While the Lions were not playing football, their place in the NFL seemed to get better as a number of teams were doing their best 2008 Lions impression. In a league known for its incredible parody where teams can make the jump from worst to first in a season, the 2009 season has represented a huge divide between the top and bottom teams. For a Lions team that has demonstrated that they are better than last year’s team, the next opponent – the St. Louis Rams – look to avoid stepping closer to a Lion-like losing streak.
Coach Jim Schwartz has made quite an impression on Lions fans and teammates alike, as he has made the bye week into an extra week of practice. No longer is this week used for family vacations or light workouts, Coach Schwartz has emphasized that teams like the Lions do not deserve breaks. His attitude has been a refreshing change for fans expecting teams to give similar efforts that the paid customers give in their jobs each day. This hard work emphasis put in by Schwartz and his coaches is definitely a big step towards changing the losing attitude in this town.
This bye week also represents a big step for players looking to get healthy for the final 10 games. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and star receiver Calvin Johnson should at least be ready to play against the Rams. Their absence from the team was really apparent in the last game against Green Bay and hopefully their health will improve along with the team down the home stretch.