My NFL Forums | NFL Forums & Blogs

Yes, the Detroit Lions are losers of historic proportions. Should they fall at home to Washington on Sunday, they will drop into a morass visited by only one team in NFL annals.

After becoming the only club to go 0-16 in a season, the Lions have lost their first two games this year. Add on a loss in the 2007 finale, and that makes 19 straight. By falling to the Redskins, Detroit would trail only the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost the first 26 games of their existence: 0-14, then 0-12 before taking their final two matches in 1977.

At least the Bucs had something of an excuse as an expansion team. Then again, some Motor City folks believe the Big Ten would turn down the Lions for not being good enough to compete with the Wolverines and Spartans.

Now, here come the Redskins, who squeezed by weak St. Louis 9-7 at home last Sunday. The Skins are 6 1/2-point favorites at Ford Field, even though they've been among the most disappointing teams through two weeks of the schedule.

Washington's offense has scored one touchdown.

"All you can do is scratch your head," receiver Santana Moss said. "I mean, yeah, it's true, we have the talent. You're sitting there saying, 'Man, we should be doing this, we should be doing that.' But 'should be' ain't good enough, you know what I mean?"

The Lions know all about not being good enough. Already, fans are calling for coach Jim Schwartz to bench top overall draft pick Matthew Stafford for Daunte Culpepper. After so much losing this decade, why should they be patient?

But Schwartz should be, particularly with the best matchup Detroit will get until November.

Dare we? We dare ...

UPSET SPECIAL: LIONS, 14-13

By BARRY WILNER AP Football Writer

__________________