tempted to mock the Lions, but the reality is, they came within a few plays of beating a top three NFL team on the biggest stage on America’s favorite football holiday.
While the Lions may have lost, it wasn’t their usual dud performance. The team competed from start to finish, and simply does not have the horses to be able to pull out tough games against elite competition right now in light of depth problems and injury struggles.
Detroit proved their youth and inexperience in the clutch moments, but the fact they were able to compete hard against a team like Buffalo should be a major feather in their cap. Those that understand the game and watch it closely seem to know that’s the case.
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‘Lions Are for Real:’ Analysts Cheer Detroit Despite Hard-Fought Loss