The Detroit Lions have started the 2020 season a frustrating 0-2, but is their season finished as a result of this? Plenty of folks would think that’s the case within and outside the fanbase, but some still might not.
One of those folks to not be pushing the panic button so early is Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated. Orr recently put a series of 0-2 teams under the microscope to see who could still recover in time for a possible playoff run, and when it came to the Lions, he was willing to say that there was the possibility of a turnaround being in the cards.
Orr wrote:
“I’m not ready to count out Detroit, especially with Kenny Golladay’s return imminent. This should open up the Lions’ offense enough to make them competitive once their schedule softens up. After their Week 5 bye, the Lions get Jacksonville, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Washington and Carolina in a row. This is a good place to stack some wins together.”
The counter point to that argument, of course, is the Lions could easily be sitting at 0-4 before they make any type of run. Plus, games against the teams Orr mentions could hardly be described as gimmes in the grand scheme of things considering how the Lions have played so far this season. Detroit could easily lose to the likes of the Jaguars, Falcons, Colts, Vikings, Washington and Panthers.
Obviously, the Lions still have time to make up ground, but they had better make their move soon, or the conversation will continue to turn toward uncomfortable topics, such as Matt Patricia’s potentially shaky job security.
Lions’ Reggie Ragland Makes Impassioned Plea
According to Ragland, a linebacker, the only way for the team to look is forward at this point in time. Additionally, Ragland doesn’t seem to think anything is missing from the roster or the team. As he said, the only way forward for the Lions is simply to step up and play some ball. Some (bleeping) ball to be perfectly exact.
Longer Reggie Ragland quote: “Nothing’s missing. We’ve just gotta go out there and just play f***ing ball, man. That’s all that is. We’ve just got to stay together and we can’t unravel when things are not going our way. We’ve got all the daggone pieces, we’ve just gotta go play.”
Ragland issued this impassioned message to the media and fans Monday after the Lions had blown a 14-3 advantage against the Green Bay Packers. As a result, folks are beginning to wonder if Matt Patricia is in some trouble. Not so according to the players, and certainly not so according to Ragland as this quote is presented in context.
We’ll see if the Lions can get down to playing ball in the weeks ahead. A good place to start would be Week 3 against the resurgent Arizona Cardinals, who are sudden favorites against Detroit.
Cory Undlin: No Panic for Lions Defense
Even on the heels of one of the ugliest performances by the team in recent memory in Week 2, Cory Undlin says there’s plenty of football and time left for the Lions to turn things around on his side of the ball. As a result, he’s not panicking a bit about where the team is currently at.
Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin: “No panic right now in our room with any position group. We are all aware of the fact that we haven’t played great in the first two weeks and we’re 0-2.”
Such an explanation will likely not sit well with Lions fans, who’ve been panicking since the fourth quarter of Week 1 on. Undlin is right, however, in that there is plenty of football left to be played and the Lions have also been dinged up a bit on the back end.
Still, urging folks not to panic after the team has started 0-2 and is seemingly staring down the barrel of 0-4 is a difficult proposition. His defense would be wise to heed his words and try to keep a level ship at this point.
If there’s going to be any hope of a turnaround at all, it will be because players steeped up to play bleeping ball, while also not showing any panic.
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Analyst Still ‘Not Counting Out’ Lions in 2020 Playoff Race