Lions 38 - Chargers 10

The Detroit Lions gave their fans the best present possible on Christmas Eve as they routed the San Diego Chargers 38-10 and cemented their place in the NFL Play-offs for the first time since 1999.

My wife and I were on our way to the Christmas Eve Family dinner and stopped to get a few last minute stocking stuffers. What we had hoped would be a ten minute foray turned into a half hour adventure before we were back in the truck again. That's when it hit me. The Lions had already started!

I turned on the radio, already upset with myself for missing the first ten minutes of the game, and I was just in time to listen to the Lions kick a field goal to go up 10 to nothing. That is when something else hit me. I forgot to set the DVR to record it so I can go over the game later. There would be no need for that.

The offense was sharp from start to finish as Stafford threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns. Johnson had gone into his Megatron altar-ego to snatch only 4 catches for 102 yards and a TD. Brandon Pettigrew was a beast as he pulled in 9 receptions for 80 yards and a TD of his own. It seemed as if anything Linehan dialed up was executed flawlessly and he did an outstanding job of dialing in this game.

Everyone talked about how good the Chargers defense was, but the Lions defense showed they were up to the challenge. Though Rivers threw for almost 300 yards, he only had 1 touchdown compared to two interceptions and completed only 52.8% of his attempts. Ryan Mathews ran well as he gained 5.2 yards per carry, but the Lions jumping to a 24-0 lead at half time took him out of the game.

The coaches did a great job. The offense was outstanding. The defense was ferocious. With a chance to cement a spot in the NFL Play-offs, the Lions put together four complete quarters and this time did it against a good team that had been playing at a playoff caliber level. The Detroit Lions just put the NFL on notice. They were not about to back into the play-offs. They were not to be taken lightly. If they do this in the play-offs, they can beat any team they face.

Today I saw the Lions I have been clamoring for all season. Not winning on the big play alone. Not having to come back in the fourth quarter. All year I have argued that the Lions have a good enough team to beat anyone they meet when they put it all together. Here on Christmas Eve, the Lions showed the rest of the world what I knew was there. A great team! Not an improved team. Not a team that was a year or two away from being a contender. But a team that is a contender now and has the ability to knock out its foes rather than take the fight to the last bell.

This was the best Christmas Eve I have seen in many, many years and will be the best Christmas in as long. Merry Christmas Lions fans. You deserve this one!