The Detroit Lions can’t help themselves from falling apart so far this season, and so far, they’ve been matched only in their ineptitude by the Atlanta Falcons.
This year, the Falcons have made a few more headlines for falling apart on the field, but the Lions have quietly been just as consistent at blowing games in a bad way. Now, they’re currently on a run of 6 straight games of blowing leads over 10 points or more, which is an NFL record.
These facts are helping folks, including Rodger Sherman, to see the Lions and perhaps not the Falcons as perfecting the NFL’s ugly choke. Sherman tweeted about this after the Lions made history blowing yet another double digit lead this week.
While the Falcons have struggled this season, it’s not as if they are on a run like the Lions are. 6 straight games blowing a 10 point lead or more is just ugly in its futility, and something that is rarely seen in league circles. Most teams are talented enough to put away a major lead, but the Lions haven’t been able to do it for some reason. It’s rendered their ‘dagger time’ tagline almost a laughable punchline so far this season.
Nobody in Detroit is likely to sleep on the Lions in terms of being the kings of falling apart.
Lions Blew 14 Point Lead to Trail During Halftime
Detroit has blown leads very easily before this season, but it seems as if nobody has blown them as historically as they have in 2020. Detroit’s shortened lead early in the game against the Saints was just the 3rd time in NFL history a team had enjoyed a 14 point advantage, then gone into half trailing by the exact same amount.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Saints were the 4th team in NFL history to hold a halftime lead of 14+ points after trailing by 14+. The other 3 instances:
2011 Jaguars led the Buccaneers
1985 Jets led by Buccaneers
1965 Vikings led the Rams
Obviously, it’s not a common occurrence thanks to the fact that most teams can maintain a lead or at the very least remain tied in the first half, but the 2020 Lions just don’t have that knack for greatness in terms of protecting leads.
No matter the lead, it seems like Detroit in in deep trouble in any game during 2020. Indeed, they would lose Sunday’s game 35-29.
Lions Early Season Defeats Also Historical
As a result of a loss agains the Packers , the Lions now stand alone in NFL history as the only team to have blown 4 straight games in which they led by double digits. If that isn’t enough, the Lions have now lost 11 straight games, which is the most since they were 0-16 in 2008.
The Lions become the first team in NFL history to lose 4 straight games in which they had a double-digit lead, according to @EliasSports.
Detroit has lost 11 straight games, its most since losing 19 in a row from 2007-09, including the first-ever 0-16 season in league history.
Detroit has been close plenty the last few seasons including Week 1, but close is no longer going to cut it for a coaching staff and team who’s top goal this season was to get the job done and apply the dagger, if you will.
Coming into this season, entering a fourth quarter with a 17 point lead or more all but assured victory for a team in the last 14 years. That was the case until the Lions came along and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, something they’ve become accustomed to doing throughout their history.
As Warren Sharp pointed out, NFL teams had won an incredible 779 games since 2006 with such a commanding late lead. Detroit’s defeat was only one of less than a handful in that mark, which is a gaudy number to consider that proves epic comebacks aren’t exactly the norm in the NFL.
The Lions became just the 4th team since 2006 to blow a 17+ point lead entering the 4th quarter.
Teams had been 779-3 (99.6%) in that span.
If there was ever going to be a team that would fall into the worst possible 1% and lose, however, it would be the Lions. It’s true the team seems to invent new ways to frustrate and disappoint their fans, and this is just merely the latest example and quite possibly the cherry on top.
Even when there’s a 99% chance at victory thanks to a double digit lead, it can officially be said that the Lions don’t have things sewn up enough to feel comfortable. That’s true in the late stages or even the early stages. It’s a sobering thought for fans.
The Lions might just be the league king of the choke this season.
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Analyst: Don’t Sleep on Lions as NFL ‘Kings of Choking’