For the first time since last December, the Detroit Lions are coming off of a loss. The Lions' nine-game winning streak in the regular season came to an end on Sunday with their 25-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Now the Lions have to move forward and get ready for the Atlanta Falcons, which come to Ford Field on Sunday.
Although fans are rightfully disappointed by the loss to the 49ers, the good news is the Lions are 5-1. They are not only in good shape to snap their streak of seasons with a record below .500, but they are also in good shape to make a run at the playoffs. They need to keep winning, but one loss certainly isn't the end of the world.
The Falcons, Detroit's opponent on Sunday, are looking to get back in the playoff hunt after a disappointing start to the season. They are 3-3, having started the season with a pattern of losing one game and then winning the next. The good news for the Lions is the Falcons won their last game, so if the pattern holds true, they will lose on Sunday.
While the Lions are favored in this game, a team with as much talent as Atlanta can't be taken lightly. The Falcons haven't played well consistently this season, but they have a lot of weapons in Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner and Roddy White.
Considering the Lions are expected to come out fired up after what happened last week, a win seems likely, but this will be their first time playing a game after a loss in 10 months. It will be interesting to see how they respond.