Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions character victory

 - The Lions season was on the ropes. They needed a victory in the worst possible way. Even though it wasn't pretty, it was definitely a sign the Lions have made great progress. This is not the "same old franchise." They responded very well under pressure in a classic "must win" situation. The Lions are now very much still in the race for a postseason spot. A loss today and they probably would have been done.
 - Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford made several brilliant throws late in the game. He hit a long one to Tony Scheffler (who made a great catch and adjustment), and displayed great touch on the TD toss to Nate Burleson. Also, he hit Calvin Johnson with a tremendous pass along the sideline on the game-tying drive. But here's a fair question: Where were those throws earlier in the game? The Captain Comeback routine is great and definitely separates Stafford from past Lions' QBs, who trended to crumble under pressure. But how about a sense of urgency at the start of the game?
- Here's something that is obvious: How about putting Calvin Johnson in more situations where he can take advantage of his exceptional skill running with the ball after the catch?
- Nobody should complain about the Lions' defensive line today. It was outstanding.Cliff Avril had his best game since early last November. Nobody could complain the Lions defensive line is overrated today.
The Lions' defense played very well overall today. Except for the blown coverage on the long touchdown pass to from to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, it was stout. The turnovers were a departure from what the Lions have done defensively since the first half of last season, but let's face it, much of that probably was because of Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick. Despite vowing to take better care of the ball, he really isn't.
- A very good thing for the Lions today: Their 138 rushing yards. A very bad thing for the Lions today:  An NFL season-high 16 penalties.
- The Lucky Man Award for today goes to: Lions returnman Stefan Logan. Hey,if his fumble in overtime doesn't bounce back right into his arm, the Lions season would probably in extreme dire straits right now.