Lions Fail First of 3 Big Tests With Loss to Giants

Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) carries the ball as New York Giants linebacker Keenan Robinson (57) defends during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday’s Loss makes final two games even more important.

Detroit (9-5) was finally brought back to reality after a sobering 17-6 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. A rather surprising 5-game losing streak by the Lions was ended at maybe the worst time. One more win would have given Detroit 10 wins, a likely Playoff berth, the #2 seed in the NFC, with a chance to beat the Cowboys and possibly finish first.

But that is on hold for the moment with today’s loss. It’s no reason to overreact, though. This was a game we all knew the Lions could lose. A road game with an injured Stafford against a now 10-4 Giants team. A game where on the third play a ball that bounced off of the MetLife turf into Odell Beckham’s hands and ruled a catch. Not that the officials were to blame for this one loss. It was all Detroit.

It was the kind of loss where blame was all around. A fumble on the 1-yard line. An interception in the end zone on a forced throw by Stafford. Countless missed opportunities on third downs. Not enough pressure on Eli Manning — despite Ezekiel Ansah getting his first sack of the season — and not enough plays in the secondary.

So where do the Lions go from here? That’s not an easy question to answer. They have two tough games left. Next Monday, against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 17 at home against the Green Bay Packers. If they win out, all of the scenarios that were possible this week aren’t totally gone. They can still win the division (even with a loss next week). They would still have a chance at the #2 seed, albeit not a great one with Seattle now a half game up.

The Lions failed the first test of their final three. They almost certainly will have to play the Packers for the NFC North title in Week 17. But they can’t get ahead of themselves and overlook the Cowboys game. Yes, they will be heavy underdogs on the road in Dallas. Yes, they will probably not get the benefit of the doubt in terms of official’s calls on Monday Night Football.

But Vegas oddsmakers can’t do anything about it if Detroit shows up to play — as they did in New Orleans a few weeks ago. They can go out there and take it out of the referee’s hands by playing four quarters of quality football. This is not something they’ve done very frequently this year. It’s one of the reasons people have been so reluctant to jump on Coach Caldwell’s bandwagon, despite the success.

After the past two weeks, I can’t say I blame them. This team has pieces to be explosive on offense but they too often come up short or settle for field goals. The defense held its sixth straight team under 20 points, but Detroit scored just six. The Lions will need to play a complete game to win at least one of the next two games. That can start next Monday Night in Dallas.

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