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Lions have some historically bad streaks as we all know. Still, they have managed to break a few in recent years. Here are a few that still remain, please feel free to add to the list.
1. Losing @ Lambeau...Now you might think this is the longest active bad streak, but you would be wrong (that comes later). I give this my Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid award with a 25% chance of this streak ending next year, but that is subject to change when the schedules are announced, not to mention the weather report for game time.
2. Repeat Playoff Appearance...Lions have not been to playoffs in back2back years since they actually 3peated in 93, 94, and 95. With the changes on D, lack of confidence with the O, and plenty of questions still surrounding this team before the draft, I would currently put it at about 40% chance the Lions return to the playoffs. That's actually really high by Lions standards, so I'm probably being overly optimistic here.
3. Back to back .500 or better...last happened with 99 and 2000 teams...though the 8-8 team in '99 was the one to actually get a WC game while the 9-7 2000 team missed the playoffs. I give this slightly higher chance than #2 since they could go 8-8 or even 10-6 but miss the playoffs because that has happened in the NFL before, and none of us would be surprised if the Lions went 10-6 but failed to get in the playoffs. Let's call this one 50/50.
4. Back to Back seasons with D allowing 18.75 PPG (300 PA for the year) or lower...this required some clarification due to the '82 strike-shortened season creating the appearance of this happening more recently than the 75, 76, and 77 defensive 3peat of this mark (though keep in mind none of those teams went to the playoffs and only the 75 team was .500 or better). Since the D is slightly worse on paper and will statistically play better teams next year, I put this at about 10%. And while this streak is longer than the L@L mentioned in #1, it still isn't the longest.
5. Last playoff win...'91. This one has been an issue too long. Still, I'd put this at a 10% chance. The D was the strength last year and they are projecting to be slightly worse. Can the offense make up the difference enough to beat statistically better competition this year AND win a playoff game? I'm going to need more HBKA to believe that.
6. Last championship...'57. Fuck you Ford family!!! I put this at...what are the Vegas odds??? Yeah, cut those in half or more and you are possibly at my percentage hope for this happening. Still, this is not the longest bad streak I'm going to cover...
7. THE BIG ONE: Last back to back seasons with at least 10 wins...NEVER. So if you think Vegas has low odds on the Lions winning the SB next year, imagine what those odds would be of the Lions ending this streak! The Curse of Bobby Layne has nothing on this one!!! Granted the NFL only went to 16 game regular season in 1978, and to 14 games in 1961...so Bobby most likely would have accomplished this in the 1950s. Still, it has never happened. I would venture a guess that the Lions would have better odds of going 9-7, win @ Lambeau, win a playoff game on their way to winning the Super Bowl behind a defense that has a sub 300 PA regular season thereby breaking all of the other streaks, but managing to keep this one alive in the process! Why do I think that is possible? Because I'm a Lions fan who just drank a keg of HBKA!!!
GO LIONS!!!
1. Losing @ Lambeau...Now you might think this is the longest active bad streak, but you would be wrong (that comes later). I give this my Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid award with a 25% chance of this streak ending next year, but that is subject to change when the schedules are announced, not to mention the weather report for game time.
2. Repeat Playoff Appearance...Lions have not been to playoffs in back2back years since they actually 3peated in 93, 94, and 95. With the changes on D, lack of confidence with the O, and plenty of questions still surrounding this team before the draft, I would currently put it at about 40% chance the Lions return to the playoffs. That's actually really high by Lions standards, so I'm probably being overly optimistic here.
3. Back to back .500 or better...last happened with 99 and 2000 teams...though the 8-8 team in '99 was the one to actually get a WC game while the 9-7 2000 team missed the playoffs. I give this slightly higher chance than #2 since they could go 8-8 or even 10-6 but miss the playoffs because that has happened in the NFL before, and none of us would be surprised if the Lions went 10-6 but failed to get in the playoffs. Let's call this one 50/50.
4. Back to Back seasons with D allowing 18.75 PPG (300 PA for the year) or lower...this required some clarification due to the '82 strike-shortened season creating the appearance of this happening more recently than the 75, 76, and 77 defensive 3peat of this mark (though keep in mind none of those teams went to the playoffs and only the 75 team was .500 or better). Since the D is slightly worse on paper and will statistically play better teams next year, I put this at about 10%. And while this streak is longer than the L@L mentioned in #1, it still isn't the longest.
5. Last playoff win...'91. This one has been an issue too long. Still, I'd put this at a 10% chance. The D was the strength last year and they are projecting to be slightly worse. Can the offense make up the difference enough to beat statistically better competition this year AND win a playoff game? I'm going to need more HBKA to believe that.
6. Last championship...'57. Fuck you Ford family!!! I put this at...what are the Vegas odds??? Yeah, cut those in half or more and you are possibly at my percentage hope for this happening. Still, this is not the longest bad streak I'm going to cover...
7. THE BIG ONE: Last back to back seasons with at least 10 wins...NEVER. So if you think Vegas has low odds on the Lions winning the SB next year, imagine what those odds would be of the Lions ending this streak! The Curse of Bobby Layne has nothing on this one!!! Granted the NFL only went to 16 game regular season in 1978, and to 14 games in 1961...so Bobby most likely would have accomplished this in the 1950s. Still, it has never happened. I would venture a guess that the Lions would have better odds of going 9-7, win @ Lambeau, win a playoff game on their way to winning the Super Bowl behind a defense that has a sub 300 PA regular season thereby breaking all of the other streaks, but managing to keep this one alive in the process! Why do I think that is possible? Because I'm a Lions fan who just drank a keg of HBKA!!!
GO LIONS!!!
