Lions vs. Eagles 2012: Comeback win might spark the Lions

Trailing 23-13 with just over five minutes to play in the game against Philadelphia, the Detroit Lions appeared headed to a 1-4 start and completely out of the playoff picture. Even though they still have plenty of ground to make up at 2-3, Detroit's come-from-behind win may be just what it needed to spark the team.

As Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit noted, a 1-4 start would have essentially put the Lions out of playoff contention. Now, with the win, the Lions have a breath of fresh air and possibly the jump start they needed.

The Lions are still only 2-3 and have a long way to go as a football team, but this is the kind of win that could be the spark they needed to get the season turned around. A 1-4 start would have essentially ended their season in the second week of October. By winning, the Lions take a lot of momentum into next week's Monday Night Football showdown with the Chicago Bears. If the Lions can use that momentum to take down a division rival and the team that's in first place in the NFC North, the outlook of this season will be quite a bit different going forward.

The Lions offense came alive in the fourth quarter with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson leading the way. Detroit will likely need similar performances going forward, as they still have ground to make up in the NFC North. At 2-3, Detroit is two games behind NFC North leader Chicago, although the Lions can cut that deficit in half with a win against the Bears this week.

Detroit also has the advantage of having five division games remaining, allowing them to make up ground in head-to-head matchups.