The magical word "playoffs" and everything it promises and entails should be the Lions' call to battle as they restart the season after a week off with a bye.
They are playoff-worthy challengers with a 6-2 record, but it would be a mistake to believe that the job is half done in going to the postseason for the first time since 1999.
There is no such thing as the job being half done. It's either done or it isn't. There is nothing halfway about it.
Making the playoffs requires hard work, with no resting points in the 16-game season. It has nothing to do with the Lions' history and comments, good and bad, by outsiders.
The Lions' playoff march starts with Sunday's game against the Bears in Chicago. It starts again the next week at home against the Panthers and again on Thanksgiving Day against Green Bay.
Win or lose, assess where you are, and start again the next week. For teams that want to be winners, the playoff march starts over every week, with no letup, no excuses and no mercy from anyone.
Before they departed for the bye, the Lions seemed to have a sense of the opportunity at hand.
"We know what kind of challenge we have ahead of us in the second half of the season," said quarterback Matthew Stafford. "We have a big division game (against the Bears) coming back."
The Lions' best chance to make the playoffs is as one of two wild cards in the NFC. The Packers are 8-0 after Sunday's win at San Diego and show no sign of slowing down.
This week's Monday Countdown focuses on the Lions' playoff march — five key players (the quarterback is always No. 1), four key games and three teams who rank as their chief adversaries.
There's also the NFL's best and worst.
We start with the key Lions, led by the quarterback:
1. Matthew Stafford: He has shown what it means to have the consistent presence of a franchise quarterback by starting all eight games.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the runaway favorite to win the MVP award, but Stafford belongs on anyone's list of the top 10 candidates. He has 19 TD passes, four interceptions and no lost fumbles.
Stafford has a big arm and can take risks, but he also a sense of when to take a risk. That's a great combination.
"When you take those risks, it's all about making a good throw," he said. "There have been games this year when I've probably thrown it away more than I would have in the past.
Stafford's biggest test will be leading a team through a playoff run. Based on his performance so far, it's hard to bet against him.
2. Calvin Johnson: There are positions where there is no doubt about the best player — Darrell Revis at cornerback, Adrian Peterson at running back and Calvin Johnson at wide receiver.
Johnson can play any style — possession receiver, deep threat, over the middle.
On any play, Johnson can go over the top or turn a short catch into a touchdown.
3. Ndamukong Suh: His notoriety makes it fair to single him out. It comes with being a player who's considered the face of a franchise.
The notion that Suh is having a sophomore slump or teams are handling him is nonsense. He makes an impact in every game from the attention teams pay to him.
Having said that, he needs to make a couple offense-wrecking plays — force fumbles, sacks and tackles for losses. There are no worries about Suh holding up his end in short-yardage.
4. Jeff Backus: As the left tackle on an offensive line that is scrutinized for its run-blocking (inadequate so far) and pass protection (above average), Backus gets an inordinate amount of attention.
The less heard about Backus the rest of the season, the better it means the offensive line is playing.
Best has a special skill set that puts him above any other addition to the lineup for the last game at Denver.
If it isn't Best who makes the difference, a role player could step up and help win a game. It could be a big return by Stefan Logan, an interception by Aaron Berry or even a clutch punt by rookie Ryan Donahue.
The stars and front-line players are supposed to carry the team. When a role player chips in, it's enormous.
The Lions have to come back from the bye ready to play. And it's important to keep an advantage on teams like the Bears, who realistically are competing for a wild-card berth rather than the North title.
The Lions beat the Bears in Game 5 at Ford Field. Sweeping the Bears would almost eliminate any chance them beating out the Lions as a wild card.
Protecting home-field advantage is a must. The Lions have lost their last two at Ford Field. Three straight would be a disaster.
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