Lions Coming Together With 3-0 Start
The last time the Lions were in this position, Jim Schwartz was a skinny freshman in high school. Only a handful of his players were even alive.
When the Lions play at Dallas next Sunday, they will be sporting their first 3-0 record since 1980.
"I know Dallas is a tough place to play regardless of our record," defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said after the Lions beat the Vikings at Mall of America Field in overtime, 26-23. "They have a lot of talent on that team. Last year, when we started 0-3 we knew we were doing the right things in practice and we kept doing them. We believed it. Now that we are winning, we need to keep working. That's what this team is about; we know how to work. We need to realize what got us to 3-0 and stick with it."
You will have to grant them a solid 24 hours to savor this one, though. They hadn't won in Minnesota since 1997 (13 straight losses) and had lost 11 straight road games in the NFC North. And, they were down 20-0 at halftime.
"I said it before, it's not hope anymore," center Dominic Raiola said. "We believe. Nobody freaked out at halftime. Nobody yelled. There is enough talent in this room, enough grown-ups, nobody has to yell. The belief that we have is unreal.
"We've been through hell and back. We've been 0-16. Can you get worse than that? No. When we go three-and-out, it's like, all right, let's get back up and chop that tree down. By the end of the game we had chopped at it enough that it fell."
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was bruised and battered (five sacks, eight hits) and befuddled for two quarters. The Lions had just four first downs and 50 total yards. But he was able to neutralize the Vikings' aggressiveness with short, quick passes and eventually was able to beat them downfield.
Tight end Brandon Pettigrew (11 catches, 112) yards, rookie wide receiver Titus Young (four for 51) and running back Jahvid Best (five for 74, including a 60-yard screen) all helped the offense get back on track until the big dog was able to eat.
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson wound up with seven catches for 108 yards and, for the third straight week, two touchdowns (32 and five yards). He is the first player in NFL history to achieve that feat. His 40-yard reception in overtime set up Jason Hanson's game-winning 32-yard field goal.
"Calvin just does his thing," Stafford said. "I don't even know what to tell you. He's an unbelievable player."
Stafford wound up hitting 32 of 46 passes for 378 yards.
"That was as good as it gets as far as testing this team," said Hanson, the last player remaining from the 1997 team. "When you get down 20, no matter how good you are, you've just about buried yourself. The guys fought back. It's pretty amazing. That would not have happened the last few years here."
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