The Lions haven't played any truly meaningful football games for awhile.

It's been at least since 2007 when they also started out 6-2, and whatever promise that season held faded quickly.
Sunday at Chicago is very different. 2007 was a mirage. The suspicion now is that the Lions are serious contenders to not only make the postseason, but possibly do some damage once there. The Lions are listed by Las Vegas oddsmakers as having a 20-to-1 chance of winning the Super Bowl, up from 30-to-1 during the preseason, and an 11-to-1 chance of winning the NFC and reaching the Super Bowl.

But to do anything of note this season, they will have to go through the Chicago Bears. The Bears started out sluggishly, but are now 5-3. If they beat the 6-2 Lions Sunday in Chicago, they are all even. It's the Bears, not the Lions, who advanced to the NFC title game last season, remember? Perhaps they have been underestimated.

Read the rest here at Pat Caputo's blog.