After a 0-2 start to the season, the Detroit Lions flipped the script on Sunday night with a decisive 26-10 victory against the New England Patriots.
It was an improbable accomplishment that made little sense. The Lions had no business being on the same field with the Patriots, given their lackluster performance through the first two weeks of the season.
Staring down the barrel of 0-3 in a prime time match-up against Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn’s former employer, the Lions actually looked like a real football team from start to finish. Unlike in most games, where the Lions build up hopes only to crumble in the most unconventional and excruciating ways, the team remained in control and avoided their trademark catastrophe.