Three and Out: In build and in attitude, these Lions are the modern day Bad Boys

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Allen Park — Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bad Boys in build and in spirit

For the better part of two years, I’ve been comparing these Lions to another iconic team around these parts, the Bad Boys-era Detroit Pistons.

The reference has been tied to the Lions' linear build around a stable foundation. It’s something rarely seen in modern professional sports with the evolution of the salary cap and free agency, plus shorter leashes for coaches, leading to more frequent schematic and personnel overhauls.

Back to the Bad Boys. Part of what made them so endearing locally was that we took the ride with the individuals as they made incremental steps to reach the top of the mountain. We saw the first-round exit in 1986, falling short in the conference finals in 1987, and not being good enough to topple the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 Finals before finally getting over the hump the next two years.

Seeing photos of a champagne-soaked Isiah Thomas, smiling, clutching the championship trophy in the locker room carries added nostalgia because we watched the captain, that team’s heart and soul, fall short multiple times and keep coming back a little more driven the next season.

Lions fans are getting to experience something similar with this group. They saw the foundation laid in 2021 with the acquisition of quarterback Jared Goff via trade and the selections of Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown in the draft. They’ve witnessed the build from threatening to go winless that first year to the midseason turnaround in 2022 to last year’s run to the NFC Championship.

When the Pistons finally won their title, they left little doubt it was their time, winning the first eight games of the season on the way to a league-best 63-19 record. In 2024, it’s the Lions sitting atop the NFL’s standings.