Lions Top Vikings in Season Opener

Detroit Lions fans only seem to know the deflated feeling of disappointment, but on Sunday they felt the rare jubilation of an early-season victory against an NFC North rival.

The Lions utilized their new dynamic offensive star, Reggie Bush, to great effect in week 1, defeating the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 34-24. Bush’s 191 total yards of offense – 101 of which were receiving – helped propel the Lions to a 1-0 record, while snapping an eight-game losing skid dating back to last season.

For Detroit and Bush, everything finally seemed to go according to plan.

“This is exactly what we talked about when I was thinking about coming here,” said Bush, according to ESPN.com. “We wanted to get me into space with a mismatch against a linebacker or a safety, and that’s what happened. You can do that because of Calvin [Johnson].”

Johnson – who is widely considered to be the league’s best receiver – seemed to be playing as a decoy for most of Sunday’s game, as quarterback Matthew Stafford still threw for more than 350 yards, but only 37 of them went to Johnson. However, as Bush mentioned, Johnson’s mere presence on the field opened up other offensive opportunities.

Meanwhile, Detroit’s defense also rose to the occasion, holding last year’s MVP, Adrian Peterson, to fewer than 100 rushing yards. The Lions also managed to force four turnovers, which more than made up for their own miscues.

With one win against their own division already – which is more than they had all of last year against the North – the Lions appear to be an improved team on both sides of the ball. But can they remain competitive and contend for a playoff spot this season? Of course, only time will tell, but they certainly seem to have the tools necessary to get the job done.

Fortunately for Lions fans, their squad will have a great chance to jump to 2-0, as Detroit squares off against the Arizona Cardinals – who fell to the Rams this past weekend – in week two. However, I still wouldn’t get too high on the Lions yet, until they can prove themselves on the road. We’ll take a closer look at the spread later in the week.