"It is tempting to put this Lions' loss on the shelf next to all the other Lions' road losses over the last 10 years and leave it at that. They lost to Brett Favre on the road, and they lost to the Vikings on the road, and those are their two favorite pastimes. But this was different. This game was winnable. At the very least, it should have been closer than 24-10. The Lions were determined not to beat themselves. And what happened? They beat themselves. There is a reason Jim Schwartz looked as if his cheeks might catch fire at the start of his weekly postgame autopsy. "When you turn balls over in the red zone, that's self-inflicted," Schwartz said Sunday. "When you give up 80-yard runs, that's self-inflicted." After this game, the Lions should have been forced to sign a scorecard. They earned the loss in almost every way. With many Lions' road losses, it can be hard to find a turning point: Was it when they got off the bus, or when the schedule came out? There was an obvious turning point in this one, though. Late in the first quarter, the Lions led, 7-0, and forced the Vikings to punt. The next two plays were retirement gifts to Favre. First Stefan Logan muffed the punt return, giving the Vikes the ball on the Lions' 24. Then safety C.C. Brown blew his coverage on Percy Harvin, leaving him wide open for an easy touchdown catch." http://www.freep.com/article/20100927/COL22/9270382/1049/SPORTS01/This-loss-should-have-been-closer
