Ford Field has seen some big games in recent years. In 2003, it hosted the largest crowd ever to attend a basketball game up to that time, as 78,129 people were on hand when Kentucky beat Michigan State. Ford Field was the site of Super Bowl XL in 2006, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks. It even hosted Wrestlemania 23, which set a record for the stadium’s attendance with 80,103. The glaring theme with all of these events is that none of them involved the Detroit Lions.
On Monday night, it was all about the Lions. The city of Detroit is experiencing the sports equivalent of a double rainbow. The Tigers are in the ALCS (albeit down two games to zero), the beloved Red Wings have started the season 2-0, the NBA lockout has saved them from having to watch the Pistons, and the Lions defeated the Chicago Bears on the NFL’s grandest weekly stage 24-13.
The Lions not only imposed their will with big plays offensively, but their defense rattled the Bears offensive line to the point where it was unclear if they had been replaced by jack-in-the-boxes with Bears’ uniforms. The Bears’ offensive line had 9 false starts penalties (Nine times? Niiiinnnee times), and seemingly jumped at every subtle movement.
And the only good thing to come out of those 9 false start penalties was that Jay Cutler didn’t have to run for his life on those plays. Cutler continually threw off one leg while evading the ferocious Lions pass rush. Cutler has gone quickly gone from one of the most criticized quarterbacks in the league to one of the most sympathetic figures in the game.
He used to be criticized for making poor decisions and forcing the ball to covered receivers, but now it is apparent that he has no choice but to hurry due to the opposing team’s defensive line virtually walking right in. With no time to even plant his feet, let alone time to throw, it is hard to tell how good Cutler can be without an adequate supporting cast. One thing was for sure, the crowd in Ford Field was ready to rock.
Both teams showed early game jitters on the big stage. Three of the five first downs were the result of penalties and there were more penalty yards in the first quarter than actual offensive yards. But the Lions, under Coach Jim Schwartz, showed why they are one of only two undefeated teams left in the NFL. Matthew Stafford hit Calvin Johnson on a 73 yard touchdown strike and Jahvid Best ran up the middle (untouched, mind you) for an 88 yard touchdown to give the Lions a comfortable cushion. The Bears had no answer offensively as Cutler and running back Matt Forte seemed to be the only two viable options. If the Bears hope to salvage any hope this season, they must get some consistency out of their offensive line.
The Lions are for real folks. It was tough to tell how much of the Bears’ struggles were due to their own ineptitude or the Lions ability to dominate on both sides of the ball. The last, and only other Monday night game to be played in Ford Field, didn’t even involve the Lions. If you remember, the Vikings and Giants had to move their game after the Metrodome roof collapsed due to snow in Minneapolis. After the start to this season, you can bet that there will be plenty more big games in Ford Field…that involve the Lions.
