The Same Old Lions

Detroit's Corey Hilliard hangs his head in the final seconds of Monday night's 18-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Former NFL head coach Dennis Green said it best: “They are who we thought they were.”

(Insert "Lions" for "Bears")

The Detroit Lions did their best to fool us into thinking they would be a playoff team in 2013, making all the right signings and starting the season the right way. But, when their fate was left to their own accomplishments, Detroit's true identity was revealed.

This playoff façade started in 2011, when quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Lions to a 10-6 record, earning a wild card berth and a playoff spot for the first time since 1999.

But then came 2012. The Lions were looking like real contenders, a young team which oozed with potential and could arguably take the next step, pushing the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title. Detroit went 1-3 out of the gate, winning the season opener before dropping three straight contests. Three wins in the next four games then seemingly righted the ship, with Detroit improving to 4-4, beating a pretty good Seattle team as part of the stretch.

But eight straight losses, including a devastating overtime home loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving day, a last second loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and a pair of losses to the Packers spelled defeat for Detroit and a 4-12 season.

Fool me once, shame on you.

In the offseason, Jim Schwartz was retained as head coach and the Lions looked to return to the playoffs. Detroit general manage Martin Mayhew made some great moves, adding free agent running back Reggie Bush to really expand the Lions offense as well as safety Glover Quin to solidify the secondary. The Lions also drafted well, picking up defensive end Ezekiel Ansah to add speed to the defensive line and guard Larry Warford to fill the gap on the offensive line.

All signs pointed to an extremely dangerous offense, a solid defense, and increase maturity after the Lions had lost double digit games in 2012. Writers around the league picked the Lions to bounce back, citing improbable losses in 2012 based on point differential, turnover margin, and strength of schedule.

The Lions then started the 2013 season 6-3, earning a trio of division wins as well as an incredible come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Cowboys, a win which made it appear as though Matthew Stafford had made the step to becoming a star quarterback in the NFL.

For the first time in a long time, Detroit found itself atop the NFC North with the 6-3 record, while the Chicago Bears and Packers were a game behind at 5-4 each. With seven games left, Detroit was scheduled to face five teams that had losing records at the time. Things were looking up for the Lions, and the team held its own destiny with a playoff spot in sight.

Looks like we all could have used a reminder from Jim Mora.

The Lions regressed in weeks 11 and 12, dropping games to a pair of sub-.500 teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We just didn’t execute. That’s what it boils down to,” said Stafford after the game against Pittsburg. “We had obviously a good second quarter ... made some big plays. We didn’t capitalize in the red zone as much as we needed to.”

“Overall, as a team, we didn't put it together,” said Ndamukong Suh after the loss to the Buccaneers. “Obviously, at critical points and times, you can't make mistakes. In all three phases, we didn't capitalize. If you look at the defense, we still have an opportunity to get the ball back for our offense. It's just the mistakes that we made.”

The Lions then teased the fan base by claiming an impressive 40-10 victory over the Packers on Thanksgiving, gaining 561 yards on offense compared to Green Bay's 126 yards, and sacking Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn seven times.

But, it was back to the same-old Lions in week 14. Detroit held a 14-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in snowy weather. The Eagles then took control, scoring 28 points in the fourth as running back LeSean McCoy tallied 148 yards on the ground in the final period to claim a 34-20 win against Detroit.

“Obviously we knew it was a big game, it is a big stretch for us and we didn’t take advantage of this moment so it is just going to keep getting bigger and bigger from here on out and harder from here on out,” said DeAndre Levy after the game.

Although the Lions had lost three of four, they still had a chance at the NFC North. The Bears continued to play backup Josh McCown (he hasn't looked like a backup) while Matt Flynn continued to take snaps for the Packers with Rodgers still out.

“Every game is kind of win-or-go-home, so we have to understand the unique opportunity, the situation that we’re in right now,” said Reggie Bush to the Detroit News before the Lions faced the Ravens. “For us, we’re a young, hungry team and we’re playing at home on Monday night. All the motivation we need is right there in front of us.”

Unfortunately, that motivation was not nearly enough as the Lions again faltered, this time in primetime, on Monday Night Football, as the Ravens earned an 18-16 win on the strength of six field goals from Justin Tucker, the last of which was a 61-yard game-winner with less than a minute remaining. An interception by Stafford on the ensuing Lions drive then sealed the game, and in all likelihood, the fate of head coach Jim Schwartz and the rest of the Detroit coaching staff.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

With four losses in five games, Detroit finds itself in third place in the division despite the Bears and Packers dealing with significant injuries over the five game stretch.

The final two weeks will see the Lions face the Giants and be at the Vikings, while the Bears will play at the Eagles and against Packers, and the Packers will play the Steelers and be, obviously, at the Bears. While the Lions are by no means out of the playoff picture, Detroit's chances of making the playoffs seem one-in-a-million after last night's loss.

The Lions are exactly who we thought they were. In fact, they've been the same team the whole time. Jim Schwartz did a good job of making one playoff appearance with this team, but when push came to shove, he couldn't get wins when he needed them out of this talented, potential-laden team. The Detroit Lions have always had a knack for being their own worst enemy, and that has still been the case these past five years.

Is a new coach the answer? I don't know. All I know is there has to be a change. This team is too talented to let games slip away while everyone – fans, coaches, and players – wonder how. Someone has to be the scapegoat. Unfortunately for Schwartz, it will probably be him.