Every single game in the NFL counts. It’s a big reason why the league is so popular, and why football season as a whole captivates all of us for five-plus months. At the same time, when you hear players and coaches speak about the early portions of the regular season, you hear a lot of the same sentiments from around the league. “We are trying to establish an identity,” or, “You don’t really know who you are until about mid-October.” And for your 2026 Detroit Lions, that certainly appears to be the case.
After a disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, the Detroit Lions bounced back in a major way with a 45-21 thumping of the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5. The Lions’ defense took several steps forward, and after a slow start, the offense looked like a newly-evolved version of their former selves. You could almost say that they were back on their bs.
I got paper, ain’t doin’ no stressin’, the one who put all this together
They gave me somethin’ good and I made that s*** better
Turnt up the notch, my watch changed up the weather
I’m bigger and better, s*** bigger than ever
At times, it looked like some of those games from the 2024 season when the Lions’ offense was just pouring it on against several overwhelmed opponents. At the same time, it looked different than some of those units from the past. Whether it is the MVP-caliber play from quarterback Jared Goff or running back Jahmyr Gibbs, the evolved version of wide receiver Jameson Williams, or how first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is running the offense. It felt similar in the way they were dominating the Cardinal’s defense, even though it was being accomplished in a different manner.
Like I mentioned at the top, it’s still early in the season with a long road to go. And while there have been ups-and-downs through the first five weeks, being 3-2 heading into their Week 6 bye is not a bad spot to be in. Especially with the lingering returns of safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays.
Enjoy this Victory Week, Lions fans. And maybe throw on some BigX while you do it.
If you want to relive previous Lions seasons, you can find the playlists we curated below: 2016, 2017, 2018,2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. And if you want to read previous versions of our Song of the Game columns, you can find those here.