Congratulations, Lions fans, you have been gifted with the division lead coming out of the bye week. Just by head-to-head victory, you even hold sole possession of that lead if the playoffs were to start tomorrow. But let’s get real. This ‘season’ that you have assembled has been nothing of the sort. The ridiculous losses combined with laughable comebacks leaves the Lions in bad shape heading into the second half of their season.

The Lions enter week 11 with an “outstanding” first place resume. They come in with 17th in total scoring per game, averaging about 23 points a game, while the rushing attack has been irrelevant with just under 87 rushing yards a game. Let’s not forget the dog pound defense, ranking 23rd in yards given up per game. These stats become all the more disappointing when you look at the schedule they have faced through the first 10 weeks.

After starting the year in a shootout in Indianapolis, the Lions came back on a three game skid. They lost to a Tennessee Titans team struggling at the time and a Chicago Bears team that doesn’t deserve to be called a professional football team this season. Enter Philadelphia. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and his high flying Eagles roll into Ford Field week five. Finally, the inexperience shines through for Wentz as he throws a pick with just over a minute left to seal a Lions victory.

The Lions then proceed to go on a ludicrous 3-1 stretch rolling into their bye week after fourth quarter heroics save their record in each of the three victories. Ridiculous. The Lions also are going to escape any form of difficult schedule on the back end of their season, facing Jacksonville, New Orleans and the rest of their divisional opponents.

So what does this all mean? Well, if the Lions had the firepower everyone is making them out to have on offense, they would have a shot at a serious run for not only the top of the division, but a legitimate playoff spot at the end of the year. However, I must ask, why does the offense need to wait until it matters to move the ball down the field? Assuming the Lions could pull away with the wild card spot or even the division, what is this team going to do when they face a high powered Dallas Cowboys team? Or when they have to go in and face the Legion of Boom in Seattle?

Let’s also not forget that Green Bay has a knack for late season heroics. And Minnesota still has an outstanding defense to get their season back from the shambles it fell apart into. The Lions have plenty left on their plate, whether that means an NFC North title, a playoff spot, a first round bye, I don’t know. What I do know is that the Lions not only do not deserve the hype, but will brutally fail expectations throughout the upcoming weeks of the season.