Twenty-four hours later and the Lions loss remains the talk of the town. I have to admit I am stunned by the locals who are stunned at the Lions most recent loss. Some are calling it the most heartbreaking loss in a quarter century.
That's a bit over-the-top for my taste. If it was a playoff contest, maybe. Even then, the missed PAT was only for tie game. There was no guarantee the Lions would win in overtime. No, as painful as the latest Lions defeat was/is for many, it wouldn't even make my top ten disappointments.
In spite of all of today's rampant depression, I should point out some positives from yesterday's near miss. Joey Harrington had his best game as a pro. He had some gaudy stats, not the least of which was a 300 yard passing performance, but it was his ability to lead the Lions on two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter that has everyone wondering.
Is the Minnesota game indicative of the Joey Harrington we can expect for the next ten years or was it an aberration? We will have a better idea after the Bears game this Sunday. Harrington needs to start putting together consecutive solid outings. Another fine game versus Chicago and the Harrington bandwagon will be loading up. A step back and the Harrington haters will be out in full force and with lots of evidence to support their case.
I sure hope I am wrong about Harrington. I said well over a month ago, I thought he was done in Detroit. I'll stick by that, as one game does not make a career, but I hope yesterday's game is the beginning of Harrington's emergence as a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback. I really, really hope I am wrong.
The rookies, Kevin Jones and Roy Williams, continue to impress. Williams caught passes for over 100 yards while scoring twice. Jones, who has a shot at a 1,000 yard campaign, also reached the end zone Sunday. If Harrington, Williams and Jones can play like that on a consistent basis, the Lions will make the playoffs on a regular basis.
However, it's this perception of the Lions being close to success that makes them so distressing. They appear to be a playoff team, but cannot budge above an 8-8 record. They win games versus quality teams that they should lose, but lose games against inferior competition that they should win. They assemble what appears to be a team a piece or two away from big time success, only to go without ever finding the missing pieces. They are a play or two away from advancing in the post-season, only to be unable to make the extra play necessary to gain a victory.
It's been like this for as long as I can remember. Still, in spite of the years of nearly unimaginable losses, the fans continue to watch, cheer and hope. That doesn't change anymore than the results.
Here is more Lions coverage than one person should be able to handle:
Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press
Curt Sylvester, Detroit Free Press
Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News
Rob Parker, Detroit News
Mike O'Hara, Detroit News
Keith Langlois, The Daily Oakland Press
detroitsports.blogspot.com
detroitlionsblog.com
lionbacker.com
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