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October looks to be a "scary" month for the Lions
By all accounts, September was a successful month for the Lions. The Lions
ended the month at the top of the NFC North standings, tied with the Vikings
with a 2-1 record. The club's record NFL losing streak ended week one in
Chicago. The Lions then split their next two home games beating the Texans
before losing to the undefeated Eagles.
October could be real frightening for Detroit. Three of the four games are
on the road, all three opponents posting winning records. The first game of
the month takes place Sunday against the 4-0 Atlanta Falcons. Michael Vick
has the dirty birds flying high again. The second road game is against the
surprising 3-1 New York Giants. The G-Men are lead by a surging Tiki Barber
and revitalized rushing attack. On Halloween, the Lions head to Dallas to
face the 2-1 Cowboys. The Big Tuna has his boys defying the odds once again
hoping to make the playoffs for the second straight year.
That amounts to a 9-2 combined record for Lions three road opponents in the
month of October. Boo!
For the Lions to be competitive they must stay healthy. The team's leader,
All-Pro cornerback Dre' Bly, should return to action. Kevin Jones needs to
get healthy again. The team cannot afford any further significant injuries
if they hope to steal another game or two on the road and stay out of the
top of the draft for a change.
Ironically, the most winnable game of the month appears to be the October 17
game against the struggling Green Bay Packers. The Pack find themselves
tied with the Chicago Bears at 1-3 and in the NFC North cellar. Given that
Farve is not a great dome quarterback, the Lions Thanksgiving Day victory
over the Pack last year and the current records, this game will be critical
for the Lions to pull out a win if they plan to stay in contention.
Unless the Lions rally to beat Atlanta, a Lions victory over the Pack puts
the club at 3-2 heading into the two final road trips of the month in New
York and Dallas. A victory over either team would likely mean the Lions are
4-3 heading into November when they return to Ford Field to take on the
ailing Redskins who are currently at 1-3. After that, it's the Jaguars,
Vikings and Colts, each team with only one loss through the first four weeks
of the season.
The Lions must survive through Thanksgiving to have a chance at the
playoffs. The schedule appears to let up a bit in December with the
Cardinals, Bears and Vikings all visiting Detroit. What appeared to be
extremely difficult road games in Green Bay and Tennessee now look like just
tough ones.
Then again, this is the NFL. Throw out the records and just win some games
Detroit - we've all been waiting a long time for that.
October could be down right scary. Trick or treat?
Written by: Paul Donaghy, Staff Writer
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