‘Rolling’ Lions beat Colts, are 10-1 for 1st time since 1934

INDIANAPOLIS — Ninety years ago, former NFL owner George A. Richards bought the Portsmouth Spartans and moved the franchise to Detroit as the Lions, and they would get off to a blistering 10-1 start in their first season.

On the road Sunday in Indianapolis, coach Dan Campbell helped the team accomplish a feat not accomplished since 1934, a 10-1 start after beating the Colts 24-6, but he wasn’t too caught up in the moment.

“We’re so locked into the here and now that it’s hard,” Campbell said. “It’s kind of like last year — you get through it and maybe you can take a breath to turn around and look behind you and see what you did, but right now we’re just going. We’re rolling.”

Campbell acknowledged the history, but was more impressed with his team’s undefeated road streak. The Lions are the NFL’s last undefeated road team (6-0) this season, a testament to the franchise’s turnaround since Campbell’s arrival in 2021.

The Lions finished 3-13-1 in 2021, then improved to 9-8 in 2022 before finishing 12-5 last season with an NFC Championship Game appearance.

After Sunday’s win, the Lions are officially the first NFC team to reach 10 wins this season, the first time the franchise has accomplished it.

“It gave me a flashback to 2022 and at that point we were 0-11-1 on the road. And just thinking about it and now I think we’re 16-5 since then and just that group of guys Campbell said. “I said something about it in the locker room. I look at Frank (Ragnow) and (Jared) Goff and Deck (Taylor Decker) and (Penei) Sewell, Alim (McNeill) and Saint (Amon-Ra St. Brown) ), and it’s like, ‘Man, do you remember that?’

“But all those guys are responsible for the turnaround,” he said. “That says a lot. If you can win on the road, you’re usually a pretty good team and we can win on the road.”

The Lions also captured their ninth straight regular season win with the win. The only other time they’ve had a nine-game winning streak was also in 1934, when they won 10 straight, according to ESPN Research.

“We’re road warriors. We love it,” said Lions quarterback Goff, who finished 26-for-36 with 269 passing yards. “We come together on the road and we have an us-against-the-world mentality and it’s fun when we can get our own fans here. The way they turn out is really incredible. They do a heck of a job . “

While the offense has dominated headlines, the defense has also shined under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Detroit hasn’t allowed a touchdown in 10 straight quarters as defenses continue to hold each other accountable in moments of victory and defeat.

For the third game this season, Detroit’s defense allowed fewer than 10 points, the most in a Lions season since 1983.

“We expect to win,” Lions nose tackle DJ Reader said. “It’s not a feeling where you go in and you’re guessing if it’s going to happen. Guys expect excellence from themselves and others on our team, so I think that’s the best part. Even if you see the result today, we have” are still out on each other.”

The Lions will shift their focus to the annual Thanksgiving game on Thursday, which they haven’t won since 2016. Detroit will host the Chicago Bears, a division rival, with the team looking to reach new heights in pursuit of a championship.

“We have a group of unselfish people,” said Lions running back David Montgomery, who scored a rushing touchdown in the second quarter. “I call this place ‘The Land of Misfit Toys.’ You came to a place where people say you’re not good enough or this team isn’t supposed to be exactly who we are and we’re not proving that someone is wrong, but we try to prove ourselves right, I think that’s big.”