There are no morale victories in the NFL, not when so many livelihoods ride on the outcomes of games.
But something felt different about the Detroit Lions’ 28-25 Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.
Josh Allen led the game-winning field goal drive with 23 seconds to play. Jared Goff missed an important third-down throw late. Austin Bryant had a foolish penalty that set up a key Buffalo score.
But while their three-game winning streak came to a frustrating end and they fell further behind in the NFC playoff race, the Lions seem closer than ever to being a bona fide contender.