The Lions won the battle on Saturday, but it will be questionable as the season progresses whether or not they can win the war. Sunday’s victory, was a huge moral victory. Not winning a road game in over three seasons is nearly unfathomable.

Yet, heading into this season, if there were 5 players who needed to remain healthy and perform well in order to ensure Lions success. That list would include three who have already suffered serious injury(Dre Bly,Charles Rogers, Boss Bailey). Even more disappointingly, these players have major impact on any possible future successes the organization may hope to enjoy.

Charles Rogers loss in particular will hurt the team. He worked hard in the offseason to rehabilitate and prepare himself for a break-out season. He was very sensitive to being tagged as injury-proned and often walked out of interviews when questioned about his durability. Now, in what appears to be a season ending injury many questions have arisen about his future in the NFL.

In the meantime, this may represent the final chance for David Kirkus to become an NFL player. He has shown flashes, but will have to perform consistently when given the opportunity to play. The Lions success for the rest of the year will hinge upon keeping valuable players like Joey Harrington and Shaun “Big Baby” Rogers healthy. Otherwise, their interminable “rebuilding” process may have to start yet again.

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