ALLEN PARK — Will November be a month to remember for the Lions? So far they have two wins and two losses. It all hinges on the Packers game on Thanksgiving.
Detroit is 7-4, Green Bay is 7-3-1. In their first meeting in Week 1, the Packers dominated, 27-13. Both teams are different now. Green Bay also is 2-2 this month.
The Lions needed overtime on Sunday to beat the lowly, two-win Giants. They routed the Commanders and lost to the Vikings.
Then there is this gem: The Lions are one of two teams in NFL history to produce 24-plus passing TDs, 15-plus rushing TDs and 8-or-fewer turnovers through the first 11 games of any season. The other team was the 2012 Patriots.
After 11 games, the Lions are one big puzzle and so different from last year when they finished 15-2.
On Monday, coach Dan Campbell said the obvious – of course he would like to see his team play cleaner in some areas and he’d like all three units to complement each other game-in and game-out.
“Also, maybe this is this year, you know, as we continue to clean things up just find a way to win, just find a way to win,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “Kind of like what happened yesterday. Along the way let’s get our confidence up, let’s get a little momentum, let’s feed off each other. Say what you want, yesterday, at the end of the day, the best thing that happened was we did complement each other.’’
In the fourth quarter when they needed a big stop in the Red Zone, the defense came up big. When Jake Bates was asked to kick a 59-yard field goal – boom, he did so. Jahmyr Gibbs put the offense on his back scoring on the first snap of OT. Then Aidan Hutchinson came up with the only sack of Giants QB Jameis Winston all day. It may not have been pretty throughout – the Lions never led until overtime – but they dug deep to win.
“At the end of the day, you take it the way it comes and you just try to improve along the way. You just never know, 15-2 felt great last year until you get booted right out,’’ Campbell said, referring to the first-round playoff loss to the Commanders.
“It’s like, hey man, maybe we have to go the hard road and just win, let’s just win and find a way every week and grind it out.’’
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson echoes Campbell heading into Thanksgiving.
“We found ourselves with a couple losses early and I think right now we are just heads down, grinding these wins out and really just focused on the next game — that’s the Packers,’’ Hutchinson said. “Focus on being 1-0 this week, if we adopt that mentality it will serve us in the end. And I think going to the playoffs when we are hitting our stride, that’s the most ideal time to do that.’’
UP NEXT: Packers (7-3-1) at Lions (7-4), 1 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field. FOX will carry the game with Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt in the booth.
Lions Lowdown 