Over the past weeks in the NFL, the gameplay has revealed some of the top teams that may be making a comeback this season. While many may be thinking the top teams haven’t shaken the landscape much, it is the once “trash can of the NFC North” that has given every organization a run for its money.

Although, I could go on and on about how the Packers are coming back from a tough patch of losses or how the Philadelphia Eagles are dominating their competition with an 11-1 record, that isn’t what week thirteen of the regular season focused on. Quite possibly the biggest shock of 2022 occurred this Sunday, and Detroit fans couldn’t be happier.

This past week, the Detroit Lions not only won their fourth game out of the last five, but they absolutely crushed their competition. Although the team wasn’t anything special, the Lions aren’t either, and this game was unlike any other. The Jacksonville Jaguars lost horrifically by a score of 40-14 to the team in Honolulu blue after what was expected to be a close game based both teams’ seasonal performances. This came as a shock to many, but in this case, I don’t think it was a bad one. 

Even though I am not a Lions fan, I have grown to appreciate these moments as a Michigander. They may not be the ideal team for an NFL fan to cheer for, or you may just hate them because they haven’t really done anything in their long existence in the league, but the growth that this program has shown this season is truly impressive. 

With strong wins against the Giants and Jaguars now under their belt, the Lions have managed to move into second place in the NFC North, and quite frankly, I don’t even think they saw this coming. You know you have a special group of players when you’re sandwiched between the Vikings and the Packers but neither is the worst in the division. It is truly insane the things the Lions have accomplished to get to a 5-7 record, and although you may think that those numbers are nothing gloat about, it is the little things that show that maybe this is the start of a new Lions era. 

There is no telling if this will be enough for the Lions to make the playoffs and start a future of promise with an ever-changing roster, but it could be a sign that things can only get better as the team becomes more cohesive and learns how to keep its focus against difficult opponents. No matter what happens from this point forward, the Lions will have made history this season in their own way.