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NFL Detroit Lions

2014 Detroit Lions May Be for Real

By

Andrew Weber -- USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Weber — USA TODAY Sports

It may finally be time for the Detroit Lions fans to stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

That’s because the Lions are doing well enough to convince fans this team may be for real.

For the third time this season, the Lions came from behind to defeat a team, this time against a pretty solid Miami Dolphins squad. That makes the Lions 7-2 overall, and if the Green Bay Packers lose to the Chicago Bears, then the Lions would be two games up on the rest of the NFC North. Yet, everyone waits for the inevitable collapse. These are the Lions, after all. How long before 7-2 becomes 7-9?

But the question I have to pose this year is, what if the inevitable collapse does not happen?

There is a sense that the Lions are a different team this season. Head coach Jim Caldwell has instilled a sense of discipline in this year’s Lions. They don’t make the same dumb penalties that previous Lions teams did. Some of the penalties were the result of a ticky-tack officiating crew led by Bill Levy, who seemed to call penalties out of nowhere.

These Lions have a desire and don’t quit. You couldn’t say the same about some of the previous teams led by Jim Schwartz. They would make stupid penalties, commit turnovers and just give up. Now, the Lions are more disciplined and they have a seven-win season in only nine games played. The more wins, the more legitimate this squad seems to be as a true playoff contender in the NFC.

This is an important month for the Lions. In the next two weeks, the team travels to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. No one will be surprised if the Lions lose twice. These teams are quite solid.

However, if the Lions win even one of these two games, then the drumbeat will grow louder. What if this is the Lions’ year for a change?

Sales of Kool-Aid just may drop. Champagne, anyone?

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