For the past decade, the idea that the Detroit Lions could be overconfident heading into any game, against any opponent, would have been laughable. No matter how bad the team they were playing, everyone -- including the Lions themselves -- always knew there was a good chance the Lions would lose.
So it’s a good sign of things turning around in Detroit that some folks are worried that the Lions are going to take the Kansas City Chiefs lightly on Sunday.
The Lions looked good in their Week One victory over the Buccaneers, and the Chiefs looked terrible in their loss to the Bills, and the Lions are nine-point favorites with the Chiefs heading to Ford Field on Sunday. There were times in the last 10 years that the Lions might not have been nine-point favorites to beat a college team, so that alone is progress.
Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News writes that there have been questions in Detroit about whether the team is overconfident as a heavy favorite, and that the Lions insist they won’t overlook the Chiefs.
Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he expects the Chiefs to “come in hungry,” and that the Lions have to be ready for that.
“I don’t think you need to tell somebody not to take a team lightly,” Suh said. “Anybody can win in this league.”
For the first time in a long time, the old “we won’t take them lightly because anybody can win in this league” cliche is being trotted out by the Lions, and not about the Lions.