Is the “Detroit Lions Hangover” a real phenomenon? If it is, another team has just fallen victim to it.
Earlier this week, Erik Schlitt and I discussed whether the “Detroit Lions Hangover” truly exists. The idea is that after playing the Lions—win or lose—teams experience such a tough game that they struggle in their next matchup.
The evidence after four weeks was intriguing.
Rams: Lost to the Cardinals 41-10 after playing the Lions
Buccaneers: Lost to the Broncos 26-7 after playing the Lions
Cardinals: Lost to the Commanders 42-14 after playing the Lions
I remained skeptical, though. The Rams and Cardinals had enough issues (and injuries) that could explain their poor performances after playing Detroit.
But in Week 5, the NFL provided the strongest case yet for the “Detroit Lions Hangover.” After losing to the Lions on “Monday Night Football,” the Seattle Seahawks returned home as 7.5-point favorites against the 1-3 New York Giants. New York’s only win had come in a close game against a struggling Browns team, and they were missing their rookie star receiver Malik Nabers.
Yet, the Giants managed a dominant 29-20 win over the Seahawks, and that score didn’t reflect how one-sided the game felt. The Giants might have won by even more if not for a goal-line fumble that led to a 102-yard scoop-and-score for Seattle.
Do the Lions wear teams down emotionally, leaving them drained the following week? Are teams physically exhausted by the Lions’ hard-hitting play? Or is this just a coincidence?
It’s hard to say for sure, but this developing trend is certainly worth watching.
