Lions are 'playing for a lot' despite extremely long odds of making playoffs

Darrell Bevell channeled Lloyd Christmas from the comedy classic "Dumb and Dumber" on Monday when the Detroit Lions interim coach was told his team had a 1% chance to make the playoffs. 

"So you're saying there's a chance, right?" Bevell said. 

Yes, mathematically, the Lions do have a chance, however long the odds. And in a year where teams are battling through all kinds of unpredictable scenarios due to the ongoing pandemic, the players are just as inclined to believe anything is possible, even after Sunday's loss to Green Bay. 

"We feel like we playing for a lot, to be honest," return man Jamal Agnew said. "We feel anything can happen. It's a crazy league, you know? You've seen the COVID situation with Denver earlier in the year. You never know what could happen this year. We're really singularly focused, we're focused on Tennessee right now. We're just focused on handling business. It starts with Tennessee and an opportunity to get a big win on the road."

A loss to the Titans, who are 9-4 and leading the AFC South division, would likely be the final nail in the Lions' postseason dreams. Of course, Bevell knew what he was getting into when he accepted the interim tag late last month.

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At 4-7 before Bevell was promoted, the Lions were always going to be a long shot to make a postseason run. But echoing some of his first comments in this new role, there's plenty of value in each and every game for the guys on this roster and on this coaching staff. 

"This is an opportunity for all of us," Bevell said. "And it's an opportunity for all of us whether it's going to be on this team, whether it's another team, people are watching. They want to see how the Detroit Lions are going to react, if they're just going to throw in the towel or if they're going to keep fighting. If I have anything to say about it, or these players do, we're going to keep fighting. One percent, we'll take it. I don't even know if that's right, but we'll take it."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers