The Super Bowl Contender That Can't Play a Lick of Defense

THE DETROIT LIONS have spent most of this season mauling opponents as ruthlessly as a pride of actual lions.

Over a two-month stretch, the Lions beat opposing teams by a combined 158 points, or almost 20 points per game. Their offense was the NFL's most explosive, their defense suffocated enemy quarterbacks and there was no reason to doubt their status as the Super Bowl favorites. Most of their victories were better characterized as absolute smackdowns.

But one week out from the start of the playoffs, these Lions suddenly look a little less fearsome. In fact, they now appear incapable of stopping anyone.

Detroit heads into Sunday night's regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings with enormous stakes on the line.

Both teams are 14-2, and the winner gets both the NFC North crown and the conference's No. 1 seed-along with a valuable bye that in the first round of the playoffs For most of this season, that bye week appeared firmly within the Lions' grasp. Yet over the past month, a brutal spate of injuries to key defenders including star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson has finally caught up with them.

During the first 12 weeks of the season, the Lions gave up a paltry 16.9 points per game. Over the last four, that has skyrocketed to 32.5.