DETROIT – The Detroit Lions’ first home game of the year at Ford Field is a rematch between two teams that tied for the final playoff spot last season.
Not only did the Lions and Seattle Seahawks both finish 9-8 -- it was Detroit’s win at Green Bay in the final game of the NFL regular season that vaulted Seattle into the postseason. The tiebreaker was the Oct. 2 game at Ford Field, when the Seahawks beat the Lions 48-45.
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So, on paper, the week’s rematch looks pretty appetizing. Even after the Lions beat the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, nobody considered the Seahawks game a pushover.
Well, the matchup lost a bit of steam on Sunday, when the Seahawks got blown out at home by the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle was a 4.5-point favorite but got out-gained 426-180 in total yardage.
The Seahawks didn’t turn the ball over, and the penalties between the two teams were almost exactly even. They just flat out got their butts kicked by a team that went 5-12 a year ago.
I’m sure some of you have heard of the “up-down” theory in the NFL -- it’s a real thing. Basically, it theorizes that when a team coming off a major high and a team coming off a major low meet the following week, the roles will switch.
The Lions will have to counter that this weekend. Seattle was coming off back-to-back losses when it won at Ford Field last season.
But I do think fans will head to the game with a little more confidence after watching both teams in Week 1. The old Lions would definitely let fans down and lose this game, but as C.J. Gardner-Johnson said best, these aren’t the same Lions.