A month ago, everything seemed perfect for the Detroit Lions. They were 6-2 after a 44-7 rout of the Denver Broncos, and their long-suffering fans were looking forward to the team's first playoff berth of the Matt Millen era.
Things have changed.
Sunday's 42-10 loss in Minnesota dropped the Lions to 6-6, and three of their final four games are against division leaders — Dallas, San Diego and Green Bay. Suddenly, even finishing .500 for the first time since Millen took over in 2001 looks like a long shot.
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