Lions can use some love and support after dreadful start to season

Lions can use some love and support after dreadful start to season
Mark Cannizzaro

If you’re an NFL fan and you can find it in your heart — even if for just a few moments — root for the Detroit Lions in their home game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Lions, one of two NFL wineless teams through the first five weeks, could use a dose of good karma.

The Lions are 0-5 for the first time since 2015 and, dating back to last season, they’ve lost nine consecutive games — the second longest active losing streak in the league.

Worse yet: After last Sunday’s heartbreaking, 19-17 loss to the Vikings, the Lions own the dubious distinction in the NFL history books as the only team to lose twice in a season on field goals of 50-plus yards on the final play of regulation.

The loss at Minnesota was sealed by a 54-yard field goal from Greg Joseph on the final play, after the Lions had rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a one-point lead with 37 seconds to play.

Two weeks earlier, the Lions lost to the Ravens by the same score on Justin Tucker’s NFL-record 66-yard field goal as time expired.

The scary thing is, the season still has 12 games remaining, so there’s room for more heartbreak, not that we wish that on the Lions. You do wonder how much one team can take, particularly a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991.

Detroit Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye and safety Will Harris react after falling to the VikingsDetroit Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye and safety Will Harris react after falling to the Vikings.AP

In the aftermath of last week’s loss, first-year head coach Dan Campbell was so distraught for his players, he was reduced to tears in the postgame press conference.

“Look, you want it for yourself, as an organization and for all of us, but you want it for those players,” Campbell said. “They’re out there busting their ass, and it’s tough. Ultimately, we didn’t do enough to win. But I was proud of them, and I love the fight that they had in them. And I love the grit.

“When you see your players give all that they have and you lose that way, it’s tough. You don’t want that for them. So, we’ll be better from it.’’

Will they? Let’s hope.

You may recall having a laugh after listening to Campbell’s first press conference, when he was hired in January. It was 90 minutes of raw, from-the-heart emotion with one promise that his team was “going to bite a kneecap off’’ whatever opponents it had to in order to win for the city of Detroit.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan CampbellDetroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.AP

“This place has been kicked, it’s been battered, it’s been bruised, and I can sit up here and give you coach speak all day long,” said Campbell, who was a tight end with the Lions from 2006-08. “I can give you, ‘Hey, we’re going to win this many games.’ None of that matters and you guys don’t want to hear it anyway. You’ve had enough of that s–t, excuse my language.

“Here’s what I do know: that this team is going to take on the identity of this city. And this city’s been down and it found a way to get up. It’s found a way to overcome adversity.’’

Well, given the high dose of adversity the Lions have been dealt through a mere five weeks, let’s see how they handle it.

“It’s hard to give everything you’ve got every week and to have moments of feeling like you’ve won the game and to have it snatched from you,” quarterback Jared Goff said after the loss to Minnesota. “It’s as hard as it gets.”

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.AP

It doesn’t figure to get any easier. After the Bengals (3-2) on Sunday, the Lions play at the Rams (4-1), Goff’s former team.

“I just want to change the culture around here,’’ safety Tracy Walker III said. “I’ve been here four years. I’ve experienced a lot of losses. I want to do a lot more winning.’’

Let’s start with some. Maybe one.

If you have a heart, root for the Lions on Sunday.