Lions Insider

Players and coaches always talk about a 24-hour window they set aside to look back at the previous game before moving onto the next one.

That clock has been sped up for the Lions.

“During the regular season, after losses, you have to have that short-term memory and move on and that’s especially the case now,” said Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch. “When the story of this season is written, this game will be nothing but a footnote.”

Defensive end Cliff Avril joked that the clock has sped up to about 12 hours now that the team is in playoff mode.

The Lions certainly have some things to clean up from Sunday’s 45-41 loss to the Packers, but Lions coach Jim Schwartz is hoping a bad taste to end the regular season lights a fire under his team.

"Maybe it makes us angry,” he said.

Second Down

Usually it’s coaches stepping in to calm down players. But Lions center Dominic Raiola had to step in and calm down Schwartz in the second quarter Sunday after a series of bad calls by the officials robbed the Lions of both their challenges before halftime.

A fumble that had to be challenged by Schwartz was reversed on tight end Tony Scheffler and a fumble by kick returner Stefan Logan, which was reviewed and not reversed because of a poor television angle, left the Lions unable to challenge what should have been a 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Titus Young later in the second quarter.

Officials ruled that Young didn't get both feet down in the end zone when he clearly did after watching the replay.

"It's unfortunate the way the league plays because on a ball that's lose, their going to keep their whistles in their pocket because they don't want to have a play that was a fumble that they can't get it reviewed because somebody ruled it down by contact; but they don't have the camera angle to overturn it,” Schwartz said. “The guy's down. Then we have a touchdown play, which every play this year they always rule in favor of touchdowns knowing that it's going to get reviewed and I don't have any challenges left.

“The worst challenge was the first one that I had to challenge because you only get two. The whole thing with replay is to get right, well, we didn't get it right."

Third Down

There were plenty of positives to come out of Sunday, especially on offense for the Lions (575 yards). Another positive was avoiding any serious injuries.

Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and defensive end Corey Williams (hip) were inactive Sunday, but both are expected to be available Saturday against the Saints.

Trainers on the sideline worked on corner Eric Wright briefly for what appeared to be a right arm or shoulder injury but he finished the game.

No one had to be helped off the field or taken to the locker room, which was one of the keys to the game for the Lions.

Fourth Down

The Lions had a terrific regular season where they finished 10-6 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

But on the first day of the New Year, disappointment was what the Lions were feeling in the locker room after the game. That's not the ideal situation entering the playoffs.

“It's never fun losing, especially when you have chances to win it, and we did,” said Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. “Obviously we're going to use this as motivation.”

Based on how the Packers put it on the Lions defense Sunday, the Lions need a complete 180-degree reversal on defense and need to figure out how to do that in just six days when they play the Saints Saturday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Instead of feeling good about themselves heading into the playoffs on a 4-0 run, the Lions have to be wondering how an undermanned Packers team was able to spoil the end of their regular season.

The Packers were without their four best players in quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver Greg Jennings, linebacker Clay Matthews and corner Charles Woodson.

The Lions have now lost five of their six games to teams who have qualified for the NFC playoffs.