MichiganCardinal

It sounds silly but that psychological component is real. I would rather be the Lions than the Chiefs right now, and all else being equal, I would tend to prefer to enter the playoffs as a 14-3 or 13-4 #1 seed than a 16-1 #1 seed. There is something to be said for a loss or two - adversity generally - fueling a deep playoff run, compared to a team that thinks it is unbeatable. I feel like the hunted getting proverbially 'caught' a few times in a season does something positive for the team's psyche. Last year I think part of the character arc of that Lions team was getting their doors blown off in Baltimore. Now, maybe we are past that. It's not like the Chiefs in the last two years needed to get blown out during the season to go on their deep runs. They faced adversity, but didn't need to lose the game to improve from it. My hope is that the Texans game can still be that "stinker," where the team says "yeah maybe we aren't God's gift to football... But we are a good team and we can beat any team any day."

vs. Setting: 11/17/2024 1:00pm EST on CBS Site: Ford Field in Detroit, MI Weather: Climate Controlled Opening Spread: Lions -10.5 All-Time Series Record: Lions lead, 5-3 Last Meeting: 12/04/2022, Lions won 40-14 Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) Head Coach: Doug Pederson (8th Season: 62-61-1) Projected Starting QB: Mac Jones (4th Season: 18-25) Last Game: 12-7 L v. Minnesota Vikings (7-2) Looking Ahead to Week #12: BYE Your Detroit Lions (8-1) Head Coach: Dan Campbell (4th Season: 32-27-1) Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (9th Season: 74-51-1) Last Week: 26-23 W @ Houston Texans (6-4) Looking Ahead to Week #12: Sunday @ Indianapolis Colts (4-6) Elsewhere in the NFL Primetime: Commanders @ Eagles (TNF), Bengals @ Chargers (SNF), Texans @ Cowboys (MNF) 1:00pm: Raiders @ Dolphins, Packers @ Bears, Rams @ Patriots, Vikings @ Titans, Browns @ Saints, Ravens @ Steelers, Colts @ Jets 4:05/4:25pm: Falcons @ Broncos, Seahawks @ 49ers, Chiefs @ Bills BYE: Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers

I said the same thing. He was grinning!

My girlfriend who I transitioned to a Lions fan this year: "I NEVER DOUBTED THEM. Maybe part of that is because I haven't been hurt by them like you. BUT STILL."

Chip shot.

Bates have one more in him?

YES SIR

Going to need one pass out of Goff.

How the **** are they in position to win this game.

They could have been at the Lions' 39 and it was game-tying FG range. Bates is like when you cheat at Madden and have unlimited leg power.

So. Somehow we are tied.

Badgley could NEVER.

They're pretty much the only two still healthy anyway.

The Texans are so bad. ZERO reason for this to be a game.

Houston isn't very good. A contender should not be in a 10-point game after being gift wrapped five possessions.

Bad football all around today keeping the Lions in it somehow.

Ugly blitz. No one even got close.

Montgomery whiffed on that conversion, there was a hole to the right.

It's a grueling season. Sometimes you suck. Sometimes the other team is really good. That's just NFL football.

If anything, I feel better than I did against the Ravens, because I would be more confident about a Super Bowl rematch against the Texans than I would against the Ravens. They came out with extra rest after having been embarrassed by a bad Jets team on national television and were looking to make a statement. Bounces have gone their way, but they're also playing the best football they've played in weeks. They're not a top-five team.

Similar to the Ravens game, I don't really care anymore. It's just one loss in a 17-game season. We've bought ourselves the ability to suck in a game. Just get out of here healthy, get revenge and back on track against the Mac Jones Jaguars.