Have The Detroit Lions Turned Around Their Season After Win Over The Giants?

The Detroit Lions just took a commanding win over the New York Giants Yesterday and have seemingly turned around their season. What has changed to help this turnaround and do the Lions have a real shot at the playoffs? Let’s break down how things have changed in Detroit.

What Changed To Cause This Turnaround?

The biggest thing that changed to cause this turnaround is the defense playing exceptionally well even through injuries. They shut down Saquon Barkley for the first time all season, only allowing him to get 22 rushing yards on 15 carries, and then their offense was exposed. The Lions proceeded to bring great pressure on Daniel Jones forcing him to throw two interceptions, which doubles his interceptions on the year. The coverage was also great even with Jeff Okudah going down early due to concussion protocol, forcing Jones to complete only 60% of his passes, and they played great in run support. The Linebackers may have struggled a bit in this game, but they still showed up when needed to.

The breakout of Alim Mcneil was one of the biggest reasons the Detroit Lions got this upset victory on the road. He was one of the sole reasons the Lions were able to shut down Saquon Barkley and force the Giants to use their weak passing game. Alim Mcneil had seven pressures throughout the game which is some of the most on the week among the entire league, he also racked up three run stops which came up huge. Aidan Hutchinson also played a gigantic role in this defensive uprising as he got it done on all levels of the field. Hutchinson racked up an interception on one of the smartest plays of the week, he also got a fumble recovery and had many pressures.

The offense has also been way more consistent which has been a key to holding leads and putting games away. The run game, outside of Swift, has been extremely reliable for first-down gains which is likely a product of the offensive line playing like one of if not the best in the league. Along with the run game being efficient, the receivers have been able to get separation so it’s not just Amon-Ra St. Brown having to do all the work in the receiving game. Jared Goff is also finally getting comfortable with rolling outside the pocket and making on the run throws instead of sitting in the pocket and taking a sack.

Can The Lions Be A Legit Playoff Contender?

If the Detroit Lions continue playing how they have played the past three weeks they have a chance to beat almost any team they have left on the schedule. Outside of this week against Buffalo, the Lions have a full slate of winnable games left on their schedule and could realistically make a playoff push. The Jaguars have been a mess all season, the Vikings played the Lions close in their last game, the Jets have really not been on their game all year, the Panthers have played like one of the worst teams in football all year, and the Packers and Bears have already lost to the Lions this year.

The NFC is very weak this year and Detroit has already had a good enough turnaround to be in the hunt for a wildcard spot. However, it’s not necessarily a lock for the Lions to make the playoffs this year. In fact, it’s more likely for it to not happen than for it to happen. So while the Lions have made a great turnaround to the season, they do have a shot to make the playoffs but it is unlikely.