The Lions post-season prospects ended today in San Diego, and if you really want your football team to go down in flames with maximum impact, Detroit has furnished you a blueprint showing you exactly how to do it. After nearly knocking off the NFC’s first seed last week but losing by only one point after an 83 yard Dallas touchdown drive in the last two minutes, Detroit has completed it’s self destruction. Since their much heralded 6-2 start and amidst growing hopes that Lions QB John Kitna’s prediction of a 10 win season were coming true, Detroit has dropped six straight games starting with the famed contest against the Cardinals where Detroit rushed for minus 18 yards. The only other team to rush for less than negative 18 yards was – you guessed it – the Lions who rushed for minus 53 yards in 1943 against – you guessed it again – the Cardinals.
Kitna threw a career high 5 interceptions, something he’s managed to accomplish only once before in a game against Tampa Bay about 8 years ago. The Chargers capitalized on Kitna’s mistakes to the tune of 27 points, but hey, it wouldn’t have mattered even if those turnovers resulted in zero points by San Diego because they crushed the Lions by a 37 point margin.
Detroit’s run defense was middle of the road, but on this day Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers twiddled his thumbs while running back Darren Sproles rolled over the Lions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Of course that was only after LaDainian Tomlinson plowed through the Detroit defense for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and was given the rest of the day off.
With their fourth straight win, the eighth in ten games, the Chargers have clinched the AFC West and are getting stronger every week as they wind down towards the playoffs where they are proving to be a force to reckon with.