The industrial belt of the US needs something to cheer about in the current economy and, with their surprising starts, the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions are bringing some welcome pride to the rust belt cities.
Just three NFL teams are 3-0 and while it is no surprise that Super Bowl champions the Green Bay Packers are one of them, few would have predicted that Buffalo and Detroit would be undefeated three weeks into the season.
Neither team has reached the playoffs in 11 years and both began last season with 0-3 records, but there is suddenly real optimism among fans in the two industrial cities that have endured their fair share of economic challenges in recent times.
Plenty can still go wrong for the Bills and Lions, but fans of each team can take some comfort in knowing that 76 percent of teams that have started a NFL season 3-0 since 1990 have enjoyed post-season football.
Few places need a boost more than Detroit and the city will surely believe they have a chance of their first post-season appearance since the 1999 campaign.
Since earning the dubious distinction of becoming the first NFL team to go winless through a 16-game season in 2008, the Lions have steadily improved, winning two games the next season and showing positive intent with a 6-10 record last year.
The 0-16 season resulted in the appointment of Jim Schwartz as head coach along with the top pick in the draft, which the Lions used to pick quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Sunday’s victory came in overtime against the winless Minnesota Vikings when Stafford threw two touchdown passes to help the Lions erase a 20-0 halftime deficit.
“The belief is unreal in here,” Lions center Dominic Raiola said. “We’ve been through hell and back. I’ve been 0-16. Can you get worse than that? No.”
The Bills’ success has been more emphatic thanks to their outstanding 21-point comeback win against AFC East divisional rivals the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Part of the reason that Buffalo has been without playoff football for so long is that they have not beaten New England in their past 15 attempts over eight years.
The result from their latest matchup has earned Buffalo sudden respect in the game for a team which has been, frankly, ignored by most pundits in recent years.
“It’s cool, it’s good for our team and it’s good for our city to get some recognition. I was just fine how it was last year, being able to walk around here and talking to like three [reporters],” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a good problem and obviously I’d love it to continue, because that means that we’re winning games and we’re still competitive.”
Both teams will try to make it 4-0 at the weekend, with Detroit visiting the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Suddenly, football is exciting again in towns where civic pride certainly needs sustaining.
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