Bell Tolls: Lions among NFL's biggest disappointments

• Since opening 2011 at 5-0, the Detroit Lions have gone 6-10.
• Detroit is one of three NFL teams with a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense.
• The Lions' defense has no interceptions on the season.

Whatever happened to the Detroit Lions?

A year ago they roared as an exciting unbeaten, featuring perhaps the NFL's most lethal passing combination with Matthew Stafford heaving rainbows to Calvin Johnson.

Stafford and Johnson are still intact, which still offers hope ... if not mega results.

Yet since the 5-0 start of 2011, the Leos are 6-10. The Lions are now an example of how it's often tougher to fulfill expectations, and take the leap from good to great, than it is to jump from lousy to good.

Detroit, which barely won its season opener and takes a three-game losing streak into Sunday's game at the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the NFL's biggest disappointments.

Hey, it's only Week 6.

But when the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears share the NFC North lead with 4-1 records and you're on the bottom at 1-3, you have a must-win assignment at The Linc.

Already, the season is on the line.

"It's important to get a win," Lions coach Jim Schwartz understated this week. "What we did the last three games have no more bearing on this one than any one. But for sure, it would be good to be able to get a little bit of momentum back."

The Lions were so special last year, ending a 10-year playoff drought by posting a 10-6 regular-season record. They were clobbered at the New Orleans Saints in the playoff opener, but at least the franchise had its first post-Matt Millen taste of the playoffs.

And the bar was raised for this season.

"Nobody was pleased with how it ended, or carrying around a flag saying, 'Hooray for us, we made it to the wild-card round!' " Schwartz told USA TODAY Sports recently.

Now, unless they get hot -- and the tougher second-place schedule includes matchups against the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, in addition to a pair of games against Chicago and the Green Bay Packers -- the Lions won't be anywhere near the wild-card playoffs this season.

Was last season a mirage? Hardly. The Lions have some key pieces in place. Yet the Lions also won three road games in dramatic fashion in 2011 -- at Minnesota, the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders -- that could have easily gone the other way and turned them into a 7-9 team.

The Eagles (3-2) can relate. Philadelphia won its three games this season by a total of four points and suffered a two-point loss last Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Still, the Lions know their sluggish start doesn't hinge entirely on the close calls, although they beat the St. Louis Rams with a TD in the final seconds in Week 1, then lost in overtime at the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. It might be more a matter of tapping urgency.

Schwartz says his team needs to play with more emotion.

It's odd to think that a team that finally cracked the playoff code last season would suddenly lack fire, but then again, these are the Lions.

After leading the league in personal foul penalties last season and having a few incidents that fueled questions about their discipline and composure -- including Ndamukong Suh stomping on an opponent, Schwartz getting into a heated post-game exchange with San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and a meltdown in New Orleans -- the Lions led the league in offseason headiness stemming from player arrests.

And this week, Suh has been in the news again for something that has become a pattern: a traffic incident. Without evidence supporting a motorist's claim that he was sideswiped by Suh, police didn't file charges stemming from the minor accident (no injuries). Yet it's notable that it's the fourth traffic incident for Suh since joining the Lions in 2010 (a total that exceeds his team-high 2 ½ sacks this season).

There was other drama this week. One day, Suh defended himself by ripping an unidentified NFL general manager who supposedly ripped him. Another day, Johnson was quoted as saying he returned to the Week 4 game against the Vikings after suffering a concussion.

That's sensitive stuff in the NFL, and it hits home in Detroit, with running back Jahvid Best having not played in a year due to concussion issues.

They sure make it interesting. Between the lines, here are five things the Lions can do that might make the difference between winning and losing:

► Cover on special teams. Detroit is one of three teams in the NFL fielding a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense, when ranked by yards. Yet the Lions have allowed two TDs on kickoff returns (with a 32.8-yard average return, 31st in the NFL) and two TDs off punt returns (27.3-yard average, 32nd). It's no wonder that Eagles big-play specialist DeSean Jackson has talked of returning punts this week. Including runbacks off turnovers, Detroit has given up just as many TDs on returns (six) as it has on defense.

►Generate turnovers. Last season, Detroit's defense produced 34 takeaways, a total exceeded only by San Francisco and Green Bay (38 each). The tally included 21 interceptions. Now the Lions are still looking for their first pick of the season. Maybe Michael Vick helps? It should also help that hard-hitting, playmaking safety Louis Delmas is expected to make his season debut after having two knee procedures.

► Start faster. Sure, the Lions have it in them to finish with a bang. Ask some of last year's victims, like the Raiders and Cowboys. And no quarterback has passed for more yards in the fourth quarter this season than Stafford (527, with a 3-0 TD-to-INT ratio and 104.5 rating). But they can reduce the stress by playing better earlier. Detroit has trailed at the half in all four games this season.

► Run better. The Lions rank second in the league for passing offense, which is not a surprise as Stafford comes off a 5,000-yard campaign. But the lack of consistency with a 24th-ranked ground attack poses a serious problem. A formidable running game can mean so much. Such as relieving pressure on the passing game by forcing defenses to use schemes that respect the run. Such as converting on short-yardage situations that extend drives. Such as closing out games. With Best still on the physically unable-to-perform list, second-year back Mikel Leshoure might be the answer. Leshoure missed his rookie year due to a torn Achilles and was twice arrested during the offseason, which led to a two-game suspension to start the season. In Week 3, he made his NFL debut with a 100-yard game.

► Take 6, not 3. Stafford has passed for just three TDs this season and Johnson, aka Megatron, has struck paydirt just once. This represents a huge problem coinciding with ageless kicker Jason Hanson's 12 field goals. Nothing against Hanson, in his 21st season with the Lions. At 42, his leg is still strong. But too many drives have stalled for an offense that has so many weapons -- including Nate Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young -- in the passing game.

Progressing from good to great is still possible. But it will not be easy.

Also in play for Week 6:

► Who's hot: Reggie Wayne. The crafty Indianapolis Colts receiver suffered leg cramps during the last-minute, game-winning drive against Green Bay, but it sure didn't look like it as Wayne barreled in to break the plane for a 4-yard TD with 35 seconds left to cap the big comeback in an effort dedicated to leukemia-stricken coach Chuck Pagano. The 12th-year pro finished with 13 catches for a career-high 212 yards and further demonstrated what an asset he is for rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. Wayne could have left as a free agent during the offseason, and perhaps even joined Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos. That he decided to stay as the post-Manning era kicked off was one of the shockers during the free agency period. Now, with a matchup looming against Antonio Cromartie during Sunday's game at the New York Jets, Wayne (36 catches, 506 yards) leads the NFL with 126.5 receiving yards per game. He has also notched a milestone with a catch in 100 consecutive games. And here's another shocker: Wayne this week became the first Colts receiver named AFC Player of the Week since Marvin Harrison in 2003.

► Pressure's on: Tony Romo. Maybe the bye week helped. The Cowboys quarterback returns off one of the worst games in his 10-year career, a five-pick nightmare against the Bears when two of the INTs were run back for touchdowns. It left Romo with a sagging 78.5 passer rating for the season that includes a 5-8 TD-to-INT ratio. Now what? Romo leads his 2-2 team at the Baltimore Ravens, facing one of the NFL's most turnover-opportunistic defenses. The Ravens have given up more yards than usual and without rehabbing linebacker Terrell Suggs haven't lived up to their reputation for rushing the passer with just nine sacks. But they are tied for fourth in the league with 12 takeaways, and M&T Bank Stadium is no place for a picnic for a visiting quarterback.

► On the couch: Jermichael Finley. Add chemistry to the inventory of issues stunting the Packers (2-3), which their underachieving tight end has made known. Finley, with 22 catches, is on pace for a career-high 70 catches, but he has had four drops. Heading into Sunday night's statement game at Houston, he has acknowledged needing to hang on to the football. But Finley also publicly called out Aaron Rodgers, adding another layer to an in-house rift with the reigning MVP quarterback that has been apparent for a while. A few weeks ago, Finley's agent made noise about Rodgers. There are probably better ways to strengthen the bond and handle whatever issues are lingering between the tight end and quarterback. Then again, making big plays and winning have been known to generate inner peace -- or at least better mask behind-the-scenes turmoil.

► Rookie revue: Greg Zuerlein and John Hekker. The St. Louis Rams are rolling with quite the 1-2 punch as the foundation for the third of the game known as special teams. Talk about fresh legs. The rookie kicker (Zuerlein) and rookie punter (Hekker) undeniably stamped their imprint to the two-game winning streak that St. Louis takes to the Miami Dolphins. Zuerlein, a sixth-round pick from Western Missouri, has been perfect on his kicks, and is tied for the NFL lead with 13 field goals. How strong is his leg? He has made four field goals from beyond 50 yards -- 56, 58, 60 and 53 -- and nearly two-thirds of his kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks. Hekker, meanwhile, is fifth in the league with a 49.5-yard average after sticking as a rookie free agent from Oregon State. He can throw, too, evidenced by the fake field goal TD pass as Zuerlein's holder against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.

► Key matchup: Adrian Peterson vs. DeJon Gomes. It has been a remarkable comeback for the Vikings running back, who heads to the Washington Redskins -- where he suffered the torn knee ligaments that led to his reconstructive surgery -- as the NFL's eighth-leading rusher. Peterson has rushed for 420 yards on 96 carries, with a solid 4.4 average gain. And he's feeling so confident, this week he declared that with himself and Percy Harvin, the Vikings have "two Michael Jordans" -- i.e. special game-breaking playmakers. Even so, Peterson still hasn't ripped off the long highlight burst to add his signature flare to his comeback. You would expect that it's coming. During his first five seasons, Peterson had 15 plays of at least 50 yards -- including eight TDs. His longest play thus far this season was a 34-yard run. Think he would like to pop one at Fed Ex Field? It might be even sweeter for Peterson if he did so while also running over Gomes, the second-year safety who delivered the helmet-to-knee blow on Christmas Eve that left Peterson injured.

► Reality check: Terrell Owens, unemployed, ex-NFL receiver, looked so pitiful with his tweet to the New York Jets the other night: "I'm available ... ready, willing and able. Call my agent ... let's make it happen." Yes, the Jets offense is in sad shape. Yet Owens might have stood a better shot had his agent called the Jets privately and tried to arrange a tryout. The Jets at least issued a response: No thanks. Owens, 38, hasn't played in the NFL since 2010. He got a training camp shot last summer and was cut by the Seahawks weeks after flaming out with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. It's obvious that Owens has money problems, with his child-support payment issues the subject of an episode earlier this year on Dr. Phil and a Yahoo Sports report including T.O. as part of a group of current and former players who lost huge on investments tied to a failed casino project in Alabama. Given the widespread backlash to his Twitter plea, it's also obvious that T.O. gets little sympathy. He drummed up a lot of attention for himself and made millions during his NFL career, but that chapter is over. Hanging on for a last-gasp shot while believing you can still contribute? Hopefully, Owens is also pursuing life-after-football options.

► My road to Super Bowl XLVII goes through ... Philadelphia. Michael Vick is the only NFL player whose turnover woes are overshadowed by the revelation that he has a dog. Uh, understood. Given the issue that led to prison time, you would think he gets what the fuss was about. But the Eagles quarterback made it worse by refusing to own up to the fact that his family has a pet for several days after posting a photo on a social media site that showed a box of Milk Bones on a table. Sure, he complied by terms of his probation that dictated that he couldn't own a pet for three years. The terms should have also dictated that Vick not assume that the media and public are so stupid to buy his weak attempt to cover up the implications of the photo that, I'm guessing, was carelessly posted. In any event, Vick also carried a football around the Eagles headquarters -- which teammates apparently swiped at as he clutched it in the cafeteria and en route to meetings and the like -- on Wednesday as a reminder that he must better protect the rock. He lost two fumbles last week during the two-point loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers, and has coughed up eight fumbles on the season to go with his six interceptions and mediocre 77.8 passer rating. Still: A quarterback in his 11th NFL season carrying out a high school exercise to emphasize ball security? We'll see what happens Sunday, when the Lions can take a few swipes but will still be wary of Vick's ability to make big plays, often by extending plays with his legs and launching rockets with his arm. And for all of his woes, Vick has been more lethal in no-huddle situations and on third downs, when he has compiled a 103.9 passer rating (four TDs, one INT). Have a few more fumbles, though, and the vibe about Vick in Philly won't have much at all to do with canines.

► Stat's the fact: When the New England Patriots visit Seattle on Sunday, it will feature the first matchup in the NFL pitting the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense after Week 5 since New England hosted Pittsburgh and its top-ranked defense in December 2007. Seattle has allowed just 10.8 points per game and will be backed by its 12th Man crowd. Since moving to the NFC West in 2002, the Seahawks are 53-29 at home, with a .646 winning clip second only to Green Bay during that span. Interestingly, Tom Brady has never played in Seattle. Bet he has heard about the noise and the propensity for visitors to commit false starts. Since 2005, opponents have averaged about two false starts per game (1.93). Yet the Patriots might be equipped to turn the tables with their no-huddle offense. New England ran 94 plays against Denver last week, and with the no-huddle effectively tired out the defense that was unable to substitute. That could be a problem for Seattle, which likes to switch defensive end Red Bryant for rookie pass-rush phenom Bruce Irvin (NFL rookie-high 4½ sacks).

► Did you notice? After his 13-catch, 123-yard outing at Washington last weekend, 100-year-old Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez climbed to the top of the charts as the NFL's leader for the season with 39 catches. Gonzalez, 36, is a vegan who came back for a 16th season because his body is still a machine while he senses that Atlanta has a shot to go all the way. So far, so good. The Falcons head into Sunday's game against Oakland at 5-0 for the first time in franchise history. Quarterback Matt Ryan has a pair of explosive options on the outside in wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones. But when the Falcons get in the red zone, Gonzalez -- with 14 more catches than New Orleans' Jimmy Graham, the next-highest tight end among NFL leaders for receptions -- is still his security blanket with four TD grabs that ties Jones for the team high.